Balmuda discontinues sales of its compact phone after several poor reviews

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Jan 12, 2022

Remember the Balmuda phone that was released in November 2021? Well, not many people in Japan want the smartphone, it seems. The company has announced that it is discontinuing sales of the compact phone. According to Reuters, the company disclosed that the cessation of sales was due to issues that were not disclosed but are said to be related to compliance with Japan’s technical standards.

The company the stoppage of sale on Monday and by Tuesday, its shares saw a decline of as much as 10%. It could be recalled that the company’s shares had gained massively when it first announced an entry into the smartphone market. The shares had since dropped by half after the phone was released for a hefty 104,800 yen ($910) price tag.

The Balmuda Phone is marketed as a premium, high-end smartphone with a compact design but in reality, it looks to have been priced way above its actual value. Apart from packing a smallish 4.9-inch display which some may still find interesting but in actual sense is not a lot of fun to use anymore. Secondly, the phone is powered by a Snapdragon 765 chipset which is nowhere near a flagship processor but a fast mid-range SoC.

Further, the Japanese market is largely dominated by Apple iPhones with just a few Japanese and Chinese brands like Sharp, Xiaomi getting a slice of the pie. Yet, the phone is more expensive than the cheaper iPhone 13 Mini. The reviews have also not been too favorable. Of course, we don’t expect anyone to review the phone as a flagship device and score it well, with that chipset at its heart, coupled with a plastic rear case. There is even just a single rear camera as well as a physical fingerprint scanner and a disappointing 3,500mAh battery under the hood.

We believe this would have been a huge hit if it was sold in the mid-range segment.

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Benco V80s smartphone without Cameras and GPS launched, touts focus on privacy

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 12, 2022

In this day and age, it is hard to imagine a smartphone without basic features like a GPS and Cameras. However, Benco has released the V80s, which omits these features claiming to make the device more privacy-centric.

The Benco V80s comes with a 6.5-inch 1600x720p display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and thick bezzles. Another unusual aspect of the phone is that it has a notched screen even though it’s missing a front camera.

The device houses a Unisoc SC9863A chipset and can be paired with up to 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. The storage of the device can be further expanded with a microSD card.

The device runs Android 11 and features a fingerprint sensor on the rear as an additional security measure. It supports 2G, 3G, and 4G network bands and also gets support for dual-band Wi-Fi.

The device is available in two color options namely silver and blue, however, its pricing has not been revealed yet.

It’s unclear as to how much of a difference the V80s will make in terms of privacy by omitting the GPS and cameras. However, depending on its price, the device could make for a pretty good auxiliary device for people who are looking for an inexpensive option.

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Realme 9 Pro sketches reveal design, AMOLED screen & custom Sony sensor: Report

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 12, 2022

Last year, Realme released the 8 Pro smartphones in India which was quite popular. The brand is reportedly working on the next generation of this numbered series dubbed the Realme 9 Pro series.

A new report from SmartPrix in collaboration with popular tipster OnLeaks reveals Realme 9 Pro series design sketches. According to these sketches, one of the devices in the Realme 9 Pro series lineup will have a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with thin bezels. The rear panel of the device reveals a triple camera setup which is in line with the camera module design revealed by early render leaks.

Realme 9 Pro design sketches — Image via SmartPrix

The sketch also reveals that the main camera on the device will have a customized Sony sensor. The camera bump appears to be minimum and the device can be expected to be around 8mm thick. The drawing also reveals the volume rocker located on the left as well as the power button on the right side. The Realme branding is present on the bottom left of the rear panel of the device.

Other than this, the Realme 9 Pro and 9 Pro+ were recently tipped to debut in February this year. The phones are touted to get an initial European release followed by the rest of the markets.

Coming to the specs, the Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro+ are expected to come powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC and Dimensity 920 SoC, respectively. As far as the Realme 9 Pro+ is concerned, it may come with specs like a 16-megapixel front-facing camera, a 50-megapixel triple camera unit, a 5000mAh battery, and 65W fast charging.

For now, these rumors remain unconfirmed and therefore we advise our readers to take them with a pinch of salt.

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This cool electric bike-car will actually be shipping to buyers this year

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 12, 2022

Podbike is going ahead with its plans to make the first deliveries of the Frikar, the company’s electric bike-car later in 2022. The Frikar is a four-wheeled enclosed electric bike that sports a unique design. The Norwegian mobility company Podbike is riding the waves after attracting up to 3.2 million Euros ($3.64 million) in funding together with substantial preorders of the Frikar.

The Frikar is being propped up as a vehicle that offers better protection from extreme weather situations and it has an improved aerodynamic design for an enhanced driving experience. The top of the Frikar is detachable, hence the versatile electric bike-car is also great for summer rides. The Frikar is a single-seater vehicle although an optional child passenger seat could be available to replace its 160-liter cargo space.

The Podbike Frikar already has over 3,400 preorders, which requires just a deposit of €300 from its €6,429 ($7,300) selling price. The first deliveries will be made in the company’s home market while subsequent orders from other parts of Europe and elsewhere will also be met. The Frikar is technically designated as an electric bicycle in Europe, meaning that it can ride in bicycle lanes in navigating city traffic.

The Frikar offers some pedaling effect through its pedals that can generate power for the locomotion of the bike-car. The impressive design and features of the Frikar indicate that it could be a success at least for the while. With a top speed of 25km/h which can be manually scaled when generating power via the pedals, the Frikar is indeed an innovative offering by Podbike.

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boAt Airdopes 181 with 20 hours playback & ENx listed on Amazon India, to launch soon

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 12, 2022

The Indian smart wearable and audio accessory brand boAt has recently unveiled multiple new products, including boAt Rockerz 333 Pro, boAt Watch Iris and the Airdopes 601 ANC TWS earphones. Now, a new TWS by the brand dubbed the boAt Airdopes 181 have been listed on Amazon along with all its specs and features.

Boat Airdopes 181 specs and features

The Airdopes 181 TWS earbuds feature a stem-like design and feature the brand’s ENx technology to ensure a crystal clear calling experience.

The earbuds come with a 10mm driver setup carrying boAt’s signature tuning that is sure to please bass lovers. The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity and offer playback up to 20 hours on a single with the charging case.

The earphones also come with a 65ms low latency setting dubbed “Beast mode” which provides a quick audio response during intense gaming. The device comes with ASAP charge support which provides 90 minutes of playback with just 10 minutes of charging. It offers a 0-100% charge time of 1.5 hours.

The buds are one of the lightest on the market, with each weighing 2.9 grams. Other features include the Instant Wake n Pair, touch controls, IPX4 water rating, Google Assistant and Siri support, and USB Type-C charging port.

The Airdopes 181 will come in four color variants namely Cool Grey, Spirit White, Bold Blue, and Carbon Black. Additionally, the Amazon listing indicates that the boAt Airdopes 181 will soon be released in India, so stay tuned.

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The 2nd-Gen Google Nest Hub finally launches in India for Rs. 7,999 (~$108)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 12, 2022

Google is following up its 2019 release of the Google Nest Hub in India with the second generation iteration of the product with an Rs. 7,999 (~$108) price tag. The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) is arriving in the subcontinent for the first time after its global release last year.

The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) comes with some innovative technology that has incorporated machine learning capabilities on the device making it capable of taking some voice assistant tasks. Indeed, the machine learning chip in the new Nest Hub has enabled Google to transfer some duties carried out remotely by Google’s data centers to the device itself. This means a more seamless and faster experience with the reincarnated Nest Hub.

The Nest Hub (2nd gen) is designed with recycled materials, easy to clean and it has a 7-inch edgeless glass beautiful display. Its 43.5mm driver provides excellent sound through its speaker and it also has significant improvements over its predecessor in overall sound output. Three far-field microphones also are part of the sound system for an improved voice pickup performance than its first iteration. It has an ambient EQ light sensor at the top of the device which allows the screen to automatically adjust to match the ambient light.

It should be noted that the Indian version of the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) does not have a camera and the gesture-sensing Soli tech for sleep tracking is also absent. The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) is available in India via Flipkart, Tata Cliq, and a few other platforms, which will expand subsequently.

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Bugatti’s first electric vehicle isn’t what you would expect – an electric scooter

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 12, 2022

Bugatti has carved a niche for itself as a carmaker with luxury and speed considerations at the heart of its design philosophy. The carmaker is working on its electric hypercar but it has announced the release of its first electric vehicle, albeit it is an electric scooter with standard specifications. The new e-scooter is the result of Bugatti’s partnership with Bytech International.

The scooter weighs just 15.8 kg and is constructed with magnesium alloy and according to Bugatti, it is aerodynamic and functional. The e-scooter has a top speed of 30 km/h, thanks to its 700W electric motor. To put this machine in its right perspective, the Bugatti Veyron has a power rating that’s 1,000 times above the new e-scooter. The scooter is made for short city commutes and it is not certainly a hyperbike, maybe that could be under development through the Bugatti-Bytech partnership.

The frame of the e-scooter is accentuated with taillights that provide an aesthetically nice view while the vehicle is in motion. Sidelights project downwards from the deck to also create a nice illumination while the vehicle cruises. It also has turn signals, while the LED screen displays an array of notifications relating to battery usage, riding mode, speed, and light status. The scooter offers a range of 35 km with its 360 Wh battery which can be recharged easily via a standard wall socket.

The EV market is drawing rapid interest from traditional carmakers and Bugatti seems to be pursuing its business model along this line, although there is no word yet on a possible release date for the e-scooter. Of course, the pricing information is also lacking for the scooter, but it is projected that the company could attempt to leverage its pedigree as a luxury carmaker in fixing the price of the e-scooter.

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Realme likely developing a second-gen realme Pad tablet — Here’s how you can contribute

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 12, 2022

Last year, Realme launched its first tablet device dubbed the Realme Pad. A recent interview revealed that Realme is planning to launch more tablets in the future. Now, the company has posted a survey on its community forums asking customers what they would like in the future Realme tablets.

This survey is being conducted via Google Forms. It asks basic information about the participants, like gender, age group, and annual income.

Interestingly, the brand asks if the customers would be satisfied with a WiFi-only tablet, an LTE tablet or if they prefer a 5G enabled tablet. The company also mentioned that the LTE tablet will cost Rs. 2000 (~$27) more when compared to the WiFi-only variant, and the 5G variant will cost Rs. 8000 (~$108) more when compared to the WiFi-only variant.

Notably, the brand also asks participants how much they are willing to spend on their next tablet. The price ranges include as low as under Rs. 10,000 (~$135) and as high as Rs. 30,000 (~$406) & above.

Other questions in the survey ask about the important factors the customers would consider before buying the tablet, like brand, appearance, build quality, processor performance & brand, RAM capacity, etc.

The survey also asks about the tasks the customers would perform on the tablet including media consumption, gaming, professional work, and content creation.

At the end of the survey, you get the opportunity to mention the specifications and features you would like Realme to include in their upcoming tablets. So if you have any specific feature or functionality you want in the upcoming tablet, head on to the Realme community forum to fill out this survey.

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Tecno POP 5 LTE with Helio A25, 5000mAh battery launched in India for Rs. 6299 (~$85)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 12, 2022

Transsion Holdings subsidiary Tecno Mobile has finally launched its latest budget smartphone in India. The device dubbed Tecno POP 5 LTE is a successor to the POP 4. It is worthy of note that the entry-level smartphone was first launched in Pakistan and the Philippines in November 2021.

The POP 5 LTE continues with the budget outlook of its predecessors while retaining a hugely affordable price tag. It features a decent 6.52-inch dot-notch display with an HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels. The display also comes with a 20:9 aspect ratio, 480 nits brightness, and 120Hz touch sampling rate. There is also a 2.5D curved glass covering the display panel. The waterdrop notch design provides a 90% screen-to-body ratio for the device.

On the inside, the POP 5 LTE is powered by a 2GHz Quad-Core MediaTek Helio A25 processor paired with 2GB of RAM while there is 32GB of storage onboard. We expect the company to release a higher memory variant in due course. But for now, you can only make do with the 32GB store which you can expand anyway, up to 256GB via microSD.

For photography, the Tecno POP 5 LTE packs a dual-camera setup at the rear stacked vertically at the top left corner of the back panel. The camera setup consists of an 8-megapixel main shooter alongside an AI lens and dual-LED flash. For selfies, there is a 5-megapixel camera housed under the waterdrop notch. The front camera also has an LED flash.

In terms of interface, the new budget smartphone runs Android 11 (Go Edition) customized with Tecno’s HiOS 7.6. The phone also crams a huge 5000mAh battery under the hood that promises up to 31 days of standby time and up to 48 hours of video playback. You also get an IPX2-rated splash-resistant design as well as a 3.5mm audio jack. The phone also comes with support for 4G VoLTE, FM Radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, and GPS.

As for the pricing, the Tecno POP 5 LTE carries a price tag of Rs. 6299 (~$85) and will be sold on Amazon India from January 16th. The phone comes in Ice Blue, Deepsea Luster, and Turquoise Cyan colour options.

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Realme 9i may launch on January 18 in India under Rs 15,000(~$203) price segment

By

Pranav Sawant

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Jan 12, 2022

A few days back, Realme officially unveiled the Realme 9i affordable phone in Vietnam. Now, the phone is expected to launch in India, but unfortunately, we do not have an exact release date. Now, the tipster Yogesh Brar has revealed the launch date of the phone for the Indian market and has also tipped its pricing.

As per the tipster, the Realme 9i will launch on January 18 in India. There will be a marginal increase in the pricing of the phone as compared to the predecessor Realme 8i. The tipster reveals that the new Realme 9i will start at Rs 14,499(~$196) in India. To recall, the Realme 8i debuted at a price of Rs 13,999(~$190).

Just for comparison, the Realme 9i costs VND 6,490,000(~$290) in Vietnam, which is way costlier than the tipped Indian pricing.

The Realme 9i comes with a 6.6-inch punch-hole LCD display sporting a Full-HD+ resolution. The phone has a 90Hz refresh rate, but it is adjustable and can go from 30Hz to 90Hz depending on the content on the screen. It has a triple camera system at the rear with a 50MP primary lens, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP B&W sensor. Upfront, it has a 16MP snapper.

At the helm, it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It also comes with 5GB of additional RAM support. It houses a 5,000mAh battery and has a 33W fast charging support. As for security, it has a side-facing fingerprint scanner. The phone runs on Realme UI 2.0 and has Android 11 out of the box.

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No Android 12 update for Realme Pad: Official

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 12, 2022

Realme entered the tablet category last year with the launch of Realme Pad. The device debuted with Android 11. Hence, users have been requesting the availability of Android 12 since the company announced Realme UI 3.0. Months later, we finally have the answer and it’s not good.

Realme Pad Review design featured 1 — Realme Pad (Review)

According to a recent Realme Community FAQ post (via FoneArena), Realme’s first and the only tablet, Realme Pad, will not receive an update for Android 12. Instead, the brand will continue to release only security and performance updates throughout its software lifecycle.

On top of this, the firm does not clearly detail the so-called ‘software lifecycle’. It’s not known whether the device will be treated with maintenance updates for at least 2 years.

If we talk about the competition, all Samsung budget tablets are eligible for 2 Android updates and up to 4 years of security updates. In fact, even HMD Global promises 2 Android updates and 3 years of security updates for its Nokia T20 tablet. Finally, Lenovo is also known for delivering at least a single Android update for most of its tablets.

The Realme Pad is arguably one of the best budget Android tablets in its price segment though it is the brand’s first attempt. It would have been nice to see at least one Android update. But then again, what can we expect from the company that’s still stuck with 2 Android updates even for flagship smartphones.

Doogee V20 rugged phone per-orders start Feb 21: AMOLED display, night vision camera and more!

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 12, 2022

The Doogee V20 5G smartphone is the brand’s upcoming offering in the rugged smartphone segment. After months of teasing, Doogee has confirmed that the device will be available for pre-order on AliExpress starting February 21st.

Doogee V20 specs and features

The device features a 6.43-inch 2400x1080p Samsung AMOLED display with 409ppi pixel density and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display has a 500nits peak brightness with an 80000:1 contrast ratio and is capable of displaying 16.7 million colors. The screen has a punch-hole cutout for the front camera. The V20 also comes with a 1.05-inch secondary display placed at the rear of the device which is handy for checking notifications, incoming calls, and music control.

For photography, the device comes with an interesting triple camera setup comprising of 64MP primary sensor, 20MP night vision camera, and an 8MP wide-angle camera. The device offers a 16MP front camera for video calls and selfies.

Under the hood, the V20 comes with an octa-core processor coupled with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage which is expandable to 512GB using a TF card. The device features a big 6000mAh battery which comes with 33W fast charging and 15W wireless charging support.

As a rugged phone, the V20 is waterproof, drop-proof, and shockproof. Thanks to its MIL-STD-810 certification, the V20 is usable in tough environments like places with extremely high and low temperatures.

Doogee V20 Pricing and Availability

According to the company, the phone will be available for preorder from February 21st on AliExpress with a price tag of $399. For the first 1000 buyers though that price will be $299.00. To learn more, visit the V20 official page.

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Entire Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 lineup pricing revealed, live images emerged

By

Pranav Sawant

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Jan 12, 2022

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Tab S8 series soon as the device was leaked several times on the Internet. Recently, the Tab S8 Ultra’s entire specs sheet got revealed, while the vanilla Tab S8 showed in a few documentations. With most of the details revealed, the major things left to learn were the pricing and the launch date. Now, a new report from appuals, reveals the pricing of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 lineup keeping nothing in question.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Series Pricing

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series will come in two versions – Wi-Fi and 5G. The series will comprise the vanilla Tab S8, Tab S8+, and Tab S8 Ultra. It will arrive in Grey, Silver, and Pink Gold colors. Following are the prices.

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8

8GB RAM + 128GB (Wi-Fi) – EU 680 – 700
8GB RAM + 256GB (Wi-Fi) – EU 730 – 850
8GB RAM + 128GB (5G) – EU 830 – 850
8GB RAM + 256GB (5G) – EU 880 – 900

2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+

8GB RAM + 128GB (Wi-Fi) – EU 880 – 900
8GB RAM + 256GB (Wi-Fi) – EU 930 – 950
8GB RAM + 128GB (5G) – EU 1040 – 1060
8GB RAM + 256GB (5G) – EU 1090 – 1110

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra

8GB RAM + 128GB (Wi-Fi) – EU 1040 – 1060
8GB RAM + 128GB (5G) – EU 1200 – 1220

The publication doesn’t list the pricing of the 12GB RAM and 512GB variant.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Live Images & Specs

In addition to this, the SAMMobile reveals that Samsung has started the regulatory filings of the Tab S8 series and while they do, the publication has managed to obtain some images.

These images show the front design of the tablets. As per previous reports, the vanilla Tab S8 will feature an 11-inch IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and sport a resolution of 1600 x 2560 pixels.

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On the other hand, The S8+ is touted to have a 12.4-inch AMOLED panel with the same 120Hz refresh rate and 2K resolution. Lastly, the Tab S8 Ultra will sport a large 14.6-inch AMOLED display with again the 120Hz refresh rate but a higher 3K resolution.

The Tab S8 and Tab S8+ may come with a Snapdragon 888 SoC, while the Tab S8 Ultra may have the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. The vanilla Tab S8 is expected to have a small 8,000mAh battery, whereas, the Tab S8+ could house a 10,090mAh-cell, and the S8 Ultra is rumored to have a monster 11,200mAh battery.

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Midea Robozone unveils new ‘obode’ brand, with P8 Vacuum Cleaner being its first product

By

Sean

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Jan 12, 2022

Midea Robozone has just unveiled a new brand called ‘obode.’ This brand also release smart cleaning solutions based technology like its parent company, with its first product being the Obode P8 Vacuum Cleaner.

Obode will be launching the P8 auto self cleaning mopping robot vacuum in the US and UK markets later this year, in Spring. It feature mod pads that can clean itself through a cleaning agent and also supports ToF LDS Navigation, smart automatic water replenishment, and a customizable app as well. The new robot vacuum cleaner is designed to offer its users a powerful cleaning to users’ homes.

Furthermore, the P8 also an advanced AIoT product from the newly unveiled brand and is a designed for medium to large sized homes. For added convenience, you can control every aspect of the P8 through the specialized obode Life Application. According to Alice Shaw, Head of Global Marketing Center at Midea Robozone “Obode wants to bring the life enhancing home technologies and bold aesthetics found in “cyberpunk” stories into reality.

The official further added that “As change accelerates in 2022, from how we work to how we shop and live, the company hopes to create a smarter, easier world where the small tasks don’t take time away from achieving the big goals.” The obode P8 is set to go live on 9th February 2021. The top end model will be available for a price of 1,099 US Dollars, but will be offered for almost half off 599 US Dollars if you sign up on the official page for the discount coupon.

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12 mysterious Xiaomi devices spotted, launch expected in Q2 2022

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 12, 2022

Xiaomi is known for releasing new devices every now and then, although not as frequent as Realme. That said, we haven’t seen many launches from the company in the last few months due to supply shortages. But it looks like the coming months will be busy for the firm.

Xiaomi featured flagship family — Xiaomi Mi series of flagships throughout the years

According to Xiaomiui, Xiaomi is working on 12 mysterious devices. Going by their model numbers, six of them will likely be a part of the same lineup with some tweaks for different regions, while the remaining six will be part of another.

The model numbers of all these devices mention their tentative launch timeline as April 2022. For the uninitiated, the first four characters of Xiaomi’s model numbers denote the year and month of release. Since there are multiple models, they may slowly roll out throughout Q2 2022.

Coming to model numbers, as we mentioned earlier, there are two series – 22041216 and 22041219. Per the IMEI database, the former group includes one Xiaomi-branded device, three Redmi-branded devices, and two POCO-branded devices. Similarly, the latter lineup consists of four Redmi-branded devices and two POCO-branded devices.

Here are all the model numbers in detail.

Xiaomi 22041216

22041216G
- Brand: POCO
22041216C
- Brand: Redmi
22041216I
- Brand: Xiaomi
22041216UC
- Brand: Redmi
22041216UI
- Brand: Redmi
22041216UG
- Brand: POCO

Xiaomi 22041219

22041219I
- Brand: Redmi
22041219C
- Brand: Redmi
22041219G
- Brand: Redmi
22041219NY
- Brand: Redmi
22041219PG
- Brand: POCO
22041219PI
- Brand: POCO

If you notice clearly, we haven’t mentioned the upcoming products as smartphones. Instead, we used the generic term ‘devices’. That’s because Xiaomi has re-entered the tablet category with the launch of the Xiaomi Pad 5 series last year.

What we are trying to say is one of the two aforementioned families of products could be tablets. Anyway, we wouldn’t dwell on this idea much as we don’t expect Xiaomi to release six variations of a single tablet.

Having said that, we expect to learn more about the above-listed devices in the coming days.

Xiaomi Mi 10S gets MIUI 13 Stable update for testers in China

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 12, 2022

Xiaomi released the MIUI 13 at the end of December 2021. Since then, the company has been rolling out the Android-12 based UI to multiple devices that have signed up for the beta program. And now, the update comes to the Mi 10S.

Earlier today, Xiaomi released the MIUI 13 stable update for Mi 10S in China. The update carries version number V13.0.1.0.SGACNXM, and is 4.7GB in size.

As a “Stable Beta,” the update is only available for testers who are part of the beta program. If the testers don’t find any issues with this build, the update will likely soon roll out to regular users in batches.

Xiaomi is expected to start pushing stable release for the general public from late January. As the Mi 10S comes in the initial badge to receive the stable update, regular users can expect the MIUI 13 update to arrive for their devices by the end of January.

So far, Xiaomi has rolled out stable Android 12 based MIUI 13 updates for multiple devices including Mi 11 series, Redmi K40 series, MIX 4, and Xiaomi Pad 5 series. And going by the initial list of eligible Xiaomi devices, the update is expected to arrive for many more handsets before the end of the month. So stay tuned.

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Realme GT Neo2 DragonBall Z limited Edition Unboxing & First impression

By

Paco Zheng

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Jan 12, 2022

The Realme GT Neo2 Dragon Ball Z Limited Edition is Realme’s innovative attempt at bringing your childhood anime nostalgia to a 2021 smartphone. Paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the limited-edition smartphone went on its first sale in China on January 7 at a promotional price of RMB 2699, equivalent to 424 USD.

Dragon Ball is one of the best-known Japanese Anime on this planet. And clearly, we’ve been waiting for this edition for so long. Over the years, Realme has earned a reputation for bringing unique designs on its smartphones, so today we’re quite excited to bring you the unboxing and first hands-on with the GT Neo2 DBZ limited edition.

To start off, let’s see what we get inside the box.

This limited-edition model comes with heavily customized packaging. On the surface of the box, you can see three images of the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball Z series — Goku, shown in three states, as an adult, super Saiyan, and super Saiyan 3. And on the side, there’s an interesting detail of the Dragon-ball Radar, which is used to find the location of the dragon balls.

Open the box, and you will get a cover printed with Goku in super Sayan 3 and the strongest opponent of Dragon Ball Z, Kid Buu.

And it comes with a wealth of character stickers and a collection card of the Dragon. This is truly a wonderful gift for DBZ fans. I clearly remember in my childhood I was always fascinated with the concept of dragons and even wished they existed in this world. And I always thought it would be even better if it was a dragon from the planet Namiak.

Under the cover, you’ll find the limited-edition phone. It features a glass back with an orange and blue paint job in a matte finish. The frame of the device is also blue-painted, which reminds us of the overalls worn by Goku. But to be honest, the color scheme looks a bit strange and is not very close to the original tone of the anime.

The most obvious customized detail is the famous ‘Wisdom’ Kanji alongside the phone’s camera module, which is a signature symbol of Goku throughout the entire anime. Apart from the design, the phone is no different from the standard version of the Realme GT Neo 2. Despite having ‘GT’ in the name of the phone, the entire custom look of the limited edition is based on Goku’s character from Z series instead of the later GT TV-series.

Unfortunately, after this sim-card pin that’s inspired by the four-star Dragon Ball, there are no more customized accessories in the package. The charging kit is the same as what we found in the standard version.

Now, let’s look at its software. The lock screen also has the character, themes, and custom icons inspired by the anime. And when you activate the GT mode for the best performance, it will give you a short anime scene showing seven dragon balls have been collected, and you’re just summoning the dragon. In addition, when you use the included 65W charger for charging, the display will bring an animated effect that looks like Goku gathering energy back. And when the phone gets fully charged, Goku in the background will transform into a Super Saiyan.

Although as a fan of Dragon Ball, I wished I could see more customizations, I’m still happy to actually have it in my hand, especially considering this is the first time we are seeing a customized phone of Dragon Ball Z.

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Hey Realme, make sure to continue this cooperation, okay?

And if you are interested to know more about the phone itself, you can click the link here and check out our the Realme GT Neo 2 review.

So what do you think of this DBZ limited version phone? Please leave your comments down below.

Xiaomi 12 Ultra could feature the same camera hardware as the predecessor Xiaomi 11 Ultra

By

Pranav Sawant

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Jan 12, 2022

Xiaomi has already taken wraps off the Xiaomi 12 series in China. However, the series misses the much-rumored Xiaomi 12 Ultra. Rumors are rife that the device may launch soon since leaks for the phone are popping quite frequently. Now, DigitalChatStation reveals that the Xiaomi 12 Ultra may have the same camera hardware as the predecessor.

According to the tipster, the upcoming Xiaomi 12 Ultra will feature the same 50MP + 48MP + 48MP cameras of the last year’s Xiaomi 11 Ultra. If we take a look in detail, the Xiaomi 11 Ultra was launched with a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN2 main sensor, a 48MP ultra-wide lens, and lastly a 48MP telephoto camera with 5x zoom. These are three lenses, however, previous rumors suggest a quad-camera setup on the device.

The last case render which we revealed showed an asymmetrical rear camera system. Having said that, if we go by the tipster’s claim the phone may have the first three lenses the same as the predecessor, but we expect it to carry another lens. The tipster has a mention of a super-telephoto periscope lens in his post, which could actually be the fourth sensor.

As of now, these are just rumors, and we do not have any official confirmation. Now, it remains to be seen what the company officially brings with the Xiaomi 12 Ultra. In case you are unaware, previous rumors have revealed that the phone won’t have a secondary display at the back.

The phone will feature a single screen at the front. It is expected to be a 6.6-inch 2K AMOLED panel. The phone will come powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC and have 120W fast charging support.

As for its launch, it was recently revealed that the Xiaomi 12 Ultra may debut after the Chinese Spring festival i.e. by mid or end of February.

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Huawei to launch new Nova series phone soon, live images spotted on TENAA

By

Sean

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Jan 12, 2022

Earlier this week, we had reported on a mysterious Huawei smartphone being spotted on China’s TENAA database. The listing revealed a number of key specs of the device and its model number, but we didn’t know the official name of the handset. But now, live images have confirmed that it is a part of the Nova series of smartphones.

Looking at the TENAA listing, we can see the smartphone in all of its glory. While the database still doesn’t reveal its official name, the rear panel of the device clearly showcases the Nova branding. In other words, the Chinese tech giant is working on a new 4G enabled handset that will be powered by HarmonyOS. The device carries the model number JLN-AL00 and sports a 6.78 inch LCD screen that has a resolution of 1080 x 2388px.

Furthermore, our initial report had found that the mysterious Huawei smartphone will sport five cameras overall. And now, we can see that the upcoming Nova series model will feature a quad camera setup on a large oval module that is situated on the top left corner of the rear panel. This module houses two large sensors, which are likely its 08-megapixel primary sensor and the 8 megapixel secondary camera. On the other hand, the two smaller sensors between the two are a pair of 2 megapixel sensors.

Notably, its design is quite similar to the Honor 50 SE, especially from the rear. We can even see the device in a new blue color variant, and it is expected to arrive in a black and white variant too. It measures 164.64 × 75.55 × 7.94mm in dimensions and 191 grams in weight. The device will also be powered by a 3,900mAh battery pack that supports 66W fast charging and runs an unknown 2.4GHz octa core processor paired with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.

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Alleged POCO F4 Pro+ gets certified by EEC, launch imminent

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Jan 12, 2022

A new device from POCO carrying model number 22021211G has made an appearance on EEC and it is most likely the POCO F4 Pro+. The EEC document was published on Tuesday and was first registered last year on December 29th.

The POCO F4 Pro+ will probably be the global variant of the soon-to-launch Chinese Redmi K50 Pro+ device, and will be a successor of sorts to the POCO F3 that was released in March 2021. The POCO F3 never had a Pro variant, let alone a Pro+ model, so the new device could be signaling a new strategy.

As seen in the above image (via Xiaomiui), the EEC certificate does not delve into any of the specifications of the device. Still, we have had a few leaks in the past, revealing bits about its Chinese variant — Redmi K50 Pro+ — and we can be sure of both models coming with near-identical specs.

The Redmi K50 Pro+ and POCO F4 Pro+ will thus likely be coming with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, although there are chances of them being powered by the Dimensity 9000 as well. The handset will also feature a dual VC liquid-cooled heat dissipation unit with a large surface area and pack a 4,700mAh battery with 120W fast charging support.

Redmi K50 Pro Render Leak — Redmi K50 Pro render leak by Xiaomiui

The Redmi K50 Pro+ has been confirmed to go live sometime next month, meaning the POCO F4 Pro+ will likely be launched globally a few weeks later. March 2022 is the most likely date for a release considering the POCO F3 made its debut during the same month last year.

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