Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i Review: Capable Gaming Rig with a Great Display

By

-

Dec 21, 2022

Lenovo has just recently sent us one of its gaming laptops that launched earlier this year. So here’s our review of the IdeaPad Gaming 3i mid-range gaming laptop. Will this laptop offer a great gaming experience that is worthwhile its price tag? Keep reading to find out as we have made a detailed review that tests the laptop’s gaming performance, benchmarks, and more.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i: Design & Ergonomics

Build Quality

With gaming laptops, the norm is to expect OEMs to offer a gaming inspired aesthetic. This typically includes angular design or heavy emphasis on RGB lighting and their iconic branding. A great example of this is Lenovo’s very own gaming brand, Legion. However, this model is a more affordable gaming notebook offering compared to those top end Legion laptops. But it does not cut corners in terms of build quality. While the gaming laptop might not be as premium as something like a MacBook with aluminum alloys, it still comes with a robust design.

Getting the parameters out of the way first, the laptop weighs around 2.6 kilograms and measures 359.6 x 277.8 x 20.9 mm in dimensions. The design borrows elements of some of the more expensive Legion models, with the cooling design being taken directly from its higher end siblings. The back protrudes around an inch from the rear after the display’s hinge. This region houses the two primary air vents and a bunch of different ports, including an HDMI, Ethernet, USB Type C, and the power connector. Meanwhile, the left side houses a USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack, while the right has another USB port.

Lenovo has built a solid laptop, which does not feel cheap in any way, despite the use of polycarbonate instead of metallic materials. However, there are a few caveats because of the use of plastic. Primarily, the display feels like it can flex quite a bit, and accidentally bending it too much feels like it might snap off. Although the hinge is pretty secure and you can even open the laptop with just one hand. Apart from this, the lower half of the body is quite firm and doesn’t feel flimsy in any way.

We got the Onyx Grey color variant of the IdeaPad Gaming 3i notebook.

Keyboard, Trackpad, & RGB

For gaming enthusiasts, the accessories and peripherals like keyboards and mouse for their gaming systems are very important. Lenovo knows this and offers a high quality keyboard that it calls the TrueStrike Keyboard with 100% Anti Ghosting. Each individual key has a 1.5mm key travel that is decent for both games and typing. I used the laptop for both my daily work and gaming. While I would still prefer my mechanical keyboard on my PC, using solely the built-in keyboard wasn’t any issue. The keys were evenly spread out, and their placements only took a few minutes to get used to for gaming or work.

The trackpad of the laptop is housed just underneath the keyboard and is slightly off center towards the left. It was quite accurate the few times I used it for work and never felt that it disturbed me during gaming. Although, the company offers you a way to disable the trackpad to avoid accidental inputs. Now let’s talk about the most important aspect of the laptop, the RGB. The keyboard has a 4 Zone RGB Backlit that is fully customizable. There are multiple profiles of RGB lighting that users can set up with the Lenovo Vantage app, offering in depth customization for different lighting patterns and different thermal modes as well.

Display

Being a gamer for years now, I have primarily been acquainted with the Full HD (1920x1080px) resolution, which is said to be the golden resolution for any gamer that plays competitive titles. But, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i’s top model comes with a WQHD+ display (2560x1600px), which has honestly spoiled me. The display is crisp and the colors a fair bit accurate. The display is a 16-inch panel that has a 16:10 aspect ratio and a high 165Hz refresh rate.

This panel is also capable of 500 nits of peak brightness and 100% sRGB color gamut. Thanks to its 2K display, consuming any form of multimedia content like movies or videos was very enjoyable. Gaming on this resolution also has you appreciate in game textures a lot more in single player titles. Although, there were times where I had to drop the resolution, but we shall discuss that in the Performance section. Overall, the viewing angles were also decent and the experience was just top notch despite the laptop being a mid range gaming notebook.

Performance

The laptop is equipped with an Intel 12th Gen Core i7-12700H CPU that has a base clock speed of 2.3GHz and a boost speed of 4.7GHz. It consists of 14 cores (6 performance and 8 efficiency cores) and 8 threads. This processor is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU. For memory, our unit housed 16GB of RAM (dual channel 2x8GB DDR4) and 1TB of SSD storage. So let’s have a look at its performance:

Gaming

I played multiple titles on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i, which ranged from multiplayer and single player games across various genres. But I will only be talking about 6 such titles in the review, which should give us a broad idea on the performance you can expect across the board.

In the online multiplayer side, I chose Apex Legends as a popular Battle Royale title, followed by the recently released Overwatch 2 that has been a buzz in the gaming market, and even Valve’s massively successful competitive shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. For a more narrative driven experience, I went with the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which recently got a next gen update that brings ray tracing support, along with Control, and the God of War that recently got ported from the PlayStation to the Windows platform.

Overwatch 2 is a hero shooter that primarily focuses on 5v5 team battles. It is a competitive title and is a highly polished and optimized game from Blizzard. At high settings, the laptop was easily crossing 150+ fps in its native 2K resolution. It even hit more than 200 fps, but during intense team fights and clashes, the frame rate fell down to the 140s. Dropping the graphics settings to more competitive options easily had the game run at a higher 200 fps stably. For those looking to get the absolute most from this laptop, they can even drop the resolution down to 1080p.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 Review — Overwatch 2

Apex Legends, on the other hand, is a bit more intensive than Overwatch 2 owing to its Battle Royale genre. The huge maps are a lot more draining on your laptops resources as well. But the laptop still managed to get over 120 fps in High settings. Again, intense close quarter combat with various particle effects has the frame rate drop to the 90s. However, with competitive and even low settings, I managed to hit over 140 fps, which was stable for the most part. Keep in mind that this was in 2K resolution and 1080p offers better performance even in High settings.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive aka CSGO is by far one of the most popular competitive shooters out there. It is the most played game on Steam and also has a robust esports around it. One of the reasons the game is popular is because it can run on low end systems too. So it is no surprises that we hit 180+ fps in very high settings even at 2K resolution.

God of War (2019) was finally ported from the PS4 and PS5 series this year, after being a Sony PlayStation exclusive since its initial launch. The game was released for the Windows platform with improved graphical fidelity, which one can turn on from the settings. In the original graphics, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i managed to get over 70 fps at 2K resolution. Turning the settings up to High saw this drop down to just 60 fps, but with occasional stutters. You can drop the resolution down to 1080p here as well, but I’d recommend playing at its native resolution since this is a single player title.

Control was developed by Remedy, which is the same studio behind the iconic Max Payne series. This game was released as one of the first to feature support for NVIDIA’s ray tracing technology. At native resolution, a stable 60 fps was only attained with mixed Medium to low settings, while the low preset had it hit near 80 fps. DLSS helped out a lot in this game and if you plan on using ray tracing, I’d recommend running it with DLSS and at 1080p resolution for a less stuttering experience.

Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was originally launched back in 2015, however, CD Projekt Red recently released a new update that brought this game up to current gen standards. This includes new 4K textures and support for Ray Tracing. Even with Ray Tracing turned off, the laptop struggled to maintain a stable 60 fps in medium to high settings on 2K resolution. But, it was relatively smooth in low settings. Dropping the resolution helped the most, but I couldn’t turn on Ray Tracing since DLSS wasn’t supported for whatever reason. This should be fixed in a hot fix or a patch soon.

Benchmarks

For synthetic benchmarks, I ran the laptop through three popular benchmarking platforms, which included the Cinebench R23, 3DMark, and FurMark. So here are the results:

Cinebench R23 basically benchmarks the performance of the CPU, in a single core only and multi core test. In the former, the laptop achieved a score of 1,701 points, while it scored 15,288 points in the multi core test.

3DMark Time Spy test is a DirectX 12 benchmark that is popular for gaming systems. It is generally considered as an ideal test for benchmarking modern graphics, which in our case is the RTX 3060. The CPU score clocked in at 9,452 points and the Graphics score came in at 7,958 points. Thus, the overall score sits at a decent 8,151 points.

FurMark is a stress test for your graphics cards. This benchmark runs your GPU at 99 percent usage, which basically ramps up its temperature and checks for a point of stabilization and throttling. Here, the laptop was able to sit stably on the lower 70 degree Celsius mark without dropping below 70fps.

Battery

Battery life is typically one of the few areas where gaming laptops struggle with. During gaming or productivity related tasks, one will always have their notebook plugged in to ensure maximum performance. So once you’re strictly on battery, the Intel iGPU and the efficiency core kicks in to save up on battery life. But still, the endurance of the laptop is not as great as Ultrabooks in the market. This is to be expected considering it houses some power hungry specs and a 2K display panel.

I used the laptop for a regular work day along with some other basic tasks like playing music or browsing through YouTube for a bit. In a single full charge, I got around 5 hours of total battery life. Notably, the charging was quick from its 230W adapter. For some basic work or consuming media, you won’t ever find an issue with the laptop. But for intensive creative productivity based tasks, gaming, or prolonged usage, you will have to plug in the charger that thankfully offers rapid charging.

Thermals

I have played games on laptops for far longer than I have on desktop PCs. However, heating and thermal performance was always one of the major ache points for notebooks geared for gaming. Stuffing such capable hardware in such a compact form would obviously lead to a lot of heat that needs to be efficiently dissipated. This is where this Lenovo gaming laptop shines. Just from its appearance, we can see that there are four vents (2 on the back and 1 on each side) that blow out hot air, with the main intake vent being housed underneath. The laptop’s cooling mechanism is primarily driven by two fans under the hood, along with two heat pipes that are shared between the CPU and the GPU. There is also a third heat pipe that is placed on top of the VRM and graphics memory modules.

Across the multiple games I played, the temperature did hit the 80 degree Celsius mark but it never crossed that limit or stayed at such a high temperature for too long. I did notice some slight throttling in performance, but it was never too intense enough to make the experience choppy or laggy. While the temperature during gaming was impressive, it was a bit on the warmer side during regular use. Another thing to note is the Even without the charger plugged in, I found that the top port of the keyboard tended to get warmer than usual after a couple of minutes of regular use. Nothing too intense, but still odd for running just a tab on YouTube.

Verdict

For a price tag of around 1.15 lakhs INR (roughly 1,390 US Dollars) in India, the IdeaPad Gaming 3i 16IAH7 isn’t exactly an affordable gaming laptop. There are plenty of options that would be a lot more economical but for its price tag, it undoubtedly offers plenty of high-end features. The 2K 165Hz panel is an absolute gem for a mid-range gaming laptop. While I have said mid-range, the 12th Gen Core i7 and RTX 3060 are no slouches either. With some tweaking, one can easily run any current gen title in the market and get high frame rates in every competitive esport games as well.

So, I can easily recommend this laptop to gamers that have a budget for it. This laptop isn’t limited to just gaming, and buyers can also use this model for other productivity tasks like video or photo editing. It even has a 1080p camera on the front, which makes it useful in a more professional setting as well like for online conferences and meetings. For those that do not wish to break the bank, note that this is the top end configuration of this model, so you can also find a more affordable variant online as well.

RELATED:

Lenovo Ideapad Pro 5 14, Pro 5 16 With up to Amd Ryzen 7 Processors Launched

By

Viraj Gawde

-

Dec 21, 2022

Ahead of CES 2023 which begins next month, Lenovo has unveiled new devices. The brand has also updated its IdeaPad and Slim series laptops with the latest processors. The IdeaPad Pro 5 is offered in two display variants and both pack premium specifications. Read on to know what the laptops offer out of the box.

Starting with the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14-inch, it is offered in two options i.e. one with a 2.8K resolution, 400 nits brightness, and 120Hz refresh rate. There is another variant with a 2.2K display, 300 nits brightness, and a 60Hz refresh rate. On the other hand, the IdeaPad Pro 5 16 features a 2.5K IPS display, 350 nits brightness, and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14 and 16 feature an infrared FHD camera with Time of Flight (ToF) sensor. There is also a privacy shutter. On the audio front, both laptops are equipped with dual 2W speakers tuned by Dolby Audio and a dual microphone array. Both machines also have Windows Hello authentication.

Under the hood, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14 and 16-inch variants are equipped with up to seventh-generation AMD Ryzen 7 processors. The 14-inch model has integrated graphics whereas the 16-inch has an NVIDIA GeForce Next-Gen laptop GPU onboard. Both machines pack up to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD storage. The 16-inch model features a dynamic display switch that boosts frames per second. There is also an additional SSD expansion slot.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 duo are backed by a 75WHr battery unit with support for quick charging. Connectivity options on the laptops include WiFi – 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, USB 4.0 Type-C port, USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C port, Type-A port, HDMI 2.1, and SDcard reader.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 laptops are offered in Arctic Grey and Frost Blue colours. The 14-inch variant starts at $1,215 whereas the 16-inch model starts at $1,702.

Related:

Lenovo Go 4K Pro Webcam With Ai-assisted Autofocus and Microsoft Teams Certification Unveiled

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Dec 21, 2022

Lenovo has announced the Lenovo Go 4K Pro webcam with improved features and Microsoft Teams compatibility. The Lenovo Go 4K Pro is equipped with an AI-assisted autofocus system and it can record HDR videos. The new webcam also comes with a physical privacy shutter and will work with IdeaPad and ThinkPad laptops. The physical privacy shutter is used to cover the lens when the webcam is not in use.

The new Lenovo webcam can record 4K videos at a frame rate of 30fps. It is capable of 5x digital zoom and also supports facial recognition. The Lenovo Go 4K Pro also supports M.JPEG, YUY2, and H.264 video compression formats. It is a plug-and-play webcam but when additional software is installed, the full features of the webcam are unlocked. The Lenovo Go Central provides software support to manage its configurations. The webcam also supports auto-framing.

The integration of the Lenovo Go 4K Pro into the Teams architecture means that it could be deployed for video conferencing. Its enhanced video capabilities, coupled with its AI functionality mean that video clarity is assured always.

You can connect the webcam to the PC via its USB port (Type A, Type C). Its design like a hook allows the webcam to nestle atop a monitor. It also has a standard 0.25-inch tripod thread socket. The webcam’s LED indicator is illuminated whenever the device is in use. It is equipped with a single microphone with a 48kHz sampling rate.

The Lenovo Go 4K Pro webcam is compatible with Windows and ChromeOS platforms. Lenovo says the webcam will be released in July 2023 and is priced at €119 (~$126). The company will offer a 3-year warranty on the gadget and it is unclear whether it will be globally available.

RELATED:

Lenovo ThinkVision mini-LED 27” & 32” Monitors With 1,200 Nits of Brightness Launched

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Dec 21, 2022

Lenovo has unveiled the P32pz-30 and P27pz-30 ThinkVision mini-LED monitors with impressive brightness and local dimming capabilities. The new mini-LED monitors can deliver a peak brightness of 1,200 nits and 1,152 local dimming zones. The monitors also come with a KVM switch and target graphic artists and other professionals.

The two premium Lenovo mini-LED monitors support 10-bit colors with up to 98% DCI-P3 color gamut. Lenovo is making inroads into the high-end color-accurate mini-LED monitor segment of the market with its latest products.

Both monitors have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and DisplayHDR1000 support. The monitors also achieve 99% Adobe RGB and 80% BT2020 color gamuts.

Connectivity options for the ThinkVision mini-LED monitors include HDMI 2.1, USB 4.0 Type-C, DP 1.4 (in and out), and USB 3.2 (Type C). The monitors also have four USB-A ports and a KVM switch to control multiple devices. You can also charge your devices via the USB-C port of the monitors.

The models support up to 178 degrees of viewing in both horizontal and vertical directions. Both models support up to 40Gbps data and video via USB 4.0 and up to 140W power. The power delivery rating of the Lenovo ThinkVision mini-LED monitors (140W) make them stand out in the crowd. Most of the current models deliver less than 100W.

Lenovo says each of the monitors can support up to two daisy-chained 4K monitors. They also feature another USB-C port with 15W output for smartphones and smaller devices. The typical brightness of the monitors is 600 nits. The Lenovo P27pz-30 and P21pz-30 mini-LED monitors are priced at $1,699 and $1,999 respectively. Both models will be available in August 2023.

RELATED:

boAt Wave Electra With 1.81-inch Display, Bluetooth Calling Launched In India

By

Viraj Gawde

-

Dec 21, 2022

boAt has launched a new smartwatch in India. It falls under the brand’s Wave series. The latest offering is called boAt Wave Electra. It is an affordable budget smartwatch and competes against the likes of the Noise Colorfit Loop, Amazfit Pop 2, and more in the market. Read on to know what the boAt Wave Electra offers out of the box.

The boAt Wave Electra features a square dial with a 1.81-inch display bearing an HD resolution and 550 nits peak brightness. It is IP68-certified dust, sweat, and splash-resistant. The device has a premium aluminium alloy design.

The boAt Wave Electra comes with health-centric features like a heart rate monitor, SpO2 sensor, and a sleep tracker. There is also a daily activity tracker, breathing training, and hydration alert. The wearable device packs support for more than 100 sports modes.

The boAt Wave Electra is equipped with a built-in microphone, speaker, and Bluetooth for hands-free calling. Users can save up to 50 contacts on the device and there is also dial pad for easier access. The device features Google Assistant and Siri. It also packs Whack-A-Mole and 2048 built-in games. Other convenient features include music and camera control, weather updates, find my phone etc. The boAt Wave Electra is claimed to deliver 7 days of battery on a single charge and 2 days with Bluetooth usage.

The boAt wave Electra is offered in Black, Blue, and Pink colours. It carries a special launch price tag of Rs 1,799 and can be purchased from Amazon starting December 24th.

Related:

Honor Pad V8 Pro Display Features Teased Officially

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Dec 21, 2022

The Honor Pad V8 Pro is set to launch in China on December 26. It is a premium tablet and will debut as the successor of the Honor Pad V7 Pro.

The brand has been teasing the features of this device for the last few days. Today’s teasers talk about the product’s display. Let’s check them out.

According to Honor, the forthcoming Honor Pad V8 Pro will flaunt a display with a 2.5K resolution. The panel will offer protection for eye fatigue. Most importantly, the product will be the world’s first large-screen tablet to offer a 144Hz adaptive refresh rate.

As per the product listing for reservations, the tablet’s display will measure 12.1 inches. It will not sport a notch like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as the front-facing camera will be located on the side bezel.

As per previous teasers, the device will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset. Once again, a first for a tablet. Similarly, it will be also the first tablet to debut with Android 13 as it will boot MagicOS 7.0.

In fact, Honor has been teasing this product to arrive with six firsts on a tablet. As the brand has now revealed the first three, we are looking forward to learning about the remaining three.

That said, as per earlier leaks and teasers, the Honor Pad V8 Pro will carry support for 33W fast wired charging. It will be available in two colors and will feature a magnetic pogo connector for the official keyboard accessory.

Red Magic 8 Pro Series Official Images Reveal Design, Display Details Teased

By

Viraj Gawde

-

Dec 21, 2022

Red Magic 8 Pro series is confirmed to launch in China on December 26th at 3 pm local time. The lineup will include the Pro and Pro+ variants. The upcoming offerings will arrive as the successor to the Red Magic 7 Pro series. The brand has started teasing key features of smartphones on the microblogging platform Weibo. The official images have also been released earlier today giving us a look at the devices.

Right off the bat, the Red Magic 8 Pro series has a boxy form factor. The left side seems to have a volume rocker and power key whereas the right edge of the smartphone has gaming-centric buttons including a Red-colour slider. The back panel has vertically stacked triple rear camera sensors in a pill-shaped module. There is a Red Magic branding on the middle left side and a logo at the bottom of the back panel. The Red Magic 8 Pro series is also teased to come in a transparent back panel with kevlar-like pattern but we don’t know much about it yet.

On the front, the upcoming smartphones have nearly zero bezels and no cutout for the front camera. The Red Magic 8 Pro is touted to offer a 93.7 percent screen-to-body ratio. It will come with an under-display camera. The smartphones are confirmed to feature a 120Hz refresh rate. In terms of audio, the Red Magic 8 Pro will be equipped with ultra-linear dual stereo speakers. The devices will feature Snapdragon sound, 96kHz lossless audio, and 48ms low latency.

The Red Magic 8 Pro series is confirmed to be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor under the hood. Apart from the aforementioned information, both the Pro and Pro+ variants are expected to come with up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage. The former will reportedly be backed by a 5,000mAh cell whereas the Pro+ will be powered by a 6,000mAh unit with support for 165W charging.

Related:

Here’s How to Watch Vivo S16 series Launch event

By

Sean

-

Dec 21, 2022

The Vivo S16 series launch is just around the corner. The new lineup of smartphones will include the base S16, the top end S16 Pro, and an entry level S16e. So here’s how to watch the livestream of the announcement.

Talking about the devices first, the S16 series consist of three different models that feature different sets of specifications and features. The based model sports a 6.78 inch AMOLED display that has a 120Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution. Under the hood, it houses the Snapdragon 870 SoC that is paired with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. The rear packs a 64 megapixel triple camera setup while the front houses a 50 megapixel selfie camera. This model will also be powered by a 4,600mAh battery pack that supports 66W fast charging.

On the other hand, the higher end Vivo S16 Pro will feature the Dimensity 8200 SoC but will have a similarly sized display that also offers 120Hz refresh rate and an AMOLED panel. The selfie camera is also a similar 50 megapixel shooter, while the rear features a 50 megapixel triple camera setup comprising of different sensors. It is also powered by a 4,600mAh battery pack that supports 66W fast charging. Lastly, the entry level variant of the series, the S16e, will feature a smaller 6.62 inch AMOLED display that offers 120Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution.

The front houses a 16 megapixel selfie camera while the rear feature 50 megapixel triple camera setup. Similar to the other two models, the S16e will also be powered by a 4,600mAh battery pack that supports 66W fast charging. So for those interested in watching the announcement of these devices live, you can tune into the smartphone maker’s official Weibo (a Chinese microblogging website) handle for the online livestream.

RELATED:

iReader Smart Air Pro With Improved Processor, Storage Launched

By

Viraj Gawde

-

Dec 21, 2022

Recently, Palm Reading released the Smart Air e-book in China. Now, a new e-note device has debuted in the country. It is dubbed iReader Smart Air Pro. As the name suggests, it is a digital notebook device. The latest offing has the same display as the Smart Air but packs better hardware under the hood. Read on to know what the Smart Air Pro offers out of the box.

The iReader Smart Air Pro features a 8-inch display with 300 ppi pixel density. It adopts E Ink Carta 1200 display panel. iReader says that the contrast ratio is improved by 15 percent and the refresh rate by 22 percent. The screen surface etching process is said to be upgraded to improve the writing friction and offer a real paper-like writing experience. The Smart Air Pro supports a stylus pen with 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. The device can be used for reading, taking notes, scribbling, and more.

Dimension-wise, the iReader Smart Air Pro measures 6.3mm in thinness and is lightweight at 225 grams.

Under the hood, the iReader Smart Air Pro is equipped with a quad-core processor compared to the dual-core SoC on the Smart Air. The latest offering also packs double the storage compared to the previous model i.e. 12GB. The device is backed by a 2,400mAh battery unit that is claimed to offer 75 hours of usage. Connectivity options on the Smart Air Pro include a dual-band USB-C port, WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0.

The iReader Smart Air Pro carries a price tag of RMB 2,199 (~$315). It is up for pre-order in China via JingDong.

Related:

Honor 80 GT Tipped to Feature 54MP Camera, 120Hz OLED Display, and More

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Dec 21, 2022

The Honor 80 GT is scheduled to launch in China on December 26. It will be accompanied by Honor Pad V8 Pro. Ahead of their announcement, the brand has been teasing the features of these two products. At the same time, leaks have also been revealing details about them.

Let’s check out what the official teasers and leaks have to say about the upcoming Honor 80 GT so far.

The Honor 80 GT will differ in design compared to the regular Honor 80 models. As per Digital Chat Station, it will feature a plastic frame to keep the cost low.

Further, the device will feature a 54MP Sony IMX800 primary camera, which was used in the Honor 70 series from earlier this year. It will arrive with 66W fast charging support, which was even revealed by 3C a few days back.

The tipster also discloses that the phone will sport a centered punch-hole OLED display. This flat screen will offer FHD+ resolution and up to a 120Hz refresh rate.

On the other hand, the official teasers have revealed the design of the Honor 80 GT. The handset will arrive in two colors and a special edition.

The brand has also confirmed the presence of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset. The device may boot the Android 13-based MagicOS 7 software.

Last but not least, Digital Chat Station suggests that the smartphone could retail at around ¥3,000. If this happens to be true, then the Honor 80 GT could be one of the best flagship killer smartphones.

We are looking to learn more about this product in the coming days. Until then, let us know your thoughts on it in the comment section below.

Google Data Centers used over 15 billion liters of water across the globe in 2021

By

Sean

-

Dec 21, 2022

Google has apparently used billion of liters of water last year alone. The company’s immense water usage was due to the high requirements for its data centers that are situated across the globe. So here are all the details.

A new report has revealed that the Search Engine giant used more than 15 billion liters of water in 2021 across various data centers globally. In the US alone, the company was responsible for using over 80 percent of the 15 billion liters of overall water usage. The news arrives from media outlet The Oregonian who had challenged the city of Dallas, Oregon to reveal how much water was being consumed by a single Google data center in the region.

This dispute lasted for a bit longer than a year and the city eventually revealed that the company was using around 1.25 billion liters of water in the area in 2021 alone. Following this legal battle, the city also promised to make such data more readily available in the future. The report further added that the facilities had almost tripled their usage of water within five years. It was also revealed that the data center was using over a quarter of the city’s total water supply.

As per Google’s official claims, this water consumption is similar to that of 29 golf courses in the US. It doesn’t end there since this large figure does not include the sea water that is also used by these data centers in the country. As of right now, various regions are facing the issues of data centers using massive amounts of water for their operations and are working on setting up rigid regulations to govern such large volumes of consumption.

RELATED:

(Via, Source)

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Bags BIS, NBTC Certifications, Galaxy S23 Global Spotted on Geekbench

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Dec 21, 2022

Samsung Galaxy S23 series is getting closer to its launch. Rumors are rife that the S23 lineup will debut at some point in February 2023. Ahead of the expected launch, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has been spotted at certification platforms like India’s BIS and Thailand’s NBTC. At the same time, the global edition of the Galaxy S23 has surfaced on Geekbench.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with model number SM-S918B/DS has been certified by BIS and NBTC authorities. These certifications have no information on the main specs of the device. In recent weeks, the handset has also been spotted on other certification platforms, such as the FCC, 3C, and TENAA.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra BIS — Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra NBTC

The TENAA listing of the S23 Ultra has revealed almost everything about the device. As compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the S23 Ultra will offer improvements in departments like the selfie camera, primary rear camera, and the chipset.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. On the front, it will be fitted with a new 12-megapixel selfie camera and a 200-megapixel ISOCELL HP2 camera, which has never been used on a 200-megapixel camera phone before.

In October, the Galaxy S23 with model number SM-S911U was spotted on Geekbench. The model number belongs to the Galaxy S23’s unlocked model heading to the US. Now, the global variant of the S23 with the SM-S911B has surfaced on Geekbench with 578 points in the single-core test and 2118 points in the multi-core test. The Geekbench listing reveals that the device has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 12 GB of RAM, and Android 13 OS.

RELATED:

(via 1, 2)

MediaTek Once Again Leads the Competitive Smartphone Chipset Market

By

Oğuz Çakır

-

Dec 21, 2022

Competition in the smartphone chipset market is fierce, as companies strive to be leaders in performance and market share. Qualcomm and Apple are currently the frontrunners in terms of power, but MediaTek still holds the market share lead, according to data from COUNTERPOINT’s Global Smartphone Application Processor (AP) Market Share research. Here are the details…

MediaTek maintains market share lead as Qualcomm and Apple lead in Power in the smartphone chipset market

MediaTek has maintained a steady market share of around 35-40% in recent quarters, thanks to the success of its Dimensity 9200 SoC in the premium segment and partnerships with major Chinese OEMs like Vivo and Oppo. However, the overall market is expected to slow in Q4 2022 due to order cuts from major Chinese OEMs, ongoing customer inventory adjustments, global macroeconomic conditions, and the weak China market.

Qualcomm has seen a slight increase in market share, with 27% in Q3 2021 and 31% in Q3 2022. The company’s Snapdragon chipsets are highly regarded in the premium segment, and Qualcomm has recently announced a partnership with Samsung for the Galaxy S23 family. However, Qualcomm’s market share is expected to decline in Q4 2022 due to global macroeconomic conditions, a slowdown in consumer product purchases, and weak demand from Chinese OEMs.

Apple‘s market share saw a significant boost in Q4 2021 and Q2 2022, due to the launch of the new iPhone 14 pro and its variants with the A16 bionic chipset. The Pro models have been particularly successful, and there have been some issues with manufacturing in China due to the resurgence of COVID-19. As a result, Apple’s chipset shipments are expected to increase in Q4 2022. (Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding.)

Global Smartphone Chipset Market Share (Q2 2021 – Q3 2022)
Brands	Q2 2021	Q3 2021	Q4 2021	Q1 2022	Q2 2022	Q3 2022
Mediatek	42%	40%	35%	36%	38%	35%
Qualcomm	26%	27%	29%	33%	29%	31%
Apple	14%	15%	20%	14%	13%	16%
UNISOC	9%	10%	11%	11%	11%	10%
Samsung	5%	5%	4%	5%	8%	7%
HiSilicon (Huawei)	3%	2%	1%	1%	0%	0%

Source: Global Smartphone AP-SoC Shipments & Forecast Tracker by Model – Q3 2022

RELATED:

(source)

Select Oppo Phones To Get 4 Android Updates Going Forward

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Dec 21, 2022

At the end of last month, OnePlus made an announcement regarding the extension of software support for its select upcoming devices from 2023. A few weeks later, Oppo, the parent company of OnePlus, announces a similar thing.

We had been expecting Oppo to make the same announcement for its handsets since OnePlus phones now basically run the former’s ColorOS software. Let’s check out the new updated software policy from these two brands.

Oppo ColorOS 13 Hands-on Review — ColorOS 13 on Oppo Find X5 Pro

In a press release, Oppo reveals that it will be now providing up to 4 Android updates to select flagship smartphones from 2023. These devices will also receive security updates for up to 5 years.

Up until now, Oppo’s premium handsets were limited to 3 Android updates and 4 years of security updates. The new updated software policy is also applicable to OnePlus, which actually got to make the announcement first due to its popularity in global markets.

Thus, Oppo and OnePlus now tie with Samsung in terms of software support for their smartphones. As of now, these three brands offer longer support than Google and other leading Android OEMs.

Further, Oppo also discloses that it has delivered ColorOS 13 update to 33 devices globally in the last 4 months. It is currently the fastest rollout in the history of ColorOS. The company managed to push ColorOS 13 to 50% more devices when compared to ColorOS 12 during the same timeframe.

Similarly, since OnePlus phones now use ColorOS, the brand also witnessed the fastest rollout of the latest Android update to its devices in its history.

ColorOS has surely come a long way. Let us know your thoughts on Oppo’s Android-based mobile software in the comment section below.

RELATED:

Redmi K60 Series’ Official Details May Appear by December End

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Dec 21, 2022

Several reports have claimed that the Redmi K60 series will debut in Q1 2023 in China. However, the machine-translated text of a new Weibo post by tipster Digital Chat Station reads that “the Redmi K60 series will be seen at the end of this month.” Hence, there is a possibility that the official teaser of the K60 lineup may surface by the December end

It appears that Redmi has made some changes to the K60 series’ product positioning for the Chinese market. The Redmi K60E will be positioned like the Redmi K50 in China. The K60 will correspond to the Redmi K50 Pro, whereas the K60 Pro will be positioned as the K50 Gaming. To those who are unaware, Redmi General Manager Lu Weibing had earlier hinted this month that there will not be a Redmi K60 Gaming Edition phone.

The Redmi K60 lineup is likely to be positioned under the Xiaomi 13 lineup, which starts at 3,999 Yuan (~$573) in the home market. There is a possibility that the K60 lineup could be priced between 2,000 Yuan (~$287) and 4,000 Yuan (~$573).

Redmi K60 series specifications (rumored)

Reports have claimed that the Redmi K60E will arrive with an OLED display that offers a 1.5K resolution. It will arrive with the Dimensity 8200 chipset and a 5,500mAh battery. It will have a 48-megapixel Sony IMX582 primary camera.

The Redmi K60 and K60 Pro will feature an OLED panel that offers a 2K resolution. The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platforms, respectively, will power both phones. The latter may come equipped with LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.0 storage.

The Redmi K60 may also pack a 5,500mAh battery with 67W fast charging, whereas the Pro model may feature a slightly smaller 5,000mAh battery with 120W fast charging. Both handsets will offer 30W wireless charging. The K60 will arrive with a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 primary camera, while the Pro model may feature a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 main camera.

RELATED:

(source)

Netflix, Disney+, & Prime Video password sharing may soon be illegal in the UK

By

Sean

-

Dec 21, 2022

Netflix and every other video streaming platforms online have had their users indulge in the process of password sharing. But it seems like this practice might soon be turning illegal in the UK, as per recent piracy guidelines.

According to a new report, the act of sharing passwords for Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video might soon be considered illegal in the UK. The news arrives from an update piracy guidelines that were shared by the British Intellectual Property Office. These stated that the “password sharing on streaming services,” which includes a number of the popular platforms like Disney+, can legally be considered as an act that breaks the copyright law.

TorrentFreak reached out to the UPO for more details regarding the legality of password sharing, and got the following response: “There are a range of provisions in criminal and civil law which may be applicable in the case of password sharing where the intent is to allow a user to access copyright protected works without payment. These provisions may include breach of contractual terms, fraud or secondary copyright infringement depending on the circumstances”

In simpler terms, if you share your password for the account on Netflix, Disney+, and even Amazon Prime Video, you can be legally prosecuted for fraud or for breaching the copyright’s law. Although this actually occurring in reality appears to be quite unlikely. This is all the information we have regarding this matter so stick around for more updates regarding this matter.

RELATED:

(Via)

Paperlike U: The World’s First Curved Ink Screen Display with Wireless Connectivity

By

Oğuz Çakır

-

Dec 21, 2022

Beijing Dasung, a leading manufacturer of electronic ink displays, released the world’s first 25.3-inch curved ink screen display, Paperlike U. This product continues the top-level configuration of Paperlike 253, featuring a 3K ultra-high-definition resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio, making it ideal for use as a computer display. Here’s the details…

Paperlike U becomes World’s first curved ink display with wireless connection

Paperlike U has a curvature of 4000R, which is designed to be easy on the eyes. When you use the device, it provides a strong sense of immersion. In terms of appearance, Paperlike U has an all-aluminum body and weighs only 3.3kg, making it lighter than many gaming laptops. The device is also 8mm thin. The back of Paperlike U is made from a single piece of metal using a Unibody process, giving it a sleek and sturdy appearance.

Paperlike U is equipped with Dasung’s Turbo ink screen high-refresh technology, which has been refined over nine years of development. This technology allows the device to have a higher refresh rate and faster speed, making it comparable to LCD screens. The device can be used for a variety of purposes, including reading, web browsing, document editing, stock tracking, code writing, and even video watching and online classes.

In addition to its performance, Paperlike U also has a front light function that offers soft and uniform light. The device has three front-light modes: cold light, warm light, and mixed light. The color temperature and brightness can be adjusted to suit the user’s preference. When ambient light is sufficient, the front light can be completely turned off, allowing users to enjoy a comfortable eye protection experience day and night.

One of the most innovative features of Paperlike U is its wireless display function, which allows for ultra-low-latency display at ultra-long distances. This means that users can enjoy a clean desktop without the need for cables. Overall, Paperlike U is a good product that offers users a comfortable and immersive eye protection experience. It will be available for reservations starting December 12th at 10:00 AM, with a special discount for the first batch of orders.

RELATED:

Dasung Link E-Ink is an external display that makes smartphone screens look like paper

By

Sean

-

Dec 21, 2022

Dasung has just launched an interesting new product in China. The device is the new Link E-Ink display, which is made for smartphones. While E-Ink isn’t exactly an exciting new product by any means, this device can project the smartphone’s display to look like paper or E-Ink to be exact.

The company has just announced the Link E-Ink, which it claims is the first of its kind in the world. This device sports a tall 6.7 inch E-Ink display and is available in two color options, namely Phantom Blue and Space Gray. The Link E-Ink is housed in a thin and light aluminum ally body that has a width of just 8mm. Furthermore, it adopts the CNC integrated engraving technology that enables it to output the E-Ink display from connected smartphones. Think of this device as an external display for smartphones.

When paired with a smartphone, the device can basically project the screen being displayed on the device on its own E-Ink panel. The Dasung Link sports a 6.7 inch E-Ink panel that has a 300ppi density. It does not emit light so it has no blue light, no strobe, and can even display screens of smartphones of different sizes and also supports iPhones as well. The link between the smartphone and the Link E-Ink display is high speed and has barely any latency between them. So one shouldn’t face any delays while using the external display.

Furthermore, it also supports being controlled directly or reversely from the partner phone itself. In other words, it functions as a regular smartphone once paired. There are also two variants of this device, one that connects it to the handset via a wired connection and another that supports wireless connection. The device is available for purchase on JD.com starting today (21st December 2022) and starts from 1,799 Yuan (roughly 258 US Dollars).

RELATED:

Oppo Takes Over OnePlus’ After Sales Services in China

By

Oğuz Çakır

-

Dec 21, 2022

A couple of days ago, OnePlus announced a strategic partnership with Oppo. As part of this partnership, OnePlus has now announced the integration of its services with OPPO Services. This move is aimed at improving the overall service level for OnePlus users and better meeting their service needs.

OnePlus integrating with Oppo services to improve user experience

OnePlus Services has announced that it will be integrating with Oppo Services at the end of this month. This move is aimed at improving the overall service level for OnePlus users and better meeting their service needs. Starting on December 31, 2022 at 18:00, Oppo Services will take over the after-sales service for OnePlus products.

This includes switching the service official website, hotline, online customer service, and social media platforms from OnePlus to Oppo. The WeChat applet for OnePlus will also be replaced by the Oppo Service applet, which can be accessed by searching for it and clicking on the OnePlus icon on the homepage.

OnePlus users will now be able to access nearly 1,000 Oppo-authorized service experience centers across the country for after-sales service for their products. These centers cover more than 90% of prefecture-level cities in the country. The integration of OnePlus and Oppo services follows the announcement by OnePlus founder Liu Zuohu on December 17 that the two companies had officially become dual brands.

Oppo will be investing 10 billion in OnePlus to help it develop and will open up its over 1,000 after-sales outlets to provide high-quality after-sales service to OnePlus users. Under this new strategy, both Oppo and OnePlus will be able to establish their own brand characteristics and launch differentiated products to meet the diverse needs of users.

Also as part of the integration of OnePlus Services with Oppo Services, the following changes will be made:

The service official website will switch from the OnePlus service official website to the Oppo service official website.
Online customer service for OnePlus will be switched to Oppo online customer service.
“OnePlus Service” Weibo and other social media accounts will be suspended. Users can instead follow the “Oppo Service” Weibo, “Oppo Service” WeChat official account, and other accounts for related service inquiries.
The “Oppo Service” applet will have a dedicated OnePlus page, which users can access by searching for and entering the homepage of the applet, clicking on the OnePlus icon, and using self-service-related functions.

RELATED:

(source)

Lava X3 with Helio A22 SoC will go on sale starting December 27 in India

By

Sudhanshu

-

Dec 21, 2022

Yesterday, Lava started taking pre-orders for its recently released Lava X3 Pro budget-range smartphone. The device was launched in India last week. Now, the brand has finally revealed that the smartphone will be going on open sale starting December 27.

So, let’s take a look at its pricing, availability, specifications, and other details.

Lava X3 pricing & availabity

The Lava X3 costs Rs 6999 in India for the 3GB + 32GB variant. The smartphone will only be sold through Amazon beginning on December 27.

The Lava X3 is now up for pre-order on Amazon for those who can wait. Pre-orderers of the Lava phone will also receive a complimentary Lava Probuds N11 neckband, valued at Rs 2299.

Lava X3 specs & features

The Lava X3 has a 6.53-inch HD+ quality IPS LCD display. The lower chin is significant, and the top has a waterdrop notch. The pill-shaped camera module and the fingerprint reader are both located on the back panel. Optics on the device include an 8MP primary sensor, a VGA secondary lens, and an LED flash. There is a 5MP selfie camera on the front.

The quad-core Helio A22 processor powers the Lava X3. It includes 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory that can be upgraded with a microSD card. The smartphone has a 4,000mAh battery that can support 10W charging. Android 12 Go Edition is pre-installed on the gadget.

In terms of connectivity, the Lava X3 offers 4G VoLTE, a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone socket, Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS.

RELATED: