Week 48 in review: Huawei Mate 8 and Nokia devices
Last week was quite busy in the mobile realm with at least a few exciting new offers on the horizon. While major-league player Samsung is working on the revamped Galaxy A line with a new A5 (2016), A7 (2016) and A9, perhaps also an A8 (2016), Chinese OEMs are wasting no time putting out offers of their own.
This week Xiaomi brought us the Redmi Note 3. It more than lives up to the legacy of its predecessors and offers a 5.5-inch 1080p display, MediaTek Helio X10 SoC and 3GB of RAM for the almost unbelievable price of RMB 1099 ($172). And if you are willing to settle for 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage, the deal is even better at RMB 899 ($140). These are local prices, but still quite impressive. The OEM also refreshed its tablet family with a new addition – the Mi Pad 2, which is just as interesting with its full-metal body and Intel Atom CPU, capable of running Android and Windows.
But it wasn't only budget-friendly Chinese offers that made headlines. On the opposite side of the spectrum, we finally met the Huawei Mate 8. It promises a huge leap forward in performance, thanks to the company's next-get Kirin 950 chip.
Nokia also made headlines this the week. The C1 has everybody excited for the alleged possibility of dual-booting Windows 10 and Android from the original Finnish company. And then, there is the Nokia 230 featurephone by the mobile division acquired by Microsoft.
There has been no shortage of rumors either. The Samsung Galaxy S7 flagship already has everybody excited and industry sources claim that it might bring back the microSD card slot, which has definitely been missed. Speaking of Samsung, its Exynos 7420 SoC was spotted powering a BlackBerry device, so that is something else to look forward to.
Feel free to hit the following links for more details on the hot topics of the week.
Xiaomi announces Redmi Note 3 with 5.5" 1080p screen, fingerprint sensor
The smartphone packs a full metal body a 4,000mAh battery, and Helio X10 processor.
New render claims to depict upcoming Nokia C1 running Android and Windows 10 Mobile
The much-rumored device is supposed to be Nokia's first after having sold its smartphone business to Microsoft.
2.8-inch aluminum Nokia 230 is official
Front and rear 2MP cameras, both with an LED flash, in this latest Series 30+ feature phone.
Samsung Galaxy S7 to bring back microSD card slot
The rumor also says that the Galaxy S7 will sport a 5.2-inch flat screen, while the S7 edge will feature a larger 5.7-inch curved display.
Huawei Mate 8 goes official with 6-inch display, Kirin 950 SoC
The device comes with 16MP/8MP camera combo and a large 4000mAh battery.
Gionee Marathon M5 with 6020mAh battery and 3GB RAM launched in India
Carrying a price tag of INR 17,999 ($270), the device will be exclusively available via Flipkart starting today.
Xiaomi announces Mi Pad 2 all-metal tablet with Intel chipset
Thinner and lighter than before with a new aluminum body.
Nvidia Shield Tablet X1 has Tegra X1 SoC, gets benchmarked running Android 6.0
This tablet is going to be the much-delayed successor to the original Shield Tablet with a Tegra K1 chipset.
Samsung Galaxy A9 spotted on GeekBench with Snapdragon 620
Unlike the old entry from 2 and a half months ago, this time the chip is tuned for single-core performance.
2018 iPhone might have a Samsung-made OLED panel
A Samsung Display executive has hinted at the possible Cupertino partnership with first results expected in 2018.
The alleged Nubia Z11 is looking fine with a curved glass and possibly a Snapdragon 820 SoC
The handset was spotted in a new set of leaked renders, along with a rough specs sheet.
Official Samsung Galaxy A9 listing hints at December 1 release
The handset was spotted on the OEM's Iran website, confirming almost all its specs.
Large 5.5'' screen and 8MP selfie camera - meet the LG Ray
The LG Ray is aimed at 3G markets and will come with an easy to swallow price tag.
New Oppo phone leak looks an awful lot like the iPhone 6 Plus
New hardware for Oppo leaks and it looks strikingly similar to an iPhone 6 Plus. Frankly, it's not much we haven't seen before.
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) with 3GB RAM passes through TENAA
The device received Bluetooth certification last week and was also recently spotted on AnTuTu.
The Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 will also have a Windows 10 version
It should be available for purchase as early as next month.
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium now available for purchase in US
Third party retailers including Amazon and Expansys are selling the international variant of the device in the country.
Marshmallow-based CyanogenMod 13 nightly builds now available for download
Alternative Android OS developer Cyanogen has announced that Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based CM13 builds are now available for download. However, only select phones have been currently enabled to receiv...
BlackBerry device sporting Samsung Exynos 7420 SoC caught in benchmark
It looks like the Canadian smartphone maker is looking to diversify beyond Qualcomm for chipsets.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) has 720p screen, user agent profile reveals
The second generation Galaxy A5 has been leaking a lot lately, so maybe it will get official soon.
Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL sales start in Europe
Users from Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain are reporting on Reddit that their bank accounts have been charged.
Related
Reader comments
- Anonymous
- 29 Nov 2015
- Hx2
Maybe that's true but I still believe the Huawei Mate 8 is the bomb.
- AnonD-463876
- 29 Nov 2015
- Q}4
Nah the crazy benchmarks scored by the new S7 stole the show and ran off with it.
- Anonymous
- 29 Nov 2015
- tue
xiaomi redmi note 3 stole the show