Chinese Tech

Chuwi has announced the pricing of its upcoming MiniBook on Twitter, and it is lower than expected. Two versions of the 8.0-inch convertible mini laptop will arrive at launch, which will be available to order on Indiegogo from June 19.

Redmi has announced that its first notebook, most likely to be a 14-inch thin & light model, will be released tomorrow (May 28, 2019). This event will also see the launch of the K20 series of smartphones. The larger device is thought to offer an IPS FHD display with up to 8GB of RAM.

Huawei’s recent ban by the US government is certain to have caused unrest in the hearts of users of the company’s phones. Rivals Samsung are cashing in with style, though, as the South Korean company is now heavily advertising premium trade-in values for Huawei devices.

While the world of tech still battles with the shocking news of Huawei being hit with a trade ban by the US, the company will likely be a tad annoyed by an incident that saw a Mate 20 Pro go up in flames at a theatre a few days ago.

Lenovo and Qualcomm have announced 'Project Limitless', a collaborative effort to build 'Always On, Always Connected PCs' based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx 5G Compute Platform. Lenovo and Qualcomm demonstrated a near-final version of a laptop based on the Snapdragon 8cx that also bundles in the Snapdragon X55 5G modem. The first such notebooks are expected to be available sometime in early 2020.

The OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T were released three years ago, back in 2016. Both devices were launched running on Android Marshmallow but are now officially receiving the update to Android Pie. That means they have now received three major OS updates, which has to be a record in the Android space.

Xiaomi's high-value sub-brand, Redmi, is set to release its two flagship phones in the coming weeks: the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro. Details of the regular K20 have now surfaced, painting an image of an extremely attractive sub-premium device.

We were big fans of the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 when it was released a year ago, mostly because of its high performance to price ratio. Asus is keeping it alive for one more year, too, with users of the device around the globe currently receiving the much-anticipated Android Pie update.

The news for Huawei seems to be getting worse by the day, as if that was even possible. In the latest blow to the company, the SD Association has blocked the ability for Huawei to offer phones or devices featuring SD or microSD card slot.

The Vivo V15 and Y17 are MediaTek Helio SoC-powered devices. They have been on sale for Rs. 19,990 (US$288) and 17,990 ($259) respectively in India. These prices have been apparently reduced by Rs. 2000 ($29).

The Redmi K20 is available to order from today (May 24, 2019) after a manner of speaking. Those who wish to pre-order the new flagship phone need to pay a deposit of 100 yuan (about US$14.50) on Mi.com or JD.com. They can then pay the balance on May 28.

OxygenOS 9.0.2 comes to the OnePlus 3 and 3T with the April 2019 security patch from Google, a brand-new user interface, Google Duo support in the Dialer, a new gaming mode (3.0, with notification for third party calls and displaying the text content of the heads-up notifications), Google Lens support, as well as various bug fixes and tweaks.

GPD has posted a video of one of its upcoming P2 MAX devices being put through its paces. An intense fight sequence from Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition is shown and the console/mini laptop hybrid seems to take the high demands on its hardware in its stride. The gameplay looks seamless, which will please those considering a purchase.

Chuwi has increased its product line with the launch of the Chuwi GT Box mini PC. The company claims the GT Box is an affordable successor to the HiGame PC that did so well on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo. This little machine sports a veteran i3 processor, 8 GB RAM, a 256 GB SSD, and it comes in a lightweight metal case.

ARM's recent announcement to cut ties with Huawei may leave the Chinese dragon in a lurch. While Huawei manufactures its own custom processors, they are built on ARM's architecture. Should ARM revoke Huawei's ability to use this architecture, Huawei has few options outside of developing its own CPU architecture to continue its electronics business.

Sipeed has designed the Maixduino for use in AI and IoT applications. The single board computer (SBC) has the form factor of an Arduino Uno and comes with a 2.4-inch TFT display along with an OV2640 2 MP camera module. The Maixduino has various ports and connectors including USB Type-C and can be pre-ordered for US$23.90 or US$20.90 without the camera and display. The SBC will ship worldwide on May 27.

The Redmi K20 flagship-killer smartphone has made a couple of rendered appearances on the official Weibo account for the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi. Considering its high-end specifications, it’s obviously important that the exterior matches the attraction of the interior. The device shown in the promo image is certainly eye-catching, but it won’t appeal to everyone.

GPD has announced the pricing for its upcoming P2 Max via Twitter. The company will launch two versions of the 8.9-inch mini laptop, both of which will run Windows 10 and will feature a trackpad, a fingerprint sensor and a webcam.
GPD confirms specification change

Huawei and Aptoide are reportedly in talks to offer an alternative to the Google Play Store after Google decided to suspend all commercial engagements, including Android licensing, with Huawei following a recent executive order by the US Government. Aptoide boasts of over 900,000 apps and almost 200 million users making it an interesting prospect for Huawei to consider. Aptoide CEO Paulo Trezentos has, however, ruled out any chances of a merger with Huawei at the moment.

Samsung has reportedly unveiled a new kind of smartphone camera component in South Korea. It apparently confers 5x zoom on a device, without creating an ugly bulge extending from its rear panel. However, this module may not be destined for upcoming flagships such as the Galaxy Note 10 yet.

Although Huawei still has to confirm their existence, the Nova 5 and Nova 5i have been both spotted recently on the website of various certification bodies such as ECC, FCC, and 3C. The 3C certification received by the Nova 5 is the latest such event, and it confirms the 40 W charging capabilities of the device.

In what may be a fresh blow to Huawei's electronics concern, reports that ARM has told its staff not to deal with the OEM have emerged. The silicon giant has done so as it believes it falls under the recent ban imposed by the US administration. This may affect the ability to produce HiSilicon chipsets in the future.

Huawei has lashed out at the US government accusing it of ‘bullying.’ The embattled Chinese smartphone and telecoms giant made the comments in response to US government trade restrictions that have effectively left the company sitting dead in the water.

The latest mid-range handheld from Vivo is expected to integrate a 6.53-inch display plus a hefty 5,000 mAh battery. Press images also reveal a punch-hole selfie cam and a triple-cam setup as well as a fingerprint sensor on the back. The JD.com listing does not mention the exact SoC, but there will be 4 GB RAM / 64 GB storage, 6 GB / 64 GB, 6 GB / 128 GB and 8 GB / 128 GB versions.

The full gamut of Honor 20 and 20 Pro details is now available. The brand's new flagships are quad-camera devices, although only the 20 Pro has a telephoto lens among its sensors. They will start at about US$557 on their release for sale.

Although there is no official confirmation yet, the Redmi M1903C3EC device that has recently been spotted on the website of Chinese certification authority TENAA seems to be the upcoming Redmi 7A handset. Its alleged specs, such as the single 13 MP main camera and the 5.45-inch HD+ display, place it in the low-end sector of the market.

Huawei has issued a statement in response to the devastating news that it has lost its Google Android license. The besieged Chinese telecoms and consumer electronics giant has promised to continue to provide security updates and service support to its users while highlighting the contribution it has made to the development and expansion of Google’s Android platform across the globe.

Given the trouble that Huawei has been having lately, it is not surprising to find out that the Chinese giant is already working on a Google Android replacement. Media reports confirm that HongMeng OS is in the trial phase already and if the Android ban stays in place, this will become the firmware of choice for new Huawei handsets.

Apparently the same phone as the global variant of the Redmi Note 7, the Redmi Note 7S will be available for purchase in India later this week. The starting price of this Qualcomm Snapdragon 660-powered handset is around US$158 for the 3/32 GB variant. The 4/64 GB model can be acquired for about US$187.

The Honor 20 line is (still) set to launch tomorrow (May 21, 2019) in London. A new poster showing the brand's logo alongside a treatment for the next upcoming X-Men movie, "Dark Phoenix" has been released via official Weibo channels. It shows the probable outline of at least one new phone.

A Dutch blog claims to have unearthed patents filed with the Chinese intellectual property office (SIPO) by the OEM OPPO. They show a mobile device that is clearly foldable. The documents show that the company is considering either a notch or punch-hole technology for its purported first flexible display.

Certified by the Chinese telecommunications regulatory authority TENAA earlier this month, the 6.3-inch mid-range Lenovo L38111 has just been spotted on Geekbench. According to the benchmark database, its specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor and 6 GB of memory, with Android 9.0 Pie on top.

Huawei’s smartphone and PC operations are in serious danger following the latest order from the Trump administration. In response to the order, US companies have withdrawn all sales and support for Huawei. This includes, crucially, Google revoking its Android licence and both Qualcomm and Intel among others ceasing all supply of components.

Chinese manufacturer Colorful has announced its iGame G-One all-in-one PC. As an all-in-one (AIO) solution, the iGame G-One does away with the need for a tower and houses the CPU and GPU within the display frame. In this case, the AIO PC comes with a high-performance Coffee Lake mobile processor and a graphics card from Nvidia’s Turing-based GeForce RTX 20 series.

OPPO has confirmed that the upcoming K3 smartphone will be launched on May 23, 2019. This new mid-range device will apparently be equipped with VOOC 3.0, with a fresh range of accessories to match. They are said to include power banks with the same technology.

Xiaomi's 2019 gaming phone, the Black Shark 2, has been released in a number of markets so far. However, it has not been available in India thus far. The OEM plans to amend this by scheduling a launch for the phone on May 27, 2019

A well-regarded tipster claims to have heard that OnePlus has managed to amass 1 million reservations for units of its new flagship, the 7 Pro. These reservations could be made in China only in advance of the phone's launch. Therefore, it seems the latest pop-up selfie-cam device is very popular there.

A new leak on the Mi Mix 4 has revealed a mouth-watering specifications sheet that would see the Xiaomi flagship compete against traditional flagship giants like the upcoming Huawei Mate 30 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 10. Features start with a 2K AMOLED 120 Hz display and get a lot crazier.

Honor will unveil its two new flagships, the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro, at an event in London on May 21. The Honor 20 Pro, in particular, is gearing up to be a photography monster, and Honor has enough confidence in it to make it its first device to be evaluated by DxOMark.

Huawei has revealed what will be its first 5G smartphone to hit the market. The device is an update of the behemoth Mate 20 X that features the Chinese company’s home-grown Balong 5000 5G chipset.

Redmi is currently building a vortex of hype for its upcoming Snapdragon 855 flagship. As a result, it has teased its name (the K20) and a few key specs of the phone to keep us interested. One is its pop-up selfie camera, which, as the brand's general manager now insists, will not weigh the phone down.

Huawei's 2019 flagship laptops may never see the light of day in the United States. The company appears to be in a scramble in regard to its product plans for North American audiences. Fortunately, users can still import the international versions of the MateBook 14 or 2019 MateBook X Pro much like with the Mate 20 smartphone series.

WeChat claims to have over 1.1 billion users per month, 800 million of who also use WeChat Pay. Now, the company intends to make the use of this aspect of the service easier to use abroad. This involves improving on its existing payments systems in Europe.

One-Netbook has another product coming to the market in the form of the One Mix 3S mini laptop. The 8.4-inch computer will be powered by an Intel Core i5-8200Y and pack 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD in its compact frame. According to leaked advertising material, the One Mix 3S will be released on May 21.

The renders in the video are based on the marketing shots detailing the contents of the Moto Razr 2019 package leaked a few weeks ago. Additionally we get a closer look at the hinge system that uses dual gears to smooth out the screen fold, plus previews of possible red, black and blue color variants.

TENAA already added the front and rear renders for the 16Xs, but the specs are not yet in the database. Still word on the street is that the handheld will be powered by the Snapdragon 712 SoC coupled with 6 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB storage, and it will come with a notch-less display plus a triple-cam setup on the back.

The ToyBrick RK3399 Pro is a developer board that is powered by an RK399Pro SoC, which integrates an ARM Mali-T860MP4 GPU and an RK1808 NPU that can achieve up to 3.0 TOPS. The board can dual-boot Android and Linux out of the box and comes with up to 6 GB RAM and 32 GB of eMMC flash storage.

Lenovo has revealed that its smartphone flagship, the Z6 Pro, has a 5G variant. However, no pricing or availability information for this device has been released. The OEM has also confirmed that the Z6 Youth Edition does indeed exist, and will launch on May 22, 2019.

The Chuwi MiniBook will come in two versions, the most powerful of which will feature an Intel Core m3-8100Y processor, 8 GB LPDRR4 RAM and a 128 GB SSD. Chuwi will reportedly bring the ultra-mobile PC to crowdfunding platform Indiegogo on June 19.