Not a week goes by without at least one product announcement. Last week was packed with the launch of new phones from TCL, Sony, and ZTE as well as a new computer from Microsoft and a few new smartwatches. If you missed out on these announcements, then here is your chance to get up to speed with this recap of the top stories from last week:
LG Wing gets a massive price cut in India (and the US)
The LG Wing was the last major device from LG Mobile before it announced its exit from the smartphone business. This dual-screen device which launched for Rs 69,990 (~$940) in India is now available for less than half the price at Rs 29,999 (~$401). In the US, you can grab the phone for $600 (from T-Mobile) which is still a significant cut from its $999 launch price.
If you are wondering if this is a good buy, maybe the fact that there is practically no device like this will convince you. Also, even though it is no longer making phones, LG has promised that it will update the Wing through to Android 13. That is three OS upgrades in total as the phone launched with Android 10 out of the box.
Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop 4 comes in blue
If you are a fan of Microsoft’s Surface lineup, then you will like the new Surface Laptop 4. The new notebook is available in two sizes – 13.5 inches and 15-inches – and in Intel and AMD variants. There is also a new blue color that is exclusive to the 13.5-inch model. Microsoft also announced a couple of hardware to enhance your work from experience.
ZTE Axon 30 Pro and Axon 30 Ultra are the latest Chinese flagships
ZTE announced two new flagships last week – the Axon 30 Pro and the Axon 30 Ultra. Both are powered by the Snapdragon 888 processor and run MyOS based on Android 11, and that is pretty much where their similarities end.
The Ultra has a curved display with a 144Hz refresh rate, four rear cameras with three being 64MP sensors, a 4600mAh battery, and support for 66W fast charging. The Pro model has a flat display and drops the refresh rate to 120Hz refresh rate. It also has four rear cameras but only two of them are 64MP sensors and its battery is smaller at 4200mAh and charges slower at 55W.
Sony’s new Xperia flagships bring new camera features but no price tags yet
Sony also announced two new flagship phones last week – the Xperia 1 III and the Xperia 5 III. The new phones are the first in the industry to have a telephoto camera that can switch between two focal lengths (70mm and 105mm for 2.9x and 4.4x optical zoom). They both have a MicroSD card slot and audio jack, two features you will hardly find on a flagship these days. Sony has also increased the battery capacity and charging speed in both phones when compared to their predecessors.
If you don’t want a flagship, then there is the Xperia 10 III, a Snapdragon 690-powered phone. It has an OLED display like its more powerful siblings but drops the 120Hz high refresh rate for the standard 60Hz. While its battery capacity is the same at 4500mAh, it charges slower at 18W compared to the 30W the other two support.
New TCL 20 phones but the TCL Fold ‘n Roll is the device we want but can’t have
TCL announced new models for its TCL 20 series. There are four new models, all with impressive displays for their price range but the highlight of the launch was the TCL Fold ‘n Roll, a concept phone that has a display that not only unfolds but also unrolls.
New smartwatches
Huami announced an eSIM version of the Amazfit GTR 2 but it is exclusive to China for now. boAt, India’s leading wearable maker has a new square-faced watch called the Xplorer but it doesn’t have a temperature sensor like the new Timex Fit smartwatch and Mobvoi’s TicWatch GTH. ZTE also announced a leather version of its Watch GT smartwatch.
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