Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 vs Letv Le 1s X500 Camera Comparison

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Jan 1, 2016

Both Xiaomi and Letv had great year of 2015 and the Redmi Note 3 and the Le 1s are definitely great offerings. We have already made the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 review and the Letv Le 1s review, so you may want to check them out.

However, a lot of you keep asking which device has a better camera, so we decided to put them for a head-to-head comparison. Find out more in the video below:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 vs Letv Le 1s X500 Camera Comparison

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCbcPmhWn2g[/embedyt]

Both phones have 13MP cameras on the back with PDAF (phase-detection auto-focus) systems. That leads to the very fast focusing and capture speeds. However, there are some differences in camera sensors. Letv Le 1s uses the Sony IMX214 sensor we have already seen on lots of Chinese phones while the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has a 13MP sensor that is made by Samsung.

In case you missed it, we suggest you also checking out in-depth camera reviews of each device in the videos below.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Camera Review (in-depth)

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkGFqdLt82k[/embedyt]

Letv Le 1s x500 Camera Review (in-depth)

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TFKWoZb4wM[/embedyt]

Also, you may download full resolution camera samples of each device in the links below.

Download full resolution Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 camera samples (Part 1)

Download full resolution Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 camera samples (Part 2)

Download Letv Le 1 full resolution camera samples

Download 1080p video sample

Download 4k video sample

Both Letv Le 1s and Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 have great cameras and they are definitely one of the best in this price category of the devices. One phone takes better pictures in one situation while the second phone is better at some other situations. However, we suggest you waiting for a full comparison review where we are going to tell the final thoughts about each phone’s camera and which is better overall.

Cubot S600’s Large Fingerprint Sensor Unlocks In 0.3 Secs

By

Joel Joseph

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Jan 1, 2016

Cubot has just revealed more details about its brand Cubot S600 smartphone. We already know most of the specifications of the device before it officially starts shipping. Now, the company has released new information about the large fingerprint sensor that lies on the back of the phone.

According to the latest information, the Cubot S600 will feature the No.GSL6163MSB2 fingerprint chip from the Shanghai-based fingerprint company, Silead. This is one of the biggest smartphone fingerprint sensors available in the market with a size of 12 x 12mm. It is said that the chip can optimize the unlocking process based on the different types of fingerprints. This helps in the identifying the fingerprint efficiently.

The company further adds that the sensor can unlock the phone in just 0.3 seconds. If true, this would really be impressive. That’s comparable to the unlock speeds from flagship level smartphones like Apple iPhone 6 and OnePlus 2.

You will also get to add a few custom features to fingerprint. It is said that Cubot S600’s fingerprint could be used to encrypt apps and for other functions like selfie, online payments etc. However, at this moment, we are not quite sure which functions will be available right from the start. Some features could be added in the upcoming updates.

As for the specs, the Cubot S600 will come with 2.5D glass and 5-inch HD 720p resolution IPS display, MediaTek MT6735A 1.3GHz quad-core chip with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 2700mAh battery, and dual-SIM dual standby with 4G LTE support.

The S600 is already available for pre-order at $129.99 and will start shipping from 10th January.

Buy Cubot S600

Check out more details about the device from the official link here.

Umi Iron Pro Unboxing and First Impressions

By

Linus

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Dec 31, 2015

Umi has released quite a few phones in 2015 and Umi Iron Pro is probably the last we are unboxing this year. Find out more in our unboxing and first impressions article.

Thanks to Coolicool for sending Umi Iron Pro for a review.

Buy Umi Iron Pro

Umi Iron Pro: UNBOXING

Umi Iron comes in a typical box for Umi. Everything’s packed neatly and the contents include a charging plug, USB Type-C cable and instruction manuals.

Umi Iron Pro: DESIGN

The phone has 5.5″ display and it makes the phone quite huge but it is easily manageable in one hand due to great ergonomics of the device.

On the front we have an 8MP shooter, LED flash and other usual stuff. On the bottom we have on-screen navigation keys. Also, there is a nice looking skyline-type pulsing notification LED light.

As the name implies, the phone is made almost entirely of metal (except for the top and bottom parts for antennas). I have to say that the choice of metal definitely makes the phone look and feel great in the hand.

As far as optics, we have a 13MP Sony IMX214 sensor, which is accompanied by dual tone dual LED flash. Right underneath it there is a fingerprint scanner. It was a bit cumbersome to setup but it works quite well in real life.

Umi Iron Pro: FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Overall, Umi Iron is well constructed device and I see an improvement over the older Umi Iron in terms of the precision in the build quality. For example, the top and bottom parts, which are made of plastic, are perfectly aligned with the metal backplate. The same goes for the sides and other parts of the phone. All in all, Umi Iron has an impressive build quality and great choice of materials especially if we think of the price point of this phone.

I have already spent a few days with the device, installed all the usual apps, played with the camera etc. So far, the performance has been good. However, I need to spend a bit more time with the phone (as usual) to tell you my final thoughts.

Stay tuned to Gizmochina for a full review.

Buy Umi Iron Pro

Xiaomi To Release A High-End $460 Smartphone In 2016

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 31, 2015

As of now, Xiaomi has established a strong presence in the budget and mid-range smartphone segments, both in China as well as some international markets. However, as many of you would already know, the margin in the low-end segment is close to nothing, which means those who primarily operate in these markets are not going to make much, despite selling in millions.

As a result, it becomes necessary for companies to extend its products over a wide price range, which is something that we have not yet seen from Xiaomi. Yes, many of you would argue that the company has the Xiaomi Mi Note lineup in the high-end segment. But the series isn’t as popular as its other products, and the increased competition in the upper mid-range market from companies like Samsung, Huawei and Apple is not really helping the company.

Xiaomi had previously hinted that it will enter the high-end smartphone market with amazing products in the coming months. Now, Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s CEO has revealed in an interview that the company is working these high-end products and will release them in 2016.

So, there are two flagship smartphones that can be the face of the company’s high-end lineup. First, it could be the Mi 5 flagship which has been making the rumor rounds for around a year. Another possible candidate that could compete in the 3000 Yuan ($460) segment is the successor to the Mi Note series, namely the Mi Note 2. While details about the device is scarce at the moment, Xiaomi could update the lineup with very powerful smartphones to take on the high-end segment.

Well, at this moment, this is all we know. Lei Jun adds that these 3000 Yuan phones are going to be amazing, so we can expect some great products from Xiaomi next year.

So which smartphone are you most excited about from the company in 2016?

OnePlus Mini & OPPO A30 Hits TENAA, Both Feature Same Specs & Design!

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 30, 2015

OPPO and OnePlus have often been linked together. Last year, it was said that OPPO had a stake in OnePlus, which both the companies denied. A few weeks back, OPPO changed its corporate name to include ‘Plus’ which speculated rumors that OnePlus had merged with OPPO. Once again, both the companies released a statement saying that this was not true.

Now, to make matters even more interesting, two new smartphones have passed through the Chinese certification website TENAA, one from OnePlus, which is most likely the upcoming OnePlus Mini and the second one from OPPO, namely the OPPO A30. What makes them interesting is that both the smartphones look exactly the same! Now, is it a coincidence that apart from the company branding at the back, both the phones have the exact same design? Well, we leave it up to you to decide.

Here are a few pictures that directly compares the two smartphones. The one on the left is the OPPO A30 while on the right is the OnePlus E1000 (OnePlus Mini).

As you can see, the front looks exactly the same, except for minor color differences. The placement of the sensors on top and the capacitive buttons at the bottom are the same.

Coming to the back, once again, we see a striking resemblance in the two smartphones. Apart from the logo at the center, rest of the design is surprisingly similar!

You can check out the placement of the volume and power buttons and they are similar too. So, it’s basically the same smartphone with a different branding.

Even the specifications are the same on both the devices. So, they are powered by the Snapdragon 810 chip under the hood with 3GB RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. The screen size is the same at 4.99-inches and FHD 1920 x 1080p resolution. Both the phones have the same measurements as well 140×69×6.9(mm). At the back, you will find a 13MP camera while, up front, there’s a 5MP shooter. Both run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS.

So, it can’t be such a big coincidence that two smartphones from different manufacturers end up looking exactly the same with the exact same specs.

Well, let’s hope the companies clear things out in the coming weeks about how this happened. We will keep you posted with updates in the coming days.

[Source (1)], [Source (2)]

Xiaomi Redmi 3 Hits TENAA With A Metal Body & 5-inch Screen

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 30, 2015

Xiaomi’s Redmi lineup is due for an update next year and looks like we have already got a glimpse of the upcoming Redmi 3 smartphone. The phone just passed through TENAA recently with the model number 2015815, revealing most of its specifications as well as the design.

The TENAA listing reveals that the Redmi 3 will feature a similar design as the Remi Note 3. The device seems to come with an all metal body, much like its elder sibling. So, it looks like Xiaomi is going to start a trend of releasing metal clad Redmi smartphones in the coming months. It’s not the thinnest of smartphones in the market, measuring 8.5mm, but it’s pretty decent for its size. Moreover, like the Redmi Note 3, we may see a large battery inside the device, which will justify its thickness.

As for the specs, the Redmi 3 handset will feature a 5-inch 720p display with an octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz. It could either be the Snapdragon 616 chip or the new Helio P10 MT6755 chip. There will be 2GB of RAM on board along with 16GB of storage. The phone will support dual SIM dual Standby with 4G LTE support. As for the software, the listing reveals the phone will run on Android 5.1.1, which should be based on the company’s MIUI 7 OS. Unfortunately, the listing reveals nothing about the phone’s battery capacity.

Overall, the Redmi 3 turns out to be a good handset in the budget category. According to the latest rumors, the phone should be priced at around 699 Yuan which comes to just $108. Not at all a bad deal, considering the phone’s looks and specs.

As for the release date, we can expect to meet the device sometime next year. The best guess would be a launch alongside the Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship in January. But as of now, nothing is confirmed.

Lenovo May Also Release An Exynos 8870 Powered Flagship Next Year

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 30, 2015

A few days back, we heard that Samsung was developing a special variant in the Exynos lineup called as the Exynos 8870. The chip will reportedly be used in a number of smartphones from other manufacturers. It was said that Meizu could be the first manufacturer to use the chip. Now, latest rumors from Weibo state that Lenovo may also use the Exynos 8870 chip inside its smartphones next year.

Exynos 8870 is said to use the same mongoose architecture as the 8890, but the clock speeds are going to be slower. This means it will be slightly slower than the flagship chipset, yet powerful enough to be inside a flagship device. As a result, if Lenovo does use the Exynos 8870 in one of its smartphones, it will most likely be a flagship device.

As for the release time frame, the source revealed nothing. But considering that we expect the Meizu Pro 6 flagship (probably one of the first phones to feature this chip) and the Pro 6 Mini smartphones to be unveiled around the second quarter of 2016, one can expect an 8870 powered Lenovo device to be announced only after that.

It’s won’t be surprising to see a Lenovo device powered by an Exynos chipset. Like Meizu, even Lenovo has used Samsung’s Exynos chips inside its devices in the past. Remember the Lenovo K860 smartphone that was announced in 2012? Well, you probably won’t remember this device as it was not very popular back then, but it came with the quad-core Exynos 4412 chipset inside. So, Lenovo’s association with Exynos isn’t new.

At this moment, these are just rumors as both Samsung and Lenovo have not yet confirmed the existence or even development of such a device. But since there’s still time for its release, if the phone is real, we can expect a lot more information to crop up in the coming weeks.

Lenovo K4 Note To Feature Killer Display, Will It Be 2K?

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 30, 2015

Lenovo, the Chinese smartphone maker has been teasing its upcoming Lenovo K4 Note as a “Killer Device”. We already know for sure that the phone will feature 3GB of RAM on board. Fingerprint ID and even NFC is confirmed on the device. Now, Lenovo has just teased that the phone will feature a ‘Killer Display’.

While the term Killer Display is a bit vague, the hype created by the company seems to hint that the phone will come with a 2K resolution display. This is what the company said in its tweet.

“When is a display more than just a sum of its pixels?Get ready to thrill your senses with the K4 Note#KillerNote2016″

The display is expected to be the same size as its predecessor, the Lenovo K3 Note, around 5.5-inches. The company also released a teaser video in a tweet earlier today, which can be seen from down below.

When is a display more than just a sum of its pixels?Get ready to thrill your senses with the K4 Note#KillerNote2016 https://t.co/OnTMpyU0jY

— Lenovo India (@Lenovo_in) December 29, 2015

If the Lenovo K4 Note does really end up with a 2K display, then the phone will turn out to be a powerful device. Under the hood, we expect to see the Helio X10 Mt6795 octa-core chip, with 3GB RAM.

Lenovo K3 boasted of being a mid-range device, but with the K4 Note, the company could take things a level higher. It would be interesting to see whether the pricing goes to the next level as well. The K3 Note retails for around $200 in India. We will have to wait and see whether the Lenovo K4 Note is launched anywhere near this figure. The launch is scheduled on January 5 in New Delhi, India.

The Best Cheap Drone Under $60? – Flymemo DM007 Review

By

Linus

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Dec 30, 2015

Flymemo DM007 RC Quadcopter Drone Review: VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6sALWsE5UI[/embedyt]

Flymemo DM007 RC Quadcopter Drone Review: UNBOXING

The drone comes in a rather huge box and what you are getting inside of it includes a remote control, which is very comfortable to use and very responsive, and it has the a little display, which shows a lot of useful information like speed, signal strength, the battery power and so on.

Also, there is a removable battery, which may be tricky to install for the first time as you need to manage the cable to squeeze the battery inside the drone.

Flymemo DM007 RC Quadcopter Drone Review: DESIGN and BUILD

The very first impressions you are going to get are that the Flymemo drone is very light and it feels kind of plasticky.

However, I’ve dropped it a lot of times on various surfaces and given the fact that some of the crashes were pretty hard, I’m surprised that the drone still works flawlessly. Naturally, there is some cosmetic damage but it can be very easily fixed by yourself or you can buy some spare parts for a very low price.

Both front and back sides of the drone have some nicely flashing LED lights which also allow you to fly the drone at night.

Keep in mind that my review unit came without the optional 2MP camera but you can order the one with the camera included or buy it separately as a spare part.

Overall, the Flymemo DM007 Quadcopter is well and thoughtfully built despite feeling very plasticky.

Flymemo DM007 RC Quadcopter Drone Review: FLYING EXPERIENCE, EASE OF CONTROL

I have to tell you that the Flymemo was my first drone ever but what I’ve learned is that it is really easy to control. Also, the remote controller is very sensitive and I had no range issues whatsoever. It takes just a little bit of practice and you will enjoy flying it.

It’s worth mentioning that the drone has the beginner and pro speed modes and I suggest you starting with the beginner. Also, I advise you going to the huge field with soft surface like grass if you are just learning how to fly the drone.

As far as the battery life, I could get around 7 minutes of flight time, which is the same as advertised.

Flymemo DM007 RC Quadcopter Drone Review: CONCLUSIONS

The Flymemo DM007 is a nice and inexpensive drone, which is built in a way that it can survive numerous drops due to its protective construction. Also, it is really easy to fly it as it has a beginner mode with lower speed. I have to tell you that I really enjoyed playing with it.

In addition, the remote controller has a nice little display which shows a lot of useful information and I didn’t get any signal issues with the drone.

The embedded LED lights look very cool and they allow you to fly the drone even at night.

However, I didn’t like the way you need to install the battery as you have to squeeze the cable first and then it may take a few more seconds to fit the battery in.

All in all, the Flymemo DM007 drone is a pretty cool gadget for the price as it does all the things right, it is easy to control and it is a lot of fun flying it.

Buy Flymemo DM007

ZOPO Speed 8 Confirmed To Feature Fingerprint ID

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 29, 2015

ZOPO’s Speed 8 flagship is shaping up to be a powerful smartphone. We already know that the phone will come with the 10-core Helio X20 chipset as well as 4GB of RAM on board. Now, the company has revealed that the device will feature a fingerprint sensor as well.

According to the teaser picture revealed by ZOPO, it looks like the Speed 8 flagship will come with fingerprint ID at the back. Its a round sensor, similar to the one we have seen on other devices. But at the moment, apart from the fact that the feature will be found on the device, we have no further details.

2015 was really the year of fingerprint sensors. Almost all major flagships came with fingerprint ID on board. Many of these companies released their first fingeprint sensor equipped device only this year. So, its not surprising that ZOPO Speed 8, which is supposed to be the flagship smartphone from the company comes with this feature.

The high-end Helio X20 and 4GB of RAM should ensure stellar performance. We are really excited to see the device in action since its going to be one of the first smartphones to come with a 10-core chip. The company has confirmed the release date to be on February 24 at MWC 2016. It will be personally showed off by the MotoGP Champion Jorge Lorenzo at ZOPO’s booth in the event.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

Smartisan T2 Official, Snapdragon 808 & 5-inch FHD screen at 2499 Yuan

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 29, 2015

We have been hearing rumors about the Smartisan T2 flagship for the past few months. Now, the company has finally made the device official. The T2 flagship was unveiled at the famous Beijing National Convention Center in China yesterday evening.

The design of the phone is similar to the earlier generation, with 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 glass on both the sides and a metal frame around the body. However, in the new flagship, the back cover isn’t removable, so you can’t change the battery. You will also find three physical buttons right below the display, which isn’t surprising given that we had seen the same design in yesterday’s leak. You will find a set of customizable buttons on both the sides, and you can set either one of them as volume keys. One of them even pops out where you can insert the SIM card. Celarly, an interesting design.

As for the specs, the Smartisan T2 comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor with a 5-inch FHD 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display. There is 3GB RAM on board and 16GB/ 32GB internal storage available. At the back, you will find a 13MP rear camera while up front there’s a 5MP shooter. The phone supports 4G LTE networks as well. As for the non-removable battery, you get a 2670mAh capacity one at the back. Its not really big as compared to other flagships, but its enough for powering the smartphone for a day.

The company has also paid attention to the phone’s sound output, including a separate left and right channel OPA1612 amp chips, with features such as digital filtering for headphones. This should improve the overall sound output, close to Hi-Fi quality.

Smartisan has always been praised for their software. In the new version that runs on the T2, namely the Smartisan OS 2.5, you get a lot of new features such as system level video editing, GIF builder, screen recorder, global roaming support, remote assitance etc. There are other features such as Smartisan Read for media content, Smartisan Drive for a simple yet safe driving mode. Both these features are currently in beta stage.

Pricing wise, Smartisan T2 isn’t really cheap. I mean for a Snapdragon 808 powered smartphone, the phone costs 2499 Yuan ($385) for the 16GB version and 2599 Yuan ($400) for the 32GB version, which is a bit higher than expected. We have much cheaper options for similar specs like the Xiaomi Mi 4C or even the OnePlus 2!

Ramos M7 Specs Detailed: MT6753 + 5000mAh battery for just $200

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 29, 2015

Ramos is a well-known tablet manufacturer in China. However, back in July, the company decided to try out its luck with smartphones as well. Not surprising, considering almost all tech companies have at least a smartphone under their belt. We have already seen a couple of devices from the company till now. Also, we had heard details about the Ramos M7 smartphone earlier this month. But at that point, we didn’t know the exact specifications of the device.

Now, these details are officially available. The Ramos M7 will feature the mid-range yet powerful MT6753 octa-core 64-bit processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB of inbuilt storage. The highlight of the phone is going to be its super large battery, measuring 5000mAh. The company says that this massive battery can power the device for up to 3 days. What’s more, if you have an OTG cable, you can charge your other devices using this large battery.

As for the other specs. the phone comes with a 5-inch 720p HD display. At the back, you have a 13MP rear camera while, up front, you will find a 5MP shooter. The phone supports dual SIM dual standby with 4G LTE and comes with Android 5.1 OS out of the box.

Despite having such a large battery, the phone is pretty decently sized. The measurements are as follows: 142 x 70 x 9.6mm, which is not very thick considering the battery capacity. You can choose between three different colors namely, Sky Gray, Champagne and Coffee Brown. Unfortunately, there’s no fingerprint sensor on board, which is a feature that most 1000 Yuan smartphones feature nowadays. But the large battery should give this device an edge over others.

As of now, Ramos has not announced any plans for an international release, but we would surely like to see such smartphones with decent specs and a large battery make it outside the domestic market.

So, what do you think about the Ramos M7?

Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 Sold Out In A Minute In China!

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 28, 2015

Last month, Xiaomi officially took the wraps off its second generation Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 tablet. There were two storage options available, 16GB and 64GB. Until today, the 64GB version of the Mi Pad 2 wasn’t available for sale. But at 10 am today, Xiaomi officially made the tablet available for sale. So, after nearly a month of waiting, fans could finally get their hands on the new tablet.

However, to everyone’s dismay, the Mi Pad 2 tablet was soon out of stock. By soon, we mean within a minute! Yes, all those users who were hoping to get hold of this larger storage variant were disappointed to see that both, the 16GB and the 64GB variants were instantly out of stock. It was either due to the immense demand for these products or due to the lack of enough stock available. Whatever the reason, not many fans were able to purchase the Mi Pad 2. Some even took to the company’s official Mi tablet account on Weibo to express their disappointment.

As for the specs, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 comes with the Intel Atom X5-Z8500 processor with Sharp’s 7.9-inch 2048 x 1536 resolution display, 2GB RAM, 8MP rear/ 5MP front cameras, USB Type-C and 6190mAh battery with support for 5V/ 2A fast charging.

The 16GB version of the tablet retails for 999 Yuan ($153) while the 64GB version retails for 1299 Yuan ($200).

ZTE Nubia Buys nubia.com Domain Name For $2 million, Looking for International Expansion?

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 28, 2015

In this internet age, domain name is the face of the company. Its the name which consumers will use to check out the company products, announcements and other updates directly. As a result, companies are willing to shell out a lot of money for the right domain name.

The latest company to shell out a lot of money buying the right domain name is Nubia. I am sure almost all of you know that Nubia is ZTE’s suibsidiary, focusing on the smartphone industry. We have seen some great smartphones from this brand till now, including the bezelless Z9. But it looks like the company is now taking a step further, by purchasing the domain name, Nubia.com. The company reportedly purchased the domain name for $2 million USD which comes to around 13 million Chinese Yuan.

Now why would the company shell out so much money for purchasing another domain name? It already has two main domain names, namely nubia.cn and nubia.com.cn. So, if the company is paying so much to get the nubia.com domain name, it could only mean that the company is preparing to launch its products globally. Its products are mainly sold in the domestic market, with limited models available internationally. But that may change in 2016, which could be why Nubia decide to purchase the .com domain name.

The brand has a lot of interesting smartphones in its lineup, including the Z9, and the X6. There’s even rumors about the next generation Z11 that will hit the markets next year. So, these products could be launched outside of its home country in the coming months.

This is not the first time we are hearing a Chinese smartphone company has paid a lot of money to get the right domain name. Back in 2014, Xiaomi paid $3.6 million to get the compact “mi.com” domain name.

At the time of publishing this article, I couldn’t connect to the nubia.com website. But the above pictures seem to be what the site looked like before.

Blackview BV2000 Review – A $70 Smartphone

By

Linus

-

Dec 28, 2015

Blackview has released quite a few devices lately. This time around we are taking a look at a super cheap (around $70) Blackview BV2000. Find out more in our full review.

Thanks to the Blackview official for sending Blackview BV2000 for a review.

Blackview BV2000: VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73k_QFo-I5k[/embedyt]

Blackview BV2000: UNBOXING

The phone comes with just a power plug and the USB cable.

Blackview BV2000: DESIGN

The device is very compact as it has a 5” display and the phone is made of plastic. My review unit comes in pink colour but it has a lot more other colour options.

On the front top there is a 5MP snapper along with other usual stuff. On the bottom you can find a physical home button and nicely backlit capacitive keys.

On the back you can find an 8MP shooter with dual LED flash and the speaker grill.

The buttons are located on the right side and they have a great tactile feedback.

Under the hood, there is a removable 2400mAh battery, two SIM card slots and the microSD card slot.

Overall, the phone is well built and I have no complaints at all.

Blackview BV2000: DISPLAY

The Blackview BV2000 has a 5” 720p panel, which is pretty sharp, it has decent colour reproduction and it is a good display overall for such a cheap phone.

Blackview BV2000: UI

The phone runs on Android 5.1 with the Blackview’s skin on top of it, which removes the app tray without any reason but it adds a lot of customisation options and other features for a budget phone.

You can customise the device using the dedicated theme store, change wallpapers, adjust launcher settings and so on.

1 of 6

As far as extra features go, you have some typical gesture and motion controls. They all work okay and gesture recognition is pretty accurate. However, I found them to be kind of slow to work.

When it comes to day-to-day performance, I can’t say that everything is running smoothly. There is occasional stutter and even a little of bit lag. To make the situation even worse, the stutter kicks in even when you are just scrolling through menus. Hopefully, this issue is only due to an early software build and we will see an update to fix that.

Blackview BV2000: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

The Blackview BV2000 is not going to be your next powerhouse device. It has an MTK6735 64bit Quad Core 1.0GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and just 8GB of expandable storage.

The 3D gaming experience is kind of terrible. There is a lot of stutter and lag, and basically this phone is not the best choice for the hardcore gamers out there.

Blackview BV2000: CAMERA and IMAGE QUALITY

As far as camera, the 8MP shooter does not impress. Even the daylight shots don’t look good. There is a low amount of details, there are focusing issues and the images look terrible.

The low-light shots…. They do not impress either as the images lack in every aspect you can imagine.

Same can be said with the 720p video quality.

Download full resulotion camera samples

Blackview BV2000: MULTIMEDIA

Consuming HD content is an okay experience as the playback is smooth. However, the sound that is coming out of the rear mounted speaker is kind of tinny. Well, this is what you should expect from such a cheap phone.

Blackview BV2000: CONNECTIVITY

As far as connectivity, everything is working fine as I had no issues with the Wifi, GPS, Bluetooth, call quality or signal reception.

Blackview BV2000: BATTERY LIFE

When it comes to the battery life, it is good but not great. The 2400mAh unit can last you a full day of usage but it will give you only around 3 hours of screen-on time.

Blackview BV2000: CONCLUSIONS

The Blackview BV2000 is indeed a cheap phone and you can get it for around $70. It has a decent design and good build quality and a pretty good display for such a low price.

However, the UI performance needs some polishing as it is not smooth all the time. Also, this phone is definitely not for gamers out there as the most graphically intensive games have a lot of lag.

In addition, the camera is kind of disappointment and the battery life could be a little bit better.

All in all, Blackview BV2000 is not a perfect device in general but it’s okay for the price. If we see a software update to make the UI faster along with other possible improvements, it can be a decent phone for $70. At the moment, you have to take all the shortcomings into consideration before making a purchase.

Buy Blackview BV2000

Buy Blackview BV2000 From Aliexpress

Smartisan T2 Leaked In All Its Glory, Physical Buttons Make a Comeback

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 28, 2015

We will soon meet the Smartisan T2 flagship, but even before the official unveiling on December 30, we have got a good look at the upcoming smartphone. Thanks to a detailed leak, we now know how the phone looks like.

According to the pictures that were leaked yesterday, the upcoming Smartisan T2 flagship smartphone will still use 2.5D glass, both on the front as well as the back. You can see a metal frame around the body and the overall body could be made out of plastic. Interestingly, this particular device will feature three physical buttons up front, right below the display. So, you have the home button, the menu button as well as the back key.

Another interesting thing revealed by these images is that the Smartisan T2 may not feature a fingerprint sensor. The back is clean, and the home button up front doesn’t look like it has a fingerprint sensor. So, unlike other flagship smartphones, it looks like Smartisan is skipping this feature on its upcoming device.

Smartisan T2 Leaked Images

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Apart from these pictures, we already know the possible specifications of the device. The phone will reportedly come with Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor with 3GB RAM and 16GB/ 32GB and 64GB memory options. The screen will be compact measuring 4.95-inches with FHD 1080p resolution. The rear camera will be of 21MP while the front facing shooter of 5MP. The battery is decent for a 5-inch device, with a capacity of 2490mAh. The phone will come pre-installed with the new Smartisan OS 2.5, which has become one of the highlighted features of the company’s smartphones.

You can expect the pricing to be around 1999 Yuan which comes to approximately $308.

Ulefone Power is official and features a massive battery pack at an affordable price

By

Frank Tu

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Dec 28, 2015

Lots of Chinese smartphone manufacturers are integrating large battery capacities in their handsets and Ulefone Power, the newly announced smartphone from the company happens to be one of those devices that has joined that illustrious club.

As the name suggests, the newly announced device comes with two primary perks of owning it; a 6,050mAh battery and an extremely affordable price tag (given below). The battery is a Sony non-removable lithium polymer one and according to the company, users will be able to rake out a total of four days of light use on a single charge.

Bundled with Ulefone Power is a 9V/2-3A charger that makes use of Pump Express Plus technology; Qualcomm’s Quick Charge’s latest competitor that will super charge the smartphone’s battery in just two hours and allow users to gain a total of 2 hours of call time after being plugged in for just 5 minutes. Despite featuring such a large battery, Ulefone Power measures only 9.5mm in thickness and weighs in at 190 grams.

The smartphone also does very well to put on a good impression since it has a 2.5D arc display that is reinforced with Corning Gorilla 3 glass, and features a solid metal frame, along with ‘halo’ touch buttons. Ulefone has stated that there will be a total of three colors to choose from, which are as follows:

White
Dark blue
White with a wooden back cover

A SIM card tray pops out that can accommodate either one of the following configurations:

Single SIM card with a microSD card

Dual SIM cards

In addition to possessing a large battery capacity, Ulefone Power is no slouch when it comes to performance because it features MediaTek’s MT6753 SoC, 3GB of RAM, and a very powerful Sony IMX214 13MP camera with a dual LED flash. As for its screen size, Power has a 5.5-inch AUO 1080P LTPS display.

The handset also caters to the security eccentric crowd thanks to a fingerprint scanner and it will be getting an Android 6.0 OS update in the future. So when exactly can you get your hands on Ulefone Power? The company has stated that the smartphone will start to ship from January 10, 2016 with Android 5.1 pre-installed and will come with a very affordable price tag of $209.99.

In February, the handset will receive an update to Android 6.0.

Le Max Pro Rumored To Feature Ultrasonic Fingerprint ID & Wi-Fi 802.11 ad standard

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 28, 2015

After releasing the LeTV 1S mid-range model a couple of months back, we have not yet heard about a new smartphone from the Chinese media giant. However, thanks to the numerous rumors and leaks that have surfaced in recently, we know that the company is preparing a new device for launch soon, namely the LeTV Le Max Pro. From the naming scheme and the leaked specs, this device seems to be the successor to the phablet Le Max that was released back in April this year.

Now, a new leak reveals the specifications of the Le Max Pro, and it looks like the phone will be much more powerful than its predecessor. Apart from the usual specs, which we have already seen, thanks to its AnTuTu benchmark listing, the phone is now rumored to feature Wi-Fi 802.11 ad technology, which is the latest standard in wireless connectivity. Many of the recent flagships boast of 802.11 ac Wi-Fi technology, but it looks like LeTV is going to set the bar next year with this new age tech. This standard adds a new 60GHz frequency band and supports speeds up to 7GBps.

Apart from the new Wi-Fi standard, the phone will reportedly come with Qualcomm’s Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor. This will make it one of the first phones with this new sensor. One of the highlights of this sensor is that it can be placed under a number of materials like glass, aluminum, stainless steel, sapphire or even plastic. It is said that things like sweat, dirt, grease etc don’t affect it, which means the efficiency will be quite good.

letv max pro antutu scores — Le Max Pro scores 133K On AnTuTu

Apart from these new age features, the Le Max Pro will come with Snapdragon 820 quad-core chipset with 4GB of RAM under the hood. There will be 32/64/128GB of internal storage options. The display will be quite large, like its predecessor. So, you get a 6.33-inch WQHD 2560 x 1440 pixel screen up front. The rear camera is said to be of 21MP while, at the front, you can expect a 4MP Ultrapixel camera.

If true, the Le Max Pro would really set the bar for other flagships that will debut next year. It comes with the new Snapdragon 820 chip, Ultrasonic fingerprint ID and the fast Wi-Fi 802.11 ad standard (supports transfer speeds up to 7GBps) which are some of the features that could end up in a number of flagships in 2016.

We expect a LeTV to show off the Le Max Pro at CES 2016, but let’s wait for an official confirmation from the company.

ZOPO’s Deca-Core Speed 8 Flagship Will Be Unveiled At MWC 2016

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 27, 2015

This year, ZOPO released its flagship Speed 7 which came with great specs at a mid-range price tag. The phone turned out to be quite popular, especially in Europe.

Recently, we have been hearing about a deca-core smartphone from the company, which will be powered by the powerful Helio X20 chipset. Now, ZOPO has just revealed that the phone will be the new Speed 8 flagship. It will be the successor to the existing Speed 7 and will be much powerful in terms of specs than the current model.

The company has also revealed the launch date of the device. The Speed 8 flagship will be unveiled at the MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2016 in Barcelona. The phone will be personally introduced by none other than the brand ambassador of the company, MotoGP World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo. The event will start at 10.30 AM on February 24 at ZOPO’s booth in the event, 7G50.

The company also reveals that the Speed 8 flagship will be one of the first smartphones to feature this powerful deca-core Helio X20 chipset. It will come with Android 6.0 OS out of the box and the company promises full support for future updates. So, it’s likely that the phone will get the Android N 7.0 update as well.

Apart from revealing new details about its deca-core flagship, the company also informs us that it has changed its motto and work methodology to “Tech It Easy”.

ZOPO is known for value for money devices, as a result, it’s really exciting to hear that we will soon meet the Speed 8 with Helio x20 on board. We can expect the other specs to be quite high-end to support the powerful processor.

For now, this is all the details we have on the ZOPO Speed 8 flagship. But we will update you with more details in the coming days.

The Blackview Omega Pro Flagship Available For Just $124.99 From December 29th

By

Joel Joseph

-

Dec 27, 2015

Blackview has been carrying out a lot of promotions for its existing smartphones this holiday season. We have seen some great discounts being offered by the company in the past few days, and now, we have just been informed that the flagship Blackview Omega Pro will be available for sale at just $124.99 this specific holiday week. This is over $15 OFF than the regular price tag, which makes it a great deal.

The Blackview Omega Pro comes with dual side Gorilla Glass design with CNC Metal Frame. This makes the phone stand out, as it looks much more premium than the competitors in this price range. Its pretty slim too, measuring just 7.8mm in thickness. The phone is available in a number of colors, black, white and even gold.

When it comes to the specs, the Blackview Omega Pro doesn’t disappoint. The phone comes with MT6753 octa-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. There’s a 5-inch display at the front with 720p HD resolution. The camera at the back is of 18MP (13MP SW Interpolated) while you have a 2MP front facing shooter.

Despite the thin size, the battery is pretty decent, of 2400mAh capacity which will last you an entire day. As for the software, you get Android 5.1 Lollipop OS right out of the box. The phone supports 4G LTE networks, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.

At just $124.99, the Blackview Omega Pro turns out to be a great deal. Its powerful, good looking and comes with the new Android 5.1 OS, making it a great overall package.

You can check out more details about the device from the links given below.

Blackview Omega Pro (English Link)

Blackview Omega Pro (Russian Link)

Blackview Omega Pro (Spanish Link)

Both Xiaomi and Letv had great year of 2015 and the Redmi Note 3 and the Le 1s are definitely great offerings. We have already made the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 review and the Letv Le 1s review, so you may want to check them out.

However, a lot of you keep asking which device has a better camera, so we decided to put them for a head-to-head comparison. Find out more in the video below:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 vs Letv Le 1s X500 Camera Comparison

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Camera Review (in-depth)

Letv Le 1s x500 Camera Review (in-depth)

Umi has released quite a few phones in 2015 and Umi Iron Pro is probably the last we are unboxing this year. Find out more in our unboxing and first impressions article.

Umi Iron Pro: UNBOXING

Umi Iron Pro: DESIGN

Umi Iron Pro: FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Flymemo DM007 RC Quadcopter Drone Review: VIDEO REVIEW

Flymemo DM007 RC Quadcopter Drone Review: UNBOXING

The drone comes in a rather huge box and what you are getting inside of it includes a remote control, which is very comfortable to use and very responsive, and it has the a little display, which shows a lot of useful information like speed, signal strength, the battery power and so on.

Also, there is a removable battery, which may be tricky to install for the first time as you need to manage the cable to squeeze the battery inside the drone.

Other contents include a spare set of blades, a proprietary charger and instruction manuals.

Flymemo DM007 RC Quadcopter Drone Review: DESIGN and BUILD

The very first impressions you are going to get are that the Flymemo drone is very light and it feels kind of plasticky.

Both front and back sides of the drone have some nicely flashing LED lights which also allow you to fly the drone at night.

Keep in mind that my review unit came without the optional 2MP camera but you can order the one with the camera included or buy it separately as a spare part.

Overall, the Flymemo DM007 Quadcopter is well and thoughtfully built despite feeling very plasticky.

Flymemo DM007 RC Quadcopter Drone Review: FLYING EXPERIENCE, EASE OF CONTROL

I have to tell you that the Flymemo was my first drone ever but what I’ve learned is that it is really easy to control. Also, the remote controller is very sensitive and I had no range issues whatsoever. It takes just a little bit of practice and you will enjoy flying it.

It’s worth mentioning that the drone has the beginner and pro speed modes and I suggest you starting with the beginner. Also, I advise you going to the huge field with soft surface like grass if you are just learning how to fly the drone.

As far as the battery life, I could get around 7 minutes of flight time, which is the same as advertised.

Flymemo DM007 RC Quadcopter Drone Review: CONCLUSIONS

The Flymemo DM007 is a nice and inexpensive drone, which is built in a way that it can survive numerous drops due to its protective construction. Also, it is really easy to fly it as it has a beginner mode with lower speed. I have to tell you that I really enjoyed playing with it.

In addition, the remote controller has a nice little display which shows a lot of useful information and I didn’t get any signal issues with the drone.

The embedded LED lights look very cool and they allow you to fly the drone even at night.

However, I didn’t like the way you need to install the battery as you have to squeeze the cable first and then it may take a few more seconds to fit the battery in.

All in all, the Flymemo DM007 drone is a pretty cool gadget for the price as it does all the things right, it is easy to control and it is a lot of fun flying it.

Thanks to the Blackview official for sending Blackview BV2000 for a review.

Blackview BV2000: VIDEO REVIEW

Blackview BV2000: UNBOXING

The phone comes with just a power plug and the USB cable.

Blackview BV2000: DESIGN

The device is very compact as it has a 5” display and the phone is made of plastic. My review unit comes in pink colour but it has a lot more other colour options.

On the front top there is a 5MP snapper along with other usual stuff. On the bottom you can find a physical home button and nicely backlit capacitive keys.

On the back you can find an 8MP shooter with dual LED flash and the speaker grill.

The buttons are located on the right side and they have a great tactile feedback.

Under the hood, there is a removable 2400mAh battery, two SIM card slots and the microSD card slot.

Overall, the phone is well built and I have no complaints at all.

Blackview BV2000: DISPLAY

The Blackview BV2000 has a 5” 720p panel, which is pretty sharp, it has decent colour reproduction and it is a good display overall for such a cheap phone.

Blackview BV2000: UI

The phone runs on Android 5.1 with the Blackview’s skin on top of it, which removes the app tray without any reason but it adds a lot of customisation options and other features for a budget phone.

You can customise the device using the dedicated theme store, change wallpapers, adjust launcher settings and so on.

As far as extra features go, you have some typical gesture and motion controls. They all work okay and gesture recognition is pretty accurate. However, I found them to be kind of slow to work.

Blackview BV2000: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

The Blackview BV2000 is not going to be your next powerhouse device. It has an MTK6735 64bit Quad Core 1.0GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and just 8GB of expandable storage.

The 3D gaming experience is kind of terrible. There is a lot of stutter and lag, and basically this phone is not the best choice for the hardcore gamers out there.

Blackview BV2000: CAMERA and IMAGE QUALITY

As far as camera, the 8MP shooter does not impress. Even the daylight shots don’t look good. There is a low amount of details, there are focusing issues and the images look terrible.

The low-light shots…. They do not impress either as the images lack in every aspect you can imagine.

Same can be said with the 720p video quality.

Blackview BV2000: MULTIMEDIA

Consuming HD content is an okay experience as the playback is smooth. However, the sound that is coming out of the rear mounted speaker is kind of tinny. Well, this is what you should expect from such a cheap phone.

Blackview BV2000: CONNECTIVITY

As far as connectivity, everything is working fine as I had no issues with the Wifi, GPS, Bluetooth, call quality or signal reception.

Blackview BV2000: BATTERY LIFE

When it comes to the battery life, it is good but not great. The 2400mAh unit can last you a full day of usage but it will give you only around 3 hours of screen-on time.

Blackview BV2000: CONCLUSIONS

The Blackview BV2000 is indeed a cheap phone and you can get it for around $70. It has a decent design and good build quality and a pretty good display for such a low price.

However, the UI performance needs some polishing as it is not smooth all the time. Also, this phone is definitely not for gamers out there as the most graphically intensive games have a lot of lag.

In addition, the camera is kind of disappointment and the battery life could be a little bit better.