The past few weeks have been eventful for Xiaomi fans given that we have seen a lot of leaks, rumors and well as teasers directly from the company. We are expecting to see atleast two product launches at the company’s Grand Finale Event on November 24. All this while, we expected the new Xiaomi smartphone with fingerprint sensor to be called as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro. However, the company has officially revealed via a new teaser that the phone is going to be called as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3.
As a result, coming Tuesday, we will meet the Redmi Note 3 as well as the recently teased Xiaomi Mi Tab 2. No wonder, the company is calling it the Grand Finale event as both the devices are going to be new generation versions.
You can read more about the Redmi Note 3 specs from our previous coverage.
16GB (expandable via microSD card slot up to 64GB)
Oukitel K4000: UNBOXING
As usual, let’s start by unboxing and what you get in the packaging are a fast charging brick, USB cable, instruction manuals, a pair of earphones and and a soft plastic case.
Oukitel K4000: DESIGN
As soon as you pick up the phone, you will notice that it is a heavy device as it weighs 208g and it is 11mm thick.
Nevertheless, the phone has only 5” display and thus it is easily manageable with one hand.
On the top we have 2MP camera for selfies and on the bottom you have 3 capacitive buttons, which are, however, non-baclit.
The backplate is made of soft plastic, which is nice to the touch and definitely helps with the grip.
As far as optics, Oukitel implemented an 8MP shooter, which is interpolated to 13MP and it is supplemented with a LED flash.
On the bottom there is a speaker grill.
You can easily remove the back cover and underneath it you can find two SIM card slots and the microSD card slot.
Oukitel K4000 is surrounded by a CNC metal frame and on the right we have a volume rocker and the power key, a headset jack on the top and the micro USB port on the bottom.
Overall, Oukitel K4000 is well constructed, it feels great in the hand and the design is pretty decent.
Oukitel K4000: DISPLAY
The phone rocks a 5” 720P panel, which is quite a typical affair for budget phones. It is okay to look at but it is far from perfect. The display could be brighter and the a slight blue tint is a bit annoying.
On the other hand, Oukitel declares that it uses a super tough glass, which translates to 9H hardness. Well, I didn’t want to to hit it with a hammer but at least Oukitel feels pretty confident about its screen.
Oukitel K4000: UI
When it comes to the UI, we have Android 5.1 out of the box with a light Oukitel’s skin on top of it.
What you are getting is a stock Android with some differently designed icons. Otherwise, there are no extra features like gesture controls and this is a pretty much bare bones UI.
Overall, the user interface is fast, responsive and I didn’t even have any hiccups. Well, you keep it simple, you keep it fast.
Oukitel K4000: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE
Oukitel has an MTK6735 chip, which is clocked at 1GHz, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. Well, we’ve seen this combo on lots of China phones lately….
However, graphically intensive games are very laggy and there is just too much stutter to call it an enjoyable experience.
Oukitel K4000: MULTIMEDIA
When it comes to the multimedia, the loudspeaker is like any other speaker on a cheap phone. It is okay for the price of the phone but it lacks depth and the sound is simply tinny.
Oukitel K4000: CAMERA
The 8MP shooter, which is interpolated to 13MP is actually not bad for a budget phone but it is not always reliable. If you are lucky, you may get a shot with a decent amount of details and okay colour reproduction.
If you are not that lucky, you may get a blurry shot.
Other cons are usual to all budget phones – the dynamic range is usually off, the contrast levels are not perfect and the low-light shots do not impress.
When it comes to the video quality, the footage looks shaky and lacks details. See the video review or download original video sample from the link below.
As far as connectivity, I have no major complaints with the call quality, signal reception or wifi. GPS locks speeds and accuracy are pretty good too, although navigation is not that precise as on Snapdragon-powered phones.
Oukitel K4000: BATTERY LIFE
The 4000mAh battery should last forever given a 5” display and a light UI. I have to say that the longevity is indeed impressive as I could constantly get over 5 hours of screen-on time.
Oukitel K4000: CONCLUSIONS
So here it is, Oukitel K4000. Is it another cheap phone from China? Well, yes. It is not a perfect phone but it is not a bad choice either.
The device has a decent design with great build quality, okay display, which is not perfect but it is built to last, a very good battery life, okay camera and fluid UI.
However, the Oukitel K4000 is heavy phone and you will feel that immediately. Also, the UI doesn’t have any extra features we see on other phones. Well, it’s good that it is not overblown with gimmicks but a few extra features would have been nice. Lastly, while the camera is pretty good, it is not consistent and the low-light shots do not impress.
Finally, Oukitel K4000 is a decent phone but there is nothing we haven’t seen before. For the price of just below $120, it is a good offering but you may also want to check out some other devices too.
Gizmochina is the place where we usually cover Chinese smartphones but we have already expanded our review section to the Bluetooth speakers, power banks and all sorts of other gadgets (e.g. car jump starters, smart LED light bulbs).
This time around we are taking a look at arguably the world’s smallest quadcopter – Cheerson CX-10 4-Channel Mini. Find out more in our full review.
Cheerson CX-10 4-Channel Mini Quadcopter Review: UNBOXING
The quadcopter comes in a plastic box and the contents include the quadcopter itself, a proprietary charging cable, remote control, instruction manuals and some extra parts in case you brake the device.
Cheerson CX-10 4-Channel Mini Quadcopter Review: DESIGN
The very first thing that is going to amaze you is the fact that this quadcopter is super small. Honestly, it is hard to believe that the thing of this size can even fly. Well, it for sure can.
It is made entirely out of plastic and the build quality is great.
It has a little on/off switch as well as a proprietary charging port (it takes less than an hour to recharge the device).
It has red/blue LED lights under each of the axis.
The remote control is also made of plastic and it is pretty straight forward. It has ascend/descend lever on the left and left/right flying lever on the right. Also, the up/down button works as a trimmer for ascending/descending. The left/right button is a trimmer for the left/right side flying. Finally, the remote controller has a power on/off switch and the power indicator.
The remote controller is powered by two AAA type batteries.
Cheerson CX-10 4-Channel Mini Quadcopter Review: SETUP AND FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
I’ve played enough with this little quadcopter and I want to share my experience, so you won’t brake it immediately. First of, I suggest you going outside and have a bit of a practice in the field with a soft surface. The grass would be great. The football pitch would be ideal. I don’t recommend going to the forest, though.
The first thing you have to do is to put the quadcopter on a flat surface and turn it on using a power switch.
Then you have to turn on the remote controller, pull the left lever to the lowest point till you hear beep, then push the lever to the highest point (you will hear the beep again) and finally push the left lever to the lowest point again.
The blue LED lights on the quadcopter should stop blinking and that means that the quadcopter and the remote controller are paired. This is the “pairing” procedure you have to do each time you turn on the device.
Once you’ve done that, you are ready to take off by slowly pushing the left lever up.
Cheerson CX-10 4-Channel Mini Quadcopter Review: MY EXPERIENCE and CONCLUSIONS
To be honest, this was my first ever quadcopter and I had a lot of fun playing with it. The reason I suggest you going outside for your first flight is that it is not that easy to control it and you need to get used to it.
Also, the all the moves you try to do with this quadcopter, it does it freaking fast and sometimes it is impossible to control it once you are just starting.
However, I got used to it in a few days and I have to tell you that it is pretty fun and it may be a perfect gift if you have a little brother or for your children.
A few downsides are that the instruction manual is very complicated as it is written in Chinglish but that’s not the worst thing. I was pretty disappointed that the battery could not even last full 10 minutes. A good thing is that it doesn’t even take one hour to recharge it.
You can grab Cheerson CX-10 4-Channel mini quadcopter for around $15. It is not a perfect toy but it is a cheap way to buy a quadcopter for beginners or kids.
In the past few days, Xiaomi has revealed a lot of information about its November 24 Grand Finale event that will be held at the Chinese National Convention Center in Beijing.
Beijing National Convention Center
For the first time, it looks like the company will make more than one major product announcement in an event. This is why we decided to summarize everything we know about the upcoming Xiaomi event in one article. Things were getting confusing with rumors, teasers and leaks all around, and this article should help you to understand what exactly to expect from the Grand Finale event next week.
WHY IS XIAOMI CALLING IT AS THE GRAND FINALE EVENT?
At the November 24th event, Xiaomi will be announcing a number of new products simultaneously. Its going to be a big event for the company as well as its fans worldwide. This is the first time the company is releasing so many products together, which is probably why Xiaomi is calling it the “Grand Finale” event.
HOW MANY XIAOMI PRODUCTS ARE GOING TO BE ANNOUNCED?
As of today, we know for sure that there are going to be at least two product announcements at the event. Xiaomi’s President Lin Bin confirmed via multiple teasers that we will be meeting the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 tablet at the next week’s Grand Finale Event.
However, I think there could more than two announcements. We had recently seen a new metal Xiaomi device painted in gold, which was a bit different than the Redmi Note 2 Pro pictures that were leaked earlier. This could be a smaller device, probably from the Redmi family (could be called as Redmi 2 Pro or Redmi 3) and could launch alongside the Redmi Note 2 Pro at the Grand Finale event. For now, Xiaomi has not officially revealed any details about the device, so we can’t be sure.
So, at the moment, you can expect at least two announcements on Nov 24, namely Xiaomi Redmi Note 2Pro and Xiaomi Mi Pad 2.
WILL XIAOMI ANNOUNCE MI5 AT THE GRAND FINALE EVENT?
UNLIKELY! If Xiaomi were to release a flagship like Mi 5 at the event, we would have definitely heard about the phone by now, either by way of teasers or via leaks/ rumors. Since the internet has been silent about Mi 5 till now, I don’t think we’ll see Mi 5 next week.
Another reason for dismissing this possibility is because of the importance of the launch of a device like the Mi 5. Its going to be the flagship smartphone of the company after more than a year. So, the company wouldn’t want to take away its glory by announcing it together with so many products.
Well, this is all we know about the Grand Finale Event for now. I will be updating this article in the coming days to include more details.
Also, in case you are interested in knowing the specs, features, pricing etc of Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro and Xiaomi Mi Pad 2, we will be covering both these devices in detail in our upcoming articles. So, stay tuned.
Meanwhile, let us know what you think about the Xiaomi’s Grand Finale Event.
Yesterday, Vivo confirmed a new event for the launch of its recently teased Vivo X6 flagship. But it looks like we may see not one but two launches at the event, as the company released a new teaser on its Weibo page with the tagline, X6&More. The image actually shows us a picture of another device in the background which could be the rumored new Vivo Xshot model.’
After a long break, it looks like Vivo will be a lot busy in the coming days. The original Xshot featured great specs with an amazing camera, and we expect the new Vivo Xshot version to be even better. We had already heard rumors about this particular model a few days back and the leaked image showed off a phone came with a large camera sensor at the back. The design was more or less similar to previous releases from the company, but it featured a fingerprint sensor at the back like the X6.
earlier leaked Vivo Xshot model
Given that the company has started teasing the second product, which is most likely the new Xshot, we can expect to hear more details about the device in the coming days.
According to the recently leaked image of the new Vivo Xshot, the phone features two extra buttons on the side in addition to the power and volume buttons. The one on the top should function like iPhone’s mute button while the second one near the bottom is expected to be a dedicated camera button. Hopefully, we can confirm these features in the coming days.
So, mark your calendars, November 30 just got a lot more exciting for Vivo fans!
Ever wondered what is the most popular smartphone screen size in the world? Well, we have finally got some idea thanks to a new report from Device Atlas. The company has analyzed data from the web to determine which display size and resolution turned out to be the most popular.
According to their report, 4.7-inch is the most popular display size in the world. Well, this is actually not that surprising given that the iPhones which sell in millions every year comes with a 4.7-inch screen. Out of the 10 major countries whose data was available, 7 countries had 4.7-inches as the most popular size. The next popular display size seems to be 5-inches.
But if you are doubtful of Apple’s dominance even now, then the next line will cast away those doubts for sure. The report further adds that the most common display resolution is unsurprisingly the 1334 x 750 pixel resolution, which only the iPhones can boast of. The next popular resolution is FHD, i.e. 1920 x 1080 pixels. Quad HD resolutions are also catching up particularly in US and Australia.
1 of 3
With smartphone sizes and resolutions improving every year, we can expect this data to change in 2016.
So, what do you think? What will be the most common display size and resolution in 2016?
Coolpad’s Ivvi brand has just announced a trio of smartphones in the market, in its new “small bone” lineup. The company is targeting the budget market with these devices, with the cheapest model, namely the Ivvi Small Bone starting at just 999 Yuan. There are two other models, namely the Small Bone Pro and the Small Bone Exclusive Edition costing 1399 Yuan and 1499 Yuan respectively.
Despite its good looks, the specs of the device fails to impress. The Ivvi Small Bone comes with a modest Snapdragon 410 quad-core chip with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. At the back, there will be a 8MP camera while up front, you will find a 5MP shooter. The screen is quite compact measuring just 4.7-inches with unknown resolution (most likely 1280 x 720p). The battery is also small measuring just 1800mAh capacity.
In case of the Small Bone Pro edition, the only major difference is that the phone will feature a fingerprint sensor at the back. The sensor is reportedly fast, unlocking the device in just 0.24 seconds. This particular edition also features a special CPU cooling technology to keep the phone cool at all times.
Yesterday, Xiaomi’s President Lin Bin revealed a new teaser which kind of confirmed that the rumored Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 will meet us at next week’s event. The teaser image, just revealed a portion of the device. Now, a new render has cropped up on the Chinese social networking website Weibo, revealing the new Mi Pad 2 in all its glory.
From yesterday’s image we knew that the upcoming Xiaomi tablet was going to feature a new design, slimmer and rounder than before. Today’s image confirms this, showing off the tablet in silver shade. There’s very little change up front. But at the back we can see an aluminum unibody shell with slimmer design and rounder corners, kind of like the iPad lineup.
The tablet is said to come in two different variants, the low version priced at 1499 Yuan ($235) and the high version at 1799 Yuan ($282). Unfortunately, as of now, we don’t know the exact difference between these two variants.
The Mi Pad 2 was recently spotted on Geekbench, revealing an Intel chipset clocked at 2.2GHz with 2GB of RAM. Considering these mid-range specs, this could be the low-end version costing $235. Anyways, we are sure the company will release more features and information about the upcoming tablet in the coming days, so stay tuned to gizmochina for more updates.
When we talk about economical handsets, we wish one equipped with high specs but at a low cost. Alfa 5, launched by LEAGOO recently, is a perfect balance between performance and price. Now this device as low as 65.99$ is on sale on November 20th.
Leagoo Alfa 5 features 1.3GHz Quad Core Processor and is powered by 2200mA battery. It supports up to RAM 1GB+ ROM 8G internal storage and a 32GB external micro SD card. The 8.0- megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front camera is better than reasonable taking its low cost into consideration. As for software, the phone runs Lollipop out of the box. After elaborately design, it is available for selected and classic colors say midnight black, champagne gold and dazzling White. And the slightly small 5.0-inch full HD display wrapped in sizable bezels offers a comfortable grip for easily one hand use. I believe some of you can’t wait to meet with this handset. Here are the specs about it.
Main Specs of Leagoo Alfa 5:
OS Android 5.1
1Dimension 143.9*71.5*8.9mm（L×W×H）
Weight 136.8g
CPU 1.3GHz Quad Core Processor
Battery 2200mA
Rear Camera 8.0 MP
Front Camera 5.0 MP
Flash light Support
Display Size 5.0″
Display Quality HD IPS
PPI 294
Resolution 1280*720
Video Shooting 720P HD 30Frame/s
Internal Memory RAM 1GB+ ROM 8G
External Memory Micro SD card ( T-FLASH card), max 32GB
It seems that LEAGOO has made up mind to make their latest device a win-win smartphone with customers. Budget conscious buyers can enjoy an eminently usable phone now. Alfa 5 offers a combination of efficient performance and elegant design. The most important is it only costs 65.99$.
You may have never heard of the name UHANS before, and even I didn’t until a few days back. We have reported about their new smartphone, the UHANS U100 a couple of times in the past few weeks. The phone was marketed as a unique device in its price segment (sub-$120) since it features a luxurious design. Well, we have seen many manufacturers claim that their design is luxurious only to be disappointed with their finishing. So, when I first heard about the UHANS U100, I was skeptical.
But yesterday evening, I finally got my hands on the U100. And to be honest I was surprised as well as impressed by the way in which the U100 was designed. Its a lot different than the traditional budget phones that I have got my hands on till now. I personally like smartphones with unique designs rather than the traditional plastic ones, so the U100 did look impressive to me.
Although the U100 comes from a relatively unknown company, they have done a great job in its finishing. Everything seems to be in place with no loose parts or edges. The aluminum sides with sharp cuts does give the phone a premium finish.
The UHANS U100’s body is made from three different materials namely leather, metal and plastic. The back is made out of leather, which feels pretty good on hand. The leather back is removable and once its removed, you’ll find one standard SIM card slot, one Micro SIM slot and another MicroSD card slot on board. Then there’s the metal sides, that looks good over its black body. Finally, there are a few parts of plastic on top as well as bottom of the device, but even that’s pretty sturdy.
You get three capacitive button up front and speakers just below it in a Vertu like design. Even the camera at the back is on a metal box over the leather back.
Specs wise, it features a decent MT6735 quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM on board. The display is of 4.7-inches with 720p resolution. There’s a 13MP camera at the back along with a 5MP front facing shooter. It comes with a 2200mAh battery and runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop OS out of the box.
Overall, the first impressions of the device turned out to be pretty good. I will be reviewing the phone in detail in the coming days, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, if you have any questions about the UHANS U100 feel free to ask them via the comments section below. I will try my best to answer each one of your questions in my review.
If you thought smartphone batteries could not get any bigger, take a look at the newly announced MACOOX EX1! This particular device is probably the first smartphone in the market with a whopping 9000mAh battery on board. This is definitely an impressive feat which means you no longer have you worry about re-charging your device at least for four to five days. This is actually possible not just because of the large battery, but also because of its entry level specs.
The MACOOX EX1 comes with an undisclosed quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a 4.5-inch display. At the back, there will be an 8MP camera and a 2MP shooter at the front. While these specs are just entry level, you would be happy to hear that it supports 4G LTE networks.
The small display on the device doesn’t really help in its thickness. The phone is so thick that it even puts some large powerbanks to shame. Although we don’t know the official figure, from the images, we can expect it to be at least 14-15mm thick. So, it will be hard to carry the EX1 in your pocket unlike other regular smartphones. The company is yet to reveal a price tag for the device.
With such modest specifications and bulky appearance, I am doubtful about the everyday usability of the device. Its not really powerful enough to demand a large battery, nor is it compact enough to have an advantage over powerbanks. So, in the end, the EX1 is just a regular entry level smartphone with an overly large 9000mAh battery at the back.
What do you think? With such specs, does the EX1 look like a device you will use everyday?
The Huawei Mate 8 will reportedly come in two different variants, one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage while the other with 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage. It will be powered by the octa-core Kirin 950 processor and will feature a large 6-inch display with FHD 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. There will be a 16MP camera at the back along with a 8MP front facing shooter. Also, it will run the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS.
With these specifications, we can expect pretty good scores on AnTuTu. According to today’s listing, the phone scores between 76K and 79K on AnTuTu. This is higher than the Meizu Pro 5 handset with Exynos 7420 on board. What’s even more interesting is that this is the v5.x of AnTuTu and it is said that Huawei’s Kirin chips should post better results in the new AnTuTu v6.0. The new version is said to be developed in consideration with a number of chipmakers including Huawei for an open and fair evaluation of all chips.
Huawei Mate 8 will be the first smartphone to feature the Cortex A72 powered Kirin 950 chipset. From today’s listing we can see it posts great results on AnTuTu. Hopefully, it will be able to fulfill our expectations in real life as well.
UPDATE: So, initially we thought this was the Redmi Note 2 Pro, however there are a few subtle differences in design. So, it could be a different model like Redmi 3 or Redmi 2S or Redmi 2 Pro!. We can’t be sure of that at the moment. So, better wait for the official release.
Meanwhile, you can expect to meet the device shown in the images down below on November 24 in any of the above mentioned names. Our best guess would be the name Redmi 2 Pro.
The launch is just a few days away, till then, relish the high quality pictures of the device that we have added down below.
The phone comes in an all metal design in beautiful gold color. Unlike usual leaks, which are of low quality, these images are of extremely good quality, which means we now know how good the device looks in real life. The gold color in particular gives it a premium look on its all metal body.
The phone’s design is similar to the one we saw on TENAA a few days back. But there are a few differences which could mean that this is a different device. For example, there’s only single LED flash, also it sports a camera sensor with a ring around it, both of which were not found on the TENAA images of the Note 2 Pro. But there’s a fingerprint sensor below it like the previous leak. On the right, there’s the power button and the volume button while on the left, you have the SIM card slot. At the bottom, on the right, there’s the traditional USB connector (unfortunately no USB Type-C) and on top, you get an headphone jack. We can see that there are microphone openings on both the top as well as the bottom.
Well, there’s no denying that the design seems to be inspired from the Meizu’s Blue Charm lineup. As for the specs, if this is a new device like the Redmi 2 Pro or the Redmi 3, we have very little information. If we had to guess, we could expect MT6752 and 2GB RAM on board, but lets wait for some official information.
So, what do you think? Is this the Redmi 3 or the Redmi 2 Pro?
We have been patiently waiting for the official launch of the Vivo X6 flagship. The company has been teasing this device from the start of this month, but didn’t reveal any specific release date till now. However, earlier today, Vivo via its official Weibo page revealed that we will meet the Vivo X6 flagship on November 30. That’s less than 2 weeks away!
Vivo has also started sending out invites for the event in China. Its going to be held at the beautiful National Aquatics Center also known as Water Cube in Beijing, China.
In the past couple of weeks, we have received a lot of information about the new Vivo flagship. The phone is confirmed to feature 4GB of RAM along with a fingerprint sensor at the back that supports payments. While we are unsure about the processor, a recent leak revealed that we could see the mid-range MT6752 octa-core chip under the hood. But that’s highly unlikely considering the other high-end specs, so you can expect something like Helio X20 or at least Helio X10 inside. As for the display, the phone is expected to come with a large 5.5-inch screen with full HD 1080p resolution. The flagship will feature all metal unibody in at least three different colors namely, gold, rose gold and silver.
One of the highlights of the phone will be the recently teased dual charging technology. Its reportedly faster than traditional methods of charging and features dual charging chips and dual circuits for speeding up the charging process.
As for the pricing, with such features, don’t expect it to be cheap. The X6 should retail anywhere upwards of 2500 Yuan ($390).
You can see the official invite for the X6 event in pictures down below.
November 24 isn’t very far off and now we know for sure that we will see at least one device at the event, i.e. the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro. After sending out event invites, the company has started teasing the device on its official Weibo page. The latest teaser hints that the phone is going to be thin.
The new teaser revealed by the company earlier today shows a digital caliper with three question marks on its display. This clearly hints that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro is going to be thin. But the title of the post further reveals some possible features of the device. The title says that designing a phone is complex in the sense that adding a new feature means compromising on some other feature.
So, what is Xiaomi trying to say with this picture? Well, my best guess would be that the battery on the Note 2 Pro is going to be large. Since we see a caliper in the image, the phone could come with a thin body with a large battery. So, how large? Well, we can’t be sure of that right now, but anywhere around 3000mAh on a thin body is considered quite impressive.
As for the other specs, it going to be the same as the Redmi Note 2. So, expect MT6795 Helio X10 chip with 2GB RAM, 13MP rear camera, and 5.5-inch FHD display. Additionally, the Note 2 Pro variant will come with a fingerprint sensor at the back as seen on TENAA images as well as an all metal body in gold color as well.
Since Xiaomi has started releasing teasers for the device, expect more features to be revealed in the coming days before launch.
If you are into sports and looking for some cheap yet decent pair of Bluetooth earphones, the Mixcder Basso may be something to look at under the budget of $25. Find out more in a full review.
We wanted to say thanks to Mixcder for sending Mixcder Basso Earphones for a review.
The earphones are packed in a neat carrying case. Other contents of the packaging include some extra earbuds, micro USB cable for charging and some documentation.
Mixcder Basso Sports Earphones Review: DESIGN
When it comes to the design, the Mixcder Basso uses metal, rubber and plastic in its construction.
The earphone part is made of metal and it feels high quality. Also, it can rotate in 360 degrees for maximum flexibility.
The on-ear support is made of rubber and it is designed to make sure that the earphones don’t fall off when exercising. Well, they serve the purpose but not all the time and I would love to see a better implementation here as the right earphone fell off several times.
Another thing that I didn’t like is the green cable, which is sticking out. It is far from the deal breaker but it simply doesn’t look appealing.
As far as controller, which feels a bit plasticky, we have volume up/down and play/pause buttons as well as the micro USB port for charging. Also, there is a mic for hands-free calling, which is working quite well indoors but it not that well in windy or noisy environments.
The sound quality for $25 sports Bluetooth earphones is fantastic. There is a lot of bass and depth to the sound, the volume output is very good and you simply can’t expect more from such a cheap pair of earphones.
Mixcder Basso Bluetooth Sports Earphones Review: TEST NOTES and CONCLUSIONS
So there you have it, the Mixcder Basso Bluetooth sports earphones. In short, they have a great value for the price but that doesn’t mean they are perfect.
First of all, these were not the most comfortable earphones I’ve used, because they don’t always sit tight in your ears. Also, it happened a few times that right earphone simply fell off the ear because the controller is installed too close to the earphone.
The second flaw is the battery life. I could get around 3 hours of listening time of them. Well, it’s not a deal breaker but if you exercise a lot, be prepared to charge the earphones a lot.
Other than that, I have no complaints about the range or connectivity or any other issues.
Finally, if you are looking for the pair of good sounding budget Bluetooth earphones for sports, the Mixcder Basso can be your option if you don’t mind a few shortcomings.
November 24 is an important date for Xiaomi fans as the rumored Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro as well as the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 devices are expected to be unveiled at the “Grand Finale” event. While there were rumors about Xiaomi Mi 5 also launching on the same date, Pan Jiutang, an IHS analyst dismissed those claims and revealed that we will see the Mi Pad 2 at the event.
Now a couple of new devices have just passed China’s 3C Quality certification website and among them could be the Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship. Two new devices with the model number 2015815, and 2015811 were spotted on the website which could be Mi 5 variants. However, its hard to confirm that right now. As for the third new device that was certified today, 2015055, it is most likely the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro variant given that a few days back, the 2015056 was certified on the site.
Its really hard to say which devices will meet us at the Nov 24 event. Our guess is the Redmi Note 2 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi Pad, but after today’s certification, things get a bit more confusing. Hopefully, in the coming days, Xiaomi could clear out a few things via official teasers.
Umi is known for its cheap smartphones portfolio but they also produce some other products in the audio/music department. This time around we are looking at the cheap (±$10) Umi Voix earphones. They look promising but do they sound? Find out in our full review.
The earphones come in a neat metal box and what you are getting are some extra earbuds for different sizes of ears and some documentation. Overall, presentation is really neat, doesn’t look or feel cheap at all.
Umi Voix Earphones Review: DESIGN and BUILD
The very first thing Umi surprised me was an excellent build quality and the choice of materials. The earphones are very well crafted and are made almost entirely of metal. The earbuds are very easy to replace too.
However, you should keep in mind that the earphones are just a tad larger than the ones you are used to. This doesn’t alter the comfort but you want to know this point.
As far as cable goes, it is tangle-free from top to bottom (not like other manufacturers choose a tangle material like a sticky rubber on the top part for some reasons).
There is a little metal-made controller and here we have a mic for hands-free calling. During my testing I made/received at least 5 calls and the call quality was pretty good. However, when I was outside, the noise reduction was not excellent as the mic picked up the wind very easily.
The “On/off” button as actually a multi-functional key and it works as an answer call, play/pause button and if you double click it, it will also skip tracks.
Lastly, the headset jack part is also very well made. Again, it uses a metal enclosure.
Umi Voix Earphones Review: SOUND QUALITY
When it comes to the actual sound quality, it is a mixed bad. On one hand, it has a good amount of bass, which is also deep and soft at the same time.
On the other hand, the sound could have a bit more clarity and depth in it. Well, you simply can’t expect much from such a cheap pair of earphones but once I compared the Umi Voix to the Xiaomi Pistons 3, which are arguably the best cheap earphones, I preferred the ones made by Xiaomi immediately.
It does not mean that Umi Voix earphones are bad as they have a really good amount of nice bass but they are not the best out there in terms of sound quality.
Still, given the recent price drops, it is impossible to find anything better at $10 price tag.
Umi Voix Earphones Review: CONCLUSIONS
Umi Voix are are good earphones considering a very low price tag. They offer an excellent build quality and great design. Also, they come in a premium packaging with extra earbuds to fit any sizes of ears.
When it comes to the sound quality, Umi Voix earphones produce a good amount of clean and punchy bass but when it comes to the overall clarity and depth, they are not the best out there.
However, given the recent price drops, you may have a hard time finding anything better at the price of just $10.
Vivo has been teasing its upcoming flagship, the Vivo X6 for the past couple of weeks. We already know that the company is aiming for the high-end market with this device and till now, the specifications revealed have been quite impressive. Earlier today, Vivo revealed another important feature of the Vivo X6. The company states that the phone will feature twin engine fast charging technology which will make sure that the phone charges faster than competitors.
According to the company, this twin engine fast charging technology makes use of dual charging chips as well as dual charging circuits to speed up the rate of charging of the device. The company has yet again revealed this feature via a gif image. It shows two smartphones, one using the traditional charging technology while the other using the twin engine charging. The latter is shown to charge the smartphone much faster then the traditional one.
We still don’t know how exactly this technology works or how fast it is as compared to the regular charging technology. But we can expect those details at the time of the phone’s announcement, which should happen sometime in the next couple of weeks.
This year, Qualcomm has repeatedly said that the industry doesn’t need more cores, instead it needs better cores. That’s exactly what the company did with its new Snapdragon 820, featuring just four custom Kryo cores instead of eight cores on the Snapdragon 810.
But we were doubtful whether a quad-core chip even with its powerful custom Kryo cores will be able to compete with the likes of Samsung Exynos 8890 and Kirin 950, both of which are octa-core chips. Well, it looks like our doubts were valid to some extent as a new report states that Qualcomm will announce an octa-core version of Snapdragon 820 sometime early 2016.
An octa-core version should be more powerful than the quad-core version and will be ideal for high-end flagships. Which brings us to the question, which segment is the company then targeting with the recently launched quad-core Snapdragon 820?
The report comes from Digitimes, who are usually quite reliable. They also add that Qualcomm is following the trend set by competitors like Samsung and Huawei who have octa-core chips for their flagships in 2016.
Anyways, if you are interested in seeing what’s the difference between the Kirin 950, Exynos 8890 and Snapdragon 820, check out this comparison.
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