This week we went to Beijing to bring you the Meizu’s latest budget offering the m3 note.The smartphone will be made available in China from April 11th and will launch in India next month.
The Meizu m3 note is the the successor of last year’s m2 note. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p 2.5D curved glass display, is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor and runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with Flyme OS on top. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with phase-detection auto-focus (PDAF) for fast focus in just 0.2 seconds and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
It has mTouch 2.1 fingerprint sensor embedded into the home button that can unlock the phone in just 0.2 seconds. The m3 note is hybrid dual SIM device that lets you use the second SIM as the microSD slot when required and comes with 4G LTE with voLTE support. It packs a huge 4100mAh battery that promises up to 17 hours of video playback. Check our unboxing video of the Meizu m3 note below and photo gallery here.
httpv://youtu.be/JDIoOmlfZ18
The Meizu m3 note comes in Grey, Silver and Golden colors and is priced at 799 yuan (US$ 123 / Rs. 8,220 approx.) for 2GB RAM with 16GB storage variant and 999 yuan (US$ 154 / Rs. 10,280 approx.) for the 3GB RAM with 32GB storage variant. India pricing is expected to be under Rs. 10,000, when it launches in May.
The Chinese firm also introduced it’s latest Bluetooth stereo headset – the EP51. It has three-stage design, silicone ear buds along with wing tips so that it doesn’t fall out even when running. The headset is made of aircraft-grade aluminium and weighs just 15.3 grams. It has nano waterproof coating that can protect the headset against sweat, but Meizu doesn’t recommend you to use it in rain.
The Meizu EP51 comes in Black with Red color and is priced at 269 Yuan (US$ 41.5 / Rs, 2765 approx.). It is now available for order in China and will go on sale starting from April 11th. No word on the global roll out yet.
Apple launched its iPhone SE smartphone in India, as it had promised last month. This is probably the fastest launch of an iPhone in India, just a week after roll out in the US. Apple initially announced that the iPhone SE will start at Rs. 30,000 in India, later it revised the price to Rs. 39,000.
The Apple iPhone SE comes in Silver, Gold, Space Gray and Rose Gold colors, is priced at Rs. 39,000 for the 16GB variant and Rs. 49,000 for the 64GB variant. It is available across India from authorized Apple Re-sellers through distributors Redington India, Ingram Micro and Rashi Peripherals. It is also available through online retailers Flipkart, Infibeam, Airtel store, Vodafone store and more. Check our unboxing video below.
httpv://youtu.be/YN3ON7q_z_A
The newly launched 9.7-inch iPad Pro went on sale as well. It has a True Tone display that measures the color temperature to the ambient light and adjusts the screen to match it, has A9X chip, Apple’s 3rd generation 64-bit chip, new 12-megapixel iSight camera with 4K video recording, similar to the iPhone 6s and also a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro comes in silver, space grey, gold and a new rose gold colors and is available through authorized re-sellers and online retailers across India starting Rs. 49,900 for the Wi-Fi 32GB variant.
httpv://youtu.be/GU_NBhMHaIY
Microsoft also officially launched the Lumia 650 Dual SIM smartphone running Windows 10 in India this week. It was announced back in February and packs a 5-inch HD AMOLED ClearBlack display, is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 212 processor, has a 8-megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It has 4G LTE connectivity, metal frame and is just 6.9mm thick.
The Microsof Lumia 650 Dual SIM comes in matte black and matte white colors and is priced at Rs. 15,299.
Xiaomi launched its 20000mAh Mi Power Bank in India, as Hugo Barra had promised at the Redmi 3 launch event in India last month. The power bank comes with nine layers of circuit protection, similar to other Mi power banks. This has ABS plastic body, compared to aluminium body on other Mi power banks, hence it offers a better grip and prevents scratches.
The Xiaomi Mi 20000mAh Mi Power Bank is priced at Rs. 1699 in India. We unboxed the 20000mAh Mi Power Bank fast charging support recently, check out the video below.
httpv://youtu.be/psOw9t_X92Y
Also, the other three accessories from Xiaomi went on sale along with the 20000mAh Mi Power Bank – the all new Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro, new Mi LED Portable USB Light and Mi 120cm USB cable.
All these new accessories are also available through Mi.com, but in an open sale unlike the 20000mAh power bank, which will be available only via flash sale model.
OPPO unveiled the F1 Plus smartphone at the F1 launch in India earlier this year and this week it launched the smartphone officially. This smartphone is same as OPPO R9, which was unveiled in China last month. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p display with 1.66mm ultra-narrow frame and 77.68% screen-to-body ratio, is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor, has a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, PDAF and a 16-megapixel front-facing camera.
The Oppo F1 Plus comes in Gold and Rose Gold colors, is priced at Rs. 26,990 and will be available across India starting from mid-April.
Sony launched its new h.ear on (MDR-100ABN) headband-style Bluetooth wireless headphones with Digital Noise Cancelling in India. It was announced at the CES 2016 earlier this year. Even with Bluetooth and noise cancelling switched on, it promises 20-hour battery life.
It has powerful 40 mm dynamic driver unit, built-in micro phone and also comes with a 1.2m connecting cable that can be used if you don’t want to use Bluetooth.The Sony h.ear on Wireless on-ear NC headphones (MDR-100ABN) comes only in Black color in India and is priced at Rs. 21,990.
Huawei launched three new smartphones this week – the P9, P9 Plus and P9 Lite. The company introduced its flagship P9 and P9 Plus smartphones with dual Leica lenses at an event in London, whereas the P9 Lite smartphone that was rumored earlier went official in Russia.
The main highlight of the P9 and P 9 Plus is the dual 12-megapixel rear cameras with Leica SUMMARIT lenses and 1.25-micron pixels promising brilliant image quality in low-light conditions. It also has an independent depth measurement chip and proprietary hybrid-focus technology. These phones also have full manual control and RAW support.
The P9 has a 5.2-inch 1080p AMOLED 2.5D curved glass display, while the P9 Plus comes with a slightly larger 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED 2.5D curved glass display with press touch that perceives different levels of pressure on the screen, allowing the user to complete different actions such as zooming in to a photo or launching an app by applying pressure. Check more details here.
The Huawei P9 Lite in Russia packs a 5.2-inch 1080p display, but this is powered by Kirin 650 Octa-Core processor, instead of Kirin 955 SoC. It also lacks dual rear cameras, instead it has a single 13-megapixel camera on the back. It runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with EMUI 4.1 on top.
The Huawei P9 comes in Ceramic White, Mystic Silver, Titanium Grey, Haze Gold, Prestige Gold and Rose Gold colors and starts at at £449 (US$ 630 / Rs. 42,140 approx.) for 3GB RAM with 32GB storage variant. The Huawei P9 Plus comes in Ceramic White, Rose Gold, Haze Gold and Quartz Grey colors and is priced at £549 (US$ 770 / Rs. 51,570 approx.). Both the smartphones will roll out starting from 16th April. The Huawei P9 Lite comes in Silver and Gold colors and is expected to launch in Russia sometime in June. No word on the price or details about its global roll out yet.
Huawei also announced TalkBand B3, the successor for the TalkBand B2. The third generation fitness tracker/ smartwatch from Huawei will keep a tab on your daily activities, monitor sleep patterns and more. It sports a curved PMOLED display with an 128×80 pixel resolution which is an upgrade over the AMOLED display on the TalkBand 2. It also has a Gorilla Glass on top to protect from scratches. Check full details here.
The Huawei TalkBand B3 costs €169 ($192) for Active model, €199 ($226) for Classic model and €249 ($283) for Elite model.
Vivo launched its V3 and V3 Max smartphones in India this week. Both these smartphones have a metal body, features a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The V3 has a 5-inch HD screen, is powered by an Octa-Core Snapdragon 616 processor and has 3GB of RAM, while the V3 Max comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p 2.5D curved Gorilla glass display, is powered by Snapdragon 652 SoC and has 4GB of RAM.
The Vivo V3 and V3 Max smartphones are priced at Rs. 17,980 and Rs. 23,980, respectively.
Acer announced Chromebase 24-inch desktop computer which is an all-in-one standalone video conferencing device. It has a 24-inch full-HD (1920 x 1080) touchscreen display with IPS technology that reproduces colors at up to 178-degree wide viewing angles. The device has a high-definition conferencing camera on top and has four microphones and two stereo speakers.
The Acer Chromebase is priced at $799 and is currently availability in Australia, Canada, Ireland, U.K. and the U.S., but Google states that it plans to sell the Acer Chromebase in more territories soon.
Panasonic announced Eluga Arc, the company’s latest smartphone in the Eluga series. It has a 4.7-inch HD IPS 2.5D curved glass display with 71.5% screen-to-body ratio, is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor and runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop). It has a 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It has 4G LTE support with VoLTE and comes with hybrid dual SIM support that lets you use the second nano SIM as a expansion slot when required.
The Panasonic Eluga Arc comes in Gold color and is priced at Rs. 12,490. It will be available through online and offline retailers across India.
Phicomm launched Clue 630, the company’s latest budget 4G smartphone in India for just Rs. 3,999. It has a 5-inch FWVGA display, is powered by a 1.1GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 SoC, runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop), has a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It has dual SIM support, 1GB of RAM and packs a 2300mAh battery.
The Phicomm Clue 630 comes in Black and White colors and is priced at Rs. 3,999. It is exclusively available from Snapdeal.
Lastly, Asus finally launched the Zenfone Go 5.0 LTE (T500) in India. It has a 5-inch HD screen, is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 410 64-bit SoC, has a 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, but this runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). Hope Asus will offer update at least to Android 5.1 (Lollipop).
As the name indicates, it has 4G LTE connectivity, comes with dual SIM support and packs a 2500mAh battery, compared to 2070mAh battery in the 3G variant. The Asus Zenfone Go 5.0 LTE comes in Charcoal Black and Pearl White colors and is priced at Rs. 7999. It is available from Amazon.in and will soon be available from Snapdeal.