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Meizu M6 Note Announced with 4GB RAM, Dual Rear Camera

GadgetByte

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August 24, 2017

Meizu M6 Note Announced with 4GB RAM, Dual Rear Camera

Meizu has announced its latest mid-range phone, the Meizu M6 Note. With the mid-range phone being launched every other day, this phone packs nothing remarkable in terms of specs. And the Note tag in its name suggests it comes with a bigger 5.5-inch display. The primary focus of the device is on its Dual Camera setup. Let’s see what else the phone has to offer.

The Meizu M6 Note comes with Full HD 5.5-inch display (1080 x 1920 pixels) @401 ppi. Protection used for the display hasn’t been mentioned. It is running Flyme OS 6.0 on top of Android 7.1.2 Nougat, however, Meizu phones do not have good track record for updates, so Android Oreo may be just a name of a treat for its users. The phone comes with an unibody metal construct with a minimal design approach. The front houses a fingerprint sensor which can also be used for gestures for navigation. The back houses a Dual Camera along with Dual LED flash.

Meizu M6 Note is powered by a 14nm Snapdragon 625 Octa Core Chipset clocked at 2GHz. The 14nm size of the chip makes the processor energy efficient and also delivers power when required as seen on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. For graphical performance, it comes with Adreno 506 GPU. The phone comes in 3 variants: 3GB RAM – 16GB Storage, 3GB RAM – 32GB Storage and 4GB RAM – 64GB Storage.

Let’s talk about the feature highlight of the phone. The Dual Camera setup comes in 12MP+5MP arrangement with f/1.9 aperture. The Dual Camera assists in adding bokeh to the photo. The rear also sports dual pixel sensor for faster focus. Up front, the phone houses a 16MP camera with f/.2.0 aperture but it doesn’t have a selfie flash.

It has Dual SIM capability along with support for Micro SD card expansion up to 256GB. The M6 Note also comes with USB Type-C which is good to see on a mid-range device. It also comes with all the necessary sensors including the Gyroscope if you want to enjoy VR content with your device. Backing up the M6 Note is a 4,000mAh battery along with mCharge (Meizu’s Fast Charging). With a power efficient processor, decent specs, and massive battery, you’ll supposedly get a battery life from the device.

Specifications of Meizu M6 Note

5.5 inches Full HD (1080 x 1920 pixels) IPS display @401ppi
Flyme OS 6.0 on top of Android 7.1.2 Nougat
Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625 Chipset
Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU
Adreno 506 GPU
16GB/32GB – 3GB RAM, 64GB – 4GB RAM
Dual 12MP + 5MP Rare Camera with f/1.9 aperture and PDAF
16MP Front Camera with f/2.0 aperture
USB Type-C
Fingerprint Sensor
4,000mAh non-removable battery with mCharge Fast Charging

Meizu M6 Note Price

Meizu M6 Note will be launched on September 1st. The price of 16GB ROM/3GB RAM is $165 and 32GB ROM/ 4GB RAM is $195. The higher end version with 64GBROM/4GB RAM is $255.

Samsung announces Galaxy Note 8 with dual camera lenses and infinity display

GadgetByte

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August 24, 2017

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Samsung announces Galaxy Note 8 with dual camera lenses and infinity display

One of the best phones of 2016, literally burst into flames. Yes, I am talking about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the phone which was earning accolades until its battery started to give up. In response to the numerous fire incidents, Samsung discontinued the device and recalled each one of them as well.

While many had expected Samsung to stay put with its flagship of 2017 – the Galaxy S8 and S8+, the company has unveiled a new member of the Note-series – the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The Note 8 is priced at Rs. 10,2990 and will be available from Oct 10 in Nepal. Samsung Nepal is also offering 8 months breakage insurance, 2GB Ncell data per month for 6 months, and a free wireless charger on the purchase of the phone.

Don’t Miss: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Full Review

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Specifications:

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 looks much like the Galaxy S8 with sharp edges. It has a 6.3-inch quad HD Super AMOLED Infinity display with the resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels. It has 83.2% of screen-to-body ratio and an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The device, like its siblings, is powered by Exynos 8895 in the market except for the USA, and by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 in the USA. This processor is aided by 6 GB of RAM – something we don’t really see in high-end smartphones from Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be available in three storage options – 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB. This can be further expanded up to 256 GB from the microSD card slot. The device runs on Android v7.1.1 Nougat right out of the box and will receive the Oreo update sometime in the near future.

Most of its specifications are similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+. It even shares the fingerprint sensor’s placement. So, what features make this smartphone different from its siblings? Well, there is a major change starting with the Galaxy Note 8. Samsung has officially registered itself as another company to have dual camera lenses on the back. Both the cameras measure 12-megapixel and are capable of taking wide-angle photographs and a somewhat iPhone-like portrait mode pictures.

Like all other Note devices, the Note 8 too comes with a stylus. The stylus helps users take notes on the go and also to run through the device’s interface. Users will now be able to share animated texts and pictures in the form of GIFs using the stylus. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 also has Bixby assistant installed. Like the Galaxy S8, Bixby has a different hardware button on the side.

One thing I am not satisfied with in the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the battery. A 3,300 mAh battery powers the device with 6.3-inch of quad HD display.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Price and Initial Impressions

The Galaxy Note 8 is Samsung’s most expensive phone ever. In the United States of America, the smartphone will be available for around $930 at T-Mobile while the Sprint and Verizon ones could run for $960, and that’s all just for the baseline 64 GB model.

So how much is it going to cost in Nepal? Well, we could see the prices go above Rs. 100,000. This will indeed make the Note 8 Samsung’s most expensive device anywhere.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Availability in Nepal

In the international market, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will start shipping on 15th September. Regarding its availability in Nepal, you can preorder the phone for Rs. 102990 from the nearest Samsung outlets.

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Huawei Y7 Prime Review: Back to Square One

GadgetByte

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August 23, 2017

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Huawei Y7 Prime Review: Back to Square One

The launch of new smartphones often brings excitement among the smartphone enthusiasts. And like always, a new mid-ranger from Huawei, dubbed with Huawei Y7 Prime brought a similar feeling among us. Tagged with the price of Rs.24,900 Huawei Y7 Prime comes with the primary focus on the battery. Huawei is renowned for the decent specs and superior performance even on low and mid-range phones providing a proper value for money and for this reason, the brand has a stronghold on Nepali smartphone market. But will this newbie help the Huawei to continue the trend? Will this device provide the promised specs and performance? Let’s find out in this review.

Huawei Y7 Prime Specs

Dimensions: 153.6 x 76.4 x 8.4 mm; Weight: 165 grams
5.5-inch HD IPS LCD Display with 2.5D curved glass (@267 PPI Pixel density)
Android 7.0 Nougat with EMUI 5.1 on the top
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (1.4GHz Octa-core) CPU
3GB RAM, 32GB Internal Storage
Memory Expandable up to 128GB (uses SIM2 Slot)
Rear Camera: 12MP, f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.9″ sensor size, 1.25 µm pixel size with Phase Detection Autofocus and LED flash
8MP Front-Facing Camera
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (micro+nano), 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.1, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, FM Radio, USB OTG
Sensors: Fingerprint (Rear Mounted), accelerometer, ambient light, proximity, compass
Li-Ion 4000 mAh battery
Huawei Y7 Prime Price in Nepal: Rs. 24,900

Design and Build

Huawei Y7 Prime has a plastic back enclosed inside a metallic frame. However, the device has been cleverly and convincingly designed and colored to give the looks and feel of a metallic body.

The device felt premium on the hold but because of the metallic edges, the device frequently slipped through my hands on the use. The design also includes a generous amount of bezel on the chin, which is so unconvincing for the phone with on-screen buttons.

Display

Y7 Prime carries a 5.5-inch IPS display with 2.5D curved glass toppings. The display lacks protection and I opted to use a screen protector so I could not go to feel the curvy edges on the phone. Gaming and multimedia is not quite enjoyable on the phone with a huge screen and lower resolution and Y7 Prime has not been an exception. So the 720p resolution has been the major disappointment on the phone.

Hardware

The phone has power and volume rockers on the right and SIM+SDcard slot on the left. There is a place for the 3.5mm headphone jack dwelling on the top edge of the phone. For the charging, the device has micro USB 2.0 port on the bottom edge with speaker grills on the left and right. However, sound output only comes from the right grill. The output sound quality is decent and loud. On the top, there is a tiny LED, which blinks alerting about the notifications.

Talking about the sensors, Huawei Y7 Prime inherits Fingerprint, accelerometer, ambient light, proximity and compass sensors. The fingerprint sensor is the most impressive piece of hardware on the phone, which resides on the back. The Fingerprint on the phone is accurate and unlocks the device without a hitch. In addition, it can be used to snap photos, read notifications and swipe files in the gallery. And the presence of ambient light sensor saves the trouble of readjusting the brightness under different lighting conditions. However, gyro sensor is missing on the phone, whose absence will be duly felt on the use.

Software

On the software side, Huawei Y7 Prime comes with EMUI 5.1 based on the latest Android Nougat. The UI offers an option to select an app drawer or to leave the apps scattered on the home screen. For the rest of the features, the UI is nothing out of ordinary and does inherit some unnecessary bloatware.

Huawei Y7 Prime Review - Software Screenshots

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Performance

Powering the Huawei Y7 Prime is mediocre Snapdragon 435 chipset. Clocked at 1.4GHz speed, Snapdragon 435 is an underpowered chipset and the performance on this device is not the best you will get in this price bracket.

On my use, the device performed well with low-end games and multitasking with light apps. However, on the high-end games, there were stutters and drop in frame rates usurping my fun in the most cases. The experience on low-end games was not good either with the phone heating up frequently. While playing low-end games, the phone heated up as early as 15 minutes of use. Even with the apps like Facebook and Instagram, the device heated up in half an hour or earlier. Though the phone has 3GB of RAM, with the RAM usage of 2GB or more, the device froze most of the time.

Camera

Moving on to the camera, Huawei Y7 Prime embraces 12MP camera on the back. The shots taken from the rear camera packs a sufficient amount of details and replicates a natural color tone. However, I felt shutter lags while taking photos. In addition, there were no impressive changes with the images taken with HDR on and off. The images from the selfie shooter were not bad either. Bringing out most of the details, the 8MP front camera produces social media ready images and the beautify mode built in with the camera app provides a stronger assist. Even on the low lights, the camera performs well with minimal noises and grains. On the videography side, the phone is capable of shooting Full-HD (1080p) at 30fps frame rate. The phone also has inbuilt Slo-mo and Time-lapse features on the videography side.

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Connectivity

For the connectivity, Huawei Y7 Prime packs 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, A-GPS, FM Radio, Bluetooth v4.1 and micro USB 2.0. The device is also OTG compatible, which can be used to transfer the battery juice to another device in addition to transferring data and files. Though the device is capable of running Dual-SIM on standby, the phone comes with an internal storage of 32GB with one fourth of the space devoured by the system firmware. So in the case of insufficiency, microSD card will be the option with the expandable capability up to 256GB. But since the MicroSD card uses the SIM2 slot for this purpose, which cuts you from the privilege to use dual-SIM on the standby.

Battery

The battery is the USP of the phone with the capacity of 4000mAh. As promised, the phone provides a decent amount of backup. Even while playing high-end games rigorously with full brightness and Wi-Fi on, the phone lasted for around six hours. The device backed me up for a day and a half on the normal usage. Yet there were, even more, options to prolong backup and optimize battery life. However, the phone is sluggish in the matter of charging. The phone lacks quick charging and takes a little more than 3 hours to get the charging fully done.

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Verdict

To sum it up, with a little potential on the camera, Huawei Y7 Prime has nothing best to offer except for its massive battery. And in the similar price bracket, there are many other smartphones, which supersedes the Huawei Y7 Prime in every possible aspect including the battery. So I see nothing remarkable to suggest our followers go for Huawei Y7 Prime.

What do I like about the Huawei Y7 Prime?

The massive 4000mAh is remarkable on the phone, which provides a prolonged backup.
The fingerprint on the device is snappy suited with the capability to unlock almost instantaneously.

What I disliked about the Huawei Y7 Prime?

The device display is of HD (720p) resolution offering a poor pixel density for the price.
The Snapdragon 435 chipset equipped on the phone is an average performer.
To charge the massive battery it does not come with quick charge technology.
The device heats up a lot even on the normal usage.
The device lacks gyro sensor, which cuts the privilege to play VR games and watch 360-degree videos.

Huawei Y7 Prime and the competition

Huawei Y7 Prime	Xiaomi Redmi Note 4	Samsung J7 Prime	Gionee A1 Lite
5.5-inch HD IPS Display (267ppi)	5.5-inch Full HD IPS Display (401ppi)	5.5-inch Full HD PLS Display (401ppi)	5.3-inch HD IPS display (277ppi)
1.4Ghz Octacore SD435 (Cortex A53, 28nm)	2.0Ghz Octacore SD625 (Cortex A53, 14nm)	1.6Ghz Octacore Exynos 7870 (Cortex A53, 14nm)	1.3Ghz Octacore MT6753 (Cortex A53, 28nm)
3GB RAM, 32GB ROM	3GB RAM, 32GB ROM	3GB RAM, 32GB ROM (faster ROM)	3GB RAM, 32GB ROM
12MP F/2.0 PDAF camera	13MP F/2.0 PDAF camera	13MP F/1.9 PDAF camera	13MP F/2.0 PDAF camera
8MP F/2.0 selfie camera	5MP F/2.0 selfie camera	8MP F/1.9 selfie camera	20MP F/2.0 selfie camera
4000mAh battery	4100mAh battery	3300mAh battery	4000mAh battery
Android 7.0 (Nougat)	Android 7.0 (Nougat)	Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow); Planned update to Android 8.0 (Oreo)	Android 7.0 (Nougat)
Rs. 24,900	Rs.24,999	Rs.25,499	Rs.25,999

Also Read: Huawei Mobiles Price in Nepal

Micromax Canvas Infinity Launched with 18:9 Display & Budget Price Tag

GadgetByte

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August 22, 2017

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Micromax Canvas Infinity Launched with 18:9 Display & Budget Price Tag

Micromax has announced its latest product — the Micromax Canvas Infinity in an event in New Delhi. The phone on the first glance looks like the LG G6 and that’s not a bad thing for a phone that costs INR.10,000. The design is not the only thing that is identical to the LG G6. Let’s see what the phone packs.

Note: The Micromax Canvas Infinity is now available in Nepal for Rs. 18,500

Micromax Canvas Infinity like the name suggests comes with an edge-to-edge display with the aspect ratio of 18:9. This is the second budget phone after LG Q6 to come with this panel. We’ve only seen this on flagship phones like the LG G6 and the Galaxy S8. This aspect ratio will be the standard for displays in the future, more prominently in 2018.

The Canvas Infinity comes with a 5.7-inch HD display (1440 x 720 pixels). It has 2.5D glass to give a seamless perspective up front. Powering the phone is a quad-core Snapdragon 425 chipset clocked at 1.4Ghz. It comes with 3GB of RAM for multitasking.

Talking about storage, the phone offers 32GB onboard memory which can be expanded up to 128GB. Since Android O was launched today, Micromax has already promised a future update of Oreo for the phone. Currently, it is running on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. On the optics side, the phone comes with a 13MP Rear Camera with f/2.0 aperture and a secondary 16MP shooter with screen flash. You also have bokeh mode up front.

The phone is backed up by a 2,900mAh battery which should provide 4-5 hours of Screen on Time considering its specs. The best thing about the phone is its removable battery. You can carry two or even 3 batteries of the phone and never worry about the battery life. The phone is available only in Black Color option. We can expect the phone to launch in Nepal in coming months.

Specifications of Micromax Canvas Infinity

5.7-inch HD display (1440 x 720 pixels)
Fingerprint Sensor
Android 7.1.2 Nougat, Upgradable to Android O Oreo
Snapdragon 425 processor, 1.4GHz Quad-Core
Adreno 308 GPU
Dual SIM
13MP Dual Camera with f/2.0 aperture
16MP Front Camera with f/2.0 aperture, 81.5-degree field of view
2,900mAh removable battery
Expected price in Nepal Rs.18,000

Here’s the list of Samsung smartphones which will receive Android v8.0 Oreo update

GadgetByte

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August 22, 2017

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Here’s the list of Samsung smartphones which will receive Android v8.0 Oreo update

Google just officially unveiled Android O – the tech giants’ updated operating system for Android smartphone. As expected, the new Android version 8.0 is called Oreo. We all love Oreos and hopefully, the new operating system will also be leaving a positive impression like the other Oreo.

Since the release of Android O’s first BETA version, lots of people have asked me whether their smartphones will get the upgrade or not, with Samsung users topping the list.

Don’t Miss: Android Oreo – Everything you need to know

So today I have prepared a list of the Samsung smartphones which will be receiving the Oreo update. Let’s hope the Korean giants don’t take as much time as they are taking to upgrade some of their devices to Android v7.0 Nougat.

High-end devices to receive Android v8.0 Oreo update:

We have got some news that 6 of Samsung’s flagship devices will get the version 8.0 update among which Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is yet to be released. This list also includes the refurbished variant of the Samsung Galaxy Fireball – Galaxy Note FE.

Mid-range devices to receive Android v8.0 Oreo update:

Here’s the list of the mid-rangers from Samsung who will receive this update:

Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2017)
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)

Budget devices to receive Android v8.0 Oreo update:

Among the budget-oriented Samsung smartphones in line to get the Android Oreo update, there are a couple of surprising inclusions.

Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
Samsung Galaxy J7 V
Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)

When will these devices get Android v8.0 Oreo update?

There is no concrete news on the exact date all these smartphones will receive the update. We can, however, expect Samsung start the roll out to some devices later this year.

In case you missed: Samsung Mobiles Price in Nepal

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Review: Large Screen monster

GadgetByte

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August 22, 2017

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Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Review: Large Screen monster

Over the years, a smartphone’s display size has increased exponentially. It had previously started with the bar phones, which later changed into a 4-inch smartphone. The average display size of smartphones these days is around 5.5-inch but manufacturers are pushing limits. A certain group of smartphone users has opted for multimedia experience in their device. This multimedia experience has taken over one-handed usability for some of them. So, companies like Xiaomi launch bigger phablets for this specific purpose. The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is a prime example of that. With a bigger display, this device is here in Nepal. But does this device perform well in real life? Let’s find out in this review.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 in a nutshell:

6.44-inch Full HD IPS 2.5D curved glass display
2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 SoC with Adreno 506 GPU
4GB RAM with 64GB; expandable memory with microSD
MIUI 8 based on Android 7.1.1 (Nougat)
Hybrid Dual SIM (micro+nano/microSD)
12MP rear camera with dual-tone LED Flash, PDAF, f/2.2 aperture, Sony IMX386 sensor, 1.25μm pixel size
5MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture
3.5mm audio jack, dual stereo speakers
Fingerprint sensor, infrared sensor
Dimensions: 174.1×88.7×7.6mm
Weight: 211gms
4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, USB Type-C
5300mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0

Design and Display

The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is a tall device, like really, really tall. Its standout feature is the humongous 6.44-inch display. Out of all the devices, I have reviews, only the Mi Max 2 didn’t fit in my pocket. It has a tall display which is accompanied by two large bezels. But I really enjoyed using this phablet as my primary driver since I am inclined towards bigger displays.

At the back, the Mi Max 2 has a minimalistic design. It has two antenna bands like that in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. There is a fingerprint scanner on the back which, even with the large footprint of the device, is easy to use. A rear-facing camera sits on the top-corner of the device.

However, I still have a hard time using the device properly. The bigger display means that I always must extend my hand awkwardly and the fact that the device’s aluminum back is slippery means that the device tends to drop down from my hands. So, even though the metallic body of the Xiaomi Mi Max is premium, I suggest you cover it with a casing.

The multimedia experience on this device is top-notch. If you like gaming or watching videos on your smartphone, this could be the device for you. I could be nitpicking here, but I really hate black bands around any smartphone’s display and the Mi Max features the band. Come on, Xiaomi, a company like you should discard this completely.

Nonetheless, the display is nothing short of amazing. Even though bigger display means pushing more pixels, I thoroughly enjoyed the well saturated and bright display of the Xiaomi Mi Max 2. I will certainly miss that huge display, whenever I watch GadgetByte’s YouTube videos.

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Camera

Now onto the device’s camera. Xiaomi isn’t really praised for its camera performance. We have reviewed lots of Xiaomi devices and arguably, all the devices have come up short on this feature. Well, I still have mixed feelings about the Mi Max 2’s camera. Whenever you take some pictures and view it on the device, the images seem to be washed out and unsaturated, all whilst lacking dynamic range. And whenever I viewed these pictures on my computer, some of them were decent enough, but most lacked the aforementioned qualities. Also, under dark environment, the pictures come out way too noisy. So, I have to say that Xiaomi has once again fallen short in the camera department of its smartphone.

The front camera of the device measures 5-megapixel and takes some social media worthy selfies. It shines under bright light, but like the device’s rear camera, it isn’t good under lack of lighting.

Performance

Now on to the major aspect of any smartphone – performance. The Xiaomi Mi Max 2, with its Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor performs relatively well under normal usage. But it doesn’t handle everything I throw at it whenever I asked more from the device. It sometimes stuttered here and there, and sometimes even took a bit of time while opening an app.

I am not really a gamer, but I did play a couple of games on the smartphone. It handles gaming nicely but sometimes it does lag. I have to say that with the Snapdragon 625, you can expect the device to handle your day-to-day usage quite nicely.

Hardware

The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is available in a single storage variant. Well, I used the same 64 GB option of the device as my review unit. I could carry around one of my favorite TV series to watch it on the go with ease. However, the storage did fill up sometimes, but as long as you expand it, you will have no issues at all.

Now on to the fingerprint of the device, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 has one of the fastest fingerprint scanners around. It is blazing fast and I still can’t figure out any issues with it. There is also an IR sensor alongside the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Talking about the Mi Max 2’s dual speakers at the bottom, they are really loud. Unlike some other smartphones, both of the speaker grills work and give off stereo sound effect. Xiaomi has made this Rs. 35,000 worth of device future proof by equipping it with a USB Type-C connector. This connector also helps in faster charging.

Software

I am personally inclined towards a stock-ish software experience. The software is one of the major aspects I look at before I buy a smartphone. Yet I have never really had a problem using Xiaomi’s Mi UI. The interface has simplistic design and is user-friendly to some extent as well.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 runs on the Chinese manufacturer’s very own Mi UI 8.5 on top of Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Like every other Xiaomi smartphone, this device also comes loaded with different software features. It still has the dual app feature, different gestures, and a ‘guest mode-ish’ mode as well.

Connectivity

Like most smartphones these days, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 houses dual SIM slot. But unlike all of them, the Chinese company has included a Nano and a Micro SIM card slot. The call quality of the device is quite good as no one from the other end actually complained anything.

The smartphone supports the much-needed 4G connectivity. It also has a gyro sensor for a good VR experience which goes well with the 6.44-inch display.

Battery

Now moving on to the battery, the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 houses a pretty huge battery of 5,300 mAh. Due to its huge capacity, the device easily ran for more than 2 days. Even under heavy gaming and usage, its battery level doesn’t deplete that much. I wasn’t expecting this much juice as the device has a large display. It is commendable that Xiaomi went with a ‘max’ battery on a ‘max’ smartphone. And the addition of quick charge 3.0 is a cherry on top.

Conclusion

All in all, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is a large smartphone which perfectly suits the multimedia needs of the people. It has a 5,300 mAh which perfectly complements the smartphone. It is a good-looking smartphone with a minimalistic design. Yes, the smartphone could be too tall for some people, and yes it doesn’t really have a top-quality camera sensor, but for someone who is into a big display, either for gaming or any other multimedia purpose, it could exactly be the device they are looking for.

Pros	Cons
Big Display	Average Camera compared to its rivals
Excellent Battery Life	Big and Hefty
Premium Looks

Android 8.0 Oreo is Official: Everything you need to Know

GadgetByte

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August 22, 2017

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Android 8.0 Oreo is Official: Everything you need to Know

Unlike in the past, we don’t have to wait to see what are the major changes in the latest version of Android. Google has been rapidly dropping latest features via the Public Beta channels for Nexus and Pixel Devices. By looking at the beta images, we could already tell the features that were ready for us in the next big release of 8.0 except for the name! So today, Google has officially released the stable version of Android 8.0 code name Oreo. So let’s see what are the major features and improvements in Android 8.0 Oreo.

Picture in Picture

The picture in Picture feature will simply change the way you multitask while you’re watching a video on YouTube, Chrome, VLC and more apps to come. If you are wondering what this feature is all about, then look no further! You have been using it for years one way or another. While using the Youtube app in portrait mode, you can swipe down to minimize the player and continue to browse other videos. That’s picture in picture within an app. Also, you can take the example of Facebook Messenger, where you can minimize the video chat window and continue using your phone and other apps. Android O just has better support and stability for this feature and we’ll be seeing more apps with this features in the days to come.

Autofill Passwords

Autofill Passwords is the single most important feature rolling out on Android Oreo. With the AutoFill API, password manager apps will be able to log you into apps lot more easily. LastPass Password Manager app already supports Autofill as a beta feature. With this, if you want to login to a certain app, Password Manager will kick in giving you options which account to log in and you can simply log in to the app without any hassles of typing your password. This feature will save you a lot of time and trouble.

Notification Dots

Notification Dots is something that should have been added in Android years ago. A lot of third-party launchers had this feature for years which showed badges on the app icon to show – you have unchecked notification from that app. Android Oreo not only shows you notifications dots but on long pressing the app icon, it will show you what notifications you have. It is a pretty neat feature. Also talking about notifications you can now snooze the notifications and make it appear after certain time. You can also choose what sort of notifications to allow from the app but this feature as of now is available only on Google Apps.

Smart Text Selection

Smart Text Selection is going to make using Android a whole lot easier. With this feature, Android will be able to tell what type of text you’re selecting, whether it’s an address or a phone number. Whenever you select an address or phone number, Android will show you the option to open that address on Google Maps and call using the selected phone number respectively. And if it cannot sort out what it is, it’ll provide you an option for web search. This feature is still a work in progress, we can expect other uses of this feature in the future.

Adaptive Icons

Android 8 Oreo Feature — Image: Cristian Ruiz

Adaptive Icons is something straight out of Chinese OEM’s. If you have used any skinned third party Chinese OEM’s like MIUI, MiFavor UI or any other for that matter, you might have noticed how there are different icon shapes you can choose, it’s exactly that. There are five different options to choose from, namely, System Default(native app icon), Square, Rounded Square, Squircle, and Teardrop. Not to forget, Android Oreo will maintain the same size of icons across the board for uniformity.

Background Apps

There has been a lot of changes internally to make Android more optimized. There are multiple social media apps and other apps that run in the background and draws a lot of your battery. Well, that’s about to change with Android Oreo. Apps will have few intelligent wake locks which will ensure apps do not run in the background all the time resulting in better RAM management and memory. It will also limit the frequency of location updates in the background.

New Emojis

Emojis are something we use all the time and good looking emojis will certainly make your conversation a whole lot sassier. Android Oreo now comes with new sets of emojis replacing the blob emojis. The new emojis are more expressive and provides new characters and actions. This certainly looks better than the previous version.

Project Treble

Project Treble is less talked of and less heard of feature that ships with Android Oreo. But if done right, it can be a life-changing feature for all the Android users. Simply, Project Treble enables manufacturers to make it easy to push Android updates to their devices. A lot of manufacturers have multiple devices across the board with their own native UI and functionalities of some sort. Pushing update to all of these devices is a hassle as they have to work from the ground up to create the new update with their distinguishing feature. With Project Treble, it’ll keep the vendors’ implementation or changes on the device as it is and lets them easily push the updates. Well, it’s available starting with Android O and if manufacturers decide to use it, let’s just say Android and iOS update battle will finally settle for good.

Android Go

Announced back in Google I/O conference, Android Go will be shipping with the start of Android Oreo. Android Go is a lightweight version of Android Oreo with all of its features but optimized for devices with limited resources(less RAM and storage). This OS primarily focuses on using less android resource along with fewer data packages when you’re surfing the internet. Device shipping with Android GO will have lightweight or optimized version of Google Core apps. And on Play Store, there’ll be a separate section called “Optimized for your Device” which will list lightweight apps like Facebook Lite, Youtube Go, Messenger Lite and so on. Devices with Android Go start shipping only from 2018.

Factory Image of Android 8 Oreo for Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel C, Pixel and Pixel XL is now available for download.
Download Here

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Unveiled: 16MP Front Camera on a Budget

Yural Maskey

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August 21, 2017

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Unveiled: 16MP Front Camera on a Budget

The 5th iteration of the famous Redmi Lineup’s is now official. Although Xiaomi only unveiled the Redmi Note 5A as of now, the company should launch various versions in the Redmi Note 5 lineup this fall.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A with its A label is all about Affordability and Awesome Cameras. The phone packs a 16MP front camera with LED flash and a wide-angle sensor for group selfies. Xiaomi is obviously trying to compete with its selfie centric competitors like Oppo and Gionee.

A 13MP camera can be found on the back. Since it’s the Note series, the display here is a 5.5-inch. The resolution, however, is only HD (1280 x 720) netting a pixel density of just 267ppi. The IPS display has 2.5D glass, 450 nits brightness, 1000: 1 Contrast ratio, and 70% NTSC color gamut.

Despite being an affordable phone, the Redmi Note 5A has a metal body on the back and gorilla glass on the front. You also get the latest MIUI 9 based on Android Nougat 7.0. It is powered by a dated octacore Snapdragon 435 SoC and a 3080mAh battery.

There are 2 versions of the phone: Standard and Premium. The Premium version comes with a fingerprint sensor, 3 or 4GB RAM, 16MP front camera, and 32 or 64GB storage. The Standard version (cheapest version) has a quad-core Snapdragon 425 SoC, 5MP front camera, 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, and lacks fingerprint sensor.

Both these variants of the Redmi Note 5A boasts a dedicated dual SIM slots (4G) and a dedicated microSD support (upto 128GB). Color options include Champagne Gold, Rose Gold and Platinum Silver.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Specs with Price:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A (Standard Edition)	Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A (High Edition)
5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display	5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display
1.4GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 425 CPU with Adreno 308 GPU	1.4GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 435 CPU with Adreno 505 GPU
2GB RAM with 16GB internal storage	3/4GB RAM with 32/64GB internal storage
Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) with MIUI 9	Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) with MIUI 9
13MP rear camera with LED Flash, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF	13MP rear camera with LED Flash, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF
5MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture	16MP front-facing camera with LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, 76-degree wide-angle lens
3080mAh battery	3080mAh battery
Price: US$ 104	Price: US$ 134 (3GB/ 32GB) / US$ 180 (4GB/64GB)

Smartphone Leaks Round Up for the Week (August 22)

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GadgetByte

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August 21, 2017

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Smartphone Leaks Round Up for the Week (August 22)

We are already halfway through the year and there were amazing phones and gadget launches in 2017. But we still have an entire quarter left on the calendar and the manufacturers are not settling down yet. Every now and then we see leaks of different phones, tablets, and wearables. And this week alone we saw leaks of around 4 new products. So let’s see what new gadgets are in the pipeline waiting for a release.

Samsung Galaxy A5 2018

Samsung Galaxy A5 2018 was recently spotted on Geekbench website which revealed numerous specs of the phone. First, the phone is powered by 14nm Snapdragon 660 chipset which is an upgrade over the Snapdragon 653 processor. The phone will also incorporate massive 6GB of RAM. The model number of the phone is SM-A5300. Like the previous Galaxy A5 2017, we can expect its launch in January with the latest version of Android O.

Meizu M6 Note

Meizu M6 Note was also recently leaked with its Geekbench scores. The device will have 5.5-inch Full HD display. It will be running on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. The phone is likely to be powered by either Helio P25 or Snapdragon 625 chipset. Meizu M6 Note will come in two variant; one with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage and another with 4GB RAM and 64GB Storage. It is backed up by 4,000mAh battery. Meizu M6 Note is likely to launch within next week.

Motorola Moto X4

We have been seeing leaks of Moto X4 a lot lately. And recently, hands-on images of the Moto X4 were leaked online showing its back and front. The phone will come with 5.2inch Full HD display. The main highlight of the phone is certainly the Dual Rear Camera where the primary shooter is 12MP and the accompanying wide angle sensor is of 8MP. Up front, it has a 16MP camera which will offer 4K recording. If it ships with that front 4K recording, it’ll be the first phone in the world to have that feature.

The Moto X4 will come in two variants, one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and another with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It will be powered by Snapdragon 630 chipset. The phone is also IP68 water and dust resistant. The phone will weigh in at 163grams with its 3,000mAh battery along with turbocharging.

Moto X4 is also expected to launch next week.

Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro

Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro is scheduled for launch on August 23 along with the Galaxy Note 8. But the famous leaker Evan Blass got the screenshot of the product that was accidentally listed on the Samsung’s website. Apart from its price of $200, nothing has been confirmed about the device.

Intel 8th Generation Processors announced with 40% performance boost

Yural Maskey

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August 21, 2017

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Intel 8th Generation Processors announced with 40% performance boost

Intel has announced the 8th generation processors. Known as the Kaby Lake refresh, all the 8th generation processors are the U-series which means it is intended for ultrabooks and cheap laptops.

The 4 processor to be announced today is i7-8650U, i7-8550U, i5-8350U, and i5-8250U. Despite being the U-series, all of them have 4 cores with 8 threads. All these processors are based on 14nm process.

The 8th Gen processor boasts Intel Speed Shift Tech that the company claims will provide fast and responsive web browsing experience on your ultrabook. There’s also the second generation turbo boost tech, with which you can control power and speed— boosting performance when required and saving energy when needed.

The 8th Gen U-series is also first of its kind to feature 4 cores and Intel’s Hyperthreading tech that makes your CPU behave like it has 8 cores.

	i7-8650U	i7-8550U	i5-8350U	i5-8250U
Maximum CPU Frequency (GHz)	4.2	4.0	3.6	3.4
Minimum CPU Frequency (GHz)	1.9	1.8	1.7	1.6
Number of Cores/Threads	4/8	4/8	4/8	4/8
Cache Size (MB)	8	8	6	6
Number of Memory Channels	2	2	2	2
Memory Type	DDR4 -2400 LPDDR3-2133	DDR4 -2400 LPDDR3-2133	DDR4 -2400 LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2400 LPDDR3-2133
Integrated GPU	620 (upto 1150MHz)	620 (upto 1150MHz)	620 (upto 1100MHz)	620 (upto 1100MHz)

The pricing for the has not been revealed. Intel, however, revealed its plans to introduce desktop processors codenamed Coffee Lake starting this fall and will also be introducing its first 10nm products codenamed Cannon Lake soon.