360 and Lenovo backed ZUK Z1 will boast Cyanogen, large battery and fingerprint scanner


lenovo zuk z1

What’s this? A Chinese start up with big ambitions has announced a flagship phone for later this year with Cyanogen? Sounds like De Ja Vu!

After the Cyanogen and OnePlus bust up, we have seen CM pop up on all sorts of phones, but there are still only a few venders who actually work side by side with the alternate ROM maker, and now there is a + 1.

Start up ZUK plan to release a new phone called the ZUK Z1, now before you go and pass this off as another no namer phone hoping to cash in the story is a little different here. You see ZUK are backed by Chinese software company 360, aka Qihoo and phone maker Lenovo. The venture cost Qihoo a cool $409 million so it is safe to say that they aren’t messing about!

Gizchina News of the week


The flagship phone named the ZUK Z1 will be announced in the 2nd half of the year and so far we know that it will feature CM out of the box as well as a large battery and fingerprint scanner.

The CM connection points out that ZUK hope to market their phone outside of China, so we could be looking at a OnePlus alternative here, one with CM and the backing of some major players!

[ Source ]
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50 Comments

  1. mf1gt3r
    June 19, 2015

    Yea heard about it. Thanks for the reminder. Am waiting for pics and specs and reviews.

    • Muhammad Yasir
      June 19, 2015

      lel

      • balcobomber25
        June 19, 2015

        This has nothing to with this story but I changed my mine isntead of Windows phone for a month, I am doing Ubuntu phone. I got ahold of one of the BQ models just waiting for it to arrive.

        • Muhammad Yasir
          June 20, 2015

          lemme know how ubunto bodes for u…

          • balcobomber25
            June 20, 2015

            I use it everyday on my laptop so I am kind of excited to get it on my phone. I don’t use that many apps to begin with so I am not worried about the complete lack of apps.

        • Chuck Jones
          June 20, 2015

          Yeah, Ubuntu, no apps, no devs. for phones, no playstore like website.
          Makes no sense, other than to play with Ubuntu on a phone. Won’t be a daily driver.

          • balcobomber25
            June 21, 2015

            It is not a daily driver if you are a heavy app user, I am not. There are unofficial app stores you can install that give you access to several of the most popular apps. There is also various Android emulators that work with Ubuntu. But Ubuntu Phone has scopes which give you all the information you need from a variety of sources. The news scope for instance will gather all the news from sites like BBC, CNN and NBC and present it all in one screen eliminating the need for 3 separate apps. It makes plenty of sense if you like to think outside the box.

            • Mesterio
              June 21, 2015

              I really don’t get why Chuck Jones is not only attacking you but also being rude about it. * still scratching my head* you really got yourself into a pickle this time balcobomber25 ?

            • balcobomber25
              June 22, 2015

              Lol isn’t that what I do best?

        • Xiaolu
          June 20, 2015

          Please, keep us posted… I’d really like to jump from Android, probably will do when a flagship with Ubuntu is ready.
          Heard the BQ phone is quite basic, so not my cup of tea.

          • balcobomber25
            June 21, 2015

            Yea the BQ phone isn’t that great, in reality it would be a $100 phone if it came from China. Non HD screen, 8mp camera, 1GB Ram etc. Getting ahold of one if you don’t live in Europe isn’t easy either, I had to call in a lot of favors and ended up buying one used from a tech blogger in Germany I know. The only reason I don’t mind the specs is that Ubuntu is a lot less resource heavy than Android is, from what I have already heard it is incredibly smooth even with how underpowered it is. I am a person who really only uses a handful of apps so I am not really too concerned about the app gap.

            • Chuck Jones
              June 21, 2015

              Android, and Ubuntu are just another flavor of Linux. So what you say about Ubuntu, you could say about Android. Android is a lot less ‘resource heavy’ than Linux, by design.

            • balcobomber25
              June 21, 2015

              I can tell you not a Linux user or enthusiast. All Linux isn’t created equal. I don’t want to get too technical but let me try to explain about Linux. There are hundreds if not thousands of different variations of Linux (known as distros). Technically there is no OS called Linux, that is just the name of the Kernel. Some distros are very lightweight and can run on systems from 10+ years ago an example would be Damn Small Linux, Puppy Linux or Peppermint OS. Some need a good system like Open Suse. Ubuntu for computers is kind of in the middle and also has dozens of variations that work amazing on lower end computers (like Lubuntu).

              Even different versions of Android can vary greatly with how resource heavy they are or aren’t. For instance Slimkat and Miui. MIUI which is Xiaomi’s UI can run very slow on phones with only 1GB RAM whereas that same phone on Slimkat will run perfectly. The difference in performance between Android and Ubuntu Touch is the way each runs their apps.

              Android uses the Java Virtual Machine, basically anytime you open an app it’s actually being run in a virtual machine if you ever heard the term Davlik, that’s what that is. Lollipop switches to ART (Android Runtime) which will make it much more efficient but is still in it’s infancy. Ubuntu Touch runs apps using QT which requires no virtual machine. A virtual machine uses more memory.

            • Chuck Jones
              June 21, 2015

              Where do you get off saying I’m not a Linux user or enthusiast? All I said was that Ubuntu and Android are just another form/flavor of Linux.

              There is NO way in hell you could glean what I am in regards to Linux, from that statement. Your diatribe on what you seem to know about Linux does not make you an expert. Linus Torvalds would say differently about the Linux OS, since he created the first versions.

              Are you some simpleton, who likes to denigrate peoples knowledge of a widely used OS, on many platforms, just because you once read it in a book in grade school.?

              GTFO, troll. You offer nothing.

            • balcobomber25
              June 21, 2015

              Anyone who know anything about Linux wouldn’t have made a comment like that. Never said I was an expert but clearly you know next to nothing about Linux or you wouldn’t have that hilarious comment. Even what you say know shows you know NOTHING about Linux lol. Linus created the Linux Kernel which is the brains of the OS (of course you know this already lol). The first actual Linux OS was MCC and SLS. SLS is now called Slackware and is still available today. If you want to get technical the GNU project was started by Richard Stallman in the 80’s and Mannix was started in the 70’s. Linus borrowed heavily from both of those when creating the Linux Kernel. Feel free to Google all of this so you can pretend you know it already.

              Are you some simpleton who likes to pretend he knows about something then gets really angry and reverts to name calling when someone calls him out on it?

            • MaxPower
              June 22, 2015

              He should have tried with:
              sudo GTFO

              You can tell he doesn’t know what he’s talking about

              🙂

            • balcobomber25
              June 22, 2015

              You know me I can’t resist to argue with people like that, its like a disease. Love the Sudo reference! He probably has no clue what it means lol.

            • MaxPower
              June 22, 2015

              Everybody knows that GTFO requires root privileges.
              😉

  2. Guaire
    June 19, 2015

    As well I know Lenovo established a new company to competing Xiaomi named Shenqi. ZUK is brand name belong to that Shenqi.

    ZUK’s priority will be software. Most of it’s employees working on software.

    That Qihoo teamed up with Coolpad. 360 OS soon will be released for Coolpad F1 and they are going to release a cheap flagship.

    Lenovo and Coolpad both targeting MIUI (and Xiaomi), non of them related to CM.

    • balcobomber25
      June 19, 2015

      Basically Shenqi/ZUK is a separate entity of Lenovo (kind of like IUNI/Gionee and OPO/OPPO). From what I can gather ZUK is run independently from the main Lenovo Smartphone Brand, Lenovo is playing the role of investor more than anything else.

      Coolpad and 360 established a separate brand known as Dazen. They will have an online only model similar to Xiaomi and try to go head to head with them.

      • NightFelix
        June 20, 2015

        Just like Huawei and Honor.

        • balcobomber25
          June 20, 2015

          The Honor brand is more closely related to another brand/sub brand: Lenovo/Moto. Lenovo bought Moto to expand its operations in the west where Lenovo phones are considered an afterthought. Huawei created Honor specifically for the European (and American to a lesser extent) markets where the Huawei name carries a bad reputation (due to spying claims).

          • NightFelix
            June 20, 2015

            But I do recall that European countries does sell both Huawei P/Ascend series and as well Honor series? Not sure for US.

            • balcobomber25
              June 20, 2015

              Yes Huawei is still selling their main models in the pretty much ever country as is Lenovo. But the two brands (Honor and Moto) main purpose is to gain new customers who would never buy a Chinese brand because of past misconceptions.

  3. realjjj
    June 19, 2015

    LMAO
    ZUK is OWNED by Lenovo.
    Qihoo 360 has a phone JV with Coolpad.
    Zuk is developing it’s own ROM (ZUI) and other software and services , they are copying Xiaomi.
    The CM thing is an old rumor that has no base since the entire point is to be more than just hardware.

    • Joe mont
      June 19, 2015

      Funny I only want cyanogenmod due to not wanting some crap oem bloatware on my device.

    • balcobomber25
      June 19, 2015

      Yea this story makes no sense. Qihoo did pay $409 million last year to enter into a partnership but it was with CoolPad not Lenovo and it was for the brand Dazen not ZUK. Zuk is owned by Shenqi which itself is a subsidiary of Lenovo Capital. Basically Lenovo invested in and funded it.

    • Marlon
      June 19, 2015

      Wow Screencap this. If @realjjj:disqus is right….

    • Ms reddy
      June 20, 2015

      Sir ,
      What is CM , please expand it .
      Ms reddy .

  4. Adam Irvine
    June 19, 2015

    Sounds good, could be my next phone if it’s a good spec to go with Cyanogen Rom 🙂

  5. iKosh
    June 19, 2015
    • balcobomber25
      June 20, 2015

      What kind of camera does that thing come with? With bezels that big it better be at least an IMX 240!!

      • iKosh
        June 20, 2015

        I hope for sapphire glass, laser autofocus and octacore engine.

        • Chuck Jones
          June 20, 2015

          With magic apps too?

  6. Chuck Jones
    June 20, 2015

    CM is the reason I purchased the O+O, not because of the company, Oneplus.
    Now that the little boy CEO of Oneplus had a tantrum, and gave up the only attraction of the O+O, Oneplus will be going out of business with their pitiful Oxygen OS. The Ceo of Oneplus has made SO many poor business decisions, especially the insane ‘invite’ system which makes absolutely no business sense at all. You Oneplus fanboys, good luck with that failing company.

    • AWH
      June 21, 2015

      what’s your problem man?

      • Chuck Jones
        June 21, 2015

        Problem? You need to explain your self.

    • balcobomber25
      June 21, 2015

      In fairness to OPO they didn’t give up CM. CM went behind their backs and signed an exclusive deal with Micromax which banned any other phones running CM to be sold in India. OPO not knowing this went to launch in India, something they planned all along and were blocked from doing so by the courts of India. That was pretty much the end of that deal.

      And I never defend OPO, I am their biggest critic.

      • Chuck Jones
        June 21, 2015

        CM did no such thing, going behind OP. The CEO of Oneplus knew full and well the situation before going into India, and as it turns out after a court hearing, there was no problems with CM signing with MicroMax. The child-like CEO had a tantrum and used his made-up excuse to cut all ties with Cyanogen. Biggest mistake He’s made beside the insane ‘invite’ system.

        You are so brain-washed by The CEO of OP, you don’t actually look at the facts, and make up lies.

        • balcobomber25
          June 21, 2015

          Lol I am braindwashed by the CEO of OP? You might want to read some of my past comments on OP before saying something as absurd as that. That’s actually hilarious to come to think of it.

        • Stavros G
          June 22, 2015

          CM did EXACTLY what balcobomber25 said.

          • Chuck Jones
            June 22, 2015

            No they didn’t. Do you actually have some facts to back that up? Cyanogen has repeatedly said it was O+ that cut the ties, there was no behind the backs of O+, the deal with Micromax, the CEO of O+ knew full and well the situation going into India. And as it turned out in court in India, there was no problem. Quit just going along with the lies of the fan-boys of O+.

          • Chuck Jones
            June 22, 2015

            No they didn’t. Do you actually have some facts to back that up? Cyanogen has repeatedly said it was O+ that cut the ties, there was no behind the backs of O+, the deal with Micromax, the CEO of O+ knew full and well the situation going into India. And as it turned out in court in India, there was no problem. Quit just going along with the lies of the fan-boys of O+.

        • Stavros G
          June 22, 2015

          CM did EXACTLY what balcobomber25 said.