Asus first released its Android wear ZenWatch at IFA Berlin in 2014, this was followed by the ZenWatch 2, released sometime in September 2015. Now, the Taiwanese company is rumored to be planning the release of the ZenWatch 3 wearable during this year’s IFA Berlin.
Recently filings before US regulatory body FCC revealed yesterday, had indicated the ZenWatch 3 will sport a round shaped design. This seems to have been confirmed by render images of the ZenWatch 3 leaked today. The images show the Zenwatch 3 will have circular dials, quite different from those found on the ZenWatch 2. The renders also reveal there would be up to three physical control buttons on the smartwatch, as opposed to one button on its predecessor.
Furthermore, the Asus ZenWatch 3 will be made of metal material and features a narrower screen than the ZenWatch 2, obviously due to the circular design. The Zenwatch 3 does not support wireless charging, instead, makes use of a 5V-2A charging adapter which is connected to the back cover of the smartwatch.
The ZenWatch 3 also features Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n ( 2.4GHz) protocol and comes pre-installed with Android Wear 2.0. The price is not known yet but we’ll keep you posted as soon as it drops.
Huawei’s Honor brand has been known for nice devices that bring some great specs at affordable prices. The Honor 8 is one of their latest offerings and it’s very beautiful. Learn more in our full review.
32GB (expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB)
Huawei Honor 8 Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY
Once I first took the phone out of the box, my first impression was – it is a really nice looking and well-built phone. Sure, it sports a familiar design but it definitely feels like a flagship phone.
The device is compact due to its 5.2” 1080p display, which is sharp and crisp, it has a decent sunlight legibility and it is just a beautiful panel overall.
Just above the display we have a sensor light, a beefy 8MP camera and LED notification light. Unfortunately, the phone only has on-screen navigation buttons.
There is so much going on the back of the device. It starts with a dual 12MP camera setup, similar to the one found on the Huawei P9. We also have a laser auto-focus system and dual-tone dual LED flash.
Just below the camera, there is a multifunctional button, which also acts as a fingerprint scanner. You can unlock your phone straight from the standby mode and the scanner is very accurate but not as fast as e.g. OnePlus 3.
In addition to this, you can physically press this programmable button and it can do a lot of things e.g. you can double-press it to turn on the flashlight. You can also swipe it down to open up notification shade and so on.
The side buttons are nice and tactile.
We have a loudspeaker, which sits next to the USB C port and it has a pretty good sound quality for the class.
Some extra features include the IR blaster, which has already started disappearing from other devices… again.
Huawei Honor 8 Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE
My review unit comes with the Hisilicon Kirin 950 octa-core processor with the max. clock speeds of 2.3GHz, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, which can be expanded via the microSD card.
You can also opt-in for a higher-end model, which has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
I played games like Asphalt 8, Nova 3 and Modern Combat 5 on the highest graphics settings. There were just a few skipped frames but that is not the reason worth complaining about and I would say that the gaming performance is great.
The phone tends to get a little warm but it does not overheat.
Huawei Honor 8 Review: BENCHMARKS
Huawei Honor 8 Review: USER INTERFACE
Speaking of the user interface, the Honor 8 ships with the EMUI 4.1, which is built on top of the Android 6.0.
We have a typical Huawei UI we’ve seen on other devices. There is no app drawer, the icons look cartoonish but there are so many features and customization options. If you are new to Huawei phones, it may take a few days to get used to and try all those features.
There is a baked-in theming engine to customize the looks. Also, there are quite a few pre-installed apps like Health, to help you track your fitness routines. Also, you can adjust the display settings, customize the navigation bar, use your knuckle to take a screenshot, easily turn on/off a convenient one-hand operation mode or manage your phone with the built-in phone manager.
There are plenty of other features, settings and tweaks to talk about, we just wanted to give you a basic idea of a variety of options you get with this Huawei device.
The UI performs fine on a daily basis. It is fast, I didn’t have any lags and I’m pretty happy with it.
Huawei Honor 8 Review: CAMERA
The camera can take pictures quite fast. We have a bunch of shooting modes to choose from. Just to name a few, there are manual photo and video modes.
You can also make the best use of the secondary camera by adjusting the aperture and selecting the focus area after you take the image. This feature works pretty well and you can get some really nice photos with bokeh effect.
Huawei Honor 8 Review: IMAGE QUALITY
When it comes to the image quality, the Honor 8 is a very good yet not perfect performer. The daylight images come out sharp and detailed, and the color reproduction is accurate.
The indoor and macro shots look pretty good too.
You can take some nice images using the secondary camera that captures depth information. You can focus on different objects after you take the image and apply various filters. Not all photos look natural but you can definitely achieve some nice looking results.
The camera can take some nice photos in low-light. Sure, the photos look grainier but the noise reduction is pretty good for the class. However, some of the shots are ruined with a red tint if you are taking pictures close to the light source e.g. street lights.
The phone can shoot videos up to 1080p. The quality of the footage is just mediocre. Also, my Chinese review unit does not have the continuous auto-focus feature. I know that Indian retail unit supports this feature. See a video review for a video sample.
8MP selfie camera is great and it also comes with some advanced beautification features to make you look better.
The phone comes with a hybrid SIM card slot that can take either 2 SIMs or 1 SIM and the microSD card.
I didn’t have any issues with call quality, signal reception, GPS or wifi.
Huawei Honor 8 Review: BATTERY LIFE
The Honor 8 ships with the 3000mAh battery that performs well on the daily basis.
I got 3 hours of screen-on time but bare in mind that I had set the display brightness to maximum, I was in a bad signal reception area and I used the phone quite intensively.
With a lighter use, you may easily get over 4 hours of SOT that should translate to 1-1.5 days of usage.
The phone supports fast charging feature and I was able to fully charge a phone in 1 hour and 15 mins.
Huawei Honor 8 Review: CONCLUSIONS
So, there you have it, the Huawei Honor 8. After using this phone for quite some time I can say that it is a rather compelling offering at the price of $350.
It has the looks and the build quality of a flagship, a great display, multi-functional fingerprint scanner button and powerful internal hardware that allows you to play 3D games and enjoy a smooth user interface performance on the daily basis.
Also, the dual camera setup is what makes this phone standout from the crowd of similarly-priced phones. You can take some great photos and play with the bokeh effect if you want.
On the other hand, the video quality could be better, the user interface may look cartoonish to some and the glass back panel is slippery, and it attracts fingerprints easily.
At the end of the day, the Huawei Honor 8 is a great phone. Sure, it may have a few flaws but it is one of the better phones at this price range at the moment.
The two mobile phones, both sports different sizes with the smaller one having a 5.2-inch display model and the larger one sporting a 5.5-inch display . Both models are said to have 2K display resolution and will be equipped with Z-Launcher System UI based on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat.
A new rumor has it that the new Nokia smartphone will be manufactured by Taiwanese company Foxconn, which also manufactures Apple’s iPhones. Further it is said that the Nokia devices would feature camera sensors manufactured using graphene material, also featuring an all-metal body design. In simple terms, graphene is a thin layer of pure carbon; it is a single, tightly packed layer of carbon atoms that are bonded together in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice.
Previous rumors had speculated that the expected Nokia phone will be powered by Snapdragon 820 chipset and will sport an all-metal body as well. In addition, the Nokia device is expected to come equipped with IP68 Waterproof and Dustproof protection, similar to the one on the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
Just two days after the launch of the Meizu M3E, we are getting rumors that Meizu is allegedly working on another flagship smartphone this year which would be powered by Samsung’s latest Exynos 8890 chipset. This news was disclosed on China’s social networking site Weibo by a user @WandT but he failed to disclose any other detail.
This is not the first Meizu smartphone that will sport the Samsung chipset, in fact Meizu has used Samsung’s chipsets perviously but after the Pro 5, Meizu stopped featuring Samsung processors, instead went for a mediaTek chipset on the Pro 6. It is however suspected that the flagship under works could be the Meizu Pro 7, signalling a return to Samsung chips. In another dimension, it could be a Meizu Pro 6 variant with Exynos 8890 CPU.
Also, the AnTuTu benchmark data for what is suspected to be the rumored Meizu flagship device but only identified as Meizu_m96 has been spotted. The data reveals the device will sport a 5.5-inch display with 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution and also run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
The AnTuTu benchmark record did confirm the device as being equipped with a Samsung Exyno 8890 processor with Mali-T880 GPU, backed by 4GB of RAM and 32GB of bult-in storage. The Meizu flagship is also touted to have a 12MP rear facing camera and a 5MP front facing camera. The phone scored nearly 120k on the Benchmark app.
Samsung’s Exynos 8890 chipset does not come with entire network support, which has been the current trend among phone manufacturers in China. So it remains to be seen whether Meizu will use this chip inside its next flagship.
If you are looking for a cheap smartwatch, the No.1 G5 could be a good option for you. The watch is currently up for pre-order for just $19.99 and comes with a round stainless steel body with smart health-oriented features that you would expect from a regular watch.
However, if you are not in the mood to shell out $20 for this device, this is your lucky day as we are giving away a brand new No.1 G5 smartwatch to one of our lucky readers.
The watch looks good because it comes with a round face and features a 316L stainless steel case with CNC finish. The screen is of 1.2-inches and inside, you will find MTK2502 CPU. It even lights up when bring you bring your hand to check the time. So, its smart and power efficient as well. Some of the other features of the No.1 G5 are heart rate monitor, pedometer, sedentary alert, activities mileage, steps calculator, activity time, energy consumption monitor etc. You can connect the watch via Bluetooth to Android and iOS devices.
Xiaomi recently announced the Xiaomi Redmi Pro smartphone with dual cameras on board. The phone is the costliest Redmi handset from the company till date and kind of breaks the common cheap price mentality that we usually associate with the Redmi series.
Considering its 1499 Yuan ($226) price tag, the Redmi Pro might feel as if it’s a bit costly for a Redmi smartphone, which it is, but today, we take a look at the competition for the device and check whether it offers better value for the money you pay. Xiaomi smartphones have always been popular for bringing the best value for your buck, so let’s see if that applies to the Redmi Pro as well.
As most of you would know, there are a lot of innovative features on the Redmi Pro, setting it apart from the competition in its price segment. In fact, it is one of the cheapest dual camera smartphones that you can buy right now. But that’s not just it. It’s also a cheap Helio X20 powered smartphone, although there are a few other options like the Vernee Apollo Lite and the 360 N4s that beats the Redmi Pro in terms of pricing.
Since we are taking a look at the competition of the Redmi Pro, we are considering phones that are around $225 (+- $20). In this range, there are a few good options, and we will compare their specs with the Pro to see whether it’s worth paying $226 for the brand new Redmi device.
Since we want to have the best in this list, we are going to consider phones that are either running Helio x20 or Helio X25 around this price tag. Surprisingly, there is one SD820 phone that’s priced very close to Redmi Pro, which if you remember, is none other than the ZUK Z2 (Rio Edition). Below is a comparison of the competition of Redmi Pro at its $226 price tag.
Appearance & Dimensions:
Most of the phones in the above comparison feature a metal body. ZUK Z2 is the only exception with a double glass body but even that looks premium. So, I am not going to compare the appearance of these phones since the liking to a particular design differ from person to person.
What we can compare is the dimensions of the body. So, when it comes to dimensions, the two LeEco phones in the list, namely the Le 2 and the Le 2 Pro turns out to be much more compact as well as lighter than the Redmi Pro. However, the difference is just marginal and not something that you would notice in your regular usage. The LeEco devices are definitely thinner, measuring just 7.5mm. But Redmi Pro’s 8.2mm thick body is justified by the large battery inside. We won’t be comparing the ZUK Z2’s dimensions and weight, mainly because it’s a 5-inch phone and the rest all are 5.5-inch devices.
The weight of the Redmi Pro is a bit higher than the competition. Both, LeEco models and 360 N4S are lighter at 153 grams and 169 grams respectively, as compared to Redmi Pro’s 174 grams.
Display:
The display on the Redmi Pro should be better on paper considering its the only phone with an OLED panel in the list. Rest have IPS LCD screens. Unsurprisingly, all phones have 1080p resolution.
Processor & Memory:
As you can see in the list, there are two phones that should perform better than the Redmi Pro, at least on the basis of their chipsets, namely the Le 2 Pro with Helio X25 and the ZUK Z2 with Snapdragon 820. The difference between Helio X20 and SD820 is actually quite significant, but for most usage, Helio X20 should be enough. If you remember, on AnTuTu, Helio X20 scores just over 90K points, Helio X25 above 95K points and SD820 around 125K+ points.
Since we are considering the base variants of all devices in the list, the Redmi Pro comes with just 3GB of RAM. At around the same price, you have three models which feature 4GB of RAM, the Le 2 Pro, 360 N4S and Vernee Apollo Lite. All the models in this list feature 32GB of internal storage, but Redmi Pro has an advantage as it comes with a MicroSD card slot (hybrid). This is where the Le 2 Pro, which has been doing so well in the earlier departments, fails. On the Le 2 Pro and the Le 2, you will be stuck with 32GB of internal storage with no option to expand.
Camera:
So, the camera is one major department where specs are not really indicative of its performance. On paper, Redmi Pro has a big advantage, being the only dual camera smartphone in the list, coming with 13MP Sony sensor and 5MP depth secondary sensor from Samsung. This should technically enable better low light images and features such as bokeh, not found in other phones in its price range.
redmi pro dual camera specs
But we can only judge the performance of the camera after we try it out in real life. On paper, the 360 N4S and the Le 2 Pro also seem to have pretty good cameras.
Battery:
The battery is one area that Redmi phones have managed to master in the recent releases. This one is no different as it comes with a 4050mAh battery, good enough for a couple of days. But you will be surprised to see that Redmi Pro isn’t the largest battery phone in this list. The 360 N4S comes with an even bigger 5000mAh battery, making sure that no other phone is nearly as good as the N4S in the battery department. ZUK Z2 is the third best battery phone in the list as it comes with a 3500mAh battery.
Price:
The Redmi Pro costs $226 for the base variant, and there are three other phones in this list that are cheaper than this model. The 360 N4S and Le 2 seem to be the two major competitors who are cheaper than the Redmi model, offering quite similar value. But these two phones have its own set of drawbacks as compared to the Redmi device, which we will mention below. As for the Le 2 Pro, the pricing is same as the Redmi Pro and the ZUK Z2 with SD820 is priced slightly higher at $241.
Verdict:
So, you saw the comparison, and you read the differences above. Which one do you think offers the best value among the above devices?
Well, I would have to say the 360 N4S is Redmi Pro’s biggest competitor, offering 4GB RAM, a larger 5000mAh battery at a much cheaper $180 price tag. But there’s one major problem, getting hold of this handset is not going to be easy. Even the 16MP f/2.0 aperture camera seems to be quite good on paper. If we had to pick Redmi Pro’s advantage, it could be the dual cameras at the back, i.e. if they manage to perform much better than the N4S.
The Le 2 Pro would be another close competition, offering 4GB RAM, slimmer body and a slightly faster Helio X25 at the same $226 price tag. However, the small 3000mAh battery, non-expandable storage and the lack of 3.5mm headphone jack are good reasons for a buyer to prefer the Redmi Pro or 360 N4S model over the Le 2 Pro.
Le 2 is the cheaper offering and at $166, you get great value for money. But when the Redmi Pro comes into the picture with its expandable storage, OLED display, much larger battery and Dual Cameras, the latter seems to bring a lot more features, if you are ready to shell out a bit more.
ZUK Z2 Rio edition is a good option for people who would like to have SD820 for just $240. But if you are okay with Helio X20 (which is quite a decent performer for everyday use), you would see that the Redmi Pro saves you a few bucks and offers much more value with dual cameras, expandable storage and larger battery. Of course, for those who want a power performer, you probably wouldn’t get anything better in terms of power at this price than the Z2 Rio Edition.
Considering that the Vernee Apollo Lite makes it to this list, it shows that the phone offers pretty good value. You get Helio X20 + 4GB RAM and expandable storage for just $200. And unlike the other models, whose international resale price would be much higher (after adding premium from resellers), the Apollo Lite is actually a pretty good phone. But if you manage to get hold of the Redmi Pro at its official price (easier if you are in China), then paying additional $25 gives you a better screen, larger battery, and a better camera setup, all from a trusted and established Chinese brand.
So, like my title says, buying the Redmi Pro at $225 won’t be a bad decision.
What do you think? Which model is your favorite? Also, do you think there’s any other model that can be added to this list? Let me know in the comments down below.
Its no longer news that Samsung has finally popped the Galaxy Note 7 after a great deal of anticipation with the device featuring almost all the specs Samsung was rumored to be infusing into the Note 7. However, one bit that might have left some a little disappointed is the lack of a 6GB RAM on the models launched during the 7 Unpacked event.
Soon after the launch though, we got wind that Samsung actually produced a 6GB RAM version for the Note 7 and that version was spotted on China’s Telecoms regulatory agency TENAA’s website. The TENAA listing revealed the Galaxy Note 7 features 6GB of RAM with a giant 128GB built-in storage, showing prospects of being one for those who love having lots of apps on their smartphone.
Samsung had been silent on this discovery all these while, but the Korean electronics giant seems to have broken its silence. Speaking for the first time about the 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM high-end version, Samsung’s Head of Mobile Communications Business, D.J Koh hinted that the company is working on the high-end 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM version for the Chinese market due to the fact that Chinese phonemakers seem to have shifted the battle ground to outwit each other to the memory size, both RAM and ROM sizes.
The statement as reported by the Korea Herald, is perhaps an indication that the 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM edition of the Note 7 will be exclusive to the Chinese market, at least for now. The Samsung Exec, however, suggested that even though it would be exclusive to China, the 6GB RAM Galaxy Note 7 may find its way into other markets as time progresses but for now, it is China’s version.
O ye tinkerers and fixers! There’s a new toy for you. Xiaomi has announced an electric screwdriver called the Wowstick 1fs which was launched using the Mijia crowdfunding platform.
The screwdriver which has an integrated anodised aluminium design also comes with a built-in shadowless LED so you can see into dark holes holding screws. The Wowstick features a removable battery that offers up to 8 hours of continuous work or up to 180 days of standby. It will come in a white storage box and have a weight of 234g. There will be 18 srew tips made from S2 steel alloy. You should also get speeds of up to 100RPM on the Wowstsick 1fs.
The Wowstick 1fs has a price tag of 199 Yuan ($30), but expect it to sell for more when you buy from retailers. If you’re looking for a gift to give a friend or relative who likes to fix things, you should probably have a look at this electronic screwdriver.
September 7 is going to be a big day for many manufacturers. Sony is going to launch the Play Station 4 Neo on that day (expect another string of Xbox Vs PlayStation arguments online), which is the same day for Apple’s fall conference. Today we also have news that LeEco is planning to release an upgraded version of the LeEco Le 2 called the Le 2S. If you recall, they did something similar with the LeEco Le 1s and Le 1s Eco which are nearly identical save for the clock speeds which is higher in the Le 1s Eco.
The Le 2S is said to launch with a Qualcomm snapdragon processor (there’s no confirmation yet if it will be the newer 821). Hope you still remember, the original version of the Le 2 has 2 versions: a Helio X20 model and a Snapdragon 652 version released in India.
ZTE has been having a great year so far with the launch of the flagship ZTE Axon 7 and the $99 Zmax Pro which have both been getting positive reviews. But it seems the company has a new phone in the pipeline. The phone which was spotted on TENAA’s website goes by the name ZTE BV0730. Speculations say it is probably a new Voyage 5 phone.
Specifications
The phone will feature a 5.5” Full HD display in a metal body. It will come with Android 6.0, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in space, a 13MP primary camera and an 8MP camera in front. The octa-core processor is clocked at 1.5GHz and should probably be the MT6750 found in the Blade A2. The volume rocker and power button are positioned on the right and a SIM tray is on the left. There is also a fingerprint scanner positioned below the LED flash.
There’s an amazing feature about the ZTE BV0730. It’s dimensions are 155 x 76.2 x 9.8 mm. The reason for the thicker body is because ZTE has put a 4900mAh battery to supply power. This is a first for ZTE as their phones are not known to feature large batteries. Even the Zmax Pro which has a 6” FHD screen comes with a 3400mAh battery.
In the past couple of years, we have seen Xiaomi release products from almost every known smart home category. We have Xiaomi water purifiers, air purifiers, routers, wearables, smart home kit, cookers and even umbrellas! So, when certain rumors started making rounds on the internet saying that Xiaomi is planning to enter liquor business, we were not too surprised. Backing these rumors was a picture of a liquor bottle with the Mi logo on the front. Considering the logo was indeed of ‘Mi’, a lot of users on Weibo started to wonder whether Xiaomi was really entering liquor business.
Well, if you were hoping to see liquor bottles branded with Xiaomi’s logo on top, then you will be disappointed to hear that today, Xaiomi’s official spokesperson on Weibo denied these rumors. So, the company won’t be entering liquor business but he did not deny the authenticity of the photo. It looks like this Xiaomi branded bottle was kept at a media conference of the company.
OPPO has surprised us all with the overall success of the OPPO R9 model in China. In fact, many other smartphones from the company seem to be doing well this year, which has pushed it to the top five smartphone makers in the world. Now, it looks like the company is preparing for the launch of the OPPO R9S, which will be the successor to the earlier released flagship model of the company.
Recently, a new teaser from OPPO started making rounds on the internet, with the posters saying “TheNextOne”. From the talks on the internet, it looks like this could be for the OPPO R9S model that is rumored to debut later this year. The teaser hints that camera will yet again be the highlight of the new generation model. OPPO R9 had a powerful 16MP camera up front and 13MP shooter at the back. These two were capable sensors, so it remains to be seen what upgrades we could see on its successor.
According to the latest information, the OPPO R9S has already entered production. There will be a few changes in the new version, like the processor and some other features. While it is yet to be confirmed, it is said that OPPO R9S will be using the Snapdragon 625 chipset instead of the Helio P10 found inside the current R9 model. Also, the VOOC fast charging tech could be upgraded, with a possibility of the Super VOOC tech that was demoed back at MWC 2016 Barcelona making it to the new generation model.
We don’t have any specific configuration details of the OPPO R9S, but if the release of the device is close, then expect more information to crop up in the next few days.
Huawei Mate 9, the expected next big thing from the Chinese phonemaker Huawei is expected to pop on September 1 as the company has sent out invites to a conference preceding the September 2 commencement of the IFA Berlin 2016. Well, that was the expectation, before it was dashed by statements credited to Huawei’s Mobile Product Line manager. However, that hasn’t stopped the flow of rumors about the flagship device and our expectations for September 1 release date.
Before now, all we had were just sketchy rumors about a few specs the next Huawei Mate series smartphone will tag along. However, a few details of what is supposedly the Huawei Mate 9 has surfaced via popular benchmarking site GFX Bench.
The GFXBench data featured an “unknown” device with a 5.9-inch display having a somewhat disappointing resolution of 1080pixels. The device is said to pack a 2.6GHz Octa-core HiSilicon Hi3660 chipset with Mali-T880 GPU. The chipset is what suggests that the unknown device is likely the Mate 9 as the Hi3660 serial number suggests the device is having a new generation chip, perhaps the Kirin 970 as rumored. Previous Huawei chipset models like the Kirin 920 had a serial number of Hi3630, 930 had Hi3635 and Kirin 955 Hi3650 as its serials so the Hi3660 is likely a new higher chipset.
The listing also shows the device will boot Android 7.0 Nougat and also pack 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage onboard. There’ve been rumors that the Huawei Mate 9 will sport a 20MP camera but this data showed the Mate 9 with only 12MP camera at the rear and an 8MP front facing sensor. But given Huawei’s interest in dual camera setup on its flagship models, we can’t rule out the possibility of the Mate 9 having two cameras at the back, possibly certified by Leica.
Meizu had long been rumored to be planning for the release of its first smartwatch but that hasn’t happened, yet image renders of what is said to be Meizu’s smartwatch have continued to surface.
Most recently, render of the Meizu smartwatch again surfaced on Weibo showing the back view with the Meizu logo engraved on the back casing. Just like previous leaked images, this render shows the Meizu smartwatch looks no different from the normal mechanical wristwatch. The allege photo reveals the smartwatch would be made of metal and would have leather straps. We’ve had rumors of the smartwatch featuring metal straps, meaning there may likely be more than one variant, one with leather strap an the other with metal straps. There are also control buttons on the side and the entire design shows a compact, portable watch is likely in the works.
Buying a daily cheap phone is not that easy anymore as it was a couple years ago. We just had a couple of alternatives, but today, as more Chinese makers come to market and because of the high competition in the smartphone market, there are many more phones to choose from. Today, we will try to help you with the purchase of a super cheap phone. Remember, these are phones under $100 class, and hence you should not expect a lot from them, but again, some might also surprise you in this price range.
There are more than 50 alternatives under 100$ range so I decided to narrow down this list as choosing minimum 2GB of RAM and Quad-core CPU’s. We have 1 exception with 1GB RAM phone, because of its price. All the phones in this list are based on Quad-core MediaTek CPU’s, divided to MTK6580 and MTK6735. Both are capable of serving you as a daily smartphone processor. We have two exceptions in the list when it comes to CPU type, two 64-bit octa-core phones with MTK6592 and MTK6753, Pepsi P1s (yes it’s a smartphone) and Vernee Thor.
So, here are the models which we think are best under $100 price range.
Starting with highest price in the list our first phone is Thor from Vernee. High price brings some unique features in this price range with it. First is, this model has the 64 bit octa-core MTK6753 CPU and again the only model with 3GB Ram onboard. Just these two features make Vernee Thor the most powerfull phone on our list. If you are a light gamer and are used to handling multiple apps at the same time, i.e. if you multitasking a lot, with 3GB Ram this model is for you. It has Android 6.0 as operating system, is a 4G LTE capable phone of course. Plus a very attractive design with 80% screen-to-body ratio, very good screen quality with 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 on top, titanium alloy 7.9mm thick body, 140g weight, decent cameras both rear and front. There is also a very quick responsive finger print scanner on the back side. What else could you want from a 99$ phone ? So if 5″ is enough for your daily use, and you have $99 to spend, Vernee Thor should be on top of your list. This phone costs 119$ normaly, but you can get it for 99.99$ with a coupon, for a full detailed review and about the coupon please follow this link : Vernee Thor Review – Simple But Fast. With this specs and price Thor deserves to be Editor’s Choice in 5″ screen class under 100$ list.
+ MTK6753 Octa Core Cpu + 3GB Ram + Fingerprint + Metal frame + Android 6.0 + 4G LTE
Pepsi P1S is a 5.5″ size smartphone and the only one that has Full HD 1080p screen resolution in our list. Body is all metal with a fingerprint scanner located at the back. Our second phone with a octa-core CPU and its MTK6592 with 1.7GHz, this makes Pepsi the most powerfull model under $100 too. That chip is last years flagship grade model from MediaTek, better then Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 we can say. Phone supports 4G LTE as connectivity and definitely has a good look/design for this class. For this price and what you get for it, the Pepsi P1S is the Editor’s Choice for 5.5″ size. For a full review please visit : Pepsi Smartphone Review.
+ MTK6592 Octa Core CPU + All Metal Body + Fingerprint Scanner + 4G LTE
Display: 5″ 1280×720 HD 2.5D Arc Screen
CPU: MTK6735 64bit Quad Core 1.0GHz
GPU: Mali-T720
System: Android 5.1
RAM + ROM: 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM
Camera: Front 2.0MP (SW5.0MP) + Rear 8.0MP (SW13.0MP) AF with LED flashlight
Bluetooth: V4.1
Features: GPS / OTA / OTG
Card Slot: Dual SIM dual standby. Dual Micro SIM cards
2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 900/2100MHz
4G: FDD-LTE 800/900/1800/2100/2600MHz
You need a tough phone that lasts 6 days on a single charge with regular use ? That’s what Oukitel says, on paper, but with the 4600mAh battery and 5″ HD screen you surely can expect long use. Plus 9H hardness 2.5D tough screen surrounded with a CNC worked metal body. Rest is 2GB RAM powered by Quad-core CPU, decent GPU, so capable of every daily needs including being a 4G LTE world phone. If you are a hard worker outdoors or like to camp without an energy source around, OUKITEL K4000 Pro is definitely for you. Not bad looking either.
Display: 5.5″ 1280 x 720 HD Screen
CPU: MTK6735 64bit Quad Core 1.0GHz
GPU: Mali-T720
System: Android 5.1
RAM + ROM: 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM，TF card up to 32GB
Camera: Back camera 5.0MP (SW 8.0MP) with flashlight and auto focus + front camera 2.0MP (SW 5.0MP)
Sensor: Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Light sensor
Features: GPS, A-GPS, WiFi, OTA, FM
Bluetooth: 4.0
SIM Card: Dual SIM dual standby, one is standard SIM, the other is Micro SIM
Network:
2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 900/2100MHz
4G: FDD-LTE 800/1800/2100/2600MHz
5″ is not enough for you and you want a 5.5″ screen size phone with minimum 2GB of Ram and Quad-core ? Then Doogee X6 Pro is one of few alternatives for you, under 100$ of course. Not expect much from back and front cameras, but being a 4G LTE world phone you can be sure of to be connected anywhere around the world. Screen resolution is 720P remember, not full HD. Having hardware keys rather than on screen touch keys you get full 5.5″ to use, light gamers, e-readers, online-media lovers, this phone might be for you.
Want the biggest, 2.5 cm x 3.5 cm, speakers on a smartphone ever ? You found it. Wanna see how big the speaker is ? Please click : The World’s Biggest Smartphone Speaker. For those who like to carry their disco’s in their pockets. Wish I can hear that beast soon, realy wonder how it does sound. You get this in a CNC metal frame, another big bonus. 2.5D glass all over the screen, nice. Camera flash on front, this does not make sense if you dont have a quality cam you know right ? Ok for that price, we cant expect wonders, but it’s good to have a flash light in front. Having 4G LTE onboard, VKworld T3 seems definitely value for money.
2.5D Screen, this curved glass type looks good on any phone its for sure, makes handling on the edges more ergonomic and pleasant. 4G LTE phone with compact body and nice screen. Has 3000mAh battery which is good value in this class, HOMTOM says 3 days on a single charge, for $79.79, that’s good.
Display: 5″ 1280 x 720 HD
CPU: MTK6580 Quad Core 1.3GHz
GPU: Mali-400MP
System: Android 5.1
RAM + ROM: 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM
Camera: Front and rear 8.0MP camera
Sensor: Gravity sensor, Proximity sensor, Light sensor
Bluetooth: 4.0
Features: GPS, AGPS
SIM Card: Dual SIM dual standby, dual micro SIM
Network:
2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 850/2100MHz
Next is Picasso model from Bluboo. A very interesting 5″ screen 3G phone for just 74.46 $. First of all, you get zinc alloy brushed metal frame for this price. Second you get many different color variants with 3D arc diamond-texture at the back, target is young people for sure, and wallpapers with same colors make this phone really like a painting. Very cute and solid phone for sure! We are not finished yet, you get a 8MP front camera with 88 degree wide angle and 2.0 aperture, supported by a front fill-light. This may be the best selfie phone under 100$. Back camera is 8MP also. I really liked this one, wish Bluboo Picasso has chosen hardware keys instead of on screen keys, just don’t like to waste screen size for keys if you have enough place on the body.
Here is what you get for $69.99 : The worlds first nano “All metal” frame design, means no cuts or plastic parts for antennas like we see almost on every metal body phone. Leagoo calls this “implicit toughness” and cracks walnuts in videos. Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection on top of 2.5D 5″ HD screen. Those two features are making this phone realy solid for sure. Then you get a fingerprint scanner, which only our most expensive model Vernee Thor has, and there is no other fingerprint model in our list. So if you want one of the most solid phones on the market with a finger print security option and 4G LTE is not important for you, here you go, Leagoo M5.
Cheapest Quad-core + 2GB Ram model in our list and its a 2.5D curved 5.5″ with a very attractive design, Bluboo Maya. This one could be Editor’s Choice if it also were a 4G LTE capable phone. Why ? First its price of course. Then this is the only IP63 level dust and water splash proof phone in our list. Plus 6.5mm ultra slim aluminum metal frame. Gorilla Glass 3 protection. 85 % screen to body ratio and Android 6.0 out of the box. The back cover has a 3D diamond texture finish which looks good. 3000mAh battery with 4.35V voltage gives Bluboo Maya 300 hours stand by time. Good work.
So, you just want a phone without breaking your pocket and don’t need 4G LTE ? Just a phone for light daily use, talking for example, communication with sound, I mean, because lately nobody talks, they just chat on social media. Good looks, quality 5″ HD screen and the latest Android 6.0. This phone isn’t made for James Bond 007 for sure, but for about 50$ you cant get a better one. 1GB Ram will be more than enough for pure daily phone use. You still will be able to play many games and use most of the important apps same time, just don’t expect more. For a full review of Ulefone U007 please click : Ulefone U007 Review.
So, this was our Smartphone Buyers Guide: Under $100 For the month of August. Which one’s your favorite?
Maybe we missed some models to include here. If you think there is phone model with unique features in this price range, please let us know in the comments section.
This is not a Pepsi commercial, this is a Pepsi smartphone. It doesn’t matter if you like drinking Pepsi or not, this device is really good… and it doesn’t even cost a hundred bucks. Learn more in our full review.
It all starts with beautiful presentation and all the items are packed neatly. In the box, you can find all the usual stuff and some extras like a pair of earphones, a screen protector and a soft TPU case.
16GB (expandable via microSD card slot up to 64GB)
Pepsi P1s Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY
No one will ever tell you that this phone does not even cost a $100. The device sports an all-metal shell and it is well-constructed. In fact, I dropped the phone on the rocks from about 2 meters and the only damage there was – a few dings on the metal frame and metal buttons. Speaking of the buttons, they are nice and tactile.
We have a 5.5” LCD 1080p display, which is sharp, bright and vibrant, and it is one of the best panels on such a cheap phone.
Just above the display, there is a 5MP selfie camera. Unfortunately, there is no LED notification light and the capacitive buttons are not backlit.
As far as the main camera goes, we have a 13MP shooter coupled with the LED flash. Just below the camera, there is a fingerprint scanner, which is not the fastest around but it is accurate enough and it works straight from the standby mode.
The loudspeaker sits on the bottom and I have to tell you that it is one of the best I’ve heard in a sub-$100 phone.
Pepsi P1s Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE
The Pepsi phone is no slouch when it comes to the internal hardware. It ships with an octa-core MTK6592 chip, clocked at 1.7Ghz, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.
These are not the flagship-grade specs but the phone handles 3D games pretty well. I enjoyed playing Asphalt 8 on medium graphics without any stutter but the phone gets quite warm quickly.
On the other hand, the device never got too hot that it became uncomfortable.
Pepsi P1s Review: BENCHMARKS
Pepsi P1s Review: USER INTERFACE
Speaking of the UI performance, it is good too. I didn’t have any hiccups or lags. The phone ships with the dido OS, which is a surprisingly good implementation of the already dated Android 5.1.
All the icons that sit on the home screens, have some Pepsi design elements. While it justifies the purpose of this phone, I’m not a huge fan of that cartoonish look. On the other hand, the user interface has quite a few customization options and some added features like a bunch of gesture and motion controls.
Pepsi P1s Review: IMAGE QUALITY
You can’t expect much from a cheap phone when it comes to the image quality but the Pepsi phone is capable of taking some decent looking images when there is enough lighting.
Some of the low-light images may be usable but don’t expect any stellar results.
A front-facing camera can take just mediocre-looking selfies but they may be enough for social media.
The 1080p video, on the other hand, is one of the best in class. See a video review for a video sample.
When it comes to connectivity, the phone supports 4G and it can take either 2 SIM cards or a combo of 1 SIM and the microSD card.
I didn’t have any connectivity issues. Even the GPS lock speeds were fast and the GPS was accurate.
Pepsi P1s Review: BATTERY LIFE
The phone ships with 3000mAh battery that performs quite well. The device will get you through the day and I was able to get around 3.5h of screen-on time, which is not the best result but I can definitely live with that.
Unfortunately, the phone does not support fast charging feature.
Pepsi P1s Review: CONCLUSIONS
The Pepsi phone is a one pleasant surprise, to be honest. I didn’t even know it existed before I decided to review it. The device exceeded my expectations considering its low price tag.
It has a nice looking all-metal design and excellent build quality and brilliant display. Also, the phone performs well and its UI may look a bit cartoonish but it has some nice features.
Also, the camera can take some decent looking daylight images and the phone has a good loudspeaker.
On the other hand, you have to consider that the Pepsi smartphone lacks the notification LED light, its capacitive buttons are not backlit, the phone ships with the already dated Android 5.1 and last but not least, the phone ships with a few pre-installed bloatware apps.
All in all, the $93 Pepsi smartphone may not be the perfect device but it is definitely one of the best phones you can buy at this price point, despite a few shortcomings.
Japan Display Inc. (JDI) yesterday announced the development of a new LCD display which it calls “Full Active” LCD Display (XO) which features ultra-slim design bezels on all four sides of the screen. The new “Full Active” display has found its first introduction in a 5.5-inch Full HD LCD display for smartphone devices.
JDI Full Active LCD display
The new display type was manufactured by adopting a new high-density wiring schematics and with the use of new processing and module assembly technologies. These all combine to create a slim display which requires less bezels, since the control units are small. The current range of LCD panels usually feature larger bezels at the top or bottom which houses the electronic and lighting control units.
JDI claims the newly designed LCD module structure will allow the size of a smartphone to be as slim as the display size and this could launch a whole new design pattern in smartphones. Already plans are underway to commence mass production of the display by the end of March 2017, so we could be seeing smartphones sporting this new display technology as early as next year. Apart from smartphones, JDI hopes to develop LCDs for various display sporting smart gadgets with this new technology.
JDI is a four-year-old company formed in 2012 through the consolidation of the display panel businesses of Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba. The company has grown to become a leading global manufacturer of advanced small and medium sized LTPS LCD panels. JDI’s displays can be found in smartphones, tablets, automotive electronics, digital cameras, medical equipment and other electronic devices.
The company has struggled in recent times due to the proliferation of LCD manufacturers in China and the shift to OLED displays spearheaded by Samsung’s AMOLED panels which seem to achieve better resolutions than LCDs. But with this recent technology, JDI could just reclaim the technological edge it has over other smaller LCD manufacturers. Also, it remains to be seen if this can halt the steady migration towards OLED displays.
Popular benchmarking software, Geekbench, has released a new version of their software, Geekbench 4 Beta. Due to the modification in the new version, the scores of the major processors have changed.
New results shows the Kirin 950 raking up more points in the core-tests and the Snapdragon 820’s scores suffering a decline.
Qualcomm’s snapdragon 820 SoC scored highest in the single-core test on Geekbench 3, followed by Samsung’s Exynos 8890 and Huawei’s Kirin 950.
New single-core test scores on Geekbench 4 Beta, puts the Exynos 8890 in front followed by the Kirin 950 and the SD 820.
For the multi-core test on geekbench 3, Samsung leads with the Exynos 8890, Huawei comes in second, and Qualcomm takes the rear. The results for Geekbench 4 Beta remains the same.
In terms of overall performance, the Kirin has seen a huge improvement. However, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 (Adreno 530) is still the best in terms of GPU performance, dwarfing Samsung’s Mali T880 MP12 by more than double.
Meizu’s newest phone is the Meizu M3E which was launched a few hours ago. Apart from the nice specifications and price, one unique feature of the M3E is its car remote feature, which is putting it in the simplest form.
Just before we dive in, it is important to mention that the phone can only be used with just a particular car at the moment, the Roewe RX5, which is jointly made by Chinese state-owned SAIC, and Alibaba. It is a compact SUV car featuring Alibaba’s specially developed software, YunOS for Car and is marketed as the first mass-produced internet car.
The Meizu M3E acts as a sort of smart key for the Roewe RX5, carrying out functions such as locking and unlocking of doors, heating the seats, and displaying real-time vehicle information.
So if you own the RX5 and the Meizu M3E, you should be able to monitor things like oil level (probably fuel level too), plot navigation routes, heat the car seats before getting in and basic unlock features.
It has been a long wait for fans of Xiaomi’s Mi Note who have been expecting a new version to be released for months now. Today we have news posted on Weibo regarding the specifications and possible launch date of the Mi Note 2. While we can’t confirm whether the details revealed by the leak is true or not, it definitely paints a very good picture of the upcoming Mi Note flagship.
The Mi Note 2 will feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 processor which is an upgraded version of the SD 820 chip. The display for the phone is a 5.7” Super AMOLED display which will come in 1080p and 2K resolutions. In addition to those two, there will be a third type with the same 2K resolution but will feature a curved edge. All versions will be pressure sensitive, be protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass, and possibly feature an embedded fingerprint scanner.
Buyers will be able to choose from a variety of RAM and ROM configurations. There will be a 4GB + 32GB version, a 6GB + 64GB model, and another version with the same 6GB of RAM but 128GB of storage.
It will come with NFC, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 4.2, an IR blaster, dual speakers with Hi-Fi audio, full network support and VoLTE. The Mi Note 2 will be powered by a 4000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support.
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