Technology and the world of smart devices evolve daily. However, parallel to the realm of technology designed for good, there’s a shadowy underbelly that continually grows too. Recent reports have made us question the security of Android devices once more, particularly concerning a threat known as the Guerrilla virus. Here are all the details…
How to Protect Your Android Device from the Guerrilla Virus
The security of Android devices has been a topic of debate for years. Google has indeed implemented measures to protect against system vulnerabilities, but there have never been genuinely effective steps taken concerning malicious third-party applications on the Google Play Store. This inevitably labels the security of Android devices as “dubious”. A report published last week has further inflamed this issue. It claimed that many Android devices are shipped to consumers with malicious software pre-installed, which has led Android users to regard their phones with suspicion.
The initial report came from cybersecurity firm Trend Micro. The company examined 50 different Android device models during their investigation. The findings were quite alarming. According to the report, 8.9 million Android devices were found to be infected with malicious software. The identity of the harmful software was also revealed.
Another cybersecurity firm, Sophos, named the identified application as Guerrilla. Like a detective, Sophos tracked the path of the Guerrilla app, and the resulting findings were equally disturbing. The reason being that Guerrilla was found within the infrastructure of 15 different applications in the Google Play Store.
What Guerrilla essentially does is simple. It opens a backdoor on your phone under the guise of an “update notification” within the application it’s housed. This allows unwanted harmful software to be downloaded onto your phone, presenting them as updates. The downloaded malicious software then affects aspects like your phone’s battery life, performance, or the advertisement content that appears.
Phones that contain Guerrilla generally exhibit low battery life and performance features. The advertisements that users encounter are often irrelevant to them and can be categorized as obscene content. The countries where virus-infected phones are most common currently include the United States, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, and Russia. As for the situation in Turkey, there’s no answer yet. No security company has named the brands or applications that house these harmful applications. The only known fact is that they frequently appear on mid-range and lower-range devices.
WhatsApp, the popular messaging app, has finally introduced a highly anticipated feature: the ability to edit sent messages. This exciting addition grants users the power to modify their messages within a 15-minute window after sending them, without the need to worry about the recipient seeing the original content. The edited messages are indicated with a subtle “edited” tag, ensuring transparency.
To utilize this feature, the process is simple and intuitive across various platforms. On Android, users can long-press the desired message, tap “More options,” and select “Edit.” iPhone users can achieve the same by simply tapping “Edit” after a long-press. For Web or desktop users, they can hover over the message, click the menu button, and choose “Edit message.” Once inside the editing interface, users can make the necessary changes and finalize them by tapping the checkmark.
One of the key advantages of this feature is that it does not generate additional chat notifications for the other party involved. This prevents unnecessary disruptions and maintains the flow of the conversation. However, it is important to note that message editing is currently limited to text messages only. Media files, such as photos, videos, or their captions, cannot be edited at this time.
The rollout of this feature has been gradual, initially reaching WhatsApp beta testers and now being made available to users worldwide. WhatsApp aims to ensure a smooth experience for all its users by gradually introducing the editing feature over the coming weeks. This strategy ensures that the functionality is stable and can cater to the vast user base of Android, iPhone, and desktop users.
With the introduction of message editing, WhatsApp enhances the user experience by providing greater control and flexibility over sent messages. It allows for the rectification of typos, corrections of misunderstandings, and improvements in the overall clarity of conversations. As the feature becomes more widely available, users can enjoy the convenience and confidence of fine-tuning their messages without any hassle.
AI chatbots are all the rage in 2023, with OpenAI’s ChatGPT leading the pack. However, it is not completely reliable, leaving people to use multiple chatbots to get the best results for their queries. But that can be a drag and a pain. That’s where ChatALL comes in. It’s a new chatbot that lets you chat with up to 17 other chatbots at once, including ChatGPT, Bard, Alpaca, Vincuna, and Claude. That means you can get the best results for your queries without having to switch between different chatbots. Here are the details.
ChatALL brings up to 17 Chatbots under one roof
ChatALL is an AI chatbot that shows you answers from various other chatbots available out there. It can send your questions to over 10 popular chatbots at once, including ChatGPT, GPT4, Bing, Bard, Claude, Wenxinyiyan, Xunfei Xinghuo, and others. It then waits for their responses and presents them to you one by one. This lets you compare the answers and choose the one that you find most suitable.
It is a versatile application that supports three languages: Chinese, English, and German. To use ChatALL, users can conveniently sideload it onto their Mac, Windows, or Linux devices using the installation package available on GitHub.
ChatALL has a number of features that make it stand out from other chatbots. These include the quick question mode, local conversation history, the ability to highlight and delete answers, automatic offline mode for ChatGPT, the option to enable or disable any bot at any time, and the flexibility to switch between one-column, two-column, or three-column views.
ITHome reports that Sun Zhigang is the main author of ChatALL. He is a partner at Kaikeba (a Chinese online education company) and graduated from the Harbin Institute of Technology with a major in computer science. He was also an associate professor at the School of Computer Science. According to Zhigang, most of ChatALL’s code was generated using GPT-4. GPT-4 is a large language model chatbot developed by OpenAI.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra is the brand’s latest flagship smartphone, featuring a best-in-class camera system and an immersive display. The handset is a complete package, with a powerful processor, fast charging, and decent battery life. While Xiaomi does not advertise the 13 Ultra as a gaming phone, its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor makes it more than capable of handling even the most demanding games. To further improve the experience, Xiaomi has released a new update for the 13 Ultra, which fixes some refresh rate issues and improves battery life.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra gets new improvements
The new update is rolling out to the Xiaomi 13 Ultra (review) units in China. It goes without saying since the smartphone is not available in the global market, at least not yet. The software update takes care of various bugs and issues on the phone. For one, it fixed the abnormal frame rate problem caused by the game opening the microphone. This was apparently a bug that caused the frame rate to drop when a game was opened while the microphone was in use. The update fixes this bug and ensures that the frame rate remains consistent even when the microphone is in use.
In addition, it also got rid of the bug that caused the system to display a warning message when the phone was not actually overheating. The update makes sure the warning message is only displayed when the phone is heating excessively. Further, the occasional abnormal CPU power consumption problem and optimize battery life have also been fixed. Along with these bug fixes, the firmware update for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra also bumps the security level of the device to May 2022.
Chinese tech giant and BBK subsidiary OnePlus officially launched the Ace 2V smartphone in China in March this year. The OnePlus Ace 2V is a premium mid-range mobile phone with a sleek design and a powerful specs lineup. The phone breaks off from speculations that it will be a oned-down variant of the regular OnePlus Ace 2, to carve a unique name for itself. It seems OnePlus isn’t ready to end the uniqueness of the device as it has now announced a new storage version for the phone.
The OnePlus Ace 2V has now gotten a new variant with 1TB of storage paired with 16GB RAM. The model is even pocket-friendly, bearing a price tag of 2999 yuan ($426). The new variant is expected to go on sale at 20:00 on May 31st in China. OnePlus is yet to release details of its global rollout. The phone will get a 200 yuan discount for 618, bring down the price to 2,799 yuan ($398).
The OnePlus Ace 2V was originally launched in three memory configurations – 12GB + 256GB, 16GB + 256GB, and 16GB + 512GB storage. Interestingly, the 1TB version will sell for same price as the 512GB version during the 618 sales next month.
Apart from the new storage option, the model reyains the same features as the others. As a reminder, the Ace 2V is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chip. It packs a 6.74-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2772 x 1240 pixels. The display has support for a 120Hz variable refresh rate, 1450nit ultra-high brightness, and HDR 10+.
The phone sports a triple rear camera setup consisiting of a 64 MP ultra-clear main camera, a 2 MP macro lens, and an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens. For selfies, there is a 16 MP shooter at the front. The phone runs on Android 13-based ColorOS 13 operating system. It equally supports infrared remote control as well as one-button remote control of home appliances. There is also full-featured NFC support for contactless payment. The phone crams a 5000mAh battery under the hood and supports 80W super flash charging.
OnePlus wants you to never run out of storage space with the OnePlus Ace 2V 1TB version
Just last month, Redmi‘s upcoming smartwatch – the Redmi Watch 3 Lite – was certified by IMDA after it got SIRIM certification earlier in March. Xiaomi seems to have now unveiled the smartwatch as it is listed on the Xiaomi Mall website.
The Redmi Watch 3 Lite or Watch 3 Youth Edition features a 1.83-inch AMOLED display which is slightly bigger than that of the Redmi Watch 3 which was launched for the global market in March. For reference, the Watch 3 packs a 1.75-inch AMOLED screen.
The watch 3 Lite comes with support for Bluetooth calls, 24/7 blood oxygen monitoring, heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, and over 100 sports modes, and women’s health functions. On the software side, the new Watch 3 Lite also features support for over 200 customized watch faces.
In addition, the smartwatch also supports 5ATM waterproof, WeChat and Alipay offline payment. Users also get a battery life of up to 12 days on normal usage but with heavy usage, the watch can last up to 8 days when it is fully charged.
Redmi Watch 3 Lite smartwatch give you the Apple Watch vibes on a budget
The Redmi Watch 3 Lite (Youth Edition) is presently up for pre-order in China but the pricing details are still not known. Xiaomi is expected to officially launch the smatwatch on May 23.
Back in September 2022, Nokia launched the Nokia T10 tablet in India featuring a UniSoc T606 chip and Android 12 operating system. The tablet was long overdue for an Android 13 upgrade. Now, Nokia has finally started rolling out the update for the tablet along with a bunch of other devices.
Android 13 introduces a new design language called Material You. This design language is based on the concept of “color extraction,” which allows you to extract colors from your wallpaper and apply them to your phone’s interface. You can also customize the shapes, typography, and other aspects of your phone’s interface to match your personal style. Android 13 also includes a number of bug fixes and performance improvements. These changes are designed to make your phone more stable and responsive. Here are all the changes coming to the Nokia T10 tablet with the Android 13 update.
Nokia T10 tablet Android 13 changelog
New Material You design language
Vibrant colors and customizable theming options
Privacy and security improvements
New privacy dashboard
Microphone and camera indicators
New permissions
New security features
New features for productivity and accessibility
New multitasking menu
New Voice Access feature
New accessibility features
Bug fixes and performance improvements
More stable and responsive phone
If you have a Nokia T10, you can check for the Android 13 update by going to Settings > System > System updates. If the update is available, you will see a notification. To install the update, tap on the notification and follow the instructions.
Google Contacts, the default contact management app on Android smartphones, is now rolling out birthday notifications for its users. This feature, which has been long-awaited by users, aims to simplify the process of managing and adding birthdays to contacts.
The inclusion of birthday reminders in Google Contacts was initially hinted at in March, with the introduction of the For You section’s Highlights tab. Later on, users gained the ability to add birthday notifications within individual contacts. Now, some users are seeing a new “Add birthdays” card within the For You section.
The feature appears to have been enabled with version 4.7.26.x of Contacts, although it may not be available to all users at this time. The visibility of the new additions seems to be limited to a select group of users, even if they have the latest version of the app.
Manage Birthdays with Google Contacts
Upon accessing the “Add birthdays” card, users are presented with a list view of their contacts, with a cake icon denoting those without a birthday added. Additionally, individual contacts can have a birthday notification added by opening the overflow menu in the top right corner.
Notably, the list view of contacts’ birthdays seems to be exclusively accessible within the new “Add birthdays” card in Highlights. It remains unclear how users can navigate to this view once they dismiss the card, which may pose an inconvenience for some.
Recent updates to Google Contacts have included the introduction of Material You home screen widgets, focusing on contacts who are close to the user. The app also improved its tablet interface and added contact images within Chats. Furthermore, Google Calendar is expected to receive its own version of birthday reminders, mirroring the functionality seen in Google Contacts.
Overall, the inclusion of birthday notifications in Google Contacts brings a long-awaited and useful feature to Android users, streamlining contact management and ensuring important dates are not overlooked.
Honor is set to introduce its latest smartphones, the Honor 90 and Honor 90 Pro, on May 29 in China. Ahead of the launch, renowned tipster Digital Chat Station has leaked some key specifications of both devices. In a recent Weibo post, the tipster revealed further details about these highly anticipated smartphones. The live images of the devices were also spotted in an earlier leak.
Honor 90 series specifications (rumored)
The Honor 90 will be equipped with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, boasting a clock speed of 2.5GHz, while the Honor 90 Pro will feature the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, clocked at 3.0GHz. Both models will sport a curved-edge OLED panel with 3840Hz PWM high-frequency dimming. Moreover, they will share a powerful 200-megapixel Samsung HP3 primary camera on the rear.
Both the Honor 90 and Honor 90 Pro will pack a sizable 5,000mAh battery. The vanilla model is expected to support 66W charging, while the Pro variant is rumored to offer either 90W or 100W charging capabilities. Official posters have revealed that the two models will showcase different rear designs.
Additional leaked information suggests that the Honor 90 will feature a triple camera setup on the back, consisting of a 200-megapixel primary camera, a 12-megapixel lens, and a 2-megapixel sensor. Meanwhile, the Honor 90 Pro will house a 200-megapixel main camera, accompanied by a 12-megapixel lens and a 32-megapixel snapper.
In related news, Honor has silently launched the Honor Play 40 5G in the Chinese market. This device boasts a 6.56-inch LCD panel with HD+ resolution and a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. It runs on the Snapdragon 480 Plus chipset and is powered by a 5,200mAh battery. The Honor Play 40 5G comes in two RAM options: 6GB and 8GB, with storage capacities of 128GB and 256GB respectively. It sports a dual camera setup on the back, consisting of a 13MP primary sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor. On the front, there is a 5MP camera to take care of the selfies.
Gree Electric is a major home appliance maker and had even manufactured smartphones as well. However, the company is now discontinuing its handset operations following a decline in its smartphone sales.
Gree disbands its smartphone unit
For those unaware, the company is a known consumer electronic products maker and is known for its air conditioners. But the brand sought to diversify its product line and had even announced its entry into the smartphone market. Its first even handset model was announced back in 2015, however, with certain official claiming that the brand even had potential to easily surpass Xiaomi as well in the handset market.
But just a couple of years into this segment, the company has announced its exit from the market. Notably, this news also arrives as the smartphone shipments in the Chinese market fell by 11 percent in the first quarter of this year. This marks the lowest ever levels in a decade. Thus, Gree has disbanded the core team of its smartphone unit, as per a report from the Chinese media outlet Jiemian.
But unfortunately, the brand has yet to respond to any requests for a comment on this matter. Back in 2021, we had even covered the launched of the Gree TOSOT G7 model, which was a rebranded Meizu 18X. The company clearly didn’t catch up to or even outperform Xiaomi and it is likely planning on consolidating its efforts to its core operations. This is all the information we have at the moment, so stick around for more updates.
Xiaomi has announced the Redmi Book 14 (2023) laptop in China. The latest model in the Redmi Book series packs a 12th-gen Intel H-Series i5/i7 processor, a 2.8K display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and 16GB of RAM. The Redmi Book 14 comes with a 14-inch screen with impressively narrow bezels, Dolby Vision, and DC Dimming.
The new Redmi Book series laptop offers NFC one-touch transmission, one-key hotspot, Dolby Atmos, and portrait centering. It uses a four-mic architecture and features AI noise reduction. The laptop also offers keyboard and mouse sharing, application transfer, and mirroring expansion. It has an all-aluminum chassis and adopted an integrated hinge design. You can turn the laptop by 180 degrees, while it 56Wh battery provides extended usage of the gadget. The laptop also comes with a 100W GaN fast charger.
The laptop outputs 2.8K (2880 x 1800 pixels) content and has a 16:10 aspect ratio. The display has a maximum brightness of 300 nits and 100& sRGB. The laptop is equipped with either the 12th-gen Intel Core i7-12700H or the lower Core i5-12500H processors paired with Intel Iris Xe graphics GPU. The Redmi Book 14 (2023) has 512GB PCIe 4.0 storage and runs on Windows 11 Home. The laptop features keyboard backlighting and fingerprint recognition.
Connectivity options for the Redmi Book 14 include Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, Wi-Fi 6E, MIMO, USB- 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, and USB 2.0. The laptop weighs just 1.37kg and has dimensions of 312.2 x 220.1 x 15.9 mm.
Xiaomi Redmi Book 14 (2023) Price
The laptop is available in star gray and starlight silver colors. The starting price for the Redmi Book 14 (2023) in China is 3,699 yuan (~$526) for the Core i5 model. Global availability and pricing details will be released subsequently.
Motorola is set to unveil two new Razr foldable phones on June 1st. Speculations are rife that the upcoming offerings from the Lenovo-owned brand will be called the Razr 40 Ultra (Razr+ for the US market) and Razr 40. Now ahead of the launch, the Razr 40 Ultra has appeared on the Saudi Arabia retailer site Extra.com. The listing has been spotted by tipster Abhishek Yadav.
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra spotted on a retailer site
Motorola Razr Ultra ( Razr+ ) listed on Extra .com before launch with official images and price 3999 SR ~ ₹88,371
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is listed with a 6.9-inch main pOLED display bearing a center-aligned punch-hole cutout and an FHD+ resolution. It will have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button and a USB-C port. The back panel has a large secondary screen that stretches toward the two camera sensors and an LED flash unit. The display is expected to measure 3.5 inches. As per the retailer’s website, the foldable phone will be offered in Viva Magenta, Glacier Blue, and Black colors.
As for the core specifications, the listing reveals that the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra will be powered by an eight-core octa-core chipset clocked at 3.20GHz. This corresponds to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. The device will pack 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage without support for microSD card slot. The device is listed with a 3,800mAh battery unit with support for wireless charging. It will run on Android 13 OS out of the box. The foldable phone’s dual rear camera setup is said to comprise a 32MP main sensor and an 8MP lens. It will have a 12MP or 13MP front-facing selfie snapper.
The rest of the specifications including the secondary display size, refresh rate, and wired charging speed of the Razr 40 Ultra remain unknown.
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is listed at a price tag of SR 3,999 (~$) for the base variant on Extra. We will learn more details about the phone at the launch event next week.
At the end of April, Infinix launched an entry-level smartphone in India called Infinix Smart 7 HD. It is the brand’s second-most affordable smartphone on the market.
The device is priced at only ₹6,199 (~$75) and it is ₹200 (~$3) more expensive than its predecessor Infinix Smart 6 HD. The two phones are almost identical in terms of specs.
But the Smart 7 HD offers a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for a slightly costlier price tag. Thus, it arrives with all the essential features of a modern smartphone.
All in all, the device is targeted at first-time smartphone buyers. But is it good enough?
Infinix India sent me a unit of Smart 7 HD to test out. After using it for quite a while, I have expressed my thoughts on it in this article. Before I share my opinion, I would like to inform you that the brand had no early look or any editorial input.
Without any further ado, let me tell you how much of a smartphone you get for ₹6,199.
Well-built with no compromise
Like most non-flagship smartphones, the Infinix Smart 7 HD sports a plastic body. From just the looks of it, one cannot guess the price of the device. The handset has a squircle module on the rear featuring two cameras, an LED flashlight, and a fingerprint sensor.
The back panel comes with a wavy pattern, which sort of provides a grip accompanied by flat sides. The front side of the phone is dominated by the display, while the right spine includes a volume rocker and a power key.
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The triple card slot for dual SIM and a MicroSD card slot can be found on the left side. Finally, the bottom part is populated by a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone hole, a MicroUSB port, and a speaker grille.
The device is comfortable to hold and does not feel cheap despite its price tag. All in all, it is well-built without any compromise.
However, I do have one nitpick and it’s related to the bundled case. It would have been nicer if the company had included a silicone case instead of a hard plastic one with naked sides that’s prone to scratches and easy to break.
Passable display but not so good speaker
The handset arrives with a 6.6-inch display with a resolution of 1612 x 720 pixels (HD+). The LCD panel has a water drop notch at the top and a noticeable chin at the bottom.
The screen has good viewing angles with no color shift when viewed from extreme angles. Interestingly, it gets bright enough under direct sunlight.
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As I am used to OLED displays with FHD+ and more resolution, I could notice the downgrade in sharpness and other aspects. But this won’t be an issue for a first-time smartphone user.
The target audience should be satisfied with a much larger canvas than on their feature phone, which works as intended. The speaker, on the other hand, is better than on cheap feature phones but it is not enough as it kind of sounds robotic.
Slow but provides good software experience
A Unisoc SC9863A1 chipset powers the smartphone. This outdated SoC from 2018 is manufactured using a 28nm process.
The chip includes a 1.6GHz octa-core CPU comprising two clusters of 4 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores. It is paired with 2GB RAM and 64GB eMMC storage.
The performance of the handset is not great as the specs suggest. It is slow and there’s no other way to put it.
But will this affect a first-time smartphone buyer? I think it would be down the line once the device ages.
Surprisingly, the Android 12 Go Edition-based XOS 12 software is great. There are no compatibility issues with most-used apps across social media, payments, streaming, and more.
In fact, it does not even through unnecessary promotional notifications by default. This only occurs once you start using those system apps.
Lackluster Cameras
Other than performance, I am not satisfied with the cameras. The 8MP rear camera can only produce usable pictures under good lighting conditions. The secondary QVGA sensor doesn’t seem to be in use.
Though the camera can identify the scenes accurately with the ‘AI vision’, it fails to process them properly. HDR is almost non-existent, so it’s better to avoid taking pictures when a light source is behind.
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The same is also applicable to the 5MP selfie camera. But I feel that it’s slightly better than the main camera.
Video recording is limited to 1080 30fps from both rear and front cameras. The videos again come out usable only under good lighting environments.
Excellent battery life and connectivity
The handset draws energy from a 5,000mAh battery. Despite being powered by a 28nm chipset, it does not seem to be power-hungry.
The phone can easily last more than a day and even more if you don’t use it often. But charging it is painful in the world of fast-charging smartphones.
The 10W bundled charger takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to charge fully from 20%. It is wise to charge this phone overnight or juice it up before going to bed.
The handset support dual 4G SIM cards with VoLTE. There are no call drops and the quality of the earpiece and microphone is good.
I did not face any issues with single-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0. GPS also works as intended.
Conclusion
From my experience, I would say that the Infinix Smart 7 HD can fulfill the requirements of a first-time smartphone user with some shortcomings. The drawbacks I discussed above may not affect all potential buyers.
Secondly, there are no other products in this price segment providing a similar or better set of features. This makes the Smart 7 HD a unique offering.
If a buyer’s budget is strictly around ₹6,000 (~$72), there are no other alternatives. Better handsets do exist but they are costlier and have limited availability.
Transsion, the parent company of Infinix, Tecno, and Itel specializes in targeting customers in lower-tier cities and rural areas with its products and supply. Thus, the Smart 7 HD is more accessible to the right customers.
Meizu 20 Pro was announced back in March this year. Now Meizu has announced the addition of a new color variant, called “Sunrise Purple,” to its Meizu 20 Pro smartphone lineup. This latest color option joins the existing range of Dawn Gray, Twilight Silver, and Sunrise Gold, representing the four stages of sunrise and embodying the aesthetics of “rising towards the sun.”
The Sunrise Purple variant features a low-saturation purple as the primary tone, with a gradual transition from bottom to top. It incorporates Meizu’s exclusive ultra-fine delicate shimmering craftsmanship, maintaining consistency with the other color options.
An exciting highlight of the Meizu 20 Pro Sunrise Purple edition is the extended warranty. Meizu offers a 3-year warranty for this device. To qualify for the extended warranty, customers need to purchase the phone before June 20th and activate it by June 27th.
Pre-sales for the Meizu 20 Pro Sunrise Purple will start at 8:00 PM on May 23rd, with prices starting at 4,399 yuan. The device will be available in two storage configurations: 12GB+256GB priced at 4,399 yuan ($625) and 12GB+512GB priced at 4,799 yuan ($682).
Meizu 20 Pro specifications
In terms of specifications, the Meizu 20 Pro boasts a 6.81-inch 2K+ 120Hz Samsung E6 AMOLEDdisplay. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and features a Hybrid ultra-lightweight stainless steel body. The device runs on Flyme 10, based on Android 13.
Meizu 20 Pro sports a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera with a macro option, and a 50MP 2x portrait telephoto camera. Additionally, it includes a 32MP front camera for capturing selfies.
Furthermore, the Meizu 20 Pro comes with a built-in UWB module, which can function as the key for the LYNK 08 electric car. Meizu 20 Pro houses a 5,000mAh battery that supports 80W wired and 50W wireless fast charging.
There has been an increasing trend in the percentage of Android users shifting to Apple’s iPhone. As per a Consumer Intelligence Research Partner (CIRP) report, the rate of new iPhone users coming from Android phones is the highest in the last five years since 2018.
iPhone had the highest switchers from Android since 2018
CIRP surveyed iPhone owners and reported that for from March 2022 to 2023 15 percent of people had an Android phone before buying an iPhone. This was the highest rate since March 2018 when a similar 15 percent made the switch from Android to iOS. Before this 16, 21, and 18 percent people owned an Android device before moving to iPhone in 2017, 2016, and 2015 respectively. 2016 was also the year that recorded the highest rate of switchers over a nine-year period. By March 2020, this rate had plummeted to 10 percent. Since then, there has been a slow rise until the current 15 percent rate was reached.
The data also reveals that apart from the 15 percent of Android users who moved to the iPhone, the rest 2 percent of people came from those with a basic phone, a device from other category, and first-time buyers. The report also added that the number of iPhone users who buy new iPhones has also slowly increased.
As per the data, 69 percent of the people who bought an iPhone said that they switched from one iPhone to another. Since then, that number has only gone up. In 12 months concluding March 2015, 13 percent of iPhone buyers were those who owned Blackberry, Windows, and basic phones.
Apple is excited for WWDC 2023, which will take place on June 5th. The company is expected to share new software and hardware at the event. One of the most anticipated new products is the 15-inch MacBook Air. It is expected to have a long battery life and other powerful features. Another highly anticipated product is the new virtual reality headset. Apple has been quietly filing trademarks that may be related to this headset. Here are the details…
Apple May Have Secretly Filed for ‘xrProOS’ Trademark
Apple is rumored to be working on an AR/VR headset, and new trademark filings suggest that the company is moving forward with its plans. Recently, a company called Deep Dive filed a trademark application for “xrProOS” in Argentina, Turkey, and the Philippines. The trademark application was filed in Apple’s SF Pro font, which is a strong indication that the company behind the filing is Apple.
Deep Dive also filed a trademark application for “xrProOS” in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK on the same day. However, this application was filed without the SF Pro font styling. The first application for the “xrProOS” trademark was made in Jamaica on April 27, 2023. Jamaica is a popular location for Apple to file initial trademarks for future products because its trademark database is not searchable online. This allows Apple to keep its activities under wraps.
The “xrProOS” trademark is not the only one that has been filed recently that could be related to Apple’s AR/VR headset. Other trademarks that have been filed include “Reality One,” “Reality Processor,” “Optica,” and “Deep Screen.” It is not clear yet how Apple plans to use the “xrProOS” trademark. Some believe that it could be the name of the operating system for Apple’s AR/VR headset.
Others believe that it could be the name of a new product category, such as a “Pro” version of Apple’s AR/VR headset. We will have to wait until Apple officially announces its AR/VR headset to find out more. However, the recent trademark filings suggest that the product is getting closer to launch.
Google launched the Pixel Buds Pro last year. The TWS earphones have got impactful softwatre updates bringing new features like spatial audio support, five-band equalizer since its launch. Now, the audio device is set to get a major update in the coming months. The information has been shared by publication 9to5Google citing a source familiar with the matter.
Google Pixel Buds Pro expected to get Clear Calling feature
As per the report, the Google Pixel Buds Pro will get two new features. The audio experience is expected to be improved with the introduction of Clear Calling. It’s unclear if the feature will work entirely on the earphones or if it will rely on a paired smartphone. For those unaware, Clear Calling is a feature exclusively limited to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. They offer a better way at communicating with people on the phone by enhancing a caller’s voice and reducing background noise.
The second feature that is expected to make its way on the Pixel Buds Pro is the ‘Super Wide Band Speech’. It will likely improve the voice quality by increasing the bandwidth from 16kHz to 32kHz. The feature could be an upgrade over HD voice quality and should tie in with what Clear Calling is trying to achieve.
As for the core specifications, the Pixel Buds Pro are equipped with a custom 11mm driver and a 6-core audio processor. The ANC and Silent Seal feature on Pixel Buds Pro adapt to the shape of the user’s ears to maximize the amount of noise cancellation. The TWS earphones also feature a transparency mode to be aware of their surroundings.
Samsung is expanding its product line. The company is already a leader in the smartphone market, and it wants to be a leader in other sectors as well. One of these sectors is the smart TV market. Samsung recently released the 4K iSmart 2023 model in India, and now it has launched a new 98-inch Q80Z TV. Here are the details…
Samsung Q80Z TV Is Available for Pre-Order Now
Samsung has unveiled its latest television offering, the Q80Z. The TV features an impressive 98-inch screen size and is available for pre-order now. Customers who pre-order have the option to choose one free gift from the HW-Q99B soundbar, a 55-inch Neo QLED TV, or the Galaxy Z Flip 4 smartphone. Additionally, they will receive a complimentary Tencent Video VIP annual subscription.
The Q80Z is Samsung’s largest QLED TV, and it has a number of improvements over previous models. The most notable improvement is the use of a new Quantum Matrix Pro display, which uses mini-LED backlighting to produce deeper blacks and brighter whites. The TV also features a new AI processor that enhances image quality and upscales lower-resolution content.
The Q80Z not only has impressive picture quality, but also excellent sound performance. The TV is equipped with a 4.2.2-channel speaker system that delivers powerful, immersive audio. The sound system is also compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound formats. The TV is available for pre-order now, and it will be released in stores on June 1st.
Here are some of the key features of the Samsung Q80Z TV:
98-inch screen size
Quantum Matrix Pro display with mini-LED backlighting
AI processor for enhanced image quality
4.2.2-channel speaker system with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support
Instagram is apparently planning on releasing its very own competitor to the popular microblogging website, Twitter. The Meta owned platform could be working on a similar text based application, so here are all the details.
Instagram could soon launch its own Twitter competitor app
For those unaware, Twitter is a Goliath in the social media market and is well known for its text based design. But this platform might soon face competition as Instagram could be working on a new rival app. According to a new report, the Meta owned social media brand is working on its very own app that will let users post text updates. These posts will supposedly have a character limit of up to 500 characters.
The report further adds that the users will be able to attach other forms of media like photos, links, and videos that are up to five minutes long apart from the text based posts. It will even allow you to engage with other text posts, give lives, replies, and reposts. With this alone, it is clear that the app is quite similar to Twitter, if not downright identical in terms of interface design. Interestingly, this news also arrives after the company released an update that let user’s post GIFs in comments.
Other notable details shared include, a centralized feed similar to Twitter and Instagram that shows recommended content and follower posts. This app will even arrive with close integration with the Instagram application as well as let you sync your Instagram account to avoid the hassle of setting up a new profile. In other words, one can even login to this new app with their existing account. This is all the information we have at the moment, so stick around for more updates.
Xiaomi is gearing up for the release of its highly anticipated smartphone, the Xiaomi Civi 3, on May 25th. Earlier today, the company teased the promotional pictures of the device which reveal the back side of the device along with dual-tone color options.
Xiaomi Civi 3’s dynamic island-like front panel looks more refined than iPhone 14 Pro
Now the company has posted a teaser video where the front panel of the Civi 3 has been unveiled, showcasing a pill-shaped design for the front camera setup. This design houses two impressive 32-megapixel selfie lenses, offering users the ability to capture stunning shots. Notably, the pill-shaped design of the Xiaomi Civi 3 appears to be even more refined than the “dynamic island” design of the iPhone 14 Pro.
One of the standout features of the Xiaomi Civi 3 is its dual front cameras, which enable DSLR-like portrait blurring. Building upon the success of its predecessor, the Xiaomi Civi 2, the Civi 3 is expected to inherit features such as ambient portrait video and 3D fine video beautification, while also introducing exciting new selfie functions.
Xiaomi Civi 3 specifications (rumored)
In terms of display, the Xiaomi Civi 3 will boast a 6.55-inch FHD+ curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone comes with an under-display fingerprint scanner. Civi 3 will feature the Dimensity 8200-Ultra chipset, along with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The device is expected to come with 12GB of RAM, 256GB of built-in storage, and a 4,500mAh battery, supporting 67W fast charging.
On the camera front, the Xiaomi Civi 3 is set to impress with its rear-facing triple camera setup. The device will feature a 50-megapixel Sony IMX800 primary camera with optical image stabilization (OIS). Civi 3 will run on MIUI 14-based Android 13 operating system. The phone’s top section includes an infrared sensor, while the speaker design incorporates dual speakers in the earpiece, providing immersive audio quality with support for Dolby Audio technology.
Xiaomi Civi 3
Xiaomi Civi 3 color options
The Xiaomi Civi 3 will come in a range of fantastic color options including Rose Purple, Mint Green, Serendipity Gold, and Coconut Grey.
Lu Weibing stated that for the Civi series, Xiaomi Civi 3 is a crucial step in its transformation after three generations of exploration. It also holds significant importance for the entire Xiaomi smartphone business. This will be another battlefield for Xiaomi’s revitalization and the final puzzle piece for the comprehensive evolution of Xiaomi’s smartphone product lineup.
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