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Vivo Confirms 20MP Sony IMX376 + 8MP Front Dual Cameras On the Vivo X9 & X9 Plus

Yesterday, Vivo confirmed that its upcoming Vivo X9 and X9 Plus will feature dual cameras up front. Now, the company has revealed more details about this front dual camera setup and looks like the phone will be able to capture some great looking selfies.

vivo x9

Vivo revealed today in the new teaser that the Vivo X9 and X9 Plus will come with a 20MP Sony IMx376 sensor jointly developed with Sony along with an 8MP secondary camera for depth of field. The company further adds that the front setup will support bokeh effect. This will make definitely make selfie lovers happy as it would enable them to blur out the background, focusing only on the person in the image.

READ MORE: Vivo Releases Official Poster Teasing Vivo X9 Launch (Updated: Renders)

Given that Vivo has been continuously teasing the camera features of the Vivo X9 and X9 Plus, it looks like their cameras are going to be the highlight. We still haven’t got any details about the rear camera setup on both the devices, but there’s still 15 days left for the launch, so Vivo should reveal more details by then.

LeEco Le Max 2 with 2K Display, 4GB RAM Now 1,499 Yuan ($221)!

Seems the Chinese smartphone makers are on a price reduction spree, ahead of November 11 which is a popular sales day in China. Just moments after the Lenovo ZUK Z2’s price was massively slashed, another flagship device has seen a reduction in its price. This time around the LeEco Le Max 2.

leeco le max 2

The Le Max 2 comes in two memory versions, a base version with 3GB RAM and a higher model with 4GB RAM. The high-end 4GB RAM which was previously priced at 2099 Yuan ($310) has now gotten a reduction in its price on Taoboa, with up to 600 Yuan off. The flagship is now up for 1,499 Yuan ($221).

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Specs wise, the LeEco Le Max 2  sports a 5.7-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. There is a Snapdragon 820 chipset inside which powers the device as well as 4GB RAM on the higher version. The Le Max 2 features 32GB of internal storage and a 3100mAh battery under its hood. On the camera end, there is a massive 21MP rear camera sensor and an 8MP front-facing sensor inside the device. Other features include a fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C interface, full network support, dual SIM / dual standby.

Related: LeEco Le Max 2 Review – A Real Flagship Killer of 2016?

Here’s another Snapdragon 820-powered flagship being offered and priced like a budget smartphone. Isn’t that just amazing? Hopefully, more brands would follow suit ahead of November 11, so get your credit cards ready for what should be a fun double 11 sales.

Huawei Mate 9 Pro Specifications Outed in Fresh Leak

The rumor mills are still agog concerning the expected Huawei Mate 9 and Mate 9 Pro, both of which would likely get unveiled tomorrow in Berlin, Germany. Although we are very certain about the Mate 9 launch, what is not certain is the  Mate 9 Pro as it had featured in just a couple of leaks with no real live renders to back up the claim.

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However, we have got another one, a fresh leak detailing what is said to be some of the specifications of the Huawei Mate 9 Pro. From the leaked information, the Mate 9 Pro sports a 5.9-inch 2K double-edge curved display, fired up by the Kirin 960 processor with a huge 6GB RAM in tow. The Mate 9 Pro vis also listed as featuring a massive 256GB of internal storage space and would run on Android 7.0 Nougat pre-installed from factory.

huawei mate 9 pro

Apparently, the Mate 9 and Mate 9 Pro would feature the same dual Leica camera set up with 12MP + 20MP sensors at the rear. Furthermore, the flagship device is said to pack a front fingerprint sensor in addition to the rear mounted one. If true, then it would make the Mate 9 Pro the first Huawei smartphone to have a fingerprint recognition sensor at the front.

Read More: Huawei Mate 9 Chinese Edition Could Launch on November 9

We cannot verify the credibility of this information, though. Besides mass producing a device with display as large as 5.9 inches with 2K resolution and double curved edges isn’t an easy feat.

What Happens When You Drop Your Xiaomi Mi Mix?

That feeling you have when you buy a new phone is difficult to describe. You like the way it’s built and the way it feels in your hands, so you wonder why you should invest in a protective case to cover up such a beauty until it slips from your grip, and since you don’t have quick reflexes, your phone rushes to hug the ground and you hear a crack. Your phone’s screen is broken and that pain is difficult to describe as well. Then you wish you had bought a bumper case.

Now imagine if you own a phone like the Xiaomi Mi Mix whose display reaches the edges and can’t be protected by a bumper case. What happens when you accidentally drop it? Someone has it all figured out and it is not a pretty sight at all.

Mi Mix

The Xiaomi Mi Mix is yet to go on sale but at the company’s headquarters, someone accidentally dropped the phone and he did not only end up with a broken screen but he also cracked the ceramic frame. Now for a phone like that, the only place you will be able to fix it will be at an authorised store and trust me, it isn’t going to be cheap unless you purchase an accidental damage insurance while buying the phone which will cost you an additional 249 Yuan ($37).

READ MORE: Xiaomi Conducts Poll for Mi 6

Lenovo ZUK Z2 Now Up For 1,149 Yuan ($169)- Cheapest SD 820 Phone?

The Lenovo ZUK Z2 was launched about five months back with a price tag that made the phone to become reputed as one of the cheapest Snapdragon 820-powered device, going for as low as 1799 Yuan for the 4GB RAM version. Recently, a white-only 3GB RAM version of the ZUK Z2 was released, dubbed ZUK Z2 Rio Edition apparently because of the Rio 2016 Olympic themed wallpapers inside. The 3GB RAM version started at 1599 Yuan ($240) and was even touted as the cheapest Snapdragon 820 smartphone ever. The price was later reduced to 1299 Yuan ($191).

lenovo zuk z2

That acclaimed cheap price has even gone further lower, as the Lenovo ZUK Z2 has now seen another price slash. Right now, the 3GB + 32GB version is now offered on Lenovo’s official website for 1149 Yuan ($169) with coupon. That is a huge 450 Yuan drop for a flagship device. This new price tag is even lower than the price tag of its predecessor, the ZUK Z1 which is being offered recently on Everbuying for $173.99.

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The price reduction was also noticed to have been effected on popular online mall Jingdong (JD.com) where the 3GB RAM version of the ZUK Z2 is now being offered for 1199 Yuan($177). As a reminder, here are the specifications of the ZUK Z2 version in question.

Read More: ZUI 2.0 brings One Click Overclocking to Lenovo ZUK Z2

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ZUK Z2 3GB +32GB Version specifications

  • 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD LTPS 2.5D curved glass display
  • 2.15GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 530 GPU
  • 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage
  • Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with ZUI 2.0
  • 13MP rear camera with LED Flash, f/ 2.2, 5P lens, ISOCELL sensor, PDAF, CAF dual-mode focus, EIS
  • 8MP front-facing camera with 1.4μm pixel size, f/2.0 aperture, 78.9-degree wide viewing angle
  • Dual (nano) SIMs
  • Fingerprint scanner
  • Dimensions: 141.65×68.88×8.45mm; Weight: 149g
  • 4G LTE with VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, USB 2.0 Type-C
  • 3500mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0

 

EMUI 5.0 May launch Alongside Huawei Mate 9

The Huawei Mate 9 is expected to launch with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, but an image posted on twitter by the official EMUI account hints that the company may announce the latest version of their user interface called Emotion UI 5.0 very soon, probably on Wednesday with the Mate 9.

Reports of a new version was first mentioned months ago when leaks were posted on Weibo by @kjuma and was even expected to launch at IFA Berlin.

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The new UI will probably be the overlay on the new phone. It is said to be closer to stock android, be more colourful and will come with some new features such as an app drawer, redesigned and customizable virtual keys, and an overall simpler interface. Battery performance and phone manager are also expected to be better when the new UI launches.

READ MORE: Teaser Suggests Mate 9 Will Have Amazing Battery Life

EMUI 5.0’s skin was reported to have leaked a few months ago alongside a beta version of Nougat for the Huawei P9. There is no mention of the devices that will get the update When it officially launches, Huawei will most likely announce what phones will be getting the update.

Xiaomi Roidmi 2s Review – My Search for the Best Car Charger and FM Modulator is Over

Xiaomi has been making all sorts of products and I came across the Roidmi 2s car charger that has the best quality FM modulator I’ve ever heard and a lot more features. Learn more in our full review.

Thanks to Gearbest for sending Roidmi 2s for a review.

Xiaomi Roidmi 2S Review: VIDEO REVIEW

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

Xiaomi Roidmi 2S Review: UNBOXING

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In the box, you can find a charger and some paperwork.

Xiaomi Roidmi 2S Review: DESIGN, FEATURES, FUNCTIONALITY

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To be honest, I’ve been looking for a great versatile car charger that has the FM modulator feature since my car has neither the AUX input port nor Bluetooth.

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The Roidmi 2s is very well built and sturdy charger that has 2 ports with the power output of 2.4A that can charge the phone very fast.

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One of the key features of this device is the FM modulator. All you have to do is download the Roidmi App, connect the charger to your phone via Bluetooth, select the same radio bands on your car’s stereo and on the app and you are ready to stream music.

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The audio quality has to be the key selling point of this device. It’s just outstanding and I have to say that this is the best sounding FM modulator I’ve tested so far.

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You can also do some other things within the app, e.g. check your car battery’s voltage, which I don’t really care about.

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What is more interesting, you can change the colors of LED light of the charger, which is pretty cool.

My favorite feature is the ability to shake the phone to switch the songs and this feature is very useful while driving.

As for call quality, people on the other end could recognize that I’m using the hands-free but we could make a clear conversation.

Xiaomi Roidmi 2S Review: CONCLUSIONS

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I have to say that my search for the great budget FM modulator is finally over. I’ve tested some other cheap options out there but none of them could match the audio quality of the Roidmi 2s. If you add some other useful features, the Roidmi 2s can be highly recommended if you are okay about shelling out $40 but at the moment you can get it for just below $19 using the coupon code down below, which is a really good deal.

Coupon: FC2S  Price: $18.99

Other car chargers at Gearbest.com

18% OFF Coupon: CAR18OFF

Samsung Confirms Bezel-Less OLED Phones With 90%+ Screen for 2017

Bezel-less displays are not new but after what Xiaomi did with the Mi Mix and the kind of positive reception it got, other manufacturers are already planning theirs. One such company is Samsung, who have announced that starting next year, they will release phones with bezel-less displays.

Samsung

Chief Engineer of S-LCD, (a South Korean LCD manufacturing company jointly owned by Samsung and Sony) Park Wonsang, has been reported by Korean media to have said that Samsung will launch phones that will have more than 90% screen-to-body ratio and will increase it further to 99% in the next couple of years, covering the top, sides, and chin. Mr Wonsang however declined to comment if the Galaxy S8 will be one of such phones.

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The displays will be sophisticated flexible OLEDs reaching up to 99% of the phone’s height and possibly sporting an embedded fingerprint scanner.

READ MORE: Samsung Announces First 8GB LPPDR4 RAM for Mobiles and Tablets

Motorola Moto M Appears on AnTuTu Ahead of November 8 Launch

Ahead of the November 8 news conference where Lenovo is expected to pull the wraps off the Motorola Moto M, the device has appeared on popular benchmark site AnTuTu confirming some of the specs that had earlier been revealed.

moto m

Listed as Motorola M with model number XT1662, the Moto M is said to have pooled a sub-score of around 50,000 points, placing it in a mid-range category. The AnTuTu data also gives the Moto M as featuring a 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution on top of a 5.5-inch display. The device is powered by an Octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755) chipset and packs a 4GB RAM inside, as well as a 32GB of internal storage. Powering the graphics is a Mali-T860 GPU.

motorola Moto m antutu

Further, the Motorola Moto M sports a massive 16MP rear camera sensor at the rear and up front, there is an ample 8MP sensor for crisp clear selfie shots. The device is also listed to run on Android Marshmallow 6.0 out-of-the-box.

moto m

Read More: Lenovo’s November 8 Event Will See The Moto M and Lenovo P2 Launch Together

That’s all we could gather about the device from AnTuTu but as stated, the Moto M would likely go official on November 8. The device is said to be released along side the China release of the Lenovo Vibe P2 which was released in some clime as Lenovo P2.

Xiaomi Launches Mi Air Purifier Pro with OLED Display for ¥1499 ($221)

Xiaomi just unveiled a new air purifier today called the Mi Air Purifier Pro. Fixing the complaint of a lack of a display and throwing in some new improvements.

Mi Air Purifier Pro

Xiaomi’s previous air purifiers lack a screen, so owners had to open the app to check air quality and other details. The Mi Air Purifier Pro changes that. The display will provide real-time air quality and working conditions. It also has automatic brightness, allowing you to see the display clearly during the day and turning it down when it’s dark so it doesn’t hurt your eyes.

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The edge of the display has a LED ring around it that changes colour based on the air quality. It will switch from green to orange and to red depending on how clean the air around the surrounding area is.

The air purifier also comes with a redesigned air flow path and pressure system. It has a Clean Air Delivery Rate value of 500m3/h  and now covers an indoor area of 60 square meters which is an improvement from previous ones which had a CADR value of 406m3/h and a working area of 48 square meters. Xiaomi says there is a high precision laser sensor built into the device that can accurately detect particles of up to 0.3μm in diameter.

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Although it has it’s own display now, that doesn’t mean you still can’t pair it to your phone via the Mi Home App. The Mi Air Purifier Pro will clean the air of allergens, animal fur, formaldehyde, dust, pollen, and cigarette smoke.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Launches Mi Power 2 for 79 Yuan ($12)

Working Huawei Mate 9 Live Renders Leak Ahead of Release

Once again, real live renders of the Huawei Mate 9 have leaked and this time around, the renders are of the device in action. This is coming on the heels of the imminent release of the device scheduled for November 3, just two days away.

huawei mate 9

The leaked renders were spotted on Finnish website SuomiMobiili and they reveal the device just fresh out of the box. One notable thing that could be observed from the working Mate 9 is the black bother at the edge of the display but it is not very wide. The render shows the Mate 9 bearing striking resemblance with the Mate 8 with just some slight difference.

huawei mate 9

The leak is that of a flat screen Mate 9, perhaps one of the two versions touted to feature on the Mate 9. The Mate 9 is also touted as featuring a dual-edge curved display version code-named Long Island.

huawei mate 9

 

At the rear, the dual Leica cameras could be seen seated at the upper edge of the device, aligned centrally. The dual Leica rear cameras would likely be one of the major marketing tool of the Mate 9 and Huawei has ensured that the Leica footprint is inscribed in between the two rear sensors.

huawei mate 9

The Mate 9’s LED flash and laser focus module could be seen located at both sides of the cameras. Also, lying under the camera set up is the the rear mounted fingerprint sensor. It’s worthy to note though, that the curved display version is rumored to have a front fingerprint sensor in addition to the rear mounted one.

huawei mate 9

Read More: Huawei Mate 9 Rumours: 20MP & 12MP Dual Leica Cameras and 50% Charge in 5 Minutes

As a reminder, the Huawei Mate 9 would come powered by a Hisilicon Kirin 960 chipset and would sport a 5.9-inch 1080 pixels display while the curved screen version is saod to have a 2K resolution on its display. There is a 6GB RAM on board on the top version, along with a large storage of 256GB. There is also a base version with 4GB RAM and 32GB as well as 64GB internal storage versions. The device is also listed to run on EMUI 5.0 based on Android 7.0 Nougat OS. The device is also said to pack a 12MP + 20MP sensor at the dual Leica rear cameras.

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Vivo Confirms Dual Front Selfie Camera Setup On the Upcoming Vivo X9 Model

We know that Vivo and OPPO are doing well this year, all thanks to its strong offline sales channels. Vivo’s recent releases have been decent, but nothing extraordinary as compared to its rivals. However, that will change with the Vivo X9 and X9 Plus models. The company confirmed earlier today that the Vivo X9 and X9 Plus models will come equipped with dual front cameras. Yes, you heard it right!

vivo x9 dual front cam

It’s confirmed that the Vivo X9 will be the first commercial smartphone with dual front-facing selfie cameras. The company has also made sure its going to be powerful, as one of the cameras will be a 20MP sensor while the second one should most likely be an 8MP sensor. The dual cameras up front should function similar to the Xiaomi Redmi Pro, bringing features such as bokeh to selfies.

RELATED: OPPO Edges Huawei to Top Q3 2016 Phone Sales in China, Vivo Comes Second

As for the specs, both the Vivo X9 and the X9 Plus are said to feature Snapdragon 653 chipsets with 4GB and 6GB RAM options. The Vivo X9 will most likely feature a 5.5-inch 1080p display while the X9 Plus should come with a larger 6-inch 1080p panel. There is no information about the cameras at the back, but could Vivo equip its larger Vivo X9 Plus with dual cameras at the back as well? This will take the total to four cameras on the phone! But the company is yet to confirm the rear camera details, so we better wait for more details.

Meanwhile, the Vivo X9 and X9 Plus models are said to be announced mid-November, most likely on November 17. Design wise, the new models are said to look similar to the previous generation devices from the front, however, the back is said to rock an iPhone7-like antenna design.

New LeEco Le S3 Model Pops Up On AnTuTu With Helio X20, Said To Be Cheap

LeEco has been aggressively releasing new smartphones with killer specs in the two years that it has been in the market. The company recently released the Le Pro 3 and Le S3 models in the US and it looks like in November, it will announce another device, this time in China. Now, the phone seems to have hit the AnTuTu benchmarking app, revealing most of its specifications.

le s3 antutu china

AnTuTu reveals that the phone will be called as the Le S3 (yes, the same name as the one launched in the US but with different specs). The phone will come with the Helio X20 chipset (MT6797) with a 1080p display (size unknown) and Android 6.0 Marshmallow on top. The rear camera is a 21MP sensor while up front, there is an 8MP sensor. The phone seems to be pretty powerful, with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM options. The app revealed that the Le S3 managed to score around 95,000 in the benchmark test.

RELATED: LeEco LESEE Pro Electric Car Launched In the US

To recap, the Le S3 model announced in the US came with Snapdragon 652, 3GB RAM and a 16MP camera. So, this model seems to be different.

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Another interesting highlight, which is yet to be confirmed, is the pricing. It is said that this phone will be targeted at the 1000 Yuan market, so the pricing should be near $150. Also, the phone is said to come with a 24W fast charging technology, which should ensure super fast charging speeds.

Now, if you remember, there has been a phone making rounds on the internet, called as the Le Dual 3. If you still can’t recall the device, I am talking about the AI phone with the funny looking dual camera module. The Le S3 and this Dual 3 seem to be different devices, although they could be launched together in an event.

We are waiting for more details to emerge about the company’s event, which is said to be in this month itself.

 

 

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Sold Out In Just 50 Seconds In the First Sale

The much talked about Xiaomi Mi Note 2 today went up on its first sale via Xiaomi official website in China and reports emerging indicate that just 50 seconds after the website opened for those who have already made reservations, the flagship device was indicated to have been sold out.

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That is a clear evidence of the popularity and acceptance the Mi Note 2 has got among fans and non-fans of Xiaomi alike. One attractive feature is undoubtedly the double curved or hyperboloid display the Note 2 features and not only that, there are lots of other attractive features coupled with the great price tag.

xiaomi mi note 2 saleXiaomi is offering up the Standard Edition of the Mi Note 2 with 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM and a 2799 Yuan price tag as well as the higher version with 6GB RAM + 128 GB ROM and priced at 3299 Yuan, in the flash sale. Buyers also have the options of Bright black and glacier silver colors to choose from. The more pricey Mi Note 2 Global Edition is yet to go on sales by the way.

Xiaomi Mi Note 2

According to reports, the next flash sale would come up on November 8 and seriously, that is a long time to wait for someone who missed out on getting his own copy during this first sale. The Mi Note 2 is worth the wait, though.

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Read More: Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Now Up For Pre-order on OPPOMART!

Just as a reminder, the Xiaomi MIX would be up for pre-order or reservations on November 3. Perhaps you are interested in having one of that, you can wait for it but predictably, the flash sale might not even last up to 20 seconds considering that Xiaomi doesn’t have a large enough stock of the Mi MIX due to its ceramic body. Getting it would almost be the same as winning the lottery, don’t you think?

Xiaomi Launches Waterproof 90 Minutes Bag Pack via Crowdfunding

Xiaomi has got a new product on its crowdfunding platform and it is a bag pack for outdoor and leisure activities. The product is dubbed the 90 minutes bag pack manufactured by popular wearable brand 90 Points which also launched the ultra-light 90 Minutes jacket months back.

90 minutes bag pack

The shoulder bag comes in gray color only and has a dimension of 395 x 290 x 160 mm with a net weight of 771 g. The 90 Minutes bag pack is made of 100% Polyester fabric with an inne lining of plyester fiber and polyamide fibers. The entire surface on all angles are water repellent and the bottom also has a waterproof coating, meaning the bag is entirely water proof.

xiaomi bag pack

The bag pack uses a front zipper which opens from the centre and extends t the two sides. The bag pack is also elastic and can expand. In addition,  it can carry a 14-inch laptop as well as other valuables as there are enough protective material to cushion the gadgets from shock.

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There are also an hidden carts just like the 90 Points suitcases which aids in rolling the bag should you become tired of carrying it on your back. In addition, the zipper slider is said to have a magnetic pull at the bottom for security purpose making it difficult for someone to just flip it open while its on your back.

RelatedXiaomi Launches Ultra-Light, 90 Minutes Jacket under Crowdfunding

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The 90 Minutes bag pack carries a price tag of 179 Yuan ($26) and is already available via crowdfunding. The bag pack is expected to start shipping by December 13.

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Cubot V1 Smartband Review – A Perfect Mi Band 2 Alternative

Cubot is more known as a smartphone manufacturer but we came across their cheap fitness tracker – V1. It has a great design, excellent build quality and a lot of features for just $16. Learn more in our full review.

Thanks to Coolicool for sending Cubot V1 for a review.

UNBOXING

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The item ships with the USB cable and some paperwork.

DESIGN and FEATURES

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The fitness tracker itself can be easily removed from the the band, which I found to be pretty comfortable to wear but not as comfortable as the Xiaomi Mi Band 2.

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The build quality of the Cubot V1 smart band is top-notch. It is made of quality plastic and I did not scratch it while wearing it for a couple of weeks.

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We have a nice and bright OLED display that shows all the basic info you need: clock, date, steps taken, calories burned, distance walked and so on.

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In addition, it shows the notifications from various apps (Facebook, Twitter etc.), SMS messages and calls. What I love about the call notifications is that it shows both the contact name and the number (some other cheap trackers show just the phone number or vice versa).

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You can charge the bracelet with any micro USB cable.

The App

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You can easily connect the smart band to your phone using the Cubot app and I didn’t have any syncing issues after I was asked to create the Cubot account, which was a bit annoying (every registration requirement is annoying to me). Here you can find all the basic info about your fitness routines, set your goals, adjust some settings etc. The app gets the job done but as usual to most of the Chinese gadget-related apps, the translations to English are poor, so you have to get used to that.

BATTERY LIFE

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The Cubot V1 is said to give you around 7 days of battery life and it delivers its promise. However, 7 days of standby is kind of short period of time compared to the competition.

CONCLUSIONS

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The Cubot V1 is a cheap fitness tracker that has a ton of value of the price. It counts the steps accurately, it has a nice display and some other cool features. The only complaint would be just a 7 day battery life which is kind of a poor result compared to the competition.  If you can live with that, the Cubot V1 can be recommended as a good cheap fitness tracker.

Meizu M5 Hands On Images: Beauty in Many Colors For Just 699 Yuan ($103)

The Meizu M5 was released today in a colorful concert and one cool thing that we took out of the launch is the fact that the device would be available in an array of colors. The M5 comes with a polycarbonate body as against the all-metal body we were accustomed to on Meizu devices. Perhaps this afforded the company the leverage to experiment with several color shades and really it came out beautiful.

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The M5 is said to be painted using a sophisticated pearlescent powder paint process, perhaps that explains the seamless and spotless colors we’ll have at our disposal whenever the device goes on sale.

Meizu M5

We have got our hands on some beautiful hands-on images of the M5 for your delight and in all sincerity, the design is patently Meizu. The mBack home button is visible as well as other features common to Meizu devices. For sure, this is a budget device and news coming in indicate a mouthwatering price tag of 699 Yuan ($103) for the base version while the higher 3GB RAM version starts at 899 Yuan ($133).

Meizu M5

Coming in at 5.2 inches, the Meizu M5 may not tickle your fancy if you are a lover of giant displays but it’s just enough to fit into your pocket and still stand out as a fairly large device. Also, the HD resolution (720 pixels) ensures a bright enough display. An Octa-core MediaTek chip clocked at 1.5GHz runs the show and there are two memory versions available. Ther is the option of a 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM and another option of 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM.

Meizu M5

On the camera end, the M5 sports a cool 13MP rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, PDAF, fast auto-focus and dual tone LED flash along with a 5MP front-facing camera. The device runs on YunOS if you must know, but that shouldn’t take a thing out of the device. You also get a host of color options to choose from, like Mint Green, Blue, Matte Black, White, and Champagne gold.

meizu m5

Read more: Meizu Pro 6S’ Official Launch Is On November 3

The Meizu M5 can be purchased at 6 pm today on Meizu’s official online mall, Lynx, and Suning. It will be available on other online platforms on the 7th of November.

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Xiaomi Launches New Mi IH Rice Cooker Under Mijia Brand

Xiaomi has today launched the first of four products which would be unveiled under its Mijia brand ahead of the Double 11 (11/11) grand sale. The latest product dubbed Mi IH Rice cooker is a follow up to the Rice cooker earlier released in March this year.

Mi IH rice cooker

The Mi IH rice cooker comes in an all white design with a simply, yet appealing design. The cooker users an interactive LED display panel  which displays a variety of information when in use. Also, the new IH rice cooker uses an honeycomb inner cover and a new design for the  air circulation and cooling system.

xiaomi rice cooker

In addition, the Mi IH Rice cooker comes with a steamer and is manufactured using food grade PP material which is safe and can withstand high temperature. The most prominent feature of the cooker is the use of IH electromagnetic heating which is through electromagnetic induction. This produces a strong heating power and excellent thermal conductivity as well as transfer of heat via convection which ensures the food is cooked in the shortest possible time and all parts are evenly cooked. With an inner lining 3mm thick, the Mi IH Rice cooker also retains heat.

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One important feature of the IH Rice cooker is the use of remote control through an app that can be installed on smartphones to control the cooker. And in all of these you don’t have to bother about the pot getting stained as the interior is coated with Japan Daikin edible non-stick coating.

Read More: Xiaomi Teases Another Gadget Launching on November 3, Kid-centric Smart Toy?

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The Mi IH Rice cooker is priced at 399 Yuan ($58) and would be available on November 11.

Mi IH Rice cooker

Meizu M5 Official: Colourful PolyCarbonate Body, 3070mAh Battery (Update: Price)

Meizu has officially taken the wraps of their new device, the Meizu M5, and it deviates from the norm by sporting a polycarbonate body.

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The Meizu M5 is a beautiful and colourful phone and that is because the company decided to ditch the use of an all-metal body in favour of a plastic one. Meizu knows quite a number of us (I should be number one on that list) are tired of the champagne gold, pink gold, white gold and all the other boring colours found on all-metal phones, so they decided to spice things up. Apparently, bright colours appear really nice on plastic compared to metal, that’s why the M5 comes in a range of colours. Meizu says the body of the phone is painted using a sophisticated pearlescent powder paint process.

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The Meizu M5 has a 5.2” 2.5D screen with a 720p display and is powered by an octa-core Mediatek chip clocked at 1.5GHz. It is available in 2GB + 16GB and 3GB + 32GB variants, has a 13MP f/2.2 primary shooter with PDAF, fast auto-focus, and dual tone LED flash; and a 5MP camera up front.

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The M5 also has a fingerprint scanner on the chin that unlocks in 0.2s. Meizu has bundled the phone with a 3070mAh battery that is said to be able to offer up to  66 hours of music playback. Sim slot is the hybrid type that appears to be the standard now. Dual SIM slots or a single sim and a SD card are the options you have. Sadly, the Meizu runs Yun OS and there  is no mention of an international variant.

READ MORE: Meizu Pro 6s Appears on Antutu, Key Specs Revealed

Want to pick up the Meizu M5? There are a bunch of colours available such as Mint Green, Blue, Matte Black, white, and champagne gold (because some people still love it). There is no mention of the price yet, but we’ll update the article once it is announced.

UPDATE: The Meizu M5 will start at ¥699 ($103) for the 2GB RAM + 16GB version and ¥899 ($133) for the 3GB RAM + 32GB version.  It will go on sale at 6 pm today on Meizu’s official online mall, Lynx, and Suning. It will be available on other online platforms on the 7th of November.
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Lenovo’s November 8 Event Will See The Moto M and Lenovo P2 Launch Together

Lenovo  has scheduled November 8 for a news conference which is expected to be the official unveiling of the Moto M and the China release of the Lenovo (Vibe) P2.

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Moto M

The Moto M has been in the news for months now: starting with the rumour of Lenovo releasing a phone with the fingerprint scanner positioned where the much loved Moto dimple is, then it got its TENAA certification and revealed some new details as well.Moto M

Right now the specs for the Moto M stands at a 5.5” Full HD display, a Mediatek octa-core processor said to be the new Helio P15, 4GB of RAM, 32GB/64GB of storage, 16MP rear camera, 8MP front shooter, 3000mAh battery, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It will feature an all-metal body and the international version will be bundled with Microsoft apps.

For the price, some say it will be priced at ¥1000 ($148) while others say it will sell for ¥1999 ($295). That is a wide margin but the latter sounds more realistic.

Lenovo P2

The Vibe P2 on the other hand was first announced at the IFA Berlin conference but will just be getting a China launch. However, the version coming to China has specs different from the international version.

The Lenovo P2 has a 5.5” FHD screen, a Snapdragon 625 SoC, 4GB of RAM (not 3GB like the international variant), 32GB/64GB of ROM, a 5 megapixel front camera, a 13MP rear shooter, Android 6.0, and a 5000mAh battery.

Lenovo Vibe P2

READ MORE: New Lenovo ZUK Phone With Snapdragon 821 Spotten on TENAA

The fingerprint scanner will be positioned in front and there will be a physical button that you can slide to activate low power mode which also turns the display into a monochrome screen. The Lenovo P2 will have NFC and be available in gold, silver, and gray colours. Price is expected to start at ¥1500 ($221).