ASUS ExpertBook B3 Detachable is a 2-in-1 tablet with Snapdragon 7C Gen 2 SoC, Windows 11 Pro

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Jan 7, 2022

ASUS announced a bunch of computers at CES 2022. The main star of the show was Zenbook 17 Fold, a foldable device, which can be used as a desktop, a laptop, or a tablet at will. Whereas, most others were updates to existing lineups. That being said, it appears the company did unveil yet another interesting device in the form of ExpertBook B3 Detachable.

According to Tom’s Hardware, the ASUS ExpertBook B3 Detachable is a 2-in-1 tablet with an ARM processor and Microsoft Windows 11 Pro. Specifically, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7C Gen 2 SoC paired with 8GB LPDDR4 RAM and 128GB eMMC storage.

The aforementioned chipset is not a beast. Nevertheless, it is enough for light tasks. Unfortunately, ASUS hasn’t revealed the entire specs nor price and availability. But we do know a thing or two about this device.

For starters, it is similar to the ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3. This means it comes with a magnetic keyboard accessory and a magnetic kickstand. These accessories are officially called ExpertBoard and ExpertStand respectively.

The tablet also has a built-in stylus. The company claims that the pen will offer up to 45 minutes of usage with just 15 minutes of charging.

Last but not least, the MIL-STD 810H-certified tablet features a 16:10 display, a power button, a volume rocker, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Razer showcases its modular workstation concept with a 65-inch OLED at CES 2022

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 7, 2022

Razer has displayed its prototype modular workstation concept with a 65-inch OLED during the ongoing CES 2022 in Las Vegas. Razer, in line with its tradition of always serenading its followers with a signature product during CES, has continued this year with the Project Sophia. The Project Sophia prototype is a modular gaming desk that includes room for 13 separate modules which can be used to add several components. These include touchscreen hotkeys panel, external capture cards, audio mixers, and other components to customize the workstation to your needs. According to Razer, the reconfiguration of Project Sophia could be accomplished within a few seconds.

The Project Sophia gaming desk has an in-built computer that is housed in a chassis that magnetically snaps underneath the glass tabletop surface of the device. The case is detachable so the latest components can easily be updated or upgraded.

Project Sophia offers lots of RGB lighting which can be controlled using the installed Chroma software application in the workstation. The Project Sophia may come with either a 65-inch OLED or a 77-inch display if it eventually makes its way to the market.

Project Sophia looks really like a concept that may be far away from the market in its present form. The device looks quite rigid on the ergonomics side, as it lacks adjustable stands and it remains to be seen how a gamer will sit comfortably on the workstation. The release date for Project Sophia was not disclosed by Razer and pricing is still far off to discuss.

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Realme GT 2 Pro Unboxing & First Impressions: Flagship tech wrapped in paper-like design

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 7, 2022

Realme recently released their first premium flagship device, the Realme GT 2 Pro, which is the current holder of multiple smartphone records. And now, the Gizmochina team has managed to get its hands on one of these devices. So without further delay, this is our unboxing and first impressions of the GT 2 Pro.

The Realme GT 2 Pro comes in a clean white packaging box. Inside you can find the device, documentation, and surprisingly a 65W charging brick, a USB-C cable, and a protection case that have almost gone extinct in the recent premium flagships due to the eco-friendly initiative.

However, Realme takes a different approach to be eco-friendly as the packaging they offer contains less than 0.3% plastic. Additionally, the back of the phone is made of Biopolymers that have been sourced from paper, soybeans, and other materials. These solutions combine to reduce the total carbon emotions of the production process by up to 60%.

But that’s not all, as the paper-inspired Biopolymers back felt a lot like leather when we first held the device in our hand. Combined with the slim, ergonomic design, it makes for a pleasant and comfortable holding experience. The camera bump felt non-intrusive and the chrome plating made for a pretty looking contrast between the rear panel and the camera module.

Realme GT 2 Pro design

1 of 2

One concern we have about the back panel is its practicality. Will it get dirty easily? how will it handle scratches? and how long will the back design last without wearing out? we don’t know the answers at the moment but will surely shed a light on these questions in our upcoming full review.

Moving on to the device’s specs and performance, the device felt smooth to operate thanks to its 2K LTPO AMOLED 120Hz display and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. The device features the world’s largest internal cooling system that Realme calls Diamond ice Core Cooling System, 5000mAh battery, and 65W Fast charging that we will test in the upcoming review. For now, we stepped outside to get a taste of this Realme flagship’s camera performance.

The camera features multiple modes like movie mode, dual-view video, portrait, microscope among others. But what had us most interested was the 50MP 150 degrees ultra-wide camera, which holds the record for widest ever ultrawide camera. And we were quite surprised by the additional field of view it provides compared to other flagship ultra-wides. We clicked a couple of shots with the ultra-wide as well as the 2MP microscopic lens which came out to be crisp and detail-rich.

The 50MP main camera performance along with the overall performance of the device will be elaborated upon our upcoming full review of the device, so stay tuned.

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China Mobile’s NZONE S7 is likely manufactured by Huawei, now on sale on its JD flagship store

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 7, 2022

China Mobile’s subsidiary NZONE recently launched the NZONE S7 5G phone powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset. Apparently, the device bears similarity to the Huawei Nova 8 SE smartphone fuelling speculations that it was indeed manufactured by Huawei. To add credence to these speculations, Huawei has now started selling the 5G smartphone via its official flagship store on Jingdong (JD.com).

The NZONE S7 has a retail price of 1,699 yuan but is on offer from Huawei’s flagship store for 1,649 yuan representing a 50 yuan discount for the base variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.

That said, the NZONE S7 features a similar waterdrop notch design as the Nova 8 SE. The major difference is that while the base variant of the Nova 8 SE only have support for 4G connectivity while the higher variant supports 5G, the entire NZONE S7 lineup supports 5G connectivity.

In terms of the specifications, the NZONE S7 packs a 6.5-inch display with an HD+ resolution and a waterdrop notch design. The notch houses an 8MP selfie camera. At the rear aspect, there is a triple camera setup made up of a 13MP main shooter, a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens. Keeping the lights on is a 5000mAh battery which supports 22.5W fast charge.

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BMW’s 31-inch Theatre Screen brings cinematic experience for backseat passengers

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 7, 2022

The German automotive giant BMW has recently unveiled BMW Theatre Screen, a new in-car entertainment system. The entertainment system consists of a 31-inch 8K screen that turns the back seat area of the car into a personal theater. So let’s take a closer look at this new feature and everything that comes along with it.

According to a report by The Verge, at CES 2022, BMW has revealed their new Theatre Screen prototype. The entertainment system was built into a car which appeared to be their luxury Electric 7 Series.

The screen is fitted into the ceiling of the car which descends to give a comfortable viewing experience. The screen has an 8K resolution of 8000 x 2000 and supports aspect ratios of 16:9, 21:9, and 32:9. The system runs Fire OS which grants access to most modern video streaming services and other Fire TV apps and has 5G connectivity support.

The 31-inch panel is a touch screen and additionally, small touchpad controls are built into the rear doors of the car. The BMW Theatre Screen offers surround sound using 30 speakers from Bowers & Wilkins. BMW describes the sound as “4D” as it also utilizes the speakers built into the rear seats to provide audio vibrations and high emersion during intense moments.

The German automaker takes the emersion aspect even further as they stated that ” When the screen descends from the ceiling, the roller sunblinds for the side windows and the rear window are closed and the ambient lighting in the rear of the vehicle is dimmed.”

The company is yet to provide any information regarding the availability and cost of this Theatre Screen entertainment system but BMW officials have stated that the features “look quite similar to what will be launched very soon in series production.”

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ColorOS 12 stable update rolling out for OPPO Reno5 Pro+ 5G, Reno5 5G in China

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 7, 2022

OPPO is rolling out the Android 12-based ColorOS 12 stable update for multiple devices worldwide. The latest phones to receive the said update are OPPO Reno5 5G and OPPO Reno5 Pro+ 5G in China.

OPPO Reno 5 Pro Plus Artist Limited Edition 02 — OPPO Reno5 Pro+ Artist Limited Edition 5G

According to official announcement posts on OPPO Community, the Chinese smartphone maker has begun to seed ColorOS 12 stable update for the following handsets.

OPPO Reno5 Pro+ Artist Limited Edition 5G
- Required Firmware: A.28
- Region: China

OPPO Reno5 Pro+ 5G
- Required Firmware: A.29
- Region: China

OPPO Reno5 5G
- Required Firmware: A.34
- Region: China

If you own the Chinese variant of the aforementioned devices and are on the required firmware, then head over to Settings > Software Updates > Gear Icon > Trial Version and follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the fresh system update.

As far as international versions of these phones are concerned, the update is already live for them in some markets. The Reno5 5G is known by its original name outside mainland China, while the Reno5 Pro+ 5G is called Reno5 Pro 5G in certain regions.

Lastly, the original OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G is scheduled to receive the update from January 18.

Like any other OTA software update, OPPO is also seeding the ColorOS 12 builds in a batched manner. Hence, the update will take some to reach every user.

Samsung reveals all its TVs and chargers will use near-zero standby power by 2025

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Jan 7, 2022

Samsung Electronics, with its pre-show keynote at CES 2022, pledged to build a green and sustainable future, announcing that it had last year produced Carbon Trust Standard-compliant chips that helped cut carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 700,000 metric tons. The initiative is part of the Samsung ‘Together for Tomorrow’ Vision.

Samsung’s Visual Display Business plans to use 30 times more recycled plastics than it did in 2021. Also revealed were plans to expand its use of recycled materials over the next three years, including all mobile products and home appliances.

In addition, the company plans to make all of its TVs and phone chargers use near-zero standby power by 2025, meaning they’ll not be consuming any energy when not in use.

Samsung also revealed that in 2021, all of the packaging for its TVs used recyclable materials. In 2022, it will expand the application of recycled materials to cover the inner packaging of cartons. The company also promised to use similar packaging material with its home appliances in the future.

E-waste is another major challenge for the tech industry and Samsung says it has done its bit by actively recycling e-waste since 2009. Today, the collection stands at 5 million metric tons.

Last but not the least, Samsung Electronics dropped some profitability figures for Q4 2021, stating with a press release revealing that its consolidated operating profit stood at approximately 13.8 trillion Korean won or around $11.5 billion. Consolidated sales, on the other hand, totaled 76 trillion Korean won approx. or around $63 billion. Detailed earnings will be made available on January 27th.

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Bajaj Chetak 2022 may launch soon at an affordable price

By

Pranav Sawant

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Jan 7, 2022

Last month, Bajaj announced Rs. 300 crore investment for its new electric vehicle plant in Akurdi, Pune, India. The company has planned to manufacture over 5 lakh EVs per year at full capacity. It will indeed reduce the manufacturing costs, as the EVs will be built with local components, hence reducing the price. Now, following up with this news, a report reveals that the upcoming Bajaj Chetak 2022 could launch soon and might be an affordable option in the market.

Bajaj is said to completely manufacture its upcoming electric vehicles in India. The report cites that the new Bajaj Chetak will be able to deliver a 4.2kW peak power and a continuous output of 4.0kW. This is improved over the existing Chetak’s peak power of 4.08kW and continuous output of 3.8kW.

Reportedly, this time around the company may launch the Chetak 2022 with localized components which may reduce its price. To recall, the Bajaj Chetak is priced at Rs. 1.48 lakhs, while other EV manufacturers in India are selling their EVs at around Rs. 1 lakh.

In related news, a report cited that Indian vehicle sales have seen a year-on-year growth of 240%. A total of over 50,800 EVs were bought in December 2021, which is a 21% increase from the 42,055 EVs in November. That said, this year, we expect the Indian EV market to grow even further.

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(via 1, 2)

Planet Astro Slide 5G with a Dimensity 800 & slider keyboard will start shipping in March

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 7, 2022

London-based computer firm Planet Computers first unveiled the Astro Slide 5G with a slider keyboard design in March 2020 under crowdfunding on Indiegogo. The crowdfunding exercise was a huge success with the company officially launching the device in January 2021. Despite the official launch, the device was still not ready to ship. Planet Computers has yet again unveiled the Astro Slide 5G during CES 2022.

The company equally hinted that the device will start shipping in March this year after the long wait. The device which is offered in a single blue color carries a retail price of £862. However, there is a 30% discount on Indiegogo for the device and it is still active, bringing down the price to around $650.

In an era where premium phones with physical keyboards are almost out of the market, the Astro Slide comes as a perfect fit for those who would like to own a device with a physical keyboard.

The device is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 800 chipset which brings 5G connectivity to the mix. The processor is backed by 8GB RAM while there is 128GB of internal storage onboard as well as option for storage expansion via a microSD card. It also features a backlit mechanical keyboard which can be hidden when not in use via the slider mechanism. The slider mechanism in use is said to be the recently patented RockUp slider hinge which converts the device to a palm top computer.

The device features a 6.39-inch AMOLED screen with an FHD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. The display is also protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The device also comes with a 4,000mAh battery with support for 30W fast wired charging and 10W Qi Wireless charging.

Other features onboard the slider phone includes a 48MP rear camera as well as a 13MP front camera. There is also stereo speakers, NFC support, a 3.5 mm audio jack, two USB-C ports with OTG and DP support. The device boots Android 11 out of the box. The device also supports multi-boot with various Linux distributions.

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TCL unveils NxtWear Air and Leiniao Air smart glasses at CES 2022

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Jan 7, 2022

TCL, on Thursday at CES 2022, lifted the curtains on a couple of new smart glasses called TCL NxtWear Air and TCL Leiniao Air. Both products have been developed independently by TCL-backed Thunderbird Innovation.

TCL NxtWear Air

The TCL NxtWear Air comes with MicroOLED 1080p displays embedded into its frame, and is a successor of sorts to the NxtWear G launched last year. Compared to the older model, it weighs 30% less with a weight of 130g.

The embedded displays offer ample detail and punchy and vibrant colors paired with deep shadows and blacks. An expansive viewing environment is also created, equivalent to watching a 140-inch screen, 4 meters away – similar to being in a movie theatre.

Clarity is quite impressive too with 47 pixels-per-degree resolution. The audio is fired through dual speakers with support spatial effects. You can even connect your own wired or wireless headphones for a more private viewing experience.

Use cases include a secondary screen for professionals and students when paired with a laptop and a way to manage projects in public or during travel.

NxtWear Air will be available worldwide sometime in Q1 2022 but TCL has not revealed the prices yet.

TCL Leiniao Air

The TCL Leiniao Air is the industry’s first binocular full-color MicroLED holographic optical waveguide AR glasses with a display engine that balances efficiency and dispersion (via Pandaily).

The full-color MicroLED + optical waveguide tech featured on the glasses is nothing short of a technological breakthrough, as it has been a challenge the industry has been trying to overcome for years. It is also presently recognized as the best technology to achieve AR.

The TCL Leiniao Air will also be gaining a number of new functions like information prompts, photo sharing, smart connection controls, multi-screen presentation, and interoperability with automobiles in the future.

RELATED:

AirPods Pro 2 to launch in Q3 2022 as suppliers increase output: Report

By

Sudhanshu

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Jan 7, 2022

Earlier this week we reported that the next-gen Apple AirPods Pro 2 said to launch around Q3 of 2022. Now, a report has surfaced suggesting the same.

According to a new report by Digitimes (via MacRumors), Apple suppliers are getting ready for shipments of the new high-end AirPods by scaling up their output capacity. This new information comes just days after credible Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed the launch timeline of the AirPods Pro 2, which according to him will hit the markets somewhere around October and December 2022.

Ming-Chi Kuo also expects the AirPods Pro 2 to come with Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) and if that happens, then it would be the first TWS earphones from the Cupertino-based tech giant to support lossless audio.

For those unaware, Lossless audio basically preserves all of the data in the original audio file which results in higher quality sound. All AirPods from the company launched so far use Bluetooth to deliver audio, which is limited to using Advanced Audio Codec (AAC), a loss-prone form of audio delivery. Apple‘s vice president of acoustics Gary Geaves also discussed this bandwidth problem in detail in a recent interview.

Additionally, the charging case of the AirPods Pro 2 could have support for emitting sound. This is to help find the charging case if it’s separated from the AirPods or has been misplaced by the user.

Currently, the AirPods themselves make a noise when trying to locate them via the Find My app. Further, Kuo adds that the earphones may undergo a redesign to focus more on fitness which could include a more rounded shape.

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China bans digital music platforms from signing exclusive copyright deals

By

Sean

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Jan 7, 2022

The copyright authority in China has just announced that digital music platforms are no longer allowed to sign exclusive copyright deals, apart from certain exceptions. The announcement was shared earlier this week and arrives as the latest efforts from Beijing to crackdown on digital companies.

According to a Reuters report, the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) shared the order on Thursday during a meeting in Beijing. Notably, this meeting included some major digital music platforms, along with other known record and songwriting copyright based firms. The move from the copyright authority is the latest efforts of Chinese regulators in cracking down on the nation’s tech industry. The steps from the Chinese government seek to address growing issues like monopolistic behavior, unfair competition and consumer rights, which has also been widely debated in western regions like Europe.

Just last year, Tencent Holdings announced that it had ended all exclusive music copyright deals following an order from the Chinese regulator. The intervention from the authorities arrived due to Tencent reportedly holding access to more than 80 percent of exclusive music libraries. In other words, it held an almost complete monopoly in the market and could leverage upstream copyright parties to restrict the entry of new players in the market.

Unfortunately, it is unknown which companies were involved in this recent meeting, although, known brands like Xiaomi, China Mobile, and even Netease own popular streaming services in the Asian country, since global streaming services like Spotify are banned in Mainland China. NCAC added that “The talks emphasized that record companies, songwriting copyright companies and digital music platforms should … settle payment according to a guaranteed sum plus a share of actual usage, and should not sign exclusive copyright agreements except under special circumstances.”

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New Realme Book (2022) to come with 12th Gen Intel Core processor

By

Pranav Sawant

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Jan 7, 2022

At CES 2022, Intel unveiled its 12th generation Core CPUs, which are aimed at this year’s laptop notebooks. Following it, Realme’s VP Madhav Sheth has announced that the company will be one of the first brands to introduce 12th Gen Intel Core laptops to the market.

Sheth on Twitter said, “We are excited to be one of the first brands to introduce the 12th Gen Intel Core Processor in our Next-Gen #realmeBook.” It could mean that the upcoming Realme Book (2022 edition) with the 12th Gen Intel CPUs may launch anytime this year in markets like China, India, and others.

We are excited to be one of the first brands to introduce the 12th Gen Intel Core Processor in our Next-Gen #realmeBook.

Are you all ready to experience it? #CES2022 #DesignedToEmpower https://t.co/LjYZFYJxPN

— Madhav Sheth (@MadhavSheth1) January 5, 2022

Earlier, Intel announced three new series’ – the H, P, and U-series. The P and U-series are mainly for the thin and light ultrabooks launching this year. Although Realme has not confirmed it, we speculate either of these two chipsets to be used in the upcoming Realme Book. If it will be the case, then the upcoming notebook from Realme will be way faster in comparison to the predecessor.

As of now, we aren’t aware of any of its specs, hence we’d have to wait for some concrete leaks to arrive on the Internet.

In related news, Realme recently launched the Enhanced Edition of the Realme Book. It comes at a price tag of CNY 4,699(~$737) and has a couple of improvements. The notebook comes with a 14-inch LCD display with a 2K resolution. It has 11th gen Intel Core i5-11320 SoC and 16GB of RAM. It packs a 54Whr battery that offers up to 11 hours of backup. The laptop comes with Windows 11 pre-installed and has Realme’s Super VC cooling system.

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Honor Magic V renders and specs surfaced ahead of Jan 10 launch

By

Pranav Sawant

-

Jan 7, 2022

Honor will unveil its first foldable phone dubbed the Honor Magic V on January 10 in China. Earlier today, the specs of the device were tipped on the Internet, and now, the foldable phone’s renders have been surfaced by MySmartPrice.

The Honor Magic V renders show the possible design of the foldable phone. The device will have a primary folding screen and a punch-hole cover screen. It will feature a vertical camera setup at the rear sporting a 50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, and a 50MP spectrum enhanced lens. It also has an LED flash outside the camera island.

The publication also reveals that the device will have a 6.45-inch OLED cover display with an FHD+(2560 x 1080 pixels) resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It will have a 431 PPI pixel density. The phone will boast a 7.9-inch primary OLED display with a 2272 x 1984 pixel resolution. The screen will have a 90Hz refresh rate and a pixel density of 381 PPI.

The renders also reveal the color variants of the phone. It will arrive in Black, White, and Orange colors. Past leaks have revealed that the Orange color has a faux leather-like look, while the Black and White color variants have a glossy glass back.

Apart from this, the Honor Magic V will come powered by the latest 4 nm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. It has Adreno 730 GPU and will arrive in 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant and a 12GB RAM + 512GB storage option. It is touted to have a 4,750mAh battery with 66W fast charging support. The foldable phone will run on Android 12 out of the box and have the company’s MagicUI 6 custom skin on top of it. The foldable phone is expected to start at CNY 13,999(~$2,195) in China.

RELATED:

Samsung Galaxy S22+ and S22 Ultra may offer the brightest smartphone displays ever

By

Zohaib Ahmed

-

Jan 7, 2022

The Samsung Galaxy S22+ and S22 Ultra display test results are out from the company’s own development labs and they align perfectly with the various leaks and rumors we have come across over the past few weeks.

Both models achieve peak brightness that’s higher than ever before. At a peak brightness of 1,750nits, the Galaxy phones’ displays beat not only beat their predecessors but are also easily one of the brightest around. The standard brightness level though, with auto-mode enabled, maxes out at 1,500nits (via SamMobile).

For comparison, the latest and greatest from Apple — the iPhone 13 Pro Max — achieves ‘only’ 1000nits on High Bightness Mode and a peak brightness of 1200nits.

Meanwhile, the standard Galaxy S22 which is the first compact flagship from Samsung in years, will come with a 1000nits display. The Galaxy S21 offered the same, although the size this year is notably smaller at 6.06-inches.

Record-breaking brightness isn’t all that the Galaxy S22+ and S22 Ultra offer though as both devices also feature fantastic contrast ratios of 3,000,000:1. You get 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, meaning colors will be extra poppy, especially when viewing HDR-supporting content.

Moving on to display sizes, the Samsung Galaxy S22+ has a 6.55-inch panel while the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s display measures 6.81-inches. The latter’s ultra large display will go well with the S-Pen it is going to ship with.

Samsung will be unveiling both phones along with the vanilla S22 some time next month, although the exact date still remains suspenseful.

RELATED:

MIUI 13 stable update released for Mi 11 Lite 5G in China

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Jan 7, 2022

Xiaomi has started rolling out the Android 12-based MIUI 13 stable update for eligible devices. The latest version of the company’s mobile software is currently being seeded out to teasers in the beta program. After premium devices, the update is now live for the mid-range Mi 11 Lite 5G.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G Peach Pink — Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has released the MIUI 13 stable update for Mi 11 Lite 5G in China. The fresh update for the handset arrives with firmware version V13.0.4.0.SKICNXM.

As mentioned in the beginning, this update is only available for testers part of the beta program. Hence, the release is labeled ‘Stabe Beta’ at the moment. If these early adopters don’t fancy any issue, then the same build will be rolled out to regular users in a batched manner.

Xiaomi is expected to start pushing stable release for the general public from late January. The Mi 11 Lite 5G doesn’t come in the initial batch, however, regular users can expect the update in February.

So far, Xiaomi has rolled out the MIUI 13 stable update based on Android 12 for 7 other smartphones and 3 tablets. These include the Mi 11 series, Redmi K40 series, MIX 4, and Xiaomi Pad 5 series.

We expect more Xiaomi group handsets to get the new version of MIUI in the upcoming days.

GAC Aion LX Plus electric SUV goes on sale in China, with 1,008km max range

By

Sean

-

Jan 7, 2022

GAC has just began the sale of its latest electric vehicle. The new car is the Aion LX Plus, which is an electric SUV that offers an impressive range of more than 1,000 kilometers.

The Chinese automobile maker launched the new SUV from its Aion lineup of all electric vehicle. As of right now, the brand sells five electric SUVs, with the LX Plus now being the latest addition. The company had first announced the Aion LX Plus back in November 2021. It arrives with a sizeable max range of more than 1,000 kilometers in its extended range mode despite having the same battery pack size as the existing base LX model.

While the initial announcement revealed a number of its features, the company did not share the official pricing of the new SUV. But now, the Aion LX Plus has begun its official sales in China. GAC claims that the new SUV is the “world’s longest range production vehicle,” thanks to its 144.4 kWh battery pack that has an energy density of 205 Wh/kg. The top end version of the electric SUV will offer an NEDC range of over 1,000 kilometers (1,008 kilometers to be exact) and will also include a sponge silicon anode as well.

This variant of the Aion LX Plus will start for 459,600 Yuan in China (roughly 72,300 US Dollars) and is currently available for purchase and test drives at the moment. With the new launch, GAC will be competing against the likes of NIO, Tesla, XPeng, and Lucid in the Chinese market, which is a major region for EVs.

RELATED:

Realme 9i listed at Realme India store, launch seems imminent

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 7, 2022

Realme 9i is scheduled to go official in Vietnam on Jan. 10. Reports have claimed that the device will be also released in India soon. It appears that the India launch of the Realme 9i may not be far away as its moniker has appeared on Realme India’s online store.

Tipped by:https://t.co/426ih812eL

— Sudhanshu Ambhore (@Sudhanshu1414) January 7, 2022

As can be seen in the tweet, the Realme 9i has surfaced on Realme India’s website. One of the screenshots shows that the power adaptor of the Realme 9i is priced at Rs 1,099 and its USB cable costs Rs 399. In addition, Madhav Sheth who is Realme Vice-President, and CEO for India, Europe, and Latin America shared a tweet to hint at the arrival of the Realme 9i.

The #realmeBook Slim makes my work efficient & allows me to multitask smoothly.
What other colour variants would you all like us to launch of the realme Book?#DesignedToEmpower pic.twitter.com/5pExiAsxGw

— Madhav Sheth (@MadhavSheth1) January 7, 2022

Since Sheth is the CEO for multiple markets, he could be teasing the arrival of Realme 9i in different markets including India. The tweet also hints at the arrival of new color variants of the Realme Book. At present, it is available in colors like Real Blue and Real Grey in India. It appears that the company will be releasing more teasers to hint at the arrival of its upcoming products.

Realme 9i specifications

The Realme 9i has a 6.6-inch FHD+ 90Hz IPS LCD screen, Snapdragon 680 chipset, and a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The device is expected to ship with up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of storage. It will be running on Realme UI 2.0 flavored Android 11 OS.

The 9i will feature a 16-megapixel camera for selfies. Its back panel will sport a 50-megapixel (main) + 2-megapixel (depth) + 2-megapixel (macro) triple camera unit. Its other features include a microSD card slot, dual speakers, and a side-facing fingerprint scanner. The handset will arrive in Prism Black and Prism Blue colors.

RELATED:

Apple is working on foldable iPhones, but we may never see it

By

Sean

-

Jan 7, 2022

Apple is apparently working on foldable iPhones. A tipster has revealed that the company is working on a number of iterations of a foldable iPhone prototype. But don’t get your hopes up, as the brand is still unsure about the new breed of smartphones.

1/3 For those who are curious about a foldable iPhone, Apple is definitely working and testing multiple prototypes that contain foldable displays. Too many compromises still exist with foldable display technology though.

— Dylan (@dylandkt) January 6, 2022

The news arrives from known tipster Dylandkt who shared the information on Twitter. In a new thread, he revealed that the Cupertino based giant is working on multiple prototypes of iPhones with a foldable display. These prototypes are still being tested but Apple believes that there are too many ‘compromises’ with the foldable display technology. The issues don’t stop there, as the iPhone maker is also doubtful regarding the foldable phone market in general.

Apparently, the brand is concerned regarding whether the foldable handset segment is a market that will find its place in the industry, or eventually fall into “obsolescence.” In other words, Apple is unsure if foldable phones will stick around long enough and not just become a fad that dies out. So, the company is currently planning on carefully observing the market and avoid making the same mistakes that are were made by its rivals, as per Dylandkt.

Apple has been rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone for a while now. We have already covered a number of patents (1,2) from the company as well, which detail some of the possible designs. At the moment, it seems like the company will continue to work on perfecting the technology to avoid launching what Dylan calls “beta” products like its rival. But its still unknown if the brand will eventually compete in this particular segment of the smartphone market.

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Realme 9 Pro battery size gets revealed through TUV certification

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jan 7, 2022

Realme 9i will be launching on coming Monday (Jan. 10). Soon, the company will also unveil other phones such as Realme 9 Pro, 9 Pro+, Realme 9A, and Realme 9i in the coming weeks. Reports have revealed that the RMX3472 model number belongs to the Realme 9 Pro handset. Now the same device has been spotted in the database of the TUV certification platform. The listing has revealed the battery size of the device.

It has been revealed through Thailand’s NBTC certification that the Realme RMX3472 will be debuting in the global market with the Realme 9 Pro moniker. This device has been approved by certification platforms from countries like Europe and Indonesia. None of these listings has revealed any information on the specs of the device. It is believed that the RMX3472 phone that has been spotted at the BIS authority could be the Indian variant of the device.

Realme 9 Pro 5G
– 4880mAh battery#realme https://t.co/l5zeq0au06 pic.twitter.com/UHE7gImNzQ

— Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) January 7, 2022

The TUV certification has revealed that the Realme 9 Pro will pack a 4,880mAh rated battery. The typical value of its battery could be 5,000mAh. The TUV listing hasn’t revealed the fast-charging capabilities of the device. Rumors surrounding the device has revealed that it may ship with the Dimensity 810 chipset.

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, and 65W fast charging. It is speculated that the Realme 9 Pro and Pro+ may debut by February this year.

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