OnePlus Ace 2 visits Geekbench with SD 8+ Gen 2 SoC & 16GB RAM

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Jan 31, 2023

On February 7, OnePlus will be launching a new smartphone in China called the OnePlus Ace 2. The same device will be launching in the global market on the same date with the OnePlus 11R moniker. We recently saw the OnePlus Ace 2 on the AnTuTu benchmark where it scored 1,149,494 points. Now, the device has also been spotted on Geekbench 5, so let’s check out how it performs in single-core and multi-core heavy tasks.

OnePlus Ace 2 Geekbench

The OnePlus Ace 2 has appeared on Geekbench bearing model number PHK110. Under the hood, the device has an octa-core chipset with a base clock speed of 2.02GHz and a boost clock speed of 3.19GHz. We already know that this is the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip which was the cutting-edge flagship chip before the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in December 2023.

The device is listed to have 16GB RAM and an Android 13-based operating system. Moving on to the benchmark results, the device scores 1336 points in the single-core test and 4178 points in the multi-core test of Geekbench 5. The score is quite impressive, however, not the highest we have seen for a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 device.

Nonetheless, the device should handle every heavy-duty task easily, and considering the AnTuTu scores, gaming should also be a breeze on the smartphone. The TSMC-made SD 8+ Gen 1 chip does well in keeping its temperature under control, so with a decent cooling solution on board, the phone will likely sustain high performance for extended periods of time.

As per previous reports, the device will likely come with a 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the device will have the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

As for photography, the device will have a triple-camera system on the back with a 50MP main camera with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. Up front, a 16MP sensor will be present for selfies and video calls. Lastly, the device will have a 5,000mAh battery that supports 100W fast charging.

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Realme GT Neo 5 Launch Date Finally Revealed

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 31, 2023

Earlier this month, Realme confirmed that it would announce the Realme GT Neo 5 in February. Today, the brand released an official confirmation that the GT Neo 5 will be unveiled at 2:00 pm on Feb. 9 in China. As reports have revealed, the device is likely to be showcased at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 tech trade show, which will be held by the end of February.

The launch date released by the brand reiterates that the Realme GT Neo 5 will support 240W fast charging. As reports have revealed, the device may arrive in two battery variants. There could be a 4,600mAh battery model offering 240W fast charging, and a 5,000mAh battery variant with 150W rapid charging. These devices are likely to sport a different rear design, but the rest of the specs are likely to be the same on both battery variants.

Realme GT Neo 5 specifications (rumored)

The Realme GT Neo 5 is expected to house a 6.74-inch OLED panel with a punch-hole design. It will offer a 1.5K resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. For security, it will come equipped with an under-display fingerprint scanner.

The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset’s underclocked version will be present under the hood of the GT Neo 5. The device will be equipped with up to 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1 TB of UFS 3.1 storage. It is expected to arrive with the Android 13 OS and the Realme UI 4.0 on top.

For selfies, the Realme GT Neo 5 may feature a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. On the back, it will have an OIS-enabled 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 main camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. It is also said to be equipped with RGB lights and an IR blaster.

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Fiido Showcases its eBikes & e-Scooter Catalogue Launching This Year

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 30, 2023

Fiido is ramping up its production capabilities with the announcement of some new e-bikes. The Fiido Titan, M31, Q2, and Kidz push-bike. The lineup of e-bikes includes heavy-duty models and other new offerings. The Fiido Titan is at one end of the spectrum while the agile M-series are on the lower end.

The new area of focus of Fiido may be uncharted territory but the OEM has unveiled its plans to deliver its new products. Fiido is well known for its innovative folding bikes and highly successful crowdfunding campaigns. The Q2 is a seated-only e-bike with a 1252.8Wh battery and dual 1,200W motors. The Q2 is designed for urban commutes and comes with a $1,599 price tag. The Titan is another model in the lineup, together with the minimalist and agile C21, C22, and C31 models.

The full specs of the 2023 Fiido lineup of e-bikes and e-scooters have not been released yet. But we know that the M31 mountain bike will have a mid-drive motor – the first of its kind. All the new bikes will come with compatibility with the Fiido app. The K1 Kidz push-bike will feature parental controls activated through the app. Fiido says the parental control feature is the first of its kind for such bikes.

The release date of the new lineup of Fiido e-bikes is still in the realm of speculation. The company is yet to provide definitive launch information. It is however speculated that the launch of the models may be imminent. Global availability and pricing information for the new Fiido e-bikes are also lacking at this time.

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Honor Confirmed to Launch Magic 5 Series, Magic Vs Globally at MWC Event on February 27

By

Anurag

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Jan 30, 2023

Honor’s Magic 5 series has been making headlines for some time now and today the company finally confirmed its global launch date. As expected, the new series will be debuting in the global market during the MWC event in Barcelona. Alongside the flagship lineup, the brand will also be introducing its latest Magic Vs foldable. Here are all the details.

As officially confirmed by Honor, the Magic 5 series and Magic Vs foldable will be debuting on February 27 at the MWC event. The event will start at 13:30 CET and will also be live-streamed for those interested. The Honor Magic 5 lineup should include three Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered smartphones- a vanilla Magic 5, a higher-end Magic 5 Pro, and a top-of-the-line Magic 5 Prestige Edition.

The trio is rumored to be equipped 6.8-inch OLED LPTO panel with 1Hz-120Hz refresh rate, 2160Hz PWM dimming, 480Hz touch sampling rate; HDR10+, and up to 1100nits of brightness. They should be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, paired with LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 5.0 storage.

The standard model is said to have 5,000mAh and 66W fast charging, while the other two models are expected to pack a 4,800mAh unit with 50W wired and wireless charging. The 40W UFCS charging standard will be supported by the three models. They all will run on Android 13 OS with Magic UI 7.0.

Moving to the Magic Vs, the foldable is already up for sale in China and it comes with a sleek and stylish design. It brings an improved gearless hinge, crafted with single-piece casting technology. There’s a 7.9 internal foldable OLED display with a resolution of 2272 x 1984 pixels, up to a 90Hz refresh rate, and 800 nits peak brightness. You may check all details here.

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PURE EV EcoDryft With a 130km Range Launched as India’s Cheapest e-Bike

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 30, 2023

PURE EV has unveiled what it calls India’s most affordable electric motorcycle, the EcoDryft. The new e-bike was designed and developed at PURE EV’s manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, India. The bike has a top speed of 75km/h and a range of 130km on a single charge.

The EcoDryft comes in four color variants – blue, red, black, and grey. The EcoDryft is priced at Rs. 99,999 ($1,227) exclusively for New Delhi residents. The bike is priced elsewhere in the subcontinent at Rs. 114,999 (~$1,411). The actual on-road price will vary depending on the state subsidies applicable and RTO fees. The PURE EV EcoDryft will also berth in other markets beginning with South Asia.

The company is expanding its dealer network across India. PURE EV also plans to extend its reach to the Middle East and Africa.

The EcoDryft has a drive train powered by a 3kW electric motor. The bike also features Bluetooth connectivity, and a digital instrument cluster. PURE EV says it had deployed demonstration versions of the EcoDryft across its dealerships nationwide for test drives. The feedback from the customers has been phenomenal, according to the company. Bookings for the new electric motorcycle are now open while the first deliveries will be made in March.

PURE EV hopes to leverage from the huge two-wheeler EV market in India that is on its ascendency. It says commute motorcycles make up the bulk of India’s two-wheeler sales. The EcoDryf is expected to have a great reception among Indian consumers.

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China’s Indigenous Aircraft C919 will Take its Maiden Passenger Flight in March

By

Joane

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Jan 30, 2023

China’s indigenous C919 Jetliner manufactured by COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corp of China) will take its maiden passenger flight in March. This flight will be a major milestone for China as it will mark the beginning of an independent Chinese Aviation Sector.

China Eastern Airlines will be the first carrier to fly the homemade aircraft. While many other domestic airlines are vying for the jetliner, foreign nations like Nigeria have already expressed their interest in the aircraft.

Nigerian Aviation minister stated that the country would consider purchasing the C919 aircraft, once it officially joins the aviation fleet of China.

Currently, the medium-range aircraft is undergoing its 100-hour mandatory verification flight process which started on December 26. To date, the aircraft has flown to 9 cities and 10 airports, the latest flight being on January 28, from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to Nanchang Changbei International Airport in Jiangxi Province.

C919 is expected to complete its verification flight by February, after which it will receive the final validation and inspection results from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Once approved the aircraft will fly major routes like Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Kunming, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Shenzhen.

China Eastern Airlines has already trained nine pilots and twenty-four flight attendants to fly the C919. The company has also trained thirteen maintenance personnel including flight engineers to work on the indigenous aircraft and is in the process of training the second batch of personnel for the same.

China is the most populous country and the second-largest aviation market in the world. Hence, it makes sense for the government to leverage the advantage of the domestic aviation market and compete with international players. Once in operation, the C919 Jetliner will put Beijing on the global aviation map and help to end the duopoly of the international aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus.

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Lenovo Xiaoxin Air 1 Ultra Lightweight Backpack Set to Launch in February

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 30, 2023

Lenovo, a well-known brand in the computer and technology industry, has recently announced the launch of its new product: the Xiaoxin Air 1 Backpack. This new backpack is set to be launched in February 2023 and promises to bring a fresh new experience for users.

The backpack boasts a weight of only 420g, which is 44% lighter than the previous generation. This lightweight design makes the backpack easy to carry around and is equivalent to the weight of only 2 mobile phones. Despite the lighter weight, the backpack still offers a large-capacity design, making it suitable for carrying all your essential items. Furthermore, the backpack is designed with a focus on comfort, offering a “zero” feeling experience without putting any strain on the shoulders.

One of the key features of the Xiaoxin Air 1 backpack is the use of DuPont Kevlar suture shoulder straps. These straps are known for their light weight, flexibility, and strength, making them the perfect addition to the backpack. In addition, the backpack also features a breathable back panel, which helps to keep the user cool and comfortable during the summer months.

The previous Lenovo Xiaoxin backpack, which was launched in September 2021, also received a lot of attention for its features. This backpack was priced at 129 yuan, with a special launch price of 89 yuan. It weighed only 540g and was designed with eight compartments, making it possible to hold a 16-inch thin and light laptop and a 13-inch tablet. It also came with a computer compartment fixing strap, reinforced shoulder straps, and imported Kevlar stitching. The backpack also had multiple storage pockets that could be easily accessed, as well as internal compartments for organized storage.

As for the 2023 new Lenovo Xiaoxin Air 1 backpack, it is still unclear what additional features it will have. However, with the brand’s reputation for delivering high-quality products, we expect the backpack to come with impressive features.

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Sennheiser IE 200 Wired In-ear Headset with Dual-tuning Function Launched

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 30, 2023

German audio products manufacturer Sennheiser has launched a new high-quality wired headset designed with music buffs in mind. The product is named Sennheiser IE 200 Wired In-ear Headset.

The Sennheiser IE 200 Wired In-ear Headset features the brand’s proprietary TrueResponse transducer technology. The technology utilizes a 7mm ultra-wideband transducer aimed at delivering high-fidelity audio. The TrueResponse transducer technology allows for a balanced and vivid sound with deep and powerful bass, providing a superior listening experience.

The IE 200 also comes with a dual-tuning function. This function allows users to install the ear pads in one of two positions on the sound pipe, giving them the ability to control how the sound is balanced. When the ear pads are in the closed position, the headset provides a standard in-ear listening experience with an intimate soundstage. Conversely, the new earphones provide a spatial listening experience when the ear pads are in an open position. The output is comparable to the listening experience of open-back headphones in an in-ear fit

Furthermore, the Sennheiser IE 200 comes with a compact design that adapts to ears of various sizes. The ergonomic design ensures the headsets fit the ears firmly and provide long-lasting comfort. The headset also uses an improved braided cable that reduces touch noise, making it ideal for use in noisy environments.

The IE 200 wired headset also has a widely compatible 3.5mm stereo plug and an embedded MMCX interface. The interfaces makes for connection of the earbuds to a wide range of devices, including smartphones, laptops, and music players.

The Sennheiser IE 200 Wired In-ear headset is priced at 1299 yuan ($192) and is presently available for reservation in China on Jingdong (JD.com).

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OnePlus Pad’s Battery and Charging Speed Leaked

By

Anurag

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Jan 30, 2023

After years of making smartphones, OnePlus is ready to get into the tablet business. The brand is confirmed to launch its first-ever tablet globally on February 7 alongside the OnePlus 11 and 11R. The slate’s design and appearance have already been revealed through official teasers and thanks to leaks and rumors, we also have some idea about its specifications. Adding to that, a leakster has now revealed the battery capacity and charging speed of the upcoming OnePlus tablet. Here are the details.

According to Chinese leakster Digital Chat Station, the new OnePlus Pad will arrive with a 4320mAh dual-cell battery unit, making a total of 8640mAh. However, it may officially be labeled as an 8840mAh battery pack. The slate could support 67W fast wired charging.

DCS further revealed the tablet will have a 2.8K resolution display. Previously, it was revealed that the device will have an LCD panel that offers up to 144Hz refresh rate and HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision support. Judging from this, we can assume the OnePlus Pad will offer an immersive multi-media experience.

As mentioned, the brand has already revealed the design of the upcoming tablet. It will arrive with an aluminum alloy chassis with a cambered frame. Contrary to other tablets in the market, the OnePlus Pad will have its camera module placed in a central position on the back. Taking photos from this position should be easier since it’s better aligned with your own view than from the edge.

It will have a single camera placed in the top bezel above the screen. The tab will likely be arriving in multiple colors, including an interesting Halo Green shade. We expect to learn more details about the tablet through teasers ahead of the launch. Stay tuned.

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Xiaomi MS11 EV Live Images Surface Online, Launching Soon?

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 30, 2023

Xiaomi’s first electric vehicle, the MS11 could well be cruising on public roads in China soon. The tech giant has made significant strides in the development of its EV and images of the car have been seen multiple times.

Xiaomi is reportedly in the final phases of the development of its first electric car. The car itself had been spotted several times on Chinese roads and during winter testing. A Weibo user has provided some images of the MS11 in its clearest and undisguised form yet. The Xiaomi MS11 is a decent-looking sedan with a sporty four-door design, as per the images. The car bears some striking semblance with the BYD Seal although differences in the headlights are visible.

The alleged images of the Xiaomi MS11 are in sync with earlier leaked design images of the car. The front and rear bumpers of the new images are similar to the design details leaked earlier. However, Xiaomi at that time stated that the images were an earlier prototype that was discarded. It now remains to be seen whether the MS11 indeed is the car in question. There are no official statements from Xiaomi yet on the issue, so, inferences are speculative at this time.

The images of the alleged MS11 project a good-looking sedan with a full-length glass roof, large wheels, and Wilwood brakes. It features the Xiaomi logo at the center of the wheels and a LiDAR sensor sits at the top of the windshield. The car has wide rear arches and the passenger cabin narrows slightly at the rear. The tail lights have a similar design to that of the Aston Martin. Overall, the Xiaomi MS11 could be designed as an affordable EV that guarantees comfort.

There are no images yet of the interior of the Xiaomi MS11 but this may change soon. The images reflect a strong and pretty powerful model that will ride on the high Xiaomi standards. There are no release details for the Xiaomi MS11 yet, but that may change shortly, hopefully.

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Work begins on China’s First Commercial Spacecraft Launch Centre at Hainan

By

Joane

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Jan 30, 2023

China has begun the work for its first commercial spacecraft launch site at Wenchang in the southern island province of Hainan.

There is already a state-owned launch center in Hainan called the Wenchang Space Launch Center, which is the fourth launch site in China. The other three are the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center which was the country’s earliest base and where most launches and tests have been conducted to date, Taiyuan Launch Centre which is ideal for launching solar-synchronous satellites and Xichang Satellite Launch Center which is designed mainly to launch powerful thrust rockets and geostationary satellites.

In China, a commercial space center refers to a site invested in and built by an entity other than the Government or Military. Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site program is a joint venture of the Hainan government and three space conglomerates－China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, and China Satellite Network Group.

hainan launch site — *Source: hnftp.gov.cn*

The work on the commercial launch site will be done by an affiliate of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The estimated time for completion is one year and the site will be operational from 2024. The new launch site which covers an approximate area of 133 hectares, will have a launch pad, water spraying systems, lightning protection towers, hoisting equipment, transition transportation equipment, diversion devices, a fixed service tower, and more.

Feng Fei, the provincial governor, of Wenchang said that Hainan will make full use of the new launch site to establish an entire space industry chain covering carrier rockets, satellites, and data processing businesses. He further added that the aim was to transform Wenchange into a world-class spaceport.

The Wenchang Launch Center is China’s southernmost launch site and is chosen for its low latitude and closeness to the equator.

If a spacecraft is launched from a site near the Equator, then it gets a natural speed boost caused due to Earth’s rotation, which in turn helps to reduce the cost of fuel and boosters. An optimal launch site needs to be at a coastal area near the equator as it maximizes the use of the earth’s rotational speed and gives an advantage of orientation that helps to arrive quickly at the geostationary orbit.

Major Spacecraft Launch sites like Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg, and Sriharikota are all located near the coast.

China’s Space Industry ranks second in the world just after the US. China National Space Administration (CNSA) has overseen the development of China’s space program which has launched ballistic missiles, artificial satellites, manned space flights, and the famous Tiangong Space station. The ambition of this Asian giant does not stop here as it plans to explore the entire solar system.

With the development of a commercial launch site, China is now stepping into the commercial space era along with the US.

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Global Chip Shortage is Over! The Impact of Inflation on the Chip Industry

By

Oğuz Çakır

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Jan 30, 2023

The global chip shortage has come to an end, as confirmed by the latest reports. The statement might seem overly optimistic, but the declining operation rates at South Korean chip foundries such as Samsung, DB Hitek, Key Foundry, Magnachip, and SK Hynix System IC supports the declaration. The chip industry is reportedly moving towards a more stable supply chain. Here are the details…

South Korean chip foundries to suffer low operation rate up to Q2

The global chip shortage, which began during the pandemic, has affected the entire world. The decrease in production capacity and simultaneous increase in demand resulted in a crisis that lasted for an extended period. Despite manufacturers operating at near full capacity to meet demand, both prices and product availability remained limited.

But that era has now come to an end. Recent reports indicate that many manufacturers in South Korea operate at 60-70%. Only Samsung is an exception, operating at 80% capacity. Unfortunately, the impact of global inflation and declining demand for IT products has resulted in a decrease in both chip prices and demand. Consumer electronics companies are also grappling with high inventory levels.

Unfortunately, this situation seems to affect the consumers negatively. People who paid high wages only a few months ago due to product and stock shortages will now buy products at low prices due to rising costs and inflation.

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Samsung Galaxy S23 Series Confirmed to Feature a Special Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Chipset

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 30, 2023

As the buildup to the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 series reaches its crescendo, another confirmation has come for the series. The Galaxy S23 will all feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor ahead of the Exynos chipset. A new leak relating to the release has all but confirmed the switch. The leak also indicates that the chip comes with special branding.

There had been complaints about the power efficiency of Samsung’s Exynos chipsets. Some of the reported complaints were overheating and general poor performance. The new leak confirms an earlier rumor that Samsung was using a special version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for the Galaxy S23 lineup. Tipster @rquandt provided some leaked images that revealed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip inside the S23 series. The chips also sport the For Galaxy branding, indicating their possibly special status.

Qualcomm is offering for the first time a faster and specialized version of its model. This follows the signing of a multi-year partnership to use Snapdragon chips in Galaxy smartphones. It is expected that the partnership will blossom into other models.

The special SD 8 Gen 2 chip has higher GPU and CPU clock speeds. This assures the improved performance of the chipset. The gaming performance and other Android tasks will be better achieved with the new chipset. The special Snapdragon chipset will generate more heat and it is not clear how Samsung hopes to overcome that. This is because sustained heat generation could be negatively impactful on the performance of the smartphone. We however expect Samsung to have made the necessary optimizations to overcome the problem.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 lineup will be launched on February 1 at a scheduled Galaxy Unpacked event. Samsung is currently accepting pre-reservations for the flagship lineup. The Galaxy S23 is coming with high expectations as a great Android smartphone.

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Redmi A2 and A2+ Appear Close as Production Begins in Several Regions

By

Anurag

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Jan 30, 2023

A recent report revealed Redmi is already working on the successor of the recently launched Redmi A1 and A1+. The company’s A series is fairly new and it focuses on offering decent specifications with an affordable price tag. The upcoming Redmi A2 series, which should include Redmi A2 and A2+, is expected to launch pretty soon as the company has apparently started its production in several regions. Here are the details.

In his recent Tweet, tipster Mukul Sharma claims that the serial production of Redmi A2 and A2+ has started in several European and Eurasian regions. This suggests smartphones may debut in the global as well as Indian market in a few months. Do note that there’s no official confirmation from the brand yet.

Additionally, Sharma has spotted the Redmi A2+ on the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) database with model number 23028RNCAG. As usual, the listing did not reveal any specifications of the handset.

Leaks and rumors about the Redmi A2 series have just started to surface so we are pretty short on the details. At this point, we can only say that the new Redmi A2 and A2+ will arrive as entry-level smartphones. More information should emerge pretty soon.

To remind you, the recent Redmi A1+ (also rebranded as Poco C50) features a 6.52-inch LCD display with an HD+ resolution. Under the hood of the smartphone is a MediaTek Helio A22 SoC that is paired with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage.

In the rear camera department, the handset sports an 8-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front gets a 5-megapixel selfie camera. Redmi A1+ is fueled by a 5,000mAh battery pack that supports 10W charging.

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Manu Kumar Jain Bids Farewell To Xiaomi After 9-year Stint

By

Viraj Gawde

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Jan 30, 2023

Xiaomi India Head and Global Vice President, Manu Kumar Jain has bid farewell to the company. After a nine-year stint with the company, he announced his exit in a Twitter post. Jain joined Xiaomi in 2014 and spearheaded the company’s India operations. Under him, Xiaomi became the number-one smartphone brand in the country even without any advertising campaigns.

Change is the only constant in life!

Last 9 years, I’m lucky to have received so much love that it makes this goodbye so difficult. Thank you all. ❤️

The end of a journey also marks the beginning of a new one, full of exciting opportunities. Hello to a new adventure!#ManuJain pic.twitter.com/sVgahC7zhr
— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) January 30, 2023

In his farewell statement, Jain proudly spoke about some of the highlights of his tenure at Xiaomi. The company was backed by former Tata Sons Chairman, Ratan Tata and launched Made in India smartphones and smart TVs. Jain was a Managing Director of Xiaomi India from 2014 to 2017. He was promoted to Global Vice President of the company in July 2021. Under the executive’s leadership, the brand achieved significant growth in sales as well as entered various price segments in the country. Additionally, Xiaomi also led the smartphone market in India for nearly five years until the last quarter of 2022 when Samsung took the top spot.

Xiaomi India saw a big organisational rejig last year with Alvin Tse taking the helm as General Manager and Anuj Sharma appointed as CMO. Jain’s exit comes a month after Xiaomi India’s Chief Business Officer Raghu Reddy also left the company to pursue new opportunities. Additionally, this is also after Xiaomi India has been on the radar of the Indian government over allegations of tax evasion since December 2021.

Manu hasn’t revealed what he wants to do next after quitting Xiaomi. He added that he his taking some time off and would like to do something in a new industry.

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Poco X5 and X5 Pro Finally Get an Official Launch Date

By

Anurag

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Jan 30, 2023

Poco phones are received well in the global smartphone market, even though they are mostly rebranded Xiaomi devices with a few changes in the design. Poco’s recent launches— Poco C50 and Poco F4— attracted many consumers. And the firm is now gearing up to bring a new mid-range smartphone line, dubbed Poco X5. The series will include the vanilla Poco X5 and higher-end Poco X5 Pro.

The brand has been teasing the X5 series for quite some time now and today we finally get its official launch date. According to a recent Tweet from the company’s official Twitter handle, the Poco X5 and X5 Pro will be launching globally on February 6. The devices will be announced in an online launch event at 20:00 GMT+8.

As is the case with the majority of Poco smartphones, the upcoming Poco X5 and X5 Pro are expected to be rebranded Redmi phones. The vanilla model is expected to be rebadged Redmi Note 12 5G with Poco’s signature camera bar. The pro phone, on the other hand, is likely a masked Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed Edition.

Expect to see these smartphones in new colors, especially in the brand’s favorite yellow shade. Both Poco devices could have a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The X5 will likely be powered by a Snapdragon 695 CPU, while the X5 Pro may pack a more powerful Snapdragon 778G processor.

The Pro model is expected to get a 108MP primary camera, whereas the standard one may have to settle for a 48MP sensor. They both could feature an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP sensor. The two phones will likely pack a 5,000mAh battery.

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XPeng Aims to Deliver 200,000 Units in 2023 with New Electric Vehicles

By

Oğuz Çakır

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Jan 30, 2023

Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, leading to the emergence of new brands alongside established carmakers. XPeng, one of these brands, has been producing next-gen vehicles since 2014 and is particularly popular in China. However, 2022 was a challenging year for the company, and it didn’t meet its desired success. But this is expected to change with a statement from CEO He Xiaopeng. Here are the details..

XPeng Plans to Release Two New EVs and Deliver 200K Units in 2023

XPeng‘s Chairman and CEO, He Xiaopeng, sent an internal letter to the company’s employees acknowledging that 2022 was a challenging year with various difficulties. The company’s sales failed to meet expectations and its share price plummeted by 81.34%. This was particularly devastating for XPeng, especially in its main target market, China, where it only sold 120,800 vehicles compared to its smaller competitors’ higher sales numbers.

In the letter, He Xiaopeng wrote, “The vast majority of current automakers will be eliminated in this knockout. XPeng has no retreat, so we must go forward bravely.” The navigation guided pilot (NGP) of XPeng will be delivered in the third quarter of this year. He Xiaopeng said that autonomous driving should be regarded as the core of XPeng. Moreover, this is not the only goal of the company.

XPeng will unveil five new models in 2023, including two brand-new vehicles and three updated versions of previous models. Both of the new cars are built on an 800V high-voltage platform. The first new model is the XPeng G7, a five-seat SUV that will make its debut at the Shanghai Auto Show this year. The other new car is an MPV with the internal code H93, set to begin mass production in September 2023.

According to the letter, XPeng has sold a total of 258,710 vehicles by the end of 2022. The 2023 targets are much bigger. CEO Xiaopeng wants to sell 200,000 vehicles this year. But time will tell whether this will be true or not.

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OPPO Find X6 Series Key Specifications Surface Online

By

Viraj Gawde

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Jan 30, 2023

The OPPO Find X6 series is expected to launch in China next month. The lineup is expected to include the standard and Pro variants. The latter is also tipped to be available in Qualcomm Snapdragon and MediaTek Dimensity processor options. OPPO is yet to reveal any official details about the Find X6 series. Now, a Weibo user has leaked key specifications of the upcoming devices.

As per the latest leak, the OPPO Find X6 will have a 6.74-inch OLED display bearing a 2K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The device will reportedly be backed by a 4,800mAh battery unit with support for 80W wired and 30W wireless charging.

Meanwhile, the OPPO Find X6 Pro Snapdragon Edition will be equipped with the latest flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC coupled with LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.0 storage technology. It will draw its power from a 5,000mAh battery cell with support for 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. On the other hand, the Dimensity Edition of the Find X6 Pro is tipped to house a MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chipset.

The OPPO Find X6 series is expected to come with an ultra-thin fingerprint scanner, an X-Axis linear motor, an IR Blaster, NFC, and Hasselblad cameras. The trio are also tipped to have 50MP triple rear cameras and a 32MP Sony IMX709 front-facing snapper. The Pro variants will also feature IP68 certification and MariSilicon X2 ISP.

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Oppo Find X6 Appears in Live Images With an Absurdly Large Camera Module

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 30, 2023

Oppo is gearing up to launch the Find X6 series smartphones in China next month. We could see these devices launch in the global market sometime after the domestic launch. As usual, we expect to get two phones in the series – the Oppo Find X6 and the Oppo Find X6 Pro. Numerous leaks have surfaced revealing the hardware and design details of both of these models.

Now, Weibo tipster DCS (via ITHome) has shared live images of the rear panel design of the Find X6, which appears to be covered by a prototype case. Although the case has pretty much obscured the back panel, it is easy to see the massive square-shaped camera island. A similar design was previously leaked by known tipster Evan Blass, which showcased the vanilla X6 model with a large camera module.

It is worth noting that the Find X6 Pro model won’t follow this design scheme, and it will instead have a circular camera island that we have reported on before. Coming back to the Find X6, we have previously seen the smartphone from the front and side angle, therefore we know that it will be quite thick, and will have a curved display with a punch-hole in the top-middle of the device.

Other leaks have suggested that the device will come with a Dimensityu 9200 chipset from MediaTek. This is the same chipset used in the recently launched Vivo X90 Pro flagship smartphone. The chipset will draw power from a 5,000mAh battery that has 100W fast charging and 50W wireless charging support.

Up front, there will be a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 2K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. A 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 50MP periscope camera are reportedly part of the camera configuration. To optimize the Find X6’s camera system, OPPO will include its MariSilicon X NPU and work with Hasselblad. The phone will sport a 32MP Sony IMX709 front camera sensor for taking selfies. Lastly, it will have an Android 13-based operating system.

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Global Memory Chip Crisis Worsens amidst Dwindling Demand: All Eyes Now on Samsung

By

Joane

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Jan 30, 2023

The Memory Chip industry has always run in economic cycles of expansions and contractions. During the Pandemic, the industry was looking at a revenue boom and was planning to capitalize on this surge by expanding into new sectors like 5G communication and cloud computing. Experts vowed to get out of the economic cycle and establish a more stabilized industry.

Yet today, the $160 billion industry is facing an unprecedented crisis as Mirco Chip stocks are increasing amidst dwindling demands.

According to a report from Gartner, the Global Memory Chip revenue fell by 10% in 2022. Experts are predicting that the situation is going to get even worse. In 2020, the pandemic boosted the demand for memory chips as people were confined to their houses and bought phones, tablets, laptops, and other smart devices to stay connected to the world.

However post pandemic, the world is heading for a recession with rising inflation and massive layoffs. This in turn has dwindled the demand for gadgets and devices that use memory chips. Thus, companies that were riding on the pandemic boom are now facing a crisis of excessive stock of memory chips.

TrendForce Senior Research Vice President Avril Wu said that the downturn has proved the whole industry wrong as they had predicted that the suppliers would be able to control the outcome.

Asian economies like South Korea and Japan are facing the major brunt of this downward trend as they thrive on technology export. Top global companies like SK Hynix Inc (South Korea), and Micron Technology Inc( US) are facing a cash crunch amidst the decreasing demand for microchips. The problem is not only affecting individual companies but also technology behemoths like Samsung.

It is reported that Samsung Electronics and almost all its competitors are losing money on chips with the total operating loss of these companies predicted to hit a record-breaking $5 billion in 2023. The industry stockpile has increased three times the normal level which indicates that the production has exceeded the actual consumer demand.

Having too much stock in hand leads to loss of profits, increased storage costs, limited cash flow, and shortage of working capital. In the case of microchips the added risk of obsolescence makes it even worse for these companies.

Companies have already started implementing aggressive counter strategies to contain the losses. Micron Technology of the US has decided to reduce its output and cut the budget for its new plant and equipment. CEO, Sanjay Mehrotra said that the rate at which the whole industry rights itself will depend on how quickly Micron’s competitors make similar moves. He further added that the cross-cycle nature of growth and profit was still there and so he believed that they just have to run this cycle to get back to profitability.

South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc, has also slashed its investments and scaled back output in order to bear the losses. SK Hynix is especially affected by the current economic downturn as it acquired the flash memory chip business of Inter Corp in 2020. The $9 billion deal has now left the company with the burden of the additional stockpile. Meanwhile, Intel played it cleverly by exiting the declining industry which is dominated by Asian giants like SK and Samsung.

All eyes are now glued on Samsung which is going to report its fourth-quarter earnings this week. Experts are predicting the profits to hit a six-year low as consumers are in savings mode. Every move that Samsung makes for its microchip division, will now affect the global chip industry, including its competitors.

(Via)