Author: Chris Eilers

Vivo Xplay 5 will be the first smartphone in the world to feature 6GB RAM. Can you believe it? Check out what  the company has officially announced lately!

Flagship Vivo Xplay 5: Snapdragon 820 and 6GB RAM are on aboard!

Maybe we heard about the flagship Vivo Xplay 5 quite long ago with all the top specifications it would have. However, recently, the manufacturer has just confirmed that the Xplay 5 will not only be a strong machine but also the world’s first 6 GB RAM smartphone. Well, finally, what we’ve been waiting for is coming true. Many people predict this Vivo product can gain lotsa success like ASUS ZenFone 2 with 4 GB RAM released last year.

Not long ago, Vivo posted a teaser claiming that their Xplay 5 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and whooping 6GB RAM. Though, apart from those two details, other Vivo Xplay 5 specs are still unknown. Yet, previous rumors suggested that the device would sport unique solar charging tech, a 6.0-inch Quad HD display, a combo of 16 MP rear plus 8 MP front-facing camera, and a pretty big 4,300 mAh battery.

Although there is not much information related to the powerful hardware of Vivo Xplay 5, we are really looking forward to it. And no doubt many thrilling battles between the Xplay 5 and other current flagships such as Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5 and Xiaomi Mi5 will happen in the near future. So, let’s wait and see!

Vivo Xplay 5 price and availability

It is said that Vivo Xplay 5 launch date will be March 1, 2016. If so, there are just a few days left. At the moment, no words have been made for Vivo Xplay 5 price, but we guess it can range from $650 to $800. What do you think? What is the reasonable cost for such an awesome handset? Share with us by commenting your favorite number in the following box!

Well, the mobile market has never been so… busy like these days. A recently, OnePlus 3 has just showed up to stir up the world a bit more! Check out what it looks like and offers us!

OnePlus 3 specs and design: Here is what you need to know!

As we know, OnePlus has started to gain more and more success since the OnePlus One launch in 2014. Then, they continued to release two more models called OnePlus Two and OnePlus X in 2015 to compete with other brands as well as confirm their position in the smartphone market. Though, the Two was not really a beast as we had expected, but the X was able to catch up with the world’s trend: powerful and affordable machine. As a result, lots of people have been looking forward to the next member of the OP team this year.

And here it is: OnePlus 3 equipped with top specifications. It was leaked in a teaser clip considered as an official trailer of OnePlus 3 not long ago. Design-wise, the OP 3 looks beautiful, covered by a slick curved metal frame and a brushed metal back, not the signature sandstone one we usually see on OP 1 and 2. For OnePlus 3 specs, nonetheless, there is not much information included in the video.

Yet, in order to become a qualified “flagship killer”, OP3 has to have these high-end features: a 5.5-inch 2K screen, a Snapdragon 820 chip, Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS, 4GB of RAM, an at least 4,00mAh battery with fast charging tech, NFC support and a fantastic camera combo, like 8MP/20MP shooter.

OnePlus 3 price and availability

In general, OnePlus smartphone is now one of great choices when it comes to buying a new handset. But you now, at the moment, there are a lot of devices debuting every week. So, if OP wants to sell products well, they need to make their OnePlus 3 strong and affordable. According to some sources, OnePlus 3 launch is likely to happen this summer and cost around $380. That’s a pretty okay OnePlus 3 price, rite?!

If you think sub-$200 smartphones are cheap-feeling and bad, you may want to change your mind after knowing how good and beautiful Lenovo Vibe K5 and K5 Plus are.

Lenovo Vibe K5 and K5 Plus look premium and excellent enough to do anything you want!

Firstly, let’s check what Lenovo Vibe K5 and K5 Plus look like and please note that they are totally different from Lenovo K5 Note. They have just been launched at MWC 2016, considered as really great budget-friendly Android handsets at the event. Design-wise, it is easily to recognize the phones sport full aluminum-clad bodies and bring premium feelings just like HTC, Samsung, or Apple products.

Spec-wise, Lenovo Vibe K5 and K5 Plus have a lot of things in common: 5.0-inch screen (though, the original K5 comes with HD resolution while the Plus version with Full HD), dual SIM, Android 5.1 Lollipop OS, Dolby Audio tech, 13MP rear/5MP front camera combo, two speaker, 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 16GB of internal storage (expandable up to 32GB), and removable 2,750mAh battery. Those are mid-range features but still able to do almost all kinds of tasks you want.

Both devices seem alike, but in fact there are some important differences you need to know. As we mentioned about, the K5 Plus’s display is better than the K5 and they also employ different chips inside. Specifically, Lenovo Vibe K5 specs include a Snapdragon 415 processor while Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus specs have a Snapdragon 616 chipset.

Lenovo Vibe K5 and K5 Plus price and availability

In terms of Lenovo Vibe K5 price and Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus price, they are said to cost $129 and $149, respectively, when going on sale in March 2016. Well, those are such ideal price tags for smartphones like K5 and K5 Plus, right?! Now, tell us your opinions about this budget, elegant duo.

Alright! No more guess and wait for the flagship duo Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. They have been official launched and wowed people with their beauty and strong hardware…

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge launch: 2K screen, 4GB RAM and more

First, let’s take a look at the Galaxy S7. We have to say it did not let us down. Although the design is said to be borrowed much from it predecessor Galaxy S6, S7 still has some awesome improvements such as a “flatter fingerprint scanner and less pronounced camera hump” making it even more premium and beautiful. In terms of Samsung Galaxy S7 specs, there are a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED 2K screen (577 ppi) protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, a 3,000mAh battery, TouchWiz UI based on Android 6.0, a Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8890 chip, 32/64GB ROM (+200GB), and 4GB RAM. As for photography, you can use its 12MP rear or 5MP front cam to take pictures.

Next, we have Samsung Galaxy S7 edge variant coming with a large 5.5-inch 2K display, thin body and curved sides. Looking closer, we will recognize that S7 edge’s back is a bit different from Galaxy S6 edge. It sports a slight curve now, bringing more comfortable feelings in hands and slipping into pocket more easily. Spec-wise, the edge version is just as powerful as the original S7. Though, there is one significant difference we need to highlight that Samsung S7 edge specs include a bigger cell which is capable of up to 3,600mAh.

Apart from the above top specifications, both Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are equipped with a new feature: IP68 rating enabling the phones to be water and dust resistant with submersion in up to 1.5 meters of water in 30 minutes. Well, that sounds super great! Samsung has created excellent beasts this time and satisfied many users when bringing back the microSD card slot and waterproofing capability.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge price and availability

According to some news sources, the pre-order for Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge is expected to begin with $780. However, official Samsung Galaxy S7 price and Galaxy S7 edge price have not been confirmed by the manufacturer yet. So, stay tuned! We’ll come back with more details.

An Android flagship has just come out with unique design and powerful hardware: LG G5. Check out what it really looks like and offers us!

LG G5 launch: Special design and excellent hardware

LG G5 launch occurred at MWC 2016 not long ago and impressed people a lot. As we know, LG G5 is the flagship successor to LG G4, but it comes with many differences, especially in the design. G5 is considered as a great first mainstream modular handset built with a “fluid metal” body and “beveled glass” on the front surface. Moreover, perhaps LG really wants to make their product stand out when equipping it with a modular component at the bottom which you can remove to access LG G5 battery and card slots.

Spec-wise, it is very clear now that G5 sports a 5.3-inch 2K display (smaller than the LG G4’s 5.5-inch 2K screen) with a special always-on mode, a strong Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory (expandable up to 200GB). In addition, the whole machine is run by a decent 2,800mAh cell supporting Quick Charge 3.0 tech (up to 83% in just 30 minutes), and LG Optimus UX 5.0 UI based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS. Wow, those are such top specs at the moment.

Nonetheless, LG G5 specs do not stop at that. The phone packs one 8MP selfie snapper and two cameras on the rear: the main has 75° Field of View (FoV) and 16MP sensor while the other’s got 135° FoV and 8MP sensor. According to the firm, images taken by both cams can be merged with effects and a real-time preview. Well, it seems we will have much awesome experience once using this device.

LG G5 price and availability

Last but not least, you may wonder when LG G5 will go on sale and how much it will cost. Accordingly, early April 2016 is expected to see G5 released in some countries with an LG G5 price of $699. Though, the company still has not confirmed that yet, so we’d better wait a bit more. Now, it’s your turn to tell us what you think and feel about this beast!

Apple iPhone 7 is definitely a babe in our smartphone market these days, especially when you have known about 5 exciting features rumored thus far. But seems like it’s not just everything iPhone 7 will be bringing to us…

iPhone 7: wireless charge for as far as…

Latest reports have been spreading that, Energous, a small start-up company has started a contract with Apple to bring a brand new gaming technology to the upcoming iPhone. And this technology is called WattUp. WattUp is actually a chip which is, once added to the device, allows it to get charged wirelessly from as far as up to 15 feet (around 4.5 meters). This chip developed by Energous will be so tiny it won’t affect the size of the smartphone, knowing that Apple is trying to keep the iPhone 7 as slim as possible.

In order to activate wireless charging from WattUp, you need to put a transmitter inside your room or office, and the device will be automatically charged all day, even all night. And also according to same reports, by partnering with Energous, Apple will be having all exclusive rights to this technology, making the awaited iPhone 7 a step more competitive than its rivals, which include most of the soon-to-be-released premium flagships of 2016.

Although we haven’t had any real life experience with this WattUp chip, it sounds like there would be a lot more convenience by using this kind of distanced and automatic charge. It would be very more appealing if the wireless charge is also fast charge. Because except for bed time, who would stay in a room for longer than a couple of hours?

iPhone 7 new tech – featuring a new variant

Apparently, neither Apple nor Energous have had their official confirm on this partnership. But they don’t deny it either. Some rumors are even suggesting an iPhone 7S variant to experiment this brand new technology.

Source

Smartphone battery is one of the most vulnerable features in a smartphone. Therefore, many user really concerns about keeping their battery life as long as possible…

1. Keep it cool

Whatever kind of battery your smartphone have, Lithium, ion, removable, non-removable, your smartphone battery will not benefit from the heat. At all. If the battery is kept hot, it will be damaging itself and reduce its longevity. So if you want to keep it long enough, do what everyone is recommending, which is to keep it in a cool condition. Some specific examples are: avoid charging when inside a hot car, using while charging , or charging right after a long time of usage.

2. Be cautious with the charger and power bank you use

Power bank is a very convenient gadget any user fells in love with. It’s handy, light and can be the immediate live-saver when you are out and running out of battery. However, be very cautious with the brand you choose. There are hundreds, if not thousands of power bank options to choose from in our market. And if you use a non-reliable brand, it will do serious harm to your smartphone battery. The worst case every witnessed is as serious as… explosion.

3. Minimize fast charging

Fast charging is such a fancy feature that more and more smartphones are coming up with. However, it has been detected to do some harm to some Lithium-Ion battery. The reason is that Fast charging doesn’t produce waste heat but forces the battery to charge in a way that drain out its longevity. Therefore, in the long run, your battery doesn’t live long if Fast Charge is used frequently by users.

4. Keep your phone from getting water damage

Not many smartphones nowadays still keep removable battery. Therefore, it would be very harmful for your battery when the phone gets water-damaged because you just can not take out the battery and have it dried. But even if the battery is removable and can be excessively dried, it is still contribute to ruin your power cell. One of the best ways to keep it working as long as possible is to keep your phone as far away from water as possible.

Many smartphone producers choose MWC 2016 to debut their latest flagships. However, Asus chose for themselves another event to introduce their awaiting Asus Zenfone 3, which is….

Asus Zenfone 3 official release date: it’s coming close

Asus Zenfone 3, according to latest rumors, is made to be a budget phone instead of the premium 6GB RAM flagship we heard earlier. Reports from Pocketnow have suggested that, Asus will be choosing Computex 2016 (starting from March 31 in Taipei) to release their newest Zenfone generation. Asus Zenfone 3 is very likely to come with at least 2 variants, with the code names Z012D and Z010DD, both with decent specs and very affordable price tags.

Talking about Asus Zenfone 3 specs, please keep in mind that the information we know for now can always be changed at last minute until their official release. The Z012D model will have popular 5.5 inch FHD display, Snapdragon 650 chip set, 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage. Meanwhile, the Z010DD model will sport a generous 5.9 inch HD, Snapdragon 615 chip set, 3GB RAM also with 32GB internal storage. Seems like both will be having a 13MP main camera.

While many other producers are focusing on more and more premium flagships, Asus still made this decision to target the lower-end mobiles. Asus has shared their expected sales figures, with an estimated number of 30 million units being sold in 2015, which is 5 million units more than their actual sales in 2015.

Asus Zenfone 3 price: super affordable

Asus Zenfone 3 price, though not unveiled for now, has been guaranteed to be very affordable for most users. By that, we are predicting both models will cost no more than $250. However, the question being asked, would it be a nice move to come up with a new phone that is far from featuring any big innovations?

iPhone 7, regardless of all the mixed comments pouring over the internet, is forever and ever one of the most popular smartphones every one wishes to have/is curious about. iPhone 7 is nowhere close to its release date, yet rumors are suggesting these interesting features just don’t want to miss.

1. Apple Iphone 7 – Winner of Design

Do you still remember our previous article about 6 of the most gorgeous Apple iPhone 7 concepts introduced to the tech world by aspiring designers? Did you just simply fall in love with at least one of them? Apple is believed to be working their best to give iPhone 7 a stunning design with slim body and premium metal material. Whether they will choose to keep their signature design alive or give this phone a totally new look, we trust Apple to make a right decision of how this beast looks like

2. No headphone jack. Yes headphone jack. A stunning design is also the reason why we have heard about this concept the past days. It all started when a source claimed that Apple is trying to make their new smartphone as slim as possible by killing the 3.5mm headphone jack. Later, other source suggested that the headphone jack is definitely one thing to stay. And the net keeps going around these arguments. For as far as we updated, it is very likely that Apple iPhone 7 will not have the jack, instead there will be 2 speakers, for the reason as explained in our previous article.

3. Dual camera set up Earlier Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst from KGI, has supported the rumor that Apple is packing a dual camera set-up. If this becomes real, iPhone 7 will not be the first one to feature such sensor, yet contribute to make it a more popular trend for smartphones launched in 2016. What do you think about the idea that, a smartphone has not one, but 2 cameras to support one another and produce the best image quality possible? 4. OLED display and 3GB RAM iPhone has always received mixed feed backs from its users and non-users for having such a small RAM (never passing 2GB). This time, with the brand new iPhone 7, it is being rumored that the smartphone will have an improvement with up to 3GB RAM. Besides, there will be an OLED display in exchange for LCD display used in the current iPhone 6. If this happens to be true, iPhone 7 will be making huge changes for what we know about Apple smartphones.

5. There will be a 4-inch Apple iPhone 7c

And yes, Apple does have a plan to bring back that affordable 4 inch variant of their premium phones. If nothing changes, it seems very much like we will have iPhone 7c some time after they launch iPhone 7 flagship. There is not much information unveiled about this variant, yet we spotted a render design

According to what we observed from most recent flagships of 2016, having a dual feature (except for dual SIM) looks pretty much like a new trend for smartphones of the year. Take a look of what we already have thus far

1. LG V10: dual display and dual camera

LG V10 made a huge impression on many people when it was launched with not 1, but 2 dual features: doubled displays and doubled cameras. The smartphone has a 5.7 inch QHD main screen and a 2.1 inch secondary screen placed on the front surface. This display serves as an “Always On” mode to let you check time, date and weather updates without having to turn on the main screen. Some other LG V10 specs are a Snapdragon 808 chipset, 4GB RAM, 64GB of ROM (expandable up to 2TB), Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS, a 16MP primary cam with f/1.8 aperture plus OIS 2.0, and finally a decent 3,000mAh cell under the hood.

2. Lenovo Vibe S1 Dual front camera

Lenovo Vibe S1 is the world’s first smartphone to have 2 selfie cameras, which are 8MP and 2MP respectively. Lenovo explains their reasons to add the 2nd front shooter by saying it helps add depth-of-field effect and blur background to give best quality for images. Lenovo Vibe S1 is also a very affordable smartphone that costs only USD 240 with very nice specs: 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM (expandable to 128GB), 13MP rear cam and 2,500 mAH battery.

3. Gionee M5: Dual battery

Gionee M5 is that one budget smartphone with a $200 price tag and huge 6,000 mAH battery. However, the smartphone doesn’t have one power cell, but a dual battery instead. With the main battery featuring 3,520 mAH and a secondary sell to add up to 6,000 mAH, Gionee M5 is still among those battery beasts with hugest capacities. Besides 6,000 mAH, you also get a QHD Amoled display, 2GB RAM and 8MP/5MP camera when buying this mobile

4. iPhone 7 : Dual camera and Dual Speakers

Although all iPhone 7 specs we know for now are yet to be finalized, it is interesting to know that the phone will have some very cool features. That being said, iPhone 7 will likely come with 2 main cameras on the back to give users the best photography experience ever. Also, according to latest source, seems like Apple will erase the 3.5mm headphone jack to make the phone slimmer and add in the 2nd speaker for better sounding quality. Exciting, isn’t it?

5. HTC One M9+: Dual rear cameras

HTC One M9+ is a high-end smartphone introduced earlier this year. The smartphone is usually compared to LG V10 flagship for their premium specs. HTC One M9+ sports a dual rear camera set up with the resolutions of 20MP and 2.1MP to support one another. For selfie, the phone has a separate 4MP front shooter. Besides, HTC One M9+ specs include: 3GB RAM, a Helio X10 octa-core 2.2GHz processor, 32GB internal storage and 2,840 mAH battery.

The smartphone industry we know for now are changing rapidly with more and more awesome specs coming along the way. These 5 smartphones we introduced here are those outstanding examples and signs to be looking forward to more innovations in the future.

Well, we do not always look for premium smartphones, rite?! In fact, a handset that costs under USD 200 with decent hardware sometimes will just be good enough. Here are the best latest ones for under USD 200!

1. Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Design

With no more than USD 200, you can purchase the Xiaomi’s first smartphone equipped with a fingerprint scanner able to unlock the machine in just 0.3 second and a pretty all-alloy unibody. Other Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 specs include a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a big 4,000mAh cell, a strong MediaTek Helio X10 processor, 2/3GB RAM and 16/32GB ROM.

In terms of camera, you have a 13MP rear cam with phase detection autofocus, and a 5MP front-facing one to take selfies. At the moment Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is available with 3 color options: Grey, White, and Gold and priced at about $150 for its 2GB RAM version and $180 for 3GB RAM. What can be better than this Xiaomi Redmi 3 for just 160 USD?

After the success of Exynos 7420, Samsung is going to release a chip called Exynos 7870 used for mid-range smartphones. Upcoming products seem more powerful but still affordable…

Thanks to Samsung Exynos 7870, mid-range phones can have 16MP rear and front cams?

Samsung is not only a smartphone producer but also a processor manufacturer. Last year, they launched Exynos 7420, which is known as the company’s leading 14nm FinFET chip and used for high-end devices such as the flagship Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge Plus, etc. That was 2015. This year, the firm has announced a similar 14nm chipset, yet for mid-range handsets. It is named Samsung Exynos 7870.

Speaking more specifically, the Exynos 7870 consists of eight 1.6GHz Cortex-A53 CPU cores and acts as an energy efficient chip for the mid-rangers, according to Samsung. In other words, moving to 14nm manufacturing is to improve performance and power efficiency. Samsung reports that their 7870 processor consumes approximately 30 percent less power than other machines packing 28nm chipset based on High-k Metal Gate process tech.

In addition, the Exynos 7870 supports high-end modem, display and camera components. To be specific, Category 6 LTE modem with 2 band carrier aggregation and speeds at 300Mbps download, and capability of 1080p 60fps video playback on displays with up to 1920×1200 resolution are included. Moreover, 7870 can come with 16MP rear and front cameras or dual 8MP ones. Cool, huh?!

When will we get a handset run by Samsung Exynos 7870?

So, Samsung not only has Exynos 8890 for premium flagships but also gives mid-rangers a great Exynos 7870. Accordingly, Samsung Exynos 7870 will be available in the next months, and it is very likely that we will see mid-range smartphones launched with this chip in the H2 of 2016. Perhaps, Samsung products will be the first, yet, let’s wait and see! Now, share with us your opinions about this new processor by Samsung!