Meizu goes against its word by showing ads on Meizu 18 series

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Nov 4, 2021

Software experience on tablets and foldables has never been Android’s strong point but the upcoming Android 12L update may very soon change that. The update refines the system UI to take advantage of larger screens, bringing along changes like a dual-panel notification center that lets users view notifications and interact with quick settings simultaneously.

The update schedule went up earlier today and showed that the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are indeed eligible for Android 12L, thus clearing all doubts regarding the same. It will be the very last for the series, with security updates ceasing soon after in May 2021.

Android 12L is scheduled to receive its first beta build starting in December, with the final release expected sometime in the first quarter of 2022.

This comes not long after a recent report saying that the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have hit EOL, and will not be receiving any Android upgrades or security patch updates anymore.

However, as it turns out, the devices are still eligible for one last update (via 9to5Google). Google has promised another that’s set to go live sometime in Q1 2022. A similar pattern was observed with the Pixel 2 and 2 XL last year when the company skipped the November patch with the promise of another update in December.

Google Pixel 3 series featured — Google Pixel 3 series

This last Pixel 3 update will presumably bring multiple bug fixes for Android 12. The update had brought along Material You support but gave a miss to some other capabilities, like those that require the new Google Assistant.

The only thing we find rather odd here is that the Pixel 3 series has not made it to the Android 12L compatibility list, despite getting a similar release date for its last update.

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HiMedia’s latest Smart TV boxes will feature Huawei HarmonyOS

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Nov 4, 2021

During the Huawei Developer Conference (HDC) 2021, the CEO of the company’s Consumer Business Group, Yu Chengdong, stated that HarmonyOS has reached over 150 million products worldwide. This includes smartphones, smart home products, and now, even Smart TV boxes from HiMedia.

For those unaware, HiMedia is a brand that has its operations offer audio-video solutions. This includes research and development of products that offer high tech image processing, audio and video codec, and more. The company is now planning on launching a new smart TV box that will be able to turn old TV’s at your home’s into a smart screen/TV. Notably, this smart TV box will run on the Chinese tech giant’s proprietary operating system, the HarmonyOS. In other words, another brand is featuring the OS on its platform.

Through Huawei HarmonyOS, the HiMedia TV box will be able to offer various smart features like remote control, online video streaming, and other functions. Furthermore, the new device will also arrive with integration of HarmonyOS Connect ecosystem as well. So once the user accesses the HarmonyOS Connect, the HiMedia smart TV box will be able to bring up the service from a smartphone that runs HarmonyOS. Notably, the service offers users access to the latest movie recommendations and even supports 3D glasses as well. This device will soon be listed on the Huawei Mall in China for purchase.

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Apple’s software chief calls sideloading on iPhone a “cyber criminal’s best friend”

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Nov 4, 2021

“Sideloading is a cyber criminal’s best friend and requiring that on iPhone would be a gold rush for the malware industry,” Apple senior vice president Craig Federighi said in a dramatic speech delivered at Web Summit 2021 against the European Commission’s proposed Digital Markets Act. The act, if passed, would require Apple to let users install apps from outside the App Store.

He added saying that the lack of sideloading is the thing that separates Apple from the “5 million Android attacks per month,” and if Apple were to allow users to install their own apps, the floodgates for malware will be opened (via The Verge).

Federighi is totally against the proposed notion of letting the user themselves decide the risk of sideloading apps. He opines that cybercriminals are clever and can even victimize informed users through misleading websites and fake app stores.

But if you feel you are one of those tech-savvy people that will be unscathed by whatever criminals toss at you, then Federighi asks to think about children or parents who might still be fooled. This is kind of ironic considering Apple still has to often deal with multimillion-dollar scams despite having strong restrictions put in place currently against sideloading apps.

Apart from malware risks, the Apple senior vice president has also raised red flags about social media apps that may try to get around the strict privacy protection standards of the App Store.

It is worth mentioning here that despite all of the claims, Apple’s macOS actually has allowed sideloading of apps for decades, yet is mostly safe from the scale of malware attacks described by Federighi. The Gatekeeper system, which allows Apple to check signed developer IDs to confirm the software is genuine, has a huge role to play in this.

Of course, a similar system could be implemented on iOS as well, allowing sideloading on iPhone without the risk of malware. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez had noted this saying that Apple may be “stretching the truth” on malware concerns and that Apple could implement a Gatekeeper-like system on iOS if it wanted to.

Last but not least, Federighi’s speech had completely ignored the fact that not allowing sideloading on iOS forces all app transactions to flow through the App Store. This is a huge benefit for Apple as it generates billions of dollars since Apple takes a 30% cut.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE’s rear panel appears in a video

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Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Nov 4, 2021

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is probably the most leaked smartphone of 2021. In fact, we have been hearing about this device since November 2020. Almost a year later, the rear panel of this handset now appears in a hands-on video.

Recently, the Galaxy S21 FE’s rear panel emerged on the web in real-life images. These pictures were from a component supplier who started selling the panels before the phone’s release.

Designer Concept Creator (Jermaine, @CConceptCreator) managed to acquire one of these panels. He showcased them in his latest YouTube video attached above.

From the video, we can see that the back of the successor of Galaxy S20 FE will have a design similar to the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S21+. However, it will not have a separate metal unit for the camera module, just like what we saw in the renders earlier.

Based on this back panel, the designer also created a 3D model of the phone in five colors. You can feast your eyes on them in the same video above.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | Source: @OnLeaks via Voice

Talking about specs, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is expected to come with a 6.4-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 chipset, up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, up to 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, 12MP (wide) + 12MP (ultra-wide) + 8MP (telephoto) triple rear cameras, 32MP selfie camera, One UI 3.x based on Android 11, 4,500mAh battery, 25W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, and 7.5W reverse wireless charging.

Samsung is reported to unveil the Galaxy S21 FE at CES 2022 in early January. The device is tipped to hit the shelves on January 11.

OPPO, realme, and vivo record triple digit YoY growth in Europe, defying chip shortage

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Nov 4, 2021

Europe’s smartphone market has mostly recovered from the effects of the pandemic but is held back from the chip shortage now. Q3 2021 phone sales were thus overall 1% lower compared to the same period last year.

Image: Counterpoint Research

Not every brand was equally affected though. It’s the Chinese smartphone brands, particularly the subsidiaries of BBK Electronics, that have outshone the rest (via Counterpoint Research). vivo, realme, and OPPO have each recorded triple-digit growth in Q3 2021 vs Q3 2020 with figures of 238%, 160%, and 112% respectively in Europe. These three have also gained in terms of market share with OPPO jumping from 4.7% to 10.1%, realme from 0.9% to 2.4%, and vivo from 0.5% to 1.8%. OPPO has gained hugely with the merger with OnePlus.

OnePlus 9RT arrived with ColorOS following OPPO merger

However, the market share of these three is rather tiny in the continent, which explains the triple-digit figures. The big players have continued to be Samsung, Xiaomi, and Apple. Although, Samsung’s market share has declined from 35.8% to 30.4%. Xiaomi and Apple on the other hand recorded 51% and 24% growth respectively.

Counterpoint Research Associate Director Jan Stryjak said, “realme is one of the fastest growing brands in Europe and has firmly established itself as a top-five vendor with strong sales in Russia, Spain, and Italy. vivo is also growing fast, albeit from a smaller base, while Motorola and Nokia are staging a comeback. HONOR also has set sights on the European market in the hopes of a reversal of fortunes with its first major launch in the region in over a year in October.”

But when it comes to QoQ figures for growth in terms of sales, Xiaomi and Samsung have suffered declines of 6% each. Samsung could have been hit even worse had it not been for the success of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 particularly in Western Europe. Apple has seen a respectable 5% growth, on the other hand, boosted by the launch of the iPhone 13 towards the end of the quarter.

Image: Counterpoint Research

Xiaomi and Apple had a mixed quarter at the end of the quarter. Xiaomi suffered a major setback in September 2021 as a result of significant component constraints. Apple’s iPhone 13 launch was a huge success. Despite going on sale at the end of September, the iPhone 13 seemed to be more popular than the iPhone 12 from the previous year. Apple could have a record-breaking Q4 in Europe if it can keep up with demand – a difficulty in some markets.

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Huawei to launch new 2-in-1 Surface-like MateBook laptop this month: Leak

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Nov 4, 2021

A new leak has revealed that Huawei is gearing up for the launch of a new laptop from its MateBook series later this month. However, the laptop in question will apparently feature a design similar to the Microsoft Surface series.

The leak was shared on Weibo (a Chinese microblogging website) by @长安数码君. The tipster revealed that the brand is planning to release a new 2 in 1 laptop in China this month. This means that it would be a product similar to the Microsoft Surface. Looking at the leaked image poster, we can see that the upcoming 2 in 1 laptop sports a high screen to body ratio and is a thin and light PC.

The image also revealed other information like a weight of just 709 grams but with a price tag that will be higher than previous MateBook E 2 in 1 laptops. For those unaware, this is not the first time the company has launched a notebook of this format. Back in 2017, the brand had first released the first 2 in 1 as apart of the new MateBook E series. Furthermore, its successor was released in China in 2019.

Now, it like a newer generation will be launching later this month. Unfortunately, finer details regarding this laptop like its specifications is unknown as of right now. Although, we do know that it would reportedly be launching on 17th November 2021 for a price of 7,088 Yuan (roughly 1,100 US Dollars).

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Android 12’s wallpaper-based theming can crash your games in this funny little case

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Nov 4, 2021

Google has gone big on personalization this year with Android 12 and has implemented the ‘monet’ theme engine. This one extracts colors from the current wallpaper and splashes it across the system UI and supported apps, giving users greater control than ever over what their phone’s software looks like. However, the new engine has some unwarranted side effects affecting gamers.

A bug was opened on the Google Issue Tracker a couple of months back stating that games like Wild Rift and Pokémon Go crash as soon as the wallpaper is changed in the background on Android 12.

But as it stands, the issue can actually be reproduced across all games. XDA Developers tested Genshin Impact, Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, and Minecraft on a Google Pixel 6 Pro and found that all of them force closed upon switching the wallpaper.

While the use case where one changes the wallpaper while gaming is quite a rare one (who even does that?), the bug is still quite a bummer for those who rely on auto wallpaper changer apps.

Thankfully, the root cause of the problem has seemingly been spotted – Android configuration changes. A wallpaper change happens to be a configuration change on Android along with other activities like dark mode, screen rotation, and locale changes. Games typically used to ignore such changes but that isn’t the case anymore with Android 12.

Google has introduced a new change on the OS that forces activities to be recreated when the wallpaper is changed. This is reasonable enough for apps that need to respond to a wallpaper switch and color shift themselves accordingly, but is a problem for games as it triggers a force close.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any way to work around the problem. What’s even worse is that developers can’t get around it either. Google hasn’t provided an option to opt-out of the forced activity restart upon wallpaper switching yet, and games are suffering as a result.

The only solution at the moment is disabling any automatic wallpaper switchers while gaming and not changing wallpapers if you got a game running in the background.

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Apple MacBook Pro & iPad Pro to sport new OLED panels that offer higher brightness: Report

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Nov 4, 2021

Apple is apparently planning on shipping its newer models of iPad Pro and MacBook Pro with a new OLED panel. This new screen technology would enable the tablet and laptops to offer even higher brightness than existing models.

According to TheElec, the upcoming iPad Pro and MacBook Pros from the Cupertino based giant will sport a new double stack OLED panel that features two layers of light emitting diodes that could offer double the brightness over previous generation. Unfortunately, this new display technology will not be arriving anytime soon since the manufacturing process for the panels are still not fully developed and the screen is too expensive at the moment.

Additionally, sources close to the matter have revealed that first units with the new display will not arrive till at least 2023 or even 2024. The sources further added that the price of the panels would allow the iPhone maker to used those only on the larger 11 inch and 12.09 inch iPad Pro models and even MacBook Pro notebooks as well. These displays are also expected to feature LTPO tech for the TFT and could even offer control over the refresh rate. Meaning, variable refresh rate on the panel that can be anywhere between 10Hz and 120Hz.

Apart from the new OLED screens, Apple is also look to delve even deeper into micro LED displays for its future products. Currently, it is reported that the company is already investing in the research and development of the newer display technology and aims to replace the OLED panels for various benefits that it would offer.

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Microsoft Mesh announced – Its version of the Metaverse

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Staff

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Nov 4, 2021

Microsoft has announced that they will be integrating Mesh, the next step in the evolution of Microsoft Teams. The Mesh will be an interactive platform for virtual experiences inside the Teams platform. This announcement comes just days after Facebook reincarnated to Meta and revealed its future vision for a metaverse.

Microsoft Mesh appears to be the next step in AR technology. Some new features revealed by Microsoft consist of a ‘Together Mode’ which is designed to create a virtual avatar of a person that will aid in better engagement during meetings. The idea was inspired after seeing so many users experience pandemic fatigue due to excess screen time.

Microsoft Teams will be equipped with new 3D avatars to facilitate a metaverse environment, which won’t require a VR headset. These avatars can represent the user, both in 2D and 3D meetings. This provides the user with the option of not turning on the webcam if he or she doesn’t want to. “It’s not binary, so a person can choose how they want to show up, whether it’s video or an avatar, and there’s a variety of customized options to choose from, as to how one wants to be presented in a meeting,” says Katie Kelly, principal product manager for Microsoft Mesh.

Additionally, according to Katie Kelly, these technologies, or should we say prototypes work better with VR or AR headsets, these features will be accessible by most of the devices. Also, because it is based on realistic experiences, the human presence such as talking, eye contact, and reactions are going to be important. This upgrade also focuses on removing language barriers by including a built-in app translation support, which will be a blessing in the post-pandemic scenario wherein companies have remote workers across the globe. The great news is that Microsoft has promised that these features are going to be accessible as soon as early 2022.

The addition of this feature will enable the corporations to model their own virtual spaces, or metaverses inside Teams. This seems to be Microsoft’s own metaverse.

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Apple iPhone 14 may not feature cutting edge 3nm chips as TSMC faces production constraints: Report

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Staff

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Nov 4, 2021

Apple’s silicon producer TSMC is struggling with the manufacturing of its next-gen 3 nm-based process, revealed in a report today from The Information. The report takes a closer look at the inner workings of their business relationship and also sheds light on TSMC’s struggle to transition to a 3nm process.

Looks like the iPhone 14 might be stuck on 5nm chips as reports suggest TSMC is having issues with its 3nm silicon process, which it had promised to deliver by the second half of 2022. The 3nm chips would have offered a more powerful, energy-efficient processor in the device without a significant increase in the die size.

Regardless of this setback, the iPhone 14 might still receive an upgrade in its processor over the last generation as TSMC is all set to manufacture its N4P process which is an improvement of the 5nm processor(N5P) currently being used in the iPhone 13. As the third major enhancement of TSMC’s 5nm family, N4P is claimed to deliver an 11% performance boost over the original N5 technology. Compared to N5P, N4P will also deliver a 22% improvement in power efficiency as well as a 6% improvement in transistor density. In addition, N4P lowers process complexity and improves wafer cycle time, which is the need of the hour in the ongoing global chip shortage.

On the other hand, this delay also creates opportunities for competing chip manufacturers such as Samsung to catch up to TSMC and even be the first to reach the 3nm process.

While this might be the case, Apple is said to have secured an early shipment of the N4P chips to gain an edge over its competition Qualcomm, which is also setting up to release their upcoming snapdragon 898 on TSMC’s 4nm process.

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POCO M4 Pro 5G leaked render emerge to showcase its attractive yellow variant

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Nov 4, 2021

The POCO M4 Pro 5G will be debuting in the global markets on Nov. 9. Yesterday, a Vietnamese publication shared concept renders based on the actual M4 Pro handset. Now, Shadow Leak has shared the leaked render of the handset’s yellow variant to showcase its attractive rear design.

The POCO M4 Pro 5G features a large-sized module on its back panel, which features a 50-megapixel camera unit on the left and the POCO branding on the right. The left spine has a SIM card slot, but its right edge has a volume rocker and a power key.

The M4 Pro 5G’s top edge has a microphone, an IR blaster, and a speaker. Its bottom edge has a microphone, a USB-C port, and another speaker unit. As far as the front side is concerned, its display a centrally placed punch-hole and a slightly thick chin.

POCO M4 Pro 5G specifications (Rumored)

The POCO M4 Pro 5G has a 6.6-inch IPS LCD panel that delivers FHD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. It has a 16-megapixel camera on the front. Its back panel has a dual-camera unit featuring a 50-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel ultrawide snapper.

The device runs on MIUI 12.5 based Android 11, and it is powered by the Dimensity 810 chipset. It may come with up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of storage. It has a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging.

The POCO M4 Pro 5G is expected to arrive as a rebranded version of China’s Redmi Note 11 5G. At present, there is no word on the pricing of the handset.

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Lucky Reddit user orders Pixel 6 and gets a free upgrade to Pixel 6 Pro

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Nov 4, 2021

A Reddit user has just shared an interesting turn of events that they went through. The user had ordered a new Google Pixel 6 smartphone. However, the delivery arrived without this model, but did have a surprising upgrade.

As per his story, he was also supposed to receive a pre paid mailer through which he could send back the unit being traded for the Pixel 6. But, when the the delivery arrived, he found that the box was what he described as “trashed.” Although the inside featured two smaller boxes with one for the Pixel 6 while the other that had the Pixel 6 Pro. The odd incident doesn’t just end there as the packaging box for the Pixel 6 was torn open with nothing on the inside.

On the other hand, the Pixel 6 Pro that the user had not ordered was still in the box with all of the other contents as well. Meanwhile, the mailer for the trade was also not included in this entire packaging. In other words, the man got lucky and despite his Pixel 6 being reportedly stolen, he received a free upgrade to the Pixel 6 Pro which is the higher end model in the newly launched series.

In the Reddit post, the user asked that “Obviously I’d be happy to upgrade to the Pro, but would I be able to make warranty claims?” Another few questions also include “Would anyone besides Google be getting screwed if I keep it? On the other hand, if I bring this to Google’s attention, do you think they’ll make me send it back without first sending a replacement, given the shortage going on?” But the real question that he asked is “why on earth would someone steal a Pixel 6 and replace it with a Pixel 6 Pro???”

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OPPO A95 4G official renders leaked, launch seems imminent

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Nov 4, 2021

OPPO is soon going to announce the OPPO A95 4G smartphone in some Southeast Asian markets. The hands-on images and renders of the A95 4G have appeared before. Today, tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore has shared new renders of the phone without any watermark.

The OPPO A95 4G can be seen in Starry Black and Rainbow Silver color variants in the new renders. The handset can be seen sporting a punch-hole AMOLED panel and a rear-facing triple camera unit. The left spine of the device has volume buttons, and its right edge features a power key.

The specifications of the OPPO A95 4G are under wraps. However, rumors surrounding it claim that it will be a rebranded version of the OPPO F19 that debuted in India in the recent past.

OPPO A95 specifications (expected)

The OPPO A95 is expected to house a 6.43-inch AMOLED display, which will offer a Full HD+ resolution, an in-screen fingerprint scanner, and a 60Hz refresh rate. The device is likely to be powered by the Snapdragon 662 mobile platform and 8 GB of RAM.

The device may offer 128 GB of built-in storage and a microSD card slot for additional storage. It may run on ColorOS 11.1 based Android 11. It may feature a 16-megapixel front camera and its back panel may house a 48-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. It may house a 5,000mAh battery that carries support for 33W fast charging.

OPPO is also rumored to be working on Reno6 Lite for Colombia. This model is also said to be a rebranded version of F19.

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LG’s exit helps Motorola become the third largest smartphone brand in the US

By

Jeet

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Nov 4, 2021

Market research firm Counterpoint Research has released a new report for the US smartphone market share in the third quarter of this year, i.e. Q3 2021. It reveals that despite component shortages and supply chain issues, companies managed to keep the market recovery ongoing.

However, the highlight of the report is that the Lenovo-owned Motorola has now entered the list of top three smartphone makers in the United States as the company managed to grab the market share of LG.

Motorola’s top three models in Q3 2021 include Moto G Play, Moto G Power, and Moto G Stylus, which is a 5G device. The company wasn’t much affected by the Vietnam factory shutdowns as it manufactures its devices in China.

As noted, with LG exiting the smartphone market, Motorola managed to gain new customers. While it managed to grab the third spot in the US market, with just an 8 percent share, it’s nowhere near the top two leading brands.

Apple remains the leading smartphone brand in the United States with a 42 percent market share, which represents an increase of 9 percent year-on-year. South Korean giant Samsung remains in the second position with a 35 percent market share and the company grew its presence by 18 percent year-on-year.

The report adds that the newly launched iPhone 13 series contributed to 17 percent of Apple’s sales in the third quarter of this year. With the holiday season, the company is expected to strengthen the fourth quarter as well.

On the other hand, Samsung didn’t launch its Galaxy Note-series flagship this time but instead, the brand launched two new foldable smartphones which have exceeded the company’s own goals in terms of sales. On top of that, it also managed to push the Galaxy A32 5G, its most affordable 5G smartphone through carriers.

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Redmi K50 series key specifications leak, reveals 108MP camera, Snapdragon 8-series chip, and more

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Nov 4, 2021

Redmi is reportedly working on the Redmi K50 series of smartphones. The K40 lineup was unveiled in the first quarter this year. Hence, it is likely that the company may unleash the K50 lineup around the same time next year. Today, reliable tipster Digital Chat Station shared a few key specs of Xiaomi’s I11 series phone. The leak suggests that he could be talking about the Redmi K50 models.

The leak reveals that the Xiaomi phone will feature a high-quality curved edge display, a Snapdragon 8-series flagship chipset, and a large-sized battery that supports 67W fast charging.

For photography, it will be equipped with a 108-megapixel primary camera. The handset will offer other features like an x-axis motor and JBL dual stereo speakers. Since JBL is a brand that Redmi cooperates with on the Note 11 lineup, it can be said that the tipster could be talking about the Redmi K50 series phone. To be precise, he seems to have revealed the specs of the Redmi K50 Pro/Pro+ handset.

The K40 lineup included three phones such as the K40, K40 Pro, and K40 Pro+. It is being speculated that the K50 series will also comprise of three devices namely, K50, K50 Pro, and K50 Pro+.

A recent leak claimed that the K005 models will be equipped with an in-screen fingerprint scanner. This indicates that the K50 phones will be arriving with an AMOLED panel. The K50 may feature the Snapdragon 888 or 870 chip, whereas the K50 Pro/Pro+ is expected to arrive with the forthcoming Snapdragon 898 chip.

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Vivo V23e image reveals 50MP selfie camera, design and color variants

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Nov 4, 2021

Vivo is reportedly working on the Vivo V23 series of smartphones. The lineup seems to include at least three devices such as Vivo V23e, Vivo V23, and Vivo V23 Pro. A hands-on video of the V23e had appeared at the beginning of this week to reveal its appearance and key features. Hence, it appears that the V23e may go official soon. Today, tipster Chun shared a banner image of the smartphone. The image reveals its design and some of the key features.

As can be seen in the image below, the Vivo V23e’s display will have a u-shaped notch and a noticeable chin. Its bottom edge has a microphone, a USB-C port, and a speaker grille. Like the predecessor model, it seems to feature an OLED panel with an in-screen fingerprint scanner.

The image states that the Vivo V23e will feature a 50-megapixel front-facing camera and a 64-megapixel rear camera. The handset will come in colors like black and gradient blue.

Rumors surrounding the V23e has revealed that its 64-megapixel triple camera unit will include an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 2-megapixel macro lens. The device will be backed by a 4,030mAh battery that supports 44W fast charging.

The device will run on FunTouch 12 based Android 11. It will ship with 8 GB of RAM. There is no clear information on the chipset of the V23e. The tipster had previously claimed that it has a 5G-ready SoC. The handset is speculated to cost around VND 10,000,000 (~$440).

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Huawei Mate 50 series powered by Snapdragon 898 SoC to launch in Q1 2022

By

Jeet

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Nov 4, 2021

Huawei, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is all set to make its comeback in the premium or flagship category with the launch of the Huawei Mate 50 series smartphones.

Now, it is being reported that the phones in this lineup will be launched in the first quarter of 2022 but no specific timeline has been revealed by the company. If the previous reports are to be believed, then the launch is likely to happen in March 2022.

Earlier, the Huawei Mate 50 series phones were supposed to launch sometime this year but given that the P50 lineup was launched in July this year, much late than its usual timeline of March, the launch of the next-generation Mate series phones was then postponed.

The smartphones in the lineup are expected to come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 898 chipset. Unlike this processor powering other smartphones, it will be different in the Mate 50 series as instead of having 5G support, the chipset will only support 4G connectivity.

Also, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 898 chipset will be manufactured by Samsung using its 4nm process and three-cluster architecture design. The flagship processor is set to go official next month, i.e. December 2021.

The phone is expected to come equipped with an LTPO display — the same technology that we are seeing in the Apple iPhone 13 Pro series. This could mean that the phone will have support for adaptive refresh rate, with support for a high refresh rate of 120Hz.

It could also come with support for satellite connectivity when the cellular network isn’t available. The satellite connectivity will be used to communicate via short message service (SMS) in a situation where a cellular network isn’t an option. For this, the company has reportedly opted for the Beidou Satellite System.

RELATED:

Samsung Galaxy A13 5G again tipped to feature a 50MP camera

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Nov 4, 2021

Samsung is reportedly working on the Galaxy A13 mid-range. Since the Galaxy A12 was announced in November last year, the South Korean company is likely to unveil the Galaxy A13 around the same time this year. It was reported in September that the A13 will come equipped with a 50-megapixel rear camera. Fresh information shared by the South Korean publication The Elec also claims that the A13 will feature a 50-megapixel camera.

According to the publication, the Galaxy A13 5G’s rear camera setup will include a 50-megapixel autofocus enabled main camera, a 5-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth assist camera. To recollect, the Galaxy A12’s quad-camera unit include a 48-megapixel primary camera and the same auxiliary lens.

For selfies, the Galaxy A13 5G may feature an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. It seems that the company will be the Galaxy A12’s selfie camera on the A13. Rumors surrounding the A13 claim that it could be Samsung’s most affordable 5G phone.

Recent reports have revealed that the Galaxy A13 5G has a 6.48-inch LCD FHD+ display with a waterdrop notch. It could be powered by the Dimensity 700 chipset and a 5,000mAh battery, which may support 25W charging. The handset may come in RAM variants like 4 GB, 6 GB, and 8 GB and storage models such as 64 GB and 128 GB. For security, it may feature a side-facing fingerprint scanner.

The Galaxy A13 5G is likely priced at around $249. As mentioned above, the A13 may go official this month or in December.

RELATED:

Moto A10, A50, A70 to launch soon in India, images and key specs emerge

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