OPPO Watch 2 Glacier Lake Blue Edition brings new features for skiers

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Feb 27, 2022

At the recently held launch event where OPPO unveiled the Find X5 series, its first tablet – the OPPO Pad, the Chinese company equally took the wraps of a new version of the Watch 2 and it is dubbed OPPO Watch 2 Glacier Lake Blue Edition.

OPPO’s foray into the smartwatch industry began with the first-gen OPPO Watch that was launched in 2020. Last year, the company unveiled the second-generation OPPO Watch 2 with some improvements in the design and internal features. The OPPO Watch 2 Glacier Lake Blue Edition comes with a few improvements over the Watch 2 with which it shares design. It also comes with major upgrades in sports health management and full intelligence, which will provide users with long-term, practical, and professional health protection and ease of usage.

The appearance is the biggest difference from the previous version. The OPPO Watch 2 Glacier Lake Blue Edition has a comprehensive innovation in visual design, bringing the first three-color oil pressure wristband technology, which is light and thin and has a superior style, suitable for ski lovers.

At the same time, the function has also been optimized for skiing, with a built-in new outdoor skiing function and built-in OPPO Health Lab self-developed algorithm, which can accurately record skiing data and realize full-link skiing assistance.

The new Watch 2 Glacier Lake Blue Edition also comes with a physical test function for middle school students. It adopts the Gomore algorithm in cooperation with the Institute of Physical Education of China’s General Administration of Sports.

In addition, there are upgrades in smart experience, which support functions such as screen display, quick application, and remote car key.

As for other aspects, the new edition isn’t different from its predecessor. It is equipped with a 1.91-inch AMOLED 3D Curved flexible screen with a square shape and a screen ratio of 72.7%.

In terms of performance, the OPPO Watch 2 series is equipped with UDDE dual-engine hybrid technology and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 chip. It supports Android and RTOS dual systems and can install more than 50 apps, including WeChat Children’s Watch Edition, Alipay, QQ, NetEase Cloud Music, Baidu Maps, QQ Music, The Most Beautiful Weather, Air Travel, Phoenix News, etc. It also comes with e-SIM support.

In terms of price, the OPPO Watch 2 Glacier Lake Blue Edition is priced at 1499 yuan (~$237).

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Apple iPhone SE 3 could be priced lower than its predecessor

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 27, 2022

There are indications that the Apple iPhone SE that could be released anytime soon could be cheaper than its predecessor from 2020. The third iteration of the iPhone SE is the iPhone SE 3 will likely have the same design as its predecessor while its improved internal setup will likely guarantee more updates. This also means that the iPhone SE 3 could have enhanced longevity in addition to the projected lower pricing for the device.

Apple iPhone SE 3 — Image via TenTechReview

The information of a cheaper iPhone SE 3 is culled from a report by analyst John Donovan projecting that the product could be sold around $300 which is about $100 less than the iPhone SE 2. It is not clear whether the price will be due to some incentive package or it is a flat offer from Apple. A recent report had also projected the price of the iPhone SE 3 around $300.

The fact however remains that the iPhone SE 3 will be targeting the lower end of the market spectrum and it is likely to be budget-friendly, supporting the lower price proposition. Although Apple is a powerhouse in the high-end segment of the smartphone market, it will be interesting to see how it performs in the mid-range segment of the market where Android products hold the aces. We expect to see an improved design together with 5G connectivity and overall improved performance of the iPhone SE 3. The new model is likely to be powered by the A15 Bionic chip which is what we find in the iPhone 13 lineup.

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Huawei Smart Office unveiled, offering seamless connection across devices

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 27, 2022

Huawei is making substantial progress in the development of a seamlessly connected ecosystem that allows all Huawei devices to connect easily. Along this line, the company has just announced the Super Device software package that will allow Huawei devices to connect seamlessly.

The Super Device software package marks a smooth transition in the development of synergy in communications between laptops, smartphones, smartwatches, fitness bands, and the array of smart home devices. This also includes connectivity to the Huawei Smart Office which enables cross-device collaboration whether it is running on Huawei’s Harmony OS or the Windows operating system.

With the Super Device software, you can use your smartphone’s apps on Huawei laptops in an exciting manner. Up to three of the apps could be opened simultaneously when sharing the phone’s screen on the laptop. You can also transfer files through the traditional drag and drop mechanism. As per speed of connectivity, the Super Device feature allows for seamless pairing of Huawei’s laptops with an array of other devices and Huawei’s accessories via Bluetooth. The connected Huawei ecosystem includes the lineup of TWS earbuds, wireless speakers, microphones, and even keyboards.

The new Super Device software brings the array of functionality available within the Huawei ecosystem into a single interface and it is bound to enhance the appeal and overall user experience using Huawei’s devices.

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Huawei unveils the Matebook X Pro 2022 & Matebook E for the global market

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 27, 2022

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022 holding in Barcelona, Spain from Monday, February 28 has seen some big announcements already. Huawei joined the group of brands with a pre-MWC release by announcing two new Windows 11 laptops – the Matebook X Pro 2022 and Matebook E. The Huawei MateBook X Pro 2022 is an ultraportable flagship laptop while the Matebook E is a compact 2-in-1 model running on Windows 11.

The new Huawei MateBook X Pro 22 laptop is equipped with a bigger 14.2-inch screen which is slightly bigger than the 13.9-inch screen on the MateBook X Pro 2021. The laptop features a narrow frame design with a high 92.5% screen-to-body ratio. The display also has a resolution of 3120 X 2080 pixels with support for a 90Hz refresh rate, 500nit brightness, and a P3 wide color gamut.

According to Huawei, this notebook uses the 3D Lut professional color calibration scheme, TÜV Rheinland’s professional two-color gamut color standard certification, and the color difference Delta E is less than 1. The MateBook X Pro is equipped with the Intel Core i5-1155G7 and i7-1195G7 processors with 16GB RAM and 512GB/1TB storage options.

The MateBook E is a Windows 11 tablet that can function as a laptop via its bundled keyboard case. The Matebook E has a 12.6-inch OLED with 2560 x 1600px resolution. It has. an 8MP front-facing camera and a 13MP rear camera. The MateBook E is just 7.9mm thick and weighs 709 grams.

The Huawei Matebook E 2-in-1 is priced from €649 ($732) for an Intel i3 option with 8GB+128GB memory while the Core i5 option with 8GB+256 GB is €999 ($1,126). The 16GB+512GB versions come bundled with a Smart Magnetic Keyboard for €1,199 ($1,261) for an Intel Core i5 processor or €1,399 ($1,577) for the Intel Core i7 processor.

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Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 27, 2022

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is not only one of the most amazing flagships ever made, but also the definitive replacement of the Galaxy Note series thanks to its integrated S Pen. It contributed to the amazing results in terms of pre-orders registered after the launch: Samsung did not sell so many units in the initial period since the Galaxy S8 lineup. But is it really a valid flagship? Can it be better than iPhones? This is a comparison between the best Samsung phone at the moment and the best one by Apple: the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The best handset to choose depends on the user, but this comparison will inform you about the pro and cons of each handset.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

	Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra	Apple iPhone 13 Max
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm, 228 g	160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm, 240 g
DISPLAY	6.8 inches, 1440 x 3088 pixels (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X	6.7 inches, 1284 x 2778p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED
PROCESSOR	Samsung Exynos 2200 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, octa-core 2.8 GHz or octa-core 3 GHz	Apple A15 Bionic hexa-core 3.22 GHz
MEMORY	8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – 12 GB RAM, 1 TB	6 GB RAM, 512 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – 6 GB RAM, 1 TB
SOFTWARE	Android 12, One UI	iOS 15
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS
CAMERA	Quad 108 + 10 + 10 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/4.9 + f/2.4 + f/2.2 40 MP f/2.2 front camera	Quad 12 + 12 + 12 MP + TOF 3D LiDAR scanner, f/1.5 + f/2.8 + f/1.8 Dual 12 MP + SL 3D f/2.2
BATTERY	5000 mAh, fast charging 45W and Qi wireless charging 15W	4373 mAh, Fast Charging 20W, Qi wireless charging 7.5W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	5G, optional dual SIM, optional eSIM, IP68 waterproof, stylus support	5G, optional dual SIM, optional eSIM, MagSafe 15W, IP68 waterproof

Design

The iPhone 13 Pro Max comes with a higher build quality because it is made with a stainless steel frame (instead of the aluminum frame of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra) and a glass back protected by Ceramic Shield. Further, it has a stronger water resistance: it comes with the IP68 certification just like the Samsung rival, but it is waterproof up to 6 meters deep for a max of 30 minutes instead of just 1.5 meters like waterproof Android phones. However, if you do not like the notch, you might prefer the Galaxy S22 Ultra coming with a punch-hole and curved display protected by Gorilla Glass Victus Plus.

Display

On the paper, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with stunning display specifications. It has an LTPO AMOLED panel with an adaptive refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz, a Quad HD+ resolution of 1440 x 3088 pixels, the HDR10+ certification, a 6.8-inch diagonal, and it supports the S Pen for handwriting and drawing which can be embedded in the phone thanks to a dedicated slot. Despite the iPhone 13 Pro Max coming with inferior specs on the paper, its image quality is stunning, especially for its color reproduction close to perfection. It has an OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and the HDR10+ certification. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra relies on an in-display fingerprint reader for authentication, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max has Face ID technology which consists of 3D facial recognition thanks to a dedicated sensor near the selfie camera.

Specs & Software

Both these phones are flagships equipped with the best chipsets in the market. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or a Samsung Exynos 2200 mobile platform depending on the market, paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of internal storage. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has the Apple A15 Bionic chipset with 6 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of internal storage. Even though it comes with half of the RAM, the iOS operating system is optimized better than Android and the iPhone provides better performance.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a stunning camera setup composed of a 108 MP main camera with OIS, a 10 MP periscopic sensor with 10x optical zoom, a 10 MP telephoto sensor, and a 12 MP ultrawide camera. This handset provides better zoom performance, but in normal photos and videos, the iPhone 13 Pro Max looks a bit better with its 12 MP triple camera paired with a LiDAR scanner.

Read More: iPhone 13 series battery capacities detailed in Apple product information sheet

Battery

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra sports a bigger battery than the iPhone 13 Pro Max, but this does not mean that its battery life is always longer. Indeed, thanks to the level of optimization provided by the iOS operating system, the iPhone 13 Pro Max lasts longer on a single charge in several scenarios. On the other hand, while it does not support magnetic wireless charging (unlike the Apple flagship) the Galaxy S22 Ultra charges faster thanks to its 45W fast charging technology.

Price

The starting prices of these two phones are both above $1,000: they are close to $1200/€1300 and $1100/€1250, respectively (prices vary depending on the market). On the paper, the Galaxy S22 Ultra looks like a more interesting device for productivity thanks to its S-Pen, but not if you own an Apple ecosystem. The iPhone 13 Pro Max looks to have better camera performance and longer battery life, so it remains one of the most solid choices in the smartphone market.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: PRO and CONS

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

PRO

Wide display
Pen support
Bigger battery
10x optical zoom
Faster charging

CONS

Dimensions

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

PRO

iOS 15
Great materials
MagSafe
Amazing hardware
Great build quality

CONS

Price

Lenovo to launch first Arm-based ThinkPad lineup at MWC 2022

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 27, 2022

The 2022 Mobile World Congress (MWC) will kick off on February 28 in Barcelona, Spain. MWC 2022 is a global platform to showcase new products and Lenovo seems to be well primed for the event. A pre-show conference is scheduled ahead of the MWC itself and this will draw several manufacturers to the mix. The focus will be mobile phones and notebook products and we could see the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s and ThinkPad T16 being unveiled.

Although an earlier press release relating to the launch of the two ThinkPad notebook products was quickly deleted, we know that the ThinkPad X13s will be the first of such with an Arm processor. The ThinkPad T16 has a 16-inch display and is powered by an Intel 12th-gen Core i7 processor and an AMD Ryzen chip.

Further details indicate that the ThinkPad X13s will have the Snapdragon 8cx Gen3 processor. Both the ThinkPad X13s and ThinkPad T16 offer 16:10 displays and improved performance from their predecessors. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 will have only two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm jack.

There are feelers that Lenovo could release the two notebooks before the main event of the mobile world congress. But with less than two days to the start of the main event, we should expect the formal unveiling of the two notebooks, otherwise, they will be formally unfurled in the main event in Barcelona from February 28.

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Valve launches its Steam Deck console starting at $399, now available for pre-order

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 27, 2022

The Valve portable Steam Deck gaming console has been launched by the company and three variants are available starting from $399. It is not clear at this time the number of units of the device that are available for order but we know it is limited. Reservers who order will be sent an email containing their order details and they are expected to make payment for the device within 72 hours.

The Valve Steam Deck is a portable gaming console that offers some enthralling games including Horizon Zero Dawn, Elden Ring, The Witcher 3, Stardew Valley, and Shadow Warrior. Valve also announced the release of a mini-game, the Aperture Desk Job which will be available for download in the Steam Deck, as well as Windows PCs.

The Aperture Desk Job will be available for a free download for all Steam users from March 1. Valve is hyping the Steam Deck on its official Steam site where a new page was created to showcase some of the games that work with the Steam Deck. The page on the site is called Great on Deck.

The three variants of the Steam Deck console available are the 64GB model which is priced at $399, the 256GB model with a $529 price tag, and the 512GB model which is priced at $649. All the games showcased on the Great on Deck page are said to have passed all compatibility checks and offer a great gaming experience on the new console.

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Year 2021 Smartphone Market Revenue Reaches All-Time High of $448 Billion. Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi are in the Top 3 – Counterpoint

By

Leo Wong De Quan

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Feb 27, 2022

The year 2021 is now over, and looking back at the year in retrospect, 2021 saw the continued rise of mobile technology as more workers were given the option to work from home, and educational institutions were offering students the choice to study from home to complete their studies. Despite the ongoing chip shortages and supply chain disruptions by imposed lockdowns, 2021 was a growth year for many industries in tech such as the laptop market, the tablet market and most importantly the smartphone market.

Counterpoint Research has just released its annual report of the total global smartphone revenue across the year and the great news is that the smartphone market is still going strong on its ever-increasing market cap value and in 2021, the global smartphone market revenue reaches an all-time high of $448 billion USD. Compared to 2020’s $382 billion USD, global smartphone market revenue has grown over 7% YoY. in 2021, and smartphone makers are now generating more revenue than ever.

Counterpoint-2021-smartphone-report — Source: Counterpoint Research

The report also mentions more than 85% of the smartphone market revenue generated were by the Top 5 most well-known smartphone brands, which are respectively: Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO(includes OnePlus) and vivo. The breakdown of each of the Big 5 performance’s in 2021 are as follows.

Apple

Apple led the global smartphone market revenues in 2021 with annual revenue of $196 billion, a 35% YoY growth compared to 2020. It captured 44% of total global smartphone revenue in 2021. As for the average selling price(ASP) of iPhones, Apple sold its iPhones at an ASP of $825 USD in 2021. This may be caused by the high demand for the 5G-enabled iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series with fancier design and more potent camera systems, which helps to maintain its original userbase as well as attract newer users in key emerging markets such as India, Thailand, Vietnam and Brazil.

Samsung

In 2nd comes South Korean tech giant, Samsung. Samsung’s smartphone revenue increased 11% YoY to reach $72 billion in 2021, compared to $64 billion in 2020. The average selling price for a Samsung smartphone grew 5% to $263 USD in 2021. Samsung managed to increase its global market share in the mid-range and premium segments with the launch of the Galaxy S flagship series and increase in the share of 5G phones, with the cheapest of the bunch being the Samsung Galaxy A22 5G.

2021 also witnessed the launch of two foldable smartphones — Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Z Flip3, which also nudged the overall revenue higher. The lineup of foldables generated much buzz for the company for its industry breaking innovations and attract customers with its more extraordinary design. For those who wanted more than rectangular non-folding slabs of aluminium and glass, Samsung finally offered an alternative. Samsung shipped three times more foldable devices in 2021 than in 2020.

Xiaomi

Coming in 3rd is the value-to-performance king – Xiaomi. Xiaomi’s revenue increased 49% YoY to reach $36 billion in 2021, compared to $24 billion in 2020. This is mainly due to the increase in shipments and market share for its mid-range and premium segment flagship killers such as the Mi 11X series, Poco F3 series, Redmi Note 10 series globally. In India, the brand’s biggest market, the smartphones priced at $250 USD and above grew 39% YoY to account for more than 14% of Xiaomi’s India market, compared to 8% in 2020.

OPPO

Down to 4th place, is OPPO which saw the merger with its sister company OnePlus into one shared entity. The Counterpoint Research report also categorises OnePlus and OPPO as OPPO for the sake of data analysis.

OPPO saw a revenue increase of 47% YoY to $37 billion in 2021. The ASP of its smartphones grew 15% YoY to reach $259 USD in 2021. The brand saw an increase in shipments in the $400-$599 and $600-$799 price bands, mainly owing to strong demand for the Reno 6 series, Find X3 and OnePlus 9 series. 5G-enabled smartphones contributed more than 50% of the brand’s yearly shipments in 2021 against 28% in 2020. OPPO also managed to expand its presence in mature markets such as China, Japan and parts of Europe (including Nordic countries), which drove the higher revenue and ASP. OnePlus revenue grew 33% YoY in 2021 driven by the OnePlus Nord series and the OnePlus 9 lineup.

vivo

Squeezing into the last spot within the Top 5 is the Chinese phone brand, vivo. vivo’s revenue increased 43% YoY to $34 billion USD in 2021. The average selling price (ASP) of vivo smartphones grew 19% YoY to reach $259 USD in 2021. The brand ranked as the fifth-largest smartphone vendor in 2021 both in terms of revenue and shipments.

vivo’s revenue performance was driven by the well-received flagship vivo X60 and S series, exceptional performance in China and a wide product portfolio spread across all price bands. In 2021, the vendor also collaborated with Zeiss for its flagship vivo X60 and X70 series for its outstanding low-light camera performance in the industry.

And that was a quick recap of the report of the Top 5 Smartphone Brands in 2021. Compared to 2019, it looks to seem that Xiaomi has quickly filled up the void that Huawei left once the US sanctions hit the company and with fiercer competition from Realme, Lenovo and Asus in the smartphone market 2022, it remains to be seen if the Top 5 smartphone brands of 2021 will remain the Top 5 smartphone brands of 2022.

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New Apple patent conceptualizes the Magic Keyboard with an in-built Mac

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Feb 27, 2022

A new Apple patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) indicates that Apple is planning to deliver a keyboard device that essentially functions as a portable Apple computer – a Mac. The patent document indicates that Apple made the filing in 2020 and the intended device is a computer in an input device, which is an innovative proposition.

Apple is pursuing research in the direction of portable computing devices which are also capable of delivering high performance. This will also imply the development of compact PCs that serve the needed purposes while still being easy to deploy on the go. The new patent could see more compact components from the bulky counterparts in the Apple Mac. The keyboard compartment will contain processors, batteries, memory, integrated circuits, and all the needed elements that will make it deliver the same experience when the keyboard is hooked up to a monitor.

The patent documents also indicate that the materials that will be used for the magic keyboard will be heat-conductive to efficiently dissipate heat generated while in operation. The patent also mentions the possibility of having a foldable magic keyboard which will further enhance its compactness.

There are no clear directions on the hardware to deploy to transform the patent into an actual Apple product. A patent filing is also not a definitive confirmation of ongoing research along that line. Subsequent Apple activity on the patent will indicate whether it is indeed pursuing its development or not.

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Okinawa Okhi 90 e-scooter with a 200km range to be unveiled in India on March 24

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 27, 2022

The Okhi 90 electric scooter is Indian company Okinawa’s introduction into the high-speed segment of the e-scooter market in India. The company has had a presence previously on the low-speed segment of the e-scooter market. The company says that the Okhi 90 e-scooter with a range of up to 200km will be launched in India on March 24, 2022. The Okhi 90 can deliver top speeds up to 90km/h.

Okinawa’s co-founder, Jeetender Sharma in an interview provided some key details about the Okhi 90 e-scooter and some of the plans underway by the company to release other products, especially the Okhi 100. The 200km range of the Okhi 90 is the highest range delivered yet by Okinawa. Okinawa’s co-founder is also of the view that the Okhi 90 e-scooter is going to change the market scenario in India because the e-scooter comes as a futuristic model.

The Okhi 90 will also come with fast charging functionality, as the EV’s battery will be charged up to 80 percent in under 4 hours. The new Okhi 90 e-scooter will also come with artificial intelligence and connected vehicle features yet to be seen in the e-scooter segment in India.

As per the pricing and charging infrastructure, these details are still expected. However, as the countdown to the launch of the Okinawa Okhi 90 draws nearer, pricing information and other details will surface.

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Realme V25 could be rebranded as a OnePlus phone

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 27, 2022

Realme V25 is all set to launch on March 3 in China. The rear design of the phone was revealed by the brand last week. The Geekbench appearance of the device revealed that it is powered by the Snapdragon 695 mobile platform. The specifications of the phone suggest that this phone may get rebranded as a OnePlus device outside China.

Realme hasn’t launched its V-series of smartphones outside China. Hence, the V25 is likely to remain exclusive to the Chinese market. The specifications of the Realme V25 are identical to the Realme 9 Pro, which debuted in India earlier this month. Recent teasers have revealed that the V25 will also sport a color-changing rear shell like the Realme 9 Pro. However, it can be said based on recent leaks that the Realme V25 may get rebranded as the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite in some markets.

Last week, Pricebaba released a schematic of the rear shell of the upcoming OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite. As can be seen, it looks identical to the Realme V25 / Realme 9 Pro. In addition, the rumored specs of the Nord CE 2 Lite are also identical to the V25.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite specifications (rumored)

The Nord CE 2 Lite rumors have revealed that it has a 6.58-inch IPS LCD 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 695 chipset, 6 GB / 8 GB of LPDDR4fx RAM and 64 GB / 128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. It will feature a 16-megapixel front-facing camera and a 64-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera unit. It has a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging.

The above-mentioned specs are also available on the Realme V25. At present, there is no word on Nord CE 2 Lite’s launch date. Probably, it may debut at some point in March or April. As far as Realme V25 and Realme 9 Pro are concerned, the only noticeable difference between the two devices is that the Realme 9 Pro has an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. The rest of the two smartphones are identical.

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Redmi K50, K50 Pro, K50 Pro+ variants revealed via TENAA listings

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 27, 2022

Redmi K50, K50 Pro, and K50 Pro+ are expected to launch in March in China. These models were spotted at the 3C certification site earlier this month. Now, these models have also surfaced at the TENAA certification database. The TENAA listings of the Redmi K50 trio are yet to show their entire specs. However, as can be seen in the screenshots below, the TENAA listings of the K50 series have revealed its RAM and storage variants.

The 22021211RC model number belongs to the Redmi K50. According to tipster WHY LAB, this model will be powered by the Snapdragon 870 mobile platform. Its TENAA listing show that it will come in variants such as 6 GB RAM + 128 Gb storage, 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage in China.

The 22041211AC model number belongs to the Redmi K50 Pro. The tipster claims that it is driven by the forthcoming Dimensity 8100 chipset. The TENAA listing of the K50 Pro shows that China will receive it in configurations such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage, and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. The 3C listings of the Redmi K50 and K50 Pro may carry support for 67W fast charging.

Lastly, the 22011211C model number is associated with the Redmi K50 Pro+, which is likely to be fuelled by the Dimensity 9000 chipset. As per its TENAA listing, the device may arrive in variants such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage, and 12 GB RAM + 512 GB storage. The K50 Pro+ may arrive with support for 120W rapid charging.

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Realme GT Neo3 fresh renders reveal new display design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Feb 27, 2022

Realme GT Neo3 is expected to release in markets like China and India in the coming days. All the smartphones that Realme has been selling across different price points have sported a display design with a punch-hole at the top-left corner. The TENAA images of the GT Neo3 that surfaced revealed that its display will be equipped with a new display design. Now, tipster ShadowLeak has released fresh renders of the GT Neo3 to give a good look at its front and rear design.

The new renders of the Realme GT Neo3 show it will be the first Realme first smartphone to sport a centrally positioned punch-hole. The left side of the device has volume up and down buttons, whereas its right side is fitted with a power key.

The rear side of the smartphone features a triple camera unit. It includes a 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS support. The device is fitted with an in-screen fingerprint scanner.

Realme GT Neo3 specifications (rumored)

The Realme GT Neo3 will feature a 6.7-inch AMOLED display that offers a Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It is fitted with a 16-megapixel front-facing camera and its back panel has an OIS-enabled 50-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel lens, and a 2-megapixel camera.

The upcoming Dimensity 8100 chip is likely to power the GT Neo3. The device may ship with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of native storage. The device will be running on Android 12 OS and Realme Ui 3.0.

The GT Neo may come in two battery variants. The 4,500mAh battery variant may support 150W fast charging, whereas its 5,000mAh battery model could be equipped with 80W rapid charging.

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TicWatch Pro 3 Sports version launched packing over 100 sports modes

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Feb 27, 2022

Mobvoi has launched an upgraded version of its popular TicWatch Pro 3 model. The new model is dubbed TicWatch Pro 3 Sports version and it comes with some improvements on the software side while retaining the design of the original TicWatch Pro 3 that was launched in 2020.

The major upgrade on this model seems to be on the sports mode which is expanded from over 10 kinds of sports to over 100!. For reference, the TicWatch Pro 3 supports 10+ sports modes such as outdoor run, outdoor cycling, rope skipping, swimming, indoor walking, rowing, freeStyle, mountain climbing, indoor run, gymnastics, indoor cycling, and yoga. In addition to the above-listed ones, the TicWatch Pro 3 Sports version brings support for sports such as skiing, football, table tennis, rugby, and others. It is tweaked to provide detailed exercise data including exercise time, calories, heart rate, and exercise-related indicators.

It also has the ability to expand the TicMotion intelligent algorithm to provide professional training suggestions for a variety of sports. The self-developed TicMotion motion active recognition AI algorithm can automatically recognize walking, running, cycling and prompt to enter this kind of motion. Thus, it provides automatic counting for burpees, jumping jacks, squat jumps, rope skipping, etc. In swimming, it comes with stroke and lap recognition.

In addition, the sports-centric smartwatch comes with a blood oxygen saturation detection function to detect blood-oxygen value anytime, anywhere.

In terms of design and hardware, the TicWatch Pro 3 Sports version retains the 1.39-inch AMOLED retina-level screen with 454x454p high-definition resolution and a second FSTN LCD display on top. It utilizes a 316L stainless steel frame and crams a 577mAh battery. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4100 chip and runs on Wear OS by Google operating system.

The smartwatch is now up for pre-order on Jingdong and will retail for 1999 yuan (~$316)

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Twitter Ads Suspended in Ukraine, Russia to Ensure Public Safety in the Region

By

Leo Wong De Quan

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Feb 27, 2022

February 24th, 2022 is the day when Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation waged war on its neighbouring European country, Ukraine. Amidst the crisis, the Ukrainian government has pleaded with many countries and organisations to take actions in the region to hopefully resolve the conflict in the region and to protect the developing European country from being invaded by a global superpower like Russia.

Many countries have imposed sanctions on Russian companies as an act of solidarity with Ukraine’s sovereignty as a country and many organisations have been donating towards the cause of protecting innocent Ukrainian citizens in the war.

Twitter, the San-Francisco based tech giant is the latest organisation to take action towards the Ukraine-Russia war and on February 26, the platform has announced that it will be pausing advertisements in Ukraine and Russia. The move serves to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads don’t detract from it. To illustrate, citizens in the region will be able to focus on the everchanging severity of the situation from time to time without the distraction of ads, so that they can keep themselves out of harm’s way in these trying times.

We’re temporarily pausing advertisements in Ukraine and Russia to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads don’t detract from it.

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) February 25, 2022

In an earlier statement, Twitter has also expressed its condemnation of Russia invading Ukraine. The team behind Twitter mention that they’re actively monitoring for risks associated with the conflict in Ukraine, including identifying and disrupting attempts to amplify false and misleading information on the platform.

In addition, the platform has also paused Tweet Recommendations for Ukrainian and Russian users. Twitter hopes that the move can help to reduce the spread of misinformation and abusive content of the war among the Ukrainian and Russian general public.

No exact date was given on when the suspension of these Twitter features and services will end, but it is expected that Twitter will only resume these features once the war has officially ended to protect both the safety and well-being of innocent commonfolk in the regions.

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No Release of Xiaomi 12 Lite in China – Xiaomi Exec Confirms

By

Leo Wong De Quan

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Feb 26, 2022

Earlier leaks and rumours indicated the existence of a Xiaomi 12 Lite and a Xiaomi 12 Lite Zoom that were in development within the Xiaomi company since October 2021. Previously, it said there will be two models, one of which will be available in all important markets (China, Global, India), while the other will be limited to China.

However, last week, news broke out that Xiaomi will be launching only one model from the Xiaomi 12 Lite series, and the model will now only be exclusively available as a ‘Global’ variant.

As of today, the question of the availability of a Xiaomi 12 Lite in the Chinese market has been officially answered by a Xiaomi Senior Executive in China.

The news comes from newly appointed Xiaomi Civi Senior Product Manager, Xinxin_Mia on Weibo. In her post, one Xiaomi fan asked if she would appear on the upcoming rumoured Xiaomi 12 Lite launch event, in which she replied bluntly: “There is no Xiaomi 12 Lite anymore.” Indirectly, the manager is hinting that the Xiaomi 12 Lite has been cancelled for release in the Chinese market.

It seems that last week’s rumour was proven right that the Xiaomi 12 Lite won’t be available in China, however, whether the Xiaomi 12 Lite will be available in global markets or cancelled altogether still remains to be seen in the next few months.

Although Xiaomi has not officially revealed the specs of the Xiaomi 12 Lite nor the availability of the device in global markets, a lot of the details of the device has already been leaked on the Internet. Here’s a short roundup of the key details.

The Xiaomi 12 Lite is expected to arrive with a 6.55-inch AMOLED Full HD display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate and an in-screen fingerprint scanner. The device may sport a curved edge display like the China-exclusive Xiaomi Civi, which debuted in September 2021.

The Xiaomi 12 Lite could be powered by the Snapdragon 778G or an even more powerful Snapdragon 7 series chipset. Its rear-facing triple camera unit is speculated feature a 64-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL GW3 main lens. It will be accompanied by a wide-angle lens and a macro camera.

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Realme GT2 Pro gets Anatel approval in Brazil

By

Pranav Sawant

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Feb 26, 2022

Realme will take wraps off the Realme GT2 and GT2 Pro on February 28 in the global market. Ahead of its launch, the series has appeared on multiple global certification sites. Now, the Realme GT2 Pro has appeared on a new certification, this time on Brazil’s Anatel agency.

The Anatel certification confirms that the device with model number RMX3301 will soon go official in the Brazilian market. That being said, the phone’s sale could be soon after the release this month. The global model of the GT2 Pro is expected to have the same specs as the model launched in China.

The Realme GT2 Pro has a 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a QHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate screen. It has a 32MP selfie snapper and a triple rear camera array. The setup goes by a 50MP primary lens, a 50MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 3MP microscope lens.

Under the hood, it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC coupled with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 internal storage. The phone packs a 5,000mAh battery and has 65W fast charging support. It has an in-display fingerprint scanner for security and boots on Android 12 OS.

The European pricing of the phone was tipped recently. The GT2 Pro is said to come at a price of EUR 789(~$885). The device is expected to arrive in Paper White, Paper Green, and Steel Black color variants.

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Realme Buds Q2s appears in new listing, alleged renders emerge

By

Pranav Sawant

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Feb 26, 2022

Realme is expected to launch a new pair of TWS earbuds in the Q lineup soon. The earbuds will be called the Realme Buds Q2s and they have been quite frequent in the news lately. Last time, the Buds Q2s’ India launch was tipped, now, the earbuds have emerged on a new certification site online. Additionally, the alleged renders of the buds have also been shared.

An Indian tipster Piyush Bhasarkar first spotted the IECEE listing of the upcoming Realme Buds Q2s. According to the listing, the TWS earbuds have the model number RMA2110. The earbuds pack a 40mAh battery while the case houses a 400mAh cell.

Other than this, we previously learned that the upcoming Realme Buds Q2s will arrive in both European and Indian markets. In India, the earbuds could arrive at a price of around Rs. 2,000(~$27), whereas in the European markets, they will cost around EUR 29(~$33).

The earbuds will come in three color options — Night Black, Paper Green, and Paper White. Now, InTech Bits has shared the purported renders of all three colors. The design of the earbuds looks similar to the existing Buds Q2.

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Coming to the specs, not much is known about the Buds Q2s. The Realme Buds Q2s will be a variant of the existing Buds Q2, and that said, the buds are expected to come with similar features and designs as the Q2. We can expect improvement in connectivity, features, and battery life.

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First iPhone 12 Pro Max with USB-C port launched for sale on eBay

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 26, 2022

A Slovakian company DEEP has successfully modified Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max smartphone by incorporating a USB-C port into the device. The new USB-C port is something that has been long expected for the iPhone as much of Apple’s lineup of products now comes with the global connectivity option via the USB-C port for both charging and connectivity. Apple iPads and Macs already have the standard USB—port available, but this has not been birthed on the iPhone 12 series official. We have only seen a third-party iPhone X with USB-C also sold on eBay for a hefty $86,000.

The company DEEP provided a walk-through video that details all the steps taken to transform the iPhone 12 Max Pro into a USB-C-capable device. The modification process started with opening the smartphone and removing the Lightning port flex cable assembly. The needed measurements are taken so that the USB-C connector and the housing could be properly placed. A flex cable designed with the USB-C port and implementing an original Mfi chip was then soldered into the flex assembly and installed back to the iPhone 12 Pro Max. A 3D printing of the housing was done for the new port to fit snugly.

The new USB-C iPhone 12 Pro Max has been put through the paces and it is fully operational both in charging the device and connectivity. It works with iTunes and the phone’s internal storage connects with the Mac seamlessly. As per charging, the modified iPhone 12 Pro Max charges properly with an original Apple charger using a USB-C to C (or USB-A to C) cable. There is no mention of potential drawbacks of the device in the absence of its original Lightning connector. It is also unclear whether there was an interface between the company and Apple.

The USB-C iPhone 12 Pro Max is already put on sale on eBay via an auction. It will be the second-ever iPhone with a USB-C port. The first model did not get the traction expected by its designers. We shall keep tabs on the auction which will run from February 24 until March 6 at 3.00 am Eastern Time. It is also unclear whether the water resistance rating of the original iPhone 12 Pro Max is maintained with the current modification.

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Belkin’s Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 dock comes with several nice features for $399

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 26, 2022

Belkin’s new Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 dock is designed to solve lots of issues relating to the dongle and is priced at $399. With the new Thunderbolt 4 Dock, you can connect three displays simultaneously. The Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 dock is the successor to the Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro and comes with several additions.

The Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 dock comes with more pots and greater power than the Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro although it sports a pretty similar design. It has a curved aluminum enclosure and a glossy plastic housing. The multiple ports available enable you to connect to several screens and accessories, enabling users to deploy the whole desk setup. The 12 ports include an SD card slot, HDMI, USB-C 3.1, 3.5mm combo jack, and more. The device also offers pass-through charging up to 90W which is a slight improvement from its predecessor.

The Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 dock offers a single display at 8K with up to 30Hz and dual 4K displays at 60Hz. It is also capable of accommodating three displays, and this is impressive.

In terms of the pricing, it seems the Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 dock at $399 could be high up among current models with similar functionality. The device can be ordered directly from Belkin via its website or via Amazon.

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