Xiaomi recently announced that MIUI’s global monthly active user base has reached 564 million as of December 11, 2022. MIUI was first introduced in 2010 and has grown in popularity ever since. As the years passed, Xiaomi’s custom Android skin gained more users, and the new numbers prove it is one of the most popular Android-based software out there.
The announcement came during the MIUI 14 launch event. Xiaomi says in the past 12 years, MIUI has continued to promote the progress of the industry. It aims to further deepen the collaboration between software and hardware.
MIUI hit the 100 million mark back on August 19, 2015. Three years later, the brand quickly reached 200 million monthly active users globally. The number of MIUI global monthly active users surpassed 300 million a year later, on October 28, 2019. In early 2020, the active user count stood at 400 million. Last year, the MIUI active users crossed the 500 million mark.
The brand recently launched the latest version of MIUI— MIUI 14. The software debuts as the most optimized and streamlined version of MIUI to date and features an updated system architecture. Xiaomi says MIUI 14 runs 60% smoother compared to its predecessor.
The software comes with customizable folders with large icons and new widget options with various shapes and sizes. The company also introduced new home screen pets, which are basically animated characters that live on the home screen.
Privacy is also improved with no user data being stored in the cloud. All actions are performed locally on the device. The UI can now extract text from images and can also translate the text in the gallery images.
It was only yesterday that Xiaomi unveiled the latest version of MIUI and folks have already started to create ports of the new software. A Chinese user has reportedly ported the MIUI 14 to the aging Xiaomi Mi 6. The build is based on Android 11 and brings some of the new features that were introduced with MIUI 14. Here are the details.
Chinese dev Amktiao has managed to port the recently launched MIUI 14 to the Xiaomi MI 6, which was released back in 2017. The ported software is in a trial phase and is based on Android 11 OS.
The port brings a number of MIUI 14 features to MI 6. For instance, it includes the newly launched large folder/icon customization, home screen pets, and the photon engine. It also brings new privacy features and limits uninstallable apps to 5 (phone, SMS, camera, settings, app store).
To recall, MIUI 14 was unveiled yesterday at the Xiaomi 13 series event. The update brings a number of features and improvements and will start rolling out to the first batch of eligible devices in February.
The software comes with a small size and an improved system architecture. It has fewer pre-installed apps, which should translate to better performance. MIUI 14 features a visual overhaul and offers more personalization options with a new widget format, home screen folders, and Super icons.
The privacy of user data has also been improved with all actions performed locally on the device and no data is stored in the cloud. Mi AI voice assistant has been upgraded and it can now perform document scanning, translations, and filter spam calls.
Oppo Find N debuted last year and is still one of the best foldable in the market with a premium build, zero-gap folding, and a spot-on size. The Chinese firm is now gearing up to bring its next premium foldable device— Oppo Find N2— and there’s no doubt it will have some big shoes to fill in.
The upcoming device will have an upgraded hinge mechanism and a new vegan leather finish on the back. It is expected to become one of the lightest horizontal folding phones with a weight of under 240 grams. Oppo Find N2 will debut soon in China. Before its official announcement, let’s take a look at everything we know about it so far.
Oppo Find N2 Launch Date
Oppo has confirmed the Find N2 will launch in China on December 15 (Thursday). This smartphone will debut with the Oppo Find N2 Flip on the second day of Oppo Inno Day 2022.
The event is scheduled to begin at 4 PM GMT+8. It will be live-streamed on Weibo and leading Chinese video streaming platforms, so interested folks can tune in. Unlike Find N, the new foldable is expected to arrive in the global markets as well.
Oppo Find N2 Design
Last year’s Oppo Find N came with a unique design and dimensions. Although it is a horizontally folding smartphone, it takes a different approach than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. When folded, it has a squarer shape than the Fold, which has a very narrow body. This makes the phone easier to use when folded.
The Oppo Find N2 will also follow a similar approach. The company recently posted a teaser video that revealed the design of the foldable. Its inner display will have a punch-hole at the top-left corner and feature very slim bezels around the display. The device appears to have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
The smartphone is expected to feature a triple camera setup on the back, just like its processor. It could have a new vegan leather finish on the back.
Oppo Find N2 Specifications
Oppo hasn’t confirmed many specifications of the upcoming foldable yet. We can still draw a good picture of its specifications thanks to leaks and rumors. The Geekbench listing of the handset suggests it will be powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, despite the advent of its successor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
The Find N2 will have a 7.1-inch E6 AMOLED internal display that produces a 120Hz refresh rate. This is the same as the Oppo Find N. However, the device will have a smaller 5.54-inch E6 AMOLED cover display with a 120Hz refresh rate. For reference, its predecessor has a 5.9-inch cover display.
The Oppo foldable will have a pair of 32MP selfies on each screen. On the back, there will be a triple camera setup with a 50MP Sony IMX800 (1/1.56″) main camera. It will also have a 48MP IMX581 114-degree ultrawide sensor, and a 32MP 2x telephoto unit. The device will come with the custom MariSilicon X imaging chip and Hasselblad tuning for better AI features and processing.
For security, the smartphone will have a fingerprint sensor on the side-mounted button. It will pack a 4520mAh battery with 67W rapid charging support. Rumors suggest Oppo may equip the back of the foldable with faux-leather covering. There could also be a glass-back variant.
Oppo Find 2 is said to arrive with a lightweight build. The handset could weigh less than 240 grams. On the software front, the handset will likely run ColorOS 13 based on Android 13.
Oppo Find N2 Expected Price
The pricing of the Oppo Find N2 is still a mystery. We can expect it to be priced similarly to its predecessor. For reference, the Find N debuted with a price tag of ¥7,699 ($1,104).
In any case, we are bound to learn all details about Oppo’s upcoming foldable on December 15. Stick around for the updates.
Xiaomi has launched the MIJIA Smart Kitchen Treasure 7L S1 in China. The new MIJIA product delivers up to 2000W fast heating and supports silver ion antibacterial functionality. It can continuously the household’s hot water requirements.
Also called the Water Storage Electric Water Heater, the MIJIA Kitchen Treasure offers up to 6 times more improvement in capacity than its predecessor. The MIJIA Smart Kitchen 7L S1 will deliver all the hot water needs of the family at any time. It has a built-in seamless liner that prevents water leakage, as well as a dense polyurethane insulation layer. It provides 24-hour heat preservation.
The silver ion antibacterial activity prevents the growth of bacteria on the water inlet, outlet, and water by about 99.9%. The energy efficiency of the water heater translates to about 100kWh savings in power in a year.
You can connect the MIJIA Smart Kitchen Treasure 7L S1 to the MIJIA app for off/on and periodic operations management. It also supports voice controls via XiaoAI speakers. It can also be linked to MIJIA smart door locks, temperature, and humidity meters, and several other devices in the MIJIA smart home ecosystem.
The device is a safe device with several safety features in place to prevent electric shock and water leakage. If there is any leakage from the power line, the device instantaneously cuts off power to avoid electric shock. The device supports three-stage temperature adjustment (low, medium, and high).
The MIJIA Smart Kitchen Treasure 7L is retailed in China for 499 yuan (~$72). Xiaomi is yet to provide global availability information for the product.
The boAt Immortal 121 TWS has been unveiled to the Indian Market. The new TWS earbuds come with up to 40 hours of playback and are the company’s first gaming TWS.
boAt also organized a gaming event in Mumbai on December 12 to introduce the earbuds. The Immortal 121 TWS supports fast charging. It also features Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, 40ms super-low latency, and offers a seamless synced audio experience for its users. The launch of the Immortal 121 TWS is coming on the heels of the earlier launch of the boAt Airdopes 100 in India.
The new boAt earbuds offer the most advanced Bluetooth chip, and together with the BEAST mode, deliver lag-free audio whether in gaming or streaming applications. The earbuds are equipped with professionally tuned 10mm dynamic drivers which produce a balanced bass with sharper treble when paired with other boAt devices. The Immortal 121 also features embedded RGB LEDs to illuminate your gaming setup.
The Immortal 121’s case uses the Insta Wake n’ Pair technology to connect or disconnect quickly. The user can connect by just opening the lid and disconnect by detach easily. The charging case of the boAt Immortal 121 uses an integrated USB-C interface for high-speed charging of the device.
The overall 40 hours of playback available for the earbuds make it possible to use them for extended periods. As per charging, a 10-minute charge delivers up to 3 hours of playback with the earbuds. Overall, the earbuds can be fully charged in 2 hours.
The Immortal 121 is rated IPX4 which protects it from water splashes and sweat. The ENx technology is implemented for the boAt Immortal 12 and this delivers crystal-clear audio always. The device also implements noise-canceling algorithms to efficiently mask environmental noise. The operation of the Immortal 121 TWS earbuds is further accentuated by its touch controls.
The Immortal 121 TWS is available in two color variants – Black Sabre and White Sabre. As per pricing, the boAt Immortal 121 is offered at an introductory price of Rs. 1,499 (~$18). It will be available in the subcontinent via e-commerce channels like Amazon India and Flipkart from December 13. There are no global availability details for the product yet.
SWOTT has launched new neckband-styled wireless earphones in India. The latest offering is dubbed Neckon 102. The wearables accessories maker launched the Neckon 101 last month. The Neckon 102 comes with upgraded specifications and features compared to the Neckon 101. The earphones compete against the likes of Wings Phantom 210, Portronics Harmonics Z5, Lava Probuds N11, and more in the market. Read on to know what the audio device offers out of the box.
The SWOTT Neckon 102 features a silicon neckband and earbuds with silicon ear tips. The latter can be attached magnetically when not in use. The Neckon 102 is the first neckband-style earphone in the market to feature touch sensor controls. There are no physical keys for controlling music playback. The sensor buttons have LED lights that vibrate when touched. The earphones are said to offer a comfortable wearing experience.
The SWOTT Neckon 102 is equipped with a 10mm driver for high bass and HD stereo sound. There is environmental noise cancellation (ENC) for clear quality on calls. It offers a 45ms low latency mode for improving the gaming experience. The earphones support Google Assistant and Siri.
The SWOTT Neckon 102 features Bluetooth 5.0 and can be connected to two devices simultaneously. The audio device is claimed to deliver 30 hours of usage and an 8-minute charge is said to offer 8 hours of playtime.
The SWOTT Neckon 102 is priced at Rs 899 and offered in Black and Grey colours. It is available for purchase from Amazon and the brand’s official website.
Apple’s AirTag is a useful tool for tracking lost items, but it also has the potential to be used for stalking. The device allows users to track the location of their belongings, but it could be misused by individuals to track the movements of others without their knowledge or consent. Fortunately, Apple has included safety features in AirTag to prevent its use for stalking. In one instance, these safety features successfully protected a woman from being stalked.
Apple AirTag safety features foil Iowa man’s repeated stalking attempts
Apple’s AirTag item tracker continues to effectively thwart stalking attempts, as demonstrated by a recent incident in Iowa. A man was arrested after attempting to stalk a person he claimed to be married to, despite the victim telling investigators that the two had never had a relationship and the man had been blocked from contacting them.
Carl Steven Shawver, 63, placed an AirTag on the victim’s car in an effort to track their movements. However, the victim was alerted to the AirTag thanks to Apple’s built-in safety measures, which notified them of the device’s presence. Shawver then showed up at the local police department, where the victim had gone to report the stalking, and claimed that the victim was having an affair at the station.
Despite no arrest being made at this point, the victim was alerted to two further AirTags tracking their movements. West Des Moines Police officers located the second AirTag “placed in a wallet and inside a plastic sandwich bag sitting on top of the spare tire.” The third AirTag was eventually found on the car’s subframe near the front passenger tire, wrapped in plastic and in a case.
All three AirTags were then placed into evidence at the police department, and Shawver was arrested after being found in the station’s parking lot. He is currently being held on a $3,000 bond, with a preliminary hearing set for December 19. This case highlights the effectiveness of Apple’s AirTag safety measures, which have been designed to protect users from stalking attempts.
Earlier this month, Infinix unveiled the Infinix Hot 20 5G as one of the cheapest 5G phones in India. The handset is also available in Southeast Asian and African markets. It is the only Dimensity 810-powered phone to launch in India, with a price tag of Rs 11,999 (~$145). Here’s a look at the Infinix Hot 20 5G’s strengths and weaknesses.
Infinix Hot 20 5G – What’s in the box
Infinix Hot 20 5G
Here are the contents of the Infinix Hot 20 5G’s retail package
Infinix Hot 20 5G handset
Silicone case
SIM ejector tool
18W charger
USB-C to USB-A cable
User manual
Warranty card
XClub document
Design and Display
Dimensions
Display
Size – 166.25 x 76.45 x 8.93mm
6.6-inch IPS display
Weight – 204 grams
1080 x 2408 pixels (Ful HD+)
20:5.9 aspect ratio
Up to 120Hz refresh rate
Up to 180Hz touch sampling rate
99% sRGB color gamut
Color variants
500 nits brightness
Racing Black
Widevine L1 support
Blaster Green
1500:1 contrast ratio
Space Blue
Panda Glass protection
[envira-gallery id=’501735′]
The Infinix Hot 20 5G has a polycarbonate back with a dual-tone finish. The portion below the camera module has a texture finished with a wavy pattern, while the area above it is plain. The slightly protruding camera module available on the phone’s back houses two large camera units and a dual-LED flash. In terms of looks, it can be said that the company has tried to offer something different instead of offering a boring design. The right edge features a volume rocker and a power key, whereas the opposite edge has a SIM slot. On the bottom, it has a 3.5mm audio jack, a microphone, a USB-C port, and a speaker grille.
On the front, it has a 6.6-inch IPS FHD+ display with a waterdrop notch and a noticeable chin at the bottom. Above the notch is the other speaker, which works with the bottom speaker for stereo output. The top bezel also houses an LED flash for the front camera. The display is quite bright, and visibility is manageable under sunlight. However, there is a slight blue tint on the screen. Unfortunately, there is no option for a color profile available in Settings.
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The 120Hz refresh rate option mostly works fine, and with Widevine L1 support, users can enjoy HD content on OTT platforms. However, there is no support for HDR on YouTube. In Settings, users can find display-related options like a dark theme, adaptive brightness, and eye care.
Performance and Battery Life
– Dimensity 810
– 4 GB of LPDDR4x RAM
– 64 GB of storage
– 5,000mAh battery with 18W charging
– Android 12 OS with XOS V10.6.0
The Infinix Hot 20 5G features a Dimensity 810, a 6nm chip that is built to offer smooth performance with gaming capabilities on mid-range phones. The Hot 20 comes with 4 GB of RAM, 3 GB of extended RAM, and 64 GB of storage. However, I feel that there should have been a higher variant offering with more RAM and storage. There is a dedicated microSD card slot onboard.
The D810 chip performs well while gaming. I tried Garena Free Fire at max graphics and high resolution. While the device became a bit warm after playing for around an hour, there were no frame drops. The device comes with a Phase Change Cooling System for heat dissipation. Here are the Hot 20 5G’s benchmark results from AnTuTu, Geekbench, 3D Mark, and CPU Throttle.
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The Infinix Hot 20 5G runs on Android 12 OS and XOS V10.6.0. The XOS UI brings a lot of features, which appear a bit cluttered. XOS has so many features, which you may come to know only after using it for several days. For instance, the torch functionality allows users to turn on the front LED and the rear LED flash simultaneously. While I did not feel any lag while using the device, the brand needs to streamline the OS experience. There are plenty of preloaded apps on the device. Some of them can be uninstalled, while others, like Palm Store, can’t be uninstalled.
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The Hot 20 5G’s package includes an 18W charger. It took me around 2 hours and 30 minutes to fully charge the phone. Once charged, it can last for up to 2 days, depending on the usage.
Photography and Other Features
Rear Camera
Other Features
50MP + 2MP, quad-LED flash
Dual speakers
Up to 2K video recording
Face unlock
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
5G connectivity (12 bands)
Front Camera
Dual-band Wi-Fi
8MP Camera with LED flash
Bluetooth 5.1
Up to 2K video recording
The Infinix Hot 20 5G has a 50-megapixel primary camera that comes with an f/1.6 aperture. It is assisted by an AI lens and a quad-LED flash unit. In daylight, the Hot 20 5G captures decent photos, and the eye autofocus feature works fine. The Super Night mode manages to enhance the low-light photos well. It can shoot up to 2K videos, but there is no video stabilization available. While it can shoot videos at 30fps, I could not find an option to change the frame rate.
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The 8-megapixel selfie camera can shoot selfies with a background blur effect. As can be seen in the selfie share, the edge detection is passable, but sometimes users may have to take a couple of shots to get the edge detection right. The photography modes available on the device include Google Lens, Short Video, Video, AI Cam, Portrait, Super Night, AR Shot, Panorama, Documents, Slow-Motion (up to 240fps), and Time Lapse.
The Hot 20 supports 12 5G bands: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, 38, n40, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, and n79. Having a greater number of 5G bands will ensure the phone connects to 5G in a high, mid-range, or low-frequency network. At home, I was able to reach 960 Mbps download speeds using Jio SIM on the Hot 20 5G, and the speed touched 1.9 Gbps outside. As far as security on the Hot 20 5G is concerned, there was no issue unlocking the device using the side-facing fingerprint and face recognition.
Verdict
The Hot 20 5G delivers performance and 5G capabilities at a price that no other brand has been able to match. At present, both the POCO M4 Pro 5G and Realme 9i 5G offers the same configuration (D810 + 4GB RAM + 64GB storage) and are priced at Rs 14,999 (~$181) on Flipkart. The Hot 20 5G’s display offers the added advantage of a 120Hz refresh rate. The battery life and camera performance are also good. It appears that the company hasn’t offered an ultrawide or macro camera on the device, probably to keep the price low.
Overall, the Hot 20 5G is a good deal for buyers looking for a 5G phone with good performance at a low price. While it has some shortcomings, the brand has completely nailed it with a price of Rs 11,999 (~$145).
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this Infinix Hot 20 5G review are solely mine based on my experience, and there has been no editorial input from Infinix.
Last December, Oppo entered the foldable market with the launch of the Oppo Find N. A year later, the company has now confirmed to release its successor called Oppo Find N2. This device has been also revealed to be accompanied by yet another foldable phone called Oppo Find N2 Flip.
The upcoming Oppo Find N2 Flip will be the company’s first clamshell foldable smartphone. It will compete against the world’s best-selling foldable phone series — Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.
Let’s take a look at everything that’s known about this device ahead of its official announcement.
Oppo Find N2 Flip Launch Date
The Oppo Find N2 Flip is scheduled to launch in China on December 15 (Thursday). It will be announced alongside the Oppo Find N2 on the second day of the Oppo Inno Day 2022 conference.
The keynote will begin at 4 PM GMT+8. It will be live-streamed on Weibo and leading Chinese video streaming platforms.
The smartphone is also rumored to debut in global markets later. However, the company is yet to confirm it.
Oppo Find N2 Flip Design
The Oppo Find N2 Flip is a clamshell foldable smartphone. In other words, its internal main display folds vertically inwards.
Oppo has been teasing the design of this handset for the last few days. At the same time, it has even appeared in a render and short video.
Based on this information, we can expect the device to sport a larger cover display than Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Motorola Razr 2022. The external screen will be placed vertically on the right side of the cameras.
Finally, the phone will feature a thin flat frame and curved rear panels.
Oppo Find N2 Flip Specifications (Based on Leaks and Rumors)
The Oppo Find N2 Flip will arrive with a 6.8-inch Samsung E6 foldable AMOLED display with an FHD+ (2520 x 1080 pixels) resolution. Whereas, the vertical OLED cover screen will measure 3.26 inches.
Under the hood, the handset will house a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 Plus SoC. This chipset will be paired with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage.
The smartphone will use a dual camera system on the rear. The setup will consist of a 50MP Sony IMX890 primary sensor and an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide unit. It will also come with a 32MP Sony IMX709 front-facing camera and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
The phone will boot ColorOS 13 based on Android 13. It will draw energy from a 4,300mAh battery and carry support for 44W fast wired charging.
Last but not least, the device will be available in black, white, and green color options.
Oppo Find N2 Flip Expected Price
The original Oppo Find N debuted at ¥7,699 ($1,104). It is a horizontal folding smartphone that turns into a tablet when unfolded.
On the other hand, the Oppo Find N2 is a vertically folding clamshell smartphone. This type of foldables is usually cheaper than the ones that turn into tablets.
Therefore, the Oppo Find N2 will be more affordable than the Oppo Find N at launch.
OPPO Find N2 Flip is set to launch alongside the Find N2 on December 15th at the brand’s Inno Day in China. The former is the first clamshell foldable phone from the company whereas the latter will arrive as the successor to the last year’s Find N. Now, ahead of the launch, the OPPO Find N2 Flip has appeared on Geekbench revealing key specifications.
The OPPO Find N2 Flip is listed with model number PGT110 on the Geekbench database. As per the benchmarking platform, the upcoming device is listed with eight cores comprising of four cores clocked at 1.80GHz, three cores at 2.85GHz, and one primary core ticking at 3.20GHz. This suggests that the foldable phone will be powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000+ processor. The internal code reveals Mali-G710 GPU onboard. The listing also mentions that the OPPO Find N2 Flip will pack 12GB RAM and run on Android 13 OS out of the box.
In Geekbench’s single-core tests, the OPPO Find N2 Flip scored 1,306 points whereas in multi-core tests, it scored 4,293 points. The hardware specifications listed on Geekbench are in line with the previous leaks and rumours.
The OPPO Find N2 Flip’s teaser video revealed very slim bezels around the display and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. It has a SIM slot, microphone, USB-C port, and a speaker grille at the bottom edge. The foldable phone is also confirmed to feature OPPO’s MariSilicon X Gen 2 imaging chipset. The OPPO Find N2 Flip is also teased to come with a large secondary display.
For a very long time, OnePlus teased the debut of the OnePlus Monitor in India. Today, the devices were finally officially introduced. The OnePlus Monitor X27 and Monitor E24 are two different monitors that OnePlus has released. These are the first products of their kind that OnePlus has ever released in the country. The features of the monitors are quite impressive, including the Type-C connection and HDR capability for the display.
Beginning with the OnePlus Monitor X27, which, as its name suggests, has a 27-inch QuadHD+ IPS LCD screen with 2560*1440 pixel resolution, 165Hz high refresh rate support, 1ms low response rate, up to 350-nits of peak brightness, and 95% DCI-P3 Color Gamut. Additionally, it adds 178-degree viewing angle support, VESA DisplayHDR 400 compatibility, and TUV Rheinland certification for low-blue light and flicker-free images. Additionally, the product also supports AMD FreeSync Premium.
It carries support for five different picture modes; Standard, Movie, Picture, Web, and Game. The users can also use the split screen feature on the monitor. Talking about the ports, it comes with a 1X Type-C charging port which supports up to 65W of input, 1X HDMI 2.1 port, 1X DP port, 1X USB 3.0 port and 1X 3.5mm headphone jack. The device has been priced at INR 27,999. It will go up on sale starting December 15th, 2022.
Coming down to the OnePlus Monitor E24, it has a slightly smaller 24-inch panel. It’s a FullHD+ panel with 1920*1080 pixel resolution, 75Hz fast refresh rate, 5ms response rate, up to 250-nits of peak brightness and 178-degree viewing angle. The brand has further included support for Adaptive Sync and TÜV Rheinland certification for low blue light and flicker-free visuals. As for the ports, it has a 1X USB Type-C port with up to 18W delivery, 1X HDMI port, 1X 3.5mm headphone jack and 1X VGA port.
As of right now, we don’t know how much the OnePlus Monitor E24 will cost. The company has indicated that they will shortly reveal the price of the item. Anyhow, the company is providing up to INR 1,000 in instant discounts when using ICICI Bank cards as part of the introductory offer. Although we’re not sure if the promotion applies to both models or not, the X27 is unquestionably qualified for this.
Lava has been steadily launching smartphones in India. The brand launched the Blaze 5G (review) and Blaze Nxt last month. Now the company is gearing up to launch the Lava X3 in the country. The upcoming offering’s microsite is live on Amazon confirming its availability on the e-commerce platform. It also gives us a look at the smartphone’s front. The Lava X3’s launch date remains a mystery, but its key specifications and pricing have surfaced online.
Exclusive:
Lava X3 will be an affordable 3GB RAM phone priced at around Rs 7,000
Good to see Lava actively launching new phones 🙂#Lava#LavaX3
As per tipster Mukul Sharma (aka stufflistings), the Lava X3 will feature a 6.5-inch IPS display bearing an HD+ resolution. There is a waterdrop notch on the top and a thick chin at the bottom bezel of the display. The smartphone has a pill-shaped camera module and a conventional fingerprint scanner on the back panel. It will be offered in Luster Green, Arctic Blue, and Charcoal Black colours.
The Lava X3 will reportedly be powered by a MediaTek Helio processor clocked at 2GHz. It will pack 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. The device is tipped to be backed by a 4,000mAh battery unit. It will ship with Android 12 OS out of the box. The upcoming offering will come with 8MP AI dual rear cameras and a 5MP selfie snapper. The smartphone will have a USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Another tipster named Anvin (@zionsanvin) has revealed that the Lava X3 will be an affordable phone and cost around Rs 7,000. We expect to learn more details about the smartphone in the coming days.
The global smartphone market is highly competitive, with many major players trying to gain market share. Right now, Samsung is the leader in the market, but a new report predicts that Apple will surpass Samsung in the global smartphone market in Q4 2022, due to increased demand for the iPhone 14 series.
Apple could topple Samsung in global smartphone market in Q4 2022
According to a new report from market research firm TrendForce, Apple is expected to dethrone Samsung and become the leader in the global smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2022. The global smartphone market has been struggling in recent months due to sluggish demand and economic downturns in many countries. In the third quarter of 2022, the market saw a decrease of 0.9% from the previous quarter, with 289 million units shipped.
İmage Source:9to5mac
Apple is expected to see significant growth in the fourth quarter, with its market share rising from 17.6% in Q3 to 24.6%. This growth is largely attributed to the increased demand for the iPhone 14 series. On the other hand, Samsung’s shipments increased by only 3.9% from the previous quarter, and the company is expected to face further decreases due to continued inventory pressure, low demand, and a semiconductor shortage. This will impact Samsung’s position in the global smartphone market and allow Apple to overtake it.
Chinese OEMs Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo, which are currently ranked 3rd to 5th in the global smartphone market, are also expected to lose market share in Q4 2022. TrendForce predicts that Chinese smartphone makers will face significant difficulties in the future due to the shrinking demand for smartphones in China’s local market and slow economic growth in India.
Overall, the global smartphone market is facing challenges due to economic downturns and increased inflation in many countries. However, Apple is expected to see strong growth in the fourth quarter, allowing it to surpass Samsung and become the leader in the global smartphone market.
Ambrane has expanded its range of smartwatches in India. The homegrown brand has launched the Ambrane Wise Glaze. It packs impressive features at an affordable price tag. The device falls under the Rs 3,000 price segment and competes against the likes of the Realme Watch 3, Noise ColorFit Pro 4, Amazfit Pop, and more in the market. Read on to know what the Ambrane Wise Glaze offers out of the box.
The Ambrane Wise Glaze features a 1.78-inch AMOLED display in a square dial. It bears a screen resolution of 368 x 448 pixels and 1,000 nits peak brightness. There is always-on display mode. The device has a physical button on the right side and it is IP68 water-resistant.
On the fitness front, the Ambrane Wise Glaze is equipped with a heart rate and SpO2 sensor, sleep and stress tracker, and menstrual cycle monitor. It offers breath training, water reminder, and sedentary alerts. It packs support for 100 sports modes including running, walking, cycling, and extreme activities like gymnastics, yoga, hiking, cross-fit, dancing, karate, taekwondo, horse riding etc.
The Ambrane Wise Glaze is equipped with a single chipset, a built-in mic, and a speaker for Bluetooth calling. The smartwatch is powered by a 280mAh battery unit that is claimed to last 7 days on a single charge. It packs convenient features like notifications, voice assistant, weather updates, find phone, and two built-in games.
The Ambrane Wise Glaze carries a price tag of Rs 2,999 and is offered in Black, Grey, Green, and Blue colours. The device is available for purchase from Flipkart and the company’s website.
WhatsApp is apparently developing a new feature that will allow users to send messages that are automatically deleted after they are viewed by the recipient. This feature is known as a “view-once” option and it is currently being tested on the platform’s beta version.
WhatsApp is developing a view-once option for text messages
WhatsApp is reportedly testing a new feature called “view-once” that will prevent recipients from copying or forwarding messages that they have viewed. In addition, recipients will not be able to take a screenshot of these messages. The feature was spotted on WhatsApp beta 2.22.25.20 for Android.
WhatsApp already offers a similar feature for photos and videos, but it has not yet been available for text messages. This has made the platform appear behind its competitors, as other popular messaging apps like Snapchat have offered this functionality for a long time. It makes sense for WhatsApp to offer its users the same level of security and privacy by providing the option to send messages that are automatically deleted after they are viewed by the recipient.
The view-once option is not the only ephemeral messaging feature that WhatsApp offers. The platform already allows users to send messages that automatically disappear after a certain amount of time. This feature is available for both individual and group chats, and allows messages to disappear after 24 hours to 90 days, depending on the user’s preferences.
With the upcoming view-once feature, messages will disappear immediately after they are viewed by the recipient. This will give users peace of mind that sensitive messages will not be seen by unintended people. However, it is not foolproof, as others may still be able to photograph the message using other means.
In conclusion, WhatsApp is reportedly developing a view-once option for text messages that will allow users to automatically delete messages after they are viewed by the recipient. This feature will provide users with an additional layer of security and privacy, and will help prevent messages from being copied or forwarded. It is currently being tested on the platform’s beta version, and it is expected to be rolled out to all users in the near future.
Motorola is gearing up to launch the new Moto X40 in the Chinese market soon. The device is the company’s next generation of flagship smartphone. There have already been a number of leaks and reports regarding this handset ahead of its December 15 launch, so here’s a roundup of all specs, features, and design of the X40.
Design & Display
The Moto X40’s design had recently been revealed via leaked renders. On the front, the device has a curved display with a punch hole camera on the top center. Meanwhile, the rear features a triple camera module on the top left corner. As per the leak, the device is said to measure 161.3 x 73.9 x 8.5 and weighs around 196 grams. The premium grade handset also features a metallic frame. This device is expected to sport a 10 bit 6.67 inch curved OLED display that has a Full HD+ resolution and supports 144Hz or even 165Hz refresh rate as well.
Specifications
Under the hood, the Motorola X40 is expected to be equipped with Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. This high end processor will likely be paired with 8GB, 12GB, or possibly even 18GB of LPDDR5X RAM. For storage, we can expect the base model to start from 128GB and go up to either 256GB or even 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The device will run on Android 13 OS based MyUI 5.0 custom skin. Other features include, USB Type C, stereo speakers, Bluetooth 5.3, dual band 5G, NFC, and even IP68 water and dust resistance rating.
Interestingly, the Moto X40 was spotted on 3C and TENAA with a 4,600mAh and a 5,000mAh battery pack. However, the former has an impressive 125W fast charging while the latter supports a slower 68W fast charging rate. This means that there is a possibility that the Moto X40 Pro might also be announced during the launch event, or could even be released sometime after the X40. It is also possible that one variant could just be a special edition or the global version for the X40 that might be dubbed as the Moto Edge 40 Pro.
Camera
Lastly, the Motorola X40 is set to launch with a triple camera setup on the rear. It features a 50 megapixel primary sensor that will be paired with a 50 megapixel ultra wide angle lens and a 12 megapixel telephoto shooter that offers 2x optical zoom as well.
This is all the information we have regarding this device at the moment, so stick around for more as we will be covering any additional reports or rumors that surface in the days before the Moto X40 release.
However, the company did not disclose the availability of MIUI 14 for tablets. This was later revealed via Xiaomi Community after the event. Let’s check out the details.
Last year, when Xiaomi unveiled MIUI 13, the company’s presentation included a showcase of features for different branches of software, such as MIUI 13 Pad and MIUI 13 Fold. But during the MIUI 14 announcement, there was no such thing.
Because Xiaomi is still working on the tablet and foldable versions of MIUI 14. The company has revealed this information on its official forum.
Therefore, MIUI 14 weekly beta builds for tablets and foldables will be released later. Whereas, the first batch of eligible smartphones has started receiving them.
Interestingly, despite starting the public beta program, Xiaomi has already put forth a timeline for MIUI 14 stable release. The following tablets will get access to the update starting in early April 2023.
MIUI 14 Pad Stable Update Release Schedule
From Early April 2023
Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro 12.5
Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro 5G
Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro
Xiaomi Pad 5
Redmi Pad
At the moment, Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro are the only devices running MIUI 14 stable. Older phones were revealed to get the update starting in February 2023 during the event. However, the Xiaomi Community announcement post says that the rollout will begin around January 2023.
Xiaomi has just launched a new MIJIA product. The company has unveiled a new unique device that is currently being crowdfunded and is dubbed the MIJIA Dictionary Pen. It has some interesting features and functionalities, so let’s have a look.
Based on official notes, the MIJIA Dictionary Pen features a laser assisted scanner. Through this technology, the new product that is being crowdfunded can scan and take recordings of multiple lines or a whole page. These lines can further be used for photo translation to convert texts. The product also supports the transfer of the recorded contents to other apps for edition, sharing, and even printing.
Apart from the laser scanning, the device also has a camera that can take pictures of dedicated paragraphs that the user wishes to record. This sensor is housed on one side of the MIJIA Dictionary Pen, while the other side houses a tall but thin screen to display the content being captured. As per official claims from Xiaomi, the device is capable of a high 99 percent success rate for Chinese and English OCR text recognition. Furthermore, this online/offline translation accurate rate is even comparable to English majors.
The MIJIA Dictionary Pen is also equipped with a dual microphone far field pickup that is also paired with AI noise reduction algorithms. This helps in translating speech in team time or even offer speech to text recordings. The device basically offers a number of ways to record and translate between multiple languages, which includes the likes of Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, German, and more. The device has a retail price tag of 799 Yuan (roughly 115 US Dollars) and is being crowdfunded for 699 Yuan (roughly 100 US Dollars).
Making a flagship smartphone is a challenging and complex process that requires a wide range of components and technologies, including high-resolution displays, advanced cameras, powerful processors, and cutting-edge software. These components must be sourced from various suppliers and carefully integrated into the final product. Additionally, the manufacturing process itself is complex and requires precise control to ensure that each device meets the company’s high-quality standards. Huawei recently revealed the difficulties it faced in producing the Mate 50 series, highlighting the challenges that all manufacturers face in creating a flagship smartphone.
Huawei admits how difficult it was to manufacture the Huawei Mate 50 series
Huawei Consumer Business Group CEO Yu Chengdong recently sat down with Chinese media to discuss the challenges the company faced in producing the Huawei Mate 50 series. Yu revealed that the manufacturing process was difficult due to major faults in the supply chain and limited chip supplies. Despite these hurdles, the team managed to bring the flagship into production.
Huawei Consumer Business Group CEO Yu Chengdong (Source: Huawei Central)
Yu also spoke about the internal obstacles the company faced, with someone within the company telling him that it was impossible for the Mate 50 to succeed due to the high cost and restrictions on gathering the required technologies. However, Yu was determined to make the product a success.
Since last year’s U.S. restrictions, the company has been limited to launching only 4G phones and the Mate 50 series is no exception. However, Yu stated that Huawei has improved 4G performance and WiFi 6 technology helps fill the gap left by the lack of 5G.
Overall, Yu expressed confidence in the Mate 50 series, stating that if it did not do well, he would be “very sad,” but he is pleased with its performance so far. Despite not having 5G capabilities, the Mate 50 series is packed with high-end features including XMAGE imaging technologies and high-resolution pictures.
After delaying the launch, Xiaomi recently announced its flagship smartphone for the next year — Xiaomi 13 series, which includes two models — Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro.
While smartphones have been launched in the Chinese market, the company is gearing up to launch these new phones globally, and CEO Lei Jun has also teased the global launch of the Xiaomi 13 series.
In a tweet, Xiaomi’s co-founder and CEO Lei Jun revealed the company is now gearing up to launch the Xiaomi 13 series smartphones in four international markets. However, the name of the regions, as well as the launch timeline, has not been revealed yet.
The Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro features an AMOLED display, an integrated fingerprint scanner, and a center-aligned punch-hole cutout. The devices offer a 120Hz refresh rate, 1,900 nits peak brightness, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG support. The Xiaomi 13 features a 6.36-inch flat screen with FHD+ resolution, whereas the 13 Pro model has a 6.73-inch QHD+ display with curved edges.
Under the hood, both devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, packed with up to 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 internal storage. The phones have a liquid cooling heat dissipation system as well as a Surge G1 charging protection chip.
In the camera department, the standard model has a 50MP OIS-enabled Sony IMX800 sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 10MP telephoto unit. On the other hand, the Pro model features a 1-inch Sony IMX989 50MP primary lens paired with 50MP ultra-wide lens and 50MP telephoto sensor. Both smartphones feature a 16MP front-facing snapper for taking selfies and video calling.
The phones, which are IP68-rated for water and dust resistance and have Dolby Atomos support for the stereo speakers, run the Android 13 operating system out-of-the-box with an MIUI custom interface on top. The Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro are backed by 4,500mAh and 4,820mAh battery cells with support for 67W and 120W wired charging, respectively.
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