Honor 60 SE 3C certification reveals 40W fast charge support; tipped to launch December 31

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Dec 24, 2021

Earlier this month, Honor launched the Honor 60 series made up of the vanilla Honor 60 and the Honor 60 Pro. It also emerged that the tech giant has got a third model known as Honor 60 SE in the works. According to Weibo tipster @WHYLAB, the Honor 60 SE has now received 3C certification in China.

The device has the model number TFY-AN40 is shown to come with a 40W charging support with an output of up to 10V 4A. While the 3C certification doesn’t reveal any other detail, the tipster revealed that the Honor 60 SE will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chipset. The device is also tipped to pack a 10-bit color depth super-curved OLED screen.

Earlier on, the renders of a protective case said to be those of the Honor 60 SE was spotted online. The device adopts a curved screen design with a triple rear camera setup arranged in a triangle. The device will also feature a centrally placed hole-punch camera and the volume and power buttons are located on the right side of the display. The premium mid-range model is expected to pack an under-screen fingerprint sensor.

@WHYLAB also hinted that Honor will launch the Honor 60 SE on December 31. There is no official word on that yet.

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BenQ PD2705U is a 27-inch monitor with 4K UHD, M-Book mode, and OSD controller support

By

Pranav Sawant

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Dec 24, 2021

Taiwanese giant BenQ has officially announced the all-new BenQ PD2705U monitor in China. It is a 27-inch panel that has support for 4K UHD resolution and comes with an external OSD controller support.

The BenQ PD2705U is a new addition to the PD line-up of displays from the company. It stands between the BenQ PD2500Q 25-inch and BenQ PD3220U 32-inch monitors. The PD2705U is a 27-inch IPS display with 4K UHD resolution and a 10-bit colour depth. The screen has a 99% sRGB colour gamut and boasts 1.07 billion colours.

The screen is calibrated by IDEAlliance G7 colour certification experts in the United States and it is also certified by New York’s Pantone. The monitor’s display is said to be tested thoroughly in the factor and 25 areas of the screen were individually calibrated. The company claims that it made sure the brightness and color temperature is uniform and it offers a strong contrast between light and dark.

Just like some of the recent PD-series monitors, the BenQ PD2705U also has M-Book mode. It restores the true colours of the MacBook and synchronises the screen to work with dual screens if used likewise. It also reduces chromatic aberration offering less to minimum colour distortion.

As for connectivity, the monitor comes with a USB Type-C port which supports 65W fast charging. The monitor can be connected to Apple’s MacBooks, iPads, and other laptops. Interestingly, it also comes with an external OSD(On-Screen-Display) controller which will make users conveniently switch brightness, contrast, and other on-screen controls.

The BenQ PD2705U comes at a hefty price of CNY 4,199(~$659). It can be purchased from JD.com and other authorised stores in China.

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Lenovo Legion Y90 to come with a 144Hz display and have Double Engine Air Cooling technology

By

Pranav Sawant

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Dec 24, 2021

Earlier today, Lenovo’s Lin Lin showcased the forthcoming Lenovo Legion Y90 phone’s ability to manage the heat with vigorous gaming at 120fps. Now, the company has returned, this time to show off the phone’s stunning screen.

According to the poster, the Lenovo Legion Y90 will feature a large AMOLED display. It will be a 6.92-inch E4 AMOLED panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 720Hz touch sampling rate. One of its major display features will be the anti-blue display. The screen will have an anti-blue light eye protection certification ensuring that it lowers the blue light getting emitted from the screen.

Furthermore, the poster confirms that the gaming smartphone will have a Double Engine Air Cooling technology. It means that the phone will have its own cooling fans. It could be similar to the Double Turbo Fan Supercharged Liquid Cooling System seen in the Legion Phone 2 Pro.

Apart from this, the smartphone is rumoured to come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 flagship SoC that will be paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. As said earlier, the Lenovo Notebook product manager, Lin Lin revealed that even after playing games at 122fps for 20 minutes, the phone managed to keep its cool. The device stayed at 38.9 degrees, showcasing its Double Engine Air cooling feature’s ability.

lenovo savior y90 render by it home — Lenovo Legion Y90 render by IT Home

The folks at Lenovo also played the Honor of Kings title for 30 minutes of lower 90Hz. Still, the device was at 38-degree celsius.

Other than this, the company recently teased a Legion-branded gaming tablet. The device will be called the Lenovo Legion Y700 and it is expected to come with an 8.8-inch display with a 2560 x 1600 pixels resolution. Since it’s a Legion-branded device, it will have a high 120Hz gaming-ready screen. Just like the Legion Y90, the Y700 gaming tablet will be powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC.

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Samsung Galaxy S20 series official Android 12 update imminent

By

Sudhanshu

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Dec 24, 2021

Samsung‘s Android 12 based One UI 4.0 was first introduced on November 15th and has been slowly rolling out to their devices. These include their latest flagships like the Galaxy S21 series, the Galaxy Z Fold3, and Galaxy Z Flip3, while the older generations are still in the Beta phase. However, this might not be for long.

According to a Samsung’s Korean community forum for the One UI Beta program, when asked about the next Beta phase for the Galaxy S20 series devices, the Beta Operations Manager stated that they are preparing to release the official version and therefore have no plans for additional betas right now(via).

The confirmation comes as good news to Samsung Galaxy S20 series owners. It appears that the company is on schedule to provide the One UI 4.0 update to its customers sometime in January. However, the Samsung Beta Operations Manager refused to provide the exact schedule when asked for by a community member.

According to previous reports, Samsung will be releasing the One UI 4 for the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus, Galaxy S20 Ultra, and Galaxy S20 FE in January 2022. Other devices set to receive the update in the same month include Galaxy Note10 series, Galaxy Note20 series, Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Fold, and the Galaxy Z Fold2. In February next year, the update will be released for the Galaxy S10 series, Galaxy A52 5G, and the Galaxy Tab S7/Tab S7+.

But due to recent issues faced in the One UI 4.0 on S21 devices, we would advise you to wait out the new update for a few days and see how things turn out. And for that purpose, you can trust us to bring you the latest notable developments.

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UGREEN 100W GaN Fast Charger: Foldable Design with 4 Ports (Review Video)

By

Daily Deals

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Dec 24, 2021

UGREEN is a Chinese tech brand that specializes in making electronic devices and digital accessories including chargers, lightning cables, car accessories, and earphones. Founded in 2012, UGREEN has since grown into a global brand used by more than 40 million users worldwide.

And one of the latest additions to their product line is the UGREEN 100W GaN Fast Charger. UGREEN made a 100W GaN Fast Charger that can take care of all your charging needs in one go. Whether it’s your smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, or laptop, you can use UGREEN 100W charger to quickly and optimally charge almost all your devices.

UGREEN 100W GaN Fast Charger

Key Features:

Universal Compatibility: The charger is compatible with almost all major brands like Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc. With the advanced GaN charging technology, the UGREEN charger provides optimal charge to almost all your devices.

Four Ports: The charger comes with four ports viz: 3 x USB -C ports and 1 x USB A port. This means you can charge four devices simultaneously.

Fast Charging: The 100W GaN charger features almost all major fast charging protocols. For eg: you can charge your MacBook Pro 14” in just 1.4hrs and the 16” version can be fully charged in just 1.5hrs.

Lightweight and Foldable: The beauty of the UGREEN 100W GaN charger lies in its minimalistic and compact design. The charger is 3 times lighter than a traditional 100W charger and comes with a 90-degree foldable plug. This makes the charger easy to carry both in your pocket or backpack.
Navitas GaNFast™Power IC: This technology pushes charging rates up to 3x faster than silicon-based chargers and makes universal GaN fast chargers a reality. Basically, it improves speed, efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, because of its integrated design, it cuts down the size and weight in half making your charger highly portable.

Eco-friendly: Navitas GaN chips emit 10 times less CO2 than traditional silicon fabs making them an eco-friendly choice.

For more information on UGREEN 100W GaN Charger check out this review video from Gizmochina.

Special Deal:

This holiday season UGREEN is giving a fantastic deal on UGREEN 100W GaN charger. The charger which generally retails for $79.99 is now available for as low as $44.99 only at Amazon US. Please note that this huge discount can be availed with two different coupons.

A $15 coupon is available as a page clip-on on the Amazon US website.
$20 OFF coupon code: 25UGREEN

Please note that this coupon code expires on 26 December. So make sure to place your order before the deal expires.

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.

iQOO 9, iQOO 9 Pro first official look and launch date revealed

By

Pranav Sawant

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Dec 24, 2021

iQOO was expected to launch the much-awaited iQOO 9 series next month in India. However, the exact launch date was yet to be known. Today, the company took it to Weibo revealing the series’ launch date. Additionally, the first official look of the device has also been revealed.

As per the teaser poster shared by iQOO, the iQOO 9 series will debut on January 5 in China. The series will comprise the vanilla iQOO 9 and the iQOO 9 Pro. Interestingly, the phone’s first official look is visible is in the poster. The device seems to have a similar BMW-toned rear design, but this time around, the rear camera island will be oversized. It is a horizontally wide camera module holding three lenses.

Aside from this poster image, the popular Chinese tipster DigitalChatStation also shared an image of the iQOO 9 Pro which has unique graphics at the back. It seems to hint over its performance. The iQOO 9 Pro’s camera island also confirms that it will have support for OIS.

1 of 2

These images are in line with the previous rumours. If we get into figures, the iQOO 9 Pro is touted to feature a 50MP primary lens. We aren’t sure about the camera details of the vanilla model. The series is expected to come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC.

As for the display, the iQOO 9 Pro may feature the same display as the iQOO 8 Pro. It will have a 6.78-inch curved AMOLED screen with a QHD+ resolution. The iQOO 9 on the other hand will sport the same sized screen but a flat-screen panel with FHD+ resolution. The display is expected to be a Samsung E5 AMOLED panel with a centre punch-hole cutout for the camera. The screen may also support a 120Hz refresh rate.

The iQOO 9 is rumoured to have a 4,700mAh battery, while the iQOO 9 may feature a similar capacity. The duo is expected to have support for 120W fast charging support.

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Lenovo GM confirms the third-gen Motorola Razr Flip foldable smartphone is in the works

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 24, 2021

Lenovo Mobile business group general manager Chen Jin has disclosed on Weibo that the company is working on the third-generation Moto Razr flip foldable smartphone behind the scenes in China. The exec also revealed that the phone will be equipped with “star orbit hinge” technology, giving it a seamless display outlook when the smartphone is unfolded.

In addition, the foldable mobile phone will come with a more advanced chipset, better man-machine interfaces, and a more appealing appearance. He also offered a side view of the device when it is closed, in a bid to highlight the improvement in the hinge design.

Motorola first launched the Razr foldable smartphone in 2019 and the smartphone was well received especially as it has the outlook of a more affordable alternative to the Galaxy Z Flip. The phone came with a secondary screen on the back as well as a single rear camera. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 710 chip paired with 6GB RAM and there is 128GB storage onboard. The device also crams a 2,510mAh battery under the hood.

The Moto Razr 5G was launched last year as well, bringing 5G connectivity to the flip phone. It came with an upgraded Snapdragon 765G processor but still retained the flip foldable design style of the RAZR 2019. The second-gen model features a 6.2-inch internal screen with a resolution of 876×2142 pixels and a 48MP anti-shake main camera at the rear.

We have no idea of the features of the RAZR 2022 but we’ll keep you updated as more details emerge.

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TikTok becomes the King of the internet, dethrones Google

By

Sudhanshu

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Dec 24, 2021

TikTok, the video-focused social networking service has dethroned Google as the most popular domain on a worldwide basis in 2021. Previously, TikTok was revealed to retain the top spot on the list of most downloaded apps on smartphones in 2021.

According to a new report by Cloudflare, TikTok, which was ranked number 7 or 8 last year on Cloudflare’s list of most visited websites, climbed the ranks to snatch the crown from Google in 2021.

For those unaware, Cloudflare is an American web infrastructure and website security company that provides content delivery network and DDoS mitigation services. The company tracks data using its tool “Cloudflare Radar,” which it launched in September 2020.

The company stated that the first time TikTok got the top spot for internet traffic was on February 17, 2021, but it was only for a day. TikTok claimed a few more days on the top in the months of March and May. But after August 10, TikTok topped the charts for most days. Google did make a comeback taking the no.1 spot for a few days but TikTok dominated the month of October and November claiming the 2021 crown.

Top 10 — Most popular domains (late) 2021

TikTok.com
Google.com
Facebook.com
Microsoft.com
Apple.com
Amazon.com
Netflix.com
YouTube.com
Twitter.com
WhatsApp.com

Something worth noting is that TikTok has also overtaken Facebook as the most popular social media platform, as it ranked 3rd in the 2021 most popular domains list and 2nd on the most popular social media domains, followed by Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram.

This astronomical rise of TikTok can be credited to the global pandemic which saw the majority of the population stuck in their homes, trying to find new sources of entertainment and engagement.

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Vivo officially teases the Vivo V23 5G series launch in India for January 5

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 24, 2021

A recent unconfirmed source had indicated that the unveiling of the Vivo V23 series in India will be on January 4th. We now have official confirmation from the OEM that the Vivo V23 5G and V23 Pro 5G models will be released on January 5, 2022. The confirmation came via an official teaser released today.

The teaser confirmed some of the specs already leaked for the two models. The design of the V23 5G and V23 Pro 5G look similar to the China versions called vivo S12 and S12 Pro respectively, introduced in China earlier this week. The teaser shows the vivo V23 with a flat screen with a metal frame and the V23 Pro with a curved screen as expected. The V23 Pro has dual selfie cameras that include a 50MP camera and an ultra-wide sensor. The V23 Pro will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chip.

The V23 Pro will feature a 108MP rear camera, along with ultra-wide and macro cameras. The teaser also confirms that the V23 models will be India’s first color-changing smartphone that uses a color-changing glass that reflects a spectrum of brilliant colors. This will be available in the Sunshine Gold color variants of the V23 5G and V23 Pro 5G.

As the countdown to the January 5th launch of the two flagship models from the vivo V23 series begins, more details will surface on the devices. These include pricing and other key specs and performance data. It is unclear whether there are also other models in the V23 series for launch during the January event.

Tesla agrees to stop letting drivers play video games while driving

By

Jeet

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Dec 24, 2021

Tesla, after being under pressure from the US auto safety regulations, has agreed to stop allowing drivers to play video games on the center touch screen in its vehicles while the car is on the move.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the company will send out a software update over the internet. With the update, the function called “Passenger Play” will be locked and won’t work while vehicles are in motion.

The move comes just a day after the agency announced it would open a formal investigation into distracted driving concerns about Tesla’s video games, which could be played while cars are being driven.

The investigation had found that the feature called “Passenger Play” has been available to drivers since December 2020 where games appear on the large touchscreen in the center of the dashboard. While the name indicates that the feature is intended to be played by passengers, nothing prevented drivers from playing while the car is being driven.

Earlier, the feature was enabled only when the vehicle was in park, the NHTSA investigation document said. NHTSA says that even if the game is being played by a passenger and not the driver, it “may distract the driver and increase the risk of a crash.”

While Tesla has bowed down to the pressure this time, this isn’t the end of troubles for the company from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA is currently investigating Tesla for at least 11 accidents involving cars using its Autopilot or other self-driving features. Those 11 accidents were responsible for 17 injuries and one death, as per the agency.

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OnePlus 9R ColorOS 12 Open Beta recruitment commenced in China

By

Sudhanshu

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Dec 24, 2021

OnePlus announced ColorOS 12 based on Android 12 in September. The new version of ColorOS will be available for both OPPO and OnePlus smartphones in China. According to the update timeline, the OnePlus 9R is scheduled to receive ColorOS 12 Open Beta in January 2022. However, for some reason, the company has already started recruiting testers more than a week ahead of the stipulated timeline.

OnePlus has opened registrations for OnePlus 9R ColorOS 12 Open Beta recruitment in China. According to the official announcement post on OnePlus Community China, applicants will have to submit a questionnaire for selection.

The company has also laid down certain conditions for testers which include applicants to use their mobile phones for more than 30 hours a week, and be able to accept instability, incompatibility, and other problems of the test version. Additionally, the brand is looking for testers with prior experience in evaluation and ROM internal testing.

Hence, the applicants who meet the above three and the other four conditions will have a high chance of acceptance. Anyway, even if you don’t meet the criteria, it is still worth applying for.

In order to register, users should be running firmware version A.14 on their devices. If an applicant gets selected, they will receive the Android 12-based ColorOS 12 Open Beta build via OTA. Users are advised to back up their data before installing the beta software.

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realme 9i AliExpress listing confirms Full HD+ display, 50MP camera & more: Launch imminent

By

Sudhanshu

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Dec 24, 2021

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer realme is rumored to debut the realme 9 series early next year. Industry tipsters have also revealed that we can expect the realme 9i to launch in January 2022. Now, the device has been officially listed on AliExpress, confirming the specifications of the upcoming smartphone.

According to the AliExpress listings first spotted by Bestopedia, the realme 9i comes with a 6.59 inch Full HD plus display with 2400×1080 resolution. The display on this device is listed to be a full view panel and will likely have an 18:9 aspect ratio and thin bezels around it. The listing reveals that the device carries 4GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. However, the device is expected to come in additional ram variants of up to 8GB. The chipset branding is revealed as Qualcomm, which is expected to be a Snapdragon 680 SoC.

the listing states that the device holds a dual rear camera setup with a primary 50MP sensor, while the selfie snapper will be a 16MP camera. The device uses two methods of biometric authentication being Face recognition and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. A 5000 mAh battery powers the device and has 33W fast-charging support via a USB-C port. A dual sim slot will be available on the device.

While it could be an error, the listing shows that the phone does not have a 3.5mm Headphone port.

The looks and launch date of the device are yet to be revealed by realme. However, industry rumors have previously claimed that the realme 9i will launch in early January 2022 and the AliExpress listing further gives credence to this rumor.

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Lenovo Legion Y90 gaming phone keeps its cool even with 120 FPS gaming, company official reveals

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Dec 24, 2021

The upcoming Lenovo Legion Y90 gaming phone was teased today by Lenovo notebook product manager Lin Lin, who said that the device’s temperature stood at 38.9°C even after gaming for 20 minutes at 120 FPS.

While 38.9°C may not sound too cool of a weather to be stuck in for us humans, in terms of CPU temperatures, it’s like another warm morning in Antarctica. Moreover, some recent flagship level offerings are known to get quite hot while gaming even for shorter periods of time, with some eventually automatically reducing brightness levels as a last resort, which should hopefully not be the case with our Legion Y90 here.

After all, the Y90 even comes with an in-built fan dedicated to help tame the beast of a processor the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is. Game developers seem to be quite aware of the phone’s heat dissipation abilities too. Honor of Kings that has a global version called Arena of Valor, for example, will run on the device at an ultra-smooth 120 FPS.

It was earlier revealed that Lenovo will be following a unified naming scheme coined that sets two digit names for mobile phones, three digits for tablets, and four digits for laptops. It all seems to be a part of the company’s newfound obsession with gaming. Also joining the Y90 gaming phone, therefore, are the Lenovo Legion Y700 gaming tablet and Y9000P gaming laptop. Both of these devices are expected to be launched around CES 2022 that will kick off on January 5th, 2022.

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OnePlus 7 series receives December update with latest security patch & bug fixes

By

Sudhanshu

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Dec 24, 2021

OPPO-owned smartphone brand OnePlus is currently busy optimizing and eliminating several bugs that plague the Android 12 based OxygenOS 12. The Android 12 update is also expected to arrive on the older devices of the brand, including the OnePlus 8 series and the OnePlus 7 series. For now, OnePlus has rolled out a small update for the OnePlus 7 device leveling up its security.

According to a report by XDA-Developers, the OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7T, and OnePlus 7T Pro are picking up OxygenOS 11.0.5.1. OnePlus 7 series device users on the official OnePlus community forums pointed out that the update is rather lightweight at 173MB and delivers the December security patch to the devices. Additionally, the update even fixes an issue with the OnePlus 7 series devices that prevent them from sending and receiving media files on WhatsApp.

Here’s the changelog for the OxygenOS 11.0.5.1 update:

System
- Fixed the issue that WhatsApp cannot send and receive media files
- Updated Android Security Patch to 2021.12
- Improved system stability

The OxygenOS 11.0.5.1 update is currently rolling out to the OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7T, and OnePlus 7T Pro devices in India, Europe, and other markets. The OTA is rolling out in batches, so it will take some time before it reaches everyone. If you have not received this OTA update yet, you can check its availability by heading to Settings > System > System updates on your device.

The OnePlus 7 series has previously been hinted to receive the ColorOS 12 update in China by a company executive. According to the official update timeline, the ColorOS Open Beta update for the OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7T, and OnePlus 7T Pro will be delivered in mid-2022. Whereas, the ColorOS Stable update will be made available in the second half of 2022. Global users of the OnePlus 7 series can also expect the unified Oxygen0S 12 builds to arrive side by side with the Chinese release.

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Some key features of the upcoming Android 13 “Tiramisu” surface online

By

Jeet

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Dec 24, 2021

Android 12, the latest version of the mobile operating system is already being rolled out and Google has also introduced the Android 12L which should be available in a short time.

Now, the technology giant has already started working on the next major release — Android 13 which is codenamed “Tiramisu.” A new report from XDA-Developers sheds light on four notable changes within the build.

The four major changes or features coming to the Android 13 include App Languages, Runtime Permission for Notifications, TARE — The Android Resource Economy, and Lock Screen Clock Layout. Here are more details about them.

App Languages

It appears that in Android 13, users will be able to set different languages for different applications with the help of the “App Language” settings. Currently, Android sets the language system-wide and not on an app-by-app basis.

Runtime Permission for Notifications

Google seems to be interested in tackling the issue of notification spam and in Android 13, there’s a new permission “POST_NOTIFICATIONS” which means that notifications could become an opt-in feature. This means that users may be able to choose if they want the application to send notifications or not.

It’s noteworthy that Samsung has already introduced sometime similar for notifications permission in the latest Android 12-based One UI 4.

TARE

With Android 13, the search engine giant will lay the foundation for the “TARE” feature which is an abbreviation for “The Android Resource Economy.” It focuses on energy-use management on the device, with the feature working through AlarmManager and JobScheduler policies.

The feature introduces “Android Resource Credits,” which is basically a form of currency tied to the battery level of the device. The company will award credits to apps based on how depleted the battery is, and apps can then use these credits as “payments” for the opportunity to perform tasks.

Lock Screen Clock Layout

Another user-facing change coming in the Android 13 is the ability for the users to change the layout of the lock screen clock. It will allow users to show the clock on a single line instead of a large two-line square layout. There’s also a possibility that this new feature can make its way to Android 12L.

These are some of the features that the team at XDA-Developers were able to find out but there will definitely be more features coming to the Android 13 operating system. We will get to know more about this in the coming months through leaks.

RELATED:

‘Xiaomi 12 is Built with Consumer Feedback in Mind’ – Xiaomi Execs reveals more details

By

Leo Wong De Quan

-

Dec 24, 2021

With the Xiaomi 12 series launching soon in China on Dec 28, Xiaomi has recently taken to social media in China to hype up and promote its upcoming flagship lineup.

The founder of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, in particular, has been very fond of the standard model of the Xiaomi 12, because it is the first compact flagship that Xiaomi will be releasing to the market in years. Through his Weibo post, he described the compact Xiaomi 12 as “one small size for phone, one giant leap for flagship-kind”, a callback to the famous line during the moon landing: “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

Weibo-Xiaomi-lei-jun-xiaomi-12-small-phone-big-upgrade — Founder of Xiaomi, Lei Jun on Weibo

The reason why Xiaomi wanted to launch a compact flagship this year was that many older Xiaomi users who have not upgraded yet are using compact flagships such as the Mi 9 SE, Mi 8 or even the Mi 6 released back in 2017. Many users cited the reason that they hesitated to upgrade was that the latest flagships from Xiaomi, such as the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Ultra, had screens that were just too big for one-handed use, and were just too big to fit in pockets.

Xiaomi has received much feedback from its users and had done some market research themselves in the industry for the past year. They noticed the lack of compact Android flagships had made many Android users, including Xiaomi users, switch from Android to iPhones, because iPhones come in a more compact and lightweight design, while still being able to retain the important flagship features of the bigger screen Pro Max lineup of iPhones.

Therefore, Xiaomi wants to create the next fully-fledged compact flagship in the Android space, not only for its Xiaomi fans but also as a push for the industry as a whole. In the Weibo post, Lei Jun also notes that despite the Xiaomi 12 being smaller than its predecessor, many of the Xiaomi 12’s features are upgraded and better than the Xiaomi Mi 11.

Lei Jun-Xiaomi 11-Xiaomi 12 — Xiaomi Mi 11 standard vs Xiaomi 12, Source: Weibo

In the photo, he also confirms that the Xiaomi 12 will be using Gorilla Glass Victus for screen protection, X-linear haptic motor for better haptic feedback, and support for 50W fast wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.

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Hisense 98E7G Pro is the brand’s first smart TV with a giant 98-inch ULED screen

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Dec 24, 2021

It is gradually becoming a trend for electronic makers to launch a giant screen model that delivers an immersive viewing experience. Xiaomi kickstarted this trend with the Redmi Max 98 and other TV brands like TCL, Huawei, Changhong, and Skyworth have also launched similar products at various times. Hisense has now joined the league with the Hisense 98E7G Pro.

The Hisense 98E7G Pro features a luxurious appeal but the hardware lineup is quite cost-effective such as a 98-inch BOE ADS screen module, but the backlight module is Hisense’s own solution. The biggest highlight is the checkerboard-style 256 light control partitions (16X16). The display also features 1000 nits peak brightness, 90% P3 wide color gamut, 4K resolution, and support for a 120Hz refresh rate.

The smart TV is powered by a MediaTek MTK 9652 chip paired with 4GB RAM and there is 64GB storage onboard. It also features support for 120Hz MEMC motion compensation, VRR, dynamic frame insertion, IMAX, and Dolby Vision.

In other aspects, it also supports dual-band WiFi, a far-field intelligent voice assistant, and comes with two 18W speakers as well as a 25W subwoofer. It equally supports Free-sync and G-sync compatibility.

In addition, the Hisense 98E7G Pro provides SVIP worry-free service, free delivery, and installation. It is worth mentioning that this TV has a boot advertisement, although it supports a one-click skip option.

The Hisense 98-inch smart TV carries a price tag of 19,999 yuan (~$3,140). It is already on pre-order in China.

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(via)

Xiaomi fined for false advertising in China

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Dec 24, 2021

Xiaomi was once not known for advertising its products. Its phones were used to sell via the word of mouth from customers. Years later, the company is no longer the startup it once used to be. It now markets its device both online as well as offline. One of these adverts has now resulted in a penalty for the firm.

According to a report by ITHome, Xiaomi has been fined ¥20,000 ($3,141) for false advertising in its home country. This penalty has been imposed by the Chinese government’s market supervision department for violating the “Advertising Law of the People’s Republic of China”.

Last year, the company made a mistake in a banner ad for Redmi K30 5G on Tmall. The promotional image mentioned the smartphone to feature ‘Samsung AMOLED display’. While in reality, the handset sports an LCD panel.

Looks like the person in charge of the banner ad did not double-check the final picture. Whoever that did this mistake may have got confused with the specs of the Redmi K30 Pro 5G, which actually has an AMOLED panel supplied by Samsung Display.

Redmi K30 5G All Colors Featured — Redmi K30 5G

We don’t think Xiaomi meant to falsely advertise its then best-selling 5G smartphone at the time. What are your thoughts on this matter? Do let us know in the comment section below.

Some high-end Xiaomi phones will be adjusted to internal test channel due to Android 12 prep

By

Zohaib Ahmed

-

Dec 24, 2021

An official announcement was issued on Thursday on the Chinese Xiaomi Community concerning MIUI 13 based on Android 12. It says that due to architectural changes on Android 12, multiple flagship and high-end models will be adjusted to the internal test channel from the public beta channel.

This most likely means that users of the concerned devices that are a part of the beta program will no longer be receiving new updates for a while. Instead, all of the bleeding edge testing will be done internally by Xiaomi itself (via IT Home).

But following the limited time of internal testing, users will again be able to register for the public beta version as usual.

The devices that will be impacted by this temporary measure have been listed below:

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 11
Xiaomi 11 Youth Edition (aka Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE)
Redmi K40 (aka POCO F3/Mi 11X)
Redmi K40 Pro (aka Mi 11X Pro)
Xiaomi Mi 10S
Xiaomi MIX 4

Xiaomi earlier this month had done something similar, again likely in prep for MIUI 13, temporarily suspending MIUI 12.5 beta builds for all devices.

According to previous reports, at least two of the models from the Xiaomi 12 series will be released on December 28 along with MIUI 13. Wang Hua, general manager of Xiaomi’s public relations department, had recently hinted this by announcing that he has already used MIUI 13 and that the system “should be packaged within two days.”

Not much is currently known about MIUI 13, but a leak from last week had revealed the software skin’s logo for the first time.

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Anker’s latest 120W 4-port charging solution can fill up your entire stock of gadgets at once

By

Zohaib Ahmed

-

Dec 24, 2021

Anker has just launched a new 120W charging brick called 547 Charger, except it’s nothing like your ordinary brick. This one actually has a total of four USB Type-C ports, making it ideal for charging your entire stock of electronic travel buddies. But the best part is that it’s no larger than your average laptop adapter, despite being rated 120W, and is hence no burden to carry around at all.

Two of the quad USB-C outlets are perfect for mobiles and tablets and provide juice at 20 watts. The other two are capable of providing up to a hundred watts, or 90W if you have a phone plugged into one of the 20W ports. There’s even a 60W port for the perfect middle ground between 100W and 20W (via 9to5Toys).

The extremely versatile setup means that you should be able to charge all of your Apple devices including a MacBook, iPad, iPhone, and more, quite effortlessly. But, of course, the inclusion of Anker’s PowerIQ tech means that the brick can fill up just about almost every device on the market, that too at fast charge speeds. This makes it quite obvious that Anker did not solely have Apple on mind when they built this absolute unit of a charger.

The boxy charger gets its own power through a nearly five-foot long cable that plugs into the wall, allowing you to position the entire thing anywhere you like.

Safety is something that users especially seek when looking to purchase third-party charging accessories, more so when anything above 30W is involved, and Anker hasn’t turned a blind eye to it. All of the newfangled stuff we’ve seen from other chargers in its category like temperature control, current regulation, and short-circuit protection have been stuffed into the brick, so you can feel at ease even when leaving your gadgets on charge overnight.

If interested in a purchase, the 120W 4-port Anker 547 Charger will cost you $119.99 and can be availed through Amazon.

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