Reviews Phone

This week we have big-screen smartphones from Samsung, audio gear from Audio Technica, personal audio players and more at a discount.

1. Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is now available at a discounted price of Rs. 34,999 (MRP Rs. 68,500) on Amazon. The smartphone normally retails online at a price point above Rs. 44,000. If you are looking for a big-screen device in the sub-Rs. 35,000 price band, and don't care much about previous generation specifications, the Galaxy Note Edge is still a very decent device at this price point. The Galaxy Note Edge features a 5.6-inch super AMOLED display and a 16MP primary camera along with a 3.7MP front-facing camera. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 805 SoC which comprises of a quad-core processor, supported by 3GB of RAM. The smartphone includes a 3000mAh battery. The Edge display enables an easier access to notifications at all times without disturbing your general view within the main display.

Amazon

2. D-Link DSM260 media streamer

There's no shortage of media streaming devices in the market especially after Google released the first Chromecast. Each of them cater to a wide range of audience. If you are in the market for a media streamer that can stream content from your mobile device to your big screen or just turn your existing audio setup into wireless, the D-Link DSM260 will be a good option. The wireless media streamer is now down to Rs. 1,990 (MRP Rs. 4620). This is one of its lowest price points we've seen. The D-Link DSM260 supports DLNA, Miracast and MirrorOp standards. You can use your existing devices including any Android phone, tablet, MacBook or a Windows laptop. The streamer can be hooked to a TV display using an HDMI port. You can even mirror your computer or mobile device display to your TV using this.

Amazon

3. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 32GB

Flipkart is hosting a Samsung Week promotional sale where the online retailer is offering discounts and deals on select smartphones. As a part of the promotion, Galaxy Note 4 is down to Rs. 29,900 (MRP Rs. 36,900) for this week. At this price, the Note 4 is not a bad option at all. Galaxy Note 4 features a 5.7-inch quad HD super AMOLED display. It comes with a 16MP primary camera at the back and a 3.7MP front-facing camera. The primary camera also includes OIS (optical image stabilisation) which can really help if your hands shake while taking a photo. The massive smartphone's battery is also quite large at 3220 mAh, which can charge from 0-50% in around 30 minutes flat.

flipkart

4. Audio Technica ATH-M40X headphones

If you are serious about your music but still don't want to pay the retail price for a great pair of headphones, the Audio Technica ATH-M40X are now down to Rs. 5,980 (MRP Rs. 8,999) on Amazon. This is one of the lowest price points these headphones have ever touched. The stocks are limited so don't waste all your time thinking. These headphones are powered by 40mm drivers and offer 90 degrees swivelling earcups for on-ear monitoring. Built for professional studio environments, these headphones can also be great for home or office usage. They help isolate the noise to a lot of extent, making sure you're tuned into your favourite music at all times. At this price range, it's going to be very hard to find a pair of headphones that can match the sound quality.

Amazon

5. Fiio X7 digital audio player

It's not just the headphones that decide the sound quality you're doing to get, your audio player also makes a lot of difference. Fiio X7 personal audio player is now down to Rs. 38,074 (using code WC6) on Infibeam. The high-resolution audio player normally retails at a price point of around Rs. 42,000. The audio player features a 4-inch touchscreen display and runs Android 4.4 KitKat. It is powered by a quad-core Cortex A9 processor, supported by 1GB of RAM. The Fiio X7 comes with the basic AM1 in-ear headphones. The audio player supports a large number of audio formats.

infibeam

HTC, the Taiwanese phone maker, announced its latest flagship the HTC 10 on Tuesday evening, roughly two months after Samsung, LG and Sony put their best foot forward at MWC in Barcelona.

On paper, the phone matches its competitors on most specifications: a quad-HD screen, the latest Qualcomm chip, 4GB of memory, and expandable storage. One major difference is the use of UltraPixel technology, as the rear camera sports a 12 UltraPixel sensor. Though history has not been kind to UltraPixel - remember the issues with the HTC One M8 - it seems that the company has managed to hit it out of the park this time around.

While the media in India is yet to get its hands on the phone, the HTC 10 boasts of the best camera in a smartphone, according to DxOMark - a trusted standard for imaging quality. It's supposed to be at par with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and beats the Sony Xperia Z5 for picture quality. And for what it's worth, HTC is promising a two-day battery life on its new phone, though such claims have rarely translated into real world usage. At this stage then, it has everything you could ask for in a flagship. But it doesn't matter. The HTC 10 looks destined to be another also-ran, and its problems are of the company's own making.

At the time of writing, the company was still undecided about what variant of the phone to bring to India. HTC flip-flopped hopelessly on simple decisions, making people wonder what version of the phone it would launch in India, and even a statement that was supposedly meant to clear things up, only muddled things further.

Instead of giving everyone the Snapdragon 820 model that it's touting the world over, the Taiwanese maker first said it would bring the HTC 10 Lifestyle to India, that comes fitted with a Snapdragon 652 chip instead. This might be a good performer in itself but is no match for the Snapdragon 820, found in competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the LG G5. When someone is forking over more than Rs 50,000 - which is quite likely to be the asking price based on HTC's past - this kind of second-string treatment reflects poorly.

HTC's flip-flopping extends to its design aesthetic and philosophy as well. Its One M series was not only beautiful to behold and wonderful to grip, but its dual-speaker grille made it stand out as one of the only flagship phones with stereo speakers. The new dual-speaker setup on the 10 might deliver an even better experience, but I have to doubt what the company is thinking with the phone's design. There's nothing pointedly exciting about its appearance, and it's hard to see HTC convincing anyone to not look at the S7 Edge instead.

Which brings us to marketing: HTC dropped both "One" and"M" monikers this year for the better sounding HTC 10. But this is far from the first change. In the past four years, the company has gone from calling its flagship the HTC One X to just HTC One, on to HTC One M8 and M9 before switching this time around to the HTC 10. During the same time, Samsung launched the S3, followed by the S4, S5, S6, and the S7 - one every year. It's a much simpler approach that won't confuse even those who don't know anything about smartphones.


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Display 5.15-inch | Processor 1.8GHz | Front Camera 4-Ultrapixel | Resolution 1080x1920 pixels | RAM 3GB | OS Android 6.0 | Storage 32GB | Rear Camera 16-megapixel | Battery capacity 3000mAh

Xiaomi Mi 5 smartphone was launched in February 2016. The phone comes with a 5.15-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels at a PPI of 428 pixels per inch.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 is powered by 1.8GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and it comes with 3GB of RAM. The phone packs 32GB of internal storage cannot be expanded. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Xiaomi Mi 5 packs a 16-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 4-Ultrapixel front shooter for selfies.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 runs Android 6.0 and is powered by a 3000mAh non removable battery. It measures 144.50 x 69.20 x 7.25 (height x width x thickness) and weighs 129.00 grams.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 is a dual SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts two Nano-SIM. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, FM, 3G, 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India). Sensors on the phone include Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, and Gyroscope.

About Xiaomi

Xiaomi is a privately owned company that designs, develops, and sells smartphones, an Android-based OS, and other consumer electronics. Xiaomi also makes fitness trackers, TVs, air purifiers, and tablets. It has a skin for its Android phones and tablets – MIUI. The company largely sells its phones via flash sales in India.


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Xiaomi has launched the Mi 5 flagship smartphone in India, priced at Rs. 24,999. The company has so far only brought a single variant of the smartphone in India, what was unveiled as the 'standard edition' in China, featuring 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB inbuilt storage. The smartphone will be available in its first flash sale on Mi.com from April 6. It will be available via Xiaomi's e-commerce partners a few weeks later.

To recall, two other Xiaomi Mi 5 variants had been launched in China - the 'prime edition' with 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB inbuilt storage, and the 'pro edition' featuring 4GB LPDDR4 RAM and 128GB inbuilt storage.

The dual-SIM (Nano + Nano) Xiaomi Mi 5 features a 5.15-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) with curved 3D Ceramic glass, and a pixel density of 428ppi. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor coupled with Adreno 530 GPU. It sports a 16-megapixel Sony IMX298 camera sensor with PDAF (phase detection autofocus) and LED flash. The rear camera also sports 4-axis OIS (optical image stabilisation) and sapphire glass protection lens. The smartphone supports 4K video recording. It also sports a 4-UltraPixel front camera, with 2-micron pixels. Both cameras feature an f/2.0 aperture.

It measures 144.5x69.2x7.25mm and weighs 129 grams. The Mi 5 packs a 3000mAh battery and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. The company says that the Quick Charge 3.0 is 20 percent faster than its predecessor, the Quick Charge 2.0. Also onboard is a USB Type-C port. Connectivity options include VoLTE support, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/ac, 4G, Bluetooth 4.2, Glonass, and NFC.


gadgets.ndtv

Soon after making available the stable release of its Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow-based MIUI ROM (v7.2.8) in China for the Mi 3, Mi 4, and Mi Note, Xiaomi has announced the global beta release of the ROM (v6.3.17) for the same handsets.

To note, unlike the MIUI China ROM, the MIUI Global Beta ROM 6.3.17 comes with Google Mobile Services built-in, and along with it, access to the Google Play app store. To recall, Xiaomi released MIUI 7.1 global stable build for a range of devices in January 2016. The update, depending on the device, offered either Android Lollipop features, or Android KitKat features.

In a forum post, Xiaomi has detailed the highlights that the update will bring, as well as listed download and installation instructions. Some of the biggest new features include account lock after flashing phone in Mi Cloud - Find device; improved Permission Manager; shortcuts to downloads and hidden folders in Explorer; device-to-device wireless transfers in Explorer, and a new card design for Explorer.

There are also several optimisations that Xiaomi has made with the update, including voice over for SIM 1, SIM 2, Keypad; name card style when sending contacts; text box style of starred messages; and improved support for syncing part of SIM card messages. Fixes include several for text messages, lock screen, status bar, notification bar, home screen, backup, and cleaner.


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While we haven't reviewed it yet, the Xiaomi Mi 5 looks like a great phone on paper. It has flagship specifications, including a Snapdragon 820 chip, 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage, and the MIUI software is considered by many to be one of the better takes on Android, so there's a lot to be optimistic about. Except for one small thing: though the phone is available from April 6, the chances of you actually getting one are pretty slim.

Why you ask? It's because of Xiaomi's flash sale model. As someone who has tried ordering the Xiaomi Mi 4i and Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, it's safe to say that if you're not in the first batch of pre-orders, obtaining one of Xiaomi's handsets is nigh impossible for the next couple of months. Even then, you might not get what you want: the Mi 4i and Redmi Note 3 are available now, but not the variants you'd care about. After all, why settle for 16GB of non-expandable memory when 32GB models are advertised in the case of the Mi 4i, or make do with 2GB RAM when a 3GB variant was available in the first flash sale for the Note 3.

It also begs the question, why go through all the effort of hyping up a new smartphone when most people can't actually buy one? Yes, we get it, flash sales are useful when stocks are limited, and this limited supply is one of the things that gets people interested, along with the low price tags. But what next? From a brand building perspective, these sales are great at creating a presence quickly for companies as we've seen with Yu, Coolpad, and others. But Xiaomi is already established. Others such as OnePlus ditched their illogical invite system for open sales, but Xiaomi is still clinging on to a sales model that now creates more ill will than good.

In fact it seems to have doubled down on complexity thanks to Friend Codes, or F-Codes. These codes give priority access to Xiaomi fans, who can buy products even without having to sign up for a flash sale. Getting a code involves getting lucky by retweeting the company's Twitter account, or 'contributing' to the Xiaomi community. All of this adds an unnecessary layer of confusion and prevents the average buyer from even buying Xiaomi products.


It's not just Xiaomi's smartphones where this is a problem either. Take the case of its powerbanks, which are always unavailable. You can't find one at all. If you do, they tend to be through third-party sellers who don't have the best reputation. If you think about it, most Xiaomi product announcements now have the same flow of events:

1. Announce an unbelievable product at an unbelievable price. China first of course. Hint at availability elsewhere to get the early adopters and influencers excited about what could come to pass in their country.
2. State that other nations, like India will get the product soon, as it did for the Mi 5. This results in a tremendous amount of hype. To the point where the company completely dominates the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
3. Unveil a price that's too good to be true, through a single e-commerce partner, coupled with a registration process that means everyone who wants one starts begging for access or becomes reliant on generous souls to share invite codes. So much so that it makes the once rampant requests for OnePlus One invites seem tame in comparison.
4. Unleash a quantity so scant that you have a large number of vocal, irate customers who can't buy it, creating unnecessary hostility. Most of whom end up buying something else altogether.

No wonder then that Xiaomi has lost footing in India to a host of Android smartphone makers such as Intex and Lava, and has even been overtaken by Apple - seen by some as the most overhyped smartphone manufacturer.


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Chinese tech company Xiaomi on Thursday launched it's latest flagship, the Mi 5, priced at Rs. 24,999, and available from April 6. Since the metal-clad handset was already shown at MWC 2016 in February, and officially launched in China last month,everybody was well aware of the device's specifications and only wanted to know about the price. At Rs. 24,999, it's Xiaomi's most expensive handset in the Miline-up: the Xiaomi Mi 3 launched at Rs. 13,999and the Mi 4 launched at Rs. 19,999.

When Xiaomi entered India back in 2014, it shook up the market, with a cheap smartphone that could compete with the top end handsets in terms of specifications, and generated a huge amount of interest as a result. With its range of Redmi handsets, Xiaomi similarly disrupted the sub-Rs. 10,000 segment. The Mi 4 and Mi4i continued to offer high-end specs at a pocket friendly price, where the similar offerings from Samsung and other brands would cost consumers Rs. 20,000 extra.

So it's not surprising that many were disappointed that Xiaomi has this time kept the price of its Mi 5 at Rs. 24,999.

During the Mi 5 India launch, Gadgets 360 spoke with Xiaomi India head Manu Jain together with a few other officials from the company. According to them, the Rs. 24,999 price tag is to show the market that Xiaomi can not only make cheap handsets, but can also make a high-end device. At the same time, they clarified that this doesn't mean the phone's price is too high, rather, they insisted that the company has "put a Xiaomi price" to the phone, and is selling it for a lot less than others can.

Although the Rs. 24,999 price tag of the Mi 5 at today's date falls in the 'reasonable' section, the Chinese tech firm might face a tough time selling it to people more used to the company's budget smartphone line-up. Jain and his team believe the pricing is right considering the top-of-the-class specifications Mi 5 carries under-the-hood, most of which we can find in a handset priced at Rs.40,000 or more.

For Rs.24,999, Xiaomi Mi 5 buyers get a 5.15-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) display; Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor coupled with Adreno 530 GPU and 3GB RAM; 16-megapixel Sony IMX298 camera sensor with PDAF (phase detection autofocus) and LED flash; 4-UltraPixel front camera with 2-micron pixels; 32GB ofexpandable storage, and 3000mAh battery in a device that supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.


We already spent some time with the Xiaomi Mi 5 at Barcelona during MWC 2016 conference and we used it for a while at the India launch event as well. We also got our hands on the 'Pro' variant, which comes with 128GB inbuilt storage, 4GB RAM and a ceramic back glass panel; this variant is not up for grabs anywhere in the world for now.

The dual-SIM 4G supporting Xiaomi Mi 5 feels way too delicate in hands. When we first held the handset, it was hard to convince ourselves that the device was not a dummy model but the real deal.

The company however, in the times of QHD displays has stayed with a full-HD screen. It says the power efficient flagship Snapdragon 820 processor, along with the low power consuming full-HD display saves a good chunk of battery. The display also uses 16 LED light setup instead of 14 found in most of the handsets for better sunlight readability.


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Delivers News in a Beautiful & Uncluttered Format

Voluntary Recall and Exchange Program

App Store Has Now Paid Developers Nearly $40B and Continues to Drive Incredible Job Growth

iPhone, Apple Watch, Services & Apple TV Drive All-time Record Revenue

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It looks like the iPhone 5S, but it's all-new on the inside



When the world zigs, you zag. Buy low, sell high. When the entire smartphone universe skews big, you reinvigorate the small. That, in a nutshell, is the mentality behind the iPhone SE. It's a phone for those that love the smaller size but really wish they could have the power of a flagship phone.

Though the 4-inch form factor never really left Apple's line-up, you'd be hard pressed to know that the iPhone 5S was still an on-sale option the day before the launch. The iPhone 6/6S (4.7-inch) and 6 Plus/6S Plus (5.5-inch) have dominated the landscape over the past two years, creating an opportunity for a brand to recapture the market for non-gargantuan phones.

4-inch respect

What's particularly special about the iPhone SE is its newness. Rather than Apple introducing a new hero device and pushing an older phone down-range (as it did when the iPhone 5S found itself selling for $0 on contract), the iPhone SE is a purpose-built device. It's small, relatively speaking, but it's also mighty.

The camera has been overhauled and upgraded, boasting a 12-megapixel sensor and True Tone flash that puts it right up there alongside the snapper on the iPhone 6S. There's also a potent 64-bit A9 chip, Bluetooth 4.2, a display that gets hella bright when you need to take a selfie in a dimly-lit room, and a starting price point of just $399 (16GB).

Exterior vibes

The exterior is svelte and sleek – every inch an iPhone, as we're surmising Apple would say. The same exemplary precision found on the high-end iPhones is also found on the iPhone SE. At last, you don't have to feel that you're settling just to get a phone that's easier to handle.

Handling the iPhone SE is a lovely affair, particularly if you're coming from the iPhone 6S Plus. It's dainty – cute, even – and although, obviously, it feels exactly as if you're handling the iPhone 5S, there's something extra novel about it now. It's no longer the norm; the 4-inch form factor is now the exception.

Have we got to the point where a phone from 2013 is now considered retro?

The fit, finish and polish are just like the iPhone 5S. Honestly, if you weren't told any different, you'd think you actually were handling the iPhone 5S, as the exterior frame remains the same. The same sharpness, the same rounded buttons on the side - it's as if Apple opened a door in one of its warehouses and found a million boxes with the 5S chassis sitting around doing nothing.

Speed in a small package

Using the phone, however, is a markedly different experience to using the iPhone 5S, and that's precisely what Apple needs to push.

The A9 chip enables the iPhone SE to open apps just as quickly as the iPhone 6S. It's honestly quite refreshing to feel this much power in a phone this small – we just haven't been privy to Apple's top-end hardware in its smallest iPhone in a few years, and the glut of people still buying the iPhone 5 and 5C second-hand are a testament to the desire for this spec combination.

By shoving in the M9 co-processor, there are all the same specs and abilities that you're getting on the newer phones too. So whether that's monitoring your steps, or flights of stairs climbed, or just letting the phone note when it's resting quietly on the desk, it's all handled simply.

This means Hey Siri, the auto voice recognition function, is enabled - although whether you'll use it more than three times during the life of the phone will depend on what kind of committed tech-fiend you are.

We weren't able to test out the revamped 12-megapixel iSight camera, but we plan to just as soon as we get ourselves a unit outside of the hands-on area.

In terms of spec though, you're getting the same camera mix as on the iPhone 6S. That means 4K video recording, the Focus Pixels to get the sharper autofocus, a True Tone flash - in short, all the bits that Apple has shouted about on the newer iPhones in the smaller package.

And by making the iPhone SE thicker, the camera bump is gone, which is great news for those that hated the ruined aesthetic from the raised section on the rear of the phone.



techradar

Technology is advancing in every aspect today, and many industries are enjoying the fruits of technology advancement. The new BMW 7-Series cars will have a key that can be used as a smartphone, which has a set of logarithmic functions, remote control, and several functions that will blow your mind.


Technology is advancing in every aspect today, and many industries are enjoying the fruits of technology advancement. The new BMW 7-Series cars will have a key that can be used as a smartphone, which has a set of logarithmic functions, remote control, and several functions that will blow your mind.


The incredible functionality that this key has been Remote Control Parking – yes, you can park your car without even being inside of it! That means you can get out of the car and control the parking process with your key. The car itself will use the set of sensors and cameras that to steer around any obstacles that might get in the way for the precision parking, and won’t do any damage to the surrounding as well as the car.

The iDrive display on the key isn’t there just for the Surround View option, but for a variety of other options as well; changing drive modes, controlling the climate control, the windows, the heating in the seats, and the condition of the tires as well.


The systems that operate the vehicle and the key itself have sensors that will help you get your keys, unlock and open your car’s doors when you get to 1.5 meters near. The tailgate is also controlled with the key, next to exterior mirrors, driving setup, head-up display, and multimedia controls. You won’t need to touch your tailgate ever again – the sensors will open it automatically when you approach it, and start closing when you finish putting your stuff away in the rear compartment.

The key remote connects with the iPhone app that BMW developed to improve further the experience and usage of the digital services. The functionality further improves the connectivity, where you’re able to locate your car in the parking lot quickly with the app or key – just pressing the button will make it sound the horn or flash the lights.

Is the BMW Smart Key truly a smart one?

The new futuristic key has an excellent set of features; the fuel level, windows, and electric battery range is displayed to provide information to you anytime you have a look at your key. On the other hand, you still can’t use this key as a smartphone, making calls, browsing the web or play multimedia. You can use the key in the same manner you use your smartphone, by swiping the screen for options, and additional info, settings, and more.


xiaomitoday

TCL smartphone maker launched its another smartphone, called TCL M2U. The M2U comes with 5.5-inch display, 4G LTE connectivity and MediaTek Octa- core processor. We have reviewed this phone on Xiaomitoday as well.


The M2U features a 5.5-inch OGS full lamination display that supports 1280×720 (HD) pixels of resolution and supports higher PPI density at 443. The company has loaded the phone with 95 percent NTSC high color saturation technology that offers more natural Vivid color pictures and videos, and also gives truly HD experience while watching movies or playing high definition games. Very few smartphones in this price range can offer the same performance.


TCL M2U is powered by Octa- core MediaTek MT6752M processor which clocking at 1.5 GHz. It is paired with 2 GB of RAM for faster performance and Mali T760 MP2 GPU for better graphics experience on board. It has 16 GB internal storage option with micro SD card support. So, you can expand the capacity of the phone up to 32 GB via SD card. Again a very impressive set of feature list that we come to expect from Chinese manufacturers.

The phone featured with 13 megapixels Exmor RS CMOS  camera on the back side with LED flash, f/2.2 super aperture and autofocus. It has 2 megapixels front facing camera with F/2.2 super aperture, 88°wide angle. Additional, the company included the many features in the phone, including Real-Time Skin Beautify on selfie camera and more. Both the rear as well as front cameras of the phone delivers pretty well quality. You can check out the camera performance in our review of the TCL M2U on XiaomiToday


The M2U is packed with Lithium-ion Polymer 3500 mAh battery that keeps the light on and runs on Android 4.4.4 KitKat operating system out of the box. It comes with Dual SIM compatibility with 4G connectivity supports. It has 802.11b/g/n, GPS, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio jack port, more and Gravity Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensors.

Apart from this, the M2U comes with Eyeprint identification sensor, that creates new experiences of wake-up function with innovative technique, more secure.

TCL M2U Main Features:

• Display: 5.5-Inch, HD 1280×720 IPS Display
• CPU: MediaTek MT6572M Octa Core 1.5GHz
• GPU: ARM Mali-T760 MP2 Dual-Core GPU clocked at 700MHz
• System: Android 4.4.4 Kitkat
• RAM + ROM: 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM
• Camera: 8 MP F/2.2 super aperture, 88°wide angle, Real-Time Skin Beautify, front camera +13.0MP Exmor RS CMOS f/2.2 super aperture, professional photography and video, clear and vivid.
• Bluetooth: 4.0
• GPS: Yes
• SIM Card: Dual micro, Dual standy, Single-pass
• Network:

• 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz

• 3G: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz

• 4G: LTE 1800/2100/2600MHz

The TCL M2U is on sale on the popular Retailer LightInTheBox.com for just $119.99, which makes it the perfect Christmas present.


xiaomitoday

A few months ago, Huawei announced that it was going to reach the 100 million shipped smartphones in 2015. Seems to be they were right, the company has revealed via its official Weibo account that it has shipped more than 100 million smartphones as of December 18, 2015.


If we take a look to the companies that shipped more than 100 million, we have as usual Samsung and Apple. Xiaomi was expected to ship over 100 million smartphones as they announced, but unfortunately for the company they stuck with 73 million.

Huawei is doing a great job releasing smartphones every couple of months covering all the ranges like Samsung does, from low-end smartphones to high-end Android smartphones.


The MWC 2016 is getting close and many manufacturers will show their latest flagship during this event. Will 2016 be another good year for Huawei? It seems that will be, they have lot of devices coming and the expectations are very high.


The company contributes a large portion of its success to the high-end Honor branding. Though only a couple of years old, Honor smartphones have been selling extremely well in China through aggressive prices and marketing campaigns compared to Xiaomi, ZTE, and others. Huawei signed a contract with Google to develop the recent Nexus 6P as well.


A handful of other smartphone manufacturers have not been so lucky. HTC is facing lukewarm sales of its latest One A9, LG reported lower-than-expected Q3 2015 results, and Xiaomi recently brushed off its failure to meet its lofty sales goal of 80 million.

Currently Huawei sits in the first position in China, and Third globally in sales. It would be really interesting to see what Huawei does in 2016 to keep the sales numbers growing and also keep the product line fresh.

What do you guys think about Huawei’s immense success? Let’s continue the discussion in the comments below.


xiaomitoday

iPhone Available in 40 Additional Countries Beginning Friday, October 9

CUPERTINO, California — September 28, 2015 — Apple® today announced it has sold more than 13 million new iPhone® 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models, a new record, just three days after launch. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available in more than 40 additional countries beginning October 9 including Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain and Taiwan. The new iPhones will be available in over 130 countries by the end of the year.

“Sales for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have been phenomenal, blowing past any previous first weekend sales results in Apple’s history,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Customers’ feedback is incredible and they are loving 3D Touch and Live Photos, and we can’t wait to bring iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus to customers in even more countries on October 9.”

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus bring a powerful new dimension to iPhone’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface with 3D Touch, which senses how deeply you press the display, letting you do essential things more quickly and simply. The new iPhones introduce Live Photos, which bring still images to life, transforming instants frozen in time into unforgettable living memories. Live Photos, 3D Touch, 12-megapixel iSight® camera, 5-megapixel FaceTime® HD camera with Retina® Flash and more are powered by the Apple-designed A9 chip, the most advanced chip ever in a smartphone, delivering faster performance and great battery life. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are designed with the strongest glass on any smartphone and 7000 series aluminum, the same alloy used in the aerospace industry, in gorgeous metallic finishes that now include rose gold.

iOS 9, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, brings more intelligence to iPhone with proactive assistance, powerful search and improved Siri features, all while protecting users’ privacy. Built-in apps become more powerful with a redesigned Notes app, detailed transit information in Maps*, and an all-new News app for the best news reading experience on any mobile device. The foundation of iOS is even stronger with software updates that require less space to install and advanced security features to further protect your devices.

Customers are encouraged to check the Apple Store® app or Apple.com to receive updates on availability and estimated delivery dates. Every customer who buys an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus at an Apple Retail Store will be offered free Personal Setup service, helping them customize their iPhone by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store℠ and more, so they’ll be up and running with their new iPhone before they leave the store. Customers can also learn more about iOS 9 and their new device through free workshops at all Apple retail stores worldwide. In the US, the new iPhones are also available through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and additional carriers, and select Apple Authorized Resellers including Best Buy, Target and Walmart.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will roll out worldwide to more than 40 additional countries and territories beginning October 9 including Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan. On October 10, countries include Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available in India, Malaysia and Turkey on Friday, October 16 and in over 130 countries by the end of the year.

Sales completed by Saturday, September 26 will be included in Apple’s 2015 fourth fiscal quarter results, and sales completed on Sunday, September 27 will be included in Apple’s 2016 first fiscal quarter results.

Pricing & Availability

• iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are available in gold, silver, space gray and the new rose gold metallic finishes for $0 down with 24 monthly payments starting at $27 (US) and $31 (US), respectively, from Apple’s retail stores in the US, Apple.com, select carriers and Apple Authorized Resellers.**
• Apple-designed accessories including leather and silicone cases in a range of colors and Lightning Docks in color-matched metallic finishes are also available.
• Exclusively at Apple’s retail stores in the US, customers can choose their carrier and get an unlocked iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus with the opportunity to get a new iPhone annually and AppleCare+ on the new iPhone Upgrade Program. Monthly payments start at $32 (US) and $37 (US), respectively. For more information on the iPhone Upgrade Program visit www.apple.com/shop/iphone/iphone-upgrade-program or a US Apple Retail Store.***
• Customers can visit Apple.com to reserve their iPhone for pick-up at their local Apple Store, based on availability. Most Apple stores also have iPhone available for walk-in customers each day.

*Transit information in Maps will be available in select major cities including Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York City, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto and Washington D.C., as well as over 300 cities in China, including Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. News app availability varies by country.

**Prices are rounded to nearest dollar and are based on 24 monthly installment payments. Taxes and activation fees may be due at sale. Carrier terms and eligibility may apply.


***The iPhone Upgrade Program is available to qualified customers only with a valid US personal credit card. Requires a 24-month installment loan with Citizens Bank, N.A. and iPhone activation with a national carrier — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon. Full terms apply.


apple

Refined Experience and Improved Performance Make Your Mac Better than Ever

CUPERTINO, California — September 29, 2015 — Apple® today announced that OS X® El Capitan, the latest major release of the world’s most advanced desktop operating system, will be available on Wednesday, September 30 as a free update for Mac® users. El Capitan builds on the groundbreaking features and beautiful design of OS X Yosemite, refining the Mac experience with updates to window management, built-in apps and Spotlight® search, and performance improvements to make everyday activities — like launching and switching apps, opening PDFs and accessing email — faster and more responsive.

“People love using their Macs, and one of the biggest reasons is the power and ease-of-use of OS X,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “El Capitan refines the Mac experience and improves performance in a lot of little ways that make a very big difference. Feedback from our OS X beta program has been incredibly positive and we think customers are going to love their Macs even more with El Capitan.”

Refinements to the Mac Experience
El Capitan gives you simpler and smarter ways to do the things you do most with your Mac. A streamlined Mission Control® makes it easier to see and organize everything you have open on your Mac. With a single swipe, Mission Control arranges all your windows in a single layer so you can find the window you need even faster. When your desktop gets crowded, simply drag a window to the top of your screen to create a new Space and spread out your work. And the new Split View feature automatically positions two app windows side-by-side in full screen so you can work with both apps without distraction.

Spotlight gets even smarter in El Capitan. You can now use Spotlight to check stock prices, weather conditions and forecasts, sports scores, schedules and standings, and even athlete information. You can also search with Spotlight to find a file using natural language. Simply type “email from Harrison in April” or “presentation I worked on yesterday” and Spotlight will help you find exactly what you are looking for. You can resize the Spotlight window to display more results or move it anywhere on your desktop.

OS X built-in apps are even better in El Capitan. Safari® now features Pinned Sites to keep your favorite websites open and active and a new mute button to quickly silence browser audio from any tab. Mail introduces Smart Suggestions, which recognizes names or events in a Mail message and prompts you to add them to your contacts or calendar with a single click. You can also swipe to delete messages, just like in iOS, and juggle multiple emails while Mail is in full screen. In Photos, you can now edit locations, batch change descriptions, sort albums by date or title, and take editing to the next level with third-party editing extensions from your favorite developers.

El Capitan features an all-new Notes app that lets you drag and drop photos, PDFs, videos and other files into a note, and add content directly from other apps, such as Safari web links or Maps locations, using the Share menu. Easy-to-create checklists help you keep track of important to-do items, and the new Attachments Browser organizes your attachments in one simple view, making it easy to find what you’re looking for. With iCloud®, your notes stay in sync so you can create notes on one device and edit them or check off items on your other devices.

Improvements to System Performance
OS X El Capitan improves system performance across your Mac, making many of the things you do everyday faster and more responsive. Metal™, Apple’s groundbreaking graphics technology, accelerates Core Animation and Core Graphics to boost system-level rendering by up to 50 percent, and efficiency by up to 40 percent, resulting in faster graphics performance for everyday apps.* Metal also takes full advantage of your CPU and GPU, delivering up to 10 times faster draw call performance for a richer, more fluid experience in games and pro apps.*

El Capitan also features enhanced international language support, including a new Chinese system font for both Traditional and Simplified, with 50,000 beautifully designed characters for crisp on-screen readability. Chinese keyboard input methods now offer regularly updated vocabulary lists and a smarter candidate window. El Capitan makes entering Japanese text faster by automatically transforming Hiragana into written Japanese and reducing the need to individually select and confirm word conversions. You can now also select the perfect font for your documents using four new Japanese typefaces.

Pricing & Availability
OS X El Capitan is available as a free update starting Wednesday, September 30 from the Mac App Store℠. El Capitan supports all Macs introduced in 2009 and later, and some models introduced in 2007 and 2008.


*Testing conducted by Apple in August 2015 using 2.7GHz Intel Core i5–based 13-inch MacBook Pro systems with 128GB of flash storage and 8GB of RAM. Tested with prerelease OS X v10.11. Not all features are available on all devices. Performance will vary based on system configuration, application workload, and other factors.


apple

iPhone, Apple Watch & App Store Drive Revenue Growth of 22%

CUPERTINO, California — October 27, 2015 — Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 fourth quarter ended September 26, 2015. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $51.5 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.1 billion, or $1.96 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $42.1 billion and net profit of $8.5 billion, or $1.42 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.9 percent compared to 38 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

The growth was fueled by record fourth quarter sales of iPhone®, the expanded availability of Apple Watch®, and all-time records for Mac® sales and revenue from services.

“Fiscal 2015 was Apple’s most successful year ever, with revenue growing 28% to nearly $234 billion. This continued success is the result of our commitment to making the best, most innovative products on earth, and it’s a testament to the tremendous execution by our teams,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are heading into the holidays with our strongest product lineup yet, including iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple Watch with an expanded lineup of cases and bands, the new iPad Pro and the all-new Apple TV which begins shipping this week.”

“Apple’s record September quarter results drove earnings per share growth of 38% and operating cash flow of $13.5 billion,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “We returned $17 billion to our investors during the quarter through share repurchases and dividends, and we have now completed over $143 billion of our $200 billion capital return program.”

Apple is providing the following guidance for its fiscal 2016 first quarter:

• revenue between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion
• gross margin between 39 percent and 40 percent
• operating expenses between $6.3 billion and $6.4 billion
• other income/(expense) of $400 million
• tax rate of 26.2 percent

Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $.52 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on November 12, 2015, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 9, 2015.

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q4 2015 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on October 27, 2015 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq415. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.


This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income/(expense), and tax rate. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2014, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 27, 2014, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 28, 2015, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 27, 2015, and its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 26, 2015 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.


apple

Johny Srouji Named to Executive Team; Phil Schiller Adds Ecosystem Responsibilities

Tor Myhren Joins Apple