A few days back, Huawei published a stunning photo on its Google+ page with a title which suggested the photo (the one you see below) was shot using the Huawei P9’s dual cameras, which by the way is doing marvelously well in the market.
The truth about the photo’s details would not have been known if the image had been posted on any other platform. But posting the photo on Google+ was their undoing, because Google+, just like some photo-sharing services such as Flickr, preserves the camera’s Exchangeable image file format (EXIF) metadata in any image you post.
Undoubtedly, the photo is a great one of a very attractive lady. The details exposed by the crisp and clear shot is downright impressive for a smartphone camera but turns out the shot wasn’t taken by a smartphone camera. Huawei has since taken down the photo from its Google+ account but here’s a screen shot.
Make no mistake, the post didn’t outrightly say the photo was taken by the P9 but it’s downright deceptive. Here’s the post, you be the judge:
We managed to catch a beautiful sunrise with Deliciously Ella. The #HuaweiP9’s dual Leica cameras makes taking photos in low light conditions like this a pleasure. Reinvent smartphone photography and share your sunrise pictures with us.
The EXIF data was able to unravel the fact that the shot was actually from the all powerful Canon EOS 5D Mark III shutter. The high-end camera currently carries a price tag of $2600 on Amazon while the EF70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM lens which comes separately, is priced at $1900. That makes it a whopping $4500 camera setup. The image’s EXIF details…..
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Lens: EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Focal Length: 135mm
Exposure: 1/800
F Number: f/4
ISO: 500
Camera make: Canon
Flash: Not used
Exposure Bias: -1 EV
Huawei has however issued the following statement in regard to the image (like I said earlier, they have since deleted the controversial image from their social networks):
It has recently been highlighted that an image posted to our social channels was not shot on the Huawei P9. The photo, which was professionally taken while filming a Huawei P9 advert, was shared to inspire our community. We recognise though that we should have been clearer with the captions for this image. It was never our intention to mislead. We apologise for this and we have removed the image.
So, Huawei’s saying this was just a mix up, if you believe that you’d believe anything I’d say.
We love giving away new products to our readers. Today, we have yet another hot product to give away to one of our lucky readers and its none other than the new Xiaomi Mi Band 2. The latest Mi Band 2 version comes with a lot of upgrades including a display up front, making it a hot product in the market. Further, there are a lot of new features as well, which makes the Mi Band 2 the perfect product to giveaway.
We are giving away this product in partnership with banggood and we would like to thank the retailer for giving us a unit for this giveaway. Do check out banggood for the latest Chinese smartphones and tablets. Even the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is available on the website which you can check out from here.
Wanna know what makes Mi Band 2 special before participating in the giveaway? Check out some of these features!
MiBand 2 has the following cool features:
heart-rate monitor
sleep monitor
activity tracker
pedometer
resistant to scratches and fingerprint
IP67 water, dust and sweat resistant
can unlock your phone
nudges you to move
scientific self-control movement
20 day battery life
As always, we will be conducting the giveaway via the gleam widget. So, one random winner is selected who will get a brand new Mi Band 2 wearable courtesy of gizmochina and bang good. Xiaomi Mi Band 2 Giveaway
Now that we are officially into the second half of 2016, we can take a look at the top 10 smartphones in the first half of 2016. This is a list released by the popular benchmarking app AnTuTu. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of Snapdragon 820 powered smartphones. Another thing to note is that 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM have become the standard among flagships this year. While this configuration would have sounded a lot last year, this year, it looks like there could be even 8GB RAM phones! But more on that later. In this article, let’s look at the top 10 list!
On top is the mighty OnePlus 3 flagship powered by Snapdragon 820, 6GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The phone managed to reach an average score of 140,288, which is the best average scores we have seen till date on AnTuTu. The phone manages to reach this level because the Snapdragon 820 chip inside is not throttled, unlike some other flagship phones, which unleashes its full potential. So, despite entering the market late June, the phone has topped the AnTuTu benchmark’s top 10 list.
Next up is another Chinese smartphone, the Vivo XPlay 5 Elite edition which was also the world’s first 6GB RAM phone. The phone managed to score 138,706 points on average on the benchmarking website, thanks to its top-end specs that include Snapdragon 820 and 128GB ROM. Another thing to note here is that it is also the first Chinese dual curved display smartphone.
Next up is the Le Max 2, another Snapdragon 820 + 6GB + 64GB ROM phone. Well, now there’s a 128GB ROM model as well. This particular device managed to score 138,026 on an average, which is pretty good and just below the XPlay 5 Elite model. In the fourth and the fifth position are two more Chinese flagships namely the ZUK Z2 Pro and Xiaomi Mi5. In all, there are seven Chinese models (including Axon 7 and ZUK Z2) in the top 10 list which clearly shows the dominance of these phones in the first half of 2016. Non-
Non-Chinese phones that made it to this list include the Galaxy S7 Edge, iPhone SE and the iPhone 6S.
So, these were the top 10 smartphones of the first half of 2016! These scores were calculated from the data collected from January 1 to June 30 and with at least 2000 scores registered on the app (v6.0) for each model.
We have reviewed almost all of these smartphones. You can check out each model’s review from the links above.
A good number of smartphones these days pop with tracking functions in the event of loss or theft of the device and unfortunately, those functions are network dependent. However, MIUI 8 is about to change that. A lot of these phones can be located using cloud services but when the phone is in an area where there’s no network coverage or the SIM card is removed, this function becomes invalid.
However, MIUI officials have come out with a somewhat great news that a new feature is being developed for the latest MIUI 8. The official revealed that the current Mi Cloud services will soon combine the phone lookup feature with virtual SIM feature to detect a phone even without a SIM card.
What this implies is that Mi Cloud would be able to detect the phone’s location even if the smartphone’s SIM card was pulled out by someone. As soon as the phone is booted, regardless of the presence of a SIM card inside, Mi Cloud would detect the device and pinpoint the location.
If this news is true, then it becomes very easy recovering lost or stolen phones and that would be a big boost to Xiaomi phones running the MIUI 8. More so, the feature will join other amazing features like fingerprint payment, split-screen and screen recording functionalities which are currently under development for the MIUI 8 version.
MIUI 8 also builds in several technology breakthroughs such as being able to clone apps and manage multiple accounts on the same phone and a host of other amazing features.
Chuwi has been known for their good yet affordable tablets and the HiBook is one of their latest offerings. This tablet is well-built, it runs on both Android and Windows and it offers a great value for the price. Learn more in our full review.
The tablet comes with the USB C cable, a power plug that is capable of fully charging the tablet in around 3 hours and some paperwork.
I also have an optional keyboard, which is a great addition to have but more on that later on.
Chuwi HiBook Review: SPECS
Display
10.1″ 1080p (Full-HD)
Processor
Quad-core 64-bit Intel Cherry Trail Z8300 CPU (1.44GHz)
RAM
4GB
Camera
2MP Front/5MP Back
Connectivity
Bluetooth, WIFI
Battery
6.600 mAh (non-removable)
Dimensions
26.20 x 16.75 x 0.85 cm / 550g
OS
Android 5.1 / Windows 10 (dual-boot)
Storage
64GB (expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB)
Chuwi HiBook Review: DISPLAY
When it comes to the display, we have a 10.1” 1080p LCD panel. It is a pretty good and sharp display with a bit colder looking colors. It is a good panel if you use the tablet in low light environment or indoors.
However, the screen is very reflective and it acts as a mirror almost all the time in better-lit environments (e.g. bright rooms). In addition, it has a poor sunlight legibility if you use it outdoors.
Keep in mind that removing the pre-installed screen protector may reduce the reflection but the display does not have any protective materials like Gorilla Glass.
Chuwi HiBook Review: DESIGN and FEATURES
The main selling point of this tablet is that it runs both Android 5.1 and full version of Windows 10 out of the box. Also, the tablet can be attached to the keyboard to increase productivity.
The HiBook sports an all-metal design, good build quality and it weighs 550g.
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We have just 2MP selfie camera on the front, which is quite terrible as the images simply look bad.
Also, we have the LED light, which starts flashing when the device is charging.
We have only a home button, which works just fine in both Android and Windows.
On the top, there are the usual buttons, which are made out of metal and have a good tactile feedback.
On the left side, we have a bunch of ports that include a headset jack, a micro HDMI, micro USB, USB C port and the microSD card slot.
Also, we have stereo speakers on the left and right side of the tablet. The sound quality is kind of mediocre, however.
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On the back side, there is a 5MP camera, which is pretty horrible as the front facing camera. Well, I hope you are not that guy who takes pictures with a tablet, anyway.
Overall, the tablet is well built and you simply can’t ask more. However, display is very reflective and the cameras are poor.
Chuwi HiBook Review: KEYBOARD
I am very impressed with the design and the overall quality of a keyboard. It uses metal casing on the top and plastic on the bottom, and it feels quite premium.
The buttons are easy to press and comfortable to type on. Also, they have a good travel and feedback. It took me just a few hours to get used to it to start typing normally.
It has a trackpad, which is good but not great. It is fairly responsive but it does not recognize the input if you e.g. scroll the web page very fast.
You have to know that the keyboard does not have an embedded battery and it uses the power of the attached tablet.
There are 2 USB 2.0 ports, which are great for connecting peripherals and USB sticks but keep in mind that they would not recognize devices like external disk drives.
Attaching a tablet to the keyboard is very simple but removing the tablet requires a little bit of extra effort. I am absolutely okay with that as I prefer the tablet to stay firmly. The latching mechanism works fine and it holds the tablet in one position firmly. However, it could move a bit more gracefully. See a video review to see how the latching mechanism works.
Chuwi HiBook Review: BENCHMARKS
Chuwi HiBook Review: HARDWARE
Chuwi HiBook packs some powerful internals for a sub-$200 tablet. It sports a quad-core 64-bit Intel Cherry Trail Z8300 CPU, clocked at 1.44GHz, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable internal storage.
Naturally, the storage is divided between the two operating systems. Android has around 9GB and Windows has around 30GB of accessible storage.
Chuwi HiBook Review: USER INTERFACE: Android
You can easily switch between Android and Windows with just a few clicks. Switching from one OS to another takes roughly one minute, which is fair enough.
The HiBook runs on a pretty much barebones Android 5.1. A great thing is that there is no bloatware but it would have been nice to see some customization options.
Overall, the UI has been working fast and fluid during the review. I didn’t have any app compatibility issues. Also, it works with the attached keyboard fine but keep in mind that swiping from one side to another and other gestures will not work as it would work on Windows.
Chuwi HiBook Review: WINDOWS
When it comes to the Windows, we have a fully activated full version of Windows 10 out of the box and I am pretty happy with the overall performance.
I didn’t have any issues doing all the basic stuff with the tablet as I would do with any other laptop. I edited a few Word documents, downloaded and installed a few apps, played 4k video on Youtube and from the microSD card, and did other stuff without any issues.
I love the fact that the trackpad supports Windows 10 gestures. However, the trackpad is a bit small and it takes some time to get used to it, so you should expect some accidental touches.
Overall, I am happy with the Windows performance. Don’t expect this tablet to be able to edit 4k video but it works fine for more basic stuff.
Chuwi HiBook Review: GAMING
I have to admit that I’m not a huge gamer when it comes to Windows platform but I love playing some games (mainly when I test new devices) on Android. A powerful hardware allows you to play games like Asphalt 8, Nova 3 and NBA2k16 on highest graphics without any issues and the graphics look good. Finally, the device gets quite warm but the heat does not impair a good gaming performance.
Chuwi HiBook Review: CONNECTIVITY
All the connectivity options work fine but the Wifi range could be slightly better. Well, I compared it with the iPad and the MacBook Pro, so it may not be a fair comparison after all.
Chuwi HiBook Review: BATTERY LIFE
The tablet has a 6600mAh battery, which is said to give you around 8 hours of use (under ideal conditions). However, I could get just around 5 hours of usage, which is still a decent result. As always, the battery life results may vary significantly depending on the usage.
Chuwi HiBook Review: CONCLUSIONS
Chuvi HiBook is a hybrid tablet that runs both Android and Windows in one package and you can easily switch back and forth in less than a minute.
Also, I love the fact that the tablet is well-built, has some powerful internals and it performs great on both operating systems.
However, the display is glossy, it attracts fingerprints very easily and most importantly, it is very reflective unless you use it in dim environment. On the other hand, it is a good looking and sharp 1080p LCD panel overall.
Also, the speakers are kind of mediocre and the cameras are terrible (as on the majority of budget tablets).
All in all, Chuwi HiBook is still a good hybrid tablet as it has more pros than cons. For the price of just over $200, it is a good buying option if you don’t mind the above-mentioned shortcomings, which are quite common to most of the tablets in this price range, anyway.
LeEco, formerly known as LeTV announced the LeEco Le 2 smartphone in China back in April and the device has been on sale since then. The device, which is also available in India and elsewhere at the moment, has received mixed reviews from users. Since the release, a few users have criticized the beautiful LeEco Le 2 for having a screen that cracks easily even just after a simple drop.
Subsequently, LeEco went back to the drawing board to chart up a solution to the fragile display problem. The Chinese company then came out to announce that the display of the Le 2 has been reinforced in order to avoid such issues.
Not everyone swallowed that news, cheering as it may be, hook line and sinker. Popular Youtube tech channel Technical Guruji decided to subject the device to a drop and bend test to see if the claim by LeEco is true.
The videos of the drop test as well as the bend test were both uploaded to Technical Guruji’s YouTube channel.
The first video features a series of drop test performed on the LeEco Le 2. The phone actually survived all of those drop tests with excellent results. After the tests, the display was still intact, functioning well, suggesting LeEco is right about reinforcing the Le 2 display.
https://youtu.be/lNXx8tZcmaI
The second video shows the Le 2’s bend test. After applying pressure from both sides of the phone, the phone managed to survive. The display did pop up for a second after extreme pressure was applied, but it continued functioning later on. The LeEco Le 2’s metal body sure seems sturdy, and definitely helps make this device more durable, that’s for sure.
As a reminder, the LeEco Le 2 is an affordable, mid-range smartphone which sports a 5.5-inch full HD display, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 652 64-bit octa-core processor, and a non-removable 3,000mAh battery is also a part of this package. The phone also features a 16-megapixel rear snapper with LED flash, and an 8-megapixel shooter up front. The sleek device boots Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box and on top of it, with LeEco’s EUI 5.6 user interface hovering above it. The LeEco Le 2 carries a price tag of Rs. 11999 in India ( US$266.64).
Nubia is usually known for its Z series smartphones. This year, the company released three new devices in this lineup, the Nubia Z11 Mini, Z11 Max and the bezel-less Z11. Now, just a few days after the release of the Z11 flagship, the company has quietly released and listed the Nubia N1 smartphone on its official website. While we understand that the N1 is not as powerful as the Z11, it packs capable hardware to give tough competition to existing mid-rangers in the market.
The Nubia N1 seems to be focused on maximizing battery life as it comes with a 5000mAh capacity battery inside which coupled with the efficient Helio P10 octa-core chip, should easily last you a couple of days. The company reveals that with the help of system optimizations and lower power consuming hardware, the N1 can provide up to 3 days of moderate usage, which is amazing. The phone comes with a 5.5-inch FHD display that translates into a pixel density of 401ppi.
Under the hood, the Nubia N1 features 3GB of RAM with 64GB of internal storage which can further be expanded up to 128GB via MicroSD. At the back, the phone sports a 13MP camera sensor with PDAF, 0.2s focus and 3D Noise reduction technology. Other features include image stabilization, night shot enhancements, LTM area color control and f/2.2 aperture lens. Up front, you get a 13MP camera which is great, along with smart fill feature which comes in handy during low-light conditions. At the back, you also have a fingerprint sensor that unlocks in 0.2 seconds. The phone runs on Nubia 4.0 UI which features split screen multitasking and super screenshot feature.
Nubia devices are not usually cheap but considering the 5000mAh battery on board, with a powerful 13MP front camera, 1699 Yuan ($254) isn’t a hefty price tag. The company launched the N1 in silver and gold colors and in just one storage variant for now — 64GB. No word on the availability yet, but the official website hasn’t listed the device up for sale yet.
In continuation to the leaks and reveals for Samsung’s upcoming flagship, the Galaxy Note 7, we have just got a new rumor about the screen size of the upcoming device.
As of now what we know is that the Galaxy Note 7 will have dual-curved display but it may be of 6-inches rather than 5.7-inches as found on its predecessor.
According to a listing on India’s import-export database site Zauba.com, a device bearing a serial number SM-N930R4 with 6-inches screen size was imported in India from South Korea on 1st July. The said serial number SM-N930R4 corresponds to the Galaxy Note 7.
However, the actual device may come with a different set of specifications as this may just be a prototype for testing purpose. We cannot event count out the possibility of human error in mentioning 5.7-inches as 6-inches.
While we are already aware that this upcoming flagship device will feature 6GB RAM and Snapdragon 823 processor and that it will feature a USB type C port, a first in Samsung’s devices, we will have to wait for just about a month more to see rest of the features of the Note 7.
Xiaomi is expected to release two new handsets in the next few weeks, namely the Xiaomi Mi5S and the Xiaomi Mi Note 2. Both these handsets are expected to be released in the second half of the year, which means their launch could be anytime soon. Looks like the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 would be the first one to meet us this year as Xiaomi released a new teaser earlier today, and from the image, it could be hinting at the upcoming smartphone.
As you can see in the image above, the new teaser says 2>5. Well, we know Xiaomi has the Mi5 flagship in the market and then there’s the Mi Note 2 that’s coming soon. Considering this information, it looks like the company is teasing that the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is better than the Mi5. But that would mean that the company is degrading its own flagship Mi5, which doesn’t make sense. So, what Xiaomi might actually be trying to say here is that the Mi Note 2 is going to be much bigger than the Mi5. Well this, we knew from the start as this year’s Mi Note 2 is also expected to come with a 5.7-inch display as its predecessor. On the other hand, the Mi5 is much more compact, featuring a 5.15-inch display.
As for the variants of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, it is said there will be at least three models in the lineup. In fact, one of these models is even expected to come with a curved-edged display, which won’t be surprising given that we have been hearing about this version for the past few weeks. What’s more, there are even talks about dual cameras at the back and pressure sensitive display that’s better than Huawei’s Force Touch.
The much speculated Moto Z Play codenamed Vertex being touted to be in the pipeline from Lenovo has been sighted on Indian import tracking website Zauba. The listing on Zauba showed that the device arrived India from Canada on July 2 via Delhi air cargo.
The listing also revealed that the Moto Z Play features a 5.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display. The device was listed as Motorola Vertex which has been known all along as the codename of the Z Play.
The Moto Z Play (Vertex) has earlier on appeared on popular benchmark website Geekbench. The Geekbench listing uploaded on June 16, 2016 showed the Moto Z Play (Vertex) will feature an Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 processor which tags along the Adreno 506 GPU. The listing benchmark listing also indicated the Android 6.0 Marshmallow as the OS of choice for the Z Play.
Other speculated specs of the Moto Z Play include the presence of a 16MP rear camera with dual tone LED flash, as well as a fingerprint sensor. The device is said to pack a 3500mAh battery under its hood.
The Moto Z Play’s appearance on Zauba may just be an indication that Lenovo will launch the device very soon.
Moto Z Play (Vertex) Full Specifications (Expected):
5.5-inch (1920 ×1080 pixels) Full HD AMOLED display
Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 14nm processor with Adreno 506 GPU
3GB with 32GB storage / 2GB with 16GB storage, expandable memory with microSD
Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
16MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS
7mm thick
Fingerprint sensor
4G LTE, 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
Xiaomi is known for releasing low priced phones that do not compromise on quality. But it seems that is about to change (price wise only) as the company has plans to release a phone costing about 4000 Yuan ($600).
Xiaomi’s Liwan Jiang says the company will definitely be releasing a high priced phone this year and even though it’s going to be costly, we should expect that it will feature much better quality than the price it will be sold for, as that is one of the company’s core values. While the news about a 4000 yuan phone might come as a shock to quite a number of people, which isn’t unusual in the face of revolution, Xiaomi isn’t going to stop making High-End Low Price phones, it’s just that the bars are being raised.
While the phone in question is not yet known, rumors going round says it might be a dual curved screen version of the Mi Note 2.
Xiaomi’s MIUI is one of the most popular and liked ROMs outside of stock android. A new version, MIUI 8, was announced in May, with a stable version pushing out to devices in August.
The major complaint with respect to the OS is the presence of ads baked into the system. Testers of MIUI 8 have complained that the new version still has ads in most of the default system applications such as the file explorer. While the advertising isn’t bad, it’s annoying when an advert pops up when doing serious work. Although, you can just manually close the ads, there is no place within the system where you can turn off ads completely.
MIUI 8 is expected to bring a ton of new features such as split screen multitasking, a new call screen, redesigned notification menu and fonts, and a more colourful overall UI. But before then, Xiaomi is pushing out a MIUI 7.5 update that started with the Chinese variant of the ROM last week. The 7.5 update is expected to feature some of the new additions expected in version 8.
Are you currently testing MIUI 8? We sure do want to know what the experience is like, so please share with us in the comment box below.
A new image of the expected iPhone 7 Plus flagship from Apple has surfaced in today’s leak and the device offers some few big surprises. Compared to the iPhone 7, the most notable difference is that the iPhone 7 Plus has dual cameras at the back
The image, which is that of the rear view of the flagship device reveals a new deep space gray color variant. The leak source indicated that the image was photographed from Foxconn’s training session.
On closer examination, the leaked image reveals that the iPhone 7 Plus will launch packing a 12-megapixel dual camera setup at the rear. The image also shows that the promising device will not feature the 3.5mm headphone jack as hinted by earlier rumored. Other features include a waterproof body and wireless charging.
Earlier rumors had it that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will come in 32GB and 64GB on-board storage options, ditching the 16GB variant and other rumors indicate 128GB and 256GB versions on the 7 Plus.
The authenticity of the leaked image has not been independently confirmed but given the fact that these new details are consistent with the features that we’ve gathered from previous leaks of the iPhone 7, this would most likely be the iPhone 7 Plus.
Xiaomi is gearing up for the second half of the year in terms of new releases and the two phones we are greatly looking forward to are the Mi Note 2 and Xiaomi Mi 5s. While the Mi 5s is an upgraded version of the Mi 5 released this year, the Note 2 is a sequel to last year’s Mi Note.
A post by Wang Yang who is a head at IHS Technology posted today that the Mi Note 2 and Mi 5s will be sporting glass bodies. Quite a number of manufacturers are going back to glass bodies as there’s no new innovation when it comes to all-metal designs. While all glass phones do look beautiful, they tend to slip and fall easily leaving a crack that users have to live with for as long as the phone is with them. An example is the Nexus 4 which suffered cracks easily.
Buyers who do not like all glass phones can settle for the pro version of the Mi 5 instead of the Mi 5s or just invest in a case that has a strong grip (which covers the rear glass completely) to prevent slipping.
The Mi Note 2 is said to feature a 5.7” 2K screen, 4GB and 6GB RAM options, a Snapdragon 821 SoC, dual cameras, a possible July or August launch.
360 Mobiles have released impressive smartphones like the 360 N4 and F4 this year. Now, the company is all set to release an upgraded version of the N4, called as the 360 N4S. Earlier, we had reported that the new device was going to come with the same specs as the N4, except for a larger battery measuring 4920mAh. Now, we have spotted a new leak which reveals that the 360 N4S may actually come with even better specifications, including a variant that has 6GB of RAM inside.
So, now it is been said that the 360 N4S will arrive in two variants. We have already seen the first variant on TENAA, featuring the deca-core Helio X20. But there will most likely be a second variant, which will be much more powerful, featuring Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor and 6GB of RAM on board. The leak further reveals that the phone will feature a 1080p display and will come with 64GB of internal storage. Finally, the phone in the image is running on Android 6 Marshmallow with 360 OS on top.
The placement of this phone with such powerful specs makes it a bit confusing. We haven’t seen a Snapdragon 652 smartphone with 6GB of RAM on board as all flagships before have come with the top-end Snapdragon 820. But 360’s N series is not really a flagship lineup, rather a mid-range family. So, it kind of makes sense to use SD652 instead of SD820 as the latter will most likely end up on the top-end Q series family from the company.
Another interesting piece of information about the 360 N4S is the battery on board. We had seen that the Helio X20 powered variant on TENAA and it came with a massive 4920mAh battery. So, even this particular variant could end up with such a large battery, making it one of the best mid-rangers in the market today.
From the numerous leaks and rumors that have been cropping up online in the past few weeks, it looks like Xiaomi is all set to announce not one, but two new flagship models in the second half of the year, namely the Xiaomi Mi5S, which will be an upgraded version of the Mi5 and the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, the long anticipated successor to the Mi Note series phablets that were announced back in January last year. Now, more details about these two devices have just come up online.
According to an insider, the Xiaomi Mi5S as well as the Mi Note 2 will come with pressure sensitive displays. However, the source says that the technology inside Xiaomi’s new phones will be much better than the ones seen on Huawei and rumored on Meizu. So, we can expect some advanced pressure based touch functions on the new devices.
While Huawei was one of the first smartphone companies to release Force Touch enabled smartphone (Huawei Mate S), the touch based features of the device utilizing the new technology were limited. In fact, Apple’s 3D Touch was considered much better than the pressure sensitive technology used by other Android manufacturers like Huawei. So, it is exciting to hear that Xiaomi’s pressure sensitive display will be much better than Huawei or Meizu. In fact, even Huawei is expected to release a much better version of its Force Touch technology in new Mate series model, most likely called as the Mate S2.
Back in April, the same insider, Mocha RQ had revealed a few details about these two phones. The Xiaomi Mi5S is said to come with the same screen size and resolution as the Mi5, but there will be upgrades like pressure sensitive display and Qualcomm’s Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Like the earlier rumors have said, there is even a possibility of dual cameras ending up on this device. As for the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, the flagship
As for the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, the flagship, the phone is expected to feature a 5.7-inch FHD 1080p display with Snapdragon 820 inside. This information was revealed back in April, and recent rumors have pointed out that the Mi Note 2 could end up with a better chip, the Snapdragon 821. Even this phone is said to come with pressure sensitive display and Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, along with a Ceramic body. We know Xiaomi has had issues with the mass production of ceramic Xiaomi Mi5, so we are not quite sure whether the company would consider a ceramic body for one of the most important flagships of the second half of 2016.
These phones are rumored to launch in August 2016, which is just a month away. If true, then we should hear more about them in the next few days.
Earlier teasers about the new brand from BBK “imoo learning phone” were not certain to describe its features. We knew that the youngest brand of the BBK family will come targeting education, therefore targeting students first. Other members of the family are Oppo, Vivo and OnePlus as we highlighted in this article. Now we know most of the specs and why its called a learning phone for young students.
Lesson/subject synchronization, teacher consulting and parent safety (probably tracking of the children) are some info related about “student and school” relationship. Students can use the data-saving feature of imoo phone, thereby using less internet for their learning. They will also have the chance to track their schedule/lessons online from imoo.
Imoo looks like its big brother, Vivo V3Max in front. Back side of the phone is similar to the iPhone 6s except the hole between the camera and the flash. It could be a place for the laser focus in addition to some other feature, which we will know for sure after the official launch. What’s more interesting is that we can’t see any fingerprint scanner back or front and imoo may have thought that it’s not necessary for children.
The learning phone comes with a 5.5″ Full HD AMOLED screen, equipped with MediaTek P10 eight-core 2GHz processor. 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM, 2930mAh battery, 13MP rear camera, 5MP selfie camera are the other specs of the phone as we know for now. It will have Android 6.0 out of the box measuring 158 x 78 x 7 mm and 154.5 gm.
We all know that Chinese students are a big community, following mobile technology very well. Most of them will probably want a new phone for the next school period and parents might choose to buy imoo for their children because of the education oriented abilities of the new brand. Price for the imoo phone will be around 2000 Yuan – $300.
Blackview has produced quite a few devices over the but it is not every day that we are reviewing a rugged, water, dust and shock resistant phone. Learn more in our full review.
32GB (expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB)
Blackview BV6000 Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY
The phone is quite a brick due to its rugged design. The device is IP68-certified, meaning that it is water, dust and shock resistant.
The device is well built and it uses rubberized plastic as well as metal in its construction.
All the ports are covered with flaps, so the water does not reach in. You have to keep in mind that the phone requires a longer than usual USB connector meaning that regular USB cables will not work with this phone.
We have a 4.7” 720p panel, which is okay for a phone like this but the display could be slightly brighter. The phone is designed for outdoor use after all.
There are 3 nicely backlit capacitive buttons but it is disappointing that there is no LED notification light. As for selfies, we have an 8MP interpolated camera (5MP sensor).
On the back, we have a 13MP camera, which can take 18MP pictures.
In order to access two SIM card slots as well as the microSD card slot, you have to use the supplied screw driver to open up the cover.
The loudspeaker is far from the best I’ve heard. The sound is tinny and it gets distorted at the highest volume settings.
The usual buttons are nice and tactile. Also, we have some extra buttons like a camera key, which acts as a shutter button. It is supposed to open up the camera app but it simply takes too long to do that. We also have the PPT (Push to Talk) button. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to test this feature out. Lastly, we have the SOS button, which automatically sends your GPS coordinates to the set contact number in case of emergency.
Overall, the phone is thick and heavy but it is built like a tank to survive those extreme situations.
Blackview BV6000 Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE
The phone doesn’t skimp on the hardware either. It sports a Mediatek Helio P10 chip with the clock speeds of 2.0GHz, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.
Surprisingly, the device can handle 3D games very well. Asphalt 8 runs fine on the highest graphics with just some minor skipped frames and the phone does not overheat.
Blackview BV6000 Review: BENCHMARKS
Blackview BV6000 Review: USER INTERFACE
When it comes to the UI, the device runs on Android 6.0 with Blackview’s skin on top of it.
We have some redesigned icons and the app tray is removed. Also, there are some basic customization options and quite a few gesture controls. Some of them work fine while others not so fine.
Most importantly, the UI runs fast without any hiccups or lag on a daily basis.
Blackview BV6000 Review: IMAGE QUALITY
The 13MP camera can take some okay looking images but they are definitely not the best in class. The pictures could have more sharpness and detail and the quality decreases in lower-lit situations.
The 1080P video is okay looking too. Nothing spectacular but not bad either. See a video review for a video sample.
The front camera takes some noisy looking selfies but it may be enough for social media.
Blackview BV6000 Review: CONNECTIVITY
As for connectivity, we have all the usual options that work great. Also, the device supports NFC.
Blackview BV6000 Review: BATTERY LIFE
The device ships with a beefy 4500mAh battery, which performs great and it will definitely get you through the day. I could get way over 5 hours of screen on time despite using the phone quite intensively and that is a good result. On a light use, I could get over 6,5 hours of SOT.
Blackview BV6000 Review: CONCLUSIONS
Blackview BV6000 is a rugged phone that is actually pretty good.
It is well-built but not too large, it has quite powerful internals that assure a smooth UI and even gaming performance. Also, a large battery powers up the phone for quite a long time without the need to recharge it.
On the other hand, the display could be brighter knowing the fact that that the device is mainly designed for outdoor use.
While the camera is not bad and you can take some okay looking images, Blackview could have invested in higher quality lens.
All in all, Blackview BV6000 may not be perfect but it is a decent offering if you are in the market of IP68-certified phones.
Oppo’s line of high-end phones is the Find Series and it’s been over 2 years since they released a new phone in this lineup. The announcement of the new Oppo Find 9 was expected in June this year but that clearly didn’t happen.
While June has passed us and a new release date isn’t yet known, what appears to be a render of the Find 9 has appeared online. You should take this leak with a pinch of salt because there is no official statement with respect to the image and there’s no Oppo branding on the device. The only reason why we think it is the Find 9 is because of the skyline breathing light associated with the Find series. The phone also appears to sport dual front facing speakers and a 2.5D front panel glass. There’s no fingerprint scanner upfront and no physical button, which leaves the Find 9 having its fingerprint scanner at the back.
The Find 9 is expected to feature a 5.5” QHD screen, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of ROM, a Snapdragon 821 processor, a 4100mAh battery with VOOC fast charging, a 21MP rear camera and 16MP up front.
July 11 is the date to mark on your calendar for the release of the Huawei Honor 8. I am excited about it solely because I want to see a comparison of its dual cameras against those of the Huawei P9 and Honor V8.
Honor 8 RenderHonor V8
We’ve been able to lay our hands on renders of a white version of the upcoming phone. It doesn’t look bad at all. The front camera and sensor are positioned in the same place as that of the Honor V8. If both phones are placed side by side, the only way to tell the difference will be by the screen size. The back is where the changes are. The camera lens don’t share a single lens glass like that of the V8 and the laser and LED flash are standing vertically. Another the difference is the fingerprint scanner which is a circle on the Honor 8 but looks more like a squircle on the V8.
The Honor 8 will come with a 5.2 FHD display, come in 3 versions: 3GB RAM + 32GB, 4GB RAM + 32GB, and 4GB RAM + 64GB; and be powered by a Kirin 950 processor clocked at 2.3GHz. The dual cameras at the back are 12MP and there is an 8MP up front for selfies. Battery is 3150mAh with fast charging and it will come with Android 6.0 out of the box with pricing starting at $306.
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