More LeEco Pro 3 Details Leaked: Large Battery, Thin Body

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Sep 7, 2016

Remember the LeEco Pro 3 we covered last week? More details have been revealed about the Snapdragon 821 phone. An undisclosed source says the phone will feature a 5000 mAh battery in a 7 mm body.

le pro 3 benchmark antutu

LeEco Pro 3 b

That is pretty thin for a phone with such a large battery. The Gionee M6 which has a 5000 mAh battery is 8.2 mm thick. The Redmi Note 3 has a 4100mAh battery and is 8.7 mm thick. See where I’m going?

The LeEco LePro 3 is also expected to launch with a new software that covers video content, has social integration, and other forms of entertainment. We shouldn’t be surprised as LeEco is one of the largest video companies in China and this move may just mean better integration of their own content with 3rd party apps or better features.

Other features expected include 6GB of RAM, 64GB of ROM (don’t expect a SD card slot, LeEco is not known for that), 16MP rear camera, and an 8MP front-facing camera.

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LG Officially Launches LG V20: Hi-Fi Quad DAC, Removable Battery, and Android Nougat

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 7, 2016

The LG V20 is now official. Launched late last night, the phone brings along some new features while retaining some from the LG V10 such as the second display at the top.

First Android 7.0 Nougat Phone

The usual norm is for Google to launch the new version of android alongside the new nexus devices, but this year was different. The new nexus (Pixel) phones haven’t launched yet but older nexus devices are already running Android Nougat.

The LG V20 is the first phone to launch with Android Nougat out of the box and LG wants you to know that. However, it comes with LG’s UX 5.0+ on top.

Dual Cameras Out, Dual Cameras In

The LG V10 launched with 5MP dual front facing cameras and a 16MP rear camera. The V20 on the other hand drops one of the front cameras and adds an extra one to the rear. The camera in front is a 5MP f/1.9 wide angle shooter and the rear cameras are a combination of a 16MP f/1.8 camera with OIS and an 8MP f/2.4 135° wide-angle camera. There is also laser auto focus, PDAF, and dual LED flash.

Hi-Fi Audio, Hi-Fi Video

The LG V20 is the first phone in the world to feature 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC. The DAC chip helps reduce ambient noise levels by up to 50%. LG says listening to audio tracks will sound close to a live performance when using compatible wired headsets. Yes, the V20 has an audio jack.

The V20 also has Hi-Fi video recording which when activated lets you record lossless 24-bit audio alongside your video.

Full Specifications of LG V20

5.7” QHD IPS Quantum Display and 2.1” IPS Quantum Display
Android 7.0 Nougat
Snapdragon 820
4GB RAM
64GB ROM expandable to 2 TB via SD slot
Rear cameras: 16MP f/1.8 camera and 8MP f/2.4 wide angle camera
Front camera: 5MP f/1.9 wide angle camera
Fingerprint scanner
USB Type-C
Cat 12 LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
3200mAh removable battery
Quick Charge 3.0
Dimensions: 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm
Weight: 173 g

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Xiaomi’s Smart Router Sales Hit New Milestone: 500,000 in August!

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 7, 2016

Xiaomi’s smart routers are getting its fair share of attention and the company has managed to sell millions of its devices in the market. Early last year, the company managed to sell only about a million Xiaomi routers, but that number increased to about 3 million by October 2015.

Earlier this year, Xiaomi confirmed that the total sales of its routers exceeded 5 million units! Now, the company has just reported a new milestone of its smart router sales. Xiaomi has revealed that for the first time ever, the company managed to sell over half a million (500,000) units of the Xiaomi router in the month of August.

This is a tremendous achievement for the company and at this pace, selling over a million Xiaomi smart routers in a month could be a possibility very soon!

You can read more about the company’s routers from down below.

The Next Generation Xiaomi Router Is Here With 6TB Storage And Dual Antennas

Xiaomi Mi Router 3 With Four Antenna Design Announced For 149 Yuan ($23)

Xiaomi to release Commemorative Edition of Mi Router on September 19, costs 999 RMB (162.89 USD)

Turing Monolith Chaconne with Three SD 830 Chips, 18GB RAM Announced

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 6, 2016

Just a few days ago, we were entertained with the Turing Phone Cadenza by Turing Robotics Industries (TRI), which looked more like a concept phone than a phone that would hit the market next year as they promised. While we are still looking forward to where it’ll all end up, TRI has come up again with yet another smartphone with a crazy specs line-up that honestly looks unrealistic, at least for now. They called this one Turing Monolith Chaconne.

If you think the Turing Phone Cadenza is insane, you might want to have a rethink because the Turing Monolith Chaconne packs even more crazy stuff. While the Cadenza was to come powered by two Snapdragon 830 chipsets, the Monolith Chaconne takes the idea even further, featuring three SD 830s. The Chaconne is also said to feature a huge 18GB RAM, that’s an additional 6GB to what the Cadenza boasts of.

In addition, the Turing Monolith Chaconne will sport a 6.4-inch 4K display and would have 768GB of built-in storage as well as two 256GB SD cards, bringing the total available storage to 1.2 TB. The hydrogen fuel cell-equipped battery on the Chaconne gets a boost of 20Wh to 120Wh. Specs shared with the Cadenza include Swordfish OS, the graphene oxide composite construction, the 60MP quad rear-facing camera, the 20MP dual front-facing camera, and quad nanoSIM capability.

That’s not all, the Monolith Chaconne will also have a slide-out keyboard, augmented reality with parallel tracking and mapping, and something called A.L.A.N which we’d get to know about later.

Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait longer to see if Turing can actually deliver this one because the Monolith Chaconne is slated for release in 2018. As a parting shot, can someone out there please tell me what we need a smartphone with these seemingly doubled up specs for at this point in time?

(Via)

OPPO R9S Coming on September 12

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 6, 2016

OPPO R9 turned out to be the company’s best-seller this year, with over 10 million units being sold in the past few months. Now, we are all looking forward to the OPPO R9S, the successor to this model and it looks like the launch might be much closer than we thought.

According to the latest information from China, the OPPO R9S will be released on September 12 i.e. next Monday. The new device is said to feature the company’s ultra-fast Super VOOC fast charging technology, which it first showed off at MWC Barcelona. However, that probably won’t be the only highlight feature of the device, as it is said that the OPPO R9S will feature a special “No Antenna Band” design. We had seen a patent of OPPO’s new design recently and the same could be used on the new device.

OPPO no antenna band design patent — OPPO’s new design patent

As for the specs, the OPPO R9S will reportedly come with the Snapdragon 625 chipset instead of Helio P10. The display should be the same as before, a 5.5-inch panel with 1080p resolution. At the front, you should find a 16MP shooter while at the back, a 13MP sensor. Other possible features include 2850mAh battery and dual SIM dual standby with entire network support in China.

Huawei P9 Gross over 6 million Units So far

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 6, 2016

Huawei’s flagship P9 smartphone with the world acclaimed dual Leica camera set up has continued to make waves over six months after the device was introduced alongside the P9 Plus. Huawei reportedly sold over 2.6 million units of the P9 and P9 Plus in just about six weeks of the smartphones’ outing. Now, the flagship Huawei P9 is alone reported to have grossed over 6 million units for the Chinese phone makers globally.

Huawei P9

This was contained in an official release sent out by the company and it is coming out on the heels of the P9 getting two more color variants which could further help boost sales of the flagship smartphone. The two colors, red agate and blue topaz infuse more zest and life to the bubbling smartphone whose main selling point has been the dual camera setup at the rear manufactured by legendary German camera makers, Leica.

Huawei P9

Apart from the dual Leica cameras, the P9 comes equipped with a Kirin 955 processor, backed by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage and boots Emotion UI 4.1 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The 5.2-inch 1080p device comes with a battery capacity of 3,000mAh, a fingerprint sensor and an 8MP front camera sensor which delivers awesome selfies.

Earlier reports had hinted that Huawei has set a target of selling 10 million units of the P9 before the end of the year and from the way things are going, that figure seems very much achievable. The new dark red and blue colored variants would sure bring some more buyers into the mix especially from the lucrative European market. Perhaps that’s why Huawei chose the IFA Berlin 2016, in the heart of Europe to release the new variants.

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 to support 3D Touch?

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 6, 2016

After Huawei and Apple, most Chinese smartphone companies are reportedly working on 3D Touch enabled smartphones. While Meizu was expected to release a 3D Touch enabled smartphone earlier this year, we haven’t seen it yet. However, looks like Xiaomi could soon release a smartphone with pressure sensitive display and it could be an upcoming model like the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 or the Xiaomi Mi5S.

Recently, Xiaomi users found that 3D Touch feature was already available in their system, hidden away, probably because the hardware couldn’t support it. But given that the feature is built into the system, this could be a good indication that Xiaomi is readying a smartphone with 3D Touch display.

We have already heard rumors that Xiaomi is planning to release the Mi Note 2 in September. If the release is this month, expect more details soon.

Moto Z and Moto Z Play Officially Launches in China

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 6, 2016

If you are living in China and you are out for a new phone, you might want to consider the Moto Z and Moto Z Play which has just been officially launched for the Chinese market.

Moto Z

The Moto Z was announced in June during Lenovo’s Tech World event in San Francisco and has now found its way to mainland China. The Moto Z has a 5.5” 2K display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB ROM, 13MP f/1.8 rear camera with laser focus and OIS, 5MP front-facing camera, and a 2600mAh battery with Motorola’s TurboPower fast charge technology. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 CPU and Adreno 530 GPU. It also has a SD card slot that can take in up to 2TB cards (good luck finding one though)!

The Moto Z is built from a 7000 series aviation grade aluminium and high steel backplate which is also corrosion resistant. Lenovo has employed a closed-loop antenna design for the NFC chip and communication module to achieve its 5.2 mm thinness (thickness). The Moto Z also features a P2i liquid repellent nano-coating to protect it from liquids.

Moto Z Play

The Moto Z Play was first announced last week at the IFA Berlin tech expo.

It has the same 5.5” Super AMOLED screen but uses a 1080p resolution instead. There’s 3GB of RAM and 64GB of ROM which can be expanded to 2TB via a SD card slot. It’s rear camera is a 16 MP shooter with laser focus and PDAF. For video calls and selfies, there’s a 5MP up front. The Moto Z Play uses a Snapdrgon 625 processor and has a larger 3510mAh battery which brings it’s thickness to 7 mm. There is also NFC for mobile payments and a fingerprint scanner.

moto z projector motomod — Projector Mod

Moto Mods

Four Moto mods were launched alongside the phones. The JBL speaker mod which has stereo speakers that can pump out sounds reaching up to 80dB and has a 1100mAh built-in battery; a projector mod with a 480p resolution and projected image size of 70 inches; battery mods made by various manufacturers like TUMI, Kate Spade New York, and Incipio which can offer an additional 22 hours of battery life when snapped on; and lastly, Hasselblad’s True Zoom camera mod which has a 10x optical zoom and xenon flash.

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Xiaomi Sets Up Second Assembly Plant in India

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 6, 2016

Xiaomi Inc. is setting up it’s second factory in collaboration with manufacturing giant, Foxconn, in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. The new plant which is said to have a production capacity of 2 million units per quarter when it attains full production will double what the company currently makes. The plant is spread across 65,000 sq ft and has already started work but will need time to reach full capacity.

Xiaomi’s new plant will put the company in the list of top local phone manufacturers in India, giving them the fourth spot behind Samsung, Micromax, and Intex.

Xiaomi has always emphasised the importance of the Indian market to their success. In Xiaomi’s words ”India is their biggest international market”, and they have shown that with the speed at which they have setup manufacturing plants following the announcement of their intention last year to manufacture locally.

Stats say the company sells between 1 to 1.5 million phones per quarter with 75% manufactured locally. The top manufacturers, Samsung and Intex churn out 3 million and 2 million phones per month.

Check which Galaxy Note 7 models won’t explode

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 6, 2016

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Note 7 flagship have been hit by issues of exploding batteries which have resulted in the company recalling over 2.5 million units of the Note 7. What some probably don’t know is that not all units of the Galaxy Note 7 are affected by the explosion issue and subsequent global recall. First, the explosions of the Note 7 is not as a result of defects on the phone itself but due to faulty batteries.

The Galaxy Note 7 battery cells are manufactured by two companies, Samsung SDI Co, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics and Amperex Technology LTD (ATL). But they are packaged in the company’s Vietnam factory and through a Chinese branch of South Korea-based ITM Semiconductor Co. Ltd.

While Samsung SDI supplies about 70% of the batteries on the Galaxy Note 7 basically non-removable ones, Amperex made up the remaining 30%. Unfortunately, it’s the batteries manufactured by Samsung SDI which is defective. Apparently, a flaw in the battery cell resulted in negative and positive electrodes coming together which is abnormal.

According to an Amperex official, the company only supplies batteries for Galaxy Note 7 China Edition. This explains why the Note 7 launch in China still went ahead on September 1. So, If you are in China and own one of the Galaxy Note 7 launched on September 1, then your Note 7 is not among those at risk of explosion. If you’re planning to own one, then you’re good to go as long as you check to make sure the battery on the device is the one manufactured by Amperex Technology LTD.

You can also go ahead to confirm from the back of the phone’s casing if your Galaxy Note 7 is manufactured in Korea or Vietnam, then it probably has a defective Samsung SDI battery inside but if it is written made in China, then it contains a safe ATL battery inside and poses no risk of explosion. This information about where the phone is manufactured can also be accessed from the phone’s system settings.

Apart from China, the China edition of the Galaxy Note 7 with ATL batteries is said to also ship to Hong Kong, mainland China, and Macao. However, the T-Mobile carrier based version of the Note 7 is actually manufactured in China but has been recalled as well. This is just to allay the fears of Americans and not because the units are defective as well.

Huawei said to be working on a 7-inch Google Tablet to be Released soon

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 5, 2016

Huawei and Google are rumored to be working on something big, a 7-inch tablet that could drop anytime soon. All attention over the couple of months have focused on the Nexus Marlin and Sailfish flagships that Google is expected to release soon. However, if rumors making the round is anything to go by, then Google may very well release a third device, a tablet, alongside the two smartphones.

According to popular tipster Evan Blass @evleaks, the Huawei -built 7-inch Google tablet will likely be released before the end of the year and would come with a whopping 4GB RAM. This is not the first rumor about a Huawei-manufactured Google tablet we are getting. Ever since Huawei developed Google’s last Nexus 6P smartphone, the duo have been rumored to be working on a Nexus 7, the name the device was hitherto expected to carry.

However, the idea of the next Google device carrying the Nexus brand name is rumored to be untenable. Google is said to tinkering on names using either “Google” or “Pixel” brand. Earlier leaked rumors even suggest that the two expected Nexus phones will go by the names – Pixel and Pixel XL.

Google's Huawei-built 7-inch tablet, with 4GB RAM, on track for release before the end of the year.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 5, 2016

Google had hinted that they would be more opinionated about the design of the next Nexus device, so it is possible for that opinion to translate into the tech giant choosing a name for the device.

Basically, the expected Google tablet from Huawei has been tipped to be cheap, durable, decent-looking, and surprisingly pocketable. Huawei has got the pedigree to manufacture a tablet that would be a fan favorite and we expect nothing less than the best from the Asian market leader.

Meanwhile, Google is expected to hold an event on October 4 and we are already expecting two smartphones rumored to be Pixel and Pixel XL, a DayDream VR headset, a new 4k-enabled Chromeclast dongle as well and then perhaps, a new Google tablet. We are highly anticipating a very busy day if all these gadgets drop same day.

Xiaomi Launches Ultra-Light, 90 Minutes Jacket under Crowdfunding

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 5, 2016

Xiaomi has got a new product under its crowdfunding platform and it is an ultra-light Jacket called 90 Minutes. The jacket is manufactured by popular wearable brand 90 Points, and it is designed for both men and women, coming in at just 229 Yuan ($35) via the Mi crowdfunding platform.

The 3D cut 90 minutes jacket comes with a windproof and water repellent outer coating and contains paddings which keep the temperature warm at all time. Aside that, the jacket is light and easy to store and can come in handy when traveling, commuting in cold conditions, going hiking or anywhere else in the outdoors.

The jacket was manufactured with quality materials and standards, ensuring it meets consumers requirements. And unlike other winter jackets, this one won’t feel puffed up or bloated on your body and yet brings long-lasting warmth experience. The outer coating is made from DuPont Teflon fabric, with Teflon EcoElite new fabric processing. As it is with Teflon materials, the 90 minutes jacket is water repellent and cannot be penetrated by water during rain storm. In addition, the jacket also uses a unique YKK zipper with openings on the handle where your headphones can be attached.

The 90 jacket comes in different sizes ranging from small (S), medium (M), large (L), extra large (XL), and extra-extra large (XXL) for the male models and you’ll get it in four different colors which include black, bright gray, dark blue and military green. While for the female models, only small (S), medium (M), large (L) and extra large (XL) sizes are available and the ladies have got three cool colors in black, light gray and rose red, to choose from.

The 90 minutes jacket are already available for registration on Xiaomi’s Mi platform main website but shipments would start on October 18. It costs just 229 Yuan ($35).

Xiaomi Launching a Jacket Tomorrow?

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 5, 2016

Xiaomi has teased the launch of what appears to be a jacket through the Weibo account of its sub-brand, Mijia.

The first teaser is of a graph which might be hinting at the jacket’s design.

The second teaser is of a feather which can be translated to mean the jacket will be lightweight.

The third image is a thermal imaging map of the human body with the torso and arms appearing warmer than other parts of the body, which are the parts a jacket will normally cover. We don’t know if it will be a regular jacket that has been designed to keep the heat in for long or if it will have smart features, but we hope to find out when it launches.

All three posters mention the date of launch is tomorrow, 6th of September, at 10 am.

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Meizu Launches 199 Yuan ($30) Backpack

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 5, 2016

Apart from the Meizu M3 Max that was launched today, the company also announced a travel backpack.

The backpack which has a simple design (you can’s see zips and pockets plastered around) is made of wear-resistant canvas. Meizu has also taken care not to plaster their name on the back but have written it on the edge close to the zipper which can’t be seen if you are walking.

Unzipping the bag presents you with a total of 9 compartments that lets you store your books, PC, tablet, smartphones, power banks, and a bunch of other stuffs.

It is also waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about your belongings getting wet if you get caught up in the rain.

Meizu’s backpack costs just 199 Yuan ($30). Meizu says buying the M3 Max alongside the backpack brings the price of the bag to 169 Yuan ($25). It is available in light grey but we hope the company releases other colours because the grey will probably get dirty easily.

Unboxing Pictures of Meizu M3 Max

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 5, 2016

The Meizu M3 Max launched earlier today and although it doesn’t come with some of the specs leaked in previous weeks such as a Helio P20 processor and a stylus, it still has some impressive features.

The all metal M3 Max features a 6” FHD display, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of ROM, and has a 1.8 GHz Helio P10 under the hood. Its rear camera is a 13MP Sony IMX258 with PDAF and dual LED flash. For video calls and selfies, you get a 5MP sensor.

With a thickness of just 7.9 mm, Meizu has been able to fit in a 4100mAh battery which should get you over 9 hours of on-screen time based on the teaser from yesterday. They’ve also thrown in fast charge, VoLTE, an IR blaster, and a fingerprint sensor all for a price of 1699 Yuan ($255).

The M3 Max comes in a white pack that slides out to reveal a blue box with the name of the phone engraved in silver. The packaging looks really nice and is sure to catch the eyes of lots of folks.

Flip open the top of the box like a book and you are greeted by the large display staring at you. The unit above is the champagne gold variant with white front bezels.

The M3 Max has it’s power button and volume rocker on the right which is the design employed by most manufacturers these days. However, the button placements seems to be too far up, so unless you have large hands/long fingers, reaching for those buttons will be a bit frustrating.

The other items in the box include some paper work, the 24W fast charger, a USB Type-C cord, and a SIM ejection tool. There are no earbuds or additional accessories like a silicone case, but you might be lucky to find a re-seller that will throw in the latter as a free gift.

Meizu M3 Max unbox 13 — Meizu M3 Max and MX6

The Meizu M3 Max is also available in gray (which looks more like blue in the picture above and comes with black front bexels), silver, and rose gold.

Huawei Mate 9 Will Have Dual Leica Lens With OIS

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 5, 2016

The expected launch date for the new Mate phones is still weeks away, but before then we should be getting details of the new phones in bits. The more anticipated device is the Huawei Mate 9 and we already know it will be coming with dual cameras but have been in the dark with respect to the setup until now.

Industry analysts have been talking about the dual camera configuration for the Mate 9. One of them, Lihuai Bin Robin, says the camera setup will be similar to Apple’s dual cameras, which has optical image stabilisation + analog zoom. Lihuai says the only difference will be that the Mate 9 will have one of its lens capturing colour photographs while the other takes monochrome shots.

Another analyst, Sun Changxu, says to solve the magnetic interference of double OIS, there will also be Auto Focus.

To cap it, familiar analyst, Pan Jiutang said that while the Mate 9 or Mate S2 is expected to have dual cameras, he believes the cameras will be supplied by Leica.

So to simplify it, the Mate 9 will have dual cameras supplied by Leica with OIS + AF + Analog Zoom.

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Meizu M3 Max Specs: Helio P10, 3GB RAM & More

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 5, 2016

Meizu just unveiled its large screen phablet, the Meizu M3 Max a few minutes ago. The phone comes with a large 6-inch display and is here to take on rivals such as the Xiaomi Mi Max, which has received very good response from customers both in China and India. Unfortunately, there is no stylus with the device, unlike what previous rumors said.

It’s a pretty good large screen smartphone and the entire Meizu M3 Max specs are listed below. The phone is already up for reservation in China and it will go on sale on September 15.

Also, you can check out our launch article from here.

Meizu M3 Max SPECS:

DIMENSIONS: 163.4 x 81.6 x 7.9mm 189 gms
DISPLAY: 6-inch IPS LCD, 1920 x 1080p, 368 ppi, 450nits
CHIPSET: Helio P10 (Cortex A53 x 1.8GHz + Cortex A53 x 1.0GHz), Mali T860
RAM: 3GB LPDDR3
STORAGE: 64GB (MicroSD Expandable: YES)
REAR CAMERA: 13MP f/2.2, 5P, 0.2s PDAF, Color Temp Flash (Burst, Panorama modes)
FRONT CAMERA: 5MP f/2.0, 4P, Adaptive Beauty Skin Algorithm
BATTERY: 4100mAh 24W mCharge Fast Charging (45% in 30min)
CONNECTIVITY: 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (5GHz & 2.4GHz Support), BLE, Blutooth 4.1, Infrared
OS: Flyme Based on Android
PRICE: 1699 Yuan ($255)

iPhone 7 Launch: Here’s All What to Expect from Apple

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 5, 2016

Ahead of the September 7 launch of the iPhone 7, a new research report that detailed what to expect from Apple on the flagship iPhone 7, and 7 Plus has been outed. The report is the brain child of KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who is reputed as having a very strong track record when it comes to Apple product details. This happens to be his most detailed research report on the iPhone 7 which would be launched on Wednesday. The report features some earlier rumors about the iPhone 7 and also introduces some new titbits about the expected smartphone.

According to the trusted analyst, the iPhone 7 will feature quite a number of upgrades and changes from its predecessors but the design is similar to the iPhone 6s which might not be significantly noticed by most users. Here is a summary of all the expected changes the iPhone 7 is said to bring;

New A10 chip – The iPhone 7 is said to feature new A10 chips manufactured by TSMC that could top out at 2.4-2.45 GHz, although Apple may clock it a bit lower due to heat and power consumption concerns. Already, a very recent GeekBench data of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus has revealed the power of the A10 chips even though the clock frequency posted is incorrect.

Five color options – This isn’t the first time we are getting rumors that the iPhone 7 will come with a fifth color variant which Kuo gave as Glossy Piano Black. this would be in addition to the usual silver, gold, and rose gold, along with a “dark black” replacing the usual Space Gray. A photo of SIM trays in those five color variants had made the rounds on the internet just recently.

Three Storage Memory Versions of 32 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB – The analyst also hinted that there will likely be three storage versions on both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The iPhone 7 Plus will include 3 GB of DRAM to support the dual-lens camera, while the iPhone 7 will continue to include 2 GB.

Dual-lens rear camera on the iPhone 7 Plus – The iPhone 7 Plus is expected to be Apple’s first device to feature a dual rear camera setup and the analyst corroborated this claim. this would likely increase the iPhone’s cost by about $40, likely making the iPhone 7 Plus more expensive than the iPhone 6s Plus. Both lenses will be 12-megapixel, but one will be a wide-angle camera with larger pixel sizes, a 6P lens, and optical image stabilization, while the second will be a telephoto lens with smaller pixel sizes and a 5P lens.

Improved IPX7 water resistance – matching that of the original Apple Watch and making the device suitable for splashes, showering, and even brief dips in water up to one meter deep.

No headphone jack, with Apple providing both Lightning EarPods and a Lightning to 3.5 mm jack adapter in the box. Removal of the headphone jack will allow for an upgraded speaker and a new sensor for improved Force Touch.

Earpiece receiver to become a speaker – Instead of putting a second speaker at the bottom in place of the headphone jack, Apple is said to be upgrading the earpiece receiver at the top of the device to become a full speaker, with the addition of a new audio amplifier . The change would provide enough separation to allow for stereo sound when the device is held in landscape orientation. The closed up speaker grills shown in a leaked back casing of the iPhone 7 seem to confirm this rumor.

Pressure-sensitive click-less home button – The round custom home button will be pressure sensitive and click-less to aid the water resistance. However, Apple has included new haptics to mimic a clicking sensation when the button is pressed so you would know it is working.

Wide color displays – Although the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus come in the same sizes and resolutions as the current iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The wide color technology adopted from the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will offer better color quality.

Upgraded rear camera flash – The rear camera flashlights are said to be upgraded to come with four LEDs (two cool and two warm LEDs) and a new ambient light sensor for better image quality.

Possible upgraded proximity sensor shifting from LED to laser for faster response and greater recognition distance, as well as potential gesture recognition.

FeliCa NFC support in models sold in Japan, as had been previously rumored for either the iPhone 7 or the 2017 iPhone.

Furthermore, the Analyst projects that shipments for the iPhone 7 will be lower than that of the iPhone 6s posted last year. iPhone 6s shipped up to 82 million units between September and December last year but the analyst says the iPhone 7 might be lower than that with about 20 million units within the same period. This he attributes to the new water resistance feature which resulted in low assembly yield, thus pushing back the start of mass production until the second half of August. The units shipment between now and December is projected to come in at 60-65 million.

As always, Gizmochina will keep you updated on latest rumors on iPhone 7 and 7 Plus until they drop. Also keep a date with us for live update of the September 7 launch event.

(Source)

Meizu M3 Max Official: 6-inch 1080p Display, Large Battery & More

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 5, 2016

Once again this year, phablets seem to be getting a lot of attention. In the Chinese market, we have already seen two great 6-inch+ smartphones, the Nubia Z11 Max and the Xiaomi Mi Max. Now, Meizu is here to join the party with its brand new Meizu M3 Max phablet.

The Meizu M3 Max comes with a familiar Meizu design, which includes an all metal body with dual CNC processing. The design looks pretty decent (similar to the Meizu M3E) and the availability of four color option is definitely an added plus. You have the option to choose between Champagne Gold, Gray, Silver and Rose Gold colors. It’s pretty thin as well, measuring just 7.9mm in thickness (Full measurements: 163.4 x 81.6 x 7.94mm), however, the Mi Max is thinner with a 7.5mm body. All the ports seem to be located at the bottom of the device, including the USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack and speakers. Like always, the fingerprint sensor-enabled mBack button is located up front, below the display.

Inside, the M3 Max comes with the Helio P10 octa-core chipset clocked at 1.8GHz. The display is a 6-inch IPS LCD panel with 1080p resolution. Unfortunately, no 2K resolution version available. As for the memory, there will be 3GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. You can further expand this up to 128GB via MicroSD.

At the back, the Meizu M3 Max comes with a 13MP Sony IMX258 camera sensor with f/2.2 aperture, PDAF and dual LED flash. Up front, there is a 5MP shooter.

Inside, the Meizu M3 Max comes with a 4100mAh battery with 24W mCharge fast charging technology. This reportedly charges the phone up to 45% in half an hour. That’s pretty good considering the size of the battery on board. Other features of the device are pretty standard like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VoLTE, infrared etc. Fingerprint payment is also supported (Alipay and WeChat).

This new phablet from Meizu is priced at 1699 Yuan ($255) and at present, there seems to be just one version (3GB + 64GB). The phone will go on sale from September 15 and the reservations for the sale start today.

ZTE Nubia Z11 Black Gold Edition in Pictures: Black Bezel-less Beauty

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Sep 4, 2016

ZTE announced a Black Gold Edition of its sleek Nubia Z11 bezel-less flagship, a few days back at IFA 2016 in Berlin. The Black Gold Edition posts almost similar features with the Silver and Grey versions that had hit the market months back but also comes in as a high-end variant with some minor tweaking on the specs.

The Silver and Grey Standard editions come with 4GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB of Built-in storage, but the memory on the Nubia Z11 Black Gold Edition has been ramped up to a cool 6GB RAM and there’s 64GB of storage on board. Mind you, that has also slightly affected the price, Ouch.

However, the main attraction of the Black beauty still remains the 5.5-inch 1080p bezel-less LCD display with 500 nit brightness, wide viewing angles and anti-reflective screen. The display comes with the new generation of FiT technology which adds various functions to the edge of the smartphone, like switching between apps, adjusting screen brightness or clearing up background apps just with several edge-based gestures.

Other specs on the device include a Snapdragon 820 processor, a 16MP SonyIMX298 rear sensor, and an 8MP front selfie camera, as well as a 3,000mAh with Quick Charge 3.0 for fast charging and entire network support among others.

The Nubia Z11 Black Gold Edition, as hinted earlier, comes with a higher price tag of 2,999 Yuan ($449) and would go on sale on September 4. You can also get in addition to the smartphone, other accessories like a colorful Nubia power pack, leather protective cover, and self-timer lever, all for 3199 Yuan ($479). Meanwhile, you can also check out a photo gallery of the Z11 Black beauty from down below.