Now that OnePlus has released its own OS for its OnePlus One smartphone, users can choose between the company’s own OxygenOS and CyanogenMod for flashing on their phones. However, looks like those two aren’t the only big options for the device, as a recent leak showed off OnePlus One running Windows OS.
This is the second such device that we have spotted running the new Windows platform. A ZTE device was recently leaked online running Windows. It looks like Microsoft could be looking to expand its user base by allowing Android devices to install its OS as a third party ROM. Two days back, the company had casually hinted about making custom Windows ROM installation a possibility, so it doesn’t come as a surprise.
So, instead of directly competing with Android, Microsoft could be looking to use the platform to expand its own apps and services. The company has already announced that a set of Xiaomi Mi4 power users will be given the option to install Windows ROM on their devices. Using feedback from them, the company could improve its ROM for a much wider audience.
However, remember that its not easy to generate interest among customers for a new ROM. Alibaba just recently announced that its Yun OS development was suspended for now, due to lack of consumer interest. So, it would be interesting to see if Microsoft manages to attract customers if it releases Windows as a third party ROM.
OnePlus One, Xiaomi Mi4 and other Chinese smartphones would be a good start to test out its ROM before Microsoft makes it public.
So do you think releasing Windows as a ROM for Android devices is a good idea?
Gionee Elife S7 was already available for pre-order in China. Now, the device has hit Macau and will soon be available in India from next month.
At the time of the announcement of the device at MWC 2015, Gionee had said that it would release the phone on March 18 in Macau. As promised, the company unveiled the device in the region recently with an official press conference. Much like in China, the Gionee Elife S7 will be available in Macau for 2499 Yuan, which is a great price considering its specs.
The new Gionee device is power packed with practical features. The phone features a 5.2-inch AMOLED display with ACL tech, reducing power usage by 25%. Next up, the device will be powered by Mediatek’s MT6752 octa-core 64-bit processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The company claims that the phone has the thinnest 13MP camera unit which doesn’t protrude even with its super slim 5.5mm design profile. A number of cooling areas also make sure that the phone runs cooler than competition. As for software it runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop version. Finally, at the back, you have a 2750 mAh battery which should be enough for a day’s usage especially with the number of power saving features built into the device.
After the launch in Macau, the Gionee Elife S7 will be announced at a special press conference in India next month. The company is yet to reveal the pricing of the device in the country.
Mediatek has been stepping up its game this year with its new MT67XX lineup based on the 64-bit architecture. Back when ARM announced its new Cortex-A72 core, it said that Mediatek will be one of the first chipmakers to utilize this new Cortex core. Today, we have some more details about the upcoming Mediatek chipset based on the Cortex-A72 core.
According to a leaked information, the new Mediatek MT679X chip will use the Cortex-A72 core along with the power efficient Cortex-A53. The chip will be built using the big.LITTLE architecture which saves battery life without sacrificing on power.
It is said that the new chip will leave the 28nm manufacturing process in favor of a better and power efficient process like the 20nm process or even the 16nm FinFet. However, the source doesn’t reveal which one of the two will be used by this new Mediatek chip. If Cortex A72 is built on the 16nm process, then it will be 3.5X faster than Cortex A15 on a 28nm process and 1.9x faster than Cortex A57 using 20nm process.
It is also said that Mediatek will partner up with AMD for its mobile GPU. Up till now, the chip maker used ARM’s Mali GPUs inside its processors.
It looks like the new MT679X processor will turn to be quite powerful yet efficient. The chip is expected to debut by the end of the year, i.e. Q4 2015. So, we can expect smartphones to feature this chip by next year.
Beidou is behind the famous Little Pepper smartphone range which has managed to impress a lot of international users. This is because, it was one of the first companies to release the world’s cheapest dual-core and quad-core smartphones. A few months back, we saw the Little Pepper 6 with a great 20MP sensor and five lens unit at the back. However, now, the company is all set to announce the Beidou Little Pepper 7, with a massive front facing camera.
Latest reports says that the Little Pepper 7 will feature a 20MP sensor at the front instead of the back. This will be one of the largest front facing sensors in a smartphone camera. While smartphone manufacturers have started to improve the front facing shooters in recent releases, especially since many users are obsessed with selfies, they are usually of 13MP or lower. However, fitting a 20MP sensor up front should really deliver the best possible selfies from a smartphone cam. Of course, a larger megapixel count doesn’t always mean better pictures, but it should definitely be better than most other front cameras in the market.
Naturally, with such a large sensor up front, expect some special software features to aid the user in taking the best selfie. It is said that the Little Pepper 7 will also come with camera features such as an improved self-time, multi-speed and real time beauty enhancements and other settings.
Given that the USP of the device is its large front facing sensor, it looks like the company is targeting the female crowd with this particular device. The phone is also said to sport a beautiful double glass and metal design. The back will be adorned by a diamond 3D texture, further enhancing its looks.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any information about the specs of the device, but considering its earlier generation models, expect them to be mid-range.
Its a new day, which means its time for another set of ZTE Nubia smartphone pictures. We have been consistently getting new leaks everyday since the past few days about the upcoming ZTE devices. While most of the leaked pictures of the Z9 show that the design language is in line with the Z9 Max, a couple of leaks show a totally different design. Today, there’s another leak which shows a metal body on one of the upcoming ZTE Z9 smartphone much like the one we saw a couple days back.
This particular image shows off a new metal body in a premium finish. It could be the rumored ZTE Nubia Z9 Plus which is expected to be announced at the event on March 26. Or it could be a totally new device (Z9 Mini?), but we aren’t sure of anything at the moment.
We can see the Nubia logo in the middle as well as the protruding camera on top. The size seems to be around 5-inches which is why we feel this could be the Z9 Mini but rumors say its the Z9 Plus. So, its best not to speculate the model name at the moment. Still, the design looks quite good, thanks to the metal back.
We still have no idea about the specs of this device, but hopefully, we will get more information at the event next week. Till then, all we can do is relish these beautiful images leaked.
So what do you think about this design? Do you prefer the leaked glass + metal design or the all metal design like this one?
It seems that the leaks about the upcoming ZTE Nubia Z9 won’t stop until the company officially announces it on March 26. Almost every day we are receiving images of the Z9 and today, leaksfly revealed some more alleged images of the device.
Interestingly, they are in line with what we saw a few days back. So it looks like the Mate 7 like device leaked yesterday is probably a different phone. This particular model seems to be using the dual glass + metal design as the Z9 Max. The metal frame in gold color particular looks very beautiful making the device all the more appealing.
Apart from the back, we also got to see the internals of the Z9. An image showed of the internal chassis and we can see the space for the round camera sensor too. Finally, the third image shows off the dual SIM card slots as well as MicroSD slots on the left side of the phone. Overall, it looks like the phone will turn out to be a well designed device.
We have already written a lot about the upcoming ZTE Nubia z9 flagship, so if you want to check out the possible specs and more pictures, you can go to this link.
Last year Xiaomi entered Indian Market with a Bang. Their phones used to sell out in seconds through flash sales. Now a new Chinese Giant is about to enter India. Yes, Meizu India is official and looks like they will be landing in a month or so.
The banner above was showcased on their official Meizu India Facebook page. Meizu is one of the top Companies in China and it may be a great threat to Xiaomi in India. LetzWrite posted a picture in which a Meizu official is talking about the launch. It may be a fake picture but now Meizu has wrapped of the curtains after posting this banner saying “Hello Indian fans”.
Seeing the the posts on the Meizu India Facebook page, it looks like Meizu is planning to bring M1 Note to India. M1 Note will be placed in budget segment and would cost around INR 12,000 including taxes. It ill be competing with phones like Moto G, Mi3, Wammy Titan 4, Redmi Note and Yu Yureka.
Specifications:
5.5-inch Full HD Screen with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution (~403 ppi density)
64-bit Mediatek MT6752 Quad-core SoC
2 GB RAM
16/32 GB Internal storage
13MP rear snapper
5MP front cam
Dual SIM – Primary SIM support LTE and secondary supports 3G networks
3140mAh Battery
Do let us know what you think about it in the comment section below.
Haier isn’t a well known name when it comes to smartphones but the company is well known for its consumer electronic products like air conditioners, TVs etc all around the world. The company has been active in the smartphone market for the past few years, but it couldn’t really stand out thanks to the various good looking and powerful alternatives available.
However, the new Haier H1-G100 is nothing like the boring phones from the company that we have seen lately. Instead, the device, which was just leaked earlier today sports a well crafted design with super slim bezels. In fact, we could say that the phone may have taken some inspiration from the good looking Huawei Ascend Mate 7. The bezels are super thin and the overall screen to body ratio too is impressive. From the pictures, the body seems to be made from metal.
However, the attractive looks of the phone don’t continue to its hardware. The Haier H1-G100 features just modest specs indicating that the phone will be targeted at the budget market. It is said that the phone will feature a large 6-inch display. But the measurements, 144 * 72 * 9mm don’t support this claim as its too small to fit such a large display. Moreover, the resolution is said to be 720p which further hints that the device may have smaller, probably 5.5-inch screen.
The device will feature a quad-core 1.3GHz processor, most likely Mt6582 or Mt6732M and will support 4G LTE networks. There will be an 8MP camera at the back along with a 2MP front shooter. It will run on Android 4.4 KitKat OS and will be powered by a 2850 mAh battery. Essential details like pricing have not yet been leaked, but given the specs, you can expect the phone to be affordable.
Unfortunately, we still have to wait for five more days to get to see the new Xiaomi MiTV 3 devices. So, today was just a confirmation of the event for the TV launch. The actual product will be announced on March 24.
While the company didn’t officially say that there will be two different sized models in the new generation lineup, the Xiaomi Mi TV page confirms this. On the dedicated page for the launch, Xiaomi asks its visitors which TV size do they like — big or small? And you have a like button below each option.
Naturally, we see that people prefer the large screen model. At the time of writing this article, large sized model had 143,309 likes while the smaller sized model had 26,060 likes. And this figure is only increasing every minute.
Anyways, the upcoming model is aptly named as the Xiaomi MiTV 3 since we have two other existing models in the series. One is the 47-inch TV launched a while back, while the other one is the 49-inch 4K MiTV 2 which was announced back in 2014.
Given that a few weeks back, we spotted a Xiaomi TV with the model number L55M2-AA, we have an idea about the size of the large screen model. So, one would most likely be of 55-inches while the other could be an improved version of the MiTV 2 measuring 49-inches. Naturally, since these models will likely replace the previous ones, expect at least 4K resolution on both the large and small screen TVs. Also, expect the overall configuration, appearance, and sound quality on these devices to be much better than previous generations.
The previous generation MiTV 2 was priced around $650, so the new models too could retail around this figure. Of course, the large screen 55-inch model may cost a bit more, but it will still be a lot cheaper than most other 4K TVs out there.
So, the count down begins! Just five days to go for another exciting product from Xiaomi.
Just a day back we reported that Gree Electric, the famous appliance manufacturer from China was keen to enter the smartphone industry. We had also got a set of pictures which revealed the handset in full glory.
Today, less than 24 hours the first ever leak, we have some news about the pricing of the handset. The Gree smartphone is said to be priced at 1000 Yuan ($161). This is actually a pretty sweet spot given that the phone will directly compete with Xiaomi’s affordable phablet, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G. There’s a bunch of other smartphones in this price segment like the recently announced Meizu M1 Note phablet which comes with amazing hardware for its price. And Meizu being an established manufacturer in the domestic market, it will be interesting how Gree plans to compete with both the companies in this crowded smartphone industry.
The best way to compete with these devices will be with great hardware. Meizu M1 Note by itself proved that an octa-core processor with 2GB RAM could be incorporated in a phone in this price range and we can expect such specs in the new device. As of now, there’s no information about the exact tech specs of the device but we can expect them soon.
Gree Electric’s CEO Dong Mingzhu is known for her aggressive business strategies and it is said that the company aims to sell over 100 million smartphones in 2015 alone. This is a pretty ambitious goal, especially when this particular device is the first smartphone from the company. Also, we have to take into consideration the existing market leaders such as Xiaomi which lead the smartphone sales in the domestic market.
The leaked pictures reveal a traditional design, but with a premium metal finish. Also, the phone looks huge, especially with the large borders besides the display. From the images, it looks like the screen is about 5.5-inches, which is exactly the same size as the Meizu M1 Note and Xiaomi Redmi Note.
From all the information we have received till now, the Gree smartphone does look promising. However, lets wait and watch what exactly the new entrant in the industry has in store for us.
Zopo is one of those Chinese brands, which is trying to get the attention in the already crowded Western market as it showcased its products in the MWC2015 in Barcelona. After Zopo launched the 64-bit 4G enabled TOUCH (ZP530) smartphone, which due to its very similar looks to the iPhone 6 received some attention, the company is said to launch a new product ZP532 on March 20th.
The ZP532 does not have a huge difference as far as the specs of the device goes. It still has a 2.5D curved glass screen, metal buttons/frame and IML fashion texture cover, 5.0”HD IPS screen with ON CELL technology, equipped with 8.0MP/5.0MP camera combination.
In comparison to the previous model, the only difference is that ZP532 carries octa-core 1.4 GHz CPU, and only supports 2G / 3G network.
In general we can say that there is another iPhone 6 free-riding attempt as a lot of design has been copied from the iPhone 6. However, we cannot call it a clone, because it does not spot the all-metal design as the back shell is made out of textured plastic material.
In the end we think that it may be one of the Chinese companies’ marketing strategies to produce a very similar or even clone device of the iPhone 6 to get some media and mainstream users attention. We have already seen this from the big player like Lenovo and its Sisley phone, or ZTE Blade devices.
A few days back, we had shown off some pictures of the No.1 M2 smartphone. It was the third rugged device from the smartphone maker No.1 within the past three months and is targeted at those users who are looking for a compact phone that can withstand any harsh environment. At that time, we didn’t have much details about the device, but now, the company has released the tech specs as well as pricing of the M2.
The No.1 M2 features a 64-bit quad-core processor clocked at 1.3Ghz. While we don’t know the processor make, it could be from Mediatek, most likely the MT6732 64-bit SoC. The phone come with 1GB RAM on board and 8GB of internal storage. Given that this is a rugged device, it features a 4.5-inch display with Corning’s Gorilla Glass protection. So, you don’t have to worry about scratches on your screen.
Apart from being scratch proof, the No.1 M2 also boasts of being water proof and shock proof. In fact, to showcase the resistant capacity of the device, the company has released two new videos. The first YouTube video shows the M2 being dropped inside water without any visible damage. The second shows the phone being dropped from the top of the stairs, once again without any damage. The IP68 certification also gives us an idea about the ruggedness of the phone.
No.1 M2 Waterproof Test:
No.1 M2 Shockproof Test:
As for the camera, the phone sports a 13MP sensor at the back with LED flash and enhanced face detection and exposure controls. At the front, you get a 5MP camera. One of the highlights of the device is the new Android 5.0 Lollipop version that comes pre-installed on the device out of the box. There are hardly any rugged phones out there that run the new Lollipop OS, so this is definitely its selling point. Further, the bold looks and the 14.1mm thin body makes the device all the more appealing.
Coming to the best part of the device, the company will make the No.1 M2 available for sale by April this year for less than $100! The phone will be available for purchase via AliExpress with DHL shipping available in most countries.
Gree Electric is a well known appliance manufacturer in China. The company specializes in the manufacturing of Air Conditioners and is currently the world’s largest residential Air Conditioner manufacturer.
A few months back, Dong Mingzhu, the president of Gree electric had said that the company may release a smartphone in the market. And today, we have a glimpse of what could be the first Gree smartphone.
While the leak says nothing about the technical specs running on the new Gree smartphone, it does reveal the overall design of the phone. First of all, we can see that the phone is built from metal, most probably aluminum.
The back features a smooth metal finish with the camera sensor and LED flash on top and the GREE logo engraved near the bottom. The overall size of the phone hints that the display could be more than 5.5-inches diagonally. Up front, the bezels look big and there’s lot of space, both on top as well as the bottom of the display. Finally, on the right, you can see the round power button and the volume up and down keys.
To be honest, this design not even near to the refined flagship phones that we have seen recently like the Mate 7 or even the ZTE Nubia Z9 Max. Still, it could just be a prototype and the company may change a lot of things before finally launching it in the market.
This particular leak further confirms one more electronic company’s entry into the smartphone race. Clearly, they feel that there’s still room for new players in this already crowded Chinese smartphone market.
We are just a few days away from the official event by ZTE where it will unveil the new Z series Nubia smartphones. But that doesn’t stop new leaks and rumors from making it online. The latest images leaked on Weibo reveals the product box of the upcoming Nubia smartphone. While the box retains the basic design as its previous generations, there are a few noticeable changes.
First of all, the box is much wider than anything we have seen recently from ZTE. If you take a look at the boxes of the ZTE Nubia Z7 Max or any other Z7 series phone, the box was much narrower than this. Moreover, the new box is extremely slim as compared to previous generations.
Older generation ZTE BOX
The black looks particularly good which is further adorned by the red color in between. Overall, we see a much more refined and improved packaging by ZTE for their new Z9 series smartphones. However, like always, the front remains clean, with just the Nubia logo on top.
I know we can’t really tell much about the quality of packaging with just a picture of a box, but we like what we see. The recent rumors have shown off an extremely beautiful metal body ZTE Nubia Z9 that’s even slimmer than the iPhone 6, so we expect something good at the event next week.
Apart from the ZTE Nubia Z9 Max, Z9 and Z9 Mini that are expected to debut at the event, we may even see a Windows powered version of the Z9 Max. A few hours back, we were lucky enough to get a glimpse of this ZTE Windows device and the company may announce the model next week.
Anyways, the recent leaks have given us an idea as to what to expect from the upcoming Z9 series phone. Stay tuned for more information in the coming days.
In 2014 the Android market space was shaken by the arrival of the powerful, yet competitively priced OnePlus One. However, the invite system and the insufficient supply made many potential buyers give up hope of ever owning one. The Ulefone Be Pro is a smartphone that takes many design points from the OnePlus One, but offers them to you at a much more affordable price point.
What is more, The Blackview is another Chinese manufacturer, which is not that widely known for its products outside of China as OnePlus is. Also, it does not have a significant market share in its homeland. However, there is one thing that both Ulefone Be Pro and Blackview Omega has in common – its design inspiration from other (yet different) companies.
In addition, these our recently reviewed devices fall into similar pricing categories. In this article we will try to make a comparison between two of them, so it may help in case you cannot decide which one to choose.
As far as the specs of each device go, the Ulefone manages to excel in certain departments like having a bigger (5.5 over 5″ display), a faster 64-bit Mediatek chip inside, bigger capacity of the battery (2600 mAh over 2100 mAh), the ability to replace the battery, which is a huge plus for some of the users. What is more, it has the 4G connectivity option, which puts the Blackview Omega to shame in this category in this day and age.
On the other hand, some of us may prefer the smaller, but more compact 5″ screen size of Blackview Omega, which makes the whole device more manageable with one hand. Also, the back camera of this device has more pixels (18MP over 13MP). However, you have to consider that both devices use interpolation method of pixels. Ulefone Be Pro has only 8MP shooter, which is bumped up to 13MP (Ulefone has officially admitted it and apologised to their fans); and the Blackview Omega has a 13MP sensor with some software tricks that increase the pixel count to 18MP.
In the end, we never judge any devices by the mere specs, so we need to dive in to its features and real life performance. But before that we must take a look at how the device looks and feels.
DESIGN
1 of 17
It is quite obvious that Ulefone decided that the Be Pro would be a great seller if it borrowed similar looks from the OnePlus One. It is similar in size and it is built of similar type materials. There is a silver plastic trim around the device with plastic buttons. The back of the white version of the device is somewhat “baby skin” material, which is smooth to the touch. Overall, the Ulefone Be Pro is well built, but lacks premium materials like metal or glass.
The front side of the smartphone does look very similar to the OnePlus One. On the bottom there are 3 capacitive keys, which, however, don’t have the backlight. On the top side, there is an 8MP shooter along with the proximity sensor, earphone and LED light.
The screen is protected by the Gorilla Glass and I don’t see any scratches on it after one week of use. I will get back to this 5.5 inches screen quality very shortly. The back shell of the device has a very smooth matt surface, which doesn’t attract fingerprints. Also, there is a 13MP snapper along with the single LED flash on the top. What is more, there is a Ulefone logo in the middle and the speaker grill on the bottom. The speaker has an average quality, but is very loud. You can watch our video review to hear the audio sample of it.
On the right side there is a power key, which, in my opinion, could be placed a bit lower to be able to reach it easier. Also, there is a little spot, where you would need to start opening the back cover. The top side spots a 3.5 mm headphone jack along with the Micro USB charging port. I don’t think that putting the charging port on the top is the best solution, but it’s not a deal breaker. On the left side you can find the volume up and down keys. In general, the buttons feel a bit plasticky, but they are responsive and easy to press. Finally, on the bottom of the smartphone you find only the microphone. That is the only mic installed as I don’t see any noise cancelling mics on the device.
1 of 17
1 of 9
The Blackview Omega is a more compact device since it has a smaller screen of 5 inches. What is more, it can easily win your heart over Ulefone’s choice of materials as it spots a quality metal frame with metal clad buttons. It does look like an iPhone 4/4s with it similar design, though.
On the front side of the device there is an 8mp shooter along with the earpiece on the top. On the bottom there are three capacitive keys, which also have a backlight. The manufacturer chose to put volume up/down keys along with the power button on the left side of the metal frame of the phone. It took a bit of time to get used to it for me, but it is a personal preference. On the bottom, there is a regular Micro USB charging port along with microphone and the plastic infusions for better signal reception.On the right side, there is a dual micro SIM card tray. One slot also doubles as the micro SD slot up to 64 GB of cards for storage expansion. On the top, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack.On the back of the smartphone, there is a 13mp camera sensor, which can shoot up to 18mp pictures due to software interpolations along with the single LED flash. Finally, there is a mono speaker on the bottom, which has an average sound quality.
Our personal preference as far as design goes to the Blackview Omega as it spots more premium materials and very well built.
DISPLAY
1 of 3
The display on the Ulefone Be Pro is 5.5 inches diagonally and comes with a 1280 x 720 resolution and a pixel density of 267 ppi. While it is not the best resolution in its size range, the display is still very pleasant. The colours are vibrant and the viewing angles are quite good as well. The whites looked white while the blacks were black impressive for an IPS panel. Since we are talking about an IPS panel, the screen does get bright so you don’t have to worry too much about sunlight completely washing out your screen. We are also dealing here with an OGS display which helps keep the phone a bit slimmer. The auto brightness on the phone seemed to do its job quite well, however, I guess many people like me will constantly keep it on 80% all of the time.
1 of 5
The Blackview Omega has the 5′ LCD panel, which has great colour reproduction, good contrast levels and decent viewing angles. Also, it can bright, but we’ve seen brighter panels on other devices. Still, it is bright enough to make it viewable outdoors.
All in all, both devices have great displays. We agree that Ulefone Be Pro has only 720p panel, but the difference is not that significant to the eye.
PERFORMANCE
Ulefone Be Pro
1 of 3
The UI is very light and it runs Android 4.4 Kitkat. The Lolipop update should be released very soon. It is almost stock Android version and runs very smooth and fast, without any hiccups so far. The great thing is that I received a few software updates within one week (no Lolipop yet, though), but it sounds very promising as Ulefone seems to care about software upgrades and improvements.
The performance of the Ulefone Be Pro is really solid. The phone is being powered by MTK6732 SoC which has 4 A53 cores clocked at 1.5 GHz and backed by 2GB of RAM. Combine that with an almost stock build of Android and you get a smooth and fast experience. Graphically intensive games seem to work really well thanks to the powerful Mali T760, also having an only 720p display means there aren’t that many pixels to push around. I had no problems playing Asphalt 8 or any game other game I threw at it. Browsing the web seemed smooth and the web pages loaded fast. The GPS performance is very good and it locks on relatively fast and it seems to hold the signal as well.
Blackview Omega
1 of 7
The device spots an MTK6592 Octa Core 1.7GHz chip inside along with the 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage. The graphics are handled by Mali-450MP GPU.
As far as real life experience, the device has nearly stock Android 4.4 Kitakat UI. Everything is running smoothly and I didn’t have any hiccups so far. The Blackview Omega has basic settings menu you would expect.
As far as gaming, the device can handle the graphically intensive games like Asphalt 8 without any lags. What I’ve noticed, however, is that it takes quite a while to load a game in comparison to Snapdragon 801 powered devices. Also, after just a few minutes of gaming you can feel that the phone heats up a little. What is more, gaming drains the battery quite fast. All in all, it may not be the Nr. 1 device for gamers, but still, it can handle it in case you need in those boring situations, when you need to burn the time.
Verdict: although both devices are running almost stock Android UI, the Ulefone Be Pro seems to be running more smoothly through the basic functions. Also, it can load up games faster and the whole performance is a tad better. We don’t say Blackview Omega is laggy or something, just not as smooth as the Be Pro.
As far as the picture quality, it is a bit interesting, because once you take the picture and look at it on the smartphone, it looks that the quality is just about average. However, once you look at the same pictures on the computer screen, their quality is actually very good. First, I didn’t expect much from the camera, but the pictures have plenty of detail, they look sharp and the colour reproduction is very natural.
I have to say that for the device that costs just under $170, the daylight picture quality is indeed very good.
Once you take pictures inside the house, where the camera sensor can’t get so much light, the shutter speed is slower and you have to hold the smartphone steady, so that don’t get any blurriness in the picture. If you are able to do that, you may take some really good looking photos. Taking pictures in the artificial lightning can sometimes be a hit or miss as far as color reproduction goes. The camera tends to capture brighter images. Still, the quality is not bad.
The front facer is perfect for all of you selfie lovers since with the 8MP sensor it will capture probably as much detail as you want and perhaps even more. The camera app does come with a few additional features that aren’t found on a stock Android phone.
Blackview Omega
Camera app has some basic functions you would find on many Android devices. The app is fairly simple and you can adjust some general settings. Taking pictures and shooting videos is fast during the daylight, but it naturally becomes noticeably slower, when doing the same thing in low-light scenarios.
1 of 27
As far as picture quality, the daylight pictures have plenty of detail as they are 18mp in size due to some software tricks the device does out of the 13mp f/2.2 aperture sensor. The colour reproduction seems quite accurate, but it is more on the colder side. The best way to take pictures is to tap to focus. Otherwise, the white balance and colours may not be the way you want. Once you take the device to the low light, you see that the camera starts struggling. It takes much more time to focus and you have to make sure you hold your hands steady not to get blurry pictures. Also, the pictures to have a lot of noise and the colour reproduction is a hit or miss. Again, once you take pictures inside the house, but there is more light, the picture quality becomes quite good.
As far as front facing shooter for selfies, it has 8MP (interpolated from 5MP sensor). The picture quality is actually good. What I’ve noticed is that it takes a lot of time for the shutter in the low light.
VERDICT: both smartphones have decent cameras for the budget smartphones. We have to say that the Blackview Omega produces better results, though. We can definitely see more detail out of the 13MP sensor, which is interpolated to 18MP. Also, the colour reproduction seems to be a tad better, but there is no significant difference here. Both devices struggle in the low light, but Blackview manages to produce a bit better images in our opinion. Talking about the picture quality is always a question of debate, so you be the judge in the comment section below.
BATTERY LIFE
Ulefone Be Pro
As far as the battery life goes, the capacity of just 2600 mah doesn’t sound impressive on paper, but I was surprised by how good the Ulefone Be Pro performs in real life. During my testing time I did a bit of gaming, watched some youtube and hd videos stored on the phone, surfed the web and did all other stuff. My conclusion is that it can get you though the day quite easily in a normal use.
Blackview Omega
1 of 3
As far as battery life goes, the 2100mAh unit doesn’t sound great on paper, but it can easily get through the day if you won’t keep playing games or watch HD videos all the time, which drain the battery fast.
The manufacturer has also thought about the battery life by including a power saving management tool. It has a similar interface to what we’ve seen on Sony devices. It may become handy once you are away from the power source for a while.
VERDICT: The Ulefone Be Pro seemed to be performing better in our tests (which are more or less just approximate). It could stay up longer while the screen was on and thus it is a winner in our opinion. What is more, the Ulefone Be Pro can give you around 1.5 days of average use, while Blackview Omega needs to be recharged every evening after the same type of usage. In the end, both devices achieve today’s “measurement” of the ability to get you though the full day of use.
Our comparison showed that both devices are good choices for the price tag they carry. Each of them can excel in different departments, so you have to keep in mind your personal preference before choosing one.
As far as design goes, we gives kudos to the Blackview Omega as it spots a premium metal frame accompanied with a front and back glass sandwich construction. The device feels very sturdy and well made. It does look like the iPhone 4/4s quite a lot, though. For some users it’s a plus, for other – a minus.
The Ulefone Be Pro uses less premium materials as it is made out of plastic. The silver frame is made to look like metal, but it is definitely plastic. We don’t say that it looks or feels bad, because the device feels sturdy and well made as well. However, it just doesn’t feel that premium as Blackview Omega mainly due to the choice of materials. And yes, Ulefone Be Pro is OnePlus One look-a-like with minor design differences.
As far as the performance goes, the 64-bit chip inside the Ulefone Be Pro seems to be performing faster. It gave as the feeling that scrolling through menus and doing other every day stuff is just more smooth. Also, games loaded faster and the performance was slightly better. We don’t see a deal breaking disadvantage is Blackview’s offering though. The performance was without lags or any issues, but it just seemed that the Be Pro was a bit better.
The camera department is not that easy to judge as both devices are able to produce decent looking photos for budget devices category. However, the Blackview Omega can capture more detail as it uses a sensor with more pixels. Also, the colour reproduction seemed to be a bit better, but not that significantly. Still, we would choose the Omega to take pictures on the trip.
As far as battery life goes, both devices are quite good. However, the Be Pro can give you a bit more of the screen on time.
In the end, it is not that easy to judge which device is better in general as each of the smartphone excels in different categories. Finally, it may be a personal preference as both Ulefone Be Pro and the Blackview Omega are great device for its price range.
Two days back, Xiaomi’s president, Lin Bin had revealed that the company would release a new Xiaomi Mi Note Bamboo edition the next day. And just as promised, the company unveiled this special edition and its as good as we predicted.
Xiaomi Mi Note is without any doubt a great device, but in this bamboo version, the phone looks all the more good. The bamboo finish at the back gives it a very unique look that helps it stand apart from other traditional offerings.
The finish is smooth and fits well with the overall design language of the device. In fact, it retains the curved side design and blends with the metal frame that holds the phone together. Like the regular Mi Note edition, the top left corner features the camera sensors while down at the bottom around the middle, you can see the MI logo.
We always love bamboo editions of famous flagship models (like Oneplus One) and this particular Xiaomi Mi Note Bamboo edition is no exception. Except for the back, the front retains the same looks as the regular white edition.
Also, the company has smartly priced this special Xiaomi Mi Note Bamboo Edition appropriately and you can pre-order it in China for around $370, which is a great price considering its specs.
To recap, the Xiaomi Mi Note comes with the Snapdragon 801 processor and Adreno 330 GPU. The 5.7-inch display up front sports a resolution of 1920 x 1080 full HD translating into a pixel density of 386 ppi. The rear camera is of 13MP with dual tone dual LED flash and is capable of recording 4K videos while front shooter is of 4MP. The phone supports 4G on both its SIM card slots.
Overall, the Xiaomi Mi Note Bamboo Edition looks like a winner. We have added a few hands on pictures of this new device down below for your viewing pleasure.
Over the past few years, smartphones have started to look more or less the same. But every once in a while we come across a concept smartphone which proves that its possible to create something inspiring and beautiful.
Recently, we came across a concept device called Meizu Hydra. This particular concept phone was designed by hege and looks quite futuristic. Of course, it isn’t the best concept smartphone that we have seen lately, still, the idea is pretty cool and hence, we decided to take a look at this good looking device.
The phone uses a two tone color combination. So, you’ll find shades of black, gray and white with aluminum and chrome finishing details on the back as well as the front. The striking design feature of the device is its curved shape at the bottom. This gives it a distinct look as compared to other phones in the market. Also, it is said that the phone will come in a lot of different color and material variants.
Even though this is just a concept design, the designer also mentioned its dream specifications which are actually quite practically and standard in today’s market. The Meizu Hyrdra will come with a quad-core processor clocked at 2.0 GHz. The phone is designed to sport a 5-inch display up front with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
There will be 4GB RAM onboard too. As for the camera, the phone will feature a 20MP rear camera and a 5MP front shooter. The Meizu Hydra concept smartphone will run on the upcoming Android 6.0 OS and will feature a 3000 mAh battery.
Of course, this is just a basic concept design and we don’t think it will ever materialize into a real device. Still, its good to see that there are enthusiasts in the market who are ready to show off their own creations.
Since last year, we have heard plenty of rumors about a low cost 399 Yuan ($64) smartphone from Xiaomi based on a leadcore processor. However, just recently, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun explained via Weibo that the company had no plans for such a low cost machine mainly due to the quality constraints at such a price tag. Naturally, we were all disappointed to hear the news.
However, looks like China Unicom is developing a low cost smartphone that is said to cost just $64 or 399 Yuan. So, although we may not see a Xiaomi smartphone at this price range, at least we get such a device from a leading carrier from China.
It is said that China Unicom will jointly work with a manufacturer from Shenzen, one of China’s largest cities and leading manufacturing hub. The device will be aimed at budget and first time smartphone users and will cost just 399 yuan.
However, if you are expecting below par specs, then get ready to be surprised. It is said that the phone will feature decent specs such as 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage (most likely expandable too), a 720p display (expect it to be around 5-inches) and a 64-bit CPU (entry level Mediatek SoC?). And the most promising part is that the phone is already in the final stages and is expected to launch before the end of this month.
This will surely be a great move in bring smart features to the extremely cheap market. However, given its modest specs, expect the performance to be just good enough for basic everyday usage.
Still, its good to see that companies are ready to produce smartphone even at this price range. However, for the time being, don’t expect such low cost phones to make it to the international markets.
We are eagerly waiting for the official announcement of the new ZTE Nubia Z series smartphones on March 26, which is just a week away. Thanks to the numerous leaks, we already have an idea about the upcoming handsets, which includes the recently showcased ZTE Nubia Z9 Max, the leaked ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini and the flagship ZTE Nubia Z9.
However, earlier today, a series of pictures revealed that the company may have a surprise in store for fans at the event. The leaked pictures showed off a device which looked identical to the ZTE Nubia Z9 Max but was running on a different OS than Android.
Yes, the ZTE Nubia smartphone was running on the Windows Phone OS which is a first for this lineup. The device had a similar design as the Max, with the double glass and metal body. However, the phone was running on the new Windows Phone OS. We even see Cortanan running, but it reports back with the message, “I’m sorry but I can’t speak your language yet”. Naturally, it looks like sometime tried giving commands to Cortana in Chinese.
It looks like the images were taken at Microsoft’s office, probably at an internal event. However, we still don’t know the exact Windows Phone version running on this device nor the specs that it features. But since this looks like Z series Nubia smartphone, expect it to be pretty high end.
So will we be seeing the new ZTE Nubia Z9 running on Windows Phone OS at this month’s event? Or is the phone still in the development stage?
Well, we just have to wait for a week more to clear things out.
Just a few hours back we reported that Microsoft was partnering up with Xiaomi,Lenovo, Tencent and even Qihoo for expanding its software in the country and this particular leak only confirms that the company has some big plans for its OS in China.
Over the past couple of months, we have seen many new products from Xiaomi. This Chinese smartphone manufacturer has expanded into newer product categories like routers, game controllers, and even air purifiers. Even in the smartphone lineup, the company launched a new Xiaomi Mi Note series which offered top end specs at an affordable price tag.
Now, it looks like the company is all set to announce a new Xiaomi TV tomorrow as Lei Jun, the founder and CEO of Xiaomi revealed a new teaser earlier today. He said in a post that Xiaomi will announce something new about its TV range at 11:00 AM on March 19, i.e. tomorrow. He even tagged Wang Chuan in the post, who is the director of Xiaomi smart TV business.
He became the eight core team member of Xiaomi after it acquired Duokan, a company which made apps for e-readers and Apple TV. Apart from the apps, Duokan is also an alternative OS for Amazon’s Kindle devices which brought in a lot of new features to the device. Its CEO, Mr. Chuan has years worth of experience in business, since he entered the entrepreneurship world just two years after graduating.
The company already has its own Xiaomi TV lineup in the market, but its far from perfect. Mr. Chuan had earlier said that the company aimed to make the OS more user friendly so that people from all ages could operate it, from a four year old to an eighty year old.
Unfortunately, neither Lei Jun nor Chuan has revealed any further details about tomorrow’s announcement, but since we are less than 24 hours away, we just have to wait and watch what the company has in store for us.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
