Techpaded Blog: February 2018

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Asus ZenFone 5 Officially Launched to Rival the iPhone X

Gideon Kachi February 28, 2018 Add Comment

Few days ago, we talked about the leaked specs of Asus ZenFone 5 and it's notch feature. Well, the phone has been officially launched, it does come with a “lip” (sorry, notch) which the company claims is 26% smaller than that on iPhone X, and which can be hidden using a wallpaper. Another interesting feature is Zenimoji, similar to Apple's Animoji, an avatar that can be used in video chats, live-streaming, and regular text chats. So, it's alright if we call Asus ZenFone 5 an iPhone X clone.

Where To Buy ASUS Smartphones And Pay On Delivery:

Jumia

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The device sports several AI features including the AI Charging, which dynamically adjusts the charging rate by monitoring the user’s charging habits and maximize the battery lifespan. There's also the AI Ringtone which intelligently adjusts the ringer volume according to the ambient noise level, so the phone rings louder on a noisy street and quieter in a serene hotel lounge.

Furthermore, Asus ZenFone 5 comes with AI Scene Detection as part of it camera spec, to analyse the subject and match it to one of its 16 scene types. An AI Photo Learning is also present, which lets you teach the ZenFone 5 how you want your photos to look, where the camera settings will then be automatically adjusted for future shot.

Other specifications includes a 6.2-inch Super IPS LCD display, dual 12MP rear camera and a single 8MP front-facing sensor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, 3300mAh battery capacity and two memory variants of 4GB / 6GB RAM and 64GB of inbuilt storage.

Asus ZenFone 5 Full Phone Specifications and Price

Supported Network

2G: GSM, GPRS, EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
3G: UMTS, WCDMA, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
4G: LTE unspecified frequency bands
SIM Type: Dual Nano-SIM

Platform

OS: Android 8 Oreo + Zen UI 5.0

Design

Dimensions: mm
Weight: g
Display: 6.2 inches, 2246 x 1080 pixels, 19:9 ratio, 2.5D curved glass, Super IPS LCD display
Sensors: Fingerprint, Accelerometre, Proximity
Build: Metal frame + 2.5D curved glass front and back
Colours: Midnight Blue. Meteor Silver

Hardware

Processor Type: 64-bit Octa-core
Processor Name: Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
Graphics Processor: Adreno 509

Memory

RAM: 4GB / 6GB
Internal Storage: 64GB
External Storage: microSD, up to 400GB (hybrid slot)

Cameras

Rear: Dual 12 megapixels, Sony IMX363 sensor, F/1.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS, auto-focus, LED flash
Video recording: 2160p @ 60fps. 1080p @ 30fps
Front-facing: 8 megapixels, F/2.0

Multimedia

Music Support: MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player
Audio:
Loudspeaker: Stereo speakers
Video Support: MP4/MPEG4/H.263/H.264 player
FM Radio: Yes

Connectivity

Bluetooth: v4.2
WiFi: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot
GPS: Yes
USB: microUSB v2.0, USB Type-C, USB-OTG

MISC

Charging: ASUS BoostMaster fast-charge technology + AI Charging
Battery Type and Capacity: Li-Ion 3300mAh
Announced: February 28, 2018
Availability: April 2018
Smartphone Price: Coming soon.

Asus ZenFone 5Z

Meanwhile, the company also launched Asus Zenfone 5Z, standing as an upgrade to the ZenFone 5. It comes with improved specs, such as Snapdragon 845 processor and multiple memory options: 6GB/8GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of expandable internal storage. The phone has not yet been announced, but is expected to cost around $499.

9Mobile & Sterling Bank: Get a Free Smartphone Loaded With Free Data

Gideon Kachi February 28, 2018 Add Comment

In this harsh economy, no one would like to turn down an offer to get a free smartphone even if you already have iPhone X. 9Mobile, in collaboration with sterling bank, is dishing out a SOLO Aspire 4 phone loaded with free data to anyone who opens a bank account with the latter and deposits at least N10,000.

The fourth largest telco network operator in Nigeria took to their social media page to announce this, saying:
"Its another one from t#9Mobile. It's as easy as opening a @sterlingbank account and voila! You get a smartphone powered with the super fast reliable #MoreBlaze data and other Amazing benefits!"

The smartphone is pre-loaded with 9Mobile MoreBlaze mobile data, so users will enjoy free 1.5GB to browse and download for a whole 12 months. All you have to do to get the free smartphone and data from 9Mobile is to visit any Sterling bank office closest to you and open a Sterling Plus account, then pay in/deposit N10,000 or more and that's all. Your Solo Aspire 4 smartphone will be handed to you.

Solo Aspire 4 Highlights

Display: 5.0-inch IPS
Camera: 8MP Rear and 5MP front-facing shooter
Storage: 8GB
RAM: 1GB
Battery: 4000mAh
OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Processor: 1.3GHz Quad-core MTK 6580

Once you get the smartphone, simply insert the registered 9Mobile SIM card in the SIM slot 1. You'll receive a text message within 24 hours confirming your 1.5gb data reception. Customers are also entitled to enjoy other monthly voice minutes, data and social pack. Meanwhile, it's worth noting that after the initial 10k deposit which will enable you take possession of the phone, a monthly deposit of N5105 needs to be paid into your account for the next 11 months to give you complete ownership of the device.

Kindly share and tell us what you think about it.

Just 850,000 BlackBerry Devices were Shipped in 2017, Cool?

Gideon Kachi February 28, 2018 Add Comment

Blackberry was once a top brand in the smartphone industry, but the death of its indigenous operating system—BB OS, amongst other factors, contributed greatly to its downfall. The company is now trying to gain grounds, which they claim they've succeeded in doing last year with the launch of two phones manufactured by TCL under license from BlackBerry.

Blackberry Motion
The handsets are BlackBerry KEYone and Blackberry Motion. The former was released in April with physical QWERTY keyboard, but with a cleverly placed fingerprint scanner in the keyboard's space bar and amazingly long-lasting battery life. While BlackBerry Motion was launched in October standing as one of the few "all-touch" devices from the brand, and the first have an IP certification rating (IP67), a 4000mAh battery, and a dual SIM tray.

Both phones were welcomed with open arms by consumers, sold in 50 countries and offered by more than 110 carriers last year. BlackBerry executives said that the launch of the KEYone was a huge success. Having said that, only 850,000 devices carrying the BlackBerry brand were shipped last year- according to IDC's (International Data Corporation) Francisco Jeronimo. That includes both the KEYone and Motion.

"In terms of establishing BlackBerry and KEYone over the past year. If you look at our global footprint, we're everywhere. It's hard to find somewhere where the KEYone is not available. We are not in a race for volume. We understand it takes time to rebuild an operation, and we understand BlackBerry is not for everyone. We will be firmly staying in a premium category, innovating around keyboards, materials, and areas to show people we're here to stay. It's a marathon, not a sprint."-Francois Mahieu, Global GM, BlackBerry Mobile

We expect this figure to increase by the time the next stats will be published, as Blackberry has promised to release two new handsets for this year. But for now, i'm not impressed.

One the other hand, Nokia (a name now licensed by HMD Global) is a brand with similar problems but they've fought back, releasing numerous phones which covers all segments of the market, and reports shows they shipped over 4.4 million unit during Q4 of 2017 alone. This is what come back means to me.

source: TechRadar

Facebook Messenger v2.3 Updated With new Tools for Businesses

Gideon Kachi February 27, 2018 Add Comment

A new version of messenger, which is designed to help business owners improve interactions with customers, is now available for Facebook. Messenger v2.3 accompanies new features and tools such as customer chat plugin customization, enhanced Quick replies, new metrics, and new message tags.

Quick replies is not new to Messenger, having made its debut on the popular platform in 2016. Now, Facebook has improved the feature in this new version to offer a more guided experience for users as they interact with businesses bots. With it, for example, a quick reply button which will automatically fill in your email or phone number that's associated with your Facebook profile can be sent whenever a business asks your info.

More chat plugin customization options have also added in Messenger version 2.3 where businesses can now easily customize notifications and persistent menu. Additionally, two new metrics are now available which will help users to better understand how people are engaging with their business, particularly open messaging conversations and new messaging conversations.

Lastly, new message tags have been included in this updated version to make it easier for businesses and developers to reply to questions issued by customers.

source: Facebook

Huawei Launches MediaPad M5 Tablets; See Specs and Prices

Gideon Kachi February 27, 2018 Add Comment

Though, Huawei won't introduce its new flagship smartphone(s) at the MWC 2018 event, the Chinese company recently launched a new set of tablets under the MediaPad brand with amazing features and specifications last week.

Where To Buy Huawei Phones And Pay On Delivery:
Jumia

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Konga

: View Huawei Phone Price Offers, Click Here
The MediaPad M5 is available in 8.4- and 10.8-inch IPS displays versions with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. In terms of performance, it is powered by the company's own Kirin 960 chipset, paired with 4GB RAM and 32GB - 128GB storage versions. There are large batteries to keep the lights on, which are good for 10/11 hours, and 2/4 Harman speakers.

For images and videos duties, the tab features a 13 megapixel rear camera, and there are margnetic pins on the back for attaching the new MediaPads to accessories such as the official keyboard folio. A pressure-sensitive Mate pen will also be available, but it comes as an extra periphery. Other specs worth noting are nano SIM card slots, LTE connectivity, and the latest Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.

As for the price, the high-end 10-inch M5 will cost €399 for the 32GB Wi-Fi version, while the 4G LTE model with 128GB storage is priced at €549. On the other hand, the 8" model is priced at €349 for the Wi-Fi version, and €499 for model with 4G LTE. These Huawei MediaPad M5 tablets are expected to hit the markets by March in United States and Europe.

source: PhoneArena

Nokia 8 Sirocco is a Fine Upgrade to the Standard Nokia 8

Gideon Kachi February 26, 2018 1 Comment

Nokia 8 Sirocco posses as an upgrade to the regular Nokia 8 which was launched last year. It comes with improved specifications and features such as a bigger 5.5-inch p-OLED display at 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution, with 16:9 aspect ratio and Gorilla Glass 5 for protection against screen cracks and scratches.

Where To Buy Nokia Phones And Pay On Delivery:

Jumia

: View Nokia Phone Price Offers

Konga

: View Nokia Phone Price Offers, Click Here
In terms of photography, Nokia 8 Sirocco features a pair of 12 megapixel camera at the back, equipped with LED flssh, along with a 5MP front-facing shooter for selfies and video chat. The phone is adorned with a Stainless Steel frame as against the aluminium build on the standard model, and it drops IP54 splash resistance for IP67 water and dust resistance.

Under the hood is 2.5GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 835 processor, paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB of expandable inbuilt storage. The device runs Android 8.0 Oreo straight from the box, and it uses a non-removable 3260mAh battery with QuickCharge 4, support which boosts it from 0 to 50% charge in 30 minutes. The fingerprint scanner is embedded on the screen.

Nokia 8 Sirocco will be available for purchase by April 2018 with a price tag of about €749, which is around N328,000 in Nigeria.

Nokia 8 Sirocco Full Phone Specifications and Price