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Mi Notebook Pictures and Details: Will Feature Core i7 Processor

One of the devices to be launched on July 27 by Xiaomi will be the Mi Notebook; the second being the 4th Generation Redmi Note. The first time news of a notebook from the Chinese giant surfaced was 7 months ago. While some of the specs in that post have changed, others have remained true.

Mi Notebook

Mi Notebook 2

The Mi Notebook will be available in 2 sizes, viz.: 11 inches and 12.5 inches (13 inches) with the latter confirmed to be a Full HD display although without touchscreen support.

Mi Notebook screen

It will also feature an Intel Skylake U-Series Core i7 processor (Core i7-6500U) clocked at 2.50 GHz (3.0GHz Max). The processor has an integrated GPU called HD Graphics 520 which offers performance in range of a dedicated GeForce 820M. Tests say the GPU will be able to handle 2015 games smoothly although in low settings.

Mi Notebook Specs

The Mi notebook will feature 8GB of RAM and ship with Windows 10. The charger is similar to that of Huawei’s Matebook which uses a USB Type-C with maximum charge power at 65W (20V/3.25A).

mi notebook charger

Xiaomi has applied for two patents with respect to the notebook. One is for an intelligent charging adapter and the other is for a thermal processing method and apparatus.

Xiaomi Patent 1

Xiaomi Patent 2

There is still no information about the prices but we trust it will sure be cheaper than similar products in the market right now.

LeEco Le Max 2 Gets a Price Cut: Sellers Selling The Phone As Low As $287

If you are in the market to purchase a Snapdragon 820 phone that doesn’t leave a hole in your pocket, the Xiaomi Mi 5 or  ZUK Z2 will be one of the phones we’d recommend to you.

But it seems the cheapest Snapdragon 820 phone is the LeEco Le Max 2, which has seen a price cut from 2099 Yuan ($313) to 1940 Yuan ($290) on multiple shopping sites. JD Mall had it listed for 1925 Yuan ($288) which sadly, has expired now. However there’s a seller on Aliexpress that still has it for $287.68.

LeEco Le Max 2

 

Le Max 2

 

The Le Max 2 is an impressive device sporting a 5.7” 2K screen, 4GB of RAM as against the Mi 5′ 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM, dual SIM slots,a 21MP/8MP camera configuration, and a 3100mAh battery with fast charging. It also supports a lot of LTE frequency bands. It’s important to note that the LeEco Le Max 2 doesn’t have a 3.5 mm earphone jack but instead uses USB Type-C earphones. There is also no SD card slot for storage expansion.

 

Have you seen the Le Max 2 listed for a lower price somewhere else? Please let us know in the comment box below.

LeEco’s Mysterious New Phone: Features Funny Dual-Camera Design

Weibo user @KJuma posted pictures of a LeEco phone which he alleges were leaked by an internal staff.

The pictures confirms that the company indeed has a dual-camera phone in the works. However, the design is quite funny. The dual cameras and horizontal LED flash are boxed up in a squircle making it look like the face of a Japanese tree spirit (we believe someone has watched to many animes at LeEco).

There is also a fingerprint scanner right belowthe camera setup and the LeEco logo at the bottom.

japanese tree spirit

 

LeEco dual cameras 1

The all-metal body of the phone shares a similar design to Meizu’s Pro 6 which allows you to see where the upper and lower parts are fused together.

LeEco dual cameras 5

The phone’s screen has a 2.5D arc design and features thin bezels. LeEco has also changed the design of the capacitive buttons by replacing the middle button with a LeEco logo.

LeEco dual cameras 6

LeEco dual cameras 3

LeEco dual cameras 2

LeEco dual cameras 4

There is still a lot we do not know about this phone such as the camera configuration (which most likely is supplied by Samsung), the RAM, ROM, or even what SoC will be embedded in it. But if we are to go by the details in this article, it’s probably not going to feature the Snapdragon 821 processor.

Helio P20 Powered Coolpad device Spotted On GFXBench

Looks like a new smartphone will soon roll out from Coolpad because the device was spotted today on GFXBench listed as Coolpad A9S-9. That is not the big news though, the big news is that in the device, we’ll get to feel the all new, latest MediaTek Helio P20 processor announced by MediaTek early this year as the latest in the P series of its processors.

helio p20 coolpad phone

MediaTek unveiled the Helio P20 processor as a successor to last year’s Helio P10 spec and also announced that the Helio P20 should be expected in devices in the second half of 2016.

On first sight of the specs, you might confuse the P20 with the Helio X20 that uses a deca-core design, but the difference is the P20 is an octa-core product. The one listed as being on the CoolPad A9S-9 is listed as a 2.3GHz octa-core MT6757 processor which is the specs of the Helio P20.

helio p20 benchmark

MediaTek upgraded the frequency of the processor on the Helio P20 from 2GHz found on the Helio 10 to 2.3GHz and the graphics processing unit (GPU) from Mali-T860 MP2 700MHz to Mali-T880 MP2 900MHz. These are the two major overhauls on the P20 from P10, other aspects of the upgrade are really not obvious.

Since it packs a more powerful GPU and more frequency band, the Helio P20 is expected to offer a more seamless and faster performance than the P10, which isn’t a bad one either.

 

MediaTek Helio P20 Coolpad A9S-9

 

Xiaomi Executive Confirms Two Product Launches On July 27!

Xiaomi has confirmed a new conference on July 27, which is just a couple of weeks away. However, as of now, the company hasn’t revealed what to expect from the new event, nor it has given any hints of the number of products going to be announced that day. Recent rumors have said that there would be more than one announcement, and looks like, the rumors are true, as Xiaomi’s, Director of new Media, Lu, has just revealed via his Weibo account that there will be two announcements at the event.

xiaomi july 27 two products

So what can be those two products? His post reveals that the first product has three letters and the second product has five letters. Judging from the number of letters, the first product could be Redmi 4 (红米4 in Chinese) or maybe Note 4. The second product should be none other than Xiaomi’s first Notebook since 小米笔记本 i.e. Xiaomi Notebook fits perfectly in the five letter space.

xiaomi-notebook

Both the products are going to be exciting and we have been hearing consistently about them for the past few weeks. The Redmi Note 4 is expected to be the company’s first dual camera smartphone, featuring a metal body and Helio X20 chip inside. As for the Xiaomi Notebook, there should be three display variants, but the 12.5-inch and 13.3-inch models are expected to debut first. The larger 15.6-inch could be announced later, as per previous rumors.

RELATED: Xiaomi Notebook Image Leaked, Looks Very Similar to the Macbook Pro

Inside, we may find Intel’s Atom series processor which will ensure cheap price tag and long battery life. The overall design should be like the Apple Macbook, with a light aluminum body.

 

Over 5 Million registrations for Honor 8 in less than 4 days

Huawei has paid a lot of attention on the Honor 8 and it has attracted a lot of attention due to its beautiful dual glass body and  dual camera since its launch around 4 days back. The phone looks premium for a mid-range device and this is the reason that more than 5 Million people have already registered for its first sale.

Honor 8 official 04

Honor 8 will go on sale for the first time on 19th July and registrations for the flash sale are open till 18th July. This clearly shows that this phone is attracting a lot of attention among the buyers. It is, however, not known that how many devices will be available for sale.

honor 8 5 million

For the one’s who are are not aware, the Honor 8 comes with Huawei’s own Kirin 950 octa-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz with Mali-T880 MP 4 GPU. It comes with two 12MP cameras with Sony IMX286 sensors at the back, one RGB sensor and a black and white sensor. Additional features on the camera are Laser Autofocus and Contrast Focus apart from great depth of field. On the front, the Honor 8 features an 8MP sensor, which has large 1.4um pixels.

Honor 8 design

It comes in three variants —  3GB RAM + 32GB is priced at CNY 1999 or  $299 USD, 4GB RAM + 32GB priced at CNY 2299 or $343 and 4GB RAM + 64GB is priced at CNY 2499 or USD 374. There is  a 3000mAh battery (9V2A fast charging) to power the device. The screen size of 5.2-inches with 1080p resolution and the phone comes with a fingerprint sensor located at the back. Honor 8 comes in 3 color options namely Pearl White, Sunrise Gold, Midnight Black, Sakura Pink and Sapphire Blue.

What do you think of Honor 8 ? Do let us know in the comment section below.

 

Meizu MX6 Price Leaked, Said to Come With Smart Cover

Meizu will officially announce the MX6 flagship next week, on July 19. The company has been teasing the upcoming handset, but we have got to know much more about the phone via recent leaks. Now, the latest information leaked online reveals the pricing of the Meizu MX6 and it’s much higher than its predecessor, the MX5.

meizu mx6 price doc

The leaked document reveals that the Meizu MX6 will be priced at 2299 Yuan ($344) with a Smart Cover. It looks like the company is planning to sell this cover alongside the phone during launch. As for this pricing, it much higher than its predecessor, which retails for 1799 Yuan ($270). But this news is not a surprise considering, Meizu’s co-founder had already said that due to similar processes used in the MX6 as the Pro 6, the pricing was going to touch the 2000 Yuan mark this year.

The smart cover will be something interesting as it reportedly comes with different colored LED lights to inform you of the notifications. We also have seen a couple of renders of this smart cover, and you can read all about it from here.

RELATED: High Definition Images and GeekBench Scores of Meizu MX6 Revealed

An increase in price may not be good news for Meizu fans, but the co-founder had previously revealed that the Mx6 flagship is the best MX device till date. So, we can expect pretty top-notch specs and a solid design on the upcoming handset. From the information leaked earlier, we know that the phone should come with the Helio X20, 4GB RAM, 12MP rear camera, 5MP front shooter and 3000mAh+ battery.

 

Xiaomi Notebook Said to launch on July 27

News emanating from China indicates that Xiaomi will release its expected Xiaomi Notebook laptop on July 27. We had earlier reported of a Xiaomi news conference coming up on July 27 where the company is expected to release a series of phones, including the dual-camera clad Redmi Note 4, Mi Note 2 and other mobile gadgets.

xiaomi notebook mac pro copy

According to fresh reports, Xiaomi will officially launch its Notebook laptop during the news conference. The Xiaomi Notebook is expected to cram an Intel Atom processor and will boot Windows 10 operating system. One unique feature of the Xiaomi Notebook is its ultra-slim built, as well as long battery life.

Earlier rumors had indicated that the Xiaomi Notebook laptop is expected to come in three display variants, 12.5-inches, 13.3-inches and a 15.6-inch model. The small display variants are expected to hit the market first. The slim device also packs a webcam just like on the MacBook.

The Notebook was earlier on expected to hit the market in the first half of this year but was reported to have been delayed to the second half (H2) and production was reported to have commenced in May.

Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun had taken to Weibo to share the company’s lofty plans for the second half of the year to launch a series of devices in H2 2016 and now, the list of devices popping up into the market on July 27 keeps swelling. Could we see more devices coming out? That we don’t know, what we know is the Xiaomi Notebook may have just joined the list of devices launching July 27.

(Source)

DJI Unveils the Powerful Zenmuse Z3 drone Cam with up to 7x zoom

Chinese top drone company, DJI has launched their latest Point To Zoom (PTZ) camera that provides up to 7x zoom power. Dubbed Zenmuse Z3 (Zen Z3 for short), it is the renowned company’s first camera with zoom capability.

Zenmuse Z3 Zen Z3

DJI’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones have been very useful for aerial photography and videography but one snag about it before now,  was that if a close-up shot of an object is needed, the drone controller has to fly the drone very close to the object in order to get a satisfactory shot. That could be dangerous as a mistake in operation could lead to a crash. But now, all that is set to change with the launch of the Zenmuse Z3, the company’s first Point to Zoom (PTZ) camera which can deliver up to a whopping 7x zoom.

Speaking at the launch, Paul Pan DJI’s senior product manager, had this to say,

“Before the introduction of Zen Z3, UAVs are only approaching the subject in order to obtain an enlarged image. Today, users can use the zoom function to capture clearly from a distance, sharp images. This is to enhance the efficiency of the UAV in equipment inspection, search and rescue and other security areas. “

Zenmuse Z3 Zen Z3

The Zenmuse Z3 is reputed to support 3.5 optical zoom and 2X digital zoom which combine to give the 7x zoom. The Zen Z3 also sports a 12MP Sony 1 camera with 2.3 Yingcun sensor, having a focal length of 22-77mm and corresponding aperture coefficient of F2.8 – F5.2 . The Zen Z3 camera supports 4K video recording, and is suitable for shooting still images as well as video recording.

In addition, Zenmuse Z3 camera can be mounted on a host of drones ranging from “Enlightenment” Inspire 1 aircraft, Jingwei M100 developer platform, to Jingwei M600 flying platform, all manufactured by DJI. It also supports DJI’s airborne Lightbridge and Lightbridge 2 and image transmission system, which enables a user to view real-time images transmitted from the drone on their mobile device as long as it’s within a 5 km radius from the drone.

DJI’s Zenmuse Z3 PTZ camera carries a price tag of 5999 yuan ($900) and is available for purchase from DJI’s official website. Quite a heavy amount isn’t it? DJI drones offer top quality functionalities so the price just has to be as high as it is. By the way, Tomtop is offering a mega sale with huge price slash on DJI drones.

Huawei Maimang 5 Official: Snapdragon 625 & 16MP Sony IMX298 Cam With OIS

We had reported that Huawei teased the release of the Huawei Maimang 5 flagship earlier in July. Now, the company has officially taken the wraps off the new device, giving fans yet another mid-range smartphone to choose from. However, unlike most other Huawei smartphones that have been announced this year, the Maimang 5 comes with a Snapdragon 625 processor. So, it will be one of the few mid-range options from Huawei not featuring its home grown Kirin chipset.

maimang 5 01

Going with the current trend, the Maimang 5 features a metal body with diamond cut edges and 2.5D glass up front. It’s pretty thin as well, measuring just 7.3mm in thickness and weighing 167 grams. The display is of 5.5-inches with 1080p FHD resolution. You also get a 3D fingerprint sensor located at the back of the device. The overall hardware of the new generation Maimang 5 is a big leap over the last generation model.

maimang 5 02

Under the hood, the new generation Maimang 5 comes with the Snapdragon 625 chipset clocked at 2GHz with 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB ROM versions. The phone also comes with a powerful camera at the back. It gets a 16MP Sony IMX298 sensor, the same one that’s found inside the OPPO R9 Plus with three axis OIS, dual tone flash, 6P lens, PDAF and Hybrid AF. And guess what, the rear camera can capture 4K videos at 30fps! Up front, you get an 8MP front facing shooter with f/2.0 aperture and beauty 2.0.

Up front, you get an 8MP front facing shooter with f/2.0 aperture and beauty 2.0.

maimang 5 03

The battery inside is also pretty large, measuring 3340mAh in capacity, which along with the 14nm Snapdragon 625 chip ensures battery life of about 15 hours of HD video playback, 18 hours of continuous 4G internet access and 82 hours of continuous music playback (claimed by the company).

The Maimang 5 will run on the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow with EMUI 4.1 on top. Other features of the phone include 4G+, dual SIM dual standby, and USB Type-C port.

The phone will go on sale at JD.com, Huawei mall, Lynx store and Suning for 2399 Yuan ~ $360 (3GB RAM version) and 2599 Yuan ~$389 (4GB RAM version).

 

Lenovo Announces Their First Windows 10 Phone

While some folks might say Windows mobile isn’t doing very well, it seems some manufacturers still have faith in the OS. One such manufacturer is PC and mobile manufacturing giant, Lenovo.

Lenovo, in a joint partnership with Japanese carrier, SoftBank, has announced the SoftBank 503LV which will hit the Japanese market by late October.

lenovo-softbank-504lv

 

The SoftBank sports mid-range specs such as a 5” HD screen, 3GB of RAM, a snapdragon 617 processor and 32GB of built-in storage. The phone is equipped with an 8MP rear camera, a 5MP front facing camera for selfies, and is powered by a 2250mAh battery.

The phone weighs 144g and has a 7.6mm thickness. There is no word on pricing yet, but we’ll update this article once we get our hands on that.

Is there a chance we might see this phone outside of Japan, probably under a different Lenovo name? Maybe, maybe not.

 

 

Lenovo Vibe K4 Note Wooden Edition unveiled in India for Rs 11,999

Lenovo has unveiled a special Wooden edition of the Vibe K4 Note in India. The Lenovo Vibe K4 Note Wooden Edition is only different in outlook from the Vibe K4 Note that was launched in India in January this year running on Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system, which was later upgraded to Android 6.0 Marshmallow.Lenovo Vibe K4 Note Wooden Edition

The Lenovo Vibe K4 Note Wooden Edition  comes with a cool wooden back constructed from Formica-like wood veneer but has been strengthened with layer of flexible polycarbonate. The wooden back design gives the device a natural looks that syncs with the environment.

In other specifications, the Vibe K4 Note is closely similar with the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note Wooden edition. The specs sheet include, a 5.5-inch IPS display with 1080p display with extra glass protection provided by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and an Octa-core MediaTek MT6753 processor with ARM Mali T720 GPU.

The sleek device boots Android 5.1 Lollipop with Vibe UI but the OS is now upgradable to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Lenovo started rolling out updates for the OS since June 2015. Other specifications include;13MP rear facing camera with dual-tone LED flash, a 5MP front-facing shooter, 3GB RAM, 16GB ROM expandable up to 128GB, dual-SIM support, 4G connectivity and a host of others.

With these array of specs and features, it is no surprise Lenovo claims to have sold over 750,000 units of the Vibe K4 Note in India alone. The Lenovo Vibe K4 Wooden Edition is available exclusively from Amazon India (Amazon.in) at a price of Rs. 11,499 ($172) which is a little higher than the original Vibe K4 Note with a price tag of Rs. 10,999 ($164.40) on the same site.

 

Apple’s New A10 Chip Shows Up on Geekbench

Over the past few months, a large chunk of the news about the upcoming iPhones have focused on the external features. It’s time we took a peek into the innards of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus.

The new iPhones will be launching with a new chip dubbed the Apple A10. The next generation processor which is built on the 16nm node as the Apple A9 is expected to offer better performance and have better power management.

apple-a10-tes-vs-a9x-vs-a9

 

The A10 which will be manufactured by TSMC, is still a dual-core processor like its siblings. It has shown up on Geekbench and the scores are pretty impressive.

The A10 has a  single-core score of 3000. That is almost 500 points higher than that of the A9 which as a score of 2519. The new chip isn’t the most powerful processor in Apple’s arsenal right now, that prize belongs to the A9X which has a single-core score of 3010 and is found in the iPad Pro 9.7 and iPad Pro 12.9.

Rumours say the Apple A10 will have its silicon chips and semi-conductor compounds fused together to make it more compact which will result in a thinner phone or allow for a larger battery.

 

(via)

Meizu MX6 Will Launch With a Smart Case With LED Notification Light

The Meizu MX6 will be officially launched in 5 days (July 19) and according to a leak, it will be accompanied by a smart case with LED breathing notification light running around the edges.

 

Meizu smart case

 

The case which will be paired to the phone, has a LED light for various notifications such as calls, messages, and mails etc. We expect that there will be an in-phone menu (an app is not necessary) where you can toggle settings and customise the notification lights.

The smart case is said to be made of leather and will support sleep/wake function. There is no info about how the smart case will be powered as the MX6 doesn’t have a smart connector like the iPhone 7 Plus which can supply power to accessories. Our guess is that, it will have a built-in battery that can be easily replaced.

Meizu smart case 1

 

 

We love this new reinvention of the case. The last time we saw something this cool was with HTC’s Dot View Case which has been replaced with the Ice Case for the HTC 10.

meizu music case

Meizu also teased what appears to be a music case for the MX6. This case has a transparent window which shows a miniature version of the music player. It also features a vertical bar housing a button styled like Meizu’s “M” logo and a play/pause button. Just below the horizontal bar is a circular button as well for previous/next. We presume the ”M” button is to open the music app without unlocking the phone.

meizu mx6 teaser

To end this, Meizu says it will allow other companies copy its home button but not the way it operates. Last year Meizu was sued by ZTE for copying their halo home button design.

Imoo Learning phone’s reservation price hits 2998 Yuan ($450)

Imoo Learning phone, the education-oriented smartphone from the stables of BBK Electronics has continued to make waves weeks after going official. The device is not yet available for purchase but reservation for the device has hit a whooping 2998 Yuan ( $450) price tag on JD.com for the China Unicom 4G LTE model.Imoo learning phone

The educational smartphone was expected to start at 2000 Yuan ($300) but rushing for the device has seen the price sky-rocket to a staggering 2998 yuan ($450). That is a huge 1000 yuan ($150) above the recently released Honor 8 which starts at 1998 Yuan ($300). So, the phone which resembles Apple’s iPhone in appearance, is surprising priced like the high-end iPhone.Imoo learning phone price

For this price, you get a sleek smartphone with 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, equipped with a MediaTek MT6755 2GHz octa-core processor , 3GB RAM, 32GB of unexpandable storage onboard, a 13MP rear camera unit as well as a 5MP front -facing camera and 2930mAh battery.

imoo learning phone specs

Also, the Imoo Learning phone is stuffed with various software and features that aid learning for school – age kids, most of whom own one device or another which usually has no educationally beneficial software pre-installed. But the Imoo Learning phone which runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based Study OS, has integrated synchronization for 325,000 teaching textbook selected across China, 170,000 synchronized educational papers, 16 million sync solved problems, test questions that cut across primary to high school to University level.

Imoo learning phone study os

There is also a function on the phone which can be turned on to help solve arithmetic problems by scanning the problem with the phone’s camera and also to translate words by scanning as well. The Imoo Learning phone also allows parents to set daily learning, play duration for their kids among other amazing things.

The 6.6-inch Honor V8 Max Phablet said to be launching in August

A few days back, we had spotted a Honor phablet with a massive 6.6-inch display. While we expected the phone to debut alongside the Honor 8 flagship, that clearly didn’t happen. Now, the latest information from China reveals that the Honor V8 Max will be announced in August this year, precisely on August 1.

honor v8 max

 

Along with a possible release date, the Honor V8 Max prices were also leaked today. It is said that the phablet with 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM will start at 1999 Yuan ($300) while the 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM will retail at 2299 Yuan ($345). There could be other announcements alongside this phablet at the event, but we are not sure of the details.

honor v8 max specs

Thanks to the previous TENAA listing of the Honor V8 Max, we know most of the specifications of the device. The phone will come with a massive 6.6-inch 2K display with Kirin 950 chipset inside clocked at 2.3GHz. There are at least two versions expected, 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB. There will be a fingerprint sensor as well. At the back, the phablet comes with a 13MP camera while up front, there will be an 8MP shooter. The battery is also quite large, with a capacity of 4400mAh. Finally, the phone runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

RELATED: Xiaomi Mi Max announced with a massive 6.44-inch display

Considering these specs, the Honor V8 Max is looking to directly compete with the Xiaomi Mi Max phablet that has been doing well in China. Even this model comes with an all metal design, similar to the design of the V8. But there is just one single camera instead of the dual camera setup on the V8 flagship. It is quite slim as well, measuring just 7.18mm in thickness.

So, what do you think about the upcoming Honor V8 Max? Which one would you go for, the V8 Max or the Mi Max?

 

Working images of Iris scanner on Galaxy Note 7 leaked

A lot has already been shared online about the Galaxy Note 7, right from the processor, memory, display and the fact that the Note 7 will feature an Iris scanner. However, we were really unaware about how will this new Iris scanner technology work? Thanks to the latest leaks, we know how exactly it will unlock the device.

galaxy note 7 leak iris scanner

The leaked images of a working prototype show that the Galaxy Note 7 will use infra-red scanning method for the iris scanner to unlock the device. The biggest advantage of this technology is that it can unlock the device even at night or other extremely low light situations. Leaks also suggested that Samsung’s iris recognition technology can emulate the conventional fingerprint unlock in terms of speed.

galaxy note 7 leak iris scanner

 

galaxy note 7 leak iris scanner

What we already know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 which is launching on August 2nd is that it will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor,  5.7 inches/ 6-inch 2K super AMOLED double curved screen and  6GB  RAM with 64 GB internal storage.

RELATED: A bunch of working Galaxy Note 7 pictures leaked online

On the imaging front, the Galaxy Note 7 is expected to feature a 5MP front camera, and a 12MP rear camera. It should be dustproof and waterproof with IP68 level certification as well.

A big question is that, would you buy such a powerful device if it will be priced around (rumored) CNY 6300/USD 950 ? To be honest, a lot of Samsung fans will surely do.

 

Future MIUI ROMs Will Be Based On Android N Version

Good news folks! If you had been concerned about MIUI sticking with the old Lollipop and KitKat versions of Android OS, you will be happy to hear that the upcoming versions of the MIUI OS will be based on the latest version of Android, namely Android N.

android-n

The company confirmed that they have received the source code of Android N OS and will be soon working on the new MIUI adaptation based on Android N. This is definitely great news for fans as MIUI has often focused on improving the new features in their ROM, instead of upgrading it to the new Android version. As a result, phones like the Redmi Note which got the MIUI 7 update were still stuck on the two-year-old Android 4.4 KitKat version. But this news means that Xiaomi is finally speeding up the process of development of Android N based MIUI ROM. Of course, we have to remember that even after getting the source code, releasing a stable version of ROM can take a lot of time.

miui android N version

This news comes at a time when MIUI 9 will soon start development. Yesterday, the company confirmed the start of the MIUI 9 development, and it’s currently in the process of taking suggestions from users to improve the new version. So, it is possible that when the first beta for MIUI 9 is released after a few months, it’s based on Android N.

Meanwhile, we are waiting for the MIUI 8 Stable ROM to roll out to Xiaomi devices. The company has confirmed that the official release of the stable ROM should be before August 16.

 

 

Xiaomi announces July 27 event, New Redmi device expected

Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun had announced via his Weibo account days back that the company is intensifying effort to improve the production of new mobile phones for release in the second half of the year. That effort seems to have started yielding rapid results, as the “China’s Apple” has officially announced a conference holding on July 27.Xiaomi

The announcement came from the hands of one of the three new spokespersons employed by Xiaomi recently. Actor Liu Hao Ran, posted on Weibo about a Xiaomi press conference which would be held on July 27 at the Beijing National Convention Center.

Earlier statements from the tech startup had stipulated that the Xiaomi Mi 5s and the flagship Mi Note 2 with Helio X20 processor, 4GB RAM + 128GB ROM, all metal body, fingerprint scanner and dual main camera, would be released in the second half of this year with new innovative features like pressure touch and dual main cameras.

RELATED: Possible redmi Note 4 Render with dual cameras spotted

However, considering that this announcement comes via the spokesperson of the company’s Redmi lineup, we will see a new Redmi device at the end of this month. We have seen a few renders as well as benchmarks of Redmi devices in the past few days including Xiaomi Altun, suspected to be the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4.  So, we could be meeting this new device at the event on July 27. The flagship Redmi Note 4 is expected to pop sporting a dual camera at the rear, among a host of stunning features.

Xiaomi phones

Xiaomi had shared their lofty plans for the second half of the year with us, part of which is the launching of a flurry of different smartphones in one event, according to Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun on Weibo. Could we be seeing such scenario on July 27? Mark this date, we’ll keep you posted as always.

Gionee M6 Confirmed To Feature A Security Encryption Chip Inside

A new leak about the expected Gionee M6 smart phone recently revealed that Gionee has embedded an encryption chip inside the smartphone. The company had claimed that the encryption chip makes the device one of the safest phones ever.

Gionee M6

Encryption chips in smartphones are not new, Apple had always embedded encryption chip in its iPhone brands which make it difficult to access the phone’s data in situations of theft or loss of the device. Apple has its own hardware security measure called the Secure Enclave, which is a separate CPU within the A7 chips that runs some cryptographic operations and handles the biometric data for iPhones.

Apart from the Apple approach, most smartphones nowadays pack one or more forms of encryption security but mainly through software. Those that are hardware-related, like Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner, still don’t protect the data once you get past the lock screen.

Gionee says the M6 which is billed to be launched July 26, uses an encryption chip to better secure a user’s personal data on the device. Even though the company is yet to release the detailed specs of the smartphone, but the idea behind hardware encryption like what it is touted to feature, is that it is within the device and reduces the route of potential attack the smartphone could face.Gionee

The Gionee M6 began as a rumor on Chinese social network website Weibo, when image renderings of the device were leaked to the site. However, Gionee’s vice president Yu Lei confirmed the rumors shortly after.

“As far as we know, the hardware encryption operation is completed in the security encryption chip, so it is equivalent to a black box, and the process won’t be hijacked. Whereas software encryption takes place at the operating system, so it has more risks to be peaked or hijacked,” according to a press release announcing the device.

The public battle between Apple and the FBI in the US over decryption of smartphones owned by suspected terrorists’, the debate about mobile phone security has gathered huge momentum presently.

The focus seems to have shifted though, to the need for more efficient forms of protection against cyber theft and other security threat posed by our everyday use of smartphones both online and offline. So much so, that despite existing security features on both Apple iOS and Google’s Android OS, the duo recently adopted further steps in ensuring a water tight protection on devices running either operating system. 

Google recently integrated Samsung Knox, new update system, and use of ARM’s TrustZone to increase the security capabilities of Android phones.

Apart from Apple and Google, a host of ultra-secure Android devices have hit the market recently, including the Boeing Black, the Turing Phone, the Solarin smartphone, and Silent Circle’s Blackphone. But most of these are software based encryption which is not as strong as the hardware based encryption which Gionee is saying the M6 sports.

Gionee claims the M6 would be the “safest smartphone ever” — a bold statement to say the least. For all we know, it could be a marketing strategy, a media hype or something. The device is billed to be launched on July 26, and we have to wait until then, before the encryption feature can be subjected to close scrutiny to see if its what Gionee touts it to be.

However, if the encryption feature is able to live up to its billing, it could set the stage for a tsunami of better secured Android phones.

 

(via)