Smartphones 2018 - Upcoming Smartphones 2018

Latest & Upcoming Smartphones 2018

Huawei Y3 2018 Rumors and leaks

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Huawei is one of the leading smartphone manufacturers globally. They have been very good at crafting different mobiles for different markets. The Huawei brand with its alley Honor is the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world after Apple and Samsung. The Y series by Huawei has targeted South Asian markets apart from India. They sell in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other less developed countries. Y series smartphones are entry-level devices marketed to locals for having the basics of a smartphone. They do not carry any fancy features.

Huawei Y3 2018 rumours and leaks

Huawei Y3 2018 Rumors and leaks

Huawei Y3 is the smallest sibling of the Y series of smartphones from Huawei. Y3 was originally released in 2016. There was a 2017 edition of the same with improved specs and design. Now we come across many pieces of evidence to prove the new version, Huawei Y3 (2018) in the making. We are here to see what the leaks and rumors have shown us and the possible specification of the new Y3 is.

Leaks from FCC registration by SlashLeaks

FCC is the regulatory body in the United States which demands every electronic device to be licensed by it. So, the popping up of Y3 registration sheet from FCC confirms the Y3 is making to the US this time and it is coming very soon.

Alongside the FCC document, an alleged image of the smartphone Y3 (2018) also was released by the tipster, SlashLeaks. Though the FCC document did not have much to excite us than the model number – CAG L22, the leaked live image has something worthy to know about the phone itself.

The newer Y3 will be powered by MediaTek MT3767M which is a quad-core chipset from MediaTek. The memory that runs the processor will be 1 Gb, same as the previous year and a minimal 8 Gb of storage. There is no information of display and battery from the FCC document.

Image and few other specs leaked by EVLeaks

Weeks after the Y3 surfaced with the FCC document leak certain images of the Y family smartphones, namely Y3 (2018) and Y5 Prime and Y6 was outed on social media. All the credits to the notorious leaker, Evan Blass, commonly know as EVLeaks.

By far the image confirms the basic features like the processor, RAM and storage. The images show the phone is a modest 5-inch device. Either the bezels or the aspect ratio is not 2018-ish. They are huge and carry a generic low-end device look with them. This time too we are not seeing any upgrade in display resolution. It is the same 480 * 854 pixels.

Huawei Y3 2018 rumours and leaks

Huawei Y3 2018 Rumors and leaks

The phone looks smooth like having a metal back, but it is not likely to have a metal casing at this price. We expect a plastic body with the good paint job. There is no fingerprint scanner though. There is a single camera module on the back to the center. On both, the sides are single LED flash and a speaker cut out. There are no physical keys to be seen on the body of the phone, hence software keys. These are all that the images of the Y3 (2018) could expose.

Speculation of coming under Android Go programme

Android Go is an initiative by Google for entry-level phones with RAM 1 Gb or lesser to run stock OS crafted by Google itself for fluid usability. Google also introduced Go versions of key apps like maps and YouTube to work well in the low resource smartphones. Some rumors and speculators say Huawei’s latest Y3 and Y5 Lite might come under the programme, thereby enabling faster updates, fluid usage and more functionalities added to
the entry-level price tag.

The Y3 (2018) is expected to run Android Oreo 8.1 out of the box under Android Go programme. The phone will be carrying ‘Go’ tag to most of its inbuilt apps. And the third-party apps will have the ‘lite’ tag to meet functionality with the low resources available with the phone.

In most of the markets, the phone is expected to pose competition with Alcatel 1X, Nokia 1 and ZTE Temp Go which aso come under Android Go.

Expected Specs

The processor is confirmed to be MediaTek MT3767M which is an entry-level quad-core chipset clocked at 1.1 GHz, the accompanying graphics processor is the Mali T720 GPU which kicks in for graphics-intensive tasks. The memory and storage are also confirmed at 1 Gb and 8 Gb which is okay for an entry-level device. There are no other storage variants expected in Y3 for this year. The phone is capable of connecting to 4G – LTE bandwidth.

The screen is expected to be 5 inches and the resolution is confirmed to be 480p from various sources. There are huge bezels, no fingerprint reader. Speculations see a basic 8 MP rear camera with flash and the front-facing camera will be 2 MP. Battery is expected to be the same from the 2017 version of Y3, 2200 mAH.

Specifications 
BrandHuawei
ModelY3 (2018)
ProcessorMediaTek MT3767M, Mali T720 GPU
RAM1 GB
Storage8 GB
Screen5”
WVGA (450 * 854)
LCD
Camera8 MP with flash
2 MP front-facing camera
Operating systemAndroid Oreo 8.1 under Android Go Programme
Battery2200 mAH
Price85 USD
Release DateJune 2018

Release Date of Huawei Y3

Traditionally Y3 is released in second quarter of every year for the past to generations. The same is speculated to happen in 2018 too, the device is most likely to unveiled in June 2018 alongside Y5 Prime.

Price of Huawei Y3

For the price tag, Huawei Y3 being the cheapest oy the entry-level devices must be the cheapest smartphone from Huawei. The pricing is not expected to change from the Huawei Y3 (2017) during the time of release.

Our Opinion

The device has no special feature to it than being one of the cheapest smartphones that run Android. The only satisfactory aspect about the Y3 (2018) is the presence of pure android with Go optimizations in the OS and Google apps which offers a fluid interface at least on paper. Get this phone if there is not even a penny more to spare. Because the slight rise in the budget can get you well-improved devices in terms of RAM and storage.

Moto E5 Plus Rumour, Specs, Features, Price and Release Date

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Motorola, the one brand that has come all the way from the birth of mobile phones. Though the company that owns the brand is not the same anymore, the legacy of the name is carried out successfully. The Lenovo-owned now Motorola’s latest offering in the budget-segment is the Moto E5 Duo.

E series from Moto has been a successful low-cost device with sufficient functionalities. Moto E5 as the name is the fifth generation, this time to have two mobiles- Moto E5 and E5 Plus. E5 Plus is expected to be the most value for money device of them. It poses in-house competition with Moto G6 play which is also expected to release shortly. Let us see what all we had to know from the rumors and leaks.

Moto E5 Plus Rumour, Specs, Features, Price and Release Date

Moto E5 Plus Rumour, Specs, Features, Price and Release Date

Rumors

The E-series is the lowest priced offering from Moto of which E5 plus is the bigger brother. The phone is said to run on an octa-core processor from Qualcomm and the leaked GeekBench scores are 653 and multi-core score of 1835 which is more than expected out of this. The score is, in fact, high than the rumored Moto G6 play which is also expected to price close to this. With the Geek bench scores and rumors, the processor is said to be Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 for the E5 Plus and marginally low powered Snapdragon 425 for the Moto E5.

The display is getting bigger this time with the newer 18:9 aspect ratio. The display tech remains LCD, after all, what else to expect in the price segment. The screen is going to be 5.8 inches HD screen meaning a lower 720*1440 pixel which leads to lower pixel density but nothing to complain if the price tag is same as the previous generations. On the other hand, E5 has everything similar except that the size of the screen is around 5.4inches which gives a better PPI than that of E5 plus.

Dual cameras are descending to every budget phone. Likewise, G series smartphones got their dual cameras in the last generation, Moto G5s and it is time for E series to enter the dual camera hype. This time both of the E5 has two front-facing cameras as seen on leaks and the E5 Plus has dual rear cameras most probably 13 MP + 5 MP. The E5 is sadly left with the single rear lens. The latest leaks also outed the full view of the phone revealing few other specs and design. The fingerprint scanner is located at the back of the phone below the camera(s).

The taller display and reduction of bezels must be the possible reason for moving the fingerprint scanner to the back. The design has undergone a drastic change. The all metal body now is replaced by the shiny looking material. There is no official word on the material used. But considering the entry-level price tag, there is a high possibility of it being a glossy plastic. The trademark camera circle is seen in both.

The software is said to be Android Oreo. Motorola generally adopts close to stock android like the look and feel with certain tweaks like double press power button to open the camera, twist for flashlight and various other gestures are expected to come back. There is a small possibility of having clean Android under Android One program too like seen on Moto Z2 play in some markets. The listings leaked show a 4000 mAH battery on Moto E5 and E5 plus.

This is 20% fall from the yester year’s Moto E4 plus of 5000 mAH. This might be done in favor of making a slimmer and more ergonomic design for Moto E5 plus. The storage and RAM are held on the same as the previous gen Moto E4 plus. 3 Gb of memory for operations and an inbuilt 32 Gb of storage expandable up to 128gb via microSD slot.

How does it fair against other competitors?

There is not much competition in the segment. The notable competitors are Moto G6 play and Redmi 5. The in-house competitor, the Moto G6 play is similar in looks and specs to the E5 plus with a weaker processor. The screen is expected to be same but with Full HD resolution. Moto G6 play also has a different front-facing camera module which is not confirmed yet.

Whereas Xiaomi Redmi 5 has same resolution display stretched to 5.6 inches. The Redmi 5 has only on camera to its rear and front which makes it inferior in the camera department. The other places where E5 plus losses out are the price and the variable RAM and Memory options.

Downsides

The major downside is the reduction of battery capacity by 1000 mAH from the previous gen. Though E5 plus can last a day without any issue. The reduction in capacity is a kind of downgrade. The processor though is a good processor in the segment, is 2 years old by now and is made on the 28nm manufacturing process. The battery efficiency is not expected to be on par with the current generation 14nm chipsets.

Price and Release Date

Price is expected to be same as for Moto E4 plus because lowering it or increasing it will have rivalries of equal price from Moto itself. The expected pricing is 160 USD or 10,000 INR. The release is expected on the April 19 event scheduled by Moto. But not sure whether the event is for the G series or E series or both. There is no specific date for global availability and date. The phone is most likely to hit the shelves within Q2 2018.

Specifications 
BrandMotorola by Lenovo
ModelE5 Plus
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 430 , Adreno 505
RAM3 GB
Storage32 GB
Screen5.8”
720 * 1440
18:9 aspect ratio
Camera13 MP + 5 MP Dual rear camera
8 MP + 2 MP selfie Camera
Operating systemAndroid 9.0
Battery4000 mAH
Price160 USD, 10,000 INR
Release DateQ2 2018

Our Opinion

If you’re held by a shoestring budget and want a worthy device with all the moderns, then go for the E5 plus straight away. There is another very close option to it like Redmi Note 5 from Xiaomi but lacks in certain aspects of the software and dual camera. Moto E5 plus is recommended for light users who love stock android and obsessed with dual cameras.

Incoming search terms:

  • Moto E5 plus released

Xiaomi Redmi S2 design and full specs leaked

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Xiaomi seems to bring another budget Redmi device, this time starting a new line-up, S series. Starting with 2 seems odd but we expect it to be influenced by the in-house chipset Surge S2 which might release alongside this smartphone.

Xiaomi, the 4th largest smartphone manufacturer globally and second in China has been expanding their territory in all aspects. They have a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) from smart gadgets to laptops. They are expanding to European countries as of now and have teased plans for the US too.

The Xiaomi’s most dominant devices are the Redmi series itself and the Redmi Note series. Recently though, we come to see certain new devices in various countries like Xiaomi Redmi Y1 in India. The newer S series looks like an experimental line-up for testing out their own chipsets, Surge which started last year.

Xiaomi Redmi S2 got some rumors alongside Xiaomi Mi 6X earlier. The design and build are more similar. The internal and the display make up the difference itself. Yesterday, a third-party mobile retailer which sells Xiaomi phones globally listed S2 on their site even before the official announcement is made. Apart from that Xiaomi themselves released a few trailers for the phone with the invite to the launch event to be held on 10th May in China. Following is the brief on the specification of Xiaomi Redmi S2.

The processor as listed on the AliExpress site is Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, which is good midrange performer. The chipset is more than 2 years old and Xiaomi has not moved on with the newer one which is why SD 625 is rightfully called as the favorite chipset of Xiaomi. Initially, analysts suggested Surge S2 to power the device which is very less likely at this point.

The RAM and memory vary with different variants. From the leaks we see 2 + 16, 3 +32, 4+64 variants for the device. The battery is the 3080 mAH like the newest Mi 6X. Xiaomi Redmi S2 share a lot of similarities with the 6X. the build and form factor of the device is same. It has got unibody metal design. The screen is 5.99 inches diagonally with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The resolution is sadly HD+ (720* 1440) giving a very low pixel count. On the back are the fingerprint sensor and iPhone X style dual camera setup. The selfie camera is said to be the best of the Redmi devices. A leak said it is large 16 MP camera on the front for selfies which can face the selfie competition with Huawei and Oppo.

The phone listed on the site was priced between 165.99 to 193.99 USD. Excluding the overprice margin, we expect the phone to launch at 899 CNY for the starting variant and go higher. The release date is confirmed to be May 10.
The phone seems to be very cost-effective and camera-centric. But cutting out on the display resolution for spending more on the cameras do not seem to be the best trade-off. So we do not recommend Xiaomi Redmi S2 unless the camera is the only item on your priority list and you can live with a less sharp display.

OnePlus 6 vs Oppo F7 vs Vivo V9 Comparison: Specs, Features and Price

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In the scenario of increasing full-front displays and decreasing bezels, the latest in the game OnePlus 6 vs Oppo F7 vs Vivo V9 are posed against each other to know the identity of them and the best of the three. Before any discussion let us look at the specs of the three smartphones,

The reason for comparing these three phones is they are the second-generation tall display phones from the respective companies. This time the inclusion of notch on these displays have helped to gain the 19:9 aspect from the previous gen 18:9. Now let us see how the display and other aspects fair against each other and get to know the phones deeper.

OnePlus 6 vs Oppo F7 vs Vivo V9 Comparison

OnePlus 6 vs Oppo F7 vs Vivo V9 Comparison

Bezel-less Display

The display is the unique selling point for the two phones that we have taken into consideration now, for the Oppo F7 and Vivo V9. The word ‘Bezel-less’ display is a mere marketing term used to generate hype in the market. No phone till date is truly bezel-less, 93% is the maximum screen to body ratio possible at this time. The F7, V9 and OP 6 also fall under the same category as said above.

Most of the front is covered by the screen itself excluding a notch and a noticeably small chin. OnePlus 6 has the highest screen coverage of the three and has an OLED display which is the most gorgeous of the three. The other two-sport an IPS LCD display which is good but not gorgeous as the OLED. All the three have the same resolution of FHD+ (1080 * 2280).

Cameras

Let us talk the next big thing, the cameras. Apart from the Oppo F7, other two house a dual rear camera setup. But Oppo claims F7 is capable of doing meeting the functionalities of the dual lens with its single camera and baked in AI functionality. The Vivo V9 has a 5 MP camera to support the 16 MP primary sensor while the OnePlus is expected to have 16 MP primary and 20 MP secondary camera to assist in lowlight scenarios too.

The front-facing cameras are large sensors for all with front flash available in OP 6 and Vivo V9 The cameras on the OnePlus stand out to be clearly superior to the other two, considering the almost half price of the other two this is acceptable. The camera performance between the Oppo F7 and Vivo V9 are very close to each other in almost every aspect. One has to be very nit-picky to find the best among those.

ModelOnePlus 6Oppo F7Vivo V9
ProcessorQualcomm
Snapdragon 845		Mediatek Helio P60Qualcomm
Snapdragon 626
RAM6 GB/ 8 GB4 GB4 GB
Storage128 GB / 256 GB64 GB64 GB
Screen Size6.3 inches6.23 inches6.3 inches
Resolution1080*2280
19:9		1080*2280
19:9		1080*2280
19:9
Display techOLEDIPS LCDIPS LCD
Camera16 + 20 MP
20MP front camera
with flash		16 MP
25 MP front camera		16 + 5 MP
24 MP front camera
with flash
OSOxygen OS 6 on
Android Oreo		Android Oreo 8.1Color OS 5.0 on
Android 8.1
Battery3300 mAH3400 mAH3260 mAH
Price39,99920,90021,900
Other featuresWater resistance,
Wireless charging,
Face Unlock, USB-C.		Face UnlockFace Unlock

Performance

Clearly in the performance rounds too, there was no close competitor to the OnePlus 6. It was the clear winner having the flagship processor, minimum of 6 gigs RAM. The real competition ran between the Vivo V9 and the Oppo F7 to take the runner-up position. Oppo F7 with the Mediatek Helio P60 has gained a lead over the V9 that is powered by a Snapdragon 626 in the speed test. The just marginal difference which can not be found in real life scenarios until posed against each other.

Design & Build

This time the Vivo V9 is left back and the OnePlus and Oppo lock horns for the best-looking smartphone. OnePlus 6 has a glass sandwich design with the neat and premium build. It has an alert slider that is unique to OnePlus devices. Oppo F7, on the other hand, has glass sandwich design but with stunning colors especially the diamond black which reflects different shades is different angles. The in-hand feel is almost same on all three with the similar size. The Oppo F7 feels a bit heavier of all but not too heavy to hold and use. None of the three is single-hand friendly.

Battery

Battery capacity on these three phones is more or less the same. The OnePlus has a slightly better battery life because of two reasons – 1. OLED display which considerably takes less power than LCD 2. Snapdragon 845 which is built on the 14nm manufacturing process, unlike other two 28nm chipsets.

Other features

OnePlus again has its lead in this with flagship features like the IP certified water and dust resistance and wireless charging. USB-C though started occurring in budget phones has not made it to the V7 and F9. Also, there is no word on the fast charging capabilities of the Oppo and Vivo offerings. OnePlus 6 comes with a dash charger out of the box which can charge the phone to 50% in 15 minutes.

Software updates are prompt up to a year on all three and OnePlus offers two years of support with two major Android updates.

Our opinion

Fun fact, all the three smartphone brands are own by a single country, each brand has different objective hence the difference in the smartphones. If you are moved by the delusive screen covering almost all of the front in these phones and stand confused which one to choose let me help you.

If you do not have any budget constraints and you do not wish to compromise on any of the aspects be it performance, camera or looks go for the OnePlus 6 which can not disappoint you. If you are worried by the price of OP 6 or if you feel it is overkill for your simple usage, then you have two other options to look at. I would suggest Oppo F7 if you want an edge on the looks, or Vivo V9 is the camera is your priority.

Xiaomi Mi 6X Specs, Features, Price and Release date

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Xiaomi, the well-established ruler of the budget segment in Asian countries has been recently expanding to western countries. One of the notable success for Xiaomi worldwide is the Mi A1, an Android One device which was originally released in China as Xiaomi MI 5X. The successor to which is the Xiaomi Mi 6x which is expected to launch out of China as Mi A2. Xiaomi is one of the few to concentrate on value for money budget devices.

Mi is higher variant device line up from Xiaomi. The Mi 6X is mid-range phone derived from last year’s flagship Mi 6. But the MI 5X did not see any market rather than China. Outside of China, Xiaomi partnered with Google’s Android One program to make a renamed MI 5X with Stock android in the name of MI A1. The same is expected with the upcoming Xiaomi MI 6X. What do we know about the badass budget phone of 2018? We will dive straight into the phones leaks and rumors.

Rumors

With huge expectations for the phone, we get to see ransom amount of rumors and leaks flowing out from various sources. There had been quite a lot different rumors about the SoC used in the smartphone. Earlier from the TENAA registration, the device was confirmed to have an octa-core CPU.

Later when two other leaks arrived an uncertainty is built around the device. One of the sources said it was a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626, a marginal upgrade from Snapdragon 625 which remains a favorite chipset of Xiaomi for more than a year now. Some other rumors say they are helio p60 chipset from MediaTek. The Chinese brand having a restriction to use MediaTek chipset outside of China there are good chances of seeing both making it to the
shelves, Helio P60 for China and Snapdragon 626 for global release.

The screen is confirmed to follow the 2018 design trend touting an 18:9 display. The screen as known is 5.99 inches with a sharp and contrast IPS LCD display with a resolution of FHD+ (1080 * 2160 Pixels).

The design, though has nothing eye catchy like zero bezels have a very familiar metal unibody design with fingerprint sensor stuck to the back of the phone and the dual cameras line up in the back similar to the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The design looks sleeker than the Redmi note 5 series and a comparatively better-looking mobile holding superiority in unibody design and USB-C port.

There is a confusion on the camera rumors too. In the early stage, the Xiaomi MI 6X was expected to house a combination of 20 MP + 12 MP rear cameras derived and improvised from the Chinese Redmi Note 5 Pro. Later the rumors have put a stop with official sensor details. The sensors are imx 486 (12 MP + 1.25) for the primary rear, imx 376 (20 MP + 1) for the secondary rear camera and the same for the front camera too. The sensors are confirmed by a code-named Wayne, which when related to TENAA supports.

This time too the phone comes out with the same storage and Ram variants. 4 Gb of memory for the processing and 64 Gb of storage. There is also a 6 Gb variant on the horizon, though there is no surety about the release.
The batteries from a couple of rumors and leaks indicate the same value of 2910 mAH capacity which is around 200 mAH lesser than the ongoing model of A1. As of now, many fear the phone’s ability to make it through a day in a single charge cycle without needing to plug the phone into a wall socket.

Related

Expectations

The chipset, Snapdragon 626 is almost sure at this point, but having a Snapdragon 636 is added goodness. With Redmi Note 5 Pro already having the 636, following Xiaomi’s track record, 636 is the new favorite.

We all know In-display fingerprint reader is a bit overkill for now considering the local vendors and so not likely to make it. The screen is not full screen or infinity screen, it has notable top and bottom chins like the Redmi 5 series. Seeing a notched full screen would be great. A key feature that was missed out on the previous generation of this phone does not have the EIS/OIS. The close sibling Redmi note 5 Pro has EIS and MI 6X not having the EIS should be a let down so that makes it an essential in the current generation. Goodies like USB-c, audio Dac have welcomed addition to the expectations.

Redmi Note 5 Pro Vs Mi 6X/A2

  • This topic is alone a discussion for a separate article. But for now, we shall just have a look at the differences alone.
  • MI 6X has a metal unibody design which provides better build.
  • MI 6X is expected to have an audio DAC that Redmi Note 5 pro fails to have.
  • The modern USB-C gives an edge to the Mi 6X again.
  • The battery is the one column where MI 6X fails to win, with 25% lesser battery 6X stands second.

Specifications of Xiaomi Mi 6X

Specifications 
BrandXiaomi
ModelMi 6X
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 626 / Helio P 60
RAM4/6 GB
Storage64 GB
Screen5.99”
1080 * 2160 pixels
18:9 aspect ratio
Camera12 MP + 20 MP Dual rear camera
20 MP selfie Camera
Operating SystemMIUI 10, Android 8/9
Battery2190 mAH
Price14,999 to 16,999 INR / 250 to 300 USD
Release DateJune 2019

Price and Release Date

Despite the previous generation global release date, the newer one was about to come early with all stocks of MI A1 running out of stock in many places. But later a source from News18 said the stocks will be back for A1 and there won’t any A2 at least for months. Price of the device is expected in the same mark, 14,999 INR for the start or 250 USD. If there exists a 6Gb that might sell as high as 16,999 INR for 300 USD.

My Opinion

A great phone with a great spec and a super great price. The only worry is the battery capacity that might be the deciding factor for a few. Though nothing is official, let us wait for the phone to arrive to have a deeper idea on the phone itself.

Xiaomi Mi 7 Rumors, Specs, Features, leaks, Price and Release date

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Xiaomi, though not available readily in the global market, has gained attention all over the world for some of their products like the Mi Mix – first bezel-less smartphone, Mi book Air and Mi 6 for bringing the most value for money devices. This Chinese brand also has a habit of imitating every aspect of Apple, but the pricing. They are even known as the Apple of China. Xiaomi Mi 7 is the upcoming flagship from the Xiaomi which is expected to release Q2, 2018 but was delayed due to some internal factors which we will be seeing in detail along with the rumors and leaks surrounding the device.

Xiaomi Mi 7 Rumors, Specs, Features, leaks, Price and Release date

Xiaomi Mi 7 Rumors, Specs, Features, leaks, Price and Release date

Xiaomi Mi 7 Duo – first in the series

The Mi flagship series has been sticking to single devices even after almost every company adopting plus and normal variants for their flagship. The rumors as of now favor a duo – Xiaomi Mi 7 and Mi 7 Plus. The plus variant is said to have additional features than the normal Xiaomi Mi 7 apart from the larger screen and battery.

Notched Screen

Xiaomi the fond aspirant of Apple is believed to follow the infamous display design popularised with Apple’s iPhone X. Even before Xiaomi, many companies like Huawei, Asus, LG have started following them through most of the fans don’t stand by the notch. A leak of the front glass panel of the Xiaomi Mi 7 confirmed two things for us. The obvious notch, the Xiaomi Mi 7 is joining ‘Team Notch’, the trend of 2018 to maximize the screen real estate on the front of the display. The second is it is gonna have 2.5D curved glass to make the screen look gorgeous, blending to the edges.

Notch is not well-received among the buyers, but there is no other option for both the OEMs and the buyers to have the notch until enough technology is developed to place cameras, earpiece and sensors alternately.

Under the screen fingerprint sensor – might be the first mass production phone As the need for expanding the screen to the fullest emerges, various alternates had emerged like pop up camera, under the display fingerprint scanner and so. Xiaomi seems to be one of the first to implement under the screen fingerprint scanner in a production device.

Earlier this year in MWC 2018, Vivo showcased a working prototype of the under the screen fingerprint scanner that the company has patented and working to be released in future phones. Xiaomi had been silently working on that tech and might be the first to implement like they did piezo-electric earpiece in the Mi Mix.

This was known when going through the Mi UI source code branch which later was confirmed by the company’s CEO Lei Jun in social media.

3D facial recognition – the Possible reason for the delay

The Apple way goes the Xiaomi. Apple made a daring move of removing the fingerprint scanner and added a facial recognition instead. Unlike the usual facial recognition which is software based, this is a complex system involving dot projectors and IR cameras. Xiaomi too is trying its way to the 3D facial recognition using dedicated hardware and that is believed to be the possible reason for the delay in the release of the Xiaomi MI 7 which is expected
in Q2 2018.

By rumors, the delay is induced by the software compatibility issues with the chipset OEM and the company itself which is only making slow progress as this is the first implementation of this sorts out of Apple’s ecosystem. As of now, the only capable chip is the Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845.

Expectations

The chipset as deciphered from the release delay issue related to 3D face recognition tech is Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. The RAM is expected to be raised to 8 Gb for both variants with 128 Gb as a base storage.

The Xiaomi MI 7 is said to come with an OLED display to complement the stunning all screen display. OLED is new to Xiaomi. They had been deliberately turning down OLED and stayed with the IPS LCD for cost-cutting measures. But this time they seem to move a step forward and enter the OLED range to make a cool looking full-screen phone.
The Mi series have always stayed compact when all other brands chose to be bigger. Xiaomi MI 7 rumors say they have both covered. A 5.65 inches MI 7 and a 6.1-inch MI 7 Plus both carrying a resolution of FullHD+.

The Xiaomi MI 6 already quit on the headphone jack going the apple route, we expect wireless charging in the same order but leaks as for has not shown any glass back or metal. The last two generations – MI 5 and MI 6 have a glass back but not the wireless charging capabilities.

Related

Release Date and Price

The release is getting delayed due to the high failure rates in the 3D facial recognition tech developed by Xiaomi says the rumors. This is to be believed because there are no trailers or invites for the release of MI 7 which is due on Q2. Also, the first implementation in Android might need some time to work around. The release is expected to happen in June 2018.

When looked for pricing, a market speculation said the Xiaomi Mi 7 will start from 475 USD / 3000 CNY. That is a rise of about 50 USD from yesteryear. This kind of inflation in pricing is very common in all brands provided we are expecting to see some new features too.

Specifications 
BrandXiaomi
ModelMi 7
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 845
RAM8 GB
Storage128/256 GB
Screen5.65”
FHD+
OLED
CameraDual Rear Camera
Operating systemAndroid 9.0 , MIUI 10
Battery4000 mAH
Price475 USD / 3000 CNY
Release DateQ3 2018

Our Opinion

Of the many devices to come out on the year’s flagship chip, Xiaomi’s MI series phones have always managed to be the cheapest, even lesser than the OnePlus. The unavailability of Xiaomi in the global market is the main reason for not making a great name for itself. Recently Xiaomi extended its boundaries apart from Asia. This time Xiaomi MI 7 might pose a good competition to the OnePlus and Huawei flagships. Choose Xiaomi MI 7 over the other if you have fallen for the features of it and also you can bare the MI UI which is far from Android interface.

LG Stylo 4 Rumors, Features, Specs, Price and Release date

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LG, leading consumer electronics brand worldwide have many successful products, but smartphones are not one of that, at least in the recent years. Though LG has never stopped at innovating their mobile line up with a flexible screen, modularity and so on, none turned out to be a hit.

LG Stylo 4 is one such attempt of LG to take on the Samsung’s Note series which is popularly identified with an electronic stylus. The Note series has a large screen similar to a phablet and targets for business purposes and Stylo too follows the same. Unlike Samsung’s the LG’s stylus are not an Electronic stylus.

Though the Stylo form LG is not meant for every market, it is announced in the US and some European countries where LG does well. This time the offering might seem to turn heads apart from the brand value and having a dumb stylus in 2018. Here are the rumors, and expectations on the LG Stylo 4.

LG Stylo 4 Rumors, Features, Specs, Price and Release date

LG Stylo 4 Rumors, Features, Specs, Price and Release date

Rumors

LG is not consistent with Stylo range since it did not do well and it was targeted for selected markets only. Rumors say there could be a Stylo smartphone in the cooking scheduled for 2018. The fourth generation of Stylo has some exciting things to be looked at.

Display

LG, like every other brand, has adopted the 18:9 aspect ratio. The screen size as per the rumors is 6 inches diagonally. 6 inches have become the norm in current smartphone scenario. But pushing further might make it look like a tablet. Hence the size is acceptable. The resolution is QHD+ that is 1440 * 2880 Pixels. LG one of the leading display manufacturers are very crisp with their displays and are very good at IPS LCD panels than the OLED panels. Hence a high-res LCD display is speculated to cover the face of LG Stylo 4. With hot rumors around the corners of the LG G7 with a notch, they have decided not to have the infamous trend of a notch in their Stylo series hence that
will make the stylus usage more obsolete. Instead, the bezels are very thin on the top and almost non-existent on the bottom.

Powerhouse of performance

The chipset is expected to be high-end chipset from the Qualcomm Snapdragon which is the SD 835. The Adreno 540 is the graphics Co-processor that runs the graphics rendering without breaking a sweat. RAM can be 4GB or 6GB, Rumours say both variants will be available for major markets and the lower variant will be seen in budget markets like Asia. Storage variants start from 64 Gb and 256 Gb must be the top variant by seeing LG’s track records.

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Cameras

Cameras are another department where LG does well apart from the display. For a flagship releasing in 2018 the dual rear cameras is an untold rule. LG has wide angle implementation on their flagship devices like LG G6, LG V30 which was well received in the market. So, this is also expected to follow the same implementation.

The primary sensor will be a 22 MP f/1.8 sensor from Sony and the secondary sensor is not expected to be less than 12 MP with a wide-angle lens. The Primary sensor is stabilized optically, there is no confirmation on the secondary camera. Video recording must support up to 4k resolution.

The selfie shooter is a 13 MP shooter with a 120-degree field of view. Soft flash will accompany the front-facing camera. The camera software from LG is one of the best. Though not the most intuitive to use the manual controls is top notch especially for video recording. Video recording is best in LG phones in the recent. Hope this time too LG does not fail to meet their own standards.

Battery

The battery is a sufficient 4000 mAH. The large form factor has made room for a large battery. LG phones from the past have had the battery life as one of their downsides. It is not the same this time, 4000 mAH is well enough to drive you through a day with ease.

Stylus

Let us talk about the stylus, the USP of the LG Stylo 4. The stylus has been the non-electronic stylus, unlike the Samsung, Notes until the last generation. This time an electronic stylus with additional functionalities is capable to bring in success for the LG. Finger crossed on that because no official information is out on the type of stylus included.

Additional Features

There are varied talks going around the retention of 3.5 mm headphone jack. Apple got rid of the headphone jack with its iPhone 7 and since then some other OEMs like Asus, Google, Xiaomi has started following them and market speculators are confused what side will LG take on this.

The face unlocks, another trend started by the Apple’s 1000 dollar phone. The front camera powered face unlock through a software feature is expected out of the box to have a good marketing campaign for the phone. LG has its native gestures and tweaks on top of the Android it runs. The Android version is expected to be Android Oreo 8.1. LG UI is certainly not in the top 5 custom UI. But with the last few implementations, they have been improving and we hope the same this time too.

Specifications

Specifications 
BrandLG
ModelStylo 4
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 835, Adreno 540
RAM4 / 6 GB
Storage64 / 128 / 256 GB
Screen6”
QHD+, 1440 * 2880
IPS LCD
Camera22 MP f/1.8 + 12 MP wide angle
13 MP front-facing camera with soft flash
Operating systemAndroid 8.1
Battery4000 mAH
Price750 USD
Release DateQ3, Q4 2018

Our opinion

The LG’s perfected rival to the unrivaled Samsung Note series is good as we see it from the rumors. If the stylus has worthy functionalities and the camera is good then LG has a powerful player for 2018. The phone should launch in the US and Europe first and if it goes well it might expand to other countries too.

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Nubia NX606J leaks, Rumors, Specs, Features, Price and Release date

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Nubia is a smartphone company started in 2012 by ZTE which later became independent from ZTE in 2015. Their series of the smartphone have been sensible in maintaining a balance between price and features.

Nubia, like most other Chinese brands, is not for the global market. They are available with select models in select countries like India. They do not have that good customer base outside of China though.

The flagship series of the ZTE’s Nubia is the Z series smartphones. The last in the line is the Z17 and the Z17 mini. The upcoming is the Z19 (they increment by 2 every iteration). Many specs point out the rumored Nubia NX606J will be the Nubia Z19 itself. Here are the rumors and speculations that we have gathered on the Nubia’s flagship in the making.

Nubia NX606J leaks, Rumors, Specs, Features, Price and Release date

Nubia NX606J leaks, Rumors, Specs, Features, Price and Release date

TENAA leaks

Months back a device was seen in TENAA from Nubia running on Snapdragon 845. The AnTuTu scores have also been outed. We could know few other specs from the TENAA listing itself. Let us see them in brief.

The TENAA listing shows the device will be one of the earliest to come out with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. The SD 845 powered device had a name – Nubia NX606J. But going by the flagship chip from Qualcomm the device is speculated to be the upcoming flagship of the company. Nubia Z19 is how it will be released. The device has 6 Gb of RAM and 32 Gb of inbuilt storage. There must definitely be a large storage variant like on the Z17. The higher RAM variant of 8 Gb is also expected. Moreover, the listing also confirmed the device is running on the latest Android Oreo skinned by Nubia’s own skin.

The Nubia NX606J also leaked with its AnTuTu scores in weibo. The AnTuTu score of the Nubia’s flagship device is 271,674 which is on par with the other 845 devices which reconfirms the fact that the phone runs the SD 845. In fact, the benchmark score is marginally better than that of the Samsung Galaxy S9+ which is appreciable for a company like Nubia.

Design leak

Another leak happened recently revealing the whole design of a Nubia smartphone in the wild. The device is expected to be the Nubia Z19 for two reasons. One it carries the same name tag, Nubia NX606J. Two is no other device is expected in the premium segment from Nubia apart from the gaming phone which definitely has a more functional design than this.

The front of the phone has a notched display. The notch is very much similar to the essential phone that has cut out only for the camera module. The top bezel apart from the notch is very minor but the chin is thicker than expected. Why don’t they even notch the display when they have such huge chin? Why don’t they learn to cover the chin first before they opt for notch?

The back is all glass back, no antenna line is seen like on the metal body phones. The fingerprint reader is on the back right in the middle of while the two cameras are placed horizontally on the top left corner.

Other layouts that the leaks showed are the usual- volume and power buttons to the right, IR blaster and audio jack on the top, SIM tray to the left and speaker-mic combo with USB-C port on the bottom. Sash leaks are the one behind the design update prior to the launch. The lens of cameras, home button and few more place Nubia branding are all accepted in gold or red accents depending on the device color. The phone is said to come in 3 colors as said by cash leaks – black, silver and gold.

Speculations and expectations

Now that we have seen the leaks of the phone we shall run through the whole specs with the leaked specification, market speculation and expectations from the end users. The processor is the flagship from Qualcomm, Snapdragon 845. The RAM must be 6GB and 8GB. The storage is confused to start between 32 GB and 64 GB. But the maximum storage pointed out from various services is expected at 256 GB.

The display is an IPS LCD stretching for 6 inches inclusive of the notch area. The aspect ratio must be 18:9 or 19:9 provided the notch provides a taller display. The resolution is the good old FullHD+, 1080 * 2160 Pixels.

The battery is expected at 3350 mAH which is still a great battery for the Snapdragon 845 which is power efficient 14nm chipset. The phone can last a day based on our thoughts. There is no official word on the camera. The primary shooter must be a 13 MP sensor coupled with a less wide aperture telephoto lens to help in portrait mode shots and also making 2x optical zoom. The front camera again is a 13 MP sensor. No word on the stabilization. Hope there is no optical stabilization, later the Electronic stabilization is expected from the company’s future software update.

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Release Date

The latest Z17 was released in June of 2017. This phone having rumored from the month of February was expected to show itself to the world in MWC 2018. But it was no ready we think and so we expect it to come out in June 2018.

Price

The price is no matter for people living outside China. The Chinese pricing for this in my good guess will be 2500 CNY. The price must start around 2500 CNY and go up to 3100 CNY.

Specifications 
BrandNubia
ModelZX606J
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 845
RAM6/8 GB
Storage32/64, 128, 256 GB
Screen6”
FHD+
IPS LCD
Camera13 MP f/2.2 + 13 MP depth sensor
13 MP front facing camera with soft flash
Operating systemAndroid 8.1
Battery3350 mAH
Price25,000 CNY
Release DateQ3, Q4 2018

Our opinion

Getting your hands on the Nubia is hard on underdeveloped countries. But where the phone is readily available it a steal and can be bought if the camera proves worthy.

Nokia X teaser Revealed: Rumors, Features, Price and Release date

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Nokia, once the leader, fell deep and is rising again this time run by HMD Global. The new Nokia by HMD Global has been doing considerably good in the recent year or so. They have brought classics from the past like Nokia 3310, Nokia 8 Sirocco.

Next move is the X series phones with newest market trends and excellent design language. The phones are due to be released in China anytime soon. With the launch date very close still there are more rumors and leaks coming out bringing up the excitement levels of the good old Nokia fans.

Almost most all of the specs are revealed by leaks and certifications, today a few images came out on social media similar to a teaser for the new Nokia X/X6. The newest phone is going to be called the Nokia X6 or simply X, which we are not sure of. But we are certain on some other specs of it which we will see very soon.

Speculations and early rumors

We come to know from various sources that HMD Global run Nokia is preparing a new mid-range smartphone as a part of the new series. The series was teased as the X series and we expect a lot out of it because Nokia is bringing back the nostalgic by the introduction of newer phones with classic old names. When the first time Nokia X came out in 2014 they were all entry-level devices with bare minimum specs running on Android Jellybean, this time around they have targeted a little up the price scale.

The phone is expected to be a mid-range device running a Qualcomm 6 series chipset, compatible with all LTE bandwidths in China. We also came to know two possible variants code-named TA-1109 and TA-1099. The speculations following that revealed both might be similar models differing in few aspects with one running the Snapdragon chipset and the other running MediaTek chipset. The camera was guessed to be dual cameras at least in the rear and nothing less then the Zeiss optics would justify a Nokia’s cameras.

The variants that are expected with the RAM and storage are 4 Gb and 6 Gb which will go with 64 Gb and 128 GB. This phone like other phones from Nokia is very likely to run the AOSP version of Android Oreo 8.1 with Nokia’s enhancement here and there. It might even release under the Android one programme in some countries.

Certification by CCC

China Compulsory Certification is required for a smartphone to land in China. Days before the scheduled launch, the phone seems to have undergone the certification process and most of it doubtful specs came into spotlight building a pre-release hype for the X.

There are two chipsets involved in the alleged Nokia X series smartphone. One is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 and the lower one running the MediaTek’s P60 chipset. The expectation of support for all LTE bands was let down by the MediaTek running Nokia X, most probably TA-1099. It only has TD-LTE bandwidth support to its modem. The Qualcomm counterpart rather has support for the whole of the bandwidth as expected.

For memory and storage options, the lower variant expected to run by MediaTek P60 is said to have 4 Gb of RAM coupled with 64 Gb of storage. While the Snapdragon 636 variant will have a more capable 6 Gb variant and having a plenty, 128 Gb of storage. The rear camera is confirmed likely to be 12 + 12 MP cameras with the obvious, Zeiss optics.

Teaser release on social media

One day ahead of the release of the new X series smartphones, we get to see the complete images of the phone itself in Chinese social media website Baidoo, clicked by someone in the display arena. We have nothing grounded to say they are teaser images as they were not from any official social media handles. Some overexcited fan-boys must have done this.

The phone simply looks gorgeous and handles the same New Nokia’s design language while not failing to pick up the newest design trends. Though late, Nokia too has entered the bandwagon for notched displays. The screen as far seen is a 5.8-inch screen with the tall 19:9 aspect ratio inclusive of the notch. The resolution is FHD+ (1080 * 2280) which is good for a mid-range and the display must be nonetheless IPS LCD.

The notch is minimal which houses the front-facing camera and an earpiece. There is not much bezel to be seen on any sides except the bottom. The bottom has noticeable chin bezel with real estate enough to hold just the Nokia branding. Why do they even have a chin when they can make the screen spread aside a notch?

To the back are the dual cameras aligned vertically in usual Nokia fashion? Below them is a circular fingerprint scanner distanced by a flashlight, possibly dual tone guessed by looks. The phone looks shiny as glass, but we are sure glass is not cheap enough for mid-range smartphones, hence all we can have is a polycarbonate back with a stunning paint job acting as a fingerprint magnet.

The phone itself has the new Nokia’s design sprinkled all over. The fingerprint scanner, the cameras seem to have the silver ring kind of finish to it. Even the power and volume buttons which are present on the right seem to have the same accent to it.

Release Date and Price

The initial release in China is scheduled for 27th of April. No word on the global release and availability yet. We can expect it to happen in a month or two.

The price of the Nokia is most likely to be 1,599 CNY for the MediaTek version and 1,799 for the Snapdragon 636 version which converts to 17,000 and 19,000 INR respectively.

Specifications 
BrandX / X6
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 636 / MediaTek P60
RAM4 / 6 GB
Storage64 / 128 GB
Screen5.8”
FHD+, 19:9
IPS LCD
CameraDual 12 MP rear camera
Operating systemAndroid 8.1
Battery3000 mAH
Price1,599 / 1,799 CNY
Release Date27 th April, 2018 (China)

Our opinion

The Nokia X though has tough competition, even in-house competition, seems to stand out with the nostalgic Nokia branding, the new age looks and the killer specs to rival the Redmi Note 5 pro and MI 6x. The camera will stand the deciding factor for the winner of the segment which we should wait to know until the review is out.

Huawei Y5 Prime Rumors, Features, Specs, Price and Release date

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Huawei the leader of the Chinese market has a great portfolio of budget devices. They have been releasing various series of smartphones for various markets depending on their local needs and preferences. Holding the place of 3rd largest smartphone manufacturer globally after Apple and Samsung is no joke and requires the company to satisfy every market and every segment of the market.

Y series from Huawei has very basic entry-level smartphones. The smartphones are very basic and up to the point in their specs and functionalities. Even in the Y series, Huawei has put in the effort to shell out 3 different smartphones for the entry-level segment. The mobile we are gonna look at now is the middle one, the second sibling Huawei Y5. The 2018 version of the Huawei Y5 Prime is commonly known as the Huawei Y5 Prime in most markets Y series is selling currently.

Huawei Y5 Prime has seen two generations so far. The original Huawei Y5 in 2016 and the slightly improvised one in 2017. This time we are excited to show you the 2018 version which seems to adapt to the market trends though being basic in functionality and retaining similar price tag as last year’s. Huawei Y5 Prime is to me, the right entry-level phone from Huawei with 2018 specs, rather than the Y3 which looks like came out of the past.

Image and spec release by EVLeaks

Popular leakster, Evan Blass on his social media handle released few pics of the Y series smartphones from Huawei. The images had all the three phones of the series in 2018 version. Y6 the priciest of the three was released in early April. The Huawei Y5 Prime is the one that garners more attention of the two. The leaked image did the most talking than the specs. Below are the details that the leaks showed.

The enhancement of design language is what everyone would say on the first look at the images. For a phone from the entry segment, this one is cool. Huawei has adopted the tall display trend for Huawei Y5 Prime which is very much appreciable. The display is an 18:9 aspect ratio panel slightly bigger than the 5-inch screen of the Y3 2018. The color to the back looks premium and distinct from the white glass front. Though looks premium the back is most likely to be plastic for the price range.

The top and bottom bezels are also shrunk and side bezels exist thin. The are no physical navigation keys, everything goes on-screen. The phone does not have a fingerprint reader on it. For a phone in 2018 with tall display and modern design losing out on the fingerprint reader is a bummer. But that too can be compensated with the face unlock feature though not as secure. On the rear, we can see a horizontal cut out of the camera which looks like the dual camera on the first glance but actually is a single camera and a flashlight.

TENAA registration

Recently there seem to be various phones from Huawei heading to the TENAA. All of them being the budget segment phones do not carry a clear name to them. The code names like FLA-AL00 and FLA-TL10 are not common and leave us confused. Looking up at the design and build there is only a very less chance of any of the devices being the Y5 Prime itself. If not Huawei Y5 Prime they must be Nova 2 and Nova 2 Plus.

Huawei Y5 Prime Rumors and Specifications

The rumors speculate a MediaTek chipset to run the Huawei Y5 Prime. The chipset is guessed to be 1.5 GHz quad-core processor. The chipset is slightly improvised chipset than that present on the Y3 2018. MediaTek MT6739 has 2 Gb of memory for processing the inbuilt storage is not less than 16 Gb. While 2 Gb + 16 Gb is enough for most daily tasks coupled with an entry-level processor from MediaTek brings dismay when the long life of the phone is taken
into account.

The newer generation display as seen from the leaks has a moderate or sufficient resolution to it. HD+ or 720 * 1440 pixels which are definitely not the sharpest but acceptable considering the price of the device. The panel itself is a 5.45-inch IPS LCD panel.

Cameras for this entry level phone are also basic in my view. The rear camera will be an 8 MP camera that is present to do the basic function of a camera, no fancy feature like portrait mode or so. The front-facing camera is the 5 MP shooter without flash.

The battery on Huawei Y5 Prime is 3000 mAH which is one appreciable aspect of all the features of the phone. Though the phone has 28nm chipset the 3000 mAH battery can help last a day without needing to charging the device taking in account the less resourceful internals. EM UI 8, Huawei custom made the skin on top of Android Oreo 8 which will be the software for the device. EM UI is not a heavy skin, but we are not sure how will it fair against 2 Gb of RAM.

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Release Date and Price

The Y series of smartphones are released in Q2 of every year. Following the same this year too the devices are expected to launch in Q2 of which Y6 is already released in April. Price of the device is estimated to 129 EUR which is marginally high than the previous year’s pricing of the Y5. There is no word on the US or China pricing of Y5 Prime.

Specifications 
BrandHuawei
ModelY5 (2018)/ Y5 Prime
ProcessorMediaTek MT3769
RAM2 GB
Storage16 GB
Screen5.45”
HD+ (720 * 1440)
IPS LCD
Camera8 MP with flash
5 MP front-facing camera
Operating systemAndroid Oreo 8.0 skinned EM UI 8.0
Battery3000 mAH
Price129 EURO
Release DateJune 2018

Our Opinion

For the speculated price there seem to be better alternatives in a market like China with Redmi devices. If you are on a very stiff budget and do not mind the functionalities then choose Y3 which has every basic resource running on Android Go which gives an edge to the device. If you can extend the budget pay a bit more to choose far better phones than this. I really do not find any strong reason to get Huawei Y5 Prime than having the tall display with
usable resolution.

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