Umi Super Review: The Best Umi’s Smartphone Yet?

By

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Jun 23, 2016

We have reviewed quite a few smartphones made by Umi but their latest affordable midranger looks like the best Umi’s phone yet. Learn more in our full review.

Thanks to Tomtop for sending Umi Super for a review.

Enter a giveaway to win the Umi Super!

Umi Super Review: VIDEO

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW7-5yVhMmI[/embedyt]

Umi Super Review: UNBOXING

The phone ships with all the usual stuff that includes some paperwork, USB C cable and a fast charger.

Umi Super Review: SPECS

Display	5.5″ 1080p (Full-HD)
Processor	Mediatek Helio P10, 64-bit, octa-core (up to 2GHz)
RAM	4GB
Camera	5MP Front/13MP Back
Connectivity	Bluetooth, 3G, 4G, GPS, WIFI, GSM,EDGE, GPRS, UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, dual-SIM.
Battery	4.000 mAh (non-removable)
Dimensions	Approx. 15.1 x 7.5 x 0.85cm
OS	Android 6.0
Storage	32GB (expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB)

Umi Super Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY

As far as design, the phone is well constructed and it feels premium due to its all-metal build.

The usual buttons are nice and tactile and they do not rattle. What is interesting is that we have an extra button and you can programme it to open up certain apps. Unfortunately, this button does not wake up the phone from standby mode.

We have a USB C port for charging, which sits next to the loudspeaker. The sound quality is pretty good but it lacks depth. Also, I found the maximum volume to be too low.

As far as the audio quality via the 3.5mm headset jack, it is great and that is thanks to the embeded Hi-Fi audio chip. The sound is rich and clear, it has a good amount of depth. Finally, the volume output is loud.

The 5.5” display is very sharp with natural looking colors and it is a great panel overall. Also, the display is covered with Gorilla Glass 3.

We have a 5MP selfie shooter on the top and on the bottom there is a capacitive home button, which also acts as a customizable LED notification light. Also, you can choose either on-screen navigation buttons or capacitive buttons.

A 13MP Panasonic camera along with dual LED flash is here for picture taking. Right below we can find a fingerprint sensor, which is quite fast, accurate and it works straight from the standby mode. However, I found the display to respond slower than usual if you unlock the phone very quickly several times in a row.

Overall, Umi Super feels great in the hand and it feels like a premium phone due to its metal build.

Umi Super Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

Umi Super ships with an octa-core Mediatek Helio P10 chip with the clock speeds of 2GHz, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. These are pretty good specs for the price of the phone, to say the least.

The gaming performance is decent if you play games on medium graphics. If you set graphics to maximum, you should expect a lot of stutter and skipped frames.

Umi Super Review: BENCHMARKS

Umi Super Review: USER INTERFACE

When it comes to the user interface, we have a nearly stock-looking Android 6.0 UI with just a few added features and customization options. I love the fact that you can switch the positions of navigation buttons and do some other things to customize the phone.

Most importantly, the UI runs fast and I didn’t have a single hiccup in more than a week.

Umi Super Review: IMAGE QUALITY

A 13 camera can take pictures really fast.

The daylight image quality could be pretty good as the phone can take some nice photos but… I noticed that there are a lot of images with soft focus on the left side or on the corners of the picture. Hopefully, this is something Umi addresses in a future software update.

A good thing is that macro shots turn out to look pretty good with nice details and bokeh effect.

The low-light shots can sometimes look okay but I noticed that a purple tint kicks in some situations.

A 5MP selfie shooter is not the best out there but it will do the trick for social media.

A 1080p video quality is just okay as the footage could look sharper and have more detail.

Download full resolution camera samples

Umi Super Review: CONNECTIVITY

I didn’t have any connectivity issues with the phone as the signal reception was good and the call quality was decent. Also, the Wifi worked fine and the GPS was accurate.

Umi Super Review: BATTERY LIFE

4000mAh battery is one of the strong points of the device. Also, it comes with a fast-charge support and I could fully charge the phone in just under 1h and 30 mins.

As for day-to-day use, I could constantly get around 6 hours of screen-on time on a mixed use.

On the days that I used the phone more heavily, I could still get 4.5h of SOT (gaming, using the phone as a wifi hotspot etc.), which is a good result.

Umi Super Review: CONCLUSIONS

Umi did a great job with its Super phone. The device is well built, it feels premium and it has a sharp display. Also, the UI performance is snappy and the battery, that could be recharged fast, performs great. In addition, I love some extra features like a customizable button and pulsing notification LED light.

However, the camera performance is just mediocre (it could be pretty good but the soft or uneven focus on the corners of the image kind of ruins things up). Also, the display could light up faster once the fingerprint has been recognized at times (especially if you unlock the phone very quickly several times in a row).

All in all, Umi Super is probably the best Umi’s phone yet. It does most of the things right but it falls short in a few departments that hopefully will be improved with the future software updates.

Buy Umi Super

Xiaomi Mi Smartwatch Is Coming Soon, Spotted On Official Website

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 23, 2016

We have repeatedly heard from multiple sources that Xiaomi is working on its first smartwatch. The release date is said to be around September this year, which is just a couple of months away. Earlier, we heard from a Xiaomi’s executive about the upcoming smartwatch but now, it looks like the company is preparing its website for the release of the Mi smartwatch as the official website seems to have already listed smartwatch category in the smart devices section. While this doesn’t reveal anything about the upcoming watch, it kind of confirms again that there’s a smartwatch in the making.

We had previously heard from the CEO of Huami, which is the company that manufactures the Mi Band wearable that Xiaomi Mi smartwatch will meet us in the second half of the year. Given that Huami is directly involved with the production of the wearable, it was a kind of our first confirmation.

Thanks to a recent leak, we already have the basic render of the device. The Mi smartwatch is said to come with a standard round watch design with the Mi logo on top. We can also see two physical buttons on the right side. Also, the smartwatch looks quite thick as well. But what really took our attention was the black bar at the bottom of the display. It seems like Xiaomi’s new smartwatch could have an ugly black bar on the display, just like the first generation Moto 360, which would be really disappointing. But this is just a render, so we will have to wait for some pictures of the new Mi watch in action to really confirm this design.READ MORE:

The release is said to be in September, so expect more details soon.

UMi Super GiveAway: Win This Popular Metal Smartphone From Gizmochina & UMi

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 23, 2016

UMi is one of the trusted local Chinese brands in the market right now who releases pretty good looking and well-specced smartphones. The company is currently busy promoting its latest flagship device, the UMi Super and the phone is turning out to be a very good mid-ranger that doesn’t break your bank. In fact, because of its specs, looks and pricing, UMi Super is selling well for the company so far.

And to celebrate the company’s latest mid-ranger, UMi has provided us with a brand new unit of the UMi Super smartphone to giveaway to one of our lucky readers. This means you get yet a chance to win one of the popular smartphones in the market right now.

Umi Super sports a pretty good spec sheet. It sports a 5.5 inch 2.5D curved glass 1080p display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection and is powered by a MediaTek Helio P10 chipset aided by 4GB LPDDR3 RAM. Further, the phone comes with 32GB of native storage which can be expanded up to 256GB. At the back, the UMi Super comes with a 13MP Panasonic sensor with dual LED light, while up front, you get a 5MP shooter. The phone comes with an 8.5mm body which houses a massive 4000mAh built-in battery. Other features of the phone include a fast fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C port, and 4G LTE support with dual SIM card slots. Supported bands include: FDD-LTE 800/ 1800/ 2100/ 2600 (B20/B3/B1/B7).

As always, we will be conducting this giveaway via the gleam widget. If you have participated in our previous giveaways, you already know how to take part in this giveaway.

The basic idea is simple, you have to visit and like a few pages, tweet the contest along with some other actions. The more you share, the more your chances of winning the new smartphone.

Sumscribe to Umi Newsletter, Get $70 off Coupon Code now: Subscribe

So, let’s not waste any more time and directly head on to the UMi Super giveaway.

UMi Super GiveAway

You can read more about the UMi Super from our previous coverage:

UMi Super Battery & Performance better than Meizu M3 Note

UMi Super Touch ID vs iPhone 6S

UMi Super Review

UMi Super Camera: Shoot Like A Pro

YI 4k Action Camera Review – The GoPro Killer for Half the Price

By

Linus

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Jun 23, 2016

Last year Yi Technology released their first iteration of affordable yet great action camera. This year, the company released a vastly upgraded model and it is one of the best action cameras I’ve tested. We have used this camera for 2 months already. The Yi Technology 4k action camera costs $250, which is half the price of the GoPro Hero 4 and here is our full review.

Thanks to Yi Technology official for sending YI 4k action camera for a review.

Pre-order Yi 4K Yi Action Camera at Official Site

YI 4k Action Camera VIDEO REVIEW:

YI 4k Action Camera Review: UNBOXING

As usual, let’s start by unboxing and see what you get with the camera. The contents of the box include a camera itself, some instruction manuals and USB charging cable.

Yi Technology sent me a waterproof case too, which allows you to use the camera under water up 132 feet or around 40m. The case is very sturdy and well-made. It is also dust-proof, weather-proof, drop and press resistant. Also, it uses a glass with a very good light transmittance.

I’ve used the case for quite a while and so far it has been excellent, there is no water condensation inside of it and the opening latch has been working fine.

YI 4k Action Camera Review: DESIGN AND FEATURES

Firstly, the second generation YI camera changed a lot and it improved in each and every way.

One of the key additions is the 4k video recording, which is thanks to a 12MP Sony IMX377 sensor and the newest Ambarella A9SE75 image processor. The camera has f/2.8 aperture and wide 160° lens.

Next to the camera we have the LED, which lights up in different colours to indicate the juice left in the battery. The camera is made of plastic and the device does not feel very expensive but it does not feel cheap either.

We have a power on/off button, which also acts as a record button, two microphones and the speaker grill on the top.

The camera can be charged via the micro USB charging port, which is covered by a flap.

On the bottom, we have a tripod mount screw. Also, we have a removable 1400mAh battery and the microSD card slot. Keep in mind that you would need to purchase a high-speed microSD card separately for a smooth 4k video recording.

Overall, the camera is tiny, compact, well-built and lightweight.

YI 4k Action Camera Review: DISPLAY AND USER INTERFACE

Another key addition is a 2.19” touchscreen display, which is covered with Gorilla Glass and it is the sharpest display on any action camera we’ve ever reviewed. Also, it is visible even under direct sunlight (if you set display brightness to maximum).

Naturally, the display acts as a viewfinder and this is a major improvement over the last generation camera. You can do quite a few things with the display. You can watch the videos you shot or the pictures you took right on the camera. If you swipe from the top, you will access quick settings toggles.

Also, you can select from quite a few shooting modes that include photo, video, time lapse, slow-motion and other modes.A really cool feature is that you can quickly switch from the photo and the last shooting mode by simply swiping from left to right.

As far as the video resolution goes, you can go all the way to the 4k at 30 fps or choose the lowest resolution of 480p at 240fps. There are quite a few resolution/fps combos but I have mostly used 4k at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps and the 720p slow-motion video, where you can set the fps setting to 240.

In addition, there are some manual controls. You can adjust some image settings, turn on/off electronic image stabilization and so on.

One of the notable features is the dual-band Wifi, meaning that you can easily connect the camera to your phone using the YI Action app.

Within the app, you can use your phone as a viewfinder, which only has a little bit of lag, and some other things like switch from one shooting mode to another. Also, you can view photos and videos you shot and download them to your phone. Keep in mind that the camera creates a separate low-resolution video file, so you can easily share it. In addition, you can adjust some camera settings, upgrade the firmware of the device and so on.

YI 4k Action Camera Review: VIDEO QUALITY

See the video review for video/image quality. The camera samples will be uploaded soon (on April 24th)

I shot videos and took pictures that took over 100GB of storage on multiple microSD cards to tell you what I think about the image quality.

First of all, you have to keep in mind that action cameras are not as the good as the flagship smartphones but the Yi 4k camera can produce a very high-quality footage.

The 4k video is fantastic and it is one of the best we’ve seen on any action camera, to be honest. The footage is sharp is crisp, the color reproduction is very accurate and the infinite focus lens make the footage look in-focus and sharp all the time. The only shortcoming is that the 4k video lacks video stabilization.

The 4k time-lapse video is very detailed and sharp-looking too.

1080p video at 30 fps has less detail but does a better job with video stabilization. In addition, you can turn on the EIS in the settings menu to reduce the shakiness even more and it works pretty good.

1080p video at 60fps s great too. It may not look as sharp as the 4k but 60fps mode is the best suited for sports action.

Slow-motion video can be shot at 720p resolution either at 120fps or at 240fps.

When it comes to the low-light video, the quality decreases significantly. There is less detail and much more noise but still, the image quality is pretty good.

The still images look nice too. Again, the images do not look as sharp as the ones taken with the flagship smartphone but when it comes to the action cameras, they are one of the best in class.

YI 4k Action Camera Review: BATTERY LIFE

1400mAh battery performs great. I could get almost 2 hours of usage if I shot mainly 4K videos. If I shot 1080p videos and took pictures with the camera, I could easily get slightly over 2h of the battery life.

YI 4k Action Camera Review: CONCLUSIONS

So, there you have it, the YI action 4k camera. This is a device that challenges the GoPro camera for half the price.In short, we love this camera and we don’t see any major shortcomings.

The device is lightweight, the display is sharp, the UI is fast and easy to use, the Wifi is fast and the camera works fine with the YI Action app. Also, the battery life is great.

The video and image quality are great too. Sure, the camera could be slightly better in low-light situations but this is probably the only shortcoming we can mention.

All in all, YI action 4k camera is a great product. The price point of $250 may sound steep for some but hey, this is the action cam that has a great image quality, good battery life and much more, and it can easily rival the GoPro camera…. for half the price.

Pre-order Yi 4K Action Camera at Official Site

Xiaomi’s Shipments Increase In Q2 2016, Thanks To Lei Jun

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 23, 2016

One of the biggest problems with Xiaomi was not product quality or even specifications, rather it was the unavailability of its devices in the market. The company used to unveil great smartphones but once launched, the phone was hard to get, since the stock never seemed to be enough. As a result, the company has been severely criticized for its ready stock availability and we have seen competitors like OPPO and Vivo beating Xiaomi in terms of the shipments sold during the first quarter of 2016.

This was indeed a worrisome issue for the company as well as fans, which is why Lei Jun, the CEO of Xiaomi took it personally upon himself to head the supply department of the company. Looks like, that was a brilliant move, since Xiaomi is now said to be doing quite well in terms of smartphone shipments.

Earlier today, the secretary of the Chinese smartphone alliance revealed on Weibo that Xiaomi’s shipments have improved. In fact, the company seems to be shipping around 6 million smartphones every month in the second quarter of 2016. This is finally great news considering that fans can purchase Xiaomi’s smartphones right after its announcement. Well, at least the Redmi 3S was up for purchase after its announcement, and to be honest, it sold pretty well during JD.com’s grand sale. Even Xiaomi Mi5 is now available for open purchase.

Given that Xiaomi has finally managed to stabilize its shipments, we can expect the upcoming beasts — Xiaomi Mi5S and the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 to be in stock after the announcement. I don’t think Xiaomi can afford to make the same mistake as it did with the Mi5 earlier this year, which did hurt the company in terms of sales. So, when these two powerful flagships are announced sometime later in 2016, we can hope that the company readies a very good amount of stock to satisfy the demand from its fans.

Moto Z Sold In China Could Come With Lenovo’s Vibe UI

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 22, 2016

Moto Z and Z Force smartphones have been announced by the company but they will only be released later this year. These two models will also go on sale in China, however, they could have one major difference. HelloMotoHK reveals that Moto Z devices sold domestically will come with Lenovo’s Vibe UI instead of the traditional near Android look. Luckily, it looks like the Vibe UI will only be installed in the phones sold in China, which means other international regions still get the Moto Z with its Moto Pure Android system. Given that HelloMotoHK has a pretty good record when it comes to Motorola smartphones, this could indeed turn out to be true.

Another reason why this is possible is because Chinese people love customized UI interface. This is why we see most Chinese manufacturers having a heavy UI on top of the Android version. But that isn’t the case with international customers since we have seen that many love the clean Android look. So, it could be a win-win situation for all users.

As for the pricing, Moto Z is expected to retail at 2998 Yuan ($456) in China. The Moto Z Force model should cost around 5299 Yuan ($806).

So what do you think about Lenovo’s move to install its own custom UI on Moto smartphone sold in China?

Huawei Honor 8 Said To Be Launching On July 5 With Dual Cameras

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 22, 2016

Huawei seems to be launching new phones almost every month. Now, the latest rumors suggest that the Huawei Honor 8 mid-range flagship smartphone from the company will be announced on July 5. The phone will reportedly go on sale from July 12. In case you are wondering why the company hasn’t revealed launch details, it is said that we will get official confirmation by June 25. For the first time, we have some very specific dates for the Honor 8, so let’s wait and see if the event is indeed on July 5.

The Honor 8 is said to be the most beautiful smartphone from the company. We aren’t quite sure what exactly makes it so beautiful, but the phone is said to feature dual glass design with a metal body and very thin bezels. Since we don’t have any good renders of the device yet, we will have to wait for a few more days to see the device in the flesh.

As for the specs, the Honor 8 flagship will be an upper mid-range device. The phone is said to come with dual 12MP cameras at the back, similar to the setup found on the Honor V8. It looks like Huawei is going to make dual cameras standard among its important devices this year. Further, it should come with a 5.2-inch 1080p display, 3200mAh battery with fast charge, infrared port, fingerprint sensor, 4GB of RAM and USB Type-C. The processor should most likely be the Kirin 955.

Rumors state that the pricing of the phone should be quite competitive as well. The Honor 8 could come in four different variants. The 4GB + 32GB standard model should retail for 1999 Yuan ($308) and will lack NFC. The other three variants, i.e. 4GB + 32GB (supports all networks) should cost 2199 Yuan ($334), 4GB + 64GB should be priced at 2499 Yuan ($380) and the top-end model with 2K display, 4GB RAM + 128GB storage should retail for 2799 Yuan ($425).

OPPO Find 9 Specs Leaked: SD821, 8GB RAM & a Large Battery

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 22, 2016

OPPO’s Find series has always been one of the best, featuring top-end specs and good looks. However, if you remember, the last OPPO Find smartphone, namely the OPPO Find 7 was announced back in 2014, which means it’s been two years since the company updated the lineup. We have been hearing rumors about the OPPO Find 9 coming sometime in 2016 and now, a new leak reveals the basic render of the device along with its powerful specifications.

OPPO Find 9 has some big shoes to fill, considering it will be the top-end smartphone of a manufacturer who is doing quite well in 2016. So, in this rat race, OPPO can’t afford to compromise on the hardware inside the new flagship device. Well, according to the latest leak, it doesn’t look like OPPO has compromised in any area on the new device.

First of all, looking at the render, the OPPO Find 9 comes with a similar design as the previous generation OPPO Find 7. However, the major difference will be at the back, as the phone comes with dual camera sensors, which seems to have become a trend among smartphone makers in 2016. Further, on the back panel, you have the OPPO logo as well as a speaker grill.

Coming to the specs, the OPPO Find 9 flagship is said to come with a 5.5-inch dual edge AMOLED display with QHD resolution. Under the hood, like the Mi Note 2, the phone is expected to feature Snapdragon 821 chipset. As for the RAM, it is said that the phone will feature a whopping 8GB RAM module, taking it to the level of the rumored LeEco flagship. There will be 128GB of internal storage on board as well.

At the back, the phone will come with a 21MP rear camera sensor with OPPO’s smart stabilization tech that was showcased at MWC 2016. Although the render reveals dual cameras, there’s no mention of such a setup in the specs department. Up front, expect a 16MP sensor. Another tech is the Super VOOC fast charging along with a 4100mAh battery which is the perfect combination i.e. a large battery which fills up within an hour! Other rumored features include USB Type-C port (USB 2.0) and Android 5.1 based Color OS (we hope it comes with at least Android 6 at launch).

These are some powerful specs and with OPPO’s Super VOOC tech on board, there’s nothing to complain about the device. Most rumors said that the OPPO Find 9 will be announced in June this year, however, we still haven’t heard any event confirmation from the company.

Elephone P20 Full Specs Revealed! Helio P20, 6GB RAM, FHD Display & More

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 22, 2016

Elephone P9000 Edge’s release is just around the corner, but that doesn’t stop the details about the new Elephone P20 from coming out. The new phone from the company is going to be yet another powerful device, coming with the Helio P20 chipset inside. This particular chip is manufactured using the 16nm process, which should make it quite efficient as well.

As for the other specs, the latest information reveals that the Elephone P20 will come with 6GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The screen, like the P9000 Edge, will be bezel-less measuring 5.5-inches with 1080p resolution. On top, it will have 3D glass. The body will be made out of metal, which has become a trend among flagship devices.

At the back, like we mentioned previously, the Elephone P20 will feature a 12MP sensor with f/1.7 aperture. Up front, there will be an 8MP front facing shooter. The phone will feature NXP Box AAC speakers along with connectivity features such as 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC. While we still don’t know the battery capacity of the device, it is said that the phone will come with MediaTek’s Pump Express+ fast charging which gives you 4 hours of talktime in just 5 minutes of charging. Finally, there will be a fingerprint sensor as well.

Xiaomi Mi5S Said To come with pressure sensitive display & ultrasonic fingerprint

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 22, 2016

We have previously heard about the Xiaomi Mi5S model, which is said to launch sometime in the second half of 2016. However, until now, the features and specifications of the device were unclear, since we didn’t hear much about the device via leaks or rumors. But that changes today, as new leak reveals a few important details about the upcoming Xiaomi Mi5S flagship.

mi5s details

Yes, it is reportedly going to be a flagship smartphone coming with top-end specs. The weibo source revealed that the new Mi5S is going to come with powerful specifications. Well, the name sort of revealed that the phone was going to be a flagship, since the Mi5S should be an in between update, in terms of specs, to the already powerful Xiaomi Mi5 smartphone. The source also says that the Mi Note 2 will come with dual cameras. Also, the Xiaomi Notebook is in the works as well (but we already know this!).

Mi5 What’s actually interesting is the report from a Chinese media website which reveals some of the great specs on the Mi5S. It is said that the phone could come with a metal body, much like its upcoming brother, the Xiaomi Mi Note 2. Further, the Xiaomi Mi5S will reportedly feature pressure sensitive display — which will be a first for Xiaomi, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor from Qualcomm and dual cameras. As for the display and resolution, it is said that they will be on the same level as the Mi5, which means it should be a 5.15-inch panel with 1080p resolution. Further, as the source above claims that this is a top-end flagship, expect nothing less than 6GB RAM inside.

This does confuse us a bit, in terms of the placement of the two upcoming models. The Mi Note 2, like we reported today is expected to come in three variants! All featuring high-end hardware. If the Mi5S is also going to come with top-end hardware, one of the major differentiating features would be the display size, with the Mi Note 2 sporting a 5.7-inch screen while the Mi5S coming with a 5-inch display.

Of course, at this moment, nothing can be confirmed. But hopefully, things will start to clear up in the next few weeks.

(source)

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Details Leaked: Three Versions, Including One With Curved Screen

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 22, 2016

Xiaomi’s flagship device of the year, the Xiaomi Mi5 has now been overtaken by the likes of OnePlus 3, ZUK Z2 Pro and even Le Max 2 with much more powerful specifications. However, Xiaomi isn’t a company that likes to be behind for long and looks like the company will soon release a new flagship phone, the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, which will take on some of the best phones in the market right now. The Mi Note series have always been the top-end flagship from the company and it seems that the new update will make sure that Xiaomi has a couple of models in the top-end segment. So, what can we expect to see on the new Mi Note 2?

zAccording to the latest information, the Mi Note 2 will come in three variants — standard version, high version and top-end version. While the Weibo source didn’t reveal the exact specifications of the three models, it mentioned some features that differentiate each of the three variants.

The Mi Note 2 Standard version is said to come with a single camera sensor at the back, Hi-Fi chip, and a regular quick charge feature.

The Mi Note 2 High version will come with dual cameras at the back (will be first for the company) with Hi-Fi as well as a super quick charging feature. We have no idea what kind of charging is meant by this super quick charge, but it’s probably faster and more efficient than the regular version.

Finally, there will be a Mi Note 2 top-end version which, for now, let’s call it the Mi Note Edge model. It will come with a curved screen display with a top-end Hi-Fi chip as well as the super quick charge tech found on the high version.

While the source hasn’t revealed any specs, considering the above information, we can expect the standard version to feature 4GB RAM while the other two variants to come with 6GB of RAM. After all, Xiaomi wouldn’t want Mi Note 2 to lose to other 6GB RAM phones. As for the display, it should be the same size as the first generation model, i.e. 5.7-inch with 1080p resolution on the standard and high version and 2K on the top-end curved screen model. Given that VR is turning out to be an important market for smartphone makers, the Mi Note 2 along with the Xiaomi Mi5S could be ideal phones for the company to focus its attention in this field.

While we don’t have a date yet, the Mi Note 2 is expected to be announced sometime in the next few months. Given its specifications, don’t expect it to be cheap. Hopefully, more details will emerge along with renders and pictures in the next few weeks.

Jim Wicks, Head of Motorola Design Team is Leaving The Company

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jun 22, 2016

Following the exit of Rick Osterloh (Former President of Motorola Mobility) in March, the company will be bidding farewell to another executive, in person of Jim Wicks who heads the design team.

Mr. Wicks had the opportunity of working on some of the company’s iconic devices such as the Motorola RAZR, Motorola Droid, Moto X, Moto G and Moto 360. He is said to be leaving next month for Northwestern University’s McCormik School of Engineering. What better way to go than to pass on that wealth of experience to the next generation?

Mr. Wicks will be replaced by Ruben Castano who is a senior design director at Motorola.

Following the exit of Jim Wicks, the Lenovo-owned company might be heading towards a new direction with respect to what new devices will look like. Let’s just hope they ditch the flat tire design on the Moto 360 and keep the much-loved batwing logo.

Rumor Mill: Snapdragon 821 May Show Up in One of Upcoming HTC Nexus Phones

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jun 22, 2016

Back in April, popular phone leaker, Evan Blass revealed that HTC will be building two Nexus devices codenamed Marlin and Sailfish. New info tells us that the device named Marlin will be featuring a Snapdragon 821 processor which is basically an upgraded version of the SD820 SoC.

The new snapdragon processor is expected to launch alongside the Snapdragon 823 which is expected to show up in the new galaxy note. There’s no other news with respect to the two nexus devices but we expect more details when we enter into the third quarter.

Ponder on this: If HTC is indeed making two Nexus devices this year and Huawei is truly getting their Nexus contract renewed, will one of the devices be a tablet? Seeing as the Nexus 9 was launched 2 years ago and will no longer receive support after October 2016, it is safe to hope for a new tablet. We should definitely throw a party if we have 3 nexus devices this year.

Huawei Sales Target For 2016 Reduced To 120 Million Says Supply Chain

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 22, 2016

Huawei had a wonderful 2015, selling over 108 million smartphones in a single year, which is quite a big achievement for the company. This year, the company plans to sell even more smartphones, somewhere around 140 million which will be great, if it manages to reach this target. However, according to supply chain sources, Huawei has reduced this target to 120 million for 2016, as it failed to reach internal goals due to the high price of its top-end phones. Well, to be honest, 120 million isn’t bad for a smartphone company in this market. It still represents a good 11% growth, which is better than most other smartphone makers who are focused on the high-end market.

Huawei is still doing well in the high-end market and recently, in the grand sale on JD.com in China, the company managed to come out as one of the top three smartphone makers. Also, it’s interesting to see the company’s high-end smartphones managed to come on top, in the two high-priced segments during the sale. For example, in the 2500-2999 Yuan segment, Huawei Mate 8 as well as Honor V8 were the top three phones, and in the 3000-3999 Yuan segment as well, Huawei P9 and Huawei P9 Plus made it to the top three.

So, even if Huawei does not reach its far fetched goal of selling 140 million smartphones, doing well in the high-end market could turn out to be good for the company. According to the company, it has already sold more than 2.6 million Huawei P9 and P9 Plus units since launch.

One brand to watch out in 2016 is OPPO who is also doing incredibly well. The company has reportedly sold more than 7 million OPPO R9 / OPPO F1 Plus smartphone since its launch a few months back and if the company manages to reach analyst prediction of 77-80 million units of smartphones sold in 2016, then it would be a big milestone for the company. Given that OPPO’s strength is really in the high-end segment, it could turn out to be a Chinese smartphone maker that Huawei has to look out for in the coming years.

(source)

Xiaomi’s New Smart Bike Is Coming On June 23

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 22, 2016

Although most people would know Xiaomi because of its cheap smartphones, the company has a lot of non-smartphone products in the market right now, especially in the smart home segment. The company also has its own top-end smart bike, called as the Qicycle R1, but that is out of the reach of most buyers since it costs a good $3000! But looks like the company is going to release another smart bike in the market, and from the teasers, it looks like the launch is on June 23, i.e. tomorrow. The smart bike is being teased by MIJIA brand, which was recently launched by Xiaomi to bring all its smart products under one name.

While the teasers do not confirm that the new product launched tomorrow is going to be a bike, the red tail light, and tires, as well as the handlebars and the small information display, makes it quite clear that this is going to be a smart bike. The display especially is something to talk about, which will show all the details like the WATT generated, distance covered, speed, etc. There are a few more options as well, which means it will show most of the details about your bike and journey. And like most Xiaomi’s smart products, expect the bike to feature Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone and share all these journey details.

MIJIA will officially take the wraps off this new smart bike tomorrow at 2 PM. Stay tuned for more details

Huawei’s EMUI 5.0 Could See Major Design Changes Close To Stock Android

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 21, 2016

Huawei has evolved as a small time smartphone manufacturer, to the third largest phone maker in the world. Given that now millions of Huawei smartphones are being used by customers worldwide, it becomes necessary for the company to evolve its user interface well. For all those who thought that Huawei needed to revamp its EMUI ROM, here’s some good news. A new report states that Huawei plans to make major changes to the EMUI 5.0 version that will be announced later this year.

And these changes will be for the good as it is said that the company’s EMUI 5.0 will now lean more towards a stock Android look. The company seems to have taken this decision with Western customers in mind. We have seen that most Android users love the simple stock Android UI on their smartphones, which is probably why the company is deciding to make over its user interface. Given that the company aims to strengthen its reach in the mature markets of US and Europe, this could be a much-needed change. The current generation EMUI versions like the EMUI 4.1 comes with complex UI design and menus. After the change, the UI will be simple, but Li Changzhu, Huawei’s Mobile Division executive assures that users will still be able to enjoy advanced features as well as customize the new UI.

Huawei had released EMUI 4 in the second half of 2015, and we can expect the new EMUI 5.0 to be unveiled sometime in the next few months. IFA would be an ideal time, as we will most likely meet a new Huawei Mate flagship at the event running this new interface.

(source)

Bezel-less Nubia Z11 Exposed In Multiple Leaks!

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 21, 2016

Nubia is all set to announce the bezel-less Nubia Z11 flagship on June 28. The phone will reportedly come with top-end specs to take on competitors like the Galaxy S7 Edge, Xiaomi Mi5 and other high-end models that currently rule the market. Yesterday, we saw the Nubia Z11 on the AnTuTu benchmark test and it scores upwards of 140K. Now, the same phone has been leaked in a couple of pictures, revealing the phone’s bezel-less design and metal body.

These pictures confirm that the phone will come with a bezel-less display, similar to the one that we saw last year on the Nubia Z9. Further, another picture confirms the metal body at the back, with a round fingerprint sensor. This is in line with what we saw in the previous images that were revealed by TENAA. Thanks to the bezel-less screen, it looks like the phone’s width will be controlled, as in the pictures, it seemed as if one handed operation was going to be possible. Also, up front, you have the traditional red colored Nubia home button (capacitive). The Z11 is also expected to be thin, as revealed by another leaked image, which is added below

nubia z11 thickness — Top: Oppo R9 (FC Bar Edition) (Thickness: 6.6mm)
Mid: Nubia Z11
Bottom: iPhone 6S Plus (Thickness: 7.3mm)

TENAA and AnTuTu have given us a very good idea of the specs of the Nubia Z11. The phone will come with the Snapdragon 820 chipset inside with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There’s no mention of a 6GB RAM edition, but given its flagship status, we expect one to be announced at the launch event. At the back, the phone will feature a 16MP camera, while up front, there will be an 8MP shooter. The screen will be bezel-less with a size of 5.5-inches and 1080p resolution. Also, the phone will be running on the new Android 6.0.1 version.

Rumors state that the Nubia Z11’s price should start at 2999 Yuan ($455) for the 4GB + 64GB model and go up to 3999 Yuan ($607) for the 6GB + 128GB model.

Nubia Z11 Leaks In A Real Image

LeEco To Announce New Smartphone On June 29, Could We Meet the SD821 Flagship?

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 21, 2016

LeEco is progressing pretty quickly as a smartphone maker. After launching the Le 1 phones, which were the first smartphones from the company, it has now transformed into an important player in the crowded phone market. All thanks to its aggressive pricing strategy. So, whenever LeEco announces a new smartphone launch conference, we all get excited.

Now, LeEco has released a new teaser for the launch of a smartphone on June 29 in Shanghai. Given that the Mobile World Congress – Shanghai commences on June 29, LeEco could be planning to announce this new smartphone and showcase it at the event.

Coming to the most important point here — which phone is the company planning to release on June 29? LeEco hasn’t revealed any details about the phone’s specifications, but we have some guesses.

We have been seeing rumors about a top-end flagship from LeEco, which is even more powerful than the Le Max 2 unveiled back in April. While the previous leaks have shown that the upcoming flagship was going to feature a very similar design as the Le Max 2, it will be coming in two new colors, blue and red. As for the specs, they are nothing less than extraordinary!

Rumors state that the new LeEco flagship will come with the Snapdragon 821 chipset under the hood with a whopping 8GB of RAM and a 25MP rear-facing camera. In case you are wondering, the Snapdragon 821 chipset is not expected to upgrade much in terms of configuration, but the clock speed is expected to be bumped up from 2.15GHz to 2.5GHz. Considering LeEco’s aggressive pricing, it shouldn’t retail for more than 2999 Yuan ($455), which if true, would be just amazing.

However, it seems a bit too early to meet a flagship such as the one mentioned above. SD821 hasn’t been announced yet and still 6GB RAM hasn’t become mainstream among all flagship phones. So, 8GB RAM phone in June seems a bit too early. There have been reports about LeEco releasing this beast sometime in August, which seems more plausible.

So, what can we expect at the launch event on June 29? Well, there are reports that LeEco will announce a special edition of the Le 2 model that was released back in April, most likely called Le 2 Eco edition. From the name, it looks like the phone will come with the company’s services inbuilt.

Anyway, we can expect more information about this launch in the next few days. So, stay tuned!

First Xiaomi Smartwatch Sketch Leaked: Check it out!

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 21, 2016

Xiaomi’s new Mi Band 2 wearable just went on sale earlier this month. The band was yet another successful product from the company, featuring a power efficient OLED display and heart rate sensor for a cheap price tag. However, this year, the new Mi Band isn’t the only wearable that’s coming from the company. It’s almost confirmed that there’s a Xiaomi smartwatch in the making and the product should soon be announced, according to an analyst.

While we still haven’t seen the new Xiaomi smartwatch in pictures, today a new sketch of the watch was leaked, which gives us a basic idea about the possible design of the new wearable. According to the image, the Xiaomi smartwatch should come with a regular design similar to other round watches in the market. We can see the Mi logo on the front as well as two buttons on the right side. The watch looks quite thick as well.

One of the interesting things revealed by this sketch is the bar at the bottom of the display. It could be hinting at a Moto 360 like design, which had a black bar on the display, ruining the true round watch experience. We hope that’s not going to be the case here.

As for the release, it is said that the new Xiaomi smartwatch should be announced sometime in September this year. So, there’s still a couple of months for the release, which means more information about the device should be leaked in the coming weeks.

Nubia Z11 Spotted On AnTuTu: Packs Snapdragon 820, 4GB RAM & Android 6.0

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 21, 2016

Nubia Z11 is one of the most important smartphones for the company this year, given that it will be coming with top-notch specs and a bezel-less display. The GM of the company, Ni Fei had recently confirmed the bezel-less display on the device, which clearly makes it one of the highlighted features of the device. However, apart from this, thanks to the past TENAA listing, we knew that the phone was going to come with powerful specs, including Snapdragon 820. But if you had any doubts, then today, you should know that the Nubia Z11 (NX531J) was spotted on AnTuTu benchmark confirming powerful specs and top-notch performance.

According to today’s AnTuTu listing, the Nubia Z11 comes with Snapdragon 820 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There will be a 16MP camera at the back and an 8MP shooter up front. Also, the phone will sport a 1080p display. While the screen size is not revealed here, TENAA listing confirmed that it will be a 5.5-inch panel. Inside, the phone features a 2900mAh battery. As for the software, it comes with Android 6.0.1. This is great news as both Z11 Mini and Z11 Max came with Android 5.1 lollipop on top.

Now, coming to the performance, on AnTuTu, the Nubia Z11 managed to score about 140,000 which is a pretty good score. This puts the phone in the top rankings alongside phones like the Xiaomi Mi5, Galaxy S7 and the Le Max 2.

So, what do you think about the Nubia Z11? It is turning out to be quite a powerful smartphone.

Umi Super Review: VIDEO

Umi Super Review: UNBOXING

Umi Super Review: SPECS

Display

5.5″ 1080p (Full-HD)

Processor

Mediatek Helio P10, 64-bit, octa-core (up to 2GHz)

RAM

4GB

Camera

5MP Front/13MP Back

Connectivity

Bluetooth, 3G, 4G, GPS, WIFI, GSM,EDGE, GPRS, UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, dual-SIM.

Battery

4.000 mAh (non-removable)

Dimensions

Approx. 15.1 x 7.5 x 0.85cm

OS

Android 6.0

Storage

32GB (expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB)

Umi Super Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY

Umi Super Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

Umi Super Review: BENCHMARKS

Umi Super Review: USER INTERFACE

Umi Super Review: IMAGE QUALITY

Umi Super Review: CONNECTIVITY

Umi Super Review: BATTERY LIFE

Umi Super Review: CONCLUSIONS

YI 4k Action Camera VIDEO REVIEW:

YI 4k Action Camera Review: UNBOXING

YI 4k Action Camera Review: DESIGN AND FEATURES

YI 4k Action Camera Review: DISPLAY AND USER INTERFACE

YI 4k Action Camera Review: VIDEO QUALITY

YI 4k Action Camera Review: BATTERY LIFE

YI 4k Action Camera Review: CONCLUSIONS