That’s it for HTC’s mega event before the company could even begin the virtual launch, the details of their handset have leaked all over the internet. For specs a 5.2-inch display with 2K Quad HD resolution, a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel rear camera with “UltraPixel” capabilities, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, microSDXC support up to 2TB, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and a large 3,000 mAh battery. The report also says that BoomSound has been reworked in the new HTC 10, with “HTC BoomSound HiFi Edition” featuring Dolby audio technology replacing last year’s BoomSound setup.
These are not the first leaks of HTC’s next Flagship, and with the launch only hours away. There is not a lot more to expect from HTC but the global price of the phone.
Xiaomi Mi 5 launched in India early but left a lot of people disappointed with its high price tag of 24999 for the base variant. Which by chance is the only option available in India on the April 6th sale and that too only in the white color.
The Mi 5 is extremely light weight for the specs it is packing, weighing in at a little over 130 gms. (Xiaomi claims 129 gms)
Inside the box of the Mi5 You will get :
The Mi 5 Handset
USB Wall Brick
USB Type C Cable
Documentation
Sim Ejector Tool
The handset on the back tapers just like the Galaxy S7 giving it an excellent grip in the hand. The cameras are impressive with f/2.0 aperture on the rear as well as the front camera. The front camera has a 2-micron pixel size and a 1/3″ sensor which in itself is pretty massive for a smartphone.
Xiaomi may have pushed a whole lot of customers away by pricing the phone at a higher than expected Rs. 24999. However, for the price, it is extremely premium and loaded with high-end specs. What is a bigger let down is the availability of only one model and only one color of the handset in the market, where the customer is left struggling to make that decision.
The Snapdragon 820 chipset along with a 3000 mAh battery which supports Quick Charge 3.0 is a significant upside of the new Mi 5, however, so is the set of cameras and the overall premium look and feel.
Lenovo has had great success in the past few years, especially with mobile phones. The Lenovo Vibe X3, while not the newest is a strong contender in the space, offering a lot of features in the under 20k bracket.
Overview
Showing off a strong design, with excellent build and optics. The Vibe X3 may be a camera first handset, one that Lenovo needed, especially to make a mark in the existing population.
Build Quality and Design
You will see a significant influence of Motorola in the design and aesthetic of the handset which now reflects a lot of metal and a prominent curved back (much like the Moto X)
The Front houses front facing speakers, a 5.5 inch Full HD display and a top glass which is much larger than the screen itself. The glass is Gorilla Glass 3, providing much-needed scratch resistance to the mix.
Hardware
Lenovo stuffed the Vibe X3 with a good set of hardware, 32GB of storage along with 3 GB of RAM. An impressive 21MP shooter with excellent low light performance, along with a 3500mAh battery.
4G+, Wi-Fi 802.11ad, VoLTE, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, VoLTE
OS
Android 5.1.1 Lolipop
Price
Performance
Don’t hope to win any benchmarks with the Vibe X3, the overall stability, and usability of the OS is applaudable. The phone will manage to be your daily driver without requiring optimization for a very long time.
Games work well, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 holds well in the area, downloading large games is not a problem, as 32 GB of onboard storage and an expandability up to 128GB have you covered with that.
Camera
The rear camera is a gem at this price point, equipped with an impressive low light capable camera, you will almost always be impressed with the images. The f/2.0 lens also helps considerably with the depth of field and subjects do tend to pop out with, especially if you are in close range.
The contrast and color of the phone’s camera are on point, and you will be thoroughly impressed with the result. You also have the ability to capture 4k video using the rear camera.
The front camera is brilliant for selfies, close up shots are always in focus, and the 8MP of resolution will help you get all the detail you need for the mugshot.
Multimedia and Display
With impressive audio and sound hardware, you will find yourself consuming media without any issues on the Lenovo Vibe X3. The forward facing speaker makes for loud and clear sound, without easily getting muffled with your fingers. Since the device can easily play 4k video, you can watch high-resolution videos with high-quality sound, even though the display is only 1080p. The Audio chipset in the Vibe X3 gives you a signal to noise ratio of 120dB which is mighty impressive.
This is one of the first handsets to offer Dolby Atmos built in allowing you to enjoy content that provides the capability. The Vibe X3 also works well with the Ant VR headset from Lenovo enabling you to experience their theatremax technology. Which makes watching movies at home as good as going to a cinema.
The display is 1080p resolution 5.5-inch display that has excellent viewing angles and color reproduction, it works well outdoors and indoors, in extremely bright conditions. The IPS panel is capable of delivering quick refreshes, so you will find yourself enjoying the deep blacks and vivid colors.
Phone Call and Battery
The Lenovo Vibe X3, offers up two sim card slots, or One SIM and One microSD slot, thanks to the hybrid SIM tray. The phone will offer up 4G networks in areas where available. Although, we found the 4G network on this handset to be slightly weak.
Mostly suffering network reception and dropping down to a 3G or a 2G band, possibly to maintain voice quality. Audio for calls is excellent thanks to 3 mic noise cancellation and a very loud earpiece.
The battery-life on the 3500mAh battery equipped Lenovo Vibe X3 is also impressive, giving you a good day’s use. You will find yourself being able to keep the screen on upwards of 6 hours on any given day.
Talk Time: 6 Hours
Internet: 8 Hours
Video: 6 Hours
Music: 18 Hours.
Conclusion
The phone offers up good specs, excellent build quality and great security with a conveniently placed fingerprint scanner. However, the price of Rs. 19,999 puts it in the slightly high price bracket, however if you compare it to the likes of handsets from the other brands like Motorola, Samsung, and even Sony, you will find yourself getting a great deal. This means you get good performance, reliable specs, and a worthy brand name.
However, if devices like the Redmi Note 3 shine your fancy, this handset may seem extra pricey, you also will find the One Plus X available now at a much dearer price.
The next generation of the Moto E is already doing rounds of the internet with leaks thanks to GFXbench under the moniker Lenovo Moto XT1700, and Lenovo Moto XT1706. Made with Meditek chipsets, and sporting 5 inch 720p displays. The Moto E leaks are tying in nicely with the new leaks from an Indian Import information website.
According to the website, a device codenamed “Moto X3” with similar specifications has been imported in numbers to match test patterns. 4 of each means that the company is testing out these devices that have an estimated price of Rs. 6812.
The HTC 10 aka One M10 is coming on April 12th and by the looks of it, the leaks have been accurate so far, leaving very little to guesswork with the HTC 10.
The new handset which is the successor of the HTC One flagship series and is expected to have a 5.2-inch QHD display and will run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 quad-core chipset with 4GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB and 128GB internal storage options with microSD card slot. Another variant of the HTC 10 with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 652 processor with 3GB of RAM, was seen in the FCC filing, making possible an HTC 10 for markets like India.
The HTC 10 Mini, however, is expected to show up sometime in September, with a Snapdragon 823 and a smaller display size of 4.7 inches.
The cameras will be made up of 12 Ultrapixel and 8 Ultrapixel combos, making the cameras compete with the likes of the new Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
At an event held in New Delhi, Xiaomi has finally launched the Mi 5 in India for a price of Rs 24990 for the base variant.
The phone will feature the Snapdragon 820 processor with 3 GB or RAM and 32 GB storage. With a 16 MP main camera and a 4 MP, 2-micron pixel size, front camera, the Mi 5 will go on sale on the 6th of April.
The price of the phone is more than people expected, as the base variant was supposed to be around 22000, as the Chinese price of the smartphone is around Rs. 20000.
Xiaomi is not launching the 64 GB variant, or even the Mi 5 Pro in India today with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. Which is a huge disappointment for Xiaomi and Mi 5 fans. Another let down is the launch only in the white color, with the gold and silver colors not in sight.
Has Xiaomi rushed the launch of the Mi 5 to an extent where they are just trying to fulfil a promise to people, with a price and fewer options than ever before? Either way, the phones are expected to run out of stock early, unless you can score an F-Code.
With Apple prepping the launch of the iPhone SE in India on the 8th of April for a whopping Rs. 39000 for the base 16 GB variant. The iPhone 6s which features better specs and a larger screen capable of 3D touch is presently available for as low as Rs. 41000 on online websites, and if you choose one of the credit card deals, you can have one today for approximately Rs. 40000. There is absolutely no need to purchase the hybrid old-new iPhone SE which has some components from the iPhone 5s and many from the iPhone 6s
The iPhone 6s however, has only one disadvantage for those looking to buy a smaller 4-inch phone, and that is the size of the iPhone 6s. The iPhone 7 launch is slated for September 2016, with anyone holding out for a new phone for all this while the iPhone 7 launch is expected to further lower the price of all phones, including the new iPhone SE.
However, if you cannot wait that long, choose the iPhone 6s over the iPhone SE, in India at least. It offers a lot more bang for its buck.
Samsung has launched the Galaxy J3 2016 edition in India today with some improvements over the past years model.
The new J3 6 has a 5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) Super AMOLED display. The handset is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and has 1.5GB of RAM.
With 8GB of inbuilt storage which can be expanded via microSD card (up to 128GB). The Galaxy J3 6 still runs on Lollipop and has the Samsung Touchwiz Style UI on it. Launched for a price of Rs. 8990 the J6 is expected to compete in the lower than 10k spectrum where presently the Chinese players are shining.
As far as optics are concerned the J3 (6) features an 8 + 5 MP camera combination and is 4G capable along with a 2600 mAh battery.
Another feature of the phone is the “S-Bike” Mode which will allow users to tap a NFC sticker to enable a Do-Not-Disturb mode of sorts. Designed for Bikers, this mode will allow users to play Pre-Recorded messages like “I’m riding at the moment, I’ll call you back later”
The Mi 5 launch which is slated to happen later today is an important moment for Xiaomi in India. This is the first time the company has managed to bring a flagship phone to India in time.
The phone which won the world over at MBW earlier this year has people begging for excellent pricing for India. Most Indian consumers have been led to by media outlets and otherwise believe that the Mi 5 will launch in India for Rs. 24000-25000 which may or may not be true.
But here is why it is important for Xiaomi to price the Mi 5 just right. The company which still relies on the flash sale model, has a little quantity of smartphones to sell, to a large and angry community which has been hyped up and filled with the hope of achieving the ultimate smartphone on a budget. Xiaomi has also seen major price falls in the past year.
Xiaomi has also seen major price falls in the past year. They had to remove the flash sale model of the Mi4 in expectations of achieving sales targets.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 which features the Snapdragon 820 chipset, will have either 3GB or 4GB RAM options and will allow you to choose between 32/64 GB variants in the regular edition along with a 128 GB PRO edition which may not be launched in India.
However, the anticipation is that Xiaomi will launch the Mi 5 base model in India for Rs. 22999 with the 64GB model going for Rs. 24999 and the pro- variant for Rs 27000. The phones should be available to order today shipping in about 10 days to happy owners.
However, if the company has any expectations of winning bigger consumers a large number of these phones should go on sale right after the first flash sale.
The iPhone SE, reports suggest may be Apple’s secret super seller. This may just come true thanks to the numbers the phone has already gathered during pre-orders. It is also a huge bump in sales for Apple prior to
The phone which features many of the features of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in a smaller size may be just what the company needed. The iPhone SE should provide a huge bump in sales for Apple prior to their iPhone 7 launch later this year.
A CNBC report showcases the numbers, massive 3.4 million iPhone SE pre-orders, with people choosing the iPhone SE in Gold as their color of choice, the rose gold variant comes in a close second.
It is estimated that more than 50% of these pre-orders will end up in the black market.
The iPhone SE costs US $ 505 in China which is roughly Rs. 33000, a whopping Rs. 6000 cheaper than what Apple will sell it’s iPhone SE in India for. India and Brazil are where Apple expects to do exceedingly well.
Samsung has not had its secrets well kept this year, with the S7 and S7 edge facing several leaks, it looks like the company has been not so careful in keeping the lid on the Galaxy S7 Active, which shows up in their update of the Samsung Level App.
Tagged in the image below, is the mention of the S7 Active. A phone that probably makes no sense unless you want a rough and tough S7. Since the new flagships already have water resistance.
They phone should have the same innards as the S7 pair, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and 4 GB of RAM including the new cameras which seem to be a sheer joy to use. You should also get higher drop protection and better water resistance.
This could be an error made by, let us assume, an intern, who may not be getting a full-time job. Or it could provide a smart marketing placement.
Smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi in keeping true to their promise of launching the Mi 5 within March will do so on the last day of the month. The launch slated for the 31st of March will see huge gains for the company’s next flagship launched earlier this year at MWC.
With a new ‘Zirconium 3D ceramic body’ the Mi 5 has a 5.15-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 820 chipset, 16-megapixel rear camera, 4-megapixel selfie camera, dual-SIM card slots, 4G LTE, IR Blaster and USB Type-C port.
Xiaomi Mi 20000 mAh power bank will be launched for a price of Rs. 1699 . The big battery backup on the go Weighs only 338 gms and offers Dual 2.1A USB outputs.
With a lot of silence, expectations go down, and that is just about what the Chinese company “Xiaomi” needed to get their head back into the game. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 was launched in India with a lot of fanfare by a CEO resembling nothing less than a movie star riding in on the Ninebot hoverboard announced last year.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is a sequel to the popular Redmi Note series and does just about justice to the name of the product line and the company that is known for low-cost smartphones. Launched at a price of Rs. 9999 for the 2G RAM and 16 GB Storage variant and 11,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32 GB Storage option, the smartphone will be sold exclusively on the company’s website and e-commerce retailer Amazon till it becomes more readily available in offline channels. Redmi Note 3 on Amazon
So should you be getting in line for the Redmi Note 3, or is it all the Hype all over again, for a mediocre product? Let’s Find out.
Overview
The Redmi Note 3 has all the makings of a powerful budget smartphone. An all metal build, excellent specs, improved battery, good cameras and a new processor which impresses on benchmarks. The company continues its per-registration flash sale model which come 2016 seems unwanted. The phone impresses on many fronts and may turn out to the be the current choice of the masses just as the original Redmi Note did.
Build Quality and Design
With an all-metal build, the Chinese origin smartphone has outdone its previous visions. Anodised and sandblasted aluminum make up for most of its outer covering along with a protection glass which has not been named.
Design wise the phone follows the legacy of Xiaomi, the front is flat with no buttons, and the fingerprint sensor is placed at the back, identical in size and just below the camera module, giving the whole design a sense of completion. The form factor of the smartphone is great and thanks to the rounded back edges it fits ever so nicely in the hand. The speaker sits at the back, a not so prime position for sound. However, a small wedge on the back of the smartphone allows for the phone to sit slightly higher on the table, allowing sound to escape, albeit still not perfectly but better than if it were laying flat on the table.
Hardware
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has all the makings of a Rs. 10000 smartphone. A new Snapdragon 650 chipset, 2/3 GB RAM options, expandable storage via MicroSD and a good set of cameras with wide lenses and an f2.0 aperture.
Specs
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3
Display
5.5 inches Full HD Display
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Dimensions
150 x 76 x 8.7 mm
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 SoC
GPU
Adreno 510
RAM
2GB / 3GB LPDDR4
Storage
16GB / 32GB flash storage
Rear Camera
16 MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED
Front Camera
5 MP, f/2.0, 1080p
Expandability
128GB via microSD
Battery
4050mAh
Connectivity
4G+, Wi-Fi 802.11ad, VoLTE, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, VoLTE
OS
Android 5.1.1 Lolipop with MIUI 7
Price
Display and Multimedia
Thanks to the new chipset and price drop in tech, the 1920 x1080p display is great and lag free. You also get a good enough chipset to run all your multimedia, which looks great on this display. The display has good viewing angles and a great outdoor visibility thanks to various display modes.
You will also get a reading mode which sort of, like Apple’s “Time Shift” mode, kills the blue in your screen to help you read better.
Video playback is buttery smooth, and the speaker does a decent enough job. However, external audio devices will do you better as with most smartphones.
Camera
The camera on the Redmi Note 3 is brilliant for the class of smartphone, and you will get an excellent depth of field and great bokeh. The camera focuses quickly and has great light detection. You will also get decent low light pictures thanks to the wide aperture on the lens of the camera.
The front camera is perfect for pictures, and you will almost always get good results. The video, on the other hand, is not all that great, the lack of any stabilization will make the video shaky. Also, the phone’s camera app does not natively record 4k video even though the likes of the LeEco 1s do. There are workarounds if you want 4k video. But, they are not recommended for the chipset.
Pre-Filter
Low Light 2
Low Light
Performance
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, offers excellent performance in its class of smartphones. With Antutu crossing 70k easily on benchmark scores the device keeps its own in this highly competitive price bracket.
The overall UI is fast and responsive and offers a good day to day usage scenario. Multitasking works great and app optimization, as well as RAM optimization, works well on the Redmi Note 3.
Gaming is good too, with most games working flawlessly on the 3GB variant, which is recommended if you intend to do gaming a lot.
The fingerprint scanner which sits right under the camera is extremely fast and quick to unlock the device. The scanner rarely ever fails and will almost always get an unlock or help you click a picture. The MiUi software also allows you to encrypt folders using the rear fingerprint scanner, which can come in handy for those “A” rated apps and of course sensitive information.
Phone and Battery
With support for two SIM cards, the Redmi Note 3 offers LTE across India, on both the cards, while you can also pop in a MicroSD card in case you choose to do that.
Dual Sim Hybrid Tray
The phone call capability is good, and overall network performance is at par within the category. You will also get good audio during calls whether incoming or outgoing.
Battery life is longer than expected, with a massive 4050 mAh battery you will get true to work one day of use without any compromises. Despite the battery being large, the chipset is designed to handle battery management well.
Talk Time: 6 Hours
Wireless Usage: 8 Hours
Music: 19 Hours
Gaming and Video: 10 Hours
Conclusion
Xiaomi is back with a vengeance. The company wants to earn back the goodwill of the market and no better device than the Redmi Note 3 to do that. At the launch the company promised timely updates and the Mi 5 launch in April, making the Mi fans jump up with joy.
As far as the phone is concerned, the Redmi Note 3 has excellent advantages over the competition, especially the LeEco Le1s. However, it also has drawbacks. The community that Xiaomi offers is unparalleled and large, and the overall support that you will get is appreciable. With both handsets offering their clout, it will come down to long term use and software support frequency to help decide the primary winner. However with the way things are going the Redmi Note 3 seems to be coming out on top.
Blackberry is not doing so well, proof of that is the fact that WhatsApp and Facebook are officially killing App support for the platform. Previously known as RIM, Blackberry has not seen a good record in the past few years. With almost all their devices not doing well, either due to price or specifications.
The news which is about a month old has left Blackberry in disappointment. The apps are supposed to end their support end of 2016 leaving any Blackberry users fending for themselves, as no more updates will be available post that. However, devices like the company’s Priv, that work on Android will not be a part of this end of service, and will continue to enjoy updates at the same time as any Android device.
In a blog post, Lou Gazzola, senior manager in charge of BlackBerry’s App Ecosystem and Developer Outreach team, said they are disappointed as they know so many users love these apps (Facebook and WhatsApp).
We fought back to work with WhatsApp and Facebook to change their minds, but at this time, their decision stands (but let them know how you feel on social media, using the hashtag #IloveBB10Apps) Our commitment to BlackBerry 10 and to developers has not changed – we know our developer community continues to be one of the strongest proponents of BlackBerry 10 and they are creating thousands of apps every month
