Pininfarina’s Xingtu is a smart Electric truck with an aerodynamic design & Voice Assistant

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Jan 21, 2022

Google Pay is a digital payment service that has gained popularity in markets like India. And now the search giant is planning to make it even more compelling by adding features like crypto payments.

In a new Bloomberg report, Google’s president of commerce Bill Ready stated that Google has hired former PayPal executive Arnold Goldberg as part of a company-wide push into financial services, including crypto. Arnold Goldberg has been recruited to become the vice president and general manager for the payments and emerging market efforts — an initiative Google calls Next Billion Users, or NBU.

So far, Google has not confirmed its plans to include support for crypto payments in its digital wallet app. However, Ready stated that “Crypto is something we pay a lot of attention to. As user demand and merchant demand evolves, we’ll evolve with it.”

This indicates that we may see Google include this feature in their wallet if the crypto market evolves and demand for the feature rises.

Ready also revealed that Google will be adding more features to Google Pay soon to make it a more “comprehensive digital wallet”. Some of these upcoming features include digital ticket support, airline passes, and vaccine passports.

These new efforts come after Google shelved its plans to add bank accounts to its payment app. The project included a revamp of the app which would enable users to apply for “Plex” checking and savings accounts from 11 banks but the search giant scrapped it in October 2021.

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Realme 9i will go on an early sale tomorrow i.e. January 22 at 12 PM

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Jan 21, 2022

Realme 9i was launched a few days back in the Indian market with budget-centric specs at an affordable price. During the launch, Realme revealed that the smartphone will go on its first sale on January 25. However, now, Realme has rescheduled it for tomorrow i.e January 22.

The Realme 9i will go on its first-ever sale tomorrow at 12 PM IST and it will be available on the Realme India website and Flipkart website. The smartphone is priced at Rs 13,999(~$188) for the 4GB RAM + 64GB variant and Rs 15,999(~$215) for the 6GB RAM + 128GB variant. It will be available in Prism Black and Prism Blue colors.

Buyers will get Rs. 720(~$10) instant discount on ICICI bank credit card and credit card EMI.

Realme 9i Specifications

Coming to the specifications, the Realme 9i sports a new design and has a 6.6-inch punch-hole IPS panel. It has a Full-HD+(2412 x 1080 pixels resolution) and a 90Hz refresh rate. The device also has a 180Hz touch-sampling rate and a 90.8% screen-to-body ratio.

The device sports a triple camera setup at the rear with a 50MP primary lens, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP B&W lens. The phone has an LED flash beside the camera sensors. At the front, it has a 16MP AI selfie lens.

It is powered by the 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 octa-core SoC paired with 4GB and 6GB of RAM and 64GB and 128GB of internal storage. The device also has 11GB of dynamic RAM support. It means that on top of the 6GB it will have additional 5GB RAM expansion support making it a total of 11GB of RAM.

It packs a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. As for security, it has a side-facing fingerprint scanner. The phone also features a dual stereo speaker setup and has a 3.5mm audio jack. Lastly, it boots on Android 11 out of the box and has Realme UI 2.0.

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BoAt partners with Bira 91 to launch a sleek collection of speakers & headphones

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Jan 21, 2022

Audio accessories designer boAt has joined forces with Bira 91 to launch an exclusive BOOM audio collection in India. The collaboration between both companies will see the new entity releasing some impressive models like the Stone SpinX 2.0 speakers, the Stone 190 speakers, and boAt Rockerz 450 headphones.

Just a few days back, boAt also announced its partnership with Dixon to produce India-centric wireless audio accessories specifically tailored for the Indian market. The boAt-Bira 91 partnership is therefore another indication of the growing relevance of the brand as a premium audio accessories manufacturer in India. The BOOM collection targets the vibrant segment of the market – consumers who are bold and expressive, using their audio wearable device as an extension of their outgoing personality. It is a rich mix of daring colors, striking and aesthetically appealing design which combines Bira 91’s BOOM and boAt’s portfoliom.

The SpinX 2.0 offers a pairing feature for two of the speakers through a wireless connection using the True Wireless feature. Up to 8 hours of playback is assured on a single full charge of the device and it is sufficiently rugged, with IPX6 water resistance. It also has two 40mm drivers and is priced at Rs. 2,799 (~$38). The Stone 190 speaker has 42mm dynamic drivers, AUX connectivity, IPX7 water resistance with a price tag of Rs. 1,199 (~$16). The Stone 190 offers up to 4 hours of playback and an ergonomic design. The boAt Rockerz 450 headphones could operate for up to 15 hours. It has 40mm drivers and a price tag of Rs. 1,799 (~$24).

The availability of the BOOM collection in India is via Bira 91’s Merch Store and the boAt website from January 20. To boot with the BOOM collection, there is a customized Get Set BOOM music track specifically made for the partnership. It is a high-octane video that is bound to attract the attention of a segment of the population.

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Samsung opens reservation for the Galaxy S22 series & Tab S8 Ultra

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Jan 21, 2022

Just recently, Samsung confirmed that it would hold the Galaxy Unpacked 2022 in February where the Galaxy S22 series is expected to be unveiled. Although the company is yet to reveal the exact launch date, the company has now started accepting preorders for the models.

The Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra as well as the upcoming Galaxy Tab S8 series are now officially open for preorder reservations. The company will be offering early-bird discounts and bonuses for those who chose to place a reservation right away. The company is promoting “exclusive offers” which are not known yet but there is the usual $50 credit.

The reservation is already live while the company is still reserved about the launch date. There are speculations, though, that the Galaxy S22 will be unveiled around February 8-9, 2022.

The Galaxy S22 series is expected to come with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset while some models will ship in a few regions with an Exynos 2200 chipset. The device will come with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage.

Furthermore, the flagship models will run on the latest Android 12 operating system with an overlay of Samsung’s custom One UI 4.0. The top variant – the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a dedicated S Pen Stylus and pack a 5,000mAH battery with support for 45W super-fast charging.

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Samsung Galaxy A52s gets Rs.5000 ($62) price cut in India

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Jan 21, 2022

Rumors of the Samsung Galaxy A53 coming to markets in February 2022 have been afloat for a while. And now, the Korean tech giant has reportedly slashed the prices of Galaxy A52s by a considerable amount in India.

According to a report by 91mobiles, retail sources have informed that the Samsung Galaxy A52s prices in India have been slashed in offline stores. The Galaxy A52s has reportedly received a price cut of Rs. 5000 ($62) across both its variants. Meaning the 6GB+128GB variant which previously was priced at Rs. 35,999 ($484) can now be availed for Rs. 30,999 ($417) at a brick-and-mortar retail store. Similarly, the 8GB+128GB variant which came for Rs. 37,499 ($504) can now be bought for just Rs. 32,499 (437).

Interestingly, the price cut appears to have been made just for offline stores as Amazon India still has the products listed at the original prices.

Samsung Galaxy A52s Specifications

The smartphone comes with a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a Full-HD+ resolution. It is a punch-hole panel with slim bezels and a 120Hz screen refresh rate. The screen also doubles up as an in-display fingerprint scanner for security.

Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB, 256GB of onboard storage. It packs a 4,500mAh battery with 25W fast charging support. The device has a Quadruple camera system with a 64MP main lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and two 5MP sensors.

The smartphone also comes with IP67 water and dust resistance rating. It boots on OneUI 3.1 based on Android 11 out of the box.

So if you are not interested in the upcoming Galaxy A53 smartphone (check full specifications) which is rumored to launch next month, this might be a perfect opportunity for you to save some money on a Samsung mid-ranger.

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Realme 9 Pro detailed specs sheet surfaced ahead of launch

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Jan 21, 2022

Realme’s upcoming 9 lineup is in the talks lately. Earlier, the series’ pricing was tipped, later we got to see the specs of the Realme 9 Pro+. Now, a detailed specs sheet of the Realme 9 Pro has surfaced on the Internet taking us closer to its release.

The specs sheet has been shared by PassionateGeekz, it reveals that the smartphone has a plastic body with a glossy design. It features a 6.6-inch Full-HD+(2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution. It is a Super AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, 399 PPI pixel density, and HDR10 support.

As for the cameras, the smartphone has a triple camera system at the rear. It sports a 64MP main lens with an f/1.8 aperture. It is accompanied by an 8MP lens with an f/2.3 aperture, and lastly a 2MP sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The rear camera will be able to shoot 4k videos and record 960fps slow-motion captures.

On the front end, it will feature a 16MP lens with an f/2.5 aperture. It will be capable of shooting 1080p videos. In the raw hardware department, the phone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G SoC clocked at 2.2Ghz. It has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage.

The smartphone packs a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging technology. It will run on Android 11 out of the box. Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.0, and NFC will be some of its connectivity options. It will be a 5G smartphone and will have a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Apple will no longer ship EarPods with iPhones in France

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Jan 21, 2022

Apple stopped packing EarPods inside iPhone boxes long ago but France continued to get them for a long time. What made Apple do this is the legal requirement related to radio-frequency energy which makes headphones a necessary item and needs to be included in the box with smartphones. However, this law has now been changed.

According to a new report by MacRumors, starting January 24, 2022, Apple will no longer provide EarPods in the box when you purchase a new iPhone. The law which previously compelled Apple to include a “handsfree kit,” with their smartphones has now been changed in favor of reducing the environmental footprint of digital devices.

Apple had made the environment-friendly move back in 2020 when they stopped including EarPods and the charging brick with the iPhone 12, significantly reducing the size of its box.

This new law is not only applicable to apple but all the smartphone manufacturers in France as it no longer forces them to include headphones in the box. Instead, they just need to ensure that compatible headphones are available separately as an optional accessory.

The French carrier Frac has posted a notice in their store stating: “DEAR CUSTOMERS, We would like to inform you that our manufacturers are no longer required to supply headphones/hands-free kits with their smartphones in France. This new law, adopted in late 2021, aims to reduce the environmental footprint in France.

The Xiaomi brand is concerned, for products purchased from the week of January 17, 2022. The same will be true for the Apple brand as of from the week of January 24, 2022
THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING”

For now, Apple’s French website continues to show EarPods an included item in the box alongside a USB-C to Lightning cable which is likely to change soon.

Apple’s environment-friendly initiative, although controversial, is becoming standard practice in the premium smartphone segment. However, some regions have pushed back against it with Brazil fining the Cupertino tech giant $1.9 million in March 2021 for not including chargers in the iPhone 12. After which the company was forced to offer chargers to anyone requesting it.

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Micromax In Note 2 launch scheduled for January 25 in India

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Jan 21, 2022

It’s been a while since we last heard from Micromax in the Indian market. The company’s last In Note phone was launched back in 2020, and since then, fans are waiting for its successor. Now, Micromax took it to Twitter for teasing the launch of its upcoming Micromax In Note 2.

Micromax has officially revealed that the much-awaited In Note 2 will launch on January 25 in India. The company has shared a short teaser video showcasing its design. To our surprise, the phone will flaunt a refreshed design and it will be similar to the Galaxy S21 series phones.

The smartphone has a punch-hole panel at the front with thin bezels on three sides except for the bottom. The device has a noticeable chin at the bottom. Moving to the rear, it has the Galaxy S21-like camera island. It has a quad-camera system at the rear with three lenses positioned vertically and the fourth lens slightly off set. There’s also an LED flash beside the first lens.

At the back, it has the “In” branding, and on the sides, it seems to have a volume rocker and a power button. Apparently, the power button doubles up as a fingerprint scanner. The company confirms that the phone has a glass finish at the rear.

Lastly, we get to learn the colors of the phone. The smartphone has two colors – Blue and Brown. It will be sold via Flipkart in the market.

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Xiaomi crowdfunds the Ukideer Wonder Whale Children’s Smart Toilet

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Jan 21, 2022

Smart toilets have always been restricted to adults but a new smart toilet designed for children has been launched on Xiaomi Youpin in China. The product is known as Ukideer Wonder Whale Children’s Smart Toilet U1 and has a crowdfunding price of 599 yuan (~$94) while it will retail for 999 yuan (~$157) after the exercise.

The Ukideer Wonder Whale Children’s Smart Toilet is suitable for children between the ages of 0-6 years. The product comes with the function of sealing and evacuating diapers and faeces with the press of a button saving parents the stress of dealing with smelly poo or evacuating the potty themselves. The sealing and packaging technology locks bacteria and odors.

The smart toilet has a built-in non-breakpoint packing bag box which is 7 meters long and can be used 40-45 times. The device adopts the intelligent suction air laying and bag changing system. It features a built-in fun induction flip interaction which opens in 2 seconds. There is an independent child lock switch behind the flip function to avoid excessive play by children, accidental touch by pets, and to also save battery power.

In terms of battery life, the built-in lithium battery can pack more than 60 times on a single charge, without water and pollution.

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Oppo A76 4G passes multiple certification sites revealing key details

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Jan 21, 2022

Oppo’s next mid-range phone could be the upcoming Oppo A76 4G. The smartphone has just appeared on the NBTC and Indonesia Telecom certification sites revealing its existence. Additionally, some of its camera details have also been learned.

The certifications reveal the model number of the phone to be CPH2375. However, apart from confirming its presence, it doesn’t reveal anything else. But, the camera specs of the smartphone have been learned, thanks to the Camera FV5’s listing.

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Oppo A76 4G Camera Specs

The smartphone will come with a 50MP primary camera at the rear. The lens will provide 12.6MP pixel-binned images. It will have Electronic Image Stabilization(EIS). Upfront, it will have an 8MP selfie snapper with a fixed focus.

Apart from this, the phone was earlier spotted on EEC as well. Unfortunately, it doesn’t confirm any specifications of the phone. But, since the phone is passing multiple certifications, we can expect a sooner launch. Rumors are rife that the device may launch as early as next month.

In related news, Oppo will take wraps off its popular Reno and Find X series phones anytime from now. This time around, the Reno series for India will have Oppo Reno 7 and Reno 7 Pro, both powered by mid-ranger chipsets. The Find X series will have Oppo Find X5 and Find X5 Pro. The former will come powered by Dimensity 9000 SoC, while the latter will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC .

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Razer X Hello Kitty series brings new gaming products, and they are Cute!

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Sean

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Jan 21, 2022

Being a known gaming accessory maker, Razer has launched its fair share of products with sharp “gamer” aesthetic with cool and powerful names. But in a complete 180, the company has just announced new cute looking gadgets, which are a part of its new Hello Kitty lineup.

Razer, the DeathAdder mouse and BlackWidow keyboard series maker, is collaborating with Hello Kitty for its latest products. This includes a new mousepad, a gaming mouse, a keyboard, and even gaming headsets and gaming chair as well; and yes, they are all bright pink. Within the new launches, the Razer X Hello Kitty and Friends collection’s Kraken BT “Kitty Edition” headset is perhaps the one that stands out the most. It features a bright Hello Kitty aesthetic, with rounded ears on the headband and even the iconic Hello Kitty bow as well. This headset is priced at 119.99 US Dollars.

Similarly, there is also a bright pink Sanrio themed DeathAdder Essential mouse that is decorated with Hello Kitty and rainbows along with a Goliathus mouse mat, which is being sold together for 64.99 US Dollars. Apart from the regular gaming accessories, the company is also selling a new gaming chair as well. It is called the Razer Iskur X gaming chair featuring Hello Kitty. This chair costs 499.99 US Dollars, and buyers can also opt for a matching lumbar cushion with memory foam for 59.99 US Dollars.

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Nubia teases REDMAGIC 7 along with Gaming monitor, router and Metaverse plans

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Jan 21, 2022

ZTE‘s subsidiary Nubia is expected to launch a new flagship device gaming smartphone dubbed the REDMAGIC 7. The device was recently spotted on Geekbench and now the brand has officially teased its release along with other eco-system products.

According to a GSMArena report, Nubia unveiled that the REDMAGIC 7 will be released in February. Along with its release announcement, the REDMAGIC division also unveiled its future plans to capitalize on its core technical advantages and create a REDMAGIC Metaverse.

The company also aims to turn REDMAGIC into a professional gaming brand by releasing its own gaming monitor, a router, and a VR headset for its Metaverse.

Additionally, the brand has also teased some of the features that will come with the REDMAGIC 7.

The teaser image reveals that the upcoming device will have a 165Hz refresh rate display panel, inbuilt shoulder triggers for gaming, and the phone will feature an RGB fan for cooling that can ramp up to 20,000 RPM during intense gaming sessions.

Previous leaks have revealed that the device will run on Android 12 operating system and has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 soc with 18GB of RAM. It is also expected to come with 165W fast charging support and a 6.8-inch FHD+ OLED screen.

As for the cameras, the smartphone may not have major upgrades. It could feature the same 64MP primary sensor as in its predecessor, the Red Magic 6s. In totality, it could be a three-camera setup.

Other specs of the phone are still under but now that we know the device will be released in February, we can expect more specification details to emerge soon.

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Moto Edge X30 will Receive a Huge Camera Performance Boost in Its Next Update

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Leo Wong De Quan

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Jan 21, 2022

Back in December 2021, Lenovo was the first phone manufacturer to ship Qualcomm’s latest and greatest, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset on its flagship Moto Edge X30. However, camera performance for the device was quite average compared to the competition (our Edge X30 review here), but Lenovo is looking to improve the phone’s camera performance in its next update.

The news came from Lenovo’s Senior Product Manager in China, Chen Jin. Chen, under his Weibo username “Amazing Bro”, confirmed that the Moto Edge X30 will be receiving a major software update by Lenovo before the Lunar New Year(February 1, 2022), hinting that the update will be available to users before January ends.

lenovo-senior-new-moto-edge-x30 — Lenovo Senior Product Manager commenting on the upcoming new entry to the Moto Edge X30 family

As for the features that the upcoming major software update will bring, Chen mentions that the Moto Edge X30 will sport improved camera software than the current camera software on the Moto Edge X30 and the video recording on the new camera software is described as jaw-dropping. Chen also shared that the new update will include support for video recordings in higher fps, allowing for smoother movements in videos.

As for security improvements, Chen emphasizes that the Moto Edge X30 will now have a new “Privacy Space” mode after the major update. Chen did not mention the highlights of this new mode, but the mode may work similar to Xiaomi’s Second Space, where the phone allows you to use 2 totally different spaces on your phone — one for work and one for leisure purposes with games, social media, and video-sharing platforms.

In the post, Chen also brings his regret that the software team was not able to develop a solution for a more stock Android-like notification center and notification shade, because Lenovo wanted to release the major update before the Lunar New Year. The update will roll out to Moto Edge X30 devices in China by the end of January 2022.

As for the hardware on the Moto Edge X30, it features a 6.7″ OLED HDR10+ display and comes with 8GB / 12 GB RAM and 128GB / 256GB internal storage. The smartphone comes with a triple rear camera setup flaunting a 50MP, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS main camera, and 50MP + 2MP secondary ones. For your selfies, you have a 60MP HDR wide-angle camera in the front.

Moto Edge X30-3 — Standard Moto Edge X30

Powered by the world’s first Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Octa-Core processor, the smartphone runs on Android 12 based MYUI 3.0. It is fueled by a large 5000mAh Li-Po battery and supports 68W fast charging. This means you can charge your phone from 0 to 100% in just 35 mins. Motorola Edge X30 comes with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and is available in Black and White colour variants.

If you are interested in the standard Moto Edge X30, the phone is now available for order at Giztop for $599.

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Oukitel unveils the 2000 Wh P2001 Power Station starting at $999

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