Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro Unboxing Images: Smarter with OLED Display

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Nov 3, 2016

Huawei will be releasing a new fitness tracker today but we are not excited. Why? Because it is the Honor S1 smartband released last month with a new name and a higher price tag. The new fitness tracker is called the Huawei Fit and shares almost all of the same features with the Honor S1.

The Fit has a round monochrome always-on display with a silver or grey finish that displays information recorded when you run, sleep, and walk. It also features 18mm swappable rubber straps (the nylon straps of the S1 should work too) that are available in black, orange, and blue.

The tracker has a built-in pedometer, calorie counter, sleep monitor and heart rate sensor. Apart from the above, it can also display notification alerts for calls and messages when paired to your phone. There is no GPS on board but it can sync with the Huawei Wear App. Huawei also says the fitness tracker has a training guide for 5K, 10K, half marathon,and full marathon runs.

The Huawei Fit’s battery is expected to last for up to 6 days for normal use and up to 30 days when in standby. Charging time is also said to be close to 2 hours.

The Huawei Fit can be said to be the ”International Edition” of the Honor S1 but it also differs from it in some ways. There is no mention of the Fit being waterproof (the S1 has an IP68 certification) or supporting any form of payment too. And the interesting fact is that it sells for a higher price than the S1, $129.99 as against the $104 price of the Honor.

Meizu Pro 6S Official: Upgrades Camera (Sony IMX386 + OIS) & Battery At A Cheaper Price

By

Joel Joseph

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Nov 3, 2016

Meizu has been teasing its brand new Meizu Pro 6S flagship for the past few days. Today, at an official event, the company took the wraps off the new device in China. The company has surprising priced the Pro 6S cheaper than the existing Pro 6 flagship, but that’ll probably change in the next couple of days as sellers start discounting the previous generation model.

Design wise, the Meizu Pro 6S is pretty much the same as the Pro 6 handset. It comes with a metal body with CNC, 3D, PBT nano molding and three-dimensional sandblasting anodizing process, with four color options — moonlight silver, rose gold, champagne gold and sky gray. Even in the thickness department, the company has managed to keep it almost the same as the previous gen model, with a 7.3mm thick body and 163 grams weight.

As for the specs, the Meizu Pro 6S comes with the same 5.2-inch FHD AMOLED display with 2.5D glass on top as the previous generation model with 10000:1 contrast ratio and 350 nits brightness. Note that the phone supports pressure sensitive touch.

The real upgrades are in the camera department. The Pro 6S comes with a Sony IMX386 12MP sensor with 1.25-micron pixel and f/2.0 aperture. Other features include custom 6P lens, zero shutter lag, ring flash, PDAF, laser focus and four-axis OIS. There are multiple shooting options such as manual mode, Pro mode and a new night mode as well.

One of the big disappointments with the Meizu Pro 6 was its small 2560mAh battery. That’s changed with the new Meizu Pro 6S as it comes with a larger 3060mAh battery, which should ensure at least a day of battery life with moderate usage. The 24W fast charging will further help in speeding up the process of charging the battery.

This new model also comes with Helio X25 deca-core chipset, but it is said that the temperature of the chipset has been reduced by 3.5 degrees celsius. Other specs include 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 64GB of storage which is not expandable, 5MP front camera, voLTE, Flyme 5 OS, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1.

As for the pricing, the Meizu Pro 6S is priced at 2699 Yuan ($400). This makes it cheaper than the Pro 6 4GB edition that retails for 2799 Yuan ($413) in China but this price will most likely reduce very soon.

So, what do you think about the Pro 6S? I would personally like to see some real life samples from the new camera with OIS.

While the Pro 6S is a decent flagship, what you really should be looking forward to is the true flagship smartphone that Meizu is reportedly preparing for launch by the end of this year.

Huawei Senior Executive Teases The Mate 9

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Nov 3, 2016

Huawei has a big event scheduled to hold later today. It is the official launch of the much awaited Huawei Mate 9 that has been in the news for weeks. After the launch today, we would have confirmed which of the rumours turned out to be true and which were just plain untruths.

The company’s senior vice president, Yu Chengdong, has posted an image of the upcoming phone on Weibo. The gif image teases parts of the phone such as the frame, a section of the screen, antenna lines, the rear and fingerprint scanner.

We can see that the screen of the Mate 9 has a 2.5D glass covering it and that Huawei has used a nano-injection molding process for the antenna line design. The power button and volume rocker are on the right hand side and the fingerprint scanner sits on the rear.

There is still no official mention of a curved variant of the Mate 9 and nobody has been able to provide leaked images of the device. If Huawei does reveal a curved-screen version tonight, then they have done a good keeping it under wraps.

Qualcomm Earned $6.2B in Revenue and Shipped 211 Million Chips Last Quarter

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Nov 3, 2016

American semiconductor maker, Qualcomm has released financial results for Q3 2016 which ended on the 25th of September.

Starting with revenue, the company announced that they earned $6.2 billion last quarter which is also their fiscal fourth quarter. This is a 13% increase from what they earned in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2015 ($5.5 billion). The company also disclosed that operating income for the last quarter rose to $1.8 billion, a 58% increase from the $1.1 billion recorded last year.

Since this is the fiscal fourth quarter for the San Diego based company, they have released details for the 2016 fiscal year. Total revenue for the year is $23.6 billion and total operating income comes in at $6.5 billion. Comparing both figures to that of 2015, Qualcomm earned less in terms of revenue; a 7% decrease from 2015’s $25.3 billion. It’s operating income has also seen a 12% increase from 2015’s $5.8 billion.

In addition to the above, the company has released the figures for shipments of smartphone chips which is one of their primary sources of revenue. A total of 211 million chips were shipped last quarter, a 4% increase from what was shipped last year (203 million) in the same quarter and a 5% increase from what was shipped in fiscal Q3 2016.

Lenovo Mobile Rumored to Be Integrated Into Moto Brand

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Nov 2, 2016

Rumors emanating from China indicate that Lenovo will soon see a change in its name and could use the Moto brand name in near future. This isn’t the first time we are getting this, with rumors first surfacing around September about a cancellation of the Lenovo Mobile brand abut this latest rumor lends credence to the earlier on and comes with some air of credibility.

According to the source, Lenovo Mobile division of the Lenovo group would no longer release any smartphone under that name. From now on, the mobile phone business of Lenovo will now fall under the Moto brand. The source also hint that the Lenovo P2 which is set to be launched in China on November 8 along with the Moto M, would be the last Lenovo branded phone to be released with that brand name.

Although the rumor has not been confirmed, the move may be unconnected to the faltering fortunes of the Lenovo Mobile division that has refused to fly, even after the acquisition of Motorola and integrating the brand under Lenovo.

It is not clear if the announcement about a rename would be one of the highlight of the November 8 conference where the China debut of the Lenovo (Vibe) P2 would take place and the Motorola Moto M would be launched.

Meizu Pro 6S Poster Reveals Pricing Before launch

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Nov 2, 2016

Meizu will finally release the much anticipated Pro 6S smartphone today after up to six months in the works. The Meizu Pro 6S is likely coming with an upgrade just on the camera end and battery life, else the device would be similar to the Pro 6, according to words from Meizu officials.

Ahead of the event, the Meizu Pro 6S has already appeared on popular online mall Jingdong (JD.com) where early reservations are already opened for the device. The Pro 6S real image seems to have made its first outing via the reservation poster and it indeed bears a design consistent with the Pro 6. The Pro 6S uses a metal body design with the antenna band on the top and bottom edges. The device is also said to come with entire network support but unfortunately still doesn’t support storage expansion, meaning no microSD slot. The device is also going to be available in various colors.

Since the device will see just a few upgrade from the Pro 6, the price would be the major focus of many. The Jingdong reservation affixed a price tag of 2699 Yuan ($399) on the Pro 6S. The price is for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage version of the Pro 6S, perhaps the top-end version as there is likely a 32GB ROM version which may likely be cheaper.

On the specs, the Pro 6S features a 5.2-inch display with 1080 pixels resolution and comes equipped with the MediaTek Helio X25 chipset. The phone’s appearance on AnTuTu recently reveals a 21MP rear camera sensor although that may be wrong. The Pro 6S may likely use the same 12MP Sony IMX386 sensor as the Meizu MX6 with support for four axis optical image stabilization. The battery capacity is also increased to 3,060mAh.

The device is said to go on sale on November 7 after today’s launch event. For 2,699 Yuan, would you contemplate buying the Pro 6S?

Elephone Elecam 360 Review – Decent 360 Camera on a Budget

By

Linus

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Nov 2, 2016

The market of 360 cameras is pretty hectic already as a lot of manufacturers started producing them. I came across the Elephone 360 camera, which offers all the basic features in affordable package that costs just over $140. Learn more in our full review.

Thanks to Gearbest for sending Elephone 360 Camera for a review.

Elephone 360 Camera Review: VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ShGwf72_c[/embedyt]

Elephone 360 Camera Review: UNBOXING

The camera ships with the bike mount and universal mount. Also, there is the USB cable, some adhesive pads and last but not least – a 32GB microSD card.

Elephone 360 Camera Review: DESIGN, FEATURES and FUNCTIONALITY

When it comes to the design, we are looking at a nicely-built, sturdy and compact camera that has 2 camera sensors that are capable of producing 960p video, which is just above HD. Also, the camera can take 5MP images.

We have a few control buttons and a little LCD monitor that shows all the basic info you need. You can enter a menu mode by pressing and holding the Wifi button to adjust a few settings.

However, if you want to take a full control of the camera, you have to download the EleCam360 app, which is super easy to use. Within the app, you have your shutter button, you can adjust a few settings and view or download the videos you shot straight on your phone. I didn’t have any connectivity issues, so that’s a great thing.

Elephone 360 Camera Review: IMAGE QUALITY

I always prefer watching 360 videos on a mobile device or on a VR headset for the best experience. I have to tell you that the image quality is pretty good when watched on the mobile phone. However, the quality decreases quite significantly if you watch it on a larger display but I would still say that the video looks pretty good for the price of this camera. See the video review for the image quality.

By the way, you would need to download the EleCam 360 Video Converter app to your computer to watch the videos. The 5MP images look worse than videos. Anyway, most of us probably prefer video if we are talking about 360 cameras.

Elephone 360 Camera Review: BATTERY LIFE

The camera sports a 1500mAh Li-ion battery. I was able to get almost 1 hour out of it and I would say it is a pretty good result.

Elephone 360 Camera Review: CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, Elephone Elecam 360 camera kind of exceeded my expectations as I expected a lot worse results from the camera that costs about $140.

I love how compact and well-made it is, and the fact that the camera comes with a few essential accessories.

The image quality will not blow your mind but you simply can’t expect anything better at this price point.

At the end of the day, the Elephone Elecam 360 may not be the only 360 camera on the market but it is a great starting point for those who want to enter the 360 video world, on a budget.

Gizmochina readers can get a special discount and buy this camera for just $131.39 using the COUPON CODE: Ee360w

Buy Elephone 360 Camera

Other action cameras at GearBest

13% OFF Coupon: GBCE

Vivo Y67 Gets TENAA Certification: Metal Body, 4GB RAM in Tow

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Nov 2, 2016

Vivo is clearly coasting home towards its 75 million phone sales target for the year, and what better way to do that than to release smartphones that cater for all the needs of its customers. The Chinese company released its X7 and X7 Plus flagships a couple of months back and it looks like the company is cooking up another cool looking smartphone right now. The device tagged Vivo Y67 recently got the nod from TENAA and as usual, the TENAA listing gifted us some of the specs and a couple of renders of the device.

The TENAA renders depict the Vivo Y67with a design that makes it look like a high-end smartphone but is said to be a lower version of the X7 as shown by the processor and other specs listed. The device sports an all-metal body design as well as a thin 7.55mm body. The device is also listed to come with a front fingerprint sensor with fingerprint payment capability and would be available in rose gold, and champagne gold colors.

Although a lower version of the X7, the Vivo Y67 also features the same 16MP front-facing cameera sensor with front flash for beautiful selfies. The Vivo Y67 is also listed as packing a 13MP sensor at the rear. Further, the device sports a 5.5-inch TFT HD (720 pixels) display and is powered by an Octa-core MediaTek MTK MT 6750 chipset with a 4GB RAM aiding the processor. The device would run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box.

The device is also listed as having a 32GB storage on board and a 3,000mAh battery to keep the lights on. In addition, the Y67 comes with 4G LTE, entire network support as well as dual SIM/ dual standby support and a host of network options.

LeEco LEX850 with Dual Cameras, Snapdragon 821, and 5.7” 2K Display Gets Certification

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Nov 2, 2016

It appears LeEco is not done for the year as a new phone has been spotted online getting its 3C certification. The phone with model number LEX850 sports a 5.7” 2K display, a Snapdragon 821 processor clocked at 2.34GHz, and has dual 13MP rear cameras. There is 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage on board and a 3900mAh battery to supply power.

Looking at the screen size and the 2K resolution, I won’t be surprised if this is an upgraded version of the Le Max 2 as that is the only phone from LeEco with a 5.7” 2K display.

There is also a GeekBench listing of the LeEco LEX850 dated 14th of October showing the phone sporting 6GB of RAM, Android 6.0, and a MSM8996 processor clocked at 2.19GHz. Does it mean there will be a Snapdragon 820 version of this phone? We can not confirm yet.

The certificate from the ministry of information also shows another device with model number LEX950 which is expected to be a more powerful variant of the LEX850.

Huawei Mate 9 Camera Samples Released

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Nov 2, 2016

The Huawei Mate 9 will be unveiled in Munich in a little over 24 hours from now, and to whet our appetite sample photos have been released online to give us a glimpse of what Huawei’s second collaboration with Leica can offer.

The Mate 9 is the sixth phone from Huawei this year to sport dual rear cameras. Kicking off the trend with the Huawei P9 (and P9 Plus) which garnered much praise for its wonderful performance, then following it with the Honor V8 and Honor 8. The Mate 9 is expected to be the best of the lot as its rear cameras are a 12MP + 20MP combination, a significant upgrade from the P9 which uses a combination of two 12MP sensors.

The pictures were posted on Weibo by a user with the name @Lee Bruce_Lee and are tagged ”Munich in the morning”. The pictures have gotten positive reviews most especially the first picture.

Xiaomi Redmi 4(th) of November Launch

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Nov 2, 2016

The wait has been long but I don’t want to believe that the only reason Xiaomi delayed the launch of the Redmi 4 was just so it could coincide with the 4th of November.

Xiaomi has announced on Weibo that the successor to the Redmi 3 and it’s several siblings will be unveiled on the 4th of November, two months after an August 25 release rumour.

The Redmi 4 is expected to sport the same 5” screen size that distinguishes it from the Note series but this time it is said to be getting a Full HD resolution which means it will have a higher pixel density than all the other Redmi phones the company has released.

The phone will also get 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage as default. A Snapdragon 625 SoC will handle processing and the cameras will remain at 13MP and 5MP for the rear and front, however we can’t tell if they will be entirely different sensors or the same as the Redmi 3. The fingerprint scanner will also remain at the back.

Xiaomi Mi Mix Gets Teardown Treatment

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Nov 2, 2016

The Xiaomi Mi Mix features a 6.4” 2040 x 1080p display that reaches the edges on three of its sides. It has a Snapdragon 821 chip, 6GB/4GB of RAM, 128GB/256GB of storage, a 16MP primary shooter, a 5MP selfie camera, and a 4400mAh battery.

What do you need to dis-assemble such a phone with a display that reaches the edges? A Phillips screwdriver, tweezers, triangle pry opener, suction pads and lots of caution.

First thing to do is remove the sim tray. Then using a pair of suction pads, separate the ceramic frame from the rest of the body. You have to be really careful when doing that, as applying too much force will probably cause you to rip the cable that connects the fingerprint scanner to the rest of the body and applying too little force will not get it open.

Once you are able to do that, the rest should be pretty easy. A set of screws holds a piece of plastic that covers the USB Type-C port and antennas. They should be easy to unscrew. The other screws too will get you access to the camera modules, the battery, and the memory.

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

By

Joel Joseph

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Nov 1, 2016

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 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.

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)!

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Buy Le Max 2 For $249 at Oppomart

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Nov 1, 2016

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.

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).

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.

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

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Nov 1, 2016

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.

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.

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.

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?

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Nov 1, 2016

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.

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).

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

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Buy ZUK Z2 For $199 at Oppomart

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Nov 1, 2016

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).

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.

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.

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

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