Cubot Cheetah Goes Into Pre-Sale Stage From Next Week

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May 5, 2016

Cubot and Cheetah entered into a partnership recently to release their first flagship smartphone called as the Cubot Cheetah. The phone was showcased back at MWC 2016 in Barcelona, Spain, so we are not new to this device. However, what we were wondering till now was when the new Cheetah phone would go into pre-sale. Now, new information reveals that the Cubot Cheetah phone will start pre-sale sometime next week.

The phone runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS on top, with a highly customizable Cheetah launcher on top. The phone would be running Cheetah mobile’s 3D desktop and comes with all the important apps like Cleaner Master to make the most out of the device. Other software features of the device include a gallery app with Wi-Fi transfer for speedy transfer of photos, Cheetah Mobile’s HD wallpapers and themes.

As for the specs, the Cubot Cheetah is a pretty good smartphone. It comes with a 64-bit octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. This storage is further expandable via MicroSD slot, but it is a hybrid one, so you can either use dual SIM cards or a single SIM with MicroSD. There will be a 5.5-inch FHD 1080p display translating into pixel density of 400 ppi. At the back, you get a fingerprint sensor as well, which unlocks in just 0.3 seconds.

The 13MP rear camera is from Samsung (3M2 sensor) with 5P lens and LED flash. Up front, you get an 8
MP front facing shooter. Inside, there is a 3050mAh battery with 5V 2A fast charging tech. The phone comes with support for 4G LTE networks, 5G Wi-Fi transfer speeds, GPS, A-GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, HotKnot and OTG.

The Cubot Cheetah features an aluminum body with 2.5D glass and comes in three colors, namely space gray, gold and rose gold. At MWC, it was said that the phone will go on sale for $220, but let’s wait for the official pre-sale price next week. You can read more about the phone from here.

Xiaomi Max Pricing Exposed, May Not Be As Cheap As Expected

By

Joel Joseph

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May 5, 2016

It looks like the next few days are going to be flooded with news and leaks about the Xiaomi Max phablet. We already have seen images, and the specs of the device, thanks to the previous leaks. There was even a rumor that the phone was going to be priced at just $200, which would have been awesome. But according to the latest information, the Xiaomi Max’s price could be a bit higher than expected.

Thanks to a leaked image of a PPT presentation found by Mydrivers, it is said that the Xiaomi Max could sell at 2199 yuan which comes to $338. In the image, we can see that the phone comes with Snapdragon 650 chip, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

Now, this makes things really interesting. If you remember, the standard edition of the Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship starts at just 1999 Yuan ($310). This model features the mighty Snapdragon 820 (slightly underclocked) version with 3GB of RAM and a 5.2-inch 1080p display. On the other hand, the Xiaomi Max is expected to come with the much, much slower hexa-core Snapdragon 650 chipset. It’s not even the Snapdragon 652 chip. Considering this information, it really doesn’t make sense for the company to price the new phablet at such a high price. So, you might want to take this leak with a pinch of salt.

Moving on, the phone is said to come with a 6.4-inch 1080p display with 2GB / 3GB RAM and 16GB / 32GB storage variants. There will be a large battery inside, with a capacity of more than 4000mAh (most likely 4500mAh). The phone is also said to come with an infrared port on the top. Other features of the Xiaomi Max include a slim profile, 2.5D glass and a metal body with fingerprint sensor located at the back.

You can read more about the leaked TENAA pictures of the Xiaomi Max from here.

(Mydrivers)

Exclusive: Xiaomi Yi 4K Action Camera 2 Triumphs The GoPro Hero 4 In Battery Life

By

Joel Joseph

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May 5, 2016

Earlier today, we reported that Xiaomi was going to announce the new generation version of the Xiaomi Yi 4K Action Camera 2 soon, most likely at the May 10 event, alongside the unveiling of the Xiaomi Max phablet. We got a lot of details about the device via pictures posted online, but now we have some exclusive information about the Yi 4K Action Camera 2. Our source has just provided us with a test file of the new Yi Camera which gives us some insight into the device’s battery life.

Like the name suggests, the new generation Yi Action Camera 2 will be able to capture 4K videos at 30 fps. We all know that 4K video recording drains a lot of battery, which is why the manufacturer of the camera decided to test out a few samples for evaluation of its battery life while capturing 4K resolution video at 30 fps.

The test was carried out at an indoor room temperature of 20 degrees celsius, with both Wi-Fi and LCD display turned off. The company has compared the Yi 4K Action Camera 2 with the GoPro Hero 4 Black model, both under same conditions. The Yi Camera comes with a 1400mAh battery which should be good for 8 hours of life under normal usage. On the other hand, the GoPro Hero 4 comes with a slightly smaller 1160mAh battery.

So, here are results of the test. The company tested out five different samples of the new action camera and compared them with one GoPro Hero 4 Black model. On a couple of occasions, the Yi camera managed to record 4K video at 30 fps for a good 120+ minutes. The rest of the samples also provided 110+ minutes of recording.

Coming to the GoPro Hero 4 Black model, it managed to record for just 42 minutes, which is too low as compared to the Yi camera. But in the test, it was noted that the GoPro model shut down automatically during the recording. The model comes with temperature protection, which automatically shuts down the device when the temperature surges beyond a limit. So, the tester couldn’t record 4K video till the battery drained out on this model.

Model No.	Battery Capacity	Power Consumption	Record Time
Z16V13–3368264	3.85V 1400mAh 5.39Wh	523.5mA/5V 2.62W	122 mins
Z16V13–2038921	3.85V 1400mAh 5.39Wh	548.34mA/5V 2.74W	116 mins
Z16V13–2545843	3.85V 1400mAh 5.39Wh	552.6mA/5V 2.77W	114 mins
Z16V13–2624129	3.85V 1400mAh 5.39Wh	524.25mA/5V 2.62W	121 mins
Z16V13–1633742	3.85V 1400mAh 5.39Wh	527.3mA/5V 2.64W	119 mins
Gopro Hero4 Black	3.8V 1160mAh 4.4Wh	766.54mA/5V 3.83W	42 mins

(The first four (Z16V13LW612AUSXXXXXXX) are 4K Yi Action Camera 2 models while the last one is the GoPro Hero 4 model)

You can see that the Yi Camera consumes less power while recording than the GoPro Hero 4, which made sure that it could record in 4K resolution without any overheating worries.

We hope to get hold of other test data from our sources very soon, so stay tuned for more details.

Meanwhile, check out our previous article wherein we have revealed more details about the upcoming action camera from Xiaomi.

Xiaomi Max TENAA Pictures Reveal Rear Placed Fingerprint Sensor

By

Joel Joseph

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May 4, 2016

While we may not meet the Mi Band 2 at the May 10 event, we are definitely going to see Xiaomi’s first true phablet in the market called as the Xiaomi Max. Most of the specs of the device have already been leaked, which has painted a pretty decent picture of the phone. Now, pictures of the Xiaomi Max certified by the TENAA website have started circulating online, giving us a good view of the front as well as the back of the device.

We have already seen the front of the device in multiple instances, one via the teaser video released by the company and another via the images leaked yesterday. Till now, we haven’t really got a good look at the back of the device. But now, we have that image as well. TENAA images reveal that the phone will come with a metal body and fingerprint sensor at the back of the Max. In fact, this seems like an enlarged version of the Redmi Note 3 smartphone. This isn’t a bad thing considering we all liked the metal design of the mid-ranger. We can find the Mi branding at the back of the phone as well as the camera sensor and the dual tone LED flash on the top left corner.

Coming to the front, we already know how it will look thanks to previous leaks. The sensors on top are placed symmetrically. The bezels are thin, although there will be thin black borders around the screen as confirmed by yesterday’s images. Below the screen, there will be three capacitive buttons as well. Given that the design is the same as the one leaked before, there is a good chance that this is indeed the Xiaomi Max phablet.

As for the specs, the phone is said to come with a large 6.4-inch 1080p display, with Snapdragon 650 hexa-core chipset, 4500mAh battery and a price tag of 1299 Yuan ($200). You can read more about the specs of the Xiaomi Max from here.

Xiaomi Yi 4K Action Camera 2 Details Leaked, Launching Soon

By

Joel Joseph

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May 4, 2016

Xiaomi announced the Yi Action Camera back in 2015 and it was quite popular among customers due to its compact size, powerful specs and cheap pricing. Now, the company is all set to release the new Xiaomi Yi 4K Action Camera 2, most likely next week and we have lots more details about the upcoming device.

So, what all upgrades can we expect on the new generation Yi Action Camera 2?

According to a leaked set of pictures online, the new action cam will come with a 12.35MP Sony IMX377 camera sensor. To recap, the previous generation model came with a larger Sony IMX 206 Exmor sensor. Now, you may be disappointed to see that the resolution has been reduced, however, let me remind you that the IMX377 CMOS sensor is pretty fast and supports 4K video shooting. The chip has been upgraded to Ambarella A9, which is known for its high performance and low power consumption. The chip is low power consuming even when recording at 4K 30 fps.

The Yi Action Camera 2 will come with a 2.19-inch display with Gorilla Glass protection. Further, it will have 160-degree viewing angle and 640 x 360 pixel resolution with 330 ppi density. Even the battery on the device has been upgraded to 1400mAh (the previous one had 1010mAh) which means better battery life. It is said that the battery should last for around 8 hours on a single charge. If you want to take 4K videos at 30 fps it would still last for a good 110 minutes.

While we are unsure about rest of the features of the Yi 4K Action Camera 2, it should come with connectivity features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and various ports like MicroUSB or MicroHDMI. ~~We still don’t know for sure whether there would be a MicroSD card slot on board, but it most likely should~~. We recently got out hands on the test data of the new action camera and it confirms the presence of the MicroSD card slot along with Wi-Fi support.

As for the colors available, from the pictures, we know for sure that there will be a white and a black version. But expect more colors at launch. No info on the pricing yet, but we have got lots more details coming on the Yi 4K Action Camera 2, so stay tuned.

Check out the battery life of the 4K Yi Action Camera 2 from here.

Vernee Apollo Lite To Feature The Samsung S5K3P3 16MP Camera Sensor, Launch Delayed

By

Joel Joseph

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May 4, 2016

Although Vernee Apollo is the real flagship smartphone of the company, its slightly toned down brother, the Vernee Apollo Lite is no slouch and comes with pretty powerful specifications as well. The company has been throwing some light on the phone’s body and specs for the past few weeks and now, Vernee has revealed yet another interesting feature of the Apollo Lite smartphone. The company confirms today that the Vernee Apollo Lite comes with the Samsung S5K3P3 sensor.

The company is touting the device as the first Helio X20 powered smartphone in the market with this camera sensor on board. Nothing special about this claim, but still it will interesting to see how well the camera performs on the device. This Samsung ISOCELL sensor comes with 1.0μm pixels with 16MP and supports PDAF, 4K video recording. Moreover, it is just 5mm thick, ensuring that the unit won’t be protruding out of the body.

Rest of the specs of the Vernee Apollo Lite are impressive as well. The phone comes with the Helio X20 MT6797 deca-core processor with a 5.5-inch FHD Arch Sharp IGZO display. There will be 4GB of RAM on board along with 32GB of internal storage. Up front, the phone comes with a 5MP shooter. As for software, there’s Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS on board. Other features of the device include USB Type-C port, dual SIM (hybrid), compass, gyroscope etc.

The company had earlier reported that the Apollo Lite would be announced in May. However, now the company reveals that the launch has been delayed to June.

Coupon Code: APOL30, $30 OFF at Oppomart

OnePlus 3 Detailed Specs & Price Leaked: SD820, 16MP Rear Camera & More

By

Joel Joseph

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May 4, 2016

Given that most manufacturers have already announced their flagship phones for 2016, our attention is now towards the Chinese manufacturer OnePlus who is reportedly preparing the launch of its new generation flagship model, the OnePlus 3 sometime around May 18. The smartphone market is nothing like when OnePlus entered back in 2014, with the competition intensifying with the entry of more Chinese handset makers into the international market. So, there is no doubt that the company will have to step up its game this year.

Thanks to a leak from a popular user on Weibo, KJuma, we now have a lot more details about the OnePlus 3 flagship. From what we can see, the phone will offer tremendous value for the money you put in, starting at just $310. In fact, the pricing and the memory details are in line with what we had leaked exclusively a few days back. So, let’s look at what the OnePlus 3 would most likely offer.

Every year, OnePlus makes sure that their flagship phone comes with the best chipset in the market. This year too, the company is said to continue the tradition, using Snapdragon 820 inside the OnePlus 3. The new leak reveals two memory variants. The standard version will come with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. On the other hand, the high-end variant should come with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. At this point, we don’t know whether the storage will be expandable or not. As for the display, it should have a 5.5-inch panel with 1080p resolution.

As for the camera, the phone should come with a 16MP rear sensor with a large aperture which reportedly takes amazing bokeh effect photos. Well, we did see a camera sample from the OnePlus 3 revealed directly by the company CEO and it looked good. Up front, you can expect an 8MP shooter. Inside, there will be a 3500mAh battery and for software, Android 6.0 based Hydrogen OS 2.0. There was no mention of fast charging tech in this new leak, but earlier today, we saw a new OnePlus A3000 phone certified with OPPO’s low voltage 5V 4A charging support, which should end up on the OP3.

oneplus 3 concept 01 — oneplus 3 concept

Now, coming to the pricing, the OnePlus 3 will start at 1999 yuan ($310) says the leak for the 4GB RAM + 32GB version. The high-end 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant will retail for 2499 Yuan ($384). If true, these are some aggressive prices for the specs the phone comes with. To recap, one of the best value for money handsets in the market right now, the Xiaomi Mi 5 also starts at $310, but it comes with 3GB RAM and an underclocked CPU.

We haven’t really seen the new OnePlus 3 handset in real life, so we don’t know how the phone will end up looking. But we can expect the company to cook up a great design for their most important smartphone of this year.

Stay tuned for more details.

OPPO R9 Plus Top-End Version With 128GB ROM Goes On Sale In China For $554

By

Joel Joseph

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May 4, 2016

OPPO R9 series smartphones have been doing well in China ever since it was announced back in March. The company managed to sell nearly 180,000 units in the first day of launch alone. Later in April, even the OPPO R9 Plus variant with a larger display, battery and better specs went on sale. Now, the company has just released the top-end variant of the OPPO R9 Plus and it will go on sale in China from today.

This top-end model comes with a massive 128GB of storage inside, making sure that you never run out of memory on the device. Rest of the specs are pretty impressive as well. The OPPO R9 Plus comes with the Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor inside with 4GB of RAM. The ROM is further expandable via MicroSD card up to 128GB, clearly making sure that you can store a lot of stuff inside the smartphone. Further, there will be a large 4120mAh battery with the company’s low voltage VOOC fast charging tech. This will make sure that the 6-inch 1080p display on board won’t be an issue for battery life.

Coming to the camera department, the phone comes with 16MP front and rear cameras. The front camera is ideal for selfies with f/2.0 aperture and 5P lens, while at the back, you have the Sony IMX298 with 1.12u pixel sensor and f/2.0 aperture. Other camera features of the phone include support for 4K videos and HDR.

The OPPO R9 Plus 128GB edition will go on sale in China from today for a price tag of 3599 Yuan. This comes to around $554.

So, what do you think about this large storage offering from the company?

Huawei G9 Lite Smartphone & MediaPad M2 Tablet Official In China

By

Joel Joseph

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May 4, 2016

Like expected, Huawei unveiled the Huawei G9 Lite and MediaPad M2 7.0 tablets in China today. The company had revealed teasers for the launch of the two devices, so it doesn’t come as a surprise.

Chinese companies often have the tradition of keeping two different names for one smartphone. The company is using a similar strategy here as the Huawei G9 Lite (for China) is actually the Huawei P9 Lite (international name). Most of the specs were already revealed earlier. So, the G9 Lite version come with a 5.2-inch 1080p display with the new Kirin 650 chipset under the hood clocked at 2GHz. There will be 3GB of RAM on board and 16GB storage which is further expandable via MicroSD.

While you won’t get the dual camera setup found on the flagship P9 series, the new G9 Lite comes with a single 13MP rear sensor and an 8MP front facing shooter. There will be a fingerprint sensor at the back as well that unlocks in 0.5 seconds. The phone will be available for 1699 Yuan in China, which comes to around $260. There will be three colors available, white, gold and black.

Along with the new smartphone, Huawei also unveiled new tablets, the MediaPad M2 7.0 and 10.1 models today. This new models in the company’s M2 series features 7-inch and 10.1-inch displays with 920 x 1200 resolution. They come with a fingerprint sensor, 1080p display and Snapdragon 615 chipset under the hood. Other specs of the tablet include 3GB of RAM, 13MP rear camera with LED flash and selfie 5MP front facing shooter. Also, there will be a decent 4360mAh battery on board.

The MediaPad M2 7.0 will go on sale for 1599 Yuan ($245) for the 16GB model and goes up to 1799 Yuan ($276) for the 32GB model. The 10-inch model starts at 1499 Yuan ($230) (16GB) Wi-Fi only and for the SIM card version, 16GB starts at 1899 Yuan ($292) and 32GB for 2099 Yuan ($322).

Pre-order start from today and these two models will go on sale in China from May 19.

OnePlus 3 Certified In China, Comes With 5V 4A Fast Charging Tech

By

Joel Joseph

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May 4, 2016

Although OnePlus is yet to reveal a final date for the release of its new OnePlus 3 flagship, rumors state that the phone will be announced this month itself. Now, it looks like the rumors does have some backing as the model OnePlus A3000 most likely the OnePlus 3 was just certified in China. In case you are wondering, it was not certified by TENAA, but rather the phone received 3C certification.

oneplus 3 3c certified

This gives us some insight about the charging specs of the OnePlus 3 and here’s where things get really interesting. The certification listing reveals that the phone will support fast charging at 5V 4A, which translates into a maximum wattage of 20W. This would really speed up the charging process. But what’s even more interesting is that it the phone is said to come with OPPO’s low voltage charging technology instead of Qualcomm’s Quick Charging tech.

So, how did OnePlus manage to use OPPO’s fast charging tech inside its new flagship smartphone? At this moment, we have no answer, but we wil have to wait for the official unveiling event of the OnePlus 3 to get more answers.

In related news, we had seen the company trademark the name “Dash Charge” recently. Judging from the name, we expected it to be some kind of fast charging technology from the company. However, we are not quite sure whether the fast charging on the new OnePlus device will end up being called as this.

As for the specs, the OnePlus 3 is expected to come with Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There would be another version with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Pricing would be competitive as well, expected to start at 1999 Yuan translating into just $310. This would make it one of the best value for money smartphone in the market right now, even beating Xiaomi Mi 5 which features just 3GB RAM on the base model.

oneplus 3 phone

OnePlus is rumored to release the new flagship sometime around May 18. However, we haven’t seen any official teasers or invites for the same till now.

Meanwhile, you can check out the first camera sample from the flagship from here.

Vernee Thor Comes With A Better Charger, Teardown Video Released

By

Joel Joseph

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May 4, 2016

Vernee Thor, the company’s first smartphone turned out to be quite successful, thanks to its cheap pricing and competitive specs. The company has been promoting its new device via stress test videos recently, and now, Vernee has revealed more information on the charger used by the Thor smartphone.

According to the company, users often neglect the importance of chargers, which plays a key role in the charging speed as well as the safety. But the company has given due attention to the Vernee Thor’s charger, making it durable as compared to other chargers. In fact, the company just released a new video tearing down the charger as well as comparing it with competitive products. You can check them out from below.

Vernee Thor comes with pretty good specs for its price. The phone come with the 64-bit MT6753 octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable memory. There will be a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing shooter. Inside, the phone features a 2800mAh battery with support for 5V 2A fast charging.

Overall, its a value for money product and you can currrently get it via different online retail stores for $119.99.

So, what do you think about the new device from Vernee?

LeEco Le 2 Unboxing and First Impressions

By

Linus

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May 4, 2016

LeEco (formerly known as Letv) may be still considered as a newcomer to the smartphone game but they have released quite a few high-quality smartphones in a short amount of time. LeEco Le 2 is one of the latest offerings by the company and it indeed looks like a nice phone for a reasonable price. Learn more in our unboxing and first impressions article.

Thanks to Oppomart for sending LeEco Le 2 for a review.

Buy LeEco Le 2 from Oppomart

LeEco Le 2: UNBOXING

The phone ships with some paperwork, USB type C cable, SIM ejector pin, a fast charger and last but not least USB type C to 3.5mm headset jack adapter since the LeEco Le 2 does not have a classic headset jack.

LeEco Le 2: SPECS

Display	5.5″ 1080p (Full-HD)
Processor	Mediatek 6797 Helio x20, 64-bit, octa-core (up to 2.3GHz)
RAM	3GB
Camera	8MP Front/16MP Back
Connectivity	Bluetooth, 3G, 4G, GPS, WIFI, GSM,EDGE, GPRS, UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, dual-SIM.
Battery	3.000 mAh (non-removable)
Dimensions	151.1×74.1×7.7mm / 153g
OS	EUI 5.6 (Android 6.0)
Storage	32GB (non-expandable)

LeEco Le 2: DESIGN and FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The first impressions once we took the phone out of the box – it is just gorgeous. An excellent all-metal build quality, nice and tactile buttons and the rose gold colour looks awesome.

One of the most interesting aspects of this phone is that it does not have a headset jack. Instead, LeEco assures that this phone is capable of providing even a better audio experience via the USB type C. We will test it out in our full review.

We have the same 5.5″ 1080p display, which is nice and sharp, nicely backlit capacitive buttons, notification LED and 5MP camera on the front. Design-wise, Le 2 very similar to the Le 1s, which is also a great looking phone.

The metal surface is very nice to the touch. We have a 16MP camera, dual tone dual-LED flash and a fingerprint scanner on the back.

LeEco Le 2 in pictures:

LeEco Le 2 shapes up to be a great phone. It has a powerful processor, premium look and feel, and it is working fast and fluid as all LeEco smartphones. As usual, stay tuned to Gizmochina for our full review.

Buy LeEco Le 2 from Oppomart

Lenovo Lemo K3 Flash Sale just $89.99

By

shanos

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May 4, 2016

Gearbest holding a flash sale for Lenovo Lemo K3 at just $89.99

If you fancy a cheap fun 5″ Android phone, you can currently pick up the Lenovo Lemo K3 for just $89.99 over at gearbest as part of their current flash sale promotion.

Whilst the phone is not cutting edge tech, it would make a great second phone or handset for a relative that does not need high end features.

5 inch IPS capacitive screen, HD 1280 x 720 pixels
Qualcomm MSM8916, Cortex A53 quad core, 1.2GHz
Android 4.4 OS, 1GB RAM + 16GB ROM
Dual Cameras, front camera 2.0MP back camera 8.0MP
Dual SIM card dual standby, two micro SIM card
Support 4G/3G/GPS/Wifi/Bluetooth/Miracast
Networking:
2G: GSM 900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 900/2100MHz
4G: FDD-LTE 1800/2100MHz

lenovo lemo k3 front lenovo lemo k3 sims

You can pick up the phone here for just $89.99 but be quick as it is a flash sale (currently there are just 93 left at this price)

Regards Shane

Three New Meizu Models Spotted On TENAA, Should Be Meizu Metal 2 & MX6

By

Joel Joseph

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May 3, 2016

Meizu was quite busy last month, unveiling three new smartphones, including the flagship Pro 6. But the three earlier handsets won’t likely be the end of the company’s smartphone launches this year, as there are a couple of the other phones we can expect to see in the coming months.

Now three new smartphones from Meizu have just been spotted on the TENAA certification website. They haven’t been fully listed yet, so we have very limited information about their specs at the moment. However, since they have been listed, we can expect a lot more information soon. The first two models were also listed on the 3C certification website recently, you can read about that from here.

So, there are L681M, L681Q and Y685M models. The first two naturally are of the same phone but different variants. Our guess would be Meizu Metal 2. The Y685M should be the Meizu MX6 flagship.

As per earlier rumors about the MX6 flagship, it is said that the phone will come with Helio X20 chip inside with 3GB / 4GB RAM options and a 5.5-inch 1080p display on board. Other possible specs include a 3000mAh battery and 21MP rear camera. Along with the specs, we also have the rumored pricing of the handset. The MX6 16GB edition will reportedly start at 1499 Yuan ($230), 32GB at 1799 Yuan ($276) and 64GB at 1999 Yuan ($308).

Yesterday, we also saw a leaked image claimed to be of the MX6 flagship. It’s a plain looking design in metal and seems like an early prototype. You can see the picture from above.

Unfortunately, we don’t have much information about the Meizu Metal 2 handset right now.

Bad News Folks, Mi Band 2 Wearable Won’t Be Meeting Us Soon

By

Joel Joseph

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May 3, 2016

Xiaomi has confirmed that it will be announcing the Xiaomi Max phablet in May in China. However, the company is also expected to announce MIUI 8 as well as the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 wearable at the event. We have seen the new band a couple of times in pictures, and I am sure everyone is excited to meet the new wearable.

However, we have some bad news today.

Today evening, Huami CEO, Huang Wang, revealed via his weibo account that the mass production of the Mi Band 2 was facing problems. This meant that the company couldn’t manufacture the new band in large quantities which is a must for a product like this. Xiaomi’s products are highly popular in China, so in the absence of the availability of stock in large quantities, online sales would be a disaster.

Even Xiaomi’s CEO has confirmed the delay in the release of the new Mi Band 2. He revealed via his Weibo account that increasing the production of the Mi Band 2 wearable was difficult at the moment, which is why he estimates that the new band will be released around a month later. So, if you were keeping high hopes for getting the new wearable from Xiaomi anytime soon, you may be disappointed.

We have already seen the new Mi Band 2 in real life pictures. It will be an upgrade to the earlier generation model with a display on board. The band should also feature a heart rate sensor like the Band 1S.

So, are you disappointed to hear that the Mi Band 2 is delayed?

Huawei G9 Will Be A Toned Down Version Of the Flagship P9 Series, Launching Tomorrow

By

Joel Joseph

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May 3, 2016

If you had checked our Facebook page recently, you would have seen our post on the Huawei G9 smartphone. We had reported a couple of days back that the Chinese smartphone giant was planning to release the Huawei P9 Lite as the Huawei G9. And today, the company has confirmed the details to some extent.

Huawei has just announced that it will release a new Huawei G9 smartphone tomorrow. The company even released a teaser image for the launch, wherein we can can see the back of the device. And from the image, the G9 will sport a very similar design as the Huawei P9 series. However, like expected the phone will not come with a dual camera setup, instead we can see just a single rear camera on board. The image also confirms that there will be three colors available for the device, namely white, black and gold. Just by the teaser, it’s hard to say whether the Huawei G9 comes with a plastic body, but recently the phone had passed through TENAA, which confirmed the plastic back on the device.

Along with the mid-range Huawei G9, we can also expect a new tablet from the smartphone maker. For now, we only know that the tab will be of 7-inches, but expect more details after tomorrow’s launch event.

Thanks to the TENAA listing, we know that the phone will come with a 5.2-inch 1080p diplay with an octa-core chip inside which should most likely be the Kirin 650. In case you missed, I have detailed all the important features of the new Kirin 650 chip here, so make sure you check that out. Other specs of the phone include, 3GB of RAM, 2900mAh battery, 13MP rear camera, 8MP front shooter and Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS on board.

Pricing is also supposed to be decent according to Huawei’s standard. The Huawei G9 Standard Edition is expected to retail at 1688 Yuan ($261) while the high-end G9 should go for 1988 Yuan ($307).

So, what do you think about the Huawei G9?

Xiaomi & Huawei Are Preparing Curved Smartphones This Year

By

Joel Joseph

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May 3, 2016

We have been hearing from multiple sources that Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi and Huawei are planning to release curved smartphones this year. Now, similar rumors have cropped up online in China revealing some more information about the company’s plans for the same. These Chinese handset makers are reportedly going to use curved displays supplied by South Korean rivals LG and Samsung.

So, when can we expect these curved phones to hit the market? According to the source, both Huawei and Xiaomi will release curved phones in September.

Xiaomi’s first curved smartphone could end up being called as the Mi Edge or the Mi Note edge. The company will reportedly use the curved display panel from LG and not from Samsung. We have already seen the company’s take on curved displays with the LG G Flex, however, the Flex series didn’t get anywhere near the attention as the Galaxy Edge lineup. While it is still unclear how Xiaomi might design the Mi Edge smartphone using LG’s flexible display panels, it is possible that the company might use a new shape of the curved screen.

Now, coming to the curved screen smartphone from Huawei, it is said that the device will be called as the Mate Edge. Huawei will use Samsung’s curved display panels, but we are not sure whether the phone would be dual edged. Whatever the case might be, don’t expect the phone to retail for cheap.

In fact, we do have an initial set of specs and pricing for both the devices. The Xiaomi Mi Edge phone is expected to feature Snapdragon 820 chipset under the hood with 4GB of RAM, and 16MP rear camera. The pricing will be competitive, around 3000 Yuan which comes to $462. On the other hand, the Mate Edge phone is rumored to come with the Kirin 950 chipset with 4GB of RAM and a much high price tag of 4000 Yuan which comes to $617.

September is still a good few months away, so expect more details in the coming months.

Honor V8 Launch Invites Come With Camera Samples Inside

By

Joel Joseph

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May 3, 2016

May 10 is an important day for Chinese smartphone lovers not only because we will meet the Xiaomi Max phablet that day, but also because Huawei will also unveil the new Honor V8 series smartphones the same day. The company has already sent out invites for the event next week and we can be sure that the major highlight of the phone is going to be its camera at the back.

Thanks to the numerous teasers posted for the Honor V8, we already know that the phone will be yet another device from Huawei with a dual camera setup. While the Honor series isn’t new to dual cameras since the Honor 6 Plus came with such a setup, this should be the next generation technology from the company. The company seems to have tremendous confidence in the camera setup of the upcoming phone, which is probably why it decided to send out camera samples in the invites for the event. So, there is no doubt that the company will focus on the phone’s camera during the event.

As for the specs, the Honor V8 is expected to come in two variants, a standard model, and a high-end version. The difference between the standard and the high-end model is going to be in terms of the display resolution and the processor. The standard one will come with a 5.7-inch 1080p display and Kirin 950 chip while the high-end version is expected to feature a 5.7-inch 2K display with Kirin 955 chip. Other similar specs include 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, 12MP dual rear cameras, 8MP front camera and a 3400mAh battery inside a 7.75mm body.

We are still not sure about the pricing of the handset, but given the dual camera setup on board and the premium specs, expect it to be upwards of $400.

Xiaomi CEO: We Will Reveal The Ideal Phablet Screen Size On May 10

By

Joel Joseph

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May 2, 2016

Xiaomi is all set to unveil its first true phablet on May 10, namely the Xiaomi Max. We have been hearing about the phone for the past few days, and we have already seen multiple renders as well as specs of the device.

Since this is going to be a large screen phablet, there’s always the question of how big of a screen is good enough. Most customers would want to have as much screen real estate as possible on their smartphones without severely affecting the user experience. But that may differ from person to person. So, manufacturers often have their take on the ideal large screen size. In fact, Xiaomi CEO revealed earlier today that the company has thought about this and it would reveal their take on the ideal screen size on May 10, when the Xiaomi Max phablet is released.

“We do not want the phone too much, but we all want a screen as large as possible. Phone screen is much critical point? This problem has troubled us for a long time, May 10 press conference I will tell you the results of our thinking” revealed Xiaomi CEO via Weibo today.

Late last month, Lei Jun had revealed via his official Weibo account that he got to spend a few months with the Xiaomi Max engineering model and he was impressed with it. He enjoyed using the device and the large screen experience was unmatched.

So, we are all excited to see what Xiaomi has in store for us with its new phablet. As for the specs, earlier leaks have revealed that the phone will come with a 6.4-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 650 hexa-core chipset, with 2GB / 3GB RAM options and 16GB / 32GB storage options. There should be a 16MP rear camera and a 5MP front shooter. The pricing is said to be cheap, somewhere around 1299 Yuan ($200).

So, what’s your ideal phablet screen size? I think 6-inches would be ideal, but I want to know your thoughts.

VKWorld T1 Is A Super Cheap Aluminum UniBody 6-inch Phablet, Cost Just $59.99

By

Joel Joseph

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May 2, 2016

Thanks to innovative Chinese smartphone manufacturers, we have some beautiful low-cost smartphones in the market right now. However, one of the biggest drawbacks of cheap devices is the small display on board. Now, for most, that’s not an issue. But for some, who want a big screen smartphone, there aren’t many cheap options in the market and definitely not in the sub-$100 segment. This is where VKWorld is aiming to change things. The company is reportedly working on a new smartphone called as the VKWorld T1 and this particular device will feature a massive 6-inch body. So, what about the cost? It is said that the phone will be sold for just $59.99, which is insanely cheap for such a large screen smartphone.

And what about the body? VKWorld T1 will also reportedly come with good looks and a sturdy body thanks to the use of aluminum. The phone’s body is diamond cut with double chamfered edges, and goes through abrasive blasting, and anodic oxidation for a premium finish. There will be three colors available, silver, gray and gold.

Along with the details about the body, we also have some information on the specs of the device. For display, the VKWorld T1 features a 6-inch 2.5D screen with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. There will be a quad-core chip inside with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. At the back, you can expect a 13MP camera while up front, a 5MP shooter. All the known specs of the T1 are listed as below.

6-Inch 2.5D IPS Display
Quad-Core Processor
2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass
13MP+5MP Camera
2G RAM+16G ROM
Micro SD Card Expansion
Dual SIM

We still don’t know some details like the resolution of the screen or the name of the chip inside. Hopefully, we can get those details pretty soon.

So, are you interested in a low cost, good looking phablet?

Meanwhile, you can read about the flagship model from the company, the VKWorld T6 from here.

LeEco Le 2: UNBOXING

LeEco Le 2: SPECS

Display

5.5″ 1080p (Full-HD)

Processor

Mediatek 6797 Helio x20, 64-bit, octa-core (up to 2.3GHz)

RAM

3GB

Camera

8MP Front/16MP Back

Connectivity

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

Battery

3.000 mAh (non-removable)

Dimensions

151.1×74.1×7.7mm / 153g

OS

EUI 5.6 (Android 6.0)

Storage

32GB (non-expandable)

LeEco Le 2: DESIGN and FIRST IMPRESSIONS

LeEco Le 2 in pictures:

Gearbest holding a flash sale for Lenovo Lemo K3 at just $89.99