Vivo Launches the Z1 Lite in China

Vivo has launched another mid-ranger alongside a rebranded Y93 in China. Called Z1 Lite, it looks quite similar to the V9 but with less impressive specifications.
That’s not to say that the phone is bad, not at all. Let’s see what it brings to the saturated mid-ranger market.

Design and Display

Starting off with the design, as mentioned earlier, it looks a lot like the Vivo V9. There’s the same 6.26″ Full HD+ IPS LCD display, with a notch. Vivo Z1 Lite also supports Face Unlock.
The notch houses the front camera and the usual slew of sensors. On the back is a dual camera setup along with a capacitive fingerprint sensor. There’s no USB-C on this, it makes do with an old microUSB port instead.

Internals and Storage

Powering the Z1 Lite is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC, with 4 GB RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. There’s a microSD card slot onboard, allowing an additional 256 GB of storage.
There’s Vivo’s FunTouch OS onboard on top of Android 8.1 Oreo, no Android Pie on this phone. There’s also Vivo’s own Jovi assistant on the Z1 Lite, but it only works in Chinese.

Cameras

This is where Vivo made compromises with the Z1 Lite. It comes with a 16 MP f/2.0 lens paired with a 2 MP f/2.4 depth-sensing camera, which will primarily be used for bokeh effect and portrait mode. There’s an LED flash as well as PDAF available as well.
The front features a single 16 MP unit inside the notch.

Battery and Price

Vivo Z1 Lite runs on a 3,260 mAh battery with no fast charging onboard, which is a pity.

It is currently available in China for a price of CNY 1,098 (~Rs. 21,000). It will come in Red, Aurora Blue, and Black colors.

Vivo Z1 Lite Specifications

• CPU: Octa-core 2.2 GHz Cortex-A53
• GPU: Adreno 506
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 626
• OS: Android 8.1 Oreo, FunTouch OS
• Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
• Display:
  • 6.26” 19:9 IPS LCD with FHD+ (2280 x 1080) resolution
• Memory:
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Internal: 32 GB
  • Card slot: yes.
• Camera:
  • Primary: 16 MP f/2.0 + 2 MP f/2.4, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
  • Secondary: 16 MP
• Connectivity: microUSB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS
• Fingerprint scanner; Face Unlock
• Battery: 3260 mAh
• Price: CNY 1,098 (~Rs. 21,000)

Huawei Y9 2019 Review: Size and Battery Life of a Tablet

Huawei’s Y-series has always targeted budget consumers and has always had a lower price point compared to other Huawei smartphones. This year the Y9 2019 comes in at a price of Rs. 37,999. That is not mid-range pricing, so does it at least have the specifications to justify its price?
We got our hands on the Y9 2019 to find out exactly that. We’ve already unboxed the phone on Facebook Live so it’s time now to dive into the full review of the device.

Unlike other upper-midrange Huawei phones we’ve reviewed so far, Y9 2019 doesn’t feature a glass sandwich design. It makes do with a plastic back, which is made to look like glass and feels fragile when you hold it in your hand.
There’s no USB Type-C port on the Y9 2019, but we’ve come to accept it as a reality that Huawei will only use microUSB ports for its mid-rangers.
The power button and volume rocker on the side of the phone are a bit too close but good design choice saves the day here. The power button is textured and you can easily tell that you’re pressing the volume buttons or the power button, making things less confusing.
Its display is massive, with a 6.5″ IPS Full HD+ (1080 x 2340) resolution panel and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, thanks to the notch at the top. Viewing angles were good and you won’t have any problems using the display outdoors in direct sunlight. However, the display is a bit on the reflective side.
The bezels aren’t all that thin, which make the phone a bit bulkier compared to flagships with a similar screen size. Playing games and using the phone for multimedia apps was a pleasure thanks to its large screen size.

Performance

Huawei Y9 2019 comes with a HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor along with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of storage. Storage is expandable via a microSD card slot.
Day to day performance was nothing out of the ordinary, apps opened up fast with no stuttering or lag when switching between them. Multitasking was also a breeze, with none of the apps reloading. Heavier apps did reload, but only when I had a lot of other apps open in the background as well.
Gaming needs are handled by the Mali-G51 GPU. Framerates weren’t exactly high but were stable. Typical mid-ranger stuff.

Camera Quality

There’s been a trend we’ve seen in Huawei phones, with dual front and back cameras (4 total). We see this trend in the Y9 2019 as well.
It comes with a 16 MP f/2.0 camera on the back with a 2 MP f/2.4 depth sensing module. On the front, Y9 2019 has a 13 MP main camera with a f/1.8 aperture with a similar 2 MP f/2.4 lens for portrait mode shots.
The camera app is similar to other Huawei phones, with shooting modes on the right side of the viewfinder with AI mode, HDR and other toggles on the left.
The AI mode oversaturates the colors and doesn’t really improve image quality. HDR didn’t improve the dynamic range or recover shadows from the images either. The camera quality was good but not great with some noise creeping in for the daylight shots. Low light shots weren’t exactly good, with a lot of noise and next to no detail.
The front cameras offered similar levels of quality but the portrait mode was a hit or miss, especially in low light.
Here are the camera samples we used for our review.

Camera Samples

Battery Life

Arguably the best thing about the Y9 2019 was its battery life. It has a large 4,000 mAh battery unit, but it lacks fast charging.
Huawei phones are generally good in terms of battery life thanks to their software optimizations. Y9 2019 was especially good in our case.
In our use, we played games on the phone, used it for social media and watching videos on YouTube. Mobile data was on all day and the brightness remained between 50-100%. With all that the phone gave us a screen on time of 9 hours (!) with 4% remaining.
Even if you’re a power user, you’ll still be able to get a lot out of the Y9 2019.

Verdict

Overall the phone is a complete package with a nice looking design, decent performance, good cameras and an all-day battery. The battery life, in particular, was pretty good, with the phone’s large screen not hindering it in any way. Speaking of the large display, the phone is well suited for multimedia consumption and gaming.
Huawei Y9 2019 definitely deserves its price of Rs. 37,999 and is a good option if you go for it.

The World’s First 5G Phone Connected to a 5G Network Today

As we slowly edge closer to the full commercial launch of 5G, companies are speeding up tests for 5G implementation as well.
This time Verizon has made the headlines for completing the first 5G data transmission on a smartphone. They used a Moto Z3 for the test and tested several things including web browsing and video calls.
The test was conducted in partnership with Samsung Electronics America and Qualcomm Technologies Inc and was done on a 3GPP 5G New Radio (NR) network.
The Moto Z3 in question had a special 5G Moto mod attached, which will be made available to everyone sometime in 2019.
Verizon tested the connection on its own 28 GHz spectrum, with a Samsung built 5G New Radio solution and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 modem for the data transfer. QTM052 mmWave antenna modules were used for the test.

Not The First?

You might recall Oppo and Xiaomi making similar announcements in the past, however, all they’ve tested is the 5G connection, they haven’t actually sent or received mobile data through the Find X and Mi Mix 3 respectively.

They didn’t share anything other than a screenshot showing the phone running 5G. Verizon, on the other hand, tested it out with a Moto Z3 in real life applications, making video calls, browsing the internet and more.

In any case, 2019 will be a major year for 5G development and implementation, with Verizon shaping up to be a major contender in the race to be the first to commercially launch 5G.

Huawei Y9 2019 Now Comes in Aurora Purple

Huawei Y9 2019 has been getting all the love from Pakistan. The smartphone is now available in Aurora Purple color. The Huawei Y9 2019 is embedded with Artificial Intelligence and is the successor to the Huawei Mate 10 lite.
Huawei Y9 2019 features the GPU Acceleration Technology (GPU Turbo), to improve the graphics-processing efficiency by 60% while reducing SoC power consumption by 30%. This device features a 6.5-inch, notched FullView Display and Quad-cameras in a sleek design.

Huawei Y9 2019 also boasts the latest Kirin 710 octa-core chipset and 64 GB storage, offering up to 75% more power enabling smoother operation.
The 6.5″ FullView Display, with a high screen-to-body ratio provides a seamless bezel-less experience. The 16MP+2MP front dual camera and 13MP+2MP rear dual camera boast AI scene sensing. It detects 22 AI scenarios and adjusts camera settings to get the best photos.
Other smart features include; Fingerprint 4.0 identification, Simple Mode for elderly users, Games-Suite, Karaoke mode, Party mode and Histen 5.0, while the TÜV Rheinland certified ‘Eye-Comfort Mode’ makes reading e-books easier on the eyes.

Xiaomi Mi 9 Leaks With 48 MP Triple Cameras and Top Notch Specs

Xiaomi is one of those companies that keep releasing new phones all year round. Which makes it hard to keep a record of all the phones they release.
However, this doesn’t apply to the company’s flagship Mi-n series (n being a number). This year in April, Xiaomi released the Mi 8 with dual cameras and a notched AMOLED display. It’s very likely that the Chinese phone maker will release the Mi 9 around the same time in 2019.

Leaked Image

As we get closer to 2019, leaks have finally started coming in about the upcoming flagship smartphone. Well known leaker and tipster Benjamin Geskin has leaked an image of the Mi 9 with its possible specifications.
Here’s what the Mi 9 might look like:

Leaked Specifications

Geskin’s leaked specifications mention a 6.4-inch AMOLED display. As you can see from the image above, Xiaomi Mi 9 will have a smaller display notch, with smaller bezels compared to the Mi 8. The design is mostly similar, other than the triple camera setup on the back, which looks quite like Huawei P20 Pro’s camera setup.
Speaking of the camera setup, Geskin says that it will have a 48 (!) MP Sony IMX586 camera as its main lens, with a 13 MP and a 16 MP shooter alongside.

Another small but important detail is the fingerprint scanner. It appears that the Mi 9 will feature an under-display fingerprint reader. Having this type of a fingerprint scanner onboard the Mi 9 is not out of the question as the Mi 8 Explorer Edition had it too, as well as the more recent Mi Mix 3.
Hardware-wise it will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 with 6/8 GB RAM, however, it might go as high as 10GB for a separate variant of the Mi 9.

Battery, 5G Support and More

It will be powered by a 3,700 mAh battery unit and will support wireless charging as well as Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 5.0 standard for fast charging.
Lastly, another rumor mentions that Mi 9 will support 5G as well, and will be the second phone by Xiaomi to support the new standard. Mi Mix 3 5G edition will be the first to support it, and will be released in Q1 2019.
As mentioned earlier, Xiaomi Mi 9 will be launched in April 2019.

Torture Test Proves Mi Mix 3’s Sliding Mechanism is The Best [Video]

Slider phones may have died a long time ago, but that hasn’t stopped companies like Xiaomi and Huawei from making them.
Xiaomi unveiled the Mi Mix 3 a few weeks ago, which was the phone maker’s first foray into the sliding phone genre. The Mix series is known for its end to end bezelless displays with no notches and for their ceramic build.

At the event, Xiaomi mentioned that the phone can be slid open and closed 300,000 times without any problems, affirming that the slider was durable and won’t wear out with time. An independent tester has beaten that number, going as high as 600,000 with the phone’s slider working normally.

Mi Mix 3 Slider Test

Here’s the video of their test:
As seen in the video, the person set up the phone with a robot that was programmed to slide the phone up and down continuously 600,000 times. Once done, the person took it off and showed that the phone’s slider was still snappy and resistive, with no degradation in the magnets’ force.
Unlike Oppo and Vivo’s sliding cameras, Xiaomi opted for a mechanical slider instead of an automatic one. Their solution was to use Neodymium magnets, improving the resistance when the phone is slid up or down.

Possible Problems

With this test, you should rest assured that the Mi Mix 3’s slider won’t wear out over time. What you should worry about is the gigantic display as it is very likely to break from the smallest drop. There’s also the problem of waterproofing as the Mi Mix 3 doesn’t have any sort of IP rating.
Regardless, this is an impressive achievement by Xiaomi and if it’s successful, it might usher in an era of sliding smartphones in the near future.
We will update you as soon as we hear anything about the Mi Mix 3 coming to Pakistan. Watch this space for more on Xiaomi.

Oppo A7 Unboxing: What Do You Get With a Budget Midranger?

OPPO’s A series has always been about budget smartphones, catering to a specific market and not targeted at power users.
Today we have with us the A7 and OPPO is hoping to change the perceptions usually associated with the A series. So this year, at least on paper, the A7 comes with improved performance, camera, and display.

However, a final verdict cannot be passed today in the first impressions of the phone so stay tuned for the full review of the A7, coming in the following days.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Will Have a Completely Unique Design: Leak

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S10 is shaping up to be a radically different phone compared with the S8 and S9.
The phone has been in the rumor mill for months, and now we’ve heard that the S10 might have a small hole cut out in the display for the camera.

The company has filed a patent for its Infinity-O display, which was initially showed off at the Samsung Developer Conference earlier this month. It appears to be a display with rounded corners and a small camera hole at the top left corner.
The patent has been filed with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO).

In the image, Samsung has exhibited two different models, one a little taller than the other. The screens look awfully similar to the Note 9 (Model A) and the S9 (Model B) as the former had more of a rectangular design and the latter had more rounded corners.
There are other Models in the patent that have the glass in different designs with the camera cutout being in a different position. If Samsung goes with any one of those designs, it’ll still be unique in the smartphone industry as a whole, as this hasn’t been done before.
 
We’re nearing the end of 2018 so it’s safe to say that Samsung may have finalized the design for the upcoming Galaxy S10.
Popular leaker and tipster Ben Geskin also mentioned that out of the three Galaxy S10 models, the cheapest one will have the Infinity-O, camera hole display.

Other rumored specifications of the S10 include a triple camera setup and an in-display fingerprint reader. It will most likely run the next generation Snapdragon 8150 processor with 6-8 GB RAM and 128-512 GB of internal storage.
We’ll update you as soon as we hear more about the Samsung Galaxy S10 in the future.

Leak Reveals Details About Huawei’s Foldable Phone

All the news about Samsung’s foldable phone might have caused you to forget about other similar smartphones, but rest assured, there’s more coming. Huawei has been actively developing one as well, which is rumored to support 5G.
The Chinese conglomerate announced a few months ago that they’re making a foldable phone as well, which will be released in a year. Here’s a concept render of Huawei’s phone:

Working Model

Now, ET News has revealed new information about the upcoming phone, saying that Huawei has already shown off a working phone to telecom operators in South Korea. According to GizmoChina, an inside source claims that Huawei has showcased the phone, but he didn’t share any specifications about the elusive phone.
South Korea will be getting the foldable phone first, as it’s the first country (besides the US) where 5G will be launched. It is expected that 5G commercialization will commence in the first half of 2019 in the country.
5G will reach Japan, China, and Europe from the second half of 2019. The phone itself is expected to be released in the 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2019.
It will come with flexible OLED panels sourced from the Chinese display maker BOE.

Rumored Specs

Rumored specifications say that the foldable phone will be 5-inches tall when folded. When opened up, it will measure 8 inches. By comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy F’s screen measures 7.3 inches when unfolded and 4.6-inches when folded.
Huawei is going to use the Balong 5000 5G modem for its foldable phone and will have an under-display fingerprint reader as well.

Release Date

Huawei’s foldable phone will be officially announced at the Mobile World Congress 2019 at Barcelona, Spain. Samsung hasn’t mentioned a specific launch window for the Galaxy F, although it’s expected to be unveiled in March 2019. It’s entirely possible that Huawei might release its phone before Samsung does, though it’s not confirmed.

6 Reasons Why the Huawei Mate 20 Pro is One of the Best Phones of 2018

Huawei Mate 20 Pro is breaking barriers in the smartphone industry and there are plenty of reasons as to why. In order to understand things better, here are six good reasons why Mate 20 Pro is gathering hype.

1) Finally a Camera That Will Do Justice

It is not a secret that Huawei Mate 20 Pro has by far one of the best smartphone cameras. While other brands’ cameras are still at 16MP, Huawei Mate 20 Pro has the world’s first 40MP Leica Triple Camera integrating a Leica Ultra Wide Angle Lens. The triple camera consists of a 40MP RGB camera, a 20MP Camera with a Leica Ultra Wide Angle Lens and an 8MP telephoto camera.

In case you’re not tech-savvy like us, we’ll simplify it: you will be able to fit large uninterrupted views in one picture, with incredible image quality. Never again will you have to sacrifice the rest of Dubai’s skyline, cut Burj Khalifa in half or struggle to fit the entire Pyramids in one shot.
It’s as close as it gets to the real view, crisp, clear and with a three dimensional effect – what you see is what you snap.
As for those extreme close up shots referred to as ‘Macrography’ – that was normally only feasible with the help of professional cameras – they are now also possible through Huawei Mate 20 Pro’ Super Macro feature.
No need to purchase an expensive professional camera to see and photograph the tiniest features on flowers or explore the intricate details of a fly before getting rid of it. Leica’s Ultra Wide Angle Lens doubles as a macro lens that can focus on an object as close as 2.5cm from the lens.
One more really cool camera feature? HiVision. By simply pointing your camera at an object you can query the internet for more information about it. Point your camera at a car for instance, and it will tell you what brand it is and even where to buy it. Point your camera at a cheeseburger and it will tell you how many calories it contains – here comes the guilt!

Video shooting gets a major upgrade too with the help of Artificial Intelligence, creating the AI Filmmaking feature geared towards video editing.
Optimizing colors, adjusting saturation and brightness and using preset modes will take your filmmaking skills to a whole new level without the trouble of actually going to film school.
But that’s not it – the AI Color Video Mode will recognize a human subject and de-saturate everything around it, highlighting the person. How so? Say you’re shooting your toddler running around in the park – the kid will appear in colors, running in an all-grey background. Talk about dramatic.

2) You Will Never Run Out of Charge Again!

It’s quite heartbreaking when your phone dies on you while you’re out with no charger, it’s almost like losing a limb. Thankfully, this is a thing of the past. Huawei Mate 20 Pro’s 4200mAh battery is one of the biggest smartphone batteries in a flagship phone and is as safe as it is large – being TUV Safety certified.
So how does the size of the battery translate into everyday use? It has the capacity to last through a whole day of intense usage. Sending out emails, scrolling through Instagram and listening to music without having to worry about running out of battery. Knock yourself out.

3) Charge Your Phone Quicker

Being held hostage at home until your phone battery reaches a decent percentage doesn’t scream modern technology. We’re always in a hurry and Huawei got that. The “Supercharge” i.e. Huawei’s new 40W adapter now released is one of the fastest chargers in the world, it has the ability to charge your smartphone so quickly that it only takes 10 minutes to get to 25% and 30 minutes to get to 70%.

4) Share the Power

A new unique and extremely practical feature: the Wireless Reverse Charge. Huawei Mate 20 Pro can serve as a power bank to other phones (Qi supported ones). Meaning that if your friend’s phone ran out of charge, simply place your phone on top of theirs, use this feature, and their phone will magically begin to charge. Talk about futuristic – and generous.

5) In-screen Fingerprint Unlock Feature

A new, speedy and more intuitive version of the fingerprint unlock feature: you can now place your finger on the screen itself and a prompt will appear, recognize your fingerprint and unlock the phone all in the span of 0.5 seconds. The moment your finger is removed, the prompt disappears. It is quick, fluid and feels more natural.

6) Unlock With Your Face

Your privacy will be well protected with this alternative way of unlocking your device, the 3D Face Unlock feature. Huawei Mate 20 Pro uses the 3D Depth Sensing Camera to identify your facial features in under 600ms and unlock the phone (luckily, you will need to have your eyes open for this to work otherwise nap time will have dire consequences). With a false match rate below one in a million, this new feature is highly secure, efficient, and let’s face it – quite impressive.
In the last quarter, no smartphone has managed to combine innovation, performance, and practicality in all departments the way Huawei Mate 20 Pro has, making it one of the greatest phones on the market.

Vivo Launches Y95 with 20MP AI Selfie Camera in Pakistan

Vivo today launched the all-new Vivo Y95 in Pakistan. This new addition to the popular Y series comes with a 20MP AI Selfie Camera that helps users capture the picture-perfect moment in any scenario.
This mid-ranger is power packed with many attractive and handy features offering the best experience for power users on a budget.

Vivo Y95 features a striking design – the new Halo FullView™ Display paired with Starry Black and Nebula Purple colors, all enclosed within a curved 3D body to provide a seamless and immersive user experience.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and USB OTG. Sensors on the phone include Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor and Gyroscope.
Some of its unique attributes are listed below:

Ultra All Screen:  See Beyond Limits

The all-new 6.22-inch Halo FullView™ Display stands head and shoulders above conventional notched displays, featuring a higher screen-to-body ratio of 88.6%.
The camera centered up top evokes the halo of a rising sun; casting its warmth and beauty upon the world. Its small size and clever design reward users with a more expansive mobile viewing experience.

Beauty in Your Hands: Starry Black & Nebula Purple

The Y95 adopts a whole new gloss painting process on the back, perfectly blending a deep black and shimmering blue, along with the beautiful pale purple that is visible when viewed from certain angles, invoking the far-flung corners of the universe in the palm of your hands.

20MP AI Face Beauty: Enhanced Beauty & Clarity

The Y95’s 20MP front camera captures more facial details than ever. AI algorithm detects your age, gender, skin tone, skin texture, and lighting environment to automatically deliver facial enhancements, without you having to lift a finger. Showing the world, a more beautiful you is now easier than ever.

AI Dual Camera: Double the Brilliance

The Y95 has a super-clear 13MP main rear camera, and a 2MP secondary rear camera which captures depth-of-field information, to rival professional-grade bokeh shots. It can also intelligently identify 140 different photo scenes before automatically optimizing them to deliver richer blue skies or more colorful flowers.

High Capacity 4030mAh Battery: Charge up & Do more

With a higher capacity than ever before, the 4030mAh battery is further complemented by an exclusive, smart-energy power management system. This allows you to play at will, with no need to worry about running out of battery.

Google Lens: Know no limits

In collaboration with Google, Vivo Y95’s camera has been integrated with Google Lens technology to bring you AI image recognition. Using an industry-leading deep learning algorithm, combined with neural network technology, your Y95 can identify objects and scenes in your photos and perform related searches.
From exploring popular landmarks, identifying plants and animals, to discovering where to buy an outfit you’ve spotted – the world is at your fingertips.

Jovi Smart Scene: Your Personal Assistant

The Y95 has the brains to understand what you need and become a close companion to help you. It can count your daily steps and calories, tell you the results of your favorite sports teams, update you on the weather, and advise you to take a rest if you’re working late into the night.

Specs, Availability and Pricing:

• 6.22-inch Halo FullView™ Display
• 20MP AI Selfie Camera, f/2.0 wide aperture
• 13+2MP Dual Rear Camera with PDAF
• 1.95GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 octa-core SoC
• 4GB RAM & 64GB Internal Storage
• 4030mAh high capacity battery
• Face Access and Rear Fingerprint Scanner
• Dual SIM 4G LTE support with dedicated microSD slot
• Jovi Smart Scene & Personal Assistant
• Funtouch OS 4.5 (based on Android 8.1)

Vivo Y95 is available in the market starting today for the recommended retail price of Rs. 34,999 in two brilliant color options, Starry Black and Nebula Purple.

Samsung is Bringing Back Flat Displays With Galaxy S10

There used to be a time when flat screen Samsung phones were all you could get. Then out came the Galaxy S6 with an “edge” model, which had a curved screen on the edges.
It was well received, which led Samsung to make another one with the S7. By the time we got to S8, gone was the flat screen model, replaced with a curved-screen-only variant.

If you liked the flat screen Samsung flagships more, there’s good news. The South Korean smartphone maker is bringing it back with the upcoming Galaxy S10, which is rumored to come with a flat screen.

M9 Series

According to the latest report by ETNews, Samsung is making a new lineup of OLED displays called M9, which will be used for the Galaxy S10. The report also mentions details about displays which will be used for the three variants of the S10.
The cheapest S10 will have a flat 5.8″ screen, the next model will have a curved 5.8″ display, while the top of the line model will have a 6.2″ panel.
ET’s article also goes into detail about the material suppliers which Samsung will use for the M9 displays. They’ll be working with new companies to supply organic materials for the Red, Green and Blue subpixels, replacing the ones used for the M8 generation of OLED displays. The M8 displays were used in this year’s Galaxy S9 and Note 9 phones.

Apple’s Displays

Another small but interesting detail in the report was that the materials used for Apple’s iPhone displays (which are also made by Samsung, by the way) fall under the LT2 category, and not M8 or M9 like the Galaxy phones. This should explain why the Galaxy S-series and Note series displays tend to be punchier and more saturated, unlike the iPhone X-series’ color accurate displays.

OnePlus Users Get SIM-less Global Data-Roaming Service

If you’re out and about and don’t have a SIM card for whatever country you’re in, OnePlus may have a solution for you.
They’ve launched a new service called OnePlus Roaming, which lets you use data wherever you are around the world. It’s limited to data only, you won’t be able to make calls.

It should work in “most countries” but availability hasn’t been confirmed yet, and we don’t have a list of countries for now.

Using This Service

OnePlus added this service with OxygenOS Open Beta 7. You can access it by going into Settings -> Wi-Fi & Internet -> OnePlus Roaming.

From there you have to buy a package for the region you’re in. As mentioned earlier, OnePlus hasn’t released a full list of countries where OnePlus Roaming works, so we don’t know if Pakistan is supported or not.

It’s only limited to data, so you won’t get voice calls. However, that can be remedied by using WhatsApp or a similar IM app that lets you call over data. The setup is also pretty simple, just buy the package and start using data then and there.

Only on OnePlus 6

Note that this is only available in OxygenOS Beta 7 on the OnePlus 6. The beta should arrive on the OnePlus 6T in the next few weeks. We still don’t know whether OnePlus 3/3T and OnePlus 5/5T will get the feature.
Other than OnePlus Roaming, the beta update adds a Video Enhancer, which configures colors for an improved viewing experience. There are also other smaller features like app drawer configuration, letting you choose a preferred SIM card for contacts and groups, and vibrating when a call ends.

How to Get The Beta

To get OxygenOS beta, you’ll need to flash a separate ROM. Refer to this page for instructions on how to flash the ROM. If you already have a beta ROM flashed on your OnePlus phone, all you need to do is check for a system update from Settings.

Samsung Offers a Bundle Promo for Its Triple Camera A7 Smartphone

Samsung, the global leader in technology and electronics, has bundled its amazing Galaxy A7 with a free 10,000 mAh battery pack with the purchase of a new Samsung Galaxy A7. This amazing promotion also gives purchasers 10 free food vouchers and this bundle promo is valid for a limited time at all Samsung Hero Shops.
For consumers who wish to trade up their old phones, Samsung offers a ‘Trade Up’ option letting them pay the price difference between a new A7 and their old phone. They can further avail a Rs. 5000 discount and a free 10,000 mAh along with 10 food vouchers. Both these offers are available at Samsung Hero Shops.

The Galaxy A7 2018 is one of Samsung’s first phones to come with a triple camera setup on its back. The triple camera (24MP-8MP-5MP) is aligned vertically on the top left rear corner and includes a 24MP main sensor with f/1.7 which improves the quality of the image by combining four pixels in one in low light conditions.
The second lens provides depth to the image while the third lens is an 8MP ultra-wide sensor ideal for capturing photos with 120 degrees field of view. Furthermore, there is 128 GB of internal storage and a side fingerprint scanner.

Affordable Honor 10 Lite Debuts With Waterdrop Notch & Gradient Colors

Huawei’s sub-brand, Honor, is known for its bang for buck offerings, with its mid-range phones offering great value for money. The latest entry in Honor’s growing list of midrangers is the Honor 10 Lite.
It’s mostly similar to the Honor 8x released earlier, with a few key differences.

Design and Display

As mentioned earlier, this phone is quite similar to Honor 8X, in fact, it looks exactly like the 8X Max on the front with its waterdrop notch. It sports a big 6.21″ Full HD IPS LCD display with an impressive screen to body ratio (around 83%).
The standout feature of the Honor 10 Lite is its gradient back, with the colors changing shades as you look at them from different angles. There’s a fingerprint sensor on the back, with dual vertically oriented cameras protruding from the back as well.

Internals and Storage

This is where the phones start to differentiate a little. The Honor 10 Lite is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor with 4/6 GB RAM and 64/128 GB of internal storage. There’s a microSD card slot onboard if you want to expand the storage further.
It runs on Android 9.0 Pie with Huawei’s proprietary Emotion UI 9 skin, with features such as Adaptive Battery, Adaptive Brightness and Android Dashboard.
It’s still rare to see a midranger with Android 9.0 Pie out of the box, so that’s a plus.

Cameras

The back cameras include a 13 MP f/1.8 main shooter with a 2 MP depth sensing secondary camera. On the front, it has a singular 24 MP sensor hiding in the notch, which uses pixel binning to improve the lighting and overall quality of the images.
It also has AI and can recognize 8 different scenes, learning from your selfie-taking patterns over time.

Battery and Price

Last but not least is the battery. Honor 10 Lite has a 3,000 mAh unit. Fast charging wasn’t mentioned so it’s safe to say it won’t come with Huawei’s SuperCharge tech.
Despite being in the premium midrange price segment, the Honor 10 Lite skips out on a USB Type-C port. You do, however, get a 3.5mm headphone jack.
It will be available in Midnight Black, Lily White, Gradient Blue, and Gradient Red colors. It is available in China for $200 (4/64 GB), $245 (6/64 GB) and $270 (6/128 GB) for different RAM and storage variants.
We’ll update you as soon as we hear about the phone launching in Pakistan.

Honor 10 Lite Specifications

• CPU: 2.2GHz octa-core Cortex-A73
• GPU: Mali-G51 MP4
• Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 710
• OS: Android 9.0 Pie with EMUI
• Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE; Dual-SIM
• Display:
  • 6.21″ 19.5″9 IPS LCD with Full HD+ (2340 x 1080) resolution
• Memory:
  • RAM: 4/6 GB
  • Internal: 64/128 GB
  • Card slot: yes, by 256 GB.
• Camera:
  • Primary: 13 MP f/1.8 + 2 MP, LED flash
  • Secondary: 24 MP, AI scene recognition
• Connectivity: microUSB, 5GHz Wi-Fi, audio-jack, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
• Fingerprint scanner
• Battery: 3000 mAh;

Xiaomi Takes Over Meitu’s Smartphone Business for Improved Selfie Cameras

We may have a lot of Chinese smartphone brands in Pakistan, but you may not have heard of this one. Meitu was originally known for making selfie beautification apps for phones. Then it started making its own smartphones, which were also focused on selfies. Sounds a lot like Oppo doesn’t it?
Based on the latest news, Xiaomi has entered into an agreement with Meitu, where the former is going to handle the latter’s hardware business, including design, R&D, marketing, and sales, for the next 30 years. Meitu will hold on to the camera department.

Deal Specifics

The two companies will not be entering into a merger or an acquisition, instead, they will form a strategic partnership over the stipulated period.
Other than smartphones, Xiaomi will also be selling certain smart products using the Meitu brand name. Xiaomi already has a pretty extensive range of smart products, so we’re not sure how Meitu will fit into the picture.
Under the agreement, Xiaomi will be liable to pay Meitu a 10% profit share for the first five years of the deal, or until the profit reaches a certain threshold. After that, Xiaomi will then pay a fixed amount per device for 30 years.

What Does Xiaomi/Meitu Get From This Deal?

This deal seems like a way for Meitu to save itself from going bankrupt. Everyone knows that Oppo is famous for its selfie-focused F-series and has made quite a name for itself in China as well as international markets.
On Xiaomi’s side of the deal, this could be a way to tap into a new audience. Meitu primarily sells to young female buyers while Xiaomi caters to men between the ages of 30-34 (according to Technode), accounting for 69.1% of its buyers. This is similar to Huawei, which also caters to mostly male buyers (66%).

Expansion

Xiaomi’s experience in the design and marketing department could help push the selfie-centric Meitu brand, and also expand its reach among new audiences.
This partnership could also mean that we see Meitu phones launching in other countries as well. We’ll have to wait and see how this develops over time and whether it actually helps Xiaomi/Meitu in the long run.

Unboxing: Here Are the First Impressions of Vivo Y95

Chinese smartphone maker, Vivo, has launched its all-new Y95 in Pakistan. This is the first smartphone in Pakistan which is equipped with the new Snapdragon 439 Octa-Core chipset.
The device comes with 4GB of RAM with 64GB of internal storage. The Vivo comes with a 6.22 inch Halo FullView display and a waterdrop notch design, which has been seen in a few devices before as well.

Vivo Y95 has a dual-camera setup at the back with one 13MP sensor accompanied by a 2MP sensor with LED flash and phase detection auto focus (PDAF).
The front of the device has a 20MP selfie shooter with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities.

Nokia 6.1 Plus: Is This The Best Mid-Range Smartphone? [Review]

Nokia has been on a roll recently and it seems like they have been launching phone after phone every couple of weeks. Even in Pakistan this year, we have seen a slew of new mid-range offerings from Nokia but perhaps the two most important phones from Nokia this year so far have been the Nokia 6.1 (2018) and the all new Nokia 6.1 Plus.
Now, we have already reviewed the Nokia 6.1 (2018) and it was a good upgrade over last year’s model. Whereas the Nokia 6.1 Plus, which we have with us today, is a completely new series in the Nokia lineup.

It brings a much more premium build quality, better specifications, better cameras and other minor improvements. But that means it also comes with a price bump. Coming in at Rs. 35,800 does it offer better specifications over the Nokia 6.1? and how does it compare with the rest of the competition? Let’s find out.

Xiaomi Mi 10’s Hands-On Images Reveal Curved Display & 108 MP Camera

Xiaomi’s Mi 10 duo has shaped up to be one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2020. The smartphones, like almost every Xiaomi flagship, have been backed by a number of leaks and rumors. The most recent leak consists of hands-on images of this upcoming Mi 10 Pro 5G, revealing some interesting details.
First thing’s first, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G will ship with a top of the line 108 MP camera. Currently, very few smartphones are expected to boast such a high-resolution sensor, Samsung’s upcoming S20 is one of those. This 108 MP imaging sensor will be joined by three more sensors, which will probably be an ultra-wide sensor, a ToF sensor, and a depth sensor.

The images are not very clear, but we can make out that the Mi 10 Pro 5G is built around an AMOLED display with a punch hole. The fingerprint sensor will be housed under the display that curves towards the sides similar to a waterfall display. The images show that the device carries the ‘M2001J1C’ model number. The same phone appeared on TENAA recently revealing a 3C with a 66W charger.

Other leaked images show the power button and volume rocker on the right side. A USB Type-C port at the bottom, along with a microphone and an external speaker.

Rumored Specifications

As far as other specifications are concerned, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G is expected to come with a 120 Hz display, Snapdragon 865 SoC, latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, 4,500mAh battery and support for wireless charging.
The launch date has not been unveiled, but based on rumors, Xiaomi is gearing up to launch the smartphone on valentine’s day (14 February).

Alleged Poco F2 Lite Shows Up in Live Images

Xiaomi India’s global Vice President and Managing Director has recently confirmed that Pocophone has become an independent brand and will be producing its own lineup this year, similar to Redmi.
The news comes amidst rumors regarding a successor device for the Poco F1, known as the Poco F2. While there is nothing new on the Poco F2 yet, a new leak for the Poco F2 Lite has surfaced instead.
A YouTuber named RevAtlas has shared live photos for the device on his channel and one of the images show the moniker “Poco F2 Lite”.

The image shows the device sporting a waterdrop notch and appears to be running the global version of MIUI 11. Another image shows the entire display with slim bezels and a significant chin, similar to the Redmi Note 7.

The YouTuber revealed that the Poco F2 Lite will feature the Snapdragon 765 SoC with 6GB RAM, 5000 mAh battery and a “very high-resolution camera”. The leak also included a text claiming that the Poco F2 Lite will be cheaper than last year’s Poco F1.
Some users are speculating that it might, in fact, be a Redmi Note 7 with a modded version of MIUI. The YouTuber also said that there is no confirmation whether these images are real or fake, so take this information with a grain of salt.

Samsung is Making a “Zig-Zag” Foldable Phone

According to a recent leak by a Chinese leakster, Samsung is working on a triple-fold Galaxy device with the Z moniker. The exact name of this triple folding smartphone is not known yet, however, as far as the design is concerned, it looks a lot like the triple folding smartphone showcased by TCL in October 2019.
The leak reveals that the Galaxy Z tri-folding smartphone will most probably be fitted with two hinges that fold in opposite directions. Which means that the device will appear to wrap in a zigzag manner.

We don’t have any information regarding this triple-fold smartphone; however, if it is akin to the smartphone showcased by TCL, it will have two tow hinges. Apart from this, it will be usable as a normal smartphone when fully folded (much thicker than normal). In the unfolded state, it will provide as much display area as a 10-inch tablet.

TCL’s foldable phone
In the Folded position, the TCL phone looks like three phones stacked on each other. Most probably, the Samsung Galaxy Z foldable three-fold smartphone will look similar.
If rumors are to be believed, Samsung will launch at least two foldable phones in 2020. One of them will be the Galaxy Z flip, while the other one can be this triple folding smartphone. We might see Samsung’s first 2020 foldable smartphone accompanying Samsung Galaxy S20 series in San Francisco on 11^th February.

Reasons to Choose Tecno Over Other Phone Brands

In a highly competitive market, Tecno won the hearts of millions across the globe, the secret behind this success lies in its consumer-centric products with a focus on features and affordability. There are several convincing reasons, which make Tecno the first choice of every smartphone user.

Price & Features

One of the most important considerations while choosing a phone is the price. Tecno gives buyers the best value for money and is committed to giving an all-in-one experience. When it comes to affordability, Tecno is doing exceptionally well, as one of its most popular model Camon 12 Air comes with a punch-hole screen at a price of Rs. 19,500.


Now Tecno is also planning to introduce a Popup camera for its consumers at a budget price. The core strength of Tecno lies in offering budget devices with stylish designs, impressive displays, high-resolution cameras, storage capacity, and big batteries.

Cameras

With Tecno’s camera-centric phones, one can capture good shots in all types of lightning. With a range of lighting modes, face scanner and filters features, Tecno, provides everything its customers expect. It is expected that Tecno’s upcoming phone is also from the same Camon series.

Durability

With a strong portfolio of smartphones, Tecno has positioned itself as a youth brand, equally popular among fashion enthusiasts, selfie lovers, and youngsters. With multiple tiers of smartphones in the market, Tecno truly has a phone for everyone.

Samsung Galaxy A8s Likely to Use Chinese Infinity-O LCD Displays

An industry report has revealed that Samsung is approaching the Chinese display maker BOE to introduce a new design for its upcoming Galaxy A8s.
The report, though unconfirmed, has been making rounds on the internet for a few days.

The South Korean tech giant is planning to introduce the Infinity-O display for Galaxy A8s. Not only is the design going to be new but the panel is also going to be of the LCD variety rather than OLED.
Using an LCD panel will also reduce the cost substantially compared to Samsung’s AMOLED displays.

The LCD panel will have a small hole in the top-left corner for the selfie camera. As per the available information, the cut-out’s diameter will be 6.7mm.
In fact, it is being rumored that the size of the cut out maybe even smaller for the S10, i.e., 3mm.
BOE may not be as famous as Samsung or LG for making smartphone displays, however, BOE is producing the 6.39-inch OLED display on the recent Huawei Mate 20 Pro.
As for the specifications of Galaxy A8s, it will come with a Snapdragon 710 chipset, running Android 9 Pie with Samsung’s custom UI, a 3000mAh battery, and 6GB RAM according to the previous leaks.
The price and availability have not been disclosed yet. However, it is rumored to be launched sometime in December.

Oppo Realme U1 Brings 25MP Selfie Camera & Waterdrop Notch

Oppo’s budget Realme series is getting a new phone called the Realme U1. Following in the footsteps of its “selfie expert” brethren, Realme U1 features a 25 MP camera on the front.
There’s more than what meets the eye with this new phone. Let’s dive in.

Design and Display

Starting off with the display, Oppo Realme U1 has a large 6.3″ Full HD IPS LCD display with an impressive 90.8% screen to body ratio.
The front camera is housed in the waterdrop notch on the front. The front is very similar to recent Oppo phones like the F9 or A7.
Moving on to the back we have acrylic on the Realme U1, with a polished look to make it feel like glass. It isn’t curved like the Oppo F9 and is instead a single flat piece of 2.5D material on the rear. There’s also horizontally arranged dual cameras on the back and a fingerprint sensor on the upper half of the phone.

Internals and Storage

This is the first phone to come with MediaTek’s latest octa-core Helio P70 chipset. There’s 3/4 GB RAM and 32/64 GB storage with a dedicated microSD card slot. Dual SIM support is included as well.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t have Android 9.0 Pie onboard and makes do with 8.1 Oreo (and a ColorOS 5.2 skin).
Oppo is promising steady 60fps in games thanks to the new Mali-G72 MP3 GPU and software optimizations, we’ll have to see how it measures up against other mid-rangers in this department

Cameras

The rear cameras aren’t very interesting and house a 13 MP + 2 MP dual lens setup, same as Realme 2. It doesn’t support 4K video or even 1080p video at 60fps.
As mentioned earlier, there’s a single 25 MP selfie shooter on the front, which uses a Sony IMX576 sensor which employs pixel binning for better low light shots.

Battery and Price

Powering everything on the Realme U1 is a 3,500 mAh cell with battery optimizations included. It still has the aging microUSB port sans fast charging.
Finally, we’ll talk about its price. It starts at INR 11,999 ($170) for the 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage model while the 4 GB/64 GB variant costs INR 14,999 ($215). It is currently available in India, with no release date for Pakistan for now.

Oppo Realme U1 Specifications

• Chipset: MediaTek Helio P70
• OS: Android 8.1 Oreo with ColorOS 5.2
• Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE; Dual-SIM
• Display:
  • 6.3” 18:9 IPS LCD with Full HD+ (1080 x 2340) resolution (409 PPI)
• Memory
  • RAM: 3/4/GB
  • Internal: 32/64 GB
  • Card slot: Yes
• Camera:
  • Primary: 13 MP, f/2.2 + 2MP f/2.4 + LED flash
  • Secondary: 25 MP, f/2.0,
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Battery: 3,500 mAh
• Price: $170 (3 GB), $215 (4 GB)

Oppo’s Foldable Smartphone Will be Unveiled at MWC 2019

Oppo wasn’t on anyone’s radar when it came to foldable phones. Both Xiaomi and Oppo mentioned that they are going to release their foldable phones next year, but we had no other details about them.
According to the latest development, Oppo is going to reveal its first foldable smartphone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019.

Foldable smartphones have become a fad in the present times. Mobile manufacturers seem to be in a competition to roll out a unique foldable smartphone in one form or another.
Big names like Huawei, LG, and Samsung are already working on this task. Now, the Chinese phone manufacturer Oppo is actually releasing one in a few months time.

A Dutch tech site, Let’s Go Digital, stated that the news has been confirmed by none other than the product manager of Oppo, Chuck Wang.
Although he did not disclose any details of the phone, he did allude that the phone is going to make an appearance at the MWC 2019, which is going to be held in Barcelona, Spain at the end of February.
As mentioned earlier, the company has not revealed any specs yet, but the phone is going to be one of a kind, given the hype surrounding foldable phones.
For now, there are only speculations and patents about the potential design of the foldable smartphones. For one, LG has applied for multiple patents for the shape of foldable phones. It implies that the technology is quite versatile and will give a lot of design choices to the manufacturers.
Oppo has also considered a variety of designs for the said device, which makes it hard to speculate on the look of Oppo’s folding smartphone.
We’ll update you as soon as we get more info on Oppo’s foldable phone.

HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro Debuts the World’s First Reverse Wireless Charging Feature

 Welcome to the era of technology. A time of groundbreaking innovations, connectivity and knowledge at the tip of our fingers. Ordering Match a Tea from Tokyo when you live in Cairo, streaming an Italian film in the comfort of your Dubai home, or video calling a friend in London to tease them about the weather in Lahore, such are the possibilities of modern day life.
Smartphones are the main tool used as our key to the rest of the world. They have shifted from simple call-makers to crucial everyday tools like alarm clocks, news outlets, cameras, mailboxes, GPS and more. It is thus normal that we take such good care of them. We wrap them in covers and screen protectors and back them up. But what happens when the battery starts running low – or even worse, dies on us when we have no access to a plug or a charger? We know that feeling all too well.

“Low battery anxiety”is a modern day syndrome many have confessed to feel. A feeling of stress and anxiety that sometimes even forces one to head back home from an outing or even ask a complete stranger for a charger, as desperate times call for desperate measures. Luckily, the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro gets this issue and has a trick up its sleeve.


Besides its gigantic 4200 mAh battery that can last through an entire day of extensive usage, the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro features a 40W HUAWEI Super Charge, which helps top up the battery to 70% in only 30 minutes. It also supports a 15W HUAWEI wireless fast charge, offering the fastest wireless charging in the industry -and that’s not all.
The HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro features the world’s first Wireless Reverse Charging. This highly futuristic and revolutionary feature is just as impressive as it is practical. It enables the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro to act like a wireless power bank for any other device supporting wireless charging.
If you can spot a friend with no charger or access to a plug, save them before they begin to display “low battery anxiety” symptoms by activating this feature and placing your phone on top of theirs. Their device will then start charging.
Other smartphone brands have yet to implement this option, as it is extremely handy and crucial to every modern day smartphone user. In terms of safety, the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro is certified by TUV Rheinland, a German certification organization following some of the world’s strictest safety standards. The device is ensured to charge both quickly and safely while maintaining a low temperature, so users can have peace of mind while their devices are plugged in.
Not only has it taken the industry by surprise with its numerous ways to keep juice in an already very large battery’s tank, the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro also integrates several other great features from an extremely smooth user-experience, to an exceptional 40MP Leica Triple Camera with a Wide Angle Lens and In-screen Fingerprint Scanner – in a bid to win over users with its numerous practical, efficient and innovative characteristics.
A pioneer in several departments, this smartphone is raising the bar for the industry as a whole by truly understanding users’ needs and catering to them with the safest and most-advanced technologies.

Vivo Teases its First Dual Display NEX Phone

Now that we’re at the end of 2018, more rumors are popping up about upcoming smartphones.
Today Vivo teased their upcoming NEX 2 phone, which is expected to come with a dual screen design. A few renders and a promo video have also appeared on their website, giving you an idea of what to expect.

NEX 2 will be officially launched on December 11, with Vivo planning a major announcement for when the promo campaign ends.
According to a leaker on Weibo, Vivo NEX 2 will come in up to 10 GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Here’s the leaked image:

It is expected to come with a triple camera setup on the back in a circular module and a round LED flash.
Other specifications are currently unknown. It might come with a Snapdragon 845 chipset though.
It will cost more than $700 at launch.

About Vivo NEX

Vivo turned a lot of heads with its original NEX phone. It came with a small sliding module that housed the front camera of the Vivo NEX. This not only made the phone nearly edge-to-edge, it also made the phone a lot cooler as nobody had attempted this sort of design before.

Originally known as the Vivo APEX concept phone, the company decided to mass produce it, renaming it to NEX.
The trend caught on, with Oppo eventually releasing a phone with a bigger slider module which housed 3D face scanners and the rear cameras. Xiaomi and Huawei both had their own takes on the concept, releasing manual slider phones (Mi Mix 3 and Honor Magic 2) that use magnets to lock into place.

OPPO All Set to Launch the R17 Pro in Pakistan This Month

OPPO is all set to launch their first R series phone in Pakistan with the R17 Pro. With the new target market of the R series, R17 Pro adopts revolutionary gradient design, the Super VOOC Flash Charge technology and a number of innovations to bring users a smartphone series that combines artistic design and elegant technologies.
The R17 Pro fully demonstrates OPPO’s innovation and leadership in mobile phone design.

Commenting on the launch of the first R series phone in Pakistan, Mr. George Long, CEO OPPO Pakistan, said:

As the pathfinder of smartphone gradient design, OPPO always adheres to its design philosophy, and continuously creates stunning gradient colors for consumers, using OPPO’s fashionable aesthetics and advanced craftsmanship.
From the Nebula Purple of R15, OPPO has always been leading the trend of the industry, making gradient now a “basic” for smartphone design. R17 Pro invented a brand-new “three-color and bi/quad-direction” gradient design.
By adding a light-condensing layer, the OPPO R17 Pro allows light to flow on the surface of the device, demonstrating leading color aesthetics and innovation. OPPO R17 Pro will be available in two unique and beautiful colors, Radiant Mist and Emerald Green.

When it comes to product technology, night shooting is one of the most difficult avenues to explore in the smartphone industry.
The R17 Pro features a smart aperture and a software-level AI Ultra-clear Engine that allows users to take high-quality night photos. The AI Ultra-clear Engine is OPPO’s unique image-enhancing engine that breaks through hardware limitations and maximizes image quality.
The R17 Pro’s F1.5/F2.4 Smart Aperture camera is built to automatically widen in the fading light and darkness, letting more light rays in for clearer night scenes.
The R17 Pro adopts Corning® Gorilla® Glass 6 for the first time, with a 91.5% screen-to-body ratio and Hidden Fingerprint Unlock. The R17 Pro also features TOF 3D camera, upgrading the camera from 2D to 3D and bringing users’ functions like 3D photos, somatosensory games, AR ruler and more.
The R17 Pro also carries Super VOOC flash charging technology, allowing R Series users to enjoy the safest and most efficient charging technology in the industry.
The R17 Pro 8GB+128GB with Super VOOC will launch in Pakistan on 15th December 2018.

Project Andromeda: Microsoft Will Also Launch a Foldable Smartphone in 2019

2019 is going to be an exciting year as far as new announcements are concerned. There have been numerous leaks, rumors, and patent designs revealing the fact that a fleet of foldable smartphones is arriving in 2019.
Recently, Microsoft has also jumped on the bandwagon, as the Redmond based company will be coming up with a foldable version of a smartphone under Project Andromeda in 2019.

The news has surfaced via a new book titled ‘Beneath a Surface’ by a journalist and Microsoft tech blog collaborator Brad Same. The book tells its readers the story of Microsoft, where they started from and how they turned their Surface lineup into a  $1 billion a year business.

The book pretty much confirms that Microsoft is coming up with a foldable Andromeda tablet/phone. This foldable phone will be able to expand like the tablet and will enter the market in the next year.
There are many features that make it Microsoft’s most awaited device of 2019. For one, it will sport a Surface-like design and a Windows Phone Operating System. If you recall, Windows phones died out back in 2017 with Microsoft officially shutting down the development of future Windows phones.
Apart from the foldable phone, the company is set to launch new Surface tablets and several other surface hardware in 2019.
Moreover, the new tablet will compete with Apple’s iPad Pro 12.9-inch tablet. Moreover, it will come with a slim design with USB Type-C onboard and thin display bezels.
It is pertinent to mention here that companies like Samsung, LG, and Huawei have allegedly been working on their own foldable smartphones as well. Word has it that all of them are going to launch in 2019.

Here’s How You Can Register Your Imported Phones in Pakistan

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed Customs authorities to detain all mobile devices imported through Postal/Courier services in Pakistan and make it mandatory to register mobile devices carried in the accompanied luggage of international passengers at airports.
The FBR has also issued a new procedure for holder/proprietor of un-registered mobile devices to voluntarily approach the nearest Collectorate of Customs and file declaration for regularization of such devices on payment of duty/taxes and registration with Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA).
However, the FBR’s customs general order (CGO) 6 of 2018 issued has not specified any slabs of duties and taxes for the legalization of unregistered mobile phones and mobile devices coming through Postal/Courier and accompanied baggage.
According to the customs general order (CGO) 6 of 2018 issued by the FBR, Federal Cabinet has approved the launching/operationalization of Devices Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) with effect from 1st December, 2018. The DIRBS system was developed by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to ensure the sale, purchase and provision of mobile communication services to compliant mobile devices only.
Accordingly, all Type Approval holders, authorized distributors, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) will be required to ensure that non-compliant devices are not imported, sold, marketed or connected with the mobile operator networks. The compliant mobile devices are such devices with SIM or IMEI functionality which are type approved or have certification of compliance (CoC) to technical standards to IMEI devices issued by the PTA.
At present, mobile devices are brought into the country either through commercial imports or imported by individuals in accompanied baggage/courier or brought in illegally by smuggling. The commercial imports of mobile devices are regulated. The Custom’s WeBOC module is already operational and commercial consignments having PTA issued Type Approval or CoC are allowed clearance.
In order to regulate the import of mobile devices brought in by individuals for their personal use in accompanied baggage or through couriers or mobile devices brought in through informal channels and available in the local market, the FBR has formulated a new procedure.

Imported Devices Via Post

In order to regulate the import of un-registered mobile devices imported by individuals through postal/courier service for personal use or gift, the following procedure is devised:-

• The Customs authorities shall initially detain the mobile device imported through Postal/Courier service in Pakistan and issue a stamped declaration form to the applicant as provided.
• The applicant will apply for CoC via PTA portal by submitting documents mentioned on the said website.
• PTA will issue CoC (online) in accordance with their SoP for the release of the detained device and forward a copy of the same to the Customs authorities.
• Upon issuance of CoC from PTA, the applicant shall deposit the Custom’s assessed leviable duty/taxes and the detained device will accordingly be released.

In the case of non-issuance of CoC, the Customs authorities will take further action in accordance with the law with respect to the detained device.

Devices Brought by Foreign Passengers

In order to regulate the registration of mobile devices brought by international passengers, the PTA/Customs in coordination with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) shall make necessary arrangements at all international airports to aptly inform the incoming passengers about mandatory registration of mobile devices carried in the accompanied baggage. This may be done by means of appropriate display of the instructions for registration under DIRBS inside the international arrival halls/lounges or by means of leaflets available to the incoming passengers or distributed through tourist agencies, airlines etc.
The new procedure has been devised to regulate registration of mobile devices brought by the international passengers in their accompanied baggage:-

• The mobile devices brought by international passengers are required to be declared at Customs counters established at all international airports by filling a declaration form as prescribed. On receipt of the declaration, the Customs authorities shall verify the particulars and process the declaration under PTA module for the issuance of online CoC;
• A system generated CoC shall accordingly be issued by the PTA through the aforesaid module. Afterwards, the Customs shall assess the import levies applicable on the mobile devices in accordance with the admissible allowances as envisaged in the Baggage Rules, 2006. Thereafter, the passenger shall deposit assessed duty/taxes.

Mobile devices will accordingly be released in accordance with the above-mentioned procedure. In case of non-issuance of CoC, the mobile devices shall be detained for further processing under the law.
The above-stated procedure will apply mutatis mutandis for passengers arriving into Pakistan through Land Border Customs Stations.
In case the International Passenger, due to any reason, does not get the Mobile Device registered at the time of arrival at the airport, he/she may approach the nearest Customs Collectorate for registration of the same within fifteen days of the date of arrival in Pakistan. The passenger will be required to submit declaration form as prescribed, along with copies of travel documents i.e. passport duly stamped for entry into Pakistan. The declaration will accordingly be processed in the same manner as prescribed for the release of Mobile Device.

Illegal Phones in the Market

The Collectorates are requested to furnish the information on a monthly basis, regarding the import of Mobile Devices in Accompanied Baggage:

• In order to regulate the mobile devices brought in illegally through informal channels and are available in the local market, the following procedure is prescribed to regularize such devices on payment of duty/taxes and for further registration with PTA in accordance with their SoP on one time basis until 31st December, 2018:
• The holder/proprietor of un-registered mobile devices shall voluntarily approach the nearest Collectorate of Customs and file declaration as provided along with a soft copy of IMEI details of such devices in excel format. On receipt of the declaration, the designated Customs official shall verify the particulars and endorse the stamp on the declaration form and detain the mobile device.
• Thereafter, the holder shall file an application supported with duly stamped declaration form before PTA for the issuance of CoC. The PTA shall process the application in accordance with their SoP and accordingly issue CoC.
• Upon issuance of CoC, the applicant shall approach the Customs authorities for the release of the mobile device. The Customs authorities shall assess the leviable duty/taxes after adjudication proceedings. The holder afterward shall deposit the duty/taxes in the designated branch of National Bank of Pakistan. Accordingly, the mobile device will be released to the holder.

In the case of non-issuance of CoC, the Customs authorities will take further action in accordance with the law in respect of the detained device.
After the expiry of aforesaid timeline no option shall be available to regularize the illegal mobile devices and all such devices shall be liable for seizure/outright confiscation under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1969. In addition, all such devices shall be permanently blocked through DIRBS by PTA.
All the Collectorates are requested to furnish the information regarding regularization of mobile devices in the format detailed as under by December 31, 2018 positively, FBR added.

These Are the Fastest Charging Phones of 2018

In this day and age, everything has to be fast. It needs to be even faster when it comes to charging. That is why mobile phone companies are leaving no stone unturned to equip their devices with the fastest charging technologies.
Nearly every mobile phone manufacturer offers the fast charging technology such as OnePlus with Dash Charging, Oppo with VOOC and Super VOOC, Qualcomm’s Quick Charge and Huawei’s SuperCharge.

A test was conducted to check which phone has the fastest charging technology. The test named Oppo R17 Pro as the winner among 59 phones, as it charged up to 92 percent in just 30 minutes.
Notably, the majority of the devices tend to charge faster in the first half an hour. Therefore, the testers gathered 59 different devices to assess which one offers the fastest charging.
Doing so also helped determine which manufacturer provides support for fastest charging with respect to speed and safety.

After 30 minutes, Oppo R17 Pro charged up to 92 percent, the highest to charge up its 3700 mAh battery with SuperVOOC flash charging of 50W.
As for the device standing second in the list, it is none other than the Honor Magic 2 with 83 percent of its battery charged in the given time. It has a 3500 mAh battery with 40W of fast charging.
Moreover, Meizu Pro 7 Plus and Oppo R11 stand at third and fourth position respectively. Meizu Pro 7 is also equipped with a 3500 mAh battery with a fast charging capacity of 20W while Oppo R11 had a 3000 mAh unit with 20W fast charging.
Here are the complete results of the test (in Chinese).

As you can see above, Chinese manufacturers are far ahead of others in terms of offering fast charging solutions. They have occupied all of the slots in the top 10 list, with no sign of Samsung, Apple or other non-Chinese phone makers.

Oppo A7 is a Low-Midranger That Costs Rs. 40,000 [Review]

Oppo has been around in Pakistan for quite a few years now and they have been producing somewhat decent budget phones for the masses. They have even experimented with some unique flagship phones as well, like the Find X. But, Oppo is mostly known for their midrange and budget phones and that’s what they’re good at.
I, personally, have had good experience with Oppo phones and also loved their recent installment in the F Series, the F9. So, I was surprised to hear that they are also launching an A-series phone with a price tag of Rs. 40,000. This price tag is double the price tag of its predecessor, the A71 and that wasn’t a good start for the brand new A7.

Keep in mind that the A series is a budget series from Oppo, so pricing it at Rs. 40,000 meant they had to pull off something great to justify the price but unfortunately, it fell short of the competition and we were left scratching our heads at how Oppo decided to go ahead with the pricing on this particular phone.
Check out our detailed review below to fully grasp the conundrum that is Oppo A7.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Render Leak Reveals More Features

Samsung Galaxy S10 is one of the most anticipated phones of 2019. The rumor mill is churning out news daily, the certainty of which cannot be determined.
However, some of the leaks cannot be brushed aside as rumors, just like the ones reported by 91Mobiles and OnLeaks. They claim to have gotten their hands on CAD renders which give us an idea as to what should we expect from the soon-to-be-announced devices.

As per the leaks, Galaxy S10 Plus is going to look like Galaxy S9 with no notches and tiny bezels. It is projected to be larger than regular Galaxy S10 for obvious reasons.
Also, there are going to be four cameras on the rear while dual selfie cameras will be in a display hole on the front. While the images are clearly showing the four-camera setup lined horizontally, there is also what seems to be a heart rate sensor next to the cameras.


The shape of the flash and the heart sensor are slightly different compared to the previous leak. Fortuntately, Samsung is sticking with the headphone jack, which is present at the bottom.

Old Renders

Here are yesterday’s leaked renders, but they aren’t accurate, as the new ones (shown above) supersede them for now.

The rear fingerprint scanner is not visible either, which implies that there will be an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor that uses ultrasonic sound waves to identify fingerprints.
As for the facial recognition, the new phone will probably opt for a different face-unlock solution instead of the usual iris scanner used in the S8 and S9 series.
It will come with a curved 6.4” Super AMOLED screen. The entire phone measures as 157.5x 75.0 x 7.8mm with a 3.5mm jack and the bottom-firing speaker.
A “leaked” video at Weibo showed the Galaxy S10 being unboxed. Here are a few stills from the video:

As per the renders, there is also going to be a 5G enabled version of Samsung Galaxy S10. South Korea officially launched 5G yesterday, with SK Telecom’s CEO testing out the service with a video call.
He supposedly used a prototype Galaxy S10 with 5G to make the calls. Here’s a video of him making the calls.
As for the pricing, rumors say that the S10 Plus is expected to cost around $1000.
Watch this space for more on Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S10.

Vivo NEX 2 Will Have Two Displays and 4 Rear Cameras[Leak]

Vivo has been making headlines over the year for its innovative devices. This time Vivo has a new unique looking smartphone coming on December 11.
This smartphone is going to be a new entry into the Nex series and will most probably be called NEX 2. A new leak has surfaced showing what the upcoming phone will look like.

NEX 2 is expected to be different from the Vivo Nex S, as the latter had an in-display fingerprint sensor, pop-up camera, and an entirely bezel-less display. It is going to feature two displays, with the second display on the back of the device.
Moreover, as per the picture leaks, Nex 2 does not have a front camera. Instead, it’s secondary screen works as a viewfinder and employs its rear shooter, which is more capable, for taking selfies.
There is a ring in the middle, on the rear, which houses two camera sensors with two additional sensors outside the ring on opposing sides. Called Lunar Ring, it functions as a display scale to adjust the intensity of the beauty effect and the 3D beauty mode. These are two separate modes.

Furthermore, there is an earpiece on the back enabling the user to use either side of the phone for taking calls.

It needs to be mentioned here that the new leaks depict four cameras on the back while the older leaks showed them to be three.
That does not necessarily mean that the older reports may be wrong. There is a possibility of two different versions, one having three cameras and the other having four. The previous NEX also came in two versions, Nex S and Nex A.
According to the earlier reports, NEX 2 may come up with up to 10 GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. It may be priced over $700.