Mobile Ada ._._._._.

Intex launches FitRist With OLED Display Smartband For Rs 999._._._._.

2016-02-14T09:43:00.001+05:30

Intex has launched FitRist, the company’s first fitness smart band, few months after launching its iRist Smartwatch. The FitRist tracker has a 0.86-inch OLED display, uses Bluetooth to pair with Android or iPhone, lets you track steps, distance traveled, calories burnt and monitor quality of sleep. It also offers notifications for incoming calls (Phone number will be displayed and band will vibrate) with, control music and use it as a remote shutter for the phone’s camera.

Intex says that the FitRist has a long lasting battery, which can last up to 12 days. It is water-resistant and splash proof to prevent it from accidental spills and even rain.

Intex FitRist specifications:

0.86-inch (96×32 pixels) OLED display
Compatible with Android 4.3 or Above & iOS 7 or Above
Bluetooth 4.0
up to 12 days of battery life
Weight: 21 grams
Sensors: 3-axis accelerometer
Water-Resistant and Splash Proof

The Intex FitRist comes in Dark Blue and White colors and is priced at Rs. 999. It is exclusively available on Snapdeal.

Xiaomi Mi 5 Pops Up On AnTuTu, Scores A Mind Blowing 73075 Points ._._._._.

2015-08-18T17:06:00.002+05:30

Xiaomi is expected to release its new flagship, the Xiaomi Mi 5 sometime later this year. According to the recent speculations, the device is expected to come with the new high-end chipset from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 820. It was even said that the launch was delayed because Xiaomi wanted to use the new Snapdragon chip. Now, we may have some idea about the performance of the device, thanks to a leaked AnTuTu benchmark screenshot.

The leaked image shows that the Xiaomi Mi 5 scored a mind blowing 73075 points. That’s even better than the Samsung Exynos 7420 that currently powers flagships like Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and Galaxy Note 5. Given that Snapdragon 820 is expected to power the Mi 5, the performance that we saw on AnTuTu could very well be of the next Qualcomm chip. We expected Snapdragon 820 to perform well as recent rumors have said that the chip will most likely feature four custom Kyro cores clocked at 3.0GHz.

Another likely chip inside the Mi 5 is the Helio X20 with 10 cores. The chip managed to score above 70K on AnTuTu back in April, so this Mi 5 in the leaked screenshot could be powered by the MTK Helio X20 as well. But, that’s just a guess, because almost every recent leak has tipped Snapdragon 820 inside the Xiaomi Mi 5.

As for the specs, the flagship is expected to come with a 5.2-inch 2K display, 4GB of RAM and a 16MP OIS camera. The launch could be around November this year. Pricing is expected to be under $400.

So, which chip would you like to see inside the Xiaomi Mi 5? Snapdragon 820 or Helio x20?

ZUK Demo A Transparent Bezelless Smartphone Concept ._._._._.

2015-08-18T16:46:00.001+05:30

ZUK recently launched its first ever smartphone in China and during the event had an innovative transparent phone prototype on display.

The ZUK Z1 lauched earlier this week with 5.5-inch FHD display, USB Type C, Snapdragon 801, 3GB RAM and low asking price of only 1799 Yuan. The launch on the 11th was all about the ZUK Z1, but during the show fans and media were allowed to glimpse the future of smartphone design.

A bezeless ZUK smartphone model with transparent body was shown at an “experience” booth at the launch event filling us with hope of some very cool and interesting phones from the Lenovo sub brand in the future.

Obviously the prototype on display is nothing more than a display with all the electronics, power supply and other necessary hardware hidden in the large box beneath, but it is an exciting concept non the less, and proof that ZUK aim to be in the market for the long run.

I will be heading to Shenzhen at the end of this month to take part in the ZUK Z1 international launch. Keep posted for my hands on and first impressions of the new flagship and more ZUK news.

[ Weibo ]

ZUK Z1 Specifications Revealed, 4100mAh Battery, Snapdragon 801, $284 ._._._._.

2015-08-18T16:45:00.001+05:30

Over in China the ZUK Z1 launch is going to start in just 30 minutes, but already the final specifications and pricing details have leaked on to Weibo. Here is what we know.

ZUK is Lenovo’s internet sub-brand. The company has been set up to be Lenovo’s OnePlus and will exclusively sell it’s flagship ZUK Z1 online in China with plans to release the phone to the international market too.

Today is the day of the Chinese launch that will officially begin in 30 minutes, but someone at ZUK has already let the official specs, press images and even pricing leak on to Weibo a little too early!

What we know from the (very detailed leaks) is the ZUK Z1 will be powered by a Snspadrgon 801 processor! This is music to my ears, yet it might be last years processor, but it is also an SoC developers are familiar with and are able to get to run smoothly and steadily.

The official specs go on to reveal that the SoC inside the ZUK Z1 will run at 2.5Ghz with the aid of 3GB RAM. and up to 64GB internal storage.

As promised the Z1 has a larger than 4000mAh battery, which has been reported as being 4100mAh. That’s a large battery and ZUK claim that it is good for 120hours of standby time, or 48 hours of 4G LTE usage. Charging is via a USB Type C 2.0 plug.

Also at the bottom end of the phone is the uTouch fingerprint scanner and home button which looks a lot like the same sort of fingerprint scanner as found on the OnePlus 2, but with the added benefit of gesture based navigation thrown in.

The display on the ZUK Z1 is a FHD 1920 x 1080 5.5-inch panel that takes up the rest of the front of the phone. Construction of the flagship handset appears to be similar to the Vivo X5 Pro with glass front and rear and an alloy chassis giving the phone strength and keeping it lightweight. The chassis also contains a SIM tray for dual SIM cards, but it does not look like we are getting an SD card reader on the phone.

Moving on to the cameras, ZUK have gone for a Sony IMX214 13 mega-pixel rear camera with OIS, while the front is a 8 mega-pixel. The rear camera is an F2.2 5 lens set up which isn’t quite as good as what the OP2 packs, at least on paper.

There were rumours that the ZUK Z1 would run CyanogenMod out of the box, there is still a chance that this will be true with the international model, but the Chinese version of the phone runs ZUI.

As for pricing well how does 1799 Yuan sound for this 64GB flagship? We hope to have some real photos of the phone soon , and plan to attend the international launch later this month.

[ Weibo ]

Xiaomi Has No Plans To Launch The Redmi Note 2 In India ._._._._.

2015-08-18T16:35:00.000+05:30

It would be unfair to say that the new Redmi Note 2 is as much a revolution (on paper) as the first generation Xiaomi Hongmi. However, it seems like ‘Xiaomi’s second home’ won’t be getting the phone… at least not anytime soon.

There’s a school of thought that this is because of the Ericsson patents that have troubled the MediaTek-Xiaomi duo in India.

Xiaomi just completed one year in India, and risking its image is something the company can ill-afford, even if that means not bring a phone that’s supposedly going to be a hot seller.

“We are continuously evaluating new products that can be launched in India. But, as of now we do not have plans to launch Redmi Note 2 in India”

Speaking to BGR India, a Xiaomi spokesperson revealed “We are continuously evaluating new products that can be launched in India. But, as of now we do not have plans to launch Redmi Note 2 in India.”

This also puts to rest the speculations that we had of Xiaomi pulling off a surprise Redmi Note 2 launch at the August 19th event scheduled for the international MIUI 7 launch.

More Redmi Note 2: Hands on photos

If you’re in India, you’ll probably have to wait a while to get your hands on the Redmi Note 2. Or you could import from a Chinese reseller, but that would involve a markup of about ~30% that you’ll have to suffer.

OnePlus 2 Camera Samples ._._._._.

2015-08-18T16:30:00.000+05:30

Since receiving the OnePlus 2 a few days ago I have been using the device daily and captured a fair few photos to share with you. Let’s see just how good the 13 mega-pixel OnePlus 2 camera really is.

Looking and the specs alone the rear camera of the OnePlus 2 isn’t the most impressive we have seen. In fact with just a 13 mega-pixel sensor and F2.0 aperture some of you waiting for the OP2 to arrive were actually quite disappointed with those specs.

If you look more closely though you will learn that the OV 13 mega-pixel sensor is one of the best out there, the camera has a 6 lens stack, there is a fast laser auto focus that is even accurate in low light and of course OIS to keep the shakes out of you photos.

As a complete package the OnePlus 2 camera starts to sound much better, but how does it actually perform?

When I first received the OP2 it was running the Chinese Hydrogen ROM. It’s a pretty ROM but it’s not as well optimised as Oxygen OS. After switching to the international ROM I’ve seen a real improvement in performance and also in the speed of the camera.

In normal mode, or full auto, photos are captured and saved almost instantly. Using HDR or Clear Image though and images take a few seconds to save to the internal memory. This is the same for most phones, but it is slower than the LeTV Le 1 or Xiaomi Mi Note. The good news is that the image quality is very good.

The photos above were taken in auto, HDR and Clear Image (from left to right). Other than showing just how dirty my keyboard is you can’t really make out much difference in the photos. HDR is a little brighter with more glow and Clear Motion adds more detail, but in this artificial light all images look pretty good.

OnePlus 2 camera samples daylight

Take the OnePlus 2 outdoors and you can grab some really lovely looking images. The photos above were taken in bright sunny conditions with nice blue skies.

OnePlus 2 camera samples night

Even when the light dies away and the night draws in the photos on the OnePlus 2 continue to impress.

I’m also really enjoying the laser focus of the OnePlus 2. In good bright conditions you can pretty much trust the camera to get in focus and be ready to take a photo as soon as the camera app launches. It is that fast. Of course you can still choose to touch to focus when needed, and found that during night shoots this manual option proved a little more accurate than the laser.

OnePlus 2 Camera so far

When I reviewed the OnePlus One I was very disappointed with the camera, and its poor performance was one of the reasons I ended up getting rid of it, but the OnePlus 2 camera is a whole different story. At this point I am not sure if I prefer the OP2 camera or one of the excellent cameras on the LeTV or Xiaomi Mi Note, but having used them all I can say I would be more than happy using any and be confident that I would be getting splendid results with each press of the shutter.

With the excellent camera and the smooth operating Oxygen OS I really am quite impressed with the OnePlus 2 so far.

Kirin 950 Reaches The Top Of Geekbench, And Has Its Specs Confirmed ._._._._.

2015-08-18T16:23:00.000+05:30

Since last year Huawei has shown great potential in producing their own chipsets to run on theirdevices. The Huawei P8 and P8 Lite are good examples both running the Kirin 935. Despite the satisfactory performance, this still isn’t the best that Huawei has to offer, coming in both Kirin 940 and 950.

Since the first reports about the new Kirin 950, weall created good expectations that this would be the first chipset from Huawei to compete, if not surpassthe best that we have in the market today. The chipthat would give power to the Huawei Ascend Mate 8 and the possible Honor 7 Plus does not have a dateto reach the market and in a optimistic view, until the end of this year. The Kirin 940 is expected to come in the next month in the Huawei Ascend Mate 7s and while the 950 don’t show up we can now check some details about it.

The Kirin 950 is an octa-core CPU made in the 16nm FinFET process that counts with a cluster of 4x Cortex-A72 up to 2.4GHz and another cluster of 4x Cortex-A53, besides the Mali-T860 GPU for graphic processing and the support the fast LPDDR4 RAM technology.The Kirin 950 gets a punctuation of 6.000 points in the Multi-Core Geekbench 3 Test, 20% more than the current unbeatable Exynos 7420. The 950 also did well in the single-core test reaching 1.900 points which is 30% better than performed by Exynos 7420.

We expect the Kirin 950 to debut inside the Huawei Ascend Mate 8, previously expected for September but due to the chipset delay, it would be launched early in the next year. However, talking about the Kirin 940 we expect the upcoming Mate 7S to do impressively well with it.

More details about the Kirin 940 and 950 should come with the time, and with the IFA date in the corner that shouldn’t take a long time, only by then we can confirm if the info is totally accurate or a bit of overstatement. More details we will cover, for now leave your thoughts about the Huawei’s newest SoCs, can they do well with the competition?

[ Source ]

800,000 Redmi Note 2’s Sold In 12 Hours, Says Xiaomi ._._._._.

2015-08-18T16:15:00.001+05:30

Xiaomi loves numbers. That is no surprise considering the ‘impressive’ sales figures that the young phonemaker manages to secure.

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that it is Xiaomi that got flash sales in fashion. Almost every other smartphone company, especially Chinese, is now having flash sales.

Xiaomi’s newest budget bomb is the Redmi Note 2. The smartphone is priced at a starting price of US$125 (799 Yuan) in China. Very few phones make a lasting impression right from the time you see the specs sheet of those, and the Redmi Note 2 is one of them.

The Helio X10 powered phone boasts enough tech to rival the likes of the Meizu MX5, and even the HTC One M9+ up to some extent.

According to Xiaomi, the company received a whopping 800,000 orders for the phone in a matter of just 12 hours. And when you realize that the Redmi Note 2 is yet to go on sale in any market outside China, the number looks even bigger.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 2: Specifications & Photos

Xiaomi have an international MIUI 7 launch scheduled for later this week, where we’ll be reporting on ground from. Keep an eye for more Redmi Note 2 news, you never know what Xiaomi will be up to!

Mi Wi-Fi Nano: Specifications, Features & Price ._._._._.

2015-08-13T14:51:00.002+05:30

Today another super gadget joined our Mi Wi-Fi Family--Mi Wi-Fi nano on Mi New Product Launch Event! It's not exaggerated at all to call it "super mini baby". Now Let's learn more features and specs of this new gadget and see how cool it is!

Mi Wi-Fi nano

Mi Wi-Fi nano, more mini than mini!

It's stronger and stable signals compared to other mainstream routers, 100% increase in singal strength, up to 150m² coverage

External PCB antenna, it is super compact, high precision, anti-interference

Powerful connections! It can work for 30 hours when plugged to a 10000 mAh Mi Power Bank

Finally, let's unveil the price of Mi Wi-Fi nano, followed by price comparison of Mi Wi-Fi nano, Mi Wi-Fi mini, Mi Wi-Fi

It's priced at 79 RMB(about 12.3 usd) and will be available on Aug 16, 2015

What Do You Think Of Mi Wi-Fi nano?

Redmi Note 2/Prime: Specifications, Price, Hands-On Pictures ._._._._.

2015-08-13T14:18:00.001+05:30

Mi has just launched another new device - Redmi Note 2 on its new product launch event. Are you excited? Let's take a closer look at its specifications.

Redmi Note 2 is powered by MTK Flagship Helio X10 processor, has 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB flash storage, a large 3060mAh removable battery. It supports both TDD and FDD 4G dual-SIM. And most impotantly, it comes with MIUI 7!

152mm x 76mm x 8.25mm,160g

MTK Helio X10 Flagship Processor, Octa-core 64-bit, A53 architecture CPU

2GB RAM,16GB/ 32GB Memory

4G Dual SIM

3060 mAh Removable Battery, Quick Charge 2.0

5.5 " full HD, 1920x1080 Resolution

13MP Samsung/ OV PDAF Autofocus Rear Camera, 5MP Front Camera

MIUI 7 based on Android 5.0

RMB 799/ RMB 899 (≈ USD124- 140) for Redmi Note 2; RMB 999(≈ USD 156) for Redmi Note Prime (32GB Flash)

Size wise, Redmi Note 2 measures as 152mm X 76mm X 8.25mm. It weighs only 160g. I know you guys care about its display also, now here it is: 5.5'' full HD display, with a 1920 X 1080 resolution. Redmi Note 2 is also here to protect the eyesight of those who like to play with their phones late at night. Its minimum screen brightness reduced 10x, and can produce a luminance as low as 0.5 cd/m². You don't need to stress your eyes so much reading in the dark anymore.

About its camera, Redmi Note 2/Prime has a 13MP Samsung/OV back camera, which offers the Phase Detection Autofocus function, 0.1s focus speed, and a 5-element lens with f/2.2 aperture. Its 5MP front camera is made by OmniVision, and has the awesome automatic beautify function as well.

This awesome phone can also be used as an infrared remote for your TV and air conditioner.

So for a device with the whole package, how is it priced? The 16GB version supporting TDD-LTE + TD-SCDMA is priced at RMB 799 (approx. USD125). The 16GB version supporting TDD-LTE + FDD-LTE is priced at RMB 899 (approx. USD140). Redmi Note 2 Prime version with 32GB storage and supports TDD-LTE + FDD-LTE will sell at RMB 999 (approx. USD156).

Now let's check out some beautiful hands-on pictures of this new device.

So, this is the brand new Redmi Note 2. What do you think? Does it meet your expection?

Source

MIUI 7 Launch Premiere in New Delhi On Aug.19: Apply Here ._._._._.

2015-08-13T12:42:00.002+05:30

Dear Indian Mi Fans,

MIUI 7 is here!!! Come and join Hugo Barra in New Delhi as he walks through the awesome things we’ve been working on. We will also be announcing some new features specifically for global MIUI fans!

Do you want to see Hugo talk about MIUI 7 in person? Apply here and we’ll be in touch with all of the details. There might even be a surprise for the lucky Mi Fans who attend :)

Some users might be confused about the MIUI 7 launch schedules. For your information, MIUI 7 China ROM will be introduced in China on August 13, and MIUI 7 Global ROM with tailored features for global fans will be unveiled on August 19 in India.

Apply Here

Details:
Event: MIUI 7 Launch Premiere in New Delhi
Time: 2.30pm IST 19th August
Venue: The Lalit, New Delhi
Details Required: Name, Address, State, Contact Number, Email

We are selecting hard-core MIUI fans to attend the premiere with a FREE ENTRANCE TICKET for each!

Please read through the thread carefully before applying. Thanks!
How to apply:
1. Click "Apply" button in the thread. Do use your computer to apply instead of mobile.
2. Fill in ALL the information needed, including
1) Real name
2) Mailing address with Pin Code, City, State
3) Email address. We will send the invites to you via email. Please make sure your email address is valid
4) Mobile, with which we can call you for attendance confirmation
5) The reason why you want to attend the launch in the comment box

Tips to win the TICKET
1. Tell us why you want to attend the event in New Delhi
2. The more creative and persuasive your post is, the bigger chance you will win the ticket. We will select the winners on a daily basis.

Who gets lucky?
1. The full namelist of ticket winners will be announced on 15th August.
2. Xiaomi will call you to confirm the attendance, and send the invitation letter to your email address you left with us in the application.

Notes:
1. Make sure you are available on August 19 for the premiere.
2. Every fan across the globe can apply. But you have to cover the accommodations yourselves.
3. Please note that we will hand over the chances to other MIUI fans if some required information is missing in your application. Make sure the info you fill in is as ACCURATE as possible.

Zeaplus Watch S2 ._._._._.

2015-08-12T17:12:00.000+05:30

Zeaplus has been upping its game in the past few months. We have seen a number of affordable smartphone releases from the company, like the flagship Zeaplus M7. The company has three wearables in its portfolio as well, including a smart band, the Zeaplus Band. Now, its all set to add one more smartwatch, the new Zeaplus Watch S2.

This is one of the most traditional looking smartwatches that you can purchase in the market right now. When we say traditional, we mean, it looks like any other regular analog watch. So, people who don’t like the boring square design on smartwatches, can check out this round offering from the company.

Zeaplus has made the device quite solid, with an all metal body and thick bezels which makes it look quite rugged. You get a crown (which is the camera) as well as a button besides it, along with all other features that you would expect from a smartwatch. What’s more, the watch comes with a metal band, instead of the traditional leather ones found on most smartwatches.

Under the hood, the watch features MTK6260 processor for wearables along with 32MB RAM and 128MB storage. The camera is of 1.3MP, but don’t expect high quality pictures from this low level sensor. The front features a 42mm 240 x 240 pixel resolution touch screen display. The watch is IP67 certified, which means its water and dust resistant. Finally, there’s a 350mAh battery on board which is reportedly good enough to last about 70 hours.

Using the watch was pretty easy, thanks to a simple OS that’s running inside. You have plenty of pre-installed watch faces, most of them quite good looking. You can change the face with a single tap on the screen. A swipe to the left brings you to the menu, which includes a lot of different features such as pedometer, remote notifications, bluetooth settings, device settings, sleep monitor, remote camera etc.

What’s more, when connected to a smartphone, the Zeaplus Watch S2 can make calls as well as sync your text messages directly into the watch. You also get a heart rate monitor, which is once again a nice addition.

The original price tag of the Zeaplus Watch S2 is $80, but for the month of July, the company is offering it for just $49.99. This is a pretty good price for the features and the device you get, so make sure you check out the company website for more details.

Buy Zeaplus Watch S2

FULL SPECS:

Model	Zeaplus Watch S2
Color	Steel (Silver/Gray)
Dimensions	42mm
Weight	90g
Connection	Bluetooth 4.0, compatible with Android & iOS
CPU	MediaTek MTK6260
Screen	42mm, TFT capacitive touch screen, 240x240pixel
Camera	1.3-megapixel
RAM	32MB
Storage	128MB
Pedometer	Caroles calculation, Steps counter
Sleep Monitor	Supported
Heart Rate	Supported
Standby Time	350mAh, approx 70 hours
Waterproof	IP67 class, dust and water resistant
Anti-loss	Supported
Music Playback	Sync with smartphone
Notifications	Calls, Messages,
Clock Face	4 options
Language	English, Deutsch, Italiano, Español, Português, Русский, French and more …

Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Gets Hands On Treatment, Specs & Price Revealed ._._._._.

2015-08-12T16:51:00.000+05:30

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 2 will most likely debut tomorrow alongside the MIUI 7 launch. We have been hearing a lot about this new phablet since the past couple of weeks and today, we finally have the real images of the handset in action.

Apparently, a weibo user got hold of the upcoming Redmi Note 2 and released some hands on images of the device. We can clearly see the resemblance to the current Redmi Note generation with a few minor changes. These include a round camera unit, instead of square, placement of the speakers at the center instead of the bottom left corner and an additional sensor at the top (IR?), besides the microphone.

The leak also revealed the specs of the new handset, which once again confirms the presence of Helio X10 inside. So, you have an octa-core MT6795 64-bit chip clocked at 2GHz with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The user revealed that there will be a high-end version too with 3GB of RAM. There will be a 5.5-inch 1080p display, with 13MP + 5MP cameras and Android 5.0.2 Lollipop version with MIUI 6.6 on top. The user also revealed that the price should be in three digits (Yuan), which if true, means that the phone will retail for less than $156.

The overall package looks promising. Since the launch is tomorrow, we don’t have to wait too long to get official details about the Redmi Note 2 phablet.

Xiaomi Will Launch MIUI 7 On August 13 ._._._._.

2015-08-12T16:47:00.000+05:30

It looks like Xiaomi smartphone users will be able to see the company’s new operating system soon as the Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s CEO, has confirmed the launch of MIUI 7 on August 13.

Lei Jun, on his Weibo page, confirmed that the latest major update to Xiaomi’s Android-based operating system will be officially unveiled during the company’s scheduled conference on August 13. He also mentioned that the new operating system will be quickly adapted to Xiaomi Mi and Redmi smartphones very soon after MIUI 7’s launch.

The Xiaomi devices that are expected to get MIUI 7 include the Mi Note, the Mi 4, Mi 3, Mi 2S, the Redmi 2, Redmi 2A, Redmi Note, and older Mi and Redmi models. It’s probably safe to assume that the new OS will be adapted first to the company’s latest smartphones such as the Mi Note, Mi 4, Redmi 2, and the Redmi Note.

As for the operating systems new features, not much is known yet but since it will be a major version update a lot of new features and fixes are expected. We’ll have to wait for August 13 to fully see what Xiaomi’s MIUI 7 has in store for its users.

Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime Will Be Manufactured 100% in India ._._._._.

2015-08-11T13:21:00.008+05:30

As part of the #MakeInIndia initiative by the Indian government, Xiaomi will be manufacturing its Redmi 2 Prime (aka Redmi 2 with 2GB RAM) wholly in India.

The Make In India initiative is to encourage manufacture in India. The government will in turn offer incentives to such manufacturers. Manu Kumar Jain, India head for Xiaomi, revealed that the Redmi 2 Prime has actually been in manufacture since a few weeks.

The Redmi 2 Prime is priced at 6,999 INR (US$109) in the country. It comes with a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720p display, a quad-core Snapdragon 410 SoC and has 2GB of RAM… which is the differentiating factor between this and the ‘regular’ Redmi 2.

Xiaomi Mi Piston 3 Headphone Review ._._._._.

2015-08-06T16:10:00.000+05:30

Xiaomi’s version 3 of the piston range sees a complete redesign, higher weight and much more comfortable feel. Learn more in our ears on review.

Xiaomi have been making earphones for a few years now. They started with the all alloy Piston 1 then Piston 2 leading up to the new Piston 3 with an all new design.

Xiaomi Piston 3 Review: Design

At the ear end of things the Xiaomi Piston 3 are completely different in looks to the previous generation earphone, start at the other end though and we find some familiar features.

The 3.5mm headphone jack is all metal with a knurled machined finish on the headphone jack cover for better grip, and the plug itself is a 3.5mm gold plated model.

Leading from the plug are the wires to the remote and earphones. The wires get a Kevlar housing which is strong, flexible and is more tangle resistant than a regular plastic cover. My previous ver 1.0 Pistons suffered from broken wires under the Kevlar, these new versions have last a few months of poor maintenance without issue.

Around 3/4 along the cable the wire splits to two rubber coated wires that ultimately lead to the left and right earphone.

Further up on the right side we have a simple remote with 3 buttons for starting, stopping and skipping songs. The plastic bodied remote has the same knurled finish as the headphone jack and there is also a microphone built-in for hands free calling.

The earphones themselves are quite the departure from the original Pistons. They still feature an alloy rear, but are much more compact than the older CNC models. The Piston 3.0 are also much lighter and sit in place more securely than the older versions too.

Like most earphones the Piston 3.0 have a silicone tip, and a couple of different sizes are included in the package so you can get a nice comfortable feel.

Xiaomi Piston 3.0 review – Sound

Compared to the previous Piston, the Xiaomi Piston 3 are a more balanced earphone. They aren’t as bass happy as the originals, but they do handle mids and lows better than the previous generation.

Being a fan of Drum and Bass I thought the slightly subdued Bass might turn me off, but overall the sound quality, and clarity has been well beyond what I expected.

I do feel that the new compact design of the Piston 3 has taken a bit of the edge off the overall sound when compared to the Piston 2, but the trade-off is a better fitting and more comfortable earphone that I cast use while cycling and jogging.

I tested the earphones on the Xiaomi Mi Note and LeTV Le1 and was really stunned by the audio quality, but even on lower end models (Ulefone BeTouch) the audio is darn good too.

Another drawback of the new Piston 3.0 design is sound leakage. Previous Piston earphones never resulted in my wife hitting me over the head with a pillow and asking if I wanted to go deaf. Explaining that earphones with better sound isolation would cost hundreds of $s more than the Xiaomi Piston 3.0 soon put an end to that though.

Xiaomi Piston 3.0 review – Conclusion

The Xiaomi Piston 3 are a much better looking, and better fitting earphone than the previous generation Piston 2 and they retain their low price. While the older earphone might offer slightly richer sound, they are also more bulky and aren’t as secure when using in active situations, such as jogging and cycling.

Although bass is a little more subdued in the Piston 3.0 the overall audio quality cannot be denied. Overall a great looking and well-balanced earphone from Xiaomi at a wonderful price.

Design - 9/10

9/10
Comfort - 10/10

10/10
Performance - 9/10

9/10
Value for money - 10/10

10/10

9.5/10

Rumor: Xiaomi To Release MIUI 7 On August 16 ._._._._.

2015-07-24T11:24:00.002+05:30

Back in February, we reported that Xiaomi’s ROM, MIUI had crossed 100 million users worldwide. That number will have increased significantly in the past 6 months for sure. Despite its tremendous popularity, the company is yet to announce the new version of MIUI 7 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. However, it looks like the release date is coming near as new rumors state that Xiaomi is all set to announce MIUI 7 on August 16.

According to the leakster called Leaksfly, Xiaomi will announce the new MIUI 7 version on August 16. If you have been following Xiaomi for the past few years, you would know that the date is special. Almost every year on August 16, the company keeps a big conference with new discounts and promotions. It also happens to be the date when the company announces its new MIUI version annually. For example, the company released MIUI v6 last year on the same date. So, it makes sense for the company to continue with the tradition and release the new OS.

Most of Xiaomi’s smartphones are expected to be upgraded to the new OS. So, phones like Mi3, Mi4, Mi4i, Xiaomi Mi Note series and Redmi Note 4G could be upgraded to this Android 5.1 powered version after the release.

Unfortunately, the company is yet to confirm this news. So, stay tuned for more details.

Xiaomi Mi Note Arrives In Malaysia, Available For Sale On July 28, 2015 For RM 1,549 (or $409 USD) ._._._._.

2015-07-24T11:17:00.001+05:30

If you’re a Malaysian customer who’s been patiently awaiting a phablet from your favorite manufacturer, your wait is over.

Xiaomi is bringing its Mi Note to Malaysia. The Mi Note features a 5.7-inch, Full HD display (1920 x 1080p screen resolution; 386ppi), 2.5Ghz, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage (non-expandable), dual-SIM support, 4G LTE, Qualcomm’s Quick 2.0 charging support, 4MP front camera, 13MP back camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), Hi-Fi audio (24-bit/192Khz), and a 3,000mAh battery.

The Mi Note has a processor that’s somewhat outdated at this point (the Snapdragon 801 is found in early 2014 devices and was upended by the Snapdragon 805 that arrived at the end of last year), and the 5.7-inch display is on par with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and 4. The device’s OIS tech, however, is on par with the newest photography and videography standard in the current high-end tech market, alongside of the 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The 3,000mAh battery should be standard for devices of this behemoth size (we’re glad to see it here), and the Hi-Fi audio should provide a stellar listening experience for those who are discontented with most audio experiences on the market at the moment.

This device, of course, doesn’t pack the same punch as Xiaomi’s Mi Note Pro, which features a Quad HD screen and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, among other top features, but Mi Note customers can look on the bright side: whatever it does or doesn’t have, it won’t overheat like the Snapdragon 810 that’s present inside the Note Pro.

The Mi Note will be available for sale in Malaysia on July 28, 2015 for RM 1,549 (or $409 USD).

Xiaomi has finally launched its Mi Note in Malaysia, which is their premium offering with a larger screen. At 5.7 inches, this goes against the likes of the iPhone 6 Plus and the Galaxy Note 4.

The Mi Note will go on sale on 28th July 2015 with the retail price of RM 1,549 and it will be offered on contract from our telcos a bit later. At the moment, we are just getting the standard Mi Note and not their top of the line Mi Note Pro that comes with a Quad HD display, Snapdragon 810 processor and 4GB of LP-DDR4 RAM.

To recap on the specs, the Mi Note in its standard form gets a 5.7″ Full HD display that pushes a pixel density of 386ppi and it runs on a 2.5GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB of RAM. For the Malaysian market we are getting 64GB of internal storage which is non expandable. Like its new flagships, the Mi Note gets dual-SIM (micro-SIM + nano-SIM) support with 4G LTE connectivity. As usual, it is offered only in White colour for now.

For imaging, it gets a 13MP main camera with Optical Image Stabilisation, while the front gets a 4MP camera with larger pixels, similar to HTC’s Ultrapixel shooter. Sound on the other hand, will fully support lossless 24bit/192 KHz audio, the first from Xiaomi. Keeping the lights on is a 3,000mAh capacity battery that supports Quick Charge 2.0. Overall it weighs 161 grams with a thickness of 6.95mm, which is both thinner and lighter than the iPhone 6 Plus despite having a larger screen and battery.

To get to know the Mi Note better, you can check out our first impressions and you can watch our hands-on video below:

Mi Note Hands-on Video

Mi Note Hands-on Photos

Source

Mi Headphones Launch Sale Starts ._._._._.

2015-07-23T10:11:00.000+05:30

Buy Here

Xiaomi Mi TV 2S Announced : 48 Inches 4K, Android Lollipop For 2,999 Yuan

2015-07-20T14:34:00.001+05:30

Mi TV 2S Highlights:
48" 4K display
9.9mm thick aluminium frame
Newly-designed power plug
MStar 6A928 CPU
5 colors avalaible
RMB 2,999 (approx. $483) alone and RMB 3,999(approx.$645) for theatre edition.
Available from July 22

Xiaomi has finally unveiled the mystery product we’d all been waiting for. While recent photos pointed to a TV set, Xiaomi gave nothing away until the big announcement.

The Mi TV 2S builds on the 40 and 55-inch models offered by Xiaomi in the Mi TV 2, but finds a sweet display size between the two Mi TV 2 models (48 inches). The 48-inch Mi TV 2S, however, matches the 40-inch and 55-inch Mi TV 2 models in terms of similar specs: 4K video playback at 60fps, a quad-core Cortex A17 CPU, Mali T760MP4 GPU, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 8GB of internal storage, HDMI 2.0a (an update to the Mi TV 2’s HDMI 2.0), USB 3.0, and doing so by way of an MStar 6A928 SoC (the same as last year’s Mi TV 2 models).

There are differences between last year’s Mi TVs and this year’s Mi TV 2S. Xiaomi decided to make its Mi TV 2S thinner than last year’s Mi TV 2 models, and updated the Mi TV 2S to Android 5.0 Lollipop. The company also provides a 4K display with this model, as opposed to the Full HD (1920 x 1080p) screen resolution of the 1,986 yuan, 40-inch Mi TV 2 and the 55-inch TV with a 4K resolution that was priced around 4,997 yuan. The new Mi TV 2S will cost around 2,999 yuan. And, last but not least, you can get the Mi TV 2S in a variety of colors: gold, green, blue, and pink. Xiaomi boasts that its new Mi TV 2S model has better screen resolution and quality than even Samsung displays, and the company’s 9.9mm thin profile that has been showing up in pictures with the letter “PK” can now be displayed proudly.

The Mi TV 2S is designed with the younger generations in mind, and will go on sale in China. Xiaomi says it’s working with PPTV, Youku, BesTV, and other content providers to give good deals to Mi TV 2S buyers who would love nothing more than to see excellent content that capitalizes on their 4K viewing experience.

Source

Xiaomi Announces The Mi Water Purifier ._._._._.

2015-07-20T14:29:00.000+05:30

After announcing the updated Mi TV 2S — a TV that’s likely more powerful than your smartphone if you haven’t bought one this year — Xiaomi have announced their latest smart home product.

The device is known as the Mi Water Purifier, and it is used to convert tap water into consumable drinking water. The Mi Water Purifier uses the Reverse Osmosis (RO) process, and “is super compact, shows real-time water quality, and reminds you on your smartphone when it’s time to replace the filter” according to Xiaomi.

The device is priced at 1299 Yuan, and looks like its going to be China-only for now (although Hugo Barra says he wants to get it to India ‘soon’). The Water Purifier extends Xiaomi’s range of smart home products which includes the recently announced Smart Scale, Smart Sockets and more.

The device will also pair with your smartphone and feed realtime data about the water purity. Take a look at the images below to get a better idea about the Mi Water Purifier.

Huawei Nexus Confirmed Along With Huawei-Google Partnership ._._._._.

2015-07-13T12:20:00.000+05:30

We’ve heard at least two claims about a potential Huawei-Google lineup for the next Nexus, and another report this morning coming from The Information confirms the same. A Huawei-Google partnership will prove to be beneficial for both companies.

Huawei has had a rough time putting a dent into US sales, particularly because of hostile relations between China and the US. At one point, Huawei was forced to respond to claims that its phones were being used as tools to spy on American citizens. Even when Apple launched the iPhone on China Mobile, the Chinese government ruled that the iPhone was risky on security because of the American National Security Agency’s spying efforts. Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden testified that the NSA is worse than many intelligence agencies worldwide, and he still contends to this day that certain cloud services in the US are tools of the government’s “prying eyes.”

Google is thrown in the mix, too. While Snowden has more than spoken his mind on the problems with the NSA (for whom he once worked), more Americans distrust Google than the NSA, according to various surveys, which makes the Nexus a no-go for many Americans. While Americans often choose between Samsung and Apple as their favorite manufacturers, Google could have some success in China that it may never have in the US – which makes this partnership well-timed.

If Huawei does produce the next Nexus, it’ll be the first time in Nexus history that a Chinese manufacturer has ever made the “pure Android” smartphone. Adding to the excitement is the fact that Huawei may not only make Nexus history, but that it would ease the tensions between the US and China on a microcosmic level – that is, Huawei would serve as a way for Google to launch its device in China and calm suspicions about American devices (a success that Apple still hasn’t achieved).

Even now, despite Android developers in China that sell their apps internationally via the Play Store, Google’s Play Store has limited functionality for Chinese users: they cannot download apps from the most used App Store of the three major operating systems. Google’s partnership with Huawei would help the Play Store launch in major fashion in China, which would also be a first. In exchange for Huawei’s help in China, Google would help market Huawei’s Android Wear smartwatch in the US, alongside of the Huawei Nexus. Huawei has high expectations to break through the Samsung-Apple duopoly in America and become a top contender for smartphone users.

As for the Huawei Nexus, Shenzhen Huaqiang Electronics Research Institute analyst Jiutang Pan says that it will feature a 5.7-inch display with a Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440p) screen resolution and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor. As for the design, rumors say that the Huawei Nexus will take its inspiration from the Huawei Ascend Mate 8. The Huawei Nexus will run Android M, Google’s upcoming major Android update, and could feature fingerprint authentication and an SD card slot – since both of these features are now supported in Android M according to Google’s I/O announcement in late May. You can expect this historic Huawei smartphone to arrive on the market this Fall.

Source

What Xiaomi Product Is Coming 16th July? ._._._._.

2015-07-10T17:01:00.002+05:30

Xiaomi just sent out a teaser via their official Weibo earlier today.

The teaser reads ‘P.K.’ and doesn’t say a lot apart from that. Xiaomi are due for a few launches, including the Mi 5, an upgraded Mi Note, the next gen Redmi Note, and perhaps more. This launch could be any of those products, but speculation is that it could be the next-gen Mi TV.

With only 6 days of waiting to do, there isn’t a long time to go before we get to know what this is. Xiaomi’s Mi TV’s have had a great demand — like almost all their products — and a refresh to the Mi TV 2 would be a great addition to the company’s repertoire. On the other hand, a budget low-cost smart TV — think Redmi for TV’s — would be an interesting ploy also.

What do you think will be unveiled this 16th? Let us know in the comments section below!

[Source]

Lenovo K3 Note Review ._._._._.

2015-07-10T14:24:00.000+05:30

8.6/10

To date we at GizChina tested a whole bunch of devices powered by the Mediatek MT6752 SoC. We have seen extremely cheap phones and more expensive phones, some of them have been very good, some mediocre, some crap. Anyway, we thought we’ve seen anything that can be done with this SoC by now – until we tested the Lenovo K3 Note.

It’s outright insane what a good phone Lenovo managed to build there at a price-tag of just $149. It blows away anything MT6752 you have seen to date within the sub $160 range and even some devices priced at much higher levels. You wonder why we didn’t expect that? Well, Lenovo devices never impressed us that much. They either offered a bad price-performance-ratio or the software running on them was buggy and overloaded with bloat ware. Yet with the Lenovo K3 Note it’s all different. So let’s get right into the review for all the details!

Lenovo K3 Note Review: Unboxing, Design & Build

The Lenovo K3 Note arrived with us inside a typical Lenovo phone box. The top of it is brown and the box itself is black. The top can be lifted upwards after which the phone will be unveiled right on top. Below there is a small paper-container in which Lenovo place a quick start guide, warranty card and a coupon code for the Lenovo app store. It’s all in Chinese and thus won’t be of much use for most. Other stuff inside the box is a wall charger and a micro USB data transfer cable.

The phone itself is a “plastic bomb” which we actually do not mean negative at all. Lenovo uses quality polycarbonate, which is fairly solid. The phone can be bent a little but that needs force and won’t do any damage. A pro of the 100% plastic approach is the weight. At only 146g the phone is very light for a 5.5-incher, which we are sure many of you will appreciate.

One part of the device many might have some issues with is the color. The standard option for the Lenovo K3 Note is yellow, which is why it got the codename “lemon”. Actually we agree with you if you say that yellow phones look outright ugly, yet we have to say that we somehow like the color on the K3 Note. It’s not just yellow but actually a yellow that got some orange / golden undertone in it. What’s more, the color always looks different depending on how the light hits it and what the color of the light is. Thus, your device will always look different and even if you usually hate yellow phones you might like this one.

If you are not sure, there’s a white version available as well. Since the color differences only apply to the back covers, you can simply order for example the yellow K3 Note along a white replacement cover and switch in case you don’t like the yellow one. This will by the way replace the hardware buttons as well, since they are part of the cover.

One flaw we have to complain about are the touch buttons below the screen. Those don’t feature back-illumination and also don’t offer a reflective coating. This means that they are completely invisible in the dark, which takes a while to get used to. Besides of that we didn’t find any reason to complain. The build quality is good without any large caps, squeaking parts or sharp edges.

Lenovo K3 Note Review: Screen

The Lenovo comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, which actually is very unusual at this price tag. This feature alone sets the device well apart from most competitors since 720p is the norm at sub $160. Anyway, if you take a look at other reviews you might notice some folks complaining about reduced sharpness and clarity compared to other 1080p displays. Well, we can actually confirm that the screen is a bit less crisp and pixels are more visible than with other 1080p 5.5-inchers. The reason for that is a different pixel structure that Lenovo went for to cut down on cost. But actually complaining about this is a very bold move at this price tag. The screen actually is still better than any 5.5-inch 720p display out there, plus offers superior color reproduction and contrast levels that make it impossible for us to complain about. Along a high brightness with near to perfect adaptive control and a flawlessly working, smooth touch panel that features AGC’s Dragontrail glass, we can only congratulate Lenovo for the choice they made there.

Lenovo K3 Note Review: Hardware

The Lenovo K3 Note boasts a Mediatek MT6752 SoC, which is based on the 64-bit ARM Cortex A53 architecture, offers 8 CPU cores clocked at 1.7GHz and a dual-core Mali T760 GPU. Paired with 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM that reaches a bandwidth of more than 5GB/s in this case and 16GB of comparably fast EMMC memory, the device offers pretty much all the average mid-range customers needs. The performance reached with this set-up is on-par with Snapdragon 801 devices except for the (theoretical) GPU performance as GPU benchmarks like 3DMark confirm.

In case you have some doubts if 2GB of RAM are still enough these days, let us tell you that this indeed is the case. You won’t notice any performance differences between a device running 2GB of RAM and another device running 3GB. The only difference is in the number of apps you can keep opened in the background without seeing force closes. With 2GB you can keep between 10 – 20 apps opened in the background, with 3GB this number can go up to 40 (depending on the memory usage of course). Anyway, majority of people don’t need such a huge amount of background apps and this is why 2GB shouldn’t be any reason for worries.

The internal memory of 16GB isn’t split into several partitions on the Lenovo K3 Note which means that you can use the majority of the phones memory for applications and data. 12GB of memory is what you get available and it can be extended at any time using micro SD cards.

In Benchmarks the Lenovo K3 Note performs extraordinary well for a MT6752 powered 1080p phone thanks to a well-optimized software, fast memory and fast RAM. Lenovo really combined some quality components there, which is very noticeable in performance.

Lenovo K3 Note Review: Software

In the beginning of this review we mentioned that we never liked the software of Lenovo devices, which they call Vibe UI. This ROM used to be extremely annoying by throwing too much information at once at the user, plus being complicated to use and filled with tons of bloatware. Anyway, either Lenovo learned from their mistake or their developers just had a good day, but the Vibe UI version running on the Lenovo K3 Note made us love this custom ROM for the very first time.

The current stable version is based on Android 5.0 Lollipop and a developer version based on Android 5.1 is available as well. We can easily say that Lenovo created the best Android 5.0 ROM we’ve seen running on a MT6752 device to date in terms of optimization. They sorted out all those annoying bugs that bugged us with other Lollipop-running devices and managed to squeeze every last drop of performance out the MT6752. The result is an extremely snappy ROM that runs just as smooth as any high-end phone out there, creating what we call “iPhone-feeling”, since – no matter if you like Apple or not – you can’t deny that those phones offer the smoothest UI experience out there.

But it doesn’t stop there, since the Lenovo K3 Note offers a variety of features that you usually find on devices priced at $300+, but not on a mid-range device. It starts with a huge amount of settings regarding the power management and screen, continues with a detailed rights management for applications and ends with a large variety of gestures and off-screen key-combinations. You even are able to create “smart scenes” which allow you to load specific configurations for your device at a specific time or place (e.g. mute the phone once you arrive at work). Lenovo even allows you to move ANY application to the external SD card, which actually isn’t supported by about 90% of Lollipop devices. They really did any amazingly good job there, and the software alone is worth every single buck you pay for this phablet.

Regarding bugs and flaws we can say that we haven’t been able to find too many of them. The most significant one probably is that Vibe UI only supports Chinese and English and the Google Play services have to be flashed manually. Yes, some shops install customized ROMs that support more languages, but we urge you to replace them with the original ROM immediately. The shop ROMs usually contain viruses and adware and provide you with a large number of bugs, which are more than annoying and slow down the device.

Two bugs we stumbled upon inside the stock ROM are that Google Play Games isn’t compatible with the device right now and an issue with Google Chrome which closes the whole browser and all its tabs once you close a single tab. This is due to the new way Chrome handles tabs in Lollipop and the fact that Lenovo’s multitasking management kills the whole process when swiping one app-window out of the list. This is likely to be fixed with the next of the very frequent OTA updates. Meanwhile we recommend to use another browser, Firefox and Opera work well.

Lenovo K3 Note Review: Audio

Would you ever expect to get a device that offers a decent hi-fi performance at only $149? Well, you probably don’t and we didn’t as well – until we got our hands on the Lenovo K3 Note. Without any exaggeration, this phablet sound extremely nice. This is due to the combination of a quality internal speaker and MaxxAudio, which some of you know from OnePlus and Oppo devices. Listening to music with the K3 Note can be a pleasure even without headphones thanks to almost non-existent distortion and an overall well-balanced output with intense basses and clearly defined treble and heights. Now the only thing missing to scratch the Oppo Find 7’s ass are stereo speakers, but you can’t get it all, right? So what’s with the headphone jack? Well, you probably guess it already: it sounds perfect and is easily customizable to any taste thanks to MaxxAudio’s extensive equalizer settings and presets. And it doesn’t stop there. The Lenovo K3 Note actually offers high-end level phone call quality as well thanks to a decent noise cancellation done with two very sensitive and quality microphones. The receiver sounds very nice as well, providing you with a perfectly understandable call-experience.

Lenovo K3 Note Review: Reception Quality

After having a first look at the antennas behind the Lenovo K3 Note’s back cover we didn’t have the best feeling since they are comparably small. Especially with cheaper phones that often proved to cause issues in the past. We’ve been surprised though, since the K3 Note offers a perfect reception quality throughout all networks that definitely is above average. There’s just one flaw and that’s missing support for FDD-LTE band 20 800MHz.

The GPS performance is pretty good as well and the phone manages to get a fast fix and high signal strength for satellites. Unfortunately there is a software bug present on a lot of Lollipop devices that prevents the phone from fixing any GLONASS satellites. This in exchange causes the GPS receiver to crash randomly, which is annoying when trying to track some sports activity. It’s the same issue that we encountered with the Siswoo C50 Longbow and that has been fixed on this phone already, so we are positive that Lenovo will fix it as well rather sooner than later.

Lenovo K3 Note Review: Camera

And here comes the most interesting part about the Lenovo K3 Note: This handset actually features the best camera we’ve seen to date on a sub $160 device. This might come as a surprise for you since the camera part isn’t often advertised when it comes to this device. Lenovo don’t specify the used sensors, but the rear one operated at 13 mega pixels and comes with f/2.0 aperture and dual LED flash, the front camera takes pictures with 5 mega pixels. In general, the results of the rear camera are outstanding considering the price tag of this device. Amazing colors, details, sharpness, fast focus and shutter times as well as short exposure time is what you get there.

There’s no doubt about the fact that the Lenovo K3 Note is able to keep up with budget compact cameras and thus is a real alternative to a dedicated camera. Even pictures of fast moving objects look crisp and sharp.

Even the low-light performance is far away from anything to complain about as you can see on the pictures below. No matter if you take pictures during sunset, inside darker rooms, with or without HDR mode or with the LED flash, you get nice results with only a low amount of noise. The LED flash is even bright enough to light up large rooms and doesn’t take away the intensity of colors.

Video recording look fine as well and we especially loved the audio quality, which is outstanding thanks to the two quality microphone inside the device. The only flaw is the focus which can’t be set manually. The auto focus unfortunately is very slow. We are not sure if that is intention or some bug within the camera app.

The front camera creates nice results at daylight as well, but it gets hard to create sharp and noise-free shots in low light. The software used to do pictures is the Lenovo camera app which some of you might now. In general we consider this one as one of the best camera apps available on Android and often install it manually on devices of other manufacturers. It offers plenty of options, effects and full control over any setting including ISO, contrast and saturation. It also comes with a gallery app that offers extensive image editing features.

Lenovo K3 Note Review: Battery

At first we’ve been shocked with the battery on this phablet. The Lenovo K3 Note is advertised to come with a 3,000mAh cell, yet the battery looks very thin and is a bit lighter than other 3,000mAh cells. We also didn’t get any impressive battery life out of it which led us to believe that the battery is smaller than 3,000mAh at first. Honestly, that would’ve been a boomer if a company like Lenovo would advertise fake specs. Luckily the phone proved us wrong after a while. The battery life somehow got better and better with each and every charge. Right now we reached the maximum we believe which is one day of battery life with heavy usage but no gaming. The Geekbench battery test certifies a screen-on time of 6:29 hours with automatic brightness and screen-dim disabled. Charging unfortunately takes a bit too long at 4 – 5 hours.

Lenovo K3 Note Review: Verdict

The Leovo K3 Note has been our budget-surprise of the year so far. We didn’t expect any manufacturer to beat the price-performance-ratio companies like Mlais, Ecoo and iOcean established, yet have been proven wrong. The Lenovo K3 Note is miles ahead of devices like the iOcean M6752, Mlais M53 Red Note or Ecoo E04 Aurora in pretty much every aspect. It’s impressive what a huge bunch of specs and features one can offer at such a low price tag of just $149. Despite the missing support for FDD-LTE band 20 the Lenovo K3 Note is an almost perfect phablet and the features that blew us away the most are the camera and audio quality of this phone. We really doubt that any manufacturer will be able to beat the Lenovo K3 Note in short-term and thus really recommend you to have a closer look at this device in case you are looking for a proper mid-range phablet right now.

We want to thank Gearbest for providing us with a review sample this time.

Package Contents - 8/10

8/10
Design - 7/10

7/10
Build Quality - 8/10

8/10
Display - 9/10

9/10
Performance - 10/10

10/10
Software - 8/10

8/10
Reception Quality - 9/10

9/10
Camera - 10/10

10/10
Audio - 9/10

9/10
Battery - 7.5/10

7.5/10

8.6/10

Xiaomi Redmi 2 Pro (aka the 2GB RAM Version) On Unofficial International Pre-Sale ._._._._.

2015-07-10T14:19:00.005+05:30

Xiaomi’s Redmi 2 certainly didn’t create as many rippled in the smartphone industry as the previous-gen Redmi 1S (which honestly had a gem of a camera). But, buyers across the world have been waiting for the 2GB RAM version of the Redmi 2 (aka the Redmi 2 Pro) to show up.

There isn’t a lot that has changed from the original version of the Redmi 2; it’s only the RAM which is double the amount and an additional 8GB storage (making it a total of 16GB).The phone still has a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720p display, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSMS8916 processor clocked at 1.2GHz, dual SIM support, an 8 mega-pixel rear camera, a 2 mega-pixel front-facing camera and a 2200mAh battery.

It’s only on pre-order at the moment, which shipping scheduled to commence 15th July. The listing on GearBest mentions a price tag of US$142 for the device, so not an official launch from Xiaomi but at least a chance for Xiaomi fans to bag a budget Mi device.