Pictures of Xiaomi's Red Rice smartphone have shown up online constantly for a couple of months now. However, the launch of the handset is drawing near according to insider sources.



Customers of Xiaomi have discovered the news of the Red Rice phone via other Xiaomi product labelling. When examining the label that lists compatible goods, the Red Rice phone (small red) was listed.

Xiaomi have yet to actually announce the phone, but insiders at the Beijing based company claim that the budget Xiaomi will only cost around 150 USD and will come with a 1.2Ghz dual-core Cortex A9 CPU, 4.7-inch display, 8 mp cam and MIUI V5.

There are also whispers talking about a seperate Mediatek powered device also being released. But at present no solid evidence has confirmed any CPU. So stay tuned to apad.tv for more news on the Red Rice smartphone.

It isn’t a lot of money for an Android smartphone these days from China, however if that is how much you have to spend then the Beidou Little Cyclone F9 looks to be quite a bargains.

The Little Cyclone F9 isn’t as flashy as most of the phones we are currently watching in China, but at around $130 USD this 5-inch handset is likely to be popular.

Keeping the F9 under the 160 USD mark seems to of been the goal for the designers of this little gem. This means the display has been economised to be a 4.5-inch QHD screen.



However, the rest of the hardware is on a par with phones costing a good bit more. The processor is China’s current favorite for news phones, the quad-core MT6589 and there is 1GB RAM along with 4GB ROM.

An 8 mega-pixel rear cam should be more than adequate for most users and the 2 mega-pixel front cam will be fine for video chat applications.

The smartphone comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean plus there is dual-SIM support, micro SD-card expansion and a 2100mAh battery. The Beidou F9 is actually very similar to the 5-inch Beidou Chi.

There has been confirmation that Neo will be launching their new Neo N003 Smartphone late next month.

Neo generally don't let any details out about their products until the very last minute. Maybe because they couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery, or maybe because they like to get their fans exploding with anticipation. This makes this latest rumor all the more exciting.



Neo will launch this sub-$200 phone, the N003 on June 25th. This will make it the cheapest quad-core, 1080p Android smartphone available at this time. The entry level model will come equipped with 1GB RAM and a 8GB ROM, the top of the range model the premium gets 2GB RAM and 32GB ROM. Both versions of the Neo N003 will feature a 5-inch FHD 1080p screen, quad-core MT6589 CPU board, 13 MP rear cam, 3 mega-pixel front, 3000mAh battery, OTG and dual-SIM support plus Yamaha speakers.

Confirmed Specifications Link

MeituKiss is new smartphone targetted at females and comes with dual-cams, with the front and back cameras having an 8 MP Sony image sensor and a quad-core processor.

The past month has seen specification announcements with the notable change being much better front cams. This it would seem is to improve the in-call video quality, but also is the aspect of self-portraits is definitely playing a part in this increased demand for better front cams.




Walk in to any coffee shop on the high street in China and you are guaranteed to bump in to at least one group of young ladies doing their best face pose to their phone cams.

Manufacturers have been quick to identify this and we are seeing more and more smartphones with updated front cameras and pre-installed photo enhancement and manipulation apps.

The cream of the crop of this genre of handset is now the MeituKiss, which boasts dual 8 MP Sony cams and dedicated Fujitsu graphics chip. The screen is no small fry, at 4.5-inch and capable of 720p.

Under the pink hood the MeituKiss runs a 1.2Ghz quad-core MT6589 CPU board, 1GB RAM, 8GB ROM with micro SD card reader, dual-sim support and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, however the release date is currently set at the 16th May 2013.

Rumors that Sony's C3 will use a new MediaTek CPU board have surfaced. This would mean Sony is about to possibly launch their first lower price bracket handset. The rumor also suggests that handset will only be manufactured for the China handset market.



A few months back we reported that Sony along with HTC and a couple of other big name brands were planning to deploy MediaTek based phones in China. It makes perfect sense that they should want to as the Chinese phone market is one of the highest volume phone markets in the world. MediaTek based phones are very popular in China and more importantly to the Chinese as they are cheap.

Apparently the handset will be named the Sony C3. Details are thin on the ground, but it is thought that the phone will be powered by a quad-core MT6589 processor or the updated 1.5Ghz MT6589T.

Another selection of Meizu MX3 mock-up concept pictures have been released, showing a new curved slim design and a very curved glass display.
Meizu watchers are now looking forward to more details about the Meizu MX3. As yet Meizu have remained mysteriously quiet regarding the juicy details.





Meizu engineers remain tight lipped thus far and fans are not sure if it's just because they are so busy wrapping up the latest version of the FlyMe ROM V3.0 Or it's because they have a new interesting feature set they wish to keep secret until releasing to the public and staying a step ahead of their competition.

From the Meizu MX3 mock-ups we can make out some new features, such as the body, which appears to be made of a metal alloy to a tapered ‘tear drop’ pear shape. The LED power indicator lights along the edge of casing also look very eye catching. The back of the phone looks to be flat while the display actually seems to have a curve, but this is after all just a hand made rendering. The home button and back are on-screen.

While the designs here are really incredible we don’t actually expect a smartphone looking so extraordinary to appear from Meizu. It's believed the MX3 will look similar to the MX2 but with a bigger display and super slim screen bezel.

Before the launch of the HTC One there where reports of some clone phone makers working on some of their own clone handsets, and this is one of them. The HDC One is the first HTC One clone to be released in China.



Some sources said the first would be a Goophone manufactured handset, but it's actually HDC who have given birth to their One clone first.

The sophistication of the clone is a fairly good representation of the HTC One flagship smartphone.

The HDC One HTC One copy, full name HDC One HX9299A, has a curved metal alloy body, with a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 screen and is powered by a quad-core MT6589 CPU board. The clone also has 1GB RAM.



Other features of note include a 16GB of storage ROM, 3 mega-pixel front camera, 8 mega-pixel back cam. The OC is Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

There is no word on pricing yet, but sources suggest that this HTC One clone could be available for as little as 200 USD.

Lenovo are introducing a new big battery smartphone, in a strategy to take the focus off the P770. The new Lenovo P780 has a bigger battery, improved finish and a bigger screen.



If you get a lot of calls and can't get through a single day without needing to charge up, then the Lenovo P780 could be what you have been looking for. The P780 will take center stage from the current P770 and has a selection of improvements over the older P770 phone.

The battery update is the most significant feature to grace the P780 and has a mAh rating of 4000mAh. This increased power capacity provides more power and should enable you to get through a day without anymore pit stops.

Extra enhancements include a bigger 5-inch 720p screen, which also has the added bonus of working with gloves. They've also updated Android to 4.2 Jelly Bean. Not to mention a redesigned body that looks like the Intel power K900 Smartphone.

With a quad-core MT6589 CPU, the Lenovo P780 also has dual-SIM support, 1GB RAM and 8 mega-pixel back camera. The smartphone will be released later this month in May in China, but so far pricing has not been confirmed.

China electronics manufacturer Konka are said to be developing a new smartphone that is scheduled to be ready for release within a few months.

Konka have been ratcheting up their phone range for the past year, and recently began selling their MediaTek powered handsets outside of China. The new rumor suggests that Konka is going to be really gearing up for this handsets big release. So we can expect much more details, such as the name and full specifications very shortly.



According to social media posts from some Konka staff, the development stage is now finished and they are just about to announce the new handsets name.

Details of the 3D aspect of the phone are non-existent right now but what is confirmed is the unit features a 1080p HD screen, 16/32GB RAM and is running Android 4.2.2.

The mystery phone is rumoured to be running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, have a 10 mega-pixel cam and have 3GB DDR 2 RAM.
Currently the only evidence that actually backs up these claims is this picture showing the device running Konka’s Muse UI.

Posts by Konka staff members indicate a current targeted price of between 400 to 500 USD.

The Oppo R809T almost took the title of world's thinnest smartphone, but was felled at the post by the current record holder. However, Huawei just took up the challenge and have released these "leaked" pictures of the P6-U06. The Huawei P6-U06 measures just 6.18mm.



Documents from China’s version of the FCC, give the full dimensions of the Huawei P6-U06 as 132.6 x 65.5 x 6.18mm with a weight of just 120grams. Reports that the wafer thin phone is expected to ship with a 720p 4.7-inch screen, quad-core 1.5Ghz CPU, 2GB RAM, 8 mega-pixel cam and Android 4.1.2. have been rumored.

Huawei are aiming the P6-U06 at a more fashionable audience than previous phones, as there will be a range of colors including White and Pink when it is released.

Hot smartphone news with the new Mlais MX58 and MX58T smartphones have just been released. Both being another 1080p China smartphones and both available for around $200.



The latest Mlais 5-inch smartphone presents good value for money. The MX58/T features a 5-inch Gorilla Glass FHD 1080p display, a quad-core MT6589 CPU, and 1GB RAM. Storage is a 4GB ROM and support for 64GB SD cards in the TF SD-card slot.



The rear camera is a 12 mega-pixel unit with F/2.2 aperture and a 35mm wide-angle lens. The front of the smartphone has a 2 mp front cam. Battery requirements are catered for with a 2500mAh battery. The OS is Android 4.2 Jelly Bean -pre-installed as standard.



The Casing of the phone comes in a number of colors. With black & red, white, yellow and red, all available. The overall layout of the phone is quite similar to the 5-inch HTC Butterfly. Giving the phone the nickname of being a Butterfly clone.

A new and so far very popular Xiaomi M2s clone, the Xiaocai G6, has been released in a stunning white color casing. These preview units that have been doing the rounds at resellers will soon be backed up by available stock. Price is expected to be around $160 to $220 USD.



The Xiaocai G6 is not just a clone copy of the Xiaomi M2S China smartphone, but also a good value for money high specification phone.

The G6 has a 5-inch 720p display, 13 mp back cam, 5 mega-pixel front, 2500 mAh battery, quad MT6589 CPU and 1GB RAM. Shipping with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

The new Jelly Bean smartphone has dual-sim slots with dual-sim standby and an SD TF card slot are included. With just 4GB storage ROM as standard the extra memory card slot will come in very handy.

And for users who wish to modify their smartphone with a custom ROM, there is good news, as both MIUI and the Lewa ROMs having been ported over to work on this new G6 already.

After JiaYu’s promotional event in Shenzhen last weekend more details have emerged of their new Jiayu G6, 1080HD phablet.

Phablets are a combination of features from a phone and tablet. The G6 is JiaYu’s first big screen handset. What's to know about this new upcoming phone?

An inside source at Jiayu has said the G6 will be powered by the new version of quad-core MT6589 named the MT6589T. The ‘T’ standing for Turbo maybe just a guess at present. The new processor is clocked at 1.5 Ghz. The MT6589T is apparently ready to accept 2GB RAM straight away with out any special tweaking. So currently a 2GB RAM spec has been decided on.



This turbo power will be needed to power the G6's extra large screen 5.7-inch full 1080HD screen. Also to ensure you don't run out battery power, a 5000 mAh battery will be Jiayu's choice for the G6.



Pricing, release date and full specifications are currently a secret and have not been finalized. The G6 from JiaYu is their first phablet and with other offerings currently on the cards from UMi (Max) and highly likely something from Neo and Zopo, this looks like the start of an upcoming Phablet war. Stay tuned to apad.tv for more news on the Jiayu G6 smartphone.

The first Jiayu G4's to go on sale will be the 1GB ‘Youth’ edition featuring a 3000 mAh battery. Retail price is around $248.99 USD for the advanced edition. The Jiayu G4 is a 10mm thin smartphone which features a quad-core MT6589 CPU board, 4.7-inch OGS display, 13 mega-pixel rear camera and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

China will go on Holiday from May 1st for the national vacation, so the chances are that it may be delayed. Jiayu are saying it will take 7 days for delivery to retailers, don’t be surprised if it’s longer.



According to inside sources only 2000 phones will be available in this first batch. Last weekend there was a JiaYu promotional show so the promises are being met with action at present. If you must have this first version of the G4 make sure you can live without OTG support as the Youth edition release model doesn't have it!

With limited stocks, and the national holiday looming we can assume that only a small quantity of handsets will make their way to customers before the May 1st holiday. So if you pre-ordered already at an authorised retailer such as DealsPrime.com you may be in luck, if not head over today to place your pre-order to ensure you get a good start in the queue. Jiayu G4 Advanced Buy Link

Stay tuned to apad.tv for a video review the moment a preview handset arrives for apad.tv to test out.