Xiaomi Mi3 Confirmed to Arrive in Singapore on March 7

Xiaomi is a well-known Chinese OEM that only operates in a few emerging markets. The company has become very popular in China thanks to its cheap Android smartphones that offer more than decent features.

In an attempt to strengthen its position in the Mainland and bring its products to other markets as well, Xiaomi has managed to secure the services of Google's Hugo Barra, which is now its Global VP. During a recent press event, Barra said that his company was closely looking at the Indian market, where it was actively searching for partners that could bring its products to customers in the not so distant future. Along with the information mentioned earlier, Hugo Barra confirmed that the Xiaomi Mi3 would be launched in Singapore, one of the company's main markets, on March 7. Xiaomi Mi3 will be available for purchase in Singapore for only $330 (€240) outright, which is an excellent price considering the phone's specs sheet.

For those unfamiliar with Xiaomi Mi3's features and capabilities, here is a quick recap. The smartphone comes equipped with either Nvidia Tegra 4 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipsets, depending on customer's choice. Furthermore, the handset sports a vibrant 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution and 441 ppi (pixel density). In addition, it packs an impressive 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus, dual-LED flash and full HD (1080p) video recording. The smartphone also sports a secondary 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls, as well as 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory.

According to Xiaomi, the Mi3 high-end smartphone will ship with MIUI v5 operating system, which is based on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean platform. It is also worth mentioning that the smartphone is powered by a 3050 mAh battery, which has yet to be rated by the manufacturer. On a side note, Xiaomi Mi3 has been confirmed to arrive in Taiwan as well, and Android fans living in this country will be able to grab the device beginning February 20.

Xiaomi Mi3
Images credits to Xiaomi

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Oppo Find 7 Leaked Photo Emerges Online

Chinese mobile phone maker Oppo has already confirmed plans to make official its Find 7 smartphone as soon as the next month, yet the company hasn’t offered specific info on what the device looks like as of now.

However, a newly leaked image with the handset allegedly shows its back side, while also confirming that Oppo might plan on launching it in a purple color version. The picture emerged over at NowhereElse, but there’s no telling on whether it is indeed genuine or not. Oppo has already teased the new device a few times before, confirming that it will arrive with a 5.5-inch Quad HD screen, as well as with a 2.45GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor packed inside.

According to leaked AnTuTu screenshots, two versions of the phone will be unveiled next month, one of them featuring a full HD screen and a 2.2GHz CPU. Both versions will come with 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, 13MP back camera, and 5MP camera on the front, as UnwiredView notes.

Oppo Find 7
Image credits to NoWhereElse.fr

Oppo Find 7 benchmark result
Image credits to UnwiredView

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Samsung Galaxy S5’s 16MP Camera Gets Fully Detailed

Samsung enthusiasts out there looking forward to the unveiling of the new Galaxy S5 flagship model from the company will certainly be happy to learn that the device appears almost confirmed to hit shelves with a 16-megapixel camera, and that specifics on it have emerged online.

The handset, set to arrive as an appealing enhancement over last year’s Galaxy S4, will provide users with the possibility to soot 4k videos at 30fps, as well as 1080p videos at 60fps, a recent report from SamMobile unveils. The camera will be based on new ISOCELL technology and will arrive on shelves with a dedicated camera button, though not a visible one, it seems. Samsung reportedly calls the feature Side Touch, and it will include it on the upcoming flagship in the form of a sensor at the bottom right side of the phone, where a physical camera button would normally be placed. Basically, users will be able to shoot videos through simply taping on the side of the phone, though it appears that it won’t work when in portrait mode or when shooting videos.

However, this is only one of the enhancements that Samsung will include in Galaxy S5 when it comes to the camera, as there will also be different ISO levels to choose from, along with camera modes such as HDR, Panorama, Shot and Sound, 3D Tour Shot, Focus Select, Continues Shot, and more. Galaxy S5 will also be able to snap photos when underwater, it seems, and will feature Animated Photo, a Night mode, Best Face, Best Photo, and Dual Camera capabilities, so that users could snap photos and shoot videos using both front and back cameras at the same time. Camera modes such as Mosaic Shot, Smile Shot, Frame Shot, Vintage, Cartoon, Add Me, Action Shot, Stop Motion, and Cartoon and Pet are also expected to be included inside the device.

On top of that, Samsung Galaxy S5 will arrive with a wide range of camera effects, including Grey-scale, Sepia, Negative, Emboss, Watercolour, Monochrome, Solarise, Vintage, Cold Vintage, Green Point, Nostalgia, Retro, Cartoon, Oil Pastel, Engraving, Fisheye, Noir Note, and Vincent. A series of other effects will be available for download as well. Moreover, the camera application in Galaxy S5 is expected to sport a new color scheme, in line with the overall system theme. The mobile phone is said to become official on Monday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, so stay tuned to learn more details on the matter at that time.

Galaxy S5 to pack 16MP camera with 4K video recording
Image credits to Samsung

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Galaxy S5 to Sport On-Screen Buttons, Leaked Benchmark Unveils

One of the features that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 flagship device will arrive on shelves with is on-screen buttons, a recent leak suggests.

The handset was long rumored to arrive on the market without a home button, but some of the latest reports on it suggest that Samsung might actually launch it with this feature inside. However, leaked AnTuTu benchmark screenshots (available via mobifo.nl) suggest that the phone will come with on-screen buttons. Thus, the inclusion of a home button on the phone would make no sense. Of course, considering the fact that the leak does not fall in line with previous reports and that these benchmarks can be easily tampered with, we’ll have to take the info with a grain of salt for the time being. We should also note that the icons displayed in the status bar in the leaked screenshots are blue and somewhat inconsistent with the whitened theme that Android 4.4.2 KitKat, the platform on top of this device, is expected to bring.

Of course, there is also the possibility that Samsung will make its own set of customizations to the phone’s UI, as part of its new TouchWiz interface. The aforementioned leak also confirms that the mobile phone will hit shelves with a 1080p touchscreen display, and not with the previously rumored Quad HD display, as GSMArena notes. The benchmark also unveils that the handset is powered by an Exynos 5420 processor, and that it will arrive on shelves with 3GB of RAM packed inside, something that has been long rumored to happen. On the back, the smartphone will feature a 16-megapixel camera capable of recording videos in 2160p resolution. A front camera and the usual set of connectivity capabilities are also expected to be included inside the upcoming device.

With no official confirmation on any of the above, we’ll take it all with a big grain of salt, though specifics on the matter should be unveiled as soon as next week.

Allegedly leaked Galaxy S5 benchmark screenshots
Image credits to mobiifo.nl via GSMArena

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Gionee Elife S Could Become World's Slimmest Smartphone at 5.8mm

Chinese OEM Gionee is well known for its affordable smartphones both in China and India, where the company has recently launched a handful of high-end devices.

However, it appears that Gionee has big plans in China, where the company will soon launch one of the slimmest Android smartphones, the Elife S. As GizChina points out, Gionee Elife S will be only 5.8mm thick and is likely to be packed with high-end hardware and software. The Chinese company has already confirmed that it will reveal the Elife S' specs sheet, availability and price tag on February 19, but until then, let's see what the rumors claim about its hardware configuration.

Well, it appears that Gionee Elife S will be not only slim, but also powerful. The smartphone is said to come equipped with MediaTek's MT6592 octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a more than decent 5-inch display. Stay tuned for more updates on the smartphone's price and availability.

Gionee Elife S launch invitation
Image credits to GizChina

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Oppo R8007 Spotted in GFXBench with Dual-SIM Capabilities

Chinese mobile phone maker Oppo might launch a new Android-based smartphone in the not too distant future, one that emerged in the GFXBench database as Oppo R8007.

The handset was seen there with Google’s Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system loaded on top, as well as with a 1.6GHz Snapdragon S4 MSM8226 processor inside, with Adreno 305 graphics. The phone is expected to arrive on shelves with dual-SIM capabilities, as well as with TD-SCDMA, CDMA 1xAdv, and HSPA+ connectivity. The phone is also said to sport a display capable of delivering a 1280 x 720 pixels resolution.

No further details on the device have been provided as of now, but its processor could allow for a camera of up to 13 megapixels to be included on its back. As GSMInsider notes, the phone is expected to be released as a mid-range device, with an affordable price tag attached to it. Stay tuned to learn more on it.

Oppo R8007 in GFXBench
Image credits to GFXBench

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Nokia X Leaks in New Press Photo, Its Name Allegedly Confirmed

Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia has been long rumored to plan on bringing to the market a smartphone running under Google’s Android operating system, and it seems that the device has leaked in a new press photo, one that also confirms its name.

The handset, initially spotted online under the codename of Nokia Normandy, was said not long ago to be launched as Nokia X, and the new leaked photo with it, available courtesy of @evleaks, appears to confirm that. The phone is said to arrive on shelves with a 4-inch touchscreen display and to be featuring entry-level hardware specifications inside. It might sport a 3MP camera on the back, while running under one of the latest Android versions out there.

No official confirmation on the device has been provided as of now, but rumor has it that it will be announced next week at MWC 2014, so stay tuned for more on the matter.

Nokia X press photo
Image credits to evleaks

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New NVIDIA Tegra Note (P1761) with Tegra K1, HD Display and Android 4.4.2 KitKat Emerges

After a new NVIDIA Tegra Note reference design was showcased back in January, the slate makes an appearance in the AnTuTu database this week.

At CES 2014 NVIDIA pulled the veil off its next-gen Tegra K1 processor, which is a 192-core super chip bundled with NVIDIA Kepler architecture. Some of you might know that Kepler architecture is behind one of the fastest graphics processing units (GPUS) on the market today, the NVDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti. So basically with the Tegra K1 processor, this performance can be ported to mobile devices, too. Back in Las Vegas, NVIDIA showed a Tegra Note reference design equipped with the new processor and combined with 4GB of RAM. But now the device (codenamed P1761) has been spotted online, specifically in the AnTuTu benchmark database, indicating the prototype might be soon headed towards manufacturing. The new tablet comes with a resolution that has been upgraded to full HD (1920 x 1200 pixels), compared with the previous model which only had 1280 x 800 pixels.

The only caveat is that the AnTuTu benchmark doesn't specify if the slate is necessarily a 7-incher or not, so we can only assume it is. The P1761 is shown to run a 4-core NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor (based on ARM Cortex A-15 architecture) clocked up to 2.3GHz combined with 2GB of RAM and backed up by 16GB of internal storage. Things have been upped in the OS department as well and now the Tegra Note runs Android 4.2.2 KitKat out of the box. So far, the highest clock we have seen in a Cortex A-15 comes from the Exynos 5420 processor with 1.9GHz. Lastly, we should note the tablet scored 38,323 points in the AnTuTu benchmark, while Tegra K1 has managed to reach 41,000 points in full clock mode, which isn't necessarily what we’re going to see on a tablet.

The upcoming tablet will probably come equipped with the same DirectSylus technology, putting it in completion with slates like the ASUS VivoTab Note 8. But you won’t be picking up this tablet just because you want a capable stylus to go with your slate.

New NVIDIA Tegra Note (P1761) spotted on AnTuTu
Images credits to AnTuTu Bechmark

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Leaked Screenshot “Confirms” 5.25-Inch Display with QHD Resolution

With less than two weeks left until the official unveil of Samsung Galaxy S5, new info comes to confirm the already leaked specs sheet of the flagship smartphone.

The folks over at SamsungGalaxyS5Abonnement have just published a small screenshot allegedly taken from the Galaxy S5, which they have received from a tipster who preferred to remain anonymous. The screenshot “confirms” that Samsung Galaxy S5 will come equipped with a 5.25-inch QHD capacitive touchscreen display that supports 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution.

The information is not new, but it is a confirmation from another source that Samsung will indeed put a QHD display into the Galaxy S5. Samsung Galaxy S5 is expected to be unveiled later this month at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014, and if rumors are accurate, it will be available in two different versions: Premium and Standard.

Alleged Samsung Galaxy S5 screenshot
Image credits to SamsungGalaxyS5Abonnement

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Intel “Ivy Town” 15-Core Xeon E7 Processors Detailed

There was a time when computers had only 5 MB of random access memory, but these days, the cache of the CPU is a lot larger than that, and RAM can reach even 64 GB on some motherboards, and much more on servers.

The “Ivy Town” Intel CPU series is one of the chips that makes such high performance and capacity levels possible. Or perhaps we should say that the Ivy Town will be one of the processors, since it hasn't been launched yet, though that should happen soon. Called Xeon E7-8800v2, it is made for business servers and other enterprise applications, particularly high-end workstations. First off, the chip is a 15-core model (64-bit Ivy-Bridge cores), which means that the system can use 30 threads, thanks to Hyper-Threading technology. The cache memory is a massive 35.7 MB (shared L3 cache), and the overpowered spec sheet continues with a high-speed serial I/O interface. We have 40 PCI Express lanes (2.5/5.0/8.0Gbps), four direct media interface (DMI) lanes (2.5/5.0Gbps), and 60 QPI lanes (6.4/7.2/8.0Gbps) for connecting with other CPUs in a server/ data center. The DDR3 memory controllers (and there are two of them) bear mentioning as well, each featuring two memory channels with 800MT/s – 1867MT/s effective frequencies (normal DDR3 modules) or 2667MT/s speeds (to connect to a memory extension buffer using voltage-mode single-ended / VMSE interface).

Furthermore, the Intel Xeon E7-8800v2 Ivy Town CPU boasts multiple system topologies and frequencies of 1.4 to 3.8GHz, with TDP going from 40W to 150W. As for the floorplan, it's like this: 15 cores in 3 columns (but easily reconfigured for lower core counts), with the L3 cache alongside the cores, as seen in the diagram on the left. The Intel Ivy Town LGA 2011 Xeon E7-8800v2 CPU should be released at some point this year. That's really vague, but it's all Intel said, or implied anyway.

Intel Ivy Town die

Intel Ivy Town diagram
Images credits to X-Bit Labs

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