The Nubia Z17 may just be the phone to give the Xiaomi Mi 6 a run for its money.  A video teaser by Ni Fei, the company’s General Manager, hints at the Z17 featuring a pressure sensitive display.

A pressure sensitive display allows you to perform functions akin to right-clicking on a PC. By applying the right amount of pressure on an app’s icon, additional functions are displayed. As you can see from the screenshots, pushing down on the calendar app, will show you the weather for the day, and an option to add new event without you having to open the app. Another example shown is when you long press the clock icon and you get presented with a sub-menu that includes a timer or stopwatch.

Basically, the pressure sensitive display saves you additional taps by providing you access to functions you wouldn’t usually have access to if you don’t launch the app. The Xiaomi Mi 5s (128GB version only) launched with a pressure sensitive display but for reasons best known to Xiaomi, the Mi 6 doesn’t come with one.

The last example of the pressure sensitive display is for the settings app which lets you jump straight to the update page. This is where we see the second teaser. The Nubia Z17 in the video is running Nubia UI 5.0.

READ MORE: Super Rugged ZTE Smartphone Spotted on TENAA

This is Nubia’s latest version of its user interface which will debut on the Z17. The recently released Nubia Z17 Mini launched with Nubia UI 4.0. We expect the company to officially announce the UI during the launch of the Z17 and also reveal update details for its other devices.

(Source)

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Samsung is sure heading for the galaxies with the rate at which new features about the Galaxy S8 surfaces. The tech giant looks intent to even overshoot the skies with the avalanche of stunning features that are already tipped to come onboard the flagship device.

The Galaxy S8 is now rumored to come with a pressure sensitive display similar to the 3D Touch technology which Apple feature on the iPhone 6S and subsequent models. According to reports carried in the Korean media, Samsung has developed an advanced pressure-sensitive display which it was claimed to have showcased to a select number of partners during MWC, 2017.  The media source also disclosed that the Korean giant would feature the technology is a small form on the Galaxy S8. The pressure-sensitive technology is said to be only on the navigational home key part of the Galaxy S8.

Recall the Galaxy S8 would feature a high screen-to-body ratio with on-screen navigation pane at the bottom of the display. The full utilization of the technology would be on the Galaxy Note 8 tipped to launch later this year. This would ordinarily have elicited excitement but rather it elicits confusion because the known function of the pressure-sensitive technology which is to act as a pop-up menu, is already available on Google’s latest Android Nougat OS. Perhaps there are other innovative functions that just bringing up apps shortcuts at the tap of the home screen.

Facts (Rumors) Check

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is earlier rumored as coming with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor which has been shown in leaked renders, sitting at the side of the rear LED flash. The device is also expected with a facial recognition technology as well as the traditional iris scanner. We also expect on the software end, the Samsung Bixby Assistant which is an AI performing similar functions like the Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana and Amazon Alexa. The button to activate the Bixby AI sits under the volume rocker. Also, the Samsung Galaxy S8 will likely feature the Edge UX as the pull tab for the interface was noticed on the right corner of the curved display as seen in a recently leaked real live render. The Edge UX is a customizable quick app launcher on which favorite and frequently used apps like contact app, and others could be added.

Related: Samsung Galaxy S8 Clones Seen in China Ahead of Original Release

Perhaps the most anticipated feature is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor that would feature on the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. This would be backed by 4GB of RAM, with the Galaxy S8 China Edition said to have a higher 6GB RAM version. The storage versions would likely be 64GB and 128GB. The Samsung Galaxy S8 would sport a large 5.8-inch display while the Galaxy S8 Plus is expected with a 6.2-inch display. Both flagships are expected to be officially announced at the Galaxy Unpacked event billed to hold on March 29.

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The ZTE Axon 7 was released back in May as the successor to last year’s Axon. It has two other siblings: the ZTE Axon 7 Mini and the ZTE Axon 7 Max that was announced last month. That should have been the end of it but surprisingly, ZTE launched an upgraded version of the Axon 7 yesterday.

The new Axon 7 doesn’t have any suffix like ”Pro”, ”Plus”, ”S” or ”T”. It sports the same 5.5-inches screen size, the same Snapdragon processor, and even the same 20MP rear camera. What is different is the RAM, built-in storage, and a new trick up its sleeve screen.

Not wanting to be left out of the 6GB RAM party, ZTE has upped the RAM on its flagship. It has also doubled storage to 128GB while still giving you the option to further expand it via a micro SD card. In addition, the Quad HD AMOLED display gets pressure sensitivity which is also available on the Mini variant.

All the features you love from the 4GB variant are still there like the dual front-facing speakers, fingerprint scanner, dual SIM slots, and the 3250mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0.

READ MORE: ZTE Project CSX Top Three Device Ideas Selected, Design Submissions Begin

The new Axon 7 is priced at $499.98 (~¥3445) which means you are paying $100 more for more RAM, double storage, and a force touch display.

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After Huawei and Apple, most Chinese smartphone companies are reportedly working on 3D Touch enabled smartphones. While Meizu was expected to release a 3D Touch enabled smartphone earlier this year, we haven’t seen it yet. However, looks like Xiaomi could soon release a smartphone with pressure sensitive display and it could be an upcoming model like the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 or the Xiaomi Mi5S.

Recently, Xiaomi users found that 3D Touch feature was already available in their system, hidden away, probably because the hardware couldn’t support it. But given that the feature is built into the system, this could be a good indication that Xiaomi is readying a smartphone with 3D Touch display.

We have already heard rumors that Xiaomi is planning to release the Mi Note 2 in September. If the release is this month, expect more details soon.

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According to an insider, the Xiaomi Mi5S as well as the Mi Note 2 will come with pressure sensitive displays. However, the source says that the technology inside Xiaomi’s new phones will be much better than the ones seen on Huawei and rumored on Meizu. So, we can expect some advanced pressure based touch functions on the new devices.

While Huawei was one of the first smartphone companies to release Force Touch enabled smartphone (Huawei Mate S), the touch based features of the device utilizing the new technology were limited. In fact, Apple’s 3D Touch was considered much better than the pressure sensitive technology used by other Android manufacturers like Huawei. So, it is exciting to hear that Xiaomi’s pressure sensitive display will be much better than Huawei or Meizu. In fact, even Huawei is expected to release a much better version of its Force Touch technology in new Mate series model, most likely called as the Mate S2.

Back in April, the same insider, Mocha RQ had revealed a few details about these two phones. The Xiaomi Mi5S is said to come with the same screen size and resolution as the Mi5, but there will be upgrades like pressure sensitive display and Qualcomm’s Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Like the earlier rumors have said, there is even a possibility of dual cameras ending up on this device. As for the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, the flagship

RELATED: Xiaomi Mi Note 2 to come in three variants, including one with curved edged display

As for the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, the flagship, the phone is expected to feature a 5.7-inch FHD 1080p display with Snapdragon 820 inside. This information was revealed back in April, and recent rumors have pointed out that the Mi Note 2 could end up with a better chip, the Snapdragon 821. Even this phone is said to come with pressure sensitive display and Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, along with a Ceramic body. We know Xiaomi has had issues with the mass production of ceramic Xiaomi Mi5, so we are not quite sure whether the company would consider a ceramic body for one of the most important flagships of the second half of 2016.

These phones are rumored to launch in August 2016, which is just a month away. If true, then we should hear more about them in the next few days.

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A couple of days back, we came across some interesting news that the Meizu Pro 6 flagship may not come with 3D Touch like feature. Given that in the past few months, pressure sensitive display seemed to be one of the highlights of the device, this news came as a surprise.

Usually, the company or its executives do not comment on rumors, but in the case of Meizu, we have seen some surprises. This time, it was Meizu’s VP, Li Nan who confirmed that the Pro 6 flagship will come with a pressure sensitive display.

He further added that the Pro 6 will support multi-stage pressure sensitive display which will ensure better touch experience. Also, the feature will support third party menus pictures, url previews and so on. He also revealed an image to further confirm the presence of the feature on the device. And the image shows that the feature would be similar to Apple’s 3D Touch.

Previously, it was reported that the company decided to cancel pressure sensitive display on the upcoming flagship because it was too difficult to implement it to a level similar to Apple’s 3D Touch. However, it looks like that’s not an issue anymore.

Previous leaks have given us a good idea about the design and the specs of the Pro 6 flagship. The phone is supposed to come with a dual antenna design and a unique rear camera module. The phone will launch sometime in the second half of the year, with Helio X25 chip on board. Other possible specs include a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 21MP rear camera with Laser Autofocus and a 5MP front facing shooter. As per the latest rumors, the pricing will be quite high, around $460.

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Huawei has confirmed that it will announce the Huawei P9 flagship series smartphones on April 6. The P9 models, namely Huawei P9 Standard, Lite, Max and Premium/ Plus have been in the spotlight for the past couple of months. We already know a lot about the upcoming devices, but today, more information have been leaked.

According to the latest information, the Huawei P9 flagship will come with two great features, one being the new Kirin 955 chip, which will be an upgraded version of the Kirin 950. The second will be a pressure sensitive display. Given that Huawei is not new to pressure sensitive (force touch) smartphones, this could very well turn out to be real.

So, apart from the dual camera setup with Leica lens on board, the Huawei P9 will feature a faster processor as well as an innovative display. Revealing more about the screen on the P9, the source said that this could be a “Knuckle Pressure Sensitive Technology”. If you remember, the P8 series smartphones came with an innovative feature called as Knuckle touch, and this could be an upgraded version of the software.

RELATED: Meet the company behind Huawei’s Knuckle Touch

Further, it is said that the Huawei P9 Standard and Plus versions are already in mass production, with grey and gold being the two colors in focus.

As for the other specs, the Huawei P9 is said to come with a 5.2-inch 1080p display, with the standard edition featuring Kirin 950, 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, while the higher-end versions (Plus) coming with Kirin 955, 4GB RAM and 64GB/ 128GB storage options. As for the pricing, you can expect the Lite version to retail around 2888 Yuan ($443) while the most powerful model could retail at around 3498 Yuan ($537).

Given that we are almost into April, expect more information pretty soon.

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When compared to other parts of a smartphone, the display technology has seen less innovation. Agreed that we have seen dual edge curved screen displays on smartphones from Samsung and now Vivo, but it’s not something that will end up in every phone in the market. However, there was a certain feature which debuted last year, called as the pressure sensitive display which could end up in a lot of devices.

More and more manufacturers are slowly adopting this technology into their smartphones. There are already a handful of phones with this technology like the ZTE Axon Mini, iPhone 6S and even the Huawei Mate S. And now, this year, it looks like a lot of Chinese manufacturers will adopt pressure sensitive display in their smartphones.

According to an industry insider, many Chinese smartphone makers, like Xiaomi, Meizu, OPPO and Vivo are busy developing pressure sensitive displays for their smartphones. That’s not all, even HTC made Nexus 2016 is expected to feature this tech. Further, the insider adds that Google also plans to incorporate this feature as standard on Android.

This is not the first time we are hearing about Meizu’s plan for a pressure sensitive display. In fact, it is said that the MX6 flagship which will launch in a couple of months will sport this feature. Now, according to this insider, almost all major Chinese smartphone makers are going to be following this trend.

RELATED: Meizu Pro 6 Concept Images Leaked

As mentioned before in my previous articles, we still haven’t seen smartphones take full advantage of pressure sensitive displays, mainly because of limited app availability. But hopefully, as more and more smartphones hit the market with this tech, we will see innovative and useful apps available on the play store.

The post Xiaomi, Meizu, OPPO & Vivo Are All Reportedly Working On Pressure Sensitive Displays appeared first on Gizmochina.

But there was a good reason for the company to not launch anything this early in the year. According to various leaks and information, Meizu was supposed to release its Helio X20 powered Pro 5 Mini handset sometime in the March – April period. However, due to the Taiwan earthquake that happened in early February and the supply chain loss incurred (particularly by the phone’s display manufacturer), Meizu officially announced that it had to drop plans for the release of the Pro 5 Mini. This meant that the next powerful smartphone from the company was going to be none other than the rumored Meizu MX6.

Now, industry insider, Mocha RQ (translated) has revealed new information about the Meizu MX6. He says that the MX6 flagship should be launched earlier than usual this year, sometime around May. Further, he adds that the phone will most likely come with a pressure sensitive display. The company is reportedly taking some time for the phone’s development because it decided to use a pressure sensitive display inside the new device.

Launching the phone a couple of months early (traditional launch period should be June-July) period actually makes sense now that the Pro 5 Mini is out of the picture. As for the pressure sensitive display, it’s not a new feature and many Chinese manufacturers like ZTE, Huawei and Gionee have phones with this technology. However, we are yet to utilize the full potential of 3D touch as apps and features have to be developed more based on this tech.

As for the specs, the Meizu MX6 is expected to come with Helio X20, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a 1080p display. Like the MX5, expect the MX6 to be a low cost, affordable flagship.

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After announcing a couple of devices in the Marathon series, Gionee has revealed that it will be present at the world’s greatest tech event, MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2016 to launch the brand new Gionee S8 flagship smartphone. The launch will take place on February 22 at 2 pm in Hall 8, Theater C at MWC 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.

Unlike the other smartphones released by the company, the Gionee S8 will pack in high-end specs. The company has revealed two important features of the device. First of all, the S8 will come with a pressure sensitive display, much like the Huawei Mate S and the ZTE Axon Mini. Even the new iPhone 6 models have similar 3D Touch technology, which only proves that we will probably see more phones with this tech in the coming months.

The second feature revealed by the company is “hassle free photo shooting” experience. At this moment, we don’t know what exactly to expect, but hopefully, the company will make things clear in the coming days. To recap, the Elife S7 had a pretty good 13MP rear camera with a number of software options like magic focus mode and professional mode which gives you some great manual controls. So, we can expect the new Gionee S8 to feature even better camera functions.

About six months back, a leaked video had shown off the Gionee S8 in all its glory, but later rumors and leaks about the device died down. While we still don’t know whether the final design will be same as before, the earlier leak had revealed some high-end specs for the device. You can check out that article from here.

We will keep you guys updated with more details about the Gionee S8 in the coming days. So, stay tuned!

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ZTE is definitely one of the most respectable Chinese smartphone makers since our reviews have already proven that the company is capable of producing high quality products. We have already reviewed the ZTE Axon Elite and even compared it to other Chinese flagships of 2015.

We were definitely impressed by an affordable yet premium handset and this time around we are looking at a little brother – ZTE Axon Mini. It turns out that it is not only another mini version of a flagship but it is one of the world’s first Android smartphones (along with the Huawei Mate S Luxury Edition) that has a force touch display technology. Find out more in our full review.

Thanks to the ZTE Official for sending ZTE Axon Mini for a review.

ZTE Axon Mini Review: VIDEO

ZTE Axon Mini: UNBOXING

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The ZTE Axon Mini comes in a premium looking packaging where all the items are packed neatly. The contents include the charging plug, USB cable, a pair of earphones, which actually sound pretty good; SIM ejector PIN, some documentation and a soft plastic case, which is always a nice addition to have.

ZTE Axon Mini: SPECS

ZTE Axon Mini: DESIGN

As far as the design, we are looking a really premium and well-crafted handset. It is made almost entirely of metal except for those top and bottom parts on the back, which imitate a leather finish with some fake stitching. It is very subjective and many people may not like it but I have to say that they look okay to me. As a matter of fact, they have a somewhat rubberised finish, which definitely helps with the grip.

The front top and bottom parts may give you an impression that the Axon Mini sports a dual stereo speakers setup. However, the top part is dedicated only for the earpiece, usual set of sensors, notification LED light and 8MP selfie snapper.

The bottom is the place where you can find a front firing speaker along with the main mic.

The ZTE Axon Mini keeps the same design language as its bigger brother but this time around it ditches the dual-camera setup and opts in for a more conventional 13MP shooter with dual-LED flash.

Underneath the camera there is a fingerprint scanner. I’ve setup it up since the first minute I had the phone and I have to say that it is super easy to setup, very fast and accurate to use. Also, the rear placement of the scanner feels much more natural than on the one found on the front. Again, this may be subjective.

On the top there is a headset jack and on the bottom – a regular micro USB charging port. On the right we have a power key and a dual SIM card and the microSD card slot for storage expansion. On the left, there is a just a volume rocker.

Overall, the build quality is top-notch and I love all-metal design of the phone. The Axon mini definitely feels great in the hand and I really appreciate the fact that it is easily manageable with one hand due to its 5.2″ display.

ZTE Axon Mini: Display

As far as display, we have a 5.2” 1080p Amoled panel, which is just gorgeous to look at. Honestly, it almost looks like an LCD display as it has all the good aspects like colour accuracy, brightness of liquid crystal displays but adds a little bit of punchiness and saturation, which is typical to  Amoled panels.

ZTE Axon Mini Review: UI

The Axon mini comes with the MiFlavor UI, which is built on top of Android 5.1. However, the app drawer has been removed and we are not huge fans of it.

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As usual to the Chinese skins, the MiFlavor has quite a few customisation options, gesture controls and a lot of little tweaks and extra features, which work pretty well but it depends on your habits if you will actually use them.

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For example, the Axon mini has one of the best implementations of the iris scanner but I’m not sure if this feature is actually needed. Well, it may be cool to show it off to someone in the bar.

The Pressure Sensitive Display Tech: Features and Functionality

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We’ve seen the latter features on other phones but the star of the show here is a force touch display technology and the Axon mini is one of the first Android phones to have it. Basically, it is a pressure sensitive display and, if we use Apple terminology, it works like peek and pop gesture as the panel recognises the amount of force of your pressure of your fingers.

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The main question here: is it useful? Once you get used to it, definitely yes. Does it work well? Again, when you get used to it, it is. Most of the force touch features are associated with the built-in apps and gallery, and they work pretty well. If the app does not support this feature, the screen will just blink. However, you may have a few accidental touches there and there. Finally, if you asked me if this feature is really necessary, I would say no but it is definitely a fun and innovative way of interacting with your phone. Also, ZTE did a pretty good job with the implementation. We suggest you checking out the video review to see how this technology works.

All in all, the UI is running fast and fluid, and it is really impressive given the early software build of the phone.

ZTE Axon Mini Review: BENCHMARKS

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ZTE Axon Mini Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

ZTE Axon Mini comes with an octa-core Snapdragon 616 chip with the maximum clock speeds of 1.5GHz, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.

The 3D games work well but you have to make sure that any power saving features are off. The graphics look great although not that spectacular like on flagship phones. I encountered with just a few skipped frames but nothing major.

Finally, the phone doesn’t have any overheating issues.

ZTE Axon Mini Review: MULTIMEDIA

As far as multimedia consumption goes, the Axon mini is just fantastic. The front firing speaker is loud and it has quite a lot of depth in its sound. Also, listening to music via earphones is just a blast. The integrated Hi-Fi audio chips really make a difference if you love high quality sound with lots of depth and rich tones.

ZTE Axon Mini Review: CAMERA

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As far as the camera app, it is fast, responsive and easy to use. It has a few shooting modes to select but the settings menu works only in the portrait mode for some reason.

The 13MP camera can produce some nice and sharp looking images but it is inconsistent.

The positive side is that you will usually get a good looking image, which has a accurate colours, decent dynamic range and contrast.

If you are not lucky, you may take some daylight images with softer focus and not that impressive level of details.

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When it comes to the low light shots, some of them are pretty good but again, the camera is inconsistent as some of the images have a huge amount of noise and the lack of details.

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8MP selfie shooter is pretty good and will definitely do the tick for social media needs.

The phone can shoot videos at the max. resolution of 1080p. The most impressive thing is… the quality of sound recording. Other than that, the level of details is decent but the auto-exposure is too aggressive as it is jumping like crazy. Also, the footage looks shaky despite the fact that I tried to hold my hands as steady as possible. See a video review for the video sample.

All in all, the Axon mini has a good overall camera but hopefully we will see a software update as it needs some more polishing to show its full potential and be more consistent.

ZTE Axon Mini Review: CONNECTIVITY

The signal reception has been excellent and the call quality of  the Axon phone is good. Also, other connectivity options like Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS work absolutely fine.

ZTE Axon Mini Review: BATTERY LIFE

The 2800mAh non-removable battery performs very well both in terms of active usage and standby. I could constantly get over 4.5 hours of screen-on time using max. auto-brightness setting, browsing the web, checking emails and social media, taking pictures and so on.

ZTE Axon Mini Review: CONCLUSIONS

So, there you have, the ZTE Axon Mini Premium with a pressure sensitive display tech. I have to tell you that there is a lot to love about this phone. It all starts with great design and all-aluminum-titanium body makes it look like an expensive handset.

Also, the Axon mini is very compact considering today’s standards as it has 5.2” display, which is just brilliant to look at and pressure sensitive related features are definitely a fun way of interacting with your phone if you get used to using them.

Also, the phone has a great battery life, a microSD card slot, good performance, fast and accurate fingerprint scanner and high quality sound.

However, while the camera experience is mostly positive and you may get some good looking images, we may want to see a software update to improve its consistency. Also, the video recording quality could be a bit better overall.

Finally, the ZTE Axon Mini Premium is definitely a great all-around phone despite a few shortcomings that may be even fixed with future software updates. All in all, given the current pre-order price of just below $300, it is easy to recommend it.

Buy ZTE Axon Mini

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