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Qualcomm Reveals Details About Snapdragon 821, Power Clusters Get Significant Boost

Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 821 a couple of months back, however, the company failed to give out specific details of the chip, except that it is 10% faster than existing Snapdragon 820 and is clocked at 2.4GHz. Now, Qualcomm has given out additional details of the Snapdragon 821 chip.

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The company has confirmed that the chip comes with 10% faster boot loads and 10% faster app loads. The chip supports Snapdragon VR SDK, which means it supports Google’s Daydream platform. The SoC also supports dual phase detection, which should improve the AF as compared to the regular PDAF. There are improvements in the ISP as well to better work with Laser AF. Finally, the company surprisingly adds that the energy efficiency is improved by 5%.

Snapdragon 821 vs Snapdragon 820

While these are minor updates, what’s really interesting is the bumped up clock speed of Snapdragon 821’s Power Clusters. They are now clocked at 2.19GHz instead of 1.59GHz as seen on the SD820 chip. The performance clusters get a gentle speed up, from 2.15GHz on SD820 to 2.34GHz. The upgrade in GPU speed is also not much, from 624MHz to 653MHz in the new chipset. But then, Adreno 530 is already a great smartphone GPU, so there was hardly any need for significant upgrades in this department.

We can expect SD821 phones in September (although the first SD821 phone was announced a while back by ASUS) from companies like Xiaomi and LeEco. In case you missed, we spotted a new LeEco phone on AnTuTu with Snapdragon 821 which scores an impressive 163K. You can read more about the phone from here.

(Source)

Acer Unveils Liquid Z6 Plus With A Massive 4080mAh battery At IFA 2016

Acer has released three new products at IFA in Germany today. The company announced two smartphones, the Acer Liquid Z6 and the Liquid Z6 Plus and a tablet called the Iconia Talk S. The pick of the announcements today is the Acer Liquid Z6 Plus.

The Z6 Plus comes with decent specs to get our attention. The phone features the MT6753 octa-core chip with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal expandable storage. This is pure mid-range specs and nothing out of the ordinary. However, the company has made sure that the phone will last at least a couple of days with its large 4080mAh battery. There’s a 13MP camera at the back and a 5MP front-facing shooter. The display is a 5.5-inch 1080p panel with 2.5D glass on top.

Next up is the less powerful Acer Liquid Z6. The phone comes with a plastic body, unlike the Z6 Plus which comes in metal and features Mt6737 entry level quad-core chip clocked at 1.25GHz with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The display is equally uninteresting, featuring a 5-inch panel with 720p resolution. At the back, there is an 8MP shooter, while up front you get a 2MP sensor. The battery is also small, measuring 2000mAh.

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The third product announced today was the Iconia Talk S tablet. This is again a decent entry level tablet with 4G LTE connectivity. It features the MT8735 quad-core chipset with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage and dual SIM card slots (one 4G and the other 3G). The tablet boasts of 9 hour battery life, which is pretty good. At the back, you get a 13MP camera while up front there’s a 2MP shooter. Both Google Mobile Services and Microsoft Office Suite come pre-installed on the device.

Note that all the three models run on Android 6 Marshmallow OS. As for the pricing, it’s not great as we have seen much better options at this price. The Liquid Z6 will retail at around $130 (119 Euros) in November and Z6 Plus at around $277 (249 Euros) in December. The Iconia Talk S will go on sale in September for $188 (169 Euros).

 

SD820 Powered ZUK Z2 Coming to India as Lenovo Z2 Plus, New Teaser Released

ZUK Z2 is an amazing smartphone and despite being launched back a while back, it is still one of the best value for money smartphones running Snapdragon 820. Xiaomi Mi5 is another value packed contender. So, when you hear that the ZUK Z2 is coming to India, fans definitely have a good reason to rejoice. However, ZUK Z2 will come to India under the Lenovo brand name, with its name called as the Lenovo Z2 Plus.

 

The company started teasing the Lenovo Z2 Plus yesterday and today, it has revealed another teaser for fans. Unfortunately, the teaser is far from interesting, with the focus being on the words, “Get Ready to Fast Forward”. We still don’t have a date nor the specs for the Indian version, but we expect it to be almost the same as the ZUK Z2 model launched in China.

If priced right, the Lenovo Z2 Plus could turn out to be quite popular in India. Considering the pricing in China, the Z2 Plus should retail under $300 in India as well. Hopefully, more details will be revealed in the next few days.

Meanwhile, check out our review of the ZUK Z2 from here.

ASUS Announces the Round ZenWatch 3, Much Better Looking Than its predecessor

At IFA today, the Taiwanese PC giant, ASUS released a brand new ASUS Zenwatch 3 smartwatch. The new wearable is leaps ahead in terms of its looks when compared to its previous generation Zenwatch 2. The face is now round, which is preferred by most users and the color tone and the overall finish gives it a classy feel, which the earlier generations were lacking. There will be three colors available, gunmetal, silver and rose gold, and rubber and leather strap options. It’s pretty thin as well, measuring just 9.95mm.

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There will be three colors available, gunmetal, silver and rose gold and rubber and leather strap options. It’s pretty thin as well, measuring just 9.95mm. The Zenwatch 3 features three buttons on the right.

As for the hardware, the Zenwatch 3 comes with a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with 400 x 400 pixel resolution and curved Gorilla Glass protection on top. It also features the latest Snapdragon 2100 chipset made for wearables, which means performance won’t be an issue. ASUS also revealed that its new watch comes with industry leading 95% accuracy for counting steps. As for the battery life, the watch will last for up to 2 days on a single charge. A simple 15 minute charge will fill up the battery up to 60%.

The watch runs on the new Android wear platform. It comes with 50 watch faces, some of which are customizable from its watch manager smartphone app. You can also design your own watch faces with the FaceDesigner smartphone app. Then there’s the ZenFit activity tracking app that takes care of counting the steps taken, reminding you to stand and move after a while.

Overall, its a good competitor to the Huawei watch, especially since it looks quite similar. The watch is priced at around $255 (229 Euros) and will be available for purchase in US and Germany in October.

It looks like a good smartwatch. I personally feel the gunmetal color looks great. Which one do you like?

 

Unboxing of Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner

After reading about the official launch of Xiaomi’s Mi Robot Vacuum, we knew you’d be itching for some real images of the product.

The vacuum cleaner comes in white with the LDS sensors on the  top coated orange. Underneath the exterior is a NIDEC motor, an adjustable main brush and a plethora of sensors which includes a Laser Distance Sensor, a gyroscope, and a cliff sensor.

The in-built 5200mAh battery will suffice for a 250 square metre area or 2.5 hrs of cleaning time.

Xiaomi has put in 3 chips from Texas Instruments, Allwinner, and STMicroelectronics for processing of data.

Using the Mi Home App, you will be able to plan cleaning paths, and schedules, and monitor the cleaning process and stats of the vacuum cleaner. There is also an additional virtual wall similar to what iRobot offers. The Mi Robot Vacuum has a MRRP of $254 and the virtual wall sells for $6.

Below are the unboxing images. I like how the charging cable folds neatly behind the charging dock. Quite neat.

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Xiaomi Officially Releases Mi Robot Vacuum. Priced at $254 (1699 Yuan)

Xiaomi has added a robot vacuum cleaner to its range of smart home products. Over the past few weeks we reported that the company was working on a vacuum cleaner and a couple of hours ago, it was officially unveiled. The Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner comes a week after Xiaomi launched the Viomi Water Filter Kettle.

Mi Robot Vacuum 1

Technical Details

The vacuum cleaner uses a low-noise brush-less fan supplied by Japanese firm, NIDEC. The fan has a maximum pressure of 1800Pa which provides greater suction power when dealing with tough dirt.

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Xiaomi’s Mi Robot Vacuum uses 3 dedicated processors: a quad-core processor from Allwinner, a STMicroelectronics ARM processor, and a Texas Instruments LDS image processor. The trio helps the vacuum cleaner receive data in real time from the 12 sensors (LDS, ultrasonic radar sensor, wall sensor and cliff sensor etc.). The Laser Distance Sensors provide a 360-degrees scanning (1800 times/second) similar to what you will find on a self-driving car.

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The 5200mAh Li-ion built-in battery supplied by LG and Panasonic ensures that you get 2.5 hour cleaning time from a single charge.

Cleaning Details

The Mi Robot Vacuum will work with the Mi Home App. Owners will be able to set cleaning schedules, modify cleaning modes, and monitor cleaning process in real-time. You will be able to program it to clean the house right after you leave the house or before your arrival in case you are bringing home guests and you left a pet at home.

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The main brush automatically adjusts its height to create a tight seal with the floor. There are also side brushes that extend to reach between gaps. While the vacuum cleaner works it maintains a precise 1 cm distance from the wall, so be rest assured that your beautiful vacuum cleaner won’t be getting any scratches.

RELATED: Comparison Video of Mi Robot Vacuum and iRobot 800

More Live Images of Mi Note 2 Leaks

Another set of live images for Xiaomi’s first curved edge display phone, the Mi Note 2, have been leaked on Weibo. The Mi Note 2 is one of the most anticipated phones from a Chinese manufacturer. A screenshot leaked early this week says the phone will come with 6GB of RAM, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820, and 64GB of storage.

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While the specs above are not unusual, the screenshot also says the phone is running Android 7.0 Nougat based on MIUI 8.6 and has September’s security patch!!! That’s really weird and sort of impossible. The latest security patch is that of August and MIUI 8 is still in version 8.0. Let’s not even talk about the version of android.

RELATED: Leaked Photos Reveal Xiaomi is Working on an AI Robot

Moto M Gets Certified by TENAA, Specs Different from GFXBench’s listing

Moto M identified as Motorola XT1663 was reportedly spotted on GFXBench a few days back, touted to be the successor to the Moto X that was first released in 2013. The GFXBench data posted a device with 4.6-inch 1080 pixel display, powered by a 1.9GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6750 chipset with Mali-T860 GPU, a 3GB RAM, and 25GB of internal storage. Other specs listed include the device will boot Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS and feature a 15MP rear and 7 MP front facing camera respectively.

Moto M

However, another Moto M has been spotted on TENAA, revealing a different specs line-up from GFXBench’s. According to the TENAA data, the device purported to be the Moto M comes with a different model number – XT1662 and a dimension of 151 x 75 x 8 mm. The smartphone features a 5.5-inch TFT display with 1080p resolution, as against the 4.6-inches listed on GFXBench. The device is also shown to pack a 3,000mAh battery, will be powered by a 2.2GHz octa-core processor accompanied by a 4GB RAM and 32GB / 64GB built-in storage options, expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD card.

Moto M TENAA

The attached images of the TENAA listed device reveals a cleanly designed phone with well chamfered curved edges which are customary to Motorola smartphones. The body is made entirely of metal and on the back lies the rear camera and LED flash under it. The trademark Moto dimple on the Moto X has been replaced by a fingerprint sensor, just as predicted, with the Moto logo lying at the bottom edge.

Read More: Lenovo announces September 6 launch date for Moto Z in China

Since both model numbers are different, it is possible this one is a large screen version of the Moto M meant for the Chinese market, while the smaller 4.6-inch model spotted on GFXBench will be sold to the foreign market, perhaps.

LeEco Le 2S Pro with Funny Looking Dual Main Cameras Appears on TENAA

LeEco Le 2S Pro has been certified by China’s telecoms regulatory agency TENAA, in the process giving us a glimpse of the actual images of the flagship device and it is different from what we’ve seen thus far. The image posted showed the Le 2S Pro sporting a funny looking rear camera and it could be recalled that the same image was leaked few months back as an unnamed LeEco phone by popular tipster @kjuma.

LeEco Le 2S Pro

The images show the device will come with an all metal body with a flat display screen, and aside the funny looking but unique dual main cameras, there is also a fingerprint sensor at the back. The antenna bands and capacitive keys at the sides are also visible, as well as the borderless design.

Related: LeEco Le 2s Pro Will Likely Launch on September 6 With SD821 Chipset: Analyst

Coming to the specs, the TENAA listing shows the LeEco Le 2S Pro will be powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core processor which is likely the Snapdragon 820 chipset, supplemented by a 4GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage. This contrasts with the AnTuTu result which hints at a Snapdragon 821 SoC for the Le 2S Pro, another version maybe.

On the camera lane, the LeEco Le 2S Pro is listed as featuring an 8MP front camera and a 16MP rear facing camera which is separated into a 13MP main camera and a 3MP supporting camera.  The device is listed also as having a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and boots Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The phone also features connectivity options and sensors like Wi-Fi, Infrared, Bluetooth, USB, Gravity sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor etc. In addition, there is a 3900mAh battery under its hood.

READ MORE: New LeEco Phone Le Pro 3 Hits AnTuTu, Scores More Than 163K

With a September launch date speculated for the Le 2S Pro, we’ll have to wait a bit more to get more info about the specs. That’s when we’ll know if this is actually the Le 2S Pro.

 

 

ZTE Teases Dual Camera Axon Smartphone, Slated For IFA 2016 Launch

ZTE has already confirmed that it will launch a new smartphone at IFA Berlin this year. The company has made sure that audio quality is going to be the trademark of its flagships, however, now, it looks like the camera is yet another highlight of the device. ZTE has released a new teaser which shows that the new Axon flagship will feature dual cameras.

UPDATE: Like one of our readers mentioned, it’s also possible that this teaser is for stereo speakers (which would make more sense since this is an audio-centric phone) and not for dual cameras. I guess, we’ll have to wait and see.

axon 7 phone teaser IFA

Dual cameras have become the new sought out feature in smartphones, with major manufacturers like Huawei, LeEco and Xiaomi releasing new models with such a setup at the back. So, it isn’t a surprise that ZTE is also trying out its luck with a dual camera setup on its upcoming Axon flagship.

RELATED: ZTE Will Release A New Device at IFA Berlin 2016 Featuring Breath-taking Audio

Unfortunately, at this moment, we are unsure about the specs of the device. The launch is just two days away, so we won’t have to wait too long to get those details.

Meanwhile, ZTE recently released the Axon 7 Mini in Europe. You can read all about that from our coverage on the phone.

(via1, via2)

Xiaomi Refute Claims by French Magazine that It is in Decline

Xiaomi has come all out to discredit the assertion made by popular French daily magazine Le Figaro, that the Chinese company is experiencing decline in growth. The contentious claims were made in an article published on August 28 and which has been re-echoed by several domestic media who the company accused of adding even more malicious content to the original post while translating.

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At the end of December 2014, Xiaomi became the world’s most valuable technology start-up after it received US$1.1 billion funding from investors, making Xiaomi’s valuation more than US$45 billion. Le Figaro in the article quoted statements by an American industry expert based in Asia which placed the net worth of the company as on August 2016 at just $4 billion. It did not end there, Le Figaro also went on to assert that since 2014, Xiaomi’s growth curve has remained stable at 15 million smartphone units sold per quarter without any real growth prospect.

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No doubt the damaging article needed some PR response and Xiaomi has responded promptly to refute the claims. In a Weibo post by the company spokesman, Xiaomi stated that the report of a sharp decline in Xiaomi’s valuation is completely untrue and that the company wasn’t in need of re-financing.

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The spokesman took a swipe at some of the local media who referenced the article by Le Figaro and even added “malicious content” which is different from the original article, suggesting that the company could explore its right to legal actions. The spokesman further stated that they had sent a rejoinder to the company but a response is yet to be gotten from the France-based company.

Read More: Huawei, OPPO & Xiaomi Make Top 5 in Global Phone sales for Q2 2016 (Gartner)

Xiaomi made a promising entrance into the smartphone market since it was founded in 2010 and rising smartphone sales had seen the company climb into the top five largest smartphone brands in the world. Recent reports have shown a decline in smartphone sales by the innovative Chinese startup dubbed “China’s Apple”, perhaps due to the distribution chain model which seem to have reached its limit. Xiaomi has however, hinted at plans to explore other distribution channels to help get its smartphone to its numerous fans who need them badly. The company has also disclosed it is planning to make an in-road into the highly lucrative US market sometime in the near future, another means which could help boost the company’s phone sales.

 

Nexus 6P and LG G5 Now Able to Use the Latest Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger

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Two latest Google devices Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P are now supporting the USB Type-C though the latest Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7edge are only capable of supporting microUSB.

This has not only confused most of the Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger users but is even more annoying to learn that no one is able to agree on the charging standard to use. This has made most of the Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger users like me and you suffer. The complications witnessed when using the cables and the Type-C chargers are even more confusing. Using incompatible chargers and cables risk frying your devices.

However, you need not to worry since the latest Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger has simplified the matters. The last time I took some of my time to go through the variety of chargers in the market, I found the Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger to be only charger I can use until a universal standard is set.

The Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger is Reliable and Safe

By using durable materials which have been certified by the RoHS and the CE, the Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger has undergone immense testing to ensure it can last for a longer period of time. You device together with the charger will be well protected thanks to its multi circuit protection system.

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The Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger Uses a Smart Universal Charge

Apart from the new faster charging models, the Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger has adopted a cutting edge Smart Charge technology which is able to offer faster charge to the USB devices just as the original chargers do.

The Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger Adopts Words Fastest Qualcomm charging technology

The quick charge port has offered the Easyacc 30W 2-Port Wall Charger up to four times faster charge compared to the conventional chargers.

 

 

 

 

 

New LeEco Phone Le Pro 3 Hits AnTuTu, Scores More Than 163K

We know LeEco is preparing something powerful for launch in September, and from the rumors, the specs are going to be top-notch. We have heard that LeEco could be the first Chinese smartphone maker to debut the Snapdragon 821 chipset which was announced by Qualcomm a couple of months back. Now, a new benchmark result of a smartphone called Le Pro 3 has surfaced on AnTuTu and the scores posted by this model are just amazing.

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The Le Pro 3 scores over 163K points on the AnTuTu benchmark, 163546 to be exact, making it much more powerful than any other smartphone that we have seen lately. This score is made possible thanks to the power packed specs which include Snapdragon 821 chipset, 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Even the camera specs were revealed, a 16MP shooter at the back and an 8MP shooter up front. Clearly, one of the best specs we have seen on a phone. le pro 3 antutu listing

LeEco has always surprised us with powerful phones which are priced aggressively, so even this particular model, the Le Pro 3 could feature a decent price. The name used for this model is a bit confusing as earlier rumors have revealed the phone to be called as the Le 2S Pro. So, we will have to wait and see what’s the final name of the device once released by the company in September.

So, what do you think? With these specs on board, how much would you be willing to pay for this device?

 

Meizu (M3) Max Will Have a mPen Stylus, Helio P20, and cost 1799 Yuan

Meizu’s upcoming phone, the M3 Max has been revealed to be the first phone in the world to launch with Mediatek’s Helio P20 processor. The processor which was announced at MWC 2016 has support for all networks and is the first 16nm processor from the chip maker.

Helio P20

The Helio P20 is an octa-core processor (8 x Cortex-A53) with a maximum clock speed of 2.3GHz and a 900MHz Mali-T880 MP2 GPU. Mediatek says it offers a 20% upgrade in performance over the Helio P10.

Meizu’s alliance with Mediatek for the M3 Max appears to want to take-on the Xiaomi Mi Max which uses a Snapdragon 650/652 from Qualcomm. If you remember, Qualcomm and Meizu aren’t best of friends at the moment.

Meizu M3 Max price

It has also been revealed that the Meizu (M3) Max will have a 64GB version with a stylus called the mPen. This new version will cost 1999 Yuan ($299) while the 32GB version which will not have a stylus will retain the 1799 Yuan ($269) price tag. We don’t know how the stylus will work as no further details have been released. So the question is if it be pressure sensitive like that of the Samsung Note series or if it will just be a regular plain stylus?

Xiaomi’s Mi Max is still well priced at 1499 Yuan ($230) for the 3GB + 32GB SD 650 version, 1699 Yuan ($260) for the 3GB + 64GB SD 652 version, and 1999 Yuan ($307) for the 4GB + 128GB version. If the M3 Max wants to take on the Mi Max, Meizu needs to offer a more competitive price.

Huami Amazfit Sports Smartwatch In Pictures (Red Strap Version)

Huami just released its brand new Amazfit Sports Smartwatch and considering it costs just $120, the watch comes with pretty good features. We know round watches are usually preferred by customers and this is probably why the company decided to use a round face for its new watch. However, if you look closely, the watch does not feature a true circular display, as it comes with 320 x 300 pixel resolution and there is a small black bar near the bottom of the screen.

Amazfit Sports Smartwatch

As for the features, the Huami Amazfit Sports Smartwatch comes with a 28nm GPS inside (first one to do so) and features a dual core 1.2GHz processor, 512MB RAM and 4GB of internal storage. You can store lots of songs inside the watch and play it while running or doing some chores with the help of a connected Bluetooth headphones.

You can use the heart rate sensor and GPS for 35 hours, which is pretty good. On regular usage, which includes frequent notifications throughout the day, the watch will last for 5 days and if you are using it as a standard watch, it will last for around 11 days. Not bad for a smartwatch!

You can read more about the Amazfit Sports Smartwatch from our launch article here. Or you can check out the pictures of the watch from down below (courtesy of Sina Tech).

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Leaked Photos Reveals Xiaomi is Working on an AI Robot

Xiaomi is launching its Mi Robot Vacuum cleaner tomorrow but that isn’t the only ”robot” the company has been working on.

Leaked images from an insider shows a robot playing a game of xiangqi (Chinese chess) against a human and appears to be doing fairly well. The Xiaomi robot which has a height of about 20 to 30 cm is white and orange (xiaomi colours) and has a wheel.

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Xiaomi robot 1

The xiaomi robot is connected via cable to a camera placed on it which in turn provides a live feed to a phone held by another person. We can’t tell if  the person with the phone is just viewing the game or actually controlling the robots actions, but we want to believe it’s the latter. Because, why else will a robot be playing chess against a human unless it’s an AI robot?

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If you look closely, you’ll see a Xiaomi ID card on the table and a Mi logo on the top left corner of the phone in use (looks like the Mi 5) verifying that this is indeed taking place at a Xiaomi facility.

RELATED: New Renders of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Surface

Huami Launches GPS Equipped Amazfit Sports Smartwatch for 799 Yuan ($120)

True to their words, Huami officially launched their Amazfit smartwatch today. The watch which has a built-in GPS, a pedometer, a real time heart rate monitor, also displays weather information and is priced at 799 Yuan ($120).

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The Amazfit watch has a 1.34” diameter, a 22 mm quick-release replaceable sweat-proof strap, a scratch-resistant ceramic bezel, IP67 certification, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB RAM, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, and WiFi. The display which has a 320 x 300 resolution uses a reflective screen to increase legibility outdoors. There is also an app where users can monitor the readings of the watch.

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Huami has designed the watch to be able to store up to 500 songs which you can listen to via a pair of Bluetooth earphones, so you don’t have to take your phone along for a run. They also have a partnership with Watercress FM to provide music streaming.

The watch will also be able to carry out basic smartwatch functions such as call and SMS notifications and have support for Alipay.

Huami says the 280mAh battery will last for 11.6 days if you use it just as a plain watch but normal usage (30 minutes run + 200 push messages) will get you 5 days of life. However turning GPS and heart rate monitoring on will get you 35 hours of battery life.

Full Specifications of Huami Amazfit Sports Smartwatch

  • 1.34” 320 x 300 reflective screen
  • 22mm replaceable straps
  • 4GB ROM
  • 512MB RAM
  • 1.2GHz dual-core processor
  • BLE 4.0 + WiFi
  • GPS + GLONASS
  • PPG heart rate monitor
  • IP67
  • 53.7 grams
  • 280mAh battery

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Availability

There is no news on the watch having other colours but users can change the watch face to suit their preference. The Huami Smartwatch will officially go on sale tomorrow.

LeEco Le 2s Pro Will Likely Launch on September 6 With SD821 Chipset: Analyst

We are set to see yet another Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 821 powered smartphone in September, if words of industry’s analyst Pan Jiutang is anything to go by. The renowned analyst has hinted that the LeEco Le 2s Pro with Snapdragon 821 chipset will be launched on September 6. Already, Apple’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus flagships have got a September 7 release, so the flagship LeEco may likely be released just in time to take on the iPhone 7.  Don’t forget also that LeEco is planning to enter the US market this fall, so a September 6 release date sounds logical and strategic.

LeEco le 2s pro

According to Pan Jiutang, the LeEco Le 2s Pro with Snapdragon 821 processor would be available not only in China but also in other countries, perhaps the US as well. The leading industry analyst also gave the specs of the device to include that it would rock an all-metal body with a 5.5-inch JDI display having 1080 pixel resolution. Also, there’s a 4GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage as well as a fingerprint sensor on the back.

Read More: LeEco Le 2s Pro Scores High on Antutu, Confirms Snapdragon 821 Processor

Furthermore, Mr. Jiutang also revealed that the Le 2s Pro flagship would likely carry a 2,000 Yuan ($300) price tag. The analyst also disclosed that the Xiaomi Mi 5s will likely be released in mid to late September and also that other smartphone makers like Huawei would release new smartphones this September.

Xiaomi Says MI Pay will Support Credit & Debit Cards, NFC & Bus card

Xiaomi has official revealed the features of the MI Pay payment platform which they are working on in partnership with UnionPay China. The MI Pay will be officially launched on September 1 and ahead of that launch ceremony, MI Pay’s key features have been announced.

Xiaomi in announcing the features, stressed that the MI Pay goes beyond the functions of Apple Pay in that it is the world’s first payment platform to support debit or credit cards, bus card and mobile phones.

In the first instance, the MI Pay is said to support more than 10 bank’s credit and debit cards as well as Xiaomi Bus card. The Bus card service is already being tested in some some Chinese cities and provincial areas. Both the bank card and bus card services will be officially available after the September 1 press conference.

Read More: Xiaomi’s CEO Announces NFC Mobile Payment MI Pay

Xiaomi’s MI Pay, just like the Apple Pay uses the same NFC technology and both platforms sports similar looking interface and the process of add the debit or credit card to the MI Pay is very simple, by just opening the Xiaomi Mi Wallet application and clicking on your bank, if it is among the supported banks and the option of linking your card comes up. Thereafter, you’ll then need to add your card details like the card number, expiration date, your phone number, and the card type. A verification code is then sent to the registered phone number.

Xiaomi’s MI Pay is presently supported by China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications, China Merchants Bank, Huaxia Bank, Minsheng Bank, Ping An Bank, and Industrial Bank. Xiaomi has also hinted that more banks like Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank, China Everbright Bank, Beijing Bank, and Guangdong Development Bank will be added in September.

ZTE Axon 7 Mini with Snapdragon 617 SoC Released for 2200 Yuan ($330)

ZTE announced the Axon 7 flagship smartphone sometime in May this year and the smartphone became available in store shelves in June. What looks like a toned down version of the Axon 7, going by the moniker Axon 7 Mini has been released by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer.

ZTE Axon 7 Mini 04

Recall also that the ZTE Axon 7 Mini’s specs was leaked last month, showing us what to expect from ZTE and indeed there is no difference from the leaked specs. The Axon 7 Mini design is very much similar to that of the Axon 7 flagship, although both sport different sizes with the Axon 7 having a 5.5-inch display. The Axon 7 Mini also comes with an all-metal body design, 5.2-inch display with 1080p resolution and 2.5D glass cover. The beautiful dual speaker grills on the Axon 7 is also present here.

ZTE Axon 7 Mini 03

The device is powered by a Snapdragon 617 chipset, which is the only thing differentiating the Axon 7 Mini from the Axon Mini released last year. The processor is backed by 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal memory which can be expanded up to 128GB.

Related: ZTE Axon 7 Review – A Killer $400 Phone

On the camera aspect, the ZTE Axon 7 Mini sports a 13MP rear camera sensor with LED flash and up front, there is an 8MP front facing camera. Also, the Axon 7 Mini boots Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS out-of-the-box and also has a fingerprint sensor at the back.

ZTE Axon 7 Mini 02

Coming to the price tag, the ZTE Axon 7 Mini is available in gold and silver color variants and is priced at 299 Euros in Europe, which is about 2,200 Yuan ($330).