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Black Shark 5 series passes 3C certification, hinting at imminent launch

The Black Shark 5 series is set to make its debut pretty soon. The phones, which are expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 870 SoCs, have now passed 3C certification. The certification shows that both models feature the ultra-fast 120W charging solution (via IT Home).

120W charging seems set to become the new standard for charging on gaming phones. A number of such devices from 2022 sport 120W or higher charging capabilities, including the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition, REDMAGIC 7 series, and the Lenovo Legion 3 series. The Black Shark models will only be joining the crowd.

black shark 5 series 3c certification

Tipster Digital Chat Station had earlier revealed that the series is comprised of two models — the Black Shark 5 and the Black Shark 5 Pro. Among them, the standard Black Shark 5 comes with a 6.67-inch FHD+ high refresh rate AMOLED display. It will be likely powered by the Snapdragon 870 that will be supported by 12GB of RAM. Its battery will be sized 4,650mAh, meaning it could be filled up from 0-100% in a matter of minutes.

BLack Shark 5 teaser
Black Shark 5 teaser

The more premium Black Shark 5 Pro uses a similar 6.67-inch FHD+ high refresh rate AMOLED display but has a beefier chipset in the form of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It features a 13MP camera upfront and a 108MP primary camera at the rear. The phone measures 163.86×76.53×9.8mm and weighs 226g.

A report from last month had revealed that Tencent Group is planning on buying the Black Shark brand and integrating it with its own Content Business Group. If the deal goes through, Black Shark’s future business focus might shift from gaming phones to VR devices.

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Deal: Get the Budget Smartwatch Amazfit BIP S for $50 at AliExpress

If you are looking for a smartwatch but don’t want to shell out a lot of money then check out this deal on Amazfit BIP S. The budget smartwatch that generally retails for $60 is now available at a discounted price of  $49.99 only at AliExpress. Available in different colors like White, Black, Red Orange, and Warm Pink this smartwatch is also a great option as a gift for your loved one. 

WHERE TO BUY
Amazfit BIP S at $49.99 @AliExpress

Amazfit BIP S

Amazfit BIP S smartwatch features a 1.28” color display. The smartwatch weighs just 31g making it super comfortable to wear all day long. To manage your health and fitness, the smartwatch comes with a PAI health assessment system, 24×7 Heart Rate Monitor, and Bio-Tracking Optical sensor. Moreover, with a 5 ATM water resistance certification, you can easily wear Amazfit BIP S for swimming and other pool activities. 

Amazfit BIP S smartwatch

Amazfit BIP S gives you 40 days of battery life. You can now buy Amazfit BIP S for $49.99 only at AliExpress.

Please note that the above price is region-specific and the final price may vary according to your shipping region, warehouse, and regional taxes.

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

* Please Note: When you buy something using the links in our articles, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop with 360Hz refresh rate, 11th Gen i9 & RTX 3060 launched

Acer has just launched a new Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop in India. What makes this launch special is the fact that this is the first laptop to come with a 360Hz refresh rate display in the Indian market. So let’s take a look at all its specs and features.

Acer Predator-Helios-300

Acer Predator Helios 300 specs and features

The Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop features a 15.6-inch full-HD IPS (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) LED-backlit TFT LCD display with a peak brightness of 300 nits, 100 percent sRGB coverage, and up to 3ms response time. As mentioned above, the laptop features a 360Hz refresh rate panel.

The new Acer gaming laptop comes equipped with an Intel Core i9-11900H octa-core processor clocked at 4.9GHz and 16 threads. On the graphics front, we get an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU with 6GB GDDR6 VRAM. The laptop is offered with 16GB DDR4 RAM which can be further upgraded to 32GB and is offered with upto 1TB of PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD storage. The device comes with Windows 11 out of the box.

Acer Predator-Helios-300

The laptop’s cooling systems has been upgraded with 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D Fan Technology, which has been optimised with Vortex Flow’s wind-guiding optimization to maintain strong airflow, to avoide thermal throtelling scenarios.

The keyboard also gets an upgrade this time around with 4-zone RGB, a larger space key, and translucent keycaps. The touchpad on the Acer Predator Helios 300 also offers gesture support. The device comes with an integrated 720P webcam.

Acer Predator-Helios-300

Connectivity options on the Acer Predator Helios 300 include Bluetooth v5.1, HDMI port, USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port with offline charging support. It also comes with Intel’s Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX 1650 for connectivity.

Acer Predator Helios 300 pricing, availability

The new Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop will be sold online via Indian e-commerce website Flipkart. The device will also be made available at Acer’s offline stores and authorised retailers. The Predator Helios 300 is priced at Rs. 1,44,999 in the country.

will be sold via the company’s official online store, Flipkart, Acer exclusive stores in the offline market, and other authorized retailers for Rs 1,44,999 in the country ($1,926).

 

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realme Narzo 50 to launch sooner than earlier expected

realme is expected to expand its Narzo lineup by quite a bit, with a number of new offerings on the way. One of these upcoming models is the realme Narzo 50 — a budget phone that was earlier leaked to be launched sometime in March. However, a reliable tipster has now tipped another sooner-than-expected release date.

Yogesh Brar says that the realme Narzo 50 launch has been set for February 24th, which is a month earlier than the purported launch date from the last report. It is unclear if the said launch will also cover the Narzo 50A Prime but it cannot be ruled out.

realme Narzo 50A

realme C35 is another model expected to be launched quite soon. The phone bears a model number that’s very similar to the Narzo 50A Prime, so it’s possible that both phones could have a lot in common.

As for our realme Narzo 50, the phone will feature a triple camera setup at the rear, with the primary sensor having a 50MP resolution. Its battery is sized 4,880mAh and will support 33W. The device has appeared on a number of certification sites already including China Quality Certification, BIS, NBTC, and EEC, further solidifying its imminent launch.

A report from a couple of days back had revealed the phone’s two memory variants. You will be able to purchase the realme Narzo 50 in 4GB+128GB and 6GB+128GB configs. Possible color options are black, blue, gray, and green.

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Samsung Galaxy F23 5G, Galaxy M33 5G inch closer to launch

Samsung is expected to introduce new models in the Galaxy M and Galaxy F series of smartphones in the coming weeks. Ahead of that, these devices have been appearing on multiple certification websites. Now, two such handsets have been listed on the company’s official website suggesting an imminent launch.

Samsung Galaxy M32 5G Featured A
Samsung Galaxy M32 5G

According to a report by MySmartPrice, the support page for the upcoming Galaxy F23 5G is live on Samsung India’s official website. This phone bears the model number SM-E236B. It is expected to release as Galaxy M23 5G is in some markets.

At the same time, the forthcoming Galaxy M33 5G has been found listed on Samsung Germany’s official website. It sports the model number SM-M336B.

As far as specs are concerned, the Galaxy M23 5G was recently spotted on FCC with a battery featuring model number EB-BM526ABS. It is said to come with 25W fast charging support.

Since this device is rumored to be a rebranded Galaxy A23 5G, it may come with features like a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset, Android 12, Bluetooth 5.0, and an OIS-enabled 50MP primary camera.

On the other hand, according to previous reports, the Galaxy M33 5G will arrive with an Exynos 1200 SoC, at least 6GB RAM, 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 64MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MP quad-camera setup, and a 6,000mAh battery.

Samsung is yet to officially announce the launch date for the aforementioned smartphones.

 

 

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Google Pixel 6 users are unable to use fingerprint scanner after screen repairs

While the Google Pixel 6 series has seen a successful launch, it has been plagued with a number of issues ranging from firmware update bugs, signal drop issues, and more. But now, the latest problem makes the fingerprint sensor completely unusable.

Google Pixel 6 Pro

During the early days of the Pixel 6 launch, many users had reported on the fingerprint scanner being slow. The company addressed the issue in future software patches but that did little to fix the issue. However, a new problem has added on to the bugs related to the fingerprint scanner, as users are unable to use the biometric security system after getting their screens replaced (Via GSMArena).

Notably, this issue affects both the base and Pro model, with various users taking to Reddit and Google Support threads to voice their complaints. Furthermore, the issue is even affecting those that have replaced the display from the Search Engine giant’s officially endorsed service shops, like UBreakIFix. Interestingly, even the technicians working on the repairs are unable to get the feature to work every time. Apparently, the problem is due to the use of Google’s provided fingerprint calibration tool.

Google

This tool fails to install the new fingerprint scanner to the device, for a small percentage of users that are getting the screen replacements. Those affected by the problem see the notification “Couldn’t find the unique calibration software for this device”. There has been no official word from Google as of right now, so we will have to wait for an official statement to know how the company goes about solving another one of the Pixel 6 issues.

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Samsung tries to explain the Galaxy S22, S22+ refresh rate blunders

Adaptive refresh rates first became mainstream with the emergence of 120Hz panels. Locking the refresh rate at 120Hz can get quite power-demanding, so manufacturers figured they’d be better off limiting the panel to 60Hz for certain activities like watching videos. LTPO displays thereafter helped reduce battery consumption further, taking down the minimum refresh rate to as low as 1Hz.

But while the S22 Ultra does make use of the fancy piece of tech, the S22+ and S22 gave a miss. Both non-ultra models bottom out at 48Hz instead. Now, this would have been forgivable since the duo isn’t exactly top of the line, but as it stands, Samsung had earlier wrongly listed that their refresh rates go from 120Hz to 10Hz.

samsung s22 s22+ 10hz
Samsung claiming 10Hz on S22 and S22+

The company has since updated the spec sheets of the Galaxy S22 and S22+, increasing the refresh rate floor from 10Hz to 48Hz, as pointed out by Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants.

All this obviously raises several questions, and Samsung has now tried to provide an explanation with a statement to Android Police.

Samsung has clarified that “the display component of both devices support between 48 to 120Hz.” This means that neither the S22 nor the S22+ feature LTPO panels. However, the 10Hz number still holds significance since that’s the rate at which data is fed to the display, using some “proprietary technology.”

Confused? In short, it means that the pipeline tells the display what to update at 10 times a second, but the display itself will still refresh at 48Hz.

amsung Galaxy S22 Plus Phantom White Pink Gold Phantom Black

“The display refresh rate was originally listed between 10 and 120Hz (10 to 120 frames per second), and we later opted to update how we communicate this specification in order to be in line with the more widely-recognized industry standard. Consumers can be assured there has been no change of hardware specifications, and both devices support up to 120Hz for super smooth scrolling,” Samsung adds.

Another department where Samsung kind of fell short was the charging on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The 45W fast charging solution on the device was found to be barely any faster than charging via a 25W brick.

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Vivo V23e and Y15s live images surface ahead of Indian launch

Vivo is gearing up to launch two new smartphones in India soon, namely the V23e and the Y15s. But prior to their official announcement, live images of both smartphones have been spotted online.

Vivo

For those unaware, the V23e is scheduled to be announced on 21st February 2022, while the Y15s is rumored to launch in India later this week. But before their official announcement, MySmartPrice shared a number of live images that showcase both the smartphones in all their glory. Looking at the images, we can confirm the design of the handsets along with their color options. Talking about the V23e first, it is positioned below the V23 and V23 Pro and will be available in a Sunshine Gold and Midnight Blue color options.

The gold model appears to have multiple color hues as well, which is likely based on the angle at which the light is being reflected from its rear panel. Furthermore, the device sports a triple camera setup on the rear, which likely consists of a 50 megapixel primary sensor, paired with an 8 megapixel ultra wide angle lens and a 2 megapixel macro sensor. For selfies, the device is expected to offer a 44 megapixel camera on the front. Other features include, Dimensity 810 SoC, 6.44 inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage.

Vivo

The Vivo Y15S is an entry level model that will reportedly launch in two gradient color schemes. One is confirmed to be in a dark blue shade, as seen in the live images. It sports a dual camera setup on the rear, while the front features a 6.51 inch IPS HD+ display. This model funds Android 11 (Go Edition) with FunTouchOS 11.1 custom skin on top. Unfortunately, there were no finer details shared with these images, so we will have to wait for the official announcement to know more.

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Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy Tab S8 series pre-order delivery dates for India are here!

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S22 series and Galaxy Tab S8 series together with its Unpacked event last week. This was followed by ‘pre-reservations‘ in India where users could reserve the S22 series by paying Rs 1,999. But while Samsung is yet to announce actual pre-order/sales dates, a reliable tipster has shared the expected delivery dates for the flagship Galaxy devices in the country.

Ishan Agarwal through a tweet revealed that he expects some of the Galaxy S22 series and Tab S8 series pre-orders in India to be delivered starting March 7. This appears to be limited to early birds though, and the vast majority of buyers should only get the devices starting March 11, which is the official date for most regions.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 family in India will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 instead of the Exynos 2200, which most will appreciate. After all, Exynos variants have historically been slower, ran hotter, and consumed battery faster.

Samsung had earlier today revealed the pricing for the entire flagship phone lineup and it starts from Rs 72,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant of the Galaxy S22.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus Green Galaxy S22 Pink Gold

But the pricing for the Galaxy Tab S8 series is yet to be announced. From it, the most premium model — Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra — has received some significant upgrades over its predecessor, sporting a much larger display and massively improved cameras.

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OPPO A76 specs, renders leaked ahead of official launch

The upcoming OPPO A76 was spotted on multiple certification websites last month. Now, the smartphone has appeared in renders revealing its design. At the same time, its complete specifications have also been leaked.

OPPO A76 Renders

A report by 91Mobiles details everything one needs to know about the forthcoming OPPO A76. The publication has managed to get the renders as well as the specs of the device from its industry sources.

Going by the images, the phone will be available in two colors (black, blue) and will be somewhat identical to the OPPO A55 in terms of design. It will have a rectangular rear camera island with two large lenses. The power button will be on the right side, while the volume keys will be on the left. Finally, its display will sport a punch-hole at the top left corner.

Talking about specifications, the handset is said to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset. It will be available in two memory configurations, such as 4GB + 128GB and 6GB + 128GB. There will be a MicroSD card slot to further expand the storage if required.

It will feature a 6.56-inch display with a resolution of 1612 x 720 pixels and a 90Hz refresh rate. Though the type of the panel is not known, it will most likely be LCD.

OPPO A76 Renders

Further, the smartphone will come with a dual-camera setup consisting of a 13MP primary sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor on the back. For selfies and video calls, it will make use of an 8MP snapper.

On the software front, it will boot ColorOS 11.1 based on Android 11. It will be backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. Finally, it will measure 164.4 X 75.7 X 8.4mm in dimensions and weigh 189g.

OPPO is yet to officially announce the launch date for OPPO A76. According to certifications, It should be available in multiple regions.

 

 

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MediaTek Dimensity 8000 series chip beats Snapdragon 888 in AnTuTu benchmarks

MediaTek is gearing up to launch new processors from its Dimensity 9000 and Dimensity 8000 series of processors. However, prior to any Dimensity powered smartphone’s release, a Dimensity 8000 series chip has been spotted on AnTuTu.

 

MediaTek

In the known benchmarking platform, the new chipset can be spotted with an impressive score of around 820,000 points. While there are more powerful chipsets, the Dimensity 8000 series is positioned under its top end flagship Dimensity 9000 series. Yet, this chipset managed to outperform Qualcomm’s 2021 flagship processor, the Snapdragon 888 SoC. As of right now, the Snapdragon 888 SoC scores around the 800,000 marks on AnTuTu. Previously, we had even reported on the Dimensity 9000 reportedly beating the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 as well, so it seems that MediaTek’s next gen lineup is quite the contender in the mobile chipset market this year.

Furthermore, Dimensity 8000 powered phones might be a great choice for many, since they would offer great performance and would be relatively cheaper than flagship handsets as well. Notably, the new Dimensity 8000 and Dimensity 9000 chips are also designed to be power efficient without compromising on performance. This year, various brands are expected to feature this chipset, including the likes of Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, and other brands.

MediaTeK Dimensity 9000

Keep in mind that this is still a synthetic benchmark and does not reflect on actual real world performance in areas like gaming. This benchmark was also shared by known tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo (a Chinese microblogging website), meaning, its not an official test from the brand either and is likely an early benchmark. So stick around for more as we will be providing more updates when additional information is available regarding this matter.

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Samsung Galaxy S22 series India price out, starts from ₹72,999

Last week, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S22 series at the Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event globally, After teasing for days, the company has finally revealed the pricing of its latest flagship smartphones in India. Let’s check out how much they cost in the country.

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

First and foremost, the Galaxy S22 family of premium smartphones is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC instead of the Exynos 2200 chipset in India. No matter which model you purchase, whether it is Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, or Galaxy S22 Ultra, you will get a phone with the latest chip from Qualcomm.

Secondly, apart from the ultra, the vanilla and plus are not getting all the official colors in the region at launch. Even for the former, one of the three official colors is not available for the top memory variant. Sadly, there are no official online-exclusive colors as well.

Talking about storage, the Galaxy S22 Ultra maxes out at 512GB rather than 1TB. On the other hand, the Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S22+ are limited to 256GB just like in other markets.

Coming to the price, the newest Galaxy S series phones start at ₹72,999 in India. They go all the way up to ₹1,18,999.

Samsung Galaxy S22 series India Price and Colors

Galaxy S22

  • Memory Variants
    • 8GB + 128GB – ₹72,999
    • 8GB + 256GB – ₹76,999
  • Colors
    • Phantom Black
    • Phantom White
    • Green

Galaxy S22+

  • Memory Variants
    • 8GB + 128GB – ₹84,999
    • 8GB + 256GB – ₹88,999
  • Colors
    • Phantom Black
    • Phantom White
    • Green

Galaxy S22 Ultra

  • Memory Variants
    • 12GB + 256GB – ₹1,09,999
    • 12GB + 512GB – ₹1,18,999
  • Colors
    • Burgundy
    • Phantom Black
    • Phantom White (only 256GB)

Unfortunately, Samsung neither revealed the pre-order/sale dates nor shared any information on launch offers. We expect the company to make an announcement regarding these soon.

 

 

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REDMAGIC 7 Gaming Phone lineup launched in China, with SD 8 Gen1, up to 135W charging, & more

The Red Magic 7 series has just been launched in China. These are the company’s latest flagship gaming smartphone and arrive with top notch specs and features. So let’s have a look at the new devices.

Red Magic 7

Red Magic 7

The Red Magic 7 is the company’s latest flagship and gaming smartphone. The handset sports a 6.8 inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution that offers an impressive 165Hz refresh rate. With frame rate being important in gaming, this panel would likely be great for mobile gamers. Under the hood, the Red Magic 7 packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC and runs Android 12 out of the box. This processor is paired with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. The device is powered by a large 4,500mAh battery pack that supports a 120W of fast charging as well.

Red Magic 7

The brand also placed an emphasis on cooling, with the device featuring the ICE 8.0 cooling system that includes an RGB fan that spins at 20,000 rpm. It also houses nine heat dissipation materials as well, like a large VC liquid cooling plate. Other features include, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, USB Type C, Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 6, dual stereo speakers, 3 microphones, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack as well. On the rear, the smartphone sports a triple camera setup, with the primary lens being a 64 megapixel shooter. This sensor is paired with an 8 megapixel ultra wide angle lens and a 2 megapixel macro sensor.

Red Magic 7 Pro

Arriving at the higher end model, the Red Magic 7 Pro is the top variant and features many of the same features as the base version but with a few additions. This includes the Red Core 1 chipset. This is a dedicated chip that has been designed to enhance the gaming experience on its latest flagship device. For gaming, the device also offers shoulder triggers as well, which paired with the Red Core 1, offers a 500Hz touch sampling rate. This chipset will also help enhance audio on the 7 series.

Red Magic 7

Apart from this, it also offer a full front screen body since it houses its selfie camera under the display to offer the most seamless gaming experience. It also sports the same display as the base mode, but with 100 percent DCI P3 color gamut, 10 bit color, DC dimming, and more. It also feature in display fingerprint sensor, which supports heart rate monitoring as well. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC but paired with up to 18GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of internal storage. With virtual expansion, it can even hit 24GB of total RAM.

Red Magic 7

For photography, it features the same 64 megapixel triple camera setup, along with an 8 megapixel ultra wide angle lens and a 2 megapixel macro sensor. On the front, it sports a 16 megapixel selfie shooter under the display. It runs on a large 5,000mAh battery pack that offers 135W fast charging that enables it to charge from 0 to 100 percent in just 15 minutes. Notably, the device also comes with the industry’s first 165W GaN charger as well.

Red Magic 7

Pricing and Availability

The Red Magic 7 series is available in two color variants for both the Pro and base model, namely Dark Knight and Cyber Neon, and will also be sold in Transparent Edition as well. So let’s have a look at the pricing for the different configurations:

Red Magic 7
DARK KNIGHT
  • 8GB + 128GB – 3,899 Yuan ($615)
DARK KNIGHT or CYBER NEON
  • 12GB + 128GB – 4,399 Yuan ($695)
  • 12GB + 256GB – 4,799 Yuan ($757)
TRANSPARENT EDITION
  • 12GB + 256GB – 4,899 Yuan ($773)
  • 12GB + 512GB – 5,499 Yuan ($867)

Red Magic 7 Pro

DARK KNIGHT
  • 12GB + 128GB – 4,799 Yuan ($757)
  • 12GB + 256GB – 5,199 Yuan ($820)
  • 16GB + 256GB – 5,599 Yuan ($883)
CYBER NEON
  • 12GB + 256GB – 5,199 Yuan ($820)
TRANSPARENT EDITION
  • 12GB + 256GB  – 5,299 Yuan ($836)
  • 16GB + 256GB – 5,699 Yuan ($899)
  • 18GB + 512GB – 6,499 Yuan ($1,025)
  • 18GB + 1TB  – 7,499 Yuan ($1,183)

The Nubia Red Magic 7 will go on sale starting from 21st February 2022, with pre-orders going live today. On the other hand, the Red Magic 7 Pro will begin pre-orders starting from 21st February 2022 as well, and will go on sale on 28th March 2022. With the launch of the 7 series, the company has also announced that the Red Magic 6S Pro gaming smartphone will be hitting the global markets soon. So stick around as we will be offer any updates regarding its release.

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HONOR ranked 2nd in terms of 2021 smartphone shipments in China

Smartphone shipments dropped 11% YoY in Q4 2021 in China but Apple saw some significant growth after the third quarter, thanks to the iPhone 13 series. The Cupertino-based company, as a result, ended on top and reached its highest-ever market share in the country.

counterpoint research china smartphone market 2021
Image: Counterpoint Research

HONOR was another success story, managing to more than double its market share compared to 2020 (via Counterpoint). It became China’s second-biggest OEM for the first time following independence from Huawei, driven by its mid-to-high-end products. The company has continued its upward trend in 2022, with sales during the last couple of weeks in January increasing 32% over the first two weeks.

honor retains momentum january 2022
Image: Counterpoint Research

vivo’s shipments dropped 13.8% YoY in Q4 2021 with its market share standing at 16.5%. While it stands third on the above chart, Counterpoint’s previous report that was based on sales positioned the company second. The newer one, on the other hand, is based on shipments.

But even as shipments continued to drop last year, the battle in the premium space intensified thanks to OEMs expanding their premium product portfolios.

Among Androids, the HONOR Magic3 led the segment. The device comes with a really impressive spec sheet and an iconic design.

counterpoint research honor retains momentum
Image: Counterpoint Research

HONOR also launched its first foldable in the market called the Magic V that competes directly against the OPPO Find N. More Android brands are expected to come up with their own foldable offerings soon and will heat up the competition further.

That said, the premium battle will not be limited to the Chinese smartphone market. HONOR, OPPO, Xiaomi, and vivo will bring their premium offerings to the global arena as well.

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Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE bags Android 12-based MIUI 13 update

Recently, Xiaomi started rolling out the Android 12-based MIUI 13 update for the Mi 11 and the Mi 11 Lite 5G in international markets. Now, the same software is now live for Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE as well. However, unlike the former phones, the update for the latter handset is only available for Mi Pilot testers as of now.

Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G Featured A
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE

According to Xiaomiui, Xiaomi has begun to seed MIUI 13 update for the EEA variant of the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. The latest software build for the smartphone is based on Android 12. Above all, it is limited to Mi Pilot Testers.

In simpler words, the new system update for the device is only available for a select few users who are part of the public beta testing program, which Xiaomi officially calls Mi Pilot Testing.

The same build will be soon rolled out to random regular users in the coming days as part of the ‘Stable Beta’ (batched) release. If these users don’t find any major issues, the build will see a wider rollout as part of the ‘Stable’ release.

In a nutshell, we can expect every user of Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE to be on the latest version of MIUI and Android within a month if everything goes fine. The update should be also live for other regional variants of the phone apart from EEA.

 

 

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OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G pricing and offers tipped ahead of launch

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is all set for a 7 pm launch today and while its design and specs are already known, the pricing had still been kept in the dark. But thanks to notable tipster Ishan Agarwal, that bit is now revealed as well.

According to Ishan, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G will carry a starting price of Rs 23,999. This can be brought down by Rs 1,500 if you got an ICICI credit card lying around or if you make the purchase using EMI through debit/credit cards, effectively slashing the price to Rs 22,499.

OnePlus Nord CE 2

Said pricing is expected to be for the base 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage variant. It will be joined by another 8GB + 128GB config that will be priced a little higher. Both variants will be available for purchase soon via Amazon India.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is expected to feature a 6.43-inch FHD+ 90Hz AMOLED display and is powered by the Dimensity 900 SoC. The chip will be supported by up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage.

OnePlus Head of Product Oliver Zhang recently shared in an interview that the Nord CE 2’s battery will be sized 4,500mAh battery with support for 65W fast-charging through OPPO’s SuperVOOC tech.

For photography, the smartphone will pack a triple camera system comprised of 64MP AI primary, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP sensors. On the front, it will come with a 16MP selfie shooter.

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OPPO Find X5 Pro launch invite comes with the MariSilicon X NPU

Earlier today (17th February 2022), OPPO officially announced the launch date for the Find X5 series of flagship smartphones. But prior to its February 24 launch event, the company sent out invitations for the conference. We got an invite as well, which arrived along with a MariSilicon X NPU chipset.

OPPO

For those unaware, the Find X5 and Find X5 Pro are the Chinese smartphone maker’s highly anticipated premium grade handsets. These models are expected to feature top notch specifications, with one of the highlighting aspects being the brand’s self developed NPU chipset called the MariSilicon X. This chip is dedicated for the smartphone’s camera ISP and is built to offer an improved photography experience.

In the invite that we received, we got a sample MariSilicon X NPU chip. Unfortunately, no other details were revealed, but we do have previous reports to go on for now. The Find X5 Pro is believed to sport a 6.67 inch AMOLED LTPO Quad HD+ display that offers a screen refresh rate of 120Hz and comes with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for protection. Under the hood, the device is expected to pack the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, paired with up to 12GB o fLPDDR5 RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage.

OPPO

The Find X5 series will debut on the 24th of February 2022, so stick around for more as we will be covering any leaks or reports that surface prior to its launch. We will also be covering the launch event as well, so stay tuned.

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Entire specs of POCO X4 Pro 5G are out ahead of launch date announcement

POCO is yet to announce the launch date of POCO X4 Pro 5G. However, the smartphone doesn’t seem to stop leaking. We just reported on the phone’s official wallpaper leak, in addition to information on its primary camera. Within a few minutes, we are back again with another story revealing the entire specs of the upcoming handset.

Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G Global
Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G

The POCO X4 Pro 5G has been long rumored to be a rebranded Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G sold outside China. The earlier certifications and leaks are indeed true, except for a minor change. The device will arrive with a 64MP primary camera instead of a 108MP main sensor.

The latest leak from Xiaomiui revealed that the smartphone will house a 64MP Samsung ISOCELL SK5GW3 primary camera. Now, Tipster Yogesh Brar also corroborates that the phone will have a 64MP main camera, in addition to an 8MP ultra-wide unit and a 2MP macro snapper. 

As far as the remaining specifications are concerned, the POCO X4 Pro 5G will be an international Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G inside out. But it is anticipated to differ in terms of colors and rear design.

The device will be built around a 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz Super AMOLED display. It will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC paired with 6GB/8GB LPDDR4x RAM and 64GB/128GB UFS 2.1 storage.

It will have a 16MP front-facing camera and get its juice from a 5,000mAh battery, which will have support for 67W fast charging. Though the leaker does not mention them, we can also expect the handset to feature dual stereo speakers, an IR blaster, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Last but not least, it will boot MIUI 13 based on Android 11, which is disappointing.

 

 

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Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G India launch tipped, could be a rebranded phone

Recently, Redmi announced the Redmi Note 11, Note 11S, Note 11 Pro 4G, and Note 11 Pro 5G in the global markets. Among these, India has received the Note 11 and Note 11S smartphones. The company is likely to launch the Note 11 Pro models in India to rival the Realme 9 Pro 5G and Realme 9 Pro+ 5G. Xiaomiui has tipped key information about the upcoming Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G handset that will be heading soon to India.

Redmi-Note-11-Pro-5G-Check

The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G that debuted in global markets recently is codenamed as “peux,” but its ROM codename is “veux.” As can be seen in the screenshot of the Mi code shared by Xiaomiui, the device with the “peux_in” codename will be arriving in India with the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G. Hence, it is likely that the global Redmi Note 11 Pro will be releasing in India with the Note 11 Pro+ 5G name.

Redmi-Note-11-Pro-Global-Variants-
Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G (global edition)

The POCO X4 Pro 5G will also be a rebranded version of the global Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. The only noticeable difference will be that the X4 Pro will be equipped with a 64-megapixel main camera instead of the 108-megapixel camera.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G specifications (rumored)

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G for India may come with a 6.6-inch S-AMOLED display that offers a Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz display. The Snapdragon 695 chip may power the device with up to 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage.

The device may come with a 5,000mAh battery that supports 67W fast charging. It has a 16-megapixel selfie camera and a 108-megapixel (primary) + 8-megapixel (ultrawide) + 2-megapixel (macro) triple camera system. It may come with Android 11 OS and MIUI 13 and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

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POCO X4 Pro 5G official wallpaper emerge, 64MP primary camera tipped

POCO has recently unveiled the POCO M4 Pro 5G in India. The company plans to launch F-series, X-series, and C-series of smartphones in the first half of 2022 in the country. The X-lineup is likely to include models such as POCO X4 5G / NFC variant and the POCO X4 Pro 5G. Now, a Telegram channel (via) has leaked the official wallpaper of the POCO X4 Pro 5G.

Redmi recently released the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G smartphone in the global markets. It is speculated to get rebranded as the POCO X4 Pro 5G in India. The two phones will come with identical specifications, but they are likely to differ in the main camera department.

POCO X4 Pro 5G wallpaper

The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G (global) has a 108-megapixel primary camera, but the POCO X4 Pro 5G will be sporting a 64-megapixel main camera. On a side note, the upcoming Redmi Note 11E Pro 5G China-exclusive phone will be a rebranded version of the Note 11 Pro 5G (global).

The POCO X5 Pro 5G is likely to come with a 6.67-inch S-AMOLED Full HD+ display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate. It may feature a 16-megapixel front-facing camera and a 64-megapixel (main) + 8-megapixel (ultrawide) + 2-megapixel (macro) triple camera unit.

The Snapdragon 695 chipset powered device may come with 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB / 128 GB of internal storage. It may house a 5,000mAh battery that offers 67W fast charging. It will come with Android 11 OS with MIUI 13 on top and a side-facing fingerprint scanner.

The TDRA listing of the phone revealed that its model number is 2201116PG. The same model number has been spotted at some other certification sites such as NBTC with the POCO X4 5G name. Hence, it is advisable to wait for further reports to know the final marketing name of the tweaked version of the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G.

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