UMi Zero 2 To Feature 4GB of RAM & Helio X20?

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Sep 22, 2015

Although we had heard a few rumors about the upcoming UMi Zero flagship a few weeks back, recently, there hasn’t been much news about this device. However, earlier today, we came across another piece of information about the UMi Zero 2 flagship. It is said that the device will come with 4GB of RAM on board, which if true, will be a first for a UMi smartphone.

In fact, even today, there aren’t many 4GB RAM phones in the market. If this does turn out to be true, UMi will join the ranks of the few premium smartphone makers who have released such a device. This much amount of RAM means you no longer have to worry about lag during multi-tasking as it will handle any task thrown at it with ease.

As for the processor, the UMi Zero 2 will reportedly come with a Helio X series chipset. Given that the company is adding 4GB RAM inside, its likely that the phone will feature the deca-core Helio X20 chipset for maximum performance. However, this may drive up the cost unnecessarily, and hence, the company may decide to settle with the MT6795 Helio X10 octa-core chip. Even this processor is quite capable of powering flagship devices, so it won’t be disappointing to see it inside the Zero 2.

UMi seems to be making a smart decision by using the Helio X series processor instead of Snapdragon 810. Despite the claims from Qualcomm, Snapdragon 810 is still believed to overheat when used for a long time. As a result, this chip has often been the target of consumer criticism. So, using the powerful Helio X series chip (either X10 or X20) seems to be the right decision at the moment.

As per the previous rumors, UMi could be working on two variants of the flagship UMi Zero 2, one with the dual display and another with a real leather back cover, like the one on the LG G4. The phone will reportedly come with a 5.2-inch QHD panel, 20MP camera and the new USB Type-C port.

Unfortunately, we have no further information about the UMi Zero 2 at the moment, but we will keep you guys updated with new details in the coming weeks.

Check Out the Xiaomi Mi4C Camera Samples Here, Looks Good!

By

Joel Joseph

-

Sep 22, 2015

Xiaomi revealed yet another powerful smartphone yesterday, the Xiaomi Mi4C, which unfortunately is limited to the Chinese market. However, that shouldn’t stop us from admiring the amount of features and value that the phone brings to the table at less than $210. So, there’s no denying in the fact that once again the company has impressed us with its release.

Apart from the numerous upgrades compared to the Mi4i, the company has also reportedly improved the camera performance, both on the front as well as the back. The rear features 13MP Sony IMX258 sensor with the same ISP as found in the Snapdragon 810. Xiaomi reports that the Mi4C particularly focuses on improving low light images, thanks to the new algorithm. Therefore, the night time pictures taken with the phone should turn out to be much more clear, sharper and brighter than competitors in this price range.

Usually, many companies claim that their new releases come with upgraded camera modules, later only to turn out to be disappointing. But the Xiaomi Mi4C does seem have improved color reproduction as well as reduce noise in low light images according to the latest samples.

You can check out the Xiaomi Mi4C Camera Samples from down below. They look quite good for a $210 smartphone!

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LeTV X Pro spotted on AnTuTu Benchmark, Scores above 75K

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 22, 2015

We know that LeTV is working on a new model thanks to the numerous leaks, just six months after the launch of the trio LeTV One series smartphones. In fact, a few weeks back, LeTV Hong Kong officially posted a new teaser on their website which hinted that the company was working on a Snapdragon 820 powered device. It looks like we might have just spotted this particular model, which is reportedly called as the LeTV X Pro on AnTuTu.

The image shows that the new LeTV X Pro model manages to score more than 75K on AnTuTu. This is quite impressive given that existing models even with Exynos 7420 on board struggles to get past the 70K mark. So, it could mean that this particular model is powered by a new chipset. We already know that both, the Snapdragon 820 and the Helio X20 MT6797 are going to be powerful, so its likely that the phone features one of these.

According to the source, the phone will be priced much higher than 3000 Yuan ($470), which is not a new territory for the company. We have already seen their limited edition premium Gold & Pink LeTV One Max models retail for more than 5888 Yuan that translates into a price tag of above $970. So, the new model may not replace the old ones, but rather carve out a new segment for itself. Given that the company is using Sapphire screens on these limited edition models, its possible that the LeTV X Pro may have such an edition as well.

Anyways, we have not yet seen a Snapdragon 820 powered smartphone in the market yet. And according to the company, the first phones will only release by Q1 2016. So, we may have to wait for a bit more time to get more details about this upcoming LeTV X Pro handset.

Meizu co-founder confirms the new Logo with a video

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 22, 2015

Meizu is one of the fastest growing Chinese smartphone manufacturers with successful devices like the MX4, MX4 Pro, MX5, M1 Note and M2 Note. The company was established in 2003 and expanded to the smartphone business in 2008 then to a global presence today. MEIZU devices are developed based on a philosophy to make products light in weight but having an elegant user experience with wide screen coupled with easy to use user interface and premium sound quality. Their philosophy was evident from the recent releases in the market.

Rumor has been going around that this company was planning to change its logo. And now this has been confirmed and Meizu has unveiled its new logo that will be placed on the new line of devices to be released in the near future. The new logo is designed to read MEIZU in English in light blue color with a unique simple stoke font containing smooth curves around the letters E, Z and U. So, the new logo will be much more linear than the one before, which decreased in thickness as it moved towards the end.

You can check out the video below posted by Huang Zhang for more information.

It looks like the company will debut the new logo today, at the event where it will also unveil the brand new Meizu Pro 5 flagship. The phone is expected to be high-end with great features, so make sure you check back on the website soon for more details.

ProDrone BYRD officially announced

By

shanos

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Sep 22, 2015

On the 15th of September 2015 ProDrone officially announced the ProDrone BYRD, featuring advancements in UAV technology.

The new ProDrone BYRD is aiming to be the most powerful and portable consumer drone currently offered by any major drone manufacturer, by focusing on power and portability they have managed to give the ProDrone BYRD a maximum payload of 3.8kg, or to put it another way my Canon 6D weighs in at 770g and my 24-105L lens a substantial 667g or 1.44kg this is a far cry from the carrying abilities of other drones and could result in extremely high quality photographic or Cinematography results.

Most people should be able to get around 30 minutes of flight time, this will be effected by heavy winds and flying style, as well as by the weight of load that is being carried.

An interesting option on the ProDrone BYRD is its ability to be operated by dual controllers, this could be very usefull if you are still mastering the drone and need the confidence another pair of hands can bring, it could also allow for inflight handovers when filming further than standard operating transmissions allow.

With flight times of up to 30 minutes, the ProDrone Byrd allows more than one user to operate the drone at once due to it’s dual controller capability and as the ProDrone BYRD features a modular payload system users can quickly swap out gimbal/camera combinations, saving valuable time and allowing them to capture and share those spectacular moments without missing a beat.

Best of all the ProDrone BYRD packs up to a convenient and backpack friendly size (around the same as an iPad but obviously thicker).

The ProDrone BYRD will be launching later in 2015 and will cost between $800-3,000 (£516- £1935) depending upon package chosen. Full pricing will be announced at official launch in Q4.

It would be great to review the ProDrone BYRD on its release, this looks like strong competition to the industry leading DJI drones.

Please leave comments below

Regards Shane

Originally posted on gadgetz.tv

Product Features:

First fully collapsible package
Absolute reliability
Longer flight time
Modular gimbal/camera options provide easily swappable combinations
Camera options include 4K, 1080, infrared and GoPro
Multi-controller option allows for easy teaching and sharing of a single UAV
Screen sharing on up to three devices
Follow me technology
Advanced interior positioning
HD Transmission
Comprehensive safety features

Xiaomi announces the new Mi Bluetooth Speakers for 199 Yuan ($31)

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 22, 2015

Xiaomi has added a new wireless speaker to its line of devices that included smartphones, power banks, tablets, headphones and television sets. The Mi Bluetooth Speaker is designed to a compact size with an all-aluminum metal casing that can come in array of color selections containing gold, blue and pink. Its elegant look and light weight make it a convenient device to carry it with you.

The output sound is claimed to be of a high quality with maximum amplitude of 90dB at 0.5 m. The device contains a built-in bass radiator, neodymium permanent magnet speakers driven by an Avnera AV3102 microchip. The built in battery enables continuous music listening for eight hours on a single charge. In addition to its ability to wirelessly connect with Xiaomi’s smartphones, the Mi Bluetooth Speaker supports music playback from memory cards with an internal storage for up to ten thousand songs. It also features a built-in microphone for loud speaker conversations as well. It can also be used as a hands-free speaker when a call comes in while streaming music over Bluetooth. Although the exact release date is not specified, Xiaomi will be offering this device for a $30 price.

Buy Xiaomi Bluetooth Speakers (Original) for $19

Check out the pictures of the new Xiaomi Bluetooth Speaker from down below.

4K Rollei Actioncam 420

By

shanos

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Sep 22, 2015

Rollei a world renowned camera maker since the 1930’s have released the latest in their line of action cameras, the 4K Rollei Actioncam 420, the action camera market is continually growing with many Chinese companies putting out better and better products to compete with the likes of Gopro, have Rollei with their history and experience in imagery got what it takes to take them all on?

The 4K Rollei Actioncam 420 is able to record in 4k Ultra HD resolution (3840 x 2160) at 10fps, with 2k resolution (1920 x 1440) at 30fps full HD is handled up to 60fps.

The cameras styling leaves no question of the design influences, but if its not broken, the provided waterproof housing will take you down to 40 meters.

The Actioncam 420 has a recording angle of 170 degrees, this wide field of view will allow you to record in small rooms as well as capturing wide open spaces.

The Actioncam 420 has integrated WIFI with a 10m range and the ability to be controlled by a supplied wrist strap or via a tablet or phone, also included is time-lapse recording with intervals of up to 60 seconds.

The Rollei Actioncam 420 will be available from mid-October for £199.99

Hopefully I will be able to get some hands on time with the Actioncam 420, if I do you can be sure of a full review.

Please leave comments below

Regards Shanos

Originally posted at gadgetz.tv

You can find more details for the Actioncam 420 as well as check out some of Rollei’s other gadgets here

You can find the recent press release below.

Ultra Quality – Ultra Action: Rollei brightens 4K camcorder market with Actioncam 420

Iconic German camera brand Rollei has launched the latest in its action camcorder range with the new Actioncam 420.

The Actioncam 420 is the latest in the Rollei range of action cameras with the capability to record at 4K providing a smooth and high resolution video recording. The high-quality camera delivers 4K video at up to 10 frames per second to meet users’ appetite to be able to record in ultra HD as well as offering 2K recording at 30 frames per second.

The Actioncam 420 is able to film wide-angle action shots with a recording angle of 170 degrees. It has been perfectly designed for a variety of outdoor activities; boasting water resistance of up to 40m with the included waterproof housing and, with a battery life of up to 120 minutes, can ensure every extreme moment is captured.

Jeremy Rother, UK Sales Manager at Rollei says: “With many extreme moments only happening once in a lifetime, it’s important to have a camcorder that’s not only reliable but also records in great quality. With our latest actioncam launching onto the UK market, we hope to inspire even more sports enthusiasts and ensure thrill seekers never miss the perfect moments from all their adventures.”

Rother continues: “With more and more homes now having a 4K high definition TV, we wanted to create a product that can make the most of these displays so extreme hobbyists can relive the moment time and time again in amazing quality.”

The action camcorder also offers a time-lapse function with up to 60 second intervals, as well as a slow motion and loop functions. The built-in WiFi has a range of up to 10m, allowing photographers to control the camera using the supplied wriststrap or even a smartphone or tablet. The Rollei app even allows viewing of live action or recorded images using a mobile or tablet.

The Actioncam 420 is supplied with the Rollei Safety Pad; a unique and patented mount which is designed to break free from a helmet in the event of a collision, greatly reducing the chance of injury to the user.

Available in blue, white and black, the Rollei Actioncam 420 comes with a number of accessories including; an underwater case for diving, rechargeable Lithium-ion battery and a wireless wrist remote for hand-free recording.

The Rollei Actioncam 420 will be available from mid-October for £199.99.

Product specifications

4K video resolution 3840 x 2160 (10 fps)

2K video resolution 1920 x 1440 (30 fps)

Full HD video resolution 1920 x 1080 (60/50/30/25 fps)

Wide-angle lens with 170° shooting angle

Integrated WiFi with 15m range

Smartphone or Tablet PC* playback through iOS and Android app

Photo time lapse function with adjustable time intervals (0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 30 and 60 seconds)

About Rollei

Founded in 1920 and based in Germany, the camera manufacturer Rollei became famous in the 1930s with its TLR camera line Rolleiflex. The popular and widely imitated roll film camera was notable for its exceptional build quality and had a huge impact on photography. For over 90 years, Rollei has made the world of photography accessible to everyone, helping millions of people to record history.

Audiomax Wireless On-Ear Headphones are 30% off on Amazon

By

Frank Tu

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Sep 22, 2015

Regardless of when in the year you’re shopping for tech items, Amazon has discounts all year round, and not just during the big retail holidays. And those looking for discounted accessories can get a good deal on the Audiomax Wireless On-Ear Headphones with Bluetooth 4.0.

Compared to similar items from Geega, Ghostek, and Bohm, this Audiomax product is particularly affordable – it’s selling for only $69.99, which is $30 less than the original price of $99.99. Features include Bluetooth 4.0 support, a microphone, and noise isolation, while its wireless setup allows you to listen to music conveniently without having to plug it into your mobile device. We all know that cables could make listening to music on your headphones a bit uncomfortable at times, but not with these headphones.

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZyZsEhWuH0[/embedyt]

Other important specifications include 20 hours of uninterrupted listening – now you probably won’t use these headphones for that long, but 20 hours of music may mean, in most cases, you’ll use them for about five days to a week before charging. It also lasts 760 hours – that’s more than a month – in standby mode. You’ll also be able to use these Audiomax headphones at a maximum 33 feet or 10 meters away from the target device, while it makes use of Bluetooth CSR 4.0 tech and Apt-X to connect wirelessly to your phone.

Reviews for this product have been very strong, with 41 reviewers giving it an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars. As Amazon seldom says how long it places items on discount, this Audiomax Wireless On-Ear Headphones deal may be worth checking out sooner, and not later.

MobiKin Assistant for iOS allows you to transfer contacts, photos from iPhone to PC

By

Frank Tu

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Sep 22, 2015

Looking to transfer contacts and photos from your iPhone to your computer or Mac before you upgrade to a newer version? The MobiKin Assistant for iOS may be the solution you’re looking for.

Users of older iPhones, including the iPhone 5s and older, probably know how it feels – you want to make sure your contacts and multimedia are seamlessly transferred to your newer iPhone, and you want the backup process to be easy. Contacts, after all, are especially important. We need an easy way to get in touch with our employees or clients, or a way to touch base with family and friends. And rebuilding contacts when you’ve moved up to a newer device could be a long, arduous task. Add to the frustration if this is because your iPhone got bricked or corrupted, and rebuilding one’s contact list could be very, very stressful.

With that backdrop in mind, many have considered backing up their iPhone data, especially their contacts, on their computers. That can be done easily with the new MobiKin Assistant for iOS, which is available for both Windows PCs and Macs. You can transfer contacts and photos from iPhone to computer or Mac, backing them up safely and securely with little to no hassle involved. This is read-only software that does not affect the original data in any way. And if security is a concern, you can be confident that this is not, and does not contain any kind of spyware or malware. It’s also quite easy to use, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy individuals.

All in all, there are 14 types of files you can transfer from your iPhone to your computer – aside from contacts and photos, you can also transfer texts, notes, podcasts, ringtones, and more. You can save this data as a HTML file, and easily remove or add any files as you see necessary. Supported devices include all older iPhones from the iPhone 3 onwards, all iPads from the first-ever iPad to the first-gen iPad Air and iPad mini, and the iPod shuffle, nano, classic, mini, and touch.

Deal – SongYang X25 available at GeekBuying for 52% off

By

Frank Tu

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Sep 22, 2015

The SongYang X25 is now selling for over 50 percent off on GeekBuying, and if you’re looking for an affordable quadcopter that won’t take a big bite out of your wallet, now’s the time to go get it.

It doesn’t say how long the sale will be on, but as of this writing, the SongYang X25 is selling for 52 percent off its regular price, or for only $46.99. Its features and key specs include a 2.4 GHz transmitter, a one-key return button that allows you to send it back home with just one press, a two-speed switch, and flashing lights that allow you to use the quadcopter at night. You can also control it via its eight-channel system to have it ascend, descend, go forward or backward, fly to the left side or right side, and even have it do some tricks such as a 360-degree roll.

What else is there to know about the X25? Its estimated flight duration is at seven minutes, remote control distance at over 60 meters for indoor and outdoor flight, and recharging time at approximately 90 minutes. The box includes a 3.7-volt, 650 mAh battery for the quadcopter, but you’ll have to buy the transmitter’s four AA batteries yourself. The X25 is a relatively compact 150 grams, with dimensions of 23.5 x 17 x 6.5cm.

Xiaomi Mi4C Is Official With Snapdragon 808, 3GB RAM & an Amazing Price Tag

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 22, 2015

Back when Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi Mi4i flagship in India, Chinese users felt a bit left out. The device was good in looks as well as specs and the local market could have used a device like the Mi4i. But little did they know that Xiaomi had something even better for its domestic market, and a few minutes back, it made the Xiaomi Mi4C flagship official. Just like the previous leaks and rumors predicted, the Mi4C flagship will be much better in terms of specs and value than its international brother, the Mi4i. I am sure after seeing the specs and the pricing of the new device, Chinese users will be delighted. So, without wasting any more of your time, lets take a look at what this amazing device has to offer.

Buy Xiaomi Mi4C on Giztop from $249, Free Shipping

Looks wise, there’s hardly anything changed in the new Xiaomi Mi4C. You get the same smooth back finish with a strong rectangular body as its international brother. While this may sound a bit simple, especially in a market where metal bodied smartphones are preferred, the company compensates this clean look with its numerous color offerings. You can choose between five different colors according to your liking, including yellow, white, pink, blue and black.

But this is where the major similarity ends. Under the hood, the Xiaomi Mi4C comes with the much more powerful Snapdragon 808. On the other hand, the Mi4i had the slower Snapdragon 615. This is a great move from Xiaomi since 808 will ensure the fastest performance in its price segment, which is exactly what the MT6795 powered Redmi Note 2 did. There are two version of the Mi4C, one with 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage while the other with 3GB RAM and 64GB of storage. With Adreno 418 GPU and the above specs, the Xiaomi Mi4C manages to score much better than competitors in the price range. According to the benchmark score revealed by the company in the presentation, the Mi4C managed to score about 57K on AnTuTu, which is even better than MX5 and Huawei P8. Clearly, you won’t be disappointed with the phone’s performance.

The display will be of 5-inches with full HD 1080p resolution. It is said that the Mi4C’s display will be 20% slimmer than traditional panels. The company has compared its size with the recently announced Apple iPhone 6S. As you can see, the dimensions are almost the same as the 6S, despite having a slightly larger display. Also, Xiaomi has made sure that the bezels are quite thin, making it around 30% thinner than average smartphones.

The company has also paid special attention to the Mi4C’s camera. The phone comes with a 13MP Sony IMX258 rear sensor with PDAF. This should ensure great images with fast focus. What’s more, the company has upgraded the algorithm to ensure that low light photos come out bright, with more detail and less noise. You can check out the image below to see how it works in real life.

mi4c 08 rear cam algorith — Image shot with Mi4C on the right

Here’s also a few samples from the rear camera that you can check out.

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As for the front camera, you get a 5MP sensor 85 ° ultra-wide angle lens to make sure that you can take in more objects in your camera shots. In fact, in the comparison shown with the iPhone 6S, you can see how wide the Mi4C’s front camera really is.

While these features are impressive enough, the Xiaomi Mi4C also comes with an IR port. This means that you can control over 2000 appliances at your home in 10 different categories including TV, Air conditioners etc with your smartphone. The company also adds that the Mi4’s IR app can control your SLR camera too.

mi4c 05 IR SLR — MI4C Can control SLR cameras too

Connectivity options are pretty much standard with Dual-band dual-antenna Wi-Fi, supports 802.11ac MU-MIMO, Bluetooth and dual SIM dual Standby with LTE support. The battery is large at 3080mAh and supports fast charge 2.0 as well. You also get the new USB Type-C port, which makes it the first Xiaomi smartphone with this new age connector.

As for the software, you can upgrade it to the latest MIUI 7 OS based on Android 5.1. What’s even more interesting is that the phone accepts double click gesture to wake up the display. There’s even a new feature called as Edge Tap, which lets use tap on the edge for various functions like capturing a photo.

Finally, coming to the best part of the device, the Xiaomi Mi4C starts at just 1299 Yuan. Yes! Despite the numerous upgrades, the phone starts at the same price as the Mi4i, which is really an impressive thing. When you convert it into dollars, this translates into just $200. As for the high-end version with 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage, you can get it for a slightly higher price tag of $235.

Once again, Xiaomi has released a mind blowing smartphone which offers the best value for money quotient that we have seen in a while. The phone will be available for pre-order in China from tomorrow at 10AM.

Buy Xiaomi Mi4C on Giztop from $249, Free Shipping

Letv’s September 19th One-Day Sales Reach Unbelievable $270 Million!

By

Linus

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Sep 22, 2015

It seems that Letv is not just another newcomer to the smartphone’s game in China. This company is breaking a record after record and it has already shaken up the whole smartphone industry in the Far East.

As you may have already heard, Letv held a “Black 9.19” festival, where the company sold its devices for a significant discount despite the fact that Le Superphones and other devices made by Letv are already carrying a very low price tag without any discounts.

It turns out that the company managed to achieve overall sales of $270 million in one day, which makes it China’s third largest e-commerce festival.

Letv’s customers are not only buying smartphones as the numbers show that they are interested in other smart devices, which include the Super TVs, Super VR Goggle, Super motion-sensing gaming gun, Le Smart router, earphones and a Bluetooth speaker. The latter gadgets are so far being sold in China only but we can’t wait to see them in the Western markets too.

A very interesting fact is that Letv sold over 594k of Le Superphones, which breaks the record for a single-day online flagship phone sales in terms of both volume and revenue.

It seems that the Letv is on the right track in terms of the quality of the devices they produce and the marketing they use. Chinese customers have known the company’s name for quite a while and it may help foster sales of Le Superphones. Still, for a company, which has just entered the smartphone business, these numbers are really impressive.

You may think why we need to care about these numbers but the benefits are obvious to the end consumer too. Companies like Letv simply shake up the Chinese consumer electronics market and make other players either reduce the prices of the devices they sell even more or invest more into innovation, research and development.

In case you haven’t checked our video reviews of Le Superphones, here are all the videos in one place:

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PZfjYK91OQ[/embedyt]

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqGMD4sA-gQ[/embedyt] [embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrNo1nZtGdU[/embedyt] [embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8ZidFOzl-k[/embedyt]

Buy Letv Le 1 One S1 X600

Buy Letv Le One S1 Pro X800

Buy Letv Le One Max X900

Huawei Working On A New Phablet With Stylus To Take On The Galaxy Note 5?

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 21, 2015

There’s no denying in the fact that people love phablets. Although initially, not everyone was convinced that a super sized smartphone was the solution to all problems, the tremendous success of the large screen phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note series and the iPhone 6 Plus just proves this point. We have seen the number of phablets increase in the past couple of years, and it is said that the figure is only going to increase further in the coming years. So, its not surprising that almost every manufacturer has a phablet in their smartphone lineup.

A few months back, Yu Chengdong the CEO of Huawei said that the company aimed big, and was looking to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple. Unlike other Chinese manufacturers who are competing to get a share of the mid-range and low-end market, Huawei has already said that it aims to take a piece of the premium segment. The recently announced Huawei Mate S does confirm the company’s intentions, but a new leak reveals that the company is preparing itself for something even bigger.

According to a report from South Korea, Huawei is said to be working on a new phablet that would directly compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 flagship. What’s more, since the display size is going to be big, Huawei is reportedly talking with different stylus manufacturers for its new phone. In fact, this Chinese company is said to have already contacted Wacom for developing the stylus for its new device, but due to reasons unmentioned in the report, the deal didn’t quite work out. So, Huawei seems to have partnered with another Stylus manufacturer for competing with Wacom’s products. While there could be many reasons for the deal not working out with Wacom, the fact that Samsung owns a piece of the company could have affected the decision.

Anyways, we can see that Huawei is slowly and steadily making its mark in the premium segment. The Huawei Mate S is a worthy device and this Samsung Galaxy Note competitor, (is it the rumored Huawei Mate 8?) with a stylus could be another hit too. For this to work out, the new Huawei device should be powerful (Kirin 950?) as well as feature rich.

Since we have very little information about this new flagship, lets wait and watch what Huawei has in store for us in the coming months.

Xiaomi Mi4C Pricing Leaked, Not As Cheap As Expected

By

Joel Joseph

-

Sep 21, 2015

Xiaomi has always surprised us in the past with its pricing. The best example would be the Redmi Note 2 that comes with the powerful MT6795 octa-core chip, yet starts at 799 Yuan. The latest smartphone from the company is going to the Xiaomi Mi4C. We have been hearing a lot about this particular mid-range smartphone, both officially and unofficially, and we already know most of its specifications.

One thing that we were still unsure about the device was its pricing. Earlier rumors said that the phone would start at 1299 for the 2GB + 16GB version and go all the way up to 1499 for the 3GB + 32GB version. However, according to a new leak, the pricing will be a bit higher than expected. The leaked image shows that the Mi4C is priced at 1999 Yuan which is much higher than what previous rumors stated. However, since the launch is just a few hours away, its best to wait for the official announcement before making any conclusions.

As for the specs, the Xiaomi Mi4C will feature a 5-inch 1080p display powered by the Snapdragon 808 hexa-core chipset. As mentioned above, there will be two RAM variants, 2GB / 3GB with three different storage variants as well 16GB / 32GB / 64GB. At the back, you can expect to see a decent 13MP camera while up front there should be a 5MP front facing shooter. The battery should be the same as the Mi4i international version, i.e. 3120mAh. The phone is confirmed to support entire network in China, with 4G LTE dual SIM dual standby. Another interesting thing about the Mi4C is that its going to be the first Xiaomi smartphone with USB Type-C port. As for software, the phone will feature MIUI 7 based on Android 5.1.

These specs are quite impressive for a mid-range flagship. However, if the company does price it at 1999 Yuan, I am sure many fans will be disappointed. Anyways, since the launch is just a couple of hours away, lets wait for more details at the event.

Amazing Divoom Aurabox Bluetooth Wireless Speaker Review

By

Linus

-

Sep 21, 2015

When it comes to the Bluetooth speakers, the market is really crowded with a lot of them ranging from $10 to hundreds of dollars depending on what you really need. However, there is one common trend – all of them are becoming similar in terms of design, size and shape. The Divoom Aurabox is something that you may have not seen before.

We wanted to say thank you to Divoom for sending the Aurabox for a review. We suggest you visiting the product page for more detailed info.

Divoom Aurabox Bluetooth Speaker Review: VIDEO

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKbPtGTl-28[/embedyt]

Divoom Aurabox Bluetooth Speaker Review: UNBOXING

The speaker comes in a really premium box, which matches the $60 retail price of this speaker.

All you are getting in the box is a speaker itself, microUSB charging cable, AUX cable and some documentation.

Divoom Aurabox Bluetooth Speaker Review: DESIGN and FEATURES

What makes the Divoom Aurabox stand out from other speakers is that it has 100 highly customisable LED lights and I have to say they really look cool.

The speaker is not the smallest we’ve seen but it is very compact and lightweight. It has a good built quality but the choice of rubber all around the speaker makes it a fingerprint and dust magnet, and it is not that easy to clean it.

The Divoom Aurabox comes only with one speaker but it is large at the size 3” and it has 5W of power. Due to the unique design of this gadget, it is placed on the back.

On the bottom right corner we have a microUSB charging port along with the LED and the AUX input in case you want to connect a non-Bluetooth device.

The top side is full of controls. Here you can find a microphone for hands-free calling and I can say that the call quality is pretty good. Also, you can find a power switch, play/pause button, volume up/down, which also double as skip tracks buttons. Lastly, there is a light a mode button, which allows you to choose between the clock, the embedded real-time thermometer, different light modes or simply shuts down the LED lights.

Divoom Aurabox Bluetooth Speaker Review: THE APP

The Divoom Aurabox app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iOS).

Please see the video review, where we walk through all the features of the app.

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The fun doesn’t stop here as the Aurabox has an app, which adds a lot of functionality and customisation options. You can select what to display on the speaker’s display, which includes a lot of preset light modes and animations or you can select that LED’s will blink according to the music you play.

Speaking of which, the app has a very simple music player but you can also use your phone’s default player.

Also, there is a sleep timer as well as alarm and it allows you to choose between different music and light combos.

Once you go to the gallery, you can choose from tons of different images and a lot of cool looking animations.

If you still feel that you can’t find the one you like you can design your own image and even animation, which is really amazing! The interface is super easy and fun to use. You are given 8 different patterns and you can choose a different colour for each of them. This is something that is fun to play but as you can see I wasn’t too creative here.

In addition, you can receive a lot of different notifications like Facebook, messages or incoming calls. That’s pretty neat.

All in all, the creativity is endless here.

Divoom Aurabox Bluetooth Speaker Review: SOUND QUALITY

The Aurabox is really loud for the size of the speaker and it will easily fill even the largest rooms with sound. As far as the sound quality goes, it is quite impressive as it has quite a lot of depth, a decent amount of mids and a good amount of bass. However, since the speaker is located at the back, the highs are not pronounced enough and could be a bit sharper. Also, either the subwoofer or the speaker grill starts making a few cracking noises at the highest volume setting once you play songs with a good amount of bass. A good thing is that listening to music at around 80-90% of volume setting easily fixes this issue.

Divoom Aurabox Bluetooth Speaker Review: CONCLUSIONS

So here it is, the Aurabox by Divoom. These 100 LED lights with tons of different customisation options make this speaker stand out from the crowded Bluetooth speaker market.

Also, the features like the clock, thermometer, alarm clock and sleep timer add the functionality we don’t see on all the Bluetooth speakers, especially in this price range.

The app is responsive and easy to use and a great thing is that you can choose between different modes straight from the speaker itself.

The sound quality is definitely good for a price except the fact that some cracking noises may kick in once you play the music at the loudest volume setting. Other than that you may actually be surprised by the depth of sound this tiny speaker can produce.

The battery life could be better though. Well, I could get up to 5.5 hours of music playback but it was with the LED lights off. Once you keep them turned on, you may get just around 3 hours. Well, it is not really impressive but this is a trade-off needed to be made to power up a a huge speaker and 100 of LED lights.

All in all, the Divoom Aurabox is a great buy despite a few shortcomings. If you are looking for a Bluetooth speaker that does a lot more and it is really fun to use, this may be for you and I believe the speaker is worth $60 price tag.

Buy Divoom Aurabox from Amazon US

Buy Divoom Aurabox from Amazon UK

Meizu to release Hi-Fi headsets alongside Pro 5 flagship

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 21, 2015

If you have been following Meizu since its start, you would know that the company initially specialized in music players. So, its not surprising to see many of the company’s flagship smartphones boast of Hi-Fi audio. And today, thanks to a new post from Meizu’s VP Li Nan, we know that the upcoming Meizu Pro 5 flagship will feature Hi-Fi chip. Alongside this new flagship smartphone, the company will also release its new headsets, the EP-31.

Unlike the Xiaomi Piston, which is targeted at the affordable maket, the Meizu EP-31 headsets are said to be targeted at the high-end audiophiles. The pricing is said to be somewhere around 499 Yuan. While you can expect the company to bundle these headphone along with the Pro 5 flagship for a slightly higher price tag, it will most likely be available for purchase separately for the above mention price, soon after the announcement.

As for the flagship Pro 5, the phone is said to come with Exynos 7420 chipset inside with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. CEO has confirmed the presence of a 5.7-inch 1080p display. As for camera, you can expect a 21MP shooter at the back and a 5MP front facing camera. Given its flagship placement, expect the battery to be at least 3000mAh.

Overall, the Pro 5 is a powerful handset. With the Hi-Fi chip inside and Hi-Fi headsets, the phone should particularly attract a lot of audiophiles. Pricing is said to be above 3000 Yuan ($470). Since we are just one day away from the official launch, lets wait for more details.

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro Gets Android 5.1.1 Lollipop

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 21, 2015

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro users were in for a surprise today morning. The company reportedly upgraded the kernel on their devices to the new Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. However, the update was rolled out to only those who were using the closed beta ROM.

So, if you are still using the stable version, you can only expect the update after a while. But since the select beta ROM users have already received the update, those who are using the developer ROM should also get the upgrade pretty soon.

The new MIUI 7 OS comes with a number of interesting features which we have detailed here. Although its similar to the older version in terms of looks, feature wise, there’s a lot upgrades that you enjoy. The Chinese Xiaomi Mi Note Pro users reported that the update was around 758MB in size. So, if you are one of the lucky beta users who has received the update prompt, make sure that you are connected to a strong Wi-Fi before updating. Also, like always we would like to advise to keep at least 50% charge on your device before starting the upgrade process.

Xiaomi Mi4C Front Camera Compared With iPhone 6, Features 5MP 85° Wide Angle Shooter

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 21, 2015

A lot of promotion has been going around about the Xiaomi Mi4C. One of its outstanding features was the 5MP front camera. According to President Lin Bin the co-founder of Xiaomi, the front camera is not just a high resolution snapper but also capable of taking pictures in an 85 degrees wide angle setting. This functionality is intended to support a large group selfie comfortably accommodating six people in a single shot. This is indicated to be equivalent to the functions supported by a 24 mm professional camera.

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The president also shared two comparative selfie pictures taken by the 5MP Xiaomi Mi4C front camera and by the 1.5MP on the Apple iPhone 6 on his Weibo. The pictures showed that more six people were included with a little bit of the background in the selfie taken by the Mi 4C. The phone also comes with a 13MP main camera that has a dual tone LED flash and self-timer function to take timed pictures.

The new smartphone is expected to debut in a few days’ time with the basic model containing 2GB RAM and 16GB storage to be priced at $200 while the larger model containing 3GB RAM and 32GB storage will be priced at $235. Another model with 3GB RAM and 64 GB storage is also being expected. It is said that only 100,000 units of the Mi4C are announced to be made available for the market. But lets wait for an official announcement.

In related news, its almost confirmed that the Mi4C will feature a pink version as well, targeted at women. The picture was posted on Weibo a few hours back by the President.

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Cubot P11 Brings Decent Specs & A Beautiful Design At Just $85

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 21, 2015

Just a few weeks back, we looked at the Cubot H1, the 5200mAh smartphone from the company which can charge other gadgets as well. In the past couple of years, Cubot has made its presence felt in the low-end market with plenty of cheap yet decent smartphone offerings. Now, the company is back in the low-end segment with the brand new Cubot P11.

The highlight of the phone is definitely its pricing. The Cubot P11 retails for a mere $85, which is pretty cheap. But for this price, you will be surprised at the smartphone package you get. The phone looks beautiful with its special texture at the back. Its unlike any other cheap smartphones that you may have seen. The special sparkling 3D back cover texture ensures that the phone looks much better than its competitors. Its definitely a head turner.

As for the specs, given the super cheap $85 pricing, don’t expect anything out of the ordinary. However, we are quite happy with the package the company is offering. Under the hood, you get the MT6580 quad-core chip clocked at 1.3GHz. This was the go to processor for almost every sub-$150 smartphones up till late last year, and still performs quite well. There’s 1GB of RAM on board with 8GB of expandable internal storage. The 5-inch display comes with 720p resolution, which is once again impressive given that many manufacturers tend to use a qHD panel for such cheap phones. At the back, there will be a 13MP shooter while up front, there’s a 5MP camera.

The Cubot P11 supports just 3G network connectivity. While we are in the age of 4G, we think there’s still room for 3G smartphones and hence, this device can fulfill those particular needs. The 2200mAh battery should be enough for a days usage with the efficient MT6580 chip and the lack of 4G. As for software, the phone will come with Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.

As you can see, the Cubot P11 is a great device when you consider the looks, specs and the super cheap $85 pricing. What do you think?

You can read more about the device from their official website.

OnePlus X Renders Emerge With Dual Cameras, May Launch Before The End Of 2015

By

Joel Joseph

-

Sep 20, 2015

Its been just a couple of months since the OnePlus 2 was officially announced, but it looks like the company is already preparing itself for a second launch. Back in August, OnePlus CEO Carl Pei confirmed in an interview that the company had plans for another smartphone launch before the end of this year. While he didn’t reveal whether it was going to be a toned down OnePlus Mini or another powerful flagship, according to his comments, the phone will most likely be a powerful device.

Well this is what he had to say in the interview about this new device, “It may or may not be (higher spec’d than the OnePlus 2). When I saw the prototype for that phone I was like ‘holy s— that’s going to be my daily driver’ but then when the OnePlus 2 production version came out it’s also super nice, so its really hard to decide now what to use.”

According to our sources, the new OnePlus handset will be called as the OnePlus X. It does make sense to use a powerful name as the ‘X’ for the upcoming device, instead of a name like the ‘Mini. But this is a new source, so even we are not quite sure of the final name of the handset. As for the pricing, the source says that it should be around $249. The release should be sometime around October. Although that sounds a bit early, we will have to wait and see if it really turns out to be true.

Thanks to Chinese Social Network Weibo, we might just have our first glimpse of this handset. The website revealed two new renders of the OnePlus X (Mini). They look quite different than the OnePlus 2’s design, with a fingerprint sensor and dual camera setup at the back. The front looks more or less similar. The dual speaker design at the bottom also looks quite attractive.

Well, its still quite early to make speculations about the upcoming OnePlus handset. For now, all we can do is sit back and wait for more such information to leak which reveals a few more details about the device.

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