Author: Chris Eilers

Only a day after Qualcomm announced Snapdragon 821 chipset, Asus has confirmed that there will be a Zenfone 3 Deluxe variant that sports this chipset! Take a look!

Snapdragon 821: The strongest chipset ever!

For those who are not updated yet, Snapdragon 821 has just made a debut yesterday! This chipset allows higher clock speed than Snapdragon 820. To be more specific, in a Snapdragon 820 processor, the cores can only run at 2.2GHz. Meanwhile in Snapdragon 821 processor, they can exceed 2.2GHz and reach 2.4GHz! Can you imagine an octa-core processor with 2.4GHz clock speed? That would be awesome!

Back to Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe, the phone has been confirmed to pack a Snapdragon 821 in its CPU. And this combination is already very close to imagination! This Zenfone packs a hexa-core processor, including a dual-core and a quad-core. So with SND 821, 6 of the cores could possibly run at 2.4GHz! And this will result in a perfect multi-tasking performance and absolutely no heating issue!

In addition to the change in the chipset, other Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe specs still remain the same! The phone houses a massive RAM of 6GB and an Adreno 530GPU. Moreover, with a 5.7-inch full HD display, the phone will offer great viewing experience! There is also an impressive combo of 23MP and 8MP cameras for photo lovers. Besides, a huge internal memory of 128GB is available for you to store your personal stuff!

Snapdragon 821: Will it increase the price of Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe?

The answer is absolutely yes! Look at those specs! Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe without SND 821 is already incredible! Now with the assistance of this brand-new chipset, there’s no doubt that this phone will rule the smartphone industry! As for Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe price for the Snapdragon 821 variant, specialists have expected that the phone would cost around US 750! And Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe release date will be later this month!

That being said, we will soon have the first mobile in the world that spot huge 8GB RAM coming soon this year. However, some are arguing that, a 8GB RAM smartphone is nothing but a diaster waiting to happen. Why? Let’s find out with us

8GB RAM smartphone: the huge capactiy goes to…

The world of smartphone is changing at a faster pace than ever, to the point that we are already experiencing 6GB RAM mobiles and expecting the 8GB RAM coming soon. As what we already explained in a previous article, updating from 4GB RAM to 8GB RAM does not necessarily mean your phone will be twice as powerful.

Recently, Google and its partners have started to unveil how the hardware storage is divided into usage. According to that, the bigger RAM your smartphone has, the more space it is taken up for firmware. Following that, a 8GB device would need to sacrifice around 4GB for Android OS installation – which are the “read-only” parts that can not be moved or edited. You would be thinking right now “then there is still 4GB RAM free for personal customization”, right?

Well, not really. The available 4GB RAM will run out very quickly, too fast that it would surprise you. And of course, we are mentioning about the media that can’t be saved to microSD card to free your space.  The so-called files include: – constant updates to the core Google and Android apps like Chrome, YouTube and a bunch of others, – the cache files that take up temporary RAM capacity and slow down multi tasking (like we explained previously), – other essential apps that you use frequently like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and so on and so on…..

So the point of this new discovery is that, with a huge 8GB RAM, you to give up the bigger capacity for firmware and  compulsory pre-installation as well as updates. Although it will cost much more than an average mobile in our market nowadays, a 8GB RAM smartphone performance will soon decrease and disappoint its users.

8GB RAM smartphone: upcoming magic or expected disaster!

To make the long story short, please keep in mind that the above explanation is results from a recent findings from Google. Till the official release of the first 8GB RAM smartphone, we are yet to confirm whether this huge capacitiy will become a WOW factor or a disaster coming to happen.

Dual SIM phones seem to be a perfect choice for those who want to separate their work with their personal life! Today we will show you top 5 best dual SIM phones that cost ONLY under USD 250!

1.Meizu MX5e

The first phone to start our list of best Dual SIM phones is Meizu MX5e. This dual SIM phone comes with a remarkable CPU. Under the hood, there is an octa-core processor with 2.2GHz clock speed! Besides, a MediaTek MT6795T chipset and 3GB RAM are also available to assist the processor! This phone comes with a 5.5-inch screen with the pixel density of 401ppi, which will offer ggreat movie time and gaming time.

Other Meizu MX5e specs are also noticeable! This phone supports a nice combo of 16MP and 5MP cameras, both capturing wonderful photos! Besides, this metallic smartphone packs a 3150mAh battery. For storing purpose, users will be offered 16GB of internal memory. Meizu MX5e price is only $240 and Meizu MX5e release date will be later this month!

Smartphones are getting getter time after time. Most of the current smartphones have strong specs enough for us, what we mostly care about is its price, so lets look at the list of budget smartphones below. 

1. Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro

Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro was launched a month ago as a new Galaxy J smartphone. The Korean-based company said that Galaxy J3 Pro is an entry-level smartphone. This Android smartphone will fit in your hand with 5.0-inch full HD display and a resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. You will have two model options including: Grey and Gold colors. Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro price is around $170.

Under the hood, this budget smartphone houses a 64-bit quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal memory which can be expanded via microSD card slot. Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro specs also include: a 5MP rear-facing camera, a 8MP main shooter and a 2650mAh removable battery. It may be now available in your local retailer stores.

We’ve all heard about Android and iOS. They are enormously popular. However, Windows phones don’t seem to lose their market segments. So till now which are the best Windows phones to buy for the rest of 2016?

1. Microsoft Lumia 950

Microsoft Lumia 950 still owns a great number of specs that are considered to belong to high-end smartphones. For instance, there is an Iris scanner, continuum support along with the latest OS Microsoft Windows 10. The Lumia smartphone flaunts a 5.2 2K display, coupled with AMOLED capacity touchscreen. This best Windows phone may bring cinema to your bed everytime you have a movie or video to watch. Microsoft Lumia 950 price is a bit expensive: $668 (RM 2668).

Besides these great features, Microsoft Lumia 950 specs also include: a combo of Dual-core 1.82 GHz and quad-core 1.44 GHz processors sitting on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset. The device mounts 3GB of RAM located near 32GB of ROM (expandable up to 256GB via microSD card). A removable 3000 mAh battery is supported as well . In terms of Microsoft Lumia 950 cameras, the primary one is capable of 20MP including Pureview technology. Meanwhile the front-facing shooter capacity is 5MP resolution.

Information about Pokemon Go has been all over the internet these days. But have you ever wondered how trendy it really is? Take a look at this article!

Pokemon Go: Top every charts!

Only a week after the release in some countries, Pokemon Go has quickly become an exceptional fever in the world! According to the statistics from SimilarWeb, the number of downloads and installations of this game in the US has surpassed Tinder – a famous dating application. On 8th July, the game from Nintendo was installed in 5.16% of Android smartphones in the US, while the percentage of phones installed with Tinder only reached 2$.

According to another statistics, Pokemon Go can potentially surpass Twitter  – one of the most popular social networks, in the very near future. Also on 8th July, 3% of Android users play this game everyday, while Twitter users take 3.5%! The thing is, it’s been 3 days since that statistics was generated. So there’s high possibility that Pokemon Go has beaten Twitter right now, or at least within the next few days!

The thing is, Tinder was released in 2012 and Twitter was released in 2006 – exactly a decade ago! Meanwhile, Pokemon Go has been available for only a week up to now! This is enough to demonstrate how desirable and attractive this Japanese game is!

Pokemon Go: brought 7.5 billion USD to its maker!

Currently, the daily usage time of Pokemon Go is the highest compared to other social networks! On average, people play this game about 45 minutes per day, while the time they spend on Whatsapp, Instagram,… is no more than 30 minutes! With this success, the game has brought 7.5 billion USD to Nintendo. The stock value of this Japanese company has also risen dramatically since the release of this gaming phenomenon! In the next few weeks, this game will “attack” more markets in other countries in the world! Behold game players!

Besides three popular operating systems we already know: Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile, there are still others that you may not know. Here we have a list of 10 OSes, including the three and…

1. Symbian

Let’s meet Symbian, an excellently designed and user-friendly OS. It officially belongs to Nokia, so if there is a company which wants to use this OS, they has to ask Nokia for permission first. In fact, it is mostly known to be used in low-end handsets and unfortunately, the demand rate has even been decreasing. At the moment, Symbian mobile OS has been upgraded and capable to run smartphones efficiently. Two latest updates are Symbian ANNA and BELLE for those who are using a Nokia phone (e.g. Nokia C6-01, Nokia 603, Nokia 700, Nokia 808 Pure View, Nokia E6 (ANNA) and Nokia 701 (BELLE)).

Pokemon Go is becoming such a huge trend nowadays, as most of my friends are already going crazy about it. When the majority of us use our Google account to sign into the app, we didn’t expect these risks Pokemon Go is causing…

Pokemon Go: to access your Google account’s passwords

The fatest and easiest way many of us use to sign in to Pokemon Go is via our  Google account. And when you do that, you unintentionally give the app a certain level of access to your account, which includes reading emails, location history and pretty much everything else. Although the access has only been applied to iOS users up to now, the risk for Android users is still hanging.

Reading to this point, you may wonder, why does Pokemon need these information, and why are we not asked permission? This was only discovered when RedOwl’s Adam Reeve took a look as the app to see how fast it is when he logged in with Google. Please keep in mind that we are not talking about the obvious access Pokemon Go already asked user’s permission to access, like your fine location, camera and motion sensors, the reach to microSD card etc. All of these are totally understandable as they relate directly the process of playing the game.

However, the question being asked is: Why does such a virtual reality game have full access to the confidential information (ID, password) of your Google account, those you may not even share to your best friends? And above all, why don’t Google give users a warning when this happen, so that we know how far the access can go, and maybe think twice about the decision? Till now, only a number of iOS users have had the problem. But that doesn’t mean we should be lenient about our own security, especially when we are living in a world where personal privacy is always at high risk.

Pokemon Go: protect yourself from security leaks

If you are a current Pokemon Go player, go can check whether your account is giving full access in the link here. We, and the whole internet are looking for answer from Google, to clarify things and protect our privacy. And it does need to concern and support from all of the users out there to contribute on the process. Stay tuned, and share with us any piece of information you have to gather.

I’m sure that having cracked smartphone screen is the last thing you wish! In or not to let that nightmare happen, here are our tips to keep your smartphone screen safe and sound!

Cracked smartphone screen: It’s all from your daily habits!

First of all, do not put your phone in the back pocket of your pants. Many of you have this habit. Many users whose phones are 6-inch and above tend to put their phones in the back pockets, because the side pockets are quite narrow to house such massive phones. However, this habit can lead to cracked smartphone screen because you may sit down without taking the phone out. And this doesn’t only happen with back pockets! Putting your phone in a tight pocket may also result in the same thing if you do that for a long time!

Secondly, be careful where to place your phone! Many phone users often place their phones in the same compartment with sharp things like keys, sunglasses, or jewelry! This is extremely NOT recommended. Those sharps items may not only leave countless scratches but can also result in a cracked smartphone screen! So it would be better if you place your phone with soft items, or just leave it alone in one compartment.

Cracked smartphone screen: Extra protection!

First, buy a case that is a bit thicker than your phone. Phone cases are actually more useful than we think! If you equip your phone with the right case, you can prevent cracked smartphone screen! When you accidentally drop your phone, a case with a raised lip can prevent the face of the phone to hit the ground!

Second, use screen protectors. Finally if you can not change those bad habits and cannot find such phone cases, buy a screen protectors! Some screen protectors are resistant to all levels of pressure! The best one can even help your screen survive being hit by a hammer! With such protectors, there’s no worrying about cracked smartphone screen anymore!

Fingerprint scanner is not a new feature. Almost every smartphones nowadays sports this feature for the security. However, smartphone fingerprint scanner is not a good security method. Do you know why? Just take a look at our post below!

Smartphone fingerprint scanner: is it an ultimate security method?

Firstly, as its name- fingerprint scanner, your fingerprint is the only way to enter your phone. It’s just like a key to a house. And this house can be broken into thanks to this key. You can leave your key on any object: the screen of your smartphone, the drinking glass or on any smooth surfaces. And anyone can scan your fingerprint by using the camera having high resolution. And you can find this kind of camera on almost every smartphone today.

Secondly, the fingerprint sensor can be fooled. Like I say above, the fingerprint is easy to copy. All you need is a high-quality photo of the fingerprint, a fastener, and a high-resolution printer. There are some advanced sensors just accept the heat or the beat of the fingerprint. However, even this high-end sensor is not very difficult to pass. A fingerprint pattern and a skin colored material are what you need. And the sensor can easily be tricked.

The third reason is that it’s easy to force you to unlock your phone with a fingerprint security. Anyone who wants to unlock your smartphone can make you do it by force. They can grab your hand and put your finger on the sensor. It’s even much easier when you’re sleeping or unconscious. Fourthly, many smartphone companies don’t know how to equip smartphone fingerprint scanner properly. Some even just do it to attract users. HTC One Max is an example. The fingerprint sensor on this phone is inconvenient and hard to use.

Smartphone fingerprint scanner: not as safe as you think

Here we come to the fifth and also the last reason. This feature sometimes works, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s reported that the sensor on iPhone 5S is not always working. There are some trouble. There are various factors affecting this sensor like dirt, the moisture on the finger, software problem or the glass covering the sensor. So, you shouldn’t rely too much on smartphone fingerprint scanner. It’s not as secured as you think.

Honor V8 Max VS Zenfone 3 Ultra: this is a tough battle between two phablets. One is the newcomer of Huawei, the other is the biggest smartphone of Asus so far. So, let’s see who is the winner of this battle!

Honor V8 Max VS Zenfone 3 Ultra: the battle between phablets

Smartphone with the big screen is now more and more. After Xiaomi Mi Max and Lenovo Phab 2 Pro/Plus, Zenfone 3 Ultra is the next phone having the phablet size. Released at the end of May, the Asus phone drew lots of attentions because of its huge screen size- 6.8 inches. You’ll find a 3GB RAM and a 32GB expandable inbuilt storage on this phone. Ultra phone has an 8MP selfie shooter and runs on Android Marshmallow. And lately, another phablet from Huawei is about to show up in the market- Honor V8 Max. This Chinese phone features the same specs above as the one from Taiwan, except for the screen size.

Being in the phablet market, but Honor V8 Max has a smaller size with a 6.6-inch Quah HD display. While Taiwanese phone sports a 6.8-inch screen with the resolution of 1080 x 1920 px. Despite the same octa-core processor, V8 Max is a little better with Kirin 950 chipset. This feature in Asus device is Snapdragon 652. In the exchange, however, the biggest member in Zenfone 3 series surpass its rival in the rear and battery fields. Ultra features a 23MP primary camera and a huge 4600mAh battery life. While Huawei handset just has a 13MP rear shooter and a 4400mAh capacity.

Honor V8 Max VS Zenfone 3 Ultra: what a neck-to-neck battle. Both phones have their own strengths to defeat one another. In the camera, screen size and battery battlefield, the Asus representative is the champion. While the newcomer of Huawei beats Ultra in the processor and resolution battlefield. So, if you want a smartphone with a good battery and camera, Ultra is your proper choice. Otherwise, you can choose V8 Max.

Honor V8 Max VS Zenfone 3 Ultra: price and release date

Honor V8 Max VS Zenfone 3 Ultra: it’s not easy to pick a winner. So, it’s all up to your taste. Is a phablet with good performance is your taste, you can choose Huawei smartphone. However, if you can’t wait to have one of those two, Asus phone may be more appropriate. Because Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra release date was at the end of May 2016. And it comes with the Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra price of Rs. 32,990 ~$491. Meanwhile, Honor V8 Max release date and Honor V8 Max price are still the mystery.

Huawei has been dropping huge hints regarding its next smartphone to wear the Honor brand name for several weeks, and now it’s here, Huawei Honor 8.

Huawei Honor 8: mid-range flagship

Earlier this month, I wrote some articles about the upcoming smartphone of Huawei. Back then, there were leaked details and now it is official. The Chinese company has just done a good job for its brand new Honor smartphone, which is the company’s mid-range flagship. Honestly, the company seems to work hard on Huawei Honor 8 design. Like expected, Huawei smartphone flaunts a 5.2-inch full HD display with 2.5D double glass body, which does make the device look premium and attractive.

Let’s check Huawei Honor 8 specs! The smartphone comes with Kirin 950 octa-core chipset clocked at 2.3GHz, not the Kirin 955 SoC that we hoped. The 950 onboard this new Honor handset couples with an octa-core CPU with four Cortex-A72 cores clocked at 2.3 GHz, four Cortex-A53 cores up to 1.8 GHz. Along with these components are three memory variants —  3GB RAM + 32GB, 4GB RAM + 32GB and 4GB RAM + 64GB. There will be also a 3000mAh battery in tow, which is the standard power pack among mid-range phones.

Furthermore, as for Huawei Honor 8 cameras, a 12MP dual camera setup along with the laser focus and dual LED flash module sits well on the top left corner of the back. On the front, an 8MP shooter with f/2.4 aperture is packed. The fingerprint sensor is also located on the back. 4G LTE is built-in, along with dual-SIM functionality and a USB Type-C port.

Huawei Honor 8: price and release date

Huawei Honor 8 price starts at $300 for the 3GB + 32GB model, then goes up to $346 for the 4GB + 32GB model and $375 for the high-end 4GB + 64GB version. The phone offers five different colors namely Sapphire Blue, Pearl White, Midnight Black, Sunrise Gold and Sakura Pink. Huawei Honor 8 release date is expected to be primarily occurred in Europe in the coming weeks.