Author: chris eilers

These days, we usually talk about how a Nokia smartphone can be like when running on Android operating system. But, how about other OSes? Maybe Windows one for example. Not a bad idea, right?! So, let’s talk about it yet more specifically: Nokia 701 running on Windows OS but with Revamped Symbian design. 

Lately, we have been able to spot some news related to a Nokia smartphone concept called Nokia 701, designed by a designer named James Wood from London. Actually, he refreshed Nokia 700 Symbian phone and turned it into the Nokia 701 running Windows Phone. Interestingly, the idea is to combine the unique design of Nokia 700 and Windows Phone OS into a whole new machine, looking newer and more harmonious while some design traits of the original unit are still kept.

As for the Nokia 701 design, there is a metal frame together with a polycarbonate body. The handset’s top and bottom are rounded plus and the trademark Windows Phone buttons are placed on the front surface. According to the source, the designer made the Nokia 701 concept in SolidWorks and Keyshot and chose to put its speakers at the bottom of the device. Probably the the back side contains a removable case.

Some Nokia 701 specs are likely to include a quad-core lower end CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 8 or 16 GB of internal storage (not knowing if it can be expanded or not) and a 5 MP camera. If so, its specifications are not really attractive, huh? As a result, the price has to be the main selling key. However, there is no detail for that! Or on the contrary, in case of being able to make it come true, Nokia should put some things like 2 GB RAM, 5 MP front, 13 MP rear shooter, etc. in and Nokia 701 will be a good deal 😀 .

In conclusion, for those who still like Windows phones, Nokia 701 with the Nokia 700 Revamped Symbian design and Windows OS can be your friend!

Sony is one of the most famous and biggest smartphone manufacturers in the world. Therefore, their new products usually draw much attention from people. Moreover, Sony phone concepts are also welcome. So, today, we would like to bring you something like that which is called Sony Xperia S5.

At first sight, we are impressed with its design made by a designer named Babak Soren. Actually, he has not been very happy with the current Sony Xperia Z5 line-up, so he decided to create his own flagship smartphone Sony Xperia S5 instead of Z5 😀 . Looking at the pictures, we are quite impressed with these tribal models as well as its user interface.

In terms of Sony Xperia S5 specs, the handset is said to have a 5.5-inch OLED screen (but the resolution is not mentioned) and an e-paper one (which can help save a lot of power), which means that S5 owns a dual display like YotaPhone. The whole machine is powered by a MediaTek Helio X20 processor (instead of Snapdragon 810 chip used in the real Sony Xperia Z5 perhaps to avoid the heating issue) and 4 GB of RAM.

As for the camera, it features a 21MP rear shooter with IMX230 sensor, but we cannot find any information related to the selfie snapper. Hope that it is capable of 5-8 megapixels to make S5 a great device for selfie lovers. In addition, there are a 3,700mAh battery on-board and even a stylus as well. That could be inspired by Samsung Galaxy Note series! Yet, do you like it to have such a tool to come along?

Sony Xperia S5 Release Date and Price

Well, those are the main details about the concept Sony Xperia S5. As a result, its price is unknown also. Though, can you give Sony any suggestion for Sony Xperia S5 price? Just in case they want to adopt this idea 🙂 .

As what OnePlus team announced, they have already released two devices this year: OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X. Though the “flagship killer” OP2 has arguably failed in creating success for the company like OnePlus One, the latest OnePlus X seems able to bring them a bright future then. So, how can we say that? Of course we could have not said that if OP X was just a normal smartphone 😀 . OK, here is what you need to know about OnePlus X!

OnePlus X specs

The OnePlus X is equipped with a 5.0-inch Full HD Active Matrix OLED display (~441 ppi) and covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 preventing scratches, small bumps and bruises. The whole phone is powered by a non-removable lithium-polymer 2,525mAh battery and a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor. In addition, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage are on-board, but not NFC.

As for the camera, there are a 13MP rear f/2.2 snapper with 0.2-second autofocus and phase detection autofocus, plus an up to 8MP front-facing shooter, perfect for selfies 😀 . And just like its bigger brother OnePlus 2, the X runs on OxygenOS based on Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system. More info about the OxygenOS is that it provides a handy Dark Mode for nighttime reading and some gestures designed to help you use the phone more easily.

For a fuller view of OnePlus X specs, let’s check the table as usual 😎 :

OnePlus X design

Since the X is not made a flagship like OnePlus 2, the specs are not very aggressive, but we have to say that its design is fantastic!

A metal frame is placed between glasses on the front and the back, which somewhat reminds us of Samsung Galaxy S6 design and Sony Xperia Z series one as well. In our opinion, we would say OnePlus X is more beautiful than the OP2. How many of you will agree with us?

Besides the standard Onyx color version, there is another option for you with the Ceramic color which features a ceramic rear resistant to scratch and a hardness of 8.5H. That definitely will bring you a more solid and durable feeling. Futhermore, the smaller screen size of OnePlus X is much more comfortable to handle in one hand than a phablet.

Basically, on the handset’s left side, there is an Alert slider for you to adjust notification and on the right, you can find the power button together with the volume rocker. They are so harmonious with the other parts of the phone. This time, OnePlus appears to make it right!

 OnePlus X price and availability

The specs are good; the design is good, so how about OnePlus X price?

Specifically, it is said that the X will cost set US users $249 (RM1,070) from November 19, 2015. Meanwhile, European buyers will have chance to own it a bit sooner on November 5, 2015 for EUR269 (RM1,2070), and European and Indian ones can get one of the limited 10,000 units of Ceramic OP X from November 24, 2015 for EUR369 (RM1,740).

However, bear in mind that OnePlus tradition of selling is that you need to register to get an invite for purchase and the company still has opening up sales without invites yet in limited capacity.

Conclusion

OnePlus X launch has just happened and is drawing much people’s attention thanks to its pretty good specifications and prices. Hope that OnePlus will gain more success in this half of the year with their new member!

How about you? What do you think about OnePlus X? 

LeTV Le1S is in the house!

Let’s start with its design. LeTV Le1S comes with a premium all-alloy unibody and looks pretty slim due to its thickness of 7.5mm. Though there are just 2 color options (gold and silver) for you to choose, you do not have to worry since whatever color it is, LeTV Le1S is still super stunning 😉 .

As for the LeTV Le1S specs, the phone sports an octa-core Mediatek Helio X10 2.2Ghz processor, which is quite impressive because it helps your device run faster a lot. Moreover, the performance is even much smoother thanks to 3GB of RAM paired with 32GB of internal storage. A high-end fingerprint scanner is placed on the back, which is similar to a lot of other premium handsets nowadays. In addition, there is a combo of a 5MP front and a 13MP rear camera boasting a PDAF system that can reach blazing fast auto-focus speed of only 0.09s. Wow!

The rest specifications include a USB Type-C port and a 5.5-inch Full HD screen with super thin bezels and a floating glass. Therefore, LeTV Le1S display is said to be brighter than its predecessor LeTV Le1. The whole smartphone is powered by a 3,000mAh battery supporting super fast charging speeds. You can totally have 3 hours of talking with just 5 minutes of charging.

In general, this new device from LeTV seems to feature a lot of top specs for flagship smartphones, which may make you think that it would cost an arm and a leg. But NO! The LeTV Le1S price really shocked us, and you, too, now!

The Le1S is priced at 1,099 Yuan ($172 or RM750). We guess when Le1S goes on sale in international markets, it can be around $210-220 (RM910-950). Still a good deal, right?!

In fact, we thought that Xiaomi was the only manufacturer which can produce both powerful and budget machines. Yet, now we have to mention LeTV also. With the 3GB RAM LeTV Le1S, hope that the company will have good sales and popularity globally in the future 🙂 .

Do you think $35 (RM150) is a so much cheap price for a smartphone?

Datawind is a strange name to us but perhaps they are going to be the world’s manufacturer that can produce the cheapest smartphone in the future. We would not believe this if not knowing they used to introduce the tablet Aakash priced at only $35 (RM150).

Cheapest smartphone in the world is coming in December with a price tag of $15 (which is just equivalent to RM150) 

When will it be launched?

It is said that Datawind is cooperating with Reliance Communication in India to release a smartphone considered as the cheapest one in the world at the end of this year. Specifically, on December 28, 2015, it will be launched and worth 15 USD. So, what will it have to serve people’s needs?

How about its specs?

According to the company, the phone will be running on a variant operating system of Linux OS. Because the price is so low that it cannot support 3G; you just can connect 2G network but accessing to some familiar apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. is not a problem. Besides, users will also have a chance to receive 12 months of using free Internet on the handset.

Nonetheless, unfortunately, the name and other specs have not been confirmed yet. However, it is sure that the machine will be aiming at those who experience smartphone for the first time. With such a super affordable price like a basic phone, the coming Datawind’s product can completely be a great choice for consumers. Hope that it will also arrive in Malaysia 😉 .

Well, some people think that the the idea of a $15 smartphone is crazy since what can it have to meet our needs of work, study and relax? Is it possible or impossible? Share with us your opinions! 

Huawei has just beat Xiaomi to become the number 1 in China’s smartphone shipment battle. So, you may wonder what Huawei has to get that spot. Actually, we asked ourselves the same questions and looked around for the answer. Eventually, we were able to come up with a list of top 5 Huawei smartphones in terms of camera, technology, price and popularity. Check them out!

1. Huawei P8: Super powerful camera

P8 is considered as Huawei latest flagship smartphone dressing a premium metal cover. Moreover, this slim (6.4mm of thickness) handset features a 5.2-inch Full HD screen and HiSilicon Kirin 930/935 64-bit octa-core 2.0GHz chipset by Huawei itself. Other Huawei P8 specs also include 3GB RAM, 32GB of storage (able to be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card), Android v5.0.2 Lollipop pre-installed with Emotion UI running on top of it, 4G SIM and 2,520mAh battery.

As for camera, it sports a combo of 4-color Sony’s RGBW 13MP rear cam with Optical Image Stabilization and dual-tone LED flash, and an 8MP front shooter with auto “beautify” support. This “classic” selfie snapper also has helped Huawei P8 win our “Super powerful front camera” title. Hooray!

Huawei P8 price in Malaysia is from RM1,800. You can find one HERE.

2. Huawei Mate S: Super strong force touch

Huawei Mate S carries a high-end metal design like Huawei Mate 7 with a smaller FHD screen, 5.5 inches, plus Force Touch technology (which allows its 2.5D AMOLED panel to recognize a light tap and a hard press in order to respond appropriately) for selected markets. Moreover, the whole phone is powered by the newest chip of Huawei – Kirin 935, paired with 3GB RAM and a fingerprint sensor.

As for the camera, Huawei Mate S sports a 13MP rear shooter with OIS plus dual LED flash and an 8MP front snapper with LED flash also.

3. Huawei Honor 4C: Super quality for budget price

Yes, Huawei Honor 4C is thew new best representative of the company for the mid-range category since it has a pretty good package of specs compared to the Huawei Honor 4C price (sub RM750). For a fuller view of its features, let’s have a look at the following table:

You totally can find a Huawei Honor 4C for yourself HERE.

4. Huawei Honor 7i: Super unique camera

This is a unique smartphone due to its camera. It appeared on TENAA with the model name ATH-ALoo. The smartphone brings users interesting experience with its flipping 13MP camera. Specifically, you can flip the shooter up to turn it into a selfie one.

For other Huawei Honor 7i specs, there are a 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display with 423 ppi, a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 616 processor, and a 3,000mAh battery. Besides, you can choose either 2GB RAM plus 16GB ROM or 3GB RAM plus 32GB ROM edition. The whole phone runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop and Emotion UI 3.1, and supports a dual SIM, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, and Micro-USB.

As for the Huawei Honor 7i price, it costs 1,699 Yuan (approximately RM1,100) for 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM, and 1,899 Yuan (RM1,250) for 3GB RAM + 32GB ver.

5. Huawei Nexus 6P: Super famous in the world

Last but not least, it is Huawei Nexus 6P. Why do we call it the phone super famous in the world? Because it is a product produced by the cooperation of Huawei and Google. Therefore, its fame is able to go around the world in just a short time. Don’t you agree?

The Nexus 6P comes with 5.7″ AMOLED QHD Display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and a resolution of 1440 x 2560. The Nexus 6P features the V2.3 of the Snapdragon 810, combined with 3GB of RAM (same as last year). It gets a bigger battery, then both Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Nexus 6 with 3450mAh.

The rear camera features a large 12.3MP sensor with 1.55µm pixels and a wide F/2.0 aperture. The video capability of 2160p with 30fps. The Nexus 6P Front Camera boasts a 8MP sensor with 1.4µm pixels and F/2.4 aperture. The cameras come with added features like laser autofocus, DUAL LED flash, stabilization, HDR+, and Geo tagging.

At the moment, some of these Huawei smartphones have been available in our market while the others are still on the way. So, do you have any feedback for our list? We’d like to hear 🙂 !

A few days ago, we announced the top 10 smartphones owing highest Antutu scores in the Q3 of 2015. But, that was just the list. Today, we want to dig it deeper by comparing the top 4 Antutu devices in the list. However, we would like to take the representative of each brand. For example, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places are Samsung products, so we only choose the Note 5 to join to comparison. As a result, we have:

Meizu Pro 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs LeTV 1 Pro vs Sony Xperia Z5 

Firstly, let’s look at them in general:

Of course, if we talk about the Antutu scores, Meizu Pro 5 is the winner with 76,852 points, yet in other battles, Pro 5 is not really the best.

For instance, in this Top 4 Antutu competition, Xperia Z5 is the slimmest and lightest handset thanks to its 7.3mm thickness and 154 gram weight. As for the screen resolution and size, it cannot beat LeTV 1 Pro and Galaxy Note 5 since they have up to big 2K displays. In other words, it is the only non-phablet device here when sporting only 5.2-inch screen. Anyhow, that is a good size to put in your pocket, rite?!

Next, it is about processor. We feel like this is Exynos 7420 vs Snapdragon 810. They are both strong, yet Snapdragon had been often reported for its heating issue. Therefore, many people are not very happy once informed of the presence of an SD810 in a machine.

In terms of RAM, once again, Sony Xperia Z5 loses to the others due to its only 3GB RAM. Maybe that is the reason why Z5 was just able to take the 8th spot. However, Z5, you should be proud of your 23MP rear camera and perhaps even the 5.1MP front snapper. What a wonderful combo for those who love taking photos!

Finally, we would like to say something about their prices. Being ranked first does not make Meizu Pro 5 the most expensive flagship. In fact, it seems to be the cheapest not only in this comparison but also in the top 10. With such a great package of specs, Antutu score and prices, Pro 5 is quite a convincing winner.

In conclusion, no matter what the Antutu top 10 says, we think you still can pick one to be your hero. Which one is yours? Share with us 🙂 !

We have good news for fans of the Asus Zenfone smartphone Series. USB Type C is becoming a new trend in the present smartphone industry, with more and more producers like Asus featuring this specs for their Zenfone Series. In a recent press interview, Asus revealed they are mostly ready to get the update with the next generation of Asus Zenfone for the Asus Zenfone 3. Most likely the new Asus Zenfone 3 with USB Type C and hopefully 6GB RAM will launch in March 2016.

In details, TrustedReviews had an exclusive interview with Asus CEO Shih. When the interviewer asked whether Asus will adopt USB Type C for their future products like the Asus Zenfone 3 and Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom, he said: “I think Type C is the way to go, frankly speaking,”. “You will see the answer when you see the ZenFone 3.”

Interesting! In just one answer, Shih has hinted for us 2 important information. Firstly, the company is planning (maybe even working) on the next generation of world-famous Zenfone 2: The expected Asus Zenfone 3. Secondly, he confirmed that USB Type C is the one feature that will not be missed out by Asus, and they are going to feature it. How cool!

When asked about why the company did not adopt USB Type C for Zenfone 2 2015, since being ahead in terms of technology could always be a nice advantage for any smartphone OEM, Asus CEO had an explanation I personally find very convincing and wise. He said that, for Zenfone, in order to keep their reputation of good price and guaranteed quality, they have to consider very carefully about the expensese. ” For Zenfone, each cent counts” – he said.

Including a new technology for smartphone, which is USB Type C port in this case, usually costs a great deal. Of course Asus wants to be ahead in the game, but “But if you’re too much ahead, then sometimes it may be a disaster” – explained Asus chairman. That is why the Taiwanese giant always tends to be careful and practical in their business strategies.

Asus Zenfone 3 Release Date and Prices

Asus has been doing quite well in 2015. Just for several months they have had more than a couple of successful smartphones. Some but not all of them are Asus Zenfone 2, Asus Zenfone Selfie, Asus Zenfone Max.One of our previous rumors said that, the Asus Zenfone 3 will be launched in March 2016. It is very likely that the Asus Zenfone 3 Pricing will be consistent with Zenfone 2 Pricing, which is very good news. Now, with this announcement from Asus CEO, we have more clue to be excited about the next beast from our favorite Taiwanese smartphone OEM. (Source)

Not long ago, we saw Canon introduce their a prototype ultra-high sensitivity 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor at Canon EXPO Paris 2015. And it was able to amaze people with what it could capture when taken into the “Blue Milky Way” of Waitomo glowworm caves in New Zealand. Anyway, it is not our star today. In this post, we want you to know the Canon’s rival: Sony Starvis.

Lately, Sony has launched a new image sensor called STARVIS, excelling in taking photos in low-light condition. Unfortunately, this is not designed for smartphones but industrial applications like a observation camera. Accordingly, the new CMOS sensor can feature extremely high sensitivity to capture images at night that are quality enough to use.

Sony Starvis is able to increase night vision thanks to Sony’s extension of the sensor’s sensitivity beyond the visible light range into the near-infrared range. So, to make you see the real strength of SONY STARVIS, let’s have a look at the following video, and you know we are not kidding 😉 :

“It features a sensitivity of 2000 mV or more per 1 µm², and realizes high picture quality in the visible-light and near infrared light regions,” said Sony.

In recent years Sony sensors have been gaining a lot of good feedback for their capabilities of taking pictures in low light environments. Furthermore, we can easily realize that consumers seem to prefer machines having cameras equipped with Sony sensors more than others, especially in smartphone area. So, with STARVIS, Sony’s history continues and develops more. And we guess that if any company or store could have a security cam containing this sensor, burglars would not dare to come 😀 .

In conclusion, Sony Starvis actually has come less than two months after Canon ME20F-SH, capable of shooting at ISO 4,560,000. But, who will win the race of super high sensitivity sensor?

(Source: petapixel)

Earlier we have heard that, Huawei is testing 5G connectivity that reaches the speed of 4G LTE x 200 times. Amazing! That would make internet access so easy and fast (Well, may be not in our country Philippines). Today, it is leaking that, Nokia Network is teaming up with NI to also work on 5GB internet. WOW! Tough game for Huawei right at the start of the race!

First we had 2G, then 3G and currently 4G. I bet we all know that 5G will be the future of wireless networks. However, even for now, it is still just a work in progress. That makes everything about the 5G network easily becomes mysterious and compelling to everyone. Especially when we are living in a fast growing world, where the hunger for faster and faster network has never been well fed. Maybe the 5G will do the job soon?

5G connectivity – Is there a real need?

Recent reports have estimated that, by 2020, which is 5 years from now, we will reach a number of 50 billion mobile devices. If all of these devices demand connected, the mobile data traffic will rise up to 197,000 petabytes.

This is where Nokia and NI (National Instruments) came in. They are working hard on the Millimeterwave (mmWave) challenge, which is believed to be capable of transferring data at 10 GB/s. This will make Nokia and NI project one of the first mmWave communication links ever produced.

Nokia + NI 5G network = Launch In Asia?

You are looking for a strong-enough smartphone with 3GB RAM for under RM1000? You come to the right place. Here we have just collected some super new devices like that and some already available on the shelves! Check them out!

SUPER NEW DEVICES WITH 3GB RAM FOR UNDER RM1000

1. ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser

After official ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser launch, recently the company has just released another version of this phone with higher specs. To be specific, it is coded as ZE550KL and will sport a Snapdragon 615 chip and 3GB RAM, which is a totally better Laser compared to the current one (ZE550KG) featuring only 2GB RAM and Snapdragon 410 processor.

Other ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser ZE550KL specs are the same as the ZE550KG ones. They including a 5.5-inch HD screen, 16GB ROM, Zen UI 2.0 based on Android 5.0 Lollipop OS and a combo of 13MP rear camera with Real Tone flash and laser autofocus plus a 5MP front snapper.

This version of Zen 2 Laser will be first offered in India with ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser price of 13,999 Rupi (~$220 or RM920). That is a nice price, actually!

2. LeTV Le1S

This time, LeTV introduces their LeTV Le1S at only 173 USD (RM740 for LeTV Le1S price in Malaysia) with a pretty good package of specifications.

LeTV Le1S Specs:

– Dimensions: 151.1 x 74.2 x 7.5 mm
– Weight: 169 g
– Display: 5.5-inch Full HD
– Processor: MediaTek Helio X10 2.2GHz
– RAM: 3 GB
– ROM: 32 GB
– Battery: 3,000mAh, SpeedVold quick charge
– Camera: 13MP ISOCELL f/2.0 rear and 5MP 85-degree wide angle front

It is said that LeTV Le1S will go on sale in China on November 3, 2015. Hopefully it will come to Malaysia soon!

3. Huawei Honor 5X

Huawei Honor 5X comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a Snapdragon 616 1.7GHz, 16GB ROM (expandable) and 2GB or 3GB RAM. On the back, there will be a 13MP camera and a 5MP selfie shooter for you to take photos, much similar to many other smartphones, right?! You will also see a fingerprint scanner which is quite fast when recognizing a fingerprint is just 0.4s. Besides, the whole handset will be powered by a 3,000mAh battery with fast charge 3.0, enabling you to get 50% batt in 30 minutes. And a dual SIM supporting 4G LTE both will be on-board as well.

Like many other Huawei Honor phones, Huawei Honor 5X price is also competitive since it starts with $157 (RM670) for the 2GB ver and about $220 (RM940) for the 3GB one. Awesome!

4. Coolpad Note 3

Coolpad Note 3 has made a great impression with its strong specs and super affordable price tag of $199.98 (RM855 for the Coolpad Note 3 Price in Malaysia).

ALREADY AVAILABLE DEVICES WITH 3GB RAM FOR UNDER RM1000

1. ASUS ZenFone Selfie:

ASUS ZenFone Selfie Price in Malaysia: From RM969

2. Huawei Honor 6:

Huawei Honor 6 Price in Malaysia: From RM949

OK, so maybe Nokia cannot make smartphones at the moment, they still can make other things, right?! Something like a virtual reality camera…

Nokia OZO confirmed to launch next month

We usually say that Nokia’s comeback will be next year, 2016, but it may be sooner if you count the coming product Nokia will bring us next month: Nokia OZO, which is the first ever commercially available virtual reality (VR) camera designed for professional creators and storytellers. Moreover, it is also said to be the first in Nokia Technologies’ digital media solutions portfolio.

According to Nokia, the OZO will be introduced on November 30, 2015. They also expects that VR experiences will be able to change how people communicate with each other and gain more information in the world. That is why they created OZO to bring a new standard of professionally capturing, editing and playback of cinematic VR contents.

Specifically, with this camera, you can capture stereoscopic 3D video in 360-degree panoramas. And if having VR headsets, you can watch videos with a feeling like you are in the middle of the action. It sounds great!

For other information like Nokia OZO price and availability, we have to wait until Nov 30, 2015 to get official details from the company.

In conclusion, it seems like Nokia is really starting their strategy to return to tech industry in general and perhaps smartphone area in particular. So, can Nokia OZO be a good beginning of their plan? Let’s wait and see!