Last week we saw no less than six new phones get announced across various markets. However, phone launches were not the only exciting news. Here is a roundup of the top stories from the third week of August:
ROG Phone 5s series – New processor, same shell
ASUS announced new gaming smartphones under its ROG brand. The new ROG Phone 5s and ROG Phone 5s Pro don’t change much from their predecessors announced earlier this year. The main upgrade is the Snapdragon 888+ processor. The RAM has also been bumped up to 18GB.
Motorola Edge 20 series Indian launch
Motorola’s Edge 20 series made its stop in India last week. The Lenovo-owned company announced the Motorola Edge 20 and the Motorola Edge 20 Fusion. The former is one of the lightest and thinnest phones in its class. Both phones have a 108MP primary camera and a high refresh rate display. Motorola India has also confirmed that the Edge 20 Pro will launch later.
Galaxy A52s 5G – yet another phone with only a performance upgrade
Samsung’s Galaxy A-series added two new members last week. While the Galaxy A03s will appeal to those on a constricted budget, the Galaxy A52s 5G is for those with more money to spare but not enough for a flagship. The A52s 5G doesn’t offer much over the Galaxy A52 5G announced back in March but you do get a more powerful processor and new colors to choose from.
iQOO 8 series – a head-turning balance of power and style
The launch of the iQOO 8 series was one of the major highlights of last week. The new smartphones from Vivo’s iQOO come with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 888+ processor, fast wired and wireless charging, Samsung’s brand new E5 display, and a custom version of OriginOS developed for the sub-brand.
These new phones are not just beasts under the hood, but also feature impressive designs. Alongside custom editions that wear the BMW Motorsport colors, the standard model also has a photochromic version that can switch from silver to bright orange!
Pixel 5A 5G – same but better in some ways
Google announced a new Pixel phone, but while it is not the one we are all looking forward to which is the Pixel 6, the new Pixel 5a 5G has been getting a lot of attention since it launched. The mid-range phone takes over from the Pixel 4a 5G as the flagbearer of the Pixel a line. While some key specs have been carried over from last year’s mode, the Pixel 5a 5G brings a significantly bigger battery, an IP67 rating, and a price tag that is $50 cheaper than that of the Pixel 4a 5G. The Pixel 5a 5G will be exclusive to Japan and the U.S.A. but Google did launch a Pixel for the Indian market in form of the Pixel Buds A.
Realme Book Slim – an impressive first attempt
Realme made its entry into the computer market with the launch of the Realme Book Slim, a premium ultrabook with a competitive price tag. The 14-inch notebook which is powered by Intel’s 11th Gen processor also has a 2K display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, a fingerprint scanner, and a model with a Thunderbolt 4 port.
Redmi 10 – significant upgrades for a budget phone
The Redmi 10 launched last week and it comes with some of the biggest upgrades Redmi’s numbered series has seen. From an upgraded display with a higher refresh rate to a more powerful chipset to a huge upgrade in the camera department, the Redmi 10 is proof that you can get a pretty good phone even when on a tight budget.
OPPO announces new camera technology for smartphones
OPPO pumps millions of dollars into research and development every year. Last week, it showed us some of the results from its labs. The Chinese manufacturer announced a 5-axis OIS sensor and an OPPO RGBW sensor that can capture up to 60% more light.
No charger for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro but faster charging
The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro won’t be coming with chargers included in the box. However, it has been reported that they will have support for a faster charging technology than their predecessor.
OnePlus 9 RT and OxygenOS 12 – coming next quarter
OnePlus won’t be launching a T-version of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro according to a leaker. However, new details surfaced last week revealing that the OnePlus 9R will be the one getting the T-treatment.
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