The Asus Zenfone 5Z was launched in India earlier this year and got a pretty good reception. The Zenfone Max Pro M1was also an instant hit with its massive battery and attractive features. Latest leaks of the alleged Asus Zenfone 6 show that the company is not slowing down and plans on keeping up its streak of great smartphones.
The Future Of Displays
The leaked images showcase various prototypes of the Asus Zenfone 6. All of these devices sport a glass back and a large display. However, there are various combinations, with different camera setups and unique displays. The most striking one is that of a camera cut-out, which is said to be present in the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A8s as well. Different prototypes show different positions for the camera cut-out. It is placed on the left and right sides, as well as the in the middle of the display. The camera cut-out seems to be the next big step towards a bezel-less display. This might eliminate the need of having a sliding camera mechanism as seen on the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3.
The next prototype however, showcases the Asus Zenfone 6 with a tiny water-drop notch, which houses the front camera sensor. This is not all, the prototypes also showcase two different variants for the camera setup. One of the prototypes has a triple main camera setup while the other has a more common, dual camera setup.
While the camera cut-out on a display sure does look better and will take up lesser space, the placement is still an issue. If the company will place it on the sides rather than in the centre, the entire symmetry of the display could be lost. The notch on any phone is specially designed to ensure that the icons on each side of the notch are balanced equally and displayed in an aesthetic manner.
However, it is important to note that these are just prototypes of the devices. The retail unit might not be similar. But, we do hope that Asus brings some great changes to its next big smartphone.
HMD Global had launched their Nokia 7.1 smartphone at an event held in London earlier this moth. The device was announced for the European market. An India launch was expected soon after, but HMD launched the device as the Nokia X7 in China after a few days. However, the India launch of the device is now near, according to a report, stating that we may see the Nokia 7.1 soon.
The device was also showcased at the Indian Mobile Congress held in New Delhi, adding to the fact that the device will arrive soon. The Nokia 7.1 is the successor to the Nokia 7 Plus and combines a premium style and finish with Zeiss optics and the Android One experience.
Nokia 7.1
The Nokia 7.1 has a one piece aluminium body with 2.5D curved glass edges. It has a 5.85 inch FHD+ display with a notch and a 2280 x 1080 px resolution. It has an aspect ratio of 19:9 and a 432 ppi pixel density. The Nokia 7.1 is the first smartphone by HMD to have the ‘Pure Display’ technology. This enables the display to have HDR10 support and therefore make it more crisp. The device has a special chip which lets it convert any content into the HDR10 format in real time. This feature is seen in flagship devices.
It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, supported by the Adreno 509 GPU. The device offers 3 GB and 4 GB RAM variants and 32 GB/ 64 GB storage options. The storage can be expanded upto 400 GB using a microSD card. It has a 3,060 mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 Oreo. The company says that the phone will get the Android 9 Pie update by the end of November. Additionally, it is a part of the Android One program, meaning that it has a very clean stock Android experience and will receive speedy updates.
Zeiss Optics
The Nokia 7.1 has a 12 MP+ 5 MP dual rear camera. The 12 MP sensor has an aperture of f/1.8. The setup has Zeiss lenses, and offers the highest quality, according to the company. The rear camera also supports the live Bokeh feature, which was only available in the flagship Nokia 8 up until now. The device has an 8 MP f/2.0 front facing camera which features an advanced version of the Bothie Mode. The Bothie Mode by Nokia lets users take pictures or record video with both, the front and rear cameras at the same time.
The Nokia 7.1 is available in the European market for a price which converts to around Rs 25,000. The Indian price of the device is however, reported to be Rs 30,000. The device is also said to be an online exclusive.
The OnePlus 6T is set to launch on the 29th of October and prior to the launch, the company invited YouTuber Mrwhostheboss, aka Arun Maini, to visit the OnePlus headquarters in Shenzhen, China. Arun shared a few prototypes of OnePlus 6’s unreleased gradient back panels.
Gradient Back: Hot or Not?
Gradient back panels look futuristic and are a complete departure from the conventional monochrome-back smartphones. Huawei and Vivo were one of the first companies to offer their smartphones in gradient back color options. P20 was the first the smartphone from Huawei which was available in gradient colours and it definitely grabbed a lot of attention. Recently, Samsung also launched their five camera Galaxy A9 in three different gradient back colours.
Gradient Back OnePlus!
The pictures posted by Arun show 18 different gradient color back panels for the previously launched OnePlus 6. The photos reveal gradient back panels ranging from pink and silver to glittery purple and gradient green colours. The unreleased back panels surely look beautiful and are bound to catch your eye. Surprisingly, none of the gradient back panels made it to the retail OnePlus 6. The device is only available in four different colours which are Silk white, Flame Red, Midnight Black, and Mirror Black. However, with the rise in demand of these gradient colours OnePlus might launch the upcoming OnePlus 6T with some of these color panels.
The launch of the OnePlus 6T is right around the corner and we won’t have to wait for long to know whether any of these stylish panels become a reality or not.
Earlier this month, Huawei released their Mate 20 series smartphones in London. And now, the company has launched the Mate 20 trio in the Chinese market. Along with the Mate 20 smartphones, the company also launched a smart AI speaker which draws a lot of inspiration Apple’s HomePod.
The Rise Of AI Speakers
HomePod
With the advancements in AI (Aritficial Intelligence) and Virtual Assistant technology , the smart speaker market is getting very hot. Top tech companies are working hard to grab their shares in this new industry. Companies like Google, Amazon & Apple already offer smart speakers and recently the Chinese tech titan Huawei, has jumped on the bandwagon with a budget AI speaker.
Huawei’s Fatboy AI Speaker
While the overall design is pretty similar to that of the Apple HomePod, the LED ring on the top and the four control buttons remind us of another smart speaker. The AI speaker from Huawei looks like a chubby sibling of the Alexa powered Amazon Echo Plus. The speaker has a cylindrical design with control buttons on the top. It has 6 michrophone pinholes on top and a circular ring light around the controls. The Huawei AI speaker has 4 top mounted buttons to control all its functionalities. It includes volume up & down button, mic mute button and a call receive button. The AI speaker can be connected to a smartphone and directly receive calls.
The Huawei AI speaker uses a 2.25 inch sound driver that has a power output of 10 W along with two passive bass radiators. The company claims these help in creating a more natural sound effect and powerful bass performance. For acoustic systems and design co-creation, Huawei partnered with Dynaudio which is a Danish loudspeaker maker. The smart speaker uses Huawei’s “Histen” algorithm which is a music equaliser and sound effect controlling software available on their smartphones.
The brains of the smart speaker are powered by Huawei’s “Xiaoyi” voice assistant which enables it to interact with HiLink supporting smart devices like lights, air purifiers, security cameras and more.
The Huawei AI speaker has a price tag of 399 CNY (around Rs. 4,000) which is much less compared to other smart speakers available in the market. Huawei is yet to comment on it’s global launch or the date of sale.
The Huawei Mate 20, Mate 20 X, Mate 20 Pro and the Porsche Edition Mate 20 RS were launched last week in an event held in London. The flagship devices from Huawei are the first to feature the Hisilicon Kirin 980 SoC, manufactured using the 7 nm process. The devices vary not only in terms of pricing but also in their features and target market. The Mate 20 is the entry-level device out of the lineup while the Mate 20 X is a gaming and performance oriented phone. The Mate 20 Pro on the other hand is their true flagship phone with all of Huawei’s latest features, to take on the likes of the Pixel 3 and iPhone XS.
A New Variant
However, the Chinese event introducing the devices saw a surprising new launch, that of a new variant of the Mate 20 Pro. One of the main features of the Mate 20 Pro was its in-display fingerprint sensor. The additional variant launched in China does not have a fingerprint sensor and has 6 GB of RAM along with 128 GB of storage. The change is huge, considering that the company dropped one of the most attractive features of the device.
At the same time, it also shows that the Mate 20 Pro has much more than just one feature that makes it attractive. The Chinese smartphone market is extremely competitive, even in the premium segment. With the launch of the Mi Mix 3 with 10 GB of RAM and also the upcoming Honor Magic 2, the smartphone manufacturer might be looking for ways to cut the price of the device to ensure it offers a better bargain.
Mate 20 Pro Specifications
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro has a 6.39 inch Curved OLED display with a resolution of 3120 x 1440 px and a 538 ppi pixel density. The display has a notch which houses the front camera and sensors for the 3D Face Unlock technology and has a 19:5:9 aspect ratio. The device also has an in-display fingerprint scanner for securely unlocking it. The device runs on the latest flagship processor from Huawei, the Kirin 980. The processor is made using the 7nm manufacturing process and is faster than the A12 Bionic chip by Apple, according to Huawei. The processor also has dual Neural Processing Units which help it compute solutions to task based questions with ease and in a shorter period of time. The NPUs also help in providing AI camera modes with automatic scene detection and different shooting modes while recording video.
The device has a triple camera setup which is made in collaboration with Leica. The setup consists of a main 40 MP wide lens with an f/1.8 aperture. Along with this it has a 20 MP f/2.2 ultra wide sensor and an 8 MP f/2.4 telephoto sensor. The camera has super HDR capability and can also take macro shots of objects as close as 2.5 cm. The Mate 20 Pro has an IP68 dust and water resistance rating and is also provided with a special underwater case which helps you shoot in depths of upto 5 metres.
Reverse Wireless Charging
The device has a 4,200 mAh battery along with a 40 W fast charger which claims to charge 1% in just 30 seconds. The device is also compatible with Huawei’s 15 W fast wireless charger. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro also features an impressive ‘reverse wireless charging’ feature with which you can charge other wireless charging capable device using yourMate 20 Pro.
The Huawei Mate 20 costs €799 for its 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant and €849 for its 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. The device will launch in India in the month of November.
The launch of the OnePlus 6T is set for the 29th of October, barely a few days away. The device has been subjected to many leaks, including the most recent one which detailed the alleged specifications sheet. With almost so many rumours about the device out there, we round it up for you to ensure that you know everything there is about the upcoming flagship.
Design
The OnePlus 6T does sport some major design changes. The device has water-drop notch on the display, compared to the traditional notch featured by its predecessor. The water-drop notch is comparatively smaller and covers an area which is just enough to house the front camera sensor. The device is expected to have thinner bezels as well, resulting in a higher screen-to-body ratio. On the back, the device has a dual camera setup accompanied by the LED flash. The physical fingerprint scanner is no longer present as the device has now incorporated an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Display
The OnePlus 6T has a 6.4 inch screen with a 2340 x 1080 px resolution. This is comparatively larger than the 6.28 inch 2280 x 1080 px display on the OnePlus 6. It has an aspect ratio of 19:5:9 and an 86% screen-to-body ratio. Additionally, the display has Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for protection.
Processor
There are no shockers or surprise elements in this segment. The OnePlus 6T runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and has 6 GB / 8 GB RAM variants. It has the Adreno 630 GPU and 128 GB and 512 GB storage variants. While some of the earlier reports said that the device will have a microSD card slot, the alleged specifications sheet does not mention anything of this sort. This is not surprising as OnePlus never offered expandable storage and 128 GB on the base model is plenty of storage for a smartphone. The device is running on Android 9 Pie and as mentioned by the company, the ‘best version of Oxygen OS’. This includes advanced navigational and gesture controls, along with a UI which is extremely intuitive and easy to use.
Additionally, the device has a single-core score of 2387 and a multi-core score of 8925 on Geekbench. While this is pretty close to the scores of the OnePlus 6, these might see an increase as the devices that are being tested are pre-production units. However, there won’t be much of a difference as the internals are the same as that of the OnePlus 6.
Camera & Battery
OnePlus 6T Camera Sample
The OnePlus 6T has a 16 MP+ 20 MP dual camera setup with an f/1.7 aperture, exactly the same as the OnePlus 6. While the sensors are the same, the company has made some software changes for improved performance on the upcoming device. The device has an improved Night Mode for better low-light performance and features such as Quick Capture, Super Slo-Mo recording and Portrait Mode. The front camera has a 20 MP sensor equipped with f/1.7 aperture.
The OnePlus 6T will have a 3,700 mAh battery supported by OnePlus’s propriety Dash Charging. The device is also rumoured to support wireless charging this time around.
In-Display Fingerprint
One of the biggest changes on the OnePlus 6T is the in-display fingerprint scanner. According to OnePlus, this is the most secure version and offers a higher unlock speed. The company claims to have put in a lot of hard work to ensure that it reaches the standard of a OnePlus device.
Additionally, the device lacks a 3.5 mm headphone jack. While this has caused some unrest amongst OnePlus fans, the company has ensured of alternatives which will be easily available. The company had announced a pair of Type-C Bullets a few months back, which will be compatible with the device. They also mentioned that these will be easily available unlike the Wireless Bullets which were pretty short in supply.
Price
The device is said to cost Rs 37,999 for the 6 GB + 128 GB variant, Rs 40,999 for its 8 GB + 128 GB variant and Rs 44,999 for its 8 GB + 256 GB variant.
The above-mentioned features, mostly cover everything there is to know about the device. However, it is to be noted that these are based on various leaks and rumours and might not exactly reflect the device that is about to be launched.
The OnePlus 6T will launch at an event in New York on the 29th of October, and will have an India launch the next day, in New Delhi. We will continuously keep you updated on any news about the device and make sure that you receive all the details about it the minute it launches. So stay tuned to iGyaan for everything OnePlus.
Lenovo is known for their industrial grade Thinkpad laptops and not so much for their smartphones. But, the company has been trying hard to break in to the smartphone market and they have launched some robust smartphones like the K8 Noteand the Z5. Recently, the Vice President of Lenovo, Edward Chang has shared a teaser of an upcoming smartphone on Weibo. The device is called the Z5 Pro which is the successor to the Lenovo z5.
Lenovo Z5 Pro Teaser
The teaser shows a smartphone with dual front sliding cameras which look similar to the Xiomi Mi Mix 3 and has and edge-to-edge display. The poster states that the release is scheduled for 1st November which is just 6 days away. It also reads that the smartphone has a full view screen and an in-display fingerprint scanner. Lenovo claims that the Z5 Pro has a 100% screen-to-body ratio as it does not have a notch or speaker grill.
Previously an alleged video of the Z5 Pro was posted on Weibo which appears to be the same device seen in the official teaser. Detailed specifications of the Z5 Pro are not available but it will surely have better specs than its predecessor. For reference:
The Lenovo Z5 has a 6.2 inch Corning Gorilla Glass protected IPS display. The display has a pixel density of 402 ppi and an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. The Lenovo Z5 runs on the Octa-Core Snapdragon 845 SoC which is paired with 6/8 GB of RAM. In terms of storage, it is available in 64 / 128 GB ROM variants which are expandable up to 256 GB via a microSD card. The smartphone has dual 16 MP + 8 MP rear and an 8 MP front camera. The device is powered by a 3,300 mAh battery that supports 15 W fast charging. The Lenovo Z5 has a rear mounted finger print scanner for securely unlocking it.
The new Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) has been launched and it hosts a lot of improvements over the previous generation. The new improved Echo Plus is different both inside and out. With improved sound quality and some evident design changes, the Echo Plus looks promising, to say the least. Launched at a price of Rs 14,999, we take a look at what it packs inside.
Inside The Box
The Box houses the device itself, a quick start manual and warranty information. Apart from this, it houses the wall adapter which powers the Echo Plus. The wall adapter has a really long wire, ensuring that you can place the device at a spot of your convenience.
Design Changes
The new Echo Plus has a brand new design with a fabric mesh on the outside, giving it a really classy look. This is quite an improvement over the previous generation which had a plastic build. The redesigned Echo Plus actually looks like a device which is meant to be a part of your home, rather than the machine-like design of the previous generation.
The new Echo Plus is shorter but broader but is lighter than the previous version. The device has 4 control buttons on the top. Two of these let you control its volume while one is to disable your microphone and the other is to launch Alexa without having to call out to her. The Amazon logo has been moved to the bottom of the device. The Echo Plus has an LED rim which flashes blue when Alexa is listening to you or is saying something. The ring turns red when you deactivate the microphone. Near the bottom end of the device is the 3.5 mm aux port and the power port.
Audio Features
The Echo Plus claims better sound quality than the previous generation and is equipped with omnidirectional Dolby Audio. The device has a 0.8-inch tweeter and a 3-inch subwoofer. The tweeter is present in the lower half of the device, therefore improving the overall sound output. The improvement in sounds quality is quite evident and it has a pretty broad volume range. The Echo Plus is able to fill the room with good quality sound. Obviously, the sound quality will not match that of a dedicated speaker.
More than the output, the device can also hear you over the sound of whatever is playing. For example, even if you’ve got rock music blaring at full volume, Alexa responds to you and makes sure your command is executed. An interesting feature is the ability for it to connect to other Alexa enabled devices. So you can pair up your Echo Plus device with an Echo Spot or an Echo Dot and play your content across multiple rooms. Additionally, the device can also be connected to other speakers via the Aux port, which will result in better sound. Unfortunately, the device needs power at all times and is therefore not portable.
Home Control & Smart Capabilities
The highlight of the Echo Plus is the fact that it is a smart speaker. This means that the device has the ability to connect with and control smart appliances at your home as well as perform a variety of tasks with the help of Alexa.
The device can control switches, cameras, thermostats and bulbs among other smart devices. You can then control these devices just by using your voice. With Alexa’s increasing popularity, more and more manufacturers are producing devices which have Alexa integration.
Apart from connecting to smart devices, the speaker can perform multiple tasks, thanks to Alexa integration. You can ask the Echo Plus about the weather, a roundup of the latest news, to tell you a joke or even manage your calendar. It can also book a cab, order food and get you information from multiple sources. The device also has the feature to make calls through your mobile, but this is not available in India as of now.
The impressions from our initial use of the device prove that the Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Generation) is an obvious improvement over its predecessor. With a better and classier design, enhanced sound quality and integration of multiple features, it does stand out in its segment. The Echo Plus is available on Amazon for a price of Rs 14,999.
You can check out our video of the Amazon Echo Plus below:
The OnePlus 6T is set to launch next week and has fallen prey to another leak, yet again. It seems like the closer we are getting to the launch of a smartphone, the more we get to know about it. Unlike other leaks, this source claims to have the original specifications sheet along with official pictures from OnePlus. This is probably the most extensive leak of the OnePlus 6T until now and if it is true, gives us a very close look at the device.
Specifications Sheet
According to the alleged specifications sheet, the OnePlus 6T has the following features. It has a 6.4 inch Optic AMOLED display with a 2340 x 1080 px FHD+ resolution. The display sports a water drop notch and has an aspect ratio of 19:5:9. It has a screen-to-body ratio of 86%. The size of the display is not all that has improved and the device has Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for protection. The device measures 157.5 x 74.9 x 8.2mm and weighs 180 grams. It lacks a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
The device also has an in-display fingerprint scanner to unlock it securely. The device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and is available in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants. In terms of storage, the device has 128 GB and 256 GB options. Contrary to some earlier reports, the OnePlus 6T does not have microSD card support. Under the hood, it packs a 3,700 mAh battery and has a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer.
The device is running on Android 9 Pie, which was expected as the OnePlus 6 is already on the latest version of Android. The device has a dual 16 MP + 20 MP rear camera setup, and both the sensors are equipped with an f/1.7 aperture. It has features such as Quick Capture, Portrait Mode, and super Slo-mo recording. The front facing camera is a 20 MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture.
If the leak is valid, this is all there is to know about the OnePlus 6T! However, we will wait till the official launch of the device on the 29 of October to know what OnePlus has in store for us.
Nubia Technology was started by ZTE in 2012 but the company later became independent in 2017 when ZTE reduced their stake in the brand. Nubia makes some interesting looking smartphones, of which an example is the Red Magic Gaming smartphone. The Red Magic 1 was released earlier this year and now the company is gearing up to launch it’s successor, the Red Magic 2. The company shared a poster of the upcoming smartphone on weibo.
Red Magic!
The teaser reveals that the design of the new device will be quite similar to the Red Magic 1 which had a glass front and an aluminium back. The Red Magic 2 has a single rear camera with a hexagonal LED flash. Even the rear mounted finger print sensor has an elongated hexagonal shape. The back of the device has 4 slits with blue colour accents in them which add up to the gaming theme. The device will have a horizontal RGB light bar on the back side. The Red Magic 2 also has grey colour antenna lines on the back for allowing cell reception through the aluminium shell.
Nubia Red Magic 1
The teaser boasts some specifications of the smartphone and it seems the Red Magic 2 will be a capable gaming device. It will run on the latest Octa-Core Snapdragon 845 SoC and have 10 GB of RAM. The recently launched Xioami Black Shark Helo & the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 are one of the first devices to offer 10 GB of RAM. Additionally, the smartphone will have liquid cooling technology, 3D sound and 4D shock haptic feed back capabilities. The previously mentioned slits on the back might have stereo speakers producing a 3D like sound effect. About the 4D haptic feedback, the Red Magic 2 might have mutiple vibrating motors which will add a new dimension of user experience while playing games on the device. Nubia might try to emulate a similar experience as seen in the PS4 haptic feedback controllers.
The teaser does not provide any specific launch date, but according to sources, the device will launch on the October 30. No information about the price is available but Nubia might want to price the device close to the Red Magic 1 which has a price tag of $ 399 (around Rs. 29,000).
Leica recently announced their latest version of the M10 and the camera does not have a screen! It is a digital camera with no screen to view your photos. For someone who has shot in film cameras, it will feel like a homecoming as the rangefinder has no clutter – just two dials on top, a shutter button and a dial at the back. The design shouts of the typical Leica trademark. The camera is controlled using the Leica Fotos app. The app works on both Android and iOS devices. It uses Wi-Fi to connect to the app.
The 24-megapixel full-frame sensor camera is matte black in colour and looks like a film rangefinder to a tee. The M10- D also features the lever that film cameras use, to cock the film. Even though this lever does not do anything functional, it is a good place to rest your finger while shooting. The camera has dials to adjust Shutter speed and ISO and also features a few customisable buttons but has very little otherwise. The lens has aperture and focus rings and the camera also features an optical viewfinder.
Purpose Of The Camera
Leica has said, the camera was built to provide the convenience of shooting digital without the distractions of the same. One can easily avoid a common phenomenon in photography known as ‘chimping’ with this camera. Chimping is the practice of immediately looking at the photograph on the screen after shooting on a digital camera. Moments play a big role when shooting street photography. Chimping can cause a photographer to miss out on images from the action that is taking place in front of him or her. The company has previously released cameras without screens, like the Leica M- D. But this is the first camera that features Wi-Fi connectivity.
While one needs to get used to using the M10- D , it seems like a great idea to remove unnecessary distractions! The app is quite clean, easy to use and can help you look at your images on the go instead of during a shoot. The Leica M10-D costs $7,995 and is available on the Leica USA website.
The trend of bezel-less smartphones is on the rise and Xiaomi is definitely one of the early adopters of this design language. Recently Xiaomi held a launch event in Palace Museum which is one of China’s most important historical landmark and launched the world’s first commercial 5G phone, the Mi Mix 3 with extremely thin bezels. It is the successor to the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s which was launched in 2017.
Design
The new Mi Mix 3 has a sliding panel which hides the dual front cameras and essential sensors. Xiaomi has lab tested the sliding screen and claims it has a life expectancy of 300,000 slides. It has a four-sided curved ceramic back and a screen to body ratio of 93.4 %. It has dual front cameras and dual rear cameras with AI beautification. The smartphone also has a fingerprint sensor which is mounted on the back of the device.
Specifications
The Mi Mix 3 has a 6.39 inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 2340 x 1080 px resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The AMOLED panel has a 60000:1 contrast ratio and 600 nit brightness level. The rear camera setup has dual 12 MP + 12 MP sensors with f/1.8 & f/2.4 apertures. The front camera uses a Sony IMX576 24 MP sensor and a 2 MP depth sensor. The rear cameras can capture 2160p 4K video & slow motion videos at 960 fps. The device has a Night Mode camera option which the company claims can take excellent low light photographs. At the launch event, Xiaomi also said that the device has the highest DXOMARK camera score on any smartphone which is 108.
The Mi Mix 3 runs on the Octa-Core Snapdragon 845 processor and is available in 3 stoage capacities which are as follows:
6 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM
8 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM
10 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM
It also supports wireless charging at up to 10 Watts and the company will ship one with the device.
Price
The Mi Mix 3 is available in 3 color options which are Blue, Green & Black. Prices for various models are as listed:
Mi Mix 3 6 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM – 3,299 ¥ (around Rs. 34,800/-)
Mi Mix 3 8 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM – 3,599 ¥ (around Rs. 38,000/-)
Mi Mix 3 10 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM – 3,999 ¥ (around Rs. 42,200/-)
The smartphone is currently available only in China but we expect the company to launch the smartphone in India soon.
The upcoming flagship from OnePlus, has crossed another milestone. The OnePlus 6T has passed Verizon’s certification labs, according to reports. This means that the smartphone will be the first OnePlus device to be compatible with the US based carrier. If the reports are true, it will boost the expansion of OnePlus in the US market. Other reports also show the Geekbench listing of the device.
OnePlus & Verizon
Along with the deal with Verizon, the company is also working on a partnership with T-Mobile in the US. The partnership with various mobile carriers will make sure that the device is known to more Americans, most of whom are not familiar with the company. The deal with these major mobile carriers will pave the way for OnePlus’s entry into the US market as well. Reports also suggest that the deal with Verizon can also carry on for future devices. This future device might be the 5G enabled phone that OnePlus is planning to release next year, most probably the OnePlus 7.
Geekbench Scores
The Geekbench listing of the device shows that it runs on Android 9 Pie and the Snapdragon 845 SoC. The device has 8 GB of RAM. The listing shows a single core score of 2,387 and a multi core score of 8,925. This is pretty similar to the performance of the OnePlus 6 and the scores on the retail device might be even higher considering that this is a pre-production unit.
The most exciting feature on the OnePlus 6T is its in-display fingerprint scanner. According to reports, the OnePlus 6T has a water-drop notch on its 6.41 inch Super AMOLED display. The device is running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC with 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants. It packs a 3,700 mAh battery and runs on a brand new version of the Oxygen OS. The device does however, lack a headphone jack. The OnePlus 6T is also rumoured to have microSD card support, which will be a first for OnePlus devices. The device also has a new and improved night mode to enhance its low-light performance.
Samsung has just taken the next step towards a truly edge-to-edge display, or so it seems. In its recent event, Samsung teased the Galaxy A8s. This device is as close as it gets to an all-screen display. The teaser by Samsung shows a clear display, free of any obstructions. But a well known Samsung leakster on Twitter said that the device will have a tiny camera cut-out on the screen.
Galaxy A8s
Samsung is probably the only smartphone manufacturer to not jump on to the notch bandwagon. But this hasn’t stopped the company from ensuring that they work towards an all-screen display. Talking about the Galaxy A8s, which is the cause for all this excitement, some reports also suggest that it will for sure have a camera cut-out. The camera cut-out might even be disabled while viewing videos or playing games, ensuring that it does not obstruct the display. The placement for the cut-out is still not known. Some sources are saying that it will be on the sides and not the centre to avoid direct obstruction. A recent tweet, which is no longer available, showcased the possible placement options that Samsung has for the device.
Whether the company has cracked the code to making an all-screen display or whether we’ll see a camera cut-out is not clear at this point of time. They have not revealed anything more about the device which might see its launch in the early parts of 2019. A truly bezel-less and notch-less display is also possible as Samsung has recently patented a technologyto have an in-display front camera. With this, the front camera will be present within the display, eliminating the need for a notch or a cut-out to house it. This technology is probably the only way to achieve a 100% screen-to-body ratio.
Samsung’s Innovation Spree
It is not surprising that Samsung is stepping up its innovation game. The company can no longer hold on to new technology or save it just for its flagship smartphones. With increasing competition threatening it in almost every smartphone market, the company needs to go out with all guns blazing. Other reports about the company developing a technology which will turn the entire screen into a fingerprint sensor has also appeared, showing that there is no slowing down for Samsung as of now.
Could the camera cut-out be the new trend for smartphone manufacturers or is it just as inconvenient as the notch? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Black Shark is a sub-brand of Xiaomi and they make gaming focused smartphones. Recently, the company has launched their second smartphone, the Black Shark Helo. The Black Shark Helo has a front & rear glass build with RGB lights and green color accents. The power button and the volume rockers are placed on the right side of the device.
The Black Shark Helo has three virtual navigation keys on the screen and dual front firing stereo speakers. The device has a single front facing camera and dual rear cameras. For securely unlocking the smartphone, it has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
Specifications
The Black Shark Helo has 160mm x 72.25mm x 8.7 mm dimensions and weighs 190 grams. It has a 6.01 inch AMOLED screen with 2160 x 1080 px resolution and a pixel density of 402 ppi. The display is a 430 nit brightness panel with the contrast ratio of 60000 : 1 and 18:9 aspect ratio. The Black Shark Helo runs on the 2.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 845 CPU along with the Adreno 630 GPU. It is available in multiple variants with different RAM & ROM combinations which are:
6GB RAM + 128GB ROM
8GB RAM + 128GB ROM
10GB RAM + 256GB ROM
The Black Shark Helo uses high speed UFS 2.1 Storage and dual channel LPDDR4X RAM. It has a 4,000 mAh non user removable lithium-ion battery with 18 W Qualcomm Fast charge 3.0 support. Talking about the camera sensors, the dual rear cameras have a 12 MP, 6-piece lens, f/1.75 aperture equipped sensor and a 20 MP, 6-piece lens, f/1.75 aperture equipped sensor with dual-LED flash. The front camera uses a 20 MP, 5-piece lens, f/2.2 aperture equipped sensor. The rear cameras can capture 2160p videos @ 30 fps, 1080p videos @30fps, and slow motion 720p videos @120fps whereas the front camera records 1080p videos @ 30fps. The smartphone also supports camera features like portrait mode, countdown selfie and Smart Beauty modes.
In terms of connectivity, the Black Shark Helo supports dual NANO-SIM 4G VoLTE, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. For charging and data transfer, the smartphone makes use of the built-in Type-C USB port.
Gaming Features
The Black Shark Helo has two liquid cooling pipes to keep the temperatures under check even while playing resource exhausting games. Moreover, it has a dedicated SHARK button on the left side which when slid up closes all the background apps and puts the smartphone in to SHARKSPACE mode for gaming. The Black Shark 2 has a green and black color scheming, both in terms of physical looks or the custom-UI. Pressing the power and volume up button simultaneously starts screen recording which can be uploaded or streamed on websites like YouTube or Twitch.
For aesthetics, the Black Shark Helo makes use of RGB lights which are present in the rear Shark logo and LED strips that are integrated in to the side bezels. The RGB lights are a in high demand within the gaming community and users will surely appreciate the cool look on the smartphone. The company has also showcased a lot of gaming accesories for the Black Shark Helo like the Bluetooth Gaming Earphones and removable Bluetooth Gaming Controller.
As the name suggests, the Gaming controllers use Bluetooth technology to connect with the smartphone and they have an inbuilt battery which is a plus point for gamers as it wont quickly drain the Black Shark Helo’s built in battery.
Box Contents
Beside the Black Shark Helo itself, the box comes bundled with a glass screen protector, hard plastic case, USB Type-C to 3.5 mm adapter, Type-C charging cable and the 18 W fast charger along with some quick start guides.
The Black Shark Helo in Extreme Night Black color is available for pre-order in China right now but the reservations are only open till 10 AM on October 30 for the first batch of devices. Notably, the top of the line 10 GB RAM/256 ROM variant is not yet listed for sale. The price of available variants is as follows:
