Chinese telco operator China Unicom has launched a new tablet called the Cloud AI Pad. It’s a 5G tablet that runs both Android and Windows environments, but with a catch. 

At first glance, the Cloud AI Pad has fairly standard hardware. It features a 12.2-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 2160 × 1440. The front also has an 8-megapixel camera, while the back houses a 13-megapixel shooter. 

Under the hood, the tablet runs on the Unisoc T9100. The T9100 is built on TSMC’s 6nm process and uses an eight-core CPU with a 1+3+4 tri-cluster layout. That includes one 2.7GHz Cortex-A76 core, three 2.3GHz A76 cores, and four 2.1GHz Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. Graphics are handled by a Mali-G57 MC4 GPU running at 850MHz.

The chip supports LPDDR4X memory, UFS 3.1 storage, and an integrated 5G full-mode baseband, which pairs with the tablet’s 5G eSIM that can be activated online. There’s also a built-in NPU rated at 8 TOPS for AI features.

China Unicom ships the Cloud AI Pad with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, an 8000mAh battery, and 18W wired charging. The company claims up to 10 hours of continuous video playback.

The dual OS system

Among all, what makes the tablet unique is its software. The tablet boots on Android by default. However, you can switch to a Windows environment in the cloud by pressing the F9 button on the keyboard accessory. And yes, that’s where it gets its name, Cloud AI Pad. 

It’s effectively two systems on one device, stitched together by cloud computing. The keyboard also has a dedicated AI key to wake up an AI assistant powered by Unicom’s Yuanjing large model.

The Cloud AI Pad is listed on JD.com for 1,799 yuan.

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Apple’s latest release, the iPhone Air, has officially brought eSIM technology to China for the first time. Approved by regulators as part of a “commercial trial” involving China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, the device marks an important turning point in China’s telecom development.

The iPhone Air sold out within minutes of its release on Friday. According to Apple’s official website, retail stores are currently out of stock, and home delivery orders are delayed by about a week. Priced from RMB 7999, customers can buy it in three interest-free installments of RMB 2666 per month, with a limit of two units per person.

Domestic Brands Respond Quickly

Following Apple’s success, Chinese smartphone makers are moving fast. Oppo has introduced its Find X9 Pro with eSIM support, while Huawei is expected to launch its own version soon. This shows that Apple’s move is likely to accelerate eSIM adoption across China’s smartphone market.

What is eSIM and Why It Matters

An eSIM is a digital SIM card built directly into the device. It allows users to store multiple mobile profiles, switch carriers easily, and eliminates the need for a physical SIM slot. This innovation makes devices thinner, lighter, and more water-resistant, one reason why the iPhone Air’s design is just 5.5 mm thick.

Carriers’ Different Strategies

Among China’s three major operators, China Unicom has been the most proactive in promoting eSIM services, having launched wearable eSIMs back in 2018. China Mobile and China Telecom have been more cautious, focusing on limited trials. After a temporary suspension in 2023 for “system upgrades,” all three carriers resumed eSIM activations alongside the iPhone Air’s release.

Early Trials and Limitations

Currently, eSIM use in China is still at a trial stage. Users must visit physical stores for activation and provide a government ID for real-name verification. Online self-activation is not yet available. Each iPhone Air supports two eSIM profiles, but foreign eSIMs cannot be activated in mainland China, limiting cross-border usage.

Balancing Innovation and Security

Experts note that while eSIMs make connectivity simpler, they also raise cybersecurity concerns. Authorities worry that digital SIMs could be used for unverified virtual numbers or illegal activities. For this reason, the government is keeping a close watch on how telecom operators manage eSIM infrastructure.

The launch of the iPhone Air is more than just a product release; it represents a step forward in China’s telecom modernization. It combines innovation with strong state oversight, aiming to balance convenience, competition, and national security. 

Read More:

1. NVIDIA’s Market Share in China Drops from 95% to Zero Amid US Export Restrictions
2. China Overtakes US in Scale: AI Users Surge to 515 Million in Just Six Months
3. iPhone Air Vanishes in Minutes: Sells Out Instantly in China

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China has just taken the internet to a whole new level with the world’s first 10G broadband network, launched in the high-tech city of Xiong’an. Powered by Huawei and China Unicom, this 50G-PON tech promises blazing-fast speeds that could redefine connectivity, from instant movie downloads to lag-free cloud gaming.

China’s bold step toward building the smart cities of tomorrow

Xiong’an, a futuristic metropolis 70 miles southwest of Beijing, is the country’s testing ground for cutting-edge tech, dreamed up in 2017 under President Xi Jinping’s vision. Now, it’s home to a 10G broadband network that hits download speeds of 10 gigabytes per second, per MSN. That means you could download a huge movie file in seconds or stream 8K video without a hiccup.

This isn’t just about seamless playback on Netflix. The 10G network unlocks wild possibilities like self-driving car systems, immersive VR/AR spaces, and smart city tech that ties everything together. It’s also a boost for AI, powering large language models with seamless data flow. Xiong’an’s “15-minute life circle” design ensures residents have shops and leisure within a short walk, making it a perfect fit for this high-speed rollout.

But it’s not all rosy. Bloomberg reports Xiong’an’s $100 billion build hasn’t drawn the crowds, with some calling it a ghost town lacking the buzz of private sector investment. Still, China is pushing hard to lead the tech race, and this 10G network—set to expand nationwide—shows they’re not messing around. While the world is still catching up with 5G, Xiong’an is giving us a peek at a hyper-connected future. Whether it’ll live up to its utopian hype or stay a quiet tech showcase, only time will tell.

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(Source: 1, 2 | Via)

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Vivo held a joint press conference with China’s Big 3 Telcos (China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile) yesterday, to announce vivo’s collaboration with the Big 3 on their newest upcoming smartwatch, the vivo Watch 2.

At the event, vivo showed off the design of its vivo Watch 2 to the public at the in-person event. From the pictures gathered, we found that vivo is using a circular watch face, a round-shaped dial as well as swappable watch bands for the vivo Watch 2. The watch is also shown to come either in a metallic silver finish or in a matte black finish with two buttons on the side. 

Another announcement at the event today was the support of standalone eSIM SMS for the vivo Watch 2. This is the first for the company and with standalone eSIM support, the watch can now receive SMSes without needing to be connected via Bluetooth to a phone or even the internet via Wi-Fi. This feature is a joint collaboration between Vivo and the Big 3 Telcos in China.

No other features or specs were announced today at the event today, but a TENAA listing of the vivo Watch 2 from October gave some insight into what the specs of the vivo Watch 2 are.

The vivo Watch 2 is said to feature an OLED display, a heart-rate tracker, a built-in GPS, a step counter, and a 515mAh battery, which is an improvement over last year’s 478mAh battery on the 2020 vivo Watch. 

To know more about the highlights of the upcoming vivo Watch 2, stay tuned for vivo’s 22 December launch event in China, where it will not only officially announce the release of the vivo Watch 2, but also release its highly anticipated vivo S12 lineup of smartphones. 

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The U.S government had long-mooted plans to delists Chinese companies from US stock exchanges. New York Stock Exchange says it no longer intends to delist three Chinese telecom companies that have been at the butt of stringent targeted policies by outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. The shocking reversal comes just a week after the delisting announcement by the NYSE, in what is seen as a sign of better things ahead for Chinese interests.

In a statement made public by the exchange, it said it had made the decision after extensive consultation with relevant regulatory bodies connected with its earlier decision.
The Chinese firms that were affected by the December 31, 2020 delisting decision were China Mobile Ltd, China Telecom Corp Ltd, and China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd. It followed Trump’s administration’s plans aimed at blocking investment in 35 Chinese companies accused of being controlled or wholly owned by the Chinese military.

As expected, the shares of the three companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange reacted positively with a surge after the announcement. China Unicom gained 6.7%, while China Mobile and China Telecom each gained 5%.

Weighing in on the clear flip-flop decision by the NYSE, Managing Director at Hong Kong-based GFM Asset Management, Tariq Dennison said that the decision reflects a little ray of hope for Chinese firms as a new administration comes on board. GFM manages China Mobile shares in both Hong Kong and New York, but has largely scaled-down activities in the New York exchange recently, as the companies seek a strategy of not being caught in the crossfire in the growing Sino-U.S. tensions.

It is not expected that there could be an automatic de-escalation of the tensions even with the Biden Administration. This may take some time. Dennison feels that Biden is coming at a time of increased tensions in Sino-U.S. relations, and may not want to be tagged weak for any quick concessions in the first 100 days of his administration.

In separate statements on the new development, both China Unicom and China Telecom said that they had taken note of the NYSE delisting decision and would release the relevant regulatory information, stressing that investors should pay attention to investment risks.
China Mobile was yet to make a definitive statement on the development, while the NYSE has not provided any clarification on the decision yet.

The Chinese government, through its foreign ministry, denounced the delisting plans last week, in what it saw as a regime of random, arbitrary, and uncertain rules that will certainly stifle investor confidence.

UP NEXT: Apple to launch AirTags, AR device and more in 2021, claims Ming-Chi Kuo

(source)

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China Unicom, which is already using Nokia’s equipment for the 4G technology, will now be expanding the partnership for the new 5G technology as well. The Finland-based Nokia has announced that the telecom network has awarded approximately 10 percent share of the company’s 5G core network.

For those who are unaware, the core network performs a variety of functions, including setting up connections, bandwidth management, scaling and securing the network, and now with 5G, opening up the network to support new, software-enabled use cases such as network slicing.

The Nokia Cloud core products selected by China Unicom provides Unified Data Management, Session Management, and User Plane functions, which are complemented by Data Refinery and NetAct, all deployed on Nokia’s CloudBand.

The company says that the deal also includes products from Nokia’s Cloud Packet Core portfolio, including the Nokia Cloud Mobile Gateway. It provides the 5G standalone Session Management Function and User Plane Function, in addition to supporting the 4G Serving Gateway and the Packet Data Network Gateway in China Unicom’s network.

EDITOR’S PICK: ASUS ROG Phone 3 full specs and AnTuTu listing appear; Listings suggest Snapdragon 865 Plus SoC

Nokia currently has a 17 percent market share in China Unicom’s rapidly expanding VoLTE network, where it has deployed Nokia’s cloud-based vIMS platform. This deal is expected to further enhance the partnership between China Unicom and Nokia.

China Unicom has already deployed around 130,000 5G base stations across China, in which around 115,000 were built in partnership with China Telecom. As per the company, its 5G base stations would reach 300,000 by the end of this year.

Wang Xiaochu, CEO of China Unicom, says that the growth of 5G could accelerate in the second half of this year after the deployment slowed down and impacted business development in the first half because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UP NEXT: Huawei surpassed Samsung as the World’s Largest Smartphone Maker in April 2020

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ZTE, a well-known Chinse telecom giant has not been making many phones as it used to once after the US ban. However, the company is still in the phone business and is set to launch the first 5G smartphone with support for all the four carriers in China including China Broadcasting Network (CBN).

The three major carriers of China – China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom launched 5G networks for the public on November 1, 2019. Whereas, China Broadcasting Network launched its 5G network two months later in January 2020. It is the county’s only carrier to offer low-band 5G operating in the 703-798MHz range. Additionally, it is also testing 4.9GHz high band 5G.

That being said, there’s still not a single smartphone in the market to support 5G networks of all the four carriers in China. But that’s going to change soon as ZTE has successfully tested 5G VoNR (Voice over New Radio) for voice and video calls on CBN’s low-band 5G network on the occasion of ‘World Telecommunication Day’ on May 17.

The smartphone in question is said to be ZTE Axon 11 SE, a new member in the Axon 11 series. It will be announced officially on June 1. Unfortunately, nothing else is known about this handset at this moment. Anyway, we expect the company to soon drop teasers for the phone revealing its features.

UP NEXT: ZTE Axon 11 5G officially announced, features Snapdragon 765G and a hyperbolic curved display

(Via)

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Huawei Telecommunications, the electronics giant, has partnered up with telecom operators from China, to brings the newer and faster bandwidth, 5G network, to Mount Everest.

The Chinese tech giant is working with China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom to roll out the advanced 5G infrastructure on the world’s tallest mountain above sea level. Bringing 5G networking on an elevation of 8,848 meters is an achievement of its own and is a hallmark advancement in networking fields. The news was announced by Huawei earlier this week and was later confirmed by a spokesperson as well.

For those unaware, Huawei is a pioneering figure in 5G infrastructure, tools, and even equipment. Thus, it collaboration with telecom experts from its home country ensures that the next generation of networking sees a broader reach. As it stands right now, 5G communications act as the “connective tissue” that links IoT (internet of things), autonomous cars, smart homes, and various other smart products.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy Xcover Pro rugged phone with barcode scanner launches in the US

According to China Mobile, the world’s largest wireless network operator, the new 5G project undertaken by the group marks “not only another extreme challenge in a human life exclusion zone but also laid a solid foundation for the later development of 5G smart tourism and 5G communications for scientific research.” In other words, it’s not just an impressive feat but lays the base for the future in the tourism industry as well.

Earlier this month, three 5G base stations, which connect smartphones to the broader telecommunications network, were set up in two camps sits. These were on different altitudes including 5,300 meters and 5,800 meters, while also providing an online download speed of about 1 gigabit per second. This is quite impressive considering that the area was previously considered as an extremely harsh environment.

Future plans will have two more base stations being setup later on by China Mobile before 25th April 2020. These will be set up in altitudes which are even higher, coming in at 6,500 meters. Notably, this particular base station would even alow 5G networking to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which is also the border between China and Nepal.

UP NEXT: Huawei India gets new CEO as Jay Chen moves up to leadership role in Asia Pacific region

(Via)

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Available data shows that the Chinese smartphone market experienced a decline in shipments to peak at an estimated 369 million units in 2019. The figure is said to represent a 7% Year-on-Year decline when compared to the 2018’s figure. There are projections that the figure will drop even further to 330 million units this year.

Despite the projected decline in phone shipments for this year, China Unicom is optimistic about its performance for this year. At an event held yesterday in China, the telecoms giant says it expects its channel sales will double to 110 million units, accounting for one-quarter of the phone that’ll be shipped in China this year.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi’s Aqara officially unveils its range of smart home products in the US

China Unicom equally announced at the event that it will take the promotion of independent sales capabilities as one of the measures to boost the industrial chain. It revealed that out of the expected 330 million phone shipments this year, 100-180 million units will be 5G-enabled models. On its part, China Unicom plans to sell between 33-60 million units of 5G mobile phones.

China Unicom, which happens to be the world’s fourth-largest mobile service provider by subscriber base, is said to have teamed up with 32 partners from the fields of chips, module terminals, application content, and chain channels to establish a 5G terminal innovation joint laboratory as well as a 5G terminal innovation joint R & D centre, and a 5G terminal application cooperative innovation centre in China. There are already projections that most of the world’s 5G phones sold in 2020 will be shipped in China.

UP NEXT: iQOO 3 5G launched with SD865, 55W fast charging & powerful gaming features 

(source)

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China’s commercial 5G rollout is still a few months away but the top three Chinese carriers are already accepting pre-subscriptions for 5G in the country. Unsurprisingly, this pre-subscription drive seems to be successful with over 9.3 million users signing up for 5G even before they are officially rolled out.

All three carriers in China are offering pretty good discounts for their pre-subscribers. China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom operators are giving out 5G subscriptions for up to 30 percent discount to early adopters. For example, China Mobile customers who have been with the carrier for more than 5 years get a solid 30 percent discount on 5G plans for the first six months. New customers get a 20 percent discount on the official price at launch. China Telecom and Unicom users are also getting a similar discount scheme.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung heir visits India, possibly to discuss 5G development

China Mobile has reportedly secured around 5.6 million 5G pre-subscriptions already while the figure for China Telecom and China Unicom is said to be around 1.9 million and 1.8 million respectively. What’s even more interesting is that the Chinese carriers have not really disclosed the pricing for their 5G plans. Only China Unicom has given out a figure, which starts at 190 yuan (~$27) but it could change since the carrier states that this is just the phase one of its promotional offerings.

Looks like China will be at the forefront of 5G adoption. So, it would be interesting to see how fast the new generation network grows once it is rolled out in the market.

UP NEXT: Huawei’s 5G products expected to account for 50% of China’s 5G market in 2020

(Via)

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After various estimations, calculations and approximations, China’s first 5G network is now live in the Qianhai-Shekou Free Trade Zone in country’s southern tech hub Shenzhen. Now China is among a few countries including the US and South Korea adopting the 5G networks.

China’s state telecom carrier – China Unicom has built 111 5G base stations by joining hands with FTZ (Free Trade Zone) in Shenzhen. It will help the companies and locals to enjoy and experience the new technology. The low latency and higher speeds will lead to improved opportunities and will boost tech startups and companies. The capacity will be gradually increased to 7000 base stations across Shenzhen before 2020.

Along with tremendous changes in standard applications, 5G technology will evolve the new class of bandwidth-intensive applications – AR (Augmented reality), VR (Virtual Reality), cloud gaming and OTT. Moreover, it will help the doctors performing surgery with smooth video conferencing, gamers will have a more intuitive experience, streaming and downloading 4K videos won’t be an issue.

To expedite 5G advancements among users, FTZ and China Unicom will hold an exhibition from April 26-28. It will help the user to know about the actual potential of 5G and how it can benefit the masses.

Shenzhen has remained a hotbed for innovations from past many years in China. The 5G networks deployment will further escalate the development of the local smart city. It will aid unmanned aerial vehicles, improved interconnectivity within machines – Internet-of-Things, and improve the overall integration within industries.

• Read More: China Unicom announces first batch of 5G products: 15 devices from 12 Brands

The 5G networks will further spread to other cities in China soon. China Unicom is also testing 5G network in Beijing, Tianjin, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Fuzhou, Zhenzhou and Shenyang. Whereas, China Mobile is aiming to bring 5G network in multiple cities, and plans to build 10000 5G base stations by 2020.

(source)

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The year 2019 is the year when the 5G technology is slated to be commercialized. While many smartphone manufacturers have launched their 5G smartphones and many are slated to launch, the availability of 5G networks still remains a work in progress, even in major countries.

Recently, South Korea became one of the early adopters of the 5G technology and three of the companies network operators announced their 5G pricing, which starts at 55,000 won, which roughly converts to 325 Yuan or $48.

Now, China Unicom has announced the first batch of 5G smartphones that the company will provide support for 5G connectivity. The list includes 12 brands and 15 smartphone models and CPEs from companies like Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE among others.

Prior to this announcement, China Mobile and China Telecom had carried out corresponding 5G equipment testing and 5G network testing. Last week, the company had announced that it successfully made a call using a 5G smartphone on the Beijing 5G trial network.

Next generation 5G capability is expected to enable faster data transmission and lower latency features that will be vital for advanced technologies such as AI, ML, and autonomous driving.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G receives complaints after launch in South Korea last week

After South Korea and China, US-based Sprint is planning to launch the country’s first commercial 5G services in May in four cities. But for most markets, including China, the nationwide commercial rollout is not expected until next year.

(Via)

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A new teaser for the Mi band 3 may hint at Xiaomi’s next smartband having SIM connectivity. One of China’s top network operators, China Unicom, released a new poster for the upcoming band which makes us wonder what hidden feature the device has.

The poster shows a flyover with different icons which includes a car, a computer, a building, a truck and a shopping bag. There is also a text that roughly translates to “connects you to the world”.

The shopping bag sort of hints at the Mi Band 3 supporting purchases as it is reported to have a NFC chip built-in. We’ll have to wait till Thursday to find out the details for the other features.

However, what is strange is China Unicom’s relationship with the new smartband which has got people asking if the band has an eSIM embedded in it.

Smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series 3 and the Huawei Watch 2 Pro have eSIMs but we haven’t heard of a smartband with one. We guess there is always a first time. Bear in mind that if it is true, it will drive up the price.

READ MORE: Photos of Xiaomi Mi 8 Poster And Retail Box Reveals A Few Specs & Blue Color Variant

Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun also revealed in a Weibo post that the wristband of the watch has been redesigned and is now stronger, therefore preventing the device itself from getting lost.

(Source, Via)

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The Snapdragon X50 5G NR modem has been designed by Qualcomm to support 5G networks. Today, Qualcomm has confirmed that at least 18 different smartphone manufacturing companies will be launching Snapdragon X50 5G modem enabled smartphones. Moreover, the U.S.-based chip maker has confirmed that various telecom service providers from across the world will be starting the trail run of 5G networks soon.

The Snapdragon X50 5G NR (New Radio) mobile modem chipset can attain download speeds of several gigabits. In October 2017, Qualcomm had unveiled the new 5G modem and confirmed that it would be commercially available during the first half of 2019. Now that Qualcomm has released press releases for the carriers and smartphone manufacturers that will be supporting and releasing 5G smartphones featuring Snapdragon X50 modem, it seems that the company is well on track of fulfilling the promise of making 5G phones available in 2019.

The smartphone OEMs that are working with Qualcomm to launch phones with Snapdragon X50 5G modem next year are Asus, Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Connected Technologies Limited, HMD Global (Nokia), HTC, Inseego/Novatel Wireless, LG, NetComm Wireless, NETGEAR, OPPO, Sharp Corporation, Sierra Wireless, Sony Mobile, Telit, vivo, Wingtech, WNC, Xiaomi and ZTE.

Two of the major smartphone manufacturing companies namely, Apple and Huawei are missing from the list. Samsung has signed a separate cross-license partnership with Qualcomm recently which may also include plans to launch 5G enabled Samsung phones soon. Lenovo too is absent from the list.

The list of select global mobile operators that will conducing live and OTA mobile 5G NR trials include AT&T, British Telecom, China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, KT Corporation, LG Uplus, NTT DOCOMO, Orange, Singtel, SK Telecom, Sprint, Telstra, TIM, Verizon and Vodafone Group.

Read More: Gizmochina Explains: 5G Network Standard

Which smartphone company will be releasing the first 5G smartphone next year? OPPO CEO Tony Chen had confirmed in the previous month that it will be among the first manufacturers to release a 5G smartphone. ZTE CEO Lixin Cheng has recently claimed that a 5G ZTE phone would be launching at the end of 2018 or early 2019. Two months ago, Huawei CEO Yu Richard said that a 5G Huawei smartphone would be releasing in the second half of 2019.

5G smartphones featuring Snapdragon X50 will allow users to connect to public Wi-Fi without login. Such phones will offer ultrafast downloads, high-speed internet browsing, topnotch quality video and voice calls, lag free streaming of 360-degreee video and instant cloud access. Qualcomm will be also bringing 5G connectivity on other devices like Always Connected PCs, VR and AR.

(source 1, 2)

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The Chinese carrier China Unicom has reached the fastest 4G LTE download speed in the world: 1.2 Gbps. The company has just announced that the tests for the 1.2 Gbps speed have been completed, and there is no carrier which has obtained such fast download speeds. To be accurate, the maximum download speed reached is 1155.8 Mbps, that is almost equal to 1.2 Gbps. We are every day closer to 5G networks and connection is getting definitely getting faster, but it will take some time for the 1.2 Gbps speed to be available for China Unicom customers.

Indeed, the device which reached this result is equipped with the Snapdragon 845 SoC. It is the latest flagship processor launched by Qualcomm and it is still not on sale. We will probably see the first phones with Snapdragon 845 in Q1 2018 and they should be the alleged Sony Xperia XZ2 recently surfaced in some leaks, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Xiaomi Mi 7.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 has reached the 1.2 Gbps download speed in the tests by China Unicom thanks to its Snapdragon X20 Cat. 18 LTE modem. Other specs of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 include 4x Cortex A75 and 4x Cortex A55 CPUs for a maximum frequency of 2.8 GHz. The SoC supports an AI platform and Wi-Fi 802.11ac Multi-Gigabit (with 4×4 MIMO).

(Source)

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Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun said a few days back that the company had no plans for a 399 Yuan smartphone. The news came as a surprise because everyone was waiting for a great phone at that price tag. While Xiaomi probably won’t be making such a cheap phone, China Unicom announced recently that it would take up the challenge to make a great phone under 399 Yuan.

Now, the first images of China Unicom’s 399 Yuan device have been leaked. These images also reveal that the phone will be manufactured by Little Pepper. The Chinese carrier had said that it was partnering up with a manufacturer in Shenzhen for its cheap device. Since Little Pepper has established itself as an affordable smartphone manufacturer, this partnership doesn’t come as a surprise.

To be honest, this 399 Yuan smartphone looks extremely well built for its price. Even in the hardware department, you get decent specs. The phone sports a 5-inch display with HD 720p resolution. Inside, it has a quad-core Marvell PXA 1908 processor clocked at 1.2GHz with 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage. You also get an 8MP shooter at the back. Despite is super cheap pricing, the phone will support 4G LTE networks too!

1 of 3

Overall, the 399 Yuan smartphone turns out to be a great offering at this price tag. You get a decent screen, processor and even 4G LTE connectivity, which is at par(or even better than) most entry level offerings in the market. It is said that the phone will be available to purchase directly without any reservations, which is also good since we expect tremendous response for the device.

So, what do you think about this 399 Yuan smartphone from China Unicom? Looks pretty well built, right?

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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.

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This afternoon, the Cube T7 phablet was launched in Beijing. This is a 64-bit device that supports dual-4G networks using a 4G processor from MTK called the MT8752 which is made of eight Cortex-A53 cores and has a frequency of 2.0GHz.

The Cube T7 is an FDD-TDD dual-4G tablet that has support for China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Telecom. It also supports 5-modes and 15 frequencies. It sports a 7-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS screen. Its GPU is the powerful Mali T760 MP2. It also has GPS, Blue Tooth, FM radio, WiFi, and other sensors.

Render pictures of Cube T7

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       Introduction: When the HTC M8 first hit stores, it received rave reviews, but because of its high price, HTC decided to release the M8Sw. This new phone is covered with a plastic case and replaced the M8’s UltraPixel camera with a 13mp camera. Its CPU was upgraded to the Snapdragon 801 and its price in China Unicom’s official online store (10010.com) as 2999 RMB. We recently managed to get our hands on the M8Sw’s China Unicom version and today, we’ll try it out.

HTC M8S China Unicom Edition

CPU: Qualcomm 8974AC quad-core with 2.5GHz

Operating system: Android 4.4.2

Memory: 2GB RAM/16GB ROM

Display screen: 5-inch screen

Resolution: 1920×1080

Camera: 13mp/5mp

Battery voltage: 2600mha

Internet: TD-LTE/WCDMA/GSM

Price: 2999 RMB

The back is curvy and made of plastic. The M8Sw continues to use the HTC’s classic design.

The HTC M8Sw China Unicom Edition uses a 13mp rear camera and has an LED flashlight.

On the back there’s a notice that says that this is a TD-LTE phone and that it supports TD-LTE 4G internet with 100Mbps internet speed.

It has a 5mp front-facing camera which has greater specs than the rear camera.

The speakers are located at the front just like the HTC M8.

USB and earphone ports are located at the bottom.

Volume switch is located on the right side.

The Power switch is located in the middle at the top.

The HTC M8Sw China Unicom edition has 16GB internal memory storate but also has a TF  card slot on the left side.

It supports 4G dual-SIM along with LTE/WCDMA 3G/4G internet. Its internet speed can go up to 100Mbps. A NanoSIM card needs to be installed.

The designs of the M8Sw’s receiver and speakers are completely different from the original’s.

The M8Sw is made of plastic while the original is made of metal. The former is listed as costing 2999 RMB in China Unicom’s website while the M8 costs up to 5299 RMB (851.21 USD

The M8Sw Unicom Edition has a 13mp main camera.

Like the M8, the M8Sw has a 5mp front camera.  

Both use the HTC sense 6.0 which is modeled after the Android 4.4.

The HTC M8Sw, with its Snapdragon 801, got 36000 in its benchmark test while the M8 only got about 28000.

The Snapdragon 801 has a frequency of 2.5GHz while the M8’s Snapdragon 800 only has 2.3 GHz. Furthermore, both have 2GB RAM.

The HTC M8Sw follows the HTC M8’s design with plastic instead of metal, lowering the price to 2999 RMB. The CPU was upgraded to the Snapdragon 801 making it more powerful than the HTC M8. It also supports China Unicom’s 4G internet with speed that goes up to 100Mbps as well as dual-SIM.

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Due to many reasons, The Hedy H770/Q7, which was first released last September, has become Hedy’s last cellphone “masterpiece.” According to someone from Hedy, the company will no longer get involved in the cell phone industry. The phone’s edges have a very fashionable look. The top and bottom have small curved design. It has a thickness of only 8.7mm and is available in many colors.

This phone sports a 5.3-inch IPS display screen with an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 and also uses OGS. Its processor is the MTK6589 quad-core chipset with a frequency of 1.2GHz. It also has 1GB+4GB RAM and a 3mP/13mP dual-camera. It is powered by a 2000mha battery and supports TC-SCDMA China Mobile 3G internet and China Unicom/China Mobile 2G internet. It supports double SIM-card as well as dual-microphone noise reduction and commonly used sensor features. Its operating system is based on the Android 4.2.

When it was first release, the Heddy H770/Q7 cost 999 RMB (160.25 USD). Recently, the black and white editions were listed in Yixun as only costing 599 RMB which is the lowest it has been sold for so far.

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The TCL Momoda’s (low) China Mobile and Unicom editions will soon enter the market. The high version is also expected to follow suit soon. The China Mobile version (high) is designated the TCL S725T. If the Unicom version is similarly named the same way, it would be called the S725.

Not surprisingly, the TCL S725T will use the MT6592 octa-core processor with a 1.7GHz main frequency, 2GB RAM, and up to 16G of memory space. It will also have a 5Mp front camera and 13Mp rear camera.

The design of the TCL Momoda China Mobile edition (high) has not changed. It uses a 3300mA battery and has a 5.5 inch screen with a 720p resolution and a deeply customized operating system. It also supports the TD+GSM double-SIM card and dual-microphone noise cancellation technology. It also has many different kinds of sensory functions such as an electric compass and gyroscope, and must notably, it supports Hotknot technology. The touch screens of both versions can facilitate data transmission at 10Mb/s.

The TCL Momoda high version is expected to hit the market on May Day and should not be more than 1000 RMB (about $161)

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Xiaomi has preparing their new smartphone, thats the flagship smartphone for China Unicom subscribers, and now we got the leaked information about the new bechmark score of the phone.

The new Xiaomi MI3 China Unicom version has powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, that phone got more than 36,026 score point in benchmark test.

In recent test using Antutu Benchmark tool, the phone is only got 32,666 score point, but we assume that that is a prototype device that only packs with standard configuration while on the confference the Xiaomi claimed that their phone has got more than 36,000 score point for bencgmark test.

While for now, another China Unicom smartphone has been test and got the 36,294 score point through AnTuTU Benchmark test, thats the Xiaomi MI3 with Tegra 4 chipset.

In theory this should not be the true level of MSM8974AB processor, after all, is equipped with ordinary version MSM8974 processor models can easily run out of a score of 30,006, after reasonable optimization, China Unicom version of Xiaomi MI3  phone should be got the higher score.

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The Xiaomi 2 smartphone has been introduce to the market in mid-August 2012, and now there is the new information from Xiaomi website that teling us about the availability of the new Xiaomi 2 smartphone whcih has white fron cover and black rear cover.

And now we have a leaked photo of those smartphone. It seems that phone is preparing for China Unicom user and the phone is covere with white front cover and black back cover thats look nice an elegant that predesesor.

Xiaomi 2 smartphone is powered by Qualcomm APQ 8064 quad-core 1.5GHz processor, running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating OS packs with MIUI V4 systems, sports with 4.3-inch and 720p sharp IPS screen, 8 megapixel rear camera, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of ROM, powered by 2000 mAh battery capacity and ( 3000 mAh battery as an accessories). 16GB version has 1999 yuan or around $320 USD, while the 32GB version has price 2,299 yuan or around $368 USD.

Of course, in addition to waiting for the white version of the official, you can buy color film to turn the black version into a white front-facing panel, and you can choose the color cover from official Xiaomi color film as well as pink, blue, and others color you desire.

This phone is the quad-core smartphone and 1080p strong machine whch can connect through the clouds services, The new Xiaomi 2 white version smartphone has the same specs except the front facing color panel. So you don’t have to upgrade your smartphone if you’ve already hold the Xiaomi 2 smartphone.

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Meizu and China Unicom announced their a strategic cooperation recently, China Unicom to become the first Meizu domestic carrier partners, The Meizu MX2 smartphone sale starting from January 23th.

Starting at 10 o’clock on January 23, it can handle contract purchase from Unicom 4800 the operating room, Unicom online business hall, Meizu 408 stores, Jingdong Mall, Suning, Dixon through multiple channels.

Unicom Meizu MX2 prepare a variety of purchase program, including 2 years contract stored 2699 yuan (around $433 USD) to 0 yuan purchase of $ 42 USD package, or contracting for three years and $25 USD package purchase. At the same time, China Unicom users in the network, existing MX2 user also can select the appropriate package.

Miss Zhou Youmeng, general manager of China Unicom’s marketing department, said that China Unicom is defined as the Meizu MX2 2013 “strategic level” cooperation models, and high hopes for this partnership.

Meizu CEO Bai Yongxiang extensive simplest Competition mobile phone hardware era is in the past, the MX2 and China Unicom 3G network combine to give users faster and better intelligent life experience. He also revealed that the all Meizu shops will all access Unicom ESS system has become an important channel to pull the contract sales and business development with Unicom.

Meizu MX2 phone released in the end of November 2012, but did not disclose specific sales figures. However, there were indications that the eighth, the Meizu and Jingdong signed 800 million yuan sales agreement has been completed, it means that the MX2 online sales billions of dollars.

Operators is also an important channel for mobile phone sales, especially in the era of smart phones, carriers are fighting for users to launch a variety of contract purchase package. The Meizu Unicom great pull MX2 sales.

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