Author: Chris Eilers

 Lenovo is ready to make the debut of an innovative smartphone called Moto Z next month in India. This mobile can bring you to a whole new level of modular smartphones!!!

Moto Z: transformation in just a snap !

As CEO of Lenovo stated on Lenovo Tech World 2016 event held in San Francisco, Moto Z is Lenovo’s innovation in return for customers, who has been waiting for long. By following the idea of a hub that can get access to other devices to get more functionalities, Lenovo has come up with Moto Z smartphones. This marvel promises an enhancement of the modular concept that isn’t a big hit at present.

Design-wise, Moto Z is the world’s thinnest smartphone (5.2mm thick). While possessing a slim body, the mobile is still capable of enduring mechanical vibration thanks to the alloy (aluminum and steel) case. Those features include a water-repellent coating, which protects a 5.5 inch AMOLED display panels and a Quad HD resolution. The flagship is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor.  The device comes with 4GB RAM and two versions of internal storage (32GB & 64GB). There’re a 13MP rear camera and front shooter of 5MP. It is powered by a 2600 mAh battery.

However, it’s the Moto Mods that make this phone an outstanding device. With just a snap on the back, users can equips the handsets with more functions. Those mods are: an JBL Soundbooster which boost sound quality; an Insta-Share Projector that play the role of a projector; an HasselBlad True Zoom that capture detailed photos. There are also other mods compatible with the flagship.

Moto Z price

Lenovo hasn’t made any official announcement about the price, and we haven’t heard any rumors about this aspect. Anyway, we have to wait till we can experience the handsets firsthand that we know whether Moto Z is worth the money.

Have you ever think of a rechargeable battery that last longer than your phone or laptop life span? That won’t remain fiction any longer thanks to the creation of a researcher from UCI.

Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity!

A mind-blowing creation has been recently announced by University of Califonia, Irvine. Doctoral student Mya Le Thai has found a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 400 years. Interestingly, this discovery is a result of playing around in the lab – a pure miraculous incident. To get into details, this laptop battery that Thai invented can last 200,000 charging cycles and lose only a tiny 5% of its original capacity. For you to easier imagine, an average laptop battery of today won’t survive after 300 or 500 cycles.

The experiment which Thai and her colleagues conducting is about the availability of nanowires in making batteries. However, the result was not promising because of the thin and fragile characteristics of the nanowires. Thai then coated the gold nanowires with MnO2 and Plexiglas-like electrolyte gel and cycled her new capacitor. She observed the result a few days later and the battery even reached 30 000 cycles.

Yet, gold nanowires, manganese dioxide, and Plexiglas-like electrolyte gel are expensive materials. As a result, the price of the battery will be raised. Therefore, scientists want to find an alternative in making this innovation more practical and applicable. Researchers are conducting the experiment with nickel as a substitution for mass production.

Future of Rechargeable Battery

This accidental but innovative creation helps reduce the amount of waste created by old batteries. Besides, this 400 year-lasting rechargeable battery also opens up a new way of battery making, especially phone batteries.

Just recently, Xiaomi has launched 2 of their latest smartphones in Beijing, China: Xiaomi Mi 5s and a higher version – Mi 5s Plus. These mobiles pack very powerful specs like 6GB RAM, dual camera and…

Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus specs: SND 821, 6GB RAM

After quite a while of being leaked, Xiaomi Mi 5s flagship is now officially unveiled. And the phone doesn’t just come alone – but also with a more premium variant – Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus. First, let’s have a look at Mi 5s. This latest Xiaomi phone is powered by a 2.1Ghz SND 821 processor paired with 3/4GB of RAM. Besides, it also packs 64/128GB of inbuilt storage. Other Xiaomi Mi 5s specs include a 5.15-inch Full HD display, a 3200mAh battery life,  4MP selfie snapper, and a 12MP Sony IMX378 main camera with f/2.0,.

As the higher version, Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus specs are stronger than its sibling. Under the hood, it runs on a 2.35Ghz SND 821 chipset. It also comes with 2 versions: 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM and 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM. The handset offers a bigger 5.7-inch FHD display and a larger 3800mAh capacity. For photography, the company added a dual 13MP Sony sensor camera on the back. After Redmi Pro, this is the second  Xiaomi phone having a dual main camera. On the front, you’ll also find a 4MP snapper with f/2.0.

Both devices have an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the glass of the display. With this technology, the handsets can immediately recognise your fingerprint. Even when your finger is dirty, wet, or oily, it still works. This sensor does not only works fast and securely but also hardly gets damage. Furthermore, Mi 5s Plus sports another fingerprint scanner on the back- under the dual cam. Both versions of the Mi 5s support 4G LTE connectivity for your enjoyment.

Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus: price and release date

With all those specs above, these new Xiaomi handsets will join the powerful smartphone segment. Xiaomi Mi 5s release date, as well as Mi 5s Plus, will be on 29th September. They will be available in many colors: white, gold, silver, and rose gold. Xiaomi Mi 5s price will come in 2: $300 (3GB) and $345 (4GB). Meanwhile, Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus price is higher. It is about $345 for the 4GB version and $391 for the high-end 6GB RAM model.

The Asus Zenfone 3 series has just welcomed three brand-new members. So now there are 8 smartphones in this “family”. On today’s list, we will show you the 5 latest ASUS phones from this series.

1. Zenfone 3 Laser

The first device on this list of latest ASUS phones is Asus Zenfone 3 Laser. This phone carries a 1.4GHz octa-core Snapdragon 430 chipset at its heart. In terms of memory, there are two variants: one with 2GB RAM/ 32GB ROM and the other with 4GB RAM/64GB ROM. Both versions support up to 256GB microSD card.

Speaking of the camera, this phone arrives with a 13MP main camera with laser autofocus, dual LED flash and an 8MP front-facing shooter. As for the display, Zenfone 3 Laser houses a 5.5-inch screen with full HD resolution. Besides, this phone is fueled by a 3000mAh battery. Zenfone 3 Laser price for the 2GB RAM version is Rs. 18990 ~ $280 for the 4GB RAM variant and Rs. 16990 ~ $250 for the 2GB RAM variant.

2. Zenfone 3 Max

The next handset on this list of latest Asus phones is Zenfone 3 Max. There are also two variants: one with 2GB RAM/16GB ROM and the other with 3GB RAM/32GB ROM, both supporting up to 256GB microSD card. A quad-core 1.25GHz Mediatek MT6737M chipset is available in two variants. Other Zenfone 3 Max specs include a 5.2-inch HD display, a combo of 13MP/5MP cameras and a 4130mah battery. Zenfone 3 Max price is around Rs. 17300 ($260).

3. Zenfone 3 Monarch

One of the best and latest Asus phones from the Zenfone 3 series is Zenfone 3 Monarch. This phone comes with a Snapdragon 820 chipset and 6GB RAM. Moreover, users are also offered with a combo of 23MP/8MP cameras and huge storage of 256GB internal memory. Other Zenfone 3 Monarch specs include a 3000mAh battery and a 5.7-inch display with 2k resolution. Zenfone 3 Monarch price is around Rs. 50021 ($750 ).

4. Zenfone 3 Ultimate

We cannot talk about latest ASUS phones without mentioning Zenfone 3 Ultimate. This phone runs a powerful Snapdragon 820 chipset. There are also a 4GB RAM and 64GB of on-board storage. Another highlight of this phone is the combo of 23MP/8MP shooters. Other Zenfone 3 Ultimate specs are also impressive: 3000mAh battery and 5.7-inch full HD display. Zenfone 3 Ultimate price is Rs. 33.00 ($500).

5. Zenfone 3 Euro Edition

Last but not least, we have Zenfone 3 Euro Edition. This phone is one of the latest Asus phones from the Zenfone 3 family. Talking about Zenfone 3 Euro Edition specs, there is a Snapdragon 652 chipset, a decent 4GB RAM and 64GB of in-built memory (+256GB). Besides, a 3000mAh battery is available to fuel the whole device. Other Zenfone 3 specs for the Euro Edition include a 16MP main camera, an 8MP selfie shooter and a 5.5-inch full HD screen. Zenfone 3 price for this edition is about Rs. 27.000 ($400).

Latest ASUS phones from the Zenfone 3 series: SND 820, 6GB RAM and…

So what is your opinion about these Asus phones? It looks like the Zenfone 3 series is now suitable for all kinds of customers right? Which one do you prefer? The budget-friendly Zenfone 3 Laser or the high-end Zenfone 3 Monarch?

Camera has become one of the top priorities when it comes to smartphones and tablets selection. Besides the improvement in the devices themselves, many camera apps has been developed to satisfy users’ demand. So, which third party camera app is the best choice for your device? Let’s look at our recommendation below!

Open Camera

Open Camera is a free app which bring your snapshots to a new level. It allows to take pictures with voice commands or voice. For example, you can say “Cheese” or whistle and your Android device will capture a perfect photo. Open camera can also shoot raw file along with manual exposure timing.

Since the app is integrated with some external microphones, it helps make shooting videos smoother and simpler. You have the option to record your videos in HD while simultaneously zooming with a single-touch control. The date and time-stamp can be added along with location and text to your pictures.

Prisma

Prisma is a free app that operates by turning your photos into modern works of art using art style filters. Just shoot your photo with the app and then pick and choose the filter you think will look best on your photo! There are dozens of different options to choose from, so try a couple. Prisma brings a mixture of creativity and art into a simple picture. It is absolutely an ideal camera app for social media.

Manual Camera

If you’re looking for a professional camera app that lets you adjust your settings and add more than just a few colored filters to your photos, check out Manual Camera. Manual Camera takes your photos to an upper level with complete manual control of shutter speed, focus distance, exposure compensation, ISO, and white balance. However, it costs 2.99$ to download this app. But we believe, its quality surely beats the price.

Candy Camera

With the Candy Camera, you even don’t need to make up before shooting. It allows to slim your face, whiten your teeth, add concealer, lipstick, blush, eyeliner, mascara, and more! You can also decorate your photos with stickers in the app. New stickers are even added every update! And top of all, Candy Camera is totally free.

It’s up to you on what your purpose is to choose the suitable camera app. Top 4 above are among the apps we’re really into. If you have any suggestion for us, don’t hesitate to share!

Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch vs Extreme Umi Plus: the battle between two new 6GB RAM phones. One is a newcomer of Asus Zenfone 3 series, the other is an extreme version of Umi Plus. So, which one will be the champion? Let’s see!

Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch vs Extreme Umi Plus: 6GB beasts

First, let’s have a look at the hearts of Monarch and Extreme Umi Plus. Under the hood, Monarch is powered by a quad-core SND 820 processor. On the other hand, the Extreme version runs on an octa-core Helio P20 processor which is equal to SND 820 (on paper). Both Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch and Extreme Umi Plus pack 6GB of RAM.

About the camera, Asus Monarch totally defeats its rival. It sports an 8MP front-facing camera and a 23MP primary shooter with autofocus and LED flash. Meanwhile, the high-end version of Umi Plus has a 5MP selfie snapper and a 13MP main camera. With Zenfone 3 Monarch cameras, you will have better photos.

The new Asus handset continues to win over Extreme Umi Plus with a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display. While Umi phone owns a 5.5-inch Full HD display. However, in the exchange, Extreme device runs on Android Nougat and is backed up with a huge 4000mAh battery life. These features on Asus handset are Android Marshmallow and 3000mAh.

Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch vs Extreme Umi Plus: price battle

On the specs battle of Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch vs Extreme Umi Plus, each phone has its own strengths to compete with one another. The Asus device has a better screen display and better cameras. Extreme Umi Plus will give you newer user experiences with new OS and bigger battery capacity. So, how about the prices? Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch price is quite high with $750. Whereas, Extreme Umi Plus price is much lower with about $300. For the price battle, Umi phone is the champion.

Xiaomi must be celebrating this achievement right now! Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has just become the best selling online smartphone ever in Indian market.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: One of the most successful smartphones from Xiaomi

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is one of the most successful smartphones from Xiaomi. This phone was launched at the end of August along with Xiaomi Mi 5. While Xiaomi Mi 5 is aimed at the high-end segment, the target customers of Redmi Note 3 is on-budget users. Considering its affordable price tag and decent specs, Redmi Note 3 has broken the online selling record of smartphones in this country.

To be more specific, up to now, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has been bought online 2.300.000 times – a shocking number we have to say. Every 9 phones ordered online in India, one is Redmi Note 3. From the time the phone was available for online sale till now, Redmi Note 3 is sold every… 7 seconds. So what makes this phone super popular like that?

Spec-wise, there are two memory variants of Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: one with 2GB RAM/16GB ROM and the other with 3GB RAM/32GB. These variants both come with a hexa-core Snapdragon 650 chipset (4×1.4 GHz and 2×1.8 GHz). As for other Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 specs, there is a 5.5-inch full HD display, a 16MP camera with PDAF, dual LED autofocus, a 5MP selfie snapper, a 4050mAh battery and 256GB removable storage. Very impressive for a budget smartphone right?

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: Affordable price tag

An important factor that helps this phone reach the top of the sale chart in India is the price. Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 price is INR 9,999 ($150) for the 2GB RAM version and INR 11,999 ($180) for the 3GB RAM version. Now you have you seen why this phone breaks the online selling record? In case you wanna contribute to this selling number, this phone is still now available for sale on its website!

The next phone of Galaxy C series has just spotted on Antutu- Galaxy C9. This new handset comes with many strong specs: 6GB RAM, 16MP primary cam….

Samsung Galaxy C9: 6GB RAM, 16MP cam

After Galaxy C5 and C7, Samsung continues to bring another phone in the C series to the market- C9. Recently, this phone has just spotted on Antutu with many strong specs. Under the hood, C9 will be powered by an octa-core (4×1.8 GHz + 4×1.4 GHz ) SND 652 processor. It will run on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OS.

What makes us surprised about Samsung Galaxy C9 specs is RAM- 6GB RAM. Before Galaxy Note 7 launch, many people expected that this flagship would own 6GB RAM. However, it doesn’t. Now, the next generation of the C lineup could probably have it. Besides, C9 will pack 64GB of inbuilt storage which can be expanded up to 256GB.

If you love photography, Galaxy C9 cameras definitely won’t let you down. It sports a 16MP selfie snapper and a 16MP cam on the back with f/1.9, autofocus, and dual LED flash. With these cameras, C9 could be the tough competitor to Oppo R9 Plus having 16MP main + secondary cameras. In addition, this Samsung new handset will also have a 6-inch Full HD display. C9 also showed up on Geekbench with the score of 1304 for single core and 4366 for multi-cores. C9 specs on Geekbench are similar to those on Antutu.

Samsung Galaxy C9: tough competitor

If Galaxy C9 really owns 6GB RAM, it will be the first Samsung device to have this feature. With all those specs above, this new handset from Samsung will be the tough competitor to the other phones in the market. Samsung Galaxy C9 launch date is reported to be in October/November this year. If you want to know more about Samsung Galaxy C9 price, as well as the other information, just keep updating with us!

Have you seen the new Google Doodle? Today’s is Google’s 18th birthday. Just like other important dates of the year, Google is now celebrating its own birthday with a Doodle.

Google Doodle: How has Google Doodle grown in the past 18 years?

27th September is the official birthday of Google. The brand once picked some other days to be the birthday but in the end, 27th September has been chosen because the first Google birthday with Doodle took place on 27th September 2002. Speaking of Google Doodle, let’s have a throwback at its milestones through the years.

In case you don’t know, Google Doodle is the variation of Google logo on its website. Such variations are made to celebrated holidays, special events or to commemorate special people. The first Doodle was made on August 30th 1998 on the occasion of Burning Man dadaist arts festival. 11 years later, Google officially established a Doodle team to work on around 400 Doodles per year.

On 4th January 2010, the first animated Doodle was made to celebrate the birthday of Isaac Newton. 4 months later, on 21st May, Google made a tribute to Pac Man’s creation with their first interactive Doodle ever! Then on 16th April 2011, Google came with its first live-action Doodle in commemoration of Charlie Chaplin’s 122nd birthday. The brand even created a silent movie in this Google Doodle.

Google Doodle: The journey goes on

Now at the age of 18, Google has become the second most powerful company in the world. Its total dollar market value is now $541 billion. Along with the search engine, Google has created countless products, one of which is the Android OS available in the majority of  smart devices nowadays. Google smartphones are also famous in the market. Speaking of Google smartphones, the brand has planned to launch two of its new Pixel smartphones on 4th October, only a few days from now on! Let’s count down!

As the recent reports, MediaTek hinted three new chipsets in this year, including MediaTek Helio P20, P25, and X30. The P20 and P25 might come to the mid-range segment while the X30 is reported to fit in the upper mid-range segment. 

MediaTek Helio P20, P25, and X30: The differences

Recently, MediaTek has leaked two new chipsets: Helio P20 and P25, along with some reports about Helio X30. Both Helio P20 and P25 are quite similar and support smartphones in the mid-range segment. Meanwhile, the Helio X30 is developed to power high-end devices. To give you a clearer consideration, the Helio P20 is claimed to be comparable to SnapDragon 615 and the P25 is comparable to SND 625. Meanwhile, Helio X30 chipset will be a competitor to SnapDragon 820/821.

Let’s talk about the MediaTek Helio P20 first. This chipset is reported to be equipped in UMi Plus Extreme phone (expected to be launched in October). It is built on 16nm process which is 40% stronger than its predecessor-Helio P10. It can support up to 6GB of RAM. On the other hand, the Helio P25 is confirmed to be better than its sibling. That being said, in addition to the common features, the P25 is also able to run smartphones with dual camera and optical zoom. Since more and more smartphones are coming with dual camera, this is predicted to be a highly desirable processor.

Last but not least among the three, the release of Helio X30 will make flagship smartphones more powerful. This chipset is made by 10nm process. It is reported to have 10-core CPU (two 2.8 GHz cores, four 2.2 GHz, and four 2GHz cores). The Helio X30 can support up to 8GB RAM and 4K video recording.

MediaTek – big rival of Samsung and Qualcomm

It seems that MediaTek is intending to speed up the game with Qualcomm and Samsung in the high-end chipset segment. With X30 coming to compete directly with Snapdragon 821 and Exynos 8890, we are ver positive for the future flagships.

Phones now usually come with high resolution: 2K, 4K. However, smartphone resolution doesn’t really matter as much as you thought. Here arethe reasons why!

Smartphone resolution: draining battery faster

First, the high-resolution smartphones won’t have smooth performances like the average-resolution ones. To give you sharp, lively, vivid, and colorful images, the rest parts of your phone have to work at maximum capacities. If your smartphone has powerful hardware, you don’t need to worry much about the performance. However, if your handset is just a mid-range phone, it won’t be able to give you smooth performance.

Let’s just take Sony handsets for examples – Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact. These two phones are quite similar. They both run on a 2.5Ghz quad-core Krait 400 CPU and Adreno 330 GPU. Z3 Compact offer a better performance while gaming than Xperia Z3. This is because the GPU of the smaller phone have to render only in 720p (HD). Meanwhile, the Z3 GPU have to render in 1080p (Full HD).

Secondly, high smartphone resolution will use up your battery faster. It is undeniable that recording 2K or 4K videos with your phone is really cool. However, this will quickly drain your battery capacity. Thirdly, high-resolution phones usually give you smaller text. Smartphones now usually come in the size of 5 inches to 5.5 inches. Having too many pixels can make the smartphones text smaller. It will get harder when reading these text. Although some Android phones allow you to adjust the text size. However, it won’t affect some third-party apps. You will have to face obstacles with the small size font on websites.

Smartphone resolution: think carefully before buying

It is undeniable that smartphones with the high-resolution display will give you sharp and vivid images. However, with 2K/4K, your naked eyes can barely see the differences between those kinds of phone display. Besides, phones with high resolution will come with higher prices. So, before buying a smartphone with high resolution, you should consider carefully.

Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch along with 2 other siblings has just been launched with powerful specs. Today we will bring you the battle of Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch vs OnePlus 3 – two phones with 6GB RAM!

Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch vs OnePlus 3: 6GB RAM, Snapdragon 820 chipset

First of all in this Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch vs OnePlus 3 battle, let’s talk about the performance and the battery. Both of them come with a Snapdragon 820 chipset under the hood. Besides, they carry a massive 6GB RAM. This combination will result in seamless multi-tasking performance for both of them! Regarding the battery, they also offer with equal capacity: 3000mAh.

Next in this Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch vs OnePlus 3 battle, let’s consider the camera. In Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch, there is a 23MP main shooter which is equipped with both laser autofocus and phase detection autofocus (PDAF). This camera is even supported by dual LED flash. On the other hand, the 16MP primary shooter of OnePlus 3 is assisted by single LED flash and PDAF. Regarding the front-facing snapper, both phones support 8MP resolution.

So what about other Zenfone 3 Monarch specs and OnePlus 3 specs? Speaking of the display, Zenfone 3 Monarch is better thanks to its 5.7-inch 2k screen. Meanwhile, OnePlus 3 comes with a 5.5-inch full HD display. As for the storage, Monarch again wins with its massive 256GB of on-board storage – 4 times bigger than the internal memory of OnePlus 4.

Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch vs OnePlus 3: Price comparison

In general, though offering the equally great performance, Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch is the “specs winner” because it packs more storage, sharper display and better primary camera! Now before we pick the winner of this Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch vs OnePlus 3 battle, let us mention the price! Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch price is around $750 (RM. 3010). Meanwhile, OnePlus 3 price is only $450 (RM. 1860). Such a big gap right? So if you are just a common user who focus on the performance only, OnePlus 3 will be a suitable one for you. However, if you love photography and money is not the problem you can go for Asus Zenfone 3 Monarch.