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Unlocked phone shootout: Meet the Huawei P8 Lite and Oppo R7
It used to be, not too long ago, that buying an unlocked smartphone online from some unfamiliar Chinese OEM was a sure-fire recipe for frustration. The thing is, the bar for no-contract phones has gotten so high within the past two years or so that you could easily ditch the common flagships down at your local carrier store and live the unlocked life with a great device you've never even heard of. To test that wallet-friendly hypothesis, I took a pair of unlocked Chinese smartphones that either are or soon will be available stateside. Say hello to the $250 Huawei P8 Lite and the $400 Oppo R7.
China nails Samsung and Oppo over smartphone bloatware
A minor Chinese consumer protection group has filed lawsuits against Samsung and Oppo to contest the pair's use of bloatware on their smartphones. The Shanghai Consumer Council believes that the two companies install far too many additional apps on their devices and then make it difficult for them to be easily removed. The group says that it was motivated to launch the legal broadside after a high number of complaints from users. It believes that people are aggrieved that they've got less storage space than expected, and that these apps slurp down excessive quantities of data.
Oppo's R7 Plus squeezes a big battery into a slim body
Nope, these aren't the near-bezel-less phones that Oppo teased us with back in March, but they are still very compelling. Following the super slim R5, the Chinese company has shifted its focus back to specs with two new models: the 5-inch R7 and the 6-inch R7 Plus. For us, it's really all about the bigger phone: its 7.75mm-thick aluminum unibody manages to pack a generous 4,100 mAh battery, which goes very well with Oppo's renowned VOOC rapid charging -- a feature that's proven to be faster than most of its competitors'. Not to mention that the device also comes with a single-touch fingerprint sensor on the back, along with an 8-megapixel f/2.4 front imager plus a 13-megapixel f/2.2 main camera with an RGBW sensor (Sony's IMX278) for better sensitivity in the dark, as well as laser auto-focus and dual-tone LED flash.
Daily Roundup: Mars One criticism, paying bills with Gmail and more!
What's happening in the world of technology today? We interview Bas Lansdorp, the CEO of Mars One, and ask about recent criticism of his organization's project. In other news, you may soon be able to pay bills from inside Gmail and the White House snags another Silicon Valley veteran to help rub the administration's Office of Digital Strategy. Read about these stories and more in today's daily roundup.
Oppo's next phone has a crazy slim screen bezel
The folks over at Oppo sure know how to tease. Well, that's my guess, anyway, based on the fact that several Chinese tech writers received the above photos from "anonymous" sources yesterday. This mysterious smartphone -- running on Oppo's ColorOS Android ROM -- features an almost edge-to-edge screen that's similar to what we've seen on the Sharp AQUOS Crystal series, except for the earpiece that Oppo decided to keep. This is backed up by an Oppo patent (dug up by GSM Arena) which shows the use of light refraction to give the illusion of a bezel-free screen. Yes, it's very much the same method as Sharp's. For those who are still skeptical, there's now a short video showing the same device in action, and you can check it out after the break. As for the price and availability, we're just as eager as you are to find out.
Would you prefer a thinner phone or better battery life?
Despite a number of exciting (and novel) announcements related to battery technology, the sad fact is that our smartphones still need to be frequently charged. One thing that hasn't helped in prolonging the lives of our devices is a trend toward ever thinner phones. In some cases, it seems like things are getting too thin. What if we could get some extra battery life in exchange for a few extra millimeters of padding? Would you do it? Head over to the Engadget forums and let us know what you think! [Image credit: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Year of the Goat: 11 Chinese smartphone brands to watch
2014 had been a wonderful year for the ever-competitive Chinese smartphone market. We saw the birth of new brands, the record of world's thinnest phone broken three times, and a couple of companies entering India with great reception (although not without some struggle). So with MWC following right after Chinese New Year, what better way to celebrate both than to look at the top Chinese smartphone brands? Granted, not all of these companies will be on the show floor next week (not Xiaomi or Oppo, for instance), but there's no stopping us from saying "ni hao" to them, anyway.
At just 4.85mm, Oppo R5 is the world's slimmest smartphone
Step aside, Gionee, as your record for the world's slimmest smartphone has just been beaten by a fellow Chinese manufacturer. Oppo's R5, the successor to the Asia-only R3, comes in at just 4.85mm thick, thus beating the 5.15mm-thick Elife S5.1 from Gionee. Despite the crazy thin metallic body, the R5 still packs a handful of goodies: a 5.2-inch full HD AMOLED screen, an octa-core (quad 2.1GHz and quad 1.5GHz), 64-bit Snapdragon 615 SoC, 2GB of RAM, 5MP/13MP cameras (both with f/2.0 aperture), LTE radio and a 2,000 mAh battery. All of this comes in at just 155g heavy. Of course, there's bound to be a trade-off: You only get 16GB of internal storage, no microSD expansion and, unlike the Elife S5.1, no 3.5mm headphone connector here -- you'll need to use the bundled micro-USB adapter or Bluetooth (there's an optional O-Music Bluetooth clip for your headphones and for triggering the camera).
Oppo N3's motorized swivel camera takes selfies to the next level
If you thought Oppo was done with making eccentric selfie phones, you're wrong; the Chinese company is back with a new model dubbed the N3 to replace the N1 from last September. The iconic swivel camera at the top is here to stay, but this time we have a 16-megapixel f/2.2 module with Schneider optics, and it's motorised! It's actually much cooler than it sounds: You can quickly flip the camera with a flick gesture on the screen or on the fingerprint sensor on the back -- more on that later. In addition to that, the N3 comes with a new O-Click Bluetooth remote that not only acts as a remote trigger, but it also lets you adjust the camera's angle using the extra buttons.
Oppo Find 7 review: A solid phone that faces stiff competition
The Galaxy S5. The One M8. The G3. Every notable player in the overcrowded smartphone space has a flagship, one heroic device that the company pins its hopes on... for a year or so, anyway. For Oppo, a Chinese phone maker whose profile has swelled thanks to a surprisingly solid phone lineup, that flagship is the Find 7: an unassuming slab that looks painfully pedestrian compared to the last time the company went all out. Maybe that's a bit harsh. The Find 7 pairs top-notch performance with one of the highest-resolution screens you'll find on a mobile today -- hardly a formula to sneeze at. But is it worth the $599 asking price? Is Oppo really a mobile force to be reckoned with? Follow me, friends, and we'll figure it out together.
Oppo's N1 Mini makes iPhones look tiny
The N1 isn't exactly a household name, so allow us to refresh your memory: it's a CyanogenMod phone with a selfie-friendly swivel camera made by Chinese manufacturer Oppo. Well, its creator just announced a mini version of the device -- except it's not exactly something you'd call small. Oppo shaved just 0.9 inches off the full-sized N1, so the ironically named N1 Mini is still quite a large 5-inch phone -- larger than other "mini" follow-up devices like the 4.3-inch Galaxy S4 Mini. While the new device is slightly lighter (150g) than its older sibling (213g), it packs the same 13-megapixel swivel camera, but enhanced with an "Ultra-HD" mode that can produce 24-megapixel shots -- which is similar to the Find 7's 50-megapixel mode.
OnePlus One will cost under $400, £290 / €350 in US, UK and Europe (updated)
It's just seven days until OnePlus launches its first Android flagship, but that hasn't stopped the company drip-feeding news about the device. Surprisingly, the outfit promises that the unit will cost under £290 in the UK, €350 in Europe and $3,000 HKD in Hong Kong -- which we're taking to mean £289, €349 and $2,999, respectively. By way of comparison, that's £10 less than you'd pay for a Nexus 5 and £20 more than you'd need for a Lumia 1320. Now, given that the handset is shipping with a Snapdragon 801, 3GB RAM, 5.5-inch 1080p display and a 3,100mAh battery, what is OnePlus likely to scrimp on in order to get it down to that price? Why not dive in over at the forums and speculate with us. Update: No sooner had we begun to shoot the breeze concerning the rest-of-the-world pricing when the company announces that the OnePlus One will also land in the US, where it'll retail for "under" $400.
Oppo's bringing another LTE phone to the US (and it might just be affordable)
Oppo has a reputation for clever smartphones, but there's a good reason why you rarely see its devices in the US: it hasn't had local LTE data until the (currently unreleased) Find 7, and that's not exactly cheap. Imagine our surprise when we found a version of the R1 with US-capable LTE, fresh from FCC approval. The high-style, low-cost phone can now handle 4G data on T-Mobile and, to a limited extent, AT&T. It should also run quickly on Canadian providers.
Oppo Find 7 is the world's first phone that can take 50MP photos (video)
We've seen the teasers and we've seen the leaks, so it's about time to see the real thing. Oppo has finally unveiled the Find 7 in Beijing just now, and as promised, this Android 4.3 device really can take 50-megapixel photos! But as with many things in life, there's a catch here: the sensor is actually a 13-megapixel Sony IMX214 CMOS, so it's a software trick. Still, the results we saw earlier were surprisingly good, so read on to check out how it's done and what the rest of the phone is like.
OnePlus dripfeeds more specs for its 'perfect' One smartphone
Let's face it: "One" isn't the most creative name for a smartphone, even if OnePlus couldn't resist the wordplay. We wouldn't call the company headed by ex-Oppo exec Pete Lau unoriginal though, as we can't claim to have seen another smartphone developed with such transparency. OnePlus has been systematically posting info about "the perfect smartphone" to its announcement forum, seemingly as it's decided upon. We still don't have any clue as to what it'll look like, other than its dimensions are smaller than those of Sony's Xperia Z1, but we do know it'll sport a 5.5-inch 1080p display on the outside, with a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 and 3,100mAh battery within. The company's also been working with partner CyanogenMod on "mystery tech" to optimize battery performance, and most recently, has teased an always-on voice recognition feature, while also polling suggestions on what phrase should trigger it. Probably the most interesting number thus far is the One's sub-$400 price tag, however, and although there's much left to learn about the device, we're most certainly listening.
Oppo's Find 7 smartphone poses for glamour shots, two weeks early
So much for surprises. Oppo has been trying to maintain an aura of mystery around the launch of the Find 7 on March 19th, but the design lovers at Red Dot have spoiled things by showing off the smartphone in their product gallery, nearly two weeks ahead of time. While we've had some idea of what the Find 7 will look like, it's now clear that the 5.5-inch device will have a more upscale look than the Find 5 with a seamless front and a "breath light" at the bottom for notifications. What you don't see, however, is that rumored 50-megapixel camera -- the handset shown here comes with a relatively ordinary 13-megapixel shooter. Nokia isn't likely in danger of losing its camera resolution supremacy, then. Even so, we doubt that many prospective Find 7 owners will complain given the Quad HD screen and other top-tier specs.
Qualcomm betting on octa-core tech and better LTE radio in China
Despite Qualcomm's odd stance on octa-core and 64-bit in the past, the company has clearly changed its mind since last week's launch of its Snapdragon 615, which includes both features. Qualcomm's marketing VP Tim McDonough, who briefly spoke to us after his meeting with Oppo at MWC, admitted that this new chip is partly aimed at the ever-demanding Chinese market. "It's very interesting. Consumers in China want octa-core. It's very high on their list; while in the US and Western Europe, it's totally other things that consumers want," the exec said. "So we've really recognized that if that's what Chinese consumers want, that is what our Chinese customers, our OEMs want, and Qualcomm has to care for that need; so that's what we're doing."
Photo suggests Oppo's Find 7 smartphone might have a 50-megapixel camera
Oppo may have just stolen Nokia's camera resolution crown. The Chinese company has posted a whopping 50-megapixel (8,160 x 6,120) photo that was reportedly taken with the upcoming Find 7 smartphone. On a surface level, the image checks out -- there's a lot of detail here, including street signs that suggest Oppo took the picture in Barcelona (despite the likely fake Florida license plate). However, we wouldn't be too quick to praise the Find 7's photographic abilities. Oppo is known to occasionally post bogus teasers that don't translate into shipping products, so it wouldn't be surprising if the company's new flagship relies on more modest camera technology.
Oppo N1 review: a cameraphone that puts selfies first
If our articles have been tagged properly, the first mention of Oppo on Engadget dates back to August 2005. No one would have thought that this then-fledgling DVD player manufacturer -- a spin-off from Vivo's parent company BBK -- would end up making some interesting smartphones. It's funny how both of these Chinese brands have been getting our attention lately with top specs, nice designs and reasonable prices. However, in terms of global reach, Oppo is well ahead with its presence in Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, Vietnam and India. Vivo, on the other hand, is preparing to break out of China sometime this year. Following the Find 5, Oppo's latest flagship product is the N1, a 5.9-inch Android phone that's bringing back the once-common swivel camera. This device is clearly meant to meet the growing appetite for large phones and high-quality selfie cameras, especially in Asia. For those seeking a different kind of selling point, the N1 is also the first device to offer CyanogenMod ROM -- stock Android, but with neat enhancements -- and with Google's approval, no less. Thus, users get to choose between two officially supported ROMs. But what about the execution? And will these bonuses be enough to attract a global audience? Read on to find out.
Oppo's 2K-ready Find 7 makes first appearance, lets you swap batteries
Remember when Chinese smartphone outfit Oppo promised two versions of its Find 7 handset? The first of the pair has just passed through China's telecoms regulator, spec list in tow. Sadly, this isn't the Quad-HD (aka: 2K) version of the device, but the 5.5-inch 1080p screen shouldn't be sniffed at. Inside, you'll find a 2.26GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, microSD card slot, a 2,700mAh removable battery, TD-LTE and Android 4.3. Weighing in at just 165 grams and only 9.2mm thick, we're looking forward to putting this thing through its paces on March 19th.
