Made in India TV Shipments Record 33 Percent YoY Growth In Q3, 2022: Counterpoint

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Jan 10, 2023

Recently, we reported that Made in India smartphone shipments fell by 8 percent in the third quarter. Now research firm Counterpoint has released a report of Made in India TV shipments in the third quarter of 2022. The third quarter refers to the period from July to September. The report also adds the performance of smart wearables devices in the Indian market.

As per Counterpoint Research, Made in India television shipments recorded a 33 percent year-on-year increase in Q3, 2022. Nearly five million units of TVs were sold during the period. The festive season which pushed the consumer demand and increased local production shipments is cited to be the reason for the TV market’s strong quarter-on-quarter growth. The top five brands accounted for more than 55 percent of domestically manufactured exports. The report adds that Dixon dominated the Made in India TV market followed by Radiant.

On the other hand, apart from televisions, local manufacturing also remained strong for smartwatches, TWS, tablets, and neckband earphones. Optiemus dominated the smartwatch category and contributed to more than 90 percent of shipments. Bharat FIH led the Made in India TWS shipments followed by Padget and Mivi. In the TWS segment, the local production increased to 37 percent in Q3 2022 from 16 percent in the previous quarter. Samsung, Dixon, and Wingtech were the three tablet manufacturers.

The report by Counterpoint Research said that “the government’s ambition to boost local manufacturing and design capabilities in India will have an impact on local value addition in the wearables market. As a result, we could see many businesses expanding their capacity, with new entrants choosing local manufacturing in the next years”

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Xiaomi 13 Lite With Key Specifications Spotted on Google Play Console

By

Viraj Gawde

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Jan 10, 2023

Last month, Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro smartphones in China. The company has announced its presence at MWC 2023 where it is expected to launch the Xiaomi 13 duo and the new Xiaomi 13S Ultra globally. Now, another member of the Xiaomi 13 family has surfaced online. The device is the Xiaomi 13 Lite and it has appeared on the Google Play Console listing.

The Xiaomi 13 Lite is codenamed Ziyi which matches the Xiaomi Civi 2. The Google Play Console listing reveals some key specifications of the upcoming smartphone. As per the linked image, the device has a centre-aligned punch-hole cutout and curved edges. The back panel has a rectangular camera module housing three sensors. The smartphone will offer a display resolution of 1,080 x 2,400 pixels and 440 ppi pixel density.

Under the hood, the Xiaomi 13 Lite is listed with an SM7450 system-on chip. It corresponds to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. The chipset comprises four cores clocked at 2.4GHz and another four cores ticking at 1.8GHz. It will be paired with Adreno 644 GPU onboard. The listing reveals that the upcoming offering will pack 8GB RAM and run on Android 12 OS out of the box.

This is everything we know about the Xiaomi 13 Lite at the moment. It will arrive as the successor to the Xiaomi 12 Lite. The device was spotted on the IMEI database in October last year with the model number 2210129SG. The upcoming offering is most likely to be a rebranded version of the Xiaomi Civi 2 that is available in China.

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Apple’s MacBook Pro and MacBook Air Boost Computer Business

By

Oğuz Çakır

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Jan 10, 2023

Apple‘s Mac laptops have emerged as the company’s primary growth driver for its personal computer business, with the MacBook Pro leading the way. According to data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), as of the September 2022 quarter, the MacBook Pro accounted for 54% of Mac sales, with the MacBook Air close behind at 46%. Overall, laptops accounted for 74% of Mac units sold in 2022, compared to the 26% figure from the desktop business, which includes the iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Studio.

In the desktop segment, the iMac and Mac Pro led the way at 50% and 43%, respectively, while the Mac mini and Mac Studio accounted for just 4%. Despite this, Apple’s Macs continue to be popular in both the education and enterprise sectors. Educational or student use accounts for roughly one-third of Mac purchases, while almost 50% of Mac buyers report that they will use their new computer for business.

Data from CIRP also reveals that personal use of Macs has slightly declined over the past five years but remains the primary use, while education usage has trended downward. Business usage, on the other hand, has grown significantly and is now more prevalent than education.

It’s worth noting that Apple has not released a breakdown of Mac model sales in about a decade, so it’s not entirely clear where CIRP is getting its data from. However, Apple’s fourth quarter financial results for 2022, which were posted in October, showed that revenue from the Mac reached $11.5 billion, contributing to the company’s overall earning of $90.15 billion during that quarter.

In conclusion, Apple’s Mac laptops, particularly the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, have taken over as the primary growth driver for the company’s personal computer business. They are popular not only among individuals for personal use but also in the education and enterprise sectors. As Apple continues to compete with PC makers, the Macs will likely remain a significant part of the company’s overall business strategy.

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Elon Musk teases UI changes & new features for Twitter

By

Sean

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Jan 10, 2023

Elon Musk has just announced that Twitter will soon be rolling out changes to its UI (User Interface) while also bringing new features for the platform. This was teased by the billionaire via a tweet, so here are all the details.

Easy swipe right/left to move between recommended vs followed tweets rolls out later this week.

First part of a much larger UI overhaul.

Bookmark button (de facto silent like) on Tweet details rolls out a week later.

Long form tweets early Feb.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 8, 2023

The CEO and owner of the microblogging website stated that there will be major new changes to the platform. Musk will be bringing a new feature later this week, which will allow its users to move between recommended and followed tweets in their timelines. While the executive did share these details, it is still unclear what the changes might actually look like since there was no preview of this feature provided by Musk.

Furthermore, it is also unclear whether this will be exclusive to the Twitter mobile applications or if it will even be offered to the web client. Elon also stated that the company would even be bringing a major overhaul in the UI on the way. Another key change is that the UI will now include a Bookmark button in the Tweet details view. While bookmarking tweets has been available for sometime now, the process typically took a few more steps.

Twitter will be rolling out these UI changes a week after the new features arrive. Lastly, the company is also planning on bringing the long awaited feature that allows users to form long tweets. This feature will be added to Twitter early next month. Although, there are no additional details regarding this matter as of right now.

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ASUS ROG Keris Wireless AimPoint Mouse Launched In India

By

Viraj Gawde

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Jan 10, 2023

ASUS has launched a new wireless gaming mouse in India. It is called the ROG Keris Wireless AimPoint. With the latest offering, the brand has expanded its ROG series of gaming mice. Read on to know what it offers out of the box.

The ASUS ROG Keris Wireless AimPoint mouse features a dual-tone design. It is available in Moonlight White and Standard Black colours. There is a pre-cut ROG patterned mouse grip tape that can be added right on the mouse for a tighter hold. The device weighs only 75 grams, thanks to the lightweight internal structure. The ROG Keris Wireless AimPoint also features Aura Sync RGB lighting into the logo and the scroll wheel. It has a total of five programable buttons with two located on the left side.

The ASUS ROG Keris Wireless AimPoint mouse features an optical sensor and ROG SpeedNova wireless technology. The former offers precision tracking whereas the latter delivers quicker, more reliable low latency wireless communication. The device has sensitivity settings ranging from 100 to 36,000 dpi and industry-leading <1 CPI deviation. The mouse is capable of travelling at speeds of up to 650 inches per second and accelerations of up to 50 g.

The ASUS ROG Keris Wireless AimPoint offers tri-mode connectivity including Bluetooth, wired USB, and 2.4GHz RF. It is claimed to offer 119 hours of battery life in RF mode and 150 hours of usage with Bluetooth enabled.

The ASUS ROG Keris Wireless AimPoint carries an introductory price tag of Rs 7,499 instead of the actual cost of Rs 8,999. It will be available for purchase from ASUS-authorised stores and Flipkart.

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Apple iPhone 13 is the best selling phone in India in Q4 2022: Report

By

Sean

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Jan 10, 2023

The Apple iPhone 13 has apparently become the most popular smartphone in the Indian market in the fourth and final quarter of last year. The company’s 2021 iPhone model was the best selling model in the region during this period, so here are all the details.

The news arrives from known analytics & market researched based firm Counterpoint Research. During Q4 2022, the iPhone 13 was one of the best deals for a premium grade handset thanks to attractive promotional sales. Between the October to December period, the Indian market saw festive sales with the Dussera and Diwali festivals taking center stage. Major e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Croma, and others were offering great discounts on various products like smartphones.

During this time, iPhone 13 was quite popular in the market, with the base 2022 iPhone model alone capturing a 4 percent market share during the sales period. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy M13, Samsung Galaxy A04s, Realme C35, and the Redmi A1 also accounted for a 3 percent market share in Q4 2022. Regardless, it is still quite interesting to find an iPhone model, which isn’t exactly out of date, topping the list considering how the budget to mid range segment is the most popular in the region.

For those unaware, the iPhone 13 was being offered on sale for a price tag as low as 50,000 INR (roughly 610 US Dollars) on Flipkart and Croma. This deal basically propelled the sales of this model. The other top five best selling smartphones were the Realme C11, Oppo A54, Samsung Galaxy M12, Redmi Note 10s, and Redmi 9A. However, all of these models were priced under the 15,000 INR category.

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Tesla Faces Backlash Over Recent Price Cuts

By

Oğuz Çakır

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Jan 10, 2023

Tesla owners in China have been protesting the company’s decision to cut prices on its electric vehicles (EVs) for the second time in three months. The protesters, who are recent buyers of Tesla cars, are demanding refunds for the vehicles they purchased prior to the announcement of the price cuts on Friday. Here are the details…

Tesla owners in China protest price cuts as delivery times extend on higher demand

According to the latest reports, the new price cuts saw the Chinese-made Model 3 fall by 13.5%, which now starts at $33,515, and the Model Y cut by 10%, which now starts at $37,899. The protesters reportedly purchased the cars just before the end of 2022 in order to take advantage of expiring government subsidies for EVs.

The demonstrations took place at Tesla showrooms in locations such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu. In Chengdu, the protesters reportedly shouted “Return the money, refund our cars.” A Tesla China spokesperson told the press that the company is not planning to compensate new buyers who took delivery before Friday’s price cut.

The price cuts, which were also implemented in Australia, Japan, and South Korea, are reportedly driving new demand for Tesla vehicles in China. The company’s China website shows that the waiting times for both the rear-wheel drive and long-range versions of the Model Y are a week longer after the price cuts, with delivery wait time for these versions pushed to two to five weeks.

However, the wait time for all Model 3 versions and the Model Y performance edition remains at one to four weeks. The extended wait times in China are seen as a bullish sign on the street, but Wedbush analyst Dan Ives predicted that more price cuts would be needed in China in order to boost demand.

“The major worry now overhead for Tesla is that the demand story especially out of China is showing heavy cracks in the armor at a time that EV competition is steadily increasing domestically with NIO, BYD, Xpeng, and others fighting for a smaller pie with the Chinese consumer weakening,” Ives wrote on January 4th. “With China representing 40%+ of the global growth story for Tesla this is a heavy concern for the Street which will likely result in more significant price cuts over the coming months to spur demand as a potential pricing war takes place to gain market share in a darker macro backdrop.”

With the Chinese market being one of the most important markets for Tesla, this recent development is something to be watched closely. As production for the Chinese New year is approaching (January 22) and Tesla has an extended break for Giga Shanghai, the company needs to make sure they can strike the right balance to keep the demand high but also to keep customers satisfaction intact.

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OnePlus Nord Buds 2 TWS launch imminent, certified on IMDA & CQC

By

Sean

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Jan 10, 2023

Back in 2022, OnePlus had launched the new Nord Buds series of truly wireless earbuds, which were its first hearable products from its budget Nord branding. Now, it appears that the successor Nord Buds 2 launch is just around the corner. So here are all the details.

For those unaware, the Chinese smartphone maker released the Nord Buds and Nord Buds CE as a budget TWS offering. The company is now planning to release the successor to these models with the OnePlus Nord Buds 2. These hearables were spotted on the IMDA certification website with the model number E508A. Similarly, the Nord Buds 2 was also spotted on the CQC certification website, which reveals that it features USB Type C port for charging.

Unfortunately, these certifications do not reveal any finer details regarding the upcoming earphones. Although, the CQC certification does reveal that it supports 1.5W charging output for the earbuds and 4.5W charging input for the charging case. We can also make some educated guesses based on the last gen models. The Nord Buds had launched with 12.4mm titanium dynamic drivers with a dual microphone setup for AI noise cancellation but did not feature ANC and a transparency mode.

So, we can expect slight improvements in specifications, or possibly even offer a new design as well. Notably, there is also a chance that the brand decides to offer active noise cancellation in these budget models since ANC is a lot more common on budget earbuds in the Indian market these days. But keep in mind that this is still just speculation at the moment so take this news with a pinch of salt for now.

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Samsung to unveil new & exclusive Galaxy chips during S23 series launch

By

Sean

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Jan 10, 2023

Samsung is gearing up to launch the Galaxy S23 series of flagship smartphones. But it appears that the new high end phones won’t be the only thing that the company revealing during the launch event.

According to a new report, the South Korean tech giant is apparently planning on releasing a new chipset that is dedicated for its Galaxy series of smartphones. A recent leak from known tipster Ice Universe had recently revealed the February 1 launch date for the Galaxy S23 series. And now, a fresh tweet from the same tipster revealed that the president of Samsung’s mobile experience business, TM Roh, will be unveiling a “Galaxy dedicated chip” at the upcoming the event.

This is not entirely new information considering that TM Roh had previously hinted at Samsung working on an exclusive chipset for Galaxy phones back in April of last year. The senior official had talked about such a chip in comparison to the Google Tensor chips for the Pixel series of smartphones. As of right now, Exynos series of chips are the company’s proprietary SoCs and are even featured in certain other brands as well. However, the Exynos models are only available in select regions and models.

But as per sources close to the matter, the company is reportedly working on utilizing second or third generation of 3nm GAA manufacturing technology used by Samsung Foundry. In other words, this means that the brand is planning on unveiling a new advanced high end chipset for mobile devices soon. So stick around for more updates regarding this matter.

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Poco C55 to Launch as a Rebranded Redmi 12C

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 10, 2023

Poco just unveiled the Poco C50 last week. The device is on sale starting today in India. According to a reliable source, the brand may soon release a better version of this handset called Poco C55.

Thankfully, all the key features of this upcoming phone are already known. Because it is going to be a rebranded version of an existing Redmi smartphone. Let’s go through the details.

According to Kacper Skrzypek, Poco may launch a new device called Poco C55. This phone will be a rebadged Redmi 12C, which went official in China on New Year’s Eve.

The tipster also reveals that the Redmi 12C will be making its international debut as well. It will be sold with and without NFC. On the other hand, the Poco C55 will lack NFC.

In terms of specs, the Poco C55 is expected to be the same as the Redmi 12C. However, it might have some visual changes on its rear.

Poco C55 will likely arrive with a 6.71-inch HD+ display (LCD), a MediaTek Helio G85 SoC, a 50MP rear camera, a 5MP selfie camera, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a dedicated MicroSD card slot, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, MIUI 13, a 5,000mAh battery, and 10W charging support.

We expect Poco to start teasing the arrival of this smartphone once the planned launch date nears. It might also start appearing on certification websites in the coming days.

Xiaomi 13 series global launch & Xiaomi 13S Ultra announcement could be during MWC 2023

By

Sean

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Jan 10, 2023

Just a while back, the Xiaomi 13 series was officially announced in the Chinese market. However, the company might be planning on releasing these models for the global regions soon, along with the unveiling of its premium flagship model, the 13S Ultra as well.

Earlier today (10th January 2023), the Chinese tech giant announced that the Xiaomi 13 series, which includes the base and higher end Pro variant, will launch globally during the MWC 2023 event. For those unaware, MWC or Mobile World Congress is a major conference where various brands take the stage to announce their new products, mainly smartphones and related technologies. This The upcoming event will also be hosted in Barcelona.

The company recently shared a teaser image poster, in which revealed the brand revealed that it plans to announce new technologies during MWC 2023 Barcelona. However, Xiaomi didn’t clearly specify what these new technologies actually are. Although, it is also rumored that the company will be announcing its Ultra model as well during this event. For those unaware, the brand usually releases a new flagship phone later in the year following the release of its high end numbered series of smartphones.

Last year, it was the Xiaomi 12S Ultra that was unveiled after the 12 series release. So we can expect the 13S Ultra to launch as its successor. This model will likely feature a new Leica camera technology, which was the focus of the last gen phone. Finer details are still unclear, although, we can expect the device to feature 120Hz or 144Hz refresh rate display, Android 13 OS out of the box, possibly Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.

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Scam Alert: Microsoft’s VALL-E Can Replicate Any Voice In Three Seconds

By

Oğuz Çakır

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Jan 10, 2023

Artificial intelligence technologies are developing at an incredible speed. After AI models that can create images from your words and converse with you, now Microsoft has developed VALL-E, an AI that can imitate any sound it hears in just three seconds. Unlike many AI tools, VALL-E can replicate the emotions and tone of a speaker, even when creating a recording of words that the original speaker never said. Here are the details…

VALL-E: The AI tool that can replicate any voice

Microsoft recently released an artificial intelligence tool known as VALL-E that can replicate people’s voices. The tool uses just a 3-second recording of a specific voice as a prompt to generate content, and it was trained on 60,000 hours of English speech data. The AI model is capable of replicating the emotions and tone of a speaker, even when creating a recording of words that the original speaker never said.

This is a significant advancement in the field of AI-generated speech, as previous models were only able to replicate the voice, but not the emotions or tone of the speaker. A paper out of Cornell University used VALL-E to synthesize several voices, and some examples of the work are available on GitHub. While the voice samples shared by Microsoft range in quality, some sound natural, while others are clearly machine-generated and sound robotic. However, as AI technology continues to improve, the generated recordings will likely become more convincing.

However, there are concerns about the ethical implications of this technology. As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful, the voices generated by VALL-E and similar technologies will become more convincing, which could open the door to realistic spam calls that replicate the voices of real people that a potential victim knows. Politicians and other public figures could also be impersonated, which could lead to false information being spread on social media.

In addition, there are security concerns. Some banks use voice recognition technology to verify the identity of a caller, but if AI-generated voices become more convincing, it could become more difficult to detect if a caller is using a VALL-E voice. Additionally, the technology may also impact voice actors, as their services may no longer be needed if AI-generated voices become more realistic.

VALL-E is an impressive AI tool that has the potential to revolutionize the field of voice synthesis. However, it also raises several ethical and security concerns. It will be important for companies like Microsoft to develop measures to regulate the use of VALL-E to ensure it is used for good, and not for malicious purposes.

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Samsung Galaxy A14 5G Indian pricing revealed ahead of January 18 launch

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 10, 2023

Samsung will be launching multiple A-series smartphones on January 18 in India and the global markets. The Galaxy A14 5G will also launch in India on January 18. A recent report revealed the box price of the Galaxy A14 5G coming to India. Now, a new report has appeared tipping off the actual price range of the smartphone.

According to a report by thetechoutlook, Samsung will launch the Galaxy A14 5G in India with a starting price of INR 16,499. This price will be for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage model. Other than that base model, the device will also be available in 4GB + 128GB and 6GB + 128GB models, with price tags of INR 19,499 and INR 21,999, respectively.

In terms of specifications, the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is said to have a 6.6-inch FHD+ IPS LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and a waterdrop notch at the top. The phone will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, 4GB or 6GB of RAM, and 64GB or 128GB of storage. OneUI 5.0, which is built on top of Android 13, handles the software.

The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G will be equipped with three cameras: a 50MP primary camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera. For selfies and video calls, the phone will have a 13MP front-facing camera.

The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G’s 5,000mAh battery supports 15W rapid charging. The phone should weigh 202 grams and measure 167.7 x 78.0 x 9.1mm in size. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a USB Type-C port.

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Mysterious Realme Phone with 5,500mAh Battery in Works

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 10, 2023

Realme has launched multiple Realme 10-branded phones, such as the Realme 10, Realme 10s, Realme 10 Pro, and Realme 10 Pro+, in the Chinese market. A new leak, courtesy of reliable tipster Digital Chat Station, reveals that the brand is now working on a high-performance mid-range phone for the home market. It is unclear whether the phone will be a new addition to the Realme 10 series or a GT-branded phone.

According to the tipster, the upcoming Realme mid-range phone will pack a pair of 2,750mAh cells. Hence, it is expected to pack a 5,500mAh (combined typical value) battery. The device will support fast charging, but the exact charging capabilities are not known yet. Hopefully, the upcoming reports will reveal more details about the device.

All the major smartphone brands from China have launched Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered smartphones in the home market. However, Realme is yet to launch an SD8G2 phone. Next month, the company will unveil the Realme G Neo 5, which will come equipped with support for 240W fast charging.

While there are no concrete leaks available, it is likely that the Realme GT 3 Pro with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 may debut after the GT Neo 5. The mysterious Realme phone with a 5,500mAh battery is also expected to launch after the GT Neo 5. Hopefully, the upcoming reports will reveal more information about these devices.

As far as the GT Neo 5 is concerned, it may arrive in two battery variants, such as 4,600mAh with 240W charging and 5,000mAh battery with 150W charging. Both variants are expected to feature a 6.74-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, Android 13 OS, Realme UI 4.0, a 16-megapixel main camera, and 50-megapixel triple rear cameras.

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Redmi Note 12 Turbo May Launch Soon

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 10, 2023

The Redmi Note 12 series was first unveiled in China at the end of October. The lineup originally consists of four models. A fifth device was introduced in December. Further, three of these handsets made their way to India last week.

Now, as per a reliable source, the company may introduce one more phone. Let’s check out the details.

Redmi Note 12 pro featured — Redmi Note 12 Pro

According to Kacper Skrzypek, Xiaomi may release yet another Redmi Note 12 series smartphone. This device will be officially called Redmi Note 12 Turbo (not to be confused with Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed).

The tipster says that this handset is codenamed ‘marble’. It will be powered by a Qualcomm chipset. Additionally, Xiaomiui states that it will ship with MIUI 14 based on Android 13.

Unfortunately, that’s all the information he has shared so far. Hopefully, we get to learn more about this mysterious phone in the coming days. It should start popping up on certification websites once the launch nears.

For the unaware, the Redmi Note 12 Turbo is not the only unreleased Redmi Note 12 series smartphone. Xiaomi is also expected to launch Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G, which is basically a rebranded Redmi Note 10 Pro. This device was earlier planned to go official as Redmi Note 11 Pro 2023.

During the Redmi Note 12 series launch conference in India, the company said that it will keep the new Redmi Note family less cluttered. But it doesn’t appear to be like that, at least for other markets.

Samsung Unveils a New Technology Focused on Safe Driving; Samsung Ready Care

By

Chandan

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Jan 10, 2023

After launching many TVs and new software features at the CES 2023 event, Samsung unveiled two standalone technology – Ready Care and Ready Tune in collaboration with Harmon. Which, Ready Care is something very interesting tech which is revealed by Samsung. The Ready Care uses multiple information and then changes the settings of the car in order to ensure safe driving. Regarding Ready Tune, it is simply a technology which intelligently adjusts the sound output to provide a best-in-class audio experience.

In more depth, Ready Care examines the physical and mental health of the driver. It modifies the car’s settings based on the data collected to increase driving safety and comfort. Using cameras and sensors installed inside a car as well as health-related information from wearables like the Galaxy Watch, this new technology from Harman and Samsung may detect cognitive distraction, visual distraction, and tiredness in a driver.

Based on these three factors, Ready Care can alter a number of vehicle settings to increase driving security. To keep the driver awake, the system might adjust the audio level, interior illumination, and air conditioning settings if it notices that the driver is getting sleepy. Similarly to this, the system will activate a function known as Stress-Free Routing if it determines that the driver is stressed (via Galaxy Watch readings). Even if it requires taking a longer route, it will offer a navigation path with fewer traffic and weather-related problems to keep stress levels in check.

Following that is Relaxing Mode. This function can operate smart home appliances including lights, air conditioning, and TV with the aid of Samsung SmartThings. Just before the driver gets home, Relaxing Mode will modify various settings of these gadgets according to the driver’s mental state to make them more relaxing. Samsung hopes to increase driving safety and offer seamless integration across multiple connected systems based on the data acquired through in-car cameras and sensors, utilising health information received from gadgets like the Galaxy Watch, and using the company’s services like SmartThings.

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iQOO 11 Launched in India: SD8 Gen 2, 144Hz 2K Display, 120W Charging, and More

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 10, 2023

The iQOO 11 made its global debut in China in early December. It was made available in Southeast Asia a few days later. Today, the company has launched the device in India as scheduled.

The iQOO 11 is the brand’s flagship smartphone. It comes with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, a 2K 144Hz AMOLED display, and 120W fast-wired charging support. Let’s check out everything it has to offer along with pricing and availability.

iQOO 11 Specifications

The iQOO 11 is built around a 6.78-inch centered punch-hole Samsung E6 AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The 10-bit panel offers a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels (2K), 517 PPI, 144Hz refresh rate (LTPO 4), and 300Hz touch sampling rate (1200Hz instant).

The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. The SoC is paired with LPDDR5x RAM, UFS 4.0 storage, and a VC liquid cooling system. The handset ships with Funtouch OS 13 based on Android 13. The company guarantees 3 Android updates and 4 years of security updates.

There’s a triple camera setup on the rear consisting of an OIS-assisted 50MP Samsung GN5 primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide unit, and a 13MP 2x telephoto shooter. On the front, there’s a 16MP snapper. All of these cameras are powered by a Vivo V2 imaging chip.

The smartphone provides support for dual SIM, 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GNSS, NFC, and USB Type-C. It also arrives with dual stereo speakers, an IR sensor, and an optical fingerprint sensor.

Last but not least, the handset draws energy from a 5,000mAh battery and carries support for 120W fast wired charging.

iQOO 11 Price and Availability in India

The iQOO 11 will retail at the following price tags in India.

8GB + 256GB – ₹59,999 (~$730)

16GB + 256GB – ₹64,999 (~$790)

It can be availed in either Alpha (glass back) or Legend (silicon leather) color options.

The device will be available for purchase starting at 12 PM IST on January 13 via Amazon India and iQOO.com. Customers can get ₹5,000 discount on credit/debit cards issued by HDFC and ICICI banks.

The brand is also offering an additional exchange bonus of up to ₹4,000. Finally, Amazon Prime customers get 24-hour early access to the sale at 12 PM IST IST on January 12, in addition to an extra ₹1,000 discount.

Apple May Overtake Samsung by Launching its AR Headset Earlier

By

Chandan

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Jan 10, 2023

Apple is now reportedly planning to enter the field of AR headsets soon. It has been claimed that the brand is working on its upcoming AR/VR headset and Apple will launch the gadget this spring, ahead of the WWDC 2023 event. If this comes out to be true, then Apple will surely overtake Samsung in terms of launching the AR headset. Both brands are working on their very own AR/VR headset and as of now, it seems that Apple may launch one earlier. Let’s look into the information in more detail.

According to well-known insider Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple’s next AR/VR headset will go on sale sometime in the fall of this year. Another Apple expert, Ming Chi-Kuo, predicted a few days ago that the company would release its AR/VR headgear before the end of 2023. Samsung has not yet announced an AR/VR headset, despite Apple being close to doing so.

Gurman claims that Apple has already sent a few developers the prototype hardware to test. The product, however, is far from finished, and it appears that Apple still has a lot of problems to address. According to Gurman, earlier predictions that Apple’s AR/VR headset might be unveiled in January were accurate. The company had a lot of work to do on the product and many bugs to fix, thus the schedule shifted. Apple is focusing on launching the product as soon as possible. The brand is also making sure that there won’t be any further delay in the launch.

That concludes our discussion of Apple’s upcoming augmented reality headset. By entering the market for AR headsets sooner than Samsung, it appears that the brand will inevitably surpass Samsung. There have been practically no leaks about Samsung’s future AR/VR headset. Samsung will, however, undoubtedly soon release its own headset as well. What do you think about this? Please let us know by leaving a comment below in your own words.

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POCO C50 goes on sale in India – Check price, offers & specs

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 10, 2023

Poco recently launched the Poco C50 budget-range smartphone in India. POCO’s latest C-series smartphone is a rebranded Redmi A1+, which was released in the country last year. The POCO C50, like the Redmi, is powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 processor and up to 3GB of RAM. Now, the device has finally gone on sale in India.

POCO C50 Price, availability

The POCO C50 costs Rs 6,499 in India for the 2GB + 32GB configuration. Additionally, a 3GB + 32GB configuration of the entry-level smartphone is available for Rs 7299. The smartphone will be available for purchase exclusively through Flipkart beginning at 12:00 PM today (January 10).

POCO is offering the 2GB and 3GB variants of the device at Rs 6,249 and Rs 6,999, respectively, as a launch offer.

POCO C50 specs

The POCO C50 features a 6.52-inch IPS LCD display with an HD+ (720 1600 pixel) resolution, 269ppi pixel density, 60Hz refresh rate, and 400nits peak brightness. It has 1500: 1 contrast ratio and a waterdrop notch to house the selfie camera.

The smartphone is powered by a quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 processor with an integrated IMG PowerVR graphics unit. It has 3GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage. The dedicated micro-SD card slot allows for additional storage expansion. The handset comes pre-installed with Android 12 Go Edition.

The POCO C50 features a dual-rear camera setup with an 8MP primary shooter and a depth sensor. For selfies and video calls, it has a 5MP camera.

The latest C-series handset includes a 5000mAh battery and 10W charging support. It has a micro USB charging and data transfer port. The phone has a fingerprint scanner on the back. It has a single speaker and a 3.5mm audio jack. It has Dual-SIM, 4G, 2.4GHz WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, Glonass, and BeiDou connectivity.

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Realme GT Neo 5 Live Shot Appears to Reiterate Design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 10, 2023

Realme is expected to go official at the Realme GT Neo 5 smartphone in February through the Mobile World Congress (WMC) 2023 tech trade show. The device has already appeared in the database of the TENAA certification platform with all its specifications and images. Now, a Weibo post has appeared to leak the live shot of the device.

The RMX3706 and RMX3708 are said to be the model codes of the 150W and 240W charging editions of the Realme GT Neo 5. The TENAA images of both models revealed that they have a slight difference in their rear designs. The leaked shot that has surfaced today resembles the Realme GT Neo 5 150W variant’s TENAA image.

The leaked image suggests that the Realme GT Neo 5 could feature a polycarbonate back. The top portion has a glossy rectangle-shaped block, which houses a slightly protruding camera island towards the left. It has two camera rings and an LED flash unit. The top camera ring reportedly houses the 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 primary camera with OIS support. The second camera ring could house an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel macro camera.

The front view of the Realme GT Neo 5, which can be seen in the TENAA image below, revealed that it has a punch-hole display with an under-display fingerprint scanner. It will feature a 6.74-inch AMOLED display that offers a 1.5K resolution and a refresh rate of 144Hz.

Realme GT Neo 5 RMX3706_ENAA — Realme GT Neo 5 RMX3706 TENAA images

The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip’s underclocked version will power the Realme GT Neo 5. It is expected to arrive with up to 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 512 GB of storage. Its 4,600mAh battery variant may support 240W fast charging, while its 5,000mAh battery variant will support 150W rapid charging.

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(source|via)