After the successful launch of the Mi 5S and 5S Plus, the Mi Note 2 now looks like the next big thing from Xiaomi. While the company is yet to come out in clear term to give a clear road-map as to the device’s launch, the Mi Note 2 have been enmeshed in rumors for a while now. All these rumors and leaks point to a device with lots of prospects, with more leaks emerging. The latest we have is a leak of the Mi Note 2’s specs and also a user-generated render of the device based on the leak.
The leak comes out with what seems like a poster teaser with texts that indicates Xiaomi is still planning to release a flaagship this 2016. No doubt Mi Note 2 should be it and the leak reveals the device as being powered by a Snapdragon 821 chips, having a 5.7-inch display with LGcurved screen and QHD (2K) resolution. The leak as touts the device as having both a 4GB and 6GB memory variants, ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, dual cameras and a ceramic body.
The renders shows the Mi Note 2 would feature a dual-curved display both at the front and rear and the camera would likely not protrude out of the body as well as come arranged in a horizontal plane. The rear view which is depictedd in the render, holds no fingerprint scanner thus affirming the rumor that the same ultrasonic scanner we saw on the Mi 5S would feature on the Mi Note 2.
A specific date is yet to be set for the device’s launch but industry analyst, Pan Juitang had hinted on a late October launch, another Weibo user had also talked about a November launch date. Which ever it is, it is certain Xiaomi would be dropping this one before the year runs out.
Last week we saw the most anticipated smartphone launch from Xiaomi, the Xiaomi Mi 5S and the Xiaomi Mi 5S Plus. Naturally, most of the days of the week were dominated by either its rumors or launch and related articles. However, we did see other stories including new LeEco phones, details about the upcoming Huawei Mate 9 flagship as well as Mi Note 2. Another interesting news from the local Chinese market was the rumor about the Vernee Apollo 2 featuring the Helio X3o chipset.
google pixel renders
Since the release of the new Google Pixel phones is just around the corner, we also saw a few leaks and details about the upcoming models from the search engine giant.
In case you missed any of the top stories from last week, you can read all of them from down below.
Shopping online is convenient. You see what you want to buy, enter the necessary details required, pay, and expect your order to arrive. You can even window-shop online by browsing the sites of different online shops and not get harassed by store owners. But there are lots of folks out there that prefer walking into a physical store and purchasing what they want.
Phone manufacturers know there’s a lot of money to be made via that way of shopping that’s why they still setup brick and mortar shops to cater for that category of people.
Two companies hitting it big in offline sales in China right now are OPPO and Apple. According to recent sales stats from Sino-MR, an independent market research firm, the OPPO R9 (known as the OPPO F1 Plus outside China) and the iPhone 6s are the best selling phones offline.
According to OPPO, they have sold over 7 million R9 units as at mid-June. The iPhone 6s is also doing incredibly well. Other phones selling well offline include the Vivo X7, the Huawei P9 and the Huawei Mate 8.
Nokia is taking another shot at the Android OS. That was the rumour a few months ago. The rumour was later confirmed by the company during a press release. We also learnt a company called HMD which was recently set up will be the sole manufacturer of Nokia phones and tablets.
The exciting part of the news was when we heard that the company plans to release three android phones this year. Two of the phones are said to feature flagship level specs and the third will be a cheaper mid-range device.
That mid-range device appears to be the Nokia D1C spotted on GeekBench recently. GeekBench reveals the phone’s internals as having a MSM8937 chip a.k.a snapdragon 430, 3GB of RAM, with Android 7.0 as the operating system.
The result which was uploaded on Friday, 30th of September shows the phone scores 667 points on the single-core test and 3229 points on the multi-score test.
If you do a search for the device, you get 5 results showing the tests were ran multiple times with results for the single-core test ranging from 656-682 and multi-core test scores falling between 2745-3229.
We recently got hold of the Xiaomi Mi 5S and the Mi 5S Plus which were announced a few days back, thanks to OPPOMART. As a result, we can give a brief overview of the design and the interface of the handset. Please note that this is not a full review and our review of both the handsets are coming your way real soon. But until then, you can get a good look at the phone in the two videos below.
Most of you already know that the Xiaomi Mi 5S and Mi 5S come with the powerful Snapdragon 821 chipset. The Mi 5S comes with 3GB/ 4GB RAM options while the Mi 5S Plus takes things to another level with 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM options, a first for Xiaomi. You can read the full specs of both the handsets from here. Xiaomi Mi 5S | Xiaomi Mi 5S Plus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccBnBEC8oN4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VmbaZ-BYxI
So, what do you think about the two new releases from Xiaomi? Impressed?
Antutu has released its top 10 devices for the just ended month of September and there are a couple of surprises.
For mobile phones, Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus takes the top spot with a score of 172644 followed closely by the smaller sized iPhone 7 which scored 170124. This shouldn’t be a surprise considering the fact that quite a number of reviews have praised Apple’s new A10 Fusion chip. If you can remember, we covered a web performance test of the new chip against other flagships and the iPhone 7 came out on top.
Next in line is the LeEco Le Pro 3. The Pro 3 which is the first Chinese smartphone to sport the new Qualcomm 821 processor comes in at number three with a score of 160856, pushing Xiaomi’s new phones the Mi 5s Plus and Mi 5s to fourth and fifth position respectively.
There should be no surprise at the result of the Mi 5s considering its SD 821 chip is under-clocked.
OnePlus 3 takes the sixth position with 140288 points starting the list of Snapdragon 820 phones on the list.
Vivo’s Xplay 5 Elite and Samsung’s controversial Galaxy Note 7 slug it out for the seventh and eight spot but the Elite comes in ahead with 333 points more than the Note 7. The Le Max 2 comes in at number 9 and ZTE’s Nubia line wraps up the list with the Nubia Z11.
There’s also another Antutu list of top 10 iOS devices which is headed by the iPad Pro with 177266 points. The iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 follow for second and third positions. The 9.7” iPad Pro takes the fourth spot, the 6s Plus takes fifth position and the iPhone SE takes the seventh slot.
For the top 10 android devices, the order is the same for the first one above, but since Apple devices are not on the list, the ZUK Z2 and Xiaomi Mi 5 get on the list coming in at number nine and ten respectively.
With the recent release of the flagship LeEco Le Pro 3, one would have assumed that LeEco would likely be done for new phone releases for the year, but that seems not to be the case as the Chinese phone maker is rumored to be working on two new smartphones. The unnamed phone models are said to likely launch in November.
Recall that before the Le Pro 3’s release the smartphone was rumored to feature a design in which the antenna bands are not visible at the back. We saw renders of what was thought to be the Le Pro 3 without visible antenna bands just like the iPhone 7’s design. However such was not the case when the flagship was finally released late last year. That of course means the device in question is yet to be outed. In addition to that, a LeEco device with funny looking dual rear cameras appeared on TENAA some time back and tipped to be the likely design of the Le Pro 3’s cameras but that too ended up not becoming a reality.
Render of the front view of one of the smartphones appeared today on Weibo along with the rumor of two impending smartphones popping in November. The render (pictured below) shows a device with very narrow bezels on the display edges and the display itself looks like it is sporting a curved screen. Apart from these, nothing else is known about the specifications of the rumored models but it sure looks like LeEco is preparing to wow us with another spectacular device or two soon. We’ll be on the look out for more information on this.
Xiaomi today seems to have released the Redmi 3S Plus in India. The device enters India as the company’s first smartphone that would be sold via offline channels only. The Chinese company had before now launched the Redmi 3S as well as high-end version of the Redmi 3S Prime in India. The Redmi 3S Plus looks quite similar to the Redmi 3S Prime but for the 2GB RAM it features.
From the specs point of view, the Xiaomi Redmi 3S Plus features a 5-inch 1080 pixels display and is powered by Snapdragon 430 chipset. The device also comes with 2GB RAM and 32GB of built-in storage, Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS as well as a huge 4,100mAh battery.
In addition, the Redmi 3S Plus sports a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front-facing shooter for selfies. There is also a fingerprint sensor mounted on the dual-SIM device’s rear, just under the rear camera.
The device is already available and is priced around INR 9,499 ($143) on MRP and for best buy price of INR 8,799 (around $132).
Fourth of October is almost upon us and while Google has a couple of major announcements, none is as important as the launch of the Google Pixel phones. Previously, the tradition was that a new Google device(s) would be the first to run the new version of android. However, this year, Android Nougat officially launched before the Google phones and is now live on earlier nexus devices and even the LG V20.
We’ve gotten a lot of leaks and renders lately but just three days before the launch, we get a new set of renders which in my opinion look very realistic. The render shows the phones in 4 major colour variants with the G logo sitting at the bottom. They also sport the dual colour back we have seen in previous leaks.
When Xiaomi launched the Mi Band 2 earlier this year, the company faced the issue of the smartband being in short supply with orders being pushed forward while resellers who had units for sale inflated the price. However, seems some other folks decided to cash in on the short supply of the Mi Band 2 by making a clone and selling it as original.
Someone posted online that he purchased a fake version of the band (images below) which he says doesn’t pair to the Mi App. While that might not be the only way to detect if it is a fake, I did a quick search to find if I could find out other ways of identifying a fake.
When LeTV was formed back in 2004, the company started as an online video company. Twelve years later and with a new name, LeEco has added phone manufacturing, smart TVs, and smart cars to their products. Now the biggest thing on their plate is their North America (United States) launch which the company says is slated for 19th of October.
We already foresaw this following the company’s acquisition of Vizio Inc., an American company known for its affordable flatscreen TVs. Back in June, the company also acquired 50 acres of land situated in Santa Clara from Yahoo for $250 million.
Last month, the company appointed a couple of new officials. First, LeEco appointed former Senior Vice-president and Division President of Qualcomm, Rob Chandhok. Mr Chandhok joins the company as Chief Research and Development Officer for North America.
Next they appointed ex-Huawei President of Western Europe Consumer Business Group, Middle East and North Africa Consumer Business Group, Richard Ren. His new role at LeEco is as the Acting President of the company’s North America Division.
Leagoo M5 is yet another budget phone from China and it is actually one of the best $60 phones you can buy at the moment. Learn more in the full Gizmochina’s review.
The phone comes with all the usual stuff and some extras include a pair of cheap earphones, which sound quite terrible.
Leagoo M5 Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY
The Leagoo M5 is a very well-built phone. It uses a solid metal frame that goes all around the device and tactile metal buttons. Honestly, the phone feels a lot sturdier than some more expensive devices out there.
Although the backplate is glossy and it attracts fingerprints and smudges, it still feels high quality.
Since it is a $60 phone, we don’t have neither notification LED light nor backlit capacitive buttons but a 5” 720p display is sharp enough for the daily use.
Also, the phone is very compact but it is kind of on a heavy side as it weighs 180g.
We have an 8MP camera and a fingerprint sensor, which are installed in a high-quality metal frame. Speaking of that fingerprint sensor, it is not the fastest I’ve seen but it definitely gets the job done and it works straight from the standby mode. Also, you can use the fingerprint sensor as a touchpad. The ability to scroll through the menus is one of my favorite features.
It’s not that easy to remove a backplate but underneath it, you can find 2 SIM card slots, microSD card slot and a removable 2300mAh battery.
I was fairly impressed by the loudspeaker quality. Sure, it is not the best but it is better than a lot of phones that costs as twice as much.
Leagoo M5 Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE
For $60, the Leagoo M5 has some pretty good specs. The phone ships with the quad-core Mediatek 6580A chip, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.
The 3D gaming performance is surprisingly good. The Asphalt 8, which is one of the most versatile games to test the phone’s performance runs absolutely fine on the medium graphics.
Leagoo M5 Review: BENCHMARKS
Leagoo M5 Review: USER INTERFACE
Having reviewed quite a few phones made by Leagoo, I knew what to expect. The Android 6 based user interface is highly customized. The app tray is gone but there are quite a few features and customization options. Some of them may look a bit gimmicky but others are actually pretty useful.
Most importantly, the phone has been fast and fluid even after installing quite a few apps.
Leagoo M5 Review: IMAGE QUALITY
You should never expect great-looking images from the phone this cheap and the Leagoo M5 is no exception. Sure, you can get some decent images that are usable for social media but nothing more.
Same can be said about the front facing camera.
Leagoo M5 Review: CONNECTIVITY
I didn’t have any issues with neither of the connectivity options except for the fact that it takes a bit longer to get the GPS position lock.
Leagoo M5 Review: BATTERY LIFE
A 2300mAh does not really sound impressive. The battery will get you through the day if you are not a heavy user only. That translates to just over 3 hours of screen-on time.
Leagoo M5 Review: CONCLUSIONS
Leagoo M5 is a very solid phone for just $60. Sure, it is not a perfect device but even with a few shortcomings, it can be highly recommended if you are in the market of a super cheap smartphone for under $60.
Lenovo has a good tablet lineup, but the recent ones in the low-end to mid-range segment like the Lenovo Tab3 8 haven’t been as interesting as we would have liked. It came with an undisclosed entry level Mediatek quad-core chip with features such as 1GB RAM and 1024 x 600 pixel display.
However, looks like Lenovo is going to update the Tab3 family with a brand new model, the Lenovo Tab3 8 Plus and this time, the specs are definitely worth checking out. First of all, the leak says that the new tablet will come with an 8-inch FHD display, a much-needed upgrade from the low-resolution panels in its predecessors. Another important update is going to be in the processor department.
The Lenovo Tab3 8 Plus is said to feature the powerful mid-range Snapdragon 625 octa-core chip, which is a lot faster than the old Mediatek quad-core chipset. Further, the 14nm manufacturing node of the chip will ensure great battery life on the device. Other expected features include 3GB of RAM, 8MP rear and 5MP front cameras, 32GB / 64GB storage options expandable via MicroSD and 4300mAh battery.
Hopefully, we will hear about this tablet from the company in the next few days.
Xiaomi released an Exclusive Edition of the Mi 5 dubbed Mi 5 Pro which comes only in Ceramic Black color just after the release of the Mi 5 early this year. The Ceramic Black edition comes top among its contemporaries not only in the massive 128GB storage size it adopts, but also in its body design. Although it comes in the same design as the other versions, its own body was manufactured from ceramic, giving it a sleek, gentle but beautiful look.
However, seems Xiaomi may have discontinued production of the Ceramic black top end version as the device is no longer available on Xiaomi’s official online shop, mi.com. Only the version with black all-glass body is available for purchase by buyers.
This could be an indication that the tech giant has discontinued production of the flagship completely. Xiaomi had omitted using the Ceramic material on the recently launched Mi 5S and Mi 5S Plus, citing production cost and speed. Xiaomi’s CEO had hinted during the Mi 5S launch that the ceramic material comes in more expensive than metal or plastic and takes more time to mass produce. Thus, it is likely the innovative start-up is parting ways with its Mi 5 Pro Exclusive version. Another reason could be that its price tag at 2499 Yuan is higher than the 2299 Yuan ($345) price tag for the high-end 128GB version of the latest Mi 5S.
UPDATE: This actually looks like the Honor 6X Smartphone that was spotted on TENAA a few days back. So, it’s most likely not the Mate 9 as we previously thought.
Just hours after it emerged in the media that Huawei has sent out invites for a November 3 event holding in Germany as reported by Gsmarena, a new set of renders of the expected Huawei Mate 9 flagship has surfaced. Although Huawei was said not to have specified that it is going to launch the Mate 9, there seem to be an agreement among industry watchers that the high-end Mate 9 is the reason for the event.
The Huawei Mate 9 is coming as a successor to the Mate 8 released last year and the leaked photos reveal the device would make a worthy successor. Already, we had gotten leaked render of the Mate 9 rear camera which is tipped to be a dual set up and indeed this new render which is of the entire device has lent credence to previous leaks. Apart from the dual rear cameras, the rear mounted fingerprint sensor can also be spotted just under the dual cameras and a single-tone LED flash is by the side of the camera.
The device is likely a sample copy as revealed on the texts at the back and is encased in what should be a protective shell. The image took some blurring on all four edges, perhaps to mask the entire design from public glare but the edges seem to be curved ones. Apart from the fact the the device seem to be without any color coating, no much is revealed on the render after all. However we can take this as an indication that the Mate 9 would likely hit the market pretty soon.
The Huawei Mate 9 code-named Manhattan is said to come with an 8MP front-facing camera and a 20MP rear dual cameras with OIS support. The device is said to be powered by the Kirin 960 chipset, along with 4GB of RAM. The device is said to also use the USB Type-C interface, and has built-in iris recognition among other features.
Again, the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is taking over the news space just moments after the Mi 5S and 5S Plus were launched during which period it went on a sort of hiatus. It is now rumored that the much expected Xiaomi flagship device would likely be launched in November. This new rumor is coming on the heels of the words on well-known industry analyst Pan Juitang who hinted at an October outing for the flagship.
As usual, the rumor emanated from a user on China’s microblogging platform Weibo, and apart from a November release date the user also hinted at a few specs for the device. According to the rumor, the Mi Note 2 would come with a 5.7-inch display which would have a 2K resolution. Also, the tipster indictated that the Mi Note successor would sport a double curved glass design, a feature that didn’t find fulfillment on the Mi 5S despite being rumored.
Earlier on, the Xiaomi Mi Note had been rumored to feature two versions, one with the flagship Snapdragon 821 processor and 8GB of RAM said to be a Pro version, although the RAM may likely be 6GB, and there is said to be another version with a Snapdragon 820 and 4GB of RAM. Both versions are expected to come with 5.7-inch 2K AMOLED curved displays with Force Touch. The Mi Note 2 Pro is also likely to have a battery capacity of 3600mAh with fast charge support.
Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi Mi 5S and the Mi 5S Plus flagships a couple of days back and a few hours ago, both these phones went on sale in China. Now, if you are an international user, here’s some good news. The Xiaomi Mi 5S and Mi 5S Plus are both up for pre-order on OPPOMART.
The Xiaomi Mi 5S is up for order at $349 on the website for the 3GB RAM version, while the 4GB RAM model will retail for $399. Interestingly, the gray version of both the models are $50 costlier on OPPOMART, so the 3GB RAM Gray version is up for $399 and the 4GB RAM Gray version costs $449.
Even the Xiaomi Mi 5S Plus, which is the larger 5.7-inch model, is listed on OPPOMART for a starting price tag of $399 for the 4GB RAM version and $449 for the 6GB RAM version. Once again, the Gray version costs $50 more than the other color variants.
Check out OPPOMART for more details. If you are interested to read the full specs of these two devices, you can check them out from down below.
The jostle continues to get hotter by the day as to who gets upgraded to Google’s latest Android N operating system. Developers also are not going to sleep working to get the latest OS in town on their favorite brands. The latest is the Xiaomi Redmi 2 which was announced in January last year.
A user on the MIUI forum has developed an update that ushers in Android Nougat based on CyanogenMod 14 ROM on the Redmi 2 but the upgrade is only available on the China Unicom version of the smartphone. The upgrade is still in the beta stage so as expected, there are a number of bugs here and there. Although he didn’t give details on the features available and those not available, but he did share some screenshots.
Of course this shouldn’t be installed on your regular phone but if you’ve got a Redmi 2 that is lying idle, then you could as well hop in and download on MIUI forum.
While it might seem like Xiaomi is done for the year, there is the matter of the Mi Note 2 which has still not been released. Although some people speculated that the phone doesn’t exist, leaks from the past 2 weeks says otherwise. With the Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus out of the way, all focus should be on the new device.
According to analyst Pan Jiutang, the Mi Note 2 will launch at the end of October. He also added that the phone will come in more colour variants available than the Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus.
Can someone please stop the rose gold band wagon for the umpteenth time?
The Mi Note 2 is expected to have two models: one with a snapdragon 821 processor and 8GB of RAM (6GB seems to be a more likely possibility) and another with a snapdragon 820 and 4GB of RAM. The unit with the SD 821 chip will get the word ”Pro” added to its name. Both versions are expected to feature 5.7” 2K AMOLED Force Touch curved displays. The Mi Note 2 Pro is also rumoured to have a battery capacity of 3600mAh with quick charge on board.
I was in the lookout for a cheap yet decent Chinese smartwatch recently. I know there are plenty of options in the market right now, with companies like ZeBlaze, No.1 coming up with so many options etc. So, finding a decent one was a tough job, but then I decided to check out the ZeBlaze Blitz smartwatch. The watch’s sporty design caught my attention and the features seemed pretty decent as well. Fast forward a few weeks, and today, I’ve got my ZeBlaze Blitz smartwatch.
First of all, I would like to thank Gearbest for sending in this unit for review. You can find the ZeBlaze Blitz on their website at just $89.99 during the promotional period. Check it out from the link below.
So, here I am, with the ZeBlaze Blitz. The watch looks very sporty, something that I like, and comes in two color options, gray and orange. Do note that when they say gray, it’s not actually gray. The one that I’ve got my hands on comes with a brownish shade. But it’s still good looking. Just check out the images and you’ll understand what I’m saying.
The box contains pretty much everything that you need, starting from the watch to the charging module (with a small cable that you can connect to any smartphone charger), user manual in English and a screwdriver with four extra screws for the back plate (in case you lose any).
You just have to long press the physical button (the only one present on the watch) to boot up. It’s running Android 5.1 Lollipop. So, it’s your standard Android OS and not Android Wear. With Android OS on board, the watch can basically function like a regular smartphone. You just have to insert a SIM inside (single Nano SIM) by removing the back plate.
The watch is made out of plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap. However, the only button on the watch is made out of metal and works well. Also, the back plate of the watch is made out of metal as well. The back features the heart rate sensor as well as the charging pins.
Overall a pretty good watch. It comes with many watch faces (will check all of them in the review) and some of them are really good, like the one in the first picture.
Now, I’ll be checking out the features for the next couple of days. Wait for my review soon. Meanwhile, if you would like me to check out anything specific in the watch, you can mention that in the comments section below.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
