Huawei Mate X2 Lunar New Year Red Limited Edition Silently Launched in China, Only Available in Offline Stores

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Feb 13, 2022

Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year for 15 days, namely from the 1st day of the year of the lunar calendar to the 15th day of the calendar. During Lunar New Year, the colour red has always meant propensity and good fortune in Chinese culture. With that in mind, Huawei has launched a very prosperous “Red” leather edition of its Huawei Mate X2 foldable in China in tangent with the Lunar New Year Celebration.

Huawei-Mate-X2-Red-Promo-Poster — Huawei Mate X2 Lunar New Year Edition

Shared by Weibo user, Yixiu Technology Jun, the official name of the foldable is called the Huawei Mate X2 Lunar New Year Red Limited Edition, and it shares the same hardware such as the processor and the cameras as the normal Huawei Mate X2. The main differentiating factors of this phone are its red vegan leather back design, and its generous 12GB RAM and 1TB storage option.

Weibo-Huawei-Mate-X2-silent-launch — Source: Weibo user Yixiu Technology Jun

This new edition of the Huawei Mate X2 was silently launched by Huawei, and as of current, the phone is only available in offline stores in China, priced at 20999 RMB (3305 USD).

The Huawei Mate X2 comes with a 6.45-inch 90Hz cover OLED display with a pill-shaped cut-out that houses a single 16MP front-facing camera. The foldable display is an 8-inch OLED panel and also has a 90Hz refresh rate.

In the camera department, the phone is equipped with a quad-camera setup that includes a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor, and an 8-megapixel periscope lens.

It is running Huawei’s own EMUI 11 interface based on the HarmonyOS 2.0 operating system. The smartphone is powered by a 4,500mAh battery and comes with support for 55W wired fast charging technology.

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Buyer Beware: The Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ only support variable refresh rates of 48Hz-120Hz, not 10-120Hz

By

Leo Wong De Quan

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Feb 13, 2022

Samsung has recently announced its Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup with the Galaxy S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra. In their initial press release, Samsung had sent the media that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ were equipped with 10~120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays. However, 3 days later, Samsung has silently changed the details of the press release, now stating that the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ were equipped with only 48~120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays instead.

The news came from Twitter user, Ross Young, who noticed that Samsung had changed the details of the Galaxy S22 and S22+ in their marketing materials 2 days after launch. From what he had gathered, he had noticed that in Samsung older marketing materials, it mentioned that both the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ were equipped with 10~120Hz variable refresh rate displays, but in the new marketing materials Samsung has published, the Galaxy S22 and S22+ are only equipped with 48Hz~120Hz variable refresh rate displays, same as last year’s S21 and S21+.

Samsung Galaxy S22 48Hz 10Hz — Left: Initial Samsung Promo Material, Right: Latest Samsung Promo Material

This info is also further confirmed via comparisons between Samsung’s Newsroom current website for the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ and the archived version of said website via Internet Wayback Machine.

Samsung silently changed the details of its Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ after it has opened pre-orders on Feb 10 for both phones in several markets such as in the US, Europe and Southeast Asia. The mislabelling of the specifications of the display has also reached the general public as many tech channels have uploaded their hands-on and impressions videos, mentioning that both devices have 10~120Hz refresh rate displays, when in reality, the S22 and S22+ only support 48~120Hz.

In fact, several users already had concerns about the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ having worse battery life than their predecessors, since the S22 and S22+ only come with 3700mAh and 4500mAh batteries respectively, while the S21 and S21+ were equipped with larger 4000mAh and 4800mAh batteries.

Buyers thought that a more power-efficient 10-120Hz display could compensate for the 300mAh decrease in battery size since a display when reading e-books runs on less battery power at 10Hz compared to 48Hz. But Samsung has now confirmed their fears with a worse display than initially advertised. Hopefully, when devices reach the hands of consumers, software battery-saving optimisations would be enough to get the Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ to last the whole day on a single charge.

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OPPO Pad, Find X5, Enco X2 TWS design revealed in a leaked poster

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 13, 2022

OPPO is expected to showcase the OPPO Find X5 series of smartphones such as Find X5, Find X5 Pro, and Find X5 Lite at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) tech trade show later this month. OPPO is likely to hold a dedicated launch event in China to announce the Find X5 and X5 Pro. Reliable tipster Digital Chat Station shared a leaked poster on Weibo (now deleted) that not only shows the Find X5 series phone, but also other unannounced products such as the OPPO Pad tablet and Enco X2 TWS earbuds.

While OPPO is yet to release an official confirmation, the leaked poster gives a good look at the upcoming OPPO devices. The Find X5 (Pro) design is not a secret since a recent report by Winfuture.de carried its leaked press renders. A leak from the previous month also revealed what to expect from Enco X2 earbuds.

The leaked poster gives a glimpse of OPPO’s first tablet, which is likely to be called OPPO Pad. It reveals that the top edge of the tablet will feature a pair of speaker grilles and a power key. The rear side of the tablet features a single camera along with an LED flash and some sort of branding.

OPPO Pad specifications (rumored)

Recent reports have revealed that the OPPO Pad has an 11-inch IPS LCD display with slim bezels. The tablet will offer a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. It may come with an 8-megapixel front camera and a 13-megapixel rear camera. The device may not feature a fingerprint scanner but may arrive with support for face unlock.

The OPPO Pad will come with Snapdragon 870, 6 GB of LPPDR4x RAM, and 256 GB of built-in storage. It may come preinstalled with Android 12 OS and offer features like multi-screen and a desktop mode. It may house an 8,080mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. It may come with support for a pressure-sensitive stylus. The device is likely to be priced at around 2,000 Yuan (~$315).

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Samsung Galaxy A23 5G CAD renders leaked, reveals familiar design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 13, 2022

Samsung is reportedly working on a couple of new A-series of smartphones such as Galaxy A23, Galaxy A33, Galaxy A53, and Galaxy A73. It is speculated that some of these phones may debut as early as at the end of this month or in March. A fresh leak courtesy of popular tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer and CollegeDunia reveals the entire design of the Galaxy A23 from all angles. The CAD renders suggests that its design will be similar to last year’s Galaxy A-series phones such as from last year.

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G renders

The CAD renders of the Galaxy A23 5G reveal that it will be sporting a waterdrop notch display on the front with a thick chin. The rear design of the phone Galaxy A23 5G is like last year’s Galaxy A32, A52, and A72. The device measures around 165.4 x 77 x 8.5mm. Its thickness increases to 10.3mm at the camera bump.

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The right side of the phone has a volume rocker and a power key, which is integrated with a fingerprint scanner. The top edge of the device has a microphone, and its bottom side has a 3.5mm audio jack, a microphone, a USB-C port, and a speaker grille. A SIM card slot is available on the left side of the phone.

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G specifications (rumored)

The leak mentions that the Galaxy A23 5G has a display of around 6.6 inches. The rear-facing quad-camera unit of the phone will seemingly feature a 50-megapixel SK Hynix primary camera with OIS support. It could be accompanied by a 5-megapixel ultrawide lens and a pair of 2-megapixel lenses.

At present, there is no information on the other specs of the phone. It is speculated that the Galaxy A32 will be made available in 4G and 5G flavors.

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Redmi 10 2022 launched with 90Hz display, 50MP quad cameras, Helio G88

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 13, 2022

Redmi 10 2022 has gone official silently for the global markets. The mid-range offers key features such as a 90Hz display, 50-megapixel quad cameras, a big battery, and an Helio G-series chipset. Here is all the information on the specifications, features, and pricing of the Redmi 10 2022.

Redmi 10 2022 specifications and features

The Redmi 10 2022 measures 161.95 x 75.53 x 8.92mm and weighs 181 grams. The device has a 6.5-inch punch-hole display that offers a Full HD+ resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, 405 ppi pixel density, and Gorilla Glass 3. The device has a front camera of 8-megapixel, and its rear camera setup has 50-megapixel primary camera, a 120-degree 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

The Helio G88 chipset is present under the hood of the Redmi 10 2022. The device ships with 4 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 128 GB of eMMC storage. The device runs on Android 11 and MIUI 12.5.

It is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging and 9W reverse wired charging. The retail package of the device includes a 22.5W charger. For security, it supports face unlock and has a side-facing fingerprint scanner. The device offers other features such as dual 4G VoLTE, a dedicated microSD card slot, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC, IR blaster, a USB-C port, dual speakers, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a splash-resistant body. In terms of specifications and features, it is identical to the Redmi 10, which was announced in August 2021.

Redmi 10 2022 pricing and availability

The Redmi 10 2022 pricing is yet to be confirmed. It comes in three colors such as Carbon Gray, Pebble White, and Sea Blue.

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Moto G200 vs Xiaomi 11T: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 12, 2022

Motorola recently brought another flagship to the global market: the Moto G200 5G. If you are looking for the best performance at a great price, then this is one of the most powerful phones you can opt for. But to get that huge power at that price, you have to face a few compromises. That is why you have to evaluate your purchase in a detailed way by comparing the Moto G200 5G to other handsets in the same range. One of them is definitely the Xiaomi 11T and this is a comparison between the specifications of this handset and the Moto G200 5G.

Motorola Moto G200 5G vs Xiaomi 11T

	Motorola Moto G200 5G	Xiaomi 11T Pro
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	168.1 x 75.5 x 8.9 mm, 202 g	164.1 x 76.9 x 8.8 mm, 203 g
DISPLAY	6.8 inches, 1080 x 2460 pixels (Full HD+), LCD	6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400 pixels (Full HD+), AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+, octa-core 2.99 GHz	Mediatek Dimensity 1200, octa-core 3 GHz
MEMORY	8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB	8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 11	Android 11, MIUI
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS
CAMERA	Triple 108 + 8 + 2 MP, f/1.9 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 16 MP f/2.2 front camera	Triple 108 + 8 + 5 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 16 MP f/2.5 front camera
BATTERY	5000 mAh, fast charging 33W	5000 mAh, Fast Charging 67W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	5G, dual SIM, water-repellent	5G, dual SIM, IP53 splash resistant

Design

The Motorola Moto G200 5G is a flagship killer, but unfortunately, it is not built with premium materials. Its rear cover and its frame are both made of polycarbonate and, even if the look is attractive thanks to those cameras without a rear camera module behind, it is a cheap phone in terms of aesthetics. The Xiaomi 11T is built with a glass back and an aluminum frame: the design is definitely more suggestive and the materials used are premium just like the most expensive flagships. The Motorola Moto G200 5G has a water repellent body, while the Xiaomi 11T features the IP53 certification which guarantees dust resistance and splashes resistance. The Xiaomi flagship killer is even more compact than its rival.

Display

The Xiaomi 11T wins the comparison even when it comes to the displays. It comes with a great AMOLED display showing up to one billion colors with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, the HDR10+ certification, a 120 Hz refresh rate, a very high peak brightness (up to 1,000 nits), and a diagonal of 6.67 inches. Unfortunately, the Motorola Moto G200 5G has an LCD panel with less brilliant colors: it has a higher 144 Hz refresh rate, but the image quality is inferior due to the LCD technology. On the other hand, it has a wider panel with a diagonal of 6.8 inches, this is great for productivity users and gamers, just like the 144 Hz refresh rate. Note that the Xiaomi handset comes with stereo speakers, while the Motorola one does not.

Specs & Software

If your goal is to get the best phone in terms of performance, then you have no better choice than the Motorola Moto G200 5G. It is powered by the amazing Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Plus mobile platform, an upgrade of the Snapdragon 888 providing higher CPU performance, paired with 8 GB of RAM and either 128 or 256 GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. It is a lot better than the Xiaomi 11T fueled by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset and up to 8 GB of RAM. Both the phones run Android 11 but with different user interfaces. The Motorola Moto G200 5G is definitely the best even for those who seek the highest gaming performance.

Camera

Motorola Moto G200 5G and Xiaomi 11T are equipped with a triple rear camera including a main sensor with a 108 MP resolution. The former has a better 13 MP ultrawide camera paired with the main sensor, while the latter has a brighter focal aperture for the main sensor which should allow getting slightly better photo quality in low light conditions.

Read More:Xiaomi 11T series will launch as the Redmi K40S series in China in November

Battery

The Xiaomi 11T and the Motorola Moto G200 5G sport two batteries with a capacity of 5000 mAh. But despite the capacity being the same, the 11T should be able to last more on a single charge due to its efficient AMOLED display. It even provides faster charging with a power of 67W (against just 33W).

Price

You can find the Xiaomi 11T in the global market for less than €400/$455 thanks to online street prices, while the Motorola Moto G200 5G is available for less than €500/$568. The Xiaomi 11T wins the comparison because of its better display, stereo speakers, premium design, and faster charging. But if you are a gamer, then Moto G200 5G might be a better choice due to its higher refresh rate and better processor.

Motorola Moto G200 5G vs Xiaomi 11T: PRO and CONS

Motorola Moto G200 5G

PRO

Better chipset
144 Hz refresh rate
Wider display
Better ultrawide camera

CONS

LCD display

Xiaomi 11T

PRO

AMOLED display
Faster charging
Stereo speakers
IP53 certification

CONS

Inferior chipset

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OnePlus reveals OxygenOS 13 under development, discussion event set for Feb 28

By

Sudhanshu

-

Feb 12, 2022

Back in June 2021, OnePlus announced that OxygenOS will be deeply integrated with OPPO’s ColorOS. Following this, OnePlus ditched the HydrogenOS in favor of ColorOS in China. Later, the global regions received the Android 12 update which effectively made the OxygenOS nothing more than a rebranded ColorOS.

A recent report suggested that both the companies will be ditching their operating system names and will rather go for a unified OS with one name which is rumored to be H2OOS. Now, OnePlus has just confirmed that they are working on the OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13.

This latest revelation throws a wrench in the current rumors and narrative that the brand will be ditching the OxygenOS name altogether. However, OnePlus has previously stated that at some point they will start offering a unified global operating system across all their devices, so it may be that the upcoming unified OS name change will still happen, but will likely be delayed than the previous rumors suggest.

The latest announcement is in regard to discussing OxygenOS 13 on the Open Ears Forum with their userbase in an effort to create the perfect OxygenOS for OnePlus smartphones. The event is scheduled for February 28, 19:30 – 21:30 HKT (17:00 – 19:00 IST, 13:30 – 15:30 CEST, 7:30 – 9:30 EST). Interested people can apply to join the event till February 18, by clicking on this link.

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Upcoming Smartphones: Redmi K50 Gaming, Realme 9 Pro, OnePlus Nord CE 2, and more

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 12, 2022

You thought this past week was busy with smartphone launches? Think again. Because next week is going to be even busier. A total of 7 brands have confirmed to release phones next week. Of these, four companies will announce new products. Whereas, the remaining three will debut their already official handsets in one of the important markets – India.

Next week, we will witness the launch of 5 brand-new smartphones. Out of this, two of them will be the first high-end gaming smartphones of 2022. On the other hand, the remaining three will be important budget/mid-range smartphones. Let’s go through them one by one.

Upcoming Smartphones Next Week

Prev Next

1. Redmi K50 Gaming Edition

Redmi K50 Gaming Edition

The most anticipated smartphone of next week is Redmi K50 Gaming Edition. It will be the brand’s first phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC.

The launch event for the handset is scheduled to kickstart from 6 PM CST on February 16. Interested readers can watch the live stream on Mi.com China, Weibo, and leading Chinese social as well as video streaming platforms.

The device is expected to arrive with features such as a 6,67-inch 120Hz OLED display, 64MP + 13MP + 2MP triple camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, JBL-tuned dual stereo speakers, magnetic shoulder keys, x-axis linear vibrations motor, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, 4,700mAh battery, and 120W fast charging.

2. realme 9 Pro Series

realme 9 Pro series

The realme 9 Pro series is set to launch on February 16 in multiple markets, including India and Europe. The event live stream is planned to start from 1:30 PM IST. It can be watched on the brand’s official YouTube channel. The company may also stream the conference on its official Twitter and Facebook profile/page.

The lineup will include two devices, namely realme 9 Pro and realme 9 Pro+. They will feature the same color-changing rear design but will differ in terms of specs.

According to leaks and teasers, the Pro+ will offer all the bells and whistles like an OIS-enabled 50MP Sony IMX766 primary camera, 6.43-inch FHD+ 90Hz AMOLED display, and an in-screen fingerprint sensor with support for heart rate monitoring. While the Pro will come with a 6.59-inch 120Hz display (LCD) and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset.

3. REDMAGIC 7 Series

REDMAGIC 7 Under Display Camera Edition

The REDMAGIC 7 series will launch on February 17 in China. The event is scheduled to start at 3 PM CST. It will be live-streamed on Weibo and other popular Chinese social as well as video streaming platforms.

The family is expected to include two models, such as REDMAGIC 7 and REDMAGIC 7 Pro. There could be a special variant with an under-display camera.

Leaks, certifications, and teasers have revealed features like a 6.8-inch FHD+ 165Hz OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, VC liquid cooling system, dual cooling fans, 64MP triple camera setup, Android 12, 4,500mAh battery, and 165W fast charging.

4. OnePlus Nord CE 2

OnePlus Nord CE 2

OnePlus has confirmed to launch the OnePlus Nord CE 2 in multiple markets on February 17. The event will be live-streamed on the company’s official YouTube channel from 7 PM IST. The brand may also stream the conference on its official social media handles.

As far as the device is concerned, it will be the successor of the OnePlus Nord CE from last year. It will be accompanied by the OnePlus TV Y1S series. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite may also debut alongside it.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 is said to sport a 6.43-inch FHD+ 90Hz AMOLED display, MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC, LPDDR4x RAM, UFS 2.2 storage, 64MP (wide) + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) triple camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, MicroSD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, in-screen fingerprint sensor, OxygenOS 11.3 based on Android 11, 4,500mAh battery, and 65W fast charging.

5. POCO M4 Pro 5G

POCO M4 Pro 5G

The POCO M4 Pro 5G is finally heading to India on February 15. The launch event will begin at 12 PM and can be streamed on the official YouTube channel of POCO India.

This handset went official in early November in multiple international markets. It is nothing but a rebranded Redmi Note 11 5G sold in China. The phone also goes by the name of Redmi Note 11T 5G in India.

Its specifications include a 6.6-inch FHD+ 90Hz display (LCD), MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset, 50MP (wide) + 8MP (ultra-wide) dual camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual stereo speakers, Android 11-based MIUI 12.5, 5,000mAh battery, and 33W fast charging.

6. ASUS ROG Phone 5S Series

ASUS ROG Phone 5S

Six months post its initial release, the ASUS ROG Phone 5S series is set to launch in India on February 15. The family includes two devices, namely ROG Phone 5S and ROG Phone 5S Pro.

The duo will be similar to their predecessors ROG Phone 5 and ROG Phone 5 Pro, except for the chip. They are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ SoC instead of Snapdragon 888.

Their specs consist of a 6.78-inch FHD+ 144Hz AMOLED display, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, 64MP (wide) + 13MP (ultra-wide) + 5MP (macro) triple camera setup, 24MP selfie camera, dual stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, 2 x USB Type-C ports, in-screen fingerprint sensor, ultrasonic shoulder triggers, Android 11-based ROG UI, 6,000mAh battery, and 65W fast charging.

7. Infinix ZERO 5G

Infinix ZERO 5G

Infinix ZERO 5G went official earlier this week in Nigeria. Up next, the brand’s first 5G smartphone is on the way to India. It will land in the country on February 14.

The handset has a design similar to the premium OPPO Find X 3 series. However, it is a mid-range 5G smartphone.

It offers specifications like a 6.78-inch 120Hz display (LCD), MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, 48MP + 13MP + 2MP triple camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, Android 11, 5,000mAh battery, and 33W fast charging.

Redmi K50 Gaming Edition has a 64MP Sony IMX686 main camera, 20MP front camera: Official teaser

By

Sudhanshu

-

Feb 12, 2022

This week has been very eventful as we got multiple teasers of the upcoming Redmi K50 Gaming Edition. At this point, most of the key specifications of the device have either been leaked or officially teased by the company. Now, Redmi has officially unveiled information regarding the K50 Gaming Edition’s primary and front camera sensors.

The new teaser revealed that the K50 Gaming Edition is getting a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 sensor for the primary camera. The sensor offers a maximum resolution of 9248 x 6944 pixels and offers a pixel size of 0.8 μm to 1.6μm (pixel binning). Redmi has also released a sample image taken by the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition’s primary camera.

Redmi also teased the front camera details of the K50 Gaming Edition, which is revealed to be a 20 megapixel Sony IMX596. The front camera will support Xiaomi’s AI beautification features for better selfies.

So far, we know that the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition will come equipped with a 6.67-inch OLED 2400 x 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 480Hz touch sampling rate. It will also feature Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

Under the hood, the device will come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. To keep the temperature in check, it features a VC cooling area of 4860mm². It is claimed to be the world’s first to be equipped with a CyberEngine ultra-wideband motor.

In the camera department, there will be a triple-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 primary sensor. The other two sensors on the back are touted to be the 13-megapixel OmniVision OV13B sensor, and a 2-megapixel tertiary lens. On the front side, there will be a 20-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

The phone will reportedly come with physical magnetic shoulder keys and have dual stereo speakers tuned by JBL. There will also be a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security. It is likely to be running the latest Android 12 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own MIUI 13 custom user interface on top. The device will be powered by a 4,700mAh battery with 120W fast charging support. The phone is slated to launch on February 16th.

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Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra gets crushed by iPhone 13 Pro Max on Geekbench

By

Zohaib Ahmed

-

Feb 12, 2022

The Samsung Galaxy S22 series comprises one of the most powerful Android phones on the market right now, but their Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip still fails to reach any close to Apple’s A15 processor that powers the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

In a Geekbench 5 test performed by PCMag, the Galaxy S22 Ultra with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor scored 3,433 on the multi-core test, compared to 4,647 for the iPhone 13 Pro Max with Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. Similar results were seen on the single-core test with the iPhone 13 Pro Max reaching 1,735 points while the Galaxy S22 Ultra got 1,232.

galaxy s22 series geekbench scores pcmag — Source: PCMag

The results aren’t surprising though. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 reference device from December had exhibited very similar scores and was only a marginal improvement over its previous generation. Apple’s A15, on the other hand, brings about significant performance boosts over the A14.

Compared to last year’s Snapdragon 888, the 8 Gen 1 shows a 13% rise in Geekbench single-core scores and a 9% rise in Geekbench multi-core scores, which is moderate. But on GFXBench benchmarks, PCMag saw that the chip is around 20% better at certain tasks.

Now, as you may have heard countless times, CPU and GPU benchmark scores don’t exactly translate to performance during real-world use. However, they still do give a hint of a chip’s capabilities when it comes to gaming and certain resource-intensive tasks like video editing.

NPUs are another new obsession of chipmakers and their customers alike, and are getting increasingly useful with tasks like image and voice processing. Qualcomm’s neural unit is dubbed “Hexagon” and has seemingly aided the S22 Ultra to reach 448 points on Geekbench’s machine learning test. This again is outperformed significantly by the iPhone 13 Pro Max which has scored 948 on the same test.

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MediaTek’s January 2022 revenue totalled $1.55 billion, YoY increase of 23.1%

By

Zohaib Ahmed

-

Feb 12, 2022

MediaTek today announced that its consolidated revenue in January 2022 was NT$43.502 billion (about $1.55 billion), which is a year-on-year increase of 23.1% but also a month-on-month decrease of 5.8%. While it’s kind of a bumpy start compared to December 2021, MediaTek is optimistic about the quarter as a whole.

The Taiwanese chipmaker has predicted that the revenue for the first quarter of 2022 would be between NT$131.2 billion (around $4.7 billion) to NT$141.5 billion (around $5.1 billion), which is an increase of about 2% to 10% over the previous quarter, and an increase of 21% to 31% year-on-year (via IT Home).

MediaTek CEO Cai Lixing says that the revenue is driven by the increased 5G penetration and the shipment of the flagship chip Dimensity 9000, which can also offset the impact of low seasonal demand for some consumer products.

The financial report from 2021 shows that MediaTek’s annual revenue reached NT$493.4 billion (around $17.6 billion) last year, which is a YoY increase of 53.2% and also a new record high. Similar growth was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2021, with the revenue standing at NT$128.6 billion (around $4.7 billion), which is an increase of 33.5% over the same period last year.

All in all, MediaTek is doing quite well for itself, even shipping more smartphone chips than Qualcomm in China last year. MediaTek shipped 110 million units in 2021 compared to 77.4 million units in 2020 in the country.

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REDMAGIC 7’s built-in fans will be assisted by a 4124mm² VC liquid cooling plate

By

Zohaib Ahmed

-

Feb 12, 2022

The REDMAGIC 7 is now all set to be released on February 17th and will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. As customary, the specs of the device are being teased continually ahead of the launch, with the latest one now revealing bits about the device’s cooling system.

The gaming phone has been revealed to come with a built-in super large VC liquid cooling plate with an area of up to 4124mm², which is 300% greater than the previous generation.

Super-large cooling plates are becoming the new norm now thanks to the latest flagship chips being super powerful but also quite demanding and hot. They’re especially important in gaming phones to help sustain longer gaming sessions.

Currently, the smartphone with the largest announced VC area is the upcoming Redmi K50 Gaming Edition with a cooling plate size reaching 4860mm². It is followed by the realme GT2 Pro which ranks second with its 4129mm² plate.

The cooling plate on the REDMAGIC 7 will be assisted by a built-in turbo cooling fan. The device’s rear cover is transparent so you should be able to see all of that fancy cooling tech in action. The back cover also houses a triple camera setup.

Upfront, there’s a 6.8-inch OLED screen that uses a 165Hz refresh rate. The battery is sized 5,000mAh and supports 135W fast charging.

The REDMAGIC 7 will be sold in green, black, and red and blue gradients. It measures 170.57×78.33×9.5mm and weighs 215g.

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Realme 9 Pro+ camera specs detailed revealing a Sony IMX766 primary sensor

By

Pranav Sawant

-

Feb 12, 2022

Realme will take wraps off the Realme 9 series next week in both the Indian and European markets. Before its debut, we saw the live images of the Realme 9 Pro+. Now, the tipster Yogesh Brar has detailed the camera specs of the smartphone.

As per the tipster, the Realme 9 Pro+ will come with a triple camera system at the rear. It will have a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary sensor with an f/1.88 aperture. One of the major highlights of the cameras will be the Optical Image Stabilization(OIS) support. The phone’s primary sensors will have OIS support.

Furthermore, the secondary lens of the device will be an 8MP ultra-wide lens. It will be a Sony IMX355 sensor with a 119-degree field of view and an aperture of f/2.25. Lastly, the smartphone will have a 2MP depth sensor with an aperture of f/2.4. At the front, the device gets a 16MP Sony IMX471 lens with an f/2.45 aperture. Unsurprisingly, it will have Electronic Image Stabilization(EIS) support.

Apart from the cameras, the Realme 9 Pro+ will pack some powerful internals. The device will have a MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset paired with 6GB, 8GB of RAM. It will have up to 256GB of internal storage options. The phone will come with a 6.43-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate.

It is expected to come with a 4,500mAh battery and have support for 65W fast charging technology. According to Geekbench, the phone will run on Android 12 out of the box.

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Poco M4 Pro 5G color options and variants tipped ahead of launch

By

Pranav Sawant

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Feb 12, 2022

Poco will be unveiling the Poco M4 Pro 5G on February 15 in India. Ahead of its launch, MySmartPrice has shared the color options, variants, and specifications of the smartphone.

The Poco M4 Pro 5G is tipped to arrive in three RAM options — 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB. It will have either 64GB or 128GB of storage options. As for the colors, the smartphone will debut in three color variants.

In the Global market, the handset comes in Power Black, Poco Yellow, and Cool Blue shades, so these are the colors we are expecting for the Indian markets too. Also, Poco recently confirmed on Twitter that the device will indeed come in these three colors in India.

Poco M4 Pro 5G Specifications

Coming to the specs, the Poco M4 Pro 5G will be a successor to the Poco M3 Pro. The smartphone will come powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset. It will support a 33W fast charging technology.

The model in the global market has a 6.6-inch LCD display with an FHD+ resolution. It has Gorilla Glass 3 protection features a 90Hz refresh rate. It sports a 16MP selfie snapper and a dual-camera system at the rear. The rear setup goes by a 50MP main lens and an 8MP ultra-wide lens with a 119-degree field of view.

The smartphone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and boots on Android 11 OS out of the box. It has stereo speakers and features a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Tecno Spark smartphone with 6GB RAM costing less than ₹8,000 to launch this month

By

Jeet

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Feb 12, 2022

Tecno has launched almost half a dozen smartphones in India this year and the company is now all set to launch a new affordable smartphone in the Indian market under its Spark lineup of devices.

Although the company has not yet revealed the phone’s specifications, it has confirmed that the device will pack 6GB of RAM, reports Gadgets360. The company has also confirmed that the smartphone will cost under ₹8,000 (~$106) and will be sold through the e-commerce platform Amazon.

The company’s suggested pricing appears to be pretty good for a 6GB RAM device. However, we are yet to get information about the phone’s specifications to know where the company is compromising.

Tecno has confirmed that the smartphone will be officially launched in India by the end of this month but there’s no specific date revealed. But we expect the company to announce the launch date as well as tease the phone’s specs and features in the coming days.

Apart from this 6GB RAM phone priced under ₹8,000, Tecno is also gearing up to launch another smartphone under the Spark series in the Indian market, dubbed as Tecno Spark 8C. The development comes just days after the company officially launched its first 5G smartphone in India — Tecno Pova 5G which is priced at ₹19,999.

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Xiaomi leads as Indian smartphone market grows by 7% YoY: Report

By

Sudhanshu

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Feb 11, 2022

In 2020, the Indian smartphone industry suffered a 1.7% drop in shipments due to the global pandemic, but the results of 2021 have shown that the industry has bounced back despite the previous setbacks.

The International Data Corporation has reported that India shipped 161 million smartphones in the year 2021, up by 7% year over year. Online channels dominated the market with 81 million units in sales and registered a growth of 13% YoY. This was driven by heavy marketing and initiatives like multiple sales festivals, attractive financing schemes, cashback & exchange offers, and trade-in programs.

Top 5 phone companies in India by shipment volume 2021

Xiaomi kept the number one position for four consecutive years with 40.4 million units shipped in 2021. Though declining by 1.5% YoY in 2021, it still commanded a 25.1% market share. Xiaomi’s sub-brand POCO emerged as the fastest growing online brand amongst the top five with 51% YoY growth. The entry-level models including the Redmi 9A, Redmi 9 Power, and the vanilla Redmi 9 were the major volume drivers for the company in 2021.

Samsung came in second shipping 28 million units through the year and commanding 17.4% of the market share. The brand led the 5G segment with a 21% share, driven by the Galaxy A22, M32, and M42. However, its overall shipments declined by 6% in 2021 due to supply constraints for the Galaxy A series in the low to mid-price segment and foldables in the premium segment.

Vivo managed the third position with 25.1 million total shippings and enjoyed 15.6% market share. It continued to lead the offline channels with 28% share, however, it faced supply constraints as well leading to a 6.1% YoY decrease in shipments in 2021.

Coming in fourth we have Realme with the highest YoY growth of 26%. It drove 24.2 million shipments and commanded a 15% market share in 2021. The brand also rose to the second position in the 4th quarter of 2021 with 19% market share, surpassing Samsung. The main reason for this rapid growth despite supply constraints can be credited to their UNISOC-based shipments, which reached 60% of its total shipments in 2021.

In the fifth position, we have OPPO which managed to ship 18 million units in 2021 and enjoyed a healthy growth of 8%. OPPO has shown a larger focus on higher average selling price devices like the Reno 6 series in 2021, which clearly indicates that the brand is targeting the premium-midrange segment in the Indian market.

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Noise ColorFit Pulse Grand with over 60 sports modes launched for Rs. 1,999(~$26)

By

Pranav Sawant

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Feb 11, 2022

Noise has officially launched a new smartwatch in the market dubbed Noise ColorFit Pulse Grand. The smartwatch comes with a 1.69-inch display, a SpO2 sensor, and has IP67 rating.

The Noise ColorFit Pulse Grand costs Rs. 1,999(~$26) as an introductory price. The price will go up to Rs. 3,999(~$53) later after the initial sale. The smartwatch comes in four colors – Electric Blue, Olive Green, Champagne Grey, and Jet Black. It will go on its first sale starting from February 18 at 12 PM on the Amazon India website.

Noise ColorFit Pulse Grand Specifications and Features

The Noise ColorFit Pulse Grand sports a 1.69-inch color touch display. It is an LCD panel with support for over 150 watch faces. It has a physical button on the right spine to navigate across the UI. It comes with 60 sports modes including walking, running, cycling, basketball, and more. Interestingly, it is IP67 certified for water dust resistance.

It features a SpO2 sensor that can monitor blood oxygen levels. It has a 24/7 heart rate monitor, stress tracker, and a sleep tracking feature. It also comes with a female health tracking feature. As for the battery, it offers up to 1500 minutes(25 hours) of usage with just 15 minutes of charging. It can be connected to both Android as well as iOS devices.

In related news, the company also launched another ColorFit smartwatch model called Noise ColorFit Icon Buzz. It has the same 1.69-inch screen but has 100 watch faces. Also, it has support for 9 sports modes and has 7-day battery life.

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Nubia Z40 Pro camera sample is eye-pleasing

By

Pranav Sawant

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Feb 11, 2022

Nubia has plans to launch its upcoming Z40 flagship phone soon in China. Although the leaks for the device were sporadic previously, now, the phone is appearing quite often. Last time, it passed a few certifications and the company revealed its camera highlights. Now, a camera sample of the Z40 Pro has been surfaced.

If we go by the leaks, the upcoming Nubia Z40 Pro will have a great camera system and ZTE’s Ni Fei confirms it. He has shared a camera sample of the upcoming Nubia Z40 Pro and it showcases its camera capabilities. The camera seems to have great sharpness and offers an eye-pleasing image.

This could be because of the rumored Sony sensor on the phone. Previously, a tipster revealed that the Nubia Z40 Pro will feature a Sony IMX787 sensor. Also, the Z40 Pro is touted to be the first device to opt for this Sony sensor. It will have a 35mm focal length and an aperture of f/1.6 with a 1/1.3± inch outsole.

Apart from the optics, the Nubia Z40 Pro will also have the latest chipset onboard. It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 octa-core chipset. The phone recently passed Geekbench V5 and it revealed an impressive score of 1228 single-core points and 3379 multi-core points.

We also learned that the flagship phone will boot on Android 12 OS and have 16GB of RAM. This RAM variant could be the top-most model and it may have other RAM configurations as well. The device will also come with a new aerospace-grade heat dissipation cooling system.

The launch date of the device is yet to be revealed, but what we know is that it will debut this month itself.

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This custom-made 72V Tata Nano EV is a mighty mite but you can’t buy it

By

Pranav Sawant

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Feb 11, 2022

Tata’s former chairman Ratan Tata took the delivery of his customized Tata Nano EV. This electric Nano model isn’t available in the market and seems to have no plans of launch, at least as of yet. But still, it appears to be a perfect compact EV, given that it’s the popular Nano, but with electric internals.

Currently, there’s no such EV model as Tata Nano in the consumer market. Meaning that you can’t buy one. However, in 2021, Electra EV, the company that provides EV solutions, launched a Nano EV model(branded as NEO) for Bengaluru’s SainikPod Sit & Go mobility service.

This Nano EV model used by the mobility service uses 48V electric architecture. This was so far the only Nano EV, but again not for the consumer market.

Now, Electra EV has delivered Ratan Tata his custom-made Tata Nano EV. To those unaware, Ratan Tata is the founder of Electra EV. That being said, the company offered a custom-made Nano EV to him and is seeking to get insights and feedback for Mr. Tata.

What’s special about this custom-made Nano EV is that it is built on a 72V electric architecture. This is way more powerful than the 48V system in the NEO branded Nano EV made for SainikPod Sit & Go mobility service. Interestingly, this 72V architecture is currently present in the Tata Nexon EV. The Nexon offers around a 200kms range and is one of the top-selling EVs in India.

Having said that, the customized Tata Nano EV may also have a similar range. Also, since, Nano is a compact car, its design seems great for local transits.

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Samsung Galaxy A03 price, specs, and launch timeline revealed

By

Pranav Sawant

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Feb 11, 2022

Samsung is expected to launch multiple A and M-series phones in the coming months. And, apart from the budget and mid-range phones, the company is also expected to launch entry-level devices like the Galaxy A03 in India. Today, 91Mobiles has revealed the launch timeline of the upcoming entry-level phone, the Samsung Galaxy A03. Additionally, we also get to learn some of its specs and pricing.

The Samsung Galaxy A03 is touted to launch the device as early as this month. The phone could debut by the end of February. However, if it doesn’t happen then it will get a release in March, as per the publication.

Furthermore, the smartphone will cost around Rs. 12,000(~$159) in India. For those who are unaware, the smartphone is already available in Vietnam. The device is priced at VND 2,990,000(~$131) for the 3GB RAM + 32GB storage variant and VND 3,490,000 (~$153) for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant.

It seems that the device will be slightly expensive in India as compared to Vietnam. Also, in Vietnam, the device was launched in three colors – Black, Red, Dark Green. In India, it is said to come in only Black and Red colors.

Other than this, the Samsung Galaxy A03’s specs have also been revealed. It appears to have the same specs as the model launched in Vietnam. The Galaxy A03 comes with a 6.5-inch IPS notch display with an HD+ resolution. It features a 5MP selfie shooter and a 48MP + 2MP dual rear camera.

Inside, it is powered by the UNISOC T606 and is paired with 3GB and 4GB of RAM. It packs a 5,000mAh battery and has One UI on top of it.

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