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LeEco’s VP Reveals Sample Photo Captured By Le 2 Flagship

We know that LeEco will release the Le 2 flagship sometime in the coming weeks, most likely in April. Thanks to the numerous leaks that have been making rounds for the past few days, we already know a lot about the phone. It is said that the flagship will come in two variants, the higher-end model powered by Snapdragon 652 and another one powered by Helio X25.

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While LeEco executives have confirmed a new phone launch, now, the Senior Vice President of the company, Feng Xing has just revealed a new sample photograph take from the upcoming Le 2 smartphone. Although the image seems to be cropped (resolution of 2730 x 2048), from what we can see, the color reproduction and details have come out very well. But of course, we can’t really judge the camera performance of the device in just one picture. So, let’s wait for more samples.

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As for the specs, apart from the CPU variants, expect the rest of the specs to be more or less the same. The phone will reportedly come with 3GB of RAM, 5.5-inch 1080p display, an 8MP front camera and a 16MP rear facing shooter.

Previously there were rumors that the Le 2 will come with Snapdragon 820 under the hood. This would have been great, but it was doubtful whether it would be feasable for the company. Now, with Snapdragon 652 octa-core chip inside, the company could keep the price pretty competitive, under 1999 Yuan ($310).

Another confusion is the leaked Le 2 version with Helio X25 chip. Meizu had confirmed earlier that the X25 would be exclusive to the Pro 6 at least for a few months. So, it remains to be seen whether Le 2 comes with recently announced Helio X25 or the slower X20 version.

 

Huawei P9 With Kirin 955 & 4GB RAM Scores 96K On Antutu

Huawei is all set to announce the Huawei P9 flagship on April 6. The company has confirmed via recent teasers that the phone will come with a dual camera setup. However, that’s not just the marquee feature of the device as we expect pretty powerful hardware inside the device.

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We have seen some P9 variants on the AnTuTu benchmarking app before, and now, a new variant of the P9, which is most likely one of the top-end models in the series been spotted on the app. The new model EVA-AL10 will come with the new Kirin 955 chipset and 4GB of RAM. We had heard rumors about Kirin 955 chip with slightly upgraded CPU frequency powering the new flagship, but this is the first time we are seeing the performance of the chip.

 

Other specs of the device, as revealed by AnTuTu are 64GB internal storage, 1080p screen resolution and dual 13MP rear cameras. Up front, there will be an 8MP selfie camera. As for software, the phone will be running on the new Android 6.0 Marshmallow version.

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With these specs on board, the Huawei P9 managed to post a score of around 96,000 on AnTuTu. Given that the Kirin 950 could score only around 85K on the same app, the Kirin 955 does look like an upgrade. When directly compared to the newly announced deca-core Helio X25’s performance, its only slightly slower. In the previous benchmark listing, X25 scored around 100,0000.

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However, when we compare the score with chips such as Exynos 8890 and Snapdragon 820, Kirin 955 is still a good 30K below their scores. But then, benchmarks only tell part of the story, so we better wait and test out the real life performance of the handset once released.

Stay tuned to gizmochina for more updates in the coming days to the launch.

 

Syllable A6 Sports Bluetooth Headset Review

The Bluetooth earphones market is pretty busy but we found the Syllable A6 necklace style sports earphones to be unique, great sounding and affordable. Learn more in the full review.

UNBOXING

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The earphones come in a nice looking box and the contents of it include some instruction manuals, a tangle-free USB cable for charging and the headset itself. Unfortunately, there are no extra earbuds included.

DESIGN, FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY

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As for design, we are looking a a very light necklace-type headset.

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You need wrap it around your neck and use a magnetic clip to lock it.

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Once you do that, the earphones are very close to your ears preventing any cables from tangling up. 

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A really cool design feature is that the control part (you can skip tracks, adjust volume, play/pause or answer the call) is right in front of you. I found it really convenient to reach it when I was jogging.

The earphones themselves (they are made of rubberised plastic) are just about the size of any regular (non-Bluetooth earphones) and that is a huge advantage.

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I’ve tested a lot of different Bluetooth headsets and I found a lot of them to be heavy and falling out of the ears easily. It is not happening with these ones as the Bluetooth module is actually not in the earphones themselves but in the magnetic hasp part.

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Overall, I love the design of this headset. The only thing that I didn’t like is that the cable is really thin and may break easier than thicker cables.

TEST NOTES AND SOUND QUALITY

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I didn’t have any issues with pairing the headset with my phone. Also, the Bluetooth connectivity and range are fine.

As far as call quality, it is good and I had no complaints from my friends I talked to via this headset.

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As for the sound quality, the Syllable A6 sound pretty well. While these are not the best sounding earphones I’ve tested, the sound is crisp and clean. Also, there is a decent amount of bass but I would love to hear a bit more of it. However, the volume output could be slightly louder.

The battery life could be better, to be honest. I managed to get less than 3 hours of music playback out of this headset. That means that you would need to charge it quite a lot of you do a lot of exercising during the week.

CONCLUSIONS

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The Syllable A6 Bluetooth headset is a pretty good choice if you are in the market of affordable (under $22) sports earphones. 

I love the design of the headset and the fact that it is very light, and it is really comfortable to wear. Also, the sound quality is good for the price of this headset.

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However, the volume output could be louder and the battery life could be better.

All in all, Syllable A6 Bluetooth headset is a great choice for the price despite a few shortcomings.

Meizu VP Confirms 3D Touch On Pro 6 Flagship, Better Than Huawei

A couple of days back, we came across some interesting news that the Meizu Pro 6 flagship may not come with 3D Touch like feature. Given that in the past few months, pressure sensitive display seemed to be one of the highlights of the device, this news came as a surprise.

Usually, the company or its executives do not comment on rumors, but in the case of Meizu, we have seen some surprises. This time, it was Meizu’s VP, Li Nan who confirmed that the Pro 6 flagship will come with a pressure sensitive display.

meizu pro 6 3d touch

He further added that the Pro 6 will support multi-stage pressure sensitive display which will ensure better touch experience. Also, the feature will support third party menus pictures, url previews and so on. He also revealed an image to further confirm the presence of the feature on the device. And the image shows that the feature would be similar to Apple’s 3D Touch.

meizu pro 6 3d touch preview

Previously, it was reported that the company decided to cancel pressure sensitive display on the upcoming flagship because it was too difficult to implement it to a level similar to Apple’s 3D Touch. However, it looks like that’s not an issue anymore.

Previous leaks have given us a good idea about the design and the specs of the Pro 6 flagship. The phone is supposed to come with a dual antenna design and a unique rear camera module. The phone will launch sometime in the second half of the year, with Helio X25 chip on board. Other possible specs include a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 21MP rear camera with Laser Autofocus and a 5MP front facing shooter. As per the latest rumors, the pricing will be quite high, around $460.

 

Lei Jun: We Will Significantly Increase Xiaomi Mi 5’s Production Capacity In April

Although Xiaomi Mi 5 was officially released back in February, it’s still hard to get hold of the device for the original price in China. This is mainly because, in the five flash sales for the Xiaomi Mi 5 in the past one month, not once did the phone last in stock for more a few minutes. Most of the times, especially the black version, was out of stock instantly.

xiaomi mi 5 unboxing 08

This was naturally frustrating for a lot of fans in China who couldn’t get hold of the device via the traditional flash sale method. To solve this issue, Xiaomi’s Lei Jun revealed in the press conference yesterday that the company will significantly increase the production capacity of the Xiaomi Mi 5 in April.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Mi 5 Specs

The Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship comes with a lot of powerful hardware such as Snapdragon 820 and 4-axis 16MP camera which could be why the company’s production capacity has been limited till now. But this news does come as a relief to all Xiaomi fans in the market. The Stable supply of the device would ensure that the phone is available at an affordable price everywhere.

Moreover, since Xiaomi has confirmed the launch of the Mi 5 in India tomorrow i.e. March 31, there needs to be enough stock to satisfy the demands of the Indian consumers as well. Given that Xiaomi smartphones get the same kind of powerful response from Indian fans like that in China, we can expect a high demand for the phone in the country. So, stocks need to be in plenty in both the places.

RELATED: Xiaomi Mi 5 Pro’s Ceramic body comes out unscratched in torture test (video)

To remind you, till now, only the Xiaomi Mi 5 standard editions have gone on sale in China. The Mi 5 Pro edition with a ceramic back cover, faster clocked Snapdragon 820 chip and 4GB of RAM will go on sale in China on April 6, the company’s sixth anniversary.

 

OPPO R9 Plus with 6-inch Display Goes On Sale In China Tomorrow

OPPO has been doing quite well with its first OPPO R9 smartphone selling over 180,000 units in the first day of sale. Now, the second and the larger device in the series, namely the OPPO R9 Plus will soon go on sale. The company has revealed that the phone will be available to purchase starting tomorrow in China.

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The OPPO R9 Plus comes with a faster chip, larger screen and battery and a better rear camera as compared to the smaller OPPO R9 model. Instead of the Helio P10, the R9 Plus comes with the Snapdragon 652 octa-core chipset under the hood with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There will be a large 6-inch display on board with 1080p resolution. It also comes with a fingerprint sensor embedded into the home button up front.

On the front as well as the back, the phone will come with 16MP sensors. So, selfies would come out just perfect on the device. Further, the phablet features a large 4120mAh battery to keep the phone going all day long. It also supports VOOC fast charging to keep the charging times to the minimum. Considering the specs, the OPPO R9 Plus is ideal for phablet lovers who want a powerful selfie camera that will last the entire day.

OPPO R9 sales four days later

The OPPO R9 was an instant hit in China, selling over 400,000 units of the device in just four days of launch. In fact, in many of the places in the country, the phone was out of stock. The company has acknowledged this issue and has increased production to meet the high demand. Considering the success of the R9, we can expect OPPO to stock up the R9 Plus as well before it’s official sale.

The phone will be up for order tomorrow at a price tag of 3299 Yuan which comes to around $509. Not the cheapest 6-inch phone in the market, but that hasn’t stopped fans in China buying smartphones in the past.

 

 

Ulefone Vienna Pre-Sales Start At A Promo Price Of $169.99 (With Free Gift)

Ulefone recently announced its Hi-Fi equipped Ulefone Vienna smartphone. At the time of the announcement, the company had revealed that it would offer the phone at a promotional price during the pre-sale period. Many retailers have now started accepting pre-orders for the Vienna and they are at a price of $169.99 as opposed to the original price tag of $199.99.

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At $169.99, the Ulefone Vienna seems like a good smartphone. This is a good $30 OFF the official price tag. Plus, during the pre-sale period, buyers get an additional mystery gift worth $10. The pre-sale started earlier today and will go on till April 12. The company has promised shipping from April 15 and will fulfill orders at normal speed.

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To recap, the Ulefone Vienna comes with the NXP Smart Audio PA chipset for Hi-Fi audio quality. The company recently released a video comparing the sound quality of the Vienna and the Vivo X5 Max. You can check that out from here. Moving on, the phone features the MTK MT6753 octa-core chip with 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 32GB of internal storage. At the back, there will be a 13MP Panasonic MN34172 camera sensor.

The 5.5-inch 1080p LTPS display will be supplied by Sharp. Other features include a rear placed fingerprint scanner, infrared port, 3250mAh battery, and 2.5D glass with Gorilla Glass protection. The phone will come in four colors namely white, black, grey and pink.

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You can check out more details from the company’s dedicated pre-sale page for the Vienna. Or directly head over to the retailers below to pre-order the device.

 

BUY LINKS: 

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Specs Leaked: A Snapdragon Powerhouse at $460

Xiaomi had a busy day today, unveiling a new brand and a bunch of new products like the Mi Router 3 and the Smart Rice Cooker. In fact, if we actually take a look at the past few months, Xiaomi has regularly released/ updated its Redmi and Mi series smartphones. This brings us to the one series which seems to be forgotten at the moment and that’s none other than the Mi Note series.

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However, a few hours ago, new details about the Mi Note 2 emerged, which reveals the specs as well as pricing of the device. It is said that the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 will come in a number of variants in terms of processor, storage and RAM. For example, it is said that the phone will have Snapdragon 820 as well as 823 chip versions, as well as 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM options. In terms of storage, starting at 32GB, the storage option reportedly will go up to 256GB.

mi note 2 specs rumors

To recap, this is not the first time we have heard about the Snapdragon 823 version. Analyst Pan Jiutang had revealed in February that Snapdragon 823 model number MSM8996 Pro should come with an upgraded CPU (higher clock speed?) but the baseband should be the same.

Coming back to the Mi Note 2, the phone is said to come with the same screen size, 5.7-inches with 2K resolution. There’s even the possibility of pressure sensitive display. Other rumored specs include a large 3600mAh battery with support for 18W Quick Charging, 16MP rear camera (Sony IMX 295) with OIS and a 5MP front camera. The phone should be made out of metal.

The source further reveals that the release of Snapdragon 823 will depend on its availability. Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is expected to come with this chip, and it’s possible that the Mi Note also uses this upgraded CPU for better performance.

Finally, coming to the pricing, the phone is said to retail for around 2999 Yuan which comes to $460. That’s not really a bad figure considering all the high-end hardware packed inside.

However, it’s still too early to say anything about the Mi Note 2 for sure, so we will advise you to take this rumor with a pinch of salt. If Xiaomi does intend to update the lineup, expect a release only in the second half of 2016.

UMi Touch’s Fingerprint Unlocks In 0.1s, Faster Than the iPhone 6S Plus

Now that almost every smartphone in the block comes with a fingerprint sensor (Xiaomi announced the Redmi 3 Pro with fingerprint ID today), manufacturers are trying to improve the overall experience by using a faster sensor as well as optimizing the software for smooth unlocking. UMi’s upcoming smartphone, namely the UMi Touch has been in the news for the past few days, and it’s no surprise that the phone features a fingerprint sensor.

A few hours back, UMi demoed the fingerprint sensor on the UMi Touch and the sensor unlocked the phone quite fast. In fact, when directly compared to the iPhone 6S Plus which is said to feature a pretty good sensor, the UMi Touch managed to unlock the phone a bit faster. The company claims that the device unlocks in just 0.1 seconds, which if true is super fast.

 

What’s even more impressive is that the fingerprint sensor can unlock the phone even when the screen is turned off. Further, the company reveals that there is a silicone pad in between the fingerprint sensor and the screen below it to ensure that it’s protected from things like water vapor and sweat. You can set up to 4 different fingerprints at a time.

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Coming to the other specs, the UMi Touch features a 5.5-inch FHD display with 2.5D glass and MT6753 octa-core processor. There will be 3GB of RAM on board and 16GB of internal storage which is further expandable via MicroSD. At the back, there will be a 13MP Sony IMX328 camera and a 4000mAh battery. The phone supports 4G LTE networks and dual SIM dual standby. As for software, the phone comes with the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow build.

Most retailers have already started shipping the UMi Touch flagship. You can purchase the device from the links below.

Everbuying ($152)

Gearbest ($158.99)

COUPON: CellPhones8 ($11 Off)

Xiaomi unveils Redmi 3 Pro With 3GB RAM & Fingerprint Scanner For $138

If you ever thought that you wanted a fingerprint scanner on a budget smartphone, Xiaomi has just the answer for you. The company has just released the Redmi 3 Pro model, which is an updated version of the existing Redmi 3. Given that the phone comes with a bump up in specs as well as price, this won’t be a replacement, but rather it will sell alongside the existing Redmi 3.

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So, what’s new in the Redmi 3 Pro? Well, first up, the company has integrated a fingerprint sensor at the back of the phone. It’s similar to the one we saw on the Redmi Note 3 model. The second major upgrade is the RAM and the storage. Xiaomi has increased the RAM from 2GB to 3GB and doubled the storage from 16GB to 32GB. Further, you still get MicroSD card slot on the device for storage expansion. So, you don’t have to worry about memory on your device (supports 128GB MicroSD cards).

Rest of the specs have remained unchanged. So, you get the same 5-inch 720p screen, with Snapdragon 616 octa-core chip, Adreno 405 GPU, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front-facing camera, 4G LTE support, dual-SIM dual standby and a large 4100mAh battery. There are four different colors for the Redmi 3 Pro, namely gold, grey, white and rose gold.

While it doesn’t replace the Redmi 3, what it does seem to threaten is the Redmi Note 3 2GB RAM version that retails for the same price in China. Apart from the display, which is a 5.5-inch 1080p panel, rest of the specs are quite similar to the Redmi 3 Pro. In fact, RAM and storage are higher on the Redmi3 Pro (3GB + 32GB vs 2GB + 16GB). Other specs of the Note 3 include Helio X10, 13MP camera, dual SIM, and a 4000mAh battery. Screen and RAM seem to be the deciding factor between the two, i.e. whether you want a larger and more beautiful display, or whether you want a larger RAM and storage space.

Anyways, the similarity in the specs and the pricing of the Redmi 3 Pro and Note 3 may not be of as much concern as I think. But what’s your take on the new phone?

 

All Xiaomi Smart Home Products Will Come Under The New “MIJIA” Brand

Xiaomi is not just a smartphone manufacturer. In the six years of its existence, the company has evolved from a startup Chinese smartphone maker to a brand whose products are spread around in almost every smart home segment. A couple of years back, Xiaomi started investing heavily in subsidiary brands for various smart home products such as Mi Purifier, Mi Powerbank, Smart Shoes etc, and in a short span of time, the company grew into one of the biggest tech names in China.

MIJIA featured brand image

However, out of the numerous products launched by Xiaomi, only a handful are actually manufactured by them. In fact, a majority of the Xiaomi Mi branded products in the market are made by third party companies, many of whom have seen major investments from the company. However, with the increase in the smart home products manufactured by third party companies, it became necessary for Xiaomi to differentiate the products that it manufactures on its own from the ones that are made by others. This is why the company finally unveiled the new brand, MIJIA, which will encompass all the major smart home products that come under the Mi branding.

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In case you are wondering, MIJIA literally means Xiaomi Smart Home in Chinese. The logo is a shield and the company wants to portray a sense of reliability from the brand image. Apart from Xiaomi smartphones, Mi TVs and Mi Routers, rest of the products will fall under the MIJIA brand.

To give you some figures, Xiaomi has invested in over 55 startups till now and 29 of them were incubated by the company. Further, two of these startups can boast of a revenue of over 1 billion Yuan.

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Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier

These are really some impressive figures. Xiaomi tells us that the company’s aim has always been to rebuild the image of “Made in China” and it has managed to achieve this through its MIJIA Mi Ecosystem.

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After announcing the MIJIA brand, the company launched its first product under the new name, namely the MIJIA Rice Cooker. The company invited a renowned engineer from Japan to build this cooker since Japanese are experts in this technology. This induction heating pressure rice cooker comes with a total of 2450 different heating methods. To make things super easy, you can scan the QR code on your rice package and a corresponding heating method will be used by the cooker. What’s more, you have a dedicated Mijia Rice Cooker App to even adjust the softness of the rice being cooked. All this for $154 (999 Yuan in China). The cooker will go on sale on April 6 in China on the Mi.com website.

Adjust the softness of the rice with an app
Adjust the softness of the rice with an app

Things are really looking good for Xiaomi, with the new MIJIA brand and the existing Mi brand growing strong.

 

Vernee Thor’s Screen Compared With the iPhone 6S (Video)

Vernee is marketing its mid-range Thor smartphone pretty aggressively. The company will release the phone sometime in April, which is just a few weeks away. Today, it released a new video comparing the $129.99 Vernee Thor with the iPhone 6S, claiming that its phone delivers a stellar display performance.

In this regard, Vernee released an on-screen comparison of the devices, as well as an off-screen comparison to show the performance of its upcoming handset.

You can check out the video below for the on-screen comparison between the Thor and the iPhone 6S. In the video, the phone does pretty well, coming with higher color saturation and warmer tones. The video tests different colors, dark and light shades, viewing angles and a number of other parameters.

Coming to the off-screen test, Vernee Thor is pitted against the iPhone 6S and the Moto X flagships. The company seems to have performed a thorough off screen analysis of the three phones, showing that the Vernee Thor does a good job in the comparison.

Here’s the official comparison released by the company:

 

Off-screen Comparison:

vernee thor compared

Scenario 1:

 

Crosswise comparison in highlight environment:

With screen reflection totally avoided, we let the 3 devices display the unobservable off-screen integration.

vernee thor comparison

 

We can see from the close shot that iPhone 6s has the best off-screen integration, Vernee Thor comes second, and the Moto X the last.

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Scenario 2:

360°light environment, symmetrical contrast with equal light projecting on each device

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From top to bottom: Moto X, Vernee Thor, iPhone 6S

In this scenario, Vernee Thor and iPhone 6s have almost the same off-screen integration, and Moto X lags much behind.

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Scenario 3:

With light projection on the top of the three 2.5D screens, iPhone 6s and Vernee Thor both win also in terms of viewing effects.

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From top to bottom: Vernee Thor, iPhone 6S, Moto X

 

Scenario 4:

Single-side highlights projecting equally on the three devices, and the result is obvious.

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From top to bottom: iPhone 6S , Vernee Thor, Moto X

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From top to bottom:Moto X, Vernee Thor, iPhone 6S

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From top to bottom:Moto X, iPhone 6S, Vernee Thor

 

So, what do you think about the Vernee Thor? It costs $129.99 and comes with the following specs:

  • MT6753 8-core LTE chipset
  • 5.0 inch on-cell HD arc display
  • 3GB RAM
  • 16GB ROM
  • 5.0mp front camera
  • 13.0mp rear camera
  • 2800mAh with 5V2A quick charge

Buy Links:

OPPO Sells Over 400,000 R9 Units In China Within Four Days Of Launch

OPPO’s new flagship smartphone, namely the OPPO R9 is doing quite well in China. The phone went on sale last week and in the first day of sale, the company managed to sell over 180,000 units of the R9. Now, it looks like the sales are strong even after the first day as the company has revealed that it managed to sell more than 400,000 units of the OPPO R9 smartphone within the first four days of sale.

OPPO R9 sales four days later

This is really surprising given that China is the hub of low-cost smartphones and OPPO R9 and the R9 Plus are not really cheap products. The cheapest model in the series, namely the R9 itself costs nearly $420. So, it really shows the kind of strong brand image as well as effective marketing strategy of OPPO in China.

The demand for the OPPO R9 is so high that the phone is out of stock in many places. The company released a statement recently saying that the demand was much higher than their initial expectations and they have increased the production to fulfill the high number of orders.

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The OPPO R9 series is a big step up from last year’s R7 series which wasn’t as successful as this one. The R9 Plus will go on sale pretty soon and we can expect a good response for the larger model as well.

To recap, the OPPO R9 comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. The phone has the Helio P10 octa-core chip under the hood with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The major highlight of the device is the 16MP selfie camera up front with f/2.0 aperture. At the back, there will be a 13MP shooter with PDAF and LED flash. Other features include a 2850mAh battery with super fast VOOC charging, fingerprint sensor and a super thin 6.6m metal body.

Specs wise, this isn’t the fastest or the greatest phone in the market, however, the overall experience provided by the device is pretty good, especially with its 16MP front selfie camera. As a result, the phone is doing quite well in the country.

Well, if you are looking to get hold of the handset in India, you are in luck because the R9 and the R9 Plus models are expected to hit the Indian shore on April 5.

 

 

 

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

Xiaomi had teased the release of its Mi Router 3 version a few days back. As promised, the company officially released the new smart router via its official weibo page earlier today. This is one of the many smart home products that the company has announced / will announce this week.

Mi Router 3 official

The new Mi Router 3 sports a minimalistic design, with the only graphic on top being the Mi logo. The company loves to keep things simple and we can clearly see that in the router’s design. It’s thin and beautiful and comes with a notification light right up front. One of the highlights of the router is its four antenna design, which will greatly improve the range and the power of the device.

As for the back, we still don’t know how many ports are available to the user. Despite the device being officially announced, the company hasn’t revealed the back of the router, so we still have no idea about the ports on board.

Thanks to its four antenna design, the Mi Router 3 will cover a large area with better signal reception. It supports 802.11ac Gigabit Wi-Fi connectivity and comes with 128MB Super Flash inbuilt. The router reportedly supports the installation of plugins and can also be controlled using an exclusive app.

Remember the large white mystery box that was spotted a few days back? It looks like the box was for the Mi Router 3. The simple all white design and the large size looks perfect for the new router.

Xiaomi’s new router will go on sale on April 6 for an official price tag of 149 Yuan ($23). If you live outside of China, you can expect third party retailers to list the new router soon after that.

 

Meizu M3 Note Specs Leaked In Detail

After a few months of silence, Meizu will finally unveil its first device of the year, namely the Meizu M3 Note on April 6. The company has been teasing the device for the past few days, however, we had little knowledge about the final specs of the device. But now, thanks to the AnTuTu listing of the M3 Note, we have a good idea as to what to expect from the upcoming device. Most of the M3 Note specs are in line with what earlier leaks have predicted.

meizu m3 note specs antutu

According to AnTuTu, the Meizu M3 Note will come with the Helio P10 MT6755m octa-core processor with 2GB / 3GB RAM options. You can choose between 16GB and 32GB storage versions as well. While the display size is not yet revealed, we can expect it to be the same as the previous models, i.e. 5.5-inches. Resolution will be FHD 1920 x 1080p. At the back, there will be a 13MP camera, while up front a 5MP shooter. As for software, the phone will be running on Android 5.1 Lollipop.

meizu m3 note invites
meizu m3 note invite

After taking a look at these specs, the biggest update is in the processor department, moving from the MT6753 in the M2 Note to Helio P10 in the new model. Rest of the specs including battery (expected to be 3500mAh) are more or less the same. With these specs on board, the Meizu M3 Note managed to score about 45000 on the AnTuTu benchmark app. This isn’t too impressive, but the scores may improve in the final version. Also, considering that the phone will retail for around 999 Yuan ($154), these specs are good.

According to Meizu CEO, Huang, the M3 Note is not only the first smartphone from the company in 2016, it’s also going to be the most beautiful one. We still don’t have very clear renders of the device, but let’s hope we see the phone in real life pretty soon.

Stay tuned for more details.

 

HTC M10 Price Leaked, Almost Twice As Costly As Xiaomi Mi 5

HTC is all set to announce its flagship device for 2016, HTC M10 in April. We have been seeing a lot of rumors about the device in the past few days. Now, a new leak reveals the pricing for the HTC M10, and it’s quite costly.

htc m10 pricing leak

According to the new leak, the HTC M10 will be divided into three different versions based on its specifications. The base variant will come with a slower Snapdragon 652 processor with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage which can be further expanded via MicroSD. This version will be priced at 3799 Yuan ($586).

Then, there are two Snapdragon 820 variants. The low-end model will come with SD820 and 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage. On the other hand, the higher-end model will feature the same chip but with larger memory modules, i.e. 4GB RAM and 128GB ROM. However, these models are quite pricey. The low-end SD820 variant will reportedly retail for a price tag of 4999 Yuan ($771) while the top-end variant will cost 5888 Yuan ($908).

As you can see, these models are priced nearly twice as much as the Xiaomi Mi 5 variants which also comes with similar specs, including Snapdragon 820. However, we have to remind you that these prices are not yet confirmed by the company, and they could be a bit cheaper than these figures.

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Other rumored specs of the phone include a 5.2-inch 2K display, 3000mAh battery, rear camera setup with OIS which will most likely be a new 12MP ultra-pixel lens with Sony IMX378 sensor. Moving on to the performance of the device, it’s reportedly going to be fierce, with a recent leaked AnTuTu image showing a score upwards of 156,000.

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As for the design, recently leaked images have showed that the HTC M10 will come with a slightly updated design, losing the company’s traditional logo and dual speakers for a much more compact body with better screen proportion. Just below the display, the buttons will be a combination of capacitive and physical ones. The home button will most likely be integrated with a fingerprint sensor.

Despite its premium design and powerful specs, if the HTC M10 is really priced at $900, would you ever consider buying the device? Reports suggest that the phone will most likely release on April 12 with sales starting on April 15 in Taiwan.

 

 

UHANS U100 & U200 With 4.5G Support & Updated Specs In The Works

Remember UHANS, the Chinese startup company with a Vertu like design? Well, if you liked the phone’s design but were disappointed with the specs, here’s some good news. The company seems to be working on an updated version of the UHANS U100 and the U200 models. The design is expected to be the same as before, but the specs would be upgraded to be targeted at the upper mid-range segment.

UHANS U100

One of the highlights of the new devices will be support for the much faster 4.5G network. This new network standard is 10 times faster than traditional 4G networks, which will make high-definition video streaming, internet calls etc much better.

Coming to the specs, the UHANS U100 will most likely be upgraded to the Mediatek Helio P10 chip, the same processor that powers the popular OPPO R9. In comparison, the old U100 featured a modest MT6735. Other specs include 4GB of RAM on board and a Full HD 5.2-inch display. So, it looks like the company is aiming big with the upcoming U100 handset. As for the UHANS U200, it’s still unclear whether an updated version will see the light of the day, but if it becomes a reality, expect mid-range specs on the device.

UHANS U200

Like I mentioned in my previous coverage of the manufacturer, UHANS is one company which has carved out a niche market for its phone. Many love the different design, with a leather back and a metal body, while there are some who hate it.

So, which category do you fall in?

Xiaomi Mi 5 Pro’s 3D Ceramic Body Comes Out Unscratched After Torture Test (Video)

Xiaomi Mi 5 Pro with its special 3D ceramic body will soon go on sale in China. During the launch, the company had a lot of good things to say about its ceramic back cover, which reportedly uses a 16 step process to achieve the desired texture.

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When compared to the glass back of the Mi 5, this particular body costs 75% more, which is why the Mi 5 Pro is priced higher at 2699 Yuan ($416). The material looks premium and is extremely resistant. In fact, it can boast of 8 Mohs hardness, which is quite strong.

To prove that the Xiaomi Mi 5 Pro’s 3D ceramic body can take a beating, the company recently released a torture test video. Like you can see in the video added above, the phone is being subjected to a number of stress tests, starting from simple scratches from a key to the wrath of a drill. Irrespective of the tool used in the test, the ceramic body came out unscratched, which is really impressive. In fact, even after these test, the phone looked as good as new.

xiaomi mi 5 pro scratch test

But the Xiaomi Mi 5 Pro is not just a looker. It comes with powerful specs such as a Snapdragon 820 chip clocked at 2.15GHz, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage to make sure that the performance is top notch. Further, there will be a 16MP rear camera with 4-axis OIS and a 4MP Ultrapixel front facing shooter ideal for selfies. It’s a complete package featuring good looks that will last for a long time as well as capable hardware.

The Mi 5 Pro will go on sale in China on April 6, after which we can expect several more flash sales for this version in the country. Xiaomi has also confirmed that the phone will release in India on March 31, which is just a couple of days away. It remains to be seen whether the Mi 5 Pro model will also launch alongside the regular version at the event in India. Stay tuned for more details in the coming days.

 

Vernee Apollo With 6GB RAM Will Cost $399.99

The Chinese company Vernee came into the spotlight a few weeks back, thanks to its brand new smartphone, the Vernee Apollo. The phone was going to be a beast with Helio X20 and other powerful specs on board, however, what made the phone really special was that it was going to be the second smartphone with 6GB of RAM inside. So, alongside the Vivo XPlay 5S, the Vernee Apollo is all set to join the 6GB RAM club.

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However, like with all high-end smartphones, we all are a bit worried about the price tag of the device. I mean, giving users the best specs won’t just be enough. The phone needs to be affordable as well, at least, to some extent. Looks like Vernee may have done a good job in this regard as it is said that the Apollo could cost $399.99 at launch.

This is obviously high as compared to other local Chinese smartphones, however, if you fancy using a 6GB RAM phone, this might be your cheapest bet. Apart from the large RAM module, the phone features capable specs to justify the price tag.

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Under the hood, the Vernee Apollo comes with Helio X20 chipset with 128GB of storage. At the back, the phone will reportedly come with a 21MP Sony IMX230 camera sensor. The display will be of 5.5-inches with a massive 2K resolution. There are other features such as a metal unibody design, USB Type-C port and pressure sensitive display. We still don’t know the battery capacity, but we sure hope that it’s above 3000mAh to power these powerful specs.

Given the specs, $399.99 seems to be a pretty good figure. In comparison, the next smartphone with 6GB RAM, namely the Vivo XPlay 5S retails for around $660. So, it doesn’t look like a bad deal.

Anyways, what do you think? Does the $399.99 Vernee Apollo interest you?

The Ulefone Future Will Have Virtual Keys Confirms Video

Ulefone is all set to release its bezel-less flagship, namely the Ulefone Future in April. The company has been revealing a few details about the phone in the weeks to the launch. Today, the company informs us that the Ulefone Future will come with virtual keys instead of traditional capacitive ones.

ulefone future navigation buttons

The company is reportedly going with on-screen buttons because it will help it reduce the portion below the display. In a video released recently Ulefone has shows us how to enable or customize the navigation buttons on the device.

There are four different options for the user, with optimizations for both left handed and right handed users. You also get a special toggle button to bring down the notifications. Further, you can even hide the bar from the display.

You can check out more details about the navigation bar from the video below.

Coming to the specs of the Future, it will feature a bezel-less display measuring 5.5-inches with FHD 1080p resolution. The phone will reportedly feature Helio P10 processor clocked at 2GHz with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The initial AnTuTu scores revealed by the company of the Future was just average, scoring just above 51,000 points. However, it was a prototype model and we can expect the score to increase to some extent in the retail version.

The phone will come with Android 6.0 out of the box along with a CyanogenMod ROM. Expect the Ulefone Future to be unveiled in April. Stay tuned for more details in the coming days.