Oppo Watch Free launched in Europe for €99

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Feb 25, 2022

Back in September 2021, Oppo launched the Oppo Watch Free in the Chinese market. The smartwatch recently got released in the Indian market. And now, the smart wearable has finally been made available to European customers.

Coming to Europe, the smartwatch will pack a 1.64-inch AMOLED display with a 280 x 456 resolution, DCI-P3 color gamut, and a 326 PPI pixel density. The rectangular display is housed in a frame made of polycarbonate and fiber while the underside is covered in a material made of nylon plastic (PA) and fiber. Attached to the watch are silicone straps with a leather texture which OPPO claims are breathable and comfortable to wear during sleep.

The fitness tracker can track more than 100 sports modes including cricket, skipping, archery, skiing, volleyball, kayaking, and badminton. However, only four sports can be automatically tracked and they are running, walking, rowing (machine), and ellipticals. There is even a built-in trainer for running.

Other than sports mode, the OPPO Watch Free also comes with a SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen monitoring and a heart rate monitor that will warn users when the heart rate is too high or too low. There is also sleep tracking, snoring detection, music playback control and notifications, and call alerts.

The smart wearable has a 230mAh battery that will provide up to 14 days of usage. It also supports fast charging as OPPO claims a quick 5-minute charge will provide enough charge to last a day. It connects via Bluetooth 5.0 and it is compatible with Android devices running Android 6.0 and later as well as devices running iOS 10.0 and later.

Currently, Oppo has made the Watch Free available in two colors for European customers namely Black and Cream. The Oppo Watch Free will retail for €99 in the Eurozone and £89 in the UK. Oppo will begin selling the smartwatch on March 24.

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Samsung Galaxy A53 5G looks beautiful in Blue & Orange colors

By

Sudhanshu

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Feb 25, 2022

Samsung is guarding up to launch their upcoming mid-range offering dubbed the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G. The phone has had many leaks up until now hinting at its specs and design. And now, renders of the smartphone have surfaced yet again showcasing its design and color variants.

The renders of the Galaxy A53 5G have previously leaked in White and Black, but this time around, WinFuture has provided a better look at the rumored Orange and Blue color options.

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G renders Blue

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Samsung Galaxy A53 5G renders Orange

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These new renders are consistent with the previous renders that surfaced online a while back. The phone still appears to have a pretty similar design compared to the Galaxy A52. The only noticeable difference from the current-gen smartphone is the camera island which has a much smoother-looking protrusion from the pack panel this time around.

The colors on the device also look clean with a blue variant being noticeably lighter in tone compared to the light blue of the A52. The orange variant of the smartphone is also light in tone, making it appear more Peach color than the traditional orange.

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G specs (rumored)

So far, the upcoming Galaxy A53 5G is said to have a 6.52-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

The device will come equipped with an unreleased Samsung midrange SoC dubbed the Exynos 1200. The SoC will have two high-performance cores clocked at 2.4 GHz and six cores with a maximum clock speed of 2.0 GHz. The CPU is supported by the Mali G68 GPU for graphics. The device will come in two ram variants, 6GB and 8GB. It is also touted to at least have 128GB of internal storage which can be further expanded by up to 1TB with a microSD card.

The device is said to house a 5000mAh battery with 25W charging support. The rear quad-camera setup will likely have a 64MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultrawide lens, a 5MP macro, and a 5MP depth sensor.

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Anker teases the Soundcore Liberty3 Pro, to launch in India in April 2022

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 25, 2022

The Souncore Liberty3 Pro is the latest flagship offering by Anker from their Liberty TWS earbuds lineup, as per a teaser by the company. It is set for unveiling in India by April 2022 and it features Soundcore’s proprietary ACAA 2.0 technology. The ACAA 2.0 technology is an exclusive coaxial dual driver technology patented by Soundcore and allows for the delivery of high-quality sound.

The patented ACAA 2.0 technology enables the device to output both high and low-frequency sound directly into the user’s ear without interfering with each other. The earbuds support Bluetooth 5.2 and will be capable of streaming high-resolution audio. The Personalized noise canceling technology present in the Soundcore Liberty3 will be accentuated by the Fusion Comfort Fit technology. According to Soundcore, the ACAA 2.0 technology provides a 360-degree sound field with surging bass and transparent treble.

Although there is no specific pricing information for the Liberty3 Pro in India, it is sold in other jurisdictions like the US and UK for the equivalent of $169.99. It is unclear whether Soundcore will retain the current international price or scale it down below the Rs. 12,866 equivalent. We’ll keep tabs on Soundcore for new details ahead of the April 2022 arrival of the Liberty3 Pro in India.

iQOO 9 Pro first software update comes with February 2022 security patch

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 25, 2022

The iQOO 9 Pro which is just days old in the international market, is receiving its first software update which comes with its February 2022 security patch and bug fixes. The firmware version requires a download of 428MB and is aimed at a slew of enhancements for the iQOO 9 Pro.

The iQOO 9 Pro was unveiled in India just days back and the new firmware will optimize the smartphone’s compatibility with Bluetooth devices as well as network adaptability in some regions of the global market. The first units of the iQOO 9 Pro will be available in India by March 2, 2022, and only models with designation I2022 are covered by the software update. So the likely thing is that users will get the update prompt when they have completed the setup processes for their new devices.

There are a few fundamental departures between the iQOO 9 Pro global edition and the Chinese model. Importantly, the global model runs on Android 12-based Funtouch OS 12 unlike the Origin OS in the Chinese model. It however has much of the specs of the original Chinese model.

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The iQOO 9 Pro has two memory configurations in India namely the 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB RAM/ internal storage combinations. The iQOO 9 Pro uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset which is a premium SoC also deployed in some other flagship models. The price of the iQOO 9 Pro in India is between Rs. 64,990 ($865) and Rs. 69,990 ($930).

Samsung rolls out the first software update for the Galaxy S22 series

By

Sean

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Feb 25, 2022

Samsung has just recently announced the Galaxy S22 series. It is the company’s latest flagship smartphone, and now, it is receiving its first software update as customers that pre-ordered that devices have started receiving the new phones.

For those unaware, the South Korean tech giant’s latest premium handsets have seen record breaking pre-orders in various regions across the globe. With the Galaxy S22 series arriving at customers doorsteps, the company has rolled out a new firmware update to the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra. This firmware version is S90xEXXU1AVB3 and is currently rolling out in Afghanistan and Egypt.

Furthermore, additional nations will probably start receiving this update over the next couple of days as well. In a few countries, the latest smartphones may even ship with the new February 2022 update out of the box. According to the company, the new software update brings the February 2022 security patch along with over 60 fixes for the privacy and security vulnerabilities that are found in Galaxy smartphones.

In other words, if you already have a Galaxy S22 model and are in one of the aforementioned countries, you can check if you have received the new update. To check this, you can simply go to Settings > Software Update, once here, you can hit Download and install if you’ve received the update.

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Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra uses older OLED material set

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 25, 2022

Samsung announced the Galaxy S22 series earlier this month at the Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event. Out of all three phones, the Galaxy S22 Ultra offers the best mobile technology from the South Korean tech giant. One of the key features of this premium slab smartphone is its bright display. Turns out the screen material used by the company is from last year.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Burgundy — Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

A report by The Elec says that the OLED material set on the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the same as the one found on Galaxy S21. It is officially called M11. Despite that, it offers a better peak brightness level of 1,750 nits.

Usually, Samsung Electronics introduces new OLED material set on the Galaxy S series. The company has been doing this from the Galaxy S10 series to Galaxy S21 Ultra. For the first time, it has broken this streak.

Samsung Display display uses M series of material sets for the OLED panels, which it supplies to Samsung Electronics and Apple. For those unaware, an OLED material set consists of red, green and blue pixels’ dopant, host, as well as prime.

The publication’s sources suggest that Samsung may have opted for an older tech to control the cost, and therefore, focus more on the shipments on the Galaxy S22 series when compared to the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S20 series. So far, the pre-order numbers are positive from multiple regions.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Burgundy Phantom Black Phantom White — Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

On the other hand, the Galaxy S22+ also uses the M11 material set, which is an upgrade over M10 found on the Galaxy S21+. However, the vanilla Galaxy S22 still comes with the older M10 just like its predecessor Galaxy S21.

Further, Samsung is planning to utilize the M9 material set for its mid to low-end smartphones in 2022, which is an upgrade over M8 used in 2020. The latest M12 material set is expected to debut on the next-gen foldables from Samsung and iPhone 14 series, an upgrade over M11 found on their predecessors.

Finally, Samsung Display is expected to sell OLED panels with legacy E series material set to Chinese smartphone brands at a lowered price tag.

Lenovo Legion Y700 gaming tablet, Y90 gaming phone full specs officially revealed ahead of launch

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Feb 25, 2022

Lenovo today announced the complete list of specifications of the Legion Y90 gaming phone and Y700 gaming tablet ahead of their launch that’s scheduled for February 28th.

The Lenovo Legion Y700 gaming tablet is equipped with the Snapdragon 870 processor, comes in 8GB+128GB/12GB+512GB configurations, and uses an 8500mm2 VC cooling plate for heat dissipation. Its LCD display is sized 8.8-inches, has a 2560*1600 resolution, and supports stuff like a 120Hz refresh rate, 500nit brightness, DC dimming, and Dolby Vision.

Its battery is sized 6550mAh and supports 45W fast charging. Interfaces include a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD port, and a USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port.

Meanwhile, the Lenovo Legion Y90 gaming phone is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and comes in 12GB+256GB, 16GB+256GB, and 18GB+512GB+128GB configs. It keeps it cool using a VC vapor chamber and a dual cooling fan system.

The screen is a 6.9-inch E4 AMOLED screen with specs like 2460*1080 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, up to 1300nits brightness, DC dimming, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+. The battery capacity is 5600mAh and supports 68W fast charging.

For interfacing, you get 2 USB-C ports with a peak data transfer speed of 10Gbps and support for reverse charging.

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Realme V25 with model number RMX3475 appears on Geekbench

By

Pranav Sawant

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Feb 25, 2022

Realme’s next V-series smartphone will be the upcoming Realme V25. The company has scheduled the launch of the smartphone for March 3 in China. Ahead of its launch, the smartphone has appeared on Geekbench giving out its key details.

The Realme V25 has the model number RMX3475. The device scores 687 points in the single-core department and 2022 points in the multi-core department on the Geekbench version 5. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset. The octa-core chipset is clocked at a base frequency of 1.80Hz.

The particular variant we’re looking at has 12GB of RAM and runs on Android 12 OS. We expect this variant to be the top-most variant and that said, there could be 8GB and 6GB of RAM variants. The phone may have 128GB of base storage.

Realme V25 Specifications

Apart from the Geekbench listing, the Realme V25’s specs were leaked previously. The Realme V25 is expected to come with a 6.58-inch LCD display with a Full-HD+ resolution. It will be a punch-hole panel.

The device will have a triple camera system at the rear with a 64MP primary lens and two 2MP sensors. These sensors could be depth and macro lenses. The smartphone will have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for security. It will have 128GB and 256GB of storage options. The phone will pack a 5,000mAh battery and a 33W fast charging support. On top of the Android 12 OS, it is expected to run on Realme UI 3.0.

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Vivo Y33s 5G spotted on Geekbench, with Dimensity 700 & Android 12

By

Sean

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Feb 25, 2022

We already known that Vivo is planning on launching a new 5G smartphone in the Indian market. However, prior to its official release, the Y33s has been spotted on Geekbench, which revealed some interesting information about the upcoming handset.

Looking at the listing on the popular benchmarking website, the smartphone carried the model number V2166A. In other words, this device is the Vivo Y33s, and we had covered its leaked renders and specifications previously. The Geekbench listing also revealed that it will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC, which is a 5G enabled octa core processor that has a base clock speed of 2GHz. This chip will be paired with the Mali-G57 MC2 GPU.

Furthermore, the Chinese smartphone maker’s upcoming smartphone will come with 8GB of RAM, as listed on the database. Although, the device will likely arrive in 4GB and 6GB RAM variants as well. Talking about the scores, we can see that the Vivo Y33s scored 420 points in the single core test and 1550 points in the multi core test. Unfortunately, that is all the information we have to go on at the moment but we do have some additional details from our previous reports.

The smartphone will apparently sport a 6.51 inch display with HD+ resolution and offer 60Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, a large 5,000mAh battery pack will power the device, which also supports 18W fast charging as well. On the rear, it will feature a 13 megapixel primary camera and a 2 megapixel depth sensor. The front will reportedly have an 8 megapixel sensor for selfies. Vivo Y33s will run on Android 12 out of the box with the company’s Origin OS custom skin. So stick around for more updates.

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Samsung Galaxy A03 launched in India for Rs 10,499 with 48MP camera

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Feb 25, 2022

Samsung has quite an A Series-packed couple of months incoming, with a number of devices on the way. While most of them are mid-rangers, the company is also keen on refreshing its entry-level lineup, and today launched the Samsung Galaxy A03 in India for a starting price of Rs 10,499.

The Samsung Galaxy A03 comes with a 6.5-inch TFT display with an HD+ 720 x 1600 resolution. Under the hood, there is the UNISOC T606 octa-core processor with a maximum clock speed of 1.6GHz. The chip is supported by up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded thanks to the presence of a microSD card slot.

For photography, there’s a dual-camera setup at the rear comprised of a 48MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. Selfies will be handled by the 5MP front camera that comes with image enhancing features like Beauty Mode, Smart Selfie Angle, and Live Focus.

The device’s battery is sized 5,000mAh and since there’s no mention of the charging speed, it is most likely 10W only as is the case with most entry-level Samsung devices.

On the software front, you get One UI 3.1 Core out of the box, which is based on Android 11. There’s support for Dolby Atmos too, although it’s limited to headsets alone.

You get the Samsung Galaxy A03 in three color options, namely Black, Blue, and Red. The base variant of the device with a 3GB+32GB config costs Rs 10,499, while the 4GB+64GB config will set you back by Rs 11,999. Purchase can be made through Samsung.com, retail stores, and leading online portals.

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OxygenOS 12 Open Beta comes to OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, 8T Indian & NA variants

By

Sudhanshu

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Feb 25, 2022

OnePlus recently released the first OxygenOS 12 Open Beta update for the OnePlus 9R users outside China, and now, the company has rolled out the Android 12 based OS for the OnePlus 8 series devices, specifically the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, and the OnePlus 8T.

Oneplus 8 Pro All Colors Featured — OnePlus 8 Pro

Anyone can install the update without the need for registration. All they have to do is download the required file and install it from Settings > System > System Updates > Top Right Icon > Local Upgrade.

Since its beta release, OnePlus warns of bugs. The brand says that some third-party apps may not function properly and the clock might be missing the dial display when the AOD feature is on.

If not satisfied with the beta update, users can roll back to the stable channel. Though the process is similar, it will wipe the phone’s internal storage.

OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, 8T OxygenOS 12 Open Beta 1 Official Changelog

System
- Optimized desktop icons with improved textures, by using a design inspired by brand-new materials and uniting lights and layers
Dark mode
- Dark mode now supports three adjustable levels, bringing a more personalized and comfortable user experience
Shelf
- New additional style options for Cards, making data contents more visual and easier to read
- Newly added Earphone Control Card with Bluetooth earphone one-click adjustment
- Newly added access to OnePlus Scout in Shelf, allowing you to search multiple contents on your phone, including Apps, Settings, Media Data, etc
- Newly added OnePlus Watch Card in Shelf, to easily glance at your health stats
Work-Life Balance
- Work-Life Balance feature is now available to all users, allowing you to effortlessly switch between Work and Life mode via quick settings
- WLB 2.0 now supports automatic Work/Life mode switching, based on specific locations, Wi-Fi network, and time, also bringing customized App notification profiles according to the personalization
Gallery
- Gallery now allows you to switch between different layouts with a two-finger pinch gesture, intelligently recognizing the best-quality pictures, and cropping the thumbnail based on the content, making the gallery layout more pleasing
Canvas AOD
- Canvas AOD brings you new diverse styles of lines and colors, for a more personalized lock screen experience with inspiring visuals
- Newly added multiple brushes and strokes and support for color adjustment
- Optimized software algorithm and improved face recognition to better identify the features and skin color of different figures

To know more about the update, or download the OxygenOS 12 Open Beta, OnePlus 8 & 8 Pro users can follow this link. If you own a OnePlus 8T, you can click this link to get to the Open Beta download page.

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Get OPPO FIND X5 PRO (Snapdragon Edition) for $1199 at Giztop

By

Daily Deals

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Feb 25, 2022

Oppo Find X5 Pro (Snapdragon Edition) is now available for $1199 only at Giztop. This price is applicable to the base variant.

WHERE TO BUY

Oppo Find X5 Pro (Snapdragon Edition) at $1199 @Giztop

OPPO Find X5 Pro (Snapdragon Edition)

Key Features:

Display: 6.7” LTPO 2.0 AMOLED 2K display, 120Hz refresh rate
Colors: 10 bit / 1.07B colors
Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Octa-core
GPU: Adreno 730
Custom 6nm MariSilicon X image processing chip
Rear Camera: Triple – 50MP + 50MP + 13MP
Selfie Camera: 32MP
RAM: 12GB LPDDR5
ROM: 256GB / 512GB UFS 3.1
Battery: 5000mAh
Charging: 80W SuperVOOC charge, and 50W AirVOOC Flash Charge
Operating system: Color OS 12.1 based on Android 12

You can now buy OPPO Find X5 Pro for $1199. The smartphone comes in two color variants viz. Ceramic White and Ceramic Black.

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

OPPO Find X5 uses OLED panels from BOE

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 25, 2022

OPPO announced the OPPO Find X5 series yesterday after teasing it for the past few days. The original lineup includes three models, namely OPPO Find X5, OPPO Find X5 Pro, and OPPO Find X5 Pro Dimensity Edition. Out of these, the vanilla variant uses display panels supplied by BOE.

After the launch of the OPPO Find X5 series, BOE revealed that it exclusively provides curved OLED panels for the regular OPPO Find X5. This screen is curved on four sides and sports a punch hole at the top left corner.

As far as specs are concerned, the BOE-supplied OLED panel on the OPPO Find X5 is an LTPO flexible AMOLED screen measuring 6.55 inches diagonally. It has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), 10-bit color depth (1.07 billion colors), and 402 PPI.

The display supports up to 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate. Talking about color gamut coverage, it can cover 97% of NTSC, 100% of DCI-P3, and 100% of sRGB.

The screen’s brightness can reach up to 1,000 nits and it has a screen-to-body ratio of 92.7%. Last but not least, it is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.

On the other hand, the OPPO Find X5 Pro and the OPPO Find X5 Pro Dimensity Edition use Samsung Display’s E4 2K AMOLED canvas with LTPO 2.0 technology. This panel is better, and therefore, it is fitted on expensive phones.

Google Pixel 6 series confirmed to skip Android 12L beta 3

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Feb 25, 2022

The Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro have been officially confirmed to skip the Android 12L beta 3 update and will get the next release instead that’s been scheduled for March.

The information comes from a Reddit thread on r/Android_beta (via Android Police) where Pixel 6 owners inquired why their devices were not receiving the latest beta despite signing up for the program.

As a response, Google from its official Reddit account stated that “If you’re enrolling a Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro that is on the latest February build SQ1D.220205.004, you will not receive an update to 12L Beta 3, but instead will receive the next upcoming beta build release in March as long as you keep your device enrolled.”

In other words, Pixel 6 series users will have to wait for the release of Android 12L beta 4 in order to get updated to the latest version.

The response can also be taken as a confirmation for a fourth beta since the official roadmap released last year showed beta release plans only until February, with an official “Final release” scheduled for some time after.

But if you simply can’t shake off the urge to jump aboard Android 12L beta 3, then you can try re-checking for the update for about five times after opting in. A Redditor says it worked for them so it’s worth a shot.

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realme caught trying to pass off recording as actual gameplay on Narzo 50 launch

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Feb 25, 2022

Going heavy on gaming with a launch for a Rs 12,999 phone isn’t really the wisest move, yet realme chose to do just that with the realme Narzo 50 launch event, even getting an “esports streamer” onboard to run tests. The whole thing was obviously heavily scripted but playing a pre-recorded clip instead of actually gaming on the device took things a bit too far.

Now, there’s frankly not much to hold up against the event itself which was a unique one, showing off the phone’s specs with an amusing 5-round competition. But in one of the rounds that required a quick-scope kill on Free Fire to win, realme messed up big time by trying to pass off recorded footage as actual gameplay (via RMleaks).

If you skip to 10:15 on the video for the launch, you’ll see a pause button pop up on one of the participant’s ‘gameplay’ triggered by an unwarranted touch on the screen. The interface looks to be of Google Photos, which is enough proof of the round not being the real deal.

realme’s reason for doing this remains unclear. Surely it wasn’t impossible to get a streamer to achieve a no-scope? Or did the company not have enough faith in the realme Narzo 50’s gaming abilities?

The latter seems unlikely given the final round of the event where the gameplay looked legit and lag-free. Also, Free Fire is not a demanding game at all and can run fairly well on the cheapest of post-2020 smartphones.

While there are quite some unanswered questions here, it is worth mentioning that an incident like this isn’t a first-time affair. Last year, the company was caught streaming iPhone game footage and promoting it as being from the realme Narzo 30A. The blunder was blamed on “a wrong file being accidentally sent to the producer” back then, so it would be interesting to see realme’s justification this time.

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nubia Z40 Pro launched with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 9x periscope camera, magnetic charging, and more

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 25, 2022

After teasing for days, nubia, the sub-brand of ZTE, has officially launched the nubia Z40 Pro (NX701J) in China. The latest flagship smartphone from the company is the successor of the nubia Z30 Pro from last year. The device not only brings a new set of specs but also a revamped design. Let’s take a detailed look at it.

nubia Z40 Pro Specifications and Features

The nubia Z40 Pro sports a boxy design like the nubia Z30 Pro, however, its camera module is different. The new model only has three lenses placed vertically. Its predecessor has three sensors arranged in an L-shaped and a fourth sensor below them.

As far as the build is concerned, the phone features an AG (anti-glare) glass sandwich design with a metal frame. It measures 161.9 x 72.9 x 8.4mm in dimensions, weighs 199g, and comes in two colors (Interstellar Black, Galaxy). There’s also a special edition of this smartphone, which is themed after ‘The Outcast’ anime.

It flaunts a 6.67-inch curved OLD display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), 395 PPI, and up to 144Hz refresh rate. The panel has a 20:9 aspect ratio and a centered punch-hole.

Further, the handset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. It boots MyOS 12 based on Android 12.

The device houses a triple camera setup on the rear consisting of a 64MP Sony IMX787 primary sensor with OIS, a 50MP 116° ultra-wide unit, and an 8MP 9x periscope shooter with OIS. For selfies and video calls, it uses a 16MP snapper.

Connectivity options on this phone include dual SIM, 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GNSS, NFC, and USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-C). It offers an in-display fingerprint sensor, dual stereo speakers with support for DTS:X Ultra, and an x-axis vibration motor.

nubia Z40 Pro The Outcast Limited Edition

Last but not least, the nubia Z40 Pro is backed by a 5,00mAh battery with support for 80W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging. The handset also comes in a magnetic charging edition. It is the world’s first commercially available Android smartphone with a magnetic charging solution.

nubia Z40 Pro Price and Availability

The nubia Z40 Pro will be available for pre-order in China starting March 2. It will retail at the following price tags.

nubia Z40 Price

Standard Edition

8GB + 128GB – ¥3,399 ($538)
8GB + 256GB – ¥3,699 ($586)
12GB + 256GB – ¥3,999 ($633)
12GB + 512GB – ¥4,499 ($712)

Magnetic Charging Edition

12GB + 256GB – ¥4,299 ($681)
16GB + 1TB – ¥5,999 ($950)

The Outcast Limited Edition

12GB + 256GB – ¥4,699 ($744)

Qualcomm made significant shipment gains even as MediaTek led SoC market in 2021

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Feb 25, 2022

While MediaTek maintained its lead, Qualcomm recorded 33% YoY growth in the global smartphone AP (Application Processor) / SoC (System on Chip) market in 2021. The market grew 5% YoY in Q4 2021 overall, with almost half of the SoC shipments being 5G smartphone SoC shipments, the latest Counterpoint figures show.

MediaTek led the smartphone SoC market in Q4 2021 with a 33% share. But its shipments declined due to inventory correction. Still, the company is expected to see growth in its revenues in the first quarter of 2022 driven by the Dimensity 9000 chipset. Lower seasonal demand will be offset by higher 5G penetration.

Global smartphone AP/SoC shipment market share (%), Q4 2020 vs Q4 2021 via Counterpoint

Meanwhile, Qualcomm recorded a strong quarter, growing 18% QoQ in the fourth quarter of last year despite component shortages and inadequate foundry capacities. The chipmaker was also able to prioritize high-end Snapdragon processor sales, which come with higher profitability. It was also able to increase supplies from its major foundry partners by dual-sourcing orders.

Global 5G Smartphone Baseband Shipment Market Share (%), Q4 2020 vs Q4 2021 via Counterpoint

Apple stood third in the smartphone SoC market in the fourth quarter of 2021 with a 21% share, with shipments driven by iPhone 13 launch and festive season demand.

UNISOC recorded growth this year and reached an 11% share in Q4 2021, with shipments more than doubling in 2021. It has expanded its customer base and currently supplies to companies like HONOR, realme, Motorola, ZTE, Transsion, and Samsung.

Samsung dropped to fifth place while Hilisilicon saw its market share drop to just 1% as its inventory of Kirin SoCs ran out.

RELATED:

Man frames broken Galaxy Z Flip3 after Samsung refused to fix it under warranty

By

Sean

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Feb 25, 2022

A Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 user has recently shared his experience with the foldable smartphone, and what led him to frame it once it had broken down. Yes, the device is in a frame alongside the company’s letter of refusal to honor the warranty.

According to Juhani Lehtimäki‘s blogpost, he “will never buy another Samsung device.” He had decided to purchase the new foldable smartphone after watching a video from a famous tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee who had reviewed the handset. Initially, Juhani was quite satisfied with the device, due to its unique design and form factor. However, it was quite costly and just after three months, disaster struck.

One day, he took out his phone from his pocket and noticed the middle of the display on top of the hinge turning black. Furthermore, the top half of the display had stopped responding to touch as well. This black part starting growing as well and soon, the display had completely failed. Lehtimäki claims that he never dropped the phone and took great care of it. So, he sent it for repairs since it was still in warranty thinking that foldable panels are still new and this might not be too out of the ordinary.

But unfortunately for him, the South Korean tech giant said that his Galaxy Z Flip3 “could not be repaired under warranty. Based on the information you have provided, we have contacted our service partner to obtain more detailed information regarding the repair. During the technical inspection of your device, the technician was able to determine that in addition to the display, the frame is also broken and that this damage is due to a mechanical impact, such as a fall, bending or excessive pressure.”

To make matters worse, the company said that it would cost around 340 US Dollars to fix the display. So, Juhani decided that he would never pay a single penny to Samsung ever again and framed the broken phone along with the rejection mail to remind him of this forever.

RELATED:

Redmi Note 11 Pro Series India launch date officially announced

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Feb 25, 2022

Following the release of the standard models, Redmi India is now gearing up to launch their beefier, more expensive variants in the form of the Redmi Note 11 Pro and Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5G. Rumors of a March launch for the duo surfaced several days back and the brand has now officially confirmed them.

With a tweet, Redmi announced today the Redmi Note 11 Pro series is all set to go live at 12 noon, 9th March 2022.

The image used in the announcement only drops subtle hints on what to expect with the series, specifically 5G support, 108MP camera, 120Hz display, and 67W charging. But because both devices have already been launched in other markets, it isn’t difficult to forecast their specifications.

The Redmi Note 11 Pro will obviously be the same as its global variant. It lacks 5G since it is powered by the MediaTek Helio G96 chip but makes up for it quite well in other departments. Take its display, for example, which is a 120Hz 6.67″ FHD+ AMOLED panel — fairly high-end for a wallet-friendly offering. For photography, there’s a triple-camera setup that’s topped by a 108MP unit, and the 5,000mAh battery is capable of being filled up 67W.

The Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5G is expected to come with specs very similar to its non-5G sibling but will be equipped with a 5G chip and perhaps better cameras.

Do keep in mind here that Xiaomi has a knack for tweaking features between regions, so it would be wise to not take the aforementioned specifications at face value.

RELATED:

Get Redmi Note 11, Note 11 Pro and Pro Plus for discounted prices only at Giztop

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Daily Deals

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Feb 25, 2022

Redmi Note 11 Series is now available on Giztop at discounted prices. You can now buy Redmi Note 11 for $169, Note 11 Pro for $269, and Note 11 Pro Plus for $339 only at Giztop. Please note that these prices are applicable to the base variants only.

FEATURES	REDMI NOTE 11 4G	REDMI NOTE 11 PRO	REDMI NOTE 11 PRO PLUS
BASE VARIANT PRICE	$169	$269	$339
DISPLAY	6.5" LCD FHD+, 90Hz	6.67" AMOLED, 120Hz	6.67" AMOLED, 120Hz
PROCESSOR	MediaTek Helio G88	MediaTek Dimensity 920	MediaTek Dimensity 920
RAM	4GB / 6GB	6GB / 8GB LPDDR4	6GB / 8GB LPDDR4
STORAGE	128GB	128GB / 256GB	128GB / 256GB
REAR CAMERA	50MP + 8MP + 2MP	108MP + 8MP + 2MP	108MP + 8MP + 2MP
SELFIE CAMERA	8MP	16MP	16MP
BATTERY	5000mAh	5160mAh	4500mAh
CHARGING	18W Fast Flash Charge	67W Fast Flash Charge	120W Fast Flash Charge
COLORS	Black, White, Blue	Green, Purple, Black, Blue	Black, Purple, Green

Please note that these are Chinese edition phones, but come with Google Mobile Service and Google Play store installed, and OTA updates and English language support.

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