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Apple’s 2021 list of most downloaded apps is here and it’s got TikTok, Procreate, and Among Us!

Apple today announced its much-anticipated list of the most downloaded apps across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. Unsurprisingly, the most popular free iPhone app in the United States was TikTok in 2021, while Procreate was the most popular paid app. As for free games on iPhone, Among Us secured the top rank, while Minecraft dominated the paid games realm.

apple app store featured

 

The Cupertino-based tech giant also announced App Store Award winners, with children’s app maker Toca Boca winning iPhone App of the Year for “Toca Life World,” and Riot Games’ “League of Legends: Wild Rift” being declared the iPhone Game of the Year.

Typically, award winners are relative newcomers and are lauded for having taken advantage of Apple’s tech in innovative ways. However, with “Toca Life World,” the strategy seems to be a bit different this year. Its developer – Toca Boca – celebrated its ten-year anniversary this March, having released over 40 kids’ apps. Apple has accordingly praised the app maker for “masterfully iterating on the art of play and self-expression for kids.”

toca life world boca

The past year has been rather tough for the Apple App Store owing to increased regulatory scrutiny and various lawsuits concerning its commission-based business model. The Epic Games case, for example, is still ongoing. As a result, Apple was forced to reduce commission in some cases and even adjust its policies. But despite this, its overall quality of apps remains high, especially when compared to that of Android.

Anyway, following are the lists of the most downloaded apps of the year in the US:

Top Free iPhone Apps

  1. TikTok
  2. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream
  3. Instagram
  4. Snapchat
  5. Facebook
  6. Messenger
  7. Google Maps
  8. Gmail – Email by Google
  9. ZOOM Cloud Meetings
  10. Amazon Shopping

Top Paid iPhone Apps

  1. Procreate Pocket
  2. HotSchedules
  3. The Wonder Weeks
  4. TouchRetouch
  5. Facetune
  6. Shadowrocket
  7. 75 Hard
  8. Dark Sky Weather
  9. Autosleep Track Sleep on Watch
  10. SkyView®

Top Free iPhone Games

  1. Among Us!
  2. Roblox
  3. Project Makeover
  4. Call of Duty®: Mobile
  5. Subway Surfers
  6. High Heels!
  7. Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
  8. Water Sort Puzzle
  9. Shortcut Run
  10. Bridge Race

Top Paid iPhone Games

  1. Minecraft
  2. Heads Up!
  3. Bloons TD 6
  4. Monopoly
  5. Geometry Dash
  6. My Child Lebensborn
  7. Plague Inc.
  8. True Skate
  9. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
  10. Incredibox

Top Free iPad Apps

  1. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream
  2. ZOOM Cloud Meetings
  3. Disney+
  4. Netflix
  5. TikTok
  6. Google Chrome
  7. HBO Max: Stream TV & Movies
  8. Hulu: Watch TV series & movies
  9. Amazon Prime Video
  10.  Gmail — Email by Google

Top Paid iPad Apps

  1. Procreate
  2. GoodNotes 5
  3. Notability
  4. Duet Display
  5. Toca Kitchen 2
  6. Toca Life: Hospital
  7. LumaFusion
  8. Shadowrocket
  9. Affinity Designer
  10. Toca Life: Vacation

Top Free iPad Games

  1. Among Us!
  2. Roblox
  3. Project Makeover
  4. Phone Case DIY
  5. Subway Surfers
  6. Hair Challenge
  7. Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
  8. Tiles Hop – EDM Rush
  9. Blob Runner 3D
  10. Bridge Race

Top Paid iPad Games

  1. Minecraft
  2. Bloons TD 6
  3. Geometry Dash
  4. Monopoly
  5. Five Nights at Freddy’s
  6. Stardew Valley
  7. Plague Inc.
  8. Human: Fall Flat
  9. Ultimate Custom Night
  10. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Top Apple Arcade Games

  1. The Oregon Trail
  2. NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition
  3. Sneaky Sasquatch
  4. Sonic Racing
  5. SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit
  6. Skate City
  7. PAC-MAN Party Royale
  8. Cut the Rope Remastered
  9. Hot Lava
  10. Angry Birds Reloaded

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Tesla launches Cyberquad for Kids, an all-electric ATV for $1,900

Earlier today, Tesla quietly made its move to capitalize on the holiday season hype with the release of an electric-powered ATV, the Cyberquad for kids.

Cyberquad for kids

This is not the first time the Cyberquad has made an appearance as many of you might remember it from the epic launch event for the Tesla Cybertruck. The ATV was loaded in the bed of the pickup truck and was initially announced to be sold as an accessory for the Cybertruck. Now, the kid’s version of the Cyberquad is listed on Tesla’s website with a price tag of $1,900.

A tweet made earlier today by Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer, features a video of him and his kids hitting the outdoors on their Cyberquads.

Tesla Cyberquad for kids: specs, features, and availability

Cyberquad for kids 2

Tesla has listed the Cyberquad for kids as suitable for kids eight years old and up with a maximum weight capacity of 150 lbs (68kg). The design is inspired by the iconic Cybertruck and features a full steel frame, features a full steel frame, cushioned seat, and adjustable suspension with rear disk braking, and LED light bars. The Cyberquad for kids is powered by a lithium-ion battery with up to 15 miles (24 km) of range and a top speed of 10 mph. The speed can be configured into three settings, namely, 5 mph, 10 mph, and 5 mph reverse only. Tesla says it will take up to 5 hours to charge completely, and the battery range can be affected by a user’s weight, the riding terrain, and the speed setting.

The EV company has also put out a disclaimer stating that the Cyberquad for Kids will only ship in the US right now, and Tesla isn’t guaranteeing that the ATV will arrive prior to the holidays. The Cyberquad for kids is priced at $1,900 at Tesla’s websites and is said to begin shipping in 2-4 weeks.

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Samsung hopes to capture 22% of the global smartphone market in 2022

Samsung is aiming to hold a share of at least 21.9% in the global smartphone market for the entire year of 2022, a new report shows. The company expects that there will be a revenge spending trend in 2022 on smartphones due to prolonged COVID-19, which should boost smartphone sales.

Global smartphone shipments are expected to hit 1.52 billion next year – a 7.6% year-on-year increase – and Samsung hopes to sell at least 390 million units out of that, if its goal of 21.9% share is realized. But out of that figure, only 33 million units are expected to be that of the Samsung Galaxy S22 series. From this, 14 million S22 units are expected to be sold while the S22+ and the S22 Ultra will bring 8 and 11 million units, respectively.

Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (via LetsGoDigital)

Samsung is also planning an aggressive marketing campaign to help it fill the void left by Huawei, which it believes has still not been fully capitalized on.

Further, the South Korean tech giant expects Chinese smartphone OEMs to control a total of 45.5% market share in 2021. It also estimates that Apple‘s market share will rise from 15.8% in 2020 to 17.2% by the end of 2021.

Samsung has a rather jam-packed early 2022, starting with the launch of the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition at CES 2022, which will start on January 5. This will be followed by an Unpacked event in February where the Galaxy S22 series will be unveiled. In March, Samsung will lift the curtains on the Galaxy A33 and A53; in April the Galaxy A23; and in May Galaxy A73. The company expects to ship 267 million units for the entire year of 2022 of the Galaxy A20 and A30 series. And as for the Galaxy A50 and A70 series, sales of 92 million units are expected.

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Nvidia re-releases RTX 2060 with 12GB VRAM to help ease GPU shortage

Earlier this year, Nvidia had announced that it will be relaunching some of its older graphics cards to help offer more low cost options in the market. And staying true to its word, the company has just rereleased the GeForce RTX 2060, which now features 12GB of VRAM.

NVIDIA

For those unaware, the world is suffering from a global shortage of chipsets/semiconductors. During this time, Team Green had launched its highly anticipated RTX 3000 series. However, lack of supply paired with scalpers and crypto miners buying these GPUs in bulk meant that regular gamers and other customers couldn’t get their hands on the new cards. This even drove up the market prices for older cards and the second hand market as well. But now, these older cards could help ease this issue since scalpers and crypto miners are likely steer clear away from these low cost graphics card.

The new RTX 2060 will be available starting from 7th December 2021 and features slightly bumped up specs as well. This includes a higher base clock speed and a slight higher count of CUDA cores, with the newer model featuring 2,176 over the original’s 1,920. In certain ways, the specs are more in line with the refreshed RTX 2060 SUPER rather than the base 2060 from the last generation. Another notable difference is the VRAM that is now a sizeable 12GB, which is even higher than the high end RTX 3070 and RTX 3080.

NVIDIA

Meaning, this could be a “premium” refresh of the RTX 2060. But unfortunately, Nvidia has yet to official reveal the pricing details for this GPU. Although, the RTX 2060 that launched back in 2019 retailed for 349 US Dollars. So, we can expect a price tag that is similar to this. While the effort to help ease the GPU shortage and scalping issue is a welcomed one, a single GPU in front of an overall chip shortage might not be quite effective as of right now.

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Apple is having to deal with both iPhone 13 supply and demand shortfalls now

Apple, already suffering from a supply crunch due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage, is now simultaneously also facing slowing demand. The company told its component suppliers that it may not order as many units as previously indicated.

Apple has already cut its iPhone 13 production goal by as many as 10 million units this year, down from a target of 90 million due to the shortage in parts availability (via Bloomberg). However, the company was hoping to make up for the decline next year, which does not seem that likely anymore.

apple-iphone-13-inline-featured

The holiday season will be supplying the company with a much-needed boost though, with analysts predicting a sales increase of 6% to $117.9 billion in the final three months of the calendar year. This still won’t be what Apple and Wall Street had envisioned though. Shortages and delivery delays have already frustrated many and several consumers have finally called it quits trying to acquire the hard-to-get iPhone 13, leading to a decline in demand.

Such consumers will likely be skipping the iPhone 13 altogether and will instead be setting their crosshairs on next year’s iPhone 14 when it goes live. After all, the iPhone 13 is only a minor upgrade over the iPhone 12, both in terms of specifications and design. The succeeding iPhone 14, on the other hand, is expected to bring along some major improvements, which has incentivized buyers to wait for it.

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, declined to comment on it all.

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Honor 50 series’ user experience with Snapdragon 778G rivals Snapdragon 888 phones: Exec

The Honor 60 series had just been launched in the Chinese market. After the launch event ended, the company’s CEO, Zhao Ming, accepted an interview in which he talked about the brand’s emphasis on good optimization.

HONOR 50 Pro All Colors Rear Featured

According to MyDrivers report, the senior official said in the interview that only a few smartphone brands have been able to utilize the full potential of existing mobile chipsets. He further added that back in June, the company had launched its Honor 50 series, which was quite successful in the company’s home market of China. The executive stated that the company had even tested various on the smartphone that featured the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC and found that the phone managed to rival and even beat some devices that featured the high end flagship Snapdragon 888 chip.

For those unaware, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 700 series of chips are aimed towards mid range handsets while the Snapdragon 800 series are targeted towards top end premium phones. So, these results did not imply that the 778G was faster than the 888, rather that the company’s optimizations were better than the competition. Zhao Ming said that the overall performance offered from the chipset and its energy efficiency optimizations was poor in some Snapdragon 888 phones from other brands.

HONOR 50 Pro Mo Yuqing Green Featured

In other words, the official said Honor will work with mobile chipmakers to offer various solutions to further improve their SoC offerings. He stated that Honor will jointly work with chipmakers to offer better optimizations that is geared as per the consumer’s needs. This includes any issue in design or the inability to solve customer’s problems that are based around application scenarios. Ming believes that the Honor 50 series’ in depth optimization that offers a great user experience is the reason why the device saw success in China.

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OnePlus 9R receives the November 2021 security patch with OxygenOS 11.2.6.6 Update

OnePlus, the Chinese smartphone maker has started rolling out a new update for the OnePlus 9R. This update brings the November 2021 Android security patch to the device. In November, the update was released for other 9 series devices like the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro, but the 9R was left out of this update cycle, making many device owners concerned.

OnePlus 9R 5G
OnePlus 9R 5G

The November patch for the 9R comes with OxygenOS 11.2.6.6. OnePlus announced the deployment of the update on the OnePlus Community forums. Let us take a detailed look at what the update has in store for device users.

OnePlus 9R OxygenOS 11.2.6.6 update changelog

 

  • System
    • Improved system stability and fixed known issues
    • Updated Android security patch to 2021.11

 

The update comes with firmware version 11.2.6.6.LE28DA and is pretty lightweight at 372MBs. The company stated that the OTA update would come as an incremental rollout, meaning the update would arrive in waves to its customers. Hence, device owners should expect the OTA notification in the upcoming days. You can also manually check for the update by navigating to Settings > System > System Update.

With rumors of the imminent OnePlus 9RT launch in India, which is currently exclusive to the Chinese market, Customers can expect a price cut on the 9R model, making it even more affordable.

OnePlus 9R 5G specs and features

The OnePlus 9R 5G features a 6.55-inch Fluid AMOLED screen that offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, a 20:9 aspect ratio, a 120Hz refresh rate, and an in-screen fingerprint reader. The device boots  Android 11 based OxygenOS 11 out of the box.

The OnePlus 9R draws power from the Snapdragon 870 chipset and LPDDR4x RAM. The handset offers users UFS 3.1 storage and it is backed by a 4,500mAh battery, which supports Warp Charge 65. For audiophiles, the OnePlus 9R has Dolby Atmos-powered dual stereo speakers.

On the front side of the OnePlus 9R 5G is a Sony IMX471 16-megapixel selfie camera. The rear-facing camera island has a Sony IMX586 48-megapixel primary camera with OIS and EIS support, a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens with a 123-degree FOV, a 5-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel monochrome lens. The handset is packed with connectivity features like dual SIM 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, dual-frequency GPS, and a USB-C port.

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HUAWEI Mate9 series, P10 series, and more get HarmonyOS 2 stable update

Huawei has been rolling out HarmonyOS 2 for eligible devices for the past few months. Almost all the devices released in recent years have been updated to the stable channel. Hence, the company has now started pushing the latest software to even older devices.

HUAWEI P10 Mate 9 HarmonyOS 2 Update

According to the official Weibo account of HarmonyOS, Huawei has now begun to seed HarmonyOS 2 stable update for smartphones like the HUAWEI Mate9 series, HUAWEI P10 series, HUAWEI nova 3 series, HONOR Play, and more. The update is also being rolled out to select older tablets.

Here’s the list of 19 devices that have now started receiving HarmonyOS 2 stable update in China.

  • HUAWEI P10 Plus
  • HUAWEI P10
  • PORSCHE DESIGN HUAWEI Mate9
  • HUAWEI Mate9 Pro
  • HUAWEI Mate9
  • HUAWEI nova 3
  • HUAWEI nova 3i
  • HUAWEI nova 2s
  • HUAWEI Enjoy 9 Plus
  • HONOR 9
  • HONOR V9
  • HONOR Play
  • HONOR Note10
  • HUAWEI MediaPad M5 Pro 10.8-inch
  • HUAWEI MediaPad M5 10.8-inch
  • HUAWEI MediaPad M5 8.4-inch
  • HUAWEI Enjoy Tablet 2
  • HONOR Pad 6 10.6-inch
  • HONOR Pad X6

Similarly, the following 6 devices will get access to HarmonyOS 2 stable update in early December in China

  • HUAWEI nova 8 SE Vitality Edition
  • HUAWEI MediaPad M5 Youth Edition 10.1-inch
  • HUAWEI MediaPad M5 Youth Edition 8-inch
  • HUAWEI Enjoy Tablet 10.1-inch
  • HONOR Pad 5 10.1-inch
  • HONOR Pad 5 8-inch

Like any other OTA software update, the HarmonyOS 2 stable update for the above-listed HUAWEI and HONOR-branded phones and tablets is also being seeded out in batches.

 

 

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Samsung Galaxy S22 series tempered film leak confirms rear camera design for all three models

The Samsung Galaxy S22 series is set to diverge plenty from its preceding lineup, with the vanilla Galaxy S22 even becoming a Mini model of sorts with its ‘tiny’ screen of 6.06-inches. The largest model on the other hand – the S22 Ultra – will likely be a true replacement for the now decommissioned Galaxy Note series and will thus be nothing like the S21 Ultra. However, new evidence shows that the S22 and S22+ models will be looking very much like their predecessors, even as their sizes will be very different.

 

Tipster 8090 Digital Beauty on Weibo (via Notebookcheck) claims to have snapped “S22 tempered films” in the wild. Pictures show what appears to be regular tempered glass but with a twist – they’re actually for the camera lenses and not the display.

samsung galaxy s22 series camera glass

The tempered glass for the Galaxy S22 and S22+ appear to be for a design almost identical to this year’s S21 and S21+ models. As such, the camera modules of both the devices are in a traffic-light configuration, with 2 opposite corners being pointy while the other 2 are curved.

The tempered glass for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, however, seems to be for a unique camera module design that sits well with former design leaks. There is one odd difference though. The tempered film is designed to fit on a unified camera module, as shown in the first picture below, and not separated camera lenses as shown in picture two.

Apart from this, the tipster has shared another image showcasing screen protectors for the entire Galaxy S22 lineup. The glass for the vanilla S22 proves that it’s indeed much smaller when compared to the other two. The image also reveals that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be sporting a very rectangular, boxy design with little to no rounded corners, very much reminiscent of the Note series.

samsung galaxy s22 series tempered

The Samsung Galaxy S22 series is expected to be launched in February and will be featuring the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 chipsets for the first time on a Samsung device.

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Vivo Y55s key specs revealed on TENAA prior to launch in China

The upcoming Vivo Y55s have just been spotted on another Chinese database. The smartphone was listed on the Chinese TENAA database, which revealed some of its key specs just prior to its official launch.

According to a 91Mobiles report, the smartphone was spotted on the China’s TENAA website that revealed quite a lot of details about the upcoming device. According to the online database, the Y55s will sport a 6.58 inch LCD display that has a FHD+ resolution, although, its unsure if the refresh rate will be higher than the standard 60Hz. Furthermore, the smartphone will feature up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

Vivo Y55s

The device from the Chinese smartphone maker also features a fingerprint sensor as well, but its unknown if its either housed on the side or under the display. On the rear, the smartphone will sport a dual camera setup on the rear, with a 50 megapixel primary sensor and another 2 megapixel shooter, which is likely a depth sensor. For selfie, the device features an 8 megapixel camera. Notably, the TENAA listing also revealed that the device will be powered by a large 4,910mAh battery pack, although, China Telecom’s database suggested an even larger 6,000mAh battery.

The Vivo Y55s will likely support fast charging and run Android 11 OS with a custom skin and support dual SIM as well. As per the China Telecom listing, the device is reportedly set to launch with a price tag of 1,899 Yuan (roughly 300 US Dollars) for its 8GB RAM and 128GB storage configuration. Unfortunately, the TENAA listing did not reveal the CPU details, but China Telecom listed the device with a MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC.

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Xiaomi 12 to sport triple camera setup on upper left corner of its AG glass rear panel: Tipster

With the Xiaomi 12 series launch being just around the corner, new rumors and leaks are expected to surface. Now, a latest report has revealed that the upcoming flagship series will sport a triple camera setup on the rear, which features an AG glass body.

Xiaomi

The latest information arrives from known tipster @数码闲聊站 who shared the news on Weibo (a Chinese microblogging website). As per the post on social media, the Xiaomi 12 base and Pro variants will feature a triple camera module on the rear, which will be positioned on the upper left corner. Furthermore, the rear panel of the smartphones will feature an AG glass body as well, similar to the previously released Xiaomi Civi.

Unfortunately, the tipster did not reveal any notable information apart from this minor details. Although, the leak is in line with previous reports and renders that showcased the device with a similar camera setup and positioning. Talking about the specs of the device, the premium grade handset is expected to feature a 50 megapixel triple camera setup along with support for 100W fast charging.

Xiaomi 12 Ultra Leica

Furthermore, it is also set to be one of the first smartphone to feature Qualcomm’s newly released Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC as well. Keep in mind that the news shared by the tipster is not official, so take it with a pinch of salt for now, and stay tuned for more updates.

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Here’s why Nokia 9 PureView Android 11 update got canceled

HMD Global resurrected Nokia-branded smartphones with Android as the operating system. During its earlier days, the company was well-known for delivering software updates in a timely manner. With passing years and a growing portfolio, the firm began to fail in the only regard it was famous for. The Finnish company has now reached a situation that it had to cancel a promised update for its last premium phone.

Nokia 9 PureView Featured A
Nokia 9 PureView

Yesterday, HMD Global revealed that the Nokia 9 PureView will not receive the long-awaited Android 11 update. This device is part of the Android One program. Hence, it is supposed to get two Android updates and three years of security updates.

But unfortunately, the company has only managed to deliver a single Android update (Android 10) in late 2019 soon after the handset’s release. The phone was first scheduled to receive the Android 11 update in Q2 2021. However, it was later delayed to Q3 2021 and was never materialized.

Interestingly, HMD Global decided to announce the cancellation of the update on its 5th anniversary. The company cites ‘incompatibilities between the camera and the software’ as the primary reason to scrap the update.

In case you have forgotten, Nokia 9 PureView sports a penta-camera setup developed by Light. Since Light has exited the smartphone industry, there’s no way HMD Global could optimize for the camera for a newer version of Android.

Anyway, the handset will continue to receive security updates and users can avail a 50% discount on the Nokia XR20 to experience Android 11.

 

 

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Realme 9i official design revealed through concept renders

Realme 9i is expected to launch in global markets in January 2022. Well ahead of the launch, publication, ThePixel.vn shared the renders of the Realme 9i. The new images are not the official images of the phone, but they are based on the actual device.

The Realme 9i renders show that its appearance will be similar to the Realme GT Neo2 flagship phone, which debuted first in China back in September. The Realme 9i images show that its screen has a round-shaped camera cutout at the top-left corner. The bottom bezel of the 9i is a bit compared to its other bezels.

Realme 9i concept renders by ThePixel.vn
Realme 9i concept renders by ThePixel.vn

The design of the Realme 9i’s rear camera setup seems to be inspired by the GT Neo2. It has three cameras and an LED flash. Like other Realme phones, the 9i has a power key on the right and volume buttons on the right.

An absence of a physical fingerprint scanner suggests that it could be equipped with an in-screen fingerprint scanner.  This indicates that the phone may feature an OLED panel.  It is advisable to wait for concrete details to appear to confirm whether it has an OLED panel. As far as specs, there is no clear information on its hardware.

Realme is speculated to hold two launch events in India to announce the Realme 9 series of smartphones. The first is likely to be organized by the end of January 2022 and the second one could be held in February.

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Latest OriginOS Ocean teaser shows off re-designed apps…and a new iPhone-like device

vivo recently announced that OriginOS Ocean will be going live on December 9th, and ahead of its release, the company has been busy sharing teasers and showcasing highlights. It was only yesterday that a new teaser was dropped, showing the Android skin’s home and lock screen for the first time. And today, vivo is already back with more.

A new poster has been posted, continuing to promote OriginOS Ocean but this time showing the “Hi Health” app which appears to have received a major UI overhaul. This is paired with two more screenshots, one of which shows a news feed of sorts and the other an infographic card on the lock screen.

vivo originOS ocean poster

The latter is likely a part of the major re-design the lock screen has received with OriginOS 2.0. It now features multiple shortcuts for taking pictures, payment, and even some reminders that show up in the form of cards, making it possible to perform certain actions quickly without the need for unlocking the device first.

But the most interesting bit of the teaser is, quite unexpectedly, not the software. Rather, it’s the device the screenshots of OriginOS Ocean have been showcased in. The phone is unmistakenly an apparition of the iPhone 12/13 with its equal ultra-thin bezels, sharp edges, and a lustrous metallic frame. It could have easily been passed off as an iPhone had it also featured a notch, but there is a centrally aligned punch-hole for the selfie camera instead.

Whether the render is actually an upcoming device or just a virtual dummy to show off OriginOS Ocean is unknown, but it’s still a great example of what’s to come. Chinese OEMs have recently begun to favor iPhone-like flat edges for some of their devices. And with bezel sizes shrinking each year, there’s no doubt that vivo will soon be launching a phone that looks exactly like the one on the teaser.

Coming to OriginOS Ocean itself, a recruitment program has already commenced for multiple vivo devices. These are the vivo X70 Pro+, X70 Pro, X70, X60 Pro+, X60t Pro+, X60 Pro, X60 curved-screen version, S10 Pro, S10, S9, iQOO 8 Pro, iQOO 8, and iQOO 7.

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Xiaomi & Motorola in a heated race to see who launches Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 phone first

With Qualcomm just announcing its latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, a number of smartphone brands have announced their own upcoming offerings that will feature the chipset. While Xiaomi was usually the first to feature Snapdragon’s latest flagship SoCs, it seems that Lenovo might be the one to beat this time around.

Earlier today (2nd December 2021), Xiaomi CEO and Founder Lei Jun shared a post on his Weibo account (a Chinese microblogging website). In this social media post, the senior official even shared a long message to its customers. Jun stated that the Chinese tech giant is working on polishing the performance of the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC on its upcoming Xiaomi 12 series. The executive also emphasized that an early launch is not just to showcase “PPT skills”; it aims to stay true to its commitment towards its customers in offering a top end user experience with its upcoming flagships.

Xiaomi

Following this statement, Lenovo General Manager, Chen Jin, offered a response to this on his Weibo account as well. The official stated that the December 9th launch conference for its Moto Edge X30 series, which also features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, is not just a “PPT release.” Furthermore, the official also revealed that the Edge X30 series will be officially available via first sale in China on December 15. In other words, this basically confirms that the device will be the first mass produced smartphone to feature new SoC.

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realme C11 (2021) receives its second price hike in India

The realme C11 (2021) made its debut in India at the end of June 2021. The handset’s price was hiked sometime after its launch. Now, almost half a year later, the device’s price has been increased once again.

realme C11 2021 Iron Grey Lake Blue Featured
realme C11 (2021)

According to a report by 91Mobiles, realme has incremented the price of realme C11 (2021) in India by up to ₹500. The base 2GB + 32GB valiant now retails at ₹7,499, while the higher 4GB + 64GB costs ₹8,999.

These models have received a price hike of ₹500 and ₹200 respectively. Up until now, they were being sold at ₹6,999 and ₹8,799, which itself was ₹200 more than the smartphone’s launch price.

The realme C11 (2021) is inferior to the original handset, which was released in 2020. The device comes with features like a 6.52-inch HD+ display (LCD) with a dewdrop notch, UNISOC SC9863 SoC, LPDDR4x RAM, eMMC 5.1 storage, and a MicroSD card slot.

It has an 8MP rear camera, 5MP selfie camera, dual SIM card slots, 4G connectivity, single-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, a MicroUSB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It runs realme UI based on Android 10 and gets its juice from a 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W charging.

Last but not least, the phone measures 8.9mm in thickness, weighs 190g, and arrives in two colors (Cool Grey, Cool Blue).

 

 

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Google announces multiple new Android features: new widgets, Emoji Kitchen combos, digital car keys

Google has gotten into a festive mood this time of the year, just like any other normal human, and has announced a number of new Android features to make your life easier or simply more fun.

The most significant feature, objectively, is digital car key functionality. Starting today, you can use your Android phone to lock, unlock, and even start your compatible car. It’s only available in select countries on the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 for compatible BMW cars for now.

Digital car key is paired with an update to Android Auto, which can now be set to launch automatically when you connect your Android phone to your compatible car. You also get smart reply options, set to arrive pretty soon, using which you can respond to texts with Google Assistant, so that your focus remains where it should while driving – on the road.

Coming to Android itself, a new Family Bell feature will alert you and your family about important events throughout your day and help keep you keep in track with your daily schedules. Various smart home devices like home speaker or smart displays will be supporting the feature and will throw reminders for set events, like for say, picking up your kids from sports practice.

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Three Google apps are getting new widgets, namely Google Play Books, YouTube Music, and Google Photos. Google Play Books’ new widget lets you access your library and keep track of your audiobook progress. YouTube Music widget puts playback controls and recently played tracks right on your Home screen. And finally, the Google Photos People & Pets widget lets you play slideshows of select faces on your home screen.

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Your Android 6.0+ device will also be getting more secure next month or so through auto-resetting app permissions. The feature will be pushed through Google Play Services and will automatically turn off runtime permissions for apps that have been lying dormant for a while. The permissions get restored though with the next time you open the app.

Last but not least, Gboard’s Emoji Kitchen has received a flurry of new combinations to help express emotions that just aren’t there on the system emojis. These have been rolled out to Gboard Beta users and will be available for all in the coming weeks.

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Xiaomi’s first 4K professional monitor receives PANTONE color certification

Earlier today (2nd December 2021), Xiaomi had officially announced that its first 4K professional monitor has just received a new certification prior to its launch. The monitor has now received a color certification from PANTONE.

Just yesterday, we had reported on the company officially teasing its first 4K professional monitor on Weibo (a Chinese microblogging website). Now, the brand has teased its monitor again. This time, it showcased the monitor receiving a PANTONE color certification. As per the previous teaser, the monitor in question is set to be unveiled on 4th of December 2021. While the Chinese tech giant has been selling various models of monitors, this would mark the first 4K professional monitor in its home country of China.

Xiaomi

Furthermore, the PANTONE color certification was also teased on its official Mi Notebook Weibo account. Unfortunately, the company has yet to reveal any finer details regarding this product as of right now. Although, the previous teasers have revealed some notable features regarding the upcoming monitor. Being a display being targeted towards professionals, the screen has a 4K resolution along with support for 99 percent Adobe RGB and DCI P3 color gamuts.

Talking about the design, teaser images have revealed a notable bottom bezel while the sides have a relatively slimmer profile. The frame itself appears to be made from either plastic or metal, although, we have no way of knowing at the moment. While the previous teasers did not reveal the stand of this monitor, the latest one offers us a look at its base. We can see it has a flat rectangular base with a wide stem holding the monitor upright. It even features a oval cutout on this stand, however, its exact functionality is currently unknown.

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OnePlus 9RT India price, launch timeline tipped yet again

The OnePlus 9RT made its initial debut in China in October. It is being rumored to launch in India for months. Recent reports have suggested that the device will make its entry into the country with a different name. However, a new report now says that the smartphone will retain its original name with minute changes and will be available in two memory configurations.

OnePlus 9RT review featured 3
OnePlus 9RT

According to a report by The Mobile Indian, the OnePlus 9RT will launch in India as ‘OnePlus 9 RT’. There will be a space between the 9 and the RT in the branding.

For the last few days, we have been hearing that the handset will go official in India as OnePlus RT. If the new report is to be believed, it won’t be the case.

Further, the report states that the phone will be sold in 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 128GB variants. These SKUs are said to retail at ₹39,999 and ₹34,999 respectively. There’s a chance that the top version could cost even lower at ₹37,999.

At the same, tipster Yogesh Brar says that there will not be a 6GB RAM variant. He continues to stand by his word that the handset will cost between ₹40,000 and ₹44,000.

Lastly, the OnePlus 9RT is expected to release in India in mid-December along with the OnePlus Buds Z2. With its debut, OnePlus is tipped to reduce the price of the OnePlus 9R to ₹34,999.

 

 

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Vivo S12 Pro specs leak reveals 50MP dual cameras, 108MP main camera, upgraded chip, and more

Vivo announced the selfie-focused Vivo S10 and Vivo S10 Pro smartphones earlier this year. Recent reports have claimed that these models will be succeeded by the Vivo S12 and Vivo S12 Pro later this month. Reliable tipster Digital Chat Station has leaked the main specs of the Vivo S12 Pro. The leak reveals that the S12 Pro will come with improvements in departments like display, front cameras, and processor as compared to the predecessor model.

Vivo S12 Pro specifications (Rumored)

The Vivo S12 Pro is expected to house an OLED panel that offers a high refresh rate, a Full HD+ resolution, and an in-screen fingerprint scanner. Unfortunately, there is no word on the display size of the S12 Pro. Leaked renders of the S12 Pro have revealed that its screen will have a centrally positioned punch-hole and curved edges. In addition, it will feature a larger notch to accommodate a pair of selfie cameras. To recollect, the S10 Pro had a 6.44-inch flat AMOLED screen.

Vivo S12 Pro render
Vivo S12 Pro’s alleged render

The S10 Pro’s dual selfie camera setup included a 44-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens. It is speculated that the S12 Pro will have a 50-megapixel Samsung JN1 lens as the main selfie camera. It could be accompanied by an 8-megapixel superwide lens.

The new leak claims that the S12 Pro has a 108-megapixel triple camera unit. There is a possibility that it may retain the 108-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera unit that was made available on the S10 Pro. The device is expected to run on the latest OriginOS Ocean UI.

The Vivo S12 Pro’s battery size is not known yet, but it is expected to support 44W fast charging. The new leak mentions that the device will be equipped with the Dimensity 1200, instead of the Dimensity 1100 that was available on the S10 Pro. It is speculated that the device will be priced around 3,000 Yuan (~$471) in China and it will be competing with the likes of the OPPO Reno7 series and Honor 60 lineup.

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