Chinese Tech

Samsung has a solid track record of both designing and making all its own phones in-house, unlike other phone companies that contract these processes out to original design manufacturers (ODMs). However, according to a new report, the Korean giant will farm out some of its mobile devices to just such a company in the future. This ODM (Wingtech) may end up informing these products' quality, both inside and outside.

Huawei has reportedly filed patents for phones with reversible cameras. This design choice is found in a pre-existing Asus phone: the ZenFone 6 (or 6Z), which uses a flip-action module to deploy its dual cameras as both main and selfie shooters. Huawei's apparent competing IP has either 1 or 2 sensors in its own rotating component.

Mobvoi has released the 4G/LTE version of its TicWatch Pro to the European region. It costs €329.99 (about US$365) in its new market. However, its SIM functions can only be activated in Germany through this country's Vodafone division.

A supposed mystery smartphone has appeared in new photos taken on a subway train in China. There has been some speculation about what make and model the phone in the pictures is, with many plumping for either the upcoming Xiaomi Redmi K30 or K30 Pro. However, it is probable this could be a case of mistaken identity.

The Redmi 4 - or 4X in some markets - is a 2017 phone thought to have been all but abandoned by its maker Xiaomi in software-update terms. Despite this, some users of the device in India have reported being able to install a new upgrade conferring the OEM's latest OS, MIUI 11. However, it seems this version is not based on Android 10, and has other drawbacks besides.

Earlier, a Motorola Razr 2019 leak suggested that it would be priced at up to €1500 on its European launch. Now, a new rumor indicates that it will in fact cost the equivalent of €1680 when it is released to the Swedish market in January 2020. For context, the Galaxy Fold costs about €2160 in this country.

Xiaomi launched the Mi Note 10 a few weeks ago and the phone's impressive camera hardware has suddenly put it close to the top of many prospective buyers' shopping lists. Most are unsure about the purchase decision, however, so why not clarify things a bit for them? Is the Mi Note 10 really a good buy right now?

Huawei has now beaten Samsung to the punch, as the Chinese OEM is currently sending out the Android 10-based EMUI 10 update to its flagships around the world. The list of devices to have received the update include the Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 X, P30, P30 Pro, and a few others.

A few weeks ago, in spite of its SoC disadvantage, the Google Pixel 4 XL destroyed the OnePlus 7T in a resource-intensive transcoding test designed to reflect real-world performance. In a longer, more brutal test, the Pixel 4 XL is pitted against the LG V50, Asus ROG Phone 2, and OnePlus 7T. The results are...well, interesting.

ThinkPads have historically been known for their great keyboards. Recently, certain models have been having issues with registering keystrokes or even just scrambling letters around. On the affected AMD ThinkPads, the keyboards are hardly usable until an update has been applied.

A new patent allegedly submitted by Huawei to the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) has been posted online. It is for a phone with a flexible display - however, for one that folds vertically (like the new Motorola Razr) as opposed to the Mate X's hinge orientation. Should this document be valid, it is a triple-camera, edge-to-edge screened device.

The Mi Surface is a recently-released gaming-focused monitor from Xiaomi. Now, a new leak has pointed toward an additional variant of this display line. It is to measure 29 inches rather than 34 as in the original, yet retain this device's 1500R curvature and 144 hertz (Hz) refresh rate.

BOE has made an announcement on Weibo claiming that it supplied Motorola with flexible displays for the new Razr. Furthermore, it now asserts that it has done the same for the Huawei Mate X - and for the foldable Lenovo ThinkPad X1. Therefore, those interested in this upcoming notebook could look to the Razr for advance indications of its screen quality.

At a measured brightness of 868 nits on the center of the screen, the UBook Pro is nearly 90 percent brighter than even the Surface Pro 6. It's not everyday that a cheaper Chinese clone offers something better than the "proper" authentic version.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 impressed us during our tests, not least because of its bright display. While the Redmi Note 8 does not have an OLED display, the IPS panel with which Xiaomi has equipped it is bright and contrast-rich. The device has five cameras including a 48 MP primary rear-facing sensor too. In short, Xiaomi has redefined what an entry-level smartphone can be.

Xiaomi has just certified a new mobile device with the Chinese 3C authority. The most obvious explanation is that it is of the K30 series - however, a report alleges that it has already been registered under a different model number. Furthermore, this identifier is linked to this line's confirmed 5G status, whereas the strange new one is not.

Huawei's Consumer Business head Yu Chengdong has posted the date of a new launch event on Weibo. This message also contains references to the Mate line of devices, indicating that it is to get new additions at this show. They may include the rumored MatePad Pro tablet.

Sony has now released its official Android 10 update roadmap. The Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 will receive the OS update before the year runs out, while other phones will follow next year. Sadly, the Xperia XZ1 phones are missing from the list, which means they've been abandoned after getting just one OS update, and that's a shame.

Xiaomi's newly released Mi CC9 Pro and Mi Note 10 phones have received plenty of praise for their impressive camera performance. According to a new leak, however, that isn't as good as it gets, with the Chinese company touted to be working on an even more impressive camera phone.

Huawei is expanding the launch of its FreeBuds 3 beyond China within the next few days. The wireless earbuds will undercut the Apple AirPods Pro on price while featuring active noise cancellation (ANC) and a Kirin A1 SoC. Some preorders will include a complimentary 15 W wireless charger too.

A concept video for the Xiaomi Mi 10 has been posted on YouTube along with a set of optimistic specifications. Whether the Chinese manufacturer will fit the successor of the Mi 9 with a 108 MP sensor and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC remains to be seen, but the “waterfall” display gives the concept Mi 10 an enviable screen-to-body ratio.

The blog TigerMobiles claims to have dug up a couple of patents that may show the directions in which Xiaomi intends to take the foldable trend. One shows a clamshell design like that of the new Motorola Razr, whereas the other is more like the Huawei Mate X, but with an impressively extensive pop-up camera.

Vivo's S5 might be taken for just another device in a steadily-growing range of mid-range quad-cam products, were it not for the rather more original way in which the OEM has arranged its rear image sensors. They are in a square housing, but one rotated through 90 degrees compared to that of, say, the Pixel 4.

Motorola officially announced the Razr 2019, a new foldable that harkens back to the glory days of flip phones. The Razr 2019 features a traditional clamshell design to house its 6.2-inch OLED foldable display. Thanks to a clever hinge mechanism, that display may not suffer the same crease- and dust-related issues as other foldables. However, the spec sheet leaves quite a bit to be desired, especially considering the phone's $1499.99 price tag.

Until now, value for money has been one of the main reasons to buy an Honor smartphone, even at launch. The latest generation changes that, and not for the better. While the Honor 9X is a good device, it pales in comparison with other smartphones that have been released this year.

Motorola has finally certified its first-gen foldable with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The device's documentation reveals everything about the phone - well, from the outside, at least. Its new regulatory images dovetail with its most recent leaks.

Huawei launched the EMUI 10 beta a while ago, and has now started sending out the full, stable Android 10-based EMUI 10 update to its current-gen flagship device, the P30 Pro. The OTA comes in as a heavy 4.99 GB download, though.

The Honor V30 and V30 Pro are now scheduled for launch on November 26, 2019 in Beijing. This new series has also officially been confirmed to support 5G. It is also now linked to 90-hertz displays and a new alogrithm called Camera Matrix.

The Mi CC9 Pro and Mi Note 10 are, perhaps, Xiaomi's most ambitious devices of the year. They sport a beautiful curved AMOLED display, but it's been unknown which company actually provided the panel. Until now.

The Amazfit Sports Watch 3 was released in China recently. However, its series is also marketed internationally as the Stratos line of sports-focused wearables. Its 3rd generation is now set for launch across multiple European countries later in November 2019.

The already inexpensive Chuwi laptops and tablets are now even cheaper by up to $60 USD. If you need a cheap Atom-powered laptop to hold you over or as backup, then these Chuwi products may be worth a look.

The Android and iOS-compatible smartwatch promises 15 days of battery life, a plastic case, and a 240 x 240 resolution display for just under $80 USD.

The Vivo S5 is a probable successor to the S1 series that is rumored to rock the Snapdragon 712 processor. This phone has also been revealed to have a unique take on rear quad-cam design. It also has a punch-hole selfie camera: the OEM has posted an official image showing this spec on its website prior to its launch. This event will take place on November 14, 2019.

Vivo is now slated to release a new phone called the Z5i. This has not been officially announced by the OEM; however, this device has shown up on China Telecom's website despite not having even launched yet. It is powered by the Snapdragon 675 SoC and 8GB of RAM, and has 128GB of internal memory.

The Xiaomi Mi Watch is here, and it costs just 1,299 CNY (~US$170). The spitting image of the Apple Watch runs Wear OS, although the MIUI version of it and features a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 4G chipset. The watch has a 570 mAh battery too that should last up to two days between charges. The Xiaomi Mi Watch will go on sale next week.

3 new Blade-series phones are now live on the ZTE website. 2 of these - the Blade 10 Prime and A7 Prime - are available through the carrier Visible. The Blade 10, on the other hand, is an unlocked device sold by the OEM itself.

The OEM Vivo held a press conference today (November 7, 2019) to introduce its X30, a phone that will ship with the dual-mode 5G chipset, Samsung's Exynos 980. Oddly, the phone itself was not displayed, nor was its spec-sheet. However, new leaks point to a 90 hertz (Hz) AMOLED display, a 4500mAh battery and a Pro variant.

The Motorola One Power is now reportedly capable of running Android 10. However, before becoming eligible for this update, a user needs to sign in to the OEM's Feedback Network (or MFN) for that device. This may give them access to a build that, while at the cutting edge of the OS, lacks compatiblity with some potentially important features at present.

Xiaomi also promised details on a fifth generation of its smart TVs during the Mi CC9 Pro debut. The OEM made good on this - less expectedly, it introduced 2 new variants of the same during the event. The Mi TV 5 Pro is the one that gets the leaked 4K QLED panel, as well as some other impressive specs.

The rectangular camera is supposed to be equipped with advanced lenses that allow for 5X / 50 X digital magnification and it may be paired with a 108 MP sensor that is capable of 8K @ 30 fps video recordings. It is expected to be featured in one of Xiaomi's flagship model launching in 2020.

Xiaomi has just unveiled its newest devices in Europe, the Mi Note 10 and Mi Note 10 Pro. Sadly, both devices are unlikely to be as attractive as fans of the company expected. For one, both feature mid-range SoCs, while being rather expensive—the Mi Note 10 Pro sporting a hefty €649 MSRP.

Although tomorrow's conference is expected to focus on the introduction of Samsung's dual-mode 5G AI chipset, Vivo is also supposed to unveil the Exynos 980-driven X30 phablet. Its specs will allegedly include a 90 Hz 6.5-inch AMOLED display, a 64 MP quad main camera, as well as a 32 MP selfie shooter.

Nokia is working on Android 10 for the 9 PureView. This is evidenced by the leaked build of the ROM for this phone posted to its XDA forum. This version of the OS is believed to be part of official development from the brand, and also exists for other devices such as the 7.1 and 6.1 Plus.

The Mi CC9 Pro was launched today and the launch event saw a huge focus on the phone's penta-camera setup. The new device has now made its way to DxOMark and impressed, but DxOMark scores are never to be taken as gospel at the end of the day.

So, the MIUI 11 rollout is well underway, with Xiaomi now onto the second phase of its release schedule. However, owners of recent Xiaomi flagships are likely to be left disappointed as they find their handsets left on Android 9.0 Pie, like budget devices such as the Redmi 7 have been.

We've had a flood of Mi CC9 Pro leaks and rumors over the past week and the device has now been launched. The Mi CC9 Pro offers amazing camera hardware, battery, fast-charge and display at an absolutely delightful price point.

Popular video app TikTok was purchased by Chinese company ByteDance Technology Co. in 2017 and has since accumulated over 500 million active users. However, ByteDance has recently been placed under investigation by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) over concerns over its handling of the personal data of its 25 million American users as well as its apparent censorship over content incongruent with the Chinese state's version of reality, including strife in Hong Kong and pro-LGBT content.

Xiaomi's official Polish-language fan forum has leaked a photo that, on analysis, turns out to have been taken by the Mi Note 10 Pro. Its resolution was found to be a whopping 12032x9024, meaning that it was probably shot using the upcoming device's ground-breaking 108MP sensor. Its general series is to be launched tomorrow (November 5, 2019).

China Telecom has just teased the upcoming Samsung W20 5G, but the image they revealed comes with more questions than answers. For now, we don't know when this handset will arrive, if it will be a clamshell or foldable device, not to mention that there is no accurate launch date to talk about yet, either.