Chinese Tech

Following Trump's intervention, ZTE has finally been granted a lifeline out of its current dire straits. The Chinese company has been ordered to pay a massive US$1.4 billion fine for its misdemeanours that saw it hit with a trade ban a few months ago.

Live images of Nubia's upcoming flagship, the Nubia Z18, have surfaced, revealing everything the device has to offer. Slim bezels, a chin, and a notch are some of the biggest talking points.

Motorola has finally unveiled its latest device, the sub-premium Moto Z3 Play. The smartphone is definitely solid on paper but its five hundred dollar price tag may be off-putting to some.

GPU Boost will not increase the clock rate of the GPU as its name might suggest. Instead, the Honor technology will dramatically improve the power efficiency of GPUs in its smartphones to improve battery life. The manufacturer is claiming that a mid-range smartphone with GPU Boost can outperform a flagship smartphone without GPU Boost while allowing for HDR and higher frame rates in games.

Over the past month, Lenovo carried out a subtly engaging media campaign for its upcoming device, the Z5. That device was unveiled yesterday, however, and it would seem that most of the company's claims were pure hogwash.

AMD’s press conference earlier today contained a number of interesting new AMD-powered devices. One that stood out was the refreshed Huawei MateBook D with Ryzen APU and Vega graphics.

If you are searching for a 15-inch hexa-core laptop but maybe budget is not that generous, MSI has you covered with the GF63 series which should be launched soon. This sub-US$1000 model integrates the Intel i7-8750H six-core CPU coupled with 8 or 16 GB of RAM, and can pack a 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD storage combo. Users can also choose between the GTX 1050 or 1050 Ti GPUs.

The upcoming Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite is expected to debut as a larger Mi A1 because it sports the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and up to 4 GB RAM/64 GB internal storage. However, its generous 5.99-inch display has a notch and a 2:1 aspect ratio, providing a resolution of 1,080 x 2,160 pixels.

Xiaomi, yesterday, released a trio of devices in its Mi 8 lineup. The Mi 8 SE is the cheapest and least powerful of the devices but still manages to offer unbeatable value, especially considering its sub-$300 price tag.

Vivo has unveiled its latest device, the Vivo Y83. While mostly unspectacular, it will go down as the first device to be powered by MediaTek's mid-range Helio P22 SoC.

Alongside the Mi 8 reveal, Xiaomi also showed off a limited edition Mi 8 Explorer Edition. The Mi 8 Explorer Edition features an in-display fingerprint sensor and a transparent back that reveals the innards. The Mi 8 Explorer Edition is limited to China as of now and will be available only in defined quantities.

Xiaomi has taken wraps off its newest flagship model, the Mi 8. The Mi 8 comes with the latest Snapdragon 845 chip, dual cameras, and a dual GPS system. The Mi 8 gets launched in 8 other markets apart from China and packs most features found in other expensive flagships. While the design is reminiscent of the iPhone X, the smartphone looks to be priced quite competitively and should rake in good numbers for the Chinese major.

Starting at less than US$125, the new Meizu M6T is powered by the outdated MediaTek MT6750 processor, but its main selling point is the 13 MP + 2 MP main camera setup on the back. This 5.7-inch handset also has a 3,300 mAh battery and a traditional audio jack, but it is only available in China for now.

A report from the research company Gartner has stated that global sales of smartphones in the first quarter of 2018 have risen slightly from figures issued in the same quarter of 2017. Over 383.5 million smartphones were sold in 1Q18 compared to 378.5 million units sold in 1Q17. Samsung was the quarter’s largest vendor, with 78.5 million sales.

Although the OnePlus 6 has been well received and provides an excellent value, the fingerprint and the PIN/password remain the safest methods of unlocking it. A recent statement coming directly from OnePlus makes it clear that face unlocking alone cannot deliver an optimal level of security yet.

The foreign import bans imposed on ZTE are bound to shake things up in China, at least in a positive way. Tencent - one of the biggest video game company in China - is willing to take constructive actions in order to increase China's chip-making capacity and reduce the reliance on foreign component imports.

Huawei seems to be ready to join the gaming smartphone craze with its upcoming Honor Play model. The latest smartphone teaser posted by the Chinese company on Weibo emphasizes the AI functionalities that should bring a "groundbreaking" 4D gaming experience. However, it looks like the Honor Play might have been spotted at TENAA, but the specs are mid-range at best.

Google has partnered with Xiaomi to make ARCore apps available on the Xiaomi App Store in China. Google has not revealed any further details but these apps will be first made available for Xiaomi's latest flagship, the Mi Mix 2S, with more devices to follow soon.

OnePlus has removed the Always On Display setting in the new OnePlus 6 via a day 1 patch that installs after first boot. While users have been clamoring on the OnePlus Forums for the feature to return, the company replied that the feature had to be removed to save battery.

A report from a brand equity database shows that technology companies and tech-related brands currently dominate the ranking for top 10 most valuable global brands. At least eight out of the 10 brand names listed are directly involved in technology, with Google, Apple, and Amazon taking up the top three places, respectively. Chinese firm Tencent has also made a strong showing, coming in fifth position.

Lenovo Vice President Chang Cheng has, once again, teased the company's upcoming device on Weibo. This time, he clarifies that the device will be named the Lenovo Z5. The teaser paints the picture of a device with absolutely no bezels—and no notch.

Xiaomi's upcoming flagship, the Mi 7, has been spotted online. The device is expected to feature a Snapdragon 845, 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, 3D facial recognition, and wireless charging...and all of that could come with a US$450 price tag.

Maze was one of the upcoming smartphone companies in 2017. The company released devices like the Blade and Alpha and while both had their issues, they also offered great value for money. Sadly, it would seem that we won't be getting anything else from Maze, with the company appearing to have kicked the bucket.

A report by The New York Times has stated that the Trump administration has worked out a deal that would prevent ZTE from complete collapse. According to a source familiar with the matter, ZTE would have to comply with a number of demands from the US Department of Commerce but by doing so would be able to remain in business.

The innovative stacked display design developed by Mobvoi for the upcoming TicWatch Pro should provide a substantial battery life boost. While in standard mode, the battery may last around 2 days, but there is also an Essential mode that completely disconnects the OLED screen and turns off the Wear OS, leaving only the black/white LCD active.

Huawei has announced its decision to end official support for bootloader unlocks. Devices released after May 24 will not be eligible for unlocks, while those already released will have that option closed to them in 60 days.

BlackBerry Mobile has released a new teaser clip for the KEY² smartphone. The brief video shows that the device will feature a dual-camera system and reveals a new button on the keyboard that has fuelled speculation in regard to its purpose. Full details about the KEYone’s successor are expected to be given at the June 7 launch event in New York.

Huawei’s sub-brand, Honor, has issued a press release to announce that the Honor 10 flagship smartphone has already managed one million sales. This is an impressive feat, considering the device was only released in China on April 27 and received a limited global launch on May 16. The Honor 10 has been praised for offering high-end features for a mid-range price.

MediaTek has unveiled its new SoC, the Helio P22. The chipset is built on a 12nm manufacturing process and will offer stiff resistance to SoCs like the Snapdragon 450 and Kirin 659.

HTC has finally unveiled its new device, the U12+. The flagship sports a 6-inch QHD+ Super LCD display, a Snapdragon 845, IP68 certification, a quad camera setup, and a host of other features that make it one of the most impressive devices so far this year—on paper at least.

With the announcement of Nvidia's GeForce Partner Program, Asus thought it would be wise to differentiate its GPU brands into ROG (for Nvidia) and Arez (for AMD). Since the GPP was killed in its infancy, speculators were quick to proclaim that the Arez brand will cease to exist as well. Asus retorted promptly, dismissing any greatly exaggerated rumors.

Meizu is set to unveil its next device, the M6T, at an event in China, on May 29. The device will sport a dual rear camera setup and 18:9 device, and will go against Xiaomi's recently released Redmi S2.

CEO of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, has announced that the company's Mi Max 3 will be unveiled in July. Details of the device remain unconfirmed but it's expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 660.

The $300 USD gift card will apply to new purchases of the MateBook X Pro made through Amazon and NewEgg in an attempt to create buzz. The promotion will end after June 10. Huawei's latest 13.9-inch laptop is thicker than its last but also significantly more powerful to justify the larger dimensions.

According to data by Counterpoint Research, Xiaomi's Redmi 5A clinched top spot as the best-selling Android device in the world. The device, by its lonesome self, accounts for 1.8% of all smartphones sold in the world in March. This dominance extends all through Q1.

The Huawei Y5 Prime (2018) is now listed on Huawei’s website, indicating that it might not be long until it hits store shelves. The older Y5 (2017) released in June of last year, so this timing would match. With 2 GB RAM / 16 GB storage, this is undoubtedly a budget phone, but the inclusion of three card slots (2 SIM and 1 MicroSD) will be highly attractive in some markets.

According to a report by OnPhones, Xiaomi may have been using fake camera samples for its Redmi Y2 promotional content. This wouldn't be the first an OEM does something of the sort.

The Asus Zenfone 5 has made its way over to DxOMark, with the camera evaluation platform placing it alongside devices like the iPhone 8 and HTC U11. That's quite impressive for a US$400 mid-ranger.

ZTE may have found a way out of its current troubles, as word claims that Samsung is willing to sell its Exynos SoCs to the company, in a bid to expand its ARM processor business.

Promising to bring a "new attitude" to Europe, Xiaomi is ready to enter the French market. The Chinese brand will open its first Mi Store in Paris on May 22, but more are expected to follow in other French cities over the coming months. Two days later, Xiaomi will also enter the Italian market.

Not to be confused with the ZBox or XBox, the GBox mini PC targets home theater users and video streamers in a chassis just 0.98 L in volume and 1.5-inches thick. Chuwi is promising that the new Gemini Lake platform can bring a 60 percent performance boost over the last generation Apollo Lake while consuming less than 10 Watts for the entire unit. Prices and launch dates remain unknown.

The new Motorola Moto 1S is about the same device as the Moto G6 but comes with Lenovo ZUI 3.5 on top of Android 8.0 Oreo and ZUI branding on the back. This handset also sports a 5.7-inch full HD+ 2:1 display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage, a 12 MP + 5 MP main camera, and so on.

According to a report, it appears the US House Appropriations Committee does not share the same sentiment in regard to ZTE as President Donald Trump. Trump recently tweeted a message stating he wanted to help ZTE find a way to keep doing business. However, the Committee is in disagreement with the President and plans to uphold the ban on the Chinese company.

OnePlus has just unveiled the OnePlus 6 device and hot on its heels comes the Marvel Avengers Limited Edition version. This variant of the new flagship phone is delivered in an Avengers-themed box that even contains an Iron Man-style protective case and a medal. The device will initially be available for the Chinese and Indian markets, priced at 4,199 yuan and 44,999 Indian rupees, respectively.

OnePlus entered the market half a decade ago with the US$300 OnePlus One, their invite-only “flagship killer.” Since then they have released increasingly more expensive phones, and the OnePlus 6 represents their biggest redesign for the last few years. Equipped with a Snapdragon 845, up to 8 GB of RAM, and up to 256 GB of storage.

An image showing a list of upcoming Xiaomi devices have surfaced. While there are items on the list that make some sense—Redmi Note 6, Redmi Note 6A, Redmi 6 Plus—a few others cast doubt on the veracity of the entire thing.

HMD has unveiled its new device, the Nokia X6. The X6 is positioned between the Nokia 6.1 and the Nokia 7 Plus in the company's lineup of devices and comes with a brilliant design, powerful processor, and capable cameras.

A report by Canalys has shown Samsung's dominance over the African smartphone market. The company shipped 3.4 million smartphone units in Q1 2018, up 42% from the same period in 2017. Tecno puts the pressure on from second place.

While Xiaomi's worldwide growth has been worthy of accolades, the 8-year-old company's expansion in certain markets has been even more impressive. Case in point is the Indonesian market, where the company recorded a shocking 1500% year-on-year growth in shipment figures.