Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular because they are more cost-effective and have lower maintenance costs than gasoline-powered vehicles. However, they are also more expensive to purchase upfront. Elon Musk’s upcoming “Affordable Tesla” project aims to solve this problem by making electric vehicles more affordable. Here are the details…

Affordable Tesla Could Revolutionize the Electric Vehicle Market

Tesla manufactures its vehicles globally with factories known as Gigafactories, located in Nevada, Shanghai, Texas, and Berlin, to serve customers worldwide. Recently, the Berlin factory has gained attention for an intriguing claim. According to reports, the company, aiming to produce affordable electric cars, will soon begin production in Germany.

The cost of the budget-friendly Tesla model will be 25,000 Euros. To put this price into perspective, in 2023, the average electric car price in Europe is around 65,000 Euros. Even in the world’s largest electric car market, the price hovers around 31,000 Euros, despite competition from manufacturers like BYD and Xpeng.

Unfortunately, the individual who leaked the news of the affordable Tesla didn’t provide further details regarding the matter. Therefore, we do not know when production will start and where the vehicles will be initially sold. Nevertheless, speculations point towards the highly competitive Chinese market as a likely starting point.

China’s EV market continued its strong growth in October 2023, with sales hitting a new record. The China Passenger Car Association reported that EV retail sales in October reached 640,000 units, up 95.3% year-over-year. This is the highest monthly sales figure for EVs in China to date. BYD remained the top-selling EV brand in China in October, with sales of 301,095 units. This was up 5% from September and 38.4% from a year earlier. Tesla was in second place with sales of 72,115 units, down 2.6% from September but up 0.6% from a year earlier.

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(via)

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It’s been a roller-coaster day for users who would like to try the new One UI 6.0 Beta, as the update is live in some countries, and the rollout is delayed in others. Well, with some delays, Samsung is now rolling out One UI 6.0 Beta 2 update for the Galaxy S23 Series in the US and Germany. Several users are reporting the arrival of new beta on their respective devices.

Must See: How to Install OneUI 6.0 on Galaxy S23 Series

There are several changes that are part of the One UI 6.0 Beta 2, including a bunch of fixes for major issues. Following the trend from One UI Watch 5.0, the new OneUI 6.0 also bundles great improvements for Samsung Health. The app received a major facelift for its Home screen via the One UI 6.0 Beta 2. The user can now change the water cup settings in the Health App. There are multiple fixes for different apps including S Pen, Repair Mode, Netflix App, and features such as Multi-Window, Music Share, etc.

Here’s the official changelog:

• Improved shortcut key error when using a keyboard.
• Improved an intermittent infinite loading and playing error when using Netflix.
• Improved Home app crash problem.
• Improved Multi-Window stability in Secure Folder.
• Improved device selection instability in Music Share.
• Improved erase action instability when using the S Pen button.
• Improved execution fail of Repair Mode.
• Improved intermittent Reset issue.
• Improved sluggish performance after software update.
• Improved icon disappearance problem on the home screen.
• Improved the call sound issue when using Galaxy Buds.

Other details are currently not available, but we expect the full changelog to go live after some time. We expect the One UI 6.0 Beta 2 to arrive in South Korea within a few hours.

Related: [Update: One UI 6.0 Beta Program Live Now] Samsung once again retracts from OneUI 6.0 announcement

Additionally, Samsung recently started the One UI 6.0 beta program for the Galaxy S23 series in the UK. Interested users can head over to the Samsung Community for instructions. Unfortunately, the update has been delayed for other countries including India, China, and Poland.

(via)

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In recent years, semiconductor shortages have impacted various industries across the globe including the automobile market. And according to an Audi executive, the shortages of chips will likely continue for more years in Germany.

Semiconductor shortage woes continue

A senior Audi manager stated that the chip shortage issue has created a bottleneck in Germany’s automobile industry. He adds that the issue will take years to deal with. For those unaware, the global chip shortage issue first began between 2018 and 2019, quickly engulfing various industries. The dire situation at the time had even led to automobile production being completely halted in certain parts of Europe.

Meanwhile, German carmakers and other electronics manufacturers have been severely impacted with production facing delays. These shortages are being faced across the globe so executives and policymakers are seeking to reduce their reliance on Asian and US chipmakers. At the moment, Germany has brought TSMC (the world’s largest contract chipmaker) over with billions of euros in subsidies. On the other hand, Intel also announced that it will be setting up a semiconductor factory in the region. Apart from Germany, the Taiwanese chipmaker is also expanding in Japan and the US.

But despite billions of dollars in investments, the shortage will still take years to alleviate, as per Renate Vachenauer, head of procurement at Audi. The senior official further added that automobile companies could help to ease these supply issues by using different chips. As of right now, the German market deals in around 8,000 different types of semiconductors for vehicles on the road. She added that “We have to use many levers to stabilize the supply of semiconductors and also stock up on the broker market to some extent.”

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(Via)

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In the ever-evolving landscape of the automotive industry, Germany‘s electric car market is taking center stage with impressive growth figures in 2023. The first half of the year saw a substantial 12.8 percent year-over-year increase in new passenger car registrations, with June alone recording a remarkable 25 percent surge to 280,139 new registrations.

Volkswagen has been the frontrunner in the Electric Car segment in Germany

One of the most significant contributors to this growth is the plug-in electric car segment, which is expanding rapidly. However, the market is witnessing a clear division between Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs).

c The BEVs, in particular, are leading the charge, experiencing an impressive 64 percent surge with 52,988 new registrations, capturing a solid 18.9 percent market share. Meanwhile, PHEVs faced a downturn, dropping 39 percent to 15,930 units, and securing a 5.7 percent market share.

Looking at the cumulative registrations for the year so far, BEVs recorded 220,244 units, representing a significant 32 percent year-over-year growth and 15.8 percent market share. However, PHEVs faced a sharp 43 percent decline, with 79,065 units registered, resulting in a similar 5.7 percent market share. A notable policy shift in 2023 affected the PHEV market as they are no longer eligible for incentives, impacting their sales and market appeal.

Volkswagen emerged as the frontrunner in the plug-in electric car segment and the BEV category, closely followed by Tesla. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz maintained its lead in the PHEV category.

The best-selling electric car model in June and year-to-date was the Tesla Model Y, with 6,098 new registrations in June and a total of 27,825 registrations so far. The Volkswagen ID.4/ID.5 duo performed well in June but lagged behind in the year-to-date rankings. As the industry embraces this shift, electric vehicles are all set to dominate the future of transportation in the country and beyond. It’s just a matter of how quickly this revolution takes over.

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(Via)

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Electric bicycles have established themselves as a prominent mode of transportation worldwide, and their popularity continues to surge as the electric vehicle revolution is slowly spreading over the world. Embracing the advantages of electric bikes not only benefits the economy but also promotes the general well-being of the population. Germany, in particular, has witnessed a remarkable upswing in the e-bike industry, displaying no signs of slowing down despite initial hesitations earlier this year. In May, favourable weather caused the popularity of e-bikes to go up again. By the end of May 2023, Germany had produced over one million electric bikes, marking a significant five-percent growth compared to the same period last year. This growth is particularly impressive considering the challenging economic climate the country has faced.

Good weather boosted the sales of e-bikes, benefitting the industry

Burkhard Stock, the Managing Director of the Zweirad-Industrie-Verband (ZIV), discussed this unexpected turn of events in a report published by German e-bike publication E-Bike News. He mentioned that they had anticipated a slowdown in the market during the first few months, given the ongoing European war, inflation concerns, general reluctance to make purchases, and adverse weather conditions. However, the arrival of good weather promoted more outdoor time, and that led to a positive shift in the industry.

ZIV, a prominent organization in the German and international bicycle industries, plays a crucial role as a governing body and major stakeholder in the European e-bike sector. About 90 percent of all electric bikes produced by German companies are manufactured by ZIV member companies. Their presence ensures the industry’s steady growth and development.

In addition to the domestic market, German-made electric bicycles have gained traction in other parts of the world. In the first quarter of 2023, a staggering 190,000 electric bikes were exported, signifying a significant 28-percent increase compared to the previous year. Notably, a majority of these exports were destined for European Union and European Free Trade Association member countries. With such a strong export performance, it is anticipated that the German e-bike market will produce a total of two million electric bicycles by the end of 2023.

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(Via)

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the technology industry. Many companies have realized the risks of relying on a single region for production, and are now looking to diversify their supply chains. For example, Apple has started manufacturing some of its iPhones in India. In a similar move, Germany and Intel have agreed on a deal that will see the US chipmaker receive €10 billion in subsidies to build a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Germany. Here are the details…

Germany, Intel Agree Chip Plant Subsidies Worth €10 Billion

As we mentioned before, technology companies are investing in production in different countries. This is good news for the regions where these companies invest, as it means economic development and job creation. Governments are signing agreements with tech giants to provide them with incentives and infrastructure facilities. The latest of these agreements was signed between Germany and Intel.

The agreement, which was signed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger on Monday, will see Intel build a new chip plant in the city of Magdeburg. The plant is expected to create thousands of jobs and cost around €30 billion to build. A significant part of this will be paid by Germany.

The subsidies will come in the form of both financial aid and price caps on energy. The financial aid will be used to help Intel cover the cost of building the plant, while the price caps on energy will help to keep costs down for Intel once the plant is operational. The agreement is a major boost for Intel, which has been looking to expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

The agreement is also a major win for Germany, which is looking to become a leading producer of semiconductors. The country has a strong manufacturing base, and the new chip plant will help to create jobs and boost economic growth. The new chip plant in Magdeburg is expected to be operational by 2027.

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Oppo has seemingly cleared out its entire official website for the German market. The company has been facing a rough period in the European market with previous rumors of an eventual exit, and now, the latest move has it wipe out its official German website.

Oppo’s exit from Europe could be right around the corner

For those unaware, despite being one of the largest smartphone manufacturer’s in the world, the BBK Group (umbrella corp that presides over Oppo & OnePlus) might be preparing to withdraw from Europe. One of the first market’s for this exodus would’ve been France and would soon include Germany as well.

Now, ahead of any official announcement, the brand’s official website in Germany has been completely wiped out. As of right now, there is only a single advertisement for the company’s ongoing partnership with YEFA Champions League. There is also a FAQ banner that only answers one question, which is related to its existing Oppo devices in the country. Based on recent rumors, the smartphone maker is expected to exit the French market in June 30.

Initial reports had also hinted at OnePlus also exiting the European market along with Oppo, but these claims were later refuted officially. Keep in mind that this is still just an unconfirmed report so take this news with a pinch of salt for now. Stick around for more as we will be covering any updates when additional information is available regarding this matter.

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(Via)

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TSMC is apparently planning on building its first ever chip production facility in Europe. Germany will be the site for its latest semiconductor facility and the company is reportedly in advanced talks with the German government for this plan.

According to a new report, the world’s largest contract chipmaker is in serious and advanced discussion with the German state for the building of this new chip plant. As per sources close to the matter, the move from the company arrives after the local government had announced subsidies to support the investment. For those unaware, the European Union had unveiled the European Chips act to ease government funding rules for semiconductor plants that had previously faced state aid bans.

One of the sources added that the talks between TSMC and Saxony are “serious and advanced”. Furthermore, the delegations from the eastern German state has also been coming to Taiwan for move forward this plan with the chipmaker. Setting up an advanced semiconductor production facility is a hefty investment and the costs also includes labor as well. Thus, TSMC is in discussion over subsidies that it could get in return of setting up the first European chip plant in Germany.

As per the company’s official statement back in December 2022, there is still “no concrete plan” to build a chip factory in the region. The German and Saxony government are open to provide subsidies but are also seeking further EU funds since “without subsidies nobody will come,” as per one of the sources.

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While DJI is known to be one of the most popular brands that makes drones, the company’s drones has recently been taken off the shelves from Germany’s top consumer electronics retailer, MediaMarkt.

According to a Pandaily report, local media reports found that MediaMarkt has removed the Chinese drone maker’s products from its stores. However, DJI did address the issue and stated that this occurred after the company and many of its partners were attacked by spammers earlier this month. Similarly, the German based MediaMarkt Saturn Retail Group has also faced a situation like this in the past. Last Driday, the German had to suspend sales of the company’s drones over security concerns.

DJI stated that “We have reiterated many times that all products of DJI are designed for civilian purposes and cannot meet the requirements of military use. At present, it is totally wrong to accuse DJI of supporting war on overseas social platforms. In addition, DJI’s internal compliance team is composed of experienced professionals to ensure that DJI’s business fully complies with international regulations.”

As of right now, the two firms are still discussing the spamming incident. Although, the drone maker has been facing scrutiny in the west, especially the US. The brand has been called out on the basis on national security in America, with certain US based firms even cutting ties due to compliance with sanctions.

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Huawei P50 Pro, the current flagship smartphone from the Chinese technology giant, was first launched in July last year. The device is now all set to make its global debut tomorrow, i.e. on 12th January.

In the latest development, the company has confirmed that the Huawei P50 Pro will get launched in Germany on 26th January. As of now, it’s not known if the device will be available for pre-order from that day or the company will start shipping it.

Given that Huawei is still under sanctions imposed by the United States and barred from using Google’s services, the smartphone will ship without the Google Mobile Services. It is likely to run the company’s own EMUI 12 based on open-source Android. In the Chinese market, the phone is running the company’s own HarmonyOS 2.0 operating system.

Internally, the device is expected to come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset with 4G-only connectivity support. This is unlike the Chinese model which is powered by the Kirin 9000 5G SoC.

The Huawei P50 Pro comes with a 6.6-inch OLED display that offers a screen resolution of 1228 x 2700 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. As for the memory, the device packs 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

In the camera department, there’s a 50-megapixel primary camera with an aperture of f/1.8 and OIS, coupled with a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 64-megapixel telephoto sensor. On the front, there’s a 13-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling. It is powered by a 4,360mAh battery and supports 66W wired and 50W wirelessly charging.

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After unveiling the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro premium flagship smartphones a few weeks ago, the technology giant recently confirmed that it will be hosting a launch event on 19th October to officially announce the smartphones.

Now, ahead of the official launch, we know the phone’s pricing as well as release date, thanks to its listing in Germany. The Google Pixel 6 is said to be priced at €649 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage version.

It has also been revealed that those customers who pre-order the Pixel 6 series smartphones will get the Bose 700 Headphones which are worth €279.99. In the US, the phone will reportedly be priced at $749.

The offer is valid until 27th October which implies that the device will be available for purchase from 28th October, which is in line with the previous reports.

The listing further reveals that the smartphone will come powered by a 4,620mAh battery. In the camera department, there’s a dual-camera setup on the back that includes a 50-megapixel primary sensor and a 12-megapixel secondary snapper.

On the front side, the device will come equipped with an 8-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling. The phone will also have an in-display fingerprint sensor as well as support for Face Unlock using the RGB camera.

Coming to the Pixel 6 Pro, previous reports have indicated that the device will be priced around €899 in Europe and between $1,049 and $1,099 in the United States. The phone will come with an additional 48-megapixel telephoto camera and pack a bit bigger 5,000mAh battery. It is expected to have up to 12GB of RAM and three storage options to choose from — 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

Both the smartphones will come pre-installed with the latest Android 12 operating system. The Pixel 6 lineup is expected to be among the best smartphones launching this year and the company is also at an advantage as iPhone 13 series doesn’t come with major updates, not enough to entice users to upgrade and many of them are waiting for the Pixel 6 lineup to switch instead of getting the iPhone 13.

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Nio, the China-based smart electric car maker, has started selling its ES8 SUV in Norway and is gearing up to launch another model in Germany. The Chinese company has confirmed that its new ET7 will be available in the German market in late 2022.

The Nio ET7 car has entered trial production at the company’s Hefei plant as the firm is set to start deliveries in China in early 2022. William Li, Chairman of Nio, said that the “very high” interest from German customers prompted the firm to commit to a European roll-out.

Along with announcing the launch of ET7 in Europe, Nio is also considering building its electric vehicles in Europe. Li said, “I believe if we have a lot of sales in the European market, we can also explore the other possibilities to work with other supply chain partners. I understand that in Europe, there is manufacturing capacity. We can also explore the possibility to work together with other OEMs and discuss joint manufacturing.”

While the company has not yet revealed any potential production partners but Lotus Technology could be on the list. After investment from Nio, Lotus Technology said that the partnership could pave the way for both companies to “explore opportunities for mutually beneficial industrial co-operation”.

The Nio ET7, unveiled in January this year, is claimed to offer a maximum range of 620 miles (on the Chinese NEDC cycle) from its largest, 150kWh battery and a twin-motor powertrain pumping out 644bhp and 627lb-ft for a 0-62mph time of 3.9sec.

It also features a raft of advanced driver assistance features that, the company says, enables autonomous driving. ET7 is available for pre-order in China and will be arriving in the German market in the last quarter of 2022. The 70 kWh version of ET7 is expected to have a price tag between €59,000-69,000.

The company had previously suggested that it could soon launch its cars in the United Kingdom but there’s no timeline for it yet.

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A couple of months ago, OPPO launched its latest flagship smartphone lineup — the OPPO Reno6 series in its home country China. Later, in the month of July, the devices were made available in the Indian market.

Now, the Chinese firm is expanding the footprints of the Reno6 series smartphones by launching the devices in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. The phones are set to launch in the coming days in these regions and the company has already started promotions on their respective social media accounts.

The OPPO Reno6 4G and 5G models are up for pre-orders in Egypt which will end on 4th September. The phone will be launched in Kenya on 6th September and the teaser shared by the company talks about the Bokeh Flare Portrait mode.

On 9th September, the next-generation Reno6 series 5G smartphones will be officially launched in Germany and France. The landing page for the upcoming device talks about the MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset. Earlier, it was reported that the Reno6 Pro+ is expected to be rebranded as Reno6 Pro in the European market.

It’s not yet known if these regions will be getting the OPPO Reno6 Pro smartphones and to know for sure, we’ll have to wait for the official launch event, set to take place in the coming days in different regions.

As for the specifications, the OPPO Reno6 5G features a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, 410 PPI pixel density, and 93.28% DCI-P3 color gamut. The display also offers a 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, 600 nits peak brightness (typical), and 91.7% screen-to-body ratio.

The device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC, paired with 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 storage. In the camera department, there’s a triple camera setup consisting of a 64-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide unit (119° FOV), and a 2-megapixel macro snapper.

On the front side, the phone features a 32-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling. The device running the Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own ColorOS, is powered by a 4,300mAh battery and comes with support for 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging technology.

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A couple of weeks ago, Samsung officially launched its latest foldable smartphones — Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3. On 11th August, the company started taking pre-orders for these new phones, promising shipments on or before 27th August.

The general sales for the new foldable smartphones are also scheduled to begin from 27th August but it seems that the South Korean giant isn’t able to keep up with the demand and is reportedly delaying shipments.

As per the report from All About Samsung, customers in Germany who pre-ordered the Galaxy Z Fold3, Galaxy Z Flip3, and the new Galaxy Watch4 series smartwatches are getting emails from the company notifying them about shipping delays. It is also being claimed that shipment for some of the customers could be delayed till mid-September.

Samsung says that this is happening because of the high demand for its newly launched products. This seems to be in line with the previous report, which revealed that the pre-orders for the latest smartphones from the brand have exceeded the South Korean technology giant’s highest projections.

Recently, it was reported that by the end of last week, pre-orders for the new foldable phones crossed the mark of 450,000 units and were speculated to reach 600,000 units by the end of the pre-order period. If the unlocked model is also to be included in the mix, then the numbers could reach 800,000 units. For context, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 had received about 80,000 pre-orders when it was launched.

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Apple has recently announced that it has plans to raise its investment in Germany. The company seeks to increase its corporate spendings in the region, and invest 1.2 billion US Dollars in its silicon design center that is situated in the country.

According to a TechCrunch report, the Cupertino based giant announced that it would set up a new facility in Munich in the nation. This site will be called the European Silicon Design Center, which will have a focus on 5G and also explore future wireless related technologies. The company also added that Munich is also its largest engineering hub in Europe, with over 1,500 engineers working there at the moment. Notably, Apple has even put together a particular team that will be working on power management chips.

In other words, about half of all engineers of the company that are working on power management are currently in Germany. Furthermore, the team in Germany is also expanding into chip design technologies beyond power management. The company is planning on investing 1.2 billion US Dollars over the next three years on a new building and its related research and development investments.

Notably, the smartphone maker is also working with Qualcomm for the 5G modems used in the iPhone 12 lineup. In addition to its in house chip development, the team in Germany will also be working on integrating third party hardware for its electronics products like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

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Germany has been facing a shortage of auto chip supply and has asked Taiwan to urge its local manufacturers to help in easing this issue. Apparently, the shortage of semiconductor chips has affected the former’s automobile industry.

According to a Reuters report, the shortage has hampered the economic recovery of Germany after the Coronavirus pandemic. At the moment, automobile manufacturers across the globe have been shutting down their assembly lines due to issues with the delivery of semiconductors. A few of the cases seem to have stemmed from the actions of the former US President Donald Trump’s administration, and their efforts against the Chinese chip factories.

As per the report, the shortages have affected automobile giants like Volkswagen, Ford Motors, Toyota Motor Corp, Nissan Motor, Fiat Chrysler, and even other car manufacturers as well. In a letter, the German Economy Minister, Peter Altmaier asked his Taiwanese counterpart Wang Mei-hua regarding this issue. The letter was to address the current issue that also included the Taiwan Semiconductor Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, in the talks.

For those unaware, TSMC is also one of Germany’s largest chip supplier. Altmaier stated that “I would be pleased if you could take on this matter and underline the importance of additional semiconductor capacities for the German automotive industry to TSMC.” The letter aims at getting additional capacities at TSMC to deliver semiconductors in both the short and medium terms. Furthermore, the German automobile is already in talks with TSMC about raising deliveries, which have been “very constructive” so far.

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Earlier this week, the German cabinet sent legislation to the Bundestag that will allow Chinese telecommunications equipment provider, Huawei, to build 5G networks in the region but only after strict security measures are guaranteed.

According to an AsiaTimes report, the proposed legislation would make Huawei and telecom equipment providers financially liable for compromised security. This would also give security agencies complete network access to determine the integrity of the network. In other words, Germany is going ahead with Huawei for 5G building but with strict conditions, despite Washington having lobbied Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to ban the Chinese tech giant outright.

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Notably, American media described the newly proposed German law as a “a setback for the outgoing U.S. administration,” as written in the Wall Street Journal. Furthermore, the Merkel government’s decision might have been different if Donald Trump had been re-elected. Copies of these proposed law had leaked in Germany back in November but it seems that this has now been solidified.

This should arrive as another win for Huawei in Europe, especially as various governments in the region are following in the footsteps of the US. Previously, the UK banned the company outright and is aiming to phase out the company’s technology from its existing networking infrastructure as well. France is also taking a somewhat similar approach, despite Huawei planning on building a network equipment manufacturing factory in the region.

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13 European nations including Germany, France, Spain, and others are teaming up to invest in processors and semiconductor technologies. The countries are making this move to grow in semiconductors and related fields, which will also include technology key to interconnected devices and data processing to rival the likes of the US and Asia.

At the moment, Europe’s share of the global semiconductor market, which is valued at 440 billion Euros (roughly 533 billion US Dollars), is just 10 percent. Furthermore, the EU relies on chips that are made overseas. According to a Reuters report, this dependence on foreign suppy for semiconductor technology came into spotlight during the Coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, the concerns were further backed with increasing sensitivity towards security.

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Certain nations are more concerned over security over some foreign governments. Thus, the group also have security minded reasons for joining hands to shift away from relying on foreign chips that are required in core areas like cars, medical care equipment, mobile phones, and networking as well. Earlier this year, the European Union had agreed to allocate 145 billion Euros, which is equal to a fifth of its virus economic recovery fund for digital projects.

These 13 nations will work together to boost Europe’s electronic presence and value in the global market. In a joint statement, the group stated that “This will require a collective effort to pool investment and to coordinate actions, by both public and private stakeholders.” The group wiil be reaching out to various companies to form industrial alliances for the purpose of research and investment for future projects and the development of processors while seeking further fundings as well.

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Ever since the pandemic became worse, people around the world have been staying indoors as much as possible. Even their shopping preferences have changed over the course of the last few months. A recent survey by Counterpoint Research on smartphone shopping in the UK, Germany, and Spain paints a similar picture.

UK

Talking about the UK first, the online smartphone sales currently sit at ~35% in the country. According to the research firm, the online sales has moderately increased since Q1 2020. Above all, they sustained even after the re-opening of brick and mortar stores.

The survey revealed that 90% of UK consumers preferred to make their purchase from either electronic stores or supermarkets. That’s because consumers in this country want to experience the device in a “more engaged manner”.

Even retailers like Carphone Warehouse and Currys PC World are aware that consumers prefer buying from large format stores rather than smaller standalone mobile shops

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That’s because these companies allow consumers to buy the latest phones without making an upfront full payment. They also provide options to bundle plan charges with phone instalments, in addition to direct debit options with offers and treats.

As per the UK consumers who participated in the survey, convenience was their top-most priority while shopping followed by probability of cheaper pricing.

That said, almost 60% of this survey respondents have a monthly income of less than £ 1600. More than 40% of individuals are planning to buy a phone from an operator are self-employed. Whereas, more than 50% of those willing to make an upfront payment are either homemakers or unemployed.

Germany and Spain

Unlike the consumers in the UK, those in Germany and Spain have changed their preference for buying smartphones to online by a high margin. 

For instance, the survey revealed that 35% and 30% of respondents from Germany and Spain respectively purchased their current phone online. Most importantly, a whopping 90% of Germans said that their next smartphone purchase will be online compared to 76% Spaniards, which is not a small number anyway.

Further, consumers in these two countries mostly prefer full up-front payment and retailers like Amazon, Media Markt, Saturn, Comtech, Fnac, Conectrol and Walmart.

As for numbers, 41% of Germans chose upfront payment in the survey and 42% of these respondents are salaried. The numbers for Spain is 53% and 61% respectively.

Last but not least, consumers who selected upfront payment earn less than €1,900 per month. They prefer this mode of buying because of cheaper deals and better offers.

Conclusion

Counterpoint Research says that ASPs (average selling prices) of smartphones will decrease as consumers are expected to reduce their budget. Also, going by their survey, most of the consumers will opt for a full upfront payment for their next phone to reduce a deferred liability.

Lastly, respondents from all the three countries said that they are not looking to reduce touchpoints despite they are concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic.

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A new crackdown in Germany is set to have the government adopt new regulations that would effectively exclude Huawei from the country’s plan of rolling out 5G networking.

According to a FinancialTimes report, the government is currently preparing to pass a new security law that would prevent the Chinese tech giant to participate in the 5G roll out due to various restrictions. This move would also add new challenges to the Chinese company’s business operations in the region as well. Huawei losing the ability to offer 5G networking based equipment would also be a negative impact on the company in the country.

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Similar to the UK, Germany has also been an integral market for the Chinese brand outside of mainland China. Its customer from the region includes Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom that had helped Huawei become one of the leading telecommunications based equipment provider in the world. The new regulation will employ a new approval procedure in place which will first evaluate the technical security of the parts integrated into the equipment being provided, and then judge the ‘trustworthiness’ of the source along with a political evaluation.

For those unaware, Huawei has been accused of espionage and data breach on multiple occasions. The US has alleged that the company has had close ties with the Chinese government, and even has backdoors in its systems to send data back to its home country. Thus, this new approval process might be a new hurdle for the company. According to Nils Schmid, spokesperson for the Social Democrats, “The German parliament requires the legal means to be able to exclude untrustworthy suppliers like Huawei from the 5G buildout, and this new law appears to do just that.”

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After the United Kingdom ditched Huawei from its 5G infrastructure and ordered companies to get rid of Huawei hardware from their existing network by 2027, the United States has now renewed its efforts to pressure Europe to ditch Huawei.

Keith Krach, the undersecretary of state for economic affairs, has warned Germany and Italy that Huawei is “an arm of the CCP surveillance state and a tool for human rights abuse.” However, neither Keith Krach nor the United States has provided any evidence regarding their claims.

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He has also recommended Finland-based Nokia and Sweden-based Ericsson for the 5G infrastructure development in Europe, adding that these two were the only companies that European governments should choose. He said that the company’s involvement in European 5G mobile networks would put the NATO alliance at risk.

Germany and Italy are in the discussion about whether to allow the telecom giant to participate in building the nation’s 5G network. The development comes after the U.K. and France have banned Huawei, bowing down to the pressure from the U.S.

The United States has already put several sanctions on the Chinese giant, making it practically impossible for the world’s largest smartphone company to survive in the premium smartphone market. The U.S. is also attempting to shut it out from the 5G market by forcing suppliers to seek a license for doing business with Huawei.

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The on-going COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted markets and Germany seems to have been hit badly when it comes to smartphones. As per the report from Counterpoint Research, Germany saw a decline of 27 percent in Q2 2020 compared to last year.

When compared to the previous quarter, the numbers indicate a decline of 15 percent. The country went into a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, which resulted in the smartphone market tumbling because of closures of physical shops.

Samsung, the leading smartphone brand in the country, managed to retain its position with a market share of 37 percent. It was followed by Apple with a market share of 23 percent and Huawei with 18 percent of the market.

Interestingly, Chinese brand Xiaomi has shown impressive growth in Germany. The company reported 5 percent of the market share in Q2 2020, an increase from 1 percent share in the previous year, and a nearly 250 percent jump in sales.

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Because of the pandemic, the smartphone market is now moving from high-end or premium devices to mid-range offerings. The premium segment, which includes devices priced at $800 and above, shark to 7 percent from 19 percent in Q1 2020.

On the other hand, devices priced between $300 to $600 registered growth from 23 percent to 30 percent. This is mainly attributed to the sales of Samsung Galaxy A-series smartphones and Apple iPhone SE 2020.

As per the report, 30 percent are now planning to wait longer than usual for their next smartphone purchase, while 40 percent are planning to cut their budget for future purchases related to smartphones.

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Xiaomi is facing another patent infringement lawsuit. This time in Germany as HEVC Advance Licensors brings the Chinese tech giant to Düsseldorf Regional Court. The company was recently sued in India after InterDigital alleged it had infringed on three of its H.265/HEVC Indian patents.

HEVC advanced announced earlier this week that patent owners in HEVC Advance HEVC/H.265 Patent Pool has filed patent infringement lawsuits in the Düsseldorf Regional Court against Xiaomi and Vestel Germany, a known European consumer electronics manufacturer. They have accused Xiaomi of infringing on HEVC/H.265 digital video coding standard.

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According to the Cision report, the complaints have alleged that Vestel sells television and set top boxes in Germany which use HEVC/H.265 technology, while Xiaomi offers smartphone products with the same standards as well. It remains to be seen what stance the Chinese smartphone manufacturer takes regarding this accusation. Notably, HEVC Advance also announced that it recently settled another similar dispute in Düsseldorf Regional Court with a different firm. So, we will have to wait and see how the situation develops.

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UPDATE:

In response to the news about OnePlus’ layoffs in Europe, the company clarified that it was a strategic restructuring move limited to its European division. In an official forum post, Tuomas L., head of OnePlus’ Strategy in Europe, revealed that around 20 employees were affected by this restructuring in Germany, France, and the UK.

You can read the forum post here. An excerpt from the post has been added below.

“As part of our strategy, we are looking to capitalize on opportunities in the Nordic region and Benelux by hiring for new positions, relocating some existing European staff and further enhancing our capabilities in these strategic markets. At the same time, we are making organizational changes in some existing markets, specifically Germany, France and the UK.”

“We are doing everything we can to support the approximately 20 total employees in these three markets who will be affected by this restructuring, including offering redundancy packages per local regulations. We highly value the contributions of these staff members and will do our best to ensure a smooth transition through this process.”

OnePlus just launched the OnePlus 8 series, consisting of OnePlus 8 Pro, the company’s most ambitious smartphone till date. However, the same cannot be said for its employees. According to a report by Engadget, the Chinese smartphone company has reportedly laid off several workers in Europe.

It is not the first time OnePlus has downsized in Europe. Last year, staffs in Spain and Italy had to face the same and as of now, the company has not a single worker in those regions.

The current lay-off includes removing up to 80% of employees (around 20 employees) in the regional offices of France, Germany, and the UK. To this, OnePlus responded that it is carrying out some strategic restructuring in Europe and even confirmed to be hiring in the region.

According to a source close to the matter, the teams in Denmark, Finland, Netherlands and Belgium seem to be unaffected. The company considers these markets to have more potential and thus even asked some of its employees to relocate to Helsinki, which is expected to replace London as OnePlus’ European headquarters.

The primary reason for OnePlus to make such decisions lies in its new philosophy. As the company raced towards premium 5G smartphones, carriers like O2 and EE discontinued their partnerships with the brand in the UK. The new OnePlus 8 series is only available on 3 in the region.

As per Ben Wood, Chief Analyst at CCS Insight, ‘OnePlus has fallen into the trap of over-promising and under-delivering’. The company is struggling hard to maintain relationships with carriers in Europe and has even turned back on core fans by stepping into the premium range.

Anyway, before the recent layoff, OnePlus had over 2,000 employees worldwide. The current tally of workes is unknown at the moment.

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(Source)

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OnePlus 8 series flagship smartphones are set to go official on 14th April through an online launch event. Now, a couple of weeks ahead of the launch event, the OnePlus 8 series flagship is up for blind sale in Germany.

Deutsche Telekom has started a blind sale campaign for the upcoming OnePlus flagship smartphone and the promo commemorates the six-year partnership between the carrier and OnePlus, giving users a chance to get their hands on the latest phone and be among the first to receive the device.

The bundle in the blind sale offers the latest flagship OnePlus smartphone, limited edition packaging and some additional OnePlus accessories. While the campaign does not specific which phone you’ll get but its likely that the offer is for the premium 8 Pro model.

As for the pricing, it ranges from €590 with a €95/month two-year plan to €890 with a €50/month plan. This confirms our estimate that the OnePlus 8 series will come with a significantly higher pricing than their predecessors.

The blind sale offer from Deutsche Telekom in Germany is valid through April 7th or while stocks last. The company has mentioned an estimated delivery time between 3 to 4 weeks.

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Based on the reports, the OnePlus 8 series will feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC alongside LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.0 storage. This updated hardware enables “fast and smooth” performance and will give the series a 20 percent bump in CPU and a 25 percent jump in GPU performance.

The display is also claimed to be top-notch with a 2K+ screen resolution and a high pixel density of 512 PPI and 120Hz refresh rate. On the back, there will be quad-camera setup with a 48MP primary camera, a 48MP ultrawide angle camera, an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 5MP color sensor. On the front side, the device will come with a 16 MP snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

Along with the IP ratings for water resistance and dust proof, the company will ship the upcoming smartphones with support for wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. While the pricing is expected to be on the higher side, some reports indicate that it won’t exceed $1,000 price tag in the United States. To know for sure, we’ll have to wait for the official launch event on 14th April.

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(Source)

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Telefonica Deutschland, which is Germany’s one of the leading mobile carriers, has picked Huawei and Nokia to build out its 5G network. 5G is said to be the next-big-thing and the next-generation mobile network that promise super-fast data speeds and low latency.

This move is being seen by many as a potential snub to the U.S. government which has been campaigning for its allies to keep the China-based telecoms equipment giant out of their 5G networks.

The United States is suggesting that the usage of Huawei represents national security risk because its equipment could be used for espionage by China. While U.S. has not provided any evidence to support its claim, Huawei has repeatedly denied this allegation.

Getting picked up by Telefonica Deutschland seems like a major relief for Huawei which has been facing scrutiny amid boycott campaign led by the United States. Countries like Japan and Australia have effectively banned the company from their 5G networks while the United Kingdom has yet to make a final decision.

However, the decision isn’t surprising given that the German government decided in October that it would not exclude Huawei from its 5G networks. Instead, the country introduced a draft proposal for security guidelines when it comes to 5G equipment in which the equipment from vendors need to be certified.

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Telefonica Deutschland said has said that the company was waiting for government approval. Now, Huawei and Nokia will help the company build its so-called Radio Access Network or RAN. This is the part of the network that hooks up devices with the actual 5G signal. In terms of security, the RAN is often seen as less sensitive than the core.

The company has also announced that it would cut its 2019 dividend by 37 percent in order to prioritize network investments. This comes on the heels of similar cuts in the payout by its competitors Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone.

Telefonica said that work should start in early 2020 and said it expected to have 5G up and running in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Frankfurt by the end of 2021. A year later, 30 cities with a population of 16 million would be covered. Both of the company’s competitors are existing customers of Huawei but have yet to publicly confirm whether they will stick with the Chinese networks leader for 5G.

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(Via)

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The U.S. Ambassador to Germany called comments by officials in Berlin who compared the threat of U.S. and Chinese espionage an “insult” to American troops stationed in the country. This is the latest in a slew of issues that have emerged as the result of Huawei’s involvement in the development of Germay’s 5G networks.

This comes as a result of German Minister Peter Altmaier, one of Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel’s few allies on her 5G approach, comparing concerns over potential spying by the Chinese government to previous phone-tapping by the “unreliable” US government.

Over the weekend, Altmaier commented on concerns that Huawei would be subject to China’s laws that could require the company to hand over data from its communications networks to Chinese intelligence agencies. “The US also requires its companies to provide certain information needed to fight terrorism,” he said.

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The volley by U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell, a Trump loyalist who has stoked trans-Atlantic tensions with pointed comments on German-U.S. divisions, is likely to compound controversy over the participation of China’s Huawei Technologies Co. in Germany’s fifth-generation mobile technology.

Considering Altmaier’s statement, Grenell could now declare a victory of sorts. And yet, Grenell’s meddling could actually achieve the opposite of its desired effect, namely mistrust and opposition. The US is increasingly wielding its market power not only against its opponents, but against its friends as well.

Merkel has been fending off pressure from the United States, her own party and the German parliament to ban Huawei as a candidate to for building Germany’s 5G infrastructure. The German government is concerned that banning Huawei could result in retribution from the Chinese government against the lucrative German car industry.

The post U.S. Envoy clashes with German Minister over Huawei’s involvement in Germany’s 5G development appeared first on Gizmochina.

The German Patent and Trademark Office has recently added a number of Huawei design patents from China that describe a user interface for a smartphone. The designs, which are now patented in Germany, show how a circular area should be reserved an camera. The surprising bit is that the camera is an under display unit, a first for Huawei.

The different thing about Huawei’s implementation seems to be that the camera is still visible. Even though it’s under the display, the user should still be able to see the front facing camera, or at least its outline according to the patent images. This is an odd choice, especially considering how other companies have been pushing to make it essentially invisible.

Huawei’s instead attempting to use UI elements to blend the camera and its outline with the background. It’s not as elegant as it being completely invisible, but it’s also much nicer than just having a hole-punch right there. On top of that, as is the case with a lot of Huawei patents, we’re not even sure if we’ll ever see this on their devices.

Regardless, it’s still a novel idea, and an interesting take on under-display selfie cameras. We’d like to eventually see it in action to properly judge it, but for now it’s just a patent. Huawei’s currently on the road to recovery, but they’re also not completely in the green yet. How things will pan out for them remains to be seen, but we’re optimistic.

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(Source)

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A couple of months ago, after Apple was barred from importing and selling some iPhone models in China, Qualcomm was granted a second injunction against Apple, which banned the brand from selling some iPhone models in Germany.

While Apple is working to reverse the ban, the company is reportedly planning to work on implementing hardware changes to some of its higher-selling devices in order to continue their sales in the Germany market.

According to the report, Apple is currently examining the possibility of creating a slightly modified version of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models in Germany. Aside from software changes, the models will apparently have an infringing component pulled from the design and replaced with another.

The components, which was the cause of the injunction, were produced by Apple supplier Qorvo, and are alleged to have violated an “envelope tracking” patent held by Qualcomm. This is related to a method of conserving battery power while the modem is active.

If the report turns out to be true, then this would provide Apple not only a way to continue selling its popular iPhone models in Germany, but also without having to pay Qualcomm a patent licensing fee for the freshly-produced models.

As per the ruling in Germany, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will not be sold in its 15 retail stores in Germany. Notably, it does not include new iPhone models such as iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR.

At that time, in a statement, Apple said, “We are of course disappointed by this verdict and we plan to appeal. All iPhone models remain available to customers through carriers and resellers in 4,300 locations across Germany.”

The German case is the chipset maker’s third major effort to secure a ban on Apple’s lucrative iPhones over patent infringement allegations. The company had earlier filed such cases in the United States and in China. It was also Qualcomm’s second major win against Apple after a Chinese court granted an injunction against Apple for an alleged patent violation earlier this month.

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The Apple-Qualcomm case is part of a broader court conflict between the two technology giants in which Apple has alleged that Qualcomm engaged in anti-competitive business practices for a monopoly on its modem chips.

(Source)

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This year can be said to be Xiaomi‘s biggest in terms of expansion. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer made its entry into new markets with a number of them being in Europe. Just before rounding off the year, Xiaomi has now made its entry into Germany.

Actually, Xiaomi already entered into the German market back in November. It partnered with local distribution company Axdia, to sell some of its products such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, TV Boxes, and laser projectors. All these products have been specially customized for the German markets and are not just direct imports from China. They also come with German warranties.

However, if you want a smartphone, you would have to import it from China or buy from a European country where Xiaomi is officially present. That won’t be the case for long as Xiaomi seems to be working on officially selling its phones in the country soon.

According to Winfuture.de, Xiaomi seems to have started a new company in Germany called Shamrock Mobile. The only thing about Shamrock Mobile on the web is a page that says “Shamrock Mobile is coming”. However, if you check the page source, you will find the sentence “Shamrock Mobile powered by Xiaomi”. The new company uses a four-leaf clover as its logo.

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Sources say that Shamrock Mobile may be the sole supplier of Xiaomi phones in Germany and will handle distribution to other dealers. It may also sell phones directly to end users.

There is still a lot we do not know but we have a feeling more details will surface in January.

(Via)

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After Apple was barred from importing and selling some iPhone models in China, Qualcomm has now been granted a second injunction against Apple on Thursday, banning the brand from selling some iPhone models in Germany.

Following the ruling in the Apple-Qualcomm patent case, Apple will now stop selling iPhones in its stores in Germany that use chips from Intel and parts from another supplier named Qorvo.

The judge has ruled that phones that contain a combination of chips from Intel and Apple supplier Qorvo violated one of Qualcomm‘s patents around envelope tracking that helps mobile phones save battery power while sending and receiving wireless signals.

In a statement, Apple said that it is planning to appeal the ruling. Under this condition, Judge Matthias Zigann told the ruling would not go into immediate effect. However, Apple said that throughout the appeal process, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will not be sold in its 15 retail stores in Germany.

The company’s new iPhone models, including iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, will still be sold in those stores. However, the company has clarified that all iPhone models, including iPhone 7 and 8 will still be sold through carriers and other third-party retailers in Germany.

In a statement, Apple said, “We are of course disappointed by this verdict and we plan to appeal. All iPhone models remain available to customers through carriers and resellers in 4,300 locations across Germany.”

On the other hand, Qualcomm said in a press release that the injunction will be in effect as soon as it posts the required bonds. The company added that it would complete the process “within a few days.” Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel, Qualcomm Incorporated, said:

Two respected courts in two different jurisdictions just in the past two weeks have now confirmed the value of Qualcomm’s patents and declared Apple an infringer, ordering a ban on iPhones in the important markets of Germany and China.

The German case is the chipset maker’s third major effort to secure a ban on Apple’s lucrative iPhones over patent infringement allegations. The company had earlier filed such cases in the United States and in China. This is also Qualcomm’s second major win against Apple after a Chinese court granted an injunction against Apple for an alleged patent violation earlier this month.

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The case is part of a broader court conflict between the two technology giants in which Apple has alleged that Qualcomm engaged in anti-competitive business practices for a monopoly on its modem chips.

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The German telecoms regulatory body has placed a ban on the sale of smartwatches designed for children, stating that such devices are spying devices. The regulatory agency had previously banned the sale of an internet-connected doll named – “My Friend Cayla” for similar reasons. The agency enjoins parents who had such smartwatches for their kids to destroy them.

The smartwatches are sold by several companies in Germany an are usually targetted at kids between the ages of 5 years and 12 years. The Federal Network Agency claims it had already taken action against several firms that sell the watches online but no name was mentioned. The watch in question is said to come with a SIM card and offers a limited telephone function controlled via an app. The statement also disclosed that the smartwatches come with an app that allows parents to use such smartwatches to secretly listen to a child’s environment. The agency also revealed that their investigation showed that parents have used the watches to isten to teachers in the clssroom. The watch is programmed to call a telephone number and when that is done, it can be used to secretly listen to converstions an this prohibited under German laws. Thus, such devices are seen as prohibited transmitters.

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The action of the German agency reflects growing concerns about the security and privacy risks associated with the risig number of smart gadgets referred it as “internet of things”. Surveillance is particularly a very sensitive issue in Germany where the former East German bloc’s Stasi secret police and the Nazi-era Gestapo kept a close watch of the population. The move could see IoT manufacturers adopting stricter security measures t curve the vulnerability of their gadgets.

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Gigaset is not the first manufacturer name that comes to your mind when you think of buying a new  smartphone but I came across a beautiful and powerful Gigaset ME device. It was designed in Germany, it’s an official partner Munchen Bayern football club and the phone costs just $140. In fact, the Gigaset ME used to cost over $500 when it was just released, which was simply too much. Learn more in the full review.

Gigaset Me Review: VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a4f3ie9s90[/embedyt]

Gigaset Me Review: UNBOXING

The phone comes in a premium packaging and inside of it, you can find the all the usual stuff. Some extras include a pair of earphones that actually sound pretty good.

Gigaset Me Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY

Honestly, the Gigaset Me looks and feels like a much more expensive phone. It uses a high-quality stainless steel chassis, tactile metal buttons and a sheet of Gorilla Glass 3 on the front and rear.

The phone is compact due to it’s 5” 1080p display, which is sharp and vibrant. Just above the display we have an 8MP camera and a notification LED light.

I don’t like the fact that there are only the on-screen navigation keys but at least you can change the position of the buttons.

The back looks really nice but obviously, it is a huge fingerprint magnet as most of the glass surfaces, and the phone is quite slippery.

Besides the beefy 16MP camera, dual tone dual-LED flash, you can find some other sensors since the phone has quite a few fitness-oriented features.

You can track your heart rate, check the UV level using a dedicated sensor if you need to, track your steps with the built-in pedometer and once you finish your workout, control devices like TVs with the help of the IR blaster.

The fingerprint scanner is very accurate and it unlocks the phone straight from the standby mode. However, sometimes the display lights up slower than expected.

The phone is being advertised for the good sound but I would rate the loudspeaker quality as above average. Also, you will usually end up covering it up if you hold the phone in the landscape mode. The sound via the headset jack is great and I have no complaints here.

Gigaset Me Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

Since the Gigaset ME was released quite while ago, it sports a little outdated but still pretty good specs that include an octa-core Snapdragon 810 chip, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.

The Snapdragon 810 chip was used in the last year’s flagships for a reason. The phone can handle anything you throw at it without any issues. There is no stutter or skipped frames once you play the most demanding 3D games. Finally, the phone gets quite warm when gaming but it does not overheat.

Gigaset Me Review: BENCHMARKS

Gigaset Me Review: USER INTERFACE

The phone runs on the outdated Android 5.1 with the Gigaset’s skin on top it.

There are not too many features to talk about except for the fact that there are some redesigned icons and the app tray has been removed for some reason.

Most importantly, the UI runs fast and I didn’t have any stutter even after installing quite a few apps.

Gigaset Me Review: IMAGE QUALITY

IT IS HIGHLY-RECOMMENDED TO DOWNLOAD FULL RESOLUTION CAMERA SAMPLES TO SEE THE ACTUAL IMAGE QUALITY. THE PICTURES UPLOADED ON THE WEBSITE ARE 50% SMALLER IN RESOLUTION.

When it comes to the image quality, the Gigaset Me is definitely one of the best $150 camera phones you can buy. The images come out sharp, detailed and the color reproduction is accurate even though I took all the daylight pictures during the cloudy and foggy day.

The night photos don’t look that great but you will still be to take some usable images. Obviously, the pictures looks quite grainy buy my biggest complaint is a visible purple tint in most of the shots.

The selfies look kind of mediocre. All the images I took have quite a soft focus.

The phone can shoot videos at the resolution of 2k or 1080p. Either way, the quality of footage is just mediocre. My biggest complaint is a very poor sound recording quality.

Download full resolution camera samples

Gigaset Me Review: CONNECTIVITY

The phone ships with the hybrid SIM card tray where you can either put 2 nano SIM cards or a combo of 1 SIM and the microSD card.

I didn’t have any connectivity issues with this phone except for the fact that the sound quality from the earpiece is kind of mediocre.

Gigaset Me Review: BATTERY LIFE

The 3000mAh battery performs great. It will easily get you through the day and that translates to about 5 hours of screen-on time on a mixed use.

Also, the phone supports the Quick Charge 2.0 and you can fully charge the phone in about 1h 30 mins.

Gigaset Me Review: CONCLUSIONS

So, there you have it, the Gigaset ME, the phone you’ve probably never considered buying.

Obviously, it was simply too expensive at the time of the release but for the current price of just $150, I think that it is a pretty good deal.

The phone looks and feels expensive, the display is pretty sharp and vibrant and the Gigaset Me has the specs that can still handle even the most demanding tasks like 3D games.

The camera can take some really nice and sharp pictures in daylight but it struggles in lower-lit situations. Also, the sound quality in the video recording mode is just horrible.

If you decide to buy this phone, you will probably be stuck with the Android 5.1. On the other hand, the day-to-day performance of the UI is good.

Still, the Gigaset ME is definitely worth $140 as it is a solid and nice-looking phone if you don’t mind the previously mentioned shortcomings and the fact that it will attract all the fingerprints and smudges once you use it.

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