Honor 8 First Impressions: A promising mid-range Android smartphone

Chinese tech giant Huawei has been making waves in the Indian market for quite some time. The company has recently launched its flagship handset- P9, packing the industry's first Leica sensors on a smartphone skeleton, and is now geared up to launch another smartphone in the second week of October 2016.

This upcoming smartphone- Honor 8 will be the flagship offering under Honor series and is expected to be priced around Rs. 27,000 in the Indian market. The smartphone has been given the same dual-camera setup treatment, which we have seen earlier in Huawei P9, and also comes loaded with a top of the line specifications and features.

SEE ALSO: Honor 8 to launch in October: 5 things you should know

We got the chance to play around with the smartphone and here's our first impressions of the Honor 8.

Design: A blend of Metal and Glass

Just like most of the smartphones priced around Rs 25,000 price-point, Honor 8 boasts a metal and glass construction. There's hardly anything new in terms of design but the handset still looks good. The smartphone has a sturdy built and offers a premium feel, which you would expect from a mid-range handset.

The front and back has been covered by a 2.5D curved glass, which seamlessly fuses into the metal edges. The right side has the volume rockers and power button and the left holds the SIM card tray. The top has an IR blaster and a microphone.

Huawei is also offering a 3.5mm headphone jack, unlike other smartphone makers who are gradually shifting away from the traditional feature in order to give their products a slim profile.

The headphone jack is positioned at the bottom along with Type C USB port and a mono speaker unit.

The rear has the dual-camera setup along with dual-tone LED flash and a fingerprint sensor, positioned ergonomically in the center of the handset.

I am using the smartphone since last three days and really liking its compact form-factor. It perfectly fits in one hand and you will not find your thumb struggling to reach the corners of the 5.2-inch display. Honor 8 will please consumers who are not fond of big-screen devices. Besides, it's not slippery even with a metal-glass construction.

Display: Full HD crisp display

While, the world is moving towards bigger display sizes, there's still a market for smartphones that sits under the 5.5-inch mark. Honor 8 packs in a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS LCD display, which is just perfect for everything you would want to do on a smartphone. The handset features an LTPS panel that delivers a pixel density of 423 PPI, which is pretty good for a mid-range device.

The full HD display is very bright, has good viewing angles and offers vivid color reproduction. Moreover, you can also tweak the color balance in display settings as per your requirement.

The highlight: Impressive camera hardware

The dual-camera setup is slowly becoming a standard feature in mid-range and flagship smartphones. Honor 8 also has two 12MP cameras stacked side-by-side. One sensor captures the monochrome, while the other is a RGB unit to take care of colour information. This is the same technology Huawei has packed in its flagship P9, but in case of Honor 8, the company has used Sony lenses instead if Leica certified lenses.

The camera UI comes with several modes and filters like the pro mode, HDR, time-lapse, slow motion, beauty among others. The camera also has a dedicated mode to take photos with a shallow depth of field, which is capable to deliver some amazing shots.

The 'Impact Monochrome mode in the filters is also quite impressive. You can check the images we shot from the Honor 8's rear camera, which will give you a better understanding of its camera abilities.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Huawei's personal touch

The smartphone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based EMUI 4.1. The interface is pretty simple, a non-drawer UI where every app sits on the home-screen for easy access.

Huawei's Emotion UI on Honor 8 works fluidly without any glitches. However, it's too early to give a final word on its actual software performance as the real story unfolds when you use the handset for a while. Stay tuned for our final verdict on the software performance of the Honor 8.

Powerful Hardware underneath

Honor 8 is powered by Huawei's in-house HiSilcon Kirin 950 chipset. The processor uses four Cortex A72 and four A53 cores, which supplies the processing power matching the likes of Snapdragon 652 Soc. There is Mali-T880 MP4 GPU to look after graphical performance and the handset has 4GB RAM to support multitasking.

Honor 8 has 32GB internal storage that can be expanded by up to 128G via microSD card slot.

During our initial testing, we did not face any performance issues on Honor 8 with multiple applications running at a time. However, we will evaluate the smartphone's full potential in our full review.

A 3,000mAh battery with fast charging

Honor 8 is powered by a 3,000mAh battery unit, which also supports Fast-Charging. In our initial usage, the smartphone managed to last for a day on a single charge. We mostly used it for testing camera, browsing internet, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.

Improved Fingerprint sensor

Matching the market standards, Honor 8 features a fingerprint sensor at the rear side that can be used to perform a number of functions in addition to unlock the smartphone.

You can accept/reject calls, dismiss an alarm, browse through your photo gallery by swiping left to right and can even pull down the notification panel with a vertical swipe from top to bottom. All these functions can be activated from the fingerprints settings menu.

It all depends on Pricing now

Honor 8 has managed to impress us with its design, display and camera performance. The only thing that now can make this handset a good bargain is its price-point. We expect Huawei to price it around Rs 25-27,000, which will make Honor 8 fight some real big fishes like OnePlus 3, Xiaomi Mi 5, LeEco Le Max 2 and the recently launched Asus Zenfone 3.

As of now, our personal favorite is OnePlus 3, which is simply an all-rounder in sub Rs 30,000 price segment. But Huawei can change this with the Honor 8 pricing. Stay tuned for the pricing and full review of Honor 8 on Gizbot.

Source: Honor 8 First Impressions: A promising mid-range Android smartphone

Samsung slammed by Chinese state TV over Note 7 recall 'discrimination'

A Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 new smartphone is displayed at its store in Seoul, South Korea, September 2, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo
Source: Samsung slammed by Chinese state TV over Note 7 recall 'discrimination'

Coming soon! Honor 8 smartphone's India launch round the corner

 PANAJI: The Honor 8 smartphone -- a sub-brand of Chinese telecom giant Huawei -is all set to enter India in a couple of weeks from now.

Honor 8 was showcased to select media at a special preview session in Goa this week.

Huawei will also launch its first "Made in India" phone around the same time, a company spokesperson told IANS on Thursday.

The world's third largest smartphone maker announced last week that it will collaborate with the leading sketch-to-scale solutions provider Flextronics' Chennai facility to manufacture some of its products in the country.

The sleek Honor 8 phone, which has already been launched in China and a few other countries including the US, comes with heavy 2.5D glass on front screen and back surface to give it a premium look.

The curved metallic sidebars of the 156 gm phone have no edges, thereby allowing users to have an easy grip.

One, however, would have to be a little brave to handle the phone, as the glass on the fro nt screen and back would demand delicate care, as keeping it in a protected case would destroy its killer look.

The standout feature of the phone, however, is its camera system that comes with wide aperture mode and professional mode.

"The camera of this light device enables its users to do everything that professional photographers only a few years ago could do with very equipment," said Sumit Dayal, a Delhi-based freelance photographer who works for international publications including the Time magazine.

"The Honor 8 basically have all the strengths of Huawei's flagship P9 phone, which has been a photographer's delight, except the Leica lens," Dayal pointed out.

The phone allows users to tell stories using the camera as it permits one to focus on the objects of focus and blur the surroundings, according to Dayal.

The front camera is also equipped to capture high-quality selfies with special beauty effects.

The phone will be available in India in three colours - white, sunrise gold and blue, the spokesperson added.

The specifications of the phone and its price details are yet to be disclosed.

Source: Coming soon! Honor 8 smartphone's India launch round the corner

Precise BioMatchâ„¢ Mobile deployed in new smartphone from a Chinese OEM

September 28, 2016 02:30 ET | Source: Precise Biometrics AB Precise Biometrics announced today the deployment of Precise BioMatch Mobile in a new smartphone from a Chinese OEM. Precise BioMatch Mobile is Precise Biometrics' fingerprint recognition algorithm for mobile devices. For this deployment, Precise BioMatch Mobile will be used in conjunction with Qualcomm® Snapdragon Sense™ ID 3D fingerprint technology. Precise Biometrics is currently projecting this deployment of Precise BioMatch Mobile will generate royalty revenue starting from the third quarter of 2016. Royalty revenue, is based on sales of fingerprint sensors that utilize Precise BioMatch Mobile and cannot be forecasted by Precise Biometrics at this point. Precise BioMatch Mobile (http://precisebiometrics.com/fingerprint -technology/precise-biomatch-mobile/) is the industry's leading algorithm solution for convenient and secure fingerprint recognition in smartphones and tablets. The unique and patented hybrid algorithm solution is optimized for small fingerprint sensors and platforms with limited processing power and memory. Precise BioMatch Mobile offers fast, accurate, and secure verification of user identity, creating a more convenient experience when unlocking mobile devices or authenticating user services. Precise Biometrics AB is obliged to make this information public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact person set out below at 08.30 CEST on September 28, 2016. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Håkan Persson, CEO, Precise Biometrics AB Phone; +46 46 31 11 05 or +46 734 35 11 05 E-mail; hakan.persson@precisebiometrics.com ABOUT PRECISE BIOMETRICS Precise Biometrics is a market leading supplier of solutions for convenient and secure authentication of people's identity. We develop and sell fingerprint software and mobile smart card readers that provide the market's best user experience and security. Our solutions are used hundreds of millions of times every day by people all over the world and are marketed together with strong business partners. For more information, please visit; http://precisebiometrics.com/ #### Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Snapdragon Sense is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm Snapdragon Sense ID 3D fingerprint is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

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Source: Precise BioMatch™ Mobile deployed in new smartphone from a Chinese OEM

Global Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder Industry 2016 Market Research Report

PR-Inside.com: 2016-09-27 08:26:07

The Global Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder industry.

Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions' development status.

Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.

Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. What's more, the Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.

Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.

In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companie s and individuals interested in the market.

Ask a sample or any question, please email to: hebe@qyresearchglobal.com or qyresearchhebe@126.com

Key Topics Covered: 

Chapter One Industry Overview of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder

Chapter Two Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder

Chapter Three Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder

Chapter Four Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder by Regions, Types and Manufacturers

Chapter Five Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder by Regions, Types and Manufacturers

Chapter Six Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder by Regions, Types and Applications

Chapter Seven Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder

Chapter Eight Major Manufacturers Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder

Chapter Nine Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder

Chapter Ten Industry Chain Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder

Chapter Eleven Development Trend of Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder

Chapter Twelve New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder

Chapter Thirteen Conclusion of the Global Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder Industry 2016 Market Research Report

Related Reports:

China Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder Industry Market Research Report 2016

United States Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder Industry Market Research Report 2016

Europe Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder Industry Market Research Report 2016

Japan Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder Industry Market Research Report 2016

India Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder Industry Market Research Report 2016

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Source: Global Plastic Waterproof Smartphone Holder Industry 2016 Market Research Report

Tse, Meller and Wang: Newcomers shake up China's mobile payment industry

Mobile payments have been embraced in China at a rate unseen anywhere else in the world, reaching approximately 16.3 trillion yuan ($2.5 trillion) in 2015. Whether it's buying plane tickets or electronics or even paying utility bills, the Chinese consumer instinctively reaches for his or her smartphone. This is largely due to a consumer class that has leapfrogged the era of the personal computer and jumped directly into the smartphone age. China's mobile payments industry has entered a new and exciting phase.

There have always been alternatives to the dominant Alipay and WeChat Pay sevices, but in the past year credible challengers have started to emerge. February saw the launch of Apple Pay, in partnership with state-owned payment processor China UnionPay. Samsung Pay arrived a month later. Viable alternatives backed by companies including Huawei Technologies, Xiaomi and LeEco are the latest to arrive.

Alipay, owned by Ant Financial Services Group, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, remains the largest mobile payments player in China. It had a market share of 68% at the end of 2015 and has more than 400 million registered users, thanks to its links with Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall shopping sites. WeChat Pay also has backing from parent Tencent Holdings that helps its reach. It is linked into WeChat, China's largest instant messaging and social media platform.

Last year, WeChat Pay's market share was 20%, making it a distant second to Alipay. But WeChat's growing number of users and the increasing popularity of social media are helping it gain market share. This past Chinese New Year's eve, some 8 billion "red packets," gifts of cash traditionally exchanged at the holiday, were given through WeChat Pay.

The competition between Alipay and WeChat Pay has reached new heights as both are transforming into global e-wallets not only for Chinese domestically but also overseas. Both services have been building partnerships with foreign retailers and e-commerce platforms allowing customers to purchase products in yuan while abroad and on foreign websites. Travelers can also get tax refunds abroad through Alipay, which can save time at the airport.

NEW PLAYERS The emergence of Apple Pay in the China mobile payments market is significant, marking the arrival of the first legitimate foreign competitor to Alipay and WeChat Pay. For once, the two incumbents face a competitor whose ecosystem can rival their own.

Apple is one of the top smartphone companies in China, where it has been aggressively expanding. Yet before Apple Pay had even launched in China, analysts had discounted its ability to match the range of functions offered by Alipay and WeChat Pay and noted the lack in China of near-field communications, or NFC, terminals for contactless payment. When Apple revealed a partnership with UnionPay rather than Alipay, analysts again called it a mistake.

Within two days of Apple Pay's launch in China, more than 30 million bank cards were connected to the service, implying linkage with one-third of the phones in the country then equipped to support NFC payment. By partnering with UnionPay, Apple gained access to China's largest banks and thus a majority of China's consumer class.

Before Apple Pay's launch in China, Apple had already ensured that popular Chinese apps, such as those of food delivery service Meituan, e-commerce site JD.com and online travel agent Qunar, would support its payment service. Crucially, Apple Pay could soon be used on Tmall due to a new Chinese law requiring that e-commerce websites allow payments via competing systems, eliminating one of Alipay's major competitive advantages.

PHONE MAKERS Apple isn't the only one diving into China's mobile payments market. Samsung Electronics, Huawei, Xiaomi and LeEco, the parent of Leshi Internet Information & Technology, are all making their own plays. Samsung followed Apple by partnering with UnionPay and getting the backing of China's major banks for Samsung Pay, but Samsung has also integrated Alipay into its e-wallet.

When Huawei, now the largest smartphone company in China, originally announced its mobile payment service in March, it had the backing only of Bank of China(BOC). But by the time it launched in August, Huawei had added another 24 banks. In addition, its latest flagship smartphone, the Huawei P9, allows users to directly activate HuaweiPay through a fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone, even when the keypad is locked.

Other Chinese companies are in various states of building their own mobile payment systems. Xiaomi, one of China's highest valued startups and the creator of the popular Mi series of smartphones, launched Mi Pay in early September. LeEco, which recently started offering mobile phones, has been building up its payment infrastructure by hiring a think-tank in Beijing to study internet finance and mobile payments.

For dedicated hardware providers like Xiaomi, Samsung, Apple and Huawei, mobile payments are another node of their ecosystems. The payment systems are features designed to increase the loyalty of consumers and help keep them hooked on the companies' hardware.

Internet companies like Tencent and Alibaba are playing a much longer game, with mobile payments just a starting point for their bigger ambitions in internet finance.

Ant Financial has built an intricate and elaborate ecosystem that offers a variety of financial services and products to Chinese consumers including Sesame Credit, a credit scoring system based on Alipay payment histories, and policies from Zhong An Insurance. Alipay also offers loans to consumers based on online purchasing records on Tmall and Taobao. WeChat Pay users can also buy investment products.

The early success of Apple Pay in China and its ability to change the mobile payment behavior of the Chinese consumer is the largest threat that Tencent and Alibaba have yet faced on the mobile shopping front.

We are witnessing companies with different ecosystems clashing over the Chinese consumer's wallet. This is an exciting and innovative period in China's mobile payments sector. While Alibaba is the dominant player now, new entrants, both local and foreign, which are bringing their own service portfolios and a culture of innovation and disruption, are more than capable of challenging the status quo. It remains to be seen if these new players can ultimately unseat incumbents whose ambitions go far beyond simple mobile payments.

Edward Tse is founder and CEO of Gao Feng Advisory Co., a global strategy and management consulting company, and the author of "China's Disruptors" (Portfolio, 2015). Ian Meller and Jackie Wang are consultants at Gao Feng.

Source: Tse, Meller and Wang: Newcomers shake up China's mobile payment industry

Samsung Galaxy On7 2016 Smartphone Launched with 3GB Of RAM in China

Samsung Galaxy On7 2016 Smartphone: Samsung a South Korean smartphone making company has launched a new flagship smartphone under its On Series in China – the Galaxy On7 2016 with a price tag of CNY 1,599 or roughly Rs. 16,000 INR. This new smartphone is the successor of last year launched Galaxy On7 smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy On7 2016 comes with a metal design. The handset will be available in two colour options – Gold and Black colours. check more details about Galaxy On7 2016 handset below.

Samsung Galaxy On7 2016 Smartphone Launched with 3GB Of RAM in China

Samsung Galaxy On7 2016 Smartphone

In terms of Specifications, the New Samsung Galaxy On7 2016 features a 5.5 inch Full HD TFT 1920×1080 pixels resolution display. The handset is powered by a 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Quad Core processor with Adreno 506 GPU that is paired with 3GB of RAM. It is equipped with a 32GB of internal storage that can be expandable up to 256 GB Via. micro SD card slot. the handset supports hybrid Dual SIM with 4G LTE connectivity and runs on Android 6.1 Marshmallow operating system out of the box.

The Galaxy On7 2016 sports a 13-megapixel primary Autofocus rear camera with a LED flashlight, a f/1.9 aperture and can record full-HD videos at 30fps. It also sports an 8-megapixel secondary front-facing camera with a f/1.9 aperture for better selfies and video calling. The rear camera of this smartphone also features Autofocus, Beauty Face, Palm Gesture Selfie, Continuous Shot, Interval Shot, Panorama, Pro-Selfie, One Touch Shoot, Wide Selfie, and Digital Zoom. It is packed with a 3300 mAh battery pack with fast charging supports.

Coming to the connectivity options, the Samsung Galaxy On7 2016 supports 2G/3G, 4G-LTE, Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi (b/g/n), micro USB 2.0 port, WiFi Direct, Wi-fi Hotspot, and GPS with GLONASS and Beidou for navigation. This smartphone measures 151.7x75x8mm and weighs 167 grams. The Samsung Galaxy On7 2017 is now listed on the Company's China Website with a price tag of CNY 1,599 or roughly Rs. 16,000 INR.

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Source: Samsung Galaxy On7 2016 Smartphone Launched with 3GB Of RAM in China

Chinese handset maker Transsion shortlists AP, Maharashtra for manufacturing unit

Also plans to create an industrial park

Chennai, September 22:  

Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Transsion Holdings, which entered India with its itel mobile brand in April, has shortlisted Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to set up a manufacturing plant, in the next 6-8 months, according to Sudhir Kumar, CEO, itel Mobile Ltd.

The company plans to create an industrial park in India that will not only have mobile manufacturing but also an entire ecosystem consisting of other manufacturers, including LCD, battery and chargers, he told BusinessLine on the sidelines of the launch of itel mobiles in Tamil Nadu.

Connectivity to ports is crucial for selecting the location of the plant, he said.

At present, the company has outsourced manufacturing of its phones to Noida-based MCM and imports some from its factories in China and Africa.

Kumar said Transsion Holdings is the No. 1 feature phone manufacturer in the world. It has five manufacturing units, located in China and Ethiopia. In Africa, itel is one of the largest mobile manufacturers with over 45 per cent market share, he said.

The Chinese company has sold nearly 3 million units since launching its phones in India in April. The brand has 15 products in the market. "We plan to sell 2 million handsets per month by Diwali," Kumar told reporters.

More service centres

itel has tie-ups with 500 distributors and around 30,000 retailers. It plans to increase the number of distributors to 1,000 and retailers to 80,000 by this year-end. The company plans to set up 1,000 service centres by the end of this year, he said.

Today's launch is the phase-II roll out of itel in Chennai and in other major geographies, including West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and North Eastern States, he said.

(This article was published on September 22, 2016)

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Source: Chinese handset maker Transsion shortlists AP, Maharashtra for manufacturing unit

5 iPhone lookalike smartphones that run on Android OS

The Meizu M3 Note looks remarkably like the iPhone 6S, which is what can be said for most of the company's premiere phones.

As the new of the new iPhone launch hits the market, so do the preparations for its cloning. Users, more commonly in the 3rd world, cannot always be trusted to buy iPhones as they are unaffordable for most. But they can make do, is find clones of these iPhones in the market at a much cheaper price. while it may come as a shock to many, but a few of them actually work very well.

Companies like Meizu have based the entire looks of their primary phones on the iPhone variations. Even some of the Mi smartphones highly resemble the iPhones. The metallic finish, the slim body and the fine camera, they all are aimed to look like the iPhones. And with some luck, these phones manage to look alike, from a fair distance, of course. Though iPhones are irreplaceable, these phones do a decent enough job in accordance with their price range, to provide the user with the satisfaction of owning something close to an iPhone.

Here a few of the smartphones that are clones of the iPhone and are fairly priced in the market:

Meizu M3 Note

The Meizu M3 Note looks remarkably like the iPhone 6S, which is what can be said for most of the company's premiere phones. And it doesn't just stop at the looks. But the company hardly bothers to care. And it shouldn't either, considering it is just another drop in the vast Chinese ocean of smartphone companies, that simply clone the Apple product. The M3 Note runs on a 1.8GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor coupled with Mali T860MP2 GPU and 3GB of RAM. It sports 32GB of expandable internal memory which can go up to 128GB via hybrid microSD card slot. The dualSIM phone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Flyme 5 OS which the company's custom skin on top of Android.

BlackView Ultra

The BlackView Ultra has a 4.7 inch HD IPS capacitive screen, and a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. It runs on a 1.3GHz quad-core processor. It has a dual SIM slot and works on the Android 4.4 operating system. It sports 1GB RAM and an internal storage of 8GB. The internal memory can be extended up to 32GB with a MicroSD card. The phone also boasts of a 13 Megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera, both with LED Flash support. The phone is priced at RS 6,879.

Spice Mi-549

The Spice Mi-549 has a 5.5 inch LCD Display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It also sports a 1.3GHz quad-core processor. The smartphone offers dual-SIM and runs on Android 4.4 OS. It has a RAM of 1GB and an internal storage of 8GB. The internal memory is expandable up to 32GB. The rear camera is of 8MP and offers LED flash. It can also record 1080p Full HD videos. The front camera is of 2MP. The phone is available in Indian markets for Rs 7,999.

Goophone i6s Plus MTK6572

The Goophone i6s Plus is priced at Rs 6,714 and has a 5.5 inch with resolutions of 854×480 pixels. It has an internal memory of 8Gb and a RAM of only 512MB. The internal storage is expandable to 32GB with a microSD card. It is not a phone, we would recommend the user to buy.

KiPhone i6 Plus

The smartphone is priced a little over the 10k budget with Rs, 11,821. Though, its specs make up for the price. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and offers 1GB RAM. It has an internal memory storage of 8GB. The smartphone runs on the Android 4.2 OS along with a iOS 8.0 theme. The phone boasts of an 8MP rear camera and a 5 Mp front camera.

Though it is true that none of these phones, come close to the 'charm' or the quality of an iPhone, they are ambitious copies which can satisfy the users who do not have the funds but want an iPhone. Some of these phones, not only look like an iPhone but have inbuilt iOs themes that enhance the feeling of owning the Apple product.

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Source: 5 iPhone lookalike smartphones that run on Android OS

LeEco Le Pro3 with Snapdragon 821 SoC, 6GB RAM launched in China

The device is available in 4GB and 6GB RAM variants, with storage going all the way up to 128GB

LeEco has launched a new flagship smartphone in China. Called the LeEco Le Pro3, the phone features an all-metal build and sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display with 2.5D curved glass display. Further, it is powered by the 2.35GHz Snapdragon 821 SoC, making the the second device to be powered by Qualcomm's new processor. At the back of the device is a 16MP camera with phase detection autofocus and uses Sony's IMX298 sensor. At the front is an 8MP camera. The phone is equipped with a large 4070mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 and has a fingerprint scanner located below the display. 

Like the LeEco Le 2 and the Le Max2, the new phone doesn't come with a 3.5mm headphone jack, and instead uses the USB Type-C port for audio. It also features LeEco's proprietary Continual Digital Lossless Audio (CDLA) technology. The phone runs EUI 5.8, which is based on Android Marshmallow. 

The LeEco Le Pro3 is available in four different variants:

4GB RAM/32GB Storage - CNY 1799 (approx. Rs. 18,100)6GB RAM/64GB Storage - CNY 1999 (approx. Rs. 20,100)4GB RAM/64GB Storage - CNY 2499 (approx. Rs. 25,100)6GB RAM/128GB Storage - CNY 2999 (approx. Rs. 30,100)

It is not yet known if or when the LeEco Le Pro3 smartphone will be launched in India. If it does, then it will be up against flagship phones like the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe, which was the first phone to be powered by the Snapdragon 821 SoC. Asus' flagship phone was launched in India last month and is priced at Rs. 62,999. 

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Source: LeEco Le Pro3 with Snapdragon 821 SoC, 6GB RAM launched in China

ASUS Zenfone 3 Models announced in China, including SD821-Powered Zenfone 3 Deluxe

Just days after clearing TENAA, Taiwan-based smartphone and PC maker, ASUS has officially unveiled its Zenfone 3 smartphone models in China. The Zenfone 3 models include the ASUS Zenfone 3, Zenfone 3 Deluxe having both SD 820 and SD 821 versions, and Zenfone 3 Ultra.

Top of the pack is the ASUS Zenfone 3 Deluxe, the world's first smartphone to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset. The Zenfone 3 Deluxe equally features a design where the antenna bands are hidden with a premium all-metal build.

Along with the Snapdragon 821 chips, the ASUS Zenfone 3 Deluxe sports a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display, 6GB of RAM, and a mammoth 256GB of built-in storage. Obviously, there is no need for an SD card. There is also a cool 23MP Sony IMX318 rear camera with OIS, laser auto-focus, RBG color sensor calibration. The rear camera is protected by sapphire glass and  an 8MP front-facing selfie shooter completes the set up.

The Zenfone 3 Deluxe also comes with an SD 820 version with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage but both versions run Android Marshmallow with ASUS Zen UI 3.0 on top. The device also features a fingerprint scanner, dual-SIM slots, and a 3000mAh battery with QC 3.0 Support among others.

The Zenfone 3 Ultra is the largest of the lot, with a 6.8-inch display having a resolution of 1080 pixels. The big Zenfone 3 Ultra also comes with a big 4,600mAh battery that supports fast charging with Quick Charge 3.0. The Zenfone 3 Ultra is powered by an Octa-core Snapdragon 652 SoC accompanied by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage on board which can be expanded up to 128GB. On the camera end, the ASUS Zenfone 3 Ultra packs a 23-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 8-megapixel front shooter for selfies.

Next is the ASUS Zenfone 3 with a 5.5-inch Full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) display.  Recall that there is a low-end Zenfone 3 version with SD 430 chips, 5.2-inch display unveiled in India but this version of the Zenfone 3 is powered by the Snapdragon 652 SoC with 4GB of RAM. The phone packs 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded via microSD card. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Asus ZenFone 3 packs a 16-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 8-megapixel front shooter for selfies and is powered by a 3000mAh battery.

The top-end Zenfone 3 Deluxe with SD 821 chips seems to be priced at 4,999 Yuan (around $750), while the one with SD 820 is priced at 3299 Yuan ($495). The Zenfone 3 Ultra carries a price tag of 3999 Yuan in China ($600) and finally the Zenfone 3 starts at  2699 Yuan ($405)

Source: ASUS Zenfone 3 Models announced in China, including SD821-Powered Zenfone 3 Deluxe

Galaxy Note 7 fire in China caused by external heating says Samsung

Beijing,Sept20:Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Monday a Galaxy Note 7 phone a Chinese user claimed caught on fire was damaged by external heating, seeking to assure customers in the world's top smartphone market the devices being sold there are safe. The incident comes amid a recall of the Note 7 phones across the globe including South Korea and the United States due to faulty batteries causing the devices to catch fire while charging or in normal use. Samsung has said it has sold 2.5 million phones equipped with the suspect batteries.

Late on Sunday, Chinese online financial magazine Caixin cited an internet user's report that their Note 7 phone, bought from JD.com Inc, had caught fire in what appeared to be the first report in China of a fire involving the handset.

Samsung said in a statement on its China website its investigation of the phone shows "the damage to this product was caused by external heating", without elaborating. Battery maker Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) said separately on Monday one of its batteries was in the Note 7 phone in question, but added its joint investigation with Samsung determined the incident was not directly linked to a battery made by the China-based firm.

"According to the burn marks on the sample, we surmise that the source of the heating comes from outside the battery, and it's very likely that there was an external factor causing the heating problem," the battery maker said in a statement. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters the phone was damaged by an external heat source, possibly an induction oven or a fan heater. The person was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter and so declined to be identified.

Another person familiar with the matter told Reuters that Samsung SDI Co Ltd was responsible for the faulty batteries that triggered the recall. JD.com said it referred the case to Samsung. Samsung last week announced a recall of 1,858 Note 7 phones in China but those devices were products distributed before the official Sept. 1 launch. The company said the phones sold through the official launch used batteries different from those in reported fires.

Source: Galaxy Note 7 fire in China caused by external heating says Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones ‘catch fire’ in China

by Press Association, 19 Sep 2016 06:58

Samsung has announced a recall of some phones in China, but says that other Note 7 sales will continue (AP)

Two Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones have reportedly caught fire in China in what, if confirmed, would be the first such incidents in that country.

A user of Chinese social media posted messages on Sunday saying a friend's Note 7 caught fire over the weekend.

And South Korean and Chinese news reports said a second Note 7 user reported that a phone exploded on Sunday.

Samsung has announced a recall for some phones in China.

But it says other sales will go ahead because the Note 7 sold in China uses a different battery from those linked to problems elsewhere.

Samsung did not respond to emails seeking comment.

AP

Source: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones 'catch fire' in China

Top branded smartphones launching in India next week; Galaxy J7 Prime, Moto E3 Power, Lenovo Z2 Plus and more

[Representational Image] Top branded smartphones launching in India next week; Galaxy J7 Prime, Moto E3 Play, Lenovo Z2 Plus and more In Picture: Galaxy J2 (2016) put on display at the Samsung device launch in BengaluruRohit KVN/ IBTimes India

Last week, we saw launch of Samsung's mid-range phablet Galaxy A9 Pro and Lenovo's pocket friendly A6600, A6600 Plus and A7700.

In the upcoming week, we will be witnessing the unveiling of four new feature-rich smartphones from Samsung, Lenovo, its subsidiary Motorola and Coolpad.

Here is list of highly anticipated smartphones slated for launch in India:

Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime- South Korean consumer electronics major has send out invite for a mobile phone launch on Sept 19. The invitation reads--"Get Ready for the Prime Time. Join us, as we unveil the next in J-Series, now more proficient, protected and power-packed than ever." The company will finally pull the wraps off the rumoured Galaxy J7 Prime, which was released in Vietnam earlier in the month.

It sports5.5-inch full super AMOLED display comes packed with 1.6GHz octa-core CPU backed by sumptuous 3GB RAM, 16GB inbuilt storage and a 3,300mAh battery. It also boasts 13MP primary camera with f/1.9aperture, LED flash and a 5MP snapper with f/1.9 aperture. It is expected to be priced under Rs.19,000.

Once released, Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime will be up against the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, Moto G4 Plus, LeEco Le 2 and Lenovo K5 Note, among others.

Motorola E3 Power- On the very same day, Lenovo-owned Motorola is also scheduled to release the new Moto E3 Power in India. The company has confirmed that the handset will be made available for purchase at 23:59, Sept. 19 exclusively on Flipkart. The price of the device is expected to be announced on Monday.

Moto E3 Power's USP is its battery capacity. It houses a massive 3,500mAh cell, 700mAh more than the original model. The new Moto E3 variant also boasts 10W quick charger, which is sourly missed in all phones in the budget category.

Other stipulated features include, 5.0-inch HD IPS, Android Marshmallow OS, 16GB in-built storage, 2GB RAM, MediaTek quad-core CPU, 8MP primary camera with LED flash and a 5MP front snapper.

Lenovo Z2 Plus- For the last two weeks, the company has been teasing the key features of the Z2 Plus. Now, the flagship phone is now confirmed to make its official debut on Sept.22.

ZUK Z2 is said to re-branded version ZUK Z2, which was unveiled in China, few months ago. It flaunts a full-metal body on the back and on the front it sports a 5.0-inch full HD LCD screen with 2.5D curved glass cover and boasts a new generation U-Touch 2.0 fingerprint scanner with a super fast response time of less than 0.1 seconds, the company claims.

Also read: Reliance Jio 4G release: List of all Lenovo, Motorola, Xiaomi, LeEco devices eligible for  unlimited internet and VoLTE calls [Update]

Under-the-hood, ZUK Z2 comes packed with Qualcomm's powerful Snapdragon 820 series quad-core processor, 4GB RAM sumptuous 64GB inbuilt memory, a 13MP primary camera, an 8MP front snapper and a 3500mAh battery.

Read more: Complete specification details of Lenovo Z2 Plus (aka ZUK Z2)

New Coolpad Note phone- Emerging Chinese smartphone-maker Coolpad, which has made impressive feats in a short duration in the Indian market, is ready to unveil another feature-rich phone on Sept. 23. The company has not announced the name of the device, but the teasers seem to suggest that the upcoming device will boast marathon battery (probably 5,000mAh), a dedicated front LED flash and powerful processor with high storage and RAM capacity.

Read more: New Coolpad Note smartphone arrives on Sept. 23: Price, specifications and everything we know so far

Source: Top branded smartphones launching in India next week; Galaxy J7 Prime, Moto E3 Power, Lenovo Z2 Plus and more

Bullet fending Chinese smartphone symbolizes smart ‘Made in China’ products

A recent news story about a Huawei smartphone, which saved the life of a businessman who was shot by robbers in South Africa, was one of the most read on social media in China.

It has also helped draw fresh attention to Chinese brands or "Made in China" products.

It might be a coincidental or magical episode for Chinese brands in that story, but on the other hands, the "Made in China" products are winning substantial recognition and praises from their users worldwide.

China is turning from a "manufacturing powerhouse" to "a smart, intelligent manufacturing giant," which is providing the world with brilliant, innovative products and services with high technical and cultural inputs.

CHINESE HANDPHONES POPULAR WORLDWIDE

According to British newspaper Daily Mail, South African businessman Siraaj Abraham was ambushed by masked raiders late August outside his house in Cape Town, and one of the robbers shot Abraham in the chest from a distance of only two meters.

Thanks to a Huawei P8 Lite smartphone stored in Abraham's front pocket, which was hit by a 9mm bullet but fended the bullet from entering the 41-year-old man's body, his life was miraculously saved.

The Huawei smartphone does not have a metal body, but its plastic build managed to stop a flying bullet.

Huawei later presented Abraham with a brand new Huawei P9 Lite to replace his damaged phone, for free.

Advertising giant WPP's market research unit, Millward Brown, believed that China's telecom leader Huawei enjoys a growing business presence worldwide, and its smartphones have become a powerful growth engine with soaring popularity and reputation with consumers.

Xiaomi smartphones, which emerged in recent years in China, are also highly sought after overseas. Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi now has gradually entered Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Brazil, among others, after its products were launched in Taiwan and Hong Kong regions of China in April 2013.

The popularity of OPPO, another Chinese smartphone brand, is steadily growing in Africa and Arab countries like Egypt.

CHINA'S MOVIES, TV SERIALS ENTER ORDINARY AFRICAN HOUSES

Watching TV was luxury in Africa in the past, with an initial installation charge of 200 U.S. dollars, a commissioning cost of 50 dollars, and a subscribing fee of at least 47 dollars, recalled a office salary earner called Joseph in Kenya.

Nowadays, Kenyans only need to pay 20 dollars for a set top box and some 2.5 dollars extra for a package to watch quality digital programs. This is brought to Kenya by Star Times, a Chinese private company that has successfully made its foot prints in the African continent.

Zhang Junqi, CEO of Star Times' Kenya subsidiary, said that over the past years, Star Times has established branches in more than 30 African countries like Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania, with more than 8 million subscribers.

Star Times has become the most influential digital television operator in Africa now, Zhang said.

To meet the rising demand for Chinese movies and TV programs by more and more Africans, the company established a regional producing center in 2011. In a Chinese movie and TV channel launched by Star Times, those stories about daily life of Chinese families, Chinese countryside and success stories of individuals are most popular among the audience.

He said while Chinese products are bringing the Chinese people and African people closer, Africans look forward to learning more about China and regard the Chinese TV serials as echoing and reflecting the feelings and experiences of their own.

CHINESE METRO VEHICLES WIN PRAISES FROM RIO OLYMPICS HOSTS

Chinese metro vehicles or coaches have won praises from the hosts of the Rio Olympics which just was held in the Brazilian city last month.

The city of Rio de Janeiro opened its long-awaited metro Linha 4 a week before the Olympoic Games beg an. The coaches of the line were made by Chinese producers.

Cristiano Mendoza, a project manager of Rio Metro Barra which ran the line, said in a letter to the line's contractor, the Changchun Railway Vehicles Company, expressing appreciation for the good work done by the company.

 "The newest set of modern railway vehicles have won not only praises from Rio Metro Barra, but also the citizens of Rio and Rio Olympics audiences and sportsmen and sportswomen from around the world," said Mendoza.

The Changchun Railway Vehicles Company has already signed contracts to provide vehicles for subways and metros in five Brazilian citieies with a total of over 600 coaches worth about 1 billion dollars.

During the Olympic games, the Chinese coaches have played a major role in offering top-quality transport services to the public, said Rio metro people.

Source: Bullet fending Chinese smartphone symbolizes smart 'Made in China' products

In China, Apple and Samsung struggle against local upstarts

BEIJING (AFP) - The global launch of the iPhone 7 on Friday (Sept 16) is crucial to Apple's fortunes in China, but both it and its biggest rival Samsung, hit by a recall over exploding batteries, are struggling in the face of upstart local competitors.

The US and South Korean firms were relegated to fourth and fifth place respectively in the Asian giant's smartphone market in the first half of this year, according to consultancy Canalys.

Ahead of them came three Chinese firms, leader Huawei with a 16 per cent share, then two companies little known elsewhere, Vivo and Oppo.

Apple faces "a lot of challenges and pressures" in China from local manufacturers who are "developing medium- to high-end handsets and offer a lot of flagship products", said Canalys China analyst Jessie Ding.

The iPhone 7 - which comes with an improved camera, a water resistant body and minus an earphone jack - "doesn't have many innovative features", she said, pointing out that its double camera function was available on a Huawei smartphone six months ago, and it lacks wireless charging capabilities.

In its most recent quarterly results, Apple said Greater China dropped from second to third place among its markets in the April-June period - when market research firm IDC says its iPhone sales collapsed by 32 per cent year-on-year.

For its part, Samsung has had to recall 2.5 million of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 handsets after faulty batteries caused some to explode during charging.

The company has handled the issue badly, said Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics, with slow decision-making, poor communications and a lack of coordination, and its image risks suffering.

"Brand loyalty is not as strong in China as in other markets," he told AFP. "It's a very crowded, fragmented market and fiercely competitive, with rivals undercutting each other with price and design. So it's not a market you can afford to falter in."

Low-priced Chinese competitors have been "particularly troublesome" for Samsung, which has in the past sought to offer phones across all price ranges, he added.

It has responded by trying to focus on the mid- and high-end sector with improved models, which could make the recall especially damaging.

And now, he added, "the Chinese companies are producing higher-end smartphones as well - and with a large degree of success.

"In the last three or four years, local Chinese brands have been on a roll, fuelled by a swell of national pride in 'brand China'." Chinese manufacturers' great advantage remains price: Huawei's P9 boasts similar capabilities to the iPhone 7 but is almost a third cheaper.

There is no official ranking of smartphone sales in China, and several different consultancies put out figures.

Oppo - an unknown in the West - has experienced a meteoric rise since it launched in 2011, and according to Counterpoint Research, it became China's number one smartphone brand in June, when its market share jumped to 23 per cent.

It is aiming squarely for the low end of the market.

"Oppo has adopted a simple but effective strategy, going after the offline market... using aggressive marketing, promotions and sponsorships... beyond tier-2 and tier-3 cities," said Counterpoint Research director Neil Shah.

Vivo, part of BKK Electronics, the same conglomerate that owns Oppo - employs similar methods, investing heavily in marketing to build up its brand image, and on a vast distribution network that extends to China's smaller and poorer cities and towns.

Apple still benefits from its luxury image and "the strong loyalty of its long-time users" in China, said Fu Liang, an independent analyst based in Beijing.

"The enduring image of Apple brand products as well as existing customer loyalty will continue very strongly," he said.

But the Californian firm sometimes has to contend with the country's Communist authorities, despite regular visits from chief executive Tim Cook, who has made two so far this year and promised in August to open a large research and development centre in the country.

Apple's iTunes Movies and iBooks services launched in China earlier this year, but were then promptly blocked by Beijing.

The firm has sometimes been targeted by state-owned Chinese media on issues of customer service, and they have prominently reported alleged security vulnerabilities on Apple devices.

More broadly, said Mawston of Strategy Analytics, "Samsung - and Apple - face similar challenges in China.

"There are serious distribution challenges, the fact that Chinese consumers tend to favour Chinese brands, as well as Chinese-language software that links well with Chinese social networks."

Source: In China, Apple and Samsung struggle against local upstarts

Galaxy Note 7 Fiasco: Samsung to Recall 1,858 Smartphones in China

Samsung is not in a good position right now. Period. With the iPhone 7 getting rave reviews, and the LG V20 launching with Nougat out of the gate, Samsung's needed the Note 7 to be a big success.

Sadly, it blew up in Samsung's face. Literally.

Samsung blamed a minor battery manufacturing flaw for the Galaxy Note 7 fires and is seeking more time to investigate the cause behind its deepest crisis in years.

Samsung has embarked on a mammoth recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 globally. Reports claim that this exercise is costing Samsung to the tune of 1 billion dollars. Yes, 1 BILLION dollars!

Now China's quality watchdog said on Wednesday that Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's local unit will be recalling 1.858 units of the galaxy note 7 in China.

Also read: iOS 10 out now: How to download, new features

Earlier this month, Samsung halted sales of the Galaxy Note 7 in 10 markets including United States and South Korea, but not in China where the company claime d that the batteries were sourced from a different supplier and were not at risk of fires.

But now Samsung seems to have backtracked on the same and is recalling Note 7 units in the country as well.

The Note 7 battery issue has escalated to such a level that regulators and airlines all over the world are banning use of the device in planes, airports and other premises. Even China's civil aviation authority has outlawed the use and charging of the Galaxy note 7 on flights.

(Source : Gadgets 360)

Source: Galaxy Note 7 Fiasco: Samsung to Recall 1,858 Smartphones in China

China's ATL Batteries To Power Galaxy Note 7 Replacement

After faulty batteries led to a global recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, Samsung Electronics will only use batteries made by China's ATL for its replacement devices, Yonhap news agency reported.

After the recall announcement earlier this month, the South Korean company is said to have contacted ATL to order an additional four million batteries as replacements in the Galaxy Note 7 devices. It had procured most of the batteries from its subsidiary.

Notedly, ATL also supplies batteries for Apple's iPhone series, which means Samsung could face supply restraint if demand soars for the latest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

The Chinese company is set to become the sole battery supplier for Samsung by shipments for the time being since the company stopped receiving batteries from its main provider and has not found a third supplier.

Reportedly, Samsung used to get 70 per cent of its batteries from its subsidiary while 30 percent was from ATL for Galaxy Note 7 devices.

Samsung had earlier urged its consumers to stop using its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones and get a replacement soon.

"There have been a small number of cases reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers' safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7," the world's largest smartphone maker said in a statement on Saturday.

"For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we now ask that you power down your device and return to using your previous phone," the statement added.

"We will voluntarily replace your Galaxy Note7 device with a new one," the statement noted.

Samsung plans to provide the replacement device beginning September 19 in South Korea, but schedules for other countries vary.

"Samsung continues to ensure that consumer safety remains our top priority. We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note7s and exchange them now," said Tim Baxter, President of Samsung Electronics America, in an official statement.

"New Note7 replacement devices will be issued to exchange program participants upon completion of the CPSC (US Consumer Product Safety Commission) process. In the interim, consumers can return their Note7 for another device," Baxter said.

Source: China's ATL Batteries To Power Galaxy Note 7 Replacement

Lenovo launches three VoLTE smartphones starting at Rs 6999

Chinese smartphone major Lenovo on Monday launched the A6600, A6600 Plus and A7700 4G VoLTE-enabled smartphones in India.

While the new A6600 series starts at Rs 6,999 onwards (including both 1GB and 2GB variants), the A7700 is priced at Rs 8,540.

"The A6600 and A7700 series offers brilliant performance with unparalleled user experience at a competitive price point," said Sudhin Mathur, Executive Director, Mobile Business Group, Lenovo India, in a statement.

The A6600 smartphone features 5-inch HD display, 64-bit MediaTek 6735p quad-core 1.0GHz processor paired up with 1GB of RAM and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system.

A6600 sports 8MP auto-focus rear camera with flash, 16GB internal storage and houses 2,300 mAh battery.

A6600 Plus comes with 2GB of RAM while the rest of the specifications are the same as the A6600.

The A7700 has 5.5-inch HD display, 64-bit MediaTek 6735p quad-core 1.0GHz processor coupled with 2GB of RAM and runs on Andr oid 6.0 Marshmallow operating system.

The device sports 8MP rear camera with dual LED flash, 16GB internal memory and houses 2,900mAh battery.

Source: Lenovo launches three VoLTE smartphones starting at Rs 6999

Samsung and Watchdog Warn Against Using Galaxy Note 7 Smartphones

Updated Sept. 9, 2016 5:45 p.m. ET

Users of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones should turn them off and not use them, Samsung Electronics Co. and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday, citing reports of fires involving lithium-ion batteries in some of the devices.

The warning followed a voluntary global recall of the Note 7 that Samsung announced a week ago.

Samsung said Friday that users should exchange their Note 7s, which are the latest addition to the company's phone lineup, through a swap program for another device. The South Korean company also said it has "identified the affected inventory and stopped sales and shipments of those devices."

Samsung has been working with the commission following the voluntary recall on a "corrective action plan" to expedite a CPSC-approved recall of the product, Samsung Electronics America President Tim Baxter said in a statement on Friday.

The CPSC confirmed it is "working cooperatively" with Samsung to formally announce a n official recall as soon as possible. The agency said it "is working quickly to determine whether a replacement Galaxy Note 7 is an acceptable remedy for Samsung or their phone carriers to provide to consumers."

The Samsung recall marks a rare instance of a company pulling its products without acting in conjuction with the U.S. safety watchdog.

"It is illegal for a company to know that it has a dangerous product and not inform the CPSC," said Pamela Gilbert, a partner with Washington's Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca LLP and a former executive director of the CPSC. "This is an unusual situation."

Typically, the commission announces recalls in cooperation with manufacturers, after consultation. But no agreement on a recall notice has been reached yet with Samsung.

The move follows a warning late Thursday from the Federal Aviation Administration saying the phones shouldn't be used on planes "in light of recent incidents and concerns."

Investors on Friday wiped more than $10 billion off Samsung's market value following the FAA's announcement, which prompted airlines to issue warnings to passengers about using the phones on board or putting them in checked luggage. In Seoul, Samsung shares closed at 1.575 million won ($1,432), down 3.9%, before the CPSC's announcement.

On Sept. 2, Samsung said it was voluntarily recalling the Note 7. The company said at the time that it had shipped 2.5 million units of the product since its Aug. 19 launch. Samsung has said it plans to expedite new shipments of Note 7s with safe batteries, and it is offering $25 gift cards to U.S. Note 7 owners who exchange their phones.

Koh Dong-jin, chief of Samsung Electronics' handset division, said on Sept. 2 that the Note 7 incidents were caused by the battery cell and had nothing to do with the phone itself. "There was a minor flaw in the battery manufacturing process," Mr. Koh said, adding that "the quality-c ontrol standards in the production process may have been insufficient."

Friday's statement from the CPSC was also unusual in that it warned owners not to use the product at all.

"This is an even more serious warning," said Scott Wolfson, the CPSC's communications director. "As soon as possible, consumers deserve clear information about the hazard, the scope of products involved and what the accepted remedy is."

About 100 cases of so-called hoverboards catching fire last year prompted the CPSC to launch an investigation that took several months. The agency put out a similar pre-recall announcement during its probe into the hoverboards, Mr. Wolfson said.

Samsung, like many other handset makers, uses lithium-ion batteries in its smartphones because of their light weight and long-lasting power. Nomura analyst Chris Chang estimated last week that 65% of the batteries for the new smartphone were supplied by affiliate Samsung SDI, SSDIY 0.00 % while 35% were made by Amperex Technology Ltd., a unit of Japanese electronic parts maker TDK Corp. TTDKY -0.64 % Samsung has indicated that Note 7 phones sold in China, which carry Amperex-supplied batteries, haven't experienced problems.

Samsung has used its popular Galaxy phones to boost its mobile business, which has been struggling amid competition from Apple Inc. AAPL -2.26 % and Chinese rivals. Strong sales of the smaller flagship Galaxy S7 phone helped make the June quarter the company's most profitable in nearly two years.

Samsung is the world's biggest smartphone maker by market share, followed by Apple, which unveiled its iPhone 7 on Wednesday, and Huawei Technologies Co.

Samsung isn't the first smartphone maker to run into power-related safety issues. Apple earlier this year recalled 12 years worth of AC adapters sold in Europe and other regions, citing a dozen cases in which they had delivered electric shocks.

—John McKinnon contributed to this article

Write to Josh Beckerman at josh.beckerman@wsj.com and Georgia Wells at Georgia.Wells@wsj.com

Source: Samsung and Watchdog Warn Against Using Galaxy Note 7 Smartphones

Chinese Smartphone Vendors Register High Inventory Levels

It would appear that the stagnating smartphone market has begun influencing Chinese smartphone vendors, that are registering high inventory levels. They're now more conservative when it comes to placing orders for components for Q4 2016 production.

The concerns are related to higher inventory levels and the competition, that's prepping for the holiday season and the Black Friday time frame. Inventories have been building up over the last months, both overseas and in China and the companies have been struggling to keep market share and profits. Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi, Meizu, Gionee and LeEco have all been strugglin with that.

All of them have been launching more entry level units to even out the market shares, compared to the higher end models. Apple in the meantime prepares for a market share rebound in China, on account of the iPhone 7 release, denting the shares of other Chinese vendors and putting even more pressure on them. Expect an overflow of ultra affordable phones come end of 2016.

via Digitimes

Source: Chinese Smartphone Vendors Register High Inventory Levels

India market: China smartphone vendor setting up retail shops in tier-2, -3 cities

India market: China smartphone vendor setting up retail shops in tier-2, -3 cities

Taka Liu, Taipei; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES [Friday 9 September 2016]

China-based smartphone vendors have stepped up efforts to promote sales in tier-2 and -3 cities in India in order to maintain their shipment momentum in the local market, according to media reports in China.

Buoyed by efforts initiated by China-based and local vendors, shipments of smartphones totaled over 27 million units in the second quarter of 2016, compared to 23.5 million a quarter earlier and 26.5 million of a year earlier.

Among China-based players, Xiaomi Technology will team up with Foxconn Electronics to build two new handset plants in India, aiming to ramp up its penetration in the local market.

Huawei has also obtained approval to set up a plant in India with an attempt to produce all smartphones sold in India locally and to capture a 10% market share by 2017, said the report, which added that Huawei also plans to cooperate with local R&D centers to develop smartphones exclusively for the India market.

The penetration rate of smartphones in India currently stands at 45%, with local, China- and Korea-based vendors dominating the market. Samsung Electronics is the largest smartphone vendor in India with a 25.1% share in the second quarter of 2016, followed by local brand Micromax 12.9% and Lenovo 7.7%, according to IDC.

Most vendors have begun setting up retail shops in tier-2 and -3 cities as sales growth rates in these cities are higher than the 10% on average recorded by the top-30 cities in India, the report indicated.

Some hot-selling models online, such as Xiaomi Note 3, LeEco Le 1s, Moto G Turbo, are now also available at retail shops.

With China-based vendors, notably Oppo and Vivo, keenly establishing retail shops, China's vendors as a whole account for roughly a 25% share in the tier-2 and -3 cities in India, said the report, adding that China vendors also hold a 25% share in the major cities in India.

Source: India market: China smartphone vendor setting up retail shops in tier-2, -3 cities

FIH Mobile acquired Sharp brand launches A1 & C1 Budget Smartphones in China

Sharp A1 and Sharp C1 are two devices that expected to be designed and developed by FIH Mobile. Many might be knowing that Sharp has been acquired by FIH mobiles in the month of August this year which is an Infocus-branded smartphone maker based in Taiwan. It is also one of Foxconn / Hon Hai Precision Industries subsidiaries that are building up more resources by promoting their smartphone under the Sharp brand in selected markets like China. LeEco is also one of the rising smartphone makers from China that are known for making smartphones, and TV's is said to been collaborating with FIH Mobiles for the software part.

There are many devices that have been released under the Sharp brand and few of which includes, Sharp Aquos A1, Sharp Aquos Z2, Sharp Aquos 507SH and more that can be checked from our list. It will be interesting to see if Sharp branding will help FIH mobiles to increase the market share in China about an year.

What do you think of this acquisition of Sharp by FIH mobile? Will it bring any impact in the market? Can this increase the market share in the coming future? For more news, stay tuned to PhoneRadar and do comment in the section below. Meanwhile, Apple has priced the 32GB variant of iPhone 7 at $649 and iPhone 7S Plus at $769. There is also an exclusive news that the iPhone 7 will be priced at Rs. 60,000 for 32 GB variant in India and will be launched on 7th of October.

Related

Source: FIH Mobile acquired Sharp brand launches A1 & C1 Budget Smartphones in China

Chinese Consumers May Be Experiencing ‘iPhone Fatigue’ As Product Launch Nears

Judging by the volume of online chatter, there's a lot less buzz in China ahead of this week's expected launch of the new Apple aapl iPhone, and people on the street say they're more likely to "wait and see" what the latest device offers than rush out to buy.

Posts on China's popular Sina Weibo microblogging site show the iPhone 6, which took China by storm in 2014 with its new, larger screen, attracted around 15 times more comments in the month before launch than this year's model.

The muted online anticipation for the iPhone 7 underlines the challenge Apple faces to revive growth in China, where an economic slowdown has slammed the brakes on what was once touted as the firm's next big growth engine.

Apple's Greater China sales dropped by a third in April-June, albeit after more than doubling a year earlier, and revenue was down by more than a quarter to $8.8 billion – around a fifth of its total sales. Its 7.8% market share ranked fifth in China, trailing local vendors Huawei Technologies, huawei OPPO, and Vivo, which together accounted for 47%, according to IDC data.

See also: Why Next Year's iPhone Might Be the One You Want

The California-based company's online stores for iBooks and movies was also closed in China after Beijing imposed strict curbs in March on online publishing, and Apple has been on the losing side of intellectual property battles here.

Beijing student Wang Yue, 23, said she was in no hurry to buy an iPhone 7. "I'm looking forward to the launch, but I won't rush to buy anything," Wang, who uses an iPhone 6S that was launched last year, told Reuters. "I want to know what new functions it's got. My feeling is there are no real major changes from the 6S, so I think I'll hold off for a while."

Apple is widely anticipated to unveil the new iPhone 7 at an event in San Francisco on Wednesday. The company, which doesn't give a regional breakdown for its iPhone sales, didn't respond to requests for comment.

Among half a dozen consumers Reuters spoke to most said they would first check out the new phone's functions or wait for the price to drop. Only one planned to definitely buy any new model.

"The word among consumers is the updates are not going to be revolutionary, but smaller changes," said Ben Cavender, Shanghai-based director at China Market Research Group, who described current consumer interest in China as "muted".

See also: Why More Than 80% of iPhone Owners Don't Want the Next Apple Watch

WAIT FOR EIGHT

More than anything else, the upcoming iPhone 7 may be a victim of the success of the iPhone 6.

China sales of the iPhone 6 soared in the first quarter of last year, helping drive up Apple's China revenues by 71%. A year later, weaker sales of the 6S contributed to the company's first global decline in iPhone sales and first revenue drop in 13 years – though globally the 6S was the top-selling smartphone in April-June, according to Strategy Analytics.

The research firm estimates iPhone shipments in China will decline 20% in the second half of this year to 21 million from a year ago.

"Apple is struggling with consumer 'iPhone fatigue' in China, while competition from Huawei, Oppo and others remains fierce," said Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston.

See also: Apple Should Get A Boost From Samsung's Exploding Batteries

Weibo chatter in the run-up to the iPhone 7 launch has, however, topped levels seen ahead of last year's 6S launch.

Some Chinese shoppers are even already eyeing a potential iPhone 8 model that could be launched with more significant changes next year, the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone.

"Because it's just one year, lots of people are choosing to wait for the iPhone 8," said Wang Bo, a finance worker in his thirties at a securities firm in Shanghai. "The changes with the 8 will be much bigger, which I think will be a drag on sales of the new phone this year."

Wang, who uses both an iPhone 6S and a Huawei P9, said he plans to buy this year's new iPhone when it's released in China.

But convincing other shoppers in China – and the United States – to replace their smartphone is a tougher sell today than in 2014, when many Chinese were buying an iPhone for the first time.

Concerns that Apple has hit "peak iPhone" have buffeted the firm's shares this year, with the stock price up just 2.35%, lagging the benchmark S&P 500 Index.

"The biggest thing that's changed since 2014 is that the iPhone is widely available," said Ben Thompson, who analyses the technology sector at Stratechery. "There's a lot more growth potential when people have their first chance to buy an iPhone, but that potential has now been realized."

Source: Chinese Consumers May Be Experiencing 'iPhone Fatigue' As Product Launch Nears

China-Based Global Leader in Visual Technology SuperD Launches World's First Full Display Mode Smartphone, the SuperD D1

SHANGHAI, CHINA --(Marketwired - September 06, 2016) - Shenzhen-based technology company SuperD hosted a conference announcing the launch of the world's First Full Display Mode Smartphone, the SuperD D1, in Beijing, on September 5th, 2016. The conference also served as the formal announcement of SuperD's entry into the mobile phone market. Several other new products, including the SuperD VR ZERO Helmet and SuperD VR ONE were also announced at the conference. Olympic Men's Doubles badminton champions Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan joined invited guests from the mobile phone industry and from mainstream media organizations at the conference, where they witnessed what was expected to be seen as an historic and revolutionary event taking place across the mobile phone sector, while getting an opportunit y to experience the world's first full display mobile phone.

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SuperD's CEO Michael Hsu

SuperD is a world-leading technology company that has developed a deep and substantial knowledge base within its area of expertise, and works closely with many of the world's top brands and producers in the electronics, digital display and videogame industries. Breaking into the mobile phone sector is not an impulsive move on the part of SuperD, but a calculated, transformative move after years of preparation and building up expertise and skillsets in the right areas.

The new products released at the conference are transformative in that they have delivered unprecedented experiences to both professionals as well as casual visitors who are frequent attendees at new mobile phone launch events. The guests had a chance to personally experience the new series of products from SuperD, including never before seen advanced technologies and features such as the full display functionality that allowed seamless switching among 2D, 3D and VR modes, an extraordinary glasses-free 3D screen, 3D/VR motion-sensing vision chips and eye-tracking cameras, features that garnered high praise from all guests.

SuperD D1: First Full Display Mode Smartphone

The SuperD D1 is the first to deploy the innovative concept of a full display mode mobile phone. With the ability to seamlessly switch between 2D, 3D and VR modes while holding the phone with just one hand, users have the unparalleled experience of full immersion into a 3D world. With the glasses-free raster 3D LCD screen developed by SuperD, users can experience the full immersive effect of 3D and VR without the need for inconvenient eyewear. This revolutionary experience was made possible through a combination of the latest in VR technology and smart headgear resulting in an end-to-end solution that brought together a VR chip, an exclusive VR platform and a customized VR helmet. The innovation in creating the solution took place when the SuperD VR motion-sensing vision chip was added to the preconfigured GPU of a traditional cell phone, which served to enhance the rendering speed of the 3D and VR images through the integration of the 3D/VR algorithm, fully resolving the issue of the slow calculation that took place when reproducing complex images, reducing image latency to an absolute minimum and allowing for the creation of corresponding body sensation, resulting in the display of clear and precise images. Moreover, the technology in the SuperD D1 camera goes beyond the rear dual camera technology applied to traditional smartphones, by deploying a front dual camera, with one of the cameras recording the images and the other tracking the exact position of the user's eyes, allowing for the customizing and simultaneous generation of the visual images based on the precise position of the eyes and the interpupillary distance (IPD, or precise distance between the centers of the user's two pupils). No matter which way and in which direction the user moves, a comfortable and clear 3D visual sensation will be delivered throughout the experience.

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The world's first full display mobile phone, the SuperD D1

SuperD VR ZERO Helmet

The SuperD VR ZERO Helmet creates the image from any new visual angle or perspective within one second of any movement of the users body or head, with each image reproduced in full, precise, panoramic detail, fully satisfying the expectations of what the world is waiting for when it comes to VR and VR experiences. The SuperD VR ZERO Helmet misses no detail, delivering a complete, immersive experience!

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SuperD VR ONE

The VR ONE is a micro display digital light mapping VR technology. SuperD took a unique approach to the application of optics and to the construction of the accompanying hardware to achieve an unparalleled visual effect within a substantially lighter and thinner device, something that none of the peer VR products have been able to achieve. Compared to other VR helmets, the SuperD VR ONE weighs less than 400g and is 30% smaller than all similar devices. The SuperD VR ONE comes equipped with an ultra HD LCD screen, with single eye PPI over 600. The algorithm that supports the software is capable of reproducing the panoramic views required by VR games and videos with a resolution up to 1080P. An exterior design based on the best that science and technology can deliver, combined with an inner de sign and a plethora of features straight from the most advanced technologies available today, deliver a product that is sure to perform head and shoulders above its peers in the highly competitive VR hardware field.

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SuperD's new VR product : VR One

SuperD VR Content and Meidou Live TV Platforms

SuperD Technology also released the SuperD VR content and Meidou live TV platforms, both of which are capable of super huge storage of 3D and VR resources, including a massive number of 3D movies, hundreds of 3D/VR games, thousands of VR videos and numerous 3D/VR applications. Meidou Live TV has just launch a new kind of 3D/VR emcee live show platform that includes a daily update of content, with the result that Meidou has been transformed into a one-stop exclusive platform.

At the conference for the product launch, Olympic Men's Dual badminton champions Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan joined SuperD CEO Xu Peizhen in announcing that the new series of SuperD products will start crowd-funding on http://www.jd.com/, effective immediately. "Today I have the honor of seeing the SuperD full display mobile phone and it is amazing! It is an incredible amount of fun! I never knew cell phones could be used in this way!" Olympic champion Fu Haifeng highly praised SuperD's new products.

After more than a decade focusing on the research and development of visual display technology, SuperD has moved the strategic focus from the former B2B model to a B2C business model. Senior management of SuperD revealed that the company plans to apply the advantages of VR and 3D technologies to a wide array of consumer products and services encompassing mobile hardware, games, movies, TV and live broadcast events, offering users a brand new visual experience and form of entertainment, at the same time creating a closed-loop ecology which simultaneously includes the development of hardware, software and content based on technological innovation. These past and future achievements are the result of SuperD's years of dedication to bringing new technology that delivers fun experiences in terms of entertainment to consumers. It has been a thrilling journey into the unknown for SuperD, and, with the release of the SuperD D1 full display mobile phone, the company has succeeded in moving the world beyond the era of traditional smartphones. In the near future, SuperD Technology expects to keep delivering an uninterrupted continuum of unprecedented experiences to users as a result of leveraging advances in visual display technology. Changing life with technology, as well as making the latest advances in technology available to one and all, is a goal worth pursuing.

The SuperD D1 full display mobile phone will be available for ordering from September 12th simultaneously on http://www.jd.com/ and SuperD's official website (www.SuperD.cn). The price is RMB1199 and formal availability will commence on September 22nd.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/9/6/11G112886/Images/SuperD1-8b788760af2c959dbaf4dfca2a0ee1b2.jpgImage Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/9/6/11G112886/Images/SuperD2-efceabb0d0bf8f72977350010576062c.jpg

Source: China-Based Global Leader in Visual Technology SuperD Launches World's First Full Display Mode Smartphone, the SuperD D1