As we arrive at a new year, various smartphone makers are gearing up to launch their latest flagship grade handsets. Now, a new report has revealed some interesting information regarding the upcoming Oppo Find X5 series.
The news comes from @数码闲聊站 on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website. The tipster claimed that the company’s Find X5 series will feature launch in two variants, namely the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset. Furthermore, the Snapdragon variant will also arrive with the Chinese smartphone brand’s new self developed MariSilicon X NPU chipset. Although, it is currently unknown if the MediaTek version of the Find X5 series will also feature their in house NPU.
For those unaware, the MariSilicon X NPU is the brand’s first self developed imaging based chipset. The new chip is manufactured using the 6nm process from TSMC and seeks to improve imaging performance of upcoming Oppo smartphones. Notably, the company had previously announced that its Find X series of flagship phones will feature the new NPU, so the new leak is in line with the company’s actual plans.
Find X5 / X5 Pro renders by OnLeaks and Prepp.in
However, it is still unclear if the brand will be launching the Find X5 series in two different processor variants. Additionally, if the Dimensity 9000 skips the MariSilicon X NPU, then there will also be a difference in imaging performance between the Qualcomm and MediaTek versions. Keep in mind that this is still an unconfirmed report so take it with a pinch of salt for now and stay tuned for more updates.
The Xiaomi 12 series consisting of Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro went official in China last week. Just within days from the announcement, an image showcasing a prototype of both these handsets has emerged. Let’s check out how the final product is different from when it was in the development stage.
Prototypes of Xiaomi 12 Pro and Xiaomi 12
Someone posted a picture of Xiaomi 12 series prototypes on the Xiaomi Community. The image came into the limelight when a blogger shared it on Weibo.
As you can see, although the prototypes of Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro in the photo look identical to the official devices at first look, they aren’t actually.
First and foremost, the primary camera on the prototype duo is comparatively larger than that found on the actual device. We could spot it easily as we are used to the design of the phones. Most people wouldn’t know unless they compare side by side.
Secondly, the vanilla Xiaomi 12 prototype in the picture sports a paint job that’s not available officially. According to ITHome, his color looks more like pink than the purple version sold by Xiaomi.
Xiaomi 12 in all four official colors
Finally, the rear camera island on the Xiaomi 12 prototype has a dual finish. The main camera part has a glossy metallic finish, while the auxiliary part has matte. In reality, the entire camera module has a matte finish as seen on the Xiaomi 12 Pro prototype.
We personally like how the actual Xiaomi 12 series turned out to be in terms of design though it looks generic. What are your thoughts on the design? Share with us in the comment section below.
iQOO, a sub-brand of Vivo, is all set to launch its next-generation iQOO 9 and iQOO 9 Pro smartphones in its home market China in a couple of days. Now, ahead of the official launch, both phones are now available for pre-order through JD.com.
Both the smartphones have been officially listed on China’s one of the leading e-commerce platforms JD.com but the company has not yet revealed the full specifications as well as the pricing details.
So far, iQOO has shared some teaser posters related to these upcoming phones, which have shed light on some key features and specifications ahead of the official launch.
As per the reports, the iQOO 9 Pro will feature a 6.78-inch curved edge AMOLED LTPO display that offers a QHD+ screen resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate while the iQOO 9 is said to have a 6.78-inch flat AMOLED FHD+ 120Hz display.
Under the hood, both the devices are confirmed to come powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and the phones could pack up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 internal storage.
In the camera department, the company has confirmed that the Samsung GN5 sensor will be making its debut on the iQOO 9 series. The Pro model will be equipped with micro-PTZ 2.0 and will also feature an ultrawide lens that offers a 150-degree FOV. There could be a 50-megapixel Samsung JN1 sensor and a 16-megapixel telephoto camera.
The devices will come running the latest Android 12 operating system out-of-the-box. As for the battery, the iQOO 9 series phones are said to come powered by a 4,700mAh battery with 120W fast charging and the Pro model will get 50W wireless charging support.
Just ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022, Samsung has announced its new monitor, dubbed Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 which is touted to be the world’s first 4K monitor with a higher 240Hz refresh rate.
With this launch, the South Korean giant is also expanding its lineup of Mini-LED displays given that this new 32-inch gaming monitor features a Mini-LED panel that has several benefits over a traditional LED screen.
In terms of design, the newly announced Odyssey Neo G8 looks very similar to the Odyssey G9 49-inch which was launched as the flagship offering in the lineup last year. It has a 1000R curvature, a white back with sci-fi-themed carvings, and CoreSync lighting that lights up based on the colors on display.
Thanks to the Mini LED display, the device offers a higher brightness level because of the additional light sources and a more precise targeted illumination. It offers up to 2,000 nits of brightness and should offer deeper contrast than a standard LED monitor.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 has a 1ms GTG response time and is able to refresh the screen with 8,294,400 pixels 240 times per second. Note that on its own, the HDMI 2.1 can only go up to 120Hz at 4K resolution but by using VESA’s Display Stream Compression (DSC), it should be able to reach 240Hz. Also, the DisplayPort 1.4a runs 4K content at up to 120Hz but DSC could surpass that.
This new gaming monitor is compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia’s G-Sync adaptive sync tech, which means that games should run stutter- and tear-free.
While Samsung has unveiled the Odyssey Neo G8 4K 240Hz Gaming Monitor, details about the same, including the pricing and availability information haven’t been revealed yet. We expect the product to be available in the second half of this year and more details could be revealed by the company in the coming days or weeks.
In the year 2020, Apple began transitioning away from Intel chips in favor of Apple Silicon, and the process started with the MacBook and Mac Mini powered by the Apple M1 chips which have now been expanded to more devices and more chips.
When Apple had announced its move of transitioning to Apple Silicon, it had talked about completing the process within two years. In line with that, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg expects that the company could complete the process by WWDC 2022 in June.
This was reported in the latest edition of the Power On newsletter in which Mark Gurman further adds that the new Mac Pro, a powerful Mac Mini, and a large-screened iMac Pro will come powered by the new Apple Silicon chips.
If this turns out to be true, then it means that there could be multiple Apple Mac devices getting launched in the first half of this year.
After launching MacBook Air and Pro models as well as Mac Mini and iMac powered by the M1 chipset, the company recently launched the MacBook Pro in 14-inch and 16-inch versions, both of which are powered by the new Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.
The company is expected to launch the M2 chipset as the direct successor of the M1 chip but if the reports are to be believed, then there won’t be any drastic improvement in terms of performance for the new SoC.
The report further adds that the MacBook Air lineup as well as the entry-level MacBook Pro, which were the first devices to get M1 chipset, will be updated this year. The MacBook Air is claimed to come with the biggest redesign in the product’s history.
It’s been a few years since Huawei launched its own operating system named HarmonyOS (aka HongMeng OS in China) soon after the Chinese giant was barred by the United States government from using Google’s Android as well as other technologies made in America.
Ever since launching HarmonyOS, the company has been actively pushing new updates with features to improve the platform. Currently in version 2, a new report now reveals information about the official launch of the upcoming HarmonyOS 3.0 later this year.
According to a new report, Huawei’s next-generation HarmonyOS 3.0 is expected to officially get released in July this year. However, there’s a possibility that the official announcement of this new software could be made a bit early.
It is being claimed that the announcement could happen sometime by the end of the second quarter of this year, i.e. by June 2022. The Chinese giant is expected to host an event during the Spring festival but it’s not yet known what could be announced.
The Huawei HarmonyOS 3.0 Developer Preview was released by the company a couple of months back, in October 2021, at the Huawei Developer Conference 2021. It continues to innovate around three core areas — System Architecture, Super Terminal, and One-time development of multi-terminal deployment.
As per the reports, given that the HarmonyOS is a new-age operating system, its system architecture can be deployed flexibly, allowing smart devices with different memories to communicate in the same language. In the latest version, there are deployment automation tools and developers can select the required components based on hardware to complete the operating system assembly.
Huawei has announced that the HarmonyOS 3 Beta is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2022, i.e. by March 2021, which will provide developers with more complete system capabilities and development tools.
Lately, we have been hearing a lot about the upcoming iPhone 14 series and it appears that the devices will come with some major changes which were expected to happen in the future iPhone models.
In the latest development, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, in his latest Power On newsletter, has claimed that the iPhone 14 series models won’t feature a notch for housing sensors. Instead, the phones will have a pill-shaped cutout on top of the screen.
Earlier, Apple had said that the notch was necessary for housing the sensors required for the front-facing camera as well as the Face ID feature. So, it will be interesting to see how the Cupertino-based tech giant manages to pack everything in a tiny space.
Prior to this new report from Mark Gurman, Korea-based publication The Elec had also claimed that the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max will come with a punch-hole cutout on the screen instead of a notch. Even Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed about iPhone 14 models have a punch-hole cutout. These multiple reports about the same thing almost confirm this development.
Apple had first introduced the notch with the iPhone X and since then, it has largely remained unchanged. It houses the TrueDepth camera array which includes an infrared camera, a flood illuminator, a front camera, and a dot projector.
Reports also point that the Apple iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Max will continue to offer the notch but the Pro models in the series will come with a new pill-shaped punch-hole cutout for housing the sensors.
Some rumors claim that the company may adopt a laser-based time-of-flight architecture for Face ID while other rumors indicate a unibody lens design that will help the company reduce the size of the front camera module.
At the end of November, Xiaomi’s sub-brand launched the brand new Redmi Note 11T offering the 5G connectivity at a very affordable price. It definitely a complete device for those users who want decent specifications for every task without spending a lot of money. But its predecessor is still on sale and it is currently available in China at amazing street prices. So which are the differences between the two handsets and which one is worth buying with the actual prices? If you want to know more, go ahead and read this comparison between the specifications of the Redmi Note 11T 5G and the Redmi Note 10T 5G.
Triple 48 + 2 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.4 + f/2.4
8 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY
5000 mAh, fast charging 33W
5000 mAh, fast charging 18W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Design
Despite these devices belonging to two different generations, their designs are similar. Do not expect amazing build quality and premium materials because these devices are very affordable phones. They are entirely made of polycarbonate with the exception of the front glass. The Redmi Note 11T 5G has the IP53 certification which makes it dust resistant and splash resistant, while the Redmi Note 10T 5G is splash proof but does not have any kind of certification against water and dust. The Redmi Note 10T 5G is a bit more compact and it has the Gorilla Glass 3 protection for the display. The camera modules have a similar design but different placements, with the Redmi Note 10T 5G packing a smaller module, even though it has more sensors. I personally prefer the Redmi Note 10T 5G.
Display
The displays of the Redmi Note 11T 5G and the Redmi Note 10T 5G are slightly different in terms of size: 6.6 inches and 6.5 inches, respectively. But for the rest, there are no important differences as the main specifications are the same. They are average IPS LCD panels with a 90 Hz refresh rate and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. You should not expect an amazing image quality as we are talking about cheap IPS panels, but the quality is sufficient for every kind of user and the refresh rate is even good for gamers. These phones are equipped with side-mounted fingerprint readers placed on the power keys. Note that Redmi Note 11T 5G has stereo speakers, while the Redmi Note 10T 5G has a mono speaker.
Hardware/Software
The Redmi Note 11T 5G packs a stronger processor: the octa-core Dimensity 810 5G chipset by Mediatek built at 6 nm, running at a max frequency of 2.4 GHz. It is a pretty good update if compared to the Dimensity 700 found on the Redmi Note 10T 5G, but not for gamers as these two processors have the same GPU. With the Redmi Note 11T 5G you can actually get a higher quantity of RAM: up to 8 GB, while the Redmi Note 10T 5G stops at 6 GB. The most recent model is running MIUI 12.5 out of the box, while its predecessor is based on MIUI 12, but both run Android 11.
Camera
The main sensor found on the rear of the Redmi Note 11T 5G is way better than the one of the Redmi Note 10T 5G: we are talking about a more recent 50 MP camera capturing a higher level of detail. Still a cheap camera, but superior to the old 48 MP one of the Note 10T. Even the secondary sensor is better: the Redmi Note 11T 5G has an 8 MP ultrawide camera, while the Redmi Note 10T 5G has two useless 2 MP sensors for macros and depth calculation.
Battery
These phones are both equipped with a battery sporting a capacity of 5000 mAh, but the battery life is most likely to be longer on the Redmi Note 11T 5G because it is fueled by a more efficient processor built at 6 nm. It even supports faster charging thanks to a power of 33W.
The starting price of the Redmi Note 11T 5G is €220/$250, while the Redmi Note 10T 5G starts from €175/$200 thanks to street prices. Overall, the former offers a better audio experience, a more powerful chipset, better cameras, and faster charging. It makes sense to spend more if you are looking for these better features.
Japanese company Bauhutte has designed and created a hand massager to provide comfort and relief to gamers who may be experiencing discomfort after a long period of playing. When playing for long hours, gamers are bound to experience cramps and other issues mainly affecting their hands. It may warrant an immediate pause of the game to exercise the hands for some minutes. But the MSG-O1H-BK hand massager works with either hand and has a 15-layer airbag for each finger, as well as a shiatsu plate for the palm.
The modes of operation of the hand massager are available – either providing massaging for the entire hand or a focus on stretching the fingers. An optional hand warmer comes in the package and there are several intensity settings for the hand massager. To massage the thumb, you have to slide your hands sideways and the massager will stop automatically after operating for 10 minutes non-stop.
The hand massager seems to be a very decent innovation that could also apply to scenarios outside gaming. It could have other applications in industry and areas where workers use their hands rapidly for extended periods. For now, the Bauhutte hand massager is only available in Japan for about $150. Its success in Japan may open up the product for its availability in other markets.
Apple iPhones continued their resurgence in China as the most sought-after smartphone in the country, as indicated by the latest Counterpoint Research numbers. The iPhone accounted for 23.6% of smartphone sales in China in November, up from its 22% showing back in October 2021. The numbers also indicate that the iPhone has sustained the leadership of the market for two consecutive months in China. Chinese brand Vivo followed Apple in the pecking order with a 17.8% share of the market.
The impressive numbers could be due to several reasons, one of the most telling being the release of the iPhone 13 series with a massive reception in China. The iPhone 13 series offer improved cameras and photography functionality, longer battery life, and several other innovations at a price at par with the iPhone 12. Other iPhone models have also had a great run in the highly competitive Chinese market that has a lot of local high-premium brands and flagships.
The surge in numbers in November is not unconnected with China’s Singles Day during the month which saw massive sales. Counterpoint Research is predicting the Apple iPhone bubble is expected to decline from December or January 2022 as the bulk of older iPhone users may have concluded the upgrade of their devices. Counterpoint is also linking the Apple iPhone surge to the decline and problems of former powerhouse Huawei, which has seen the company’s revenue projections reviewed substantially lower than expected. Some of the other Chinese leading brands like Oppo, Xiaomi, and Vivo are also suffering from the harsh sanctions regime from the United States.
The overall Q4 performance so far however sees Vivo as having the leading 23% share of shipments, with Apple coming fifth with 13%. Although the full numbers for the fourth quarter are yet to be released, some declines in Apple’s overall position.
Apple Watch series seems to have cast its place in stone as a reliable lifesaver going by the numerous stories of how the device has saved numerous lives. A new Apple advert has captured the real-life audio calls made by distressed Apple Watch 7 users at three separate instances that led to their eventual rescue from possible death.
The 60-second TV ad begins with the sound of a 911 operator asking a woman what was her emergency. The woman, Amanda replies that she has had a car accident and her car is flipped with water entering into the vehicle and she cannot get out. The second audio recording involved a paddle boarder being pushed to sea due to very strong headwinds. The third audio involves a farmer who fell into a 21-foot hole, leading to a fracture in his leg and being unable to call anyone else for help. The three persons were all wearing an Apple Watch 7 on their wrists.
Remarkably, each of the three distressed Apple Watch 7 users got help early enough to save their lives from a certain calamitous end. With the swift response of the emergency services at these locations, all three of them were saved. Although it seems rather too simplistic to adduce their survival only to the Apple Watch 7, it is, without doubt, an important link in their rescue.
These stories join tens of such stories that continue to underscore the life-saving credentials of the Apple Watch. Its fall detection feature is a critical part of the rescue mechanism that the Apple Watch is enjoying. These stories contribute to making the Apple Watch the most popular timepiece in the world, outshining traditional iconic brands like Rolex, Seiko, and Timex, as well as other smart wearables. The Apple Watch 8 is already primed for its launch this year with more advanced health and safety features.
Xiaomi is kicking off 2022 with a bang with its newly announced Xiaomi 12 series, MIUI 13, Xiaomi Buds 3 and Xiaomi Watch S1 at its Winter Flagship Launch Event last week(Dec 28). The Xiaomi Watch S1 specifically officially goes on sale from Dec 31 onwards until January 4, and to reel in more customers, Xiaomi has decided to add more third-party app support for the Xiaomi Watch S1 compared to its predecessors.
Xiaomi Wear Weibo announcing more 3rd party app support
From the official Chinese Xiaomi Wear Weibo account, Xiaomi announces that it is adding 11 more 3rd party apps which include audiobooks, music streaming, 3rd party health trackers and calendars as they want to provide the convenience of doing all of the aforementioned activities above without needing to take your smartphone out of your pocket.
From the poster shared by the account, it shows some prominent apps in the Chinese app market space newly supported on the Xiaomi Watch S1, such as Lanren audiobooks(a Chinese alternative to Amazon’s Audible), Wangyi Music Streaming(a Chinese alternative to Spotify), Wannianli Calendar(a calendar app), and Mint Health(a health tracking app, similar to Mi Fitness). Some other supported 3rd party apps are also on the Xiaomi Watch S1 platform like navigation apps and food delivery apps, so you can tour and order food on the go.
Xiaomi Watch S1 Promo Poster about 11 new 3rd party apps
Besides the 3rd party app support, the other highlighting features of the Xiaomi Watch S1 are its design and specs. The Xiaomi Watch S1 features an elegant and stylish design that still retains the minimalist design philosophy of the company. The watch has a 1.43-inch 60Hz AMOLED touchscreen display surrounded by a refined stainless steel frame. The watch is coated by a layer of sapphire glass to ensure better scratch protection for its users.
Xiaomi claims the Xiaomi Watch S1 can sustain up to 12 days on a single charge with a massive 470mAh battery. On standby, the watch pushes even further to 24 days. It uses a magnetic charging connector to get juiced up. In the health tracking department, the Watch S1 brings up to 117 sports modes, supports sleep tracking, heart rate, and blood oxygen monitoring. In the connectivity department, the watch comes with NFC for contactless payment and supports Bluetooth calls, and dual-frequency GNSS positioning.
Xiaomi Watch S1
The Xiaomi Watch S1 is currently on sale on Giztop for USD 239.
At the Huawei Winter Flagship Launch Event last week(Dec 23 2021), Huawei did not only release the Huawei P50 Pocket, the premium flagship flip-phone rival the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, but the Chinese tech giant has also launched the brand’s second electric hybrid SUV vehicle in China, called the Huawei AITO M5 Smart Car.
Huawei AITO M5 Promo Poster
The Huawei AITO M5 is AITO’s first luxury smart electric plug-in hybrid SUV, a bold move by them in its venture into the Chinese electric vehicle market. Inspired by the Porsche Macan, its design is very sleek and modern, with a spacious interior to boot. The SUV was jointly developed by Huawei and along with another Chinese brand Seres, which is under the Chongqing Sokon conglomerate company.
However, the unique and highlighting feature of the Huawei AITO M5 smart car, is that it comes with Huawei’s own in-house operating system, HarmonyOS. If you are not aware of HarmonyOS, HarmonyOS main function is to provide seamless integration for Huawei IoT products which includes its smartphones, laptops, smartwatches and starting as of recent, for its smart cars as well!
In a press announcement recently, Mr Yu Chengdong, Senior Vice President of Huawei and CEO of Huawei Smart Car Division, mentioned that Huawei has developed the industry’s first Bluetooth and NFC supported digital car keys for its newly announced AITO M5 smart car.
Huawei Digital Car Keys on the Huawei Wallet App
Mr Yu explains that on HarmonyOS 2.0 supported smartphones, the digital smart car keys are located within the Huawei Wallet app. With the digital keys, you can do pretty much everything a pair of physical car keys do, without having to worry about misplacing the keys or finding the keys during an emergency. To illustrate the technology, the digital car keys use Bluetooth to unlock and lock the car from a distance away, and if Bluetooth does not work or the phone battery runs out, the car keys also support NFC(even without phone battery) for unlocking the car so you’ll still have access to the car even when Bluetooth is not working.
The NFC and Bluetooth encryption of the digital keys are also present in the smart car, and it is compliant with the China ICCE standard as well as the road safety and privacy of the car drivers and passengers. As of today, the digital car keys are only available on HarmonyOS 2.0 Huawei smartphones, however, Huawei is planning to add this functionality to its Huawei Watch 3 series too as it would be more convenient for drivers to unlock their cars with a twist of a wrist compared to taking your smartphone out and clicking a button.
Xiaomi is all set to launch a smartphone dubbed Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge in India. The company has been teasing the features of the handset for the past few days. We have compiled all of them and more in this single article. Let’s check out what the latest phone from Xiaomi is all about.
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ | Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge
Introduction
Although Xiaomi India teases Xiaomi 11i as a brand new smartphone, we all know that it isn’t. MIUI code had already revealed that this device is nothing but a rebranded Redmi Note 11 Pro+, which debuted in China at the end of October.
For the unaware, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ is almost identical to the Redmi Note 11 Pro. The only differences between the two are their battery capacity and charging speed. The Pro has a 5,160mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging as compared to a smaller 4,500mAh battery and a whopping 120W fast charging on the Pro+.
The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge gets its name from its fast charging capability. Though MIUI code has confirmed the existence of vanilla Xiaomi 11i (Redmi Note 11 Pro) for India, we are not sure if it will make its way to the country alongside its bigger sibling on the same day.
Launch Date
The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge is set to launch in India on January 6, 2022. The event will kickstart at 12 PM IST.
Interested readers can watch it on the company’s official YouTube channel. They can even keep updated with the event on the firm’s official Twitter handle.
Design
The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge will feature a flat frame design like the newer iPhones. However, the frame will be of plastic instead of metal.
Further, It will have a matte glass panel on the rear. A giant rectangular camera module will sit on its top. But the number of lenses will be only three.
Finally, it will be available in four colors – blue gradient, black, green, and purple. The official names of the first three colors are Pacific Pearl, Stealth Black, and Camo Green. The company is yet to reveal the name of the fourth hue as of writing this article.
Specifications
Since the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge is a rebadged Redmi Note 11 Pro+, it should have the same set of specs.
The phone is expected to arrive with a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen supplied by Samsung Display. The panel will have a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), up to 120Hz refresh rate, up to 360Hz touch sampling rate, 1200 nits peak brightness, and 4,500,000:1 contrast ratio. The canvas will have support for the DCI-P3 color gamut and will sport a centered punch-hole.
The device will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC paired with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. Though It is tipped to come in a single 8GB + 128GB memory configuration, we anticipate at least one more variant.
As far as optics are concerned, the smartphone will house a triple camera setup on the back comprising of a 108MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide unit, and 2MP macro snapper. Whereas, on the front, it will feature a 16MP shooter for selfies and video calls.
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ | Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge
On the connectivity front, the handset will have support for dual-SIM, 5G, dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GNSS, and NFC (not confirmed). As for ports, it will sport a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB Type-C port.
The device will include all the essential sensors like a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, 360° ambient light sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, and infrared sensor. It will also have an x-axis linear vibration motor, dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, and a MicroSD card slot.
Lastly, as mentioned earlier, the main highlight of this phone will be the support for 120W fast charging. The required charger will most likely be included in the retail box to fill up the handset’s dual-cell 4,500mAh battery in just 15 minutes.
Expected Price
Raghu Reddy, Chief Business Officer of Xiaomi India, has confirmed that the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge will be priced between ₹25,000 and ₹30,000.
At this price, it will be not only the first 120W fast-charging smartphone in India but also the most affordable fastest charging handset in the country.
Realme is tipped to launch its Realme 9 series globally in early Q1 2022, some sources even say it might be launching in India as early as February 2022. Well, it is the start of the new year and upcoming new releases are now being officially certified on many countries’ product safety databases for brands to gear up for their respective launch events. In turn, it is no surprise that Realme and its Realme 9 series are no exception to this procedure.
Spotted first on the Indonesian electronics safety database, an upcoming Realme smartphone has been certified with the model number RMX3472. The same model number, RMX3472 then popped out on the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Council Committee (NBTC) website in Thailand, however this time the name was revealed on the NBTC database: Realme 9 Pro 5G. From the name, we can deduce that the Realme 9 Pro 5G will be the direct successor to last year’s Realme 8 Pro and in 2022, Realme is suiting the sequel with 5G connectivity.
Realme 9 Pro certified on an Indonesian database.Realme 9 Pro spotted on Thailand NBTC website.
Besides these two certification bodies, the smartphone was also spotted on EEC certification with the RMX3472 model number and the handset was recently also spotted on the Indonesian TKDN certification website. With many certifications ready to go, it seems like Realme is planning to announce the Realme 9 Pro 5G in many growing global smartphone markets, which include South Asian and Southeast Asian countries.
Realme 9 Pro 5G spotted on TDKN database.Realme 9 Pro spotted on EEC database.
Another shocking revelation of the Realme 9 Pro 5G is that it was spotted with the model number RMX3471 instead on the India BIS certification database, a slight change in the last digit compared to RMX3472. This may be hinting Realme is releasing another variant of the Realme 9 Pro 5G exclusive to India, which may differ slightly to the global variant.
Realme 9 Pro spotted on Indian BIS database.
From previous leaks, besides the Realme 9 Pro, we also gathered that Realme will be launching 4 models in total for the Realme 9 series, namely the standard Realme 9, Realme 9 Pro, Realme 9 Pro Plus, and Realme 9i. It is expected to launch within this quarter and to come several key markets, which include India, Thailand and Indonesia.
ASUS might be preparing for the launch of its upcoming 2022 flagships as just today, the ASUS ROG Phone 6 was seen in 2D renders and now, the Zenfone 9 has also arrived on the Internet.
Apparently, a screenshot of a Zenfone 9 phone has appeared and it reveals the phone’s key details. As per the screenshot, the upcoming ASUS Zenfone 9 will come with a back display. It means the phone will feature a secondary screen similar to the ROG Phone 5. However, it won’t be that fancy, rather it will be a tiny screen that may display time.
The phone seems to have a cleaner design. It looks to be taller and narrower, at least in the image. The secondary screen’s details are unknown at the moment. The phone features dual rear cameras similar to what we saw in the predecessor.
One of the phone’s useful features could be the back double-tap gesture. The smartphone may come with a double-tap feature similar to Apple iPhones, whereby double-tapping the back panel may perform actions like capturing screenshots or opening camera.
As ASUS is yet to announce the series officially, we advise readers to do take the aforementioned details with a grain of salt. Since the initial Zenfone 9 leaks seem to have arrived on the internet, we expect the company to tease the series soon. Until then, we’d have to rely on the rumours.
Back in June 2021, Motorola launched the Defy rugged smartphone in the European market with specs like Gorilla Glass Victus protection, a triple camera setup, and a big battery. But despite its launch, the phone is still nowhere to be seen in Brazil. Now, the Motorola Defy has been approved by National Telecommunications Agency in Brazil hinting at a sooner launch.
The certification shows a phone with model number XT2083-8 which is nothing but the Motorola Defy rugged smartphone. It has received approval from the Brazilian telecommunication authority confirming its release in the region.
Furthermore, TudoCelular has managed to share some of the phone’s images which gives us a clear look at the phone. The smartphone has a large display and boasts a triple camera setup with a 48MP main, a 2MP macro, and a 2MP depth. We also get to learn the details of the charging adapter. The adapter here has a 20W fast charging speed.
Other than this, the phone’s already available in some other European markets. It comes with a 6.5-inch dew-drop notch display with an HD+ resolution. It has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection which is rare in budget-centric phones.
The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. It packs a 5,000mAh battery with support for 20W fast charging. The phone comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and runs on Android 10 out of the box.
Since it’s a rugged phone, it has an IP68 water-resistant rating and can be used in extreme temperatures from +55 degrees celsius to -25 degrees celsius.
iQOO unveiled the iQOO U5 on December 21, 2021, in China. As scheduled, the phone went on pre-orders on December 24 and today, it has officially gone on sale in the country.
The iQOO U5 comes at starting price of CNY 1,299(~$204) for the 4GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, CNY 1,399(~220$) for the 6GB + 128GB variant, and CNY 1,499(~$236) for the maxed out 8GB + 128GB variant.
The device comes in three color variants – Magic Blue, Dark Black, and Silver White. It can be purchased from JD mall and other authorised stores in the country.
iQOO U5 Specifications
The iQOO U5 is a budget phone with a 6.58-inch LCD display offering Full-HD+ resolution. It is a water-drop notch panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen supports HDR10 and has 401 PPI pixel density. The smartphone sports an 8MP selfie camera and has a dual-camera setup at the rear. It has a 50MP primary lens and a 2MP macro sensor.
At the helm, the phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC paired with 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage. It houses a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. As for security, it has a side-facing fingerprint scanner. The device boots on Android 11 out of the box and has iQOO UI.
It comes with Bluetooth v5.1, Wi-Fi dual-band, and GPS support. The smartphone has 5G connectivity and supports dual-SIM. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom and a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer.
A total of four smartphones were supposed to join the realme UI 3.0 Early Access program in December 2021. Users of three of these devices can already taste Android 12. At last, on the final day of the year, realme kickstarted the initiative for the fourth and the last device in the list – realme GT Master Edition.
Chinese tech brand realme has opened registrations for realme GT Master Edition realme UI 3.0 Early Access program. The company made an official announcement on realme Community.
In order to enroll in the initiative, users should be on firmware version RMX3360_11_A.08. If they are, then they can head over to Settings > Software Update > Gear Icon > Trial Version > Apply Now > Submit Detail and finish the quiz.
Applicants who get selected will receive the Android 12-based realme UI 3.0 beta update via OTA. Those who don’t get selected can try their luck during the next batch of registrations whenever that begins.
Having said that, if a user is not satisfied with the new software, then they have an option to roll back to the older realme UI 2.0 (Android 11) stable channel. However, by doing so, they not only lose access to the ‘Early Access’ channel but also have to face factory reset.
Lastly, it’s not known when the realme GT Master Edition will receive the realme 3.0 (Android 12) stable update.
In March 2021, ASUS unveiled the ROG Phone 5 series comprising of the ROG Phone 5, 5 Pro, and 5 Ultimate. Later in August, the company launched the updated version of the phones dubbed ROG Phone 5s and 5s Pro. Now, ASUS seems to be gearing to launch this year’s gaming phones as new 2D renders(EqualLeaks) of the upcoming ASUS ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro have arrived on the internet.
The ASUS ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 6 Pro look quite similar to the ROG Phone 5 devices. However, there’s a marginal change in cameras, secondary display, and the back panel’s graphics. The ROG Phone 6 series would be sporting a slightly different camera design. It will be a horizontal camera island with a triple camera system on both the 6 and 6 Pro.
Interestingly, the secondary display on the ROG Phone 6 would be bigger in comparison to the ROG Phone 5’s POMOLED display. Again, this time around, the screen will be exactly vertical unlike the slanted screen on the ROG Phone 5. Interestingly, one of the ROG 6 phones has a larger display and different back graphics to that of the other one. There’s also the Republic of Gamers branding at the bottom.
Apart from this, there isn’t anything to learn from the renders. But we can expect the upcoming ROG Phones to launch in the coming months considering that the ROG Phone 5 debuted in March 2021.
ASUS ROG Phone 5 Specifications
The ASUS ROG Phone 5 series come with a 6.78-inch Samsung Super AMOLED display. It has a Full-HD+ resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and 300Hz touch sampling rate. The phones boast an in-display fingerprint scanner. The series has a 64MP + 13MP + 5MP triple camera system and a single camera at the front.
Inside, the ROG Phone 5, 5 Pro, and 5 Ultimate is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC. The 5 and 5 Pro has up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage variants, while the 5 Ultimate also comes in an 18GB RAM option. The phones pack dual-battery support(3,000 + 3,000mAh) with a total cell capacity of 6,000mAh. The series supports 30W fast charging technology.
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