The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z made its debut in April 2020. The original model was replaced by the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z Bass Edition in October 2020. The successor to these popular neckband-style wireless earphones dubbed as OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 is finally coming in a few weeks from now.
OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z
The upcoming OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 with model number E305A have been certified by Bluetooth SIG. According to the listing, they will arrive with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
Further, tech influencer Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) has partnered with MySmartPrice to reveal the launch time for this audio accessory. According to him, these earphones will release in India in either March or April. He believes that this product will more likely debut in March than in April.
The features of the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 are a mystery as of now. However, we expect to learn about them ahead of the accessory’s official launch. This is also applicable to the price.
The current-gen model is retailing at ₹1,999. If the brand is planning to discontinue it, then the newer one will probably cost the same. Else, we can expect it to cost slightly higher.
What are your expectations of the forthcoming neckband-style wireless earphones from OnePlus? Do let us know in the comment section below.
Last year’s Redmi K40 Gaming Edition was equipped with a Dimensity 1200 processor, which discouraged hardcore gamers from the device. But finally, this year, Redmi decided to give the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition the most powerful Qualcomm chip.
So has Redmi made a real gaming phone? Let’s find out.
REDMI K50 Gaming Edition REVIEW – Design and Display
The one we have in our hands is the silver model. Like last year, it is called K50 Gaming Edition, but the design doesn’t feel very “Gaming”. The metal frame with the AG frosted glass back feels similar to last year’s K40 Gaming Edition. The lens module has been changed from an oval to a rounded rectangle.
The lightning-shaped flash and the RGB lights around the lens have also been retained from the Redmi K40 Gaming Edition. However, the RGB light only lights up when you receive a message or when charging, which means it can’t light up during gameplay. This is very un-Gaming.
There’s also no headphone jack, which is something gamers would expect. The difference with the other phones is that it has an extra microphone port on the side. Of course, there are also the Xiaomi family’s exclusive physical shoulder buttons, which we’ll talk more about later. The IR blaster power of Redmi K50 Gaming has been improved, which can be used to remotely control devices up to 10 meters away. If you liked last year’s K40 Gaming Edition. I am sure you’ll love this year’s K50 Gaming Edition too.
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Although the screen used in this year’s Redmi K50 Gaming Edition is from the same screen maker as last year’s, and the specs on paper are similar. But I have to compliment the screen. You don’t get the problem of rainbow lines when you tilt the screen. The Adaptive Colors option has been added. And it adopts 1920Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, this dimming method can take into account the color accuracy and eye protection. That means you can say goodbye to DC dimming.
The screen protection glass has also been upgraded from the fifth-generation Corning Gorilla Glass to Corning Victus Glass. This screen is very good for gaming phones. Although the bezel is a little wider all around compared to the Redmi K40 Gaming Edition, the thicker bezel on the gaming phone prevents accidental touches. And it looks like its four sides are equal in width, so once you get used to it, you’ll think it’s still a beautiful screen.
REDMI K50 Gaming Edition REVIEW – Performance and Benchmarks
The Redmi K50 Gaming Edition finally uses the most powerful mobile chip in the Android camp at the moment, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Although it is said that even with the performance mode on, the scores on the various benchmarks are not as high as expected and even worse than some non-gaming phones. And unfortunately, the 3DMark stress test still cannot be completed successfully. So we did the CPU Throttling Test.
Compared to the Xiaomi 12 Pro, it’s hard to say who performs better. Of course, scores don’t tell the whole story. The gaming experience is the only way to judge a good or bad gaming phone, and the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition adds a very large X-axis linear motor for a good gaming experience. This motor gives quick and very powerful feedback and is really comparable to the motor of an iPhone. The experience is very good at typing and gaming. As for the upgraded shoulder buttons mentioned earlier. As with the K40 Gaming, it’s the same switch that allows the magnets to pop up the shoulder buttons.
In fact, it feels like there is no difference in the experience of the previous generation’s shoulder buttons. And it’s a shame that there are only a few customization functions, and they cannot be used in non-gaming apps, nor can they be used as a camera shutter button. But there is no denying that the physical buttons are more comfortable to press in gaming than the touch buttons of other non-gaming models. Compared to the Xiaomi 12 Pro Game Space, only the UI has changed. There are no changes in functionality. To hold down the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition has been custom-built with two special VC heat sinks using hexagonal boron nitride and graphene. That’s a lot of money for a heat sink.
PUBG Mobile Gaming
Let’s get straight to the gaming performance of the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition. While a game like PUBG Mobile doesn’t have the slightest frame drop with 90FPS mode on, the maximum temperature doesn’t exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
Genshin Impact
The Genshin Impact, on the other hand, did not surprise us with its performance. The average frame rate is not as high as the Xiaomi 12 Pro and the stability is not as good as the OnePlus 10 Pro. The overall performance was moderate.
Brightride
Brightridge is not much different from the other two and even has a worse average frame rate. But the temperature was kept at 48 degrees Celsius. To be honest, although the Redmi K50 Gaming looks like a gaming phone, it plays like a normal flagship phone. Only the gaming temperature was well controlled, the gaming frame rate wasn’t as good as it should be. Given the cooling design of this phone, it should be able to perform better in terms of gaming. I can only hope for a better gaming experience later on with a system update.
REDMI K50G REVIEW – Cameras
No one should expect much from the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition in terms of photography. But in fact, it’s not as bad as one might expect. Even though it doesn’t use the same glass lens as last year’s K40 Gaming Edition for its main camera, it performs very well most of the time.
Especially at night, the performance was surprisingly good. There are some photos that aren’t even that much worse than the Mi 11 Ultra. Apart from the poorer image quality at the edges of the ultra-wide-angle camera shots, its camera performance is generally satisfactory. The main camera supports video recording at up to 4k 60fps and is full spec with EIS. Ultra-wide support up to 1080P 30fps. As for the Flicker Sensor, it does allow you to reduce the color ripple on the screen when shooting. But it doesn’t do much for recording video. When the frequency of the lights doesn’t match, there will still be the problem of flickering lights.
Main Camera
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Ultra-Wide Camera
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Did you see the JBL logo and the speakers that look like the grille? The Redmi K50 Gaming Edition is on par with the Xiaomi 12 Pro in terms of speakers and also uses four-unit speakers. Two speakers are responsible for the high-frequency part of the sound, and the remaining two are responsible for the low-frequency part. It’s a stunning device to play music on, so let’s give it a try.
REDMI K50 Gaming Edition REVIEW – Charging & Battery Life
The charger is included in the box. The Type-C charging cable is L-shaped and is longer than the ones given with other phones.
Charging power is 120W. Five minutes to charge 43%, ten minutes to charge 71% in, and only 19 minutes to fully charge. Thanks to the excellent heat dissipation design, the K50 Gaming Edition also has improved charging speed while playing games.
With the same 120W charging power, the Xiaomi 12 Pro can only be charged to 19% in five minutes while playing the game, but the K50 Gaming Edition can be charged to 33%. The battery capacity is not quite 5000mAh, but it’s not small either.
Tiktok and online videos both consume 6% and the three games consume 9%, 15%, and 15% respectively. While the Redmi K50 Gaming does consume quite a bit of power, considering this has 120w of charging power and the ability to charge while playing is also very fast. I am able to live with that.
REDMI K50 Gaming Edition REVIEW – Verdict
To conclude, the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition is indeed better than last year, with significant improvements in all aspects. It doesn’t quite live up to our expectations in terms of gaming, but its performance is average for Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 phones this year. It is also very good in terms of audio and video.
Apart from the camera, which is weak in its price range, there are no other obvious shortcomings. This year, it is also finally possible to use GMS without any problems. I can recommend this phone to everyone, except for those who like to take very high-quality pictures and for those who hate its design.
The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics which ended yesterday brought to the world’s consciousness ice and snow sports such as skating, skateboarding, and others. During the event, Honor which is one of the official sponsors of China’s national ice and snow and short track speed skating team unveiled a customized edition of the Watch GS 3. The product is presently on sale in China and carries a price tag of 1299 yuan (~$205).
According to Honor, the “Moment of Glory” version depicts transcendence and challenge, paying tribute to the tenacious fighting spirit of athletes, using the speed and passion of lightning to conquer the arena and crown the king.
In terms of the configuration, the Honor GS3 Moment of Glory limited edition is basically the same as the regular edition. As a reminder, the watch packs a 1.43-inch AMOLED high-definition color screen. The display screen is made of 3D thin and light curved glass which ensures a larger display area and has a 326PPI retina-level resolution, bringing users a clear and easy reading experience.
The watch has a built-in dual-frequency five satellite navigation system, multi-sensor fusion positioning, which shortens the positioning time by 47% and improves the positioning accuracy by 167%.
Furthermore, the Honor Watch GS 3 is equipped with an 8-channel heart rate AI engine and runs on an upgraded Honor Health5.0 software which integrates the heart rate signals collected by the 8-channel PPG monitoring module with AI.
In terms of battery life, the Honor Watch GS 3 has a long battery life of 14 days and also supports fast charging, which can be used for a whole day after charging for 5 minutes.
Earlier this month, Redmi launched the Note 11 and Note 11S in the Indian market. The Redmi Note 11 has been made available for purchase since February 11th, and earlier today, Redmi released the Note 11S for its first flash sale. For those of you who missed it, worry not as the brand has revealed the next flash sale date way in advance.
According to the Redmi Note 11S Amazon India landing page, the smartphone will be made available for purchase again on February 28th, at 12 PM on Amazon India. The device will also be available for purchase on mi.com. Since it will be a flash sale, we suggest readers be prepared in advance as the devices tend to sell out in a matter of minutes.
Redmi Note 11S Price in India, color options
The Note 11S comes in three storage-memory configurations – 6GB + 64GB, 6GB+128GB, and 8GB+128GB. The prices are as follows,
6GB + 64GB variant – Rs. 16,499
6GB + 128GB variant – Rs. 17,499
8GB + 128GB variant – Rs. 18,499
The device is available in three different colors namely Space Black, Horizon Blue, and Proal White.
Redmi Note 11S Specifications and Features
The Redmi Note 11S features a flat frame design and a plastic body. It measures 159.87 x 73.87 x 8.09mm in dimensions and weighs 179.
On the front, the device flaunts a 6.43-inch centered punch-hole AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), 409 PPI, a 90Hz refresh rate, and up to 180Hz touch sampling rate. The panel has a 4,500,000:1 contrast ratio, 700 nits typical brightness level, 1000 nits peak brightness level. It supports DCI-P3 color gamut, Reading Mode 3.0, and Sunlight Display.
Under the Hood, the Note 11S features a MediaTek Helio G96 chip along with liquid cooling technology. The SoC comes paired with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.2 storage.
For photography, the Note 11S features a quad-camera setup with a 108MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide unit, a 2MP macro snapper, and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, we get a 16MP front-facing camera.
On the connectivity front, the handset offers dual SIM card slots, 4G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS, and USB Type-C port. It also has a dedicated MicroSD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, dual stereo speakers, Hi-Res Audio certification, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, IR blaster, z-axis linear vibration motor, and essential sensors (accelerometer, virtual proximity sensor, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, and compass).
The phone boots MIUI 13 based on Android 11. Lastly, it is powered by a 5000mAh battery, which supports 33W fast charging.
Tecno has officially launched the Spark 8C budget smartphone in the Indian market. The Tecno Spark 8C comes with 6GB of total RAM and has a new design at the back.
The Tecno Spark 8C is priced at Rs. 7,499(~$100) for the lone 3GB RAM + 32GB of internal storage variant. The device comes in Turquoise Cyan, Diamond Grey, Iris Purple, and Magnet Black. It will go on sale starting February 24 via the Amazon India website.
Tecno Spark 8C Specifications
The Tecno Spark 8C comes with a 6.6-inch water-drop notch display sporting an HD+(720 x 1612 pixels) resolution. The screen has a 90Hz refresh rate and a 180Hz touch sampling rate.
Upfront, it has an 8MP single selfie snapper. At the rear, the phone has a 13MP primary lens and an AI sensor. The rear camera island is slightly oversized, adding to the looks of the device.
It is powered by the UNISOC T606 octa-core processor coupled with 3GB of RAM and 3GB of virtual RAM support. It means that the phone has a total of 6GB of RAM. As for storage, it has 64GB of internal storage. The phone runs on HiOS 7.6 based on Android 11 Go Edition out of the box.
The phone packs a 5,000mAh battery and has a DTS stereo speaker setup. For security, the phone has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and boats an IPX2 splash-resistant rating.
Ahead of Christmas, Realme kickstarted Realme UI 3.0 Early Access program for the Realme 8 Pro. Two months later, the device has been now promoted to the Open Beta program. Let’s check out how users can enroll in this initiative.
According to the official announcement post on Realme Community, anyone with the Realme 8 Pro can register for the Android 12-based Realme UI 3.0 Open Beta program. The only requirement is that the device should be on firmware version RMX3081_11.A.45.
All they have to do is go to Settings > Software Update > Gear Icon > Trial Version > Submit Details > Apply Now. Applicants who get selected will receive the beta software via OTA.
Realme says that only limited seats are allocated. Therefore, interested users are advised to apply as soon as possible. As far as Early Access members are concerned, they don’t need to register as they will receive the Open Beta update directly via OTA.
The Realme 8 Pro is not the only smartphone from the brand to get Realme UI 3.0 Open Beta update recently. Last week, the company started releasing the same update for Realme GT Neo2, Realme GT Master Edition, and Realme X7 Max.
Hence, these four handsets will be likely promoted to Realme UI 3.0 Stable based on Android 12 at around the same time. Hopefully, that happens sooner than later.
POCO has now finally revealed the global launch date for the POCO X4 Pro 5G and the POCO M4 Pro, and both will be going live together. With a tweet, the company announced that the duo will be going live on February 28th at 20:00 GMT+8.
POCO is about to start this year with a bang! Bringing you not one but TWO new devices!
Renders of the POCO X4 Pro 5G were leaked a few days back showing it in Poco Yellow, Laser Blue, and Laser Black color options. While the Indian model of the device has been touted to feature a 64MP sensor for the primary rear camera, a tipster said that the global variant will come with a more pixel-dense 108MP sensor.
Upfront, it is expected to feature a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED DotDisplay that will house a 16MP selfie snapper.
POCO X4 Pro 5G via PassionateGeekz
Inside, it will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G SoC, paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage.
Meanwhile, the POCO M4 Pro recently made a Geekbench appearance, scoring 526 and 1832 points in the single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. Its chipset is expected to be the MediaTek Helio G96 that will be supported by 6GB of RAM.
Also, according to a previous leak, the POCO M4 Pro 4G could be a rebranded model of the Redmi Note 11S. The duo carries the same 2201117SI model number that originally refers to the Redmi Note 11S, so both will likely come with a very similar design too.
Some exciting details have surfaced about Doogee’s upcoming S98 series that includes one of the first models to premier the MediaTek’s Next-G 6nm chip. Doogee S98 will come with two screens and a night vision camera among several other features and performance metrics. Although when the news broke out about the MediaTek Next-G chip, the specific Doogee model to premier the premium chip was not specified, it has now been revealed that at least one of the models in the Doogee S98 series will indeed be the device to take that honor.
Doogee S98 ….Image source: GSMArena
There are scant details about the Doogee S98 at this time but informed sources insist that there are three models in the S98 lineup namely the S98, S98 Pro, and the S98 Ultra with a staggered release plan for the models beginning with the vanilla version set for a possible March 2022 unveiling. The Doogee S98 Pro and S98 Ultra could be released between April and May 2022.
The Doogee S98 Pro or S98 Ultra are the likely candidates for the Next-G chipset while the S98 will be powered by the Helio G96 chipset with 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. The added microSD card slot could scale up the storage capacity of the S98 to 512GB. The S98 will run on Android 12 from the box and Doogee will offer software support and updates for up to three years. The front-facing and rear camera setup of the Doogee S98 include a 16MP selfie camera and a triple rear camera setup signposted by a 64MP primary camera and a 20MP Night Vision camera.
Pricing and global availability details for the Doogee S98 are not available at this time, but we expect these details to become known as we inch closer to the release of the smartphone next month. More details will also become known of the S98 Pro and S98 Ultra apart from the little divulged about the models currently.
A couple of Huawei phones with model numbers NOH-AN50 and ABR-AL60 just passed 3C certification and both are said to be “derivatives” of the Huawei P50 and the Mate 40 and support 5G.
The information comes from blogger “Chrysanthemum Pictures Fans” on Weibo who also posted screenshots of the 3C certification. They show that both devices will support up to 66W fast charging.
Huawei’s first-quarter product conference is scheduled for late March and will announce a number of new products including tablets.
The company recently launched its first foldable clamshell phone in the form of the P50 Pocket. Earlier this month, the phone and its non-foldable sibling called the Huawei P50 Pro went up for grabs in the global market, starting at €1,199 ($1,371).
The Huawei Mate 40 was launched back in October 2020 along with its Pro variant and came with near top of the line specs, with the highlight being its triple camera setup that was developed jointly with Leica.
HIMO an electric technology brand that specializes in the research, development, and production of two-wheeled electric vehicles is giving out huge discounts on the occasion of the world premiere of its latest HIMO Max Series. Under this deal, you get huge discounts on fully CE-compliant E-bikes. Please note that the HIMO Max series world premiere starts on 21 February and ends on 20 March 2022, 23:59:59 UTC. You can get their products at himoebike.storeor geekbuying.com. So let’s check out some of the best deals under this sale.
HIMO Z20 Max electric bike is a new generation E-bike designed to solve your city commuting issues. The highlighting features of this bike include long battery life, intelligent control system, and long drive. The intelligent vector control system comes with smart, efficient, and precise control and the 250W motor combined with Shimano 6 speed transmission system gives you a strong and smooth journey.
Key Features:
CE compliant
10Ah Lithium battery
Vector controller
Rugged Aluminum alloy frame
E Mark certified LED front light – visibility up to 20 meters at night
250W DC brushless motor
Multiple safety features including protection from over-current, overcharge etc
This is a specially designed all-terrain electric bike that comes with fat tires, with tough and sharp body lines that make it easy and safe to bike across various terrains like mountains, beaches, snowfields, etc. The intelligent vector control system comes with smart, efficient, and precise control and the 250W motor combined with Shimano 6 speed transmission system gives you a strong and smooth journey.
Key Features:
EU CE certification
All-terrain application
Oil – Hydraulic shock – absorbing
Removable lithium battery
Smart vector controller
250W DC Brushless motor
BMS smart battery management system with 7 protection technologies
The HIMO kickscooter L2 is a small but portable scooter that comes with a stylish foldable design for easy storage and transportation. The scooter features a high-definition meter and a simple startup interface that can be used by almost anyone. With three different riding modes, and a clear quick access display panel, you can easily control and ride the scooter for work as well as fun.
Key Features:
CE certification
10Ah Lithium Battery
350W brushless high-performance motor
Imported wide maple leaf ide footboard
3- step fast folding
Left and right breaking levers
Six smart protection
Mileage 40KM
25KM /h max speed
Recharge time: 6 hours
20-degree climbing ability
10 inch extra wide pneumatic tires
Please note that this world premiere deal starts on 21 February and ends on 20 March 2022, 23:59:59 UTC. The deal also comes with other free gifts and offers. So be sure to check out their website here.
For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.
Earlier today (21st February 2022), Huawei announced that it will be hosting its Smart Office Spring Conference on February 27. During this event, it will be launching a number of new products, like smartphones, tablets, and notebooks. But prior to this event, the company has announced the new MateBook D 15 Ryzen Edition (2022). So let’s have a look.
The new MateBook D 15 Ryzen Edition from the Chinese tech giant sports a 15.6 inch display that has a 1080p (FHD) resolution and offers 100 percent sRGB color gamut. It measures 16.9mm in thickness and weighs just 1.6 kilograms. The new notebook is powered by a 56Whr battery pack and it also supports the company’s latest HyperTerminal function. Furthermore, the computer can run up to 3 mobile application windows as well, which helps users multi task.
In other words, it is quite practical for business professionals. As the name suggests, the latest MateBook D 15 is powered by an AMD Ryzen processor, the Ryzen 5 5500U. This chip features Team Red’s Zen2 architecture and offers 6 cores and 12 threads. It has a base clock sped of 2.1GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.0GHz, and is paired with the Vega7 for graphics. For memory, it houses 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. At the moment, the laptop is currently available for bookings, with pre-orders beginning on 27th February 2022 for a starting price of 4,599 Yuan (roughly 726 US Dollars).
OPPO is gearing up to launch its upcoming flagship smartphones dubbed the Find X5 series on February 24 in China. The new smartphones will be launching alongside other OPPO products like the Enco X2 TWS earbuds, and OPPO Pad tablet at a mega launch event at 7 PM (local time).
Now, before the launch event, the Find X5 Pro with CPH2305 model number and the vanilla Find X5 with CPH2307 model number were spotted on the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) database. According to the certification, the phones will support 15W Qi wireless charging speeds.
OPPO Find X5 series WPC
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OPPO Find X5 Pro
So far, the OPPO Find X5 Pro is said to come with a 6.7-inch LTPO 2.0 AMOLED 2K display with 10-bit HDR support and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. The display will feature an in-screen fingerprint sensor and offer Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection.
OPPO Find X5 and Find X5 Pro renders by Winfuture.de
The Find X5 Pro will be powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC which comes with an integrated 5G modem and offers support for WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. In Europe, the device is said to debut in only one memory configuration being 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage with no support for a memory card. The battery on the Find X5 Pro appears to have 5000mAh capacity and support for 80W fast charging. The device is also said to provide IP68 protection against water and dist.
For photography, the OPPO Find X5 Pro will come featuring two 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 sensors for its primary and ultrawide cameras. The third camera present on the camera island is a 13-megapixel telephoto lens with an F/2.4 aperture which is capable of 5x hybrid zoom and 20x digital zoom. The front camera of the device uses a Sony IMX709 sensor, which comes with 32 megapixels, an F/2.4 aperture, a 90-degree field of view.
The device will also feature the newly developed MariSilicon X Imaging NPU for image processing and AI-based applications and enhancements. Additionally, the cameras of the OPPO Find X5 Pro have been developed in collaboration will Hasselblad, and will likely feature their custom tuning which we’ve previously seen in flagship OnePlus devices.
LG Display has recently shared a proposal to LG Electronics to launch a new OLED TV. Unlike the various other models the brand already sells, this iteration is unique as it offers a transparent display panel.
According to TheElecreport, the South Korean display maker has sent the company a proposal for a new TV that sports a 55 inch transparent OLED panel. This TV would also fall under the brand’s Home Entertainment Company (TV business unit), as per sources close to the matter. Additionally, the display will be fixed on the TV like a traditional TV, unlike, the company’s rollable OLED TV or smart bed, which had a screen panel that could be pulled out.
The sources further added that the Home Entertainment Company is planning on reviewing the proposal going forward. So, if this plan is approved, the development for LG’s transparent OLED TV will likely begin during the second half of this year. On the other hand, the official launch could be set sometime in 2023. Since it is a transparent panel, LG Display will most likely supply the transparent screen with strengthened glass covering.
As of right now, LG Electronics has already made transparent OLED products. However, these models are only for enterprises rather than consumers. One of these include signage, which were made by the company’s Business Solutions unit. In other words, we might soon we transparent OLED TVs from the South Korean company hit global markets. Notably, Xiaomi already sells a 55 inch OLED TV with a transparent display, which was first unveiled back in 2020.
Smartphone shipments in the Philippines fell 10% YoY in Q4 2021 but increased 5% YoY in 2021, with companies also undergoing quite some shuffle in terms of ranking. Samsung for one snatched the top spot from vivo, thanks to it registering a YoY growth of 44%.
The third-biggest smartphone market in Southeast Asia experienced a COVID-19 lockdown in the first half of 2021, but improving vaccination rates paired with increased online sales helped the market achieve 42% growth in the second half.
Top OEMs’ Market Share in the Philippines, 2020 vs 2021 (Counterpoint Research)
In terms of market share in 2021, the top four OEMs were the same as 2020 but underwent a shuffle. Samsung took the first spot while realme made a switch with OPPO for the second position.
Samsung’s success can be owed to its strong supply chain. The company, after resolving supply issues in Vietnam, came up with a new strategy to strengthen its hold over the Southeast Asian markets. Channel campaigns targeting customer groups were launched and the brand maintained its uptrend starting from Q2 2021 to the end of the year.
Meanwhile, realme’s growth was driven by its more affordable models that targeted users upgrading from entry-level devices. Its C series continued to be one of the most popular offerings.
E-commerce is growing fast in Southeast Asia, with online channels accounting for 16% of total shipments in the Philippines market in 2021 — a YoY growth of 34%. Despite this, smartphone shipments in the final quarter of 2021 decreased 10% due to COVID-19 restrictions that were relaxed only at the end of the year.
Top OEMs’ Market Share in Philippines, Q4 2020 vs Q4 2021 (Counterpoint Research)
Commenting on 2022 expectations, Lam said, “The Philippines economy expanded by 5.6% in 2021 after logging 7.7% growth in the fourth quarter. Relaxations in pandemic-related restrictions buoyed business activity. Therefore, 2022 should have a bright start. However, we need to factor in any uncertainty related to the elections that are to be held on May 9.”
We have been hearing a lot about the upcoming Apple devices for the past few weeks and now yet another report claims that the company is all set to launch the next-generation Apple Silicon’s M2 chipset.
Not just that, the report from Mark Gurman of Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter also goes on to add that with the introduction of the M2 chipset, the company will be launching four new Mac devices this year.
The Macs expected to get launched later this year include the 13-inch MacBook Pro, a 24-inch iMac, and a redesigned MacBook Air. As noted all these devices will be updated to the M2 chipset as all of them are already powered by the M1 processor.
Currently there’s not much known about the M2 chipset and nothing has been revealed by Apple but the report indicates that the M2 will be slightly faster than the M2 chipset and will have the same eight-core architecture but the graphics cores may get increased from seven or either to nine or 10.
It is also said that the Cupertino-based tech giant may launch the Pro and Max version of the M2 chip next year, similar to what the company did with the M1 chipset. Also, it is also expected to launch the M3 chip next year.
Apple is moving away from Intel-powered Mac devices to its own Apple Silicon and to complete the process, the company is expected to launch a new 27-inch iMac Pro which will be powered by the M1 Pro or M1 Max processor. There are also reports about the M1-powered Mac Mini to get a Pro model powered by M1 Pro or M1 Max, in addition to a new model powered by the M2 chipset.
Earlier today, Realme announced that it will launch the world’s fastest smartphone charging technology on February 28 at MWC 2022. The new solution from the brand will be unveiled alongside the Realme GT2 Pro for international markets. Ahead of that, we bring to you an exclusive look at the charger that may be using this tech.
We managed to get an image of a yet-to-release Realme charger. Like previous power adapters from the company, this one also sports a white color paint job.
As the picture shows the plug side of the charger, we can clearly notice the regulatory text printed on the accessory. The first line reveals its model number to be VCK8HACH.
Most importantly, the power ratings say that the charger maxes at 200W output (20V-10A). This suggests that the world’s fastest smartphone charging solution from Realme could max at 200W.
Additionally, the text also confirms support for USB PD (Power Delivery). But it is limited to 45W (15V-3A, 20V-2.25A).
Previously, we expected realme to debut a 150W charging solution as tipped by Digital Chat Station. But it looks like the company will be upping its game even higher.
Unfortunately, this is the only image we have of the charger. At the same time, we could only grasp the aforementioned details from it.
We are not sure how fast Realme’s 200W charging solution will be. Since the brand is claiming ‘world’s fastest’, its tech should take less time than the 8-minute record set by Xiaomi’s 200W charging technology to fill a 4,000mAh battery.
The current fastest charging solution from Realme is based on 125W. However, the company still only uses 65W charging commercially.
At the start of this year, the smartphone market was abuzz as OnwardMobility announced that it would be working on launching a 5G enabled BlackBerry smartphone. However, just a few weeks after, it was reported that the company lost the rights to the latter’s name. Now, this unfortunate news has officially been confirmed.
As per an official announcement, the company stated that “We want to thank you all for the tremendous amount of support that you have given us since we first launched OnwardMobility. However, it is with great sadness that we announce that OnwardMobility will be shutting down, and we will no longer be proceeding with the development of an ultra secure smartphone with a physical keyboard.” Simply put, the 5G BlackBerry phone project is officially dead.
The announcement arrives a mere six weeks after it first revealed its plans. So this arrives as unfortunate news for those looking forward to the promised BlackBerry experience. In our previous report, we had stated that BB has been working on distancing itself from its past. Meaning, there probably won’t be another BB phone for a long while, or maybe never at all. BlackBerry CEO John Chen had also changed his decision of having another OEM try and revive the brand by acquiring the license to its name. So this might really be the final nail to the coffin.
BYD is gearing up to launch a number of its electric vehicle in Australia. One of these includes the Dolphin, which is an electric city car that will be available through a local distributor in the country.
According to a Drivereport, the known Chinese automobiles maker will sell the new BYD Dolphin Electric Hatchback from EVDirect. The car is simply called Dolphin in the company’s home market and will be the brand’s second electric vehicle to be sold in Australia, following the Atto 3, which is a small SUV that will start being delivered later this year in July 2022. On the other hand, the Dolphin electric hatchback is set to be released sometime by December 2022.
For those unaware, the Dolphin was initially meant to be the first mass produced BYD electric vehicle that would be sold in Australia. However, the company changed their plans in the middle of last year. As of right now, there are no details available regarding the pricing for the hatchback. Although, considering that the Dolphin is smaller than the Atto 3, we can expect that it will feature smaller batteries that would make it cheaper than the 44,000 Australian Dollars small SUV.
As per EVDirect and its CEO Luke Todd, the Dolphin will be priced “well under 35,000 Australian Dollars.” Looking at its price range and size, the Dolphin will also compete with popular city cars in Australia like the MG 3, Kia Rio, and Volkswagen Polo. EVDireect is targeting a December 2022 launch, if there are no unforeseen delays that surface.
Realme debuted the realme narzo 50 series at the end of September. Instead of releasing the regular and Pro models, the company launched realme narzo 50A and realme narzo 50i. Five months later, the has now finally announced the launch date for the vanilla variant.
Realme will be launching the realme narzo 50 in India on February 24. The smartphone will be announced in a live stream, which is scheduled to start from 12:30 PM. Interested readers can watch the event on the realme India YouTube channel and official social media handles of the brand.
As of now, we know that the handset will be sold on Amazon India. It will have a matrix camera module on the rear consisting of three sensors and an LED flashlight. On the front, the phone will sport a display with a punch-hole at the top left corner. Finally, the fingerprint sensor will be on the right side.
Talking about specs, the company has only revealed two things about the device so far. Firstly, it will be powered by a MediaTek Helio G96 chipset. Secondly, the handset will flaunt a 120Hz display.
Last but not least, according to a leak, the phone will be available in two memory configurations (4GB + 64GB, 6GB+ 128GB) and four colors (black, blue, gray, green).
We are exactly a week away from Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022. The trade show will kickstart on February 28. On the very same day, Realme will be holding its press conference to announce its latest flagship smartphone, Realme GT2 Pro, for international markets. Today, the brand has revealed that it will be also unveiling a new charging technology at this event.
In a press release sent to the media, Realme has revealed its plans to launch the ‘world’s fastest smartphone charging technology’ on February 28. Unfortunately, the brand hasn’t shared any details on this tech, except that under the go premium strategy, it will invest 70% of its R&D resources in innovation and charging technology.
Nonetheless, the company does hint that the new tech will be faster than its older 125W charging technology. But to know how fast, we will have to wait for a week.
According to rumors, realme will be debuting a 150W fast smartphone charging technology. Renowned tipster Digital Chat Station says that this tech is a rebadged version of OPPO’s upcoming 160W fast smartphone charging technology but at 10W slower. Despite being slightly slower, it will use the same charger.
We are not sure why Realme is calling its forthcoming 150W smartphone charging technology is ‘world’s fastest’ when Xiaomi had already debuted a 200W charging solution last year, which can fill a 4,000mAh battery in 8 minutes.
Perhaps, Realme’s tech will take less time despite using lower wattage. But then what about OPPO’s original solution, which is rumored to be even faster? Do let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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