Author: chris eilers

Yesterday, Meizu announced that the company would launch new Meizu Headphones. This is a very smart move by Meizu, since Competitor Xiaomi just launched their high-end Headphone Version, that was very well received by customers.

Originally Meizu comes from the personal media player realm. Now after Meizu’s massive success with Android Smartphones, they go back to their expertise. Meizu’s VP Li Han lately confirmed the the upcoming headphones already on the official Weibo Account.

Meizu before stressed the cooperation with one of the world’s top headphones and headset manufacturer to producing its own headset. Previous rumors said that was AKG to provide its headset for Meizu’ products. But now it seems its not AKG for the first Meizu Headset.

Beyerdynamic, another high profile german headset manufacturer, is now the official partner of Meizu and schedules to release a limited gold version headset for Meizu goods. Teaser image revealed that the headsets may be packaged together with a phone.

This Meizu Headphones is very likely to launch tomorrow, April 15th, at the Meizu Press Conference. Along with this conference, we have 2 more launch events of Xiaomi and Huawei tomorrow.

We are all looking forward to those events!

Mobile phone display is on the verge of breaking another record of resolution. Yesterday, we gave you a hint of Samsung 4K display that may appear on the next Samsung Galaxy Note 5. But now, Sharp is reportedly working on a 4K LCD screen that comes with an incredible density of 806 ppi.

Some smartphone manufacturers have tried to cram as high density as possible into their phones’ screen but it’s hard to reach 600 ppi. With the resolution of 4K, the density on the 5.78” screen of Samsung phone, the density will be 762 ppi. 762ppi is totally insane. Talking about Sharp, the company packs a resolution of 4K to a 5.5” screen creating a density of 806 ppi, which is even much crazier.

The IGZO screen uses a traditional RGB matrix, meaning there aren’t going to be any issues with sub-pixel rendering. Not that those were very likely given the density of the panel. Sharp’s display usually uses less energy than other display.

For what it’s worth, we think that the only reason for packing this resolutiony is for 4K content consumption. Smartphones with 4K display will no longer have to resize the content to fit lower resolution display, which will literally enhance viewing experince

Mass production for this type of screen will probably start in 2016.

We are coming closer to the Xiaomi Conference on April 15, 2015 and this may be some clue given by the company about its brand new product. This is such a wise move as Xiaomi’s fans still the get the wind of the product and the product is not fully unveiled. All looks like this is finally the Xiaomi MI Note PRO 4GB RAM Launch in China.

The specs can blow out its opponents on the way. Not only equipped with a spectacular 5.7” qHD (2560×1440 pixels) display,the Mi Note Pro also sports an octa-core 2 GHz Snapdragon 810 processor as well as 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

Furthermore,the phone also DUAL TTD-LTE and FDD-LTE for Global Markets. Android 5.0.2 comes pre-installed in the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro.

The design of this phone looks much alike the Xiaomi Mi Note in the position of the cameras, the Mi logos on the front and the back and the dual LED flash. A metal frame covers the edges of the phone as well the buttons, which are all on the rights side of the device. This should the flagship Mi Note Pro

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro Specs Comparison 

Although having a phablet-sized screen, the phone comes in a dimension of 155.1 mm in length and 77.6 mm in width. The thickness is 6.95 mm, which is slightly thinner than the iPhone 6 Plus (7.1 mm) and far thinner than the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (8.5 mm)

This is sure to be another phablet but we don’t which line it belongs to. Most likely though this is finally the Xiaomi Mi Note PRO going on Sale! According to our first information the XiaomI MI Note Price will sell around 3100 Yuan. This means that Xiaomi really tries to play in the upper end of the range, and after why not!  Strong Competitior for Asus Zenfone 2 and Samsung Galaxy S6!

Also Read

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge: First review

Xiaomi Note Pro Specs Comparison: Note PRO BEAST

Asus Zenfone 2 vs Xiaomi Mi Note Review: Which one to choose?

As half of April is left behind, the Chinese manufacturers are once again holding conferences one after another to introduce their new products. On April 15^th, Huawei and Xiaomi will have their alunch events for brand new products.

For Huawei, it is the flagship Huawei P8 Launch Event held in London. This has been teased before. Rumors said the flagship Huawei P8 would feature 5.2” 1080p display, 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage, 13MP/5MP cameras using 1.8 GHz Kirin 930 processor. Meanwhile, the P8 Lite is allegedly shipped with 5” 720p display coming along with Kirin 620 chipset, 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. Just 2 more days, all rumors about these 2 phones will be clarified.

Talking about Xiaomi, the company must have working on a totally new product line and it may come out on April 15^th according to the teaser image. Something looking like a magnet with North/South is what hinted on the teaser. Anything can happen. Lately, Xiaomi has interest in being a more than just a smartphone manufacture by starting producing life care products, such as:  smart bulbs, air purifiers, smart scale, TV, etc. Let’s wait and see what surprising new product Xiaomi does gives us.

One day before the two conferences, LeTV Smartphone Conference will take place. It is to introduce its new phone and TV. The phone can be the LeTv X900 we wrote before. This phone is reportedly borderless, featuring a Snapdragon 810 processor with 4GB RAM and 2K display. At the back, a 20.7 MP camera is included while up front, there’s a 4 Ultrapixel shooter.

All three conferences will broadcast live and there will be Q&A section and live games for attendees. Vouchers of CNY 200 (RM 119) are the prizes of Huawei Event’s game.

What attracts you the most? Is it the flagship Huawei P8? Is it the Xiaomi new product? Or is it the border-less phone LeTV?

Not long after the success of the R5, Oppo has decided to be working on its new Oppo R7. Previous rumors said this is the Oppo R7f, which was certificated by an Indonesian Telecom Certification Authority.

Oppo R7 Specs expected

Some Oppo R7 Specs have been released at that time and the only thing missing is a picture of the mystery phone. Today, one image, tweeted on Twitter by @Cinquetacche, is suspected to be the new Oppo R7. Looking at the picture, we can see that the phone is completely bezel-less on the left and right side. Showing the phone on the front so that the thickness is kept secret but we can hope it is 4.85 mm matching its predecessor, the Oppo R5.

An octa-core MediaTek MT 6795 processor clockes at 2.2 GHz is said to power the phone. Compared to Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 and Exynos 720 on the Galaxy S6, this chipset shows no inferior although it is considered as a mid-range one.

Earlier R5 is based around a 5.2-inch, 1080p resolution AMOLED screen and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor backed up by 2 GB of RAM. So powerful the specs are that we can look up to the next R phone, probable the R7, from Oppo sporting even more superior specs.

The bezel-less design is definitely the brightest point but others are worth noticing too. Given the high-end chipset, the phone is suspected to come with at least 1080p display, 2GB RAM, 20.7MP rear camera and huge memory space.

Not a single clue is yet revealed when and how much the device will officially come out. Should the Oppo R7 be identical with rumors, it will make another bang in smartphone realm.

A huge leak of the LG G4 had happened out of South Korea, where the major leak should have taken place. The new LG G4 seems to have the leather back just like the previous rumors we’d seen on the invitations LG sent out for the event on April 28^th. Apart from some images, some specs of the upcoming LG G4 are also unveiled as well.

Also, the leaks said that the phone features a 13MP rear camera with aperture of f/1.8. Laser focus, OIS 2.0 (optical image stabilization) along with dual LED flash are provided for your best shooting experience. Camera app interface is well designed with fully manual controls selection. To embrace the video call quality, a 8MP front camera is equipped. It is perfect for selfie purposes too.

The phone carries a 5.5” IPS qHD display using Quantum technology for brighter performance and more vivid color. A Snapdragon processor is confirm the power the phone along with 2 or 3GB RAM. Depending on which size of the RAM you choos, you can either pick 16GB or 32GB for your internal storage. According to a picture of the leak, the phone will come with a 3,000 mAh removable battery. Other specific features incluse wireless charging, Bluetooth, 4G LTE, NFC. Strangely, it seems that ANDROID 4.4.2 KitKat will come pre-installed instead of Android 5.0 Lollipop unlike the newly-launched flagship from other manufacturers.

Slim arc design will fit your hands naturally. There are 3 color variants for plastic back version: metallic gray, ceramic white, and shiny gold. If you don’t like a cheap-feeling on a plastic phone, there comes 6 color options for leather version: black, orange (traditional leather), cranberry, baby blue, gold and yellow.

With these specs, the phone does stand out from others. Let’s wait until April 28^th, 2015.

According to some reports, Samsung is working on producing 4K screen display for its upcoming flagship phone that may come out at the IFA in fall 2015. It is predicted that Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is the first phone to feature this type of display.

During a workshop held in 2014, the company hinted that there is a smartphone with higher-resolution UHD display being produced. The company had actually used the term “diamond pixel,” which refers to a non-standard pixel matrix arrangement refering to the technology, to tell about the new standard of smartphone screen.

The next Galaxy Note 5 is learned to have 2 variants: a 5.78” dual-edge version and a 5.89 regular version with flat display. Having the huge resolution of 4K (3849×2160) packed in 5.78” and 5.89”displays will provide a density of 762 ppi and 748 ppi, respectively. Other smartphone manufacturers have tried to cram a density of 600 ppi into their phone screen but 700 ppi sounds totally insane.

Resolution of 4K or Ultra HD display is really a challenge for human eyes. Samsung is reportedly using the 4K screen on the Galaxy Note 5 replacing the current qHD Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy Note 4.

Rumors said Galaxy Note 5 spotted 4GB RAM, 18MP to 21MP rear camera, 5MP to 6MP front camera taking care of selfie purposes and video calls, 16GB to 128GB of internal storage supporting up to 128GB memory card. Samsung may use its own Exynos 7420 chipset instead of the top-end Snapdragon 810 processor.

The Galaxy Note is believed to launch at the 2015 IFA expo event in September at the retail price ranging from $800 and $890.

Are you excited about the next generation of smartphone which can challenge your vision?

The world’s cheapest 2K smartphone has just had a price cut in China, from CNY 2000 (RM 1182) down to CNY 1799 (RM 1063).

The IUNI U3, the current flagship of IUNI, already made a controversy last year due to its surprising price. Now, it even gets cheaper. A 10% off will boost sales of this 2K phone for sure.

Let’s us remind you a bit about IUNI U3 specs. Not only the price is amazing but the hardware is also incredible. The phone features 5.5” 2K Sharp display (2560 x 1440 pixels), 3GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a 3000 mAh battery. It is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 801 system chip with an Adreno 330 GPU. It runs on IUNI OS with Android 4.4.4 KitKat pre-installed. It has a 13MP rear camera with Sony sensor plus OIS and a 4MP Ultrapixel front camera.

Of course, the screen is the most highlighted feature. This 538ppi screen takes up 77% of the front. Compared to the OPPO Find 7, which has the same 5.5” screen, the phone comes in a smaller dimension.

There are three color variants for you to choose: black, white and light green.

So what are you thinking about this price drop? Is it IUNI’s strategic move or is it one step to prepare to its next flagship? Share your point of view with us in the comment below.

Scheduled launch event of the Huawei P8 and P8 Lite is set to take place on April 15 in London. Recent teaser video revealed that the phone would have huge battery capacity (probably up to 6 days) but it left many questions how the phones would look like.

https://youtu.be/DxmSfQiV0AA

Latest rumors shows us the Huawei P8 will comes with 5.2” 1080p (1920×1080) IPS LCD display, 3GB RAM and 32Gn internal storage (expandable via microSD card). The phone is reported to ship with Kirin 930 chipset clocked at 1.8 GHz. Back and front camera will have resolution of 13MP and 5MP, respectively. It gets Android 5.0 Lollipop pre-installed with Emotion UI running on top of it. It will support dual 4G SIM with dual standby just other newly-launched high-end Chinese smartphone. Keeping the light on is a 2520 mAh battery. Body thickness of the Huawei is 6.4 mm. the front and the back of the device will be covered in all glass.

The Huawei P8 Lite, as seen in the name, will feature lighter specs compared to the flagship P8. It is equipped with 5” 720p (1280×720) display, 1.2 GHz Kirin 620 processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Up front is a 13MP camera while out back is 5MP camera to take care of selfie purposes. This device comes in a dimension of 143 x 70.6 x 7.7 mm and weighs 132g. Lighter specs comes with lighter battery too. Its battery is just 2200 mAh in capacity.

Thanks to these leaked picture, we can expect that these 2 new upcoming phones look as premium as the other phone in the P-line. Let’s wait till they’re official launched.

Good news! Apple has opened pre-orders for the Apple watch in China, USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong and Japan but other countries and regions must wait. All three version are available to be ordered, including 20 models of Apple Watch, 10 models with Apple Watch Sports version and 8 limited edition Apple Watch Edition.

These devices will be shipped starting April 24^st. However, it actually takes some more weeks or even months till we get it on hands because the shipping time is pretty long.

Here’s the shipping times of all three versions:

Apple Watch Sport: from Apr 24 to May 8

Apple Watch: from Apr 24 to May 8.

Apple Watch Edition: start shipping in May.

You can also order at the Apple Center+ for the Apple Watch starting at $549(RM 2012), Apple Watch Sport at $349 (RM 1279) and Apple Watch Edition at $10000 (around RM 36650).

With the Apple Watch and Watch Sport, you will get 2 years of hardware repair, 2 years of other support. With the Watch Edition, the Apple Center+ provides you 3 years of coverage and 2 accidental damage coverage.

If you order the band without the Watch, it will arrive sooner as it only takes 2-4 weeks to ship. Some bands take shorter shipping time like the classic buckle, but some may take longer because it is not available yet.

Let’s hope Malaysia will be the next to launch this smartwatch.

If you want to order one for yourself, check out here!

On March 31^st, Xiaomi released the MiTV 2 along with other 4 products to celebrate its 5^th birthday. This home screen device is 55 inches in size embedded with subwoofer, metal frame and metal soundbar. This is considred the most high-end device that Xiaomi ever produced with an astonishing price: CNY 4999 (RM 2924).

It’s been 2 years since Xiaomi entered the TV market (Sep 2013), the company is still cautious in producing 50” TV. But now, people can’t believe that there are two new sizes for MiTV: 49” and 55”. It is understandable because in premium TV segmentation, 40” and 49” are for younger generation while 55” size is popular to the older. In this battle Xiaomi has more chance to compete with its rivals.

What’s the difference between 49” and 55” version? Is it worth spending CNY 1000 (RM 585) more?

The design of both is similar with all-metal frame in gold color. It is described as the two ends of a tripod.

However, the specs on the MiTV 2 55” is totally more powerful. It is equipped with Samsung LCD display with resolution of 4K, radiant backlight module, MStar 6A928 1.4GHz processor (capable of 4K video decoding up to 60frame per second), Mali-760 MP4 GPU, 2GB DDR3 RAM and 8GB built-in storage.

MiTV 2 55” model coded L55M2-AA may not be familiar as the 49” version coded L49M2-AA and the 40” version coded L40M2-AA.

Despite being 13cm longer in size, the MiTV 2 55” version still have its 2 stands located quite far from the edges. Producer says it is to fit with not long enough tables. To handle with unstable conditions, each stand has 2 rod spreading to make a wide angle, so that the TV can stand still.

Although the size 55” is theoretically not too big compared to size 49”, but putting it together on a table, the difference is huge. Larger size is obviously better for the whole family.

The metal frame width of the 55” TV and of the 49” TV are identical. It is just half of the diameter of the 5 cent coin.

Body thickness is 1.52 cm which is thinner than the diameter of 5 cent coin.

This 55” TV together with the 49” version has a touch sensor below the screen in order to catch hand movement. They also have intergrated light, Wifi antenna and other functions. Because of this high technique, the Xiaomi MiTV 2 has literally no physical button.

Sadly, the 40” and 55” versions of the Xiaomi MiTV 2 are not equipped with Bluetooth, which means the 49” version is the only one equipped the Xiaomi Bluetooth Remote Control.

Soundbars here and on the 49” version are the same with all-metal design. 6 full-range speakers and 2 tweeters. Together, these 8 speakers perform high-level and realistic sound.

The compact subwoofer now has a shell design which comes in the same color metal frame like the TV. Because of volume limit, the TV uses a 6-inch subwoofer instead of the previous 8-inch. Though this smaller subwoofer gives small volume but the sound generates suitably good.

There is a connection via Bluetooth between the subwoofer and the soundbar constituting the TV sound system. Xiaomi emphasizes the the subwoofer should be put on the ground where resonance can happen and make sound better.

Overall, the 55” version of Xiaomi MiTV 2 is better than the 49” version. Bad news is that is lacks of memory card slot. The big attractiveness is that the TV offers three HDMI 2.0 interface (previously the three HDMI 1.4 interface), support 60Hz 4K video input.

Samsung LCD Display? Xiaomi MiTV 2 55” screen shots

MiTV 2 55” uses Samasung 4K LCD with a resolution of 3840×2160 that supports up to 178° viewing angle, 8ms response time and 1:4000 high contrast ratio.

In China, Samsung is no longer on the top. Xiaomi is now the leading company, followed by Huawei. Somebody have wondered why Samsung gave its screen to Xiaomi?

It it, in fact, easy to understand cause every company wants to make money. Xiaomi takes Samsung’s first place in the smartphone industry, so Samsung must take other market (such as display panel) to ensure its share in China. Whoever buy your company products, they bring you money.

Back to the TV, the Radiant Backlight, which is also used in the 40” version, iMac, MacBook, and most of the iPad, supports dynamic partitioning adjustment technology. The brightness of the screen is divided into eight regions, real-time sensing screen shading to achieve fine adjustment light and dark.

In terms of finess, 4K screen is the best choice for all TV type. It is far better than a 1080p 40” TV.

Here. Have a look at the viewing angle.

Front

Left

Right

Above

From the test result, the color gamut on MiTV 2 55” is 75% more beautiful than on MiTV 2 49” and in display parameter, it sRGB (standard red, green, blue) s in full coverage which is also very good.

Picture clarity is what people concern in a 4K TV. Through a camera’sensor, the picture quality is inevitably distorted but the color performances are distinguishing.

Xiaomi MiTV 2 functions: No 3D support?

The Xiaomi MiTV 2 55” still runs on Android-based MIUI.

We have been familiar with the usual interfere. On the left is still the different input source selection, where you have HDMI, AV, and VGA video interface. Connecting to other sources, MiTV 2 is a displaying screen.

All video on the right are provided by Xiaomi. Movies, TV shows, games and app are arranged in a wise order so that users can choose easily.

After installing the app but not open yet, you don’t have to open the store to find it. It appear directly on the very far right of the screen. One key point is you can press OK button to enter edit mode to adjust your setting.

The machine boasts 140,000 hours of video content, including 3,000 movies, 44,000 television sets and 91,000 television shows.

For SmartTV, the updating speed is more important than how big the storage is. At this point, Xiaomi GITV is more superior to the previous iCNTV but they can improve more. For instance, the movie “Wolf Totem” can only be played after purchasing.

Customers in China are just willing to pay for hardware only while they still hesitate to open their pocket and pay for any software. Like the movie “Wolf Totem”, it costs only $5 (RM 18), much cheaper than going to the cinema, but it’s hard to dig into customers’ pocket.

Paying for Xiaomi is really a convenience. You can pay through PayPal or using your virtual coin (1 coin = CNY 1) just by scanning the 2D code over it.

Users should be careful as the 55” version doesn’t like the 49” version. It doesn’t offer 3D glasses because 3D function has been cancelled due to some recent update that runs 3D videos slowly.

Nevertheless, there is still a function that turn 3D video to 2D video. This is easy to implement but the company should have retain the 3D function.

Certainly, Xiaomi MiTV 2 55” can connect with a third-partty app. A U-disk is available for users to install and this is not difficult.

In addition, the Xiaomi MiTV 2 55” also supports H.265 video decoding, decoding capacity of 4K @ 60fps H.265. Previous reports said the 40” version supported H.265 video decoding as well but just 1080P @ 60fps.  The TV performs well with 720p video but with 1080p video, it will show “This format is not supported.” On the 40” version, there comes the same situation. Apart from hardware issue, problem most likely comes from the software compatability. Obviously, H.265 decoding APP is not ideal for the current statement on this TV.

Power consumption, heat and switching time: GOOD!

In spite of having a larger screen, the MiTV 2 55” and the 49” version have the same energy consumption: 180V and 0.5W or less in standby mode. In China, these products are labeled Class 3 in energy efficiency,

We did a test on how much energy consumed by MiTV 2 55” after 30 mins playing 4K video, and we noticed that power consumption stabilized at around 100W, which is acceptable for a 55” TV.

In contrast, the 40” version, it just used 55W after the same test. Furthermore, the 55” version supports 110-240V voltage while the voltage of National electric supply is 220V, so there must be no tangle in the energy supply.

Using the bottom side LED backlighting in both version 49” and 55”, the hottest place is at the bottom near the logo section. But this temperature is just 36° and above this section, the temperature is less than 28°.

About switching timing, it takes about 27 seconds from the moment you press the Power button till it operates normally. On the other hand, 5 seconds is what you need to shut your TV down.

Comclusion

From the testing result above, the Xiaomi MiTV 55” and 49” are not much different except for the bigger one has a smaller subwoofer and vice versa. Consumers might consider whether to buy a 55” TV or a 49” TV for their home entertainment.

Compared to the 49” version, the MiTV 2 55” does have advantages, such as: 4K @ 60fps H.265 video decoding, low power consumption, not getting so hot. From a premium sense, the price CNY 4999 (RM 2950) is good enough.

If you just want a TV with good design, 4K or 3D video playing, the the 49” version is perfect for you. Or else, the MiTV 2 40” is good enough for 1080p displaying.

Finally, retail price for the Xiaomi MiTV 2 49” home theater set is CNY 3999 (RM 2360) while the 55” version will be launched without a specific message.

2 days after the launch event in Malaysia, on April 23^rd, Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer Asus will hold a launch event for Asus Zenfone 2 India too. Inviatations have been delivered and capital New Dehli is where it takes place.

“World’s 1^st 4GB RAM smartphone” is what Asus teases on the invitations. For India market, Asus sells three variants of the Zenfone 2 line: ZE500CL, ZE550ML and the highest version ZE551ML. Not a single clue on the pricing of each model yet but hopefully, the difference is not too big.

The basic model ZE500CL has a 5” 720p display, 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 mobile SoC, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, and 2,500 mAh battery.

The mid-end of the Zenfone 2 line is the ZE550ML featuring a 5.5” 720p display, 1.8GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 chipset, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 13MP camera with dual-LED flash, 5MP front camera, and 3,000 mAh battery.

Last but not least, the top-of-the-line ZE551ML model. This flagship killer spots a 5.5″ 1080p IPS LCD display, a higher 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage plus NFC.

All three models come with Android 5.0 Lollipop pre-installed and a memory card slot (up to 64GB).

So, are you excited about this news? Zenfone 2 is coming globally where each day, we hear another country getting it officially.