Last week was a pretty eventful one. Xiaomi finally announced its flagship for the global market, and while it didn’t come with a Pro model or lite version, a leak gave us a first look at what is believed to be the Mi 11 Ultra. The smartwatch market is also expected to get bigger with new players such as Facebook and ZTE’s Red Magic gaming smartphone brand. Here is a recap of the top stories from last week:
Mi 11 arrives on the global scene, Lite and Pro models MIA
The Xiaomi Mi 11 was unveiled for the global market at a pre-recorded event that was live-streamed. The phone which was launched in China in December has a starting price of €749 and comes with a 55W GaN charger in the box.
Xiaomi also announced a new 75-inch TV and a Mercedes-AMG edition of its Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2.
Mi 11 Ultra first look shows Xiaomi’s late entry into the dual-display niche
We were disappointed that Xiaomi didn’t announce a Mi 11 Lite and a Mi 11 Pro but a few days after the launch, a hands-on video of the Mi 11 Ultra was posted on the internet.
The video by a Filipino YouTuber that goes by TechBuff shows the Mi 11 Ultra has a curved AMOLED display and a rear design similar to the POCO M3. The flagship not only has impressive cameras with 120x zoom, but it also has a second display right next to the camera array!
Facebook is making a smartwatch but the Red Magic Watch is coming first
Remember when Facebook sort of made phones in partnership with HTC? That era gave us the HTC ChaCha, HTC Salsa, and the HTC First. While these phones didn’t record the success both parties must have envisaged, it was one of the social network’s early attempts into making hardware designed for its platform.
While Facebook has put its phone-making era behind it, the tech giant is still in the hardware business with devices such as its Portal line of smart displays and VR headsets under the Oculus brand. Now, it has been reported that a smartwatch is also on the way. The smartwatch will focus on messaging features and will have support for WhatsApp and Messenger. It will also have cellular connectivity when it goes on sale next year.
There is still a bit of waiting to be done before Facebook’s watch arrives but there is another player with a watch that should launch this year. ZTE’s Red Magic has a smartwatch coming and it has been spotted at the FCC. The watch will have a round display, GPS, and quick-release straps.
Redmi Note 10 series is coming in March
Redmi India has confirmed that the Redmi Note 10 series is coming early next month and the teaser hints at the series getting a high refresh rate display. We don’t know how many models will be announced but we expect no less than two phones.
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