Oppo Leads China Smartphone Market in Q1 2022 – Report

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May 7, 2022

Last year, we saw the merger between Oppo and OnePlus in the Chinese market, as OnePlus officially announced that its flagship OnePlus 9 series will be sporting Oppo’s ColorOS instead in the China smartphone market. It seems that the merger has started to bear fruit, as with the early release of the OnePlus 10 Pro, OnePlus 9RT, and Oppo Reno7 series in China with ColorOS, Oppo(with OnePlus) has managed to snag the top spot for China smartphone shipment market share in Q1 2022.

This news story comes from a report from Strategy Analytics, as the statistics firm reports that the Chinese smartphone market had shrunk by -17% year-on-year in Q1 2022 amid the lockdowns in China. The firm reports that 71.9 million units of smartphones were shipped in China during Q1 2022 and the market was mostly dominated by these top 5 renowned smartphone brands in the country: Oppo (includes OnePlus), Honor, Vivo, Apple and Xiaomi.

q1 2022 smartphone shipments strategy analytics — Q1 2022 Smartphone Shipments in China. Source: Strategy Analytics

These top 5 smartphone brands managed to capture 87% of the smartphone market in China in Q1 2022, up from 86% last year, and besides Honor, all the other 4 brands experienced negative growth this quarter.

Oppo(includes OnePlus)

Leading the smartphone market, Oppo, with assistance from its sibling brand, OnePlus has managed to snag the top spot of the smartphone market share in China with 13.6 million shipments in Q1 2022, accounting for 18.9% of the market. This success can be attributed to the tech giant’s release strategy of releasing many devices in late Q4 2021 and early Q1 2022 to ramp up sales during the first-quarter holiday seasons in China.

However, the brand is facing a sharp decline in growth as Oppo(with OnePlus) had experienced negative growth of -40.1% YoY when compared to Q1 2021. If the growth trend continues, the tech giant may lose the top spot next quarter.

Honor

Following the gradual exit of Huawei from the smartphone market, Honor was seen as a great alternative for users who were familiar with the Huawei ecosystem. With the release of its Honor 60, Honor X30 and Honor Magic4 series of smartphones, the brand was able to capture the entry-level, mid-range, and flagship market with its brand catalogue.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that the Honor brand has risen to 2nd place in the Chinese market, with 13.5 million shipments in Q1 2022, and a market share of 18.8%. In addition, the brand is also experiencing positive YoY growth, as it grew 200% when compared to Q1 2021. If the trend continues, Honor is expected to top the Chinese smartphone market share next quarter.

Vivo

Vivo is another smartphone brand under the BBK tech conglomerate in China. The smartphone brand had dropped a few spots in the placing this quarter as the brand had only shipped out 13 million units this quarter, accounting for 18.1% of the Chinese smartphone market. Its lacklustre performance is further shown by its negative growth rate of -42.2%, the company’s lowest growth rate yet. The reason behind the brand’s decline may be due to stiff competition in the Chinese smartphone market in Q1 2022, and the team at Vivo should put out more competitive offerings if it wants to reverse its negative growth trend.

Apple

When compared to the strong sales of Q3 and Q4 2021, Q1 2022 was a rather dull quarter for Apple, as the brand shipped out 11.2 million units of iPhones in Q1 2022, accounting for 15.6% of the Chinese smartphone market, and experienced a negative YoY growth rate of -1.8%. The lower shipments could be contributed to the fact that Apple had many of its retail stores closed in China amid the COVID outbreak in the country, and coupled with economic uncertainties, people could still be holding onto phones for longer.

Xiaomi

Despite the early release of the Xiaomi 12 series in China, the Xiaomi brand had a rather uneventful Q1 2022 in terms of sales. The brand had shipped 11 million units of smartphones this quarter, accounting for 15.3% of the smartphone market in China, and with the current overall China smartphone market decline in Q1 2022, the brand had experienced a negative YoY growth rate of -20.3% in this quarter.

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Android 13 Beta 1 for Android TV is now available for developers

By

Anurag

-

May 7, 2022

Google I/O event is on the horizon, and we are expecting a lot of cool features to be launched. Google recently rolled out the last beta update of Android 12 QPR3 for Pixel devices. Now Android 13 Beta 1 for Google TV has officially arrived for testing. The update is exclusively for developers.

Testing this update is quite difficult, unlike the Android 13 Beta 1 updates, which can be easily installed on any latest Pixel phone. To test and validate your app for the Google TV experience, you need to install the system image for the ADT-3 Developer Kit. You can alternatively use the Android Emulator for TV.

Google has found the following problems, which do not provide the most stable experience. Review them to know what to expect:

When Bluetooth headphones are connected, AV playback on some apps does not work.
In some cases when trying to pair Bluetooth devices, pressing the side button on the ADT-3 device does not activate a Bluetooth device search. If remote pairing is lost, you can work around this by using ADB commands to simulate remote input. Alternatively, you can reflash the unit.
Remote control buttons can’t be reconfigured using the Remote & Accessories menu.
The option to change HDMI-CEC control is currently missing from the Remote & Accessories menu.
When casting to 4k TVs, only the top left quarter of the image is shown.
In some cases when the ADT-3 device is connected to an LG TV, the remote control does not work.
When using the Google Play Movies app, 4K playback is corrupted by a gray screen and noise.
For iOS devices, the Google Home app fails to connect to the ADT-3 device. To work around this issue, use the Google Home app on an Android device or the ADT-3 remote control.

If you are one of the lucky ones with an ADT-3 dev box, head over here to see what this new update has to offer.

Please note that once you successfully flash the ADT-3 to Android 13, you will not be able to return to the previous Android 12 build without wiping all the user data.

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Vivo T1 Pro 5G goes on first sale – check prices, offers & specs

By

Sudhanshu

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May 7, 2022

Earlier this week, Vivo T1 Pro 5G smartphone was launched in India. The powerhouse mid-ranger packs the Snapdragon 778G chipset with an AMOLED display and is now available for purchase in the country.

Vivo T1 Pro 5G pricing & availability

The Vivo T1 Pro is available in two configurations – 6GB + 128GB for Rs 23,999 ($314) and 8GB + 128GB for Rs 24,999 ($327).

Vivo is also offering special discounts on the purchase of the device. Customers buying the smartphone from Flipkart and Vivo Store using ICICI, SBI, IDFC, and One Card get a flat Rs 2500 cashback.

Flipkart is also providing other offers like a Rs 2,500 instant discount on the purchase of V1 Pro 5G using HDFC and SBI bank cards. Axis bank card users also get a 5% cashback on the purchase.

Vivo T1 Pro 5G specs and features

The smartphone has a 6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, and 1300nits peak brightness. The display has a dew-drop notch and an in-screen fingerprint scanner and HDR10+ support.

It is powered by the Snapdragon 778G SoC paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage. The device boots to the Android 12 OS, which is customized with the FunTouch OS 12. The device draws juice from a 4,700mAh battery that comes with 66W fast charging support.

For optics, it features a 64-megapixel primary sensor coupled with an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 117-degree FOV and a 2-megapixel macro camera.

Other features on the Vivo T1 Pro 5G include a z-axis linear motor, a VC liquid cooling system, and Ultra Game Mode for an enhanced gaming experience. It also offers dual-SIM support, 5G, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

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AMD Launches New Ryzen 5000C Processors, Biggest Upgrade Yet For Chromebooks

By

Leo Wong De Quan

-

May 7, 2022

Chromebooks have mostly been sidelined in the laptop market as a third choice if you couldn’t get yourself a Windows and macOS laptop. However, with Google adding Android app support to Chromebooks, and with popular PC gaming storefront, Steam coming to Chrome OS, Chromebooks could soon be a fierce competitor in the laptop market.

To add fuel to the rise of Chromebooks, AMD themselves are looking to expand their market share in the Chromebook market share as well, because the company today has just announced its new Ryzen 5000C series of processors, designed specifically for Chromebooks.

The Ryzen 5000C processors are based on AMD’s popular Zen 3 core architecture which run on the x86 platform. The processors are quite power-efficient as they are built on a 7nm process and run at a low 15W. The Ryzen 5000C also feature upgraded connectivity as well, as all Ryzen 5000C are equipped with WiFi 6E support and support for faster charging.

amd ryzen_5000c_cpu_list — AMD Ryzen 5000C Processors List

Going from top to bottom, the highlight here is the Ryzen 7 5825C, where AMD claims that the Ryzen 7 CPU is the world’s first 8-core high-performance x86 processor for Chromebooks. Compared to its predecessor the Ryzen 7 3700C, the Ryzen 7 5825C offers performance of up to 107% higher in multitasking(Geekbench 5), and up to 85% higher in graphics in Motion Mark 1.2.

However, performance is not the only highlight of the Ryzen 5000C as Ryzen processors are also known for their industry-leading power efficiency. In benchmarks, AMD claims that the 15W Ryzen 5 5625C can offer up to 94%(almost double) the battery life performance of its nearest competitor, the 28W Intel Core i5-1135G7.

In turn, with the improved efficiency engineering, AMD’s Ryzen 5000C processors have also managed to implement the instant “wake from sleep” feature into Chromebooks, like what you would see on Apple’s M1 Macbooks where you can raise and wake the laptop instantaneously.

If you are looking forward to getting yourself a Ryzen 5000C Chromebook, AMD has announced that the company has collaborated with its partners, HP and Acer to bring these notebooks to market by Q2 and Q3 of 2022.

HP Elite C645 G2 Chromebook

The first Chromebook coming to market is the HP Elite C645 G2 Chromebook. The HP Elite C645 G2 can be configured with an up to Ryzen 7 5825C processor, up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 512GB of PCIe SSD storage. The device features 14-inch 1080p screen with touchscreen support, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and optional LTE support for those business users who are always on the go.

Speaking of business users, the HP Elite C645 will also have a 5 MP integrated webcam, a SmartCard terminal for a CAD-capable keyboard, and an SEC fingerprint sensor for added security, to keep your confidentials safe at all times. The device will be available for sale from June onwards starting from only 559 USD.

Acer Chromebook Spin 514

Meanwhile, Acer will be introducing its latest Chromebook Spin 514, the 2-in-1 convertible Chromebook with a 14-inch touchscreen. The device can be configured with an up to Ryzen 7 5825C processor and supports up to 256 GB of PCIe Gen 3 storage.

Connectivity-wise, the convertible has support for WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. Durability-wise, the touchscreen is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass and supports 100% of the sRGB colour gamut. And the device is rated MIL-STD 810 for military-grade durability against drops, dust and shock protection.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 will be available from Q3 2022 onwards starting from only 579.99 USD for the consumer variant and 899.99 USD for the enterprise variant.

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(Via 1, Via 2)

Vivo records sharpest decline in volumes in Q1 2022: Report

By

Anurag

-

May 7, 2022

Smartphone shipments have been facing strong headwinds in Q1 2022, but Vivo appears to have taken the hardest blow. According to a report, smartphone shipments of Vivo declined by 31% to 25.4 million units in the first quarter of 2022. This is the sharpest decline the Chinese manufacturer ever faced.

A report by Strategy Analytics reveals that Vivo has witnessed sluggish demand in Q1 2022 and its shipments have in fact fallen by 31%, resulting in the sharpest ever decline for the vendor. It still managed to be in the fifth position globally with an 8% market share.

The smartphone manufacturer saw a huge rise in Shipments in Q1 2021, but the shipments volumes started decreasing by Q2 2021 and the rest is history.

2021 was a banner year for most smartphone brands. They all saw a significant rise in the shipments, but 2022 has been a different story. As per a Canalys report, Worldwide smartphone shipments declined 11% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022 due to weak economic conditions and poor seasonal demand.

Samsung dominated the market with a 24 percent share, up from 19 percent in Q4 2021 as the vendor overhauled its 2022 offering. Apple came in second, with a strong first quarter thanks to increased demand for its iPhone 13 series.

Xiaomi remained in third place because of the outstanding success of its Redmi Note series. OPPO (includes OnePlus) and Vivo rounded out the top five with 10% and 8% market shares, respectively.

In related news, Global Tablet and Chromebook shipments decreased significantly in Q1 of 2022. Tablet shipments totaled 38.4 million units in the first quarter of 2022, a 3.9 percent decrease year-on-year as demand fell, whereas the Chromebooks witnessed a 61.9% decline in shipments in Q1 of 2022.

Related:

Xiaomi 12S Pro with Dimensity 9000 SoC is in the Works, Spotted on Mi Code

By

Anurag

-

May 7, 2022

We recently got to know that Xiaomi will launch its upcoming flagship phone- Xiaomi 12S Pro with a Snapdragon 8 gen 1 plus processor. Now a report reveals that the smartphone will also come with a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 Soc. The features of the phone are expected to be the same except for the processor.

According to Xiaomiui, Xiaomi 12S Pro with Dimensity 9000 SoC is in the works and they have spotted its traces on the Mi code. The publication first found the phone’s model number- 2207122MC in the IMEI database.

From the model number, they discovered that the device is codenamed “dauimer”. After further research, they found out that “dauimer” is Xiaomi 12S Pro Dimensity 9000 edition.

With this news, it is now evident that the upcoming Xiaomi 12S Pro will come in 2 SoC variants- Snapdragon 8 gen 1 plus and MediaTek Dimensity 9000. We currently have no news about the launch date of the smartphone, but the appearance of the phone in the Mi code indicates that Xiaomi may launch the handset soon.

We are in the dark about other specifications of the phone. However, you can check out the rumored specs below.

Xiaomi 12S Pro specifications (expected)

The handset is expected to have a 6.55 inches AMOLED display offering 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution and 402 PPI. The smartphone could feature a triple 64 MP (wide) + 8 MP (ultrawide) + 5 MP (macro) camera set up in the back. On the front camera, it could have a 16 MP snapper for video chats and selfies.

The smartphone is likely to be fueled by a 4500 mAh battery and is expected to carry support for 67W fast charging, Power Delivery 3.0, and Quick Charge 4+. The phone will run on Android 12 + MIUI 13 operating system out of the box.

Xiaomi 12S Pro is said to be equipped with sensors such as optical under-display fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, and compass + Virtual proximity sensing.

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Sony IMX989 sensor details leaked, rumored to debut with the Xiaomi 12 Ultra
Xiaomi Civi 1S Roundup: Launch Date, Specs, Price, Design

Hohem iSteady V2 is a Red Dot Award winning AI facial tracking gimble

By

Sudhanshu

-

May 7, 2022

Hohem iSteady V2, which is the world’s first smartphone stabilizer with a facial tracking feature has won the 2022 Red Dot Design Award.

For those unaware, The Red Dot Award is an international design competition for product design, communication design, and design concepts. It is also one of the most sought-after seals of quality for good design.

The Hohem iSteady V2 is manufactured by Hohem Tech, which is a global leading gimbal technology company based in China. The stabilizer draws its inspiration from the ‘Bionic Owl design’ and comes with highlight features like high AI recognition, fast-tracking, and automatic following.

AI Tracking

Its AI tracking is capable of tracking the face and body of the subject even when they are facing the other way. It also features gesture recognition to perform functions like stopping the smart tracking feature and rotating the smartphone from landscape to portrait.

The gimble is capable of many more fun and interesting modes like the inception mode, object tracking mode, gesture controls for snapping pictures, dolly zoom, panoramic video mode, and more.

The Design Features

To further enhance the overall quality of the video shoot and satisfy users’ diversified needs for different lighting types, the iSteady V2 is equipped with wrap-around fill light and a unique diamond prism design that creates three levels of adjustable natural soft light.

The iSteady V2 has a three-axis anti-shake algorithm and deeply optimized lens field of view (FOV) design to provide accurate visual recognition, enhancing flexibility. It can be folded to 7-inches which makes it portable and also gives access to many other modes like hand-held videography.

It also features an ergonomic leather texture handle which assures a comfortable feel throughout the shoot. At 263 grams (9.27 ounces), iSteady V2 is an ideal tool for making online videos with a non-slip handle design, and it can easily fit in your pocket. It offers a battery life of up to 9 hours and is also capable of charging a smartphone.

The Hohem iSteady V2 is available to purchase on leading e-commerce sites like Amazon. You can also visit the official Hohem website to know more about the iSteady V2.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 rumored to get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus processor

By

Anurag

-

May 7, 2022

Slowly, the pieces of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 puzzle are coming together. Recently we got to know that both the foldables will land in new colors. Now according to a fresh leak, the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 will have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset under the hood.

Tipster Ice universe revealed through a tweet that Samsung’s upcoming foldables will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus. The tipster seems pretty confident about his claim and if his claims are to be believed then we can expect a boost in Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 performance.

I confirm again that Fold4 and Flip4 will use TSMC Snapdragon 8 gen1 plus (SM8475)

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) May 6, 2022

Thanks to Yogesh Brar, we know that the plus version of Qualcomm’s flagship chip will be manufactured by TSMC. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus is expected to be 10% faster than the 8 Gen 1 and more power-efficient.

Previous reports have revealed that the Z Fold 4 will be fueled by the same 4,400mAh battery as its predecessor. However, Z Flip 4 is said to have a bigger battery than the Flip 3. We’re told that the overall battery capacity of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is 3,303mAh. Better battery life is expected from both phones since they are likely to be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus SoC.

If we talk about the specs, the Z Flip 4 is expected to have a larger 2-inch cover display, while the Fold 4 is rumored to have improved camera sensors. Recent leaks also revealed that the smartphones will arrive in new colors.

We’re still in the dark about the prices of the foldables. However, it is expected that Samsung will launch these phones at an affordable price this year. The previous year, Z Fold 3 cost a whopping $1,799 and Flip 3 came with a price tag of $999.

Related:

High Performance Computing Surpasses Smartphones as TSMC’s Highest Revenue Earner for Q1 2022

By

Leo Wong De Quan

-

May 7, 2022

TSMC plays a crucial role in the semiconductor industry as the company is behind manufacturing the foundational silicon chip wafers needed for chip suppliers such as Qualcomm and MediaTek to build their smartphone chipsets.

As TSMC reveals its Q1 2022 quarterly earnings report this week, Neil Shah, the VP of Counterpoint Research also recently shared a report on the breakdown of the TSMC’s clients by platform.

TSMC 1Q2022 Revenue By Platform - 1 — TSMC 2022 Q1 Revenue Share by Platform

Historically, TSMC’s highest revenue earner is the smartphone industry with tech giants like Apple, Qualcomm and MediaTek ordering their small yet high-density chip wafers for smartphone chipset production. However, in Q1 2022, in an unexpected upset, it seems that the HPC(high-performance computing) market has dethroned the smartphone market in being TSMC’s highest revenue earner among its clients base.

High-performance computing normally refers to the processors found on your desktop or laptop as these processors require higher clock speeds and in turn have higher power draws. Among TSMC’s HPC clients are Apple’s M1 Series of Apple Silicon SoCs for its Macbooks, AMD with their Ryzen desktop and laptop CPUs and their Radeon GPUs, and Nvidia with their MX and GTX lineup of budget to midrange dedicated graphic cards.

Looking back at the data, HPC which accounts for 41% of TSMC’s revenue has surpassed smartphones which only account for 40% of the company’s revenue. For revenue growth trends by platform, TSMC concluded that its HPC client revenue rose 26% quarter-on-quarter for Q1, making it one of the highest growing industry clients for the company. The other vital industry is the automotive industry which has also seen a growth of 26% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2022.

TSMC 1Q2022 Revenue By Node Process — TSMC 2022 Q1 Revenue By Node Process

Another graph published by Counterpoint Research also points out that the newest 5nm and 7nm advanced nodes now account for 50% of TSMC’s revenue portfolio as of Q1 2022. This may be due to the fact that smartphones and HPC Clients such as Apple, AMD, MediaTek and Qualcomm have been placing orders with TSMC in regards to their latest high-density chip wafers for better performance in consumer smartphones and consumer laptops.

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(Source)

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs POCO F4 GT: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

-

May 6, 2022

POCO F4 GT just debuted in the global market and left a lot of people surprised because of its stunning hardware offered at a stunning price tag. It is the perfect phone for gamers and for all of those power users who want to save the maximum amount of money possible. In the last few years, Samsung started releasing flagship killers as well and the latest one is the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. Is this handset able to compete with the latest Xiaomi affordable flagship or there is no chance for Samsung in the flagship killer segment? This comparison between the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and the POCO F4 GT will let you find out.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs POCO F4 GT

	Samsung Galaxy S21 FE	Xiaomi POCO F4 GT
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm, 177 g	162.5 x 76.7 x 8.5 mm, 210 g
DISPLAY	6.4 inches, 1080 x 2400 pixels (Full HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X	6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400 pixels (Full HD+), AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz or Samsung Exynos 2100 octa-core 2.9 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, octa-core 3 GHz
MEMORY	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB	8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 12, One UI	Android 12, MIUI
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS
CAMERA	Triple 12 + 8 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.4 + f/2.2 32 MP f/2.2 front camera	Triple 64 + 8 + 2 MP, f/1.9 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 20 MP f/2.4 front camera
BATTERY	4500 mAh, fast charging 25W, fast wireless charging 15W	4700 mAh, Fast Charging 120W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	5G, dual SIM, reverse wireless charging, IP68 waterproof	5G, dual SIM

Design

If you need the most elegant and beautiful phone, the best option for you is the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. It has a plastic back (the frame is made of aluminum), but it is definitely more interesting in terms of luck. The Samsung flagship killer is also a more compact phone and it comes with the IP68 certification making it waterproof and dustproof, unlike its rival. The POCO F4 GT has better materials including a glass back and an aluminum frame, and it also comes with magnetic pop-up triggers for gaming. Both the phones have a front glass protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, the most advanced protection by Corning.

Display

The displays of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and the POCO F4 GT are very close in terms of image quality, but the latter seems to offer a bit more as it is able to show up to one billion colors. For the rest, these two panels are very similar: they are AMOLED displays with a 120 Hz refresh rate, an in-display fingerprint reader, and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. They differ for the diagonal: 6.4 inches and 6.67 inches, respectively. Further, the POCO device has four stereo speakers, while the Samsung one comes with two speakers only. In both cases, you get a great image quality and smooth panels.

Specs & Software

The strongest point of the POCO F4 GT is the presence of the best Qualcomm chipset of 2022: the octa-core Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform built at 4 nm and running at a max frequency of 3 GHz. The SoC is paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of UFS 3.1 native storage. With the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, you get an inferior Snapdragon 888 chipset running at 2.84 GHz (Exynos 2100 in select markets), just 8 GB of RAM, and up to 256 GB of internal storage. Even though the S21 FE has an inferior hardware department, you will notice the difference only in the most advanced usage scenarios because they are both flagship-class. The operating system installed on these two phones is Android 12, with highly customized user interfaces on top.

Camera

The best cameras belong to the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. It comes with a 12 MP main camera supporting the OIS, an 8 MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom, and a 12 MP ultrawide shooter. The rear camera is able to record videos in 4K resolution at 60 fps and the front camera with a 32 MP resolution is able to do it as well. The POCO F4 GT is just a midrange camera phone with its 64 MP triple camera including an 8 MP ultrawide lens and a 2 MP macro sensor.

Read More: Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Speed Test: Xiaomi 12 Pro vs OnePlus 10 Pro vs Realme GT 2 Pro vs iQOO 9 Pro vs Moto Edge X30

Battery

The POCO F4 GT should give you a longer battery life because it has a bigger 4700 mAh battery than the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, and it even features a faster charging technology with a stunning power of 120W. On the other hand, the Samsung flagship killer features wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.

Price

The POCO F4 GT starts from €599/$632 in Europe, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE starts from €699/$737. Which one is the best? There is no definitive answer and it depends on your needs: the POCO flagship has faster charging, better hardware (and display), and bigger battery, while the Galaxy S21 FE offers higher build quality, better cameras, and wireless charging. Which one would you pick?

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Xiaomi POCO F4 GT: PRO and CONS

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

PRO

Waterproof
Better cameras
Wireless charging
More compact

CONS

Inferior hardware

Xiaomi POCO F4 GT

PRO

Physical magnetic pop-up gaming triggers
Bigger battery
Faster charging
Four stereo speakers
Better chipset

CONS

Inferior cameras

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Samsung Galaxy A32 4G Android 12 based One UI 4.1 update is live

By

Sudhanshu

-

May 6, 2022

Last month, Samsung released the Android 12 update for the Galaxy A32 5G smartphone. And now, the company is treating the 4G sibling with the Android 12 based One UI 4.1 in the latest update.

Galaxy A32 4G India — Samsung Galaxy A32 4G

According to a SamMobiles report, the Galaxy A32 4G’s latest update with firmware version A325FXXU2BVD6 brings the April 2022 patch that fixes over 80 privacy and security vulnerabilities discovered in Samsung and Google software. The update also bundles bug fixes, performance improvements, and device stability for the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G.

The One UI 4.1 offers a revamped design with a color palette and an improved general outlook. Other than the changes in looks and feel, it also brings multiple new features like a dedicated Privacy Dashboard, privacy indicators for active camera, and mic usage status, improvements to the Gallery App, and much more. You can find out more about the new features and changes made in Android 12 by following this link to the official patch note.

The update is currently available in India and other regions are also expected to receive it soon. If you live in India and the OTA update has not arrived yet, you can manually check for it by navigating to Settings » Software update and tapping on Download and install.

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Garmin Quatix 7 smartwatch series targets the upper segment of the market

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 6, 2022

US smartwatch maker Garmin has unveiled its latest lineup of exquisite models focused on a specific lifestyle audience. The Garmin Quatix 7 lineup has three models that specifically target those with an active boater lifestyle, with some high-octane features to boot.

The quatix 7 series include the quatix 7, quatix 7 Sapphire, and the quatix 7 Solar. These three models are designed for users who spend much time in or around water. The regular premium Garmin features are not left out, together with added functionality.

The quatix 7 series has been labeled as a must-have tool for mariners and they offer seamless integration with other Garmin marine electronics. They can be connected with onboard equipment for autopilot and other attached systems. The quatix 7 series can stream real-time information about the boat.

The quatix 7 Series offer Garmin’s full suite of essential health and fitness features. These include Pulse Ox, heart rate, respiration, and stress monitoring. The devices also feature sleep monitoring, Body Battery, Fitness Age, and Sleep Score data.

Users can choose between Garmin’s traditional buttons or an intuitive touchscreen interface. You can also alternate between both options or use both. The quatix 7X Solar features a hands-free LED flashlight.

The Garmin quatix 7 Series offer an extended battery life up to 18 days. However, the solar model can extend up to 90 days of battery life on standard usage. In smartwatch mode, this reduces to 37 days. The Garmin quatix 7 series are available from Garmin’s online store. Their retail prices start from $700 for the quatix 7. The most expensive model is the quatix 7X Solar at $1,200.

RELATED:

Noise at the heart of growth in the Indian smartwatch market in Q1 2022

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 6, 2022

The Indian smartwatch market has seen a tremendous surge in demand within the past few quarters. The latest Counterpoint research indicates that the smartwatch market in India grew by 173% YoY at the end of Q1 2022. The Indian company, Noise with a 23% market share, is the market leader in the segment.

Noise is riding on the crest of a very strong performance of its array of impressive smartwatches that have berthed in India. Furthermore, the company is leveraging on its identity as an Indian manufacturer offering lots of budget smart wearables. The Noise Colorfit Pulse was a best-selling product by the company.

The Q1 2022 performance of Noise has drawn some remarks from its co-founder, Gaurav Khatri. Khatri says that the company’s record of leadership in the smartwatch market for 8 consecutive quarters is a validation of its credentials. He notes that Noise is firmly on the path to becoming a global player in the market.

The Indian smartwatch market has an array of very affordable and feature-efficient smartwatches that are under $30. These smartwatches accounted for 14% of numbers in Q1 2022, which was 2% in 2021. Smartwatches that were less than $67 accounted for 87% of the market. India is a demographically rich country smartwatch manufacturers are also leveraging this.

The demand for cheaper smartwatches has been on the increase, thus putting a positive spin on the market. Consumer awareness and aggressive marketing campaigns continue to drive sales of smartwatches in the subcontinent, according to the report.

Noise, Fire-Boltt, and boAt were the top three players in the Indian smartwatch market, and they have a combined market share of 60%. The three brands have continued to deliver excellent devices that have enthralled the market. The three companies have their tentacles in several sub-segments of the market including fashion, lifestyle, and fitness. The Indian market has also seen a flurry of new entrants in the market. The outlook remains bright for the smartwatch market in India for 2022.

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Google released Android 12 QPR Beta 3 for Pixel phones, update aims to fix major camera bug

By

Anurag

-

May 6, 2022

Google rolled out the May security patch later this week. Now the tech giant has followed it up with the release of Android 12 QPR Beta 3 for Pixel phones. This is the last beta version of Google Pixel’s June Feature Drop. Like the previous beta update, this update is also compatible with Google Pixel 4 and newer only.

The update features the May 2022 security patch that rolled out recently on Monday. Apart from the security patch, the beta update also focuses on stability improvements and bug fixes. Let’s see what issues it resolves.

Top resolved issue:

Fixed an issue on Pixel 6 Pro devices where a white line sometimes flashed on the screen after waking up a device that was not configured to always display time and other info on the lock screen.
Fixed various issues to improve call quality and connectivity.
Fixed a keystore issue that caused the NHS COVID-19 app to crash when launching.

Other open issues:

In some cases, on Pixel 6 and 6 Pro devices, the system crashes when the user tries to take a picture using the camera.
In some cases, the Google Camera app icon in a device’s personal profile erroneously displays a work profile indicator.

If your pixel is compatible with the Android 12 QPR Beta 3, you can install the update by clicking here. This link will take you to the Android Beta Program. Once you open the link, tap on the banner that displays “View your eligible devices” and you’ll be able see an image of your Pixel. Tap on the “Opt-In” button on the bottom and within 24 hours you will receive an OTA update including the QPR Beta 3.

Please note that after installing the QPR Beta 3 update, you will not be able to install Android 13 Beta 1 and have to wait until Beta 2 arrives.

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Google Pixel 6a (NFC) serial production begins in several Asian countries

By

Viraj Gawde

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May 6, 2022

Serial production of the Google Pixel 6a (NFC) has started in several Asian countries. The latest information has been shared by tipster Mukul Sharma. This suggests that the launch of Google’s upcoming mid-range offering is imminent, and it will be available in multiple Asian markets. Last month, the smartphone appeared on the FCC certification website.

Pixel 6a production begins in Asian countries — Source: stufflistings

The Google Pixel 6a is widely anticipated to launch at the search giant’s upcoming annual I/O Developer conference that begins next week on May 11th. The smartphone has been subject to a lot of leaks and rumours in the past.

The Google Pixel 6a will come with the same design language as the flagship Pixel 6 series. It will feature a horizontal camera bridge housing a 12.2MP primary sensor paired with a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The device will reportedly lack Motion Mode which blurs the moving part and applies a blur effect to the background.

The Pixel 6a is expected to come with a 6.2-inch OLED display with a center-aligned punch-hole cutout and an integrated fingerprint scanner.

Internally, the Google Pixel 6a will reportedly be powered by the company’s in-house Tensor chipset. As per the Geekbench listing, it will pack 6GB RAM and run on Android 12 OS out of the box. The smartphone is rumored to be backed by a 4,800mAh battery unit with support for 33W fast charging.

The Google Pixel 6a is expected to launch in multiple countries, unlike the previous Pixel 5a. We will know more information next week.

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New iQOO Z5 phone with 6,000mAh battery tipped to launch soon

By

Viraj Gawde

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May 6, 2022

A new iQOO Z5 series phone is expected to launch in China soon. The information comes from tipster Digital Chat Station who also reveals key details of the upcoming phone. The Vivo sub-brand already offers iQOO Z5 and Z5x in its home market. Additionally, iQOO has also launched the iQOO Z6 Pro 5G and Z6 smartphones in India recently.

It’s unclear what the upcoming iQOO Z5-series device will be called. However, it could be dubbed the iQOO Z5 Pro 5G.

new iQOO Z5 phone — Source: Digital Chat Station

According to the tipster, the new iQOO Z5 smartphone will feature a 6.58-inch LCD display bearing an FHD+ resolution. Since it’s an LCD panel, we can expect a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The smartphone will reportedly be powered by a huge 6,000mAh battery and it will support for 44W charging speed. Due to a big battery, the device is said to measure 9.21mm in thickness. The source also claimed that the mysterious iQOO Z5 series phone will likely be powered by a processor that is competitive to the MediaTek’s Dimensity 8000 processor. The latter consists of an octa-core CPU with four cores ticking at 2.75GHz.

This is everything we know about the new iQOO Z5 for now. We can expect more information about the smartphone to crop up in the coming weeks.

In other news, a Vivo phone with model number V2188A was spotted on TENAA certification last month. The listing reveals the same specifications and corroborates the information shared by Digital Chat Station. It’s a possibility that the Vivo V2188A could be the upcoming iQOO Z5 series phone.

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Sony Xperia 1 IV and Xperia 10 IV Price and Colors tipped ahead of the imminent launch

By

Anurag

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May 6, 2022

Sony Xperia 1 IV and Sony Xperia 10 IV smartphones are all set to make their debut on May 11 at an official launch event. Just a few days ahead of the launch, fresh leaks have revealed the pricing details of both the upcoming Sony devices along with their color options.

Tipster SnoopyTech has leaked the price details and color variants of the Sony Xperia 1 IV and Sony Xperia 10 IV via a Twitter post.

The tipster revealed that the Sony Xperia 1 IV will cost €1399 ($1,479). It is a slight relief for Sony fans as previous leaks claimed that the smartphone will cost around $1600. The mid-range Xperia 10 IV is expected to come with a price of €499 ($527).

Some exclusive Sony Event Info:
1 IV: Black, Violet, White – 1399 Euro
10 IV: Blue, Green, Violet, White – 499 Euro
NO sign of 5 IV
(Render by @OnLeaks)#Sony #Xperia #SonyXperia #ProductAnnouncement pic.twitter.com/r9ihFOljtA

— SnoopyTech (@_snoopytech_) May 3, 2022

As for the colors, the tipster reveals that the flagship Xperia 1 IV will come in 3 different hues- Black, Violet, and White. Whereas the Xperia 10 IV will land in Blue, Green, Violet, and White color options.

Sony has again set a crazy price for its flagship. We don’t know about the phone, but the price sure does compete with Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro max.

Sony Xperia 1 IV and Sony Xperia 10 IV specification (Rumored)

From what we know so far, Sony Xperia 1 IV is expected to feature a 6.5-inch display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. It could come with a 120Hz refresh rate and 4K resolution. The phone is expected to have Gorilla Glass Victus protection and HDR support.

The flagship phone is said to feature ZEISS sensors. It is likely to have a triple camera system with ultra-wide and telephoto sensors. The phone is expected to come with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for security and could pack a 5,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support.

If we talk about the mid-range Xperia 10 IV, it is expected to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 octa-core SoC paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The phone is said to carry a 6.0-inch OLED AMOLED display.

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

May 6, 2022

Thre are going to be 5 smartphone launch events next week. However, only two of them will be for new products, while the remaining are scheduled for devices making their way to important markets.

All five conferences will be hosted by different brands, such as ZTE, Sony, Motorola, Realme, and Honor. The newer products will be presented by the first two companies.

Having said that, let’s take a look at these smartphones one by one.

Upcoming Smartphones Next Week

Prev Next

1. ZTE Axon 40 Series

ZTE has scheduled an event for May 9 (Monday) in China. The conference will kickstart at 2 PM CST and will be live-streamed on Weibo and other popular Chinese video streaming platforms. The company will be debuting the Axon 40 series at this event.

The next-gen flagship smartphone series from ZTE is said to include three models, namely Axon 40, Axon 40 Pro, and Axon 40 Ultra. The top-end Ultra model is expected to arrive with an under-display selfie camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, and triple 64MP cameras with wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses.

The vanilla and Pro variants will have a low-grade camera system and a centered punch-hole display. You can learn about all three devices here.

2. Sony Xperia 1 IV and Xperia 10 IV

Sony will be hosting an Xperia launch event on May 11 (Wednesday). It will be live-streamed on the company’s official Youtube channel from 4 PM JST. The firm is expected to announce two new smartphones.

The upcoming two phones from Sony are said to be Xperia 1 IV and Xiaomi 10 IV. Unfortunately, not much is known about these two devices, except for their price and colors.

The flagship Xperia 1 IV is tipped to cost €1,399 in Europe, whereas the mid-range Xperia 10 IV is said to retail at €499.

3. Motorola Edge 30

A few days back, Motorola unveiled the Motorola Edge 30 in Europe as the world’s thinnest 5G smartphone to date beating the Mi 11 Lite 5G and Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G. The company is now bringing this handset to India on May 12 (Thursday). It is expected to go official via social media announcement at 12 PM IST.

The Motorola Edge 30 comes with a 6.79mm thin body, 6.5-inch 144Hz 10-bit OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ SoC, 50MP (wide, OIS) + 50MP (ultra-wide, macro) + 2MP triple camera setup, 32MP selfie camera, Android 12, 4,020mAh battery, and 33W fast charging support.

4. New Realme 9 5G and Realme 9

Realme has a launch event scheduled for May 12 (Thursday) in Europe. The conference will begin at 12 PM BST and it will be live-streamed on Youtube. The brand is expected to debut announced two smartphones and a tablet.

The company will be unveiling two handsets for the market, namely Realme 9 and Realme 9 5G. The former will be the same as the model sold elsewhere, however, the latter will be different. The Realme 9 5G for Europe will be a rebranded Realme Q5.

Apart from the aforementioned phones, the first will be also announcing the Realme Pad Mini tablet for the region.

5. Honor Magic 4 Pro

The Honor Magic 4 Pro was made official at MWC 2022 in late February. The flagship smartphone recently went on sale in China. It is now set to release in Europe on May 12 (Thursday). The device will be announced at a conference in London, which is scheduled to start at 7 PM BST.

The Honor Magic 4 Pro offers features like a 120Hz LTPO OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 50MP (wide) + 50MP (ultra-wide) + 64MP (3.5x telephoto) triple camera setup with an 8×8 dTOF laser focusing system as well as a flicker sensor, and a 12MP selfie camera with a 3D depth sensor.

It also comes with dual stereo speakers, an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, a 4,500mAh battery, and supports 100W wired/wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging.

Stuffcool Ultimus 115W 3-port car charger launched in India; charges laptops, phones & more!

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 6, 2022

Indian accessories manufacturer Stuffcool has launched a new car accessory for the domestic market. The product dubbed Stuffcool Ultimus115 is a 115W car charger that is capable of charging Apple MacBook, USB-C supporting laptops, smartphones, iPads, tablets, and Personal Devices all at once.

To be able to charge these devices all at once without a significant drop in their output, the Stuffcool Ultimus 115 comes with a massive 115W power output and three ports. The charger uses the standard 12V car socket and won’t disrupt the car’s normal operation. The three ports include two Type-C ports and a USB-A port. The ports are well spaced to ensure that there is no disruption when there is a need to use the three ports at the same time.

The main USB-C port delivers up to 65W power output while the second Type-C port only outputs 20W charging. The USB Type-A port delivers up to 30W fast charging bringing the total power output rating to 115W. The two Type-C ports come with Power Delivery as well as PPS Fast Charging protocols, making them capable of charging Samsung flagship smartphones and tablets at their rated power requirement which is 45W PPS using the first Type C port. The 65W-rated USB-C port can also charge the Apple Macbook, USB-C laptops, and the Nintendo Switch. Even the 20W-rated USB-C port is touted to deliver up to 50% charge to iPhones in just 30 minutes.

The third port which is a USB-A port can also deliver fast charging with a maximum output rating of 30W. The USB-A port supports the Quick Charge 3.0 protocol as well as Huawei SuperCharge, and Moto TurboCharge charging protocols.

The charger is also stuffed with five layers of intelligent safeguards to ensure the safety of your device connected. The car charger also has an auto-detect IC that adjusts the power output depending on the rating of the device that is plugged in.

As for the pricing and availability, the Stuffcool Ultimus 115 is priced at Rs 2999 (~$39). It is available on Stuffcool’s website and via major offline retail stores across India.

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Infinix teases collab with Marvel Studios for Note 12 series in India, launch date revealed

By

Sudhanshu

-

May 6, 2022

The Hong-Kong based smartphone manufacturer Infinix has partnered with Marvel Studios and teased their upcoming Note 12 series.

Infinix has revealed that the Note 12 series will debut on May 20 in India and will come with a special edition Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness variant.

For those unaware, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the recently released movie from the Marvel franchise which is currently playing in Indian theaters. The special edition Note 12 will come in a special Doctor Strange-themed packaging and the smartphone itself will feature a black back panel with Marvel’s branding and a “Spell circle” in the center.

Infinix Note 12 Series Specifications

So far, the brand has confirmed that the Note 12 series will debut with an AMOLED display panel and will have Widevine L1 support for streaming HD content on apps like Prime Video, Netflix, etc. The screen of the device will measure 6.7-inch resolution and will provide an FHD+ resolution.

The device also has 33W fast charging support and an Android 12-based operating system. Further, from the teaser poster, we can observe that both the Note 12 and Note 12 Turbo will come with a triple rear camera setup on the back and flat sides. The devices will likely debut in multiple color options like Blue, Black, and Silver and will be sold exclusively via Flipkart in India.

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