Author: Chris Eilers

It is the beginning of November, which marks the year-end season coming soon. And we are so excited to talk about some very cool smartphones planned to launched either in this month or at the end of 2015. Take a look, may be you will find a very suitable babe for yourself. Here they are!

1. Samsung Galaxy On 7 and Galaxy On 5

What’s happening in New Delhi on 3 November? Seems like Samsung is holding a release date for their upcoming budget-smartphone market.

Specs wise, the Galaxy On7 is said to feature: 5.5”, 13MP/5MP cameras, decent 3000 mAH, quad0-core and 1.5GB RAM. It will also comes with SD card support, of up to 60% discount for the next swinning.

The Galaxy On5 is expected to be a lower-end variant with key differences being a smaller 5-inch display, 8MP primary camera and a 2,600mAh battery.

2. Doogee T6 with 6000 mAH

Chinese smartphone producer is expecting to launch a battery beast in late November or early December this year, 2015. Before Doogee T6, there have been some other handsets equipped with big batteries such as Doogee Homtom HT6 (sporting a 6,250mAh batt) and Doogee S6000 (having a 6,000mAh one).

However, this Doogee T6 does not only come with 6,000 mAH battery, but is also supported by Pump Express quick-charging technology. Other Doogee T6 specs include: 2GB RAM, MediaTek MT6735 chip, 8MP/2MP cameras.

3. Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro

Earlier we spotted a picture of a Xiaomi smartphone with full metal body, allegedly a Redmi Note 2 Pro. Since the device has made it way through China’s 3D certification, rumors have it said that Xiaomi is launching this smartphone in November.

The Redmi Note 2 Pro from Xiaomi will feature a 5.5-inch Full HD display, 13 MP/5MP cameras, a decent 3,060mAh battery and 2GB RAM. Catching up with the latest trend, Redmi Note 2 is said to feature microSD card slot and MIUI 7 also.

4. Huawei Mate 8

Huawei Mate 8 is having too much attention even though it has only been rumored to launch some time this Q4 2015, probably November. The beast became popular ever since Huawei claimed that, the Kirin 950 they developed for this flagship is even stronger than Exynos 7420 by Samsung and Snapdragon 820 by Qualcomm.

Well, those are the TOP Android smartphones and devices to be launched this November and Q4 2015! Which one do you like best? Share with us your opinions.

As we know, Huawei has been developing a new chip called HiSilicon Kirin 950, which is said to be powerful with the latest benchmark score exceeding the score of Exynos 7420 of Samsung and even Snapdragon 820. And important news is that Huawei is going to release this processor on 5 November, 2015 along with a flagship smartphone. We guess it can also be the strongest device on the market this month.

Kirin 950

– Single-core test: 1,909 points

– Multi-core test: 6,096 points

Exynos 7420

– Single-core test: 1,486 points

– Multi-core test: 4,970 points

On the other hand, recently, we have seen a teaser by the company.

We think that the 5 November event is just for the chip itself and the handset has to wait until 26 November 2015. You would wonder what it is, right?! From the teaser, we immediately figure out that it has to be Huawei Mate 8, the successor to Huawei Mate 7, not Huawei Mate S as many people thought.

This time, Huawei Mate 8 specs will include the gorgeous Kirin 950 chipset and according to Huawei CEO Yu Chengdong, a speaker at the Huawei Watch launch event for Vogue in Shanghai, it would be the Huawei equivalent of the iPhone 6S Plus. That is so promising!

Apart from that, Yu added the Huawei Mate 8 launch together with Huawei Mate S were expected to exceed their 100 million units sold goal for the 2016 fiscal year. This announcement seems to be drawing a lot of people’s attention though we do not know more about detailed Huawei Mate 8 specs as well price. But, it is predicted that the Huawei Mate 8 price will range from $400 to $550 (RM1,720 to RM2,370). In addition, Richard Yu claimed that he has been using the Mate 8 for the past few weeks and he was sure its camera and display would become the main selling points of the device.

To recap, Huawei is leading the smartphone market in China and they may also want to be in the top of the world, too. With the Kirin 950 and Huawwei Mate 8, it is probably they will be able to do it. Just wait a bit more!

Smartphone comparison is one of the most frequently-featured topics on PricePony. This time, we compare 2 super popular flagships recently: Nokia McLaren VS Microsoft Lumia 950XL. Why? ~> Keep reading to find out their similarities and differences.

1. Nokia McLaren VS Microsoft Lumia 950XL: how they came across

Nokia McLaren was supposed to be the successor of Lumia 1020, when Nokia and Microsoft were still a team under their business merging contract. This smartphone concept, created by Nokia, was later cancelled by Microsoft and never made it to mass production.

Meanwhile, Lumia 950XL is Microsoft’s newly launched flagship in 2015. The handset was developed and produced when Nokia was no longer part of the company, so it was purely a Microsoft smartphone from A to Z.

2. Nokia McLaren VS Microsoft Lumia 950XL: best of both worlds!

In terms of display size, Nokia McLaren VS Microsoft Lumia 950XL fall into 2 different categories: The McLaren sports a handy 5” inch screen, while the Lumia is a phablet with huge 5.7” display.

Specs

It seems that both devices are targeted at the camera smartphone market. Lumia 950XL from Microsoft “only” has a 20MP camera ZEISS Pureview (which is bigger than most smartphone cameras nowadays). However, the McLaren comes with a whooping 50MP ZEISS Pureview, which easily impresses everyone who gets to know about it.

Selling points

We don’t know much about Nokia McLauren besides the camera, the display size and a 3D Touch sensor in board. If the McLauren is available in the market, I bet with 50MP itself, it can already sell crazily well.

Meanwhile, the selling point of Lumia 950XL is a combination of different specs: Premium 20MP, strong 3GB RAM and special liquid cooling to keep the device from overheating.

3. Nokia McLaren VS Microsoft Lumia 950XL: and their design

To be very fair, both devices feature very elegant and decent designs, although each person will tend to prefer a different one. The Nokia McLaren looks like it is 100% alloy body, while Lumia 950 XL from Microsoft has a plastic casing. While many people claim that a metal case makes the device feel more premium, other prefer plastic since it is light and easily adaptable.

Personally, I am very impressed with the Nokia McLaren design thanks to its big, protrusive camera module located on the back. The big camera with whooping 50MP Pureview ZEISS is just to appealing to refuse!

Closing Note

I have my favorite between the two, though I know each of them are better than the other in their own ways. How about you? Visually, specs-wise, brand-wise, which smartphone from Nokia McLaren VS Microsoft Lumia 950XL is your favorite?

A new month has just arrived and this is our favorite way to welcome November: writing about best smartphones of the month. This time, it is all about selfie smartphones: handsets with beautiful and high quality front camera sensors. Not all of these are totally new or be launch in November, but all of them are expected to gain the most attention and be the best sellers during the month, especially when talking about selfie flagship category.

So what are their names, the Top Selfie smartphones for November 2015?

1. Samsung Galaxy A9: rotating 16MP camera

Samsung Galaxy A9 seems to be a very clever movement from Samsung Mobile. The device was leaked earlier with a beautiful red render, reportedly featuring a 16MP main camera. Yes 16MP is not so special for rear shooter. However, the Galaxy A9 camera is a rotating module, making it as selfie snapper at the same time. Now, with 16MP selfie camera, is it special enough yet?

2. Asus Zenfone selfie

Asus Zenfone Selfie is such a familiar name in our smartphone market. However, for its good price and high quality, the Zenfone Selfie is predicted to keep on making hits during November. With 13MP selfie camera and good reputation, Asus Zenfone Selfie is definitely one of the best selfie smartphones for November 2015.

3. Sony Xperia M5

While Sony Xperia M4 is definitely still recommended by me, the next generation Xperia M5 does have what it takes to be the hot item for November, especially in the selfie smartphone category. The device comes with 21MP rear shooter and 13MP front snapper, water proof and powerful Helio X10 chip set.

4. OnePlus X

OnePlus X, launched freshly at the end of October, is targeted for the mid-ranging price group, or the PHP 12K to be exact. OnePlus X features a 8MP front camera and 3GB RAM on board, making it an ideal device for the budget. Those who are looking for a nice selfie smartphone can also consider OnePlus X as a safe and decent option.

5. Lenovo A7000 special edition

Lenovo is such a good smartphone producer with many quality products. Many of us are very used to the Lenovo A7000 the budget smartphone with fairly good specs and decent design. This month, we predict an updated version of this flaghship, the Lenovo A7000 special edition will win over the stage.

While the original Lenovo A7000 has a humbled 5MP selfie camera, the special edition features up to 8MP – making it one of the best selfie smartphones for November

6. Huawei Nexus 6P

Launched in late October, Huawei Nexus 6P will have its sale booming in November. The smartphone sports a huge 5.7” display, Snapdragon 810 and strong 3GB RAM. What makes it one of the best selfie smartphones is the 8MP front shooter

7. Alcatel Flash 2

Alcatel Flash 2 is a super budget smartphone pricing only PHP 6,2K. However, it carries very good specs that any user should consider: 2GB RAM, 13MP/5MP and 3000 mAH.

Selfie smartphones are always among customers’ top choices in our fast growing smartphone market. That explains why producers nowadays care more and more about featuring a good front shooter for their devices. Are you a selfie fan also? If yes, which among these 7 will you vote as best selfie smartphone for November?

A few days ago, we announced the top 10 smartphones owing highest Antutu scores in the Q3 of 2015. But, that was just the list. Today, we want to dig it deeper by comparing the top 4 Antutu devices in the list. However, we would like to take the representative of each brand. For example, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places are Samsung products, so we only choose the Note 5 to join to comparison. As a result, we have:

Meizu Pro 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs LeTV 1 Pro vs Sony Xperia Z5 

Firstly, let’s look at them in general:

Of course, if we talk about the Antutu scores, Meizu Pro 5 is the winner with 76,852 points, yet in other battles, Pro 5 is not really the best.

For instance, in this Top 4 Antutu competition, Xperia Z5 is the slimmest and lightest handset thanks to its 7.3mm thickness and 154 gram weight. As for the screen resolution and size, it cannot beat LeTV 1 Pro and Galaxy Note 5 since they have up to big 2K displays. In other words, it is the only non-phablet device here when sporting only 5.2-inch screen. Anyhow, that is a good size to put in your pocket, rite?!

Next, it is about processor. We feel like this is Exynos 7420 vs Snapdragon 810. They are both strong, yet Snapdragon had been often reported for its heating issue. Therefore, many people are not very happy once informed of the presence of an SD810 in a machine.

In terms of RAM, once again, Sony Xperia Z5 loses to the others due to its only 3GB RAM. Maybe that is the reason why Z5 was just able to take the 8th spot. However, Z5, you should be proud of your 23MP rear camera and perhaps even the 5.1MP front snapper. What a wonderful combo for those who love taking photos!

Finally, we would like to say something about their prices. Being ranked first does not make Meizu Pro 5 the most expensive flagship. In fact, it seems to be the cheapest not only in this comparison but also in the top 10. With such a great package of specs, Antutu score and prices, Pro 5 is quite a convincing winner.

In conclusion, no matter what the Antutu top 10 says, we think you still can pick one to be your hero. Which one is yours? Share with us 🙂 !

Sony is one of the most famous and big smartphone manufacturers in the world. Therefore, their new products usually draw much attention from people. Moreover, Sony phone concepts are also welcome. So, today, we would like to bring you something like that which is called Sony Xperia S5.

At first sight, we are impressed with its design made by a designer named Babak Soren. Actually, he has not been very happy with the current Sony Xperia Z5 line-up, so he decided to create his own flagship smartphone Sony Xperia S5 instead of Z5 😀 . Looking at the pictures, we are quite impressed with these tribal models as well as its user interface.

In terms of Sony Xperia S5 specs, the handset is said to have a 5.5-inch OLED screen (but the resolution is not mentioned) and an e-paper one (which can help save a lot of power), which means that S5 owns a dual display like YotaPhone. The whole machine is powered by a MediaTek Helio X20 processor (instead of Snapdragon 810 chip used in the real Sony Xperia Z5 perhaps to avoid the heating issue) and 4 GB of RAM.

As for the camera, it features a 21MP rear shooter with IMX230 sensor, but we cannot find any information related to the selfie snapper. Hope that it is capable of 5-8 megapixels to make S5 a great device for selfie lovers. In addition, there are a 3,700mAh battery on-board and even a stylus as well. That could be inspired by Samsung Galaxy Note series! Yet, do you like it to have such a tool to come along?

Well, those are the main details about the concept Sony Xperia S5. As a result, its price is unknown also. Though, can you give Sony any suggestion for Sony Xperia S5 price? Just in case they want to adopt this idea 🙂 .

Nokia McLaren is a beautiful smartphone concept proposed by Nokia that we introduced earlier on Pricepony. It was meant to be the successor of Lumia 1020, when Nokia and Microsoft were working together under a contract. What special about this Nokia McLaren and makes it distinctive from other smartphone concepts is that, Nokia McLaren had almost reached mass production when Microsoft turned it down!

Since the Nokia McLaren had made it so close to mass production, we can actually see pictures of the real machine. This is also what many smartphone producers do: first they have the smartphone concept, then proceed the design render, then they work on to propose how the smartphone looks in real machine before having it manufactured and launched.

The pictures we found feature a Nokia McLaren laying next to an iPhone, allegedly iPhone 6S. I guess the author of these pics intended to make some comparison of the two device: McLaren from world-popular Nokia and iPhone 6 from controversial Apple!

Nokia McLaren hands-on: what it really looks like!

As you can see in the picture, the first thing to catch our attention is Nokia McLaren big, rounded, protrusive camera module. Such camera has been so successful it is recognized by almost every user as a signature of a Nokia-Lumia smartphone. The whole handset looks classy and elegant in full metal body (seems like) and greyish color. Absolutely contrast to the iPhone next by, Nokia McLaren features squared corners and edges.

Nokia McLaren – successor of Lumia 1020?

If you remember the Lumia 1020, you may recognize why this Nokia McLaren is supposed to be the successor of that Lumia 1020, clearly from the design. The Lumia 1020 looks very similar in shape, with identical camera module, but in Lumia’s signature bright yellow color. Hmm, to be very fair, many many users all around the world used to (and are still) big fans of this design, don’t you agree with me?

Although the Nokia McLaren had been cancelled by Microsoft, I personally, and many Nokia fans are hoping this concept, once made by the company, will be brought to real life also by them in their Nokia 2016 comeback (which is confirmed by the company)! I am excited to know how awesome those pictures taken by 50MP camera can be!

Nokia McLaren Hands-on video

As what OnePlus team announced, they have already released two devices this year: OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X. Though the “flagship killer” OP2 has arguably failed in creating success for the company like OnePlus One, the latest OnePlus X seems able to bring them a bright future then.

Here is what you need to know about OnePlus X!

OnePlus X specs

The OnePlus X is equipped with a 5.0-inch Full HD Active Matrix OLED display (~441 ppi) and covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 preventing scratches, small bumps and bruises. The whole phone is powered by a non-removable lithium-polymer 2,525mAh battery and a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor. In addition, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage are on-board, but not NFC.

As for the camera, there are a 13MP rear f/2.2 snapper with 0.2-second autofocus and phase detection autofocus, plus an up to 8MP front-facing shooter, perfect for selfies 😀 . And just like its bigger brother OnePlus 2, the X runs on OxygenOS based on Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system. More info about the OxygenOS is that it provides a handy Dark Mode for nighttime reading and some gestures designed to help you use the phone more easily.

For a fuller view of OnePlus X specs, let’s check the table as usual 😎 :

OnePlus X design

Since the X is not made a flagship like OnePlus 2, the specs are not very aggressive, but we have to say that its design is fantastic!

A metal frame is placed between glasses on the front and the back, which somewhat reminds us of Samsung Galaxy S6 design and Sony Xperia Z series one as well. In our opinion, we would say OnePlus X is more beautiful than the OP2. How many of you will agree with us?

Besides the standard Onyx color version, there is another option for you with the Ceramic color which features a ceramic rear resistant to scratch and a hardness of 8.5H. That definitely will bring you a more solid and durable feeling. Futhermore, the smaller screen size of OnePlus X is much more comfortable to handle in one hand than a phablet.

Basically, on the handset’s left side, there is an Alert slider for you to adjust notification and on the right, you can find the power button together with the volume rocker. They are so harmonious with the other parts of the phone. This time, OnePlus appears to make it right!

 OnePlus X price and availability

The specs are good; the design is good, so how about OnePlus X price?

Specifically, it is said that the X will cost set US users $249 (PHP 12K) from November 19, 2015. Meanwhile, European buyers will have chance to own it a bit sooner on November 5, 2015 for EUR269 (PHP 14K), and European and Indian ones can get one of the limited 10,000 units of Ceramic OP X from November 24, 2015 for EUR369 (PHP 19K).

However, bear in mind that OnePlus tradition of selling is that you need to register to get an invite for purchase and the company still has opening up sales without invites yet in limited capacity.

Conclusion

OnePlus X launch has just happened and is drawing much people’s attention thanks to its pretty good specifications and prices. Hope that OnePlus will gain more success in this half of the year with their new member!

How about you? What do you think about OnePlus X? 

Our technology world is growing with an amazing space! We are living in 2015, when 4G LTE smartphones have not yet to be found everywhere in the world, plans for 5G mobile network have already around the corner. Earlier we heard that, on one side, Huawei and NTT DOMOCO are working together on testing 5G network. On the other side, Nokia and NI as a team have already successfully demonstrated the network with a speed of 10,22 GBps.

In late October, UN just declared that, 193 member countries have approved the roadmap for the development of 5G network!

5G network: Next generation of mobile networking!

To make it very easy to compare, 5G connectivity will be a mobile network that offer a speed similar to 200 times faster than the 4G LTE we know nowadays. Also, as the developers claimed, this could support in bringing driver-less cars closer to reality.

So, as announced by the UN, 193 member countries, after the approval, are now working on the project, to make it possible for the development and launching of 5G network.  Sanjay Acarya, spokesman for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said that, the UN is “looking at a 2020 timeframe” to officially release 5G connectivity to the technology industry!

Wow, in a 4 year time (well, it’s almost 2016 now don’t you think), we can totally expect to download heavy loads of files in just minutes, or even seconds! How cool could that be? (Especially when you are too used with the desperately slow internet in the Philippines).

5G network: the future is fascinating!

Right now, we already have more than one good piece of news to look forward to 2016: the roll out of 6GB RAM on smartphones, the legendary Nokia comeback.. Now, it is adding up to the excitement, knowing how much can happen within the next 4 years: 5G connectivity sounds like perfect plan for our smartphones in the future. By then, those handy devices will be likely to have very powerful RAM, together with better and better camera, and fast internet connection. Now I wonder how huge smartphone battery can be!

Among the most trendy smartphone features in our market these days, we have smartphones with curved displays found in Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and the rumored successor Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Beautiful as the edges can be, many users don’t really like the idea of a curved screen, which is too different from the familiar flat screens they are using.

That is exactly where the Streit Phone concept comes in: an innovative edged smartphone together with tradition flat screen – promising to fit everyone’s taste.

Streit Phone concept: Edges without curved screen

The Streit Phone concept is a fascinating product of Designer Micheal Muleba’s creativity. In his work of art, the phone actually features side screen that are added straightly, making the main display still perfectly flat, not curved like other edge devices.

In their products, each designer shows their references to the smartphone OS and specs. The Streit Phone by Micheal Muleba goes with Windows, ideally Windows 10 OS. As I explained above, the phone goes with 3 screen theoretically: one main screen and 2 on the rears.

Streit Phone concept: Specs and more

Specs wise, the Streit Phone has an appealing 20MP Pureview Camera. Although Micheal did not mention it in his concept, I would love to imagine adding in a few premium specs to make this clever design a perfect handset. Ideally, since the new trend in our market is 6GB RAM gradually replace 4GB RAM, this Streit Phone is best to have one too. The display looks bright and nice, so I assume it must feature a 2K or even 4K display. Of course, a battery of 6,000 mAH or bigger should be more than awesome!

Smartphone concepts, whether they will become real or not, are always a great art be admired, for the hard work and creativity of the designers. That is why we always really enjoy those beautiful concepts about Nokia Swan, Lumia 888 and so on.

Again, I would say my favorite saying about smartphone concepts in general: “Concepts are the indicator of creativity and the stepping stone of future innovations”.

In an important meeting with shareholders, Nokia Board of Directors confirmed their come back 2016 and mentioned that they are going to “manufacture, market and sell mobile devices and consumer wearables and other electronics”

Nokia comeback to mobile market confirmed by the company

In the official announcement Nokia published on their website, they mentioned very clearly about all the terms and conditions of the Extraordinary General Meeting happening later this December 2nd, 2015. Part of that refers to the target of both parties in the combination of Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent. Both companies clarified that, they are cooperating with each other in the search of pursuing their long-term business development. They are aware of and ready to take any challenges and risks, together!

Ok, It has been a bit too technical so far. In order words, Nokia has proudly informed the whole world, by a major planned meeting, about their Nokia comeback 2016. The company sounds confident and hints that, with the cooperation of Alcatel, Nokia will challenge and threaten other competitors in the industry. After all, despite a long time of absence, Nokia was and is still called a smartphone legend for a reason, don’t you agree?

If you want to read more about the technical terms and all the legal issuance relevant to Nokia comeback 2016, please refer to Nokia official company website. On my side, I know both me and any of Nokia fans among you guys are already getting too excited about the news of Nokia comeback 2016!

Nokia comeback 2016: already getting so exciting

Since 2015 is coming to and end, it is even hotter than ever with this piece of reliable information from no one else, but Nokia. We have heard about many potential Nokia smartphones that will be introduced in 2016. Which is the best Nokia phone that you can’t wait to see?