IHS iSuppli: Xiaomi outpaces Huawei as 3rd largest manufacturer

The champagne is popping over at Xiaomi headquarters as according to IHS iSuppli, the company is now the third largest phone manufacturer. The analysts reports that Xiaomi outpaced Huawei with a total of 19 million smartphones shipped in Q3 2014. For the same period, Huawei managed to sell 16.8 million smartphones.

Xiaomi's pace has been growing continuously over the past couple of years. In 2012, it sold 5.7 million phones and 18.7 million in 2014 (note that these are full year numbers). This year it sold 11 million and 15.1 million in Q1 and Q2 respectively.

The latest markets to welcome Xiaomi are Singapore, India and Hong Kong. In India, the company has been quite active recently and with its aggressive pricing it managed to not only raise awareness but also sell quite a lot of Mi3 and Redmi Note smartphones.

Competition in China is getting more and more fierce with Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi fighting for a better position in the market. Meizu and OnePlus are also potent competitors, which are likely to offer even more competitive products as time goes on.

Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro review: Expanding universe

Introduction

Talking about high-end smartphones in our parts of the world, Lenovo is hardly the first name that pops in your head. The Chinese maker's first two attempts at a premium handset have been hard to find outside of its homeland, but Lenovo appears to have enough faith in the Vibe Z2 Pro to make it a truly global phone. Perhaps climbing to the number 3 spot in China was the confidence boost they needed to try and storm the international smartphone market.

The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro certainly seems fit for the job. It features a 6" QHD IPS LCD display and a Snapdragon 801 chipset with 3GB of RAM, all packed in neat-looking metal body with very little screen bezel.

As a result, the Vibe Z2 Pro is actually quite compact for the massive 6" screen it flaunts. 2.1mm shorter than the 5.5" Apple iPhone 6 Plus is impressive whichever way you look at it. Here's the rest of the key specs.
Key features

    6.0" 16M-color QHD IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with Gorilla Glass 3
    Android OS v4.4.2 KitKat with custom Lenovo UI
    LTE Cat 4 support
    Quad-core 2.5GHz Krait 400 CPU, Adreno 330 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset
    3GB of RAM
    16MP OIS camera with 2160p video recording @ 30fps, 1080p @ 60fps, 720p @ 120fps
    5MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording
    Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA
    GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
    32GB of built-in storage
    microUSB 2.0 port with USB host and MHL 2.0
    Bluetooth v4.0
    NFC
    Standard 3.5mm audio jack
    Accelerometer and proximity sensor
    Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
    4,000mAh Li-Po battery

Main disadvantages

    Non-expandable storage
    Snapdragon 805 would have been a better fit for the QHD resolution
    Battery isn't user-replaceable
    No Infrared port

There are virtually no deal-breakers we can spot right off the bat. The lack of a microSD card slot can turn off quite a few users, but the base storage option of 32GB should still be enough for most. And while the battery isn't user replaceable, it's got enough juice to make you forget about it.

With a thin waistline of 7.7mm, the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro makes a great first impression, while the metal body and QHD screen are likely to keep you happy in the long run. We'll see if the Vibe Z2 Pro delivers on its promises when we are done with the review.

Motorola Droid Turbo hands-on: First look

Introduction

This is the Motorola Droid Turbo - Motorola's strongest claim at the high-end throne yet. Built around the strong foundation of the Moto X (2014), Nexus 6 and Motorola's previous Droids it pools together a premium build, pure Android with exclusive features and impressive battery life.

The Motorola Droid Turbo is everything we were hoping for with a 5.2" display of QHD (1,440x2,560px) resolution and massive 565ppi density, a top of the line Snapdragon 805 chip, 3GB of RAM, 21MP main camera. To add a bit of character the Droid Turbo comes in Ballistic nylon or Metalized Glass fiber reinforced with DuPont Kevlar fiber and a water-repellent nano coating.

Think of this as the powerful middle ground between the Moto X (2014) and Nexus 6 - smaller but also much, much bigger. Here are the highlights Droid Turbo's crossbreed specs:
Motorola Droid Turbo at a glance:

    Dimensions: Ballistic nylon: 73.3 x 143.5 x 11.2mm; Metalized fiber: 73.3 x 146.5 x 10.6mm; Weight: Ballistic nylon: 176g; Metalized fiber: 169g
    Display: 5.2" AMOLED touchscreen, 1,440 x 2,560 resolution; around 565ppi; Gorilla Glass 3
    Chipset: Snapdragon 805 chipset: quad-core Krait 450 @2.7GHz; Adreno 420 GPU; 3GB RAM
    OS: Android 4.4.4 KitKat
    Camera: 21MP main camera with 2160p@24fps video capture, dual-LED flash
    Front camera: 2MP front-facing camera with 1080p video capture
    Storage: 32GB/64GB built-in
    Connectivity: LTE Cat. 4, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS + GLONASS; microUSB 2.0
    Battery: 3,900mAh, Motorola Turbo Charger
    Misc: DuPont Kevlar on the back, infrared

Motorola is going for the gold this year. It brought us a new, truly flagship Moto X, its first Nexus (which braves crowded phablet realm) and now it tops both (in a way) with the Motorola Droid Turbo. And while "turbo" monikers are outdated, the word perfectly describes the fire-breathing nature of this device.

What the Moto X (2014) lacked, the Droid Turbo has in reserve. Snapdragon 801 is still worth its salt nowadays but Snapdragon 805 is the new champ. Motorola isn't taking its chances with mediocre battery life here - the potent 3,900mAh capacity promises insane, Droid Maxx-worthy longevity.

The Motorola Droid Turbo comes with nearly stock Android, ensuring a snappy performance. It should offer timely updates (that is if Verizon obliges), but it's starting a lap behind the Nexus family with 4.4 KitKat out of the box.

There's every chance that the Droid Turbo might sway Moto X (old and new) onlookers and shift their affections towards Turbo's direction. Hopefully Motorola won't keep the Droid Turbo confined to just one carrier in one country, otherwise they will be left with just looks of envy.

Wishes not withstanding, the Motorola Droid Turbo will make its way exclusively to Verizon customers starting October 30. It will cost $199.99 for the 32GB and $249.99 for the 64GB with a two-year commitment. There will also be a monthly option at $25 or $27 per month on Verizon Edge, respectively. The 32 gig model will come in Metallic Black, Metallic Red, and Black Ballistic Nylon while the 64GB will launch only in Nylon garbs.

HTC One (M8) for Windows review: Tinker, Tailor

Introduction

What if you could pick a phone and then choose its operating system? What if you could get a popular flagship such as the HTC One (M8) and replace the Android OS with Windows Phone? Wonder no more - meet the HTC One (M8) for Windows - the only smartphone giving you the choice!

HTC is the first manufacturer to launch a popular smartphone running on another platform. HTC One (M8) has been around since the last spring season and it has become favorite to many. Now it has a chance to expand its reach beyond the Android users.

Windows Phone is still young and advancing operation system, but since the Windows Phone 8.1, it has become a true competitor to Android and iOS in terms of usability and features. The growing popularity and the free license of Windows Phone to devices under 8" are probably among the reasons HTC has decided on launching its most popular smartphone - the One (M8) - running on Microsoft's OS.

HTC One (M8) for Windows is virtually the same device as the original One (M8) - it's got the same unibody metal shell, the same Snapdragon 801 chipset, the same UltraPixel rear camera duo, and finally, the same beautiful 5" 1080p display. It is absolutely the same device, just running on Windows Phone 8.1.
Key features

    Metal unibody with brushed finish
    5" 1080p capacitive touchscreen with 441pi pixel density; Corning Gorilla Glass 3
    Windows Phone 8.1 OS
    2.3GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU; 2GB of RAM; Adreno 330 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset
    Dual 4MP AF "UltraPixel" (2µm pixel size) camera with 1/3" sensor; 28mm f/2.0 lens; dual-LED flash; HTC ImageChip 2
    1080p video capture at 60 fps
    5MP front-facing camera with BSI sensor; wide-angle f/2.0 lens; HDR; 1080p video recording
    32GB of built-in memory; microSD card slot up to 128GB
    Active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone
    Front-facing stereo speakers with BoomSound and built-in amplifiers
    2,600mAh battery; Extreme Power Saving Mode

Main disadvantages

    4MP camera can't match higher-resolution rivals
    No 4K video recording or OIS (on a flagship device)
    Non user-replaceable battery
    USB On-the-go or USB Host

HTC One (M8) for Windows lacks the same features its Android sibling was missing on - a removable battery, 4K video recording or optical stabilization, and the camera still offers the same low resolution.

HTC Nexus 9 hands-on: First look

Introduction

The Nexus 9 by HTC was a hotly anticipated device on several fronts - it's the first tablet with Android 5.0 Lollipop, it brings HTC back into the tablet game, it's the first big Nexus tablet in two years and it's the first Nexus tablet that goes after a more premium market.

HTC hasn't made a tablet since 2011's Jetstream and we have to say we've missed it. The company's well-known premium touch has been carried over to the Nexus lineup, which in recent years focused solely on mass market affordability. The new Nexus 6 (by Motorola) smartphone and Nexus 9 tablet (by HTC) show Google has enough confidence in its home brand to push for the higher segments of the market.

The Nexus 9 has a metal rim around the device, both for rigidity and a more premium feel. It's a 4:3 tablet similar to the iPads and is the first tablet to feature HTC's BoomSound front-facing stereo speakers. Pre-orders will ship soon - currently available in 16GB and 32GB - and an LTE version is expected shortly after that.
HTC Nexus 9 at a glance:

    Dimensions: 228.2 x 153.7 x 7.9mm; 425g (Wi-Fi) / 436g (LTE)
    Display: 8.9" IPS LCD touchscreen, 2,048 x 1,536 resolution; Gorilla Glass 3
    Chipset: Nvidia Tegra K1: dual-core Denver @ 2.3GHz; Kepler DX1 GPU; 2GB RAM
    OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop
    Camera: 8MP main camera with 1080p@30fps video capture
    Front camera: 1.6MP front-facing camera with 720p video capture
    Storage: 16GB / 32GB built-in
    Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1 with aptX, A-GPS + GLONASS; microUSB 2.0
    Battery: 6,700mAh Li Po
    Misc: BoomSound stereo speakers

Nvidia is regaining its foothold as an Android chipset manufacturer, mostly among tablets. The Nexus 9 is the first device to sport the 64-bit Tegra K1 chipset with Nvidia's own Denver processor. The GPU, Kepler, is also of Nvidia design and from what we've seen in the other K1 chipset version it's a portable beast - it tops Adreno, Mali and PowerVR handedly.

Google made an interesting decision to move to a 4:3 aspect ratio. It's better for web pages and documents, but not as good for video playback (which would have gone great with the front-facing speakers). As the first Lollipop tablet and one of two launch Lollipop devices, part of its job is to make sure apps are ready when other devices get the update. Will developers find app UX better on a 4:3 screen rather than the wide 16:9/16:10 tablets that are popular today? Devs have months to find the answer.

Asus Memo Pad 7 ME176C review: Assembly line

Introduction

Of all the emerging Asian smart device manufacturers, Asus has easily one of the most diverse portfolios of devices around. From PadFone to Fonepad to Transformer Pad, the Taiwanese manufacturer provides a tablet for every market segment and user, with a new one popping up virtually every month. And the company's growing Memo Pad family is no exception.

The Asus Memo Pad 7 has so many iterations, in fact, that it's necessary to specify that we're reviewing the ME176C model, specifically. The ME176C is the lesser member of the new line of Memo Pads introduced by Asus last month. It features the same screen as the older Memo Pad HD7, but runs on Intel's Atom Z3745 chip rather a Mediatek one, and that should provide a huge performance boost.

The ME176C has also been updated to the latest Android build, sporting version 4.4.2 KitKat, with tons customizable extras from Asus. Like its predecessor, this Memo Pad 7 is firmly in the entry-level price point, with a WXGA screen, 8/16GB of internal storage, 1GB RAM, and a 5MP/2MP rear/front camera combo.

Let's take a closer look at what else the Memo Pad 7 ME176C brings to the table:
Key features

    7" 800 x 1280 IPS LCD of 216ppi
    Intel Atom Z3745 chipset, 1GB of RAM
    Quad-core 1.86GHz processor
    Intel HD GPU based on Ivy Bridge
    Android 4.4.2 with Asus customizations
    5MP back and 2MP front cameras
    microSD card support up to 64GB
    3,910mAh battery
    Multiple color options
    Competitive price

Main disadvantages

    No cellular version
    Plastic build
    Low-res screen

While for the most part the specs sheet doesn't seem like anything worth writing home about, one thing that does jump out is the Intel Atom Z3745 processor. Based on Intel's Bay Trail-T 22nm architecture, the Z3745 is the same processor found on full-fledged Windows hybrid laptops like the Acer Aspire Switch 10. We're excited to see what kind of performance the ME175C will be able to achieve on this low-res droid even if it only has 1GB of RAM.

As you can tell by our own photos, one thing that jumps out from a design standpoint is the vibrant color combinations. Our own bright yellow is complemented by equally eye-catching Red and Blue colors, besides the traditional Black and White options.

LG Isai VL debuts in Japan with 3GB of RAM and VoLTE

Before the LG G3 got official, we caught a glimpse of what to expect from it through the Isai FL, a handset that has basically been Japan's version of the flagship. It was the first LG smartphone to come with QHD (2,560x1,440) resolution, for example.

And today it's received an ever so slight update. The new model is called LG Isai VL, it's still exclusive to Japanese carrier Au by KDDI, and it very much resembles the Isai FL from earlier this year, even having the exact same dimensions: 145 x 76 x 10.5mm. It is 6g lighter though, coming in at 154g.

Compared to its predecessor it does bump up the RAM to 3GB, and features support for Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) too. Otherwise, though, we're looking at pretty much the same hardware package.

Just like the Isai FL, the new Isai VL comes with a 5.5-inch QHD display, a 13 MP rear camera, a 1.3 MP front camera, and a 3,000 mAh battery. It also sports 32GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD), Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and it's water and dust resistant too. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat and will be available in the three colors you can see above: "aqua", black, and "pink gold".

Sony Xperia T3 and Xperia M2 LTE officially arrive in the US

Sony Xperia T3 and Xperia M2 officially arrived in the United States. The duo of mid-range devices is available to purchase directly from Sony’s official online store unlocked and contract-free.

Sony is asking $399.99 for the Xperia T3 phablet, while the water-proof Xperia M2 is priced at $279.99. Both handsets feature AT&T and T-Mobile-friendly 4G LTE bands.