Moto Droid phones are no longer available in China
Motorola was recently purchased by Lenovo and one of the first things they did was bring back Motorola to China. Unfortunately, all Moto Droid series phones will not be coming with them.
Lenovo’s business group president, Chen Xudong was asked about the news on Webio, to which he said:
“Droid series has no further plans to introduce or maintain new smartphones”.
This does not mean the Droid name will die everywhere. In the US it will still remain exclusive to Verizon. With some recent leaks, it looks like there will be three new phones coming, DROID ULTRA, DROID MAXX, and DROID Mini.
Source: Weibo
Via: Xaomi Today
Come comment on this article: Moto Droid phones are no longer available in China
Lenovo will unveil the Vibe Shot in India on September 22
Lenovo has today sent out its first batch of invites to a press conference it’s holding in India on Tuesday, September 22. The Chinese company has confirmed the purpose of the event is to unveil its upcoming camera-centric Vibe Shot smartphone, which is expected to launch in the region later this month.
As far as internals go, the Vibe Shot is set to pack pack a 5-inch Full HD display, a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 quad-core processor, an Adreno 405 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (expandable up to 128GB via microSD), a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 8-megapixel selfie shooter and a 2,900mAh non-removable battery.
Out of the box, the handset will run the latest build of Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, skinned with Lenovo’s very own custom user interface. However, if you aren’t a fan of UI’s, you could always install a launcher from the hoards that are readily available through the Play Store, to give your device a more personal touch.
If you’re based in India, we’d love to know if you’re intending on picking up the Lenovo Vibe Shot. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Come comment on this article: Lenovo will unveil the Vibe Shot in India on September 22
Moto X Style and new Moto 360 up for pre-order in the UK
Motorola’s latest and greatest are now available to pre-order in the UK. Following the Moto X Play, you can now spend your hard-earned cash on the Moto X Style, which currently has an estimated delivery date of October 6th. The bigger and more powerful brother to the X Play, it features a 5.7-inch QHD display, a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor. Slapped on top is a practically stock Android experience — save for a few Moto-exclusive apps and features — and the option to customise your phone through Moto Maker. The phone starts from £399, although you’ll pay an extra £35 for the 64GB model and another £20 if you want a leather or wood back.
If you’re happy with the handset in your pocket, you might want to consider a new timepiece instead. Google has been steadily improving Android Wear, and now you can put all of those updates to good use with the second-generation Moto 360. Unlike last year’s model, it comes in a few different shapes and sizes — 42mm and 46mm models designed for men, and another 42mm model aimed at women. Each can be put through Moto Maker, with a variety of cases, bands and bezel designs to choose from. It starts at £229 for the men’s 42mm, before rising to £259 for the women’s 42mm and finally £269 for the 46mm. Motorola’s estimated delivery time is September 29th, so like the Moto X Style, you’ll be waiting at least a couple of weeks before either order arrives on your doorstep.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Wearables, Lenovo
Source:
Moto X Style, Moto 360
Tags: lenovo, motorola, motox, motoxpure, motoxstyle, preorder
Verizon can’t activate your Moto X Pure Edition just yet
We hope you didn’t rush to snag a Moto X Pure Edition for use on Verizon’s network — you’ll be disappointed for the next few days. Early adopters speaking on Reddit and PrepaidPhoneNews say that Big Red is turning down subscribers trying to activate Motorola’s giant device. The carrier just can’t find the IMEI (the hardware identifier) needed to make things work, according to these reports. It’s an odd problem, and a frustrating one when Verizon promised just last week that it would activate the Pure Edition. What gives? Thankfully, we’ve found out that this is only temporary.
A spokesperson tells us that this extra-large Moto X is “certified and supported” on its network, but that there’s an “activation issue” preventing full support. The provider hopes to get everything resolved by September 18th — somewhat reassuring if you just dropped $399-plus on a smartphone. Still, it’s notable that this isn’t an issue on GSM-based carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile, where switching to an unlocked phone involves little more than popping your SIM card into the new hardware. As much as Verizon might be doing to improve its bring-your-own-phone policies, it still has a lot of work left to do.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Verizon, Lenovo
Source:
PrepaidPhoneNews, Reddit
Tags: android, carrier, lenovo, mobilepostcross, motorola, motoxpureedition, motoxstyle, smartphone, verizon, wireless
Could Xiaomi end up being a victim of its own success?
It is testament to Xiaomi’s success so far that competitors are beginning to emulate its approach. Selling smartphones at near cost direct to consumers with minimal advertising spend has carried Xiaomi to the number one spot in China and it has rarely been out of the top five smartphone manufacturers worldwide for the last year.
We’ve looked at Xiaomi’s history. It went from success with the MIUI ROM, to manufacturing its own hardware, and managed to sell 61 million handsets last year. It hit a valuation of $46 billion back in December by significantly outselling established players like Sony, Motorola and HTC.
Xiaomi in video
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Obstacles to overcome
You may imagine everything’s rosy for Xiaomi, but the problems that could halt its rise that we discussed before still apply.
- Licensing and lawsuits – Xiaomi still claims that market differences account for it not selling handsets in the U.S. and Europe. It’s starting with accessories instead. But realistically, Xiaomi will be attacked on patent and licensing grounds by all the big manufacturers the minute it starts trying to sell handsets. No one wants them entering an already stagnating market where prices are falling.
- Lost in translation – Do Americans and Europeans want the same devices as the Chinese? Maybe, but Xiaomi will have to significantly alter its approach and work hard to build the kind of engagement it has with Chinese fans beyond Chinese borders. It seems unlikely the same approach will work.
- Online only – It’s becoming more common to buy phones directly, but many people in the U.S. particularly still go with carrier contracts. Xiaomi will not be appearing in AT&T or Verizon stores anytime soon. How far can it go with an online only approach?
- Wafer-thin profits – As a private company, Xiaomi has refused to share its numbers, claiming only that it is profitable. The 61 million phones it sold in 2014 generated almost $12 billion, but with tight margins there’s plenty of skepticism about how much of that translated to profit.
- Copycat competition – This last one is fast-becoming a real issue for Xiaomi. Not only are the major players like Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo imitating Xiaomi with direct online sales and low, low prices for certain lines, they’re also facing competition from similar companies like OnePlus, Meizu and LeTV. The security giant Qihoo has also been partnering with Coolpad, Haier and Alcatel to produce phones.
Related: 10 more Chinese phone brands to look out for
Big boys spread the risk
If we jump back to the five issues above and apply them to Huawei instead, then Xiaomi’s situation doesn’t look so great. Huawei has licensing agreements and patents. It has been operating in the U.S. and Europe for years. It can support the online approach with a traditional in-store and carrier model. It made $4.49 billion profit in 2014. It’s showing, with the Honor line, that it can emulate Xiaomi and rack up the sales.
Huawei could probably afford to sell hardware in its budget line at a loss if it really had to, say to outmaneuver an upstart like Xiaomi. The same applies to ZTE and Lenovo.
Interestingly, last year, the main player to overtake Xiaomi and record huge growth in China, Brazil, and the other markets its targeting was Apple. Xiaomi really aped Apple’s design and marketing in the beginning, but Apple’s success suggests that what the Chinese really wanted was the iPhone. With the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Apple actually knocked Xiaomi off the top spot in China for six months (Q4 of 2014 and Q1 of 2015).
The competitors
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Raw ambition
At the other end of the scale we have Meizu (who have actually been around for longer than Xiaomi), OnePlus (who are already doing well in the U.S. and Europe), LeTV (who are making impressive phones), and Qihoo (who have money to burn and look desperate to enter the smartphone market).
All of these players could drive prices down further. IHS iSuppli China Research head Kevin Wang was quoted in the WSJ likening their approach to loss-making startups planning profits down the line, “Burn cash to get users. A lot of these smartphone players are probably going to die.”
LeTV’s smartphone head, Feng Xin, has apparently admitted it plans to lose money on hardware indefinitely in order to build a user base.
Expanding beyond phones
When profit margins are tight, failure is only one misstep away
The answer for Xiaomi might be in expanding its product range and using crowdfunding to raise cash. It’s already making wearables, power banks, cameras, TVs, headphones, and even air purifiers. There’s also some hope it will monetize that user base with mobile services, by turning games and apps into a revenue stream. Lei Jun, founder and chief exec, suggested mobile services revenue would hit $1 billion this year. It could definitely transition to a sustainable model that isn’t wholly dependent on the smartphone hardware market with the right moves.
Any player that doesn’t diversify in this climate is vulnerable to catastrophe. When profit margins are tight, failure is only one misstep away.
Who will survive?
Xiaomi is still very strong in China and other emerging markets like India. It doesn’t have to sell smartphones in Europe or the U.S. in order to be a success. But the pressure is definitely mounting as the rest of the smartphone manufacturing world is not going to cede China. The big players have deep pockets and the rising firms may be willing to take even bigger risks than Xiaomi did.
Apple, and to a lesser degree Samsung, have an iron lock on the premium end of the market, where things are really profitable. An awful lot of manufacturers are subsidizing their smartphone businesses with profits from elsewhere. Some of them will surely throw in the towel soon. With more budget players entering the market, competing for fewer customers, a lot of the smaller firms will surely fail quickly and disappear.
After launching the new ZUK line, Lenovo’s chief exec, Chang Cheng, told the WSJ, “You can use someone else’s model to defeat them.”
Could Xiaomi end up being a victim of its own success?
Lenovo will launch the A7000 Plus in the Philippines tomorrow
Earlier today, Lenovo unveiled its latest smartphone, the A7000 Plus, in the Philippines. The handset will be up for grabs in the region starting tomorrow, Tuesday, September 15 from online retailer Lazada for ₱7,499(Pesos), which equates to roughly $160.
As you’ve probably guessed, the A7000 Plus is an upscaled model of the A7000 that launched back in April. The new variant packs a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a 13MP rear-facing camera, 16GB of expandable memory and a 3,000mAh battery.
All other specifications remain identical to the standard device, meaning the Plus will pack a 64-bit MediaTek MTK MT6752 octa-core chipset, a Mali-T760MP2 GPU, 2GB of RAM, Cat. 4 LTE and Wi-FI 802.11 b/g/n.
If you reside in the Philippines and would like to bag an A7000 Plus, be sure to head over to Lazada’s website to register your interest so that you can be notified the second the handset is listed for order.
Source: Lazada
Come comment on this article: Lenovo will launch the A7000 Plus in the Philippines tomorrow
The iPad Pro vs. the competition: Super-size your tablet
Last year Apple embraced the mantra that “bigger is better” for the iPhone. Now it’s done the same with the iPad line, in the form of a larger-screen 12.9-inch tablet. But Apple isn’t the first to make a big tablet, and not even the first to call it “Pro.” How does the iPad Pro compare to other large tablets, like the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and the Surface Pro 3? We’ve lined up the specs side by side so you can decide which one you’d rather hold in your lap while you work.
| iPad Pro | Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 | Surface Pro 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $799, $949, $1,079 | $649 | starts at $799 |
| Thickness | 6.9mm (0.27 inches) | 7.95mm (0.313 inches) | 9.14mm (0.36 inches) |
| Weight | 713 or 723g (1.57 or 1.59 pounds) | 750g (1.65 pounds) | 790g (1.76 pounds) |
| OS | iOS 9 | Android 4.4 | Windows 10 |
| Display | 12.9-inch IPS LCD Retina display | 12.2-inch Crystal Clear LCD | 12-inch ClearType Full HD |
| Resolution | 2,732 x 2,048 (265 ppi) | 2,560 x 1,600 (247 ppi) | 2,560 x 1,440 ( ppi) |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 16:10 | 3:2 |
| Processor | Apple A9X | 1.9GHz Exynos 5 Octa | Intel i3 / i5 / i7 |
| Memory | NA | 3GB | 4 / 8GB |
| Storage | 32 / 128GB | 32GB | 64 / 128 / 256 / 512 GB |
| Ports | Lightning | microSD, HDMI, MHL, USB 3.0 | microSD, USB 3.0 |
| Front camera | 1.2MP FaceTime, f2.2 | 2MP | 5MP, 1080p |
| Rear camera | 8MP iSight, f/2.4, 1080p video at 30fps | 8MP | 5MP, 1080p |
| Cellular radio | Optional GSM/EDGE CDMA UMTS/HSPA/ HSPA+/DC-HSDPA LTE |
None | None |
| WiFi | Dual band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | Dual band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | v4.2 | v4.0 | v4.0 |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | 10 hours | 9,500mAh | NA |
| Accessories | Smart Keyboard, Apple Pencil | S Pen, S Mouse | Surface Pen, Surface Pro Type Cover |
Filed under:
Tablets, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Lenovo
Tags: apple, GalaxyNotePro12.2, iPadPro, iphone2015, lenovo, mobilepostcross, samsung, Yoga2Pro
Our Best of IFA 2015: the 5 most impressive products from the show
Rain and chill blanketed Berlin last week, adding a gloomy hue to a cityscape that, even in the nicest of weathers, can be described as austere. But there was no gloom in the buzzing halls of Messe Berlin, the sprawling exhibition venue where IFA takes place every September.
A spectacle of light, color, and sound, IFA is Europe’s biggest electronics expo, and the place to show your products, if you’re a mobile company looking for exposure ahead of the crucial holiday season.
From boutique case makers to the biggest tech giants, hundreds of companies hawked their newest products at IFA 2015. The Android Authority team has sifted through the most interesting mobile announcements from the show, to bring you Our Best of IFA selection. Let’s see them, shall we?
Huawei Mate S: the finest phone at IFA
Huawei is not yet a household name in the West, but it’s fast becoming one. The Chinese company is about to enter the very select Nexus club, and its self-branded smartphones are increasingly valued by customers and reviewers. In this context, we were eager to see the new Mate S in action, and we weren’t disappointed.
The Mate S is a beautiful beast. Featuring the metallic design that Huawei has come to be known for, the Mate S is compact, sleek, and attractive. The fingerprint sensor on the back is new and improved, and once you get used to it, it will be really hard to go back to phones that lack this feature. A gorgeous AMOLED screen and strong performance complete the portrait of a true flagship that is worth its salt.
Read on:
Yoga Tab 3 Pro: versatility redefined
Tablets are boring, right? Wrong, says Lenovo, and the company has a pretty strong dissenting argument in the Yoga Tab 3 Pro. Billed as the ultimate video tablet, the Yoga Tab 3 Pro shows that tablets don’t have to be indistinct slabs of metal and glass. Sure, the asymmetrical design and above-average weight are not for everyone. But that distinctive spine hides some very interesting features, including a full-blown video projector and a multifunctional stand (it even has a hanging hole!).
Unique features aside, this ultimate media consumption machine can stand against any competitor when it comes to its fine QHD display and excellent performance, powered by Intel. Plus, the Yoga Tab 3 Pro offers what’s probably the best sound we’ve ever heard coming out of a tablet.
Read on:
- Lenovo YOGA Tablet 3 Pro hands-on and first look
- Lenovo announces YOGA Tablet 3, YOGA Tablet 3 Pro and several new smartphones at IFA 2015
LG Rolly Keyboard: simply clever
It’s not often that we’re impressed by a tablet accessory, let alone a Bluetooth keyboard. But LG managed to do just that with the clever little Rolly, a keyboard you can roll into a wand of sorts and carry in your pocket. It’s a little gizmo that you may be inclined to dismiss as an exercise in gimmickry, but playing with it turned us into converts.
The clever Rolly transforms into a wand with a satisfying click, but LG didn’t sacrifice functionality for the sake of the compact form factor. The keys actually have a nice travel (for a keyboard of this type), so you don’t feel like you’re tapping on a slab. There’s also a built-in stand that lets you prop up a phone or tablet, so you can get in productive mode just about anywhere and anytime.
Read on:
- LG Rolly wireless keyboard folds into a stick you can fit in any pocket
- LG G Pad 2 10.1 hands-on and first look
Samsung Gear S2: color us impressed
Tizen has a pretty bad reputation with the Android crowd, and for good reason. Samsung’s would-be Android replacement OS has failed to impressed us so far, and the various wearables that make use of it the more so. But the Gear S2 is different, and in a very good way. Samsung took its time bringing a new wearable to market, and this atypical restraint seems to have paid off.
The Gear S2 looks great, feels great, and thanks to the use of a rotating bezel, it actually works pretty nice too. Rotating the bezel with your index is an intuitive and simple way to go through a redesigned UI and for picking just the right app. It’s so good that, in most cases, it will replace tapping and swiping, which can be a pain on a small screen. It remains to be seen if Samsung can make Tizen work, but our initial impressions are very good.
Read on:
- Samsung’s new Gear S2 coming in October, will play nice with other Android devices
- Samsung Gear S2 hands-on
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: more than just 4K
Sony launched a world first at IFA: 4K resolution on a 5.5-inch display. Despite the almost casual manner in which this breakthrough was announced, we were impressed – and pleasantly surprised – by Sony’s 4K Xperia Z5 Premium. The sheer technical achievement of shipping a 4K display deserves plaudits, even if you probably won’t be able to tell the difference.
It’s good to see Sony holding a technological lead in smartphones, but the Z5 Premium is more than just a pretty display. It feels as premium as the name implies; it’s fast, despite the added pixels; and it comes with a great camera that pushes the envelope in terms of resolution and quality.
Read on:
- Sony Xperia Z5 Premium hands-on and first look
- Sony Xperia Z5 Premium vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5 quick look
- Sony Xperia Z5 Premium officially announced: what you need to know
There you have it: Android Authority’s Best of IFA 2015. Let us know your thoughts, thanks for following our IFA coverage, and see you at the next show!
New in our buyer’s guide: the Galaxy Note 5, OnePlus 2 and Moto G
Phones and gaming. Gaming and phones. That’s about all we’re adding to our buyer’s guide this month. Since we last checked in, we’ve inducted a trio of new handsets, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Moto G and the OnePlus 2. (And yes, we’ll soon have to update the iPhone part of the guide too.) Meanwhile, we also decided that the Wii U and the New 3DS XL deserved spots in our gaming guide, along with a nod to toys-to-life products like Amiibo, Skylanders and Disney’s Infinity series. We’ll be back next month, but until then, feel free to poke around our complete guide to see our top picks.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Gaming, Mobile, Samsung, Lenovo, Nintendo
Source:
Engadget Buyer’s Guide
Tags: 3dsxl, amiibo, buyers guide, buyersguide, disneyinfinity, engadget buyers guide, galaxynote5, lenovo, mobilepostcross, motog, motorola, nintendo, NintendoWiiU, oneplus, oneplus2, samsung, Skylanders, WiiU
Mini review video: our verdict on the Moto X Pure in under a minute
Thanks to upstarts like OnePlus, Motorola has more competition in the “cheap but good” phone category than it used to. That said, the company’s third-generation flagship, the Moto X Pure, ushers in enough improvements that it continues to be our favorite handset in the $400-or-so price range. As ever, we love the Moto X’s customizable design, useful software tricks and the fact that it runs on every US carrier. This time, however, Motorola made some major enhancements to the camera, which has never been the company’s strong suit. Yes, the 21-megapixel sensor still struggles a bit in low light, and maybe that’s something Moto will address in next year’s version. Even as is, though, the camera is much better than it used to be. Other than that, our main gripes are that the performance and battery life fall slightly short of other flagships, but that’s not saying much, especially since some of the rival devices we compared it to cost significantly more off-contract. That, in under 200 words, is the gist of our review, and if you have less than 60 seconds, you can see the device in action in the video above.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Mobile, Lenovo
Tags: lenovo, mobilepostcross, motox, motoxpure, pure, review, video
AIVAnet 