Affordable Lenovo Lemon 3 International Variant To Launch At MWC 2016

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Feb 15, 2016

Lenovo announced the incredibly affordable Lemon 3 smartphone in January. The budget smartphone was Lenovo’s answer to Xiaomi’s Redmi 3 and to be honest, the company did a great job incorporating mid-range specs inside the device. However, up till now, the Lemon 3 smartphone was only available in China.

But that’s going to change soon, as Lenovo India has just released a new teaser via its official twitter account which hints at the launch of the Lemon 3 International variant at MWC 2016. Given that Lenovo India is the first one to tease the release, we can be sure that the phone will be available for purchase in India sometime after MWC.

It’s not confirmed whether Lenovo will use the Chinese name, Lemon 3 for the international variant. So, we could expect some catchy name to suit the global market. Apart from India, the Lemon 3 international variant could also end up in some markets in Europe, since it’s being showcased at MWC in Barcelona, Spain.

As for the specs, Lenovo Lemon 3 is a value for money device, bringing mid-range hardware in the budget price segment. The metal body further improves the overall looks of the phone, giving it an edge over its plastic competitors. With Snapdragon 616 under the hood, $100 price tag and FHD display, the Lemon 3 International variant could turn out to be yet another popular smartphone for the company. The Lenovo K4 Note has got its fair share of attention in India, selling over 180,000 units in a matter of one month. Now, it could be the time for Lemon 3 to shine in the Indian market.

Here’s the Lemon 3 specs summary:

5-inch FHD 1920 x 1080p IPS LCD display (441 ppi)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 octa-core chip @ 1.5GHz
2GB RAM
16GB Internal Storage with MicroSD expansion slot
13MP Rear camera with LED flash
5MP Front camera
2750mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop OS
142 x 71 x 8mm
142 grams
Dolby Audio, Wi-Fi n, Bluetooth 4.0, FM Radio
Silver, Gold Color Options
$107 (China Pricing — 699 Yuan)

Honor 7 Marshmallow update rolling out in the next two weeks

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 15, 2016

A couple of months back, Huawei had started beta testing the Honor 7 Marshmallow update in a few countries. Now, it looks like the update is all set to move from the beta stage to the final release. The company announced via its official European Honor account that all Honor 7 users will get the final version of Android 6 Marshmallow update in the next two weeks.

Back in December, the company invited users to sign for testing out the beta release. Now, two months later, you would be getting the Android 6 update before the end of February. This is definitely good news since there are still many flagships yet to be upgraded to the new OS.

After Beta testers, all other user will get the final version of Android 6 via OTA. We assume it will be within the next 2 weeks. #honor

— HonorEU (@HonorEU) February 15, 2016

As for those who are already participating in the beta program, Honor reveals that the final version should be released for them anytime soon via OTA update. As always, Honor says that the update will be rolling out in stages. So, you might have to wait for some time for the update to hit your smartphone. Nevertheless, in the next few days, you are sure to get the update, so keep checking your Honor 7 smartphone for an update notification.

Huawei has also confirmed Marshmallow update for it’s recently showcased (at MWC) Honor 5X mid-ranger. However, we still don’t know when users can expect to receive an official Android 6 update for the device.

Meanwhile, let us know if any of you have participated in the Honor 7 Marshmallow beta program.

Great Outdoors Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Review (splash-proof, dust-proof, shock-proof)

By

Linus

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Feb 15, 2016

I came across this unknown Bluetooth speaker and it actually sounds very good, and it is affordable. Find out more in a full review.

Archeer A210 Bluetooth Speaker Review: VIDEO

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fqxoC30ytA[/embedyt]

Archeer A210 Bluetooth Speaker Review: UNBOXING

The speaker is made by Archeer and I will leave Amazon link down below the video.

The device comes with the instruction manuals, USB and AUX cables, and carbine.

Archeer A210 Bluetooth Speaker Review: DESIGN and FEATURES

The Archeer speaker is mainly designed for outdoor use as it has IP44 rating meaning that it can survive water sprays from all directions and some minor drops.

It is made of rubberised plastic and it has multi-directional speakers meaning that the sound is coming out from all directions. Also, the device is really compact and portable, so you can simply drop it the bag.

On one side you have a flap and underneath it you can find your micro USB charging port, AUX input for non-Bluetooth devices and microSD card slot as this speaker supports playback directly from the memory cards. All you have to do is to insert the card and the music starts playing automatically.

On the other side you can find a really interesting volume rocker. You have to spin it a lot to adjust the volume and while it may be annoying for some, it is pretty fun to me. Also, the volume rocker doubles as play/pause button if you press it.

On the front there are skip tracks buttons, battery capacity indicator, which is actually a really neat feature, power on/off switch or mode button and a few notification LEDs.

Archeer A210 Bluetooth Speaker Review: SOUND QUALITY

You can listen to music either via Bluetooth from your phone or directly from the microSD card. The sound quality… it’s really good. To be honest, not all manufacturers succeed when trying to make a good sounding multi-directional speaker but Archeer did a pretty good job.

The sound is deep and clear, and I could hear a pretty good balance between lows, mids and highs.

Finally, this thing is loud for its size as it has 10w of total volume output and the bass is really punchy.

Archeer A210 Bluetooth Speaker Review: TEST NOTES

As for battery, the speaker sports a 1500mAh unit and I could get over 10 hours of continuous playback, which is a great result. As far as Bluetooth, I didn’t have any connection or range issues.

Archeer A210 Bluetooth Speaker Review: CONCLUSIONS

The Archeer A210 Bluetooth speaker costs $39 and I believe it is a pretty good offering considering the feature set it has.

The speaker sports a great build quality, it is splash-proof, shockproof and dust-proof, it has a lot of controls and indication LED lights, it supports the playback from the microSD cards, the battery life is great and the sound quality is really good.

However, a few shortcomings would be that the call quality is bad and it even has connection issues. Also, the flap that is covering the ports could stay more firmly as I always have to double check it before using it in the rain or shower.

Although it may not not be the only option available on the market, it can be definitely recommended.

Buy Archeer Bluetooth speaker from Amazon US

Buy Archeer Bluetooth speaker from Amazon UK

Four Huawei P9 Variants Get Certified, More Specs Details Leaked

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 15, 2016

After selling 109 million smartphones last year, Huawei is going to try and best their record this year. The company reportedly has a number of products in the pipeline, which includes a hybrid laptop as well as the Huawei P9 flagship. Now, four different variants of the P9 has just got 3C certification, which means the release date should be sometime soon.

The four Huawei P9 variants namely EAV-AL10-, EAV-AL00, VNS-AL00 and VNS-CL00 cropped up on the 3C certification website. We had recently heard that the flagship was supposed to come with multiple variants, and these four could be it. While 3C certification usually doesn’t reveal much about the specs of the device, except for the charging details, Chinese media seems to have gathered some more information about the Huawei P9.

It is said that the phone will be announced after MWC 2016 in a separate event. There will be a rose colored variant of the device as well. The pricing is said to be 2888 Yuan which comes to around $444.

As for the specs, the Huawei P9 will reportedly come with a faster version of the Kirin 950 chipset. The new version will be called as the Kirin 955 and will be clocked at 2.5GHz. The phone will have USB Type-C 2.0 port, 5V 2A fast charging with a 2900mAh battery. At the back, it will feature dual cameras with 12MP sensors with features such as depth of field while up front, it will sport an 8MP sensor. The display is said to be of 5.2-inches with 1080p resolution.

From the leaked information, the Huawei P9 seems like a powerful device. We can hope to get more information about the flagship in the coming days since it’s launch should be nearby.

Here’s Huawei P9 specs summary (rumored):

5.2-inch FHD 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution
Kirin 955 octa-core chip clocked at 2.5GHz
4GB RAM
32GB/ 64GB storage options
12MP Dual rear cameras (one color, one black & white sensor, feature such as depth of field)
8MP Front facing camera
2900mAh battery with 5V 2A fast charging support
USB Type-C 2.0
Rose Gold (More color options should be available)
2888 Yuan ($444)
After MWC 2016 Launch

Meizu Pro 5 Ubuntu Edition To Be Showcased At MWC 2016?

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 15, 2016

Meizu and Ubuntu have a long-standing relationship, with the Chinese manufacturer being one of the few smartphone makers to release Ubuntu editions of its flagships. Looks like this year too, we will see a Ubuntu based smartphone from Meizu, most likely the Meizu Pro 5 Ubuntu Edition.

The company has released a new teaser which shows some kind of partnership between Meizu and Ubuntu. Considering the tradition of the company of releasing Ubuntu-powered smartphones at MWC, this teaser is most likely for the launch of the Meizu Pro 5 Ubuntu Edition. Last year, we saw Meizu MX4 running Ubuntu at MWC 2015.

mx5 pro — Leaked Pro 5 Ubuntu edition model

This isn’t the first time we are hearing about a Meizu Pro 5 Ubuntu edition model. At the start of this month, a couple of pictures of the Pro 5 running on the Ubuntu OS were leaked, which kind of hinted at such a collaboration. Now, it looks like the company is going to make the Pro 5 Ubuntu version official at MWC 2015. Usually, the specs of the device remain the same as before. So, in this Ubuntu edition, we can expect only the software to be different.

Meizu Pro 5 was one of the most powerful flagships of 2015 and it would be interesting to see Ubuntu OS on top of this device. The teaser shows that the company will announce something on February 22, the first day of MWC.

So, could Pro 5 be the Ubuntu-powered smartphone that we were waiting for? Let me know your thoughts.

Huawei Matebook Laptop With Stylus Could Be Unveiled at MWC 2016

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 14, 2016

We know that Huawei will be present at MWC 2016, which is just a week away. Now, Huawei’s CEO, Yu Chengdong has just released a new teaser via his weibo page, which confirms that the company will launch a new product at the event in Barcelona, Spain.

The teaser reveals that the upcoming Huawei product will be targeted at business users. And thanks to the previous leaks, we may know what product to expect at the event next week.

READ MORE: Huawei at MWC 2016: What to Expect

Huawei could release the long rumored Huawei Matebook laptop hybrid at MWC 2016. The laptop is expected to be customized for business users and hence, the words on the teaser “The new style of business” kind of hints at this product launch. Moreover, the teaser confirms a stylus for the product, which once again the Matebook hybrid was rumored to come with. Seeing all these hints, it’s quite likely that the company will announce the Matebook laptop at the event.

The hybrid laptop is said to feature a 12.9-inch detachable display and will run on Windows 10 platform. In fact, we have compiled a detailed feature list of the Matebook laptop in our previous article, which you can check out from here. The new product will be launched on February 21 at 2 pm.

Although Huawei’s Matebook hybrid laptop is our pick at the event, the company may also unveil the rumored Huawei P9 flagship there. We have been hearing a lot about this upcoming smartphone in the past few weeks, and it’s possible that the device is launched ahead of schedule. The phone is rumored to feature pretty high-end specs, like Kirin 955 processor clocked at 2.5GHz, 5.2-inch FHD 1080p display, 4GB RAM and $450 price tag.

Since it’s confirmed that Huawei will announce a new business oriented product at MWC 2016, we hope to see more information in the coming days. So, stay tuned.

ZOPO Speed 8 Design Revealed, Features Helio X20 & 4GB RAM

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 14, 2016

ZOPO Speed 8 is turning out to be a powerful smartphone. The company has already confirmed a bunch of features on the flagship device and a few days back, it revealed the final design.

The ZOPO Speed 8 flagship is going to feature a similar design as its predecessor. The shape remains the same, and you get a metal frame as well. However, there are a few subtle changes, like the protruding camera sensor, dual-LED (dual tone) flash, and a fingerprint sensor below it. Further, the back is textured, unlike the smooth finish on the predecessor.

As for the specs, ZOPO has already confirmed most of the hardware details. The ZOPO Speed 8 will be one of the first smartphones in the market to come with the brand new Helio X20 deca-core processor. There will be 4GB of RAM on board, with a fingerprint scanner at the back, 3600mAh battery, USB Type-C and NFC. At the rear, you will find a powerful 21MP Sony IMX230 sensor while up front, there will be an 8MP selfie camera. The phone is also confirmed to feature a 5.5-inch display, but we are unsure about the resolution. Also, it will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS out of the box.

As you can see, it looks like ZOPO has really stepped up their game this year, as the Speed 8 is turning out to be quite a powerful flagship smartphone. The company will unveil the device at MWC 2016 in Barcelona on February 24 at 10.30 am. Further, the company’s brand ambassador and MotoGP World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo will be hosting the event.

Given that the phone is confirmed to feature such powerful specs, we just hope that ZOPO prices the Speed 8 aggressively. We would like to see an affordable Helio X20 powered device in the market, to take on other Snapdragon-based smartphones.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming days. Meanwhile, let us know what you think about the Speed 8 specs and design.

Xiaomi Mi 5 Case Confirms A Compact Size, Plus A Bunch Of Other Details

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 14, 2016

We are less than 10 days away from meeting the Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship, and details about the phone just keep coming. Yesterday, the company revealed a Xiaomi Mi 5 case on weibo, which gives us a fair idea about the dimensions of the upcoming smartphone.

From the image, we can see that the Mi 5 will be compact enough to be held in one hand. So, looks like the earlier rumors were right, as the phone will most likely come with a compact 5.2-inch display panel. We had seen a benchmark listing which revealed a 5.7-inch display on the Mi 5. Benchmark apps like GFXBench often detect the wrong screen size, so we were skeptical about the same. And now we can be sure that the phone will be compact.

Apart from the rough dimensions, Xiaomi also revealed that the silicon case will be a staggering 0.45mm thin. Now that’s really beyond our imagination, since at this thickness, the case would perfectly stick to the smartphone keeping it super thin.

However, these aren’t the only features that we can take from the case. After a few tweaks, we can see that the case reveals a lot more information than before. The tweaked image of the Xiaomi Mi 5 case reveals the camera slot, ports at the bottom as well as the button placements.

From the image, we can see that the Xiaomi Mi 5 will have a rear camera sensor as well as dual LED flash on the top left corner of the back shell. The power button and the volume buttons will be located on the right side of the phone. At the bottom, you will find the USB Type-C port as well as dual speakers. The screen size should be around 5.2-inches and the back is expected to be slightly curved as well.

Well, that’s all the information that we got from the teaser image. The biggest feature confirmed today was the compact screen size, which was something that we were confused for quite a while. Now that we know almost all of the specs of the device, here’s a Xiaomi Mi 5 specs summary (some are yet to be confirmed):

5.2-inch 1920 x 1080p display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
3GB / 4GB RAM
32GB / 64GB Internal Storage
16MP Rear Camera Sensor + dual LED Flash + OIS + Laser Focus
8MP Front facing sensor
3600mAh battery
dual SIM dual Standby
4G LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.1
Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS + MIUI
White, Black, Gold & Pink Color Options
$380 Base Price tag

Great Gift Idea for under $10 – Valentine’s Day Gift?

By

Linus

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Feb 12, 2016

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sdBYwEm9pQ[/embedyt]

I came across this multi-colour LED projector light and it actually has a lot of features for the price and it looks really nice.

You can change the colours, turn on/off the night light and even turn on the automatic rotation of the lamp.

The device can be powered up either using an included DC to USB cable or 4xAAA batteries.

Everything else is pretty much self-explanatory and it all depends on your creativity where and how you put the lamp, the lighting conditions you are in and so on.

All in all, this multi-colour projector light is a pretty cool yet cheap gift for almost any occasion.

Buy it from Gearbest

Google Reportedly Working On An Independent VR Headset, More Advanced Than Cardboard

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 12, 2016

Last year was the ‘Year of the Wearables’, and this year the main focus could be Virtual Reality as many manufacturers are said to be working on VR products. We have already seen pretty good VR headsets from companies like Sony and Samsung, but it looks like Google too might be interested in joining the VR industry too.

In case you remember, the company had launched a low cost VR product, called the Google Cardboard which uses your existing smartphone to provide a VR experience. However, according to the latest report from WSJ, Google is busy working on an independent Virtual Reality Headset which will be more advanced than Cardboard. So, it won’t be using a smartphone for display, rather it would come with its own components. The headset is said to feature its own processor, camera and display. The chips could be supplied by the startup, Movidius, adds the report.

While these features portray the upcoming Google VR headset as a high-end product, the report says that it aims to provide a ‘middle ground’ experience. The report further states that a release date of this Google VR headset is unsure, but one of the sources claim that the company could unveil it sometime later this year.

Given that all major tech companies like Sony, Samsung, HTC, Apple and now Google have either unveiled a Virtual Reality product or are rumored to release one real soon, we can expect the competition in the VR industry to intensify in the coming months.

But for those who are just not ready to shell out hundreds of dollars on a VR headset, the $20 Google Cardboard might just be enough.

OnePlus X Refurbished Units Will Go On Sale In India For Rs. 12799 ($191)

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 12, 2016

OnePlus launched the OnePlus X handset as a mid-range offering late last year for fans who wanted a less costly option to the OnePlus 2. However, for those who consider the OnePlus X, which currently costs Rs. 16,999 ($250) as costly, you have an even cheaper option now.

Overcart will reportedly sell OnePlus X Refurbished and Unboxed units in India for a price tag of just Rs. 12,999 which comes to around $191. While these won’t be brand new devices, OnePlus is offering a warranty of six months, which to be honest is not too bad.

While the OnePlus X may have become invite free, the OnePlus X Refurbished units will be available via the flash sale method. For those who are interested to get hold of one of these units for Rs. 12,799, you can head over to the overcart website and register for the upcoming flash sale. The sale will happen at 2 pm on February 15.

OnePlus X was already a pretty good value for money smartphone. But at $191, its an even better deal. The phone comes with the quad-core Snapdragon 801 chipset with 3GB RAM, 5-inch FHD 1080p display and Android 5.1 with OxygenOS on top. You get a good 13MP camera at the back, with PDAF and LED flash and an 8MP front facing selfie camera. Other features include special hardware toggle button, 2525mAh battery and hybrid SIM slot.

So, what do you think about this deal? Will you consider buying a OnePlus X refurbished unit for just Rs. 12,799 ($191)? Or would you rather spend a little more and get a brand new unit?

Xiaomi’s Hugo Barra Shares Some New Xiaomi Mi 5 Camera Samples

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 12, 2016

A couple of days back, we saw Xiaomi’s President Lin Bin share some photos captured by the Xiaomi Mi 5 camera. Despite being compressed by the social networking website, Weibo, the images showed that the Mi 5 could have a pretty powerful rear camera sensor with fast focus.

Now, Xiaomi’s VP Hugo Barra has just revealed some new images which reveal the details captured by Xiaomi Mi 5 camera. This time around, Barra shared the photos on Facebook directly. Once again, the photos turned out to be impressive with rich color and a lot of details. What’s more, there’s even a zoomed picture of the original image which shows the level of details captured by Mi 5’s camera.

However, Hugo is aware that the photos are compressed on Facebook. Hence, he will most likely upload the original pictures directly on the MIUI Forums. So, we better watch out for those full resolution shots.

Like mentioned above, this is the second set of camera samples that we have seen from the Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship. Lin Bin’s samples showed that the phone will come with super fast focus which could capture a flying bird without any visible blur. This is possible probably because of the Laser Autofocus that the Mi 5 is rumored to come with. As for the sensor, it is said that the phone will have a 16MP camera at the back. Unfortunately, the camera specs are yet to be confirmed.

What we do know is that the phone will feature the fast quad-core Snapdragon 820 chipset with Kryo cores, NFC, Dual SIM card slots and 1080p FHD display. Rumored specs include a 5.2-inch panel, 3GB / 4GB RAM and 32GB / 64GB storage options, 8MP front-facing shooter, and a large 3600mAh battery.

Given that the executives are keen to share details about the Xiaomi Mi 5 before the launch, we can expect more specs related information until February 24.

Lenovo Has Sold More Than 180K K4 Notes, Open Sale Starts Next Week

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 11, 2016

We know Lenovo K4 Note has been selling well in India, since it first went on sale back in January. Now, the company has shed some light as to how many units have been sold till now.

In a tweet, Lenovo revealed that it has sold more than 180,000 units of the Lenovo K4 Note smartphone till now. This is a great achievement considering that the phone went on sale just last month via the flash sale model. Further, the company adds that it has received more than 1.1 million registrations for the device.

Lenovo has also revealed that the phone will go on open sale from this Monday i.e. 15 February 2016. So, anyone who missed a chance to get hold of the device previously can finally purchase one. However, in the tweet announcing these details, Lenovo has mentioned that the stocks are limited, so you might want to hurry up on your purchase this Monday.

Another update is the availability of a new color, Pearl White. Up till now, the K4 Note was only available in black, so white color lovers should finally be happy to see this new option.

As for the specs, the Lenovo K4 Note comes with the MT6753 octa-core processor with 3GB of DDR3 RAM. You get a 5.5-inch FHD 1080p display up front with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. At the back, there’s a 13MP camera with PDAF, dual LED flash, and f/2.2 aperture while up front, you have a 5MP shooter. Other features include 16GB of expandable storage, dual SIM 4G support, Android 5.1 with Vibe UI and 3300mAh battery with fast charging.

SPECS SUMMARY:

5.5-inch FHD 1920 x 1080p Display (401ppi) + Gorilla Glass 3
Mediatek MT6753 octa-core chip clocked at 1.3GHz
3GB LPDDR3 RAM
16GB Internal Storage + MicroSD expansion
13MP Rear Camera + PDAF + Dual LED flash
LTE Bands: 1/3/5/7/8/20/40/41
Android 5.1 With Vibe UI
Fingerprint Sensor, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, FM Radio
Dual SIM 4G
153.6 x 76.5 x 9.2mm
158 grams
Black, Pearl White
$175 (Rs. 11,999)

Lenovo launches Vibe P1 Turbo With 16MP Camera & 5000mAh battery

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 11, 2016

Lenovo has just sliently announced a new smartphone for the Indonesian market, namely the Lenovo Vibe P1 Turbo. This is a slightly better version of the Lenovo Vibe P1 that was announced last year.

Despite the name, Vibe P1 Turbo, there aren’t many differences between this and the standard model. One major upgrade in this new model is the camera at the back. Instead of a traditional 13MP rear sensor, Lenovo has used a slightly larger 16MP sensor with dual LED flash. The Lenovo website also mentions an upgrade in the memory department, with 3GB RAM, however, in another page on the official website, the RAM is mentioned as just 2GB. So, we will have to confirm from the company whether there’s an upgrade in this department.

Rest of the specs are the same as the P1. So, you get a large 5000mAh battery on board with 24W Quick Charge technology. There’s a 5.5-inch FHD 1920 x 1080p display. Under the hood, the phone is powered by the Snapdragon 615 octa-core chipset clocked at 1.5GHz. There’s 32GB internal storage which is further expandable up to 128GB via MicroSD card. Given the large battery, the phone is a bit thick, featuring a 9.9mm body. It weighs 187 grams, which is once again on the higher side.

Despite being announced in Indonesia, the phone could be launched in other countries as well as it supports a range of LTE networks including FDD Bands 1/3/7/20 and TDD Band 40. Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, A-GPS, Radio and dual SIM dual standby support. Finally for software, you get Android 5.1 with Vibe UI on top.

The Lenovo Vibe P1 Turbo is currently available for pre-order at approximately $300 from various retailers in Indonesia. The company is yet to announce any details about a possible international release.

So, here are the specs summary:

5.5-inch FHD 1920 x 1080p Display (401ppi)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz
2GB / 3GB RAM (yet to be confirmed)
32GB Internal Storage with MicroSD expansion slot (up to 128GB)
16MP Rear Camera With Dual LED flash
5MP Front Camera
LTE FDD: Bands 1/3/7/20
TDD: Band 20
Android 5.1 With Vibe UI
Fingerprint Sensor, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, FM Radio, Dual SIM
152.9 x 75.6 x 9.9mm
187 grams
Platinum & Graphite Grey Colors
$297

Apple To Use TSMC’s 10nm Process For Its iPhone 7 Chips

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 10, 2016

According to the Electronic Times of South Korea, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) has made a deal with Apple for manufacturing chipsets for the upcoming iPhone 7 models. This can be considered as a blow to Samsung who shared the manufacturing responsibility with TSMC for the chipsets used in the current generation iPhone 6S and 6S Plus models.

The new Apple chipsets, most likely called as the Apple A10 will be built solely using TSMC’s 10nm process. The smaller and efficient manufacturing node could be one of the reasons why Apple decided to stick with TSMC for its A10 chipsets. However, the move is not really surprising given that there was a bit of controversy regarding who manufactured the A9 chip inside the current generation iPhones.

The Samsung made A9’s were reportedly not as good as the TSMC version (although the difference was only 2-3% claims Apple), which offered better battery life. Given that there was no sure way of ensuring which model you get, many were disappointed after getting a slightly slower Samsung variant. But with a sole chip manufacturer for the iPhone 7, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Using TSMC’s 10nm manufacturing node makes sense as the chips should be much more powerful and efficient than the 14nm technology used by Samsung.

Teclast X98 Plus Dual Boot Tablet With Intel Cherry Trail Chip Enters Europe

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 10, 2016

If you are an avid fan of Chinese devices, you would have heard of the name Teclast, which is a popular tablet maker. The company specializes in dual boot tablets, and we have seen quite a number of them in the past few months.

Now, this Chinese tablet maker has entered Europe, with its new Teclast X98 Plus Dual tablet. The company was reportedly waiting for the European CE certificate in order to start selling its tablets in the region. Now, that the certificate is received, we can expect a lot more Teclast tablets launch in the European market.

The Teclast X98 Plus Dual is actually a pretty well-specced tablet. It comes with the Intel Cherry Trail Z8300 (X5-Z8300) 64-bit quad-core chip clocked at 1.84GHz. For graphics, you get the Intel HD Gen8 chip. Inside, you get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which is further expandable via MicroSD up to 128GB. As for the display, you get a large 9.7-inch IGZO panel with 2048 x 1536 resolution.

At the back, you have a 5MP camera, while up front, there’s a 2MP shooter. Further, you have a large 8000mAh capacity battery packed inside its 7.9mm body. As for the software, you get Windows 10 + Android 5.1 dual boot. The European version comes with a special European ROM customized for the region. However, at this moment, we don’t know what’s new or changed in the ROM as compared to the standard version.

Also, as of now, we don’t know the European pricing of the Teclast X98 Plus Dual tablet. However, we can expect it to be around the same figure as the international version. Retailers like Gearbest and Banggood are selling it for around $200 or less.

Gearbest has listed the regular version of the tablet for $189.99, which is quite aggressive. You can check out more details from the link down below. As for the European version, we will have to wait for a few days until more information about availability and pricing are revealed.

Buy Teclast X98 Plus Dual (International Ver.) For $189.99

Huawei unveils Y6 Pro entry level smartphone with 4000mAh Battery

By

Joel Joseph

-

Feb 10, 2016

Huawei has just unveiled a smartphone for the international market namely, the Huawei Y6 Pro. This is the international version of the Enjoy 5 smartphone which was announced back in December to compete with the likes of the Redmi 3.

As for the specs, the Huawei Y6 Pro comes with a 1.3GHz MT6735P chipset and 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage. There is a 5-inch 720p HD display. You don’t have to worry about the phone’s battery life as it comes with a large 4000mAh battery, As for the optics, you get a decent 13MP camera sensor at the back and a 5MP front facing shooter. Given the large battery, the phone is a bit thick, with a 9.7mm body and weighs 160 grams. But I am sure most wouldn’t mind the thick body, considering the battery life that you would get. One thing we would have loved is a better processor, like Snapdragon 616 inside the Redmi 3.

Other features are pretty much standard, like Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi direct and Android 5.1 Lollipop with Emotion 3.1 UI on top. The phone features a special water ripple design with a metal frame. There will be three colors available like White, Gold and Gray.

Unfortuantely, we are not yet sure about the pricing of the device. But from the specs, it looks like an entry level device, so hopefully, the pricing will be below $200.

Huawei at MWC 2016: What To Expect

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 10, 2016

In the past few years, Huawei has aggressively expanded its smartphone lineup. The Chinese giant has also entered new markets, in strategic regions like US and Europe. This shows that the world’s third largest smartphone maker is keen on strengthening its position in the smartphone industry.

MWC is an important event for all tech companies and Huawei has confirmed that it will also be present at the event. As the company had nothing new to offer at CES 2016 which ended last month, its quite likely that we will see a new smartphone or wearable from the company at MWC 2016. You can also expect some existing handsets like Honor 5X and Huawei Mate 8 to be showcased at such an important event.

According to the invites sent by Huawei to the media, the company is inviting them for the “global unveiling of its newest smartphone”. It could either mean the launch of a new handset like the rumored Huawei P9 flagship & a new Huawei Smartwatch or a European reveal of an existing device like the Huawei Mate 8.

We can’t be sure which one of these will be announced at the event. So, let’s take a look at all the possible products that we can expect from Huawei at MWC 2016.

Huawei P9

So, one of the possible announcements at MWC 2016 could be the Huawei P9 flagship. This will be the successor to the popular Huawei P8 smartphone that was announced back in May 2015. The company managed to sell more than 10 million units of this model (P8 Lite) last year, so its successor will be an important device for 2016.

As far as the rumors are concerned, they paint a pretty powerful smartphone. It is said that the phone will come in four different variants, namely the Standard, Lite, Max and a special Premium edition.

The standard version is expected to come with a 5.2-inch FHD 1080p display, with Kirin 950 chip on board, a physical home button, a 3000mAh battery and 4GB of RAM. Interestingly, earlier rumors had hinted that the Huawei P9 will be the world’s first 6GB RAM smartphone. There are also rumors about a dual camera setup, but we are not sure about that.

While we are not sure about the company using so much RAM inside the device, if we had to choose, it would be the Premium edition which manages this feat. You can also expect a better camera and larger screen on this special edition. As for the Lite version, expect lower specs. Max will most likely come with a larger screen.

Huawei Watch 2

Huawei unveiled the Huawei Watch last year and it was one of the best wearables that we have seen till date. Since the company unveiled the watch around this time in 2015, it’s possible that we will see the second generation Huawei Watch 2 at MWC 2016.

Unfortunately, at this moment, we have no information about the new version. Also, given that the company updated the existing watch, with two new variants, namely Elegant and Jewel editions, it’s possible that there’s still some time before the new version launches.

Huawei Mate 8

Huawei unveiled the Mate 8 flagship last year and there’s no doubt that we will see this device at MWC 2016. The company will be keen to showcase its best device till date in Barcelona.

As for the specs, the phone comes with Kirin 950 chip with 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB memory combinations along with a large 4000mAh battery. The display will be of 6-inches with FHD 1920 x 1080p resolution. As for the camera, the Mate 8 features a 16MP rear sensor with PDAF and OIS and an 8MP front facing shooter.

Honor 5X

Another device that could be showcased at the event is the mid-range Honor 5X. The phone features an all metal body and comes with Snapdragon 615 chip under the hood along with 2GB/ 3GB RAM and 16GB storage options. It sports a 5.5-inch FHD display and features a 13MP rear and 5MP front shooters. As for storage, it comes with Android 5.1.1 out of the box.

So, these were the possible devices that we could see from Huawei at MWC 2016.

We are attending the event, so stay tuned for more details.

First Camera Samples From the Xiaomi Mi 5 Appear, And They Are Good!

By

Joel Joseph

-

Feb 9, 2016

We have been hearing a lot about the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship smartphone, both from company executives as well as rumors. As of now, the phone is confirmed to feature the powerful Snapdragon 820 quad-core chipset along with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display.

The company was quiet about the phone’s camera specs. But now, Xiaomi’s President, Lin Bin has just shared what appears to be the first camera samples from the Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship.

Apart from mentioning that the samples are from Mi 5, we can also see that the weibo post was made using the Xiaomi Mi 5 handset. The two photos were taken on an unknown beach.

As for the pictures, they have turned out to be pretty good. Both the images have pretty good colors and look rich. However, what’s really impressive is that the Xiaomi Mi 5 managed to capture the image of the flying bird without any visible blur. The second image stands out because of its clarity despite the bird being in motion.

These images can be an indication of the powerful camera inside the upcoming Mi 5 handset. The phone must feature fast focus and OIS for taking such good shots of a bird in motion. Rumors state that we can expect a 16MP rear sensor with Laser Autofocus and dual LED flash on board.

Unfortunately, at this moment, we can’t be sure of the camera specs. But what we do know is that the camera inside the Xaiomi Mi 5 flagship will be quite good. Stay tuned for more details.

So, what do you think? Are these samples are impressive?

Nokia Will Be Present At MWC 2016, But Don’t Get Too Excited

By

Joel Joseph

-

Feb 9, 2016

Nokia has announced that it will be present at MWC 2016 to be held in Barcelona from February 22 to February 25. However, if you were hoping to see some new Android smartphones from the company at the event, you will most likely be disappointed.

Nokia has a handful of projects under development and some of them would be showcased at the upcoming tech event in Barcelona. Ever since the sale of its smartphone business to Microsoft, Nokia has shifted its focus on network infrastructure. So, we can expect new tech in this field by the company.

Nokia recently announced a new security product in the market, called Netguard Security Management Software. The company confirms that this new product will be showcased at MWC this year.

Netguard is a software designed to monitor and control all the security components of a network. So, instead of securing just individual devices, the software secures the network as a whole. It monitors all IoT devices in the network for malware and other attacks and secures the entire system. The company also adds that it is ready to sell the product to any brand of networks.

Another interesting tech from Nokia to be shown off at MWC will be the LTE Advanced Pro. The new network promises a significant increase in transfer speeds, using the existing network infrastructure. The LTE-A Pro will use special algorithms to speed up uploads at twice the existing rate and downloads at thrice the rate. This could be an important tech as it enables existing network carriers to squeeze more out of their existing infrastructure. So, no need to install costly new age components for increased speeds, at least, not at the moment.

As for smartphones, we may see Nokia branded phones sometime later this year. We have seen some renders of a possible Nokia smartphone, but they are not yet confirmed. In fact, the eventual return of the company to smartphone business is still a debated topic.