A few days ago, ASUS launched the ROG Phone 6 Diablo Immortal Edition smartphone in the market, which as the name indicates, is a limited edition of the ROG Phone 6 flagship smartphone from the company.
Now, the ASUS ROG Phone 6 Diablo Immortal Edition smartphone is available for purchase in the Chinese market for the price of 6,999 yuan, which roughly converts to $990.
The smartphone comes with a Hellfire Red semi-matte coating on the back, offering a unique flame effect when viewed from various angles. Along with a cool-looking sketch-like depiction of Al’Diabolos, the Lord of Terror, there is also an RGB-lit Diablo Immortal logo.
It comes with a special Diablo theme for the user interface, along with notification sounds inspired by in-game audio. The retail box also includes a “Fahir’s Light” UV torch for uncovering hidden details on the Diablo-themed phone case in addition to the gold-colored “Immortality Ejector Pin” for the SIM tray, and a “Map of Sanctuary” travel-friendly pouch for the charger and cable.
Coming to the specifications, the device features a 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display, offering a 165Hz refresh rate and an in-display fingerprint scanner. Under the hood, it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, coupled with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.
In the camera department, there’s a triple-camera setup on the back that consists of a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 primary sensor, a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 5-megapixel macro camera. On the front side, there’s a 12-megapixel Sony IMX663 sensor for taking selfies and video calling.
The devices run the Android 12-based ROG UI and a custom Diablo Immortal theme on top. The ASUS ROG Phone 6 Diablo Immortal Edition, which is IPX4 rated for water resistance, comes powered by a dual cell unit with a total capacity of 6,000mAh and has support for 65W fast charging.
Recent leaks have claimed that the Oppo Find N2 and Find N2 Flip will debut through Oppo’s INNO Day 2022 event, which is likely to be held by the middle of this month in China. The Find N2 Flip (tentative name) will be Oppo’s first clamshell phone with a foldable screen. A leaked video (via. TechGoing) of the Find N2 Flip is now doing the rounds on Weibo. It gives a good look at the design from the front and rear sides.
In the leaked video, the OPPO Find N2 Flip can be seen sporting a foldable display with a centrally positioned punch-hole. Reports have claimed that the device is equipped with a 6.8-inch foldable E6 AMOLED panel that produces a Full HD+ resolution of 2520 x 1080 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. The right side of the phone seems to feature a volume controller and a power key, which is integrated with a fingerprint scanner.
OPPO Find N2 Flip leaked video
Moving to the back, the Find N2 Flip can be found sporting a large-sized secondary OLED panel, which is said to measure 3.26 inches. There is also a dual-camera setup next to it. The main camera is said to be a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 lens. It is said to be paired with an 8-megapixel Sony IMX355 ultra-wide shooter.
The Find N2 Flip is placed in a thick protective case in the leaked video, because of which its hinge design cannot be seen. The bottom side of the phone seems to feature a speaker grille and a USB-C port.
The Find N2 Flip is likely to feature a Dimensity 9000 chipset and a 4,300mAh battery with 44W rapid charging support. It will come preinstalled with the Android 13 OS, which will be skinned with ColorOS 13. It is expected to arrive in black, white, and purple color options.
We recently got a pretty good microphone. It is suitable for both the more professional and the average person who knows nothing about recording. And if you want to improve the quality of your recordings later, you only need to change a cable. That’s how convenient it is. Fifine K688 USB/XLR DYNAMIC MICROPHONE, a microphone for most people.
What’s in the box?
What do you get if you buy the K688? A User’s manual, a 5/8″ male to 3/8″ female adapter, an 8.2ft (2.5m) USB C to USB cable, and a microphone with shock mount.
Design
The Fifine K688 has a simple look, no flashy styling, and no RGB lighting. The only thing that lights up is the mute button, and you can tell if it’s in mute mode by the color. This button is a non-pressable touch button, so it also reduces the possibility of damage outside.
This large circular structure is the shock mount, which can reduce the noise brought about by the resonance of the desktop. The microphone is connected to the metal ring by four rubber bands, and you can clean them without any disassembly.
There are two knobs and three ports on the back. The knob is used to control the mic gain and monitor volume. the 3.5mm headphone hole is no doubt for you to access the monitoring headphones. The remaining two ports: a USB C port and an XLR port, according to the use of anyone can choose to access your device.
Why does the Fifine K688 have two audio jacks on the back? Their official website gives the answer: It is anyone’s mic. If you don’t have knowledge about microphones, you just connect to your device with the USB in the box and it will work correctly. But if you know more about microphones and want to improve the quality of your recordings, then the XLR interface is for you.
If you are new to microphones
A sensible voice reminds you of choosing a microphone based on the use environment when the budget is tight. Because most of the time recording especially streaming was done in environments that are not treated. With hard surfaces all around your room, the sound is going to bounce off and bounce into your mic. The excessive noise floor is the top deal-breaker for most people.
What you really need to muddle is the background sound, and the dynamic cardioid capsule does let the Fifine K688 shine through in that aspect. Normal users do not have any sort of special acoustical treatment in the rooms. A dynamic microphone will come in super helpful in this circumstance because it does not pick up much distracting background or reflected sound.
If you are expert in microphones
The audio quality may come down to what interface you are running the mic through if you are using the XLR connector. But basically, it is not the general type of dynamic mics where the mids are prominent while the brightness is lacking. Inheriting from FIFINE’s bloodline, the treble is something that will not miss but it is not so much to assault your ear with harshness.
If there is such a necessary, or maybe for a special two-PC setup, you can even send the signal from the mic to two different places, like your PC and an audio interface or a PA when using it outdoors.
So, this is the fifine K688, a microphone for everyone. It is currently priced at $79.99 USD, which shouldn’t be too expensive for a microphone that is easy to use and has room for upgrades. As long as you can afford it, I recommend buying it as your main microphone.
Giztop is giving huge discounts on Redmi Note 12 Discovery edition. The phone which retails for $499 is now available at a discounted price of $399. Moreover by using the coupon code: N12D30 you can get an additional discount of $30. This means you can buy the phone for as low as $369. Please note that the coupon expires on December 10, 2022.
Redmi Note 12 Discovery edition features a 6.67-inch OLED display that supports a 120Hz refresh rate, and 240Hz touch sampling rate. The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 octa-core processor and comes with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage.
The highlight feature of the phone is the 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HPX primary camera. You also have an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens and a 2MP macro shooter. For your selfies, you have a 16MP sensor in the front.
Redmi Note 12 Discovery is fueled by a 4300mAh battery and supports 210W fast flash charge and PD 3.0. Other interesting features include the NFC function, Infrared port, 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth 5.2, under-display fingerprint sensor, etc.
You can now buy the Redmi Note 12 Discovery edition for as low as $369 only on Giztop. This deal ends on December 10. So place your order before the coupon expires.
For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.
Great news for Vivo fans. Giztop is giving a $50 coupon for the latest flagship Vivo X90 Pro Plus phone. The phone which retails for $1199 can be now pre-ordered for a discounted price of $1149 only by using the coupon code: V90PP50. Please note that this is a pre-order, and the shipping will start after December 10, 2022.
Vivo X90 Pro Plus phone features a 6.78-inch FHD+ E5 AMOLED display and a 120Hz refresh rate. The smartphone is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) chipset and comes with Adreno 740 GPU. The phone features multiple memory options viz. 12GB RAM and 256GB / 512GB UFS 4.0 internal storage.
Vivo X90 Pro Plus features Quad rear cameras, with premium Zeiss optics and Zeiss T* lens coating. The phone comes with a 50MP primary camera, 64MP periscope telephoto lens, 50MP telephoto lens, and a 48MP ultrawide sensor. For your selfies, you have a 32MP camera in the front. Fueled with a 4700mAh battery the phone supports 80W fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and reverse charging.
Vivo X90 Pro Plus is now available for pre-order at a discounted price of $1149 only on Giztop. The phone comes in two color options viz. Black, and Red. Please note that this price is applicable to the base variant only. The coupon works for all variants.
For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.
Lava Blaze 5G recently debuted as India’s most affordable 5G phone. The device faces competition from the likes of the POCO M4 5G, iQOO Z6 Lite 5G, Redmi 11 Prime 5G, and Samsun Galaxy M13 5G, which also offer 5G capabilities at a lower price. If price is the only factor to consider when choosing a winner among these, the Blaze 5G is an easy winner since it launched at an introductory price of Rs 9,999 (~$123). It is currently available for Rs 10,999 (~$135). Let’s dive into the review to see whether its other features are good enough to beat its competitors.
Lava Blaze 5G – What’s in the box?
Lava Blaze 5G
As can be seen above, the Lava Blaze 5G’s retail box includes the following items:
I am impressed by the build of the Lava Blaze 5G. The glass back of the phone, which has a matte finish, gives it a premium look. The back panel feels smooth and does not attract fingerprint smudges. The inclusion of the glass and a big battery makes it weigh over 200 grams. The Blaze 5G has flat edges and rounded corners. Its edges are made of plastic, but the paintjob makes it look like metal. The top edge of the device is barren, while the bottom offers a 3.5mm audio jack, a microphone, a USB-C port, and a speaker grille. The device has a hybrid SIM slot and a volume rocker on the left side. The power button on the right edge is integrated with a fingerprint scanner.
The slightly raised camera module has a squarish black portion, which houses two cameras and an LED flash. Below is the “50MP AI Camera” text and the third camera. It would have been better if the cameras sported a symmetrical design.
Lava Blaze 5GLava Blaze 5GLava Blaze 5G
The Lava Blaze 5G has a waterdrop notch display with a large bottom bezel. The screen is quite bright and offers good viewing angles. While it supports an HD+ resolution, the image clarity is such that it feels like it is a Full HD display. The contents of the screen are readable under sunlight only if it is set at the highest brightness setting. In Settings, users get access to display-related features like Adaptive Brightness, Night Light, Refresh Rate, among other settings. There is no word on what sort of display protection is available on the device.
Performance and Battery Life
Dimensity 700
4GB of LPDDR4x RAM
128GB of UFS 2.2 storage
5,000mAh battery
Support for 8 5G bands
The Dimensity 700-powered Blaze 5G offers snappy performance right out of the box. The D700 chip, which is MediaTek’s entry-level 5G-ready chip, can be seen on some of the costlier devices like the Samsung Galaxy M13, POCO M4 5G, and Redmi 11 Prime 5G. The Blaze 5G is only available in a single 4GB + 128GB configuration. Apart from the big internal storage, the device also offers support for a microSD card for more storage. The SIM tray of the phone features one slot for the primary SIM, and the second slot can either support a second SIM or a microSD card.
The Blaze 5G supports n1, n3, n5, n8, n28, n41, n77, and n78 5G bands. Since 5G is not available at my place, I couldn’t check the 5G connectivity.
For gamers, the Lava Blaze 5G comes with the Game Space app, which provides numerous features like game acceleration, a game sidebar, display optimization, performance enhancement, background call, palm rejection, and so on. On Geekbench, the device scored 505 and 1598 in the single-core and multi-core tests of Geekbench 5. On AnTuTu, the device scored 303,877. On BGMI, the device supports Smooth + Ultra with 40fps. Here are the screenshots of the performance benchmarks.
[envira-gallery id=’499049′]
The company itself mentions in the official listing that it takes around 2:50 hours to fully charge the 5,000mAh battery of the Blaze 5G. While the phone supports up to 15W charging, Lava has bundled a 12W charger in its retail box. When other brands are considering removing chargers from the retail packages of their mid-range phones, Lava has gone ahead and provided a charger with two USB ports. As far as charging is concerned, it took around 3:02 hours for me to achieve a full charge. It can easily last up to two days after being charged.
Clean Android OS Experience with Little Customization
Near stock Android 12 OS
YouTube with background play
YouTube Music with background play
FM radio
Up to 3GB RAM expansion
The Lava Blaze 5G runs on a near-stock version of the Android 12 OS. One of the screenshots shared here showcases all the apps available on the device. You do not see any bloatware, right? Additional apps from Lava include FM radio (not wireless), Game Space, and the Lava Guide app (user manual).
[envira-gallery id=’499045′]
The #ProudlyIndian brand boasts that the Blaze 5G offers an industry-first feature wherein YouTube works in the background. As it is known, background play is only available with a YouTube Premium subscription. Yes, the YouTube and YouTube Music apps work in the background. However, both apps do not skip ads. Also, it allows users to play up to 2K videos on YouTube. The call recording function does not let the other person know that the call is being recorded.
The device also has other nifty features, such as App Lock, Android Auto, and multiple user profiles. The slightly customised Settings app has the Intelligence Assistance section, where users can find additional settings as shown in the screenshots above. The RAM expansion features allow users to convert up to 3 GB of storage space into virtual RAM. Lastly, there is Dura Speed in the Settings app, which helps boost the foreground app by restricting background apps.
Lava has not said anything about how many Android OS upgrades will be available for Blaze 5G users. It seems that the device may receive at least the Android 13 OS update in 2023.
Photography and Other Features
Rear Camera
Other Features
50MP + 2MP + VGA triple camera unit
Single speaker
2K video recording
Face unlock
EIS Support
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
5G connectivity, 4G LTE
Front Camera
Dual-band Wi-Fi
8MP Camera
Bluetooth 5.1
Full HD recording
The camera app offers photography features, such as photo, video, portrait mode, beauty mode, GIF, UHD, Pro mode, panorama, slow motion, timelapse, macro, and intelligent scanning, which can be used for scanning barcodes and QR codes. The phone impresses the photography department in both bright and low-light scenarios. It manages to shoot decent photos with sufficient lighting indoors. When compared to the regular mode, the night mode is able to take pictures with more detail. It captures mediocre-quality macro shots.
With Night ModeWith Night ModeWith Night ModeSelfies with potrait modeSelfies with potrait modeSelfies with potrait modemacro shotmacro shot
I could not really understand the requirement for the VGA camera (third camera) on the device.
When shooting a video with the rear camera, the phone focuses on the subject while blurring the background. I noticed some lag while shooting 2K videos. EIS does a good job of capturing stabilized videos. In low-light conditions, the phone captures shaky FHD and 2K videos even with EIS enabled. However, even in dim light, the phone tries to capture videos with some amount of detail. It can record 720p slow-motion videos at 15 frames per second.
[envira-gallery id=’499051′]
The 8-megapixel front camera is good enough for selfies and video calls. It can shoot 30fps Full HD videos. Features like AI and HDR are not available while using the front camera. Users do get a couple of filters to enhance the selfie experience. It can also capture selfies with a good amount of background blur. However, sometimes edge detection does not work well. Overall, Lava Blaze 5G users will love using it for shooting photos and videos.
Lava Blaze 5G has a single speaker, which produces a decent sound output. I did not face any issues accessing features like face unlock, fingerprint scanner, voice calling, and Wi-Fi / LTE connectivity. Lava tries to stand out from competitors in the customer service department. It offers Service@Home doorstep services, which offer software and minor repairs to all customers of the Blaze, Yuva, and Storm series of smartphones. It promises service within 24 hours.
Verdict
To summarize, the Lava Blaze 5G is an impressive phone for Rs 10,999 (~$139). Even though it costs Rs 1,000 more, the device outperforms its rival in some areas. Lava is the only Indian smartphone brand to launch 5G phones in the Indian market. Because of this, many Indians who don’t want to buy Chinese smartphones will be drawn to this one. The Blaze 5G can easily become one of the bestselling phones in its price segment. I would definitely recommend it to someone who wants to buy a 5G phone for the first time. Many of the customers will purchase it as their first 5G phone, and I believe they won’t be disappointed.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this Lava Blaze 5G review are solely mine based on my experience, and there has been no editorial input from Lava.
For the first time, the new generation of the Honor Number Series contains a flagship phone. The Honor 80 Series is official with three different variants: the vanilla Honor 80, the Honor 80 Pro, and the Honor 80 SE. These three very different devices belong to different price ranges, but all are very valid. If you are evaluating this series, you probably want to know all the main differences between each model. Here you can learn the differences thanks this comparison between the specifications of the Honor 80, the Honor 80 Pro, and the Honor 80 SE in order to evaluate which one fits your needs the most.
Triple 64 + 5 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.2 + f/2.4
32 MP f/2.4 front camera
BATTERY
4800 mAh, fast charging 66W
4800 mAh, fast charging 66W
4600 mAh, Fast Charging 66W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
5G, dual SIM, reverse charging 5W
5G, dual SIM, reverse charging 5W
5G, dual SIM
Design
The most interesting design is the one of the Honor 80 Pro because it has a rear side with a more original texture and a more beautiful camera module. Further, on the front, it comes with incredibly narrow bezels around the display and a pill-shaped punch hole that looks like the Dynamic Island found on the latest iPhones. However, if you want a thinner and lighter phone, then you should go for the Honor 80 SE, even though the design is less impressive. But it is just slightly thinner and slightly lighter, and the dimensions are more or less the same. The vanilla version is still a beautiful phone with its dual camera module, very narrow bezels thanks to a display covering 90 percent of the front panel, and a single punch hole placed centrally.
Display
The best display belongs to the Honor 80 Pro. It is an OLED panel able to show up to one billion colors with a diagonal of 6.78 inches, an 1.5K resolution of 1224 x 2700 pixels, a 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR certification, a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, and an in-display fingerprint reader. The vanilla version and the Special Edition have the same display specifications: an OLED panel with one billion colors, a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and an in-display fingerprint scanner. Note that the Pro variant is the only one equipped with stereo speakers.
Specs & Software
As already mentioned, the Honor 80 Pro is the only device from this trio to feature flagship-class specifications. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform alongside 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of native storage. The vanilla version is an upper mid-ranger with a Snapdragon 782G chipset, up to 12 GB of RAM, and up to 512 GB of native storage. The Special Edition is a mid-ranger with a Dimensity 900 chip, 12 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage in the most expensive configuration. All the phones run Android 12 customized by Magic UI 7.
Camera
Even though it does not have optical stabilization, the Honor 80 Pro can be considered a high-end camera phone. It has a triple camera setup composed of a 160 MP main sensor, a 50 MP ultrawide shooter, and a 2 MP depth sensor. The vanilla version replaces the 50 MP ultrawide shooter with a less impressive 8 MP camera. The Honor 80 SE is totally different with its 64 MP dual camera.
The biggest battery is the one found on the Honor 80, even though there is a difference of just 100 mAh. All of these phones feature 66W fast charging.
Price
The starting price of the Honor 80 in China roughly translates into €370/$384, the Pro variant starts from €480/$498, and the SE costs €330/$343 in its base variant. They are yet to come into the global market. Which one would you pick?
Honor 80 vs Honor 80 Pro vs Honor 80 SE: PRO and CONS
A New York Apple iPhone reseller has suffered a huge loss after being robbed outside an Apple store in Manhattan, New York. The unnamed 27-year-old man purchased about 300 iPhone 13s from an Apple Store on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. He was attacked by two men just outside the Apple Store and dispossessed of a bag containing about 125 iPhones.
The robbery incident happened at about 1.45 am and was reported by the New York Police Department. Luckily, the man was not seriously injured during the mugging but was punched in the face. The two men who alighted from a car also left the scene in the same car. The victim is reported to be a regular buyer of large volumes of iPhones for his reselling business. The worth of the stolen iPhone 13s was put at $95,000. The investigation of the robbery incident is ongoing and the New York Police Department has not announced any arrests.
It is unclear under what circumstances the man chose to make the purchase at such an early hour. It is also not known whether Apple had CCTV footage of the mugging to aid the police investigation. Expectedly, the criminals will be caught with support from Apple to the Police. The Apple iPhone is one of the most sought-out and expensive smartphones. They come with extended features and great performance capabilities. This could be a factor fuelling robberies of such a nature.
OnePlus is planning to step up its software update game. At a roundtable event held in London, OnePlus revealed it will provide 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of security patches to selected devices launching in 2023. The company also detailed the design decisions behind the latest Android 13-based update and revealed the features coming to the OxygenOS 13.1 release.
OnePlus executives have confirmed that the company will now release four major OS updates and five years of security updates for select handsets debuting in 2023. It’s likely that only the flagship smartphones will get this special treatment. We can expect the upcoming OnePlus 11 series to be a part of this new update plan.
Talking about the change in the company’s update strategy, Gary Chen, head of software products at OnePlus, said:
“As a user-oriented company, we do everything we can to enhance the user experience.” With more users keeping their devices for longer, we want to make sure we can offer that possibility. This new update policy will give users access to the latest security and functional features required to power OnePlus’ signature fast and smooth experience throughout the lifetime of the phone.
In addition, OnePlus also confirmed that the next version of OxygenOS will launch during the first half of 2023. The new build will be called OxygenOS 13.1, and it will focus on safety and security with a new version of OnePlus’s Private Safe. Currently, it is at version 2.0 and is capable of pixelating information from apps such as Facebook and WhatsApp.
The company also confirmed that OxygenOS 14 is in the works (of course). However, it did not reveal any details about the upcoming software. It’s likely that the new software will be released next year in October or November.
Battery-swapping technology company Gogoro is adding the Philippines to its operations. Gogoro continues to blossom with its innovative battery-swapping technology and charging stations. It is a fast-expanding map of Gogoro’s iconic green and black batteries for electric two-wheelers and now Gogoro vehicles.
In its home country of Taiwan, Gogoro has thousands of battery-swap stations with a cumulative holding capacity of 1 million batteries. Gogoro’s domestic operations have seen up to 350 million battery swaps. The company has invested substantially in the development and improvement of its battery-swapping technology. The swapping technology has gained traction over the past few years with up to 12 non-Gogoro e-scooters using the system.
Gogoro continues to expand its battery-swapping operations through strategic partnerships with local e-scooter brands. The swapping battery system is one of the major cost-reduction measures for sales of electric vehicles and several brands have latched to the scheme. In the Philippines, Gogoro is teaming up with Globe’s 917 Ventures and Ayala Corporation. The companies are collaborating on introducing eco-friendly electric vehicles for the last-mile delivery market. Gogoro is also enjoying the support of the Philippines Department of Energy and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Gogoro brings to the Philippines, its intelligent battery-swapping technology for EV fuelling. According to its founder and CEO, Horace Luke, Gogoro plans to unlock the incredible environmental and sustainability benefits to businesses with implications for fleet management and deliveries.
The Philippines’ electric two-wheeler industry is budding and holds a lot of promise for Gogoro. A sustainable, effective, and efficient personal transportation system driven by battery-swapping e-scooters could be an optimal solution in the country. The country continues to grapple with crippling transportation issues and the Gogoro intervention holds a lot of hope.
The pilot battery swapping scheme will kick off in Manila by Q1 2023. Delivery riders will use Gogoro’s Smartscooters and the company’s battery-swapping GoStations. It is expected that the Pilot scheme will significantly improve delivery times and frequency for the drivers. It will also reduce the need for parking spots during the long periods needed to fully charge their e-scooters.
The Beelink SER6 series of mini-PCs have been announced. The lineup consists of the SER6 and SER6 Pro, powered by the latest Zen 3+ APUs and AMD Ryzen processors. The unveiling follows the launch of the Beelink SEi12 Pro and the recent previewing of the GTR6. Both models in the SER6 lineup, however, come with chipsets with less power than the Ryzen 9 6900HX of the GTR6.
The Beelink SER6 series is powered by the Ryzen 6000H series, with RDNA 2-based iGPUs, and 45W TDPs. The base model in the series, the SER6 is powered by the Ryzen 5 6600H with a six-core part that clocks up to 4.5GHz. It supports 12 threads using simultaneous multithreading (SMT). The SER6 is equipped with the Radeon 660M and outputs a decent GPU capability. The SER6 Pro is equipped with the Ryzen 7 6800H, with 8 cores, 16 threads, and a peak clock speed of 4.7GHz. It also features the more powerful Radeon 680M iGPU.
Both the SER6 and SER6 Pro have lots of ports including Ethernet, SATA 3, an audio jack, HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0 Type A, and more. The SER6 and SER6 Pro are offered with a 16GB/ 500GB RAM/storage configuration. The RAM and storage are expandable and come at a higher price than the base models. The Beelink SER6 is on sale in the United States for $549 for the SER6 and $649 for the SER6 Pro. There is an additional $50 for the 32GB RAM option. The Beelink SER6 series will begin shipping next month.
After rolling out stable and beta ColorOS 13 builds to a number of its flagship and budget smartphones in November, Oppo is now preparing to extend the update to more devices. The Chinese company has shared the ColorOS 13-based Android 13 update timeline for December 22. Let’s see which devices will be receiving the latest software update in December.
Oppo recently revealed the ColorOS 13 December update timeline for a sizable number of devices (via ITHome). The company will release stable and beta builds of the Android 13-based software to Reno 7 SE 5G, Reno 6 series, Reno 5 series, and Oppo Pad. The OnePlus Ace Pro will also be receiving a stable update in December. Do note that the timeline is for the Chinese region. The company may announce the update plan for the global market soon.
The latest version of Oppo’s custom Android skin has plenty of new features and improvements. It brings a new aquamorphic design and offers more personalization options. To learn more about the new features and upgrades introduced with the latest version of ColorOS, you can check out our ColorOS 13 review.
Xiaomi has unveiled the MIJIA Sweeping Robot 2S in China. The new MIJIA sweeping robot has a suction power of 4000Pa and supports laser navigation. The robot can provide sweeping and mopping services with its high-capacity suction fan and high-speed rotating mop cloths.
The sweeping and mopping robot can wipe clean the floor and suck away debris. It has an intelligent, electronically-controlled water tank with three levels of volume adjustment. This provides precise control of the water output for an efficient mopping operation. It supports 3D obstacle avoidance so it doesn’t get stuck easily. This is in addition to the LDS laser navigation featured in the robot. The device can quickly map the cleaning path and continues scanning even when the power is off.
The MIJIA Sweeping Robot 2S has durable brushless motor drive wheels that can go through obstacles up to 2cm high. The robot itself has a body height of 97mm. The sweeping robot can be controlled remotely by the MIJIA app. It also supports connection to the XiaoAI speakers. The user then accomplishes the sweeping task by just saying XiaoAI classmate.
The MIJIA Sweeping Robot 2S is priced at 1,999 yuan (~$282). Xiaomi requires a 100 yuan (~$14) deposit for the product which will officially launch on December 12. There is no global availability information about the MIJIA Sweeping Robot 2S at this time. We expect more details on the product before its official release in 12 days.
Apple is reported to be working on the next generation of Macs. Recently, Bloomberg Analyst Mark Gurman revealed the new devices may debut sometime in 2023. However, Apple is yet to confirm any details about the new machines. While we wait for an official word, an unknown Mac with the unannounced M2 Max chip has been spotted on the Geekbench benchmarking site. Here are the details.
As reported by ShrimpApplePro on Twitter, an unreleased Apple Mac has appeared on Geekbench 5 database. The device has been listed with the name “Mac14.6.” It appears the machine will be powered by an Apple M2 Max CPU, which does not yet exist.
According to the benchmarking site, the M2 Max chip powering the Mac has a 12-core CPU with 3.54GHz and 96GB of RAM. It managed to score 1853 on a single core and 13855 on the multi-core test. Comparatively, the M1 Max chip found on the MacBook Pro has 10 cores running at 3.2GHz and scores 1746 on one core and 12154 on multiple cores on Geekbench.
The scores suggest the M2 Max chip is only about 14% faster than its predecessor. This indicates the alleged M2 Max will not actually be a huge upgrade over the M1 Max. However, it is also possible that Geekbench failed to accurately measure the chip’s performance.
To recall, Apple introduced the base M2 chip earlier this year. It powers the new MacBook Air and offers impressive performance and speed. It is built on the 5-nanometer process node and has 8 cores divided into four performance cores and four power efficiency cores. It supports up to 24 GB of LPDDR5-6400 memory and has a bandwidth of up to 100GB/s.
Recently, Samsung registered a new trademark for an unreleased service that is assumed to be its “self-repair service.” Samsung Superfast Portable Powerbank now has a new trademark application. The company does produce several cutting-edge power banks, and among the most well-liked ones are its fast-charging power banks. New portable charging gadgets for smartphones and other devices are expected to be released soon, according to the new trademark.
The paperwork to register a trademark for Samsung Superfast Portable Power was submitted to the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) last week. The trademarked word may be used for “Battery chargers for mobile devices; battery packs for mobile devices,” according to the categorization.
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In order to retain a variety of options for product fit, trademarks are often requested to cover a wide range of potential use cases. Samsung may want to use this unique term for power banks or chargers, it is evident. It’s possible that Samsung is using the word “Superfast” as a signal that it will soon adopt even faster-charging rates. Even though some of its Chinese rivals use faster rates, the business hasn’t been in a rush to go beyond 45W. However, it’s possible that Samsung is now embracing the idea.
All of this, however, is currently just unconfirmed rumours. Thousands of organisations have filed multiple trademark applications and patents, but not all of them have actually resulted in a finished product. Wait a little longer to learn more specifically about the service to a trademark. If the brand is truly working on it, we might see some official statements in the upcoming weeks.
The latest version of Xiaomi’s custom Android skin—MIUI 14— is just around the corner. There is no doubt that the Chinese OEM is late to the party, but better late than never. The Android 13-based software was scheduled to debut on December 1 alongside the new number series; however, the launch got postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. As we wait for the new date, the changelog for the MIUI 14- based Android 13 has surfaced online. Let’s look at the details.
Kacper Skrzypek has shared the complete changelog for MIUI 14 update. It shows the new software is going to bring some interesting changes with itself. It has been reiterated that the MIUI 14 will be lightweight and consume less storage space. There’s an improved system architecture, which apparently boosts the performance of both pre-installed and third-party apps while saving power.
Further, the leaked changelog reveals the OS will come with more personalization options and new widget formats to allow more combinations. Users will now be able to copy text from any gallery image.
Overall privacy and security have also been improved. Now, more than 30 scenes support end-to-end privacy, with no data stored in the cloud and all actions performed locally on the device.
The changelog also mentions something called “Super icons”. They are said to give the home screen a new look. It will be interesting to see what’s the deal with these. One more thing that catches our attention is the home screen pet or plant. It will likely be an animated plant or pet widget that can be added to the home screen.
Xiaomi has also improved the interconnectivity among devices, making it easier to connect earphones to your phone, tablet, and TV and switch between these devices seamlessly. The MI AI voice assistant has also been revamped. It can now perform complicated tasks, help with translations, filter spam calls, and much more.
The Metaverse epidemic started by Mark Zuckerberg continues to affect the technology world. Many companies want to participate in the virtual world, which is still in the early development stage. The aim, of course, is to take a large share of the future market. According to the latest reports, technology giants such as Huawei and LG are securing metaverse hardware patents.
The global metaverse market is expected to reach $996 billion in 2030
Although Metaverse is not a successful project, for now, it is still growing at an incredible rate. The global metaverse market is expected to reach $996 billion in 2030, and the annual growth rate is 39.8%. According to Nikkei Asia’s reports, since 2016, LG Electronics has filed the most Metaverse patent applications, moving up from 11th place from 2010 to 2015.
VR headset patent example
Samsung Electronics held its position in second. Display colour schemes and semiconductors are among the strengths of South Korean companies. They are more focused on technologies that make virtual reality headsets. Meta ranked third, and Huawei placed fourth in the ranking with numerous patents related to image and display processing.
Apple is still in sixth place. The company has been working on a headset known as Reality Pro for a while. However, these glasses are still in early development and not ready for the end user. However, it is worth remembering that all of these patents are investments for the future.
Tech companies apply for more patents yearly than we can count, but only some are used. Therefore, it is useful to be careful when investing in new technologies such as Metaverse lands, coins etc. You can lose all your money trying to get rich quickly.
Chinese tech giant Huawei launched the Mate X2 foldable phone in 2021 as its third foldable phone. The Mate X2 has become unavailable for a while, purportedly due to Huawei running out of Kirin 9000 inventory. The Chinese tech company has now launched refurbished units of the Mate X2 5G for sale in China. The models are available in the 8GB+256GB memory configuration and are priced at 17,499 yuan ($2,470). It should be noted that this is the same price as the original model.
The refurbished units come in new retail packaging with original Huawei accessories included in the box. Huawei is also offering buyers a one-year warranty. Other specifications are consistent with the original Mate X2.
As a reminder, the Mate X2 5G is equipped with Kirin 9000 5G SoC which uses a 5nm process and integrates over 15 billion transistors. The device also crams a 4500mAh battery under the hood with support for 55W fast charging.
In terms of ID design, Huawei Mate X2 pioneered the dual-wedge integrated design and the first center-of-gravity offset design to create a new balance with asymmetry, and built-in the industry’s unique double-rotation water drop hinge.
It is worth mentioning that the hinge system uses a variety of high-precision special materials and special manufacturing processes. In addition to zirconium-based liquid metal, Huawei also introduced super-strength steel for the first time, which can prevent impact and not deform.
The Huawei Mate X2 features a 6.45-inch 90Hz cover display with a pill-shaped cutout for a single 16MP front-facing camera. The foldable display measures 8 inches and has a refresh rate of 90Hz. Both displays are OLED.
The device packs four cameras on the back of the phone: an 8MP sensor with a periscope telephoto lens for 10x optical zoom, a 16MP sensor with an ultrawide angle lens, a 50MP main sensor with PDAF and OIS, and a 12MP sensor with OIS, PDAF, and a telephoto lens for 3x optical zoom. It also boasts a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, and an IR blaster.
iQOO was set to launch the iQOO 11 series and Neo 7 SE in China on December 2nd. However, the launch event has now been postponed. Although the Vivo sub-brand has not explicitly revealed the reason, it is likely due to the death of former China leader Jiang Zemin. iQOO is yet to announce the revised launch date of the iQOO 11 series. We expect the brand to make an announcement in the coming days.
Ahead of the revised launch of the iQOO 11 series, the global variant of the regular iQOO 11 has appeared on the Bluetooth SIG certification website. The smartphone is listed with model number I2212 and reveals that it will come with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity support. The listing also suggests the iQOO 11’s imminent launch in the global markets. However, there is no additional information from the Bluetooth SIG certification at the moment.
iQOO has already teased key specifications of the iQOO 11. It was also spotted in live images yesterday revealing the phone’s front and rear design. The Vivo sub-brand has confirmed that the upcoming offering will be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor under the hood. It will pack LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 4.0 storage technology. The phone will also come with Vivo V2 ISP for better imaging capabilities. The device will feature a centre-aligned punch-hole E6 AMOLED display bearing a QHD+ resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. The smartphone’s teaser poster revealed a rectangular camera module and BMW M Motorsport-inspired tricolour stripes. The iQOO 11 is confirmed to be backed by a 5,000mAh battery unit with support for 120W fast charging.
Last few days we talked about the Armor 17 Pro that comes from UleFone, a special well-built rugged phone. It’s the first time we saw a rugged phone coming with a 108MP camera, a night-vision sensor, a 120Hz 1080P display, and magnetic-attach wireless charging. Even as a regular phone, such configurations are still impressive.
And earlier today the UleFone released another rugged model that’s even more powerful, the Power Armor 18T. It comes with a more powerful chipset, a brand-new microscope camera, a thermal sensor, and so on. It’s definitely another beast that we’ve never seen before.
I know some of you are confused about the differences between the latest Armor 17 Pro and the latest Power Armor 18T. I hope our reviews will help you.
Unboxing
So first, let’s check out what we got from the phone package. Well, there’s a tempered-glass screen protector and several instructions that tell users how to use the phone, including a detailed user manual, an instruction showing multi-functions like underwater camera and glove mode, and another one that tells how to use the thermal imaging camera step by step. We do appreciate that UleFone takes user experience so seriously.
Design
Well, the Power Armor 18T looks a bit tougher than the Armor 17 Pro. Due to the tougher armor and the larger battery, the Power Armor 18T is thicker and heavier. On the protective film, you can learn about almost all of its interesting selling points, such as the 108MP main camera, the thermal camera, and the Dimensity 5G chipset. Turn it over, and its shield reminds me of the look of some armored fighting vehicles, which are reliable and wild at the same time. The back cover is covered with a whole piece of rubber material, held in place by a whole circle of screws, while the sides of the phone are inlaid with a metal frame, and its color is kept the same as the camera module. Even though it looks more complex, the whole phone still impressed us with a strong style of design.
Camera
We’ve had a lot of hands-on rugged phones, but this is the most powerful and most interesting camera combination we’ve ever seen on a rugged phone. And even if we compare it with regular flagships, it’s still special enough. There’s a triple-lens camera combination led by a 108MP main camera. We know that this 108MP sensor was only seen in some mid-range and even high-end regular models before. Its super high original resolution supports 9-in-1 pixel binning, which can capture massive light with pretty decent noise control. The samples shot on this camera also live up to the expectations. It produced vivid colors with good contrast. You can check the sample in the video.
The other two are a super microscope lens and another thermal camera that includes a thermal imaging camera and a FLIR Lepton 3.5 Sensor. The thermal sensor is powered by the professional manufacturer FLIR, while the super micro-lens just surprised me with its super close focus. And you don’t need to adjust the phone in the air to find the focus. The fixed focus allows users to directly place it on the surface of the subject. When you are shooting, a ring of fill light around the lens illuminates your subject well, even if your phone is completely blocking the ambient light. You can use it to look at microscopic worlds you haven’t noticed before!
Durability
Obviously, the rugged phone has great water and dust resistance. The phone is not just rated at IP68 and IP69K but also meets Military Standard 810G, which means that it is fine to be dropped or violently crashed on all faces and corners. For field workers or outdoor adventurers, it’s extremely important to ensure that they have the tools with them to help them survive harsh environments. So, in addition to the reliable ruggedness, the Power Armor 18T took a few special scenarios into account with quite a lot of practical features.
For example, the phone comes with dual-frequency navigation systems, which significantly enhance accuracy compared to the single-band system. Meanwhile, to ensure the phone has the best positioning service worldwide, it generously supports multiple navigation systems, including Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS.
And the thermal camera at the back can also be used directly as a night vision device, in the field to avoid the danger of large creatures in the outdoors. The 18T with a 6.58-inch screen is definitely one of the best options.
Display
The screen also features a 120Hz 1080P LCD panel just like the Armor 17 Pro. Most of the rugged models do not pay much attention to the visual experience brought by the screen but only promote their ruggedness. So it’s common to see a rugged phone coming with a 60Hz screen at even just 720P resolution. Now, this Armor series combines the advantages of both. And for durability, the screen is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass which is damage and scratch-resistant.
Performance
As for performance, the 18T is also better than most rugged models. It’s powered by the Dimensity 900 5G chipset, which is also a well-known chipset among the MTK flagship series.
The 5G module integrated into the chip can provide a faster 5G connection, while it’s effective power consumption also can extend battery life while delivering good performance. The rugged phone is available in a great version with 12GB Ram and 256GB Rom, and also supports storage expansion with a TF card.
As for specific benchmarks and gaming results. You guys can check it here for yourselves.
The power solution of the 18T is also the best among all the rugged phones. It comes with a 9600mAh large battery capacity with the support of 66W fast charging. In addition, it also inherits the 15W wireless charging support on the Armor 17 Pro.
Interesting accessories
The Power Armor 18T has an expandable interface to connect expandable modules. By far there are not many modules available in UleFone store. The most interesting module for the phone is an endoscope camera, which can inspect drains, pipes, and wires or check hard-to-reach engine or suspension parts. We also look forward to more expandable modules to enrich the uses of the Power Armor 18T.
So that’s all we want to share about the Power Armor 18T. It’s the most powerful rugged phone that I’ve ever experienced. As a rugged phone, it’s almost impeccable in hardware, while its software is pure and clean without any non-essential apps pre-installed, but at the same time, all the google apps are ready to go. To be honest, I quite like this phone.
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