vip voice

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2015 No.4 Bimonthly
VIP VOICE
Turk Telekom: Knowing Your
Customers is the Key
HANDS-ON
ZTE Blade V6: Combining
Refined Design with Great
Performance
MOBILE MASTERY
Flash: Should It be
On or Off?
Cover Product
ZTE
Blade V6
FOCUS
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INFORMATION ROUNDUP
6
HANDS-ON
ZTE Blade V6: Combining Refined Design with Great Performance
8
FOCUS
NBA Sponsorship: The Story of
ZTE’s American Dream
Bill Wu, project manager of NBA
partnerships for ZTE USA and marketing
director of sports sponsorship for ZTE
USA, talks about the story
behind ZTE’s NBA sponsorship.
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VIP VOICE
Turk Telekom: Knowing Your Customers is the Key
24
MOBILE MASTERY
Flash: Should It be On or Off?
2
Mobile World for Android
NO.4 2015
http://wwwen.zte.com.cn/en/about/publications
p5
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Mobile World Editorial Board
SMART GADGETS
Chairman: Zeng Xuezhong
Vice Chairman: Sun Zhenge
Consultants: Dai Wenhong, Guo Qing, Ji
Zhongwei, Sun Zhenge, Xie Wei, Zhang Lei
Members: Chen Duolei, Gao Dakun, Gao Feng,
Huang Xinming, Ji Qin, Jiang Tao, Li Bo, Lv
Qianhao, Mao Qian, Qian Peng, Tu Yaming,
Zhang Tai, Zhang Zhenyu
Curing Housework Phobia with Robots
28
MOBILE APP
Sponsor: ZTE Corporation
Edited by Shenzhen Editorial Office, Strategy
Planning Department
Editor-in-Chief: Huang Xinming
Executive Editor: Liu Yang
Editor: He Xi
Circulation Manager: Wang Pingping
Five Apps to Make Your Daily Life Easier
30
DESIGN & ART
30 Bezel-Free Phones: A Great Challenge to
Design
32 What Makes a Good Touchscreen UI?
33 Smartphones in the Eyes of China’s Post90s
34
Address: NO. 55, Hi-tech Road South,
Shenzhen, P.R.China
Postcode: 518057
Tel: +86-755-26776663
Fax: +86-755-26775217
Email: [email protected]
Publishing Date: August 31, 2015
Volume 8 No. 4 (Issue 38)
First Issue Published in 2008
FASHION
All rights reserved. The content of this magazine may not be
reproduced either in whole or in part without the written consent
of ZTE. Every effort has been made to ensure the information
included is both accurate and complete; however, ZTE cannot
accept misuse or misinterpretation of the information published
or implied from the content. In the case of ZTE mobile devices,
the reviews are based on the products we could find at the time
of printing. The product availability and descriptions may vary in
different countries. Please take the actual product as the standard.
Travel Around the World with Your Smartphone
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INFORMATION ROUNDUP
ZTE Launches Three New Products in China
On July 21, ZTE launched its flagship Axon phone for the Chinese market at the Water Cube in Beijing, China. Together with this announcement came
the unveiling of a brand new wearable called the Axon Watch, as well as the China debut of the Spro 2 smart projector.
Axon for China
The Axon phone for China comes with the same premium design as the version
recently launched in the US, but includes a number of additional features for
the Chinese market.
ZTE Axon phone comes with a fingerprint scanner, offers dual-SIM support, 128
GB of internal memory (expandable to 256 GB), and Corning’s Antimicrobial
Gorilla Glass. It is loaded with ZTE’s customizable UI MiFavor 3.2 and innovative voice control solution.
Axon Watch
Axon Watch features a 1.4-inch Gorilla Glass screen with sapphire
coating and it is IP67 certified. It comes with a 300 mAh battery, 512
MB of RAM, 4 GB storage and Bluetooth 4.1. Developed by ZTE and
Tencent, the smart watch runs on Tencent OS and supports both
voice and gesture control. In terms of functions, the Axon Watch
can be used for both fitness and health monitoring, and supports a
range of other applications, from phone calls to messaging.
Spro 2
Previously launched in the US on AT&T and Verizon, Spro 2 is a portable
smart projector that also includes mobile hotspot features and a built-in
5-inch Android touchscreen.
For its China debut, ZTE has added its innovative voice control solution to
Spro 2, allowing users hands-free control over the smart projector. Users
can simply say “projector on” in Mandarin to activate the device and control
the device using a number of other voice commands.
ZTE Unveils Axon in the US
On July 14, ZTE unveiled its Axon flagship phone in New York, a Hi-Fi
audio phone the company called its “first phone made in the US, for the
US”.
The device, a 5.5-inch unlocked phone for the US, boasts of dual lens – a
13-megapixel and 2-megapixel camera on the rear. The features of the
phone include low-light and fast-image capture and high-quality audio.
Lixin Cheng, chairman and CEO of ZTE USA, said: “We put consumers
at the heart of everything we design, build and deliver, and our phones
reflect what consumers want, value, and use. ZTE Axon is a product that
devotes to meet all of consumers’ requirements.” (Source: yahoo)
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INFORMATION ROUNDUP
At a Glance
On August 13, T-Mobile launched the ZTE
Obsidian smartphone with a $99.99 price
tag. It is an Android 5.1 smartphone with
a 4.5-inch 854 × 480 display, 5-megapixel
rear and 2-megapixel front cameras, 1
GHz MT6735 quad-core processor, 1 GB
of RAM and 8 GB of storage.
ZTE Unveils Blade V6 and SmartHome at MWC Shanghai
On July 15, ZTE unveiled Blade V6 and its first ever smart home gateway, the ZTE
SmartHome, at the Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2015.
Weighing just 120 g and at 6.8 mm thin, the 5-inch high-definition Blade V6 squeezes
premium performance into a slim and lightweight high-grade 6013 aluminum alloy
body. It runs off a quad-core 1.3 GHz chipset and 2 GB of RAM, and comes out of the
box with Android 5.0 Lollipop and ZTE’s MiFavor 3.2 UI. It has already been launched in
Europe and over the next few months, it will be available in four color variants – pink,
gold, gray and silver, across markets such as Australia, Russia and Japan.
The ZTE SmartHome enables users to communicate with everyday home devices via
wireless protocol, ZigBee, and 4G LTE connections. A mobile application for smartphones and tablets allows quick and easy control over a broad range of smart home
devices, covering home management, home security, and health and safety.
NBA’s first Indian-born
player Satnam Singh takes a
selfie with a reporter and a
ZTE staff member.
ZTE USA Hosts Summer Basketball
Clinic Series in Las Vegas
To further its existing commitment to youth basketball, ZTE USA teamed up with the
Texas Legends to host ZTE’s Summer Basketball Clinic Series in Las Vegas. The clinics
were held on the mornings of July 18 and 19 at the Walnut Community Center.
Basketball greats Spud Webb, Del Harris, and Nick Van Exel participated in the free
clinics and taught youths aged 5 to 18 skills they can use both on and off the court.
Participants received a courtesy “ZTE Summer Series” T-shirt, opportunities for photos
and autographs with the basketball celebrities, and the ability to participate in phone
giveaways. Various ZTE products – including the recently announced Axon, Spro 2 and
Grand X Max+ – were featured in the development sessions at these clinics. (Source:
businesswire)
On July 24, ZTE hosted Danny Jin-Myung
Lee, the famous golfer who endorsed
Axon 3 days prior to him wining a PGA
tour event, at the ZTE USA headquarters
in Dallas.
On July 24, ZTE launched Blade V6 for
Latin America with carrier partner Telcel
at Campus Party.
On June 23, ZTE announced at the LTE
World Summit 2015 the launch of the
Goodspeed 4G mobile hotspot MF900 in
partnership with Uros.
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HANDS-ON
ZTE Blade V6
Combining Refined Design with
Great Performance
1
Smartphones nowadays have large screens and high-end configurations. However, this
does not appeal to all users. There are plenty of users who do not want unnecessarily high configurations but have critical demands on portability, convenience
of single-handed operation, workmanships and appearance of a
phone. There are not many such phones on the market,
but Blade V6 is one of them.
4
Holding Blade V6 in your
hand, you can feel its refined design and workmanship. It has an ultra-thin
metal frame to accommodate curved glass. The 2.5D
curved glass is ergonomic
and aesthetic and also
makes the screen more
bulged and textured. Blade
V6 targets young, tech-savvy
users who seek cutting-edge
design, full functionality
and a way to express their
personality.
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1. Exquisite appearance
Experienced users know that it’s difficult
to fit the 2.5D glass nicely against the rest
of the phone’s body and manufacture such
design. However, ZTE’s designers have overcome these difficulties so that the phone has an improved sense of beauty and a better touch. Furthermore,
being merely 6.8 mm thick, Blade V6 is comparable in size to iPhone 6,
but it doesn’t have a protruding camera lens. The aluminum alloy frame
has frosted finish and silver trim and is also slightly curved, which leads
to a more comfortable grip and looks better.
2. Innovative design
It is challenging for designers to build a slim
phone without compromising functionality. To
maintain its integrity, Blade V6 has an innovative 3-in-2 tray holder that can accommodate a
micro SIM as well as either an additional nano
SIM or a micro SD card. This design minimizes
the number of slots and ensures visual minimalism. In addition, Blade V6 has advanced gesture
control. It can automatically stop ringing when
it is picked up.
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24-Hour Experience Test
1 min
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HANDS-ON
2
4. Display effects
Blade V6 has a 5-inch IPS display, making single-handed operation easier.
The screen is not large but has excellent display effects. With a 1280 x 720
resolution, the display has even higher
PPI than a Retina display (220 PPI) so
that it is sharp and clear. Moreover,
an IPS display provides a wide viewing angle, vibrant colors, and a high
brightness that allows you to read
even in sunlight.
Art filters
OS: Android 5.0
Screen: 5 inches, 1280 x 720
CPU: Quad-core 1.3 GHz
Memory: 2 GB RAM + 16 GB ROM
Camera: 13-megapixel (rear) and 5-megapixel (front)
Battery: 2200 mAh
Network: GSM/UMTS/LTE
Special Experience
On Blade V6, the camera UI is intuitive with Normal,
Live Photo, and Motion Track modes listed on the left.
In normal mode, 15 filters are available and you can
preview and apply the filtering effects in real time. This
is convenient to use.
Photo quality
From the photos taken by Blade V6, you can see that
the camera has high resolution and produces images
showing fine details. The camera also works satisfactorily in dim light. Noise is minimized, white balance is
corrected, and most details are captured. Blade V6 is
ranked above the average in terms of photography.
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5. Balanced performance
In most cases, a phone with high
performance brings high speed but
has such issues as overheating and
short battery life. Users will not feel
the increase in speed when running
different apps on a phone. Blade V6
adheres to the principle of balanced
design. It is powered by an MT6735
quad-core processor coupled with 2
GB RAM. It scores 28,109 in AnTuTu
benchmark test, which is medium performance. During the actual test, most
daily apps run smoothly on Blade V6.
3
10 hrs
3. Camera
Blade V6 comes with a 13-megapixel,
back-illuminated camera sensor
whose performance has been testified on many mainstream phones.
Furthermore, the phone supports
many special shooting functions such
as Live Photo mode. In this mode, the
phone creates a video clip every time
you shoot a still image. In addition,
the phone features a 5-megapixel
wide-angle front camera, which is
good for selfies.
16 hrs
20 hrs
24 hrs
Mobile World Says:
Blade V6 resembles a hussar in the army. It
is light in weight, noble in appearance, and
possesses amazing power.
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FOCUS
ZTE provided Warriors Strength In Numbers T-shirts for fans in
Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
NBA Sponsorship
The Story of ZTE’s
American Dream
● By Bill (Lei) Wu
Golden State Warriors fans across the globe were rejoicing on June 16 when the
team triumphed over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals. Among those
celebrating was ZTE, a leading global mobile device maker and official smartphone
sponsor of the Golden State Warriors. Bill Wu, project manager of NBA
partnerships for ZTE USA and marketing director of sports sponsorship for ZTE USA,
talks about the story behind ZTE’s NBA sponsorship.
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FOCUS
I still remember that during the second round of
the NBA playoffs, someone told me that ZTE’s
sponsorship would be extremely rewarding if the
Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors,
both sponsored by ZTE, faced off in the Western
Conference Finals. Two days later, this became a
reality. What made this story even more exciting
was that the Warriors beat Cleveland Cavaliers a
few weeks later to clinch their first NBA
championship in 40 years. The Warriors had a
stunning win for NBA championship, and ZTE is
also winning in the US market.
ZTE: The Lucky Star
It is no doubt that the 2014-2015 season of NBA
was full of festivity and good luck for ZTE.
After ZTE signed sponsorship deals with the
Warriors and Rockets, both teams have been
making records. The Warriors won the Pacific
Division title. It’s been 39 years since the
Warriors ended the NBA regular season as
division champions. The Rockets won the
Southwest Division, their first division title in 21
years. In addition, Warriors’ Stephen Curry won
NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, and
Rockets’ James Harden finished second.
At the 2015 NBA All-Star Game, ZTE-sponsored
player and teams have won three championships.
Stephen Curry won the three-point contest.
Rockets guard Patrick Beverley, a ZTE-endorsed
player, won the Skills Challenge. Western
Conference All-Stars, led by coach Steve Kerr of
the Warriors, claimed a win over the East. The
West has a roster that includes the Warriors’
Lixin Cheng, CEO of ZTE USA, in a Rockets game together with
Leslie Alexander, owner of the Houston Rockets, and NBA legend
stars Tracy McGrady and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay
Thompson, and James Harden.
Lixin Cheng, CEO of ZTE USA, has been a frequent
guest at the games, since ZTE is thought of as the
“Lucky Star” by the NBA teams and Cheng is
called “Lucky Charm” by his friends in the NBA. It
is said that when Cheng comes to a game, the
home team wins. The Cavaliers added the ZTE
logo to their home arena in Game 6 of the NBA
Finals, and called ZTE the “official smartphone
sponsor of Cleveland Cavaliers” in order to share
ZTE’s good luck in their upcoming game against
the Warriors.
Patrick Beverley of the Houston
Rockets won the All-Star
weekend’s Skills Challenge.
The cooperation between ZTE and the NBA
began at a charity event hosted by ZTE and the
Dallas Mavericks.
It was by chance that in the summer of 2012,
when Dallas had a record-breaking heat wave, I
met Donnie Nelson, general manager and
president of basketball operations for the Dallas
Mavericks. Once serving as the chief advisor for
the China national basketball team, Donnie
People have tried to find the secret behind ZTE’s
successful NBA sports marketing. They don’t
believe that ZTE’s success should all be attributed
to sheer luck. A reporter once wrote that ZTE
could “analyze and judge the NBA market
accurately”. All of these can be traced back to
2012.
How did NBA and ZTE Come
Together?
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors
won the three-point contest title.
Golden State Warriors captured the 2014-2015
NBA championship.
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FOCUS
Photographer: Hei Zi Makeup: Peng Leixi Clothing Brand:
Model: Anna
ZTE Blade V6
Extraordinary Look
and Feel
A striking look and agreeable
texture make using a mobile
phone more pleasurable.
Blade V6 is a beauty. Its
curved metal body crafted
with CNC technology and its
2.5D screen glass integrate
perfectly, making it look
elegant. With every detail
well designed, carved and
polished, Blade V6 is perfect.
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FOCUS
ZTE presented a check to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Collin County at ZTE Charity Night in 2013.
Nelson almost has an obsession with China.
When he told me how he broke all the barriers to
sign Wang Zhizhi, a Chinese basketball star and
the first Asian to join the NBA, I also had an idea
to help ZTE USA transition from a B2B to B2C
brand through sports marketing.
In 1998, ZTE entered the US market as a
telecommunications equipment supplier. In 2007,
ZTE sold its first mobile phone in the US. In 2012,
ZTE began transitioning from a B2B to B2C
business model in the US in order to attract
consumers. The fighting and persevering
sportsman spirit matches our brand. Although
basketball is the third popular sport in the US, it
is the only sport that well resonates among
American and Chinese consumers. It serves as a
bridge to cultural exchanges between the two
countries.
Where will the market go next? It’s up to
consumers. There are currently 30 basketball
teams in the NBA. Which team was the best for
us to break into sports marketing? We turned our
eyes to the Houston Rockets, whose players
included Yao Ming, a Chinese basketball star, and
Jeremy Lin, one of NBA’s first Asian-American
players. What we valued in Rockets was their
appeal in both US and China and their large
international fan base. After a thorough research,
we found that the demographic characteristics of
the Rockets fans are similar to those of ZTE’s
target customers. Houston is also one of the top
prepaid markets in the US. More importantly, the
Rockets were resurging. After winning NBA titles
in the 1993-1994 and 1994-1995 seasons, the
Rockets only advanced past the first round of the
playoffs three times thereafter. Their early exits
were the target of criticism. However, in 2013,
the Rockets put forward the new slogan
“younger, faster, and fearless”, opening a “New
Age” for Houston Rockets basketball. This
coincided with the brand concept of ZTE USA, a
company that was also gearing up for success.
After much analysis and internal discussions, we
reached the last step. On July 2, 2013, Cheng and
the Rockets CEO Tad Brown met in Houston to
discuss the partnership. ZTE is a multinational
corporation that operates in over 160 countries.
It is also a fast-growing smartphone provider in
the US. Cheng said that the partnership could
capitalize on the promising future of both
organizations, and it could be a strategic
Things were always hard at the beginning. At that
time, no Chinese companies had successful
sports marketing experience, and ZTE, which
used to focus on the B2B model, knew little
about B2C marketing. We decided to try sports
marketing on a small scale. On March 22, 2013,
we partnered with Dallas Mavericks affiliate Texas
Legends to host a ZTE Charity Night for the Boys
and Girls Club of Collin County. This combination
of sports marketing and community event was a
first for Chinese companies. It was a huge success
and was widely reported both in the Chinese and
US media. This event made us determined to
transform through sports marketing.
“Win-Win” Partnership Rather than
“Buy-Sell” Advertising Sponsorship
ZTE and the Rockets announced their partnership in a special press event in 2013.
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FOCUS
Rockets players and ZTE staff hosted a holiday event for 100 children from the Greater Houston area in a community event in 2014. The event included games,
dinner and surprise gifts of bikes, helmets and backpacks.
partnership rather than a simple advertising
partnership. Tad Brown agreed with the idea. He
said in the end that ZTE was very different from
other Chinese companies, and he believed that
the cooperation would definitely be win-win.
Since that meeting, Tad Brown and his team have
spared no effort in promoting the strategic
cooperation between ZTE and the Houston
Rockets.
In a special press event just before the first 2013
pre-season game, the Houston Rockets and ZTE
USA, jointly announced their first partnership,
making ZTE the official smartphone of the
Houston Rockets for the 2013-2014 NBA season.
As part of the partnership, ZTE had an
opportunity to engage directly with fans of the
Rockets around the world through key Rockets
events, television and digital exposure, and
customized in-game activation. In addition,
Rockets forward Chandler Parsons has signed an
endorsement deal with ZTE.
To give full play to sports marketing, we tried to
interact with American consumers in ways
popular with them. We planned activities such as
selfie seat upgrade. During the game, the big
screen played videos of basketball stars such as
Jeremy Lin and James Harden taking a selfie with
a ZTE smartphone. Fans at the site were
encouraged to take a selfie and share it on social
media to enter a lucky draw for seat upgrades. At
the Rockets Blacktop Battle presented by us,
Rockets fans could win the slam dunk contest by
taking a selfie when they performed a slam dunk
with a ZTE smartphone. The Blacktop Battle is
12
aimed at fostering young basketball players.
In addition, we were fitting into local
communities. ZTE and the Rockets presented a
series of holiday events for the annual Season of
Giving program. In November 2013, the partners
invited children from the Boys and Girls Club,
Casa de Esperanza, and Kids Meals to a movie
night with the Rockets players. Kids got to enjoy a
pre-Thanksgiving meal and private screening of
the newly released animated movie Free Birds
with Rockets star Dwight Howard. Then in
December 2013, ZTE and the Rockets brought
kids from the Boys and Girls Club together with
Howard, Terrence Jones, Francisco Garcia and
Ronnie Brewer to a holiday shopping spree of a
lifetime. ZTE also raises funds for Rady Children’s
Hospital in San Diego for cancer research. In
As the “assistant” for Jeremy Lin, the writer was
serving the pre-Thanksgiving dinner for kids in a
community event in 2013.
addition, we have arranged two meetings
between Rockets players and their fans and
partners in China.
These initiatives worked. Since the tie-up with
the Rockets, our brand awareness jumped from 1
per cent to 16 per cent in 2014. According to
Strategy Analytics, ZTE ranked 4th in handset
sales in the US, with a 7.4 per cent market share
in Q2 2014. Meanwhile, the highly efficient B2C
marketing model helped ZTE build its brand.
While mobile carriers had previously rebranded
ZTE-produced mobile devices, all releases in the
US had the ZTE logo after September 16, 2014
when ZMAX, ZTE’s first ZTE-branded phone, hit
the US market. Only few mobile phone
manufacturers could have the inclusion of their
logos when landing in the hands of American
The seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry in
his visit to ZTE’s Shanghai R&D center in 2014.
FOCUS
ZTE Blade V6
High-Quality Shooting
The excellent shooting of
Blade V6 originates from its
outstanding hardware and
software. Blade V6 has a
13-megapixel backilluminated sensor, the
autofocus function, and a
dual-color temperature LED
flash. Its Live Photo mode
records a video after you
have taken a photo so that
you have more fun when
viewing photos. It also
comes with up to 15 realtime art filters, offering
various choices to present
beauty.
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FOCUS
ZTE Blade V6
Slimness and Great
Performance
Blade V6 is only 6.8 mm
thick. It is light and compact
and performs impressively. It
has a MTK MT6735 quadcore processor, which has a
good reputation for its great
performance and low power
consumption and heat
generation, and is equipped
with 2 GB RAM. It scores
28,109 on the AnTuTu
benchmark and runs
smoothly with 3D games.
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FOCUS
ZTE unveiled its new brand identity in the US at a Golden State Warriors home game at Oracle Arena on December 30, 2014.
consumers. This showed that the ZTE brand has
been accepted by both carriers and consumers.
ZTE Signed with Three NBA Teams at
Madison Square Garden
Following a successful sponsorship season with
the Houston Rockets, we are more convinced of
our commitment to sports marketing and
consumer-oriented approach.
In October 2014, ZTE announced that while
continuing its partnership with the Houston
Rockets it would team up with the New York
Knicks and Golden State Warriors for the 20142015 NBA season at the Madison Square Garden,
which is the Mecca of basketball.
ZTE renewed its endorsement deal with Chandler
Parsons, and also picked Patrick Beverley, a guard
for the Rockets, as the player who endorses
products for ZTE. In addition, ZTE announced that
it would cooperate with Texas Legends to pass
along more benefits to communities and fans.
The “3+2+1” strategy began to take shape. In the
US, ZTE sponsors three NBA teams, two NBA star
players, and one NBA Development League. ZTE
also has signed a three-year strategic cooperation
agreement with NBA China. The cooperation
involves fan meeting, customized NBA phones,
charity donation, and NBA Global Games China.
ZTE Highlighted at NBA Games
The charm of sports
marketing is to create an
emotional bond between
fans, teams, and sponsors
when excitement builds
for a game.
The New York Knicks are one of three NBA teams that are
partnering with ZTE for the 2014-2015 season.
When the Golden State
Warriors played
Philadelphia 76ers on
December 30, 2014, ZTE
held a phone donation
drive with the Golden
State Warriors, a
philanthropic effort
designed to benefit the
Warriors Community
Foundation’s Hoops for
Kids program. This gave
Hoops for Kids phone donation drive presented
by ZTE at the Warriors vs. 76ers game.
the Bay Area youth the gift of technology that
they might not otherwise have received.
That night, ZTE also unveiled its new global brand
identity at the game at Oracle Arena. While ZTE
introduced its new brand identity at an event in
Hong Kong 24 hours earlier, it was the first time
ZTE brought it to the US as part of its relationship
as the official smartphone of the Golden State
Warriors. ZTE’s new logo was shown through
in-arena exposure, TV broadcasts and largescreen advertisements.
On May 27, the Warriors and Rockets, both
sponsored by ZTE, competed for the NBA
Western Conference title at Oracle Arena. Prior
to the game, the Warriors had placed the game
message “today’s matchup was brought to you
by ZTE” on the jumbotron. Not only on the
jumbotron, but throughout the concourse, the
Warriors expressed their gratitude to us for
15
FOCUS
partnering with them that night. We increased
our in-arena exposure through additional LED
signage, stadium vision messaging and many PA
announcements, such as “Thank You ZTE”. ZTE
was the presenting sponsor of an in-game
feature “Season Ticket Holder of the Game” in
which one lucky season ticket holder received a
ZTE device. ZTE provided more than 10,000
Strength In Numbers team-colored T-shirts to all
fans in the arena. These T-Shirts were co-branded
with ZTE on the sleeve and were seen all over the
arena.
San Francisco Bay Area, and New York.
ZTE’s American Dream—Achieved in
NBA Finals
Patrick Beverley signing for Rockets fans in a
Cricket store in Houston.
Earl Monroe signing for fans in a MetroPCS store.
Cheng presented the lucky fan with a new ZTE
Spro 2 from AT&T in Game 5 of the Western
Conference Finals.
To expand ZTE’s brand presence, we also
organized a series of activities outside the
stadiums, to build a closer relationship with US
customers.
In February 2015, Patrick Beverley who just won
the All-Star weekend’s Skills Challenge, met with
Rockets fans in a Cricket store in Houston.
Hundreds of Rockets fans queued in the cold
wind to meet him. He demonstrated ZTE Grand X
Max+ and gave fans autographed jerseys, photos,
tickets and other souvenirs. The event won great
support from the Rockets and Cricket Wireless.
Activation fees were waived with purchase of a
ZTE device on that day. The local radio FM 97.9
broadcasted the event live.
During the NBA All-Star Game in February 2015,
a social vending machine sponsored by ZTE and
New York Knicks was unveiled near Madison
Square Garden where the game was held. Those
who sent out a tweet about how they felt about
the All-Star Game would have the chance to win
prizes including an All-Star ticket, jersey, ZTE Spro
2 smart projector, and ZTE’s phablet Grand X
Max+. New York Knicks legend Earl Monroe, also
known as “Earl the Pearl”, came to scene to
support the event. He presented prizes to fans
and encouraged them to share their experience
on Twitter.
In March 2015, Earl Monroe and New York Knicks
legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier went to the
MetroPCS and T-Mobile stores respectively. They
met with their fans, demonstrated ZTE ZMAX to
Knicks fans, and voiced their support for the
Green Week-ZTE Phone Drive. New York Knicks
President Phil Jackson together with two former
Knicks, John Wallace and Herb Williams, came to
the event and expressed their gratitude to ZTE
for its charity work. The day was also Walt
“Clyde” Frazier’s 70th birthday. The Knicks and
ZTE celebrated the birthday of this legendary star
together with fans.
For the 2015 Chinese New Year holiday, the NBA
had a Chinese New Year celebration that touched
its international fan base. Meanwhile, the Golden
State Warriors and ZTE jointly launched an online
activity—Chinese New Year Jersey giveaways.
From February 18 to March 5, fans could enter a
lucky draw through a link released on the Twitter
account of either ZTE USA or the Warriors. Lucky
fans could win the special Chinese New Year
uniform of the Warriors, Warriors VIP tickets, or a
ZTE Spro 2.
The Green Week-ZTE Phone Drive was another
important community charity event that ZTE held
in the US following the Rockets Season of Giving
in the Houston area from last November to last
December, and the Hoops for Kids phone
donation drive in San Francisco Bay Area last
December. The Green Week-ZTE Phone Drive was
the first time that ZTE held a charity event in the
East Coast area. Now ZTE’s community efforts in
the US has extended from the West to East Coast
and covers three areas including Dallas-Houston,
Interactive Branding Outside the
Stadiums
16
The Golden State Warriors had won three NBA
titles. Their third and last time was in 1975.
However, the Warriors were back to relevance
after 40 years. During the finals, when I was on a
business trip to the San Francisco Bay Area, even
my Uber driver who usually didn’t watch the
games didn’t work after 8 pm because he wanted
to cheer for the Warriors in front of the TV.
The Warriors have stepped into the spotlight.
The 2015 NBA Finals between the Warriors and
Cavaliars was the most watched series since
1998, Michael Jordan’s last season with the
Chicago Bulls. Actually, none of the Warriors
players had won a championship ring. Warriors
coach Steve Kerr was a rookie coach. Warriors
guard Andre Iguodala, who did not enter the
2015 NBA Finals as a favorite, became the only
NBA Finals MVP to ever win the award without
starting a game during the regular season. From
underdogs to champions, the Warriors attracted
a lot of attention. They are an interpretation of
the American dream: anyone could succeed
through hard work.
Stephen Curry holds the championship trophy.
FOCUS
ZTE Blade V6
Outstanding Display
When turned off, the screen
of Blade V6 is seamlessly
integrated with the body, like
a pool of water. When lit up,
the 5-inch screen displays
extremely high color
saturation, benefiting from
the IPS technology. Due to a
wide viewing angle, there is
no obvious color cast, even if
you view the screen at 45
degrees. The high-quality
display provides pleasing
effects when you are
shooting, browsing, or
enjoying videos.
17
FOCUS
Appendix
ZTE’s NBA Memorabilia
ZTE has a similar experience. The US
market is a high-end market with the
most stringent carrier requirements,
the most demanding consumers,
and the most intense competition.
ZTE initially lacked brand recognition
among consumers and now is
coming on strong in the US. While
the Warriors advanced to their first
NBA finals in 40 years, ZTE’s brand
awareness has increased from 17
per cent to 34 per cent. With focus
on growth, localization and
innovation, ZTE has become the
fourth largest smartphone brand in
the US, second largest in prepaid,
and third in Android market share. It
could be said that ZTE has,
somehow, achieved its American
dream.
2013-03-22
2013-10-05
Texas Legends partnered with ZTE USA to host
a “ZTE Charity Night”, benefiting the Boys and
Girls Club of Collin County. It was a first for ZTE
in the sports industry.
The Houston Rockets and ZTE USA jointly
announced their first partnership, making ZTE the
official smartphone of the Houston Rockets for the
2013-2014 NBA season. On the same day, ZTE
signed with Chandler Parsons.
2014-09-18
2014-10-06
Rockets CEO Tad Brown, the club’s retired star
Clyde Drexler, and their current point guard
Patrick Beverley visited ZTE’s Shanghai R&D
center.
ZTE signed an endorsement deal with Patrick
Beverley, a guard for the Rockets.
2014-12-30
2015-02-14
ZTE unveiled its new global brand identity in
the US at a Golden State Warriors home game
at Oracle Arena. While the game was televised
in China, millions of fans saw the new logo and
ZTE slogan.
Patrick Beverley, who endorses ZTE products in
the US market, won the All-Star weekend’s
Skills Challenge.
2015-02-20
2015-03-27
During the NBA All-Star Game, ZTE,
together with the New York Knicks,
launched the social vending machine.
The activity “Green Week-ZTE Phone Drive” was
held in Madison Square Garden, New York.
2015-05-27
2015-06-16
The Warriors and Rockets, both sponsored
by ZTE, competed for the Western
Conference title.
The Warriors won the NBA championship in the
2014-2015 season.
Victory Belongs to Every
Warrior
Warriors fans have been waiting for
this championship title for 40 years;
however, it has been only nine
months from the Warriors signing
ZTE USA as its official smartphone
sponsor to the Warriors winning this
title. The Warriors’ victory was also a
great sponsorship win for ZTE as a
Chinese sponsor. It takes vision, hard
work, and some good luck to
achieve this. The partnership
between ZTE and the Warriors has
gone beyond sponsorship. The spirit
of the Warriors–never give in to
adversity—has become part of ZTE’s
DNA and will continue to inspire this
enterprise in its future development.
18
FOCUS
2014-03-08
2014-09-16
From March 8-9, Houston’s 10th annual Blacktop
Battle tournament was conducted. This two-day
event was hosted by Houston Rockets and
presented by ZTE USA, with an aim to promote the
grassroots basketball culture. ZTE got into close
contact with basketball fans.
ZTE launched ZMAX in New York. This was
the first of many more as every device put
out by ZTE moving forward will have the
inclusion of the ZTE logo.
2014-10-27
2014-12-30
ZTE announced that it will continue its partnership
with the Rockets and team up with the Knicks and
Warriors for the 2014-2015 NBA season, making
itself the official smartphone of three NBA teams.
ZTE held a phone donation drive with the
Golden State Warriors and this extended
ZTE’s community effort to the West Coast.
2015-02-15
2015-02-18
The Western Conference won the 2015 NBA AllStar Game.
The Golden State Warriors together with
ZTE launched the online activity “Chinese
New Year Jersey Giveaway”, celebrating the
Chinese New Year with Warriors fans.
2015-05
2015-05-04
The Warriors and Rockets rewrote their franchise
record books. The Warriors clinched the Pacific
Division title, their first division title in 39 years.
The Rockets won the Southwest Division, their
first division title in 21 years.
Stephen Curry of the Warriors earned the
title of 2014-2015 NBA MVP while James
Harden of the Rockets finished second.
19
VIP VOICE
Turk Telekom
● By Liu Yang and Zhang Ying
KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMERS IS THE KEY
Turkey has one of the largest mobile markets in its
region largely due to its large and young population,
and the competition is fierce. Turk Telekom Group,
the leading communication and convergence
technology group in Turkey, provides integrated
telecommunication services from PSTN and GSM
to broadband internet. Mobile World interviewed
Baran Yurdagul, integrated connectivity management director for Turk Telekom Group. He told us
Turk Telekom’s marketing strategy and how the
company ensures that its products and services are
penetrating the market. He puts great emphasis on
knowing customers and shared his views on innovation and OTTs.
1. How do you define your role in Turk Telekom
Group?
BY: I’m the integrated connectivity management
director for Turk Telekom Group. I’m responsible for
the consumer segment in Turkey. This encompasses
four areas: fixed and mobile terminals, fixed and
mobile broadband products, consumer digital
services, and innovation group.
2. Turkey has a unique geographic location. Could
you introduce to us the features of this market
and its consumer habits?
BY: The Turkish market is very adaptive. Smartphone penetration in Turkey is over
40% but in Turk Telekom’s example, for our mobile
subscribers, it’s nearly 60%, so we are higher than
the level in the Turkish market. For the mobile products, we do have very young customers, they are
very adaptive to technology and to smartphones;
that’s why we have nearly 60% of smartphone
penetration. Regarding the data usage, the data usage of Turk Telekom’s mobile customers is very high
when you calculate the data usage of rest of the
world. It nearly doubles. They consume much more
data than the rest of the world.
3. How do you evaluate the competition in the
market?
BY: There is really tough competition in the Turkish
market. We have three operators. Turk Telekom
is the biggest one right now in terms of revenue
and subscribers. We have nearly 17 million mobile
subscribers, more than 11 million PSTN subscribers,
and more than 7 million fixed broadband subscribers. Therefore, in terms of subscribers, in terms of
20
Baran Yurdagul, integrated connectivity management
director for Turk Telekom Group
“Our aim is to get more customers and also make services affordable for our customers so everyone can use the internet.”
VIP VOICE
7. How do you ensure the penetration of
Turk Telekom’s products and services?
BY: From education to security, from
connected home to connected car, we
do have a lot of services. We segment
our customers at first. According to our
customer needs, we provide the services
to them; we do have such complex event
process mechanisms that we are using to
penetrate our services to our subscribers.
In the relevant case, for instance, we do
complex processing on our subscribers’ behavior. According to the behavior analysis,
we offer subscribers services. This comes
with a good return rate. We do complex
processing. For instance, when you are
on the internet and you are nearly out of
your quota, we send a SMS or we send a
relevant offer to you: “You need to have a
try. You are nearly out of quota; please take
that service in order to take much more
available services.”
revenue growth, Turk Telekom Group is the first one. We have two
other operators: one is also an integrated operator and the other
is a global operator. In Turkey, the competition is high in mobile.
The competition has also started very aggressively in the fixed
broadband sector as well.
4. What is your marketing strategy?
BY: We have three different businesses: PSTN, fixed broadband and
mobile. We want to address our customers’ needs and increase
the penetration of our mobiles and fixed broadband in their
homes. Our aim is to get more customers and also make services
affordable for our customers so everyone can use the internet.
For instance, Turk Telekom Group has recently launched a fixed
internet service: 4 gigabyte quota and 4 megabyte speed. Everyone
can take the fixed broadband for free everywhere.
5. What are the major challenges that you are facing?
BY: In the Turkish market, there are several challenges. When you
compare the ARPU of our subscribers with that of the European
subscribers, for instance, the ARPU is relatively low. The thing
is that there is a big competition in Turkish market. The Turkish
challenge is the taxes. We do have huge taxes on mobile products.
These taxes are nearly 40% of the bills of the subscribers.
6. What are your methods to overcome these challenges?
BY: In order to overcome the challenges, first, we need to be more
agile, and your infrastructure should be very powerful. I mean
that you play with your infrastructure and your offerings, so try to
monetize your network. For these amazing IT capabilities, infrastructure capability is very important for us; and also the quality of
our people of course. So you should have the relevant people. By
combining these three things, you can make the right offerings to
your customers. Also you need to know your customers very well
so that you can do the correct offerings to your customers. This is
the key.
“The basic step for a
prepaid customer is
that you should know
what your customer
is wanting, and you
should know how your
customers behave on
your mobile network or
fixed network.”
8. What do you think is the best approach
to improve user experience?
BY: Let’s get it simple. Why do you give
importance to customer experience?
That’s because of your customers. So the
basic step for a prepaid customer is that
you should know what your customer is
wanting, and you should know how your
customers behave on your mobile network
or fixed network. Once you know it, the
other staff is the technologies. You can do
the relevant programming matters, and do
the relevant techniques, but the key is that
you should know about your customers.
What do they need? How do they act on
your network? And what are their needs?
9. You are responsible for innovation
in your group. When the smartphone
market is becoming homogenized, do
you think there is still much room for
smartphone innovation?
BY: I do think there is still room for innovation. The new technology is coming, for
instance 4G. It’s available on most of the
places, but in Turkey, it’s not yet available
unfortunately. There is still opportunity, but
the biggest problem with the smartphone
market is that there are so many vendors
outside, and now people are waiting for
innovations from big companies such as
Samsung and Apple. But we’re seeing from
China, a single company like Xiaomi grows
21
VIP VOICE
“You should be in front of
the technology, and you
should be in front of your
customers. It’s the only way
that you can survive.”
Baran Yurdagul at ZTE’s headquarters
in Shenzhen, China
from scratch and becomes number one or
two in the local market. So there is still room
to grow in the smartphone market. You should
not be blind to your customers. For example,
there are big companies that are dominating
the smartphone market; afterwards when
Apple comes, when Samsung comes, and they
have been disrupted, so you should be in front
of the technology, you should be in front of
your customers. It’s the only way that you can
survive.
You need to lead the ecosystem. When you
compare the two big handset manufacturers—Apple and Samsung—Apple is much
safer. Apple has its own ecosystem that it
completely controls, but Samsung uses the
same ecosystem as Google, ZTE and Huawei.
So they can only differentiate in terms of
hardware. This is important but not enough.
You need to differentiate with your app store,
with your iTunes-like music services, and with
your class services.
10. You are a member of the GSM Association. What efforts have you done in improving the ecosystem for Turk Telekom?
BY: There are several topics we are discussing
right now on GSMA, for instance, personal
identity and the network for the 2020s. What
22
they are trying to do with the personal
identity? As the mobile operators, we do have
SIM cards, we do have the information of our
subscribers, so it’s a unique ability that we
have, not the ability of the manufacturers or
the ecosystem providers. With the personal
identity, we are trying to make our relationship with our customers much stronger. As
you know, the operator market is under great
pressure from the OTT market. You cannot
sell anything because the OTT way is totally
different than the telecom way. In the telecom
market, you send bills to your subscribers on
a monthly basis, but in the OTT business, they
don’t send bills; indeed, they get their revenue
on top of the usage and so on. These are
different monetization matters. So operators
should be digital service providers as well.
That’s one of the important things we are
trying to overcome; otherwise operators are
investing hugely in their networks and OTT
are coming and profiting off your efforts. They
can do the monetization; however, there is
too much regulation on operators, and it’s not
easy to react to these OTTs.
And as for the network 2020, we are trying
to standardize our network infrastructure
because most of operators’ investments go
to their networks. You need to invest in your
VIP VOICE
network because this is the most important
thing in the competition. You need to have
a strong and organized network and provide
stable connectivity to your customers.
11. Could you share with us the innovation
mechanism in Turk Telekom? How do you
innovate?
BY: First of all, you should not limit the innovation to one department or one company
or one team. The innovation is coming from
everybody. That’s why we are encouraging
our partners and partner ecosystem to bring
the innovation to us, and we do have some
entrepreneur groups that are working on
those new types of services. They try to bring
new innovations, products and services, and
new technology to our ecosystem. So you
should encourage your partner system, and at
the same time you should spare a team in your
organization or out of your organization. The
innovation doesn’t come really in an easy way
and you need to learn a lot.
smartphones. In order to have our customers get smartphones, you need to have affordable smartphones. That’s
why we launched our inTouch series and our ODM business
with ZTE to encourage the sales of affordable smartphones
on the market.
14. How do you see the public appetite for the inTouch
series?
BY: It’s great. In each device, we are surpassing our previous device numbers; so it encourages us to do more in that
area.
12. What are your recent innovations in the
field of mobile services? Could you give us an
example?
BY: We combined GPS, Bluetooth, and GSM
together, and we called it Turk Telekom My Car.
It’s a very basic device that you put in your car.
When you lose your car in the parking space
or in the commercial center, it makes turn by
turn navigation to your car because when you
go to the commercial centers, there are lots
of parking places, and most of the time you
forget the place where you put your car. It tells
you where your car is and also gives some brief
information about your car.
13. Now that ZTE and Turk Telekom cooperate on the inTouch series, why did you decide
to introduce the inTouch series into the
Turkish market?
BY: We do ODM business. As I said, our
smartphone penetration is the highest in
Turkey, and we want all of our subscribers to
use our network and data services. The old
revenue comes from voice services and the
rising revenue star is mobile internet data.
In order to encourage our subscribers to use
the mobile internet services, we need to have
15. What do you think of ZTE’s team?
BY: We like working with ZTE guys. We have launched
nearly four affordable devices with ZTE. We are working
on our next project and ZTE is one of the biggest tenders
in that project. We know each other very well in the ODM,
and ZTE is quite experienced in the ODM but should be
more flexible.
“We have many partners, but we can communicate very easily
with ZTE and do business quickly. This is the
most impressive part of
ZTE.”
16. What impressed you most about ZTE?
BY: They understand us very well. We have many partners,
but we can communicate very easily with ZTE and do business quickly. This is the most impressive part of ZTE.
17. What are the future cooperation opportunities?
BY: We do have partnerships in the smartphone with ZTE in
our ODM brands. We would like to see the nubia products
in our portfolio as well. This is one cooperation area.
The second one may be the network; some parts of our
network were launched with ZTE. 5G and 4G are very new
technology, and if ZTE can pioneer the technologies, we
would like to partner them in our network solutions as well.
23
MOBILE MASTERY
According to statistics from Flickr,
smartphones are now being used
more than compact cameras to take
pictures. However, most people
almost never turn on the flash when
using a smartphone camera. Because
they are unable to use a flash correctly, their photos are either overexposed photos or have prominent
shadows.
In the mid-19th century burning
magnesium was used as a means to
shorten exposure times by throwing a
very bright light onto a photographed
scene. Nowadays, you turn on flash
on your phone in dark environments.
Flash: Should It be On
or Off?
Most people turn off the flash to take photos. However, is the flash really hard
to use? The following article will tell you when to turn on and off the flash.
● By Fan Ziheng
Cell phones used to have a single-LED flash. A
single LED produces limited illumination, and
the light emitted often results in color deviations. For example, if we take a photo using a
single-LED flash at night, a human face looks
unnatural. A flash can easily break a photo.
In 2013, Apple first introduced a “True Tone”
dual-LED flash that supports two different
cool white/warm amber color temperatures
with the iPhone 5s. This improvement
solves issues, such as inaccurate color, direct
illumination and limited brightness, caused
by a single-LED flash. After that, dual-LED,
dual-color flash was widely used in Android
phones and significantly improved photo
quality.
The direct experience brought by a dualcolor LED flash is a brighter flash with more
realistic colors. In the past when shooting
portraits, the single-LED flash usually resulted
in a washed-out, sickly look. With a dual-color
LED flash, the camera can adjust color of the
flash to match the white balance of ambient
light by adjusting the ratio of the two LEDs.
ZTE STAR 2 uses a flash with dual color temperatures.
24
MOBILE MASTERY
Turn on the Flash in These Cases
In the following scenarios, you can get better photos by using the
flash properly.
Scenario 1:
Bright Background (Backlighting)
If a bright background is behind a subject, you can just turn the flash on. Many
people may have come across such a situation: if you stand in front of a bright
window, your face looks dark in the photo. The same is true if the photo is taken
outdoors. If the sunlight hits you from behind, your skin tone may also look dark.
In these two situations, fill light can be added to the shadow areas of a photo.
Turn off the Flash in These Cases
Misuses of Flashes
From the earlier single-LED flash to the present dual-LED flash, ring flash, and fullspectrum flash, flashes have witnessed great technological progress. However, a
flash does not work in all scenarios. A dual-color LED flash is used to increase the
light on the subject so that the camera can better focus in a dark environment.
However, the flash is not of much use in the following scenarios.
When a subject is backlit, a flash can fill in the strong shadow that obscures the
subject’s face.
The subject is far away from the camera
In general, the flash on a cell phone is useless if the flash-to-subject distance
exceeds two meters. On the contrary, the flash makes other subjects in the background clearer, making the photos look awful. If the subject is a little far away,
move the camera closer to the subject rather than turn on the flash.
The camera is too close to the subject
If the flash is too close to the subject, the picture tends to be overexposed. If the
subject reflects light, the flash shouldn’t be used, regardless of the distance. Usually a flash should not be used over a distance of less than 20 cm. Otherwise you
would look pale in the photos. The extremely short distance also results in the
photos being overexposed in the center and dark in the edges.
Photographing urban landscape at night
The decorative lights and hanging icicles in cities make for a beautiful landscape
at night. In this case, photos should be taken without using a flash. In order to
create a purer background, the camera focuses on the lights while increasing the
duration of exposure. If you use the flash, the photos look blurry because the dust
in front of the lens becomes visible.
Photographing a self-luminous subject
Many people tend to keep the flash on when they have become accustomed to
using it. For example, they like to use the flash even when taking photos of computer screens, the projected PowerPoint presentations, pre-lit Christmas trees,
and other self-luminous objects. In these cases, the flash will ruin a photo.
Scenario 2:
Dark Environment
If the environment is too dark,
increasing the sensitivity adds
noise to the images whereas using
the flash is a better choice. When
it is dark, the camera has problems
with focusing, noise, and longer
exposure. Fortunately, these problems can be easily solved by using
a flash, especially with a dual-color
LED flash that has outstanding
performance in brightness control
and color reproduction.
If a flash is not used, the subject in
the photo will be severely under
exposed.
Scenario 3:
Environments with Complicated Lights and Colors
The flash may also play a role in managing mixed or unbalanced lighting. For example, in KTVs, bars, and other entertainment venues, the colorful lights affect
camera performance. In these cases, the image has serious color cast. However,
a flash can be used to get rid of the color cast and restore the original appearance of the object. Of course, you can ignore this suggestion if the atmosphere
brought by the colorful lights is exactly what you want.
After the flash is triggered, the color temperature of the Rubik's Cube turns normal
(see the left picture).
If you use the flash when taking night photos, the photo looks fuzzy.
25
SMART GADGETS
Curing Housework
Phobia with Robots
Most people don’t look forward to doing
housework. Fortunately, thanks to internetconnected robots, housework is a piece of
cake. You just need to tap your cell phone and
the robot cleans the floor over and over again
for you.
Case 1
Leonardo Cleans the Room
at the Touch of His Fingers
For a man that is indolent and stays at home
all day long, his room would be in great chaos.
Scraps of paper and cigarette butts are scattered
across the floor and various sundries are piled
in different parts of the home. This is what we
think Leonardo’s room would look like. However,
we were astonished when we opened the door.
Cleaning the Floor
The neat and tidy floor is really different from
what we expected. Leonardo showed us how
he usually does his housework. Against our
expectations, he picked up his cell phone and
sat on the sofa. When he tapped his cell phone,
the Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum undocked
itself from a charging station affixed to the wall.
Its unique 360° vision system uses complex
mathematics, probability theory, geometry
26
and trigonometry to map and navigate a room.
Leonardo picked up the robot and showed us
how the robot moves steadily between different
floor types with continuous tank tracks and how
it cleans the room with a powerful digital motor.
Cleaning the Window
Mopping the Floor
In his room, Leonardo has a large French
window with a wide view. He can overlook
the park not far away. The window has not
been cleaned by Leonardo himself. He placed
the Ecovacs WINBOT W930 on the glass and
cleaning. In the damp mop mode, Braava uses
damp cleaning cloths to lift surface dirt off your
floors. Leonardo said that with geothermal
heating and these two cleaning robots, he spent
the whole winter lying on the clean and warm
floor.
pressed a button. WINBOT W930 is equipped
with powerful vacuum pump and dual suction
rings to seal the robot to the glass. It travels
the length of the glass in a zig-zag route. It
features WINBOT’s new SmartMove system
that separates navigation from cleaning. The
separate driving system rotates to nimbly
change cleaning directions. A sophisticated
onboard computer and multiple sensors help
it intelligently avoid edges and obstacles. It
has a wraparound microfiber cleaning pad and
wraparound squeegee for a four-stage cleaning
process.
After showing the Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum,
Leonardo took out an iRobot Braava 380t floor
mopping robot. This little guy is reliable. It maps
an efficient cleaning route and covers your
entire floor in a single pass. A special reservoir
cleaning pad dispenses liquid throughout while
SMART GADGETS
Case 2
Rose Never Does Housework
There is another type of people who never do housework, namely,
super women in the workplace who do not even have time to fall in
love. According to Rose, it is not the fact that she does not know how
to do housework. Actually, she does not have time to do housework.
Like Leonardo, she also uses hard-working robots to help her.
Cleaning Robot for Pet
Rose has raised a dog as her pet. Although the pet brings happiness,
dog hair all over the house is a headache for her. Thanks to the iRobot
Roomba pet vacuum cleaning robot, Rose no longer needs to remove
pet hair with an electrostatic broom
after she gets home from work.
Unlike common vacuum cleaners,
Roomba uses AeroVac technology,
which maximizes air flow through
its cleaning head to pull hair and
debris off the brushes and into the
bin evenly. In addition, Roomba can
vacuum in preset times.
All-Around Housekeeper
Compared with the iRobot Roomba pet cleaning robot that is good at
picking up hair, another household assistant of Rose, Ecovacs Deebot
D9 automatic cleaning robot, is
more versatile and intelligent. It
can tackle the widest range of floor
cleaning jobs, from vacuuming to
wet and dry mopping. In addition,
the robot can be easily navigated
by a smartphone or tablet via WiFi. With the application, Rose can
schedule cleaning times and create
barriers around areas she does not
wish the robot to enter. Therefore,
she can control the robot on her cell
phone while enjoying her afternoon
tea outside.
Doing Housework by Yourself
Although these hard-working robots can sweep and mop the floor to
maintain a clean environment, you are deprived of the happiness in
doing housework. Moreover, the robots cannot completely remove dust
from some corners that are difficult to reach. With a Dyson vacuum
cleaner, even a lazy person cannot help taking it to clean the house.
Hard-Working Spider-Man
Like Leonardo, Rose also has a window cleaning robot. However, she
always gets home very late, and is not so much concerned about the
cleanliness of her windows. Rose always uses her little HOBOT-188
glass cleaning robot to clean the living room wallpaper and bathroom
wall tiles. With powerful suction, the HOBOT-188 cleans a variety of flat
surfaces, such as walls, tables, grounds, tiles, and glass. In addition, it
automatically detects obstacles and window frames.
Enjoying Housework
When you look at this futuristic-looking Dyson DC45 animal cordless
handheld vacuum, you could not help giving it a try. You can find that
it is really extraordinary the moment you switch it on and hear the low
humming of the digital motor. It has detachable wand and tools for
cleaning up top, down below and in-between. The motorized head floor
tool features two types of bristles engineered for cleaning different
floor surfaces. You can easily clean every place in your home or remove
dust from your car. DC45 with a built-in battery features 20 minutes of
powerful suction.
27
MOBILE APP
Five Apps to
Make Your Daily Life Easier
Find and Reserve Parking
ParkMe
Finding parking is not easy in many cities.
Imagine you have arrived at your destination
but you keep driving around because the
parking lot is already full.
ParkMe helps you find and reserve the
closest and cheapest parking around. It
claims to have the largest parking database
in the world—over 84,000 locations in 64
countries. It has an intuitive map GUI that
displays the locations of all parking lots
nearby as well as their parking fees and
vacancy percentages. It allows you to reserve
a parking spot with your credit card. It shows
pictures of the lot entrances and rate cards,
and which lots offer which amenities. It also
can tell you where to find the street parking
up to two weeks in the future.
28
MOBILE APP
Never Get Lost in the Parking Lot
Create Meal Plans and Grocery List
Find My Car
You finally parked your car in a large parking lot, but a new
problem has arisen: How can you quickly find your car in a
large parking lot where thousands of cars are parked?
Find My Car keeps you out of trouble. After parking your car,
you only need to start the app and save your parking location.
It remembers the GPS position of your car, hotel or any other
location. You can also take a picture and associate a short
description to describe the parking spot in a more detailed
way. To find your car again, open the app that shows your
current position and your car position on the map. It navigates
you to your car by showing the distance between you and
your car in real time. You can share your stored positions or
current position with friends so they can meet you at your car.
It also has an emergency button; it can send a pre-configured
SMS with your current position to a family member to notify
them of your whereabouts with only two clicks.
Food on the Table
Do you plan your weekly meals according to sales at stores?
Or are you more likely to shop according to recipes you find
on the web? Either way, the Food on the Table app will help
you organize your shopping list.
When you sign up to the app, it will ask for your preference,
including the types of food you like and the grocery stores
you shop at. Then you can easily browse meal ideas. The
app helps you save money by listing the items on sale each
week at your chosen grocery store and recipes based on
these sale items. Add the recipes to your meal plan to autopopulate your grocery list. It helps you save time and money.
Moreover, by logging in with the same username, you can
access your grocery list on multiple devices.
Order a Takeaway for Home Delivery
When You Got to Go, Just Go
Just Eat
If you are too busy to cook or just don’t feel like going out for
dinner, Just Eat allows you to access 20,000 delivery and collection
restaurants across the UK.
It allows you to search for meals by name in a restaurant menu to
quickly find what you want or just browse dozens of local menus
at your fingertips. You can filter your search results by customer
reviews and restaurant name and read all the ratings. You can also
see restaurant opening times and location on a map. Whether
ordering burritos on the bus home or samosas from the sofa,
you’ll always find something that tickles your fancy.
Flush Toilet Finder
When you are travelling or running errands, sometimes you
suddenly realize you have to take care of business. If you are
in a strange city, you don’t know where you can go to the
toilet besides your hotel room. If you are out shopping, an
emergency could strike and you need to find a restroom. Flush
Toilet Finder makes it easier to find free public restrooms and
shows you how to get to them.
It is the quickest, simplest way of finding a public restroom.
Simply open the app and it displays the nearest toilets to
you. It's free and has no in-app purchases, and it has over
100,000 restrooms around the world in its database. You can
even search for restrooms without an internet connection. It
can find which WCs have disabled access, a fee for usage, or
require a key. It also allows users to add a toilet to increase
the list of toilets and rate and report a toilet by swiping to the
left on a toilet in the list.
29
DESIGN & ART
Bezel-Free Phones:
A Great Challenge to Design
In the first half
of 2015, a new
concept emerged
in the smartphone
market: bezel-free.
However, many
so-called bezelfree cell phones
on the market are
actually fake bezelfree. This article
will talk about
the difficulties in
design and the
development
trend of the bezelfree technology.
Why Going Bezel-Free?
Perfect Visual Effects
Over many years, designers have exhausted their creativity
on the back cover of cell phones, and now they are finally
focusing their attention on the front. In terms of swimming
pools or LCD TVs, a bezel-free or rimless design gives a strong
visual impact. The same is true for cell phones. Together
with an appropriate UI design, a bezel-free phone could have
content extended to the edges of the screen.
Good Feeling
With cell phone screen size getting larger and larger, any
other parts on a phone that increase the phone’s size would
seem burdensome. Undoubtedly, for two cell phones with
the same screen size, the bezel-free one has a slimmer and
smaller body and feels better in the hand.
Fresh User Experience
Bezel-free design offers more than visual impact and a better
grip. Nubia Z9 is ZTE’s latest bezel-free smartphone. It has a
patented Frame interactive Technology (FiT) that opens up a
new era of smartphone interaction. It allows users to have a
fresh experience. You can quickly activate an app by merely
swiping up or down on either edge of the screen or complete
rapid memory task cleanup by repeatedly swiping the edges.
Sharp has also made great efforts in bezel-free design. Sharp
has come up with a direct wave receiver that vibrates the
entire screen to produce sound. This is similar to the bone
conduction technology. There’s no earpiece speaker at the
top of the phone.
Why a Bezel-Free Design is Hard?
The bezel-free concept is so popular; however, few
manufacturers have launched bezel-free cell phones. There
are two major difficulties in the design of cell phones with
narrow or even no bezels. The first is edge sealing of LCD
panels. In all LCDs, the liquid crystal is sandwiched between
two pieces of glass. LCDs need to be sealed along the edges
to prevent leakage of liquid crystal and is therefore surrounded by an edge of at least approximately 1 mm. Even
with an OLED display, which works in a completely different
way from TFT LCD, a sealing edge is unavoidable because
30
the tiny chips that drive each pixel of the display are fitted
along the edge of the glass panel on which the screen is
made. Even if these chips can be made extremely thin with
advanced technologies, they must be protected by a strong
bezel in order to avoid impact damage.
In addition, bezel-free cell phones are prone to misoperation. When a bezel-free phone is held in one hand, you may
accidentally touch both sides of the screen. This requires
good touchscreen error correction algorithms.
DESIGN & ART
What have Manufacturers Done?
Bezel-free ID design: A cell phone
with the bezel-free ID design has a
piece of glass attached directly to the
metal frame, and the entire screen
looks bezel-free when not lit. After
the screen is lit, a dark UI is used to
make bezels invisible. However, once a
wallpaper of another color is used, the
bezels appear.
Using refraction to hide: Unlike
bezel-free ID design, this method uses
curved glass that refracts light just the
right way to mask what bezel there is
on the left and right side.
What is Currently Available?
nubia Z9
Sharp AQUOS Crystal Xx
Nubia Z9 makes an innovation
in using the innovative arc
Refractive Conduction (aRC)
technology to hide bezels
through light refraction.
The FiT technology
unprecedentedly expands
interaction on a cell phone
to bezels, and allows users
to trigger actions by simply
sliding along the edges, which
also reduces the average
smartphone process.
Sharp is the first cell phone manufacturer
to make attempts at a bezel-free display.
After attracting much attention last year by
launching the first almost bezel-free phone,
Sharp recently brought a new phone into
its portfolio—Sharp AQUOS Xx. Sharp also
uses light refraction to give the illusion of
a bezel-free screen. Its innovation lies in its
direct wave receiver, which transmits sound
by vibrating the display area and replaces
the earphone speaker, so there’s virtually
no bezel surrounding the top, left and right
side of the screen.
Development Trend: Side-Mounted Wraparound
Display
By utilizing the flexibility of CAAC oxide semiconductors, Semiconductor
Energy Laboratory (SEL) in Japan has produced side-roll and top-roll OLED
displays, with the display curving over the edge where a bezel would
usually be. With the continuous improvement of technologies, the radius
of the curvature on both sides will be further reduced. When the bending
angle is close to or reaches 90 degrees, a bezel-free cell phone will be
created. Apple has been granted a patent, which describes a mobile
device that features a wrap-around flexible AMOLED display. A flexible
wrap-around display allows for the most screen space to be utilized while
still being fortified enough.
31
DESIGN & ART
What Makes
● By Wang Shuai
a Good Touchscreen UI?
First impressions are very important when people meet each other. It is
the same when a person is looking to purchase a product. It is not easy to
make people fall in love with a product at first sight. The product must be
well designed and give full consideration to every detail and provide good
user experience.
Touchscreen UI offers direct, simple, convenient human-machine interac-
tion. It is becoming increasingly popular and widely used in a full range of
products.
As products become more similar in terms of hardware and technology,
the importance of UI design has increased. The UI design, which was not
taken seriously in the past, is now a vital and essential element of a successful product. A good UI shall be able to satisfy the following conditions.
A Distinctive Brand Identity
A well-designed UI makes a product more vivid. Although we usually identify a brand first by
its logo, the design language of a product is just as important. A design language is a symbolic language with an overarching scheme or style that runs through a suite of products. It
describes choices of design aspects such as shapes and colors to give products of the same
brand a unique but consistent look and feel. The UI design is, of course, part of this. No
matter how we upgrade our UI products, we should follow the interface guidelines and give
users a strong sense of brand identity.
ZTE smartphones are preloaded with MiFavor user interface.
Intuitive and Responsive
Designers tell users the features of an app through visuals.
A good UI gives users an effortless, smooth, enjoyable experience. All design elements
must be taken into account and complement one another. For example, visual clues can
be appropriately used so that users can easily find where to tap for next steps. The longer
users stay on a UI, the worse the user experience is. A well-designed UI is also responsive.
When an order is given by a user, it must be executed immediately. This is important for a
successful design.
Coherent and Clear
Balanced Proportions and Colors
A good UI design includes unified
operation rules and graphics. The same
function of different modules uses
the same icon and follows the same
steps. Design aspects such as layouts,
proportions, patterns, and dynamic effects should be consistent. In addition,
operations have to have a clear logic
and hierarchy.
Proportions directly affect the sense of beauty. The golden
ratio is widely used in smartphone design to make users feel
cozy. For example, the main content occupies a large area. The
proportion of a hot area to an icon is also critical. Attention
needs to be paid to color balance, symmetry, coherence, and
complements to make sure the UI is balanced.
Smooth Operation
A smooth and efficient UI is key to a good user experience. Every decision in the design process
should have a valid cause. This ensures that transition effects shifting from one UI to another
look natural rather than mechanical. For example, when you want to make a phone call, the
entire process—from accessing the dialing UI, dialing a phone number, starting calling to waiting
for the answer—should be smooth. This is where a brand can excel.
32
Proportions and use of colors are important in UI design.
Conclusion
The UI design is an integral part of product design and is playing an increasingly important role
in improving user experience, brand identification, and product competitiveness. A well-designed UI makes users feel good.
DESIGN & ART
Smartphones
in the Eyes of China’s
Post-90s
● By Zhang Ying
China’s tech-savvy, post-90s generation is a major target market for
smartphone manufacturers. They are
a generation that has grown up with
the internet, and a smartphone is a
necessity in their daily lives. In June,
ZTE held workshops in eight universities in Xi’an, China, to find out what
they think a smartphone should be.
What kind of Camera
Experience do They Want?
Shooting is one of the most popular
mobile phone functions. In the minds
of the post-90s students, how could
the shooting experience be made
more convenient?
users to search in different ways:
1. by the time the picture was taken
2. by the location of the picture (with
the help of smartphone map)
3. by the weather of the time when
the picture was taken
4. by people in the picture, with the
help of face recognition
5. by voice descriptions input when
the picture was taken
Camera activation
The post-90s youth like to take selfies.
They want to use this function in an
easier way aided by motion sensing.
When camera is activated, the shutter
can be trigger by various preset
gestures, such as “OK” or “V”. Make
the corresponding gesture when you
pose, and the camera will take your
picture.
A cell phone’s camera function can
also be very pragmatic for the post90s generation. Many college students use their smartphones to take
pictures of the PowerPoint presentation slides in class as a way of taking
notes. Keep the camera activated for
a whole period of class is power-consuming, and the phone generates
much heat. Moreover, turning off the
camera after shooting every slide and
turn it on before shooting another
one is also power-consuming and
troublesome. They have come up
with the following solutions:
Ideas sketched by students
1. When the mobile phone is being
held, the camera is automatically
activated, and when the mobile
phone is put on the desk, the camera
function is off and the phone goes to
standby mode.
2. When a user needs to continuously
use the camera, they initiate the camera by pressing a certain button or
pressing a certain button and shaking
the phone at the same time.
3. There are times when you forget
to turn off your camera. The camera
turns off automatically if it has not
been used for a period of time.
4. A mobile phone has preset brightness and its brightness can automat-
Motion sensing shooting
Picture searching
When you have too many photos on
your phone, searching for a particular
one can be troublesome. The post90s students have some unique ideas
about photo searching. In their opinions, the picture gallery should allow
ically adjust with the background of
the photos.
What Should a Smartphone
be?
5. Earphones are embedded in the
phone body to ensure that users can
enjoy music anytime anywhere.
6. Multi-screen rotation is supported
to make photography and viewing
photos and videos more convenient.
7. A fast key to contacts is provided
and you can also choose your desired
font.
8. The phone can be charged to
80% full in 30 minutes with wireless
charging.
9. The phone will have a “glove”
mode that warms your hands in the
winter.
In addition to camera functions, students also list the attributes that they
think a smartphone should have:
1. The phone has a streamlined
design, making it more comfortable
to hold.
2. The icons of frequently used apps
can be enlarged.
3. The phone is easier to control using
one hand, and the display area is
adjustable as per your need.
4. The phone can automatically
adjust brightness, ringtone volume
and vibration intensity in different
environments.
The post-90s students have many
great ideas for smartphones. ZTE will
continue to get inspiration from them
and make smartphones better than
they expect.
33
FASHION
Travel Around the World
with Your Smartphone
Too many people live a
monotonous routine day after
day. It would be good to take
a break from the routine and
travel around the world with
your smartphone. A smartphone
is now an all-round gadget that
can take you to every interesting
place, act as your translator, and
even help you find a driver.
A
Preparations Before Departure
You can install a travel guide app on your smartphone to see where other travelers go
and which local drinks and food they recommend. TripAdvisor is a good choice. It has
more than 225 million reviews from travelers around the world, covering more than
4.9 million hotels, restaurants, and attractions. You can plan and book your perfect trip
with it.
B
A smartphone relies on mobile networks. It would be a brick if it could not connect to
a network when you travel overseas.
Ensure your phone can be used abroad
Before starting your trip, you need to check
whether your phone is
compatible with your
destination’s network.
If you haven’t thought
about this or if you plan
to buy a local SIM card
when you arrive, you’d
better prepare a multi-mode smartphone, for
example, ZTE’s nubia line of smartphones, which
guarantees service continuity in most countries.
Activate roaming
Even if you have no important calls to answer, it is
necessary to activate
roaming before you
head overseas. It’s not
uncommon for travelers
to rack up huge bills in
foreign countries. Each
operator has roaming partners. Therefore, you will save on roaming
34
Buy a local SIM card
Stay Connected
charges if you choose an operator that has a roaming agreement with your home operator.
Take a 4G router with you
Before the trip, you can buy or rent a wireless 4G
router, which allows you to access internet and
share the connection among multiple devices
over Wi-Fi. If you go to countries with advanced
networks, a 4G router with unlimited internet access may be available. Thus, you can stay connected
anywhere and avoid expensive roaming fees. Don’t
take Wi-Fi for granted, and many hotels still charge
for Wi-Fi.
It is recommended to buy a SIM card for international travel in your destination country, which offers you more benefits than your phone’s SIM card.
You can choose a rate plan with a fixed or unlimited
amount of data.
If you want to
save your time
or avoid troubles
upon arrival,
you can buy a
local SIM card in
advance of your trip. This is very helpful, especially
when you want to order items through online
layaway prior to your trip because these online
platforms may require you to provide a local mobile
phone number.
App to make international calls
Skype
Skype allows you to make low
cost phone calls to mobiles and
landlines. You can create a Skype account and
add money to your Skype account and then use
SkypeOut to call anyone, whether that person has a
Skype account or not.
FASHION
C
Tip 1: Shop at rock-bottom
prices on Amazon
Don’t Get Lost
You may encounter language barriers when trying to figure out which buses and ferries you need
to take and where you can find them in a foreign country.
Google Maps
Google Maps works well when you
travel abroad. By providing complete
information on roads and local businesses, as well as 360° panoramic views
of streets in most parts of the world, Google Maps
allows you to simulate the route before you leave on a
trip. When you search Google Maps for hotels, restaurants, and other places of interest, you can also see their
ratings and reviews. Furthermore, Google Maps automatically zooms and gives step-by-step driving directions
when you drive. When you travel by bus, the map will
display your current location alongside the stops.
Official apps of major airline companies
In addition to the popular flight management apps
such as Flight Status that help passengers check the
departure and arrival times of their flights, the official
apps for major airline companies are strongly recommended. You can check-in and get your flight status and
gate information on the app. Some apps even provide
accurate weather reports and tourist information of
your destinations. But above all, you may get bumped
to better seats.
D
Rent a car for a road trip
A road trip is great for those who want
to drive at their own pace and see the
areas they want. Before departure, you
can rent a vehicle on an international
car rental company—AVIS, for example. AVIS operates
from over 5,000 locations in more than 165 countries.
You can view their available cars and prices on the AVIS
app, choose a car and when and where you want to pick
up and drop off your car.
Public transportation apps
If you prefer traveling by bus, Google
Maps allows you to see the location of
a bus stop and related lines. While you
ride the bus, you can see the bus stops
along the route on the map. In this case, Google Maps is
enough, and you do not need to download apps specific
for buses. However, the metro subway is different.
Because there is no network coverage in the subways
of many cities, you may not be able to locate yourself in
real time using your smartphone. In this case, you can
install an app that contains subway information of multiple countries or the app that only serves the subways
of your destination. These apps normally include offline
interactive maps. The hotels and restaurants along the
subway lines are also marked on the maps.
Save Money when You Shop
Shopping is a great part of travel. Thanks to the growing online-to-offline (O2O) market, many
retailers are issuing online coupons for customers to use in their brick-and-mortar stores. Here
are some things you should not miss.
Know the currency rate
It is important to know the exchange
rate of your destination when you
shop overseas. Rather than memorizing the exchange rate and figuring out
the cost of items in your home currency, why not install
Just Currency on your smartphone? It is a currency
conversion app that also offers real time exchange rates.
This app supports 168 currencies all over the world and
understands the operating environment, allowing you to
quickly grasp the real-time exchange rate information. It
also supports reverse conversion.
Get discount information
There are some country-specific
discount information apps that provide
online coupons. Moggy, for example, is
a must-have app if you travel to Japan.
It offers users e-coupons and e-tickets. Sometimes apps
that are not supposed to help too much in shopping
may become useful. JR-EAST TrainInfo, the app released by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East),
is a good example. It offers the information you need
when using JR East trains and station facilities, and
also the coupons. In addition, you scan the QR codes
of local shops with your smartphone to find savings.
Price comparison websites
Duty-free shops don’t always offer
the most attractive prices. It is still
worth shopping around for the best
deal. Comparison shopping websites
are provided in many countries for shoppers to filter
and compare products according to price, ratings
and other criteria from various retailers. Shoppers
can click the link of a retailer offering the best deal
to view detailed information such as its address and
business hours.
What makes Amazon the most
favorable online shopping site
is that it covers most countries,
offers jaw-dropping deals, and
more attractively, it partners
with many convenience stores
to offer a pickup service. You
can do so in Japan, for example.
When items are ordered for
in-store pickup, they are addressed to a convenience store
selected by the customer and
then delivered by courier. The
package is handed over after
the customer gets a receipt for
the package from an in-store
terminal and presents it. In case
you change your travel plan
and fail to pick up your package
within the reservation window,
it will be returned to Amazon for
a full refund.
Tip 2: Keep your ticketing
and reservation information
After you buy an airplane ticket
or book a hotel room online, the
websites usually offer you options to print the boarding pass
and reservation confirmation or
save them in PDF format. In case
you cannot find a self-service
terminal or do not speak the local language, you’d better install
Evernote on your phone, which
allows you to save your hotel
confirmation, boarding pass and
other useful information and
also print them out.
Tip 3: Choose a proper portable power bank
It is not always a good choice
to carry a portable power bank
with a capacity as large as
possible. If you travel by plane,
each airline has its own policy
on the capacities of carry-on and
checked portable power banks.
Therefore, you need to check
their polices before your trip to
avoid troubles.
Tip 4: Do not forget to get a
tax refund when you leave
A tax refund is available to foreign visitors in many countries.
So if you have bought many
goods, do not forget to claim a
refund at the TRS booth at the
airport when you leave. It probably is a surprise chunk of cash.
35