iPhone SE 2022 roundup – Apple March 8 event – What to Expect

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Mar 7, 2022

Last week, Apple announced that their “Peek Performance” event will be held on March 8th. Now that the event is almost upon us, let’s take a look at all the products which are expected to launch tomorrow.

iPhone SE (2022)

The Cupertino-based giant launched its last iPhone SE model back in 2020, and a successor is long overdue. The upcoming iPhone SE has been a hot topic online and has been subject to multiple leaks over the past few months.

So far, the leaks suggest that the new iPhone SE will come in multiple color variants and storage capacities of 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB. The iPhone SE (2022) will come in color variants such as white, black, and red. The device will be driven by the Apple A15 Bionic chipset, and it will carry support for 5G connectivity (mmWave and sub-6GHz).

Other than the inclusion of the 5G enabled A15 Bionic chipset, the device is expected to remain similar to its predecessor offering a 4.7-inch LCD display and a physical home button at the front integrated with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner. The device was also said to include MagSafe charging, but recent leaks suggest that this won’t be the case either.

iPad Air 5 and entry-level iPad

The next-gen iPad Air aka the iPad Air 5 is said to come with the same design and display as the 2020 iPad Air, but the tablet is expected to house the latest A15 Bionic chipset present in the iPhone 13 series. This SoC inclusion will give the tablet the long-awaited 5G connectivity.

The front camera of the device will also be getting an upgrade as it will now support the Center Stage technology which Apple introduced with the iPad Pro 2021. For those unaware, Center Stage uses machine learning to adjust the front-facing Ultra-Wide camera when you use video apps such as FaceTime on your compatible iPad model. As you move around, Center Stage helps keep you and anyone else with you in the frame. This feature will be a great addition considering work and study from home scenarios.

Last month, a report also revealed two new iPads carrying model numbers A2757 and A2589. The tablets allegedly entered India for internal testing and were expected to be launched in spring. These are expected to be the entry-level offerings from Apple in the tablet segment and could be priced roughly around $300.

Mac mini

Another Apple device due for an update is their M1-powered Mac mini. Rumors surrounding updated Mac Minis have been floating for a while now, and if they are to be believed, Apple will introduce the 2022 Mac mini tomorrow with a new design and the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. According to reports, the Mac mini 2022 will have a thinner body, a polycarbonate top, an increase in the number of ports at the back, and a magnetic power connection.

Apple External Display

As we know, Apple currently only offers a single external display which is the 32-inch Pro Display XDR with a price tag of $4,999. At the 2022 Peek Performance event, the tech giant is expected to unveil a more affordable 27-inch Apple display without mini-LED. Rumors about Apple working on a new Studio Display with 7K screen resolution and A13 Bionic chipset have also been making the rounds recently, however, the launch of this high-end product is expected to take place in 2023.

The Apple Peek Performance launch event is scheduled for March 8 and will take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (New York, USA — 1:00 p.m. EST, London, United Kingdom — 6:00 p.m. GMT, Delhi, India — 11:30 p.m. IST).

Interested readers can watch the event on the Apple Events website as well as on Apple’s Youtube channel by following this link.

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Realme Narzo 50A Prime bags BIS and NBTC certification

By

Pranav Sawant

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Mar 7, 2022

Realme Narzo 50A Prime will be the next smartphone in the Narzo 50A series and it will be joining the Narzo 50, 50A, 50i devices. Now in the most recent development, the smartphone has been spotted on BIS and NBTC certification sites.

The Realme Narzo 50A Prime has the model number RMX3516 on both certifications. This confirms that the smartphone will be available in India as well as in the global markets. Unfortunately, there are no details to scoop out from any of these certifications. However, the phone has previously been certified on FCC and China Quality certification websites.

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The FCC certification revealed that the smartphone weighs about 193 grams and has the following measurements – 164.30 x 75.60 x 8.15mm. This is similar to the Narzo 50’s dimensions, so we can expect a similarly sized display i.e. a 6.5 to a 6.6-inch panel on the Narzo 50A Prime.

The device will pack a 4,890mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging technology. It is expected to be marketed as a 5,000mAh cell. The smartphone will boot on Android 11 OS and will have Realme UI 2.0 on the top. As for security, it will have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Other than this, Realme is yet to reveal its launch timings and availability details. But given that the phone has been subject to multiple certifications, we can expect an imminent launch.

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iPhone 13 is the best-selling phone in China for the 4th straight month

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 7, 2022

If you have been an avid fan of the Chinese smartphone market, you’ll agree that a couple of years back Apple was struggling to sell its iPhones in China. The turnaround started with the iPhone X which marked a massive change in the design style of the iPhone. Since then, it has been a rapid resurgence for the US company, even in China. Yes, Apple has been recording rapid growth in China. The latest iPhone 13 series has even helped bolster the brand’s performance since it was released.

The latest market research report by CINNO Research shows that the iPhone 13 is the best-selling individual smartphone in China in the month of January 2022. The company reportedly recorded a total sales of 2.3 million units during the period under review. According to records, this is the fourth consecutive month Apple’s latest iPhone 13 series is topping the individual sales chart in China. The feat started in October 2021, a month after the smartphone was first released.

Apple isn’t the top-selling brand in China in January 2022, though. That crown is coveted by OPPO which sold an estimated 5.4 million smartphones excluding models sold via the Realme brand. Vivo came in second with an estimated 5.2 million units in sales. Honor also came in third with roughly 5.2 million units in sales in January.Apple occupied the fourth spot with 5.1 million units sold during the period. Xiaomi completed the top 5 spots with an estimated 4.4 million units sold in January.

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Samsung Galaxy A73 5G appears on Geekbench with Snapdragon 778G SoC

By

Pranav Sawant

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Mar 7, 2022

After unveiling the Galaxy A13 and A23 in the market, Samsung is now headed to bring the premium Galaxy A73 5G smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy A73 5G has now appeared on the Geekbench certification revealing key details.

The Samsung Galaxy A73 5G carries the model number SM-A736B and it has been benchmarked on the Geekbench version 5. The smartphone scores 778 points in the single-core department and 2,913 points in the multi-core department.

The device packs the Snapdragon 778G mid-range processor clocked at a base frequency of 1.80Hz. It has 8GB of RAM and boots on the latest Android 12 OS. We expect it to come in 6GB RAM as the base RAM option.

Apart from this, the smartphone cleared the FCC certification giving away the supported charging speed. The smartphone has 25W fast charging support and has the SM-A736B/DS model number confirming its dual-SIM capability.

Rumors have it that the Samsung Galaxy A73 5G will bring a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel to the table. It will have a 90Hz refresh rate screen and a Full-HD+ resolution. The display is expected to double up as an under-display fingerprint scanner. The smartphone is expected to come with a quad-camera system at the rear with an OIS-enabled 108MP primary sensor. It is expected to have a 12MP unit as a secondary lens.

Other specs of the phone are yet to be known, but we can expect a base storage option of 128GB and a big battery. As of now, there’s no official confirmation about its launch date, but given that it has passed the Geekbench certification, we can expect the launch to be in the coming weeks.

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Best Smartphones at MWC 2022

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 7, 2022

Last week, GSMA hosted the MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. However, unlike previous years, there weren’t many big launches. That’s because companies now prefer to announce their important devices at their own annual conferences.

Anyway, there were some 5 smartphones that caught our attention. We have compiled them in this article. Three of them are from separate brands, while two of them are from the same brand. These OEMs are HONOR, OPPO, realme, and POCO.

With that being said, let us take a look at these phones one by one.

Best Smartphones at MWC 2022

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1. HONOR Magic4 Pro

Our pick for the star of Mobile World Congress 2022 is none other than HONOR Magic4 Pro. The latest flagship smartphone from HONOR offers almost all the high-end features one can expect.

The device sports a glass sandwich housing with a metal frame. It flaunts a 6.81-inch 10-bit curved OLED LTPO display with a resolution of 1312×2848 pixels, up to 120Hz refresh rate, and a pill-shaped cutout for the front-facing cameras. The panel is not only HDR10+ certified but also IMAX Enhanced.

The phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. It also comes with an independent security chip and an independent display chip for always-on HDR as well as MEMC.

Though the handset houses a large circular module on the rear, there are only three cameras – 50MP wide lens, 50MP ultra-wide lens, and 64MP 3.5x telephoto lens. The remaining two holes are for a flicker sensor and an 8×8 dTOF laser focusing system. On the front, it has a 12MP shooter and a 3D depth sensor.

Other features of the HONOR Magic4 Pro include IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, dual stereo speakers, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, Magic UI 6 based on Android 12, 4,500mAh battery, 100W fast wired charging, 100W fast wireless charging, and 5W wireless reverse charging.

The device is offered in four colors (cyan, gold, black, orange) and starts at €1099 outside mainland China. Its availability will be revealed closer to the release.

2. OPPO Find X5 Pro

Unlike the HONOR Magic4 Pro, the OPPO Find X5 Pro was not announced at MWC 2022. The company unveiled it a few days ago but showcased it at the GSMA-hosted conference.

The successor of OPPO Find X3 Pro retains the design language from its predecessor with some tweaks. The Glaze Black version sports a glass back, while the Ceramic White variant flaunts a ceramic rear panel. Both have a metal frame.

The phone sports a 6.7-inch 10-bit LTPO 2.0 curved AMOLED display with a resolution of 3216 × 1440 pixels, up to 120Hz refresh rate, up to 240Hz touch sampling rate, and 525 PPI. It has a punch-hole at the top left corner and Corning Gorilla Glass protection.

The handset is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip coupled with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. There’s also a self-developed MariSilicon X chipset for image processing. As for software, it boots ColorOS 12.1 based on Android 12.

It arrives with a triple rear camera system powered by Hasselblad. The setup includes a 50MP primary sensor with 5-axis OIS, a 50MP ultra-wide unit, and a 13MP 2x telephoto snapper. On the front, it has a 32MP shooter for selfies and video calls.

Other features include dual stereo speakers, in-screen fingerprint sensor, 5,000mAh battery, 80W fast wired charging, 50W fast wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging.

The OPPO Find X5 Pro is priced at €1,300 for a sole 12GB+256GB memory configuration in Europe. It will go on sale on March 14

3. realme GT 2 Pro

The realme GT 2 Pro is the only old handset is the list. It made its debut in China in January. However, it was announced for Europe at MWC 2022. The device is the first proper flagship smartphone from realme.

The phone’s back is made of biopolymer to offer a paper-like touch and feel. Whereas, its frame is made of metal. Despite featuring a different body material, it is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC as other premium Android smartphones.

The chipset is coupled with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. As far as software is concerned, the handset ships with realme UI 3.0 based on Android 12.

One of the interesting features of the phone is its 6.7-inch display. This 10-bit flat LTPO 2.0 AMOLED panel has a resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels and up to 120Hz refresh rate, 1000Hz touch sampling rate as well as 1,,400 nits peak brightness. Protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, it has a punch-hole at the top left corner and a fingerprint sensor with support for heart rate monitoring underneath it.

Apart from a great display, the handset also comes with an equally impressive 50MP (Sony IMX766 with OIS) + 50MP (150° ultra-wide) + microscope lens triple camera system on the rear and a 32MP Sony IMX615 front-facing camera. Other features include dual stereo speakers, a 5,000mAh battery, and 65W fast wired charging.

The realme GT2 Pro is priced at €749 and €849 for 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB memory variants respectively in Europe. It is already up for sale in select regions.

4. POCO X4 Pro 5G

The next device is our list is POCO X4 Pro 5G, which is a budget offering. Despite being a rebranded Redmi Note 10 Pro 5G, we considered it to be one of the best smartphones at MWC 2022. Because it only looks unique (subjective) but also costs only €269 and €319 for 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB versions respectively (early bird pricing).

Talking about highlights, it flaunts a glass sandwich design (flat plastic frame) and is built around a 6.67-centered punch-hole FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate, 395 PPI, and 1,200 nits peak brightness. It is run by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC paired with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.2 storage.

For photography and videography, there’s a 108MP (wide) + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) triple rear camera system and a 16MP front-facing camera. Other features include dual stereo speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a hybrid MicroSD card slot, an IR blaster, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and an IP53 rating.

Last but not least, it boots MIUI 13 for POCO based on Android 11 and gets its juice from a 5,000mAh battery, which has support for 67W fast charging.

5. POCO M4 Pro

The final phone is our list is POCO M4 Pro. It is even more affordable (early bird pricing) than the POCO X4 Pro 5G as it is priced at only €199 (6GB + 128GB) and €249 (8GB + 128GB). It is a rebadged variant of the Redmi Note 11S, which we consider better than the Redmi Note 11 Pro in terms of value.

The handset’s body is entirely made of plastic but still sports a 6.43-inch centered punch-hole AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), 409 PPI, up to 90Hz refresh rate, and 1,000 nits peak brightness level. It is powered by MediaTek Helio G96 SoC coupled with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.2 storage.

It arrives with a 64MP (wide) + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) triple rear camera setup and a 16MP front-facing camera. It runs MIUI 13 based on Android 11 and is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging.

Other features include an IP53 rating, dual stereo speakers, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a dedicated MicroSD card slot, and an IR blaster.

Huawei MatePad Paper e-Ink tablet rated among the Best of MWC 2022

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 7, 2022

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022 was held last week in Barcelona after a two-year hiatus as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. Although a number of Chinese OEMs like Xiaomi, Vivo, were conspicuously missing, the star of the show was a surprise Chinese company – Huawei.

Despite the U.S sanctions that have almost crippled Huawei’s smartphone business, the company mounted a solid show with the unveiling of several tablets and notebook PC. Perhaps, the most outstanding, going by ratings from the media is the Huawei MatePad Paper e-Ink tablet. This is a one-of-a-kind product that doubles as both an e-book reader and a tablet.

The MatePad Paper is ranked as one of the “Best of Mobile World Congress 2022” alongside several Huawei products including the MateBook X Pro, the all-in-one MateStation X, the 2-in-1 notebook MateBook E, the printer PixLab X1, and the portable speaker Sound Joy.

As a reminder, the Huawei MatePad Paper packs a 10.3-inch grayscale display screen with a resolution of 1872 x 1404 pixels and an aspect ratio of 227 PPI. The e-ink display comes with added features such as an anti-glare and reflective screen that aids low-light use. It packs trimmed down bezels on the top, bottom, and right edges while the left edge is slightly wider to give the outlook of a book that is opened. As a result of the reduced bezels, the device features a screen-to-body ratio of 86.3%.

Internally, the MatePad Paper runs on a Hexa-core processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The e-ink tablet boots HarmonyOS 2 bringing features such as the ability to easily establish a connection between the tablet and Huawei’s laptops, PCs, tablets, and phones.

The tablet comes with WiFi 6+, a fingerprint sensor embedded under the power button, and Bluetooth 5.2 support and crams a 3625mAh battery that can deliver up to 28 days of battery life on standby. It also comes with 22.5W fast charging which Huawei claims can deliver up to 6 days reading with just a 1.5-hour charge. It supports reverse charging.

The MatePad Paper bundled with an M-Pencil and a protective case will retail in Europe for €499. Huawei is expected to launch the tablet in China this month.

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Fire-Boltt Call smartwatch launched in India, with 1.7 inch display & Bluetooth calling

By

Sean

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Mar 7, 2022

Fire-Boltt has just launched another new product in India. The company’s latest product is the Call smartwatch, which features an HD display and supports Bluetooth calling as well.

Prior to its official release, the brand has listed the Fire-Boltt Call smartwatch on Amazon. It sports a 1.7 inch HD screen that supports 60 degree view and Ultiview display. Furthermore, it even supports more than 200 cloud based watch faces as well, which can be customized through the companion app. Notably, a highlighting aspect of the smartwatch is the new chipset. The Call watch houses a new FB1 Nanochip, which appears to be an in house developed SoC.

As the name suggests, its Bluetooth calling is also one of its major features, which allows users to make and receive calls when connected to your phone using the built in mic and speaker. The smartwatch also arrives with a quick dial pad, save contacts option, and call history as well. The company is launching the Fire-Boltt Call in multiple color variants, including a Green, White, Mint, Red, Pink, Blue, and Black options. Other features include, blood oxygen monitoring, heart rate tracking, sleep mapping, and physical activity tracking for sports and fitness.

On a full charge, the new wearable can last for up to 5 days with Bluetooth calling enabled, and up to 10 days with normal use. It even arrives with IP67 water and dust resistance certifications among some of the usual modern smartwatch features. Unfortunately, the pricing of the device is currently unknown so stick around for more updates, since the smartwatch is set to launch soon.

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Redmi K50 Pro Plus hinted to run Dimensity 9000 by Lu Weibing

By

Sudhanshu

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Mar 7, 2022

Redmi has already launched its first smartphone in the K50 series dubbed the Redmi K50G aka the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition which runs the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. However, the flagship Redmi K50 Pro Plus is said to come with a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC which may have indirectly been confirmed by Redmi’s General Manager.

Redmi K50 Pro Renders — Redmi K50 Pro CAD renders

According to a GizChina report, Lu Weibing who is Redmi’s General Manager has recently stated in an Interview that the upcoming Redmi K50 smartphone powered by the Dimensity 9000 chipset performs quite smoothly. From earlier leaks, we know that the Redmi K50 Pro will be getting the Dimensity 8100 chipset, leaving only the K50 Pro Plus to receive this top of the line MediaTek SoC.

The Redmi K50 Pro Plus is expected to launch soon in China and will likely come as a rebranded POCO device (POCO F4 Pro) in other parts of the world. It would be exciting to see the new chipset’s performance on the Redmi K50 Pro Plus especially since we know that it beats Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC in benchmarks like Geekbench.

The Dimensity 9000 SoC’s performance is said to be superior to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 as the chip has been manufactured using TSMC’s 4nm process rather than Samsung’s, resulting in better power efficiency and lower thermals. The processing unit consists of a single Cortex-X2 super core, three Cortex-A710 large cores, and four Cortex-A510 small cores. This system is paired to the Mali-G710 GPU.

It will also be interesting to compare the K50 Pro Plus’s performance with the already released Redmi K50 Gaming Edition which comes equipped with the SD 8 Gen 1 SoC.

So far, the latest Dimensity 9000 SoC is only available to buy on an OPPO Find X5 Pro, which for now remains exclusive to China.

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WhatsApp to soon allow users to make polls in group chats: Report

By

Sean

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Mar 7, 2022

WhatsApp is apparently working on an interesting new feature. The company is planning on bringing an “important” new feature that will allow users to start and take polls in the group chats.

According to a WABetaInfo report, the popular messaging based platform will soon let you type poll questions to send to a group chat. This feature is already available in rival chat app Telegram and even Twitter, which lets users create polls and lets others to vote and see the results as well. Now, it seems that WhatsApp plans on rolling out this feature to its userbase too, since it is currently in development.

The WaBetaInfo report also shared a screenshot, which basically showcases the “Create Poll” feature on iOS. This was spotted on the apps v2.22.6.70 beta and is currently not available to all beta testers as of right now. While we can see the create poll option, it is still unclear as to how users would be able to write a question for the poll, or even any means through which it can be customized.

Furthermore, it may even offer group members a chance to select more than one answers on the poll. But till WhatsApp rolls out this feature to beta testers in a more elaborate manner. So stick around for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available regarding this matter.

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Huawei AITO M5 deliveries start in China, company shares image of lined-up EVs

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Mar 7, 2022

The Huawei AITO M5 was launched in December last year as the very first to feature a HarmonyOS-powered cockpit, followed by a price reveal this year on February 26th. And starting March 5th, Huawei has started delivering the EV to their new owners after holding a launch ceremony on the same day.

Dozens of units of the AITO M5 were spotted parked on the site and an image officially shared by AITO’s Weibo (via IT Home) shows them lined up in front of what appears to be the production line or perhaps one of the company’s showrooms.

The retail pricing of the AITO M5 in China after applying subsidies has been given below:

The standard version of the rear-wheel-drive starts from 249,800 Yuan (around $39,535)
The four-wheel-drive performance version starts from 279,800 Yuan (around $44,284)
The four-wheel-drive flagship version costs 319,800 Yuan (around $50,614)

The AITO M5 has been developed jointly by Huawei and Seres. The latter is an electric vehicle and component manufacturer headquartered in California. The car’s electric drive system and smart cockpit are all provided by Huawei and the company also made major contributions to its “industrial design.”

An incredible range of 1,000km on a single full charge is promised but the car also uses a 1.5T four-cylinder “range extender” engine. On the software end, you get a smart cockpit, HarmonyOS vehicle system, and DriveOne three-electric system provided by Huawei.

The Huawei AITO M5 looks to be a China-exclusive with no global launch plans as of now but it wouldn’t be unsafe to assume that the company may be planning on expanding to global markets soon too.

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Google Pixel Watch could come with support for skin gestures

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Mar 7, 2022

The Google Pixel Watch could be released this year as the very first smartwatch from the company. The gadget has already been leaked to run Wear OS with a number of exclusive features that won’t be available on other Wear OS devices. And as if that’s not enough, it will also reportedly come with a “skin interface,” allowing gestures on the skin to control the watch.

The information comes from LetsGoDigital (via PhoneArena) which recently uncovered a mid-2020 patent filing from Google made to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) called “Skin interface for Wearables: Sensor fusion to improve signal quality.”

google-pixel-watch-buds-skin-interface — Via LetsGoDigital

Using the technology, Pixel Watch users will be able to provide gesture inputs simply by tapping or running their fingers on the skin surrounding the device. Something similar is also possible for the Google Pixel Buds, with skin inputs controlling the music track or volume levels.

For the Pixel Watch, the wrist, forearm, or the back of the hand would be the perfect place to make swipe or tap gestures. While for the earbuds, the skin in front of the ear could be the perfect spot.

The gestures work by the gadget registering the “mechanical wave” they create using an accelerometer and other sensors. Google likes to call the tech “Sensor Fusion.”

As for when the technology will be making its way to the Pixel Watch or the Pixel Buds, there is no information as of yet but we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled so stay tuned. A Pixel Watch launch is expected quite soon, though, considering it has already made an appearance on an inventory system.

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Samsung working on Galaxy Z series phone with weird P-shaped display, patent shows

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Mar 7, 2022

Samsung Electronics had filed a 66-page patent in mid-2021 titled “Electronics device comprising flexible display” for a phone with a foldable P-shaped display. This patent was made public on January 20, 2022, following which LetsGoDigital collaborated with designer Jermaine Smit to create some renders, showing what a final product will look like.

When folded up, the device has a form factor that’s very similar to the average smartphone, with the only difference being the top-left edge of its display that wraps around all the way to the rear.

samsung-galaxy-z-p-shaped-display — via LetsGoDigital x Jermaine Smit

But when unfolded, the display turns into a very unconventional P-shape. Some will compare the implementation to the LG Wing back from 2020, except the Wing used double displays instead of the single foldable unit Samsung sports.

To make this possible, an ingenious hinge has been built into the side of the frame, below the folding screen. It’s been designed quite tough so as to prevent breakage if the user accidentally bends it a bit too far. And then there’s the screen itself that’s made with UTG (Ultra-Thin Glass), which is currently standard on Samsung foldable phones.

samsung-galaxy-z-p-shaped-display-blueprint — via LetsGoDigital

It’s hard to imagine what use-cases such an implementation would allow for, but you’ll likely be able to watch videos in full landscape mode on the upper part of the display while the lower part will show another app. Videocalls making proper use of the additional estate supplied by the P-shape should also provide an improved experience.

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Deal: Get $100 OFF on Realme GT Neo 2 Dragon Ball Z edition

By

Daily Deals

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Mar 7, 2022

Realme GT Neo 2 Dragon Ball Z edition which generally retails for $599 is now available at a discounted price of $499 only at Giztop.

WHERE TO BUY

Realme GT Neo 2 Dragon Ball Z edition at $499 (after discount)@Giztop

Realme GT Neo 2 Dragon Ball Z edition features a 6.62” 120Hz Samsung E4 AMOLED FHD+ display and is powered by the Snapdragon 870 Octa-Core processor. The smartphone comes with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB storage.

On the back, you have a triple camera setup with a 64MP main camera and 8MP + 2MP secondary cameras. And for your selfies, you can find a 16MP camera in the front. Fueled with a 5000mAh battery, the smartphone supports 65W SuperDart Flash charging. It runs on the Android 11 based Realme UI 2 and comes with an under-display fingerprint scanner.

Fitted with dual stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos game support, Realme GT Neo 2 Dragon Ball Z edition comes with a dedicated GT mode that offers leapfrog performance while gaming with enhanced image quality, 4D in-game vibrations, faster loading times, dynamic sound effects, and more.

Realme GT Neo2 Dragon Ball Design — Realme GT Neo2 Dragon Ball Z Limited Edition

Generally retailing for $599, you can now buy Realme GT Neo 2 Dragon Ball Z edition for $499 only at Giztop. This is a limited-time offer. So place your order asap.

For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.

Inbase launches the Urban Lyf M, a new ‘Versatile’ Smartwatch in India

By

Sean

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Mar 7, 2022

Inbase has just launched a new ‘versatile’ smartwatch for the Indian market. The new wearable in question is the Urban Lyf M, which is a lightweight smartwatch that has a slim design.

With the Urban Lyf M, the company sought to offer a smartwatch that has a versatile design geared for style and fitness. It sports a 1.69 inch ultra bright IPS display that has a 240 x 280 pixels resolution. This screen also offers more than 200 cloud based watch faces as well that users can customize based on their preferences. Furthermore, the solid display and fluid UI is paired with support for Bluetooth calling and a loud and clear speaker for a better audio experience and improved music playback.

Under the hood, the smartwatch features a Realtek Chipset and also has a Rotate Crown that allows users to quickly and swiftly scroll through your list of notification, calls, apps, or functions. With just two hours of charging, the device can last for up to 8 whole days and 30 days on standby. It also offers the usual health related features like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, and blood pressure mapping as well. It can even track your steps and measure various sports related activities like running, walking, and more.

The Inbase Urban Lyf M arrives with IP68 dust and water resistance. It even supports Google Assistant and Siri as well. The smartwatch is available in India for an introductory price of 3,999 INR (roughly 52 US Dollars). Inbase is even offering 12 months of warranty and will be available for purchase on major retail outlets and on the brand’s official website as well. It will be released in multiple color variants as well, including Black Dial with a Black strap, Rose Gold Dial with Violet strap, and the Silver Dial with a Grey strap.

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Lenovo Legion Y700 Gaming Tablet is now available for Pre-order for $439 on Giztop

By

Daily Deals

-

Mar 7, 2022

Lenovo Legion Y700 gaming tablet is now available for pre-order for $439 only at Giztop. Please note that this price is applicable to the base variant. Giztop is taking pre-orders for the tablet and the actual shipping will start in mid-march only.

WHERE TO BUY

Lenovo Legion Y700 Gaming Tablet at $439 @Giztop

The Legion Y700 gaming tablet features a TUV Rhineland Certified 8.8 inch 2K LCD screen and supports a 120Hz refresh rate. The display comes with Dolby Vision, DC dimming, and 500 nits brightness. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 octa-core processor, the tablet comes in two memory variants viz: 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB/ 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, further expandable with a MicroSD slot.

The tablet comes with a 13MP rear camera and 8MP front camera to capture images and videos and conduct face-to-face chat and video calls. Also for enhanced security Legion Y700 comes with the face id unlock feature.

Lenovo Legion Y700 gaming tablet is fueled by a massive 6550mAh battery and supports 45W fast charging. Also to enjoy an immersive gaming and video experience, the tablet comes with dual JBL speakers supported with Dolby Atmos. Running on the Android 12 OS-based ZUI 13, the tablet offers you a fresh user experience and advanced multitasking options.

You can now pre-order the Lenovo Legion Y700 tablet for $439 on Giztop.

For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.

Samsung suffers from security breach, hackers leak 190GB of data: Report

By

Sean

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Mar 7, 2022

Samsung Electronics has apparently suffered a major security breach. The hackers behind this breach have claimed that they have leaked data that is worth 190GB, which includes source code and biometric unlocking algorithms.

According to Bleeping Computer report (Via Apple Insider), the South Korean tech giant was hit with the security breach earlier this month. The group behind this hacking incident was Lapsus$, which claimed that it seized the large amount of data from Samsung Electronics. If this news is true, it means that the brand has a notable issue with security. Furthermore, the data leak was first teased by the group on Friday, with a picture of C/C++ directives in Samsung software.

The group also added in the description that the leak contains “confidential Samsung source code” as well. Reportedly, this code includes the source for every Trusted Applet in Samsung’s TrustZone environment, which is responsible for every sensitive tasks such as hardware cryptography and access control. Additionally, the leak also includes other sensitive data related to biometric unlock operation algorithms, the bootloader source for recent devices, activation server source code, and the full source code used to authenticate and authorize Samsung accounts.

As of right now, it is also expected that some confidential source code related to Qualcomm was also leaked. The hacker group has shared the leaked data through torrents, however, it is currently unknown as to exactly how much data the group has managed to acquire. It is also unclear if the group sought to hold this sensitive information ransom from the company. Samsung officials have said that they are assessing the overall situation regarding the breach, so we’ll have to wait and see what move the brand takes in the arriving weeks.

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Huawei patent for phone with seemingly wraparound unibody design goes public

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Mar 7, 2022

Huawei has filed yet another patent for what appears to be an under-screen front camera smartphone. The phone, whose display appears to be curved on at least two edges, looks to have nearly non-existent bezels.

The patent (via IT Home) includes several images of the device too, showing its design from multiple angles. While most phones today, or at least the non-plastic ones, have bodies with a frame + rear cover design, the Huawei phone in the patent looks to have a rear cover that wraps around the entire body. This should give it a very smooth in-hand feel but it’s unclear if the said cover will be made of plastic, glass, or metal.

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The images are joined by an abstract which doesn’t explain much, only revealing that the product in question is mainly used to provide network communication, voice calls, transaction processing, and the like.

All in all, the rear of the phone looks quite similar to the HUAWEI nova 9 SE that’s expected to launch this month, with a curved rear design that houses an elongated, oval-shaped camera island. The front of the phone is devoid of any obstructions and should provide an excellent viewing experience.

That said, this isn’t the first time Huawei has hinted at the ongoing development of a phone with an under-display front camera. The last patent with such a design emerged only last month with a smartphone unlike anything we’ve seen before. What remains to be seen now is when these on-paper designs will be turning into reality.

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Samsung Galaxy A series event could take place in mid-March

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 7, 2022

Last week, a tipster suggested that Samsung will be holding its second iteration of the Galaxy Awesome Unpacked event in March to announce the next generation of Galaxy A series smartphones. A few days later, a report from South Korea reiterates the same.

Samsung Galaxy A52 Awesome Violet Featured — Samsung Galaxy A52

According to a report by The Korean Herald (via SamMobile), Samsung Electronics is expected to hold an event in mid-March to unveil new Galaxy A series handsets. This conference is said to be a response to Apple’s March 8 event where the American tech giant is rumored to announce the third-gen iPhone SE with 5G connectivity.

On the other hand, Samsung will reportedly debut four phones, namely Galaxy A73, Galaxy A53, Galaxy A33, and Galaxy A23. Out of these, the company has already quietly revealed details about the Galaxy A23 alongside Galaxy A13, Galaxy M23, and Galaxy M33 a few days back.

Further, the report states that the Galaxy A73 will be the most expensive of all the aforementioned smartphones. It is expected to arrive with a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chip.

Samsung revamped the Galaxy A series in 2019 to take on the Chinese competitors. Due to positive feedback, the company has been introducing new models every year.

According to Omdia, the Galaxy A12 was the world’s most shipped smartphone with a record 51.8 million units in shipments. In fact, the handset was Samsung’s first phone to ship over 50 million units in a year.

Samsung’s cheaper phones will reportedly also come without chargers now

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Mar 7, 2022

Mobile retailers in Europe have reportedly confirmed that some entry-level Samsung smartphones will soon ship without a charger in the box (via Sudanshu). The move comes following the company’s decision to ditch in-box chargers with the Galaxy S21 series last year.

Samsung has a bit of history of first mocking Apple’s decisions and then copying them, whether it was with notches, headphone jacks, microSD card slots, and now chargers. The company in 2020 was caught red-handed deleting ads that poked fun at Apple’s decision to not ship chargers with their iPhones, after suddenly realizing that doing the same would be more profitable.

Not only that, Samsung even copied Apple’s justifications and cited environmental benefits as the main motive behind the move, while seemingly ignoring the fact that selling chargers in separate little boxes could only generate more waste.

But while it initially appeared that the new scheme would hold for flagship Galaxy phones alone, Samsung has now surprised everyone by including mid-range and entry-level offerings too. The European retail sources have listed some of the victim devices, and it includes the likes of Galaxy A13 and Galaxy A23 which were unveiled earlier this week.

Regardless, it would now be fair to say that Sammy may be planning on a charger-less future for all of its smartphone packaging. And if it actually does so, then more OEMs could follow suit.

So is it really the end of in-box chargers? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Vivo to launch its first foldable phone in April, codenamed “Butterfly”

By

Sean

-

Mar 7, 2022

Earlier today (7th March 2022), a new report surfaced online, which claimed that Vivo will be launching its first foldable smartphone next month. It also revealed the upcoming bendable device’s “butterfly” internal codename.

According to a Jiemian report, sources have revealed the foldable phone’s codename and April 2022 launch timeline. If this information is true, then Vivo would be the latest Chinese smartphone maker to launch a foldable handset, following the likes of the Honor Magic V and the OPPO Find N. These models were one of the newest foldable devices that were released in the Chinese market. So now, Vivo will be competing with the two brands as well as other companies that sell foldable models. Interestingly, we had recently reported on a Vivo X Fold, so this device might be the same model.

The sources close to the matter added that the upcoming foldable smartphone from the brand will feature a technological breakthrough with its hinge mechanism. But apart from this, it will also have innovations in core components and the device will rival Huawei and Samsung foldable models as well in terms of performance. As per an IDC report, the foldable phone shipments in China alone is expected to reach 1.5 million units in 2021.

Vivo X Fold schematic by Digital Chat Station

With the supply chain for these unique breed of smartphones becoming more established (for components like flexible screens, hinges, and UTG protective covers), this figure will likely grow even further. Analytics based firms have estimated that this year, the overall shipments will double year on year. So, it arrives as no surprise that Vivo is also entering the market as well.

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