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Hydrogen-powered electric bicycles are here! But are they the future of transportation?

With cities around the world trying to save us from the catastrophe that can be caused by global warming, reducing carbon emissions is a must, and studies from around the world have mentioned that private transportation(mainly cars) is one of the many contributors to the increasing greenhouse gas emissions across the globe. Therefore, we can see many countries are now encouraging its citizen to walk, use public transport or cycle to school and work instead of using cars, by improving public transport services and introducing bicycle-friendly infrastructure to their cities instead.

China is no exception to the ongoing trend of reducing its carbon emissions, and it is even the industry leader in the expansion of its high-speed rail network in the past decade in efforts to reduce transportation carbon emissions. And now, the country is introducing an alternative transport to use on the road, hydrogen-powered electric bicycles!

YouOn Hydrogen Powered Bicycle

An established Chinese bicycle-sharing platform, YouOn has launched its first in-house hydrogen-powered bicycles to the public on 22 December 2021. Currently, these bicycles are only offered in Changzhou urban city area in the Jiangsu province of China. As of the launch day, there are 1000 of these bicycles offered in the area at a rental price of 2 RMB per 20 minutes.

YouOn-bicycle-sharing app
YouOn bicycle-sharing platform app interface and map for Changzhou area

For the build of the bicycle, it is made of strengthened metal painted with bright pastel blue paint. The hydrogen fuel tank is inside the diagonal body of the bicycle, and the hydrogen power transformer/battery pack is located under the cyclist’s seat. Despite its many components, the bicycle is said to be lightweight as well as safe for cyclists to cycle in the city with no worries.

youon shared bikes
source: youon group

A spokesperson from YouOn highlighted the features of the company’s new hydrogen-powered electric bicycles: an amazing mileage of 70km on full hydrogen power, reaching up to speeds of 23km/h, and the ability for cyclists to save energy when biking on an uphill journey since the electric power can assist the bicycle going against gravity.

It was known that YouOn has been developing the concept of hydrogen-powered electric bicycles since 2017, and it had the first successful trial run of its first prototype back in October 2019. The main concern during research and development was to solve the hydrogen storage problem via engineering. YouOn had to develop a low-pressurized hydrogen fuel tank that could compress 30MPa to 2MPa to allow more mileage for the bicycle on hydrogen power. 

With this latest innovation, the mileage of hydrogen-powered electric bicycles has surpassed those of electric bicycles powered by Lithium-ion batteries. As of current, the manufacturing costs of the bicycles are higher than its Lithium-ion counterpart, but YouOn is expecting to expand the availability of these bicycles with 10,000 more of them on the road by the end of 2022 to promote better awareness of our carbon footprint.

 

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(Via)

Huawei Smart Glasses with a detachable front frame design, HarmonyOS launched in China

Chinese tech giant Huawei has unveiled a new smart glasses in China aptly named Huawei Smart Glasses. This product stands out from the previous smart glasses the company has launched in that it features a detachable front frame design.Huawei Smart Glasses

Huawei had previously teamed up with Gentle Monster to launch a couple of smart glasses but these Huawei-branded glasses adopt an innovative detachable front frame design, offering three classic frame types: Classic frame, Stylish pilot, and Retro round frame. It also comes in a variety of colorful frames.

The new Huawei smart glasses use 128mm² large-amplitude high-definition stereo speakers that surround the ears. It also features an inverse sound field acoustic system to reduce sound leakage, a dual microphone anti-wind noise design, and a clearer outdoor sound pickup.Huawei Smart GlassesHuawei Smart Glasses

The new Huawei smart glasses are the first glasses equipped with HarmonyOS. The glasses support the simultaneous connection of two devices, one-key switching of multiple devices, and visualized smart connection. It also supports short messages, schedule information, and boarding information. In terms of control, it supports double-tap to play and pause audio, flick to switch audio, press and hold to reject a call, and press to listen to whatever you want.Huawei Smart Glasses

Furthermore, the Huawei Smart Glasses support the cervical spine health function, help you pay attention to the cervical spine posture. It can track the duration the wearer has had his head down as well as assess the health of the cervical spine, and through joint research and development with the Rehabilitation Medicine Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, provide early warning of cervical spine health risks.Huawei Smart Glasses

The new smart glasses can last for up to 16 hours of comprehensive wearing when fully charged. It utilizes a magnetic charging mechanism and 10 minutes of charging can provide up to 80 minutes of music playback. It supports IPX4 waterproof level and can be used in the rain.

In terms of price, the new Huawei Smart Glasses optical lens version is priced at 1,699 yuan (~$266), and the sunglasses version is priced at 1,899 yuan (~$298).

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Motorola Edge X30 with Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Performance & Gaming Review

We’ve talked a lot about the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset in our preview video right after launch. Now the chip has finally come to our office inside the Motorola Edge X30, so let’s find out whether the new chip can rebuild the reputation of the Snapdragon flagship series. 

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance FEATURED

We’ll try to test the chip by putting it through a number of benchmark tests, starting with Geekbench 5. 

VIDEO

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 – Geekbench 5

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review Geekbench 5 comparison

After checking the results of the Geekbench 5 CPU test, you would find that there’s almost no performance improvement compared to the 888 chipset.

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Geekbench 5 10 deg 19We got a score of 1200 for the single-core test, and 3700 for the multi-core test at a temperature of 10. While at 20, the multi-core result came down to 3500. It seems that the CPU performance might easily be influenced by the temperature.

But at the same time, note that the Geekbench 5 may not have got an update to adapt to the new chipset, and considering the software developed by Motorola is still an early version, the result might be not able to accurately reflect the improvement of 8 Gen1’s performance. 

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 – AnTuTu benchmark

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review Geekbench 5 20 deg

Then we tested it again on Antutu Benchmark. The overall score doesn’t exceed 1 million as we saw in leaked screenshots but remains at around 980000. And there’s a little gap between these two chips’ CPU results. And surprisingly, the old 888 chip sometimes could achieve a better multi-core performance in the benchmark. Also, we learned that the result could be better if you find a way to get a lower testing temperature, like putting it in the fridge…. Alright it sounds a bit funny. 

Geekbench 5 power output

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review Geekbench 5 10 deg

If there is no significant improvement over the CPU performance, how about its power consumption running the benchmark? We all know that the 888 chip doesn’t have good power efficiency on most Android flagship models, and the new 8Gen1 chip was even likely to be worse. At least for now, the power output when running the Geekbench 5 is even higher than what we got on the snapdragon 888 platform. On an average, it went up to 10.5W for multi-core test and 4.0W for single-core test. 

No wonder we felt that the battery was dropping quickly during all our tests.

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 – GPU: 3DMark

The first surprise from this chipset came in the 3DMark GPU test.  

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance 3DMark WildLife 5 deg 16

We ran it at various temperatures and then tried to figure out how much of an impact was caused by the temperature factor. At 5 room temperature, the Edge X30 can run up to 9900 in the first round of the test, which has exceeded the average score of the latest Apple’s A15 chipset running in the iPhone 13 Pro, which is almost 70% better than most phones powered by the 888 chipset.

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review 3DMark Wild Life 5deg

And then we brought it to 15 room temperature. The result was down to 9700. At 25, we ran 3 more rounds and the scores went down to 8900. It seems that the 8 Gen 1 is pretty sensitive to temperature. And in daily use, the peak performance probably will be hard to sustain for a long time gaming or the chip might throttle down due to the heating issue. However, we’re still pretty surprised by its GPU improvement from the 888 chipset. Even when we met the heating issue, the 3DMark result still got 50% increase. 

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 – GFXBench

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review GFXBench Aztech

And let’s do another GPU test in GfxBench. The result also proved the significant improvement of the new chip’s GPU. No matter for OpenGL or Vulkan test, the 8Gen1 has performed close to what we tested on iPhone 13 Pro and ran with 60% improvement from the Snapdragon 888 of the Mi 11.

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Gaming Performance Review

Genshin Impact – Framerate, power, heating

Now let’s test its gaming performance. It’s too easy for this chip to run games like PUBG Mobile. And there’s no perceivable heating being detected. 

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review 2K display

But what about heavy games? We ran Genshin Impact under the highest graphics at 20. The result is not bad, and the gaming experience got slightly improved with a pretty high framerate in the first 15 mins.

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review Genshin Impact 54FPS

But since the game hasn’t unlocked the 60fps limit, CPU loading only remained at around 30%, and we were probably not able to access the peak performance of the chipset. However, we still encountered the similar throttling issue found on all the 888-chipset phones. Due to high temperature and high-power consumption, the X3 large core slowed down, and the frame rate fluctuated, eventually stabling down at 54.4fps on an average. 

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review Genshin Impact Highest Graphics

Further, we ran the game again to reveal its power-performance efficiency compared to the Mi 11 running the 888 chipset. We switched the framerate lock down to 30fps on both models and tried to simulate an average loading for most android games. Under such a situation, the power efficiency of the 8Gen 1’s result of 4.9 W didn’t get much better than the 888 chipset. So it looks like gamers may still need to bear the high-power consumption.

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review heating

And the surface of the phone also got heated up quickly when running these heavy games. During the 30-min gaming test, the maximum surface temperature went up to around 53. So its power and heating performance may still be an issue for gaming, just like the 888 chipset. 

Gaming stress test: Nimian legends – Framerate, power, heating

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Highest Graphics Nimian Legends FPS

In another game, Nimian Legends, to give it the hardest performance test, we upgraded the gaming resolution to a 2K level with the highest graphics. In the first 5 minutes, the Edge X30 powered by 8 Gen1 did deliver the excellent peak performance as we got in GPU Benchmarks, but it didn’t last long and got throttled down for the rest of the time thanks to the heating issue (46.28fps).

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Nimian Legends Power ConsumptionThe highest temperature hit at 57 and the detected chip temperature went up to around 90, which is really insane. And the peak power even reached 14.1W, which is also the highest figure that we’ve tested over a phone’s power output. Eventually, the 30-min test consumed around 30% of power.  

But at the same time, one positive thing to note here is that the throttled performance is still at the level that’s close to the Mi 11’s peak performance. 

3DMARK stress test: Gaming, throttled performance, heating, stability

To prove this finding, we also performed a comparison of the 3DMark 4K wildlife stress test. We found that Mi 11 is better at maintaining a stable but lower framerate throughout the 20 loops, which protected the phone from getting over-heated, avoiding fast battery drain. While on the Edge X30, it started with an excellent result, but the performance throttled down with each round.Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review 3DMark WildLife Extreme stress However, just like we found in our gaming test, the new Snapdragon chip’s lowest score in the last loop is still much better than the Mi 11’s result of the first loop. Also, the X30’s surface was extremely hot at around 54, and it consumed nearly twice as much power as the Mi 11.

Moto Edge X30 Charging & battery

The Edge X30 features a 4500mAh battery and 68W fast charge. For its battery life, the phone didn’t perform well with the chipset. Here are the results of our battery test and charging test. 

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review - Power Consumption

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Performance: Verdict

After all the tests we performed, we hope you’ve got an idea of how exactly the 8Gen 1 chip performs. 

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review 22

But at the same time, I also want to tell you another important fact about these two chipsets: After months of optimizations, most flagships powered by the snapdragon 888 chip have used a conservative CPU strategy. On the other hand, being a very early model featuring the Snapdragon 8 Gen1, to avoid over-heating and to seek a balance with battery life, the Edge X30 has still got a lot of work to do with its software optimization. 

We do have to add that it achieved better peak performance due to the much better GPU. If you could effectively cool it down, the excellent performance can likely last for much longer. 

Snapdragon 8 Gen1 on Moto Edge X30 Performance Review 23

To conclude, the good message here is that the new snapdragon 8 chip brings an astounding GPU performance upgrade, which even catches up with Apple’s latest A15 chip. As for actual gaming, the 6MB L3 cache also provides better support to access a smoother experience in heavy games like Genshin Impact. But the bad news is that the improvement of CPU is not significant at all. And power consumption and heating are still the main issues that brands are left to deal with, and they haven’t really improved when compared to the 888 chip. 

So that’s it for today. We hope our performance review has given you a good overview of what to expect from the new Snapdragon chipset.

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Xiaomi 12 Pro official video demo shows off front design and variable refresh rate feature

The Xiaomi 12 is a compact powerhouse that aims to offer the best that’s possible within a smaller form factor. Its Pro variant, on the other hand, doesn’t just aim, but actually seems to deliver the very best that one expects from a flagship-level device. And as such, it comes with specs like a 2K AMOLED screen with a 120Hz intelligent dynamic refresh rate.

This feature was shown off through a new demonstration video posted by Wei Siqi, product manager of the Xiaomi 12 series. The video isn’t just an ordinary demo, however, as it also shows off the front of the Xiaomi 12 Pro for the very first time.

Extremely slim bezels surround the display and they appear to be of nearly equal width all-around. While the video doesn’t show the selfie camera, a previous officially released photo had shown the Xiaomi 12 Pro with a tiny, centrally-aligned punch-hole. The corners of the device have been trimmed too and do not look as odd as the ones on the Xiaomi Mi 11.

But the real highlight is of course the second-generation low-power 2K screen that adjusts its refresh rate according to touch feedback, operation, and even content. Xiaomi claims that this is better than the ‘traditional’ LTPO tech, developed by Apple and featured on the iPhone 13 Pro.

The demo video shows the Xiaomi 12 Pro’s display running smoothly at 120Hz when social media app Weibo is being scrolled. But when left idle, it immediately falls to just 10Hz. This should help conserve a lot of power when compared to other high refresh rate Android devices that only switch between 60Hz and 90Hz/120Hz based on the foreground app.

However, if the phone detects video content on the display, the refresh rate is adjusted to 60Hz rather than to 10Hz to ensure that the video plays smoothly. All of this seems to be handled rather seamlessly and instantaneously, and a user will likely not even be noticing that the refresh rate is being adjusted constantly.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro is expected to be launched along with the Xiaomi 12 on December 28th running MIUI 13.

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Huawei MateBook X Pro 2022 notebook with improved cooling system, 30W charging launched

Earlier this year, Huawei launched the MateBook X Pro 2021 notebook with an impressive specs lineup including an Intel Coore i7 chipset. The company has now launched a new MateBook X Pro version with further improvement from its predecessor. Huawei MateBook X Pro

The new Huawei MateBook X Pro model is equipped with a bigger 14.2-inch screen which is slightly bigger than the 13.9-inch screen on the MateBook X Pro 2021. The laptop features a narrow frame design with a high 92.5% screen-to-body ratio. The display also has a resolution of 3120 X 2080 pixels with support for a 90Hz refresh rate, 500nit brightness, and a P3 wide color gamut. According to Huawei, this notebook uses the 3D Lut professional color calibration scheme, TÜV Rheinland’s professional two-color gamut color standard certification, and the color difference Delta E is less than 1.Huawei MateBook X Pro

The notebook is equipped with the Intel Core i5-1155G7 and i7-1195G7 processors with 16GB RAM and 512GB/1TB storage options. The new MateBook X Pro is available in Silver, Space Gray, and Emerald colors. It weighs 1.38kg and is 15.5mm thick at its thickest point.

The new MateBook X Pro features some improvements in the design of its internals as it comes with dual fans, three air inlets design, and ultra-thin air-cooled VC, which improves heat dissipation performance by 100% compared to its predecessor. The laptop also comes with support for 30W charging speed which is double what obtains on the MateBook X Pro 2021. Huawei MateBook X Pro

Furthermore, the new MateBook X Pro uses a pressure trackpad, supports a variety of convenient gestures, and can be operated with air gestures. It is also equipped with Huawei Sound 6 speakers. The notebook also ships with a 90W GaN charger.Huawei MateBook X Pro

In terms of the pricing, the new MateBook X Pro Core i5/16GB/512GB version is priced at 9,499 yuan (~$1,490) while the Core i7/16GB/512GB is priced at 10,499 yuan (~$1,647). Finally, the Core i7+16GB+1TB is priced at 12,499 yuan (~$1,961). The notebook is already on pre-sale and will go on sale for the first time on January 6.

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Xiaomi executive hints he’s already used MIUI 13 on Xiaomi 12

The Xiaomi 12 series has officially been confirmed to launch on December 28th and it is expected that MIUI 13 will make its debut alongside it. The series will be comprised of the Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12 Pro, and Xiaomi 12 Ultra, although the lattermost is expected to be launched later, sometime in early 2022.

Ahead of the launch, most of the specifications of the three devices are already known, and Xiaomi yesterday even released official images showcasing the front of the Xiaomi 12 and its Pro variant for the very first time.

And today, Wang Hua, general manager of Xiaomi’s public relations department, posted a new teaser concerning both Xiaomi 12 as well as MIUI 13 saying that “the watermark is gone after the upgrade, it seems…”.

While we admit that the post is rather cryptic, it’s what’s the GM commented underneath it is that’s exciting. Wang Hua says that he’s already used MIUI 13 and the “system should be able to seal the package within these two days.”

From this, it seems that the MIUI 13 stable update for the Xiaomi 12 is under its final stages of testing and will be shipped out with the device when it launches on December 28th. It is safe to also assume that the build will be based on Android 12, making the device the very first from Xiaomi to run the version out of the box.

MIUI 13 Logo Featured A

Recently, a leak revealed the logo of MIUI 13, showing it with an abstract design. Apart from this, little is known about the upcoming update of Xiaomi’s software skin. A tipster had also earlier revealed that MIUI 13 is being tested on both Android 11 and Android 12.

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Apple supplier Luxshare to build gigantic iPhone factory to rival Foxconn

Luxshare, one of the Apple suppliers, is building an enormous new iPhone factory in China. The new factory would help boost its iPhone assembly capabilities to better rival other suppliers like Foxconn and Pegatron.

Apple

According to a Nikkei Asia report (Via AppleInsider), the supplier of the Cupertino based giant is apparently setting up a massive 285,000 square meter manufacturing facility in Kunshan City, China. Furthermore, the firm plans to complete the first phase of the new giant site in the middle of next year and production of iPhone models could begin sometime later in the same year. Luxshare is investing a sizeable 1.73 billion US Dollars in this project.

Through the new plant, the company would be able to boost its iPhone assembly even further, with its volume production expected to rise from 6.5 million units to 12 million or even 15 million units by 2022 end. To put things into perspective, the new manufacturing park spans a whopping 40 football fields. Notably, Luxshare has also leased and renovated a nearby plant that was previously owned by an iPad assembler.

Apple

With the announcement of this huge plant, Apple’s supply chain might see a major shift as iPhone assembly is seeing a move from Taiwan to China. Earlier this year, Chinese partners accounted for around 33 percent of all the new suppliers that Apple added to its supply chain list. As of right now, the company relies on Taiwanese suppliers like Foxconn and Pegatron for the majority of its iPhone assembly, with the former being responsible for 60 percent of the smartphones and the latter accounting for around 30 percent.

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Deal: Get Baseus 65W GaN Pro Charger for $26 (Retail price $45)

Baseus 65W GaN Pro Charger which generally retails for $45 is now available at a discounted price of $26.40 only at AliExpress. This deal ends on 26 December, 11:59 PM PT.  Both EU and US variants are available in this deal.

WHERE TO BUY
Baseus 65W GaN Pro Charger at $26.40 (after discount)@AliExpress

Baseus 65W GaN Pro Charger

 

Baseus 65W GaN Pro Charger

Baseus 65W GaN Pro Charger

Key Features:

  • Perfect travel charger
  • 65W High Power Quick Charge
  • 100W PD cable
  • GaN technology
  • 30% smaller volume and size
  • Three port output: 2 x Type C, 1 x USB
  • BPS intelligent shunt 
  • Power ON indicator light
  • Compatible with multiple devices: Phones, Tablet, Notebooks, Gaming consoles, Humidifiers, etc
  • Multiple safety protocols: Protection from over-voltage, over-current, over-power, etc
  • Adapt to multiple systems
  • Universal use over Europe (EU version) / US version 

Baseus 65W GaN Pro Charger

Generally retailing for $45, you can now buy Baseus 65W GaN Pro Charger at a discounted price of $26.40 only at AliExpress. Please note that this price is applicable on 3 Port, EU, and US variants only. However, you can also get single port variants at less cost. So make sure to choose the appropriate variant before you place the order. 

Please note that the above price is region-specific and the final price may vary according to your shipping region, warehouse, and regional taxes.

For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.

* Please Note: When you buy something using the links in our articles, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Google Pixel 6 series screen cracking issue could be a manufacturing defect

The Google Pixel 6 series has been plagued with a number of issues since its launch. Now, the flagship lineup is suffering from another new problem, but this time, the issue lies with the display.

Google

The news arrives from various Pixel owners that have shared their complaints on Reddit and the company’s support forum (via AndroidPolice). Reportedly, owners of the Search Engine giant’s Pixel 6 series have found that cracks have appeared on the front glass of both the base and Pro models. This issue is not entirely new either as early reports are a couple of months old as well. With the Pixel 6 Pro featuring a curved display, it is apparently more prone to suffer from this odd issue.

Notably, both variants feature a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back. So, its even more odd that the toughest glass for phones in the market is facing this problem. The cracks first begin appearing on either one of the sides or the corners of the Pixel 6 series’ display, and unfortunately, using a screen protector does not appear to help negate this issue or make it less likely at all. For those unaware, spontaneous screen issues are not unheard off and have been seen before as well.

Google

Although, this usually implies that the smartphone is suffering from a slight manufacturing defect. To put things simply, the small defect can cause pressure to build up in the display that eventually cracks up and possibly even split apart. Significant variations in temperatures also tend to cause this issue as well. However, the exact reasoning for the cracks are still unknown, but thankfully, only a small number of devices are facing this problem at the moment. Google has acknowledged this issue and has confirmed that it is investigating it as well. So stay tuned for more updates.

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Tecno Camon 18 launched in India with 48MP front camera, purchasing which will grant free TWS earbuds

Tecno on Thursday added a new phone to its portfolio of budget offerings in India called the Tecno Camon 18, with a 48MP selfie camera being its highlight feature. The company will also be offering its Tecno Buds 2 TWS earbuds for free with every purchase.

The Tecno Camon 18 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 processor and sports a 6.8-inch full-HD+ LCD display with 396PPI density and a maximum brightness of 500nits. The touch sampling rate stands at 120Hz. Its battery is sized 5000mAh and supports 18W charging.

tecno camon 18 featured

The phone’s cameras are easily the most interesting bit, especially the one on the front with its 48MP resolution sensor. The snappers on the rear are arranged in a vertical array and are comprised of a 48-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.79 aperture, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and an AI lens, along with dual flash. 2K video recording and low light photography mode with the company’s TAIVOS technology is supported, along with a bunch of other modes.

Moving on to software, the Tecno Camon 18 boots into Android 11 out of the box, layered atop with the HiOS 8 skin.

The Tecno Camon 18 will be available across online and retail channels in India starting December 27. It will be sold in a single 4GB+128GB RAM and storage variant and in two colors, namely Dusk Grey and Iris Purple. The RAM can be extended to 7GB through a memory-expanding feature.

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Pixel 6 Call Screening and Hold for Me features put on hold due to bug in December security patch

It’s getting clear now why Google chose to hold back on rolling out the December security patch for all Pixel 6 users. The month is now nearing its end but only a few lucky ones have received it.

But are they really lucky? There have already been multiple reports of network drops and low signal strength following the update. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s now joined by “a bug in the December Android update” that’s caused Hold for Me and Call Screening features to be put on pause.

Google Pixel 6 series featured

The info comes from a “Product Support Manager” on the official Google forums who says that both features will be unavailable temporarily and that the Pixel software team is “actively working on resolving this issue.” Nothing was said about when a fix can be expected or when the December security update will be rolling out widely.

For those unaware, Hold for Me works with calls with business and lets your Google Assistant wait on hold for you and notifies when the support representative is ready to speak with you. Pixel 6 Call Screening, on the other hand, lets Google Assistant answer calls from numbers that are not in your contacts and shields against robocallers and spammers.

It appears that the aforementioned features have only been disabled on Pixel 6 devices running on Android S December QPR release. To check if you are on the build, head over to Settings > About Phone > Build Number and check if it starts with SQ1D.

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Someone just used an iPod Shuffle as a hair clip, video goes viral

A new video on TikTok is going viral at the moment. Its a short video of a person finding and asking about a “vintage” gadget. The product in question is the old Apple iPod Shuffle.

Looking at this clip from @freckenbats (Via AppleInsider), around two million people have already watched the video on the popular short video sharing platform. In the clip, we can see the user trying to figure out the product that she has in her hand like its an antique from a bygone era. The caption of this post reads “Anyone know what this is?!??!.” She even turns the iPod Shuffle in her hands hands a couple of times to discern its function.

iPod Shuffle

In the video, she says that “I found this old iPod, I don’t know, hair clip thing.” That statement alone could make an entire generation grimace and feel old at the same time. For those unaware, the Cupertino based giant discontinued the iPod Shuffle back in 2017, which is actually a year after TikTok was launched. Now here’s the shocker, rather than using the clip part to place it on the belt or shirt like we used to, she tried to use the shuffle as a hair clip. But, to paint the a clearer picture, it was just a joke and it was her old possession to begin with. She had just uploaded the video to confuse others as a gag.

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The new HUAWEI Watch GT 2022 Collector’s Edition is themed after the year of Tiger

At the HUAWEI P50 Pocket launch event, the company announced a bunch of products. One of them is the HUAWEI Watch GT 2022 Collector’s Edition. Let’s take a look at this wearable.

HUAWEI Watch GT 2022 Collectors Edition Featured A

HUAWEI Watch GT 2022 Collector’s Edition is a customized version of the HUAWEI Watch GT 3. It is themed after the year of the Tiger with premium materials.

This model uses a carbon fiber front casing instead of a stainless steel case. The casing is marked with stripes mimicking a tiger’s skin. 

The titanium bezel that runs around the casing has patterns imitating a tiger’s teeth. Even the crown has a tiger’s head imprinted on it.

HUAWEI Watch GT 2022 Collectors Edition Featured B

That’s not all, the smartwatch uses sapphire glass for its display rather than regular tempered glass. Further, the back case of the wearable ditches plastic for ceramic.

To match with the customized exterior, the watch also ships with a new watch face and an AOD dial featuring a tiger’s head. Lastly, it comes in two colors (red, black) with a fluoro-rubber strap.

Apart from the aforementioned differences, the smartwatch is a HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 46 mm inside out in terms of specifications. However, its dial size is larger at 49mm.

HUAWEI Watch GT 2022 Collectors Edition Featured C

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 2022 Collector’s Edition is priced at ¥3,688 ($579) in China. It ships in a customized gift box. For comparison, the 46mm variant of the regular model starts at ¥1,588 ($249).

Interested customers can pre-order it starting today at 6:08 PM (local time). It will go on sale at 12 AM on January 6, 2022.

 

 

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Huawei Watch D launched with blood pressure, ECG monitoring and aviation aluminum body

Huawei held a product launch event today, lifting the curtains on multiple devices, with the P50 Pocket and Watch D stealing most of the limelight. We’ll be talking about the latter here and have given all that you need to know about the smartwatch below.

Starting with the design, the Huawei Watch D is made up of a custom-made high hardness aviation aluminum with improved durability and scratch resistance. The display is a squarish one with a size of 1.64-inches and has an HD resolution providing 326 PPI retina-level clarity. The weight has been claimed to be a sixth of a traditional blood pressure monitor.

huawei watch d

Huawei also stated that rigorous airtightness testing has granted the Huawei Watch D IP68 water and dust resistance, making it the industry’s first watch with blood pressure monitoring support to come with such a rating. Heart rate detection will be done through an eight-channel high-sensitivity optical sensor and support for 70+ sports modes has been provided.

But it’s the blood pressure monitoring feature that’s undoubtedly the main highlight of the smartwatch. A micropump with a size equal to a dime and with a compression capability of 40kPa has been fitted inside, allowing accurate 40mmHg to 230mmHg blood pressure measurement.

huawei watch d ecg feature

A self-developed hybrid measurement algorithm that makes use of powerful AI computing has also been used to further improve the detection capabilities of the watch. The BP monitoring feature was said to meet standards of the pharmaceutical industry with an extremely small margin for error in measurement.

Blood pressure monitoring has been paired with ECG measurement, which is basically a test to check your heart’s rhythm and electrical activity. Huawei says 6 BP and 5 ECG measurements per day still will grant you up to 7 days of battery life. Filling the watch up again is simple enough through a wireless charging function.

Last but not least, Huawei is also offering professional doctor services covering diet, sleep, and exercise using which you can directly share your health data with doctors, who will then provide a health management plan accordingly. It’s possible that this service will be limited to China alone, where it will be costing 599 Yuan or around $94.

huawei watch d features

The Huawei Watch D is available in Classic Black and Elegant Titanium color options and will cost you 2,988 Yuan or around $469. It will be going on sale from Christmas (December 25th).

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OPPO Find N sold out in just 5 minutes during its first sale in China

Earlier today (23rd December 2021), the OPPO Find N officially went on sale in its home country of China. But in just 5 minutes, the new foldable smartphone was completely sold out across all online channels.

OPPO

We had previously also reported on the device selling out in China. However, that was just a small launch and only a limited quantities of the new model were available for purchase. Notably, some of the early buyers even took to second hand and used products selling website to resell the Find N for a higher price. INow, it appears that the first impressions and early reviews of the foldable smartphone was quite good considering its official sales kicked off earlier today, with the device being out of stock in just 5 minutes.

Talking about the device first, Find N is the Chinese brand’s latest flagship product that targets foldable phone category in the market. It is also OPPO’s first commercially available foldable handset. It sports a 7.1 inch E5 AMOLED primary display with 120Hz refresh rate and a 5.49 inch AMOLED external screen. Under the hood, it packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC and is powered by a large 4,500mAh battery pack that supports up to 33W fast charging. For storage, users can opt for either 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

Oppo Find N

With the first official sale of the Find N beginning today, the device saw an explosive reception as it was sold out on multiple platforms, including JD.com and Tmall in just 5 minutes. Furthermore, these platform also listed this model as one of the best selling phones on their respective platforms within the hour. Notably, the second sale of the device is set to go live on 27th December 2021.

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Inbase Urban Fab smartwatch for kids launched in India for Rs 2,999 (~$40)

Inbase has launched the Urban Fab smartwatch for kids and teenagers in India. It is designed for children belonging to the 5 to 15 years of age group. The affordably priced smartwatch will be available for purchase from Dec. 25. Here is all the information on the specifications, features, and pricing of the Urban Fab.

Urban Fab smartwatch specifications, features

The Urban Fab smartwatch by Inbase is an IP68-rated water-resistant device to frequent damage from accidental water/juice spills. The device features a square-shaped display, which can be customized with 100+ watch faces.

Inbase Urban Fab Smartwatch - Kids
Inbase Urban Fab Smartwatch

The smartwatch can track heart rate, sleep, walking and running. It allows users to set up to 10 alarms and has built-in games like 2048, Candy Crush, Maze, and Fly a Plane. Once charged, the smartwatch can last for up to 7 days with regular usage. It offers a standby time of around 14 days.

To prevent misuse, the Inbase smartwatch comes with a child lock feature. It means one can set a password lock on the device. Lastly, the smartwatch come with a 12 months warranty.

Urban Fab smartwatch price in India

The Inbase Urban Fab smartwatch is priced at Rs 5,499 (~$73) in India. It first sale will be carried out through Inbase’s official website and leading online/offline stores from Dec. 25. It will be available in colors like Pink, Blue, Light Purple, and Army Green. The company said that it will be selling the Urban Fab at a lowered price of Rs 2,999 (~$40) as a part of the special festive offer.

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Huawei P50 Pocket foldable flip phone launched with 6.9 inch 120Hz Display — a Premium Galaxy Z Flip3 rival

Huawei has just announced a new number of its new products in its launch event earlier today (23rd December 2021). But, the highlight of this conference was undoubtedly its new P50 Pocket flip phone, which is the company’s latest foldable smartphone that arrives with a number of interesting features. So lets check it out.

Huawei P50 Pocket

 

Design and Display

With the P50 Pocket, the Chinese tech giant placed an emphasis on a premium design and build quality. It arrives in a White and Premium Gold variant (in the overseas market) with the former featuring a diamond like aesthetic while the Gold variant has specially made by a prominent haute couture designer, Iris Van Herpen. Both variants feature an advanced 3D micro sculpted design on the back, which also houses a circular camera module and the round Cover Screen that can display notification and other crucial information from a variety of supported apps.

Huawei P50 Pocket images

Arriving at the front, the device sports a 6.9 inch OLED display that has a 21:9 aspect ratio, 442ppi pixel density, support 1.07 billion colors and P3 wide color gamut. The display even offers a 120Hz refresh rate with a 300Hz touch sampling rate as well. A notable aspect of the entire design is its Multi Dimensional Hinge which has an even shorter radius than its predecessors. The company’s R&D team spent years developing this key part of the phone, through which it offers a clamshell like inward folding design.

Camera

When talking about foldable smartphones, the display and its related aspects usually take center stage while the camera more or less feels like an after thought. However, Huawei sought to change this outlook with the P50 Pocket that offers quite a unique photography experience. Its houses a 40 megapixel True Chroma camera, alongside a 13 megapixel ultra wide angle lens, and a 32 megapixel Ultra Spectrum camera that is paired with a 10 channel Multi Spectrum sensor and an Ultra Spectrum illuminator. While the primary and wide angle lens are nothing out of the ordinary, the tertiary sensor is what adds that innovative punch.

Huawei

The company’s latest breakthrough in camera technology is Ultra Spectrum camera and its related sensors that allows it to offer improved image reproduction and capture minute details that help in producing clearer images even in the dark. Although, its key function is the new Ultra Spectrum Fluorescence Photography mode that lets users capture content and details that cannot be seen by the naked eye. In other words, it opens up a new world of patterns and colors that is otherwise unseen. This sensor can even be used practically to determine whether a user has properly applied sunscreen on their face to avoid sunburns.

Specifications

Under the hood, the Huawei P50 Pocket features a 4,000mAh battery pack that supports 40W SuperCharge fast charging. It feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 SoC, but only offer 4G support. Other features include up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi 6, face unlock from the front and back camera, and a side mounted fingerprint scanner as well. The device weighs just 190 grams and is 7.2mm thick when unfolded and 15.2mm thick when folded.

Pricing and Availability

The P50 Pocket is available in three colors, namely Black, Diamond White, and Premium Gold Edition. However, only the last two will be available in the overseas market. The pricing starts from 8988 Yuan (roughly 1,410 US Dollars) for the 8GB + 256GB model and goes up to 10,988 Yuan (roughly 1,725 US Dollars) for the Premium Gold Edition that offers 12GB + 512GB storage configuration. The sale of the device starts later today.

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ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate India sale date finally revealed

ASUS announced the ROG Phone 5 series in early March. The vanilla ROG Phone 5 went on sale in India the very next month in April. Over nine months later, the company finally reveals when the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate will be available for purchase in the country.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate Featured
ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate

The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is the most expensive model in the ROG Phone 5 series. This device features a whopping 18GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage.

It also comes with two additional touch sensors on the rear like the Pro model. The smartphone arrives in a single white color option with a matte finish and a monochrome ROG Vision screen to match the body’s hue.

The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is priced at ₹79,999 ($1,063) in India. It will go on sale for the first time at 12 PM on December 26. The handset will be sold exclusively on Flipkart.

We recommend interested people to order the smartphone as soon as the sale starts. That’s because ROG Phones always go out of stock within a short period of time in India. ASUS is known for offering only a few units for sale in the region.

Unfortunately, the Taiwanese PC maker is yet to make any announcement regarding the launch of ZenFone 8 in the country.

 

 

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LG DualUp monitor announced with an ultra-tall 16:18 aspect ratio

Nowadays, we are seeing new monitors getting launched in the market with a different aspect ratio than the traditional 16:9. For instance, there are 32:9 monitors in the market while Apple’s MacBook Pro now features a 14:9 display.

LG is now going a step further and has launched the LG DualUp Monitor with model number 28Q780, making it the world’s first display to come with a 16:18 aspect ratio.

LG DualUp Monitor

The LG DualUp monitor isn’t really square in shape but has maintained a width of 2560 pixels. While 32:8 monitors are for replacing the two side-by-side monitor setup, this new 16:18 monitor for LG aims to replace two 2560 x 1440 pixel LCDs placed one above another which is used by creators and coders.

Given that the company is not targeting gamers or media enthusiasts, there’s nothing above average in terms of the display. It comes with a 2560 x 2880 pixels screen resolution, 300-nits brightness, and 1000:1 contrast ratio.

Further, the monitor comes with the standard 60Hz refresh rate and offers a 5ms GtG response time. It only supports 98% DCI-P3 color gamut and the LCD panel also comes with HDR10 support.

It comes with one DisplayPort, two HDMI, and one USB-C input with up to 96W power delivery port. It also supports a vertical split view function that lets users use it with two PCs. There’s also a dual-port USB hub and two 7W speakers co-designed with MaxxAudio.

The LG DualUp monitor is mounted on an ultra-adjustable LG Ergo stand that is securely clamped to a desk and can adjust the height, tilt, swivel, and even pivot. The company has also revealed that it will be available in 2022.

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Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra official promo image emerges for the first time, no sight of ‘Note’ branding

The much-awaited Samsung Galaxy S22 series launch inches closer with each passing day and new details about it keep popping up. Most of the specifications of the lineup are already known by now and there have not only been unofficial renders but also leaked live images of some of the devices. However, official marketing material has been missing – something that has now changed.

LetsGoDigital has managed to get their hands on an official promo image from the company revealing the rear of both the Galaxy S22 Ultra and S22+ phones, even as their launch is still over a month away. The leak’s source chooses to remain anonymous so its origin has not been revealed.

samsung s22 ultra official leak

Regardless, the promo image has officially confirmed the rear of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, showing off its highly versatile quad rear camera setup for the very first time. All of the camera lenses get islands of their own and aren’t fitted into any camera module, resulting in a unique yet minimal look.

The official render also shows off the S Pen for the first time in black. In the image, its tip has been painted rose gold-ish, which is the exact color of the S22 Ultra as well, making it most likely that the tip of the S Pen will complement the color of the phone it will be shipped with for a more consistent look.

All in all, the promo image sits perfectly in line with previous leaks. Also revealed was that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will indeed be called so as the image doesn’t mention any alternate names like Galaxy S22 Note that had been circulating of late.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Galaxy S22 Ultra unofficial render by LetsGoDigital

As for the front of the flagship phone, well, it still remains to be teased officially. LetsGoDigital did earlier reveal that the selfie camera will be housed within a waterdrop notch though, so that’s something new. Its predecessor S21 Ultra, in contrast, had opted for a center-aligned punch-hole cutout.

Last but not the least, the leaked image also shows off the Samsung Galaxy S22+ for the first time, in white, revealing that its camera lenses protrude far less than they did on the S21 and S21+.

The entirety of the Samsung Galaxy S22 series is expected to officially make its debut in mid-February 2022, so stay tuned.

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