Redmi’s GM hints global sales of the Redmi Note series have exceeded 240 million units

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Oct 28, 2021

Back in September, Redmi launched the Redmi Buds 3 in China as its first semi-in-ear truly wireless earphones. This product is yet to make its way to international markets. Ahead of that, the company has now released a lite version of this TWS called Redmi Buds 3 Youth Edition in its home country.

Redmi Buds 3 Youth Edition Specifications and Features

Unlike the original Redmi Buds 3, the Redmi Buds 3 Youth Edition (M2110E1) do not feature a semi-in-ear design. Instead, these earbuds come with an in-ear design. In fact, they even look different.

These earbuds resemble Galaxy Buds+ with wings, while the original Redmi Buds 3 have an AirPods-like design with a stem. However, the case of new ones looks identical to AirPods Pro. In a nutshell, the design of Redmi Buds 3 Youth Edition is inspired by both Samsung and Apple.

The buds feature 6mm drivers and connect via Bluetooth 5.2. They are IP54-rated for dust and water resistance and support touch gesture controls, low latency mode for gaming, as well as ENC (Electronic Noise Cancellation) for calls.

The earbuds weigh 4.2g each and are rated to last 5 hours on a full charge. On the other hand, the entire product along with the USB Type-C-equipped charging case weighs 36g and can offer up to 18 hours of music playback.

Last but not least, the Redmi Buds 3 Youth Edition ship with three pairs of ear tips and two pairs of wings.

Redmi Buds 3 Youth Edition Price and Availability

The Redmi Buds 3 Youth Edition are priced at ¥99 ($16) in China and they come in a single black color option. They are already up for sale in the country.

At the moment, it’s not known whether this product will be made available in international markets.

Early Pixel 6 series owners are reporting a screen flickering issue among other complaints

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 28, 2021

Google’s new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have been getting all the attention lately. The new Pixel smartphones which launched last week have begun to ship to some owners. And while there is a lot to love about them, it appears they are not without issues as complaints have begun to surface.

There are a handful of complaints but all of them are related to the display which appears to be a recurring issue with Pixel phones. For those who don’t remember, there were complaints about the Pixel 5’s display.

The reports about the Pixel 6 series display include a flickering issue on the Pixel 6 Pro. According to a Reddit post, the display of the Pixel 6 Pro flickers when pressing the power button while the phone is off. This is not a one-off issue as the comments under the post confirm many other users are experiencing the same issue. While it doesn’t seem to be a big deal, there are concerns that it might be a precursor to a bigger issue.

Display flickering when pressing start button while phone is off from Pixel6

Another user has complained about a green tint on the display of the Pixel 6. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro both use an OLED panel and this is not an uncommon issue associated with that type of display. Nevertheless, this issue can vary across the board, and depending on the severity, a replacement may be necessary.

Of all the complaints, the weirdest of them all is a second punch hole that has appeared on the Pixel 6 Pro, right below the first one. According to the user who shared a video on Twitter, this is not a damaged display but that the screen was punched twice. In the thread narrating the issue, he revealed he has had the phone swapped.

My pixel 6 pro has a broken screen #Pixel6Pro
The camera cutout has another cutout on it. It's everywhere and not part of the UI. Video follows pic.twitter.com/MH6sT9HOZx

— Mark Schramm 🕹️ #VR #AR (@MarkSchrammVR) October 28, 2021

Google is yet to respond to these claims. The phones are just beginning to ship out today, so these are from those who have gotten their device early. Nevertheless, it is disappointing to see that Google still suffers from quality control issues.

RELATED:

Redmi Note 11 Pro is Available for Pre-order at Giztop for $329

By

Daily Deals

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Oct 28, 2021

Redmi Note 11 Pro is now available for pre-order at $329 only at Giztop.

WHERE TO BUY

Redmi Note 11 Pro at $329 (pre-order)@Giztop

Redmi Note 11 Pro features a 6.67″ Samsung AMOLED display with front and rear dual ambient light sensors and is powered by the TSMC 6nm Dimensity 920 chipset. The phone comes in three memory variants viz: 6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB. Weighing just 207g, Redmi Note 11 Pro is fueled by a 5160mAh battery and supports 67W fast charging. This means you can charge your phone to 100% in just 43 mins.

Redmi Note 11 Pro comes with professionally tuned dual JBL speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack and supports Dolby Atmos. It features a triple rear camera setup with a 108MP main camera and 8MP + 2MP secondary cameras. For the selfie camera, you have a 16MP sensor in the front.

Giztop is now accepting pre-orders for Redmi Note 11 Pro, Black color varaint. The 6GB + 128GB variant is available for $329 while the 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB variants can be bought for $379 and $439 respectively.

Please note that Giztop is accepting only pre-orders and the actual shipment of the product will start after the first week of November. So place your pre-order asap.

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

Redmi Watch 2 launched with AMOLED display, GPS, 117 sports modes, and more

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Oct 28, 2021

At the Redmi Note 11 series launch event in China, Redmi also unveiled Redmi Watch 2. The latest smartwatch from the brand is the successor to the Redmi Watch from last year. Ahead of the official announcement, the company only teased the display of the product. Now, as the firm has taken the wraps off the wearable, let’s take a look at what it has to offer.

Redmi Watch 2 Specifications and Features

The Redmi watch 2 (M2102W1) features a polycarbonate (plastic) build like its predecessor. However, it sports a larger and better 1.6-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 320 x 360 pixels.

The wearable uses a 125 ~ 205m interchangeable TPU strap. The product measures 39.1 x 34.4 x 9.98mm in dimensions without the strap and weighs only 31g with the strap. It is 5 ATM water-resistant and can also track swims. In fact, it offers 117 sports modes with automatic detection for some.

Further, the device runs a customized RTOS like any other budget smartwatches in the market. This means it is merely a fitness tracker disguised as a smartwatch.

It connects with smartphones (Android 5.0+, iOS 10.0+) via Bluetooth 5.0. It has all the essential sensors like an optical heart rate sensor, an SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen level monitoring, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, and an ambient light sensor for auto-brightness.

Unlike most affordable wearables, it also comes with GNSS (BeiDou, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO) for accurate activity tracking. It also features NFC for travel passes and access control.

Other features include 100+ watch faces, sleep tracking, stress monitoring, menstrual cycle tracking, breathing exercise, Xiao AI device controls, and more.

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Last but not least, the Redmi Watch 2 is backed by a 225mAh battery that charges via an included magnetic charger. The brand claims 12 days of endurance on normal usage, 7 days on heavy usage, and 18 hours on GNSS activity tracking.

Redmi Watch 2 Price and Availability

The Redmi Watch 2 is priced at ¥399 ($62) in China. However, it will be sold at ¥349 ($55) during the first sale at 12 AM on November 1. It is already up for pre-order.

The smartwatch comes in three colors, namely Elegant Black, Space Blue, and Ivory White. Customers can also opt for three more colors (Pine Needle Green, Light Brown Tea, Cherry Blossom Powder) of straps separately.

Like the original Redmi Watch, the Redmi Watch 2 will likely launch in international markets in the near future.

AGM G1 and AGM G1 Pro rugged phones pack a Snapdragon 480 chip, thermal imaging, and a 3.5W speaker

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 28, 2021

AGM, the Chinese rugged smartphone manufacturer, has announced two new rugged smartphones today. The AGM G1 and AGM G1 Pro not only have 5G but pack lots of features you won’t find on your regular smartphone.

AGM G1 and AGM G1 Pro Design

The two phones share a similar design but there are subtle differences that distinguish them apart. AGM says it has designed a new modular chassis for the phones which allows them to be moded.

The two phones have a waterdrop notch for the front-facing camera and a thick bottom bezel. On the back is a big round protrusion for the gigantic speaker it packs. The cameras and LED flash are arranged around this protrusion while a fingerprint scanner sits below.

The AGM G1 differs from the AGM G1 Pro with respect to the orange accent on the latter. This accent can be seen around the display, on the back, and on the corners of the phone.

It is important to mention that these are rugged phones with big batteries, so they are not lightweight. The AGM G1 weighs 360 grams while the pro model is 10 grams heavier.

AGM G1 and AGM G1 Pro specifications

The AGM G1 and AGM G1 Pro both have a 6.53-inch FHD+ LCD display. While it doesn’t say the type of protection available on the screens, AGM claims that it offers diamond-grade resistance. There is also glove support and the phone will continue to work at a temperature range between -30°C and 60°C. It can even operate for about half an hour when the temperature drops to -40°C.

Powering both phones is the Snapdragon 480 5G processor paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. There is support for storage expansion for users that need more space for apps and files.

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The cameras on the phones are a 48MP main sensor, a 20MP Night Vision camera, and a 2MP macro camera. The phone can take clear and sharp photos in the dark thanks to the infrared night vision camera. This camera is also useful for detecting hidden cameras. However, only the pro model has support for thermal imaging. Both devices have a 16MP front-facing camera.

The AGM G1 series has a 3.5W speaker with an amplitude of 112dB. There is also a Smart PA that ensures the sound output is clear and not distorted. Another feature both phones have is a one-key rangefinder positioned at the top for measuring the distance between two positions.

AGM says both phones not only have an IP68 MAX rating but also an IP69K rating which is for protection against high temperature and high-pressure water. They are also MIL-STD-810H certified.

There is a massive 6200mAh battery inside each phone and they ship with an 18W power adapter. Both the AGM G1 and AGM G1 Pro run X OS 6 based on Android 11 out of the box.

AGM G1 Series Price and Availability

The AGM G1 has a price tag of ¥3699 (~$578) while the AGM G1 Pro is priced at ¥4999 (~$782). The two phones are available for pre-order on JD.com starting today and will be available for purchase on October 31.

RELATED:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4p0wrCBmV8

Apple 2021 MacBook Pro finally brings ‘DIY-friendly’ battery replacement design: iFixit

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Oct 28, 2021

Apple has just recently launched its 2021 MacBook Pro laptops. And now, iFixit has just released its teardown of the company’s latest laptops. One of the highlighting aspect found during this teardown was the redesigned internals, which allowed for a “DIY-friendly” batter replacement process.

In a recent report iFixit noted that the new MacBook Pro models offers the “first reasonably DIY-friendly battery replacement procedure since 2012.” Furthermore, iFixit added that the Cupertino based giant had traditionally glued the battery of the MacBook Pro to the top case of the notebook. This practice had started with the first Retina MacBook Pro that was launched back in 2012. But in major shift in design, the iPhone maker has now included a battery pull tabs to make the process of replacing batteries easier.

The report stated that usually one would have to get to the battery last as it was difficult to remove. However, this has changed with the latest 14 inch and 16 inch MacBook Pro models. The changes in design doesn’t just stop there as now, the battery pack isn’t stuck under the logic board either. In other words, disassembling the MacBook Pro and having to replace its battery won’t have one go through the process of tearing down the laptop’s primary components. According to iFixit, this is by far one the more “reasonable and do-it-yourself friendly as well internal design that Apple has offered with its MacBook Pro.

RELATED:

Redmi Note 11 trio announced with a mix of OLED/LCD screens, MediaTek SoCs & more!

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 28, 2021

Xiaomi‘s Redmi brand has finally announced the Redmi Note 11 series after several teasers that indeed achieved their purpose of hyping the device. The products live up to their billing in all aspects – from the processors, design, and other hardware features to the pricing.

The Redmi Note 11 series is made up of the Redmi Note 11, Note 11 Pro, and Note 11 Pro+. The two Pro models arrive with almost similar specifications, save for a few differences. They are both powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G chipset which brings 5G. The processor is manufactured using TSMC’s 6nm process with two Cortex-A78 cores which provides an excellent balance of performance and power consumption.

In terms of appearance, the Redmi Note 11 series adopts a new trendy small vertical edge design. The design is similar to the iPhone 13’s right-angle frame design. The device is equipped with a 2.5D AG glass body.

The Redmi Note 11 Pro series is equipped with a 6.67-inch Samsung AMOLED screen with support for a 120Hz refresh rate. The display also comes with an FHD+ resolution of 2400×1080 pixels.

On the other hand, the Redmi Note 11 features a 6.6-inch LCD screen that brings support for a 90Hz screen refresh rate and an FHD+ resolution of 2400×1080 pixels. The models all come with VC liquid cooling for heat dissipation and it can effectively reduce the body temperature by 3 degrees.

In terms of photography, the Redmi Note 11 series all pack a 16-megapixel selfie camera on the front. At the rear, the Redmi Note 11 packs a 50-megapixel ultra-clear main camera teamed up with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor. The premium Redmi Note 11 Pro and Note 11 Pro+ feature a 108-megapixel ultra-clear main camera alongside an 8MP super wide-angle and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. The main camera has a single pixel as large as 2.1μm and also features dual ISO technology, which can shoot more pure night scenes with less noise.

The Redmi Note 11 gets its juice from a 5000mAh battery that has support for 33W fast charging. The device can be fully charged in just 62 minutes. the Note 11 Pro is equipped with a 5160mAh battery that supports 67W fast charging and can be fully charged in 43 minutes.

The top-end Redmi Note 11 Pro+ is equipped with a 4500mAh battery and features support for a massive 120W super-fast charging. The device can go from zero to full charge in just 15 minutes. There is a Comfortable mode that reduces the charging speed. In this mode, the battery goes from zero to full charge in just 19 minutes but the charging temperature is also lower. The good thing is the device ships with a 120W charging adapter so you won’t need to buy one separately.

In other respects, the Note 11 series retains the 3.5mm headphone jack. They are also equipped with JBL symmetrical stereo speakers (except the Redmi Note 11). They are also equipped with NFC, infrared, and X-axis linear motors, Wi-Fi 6, and other features.

Pricing & Availability

Here are the prices of the Redmi Note 11 series models.

Redmi Note 11

Colors: Mysterious Black, Galaxy Blue, Mint Green

Price :
4GB+128GB – 1199 yuan / ₹14000 / $187
6GB+128GB – 1299 yuan / ₹15200 / $203
8GB+128GB – 1499 yuan / ₹17500 / $234
8GB+ 256GB – 1699 yuan / ₹19800 / $265

Redmi Note 11 PRO:

Color: Fog Green, Mystery Black & Purple

Price:
6GB + 128GB – 1599 yuan / ₹18700 / $ 250
8GB + 128GB – 1899 yuan / ₹22200 / $297
8GB + 256GB – 2099 yuan / ₹24570 / $328

Redmi Note 11 PRO+:

Color: Fog Green, Mystery Black & Purple

Price:
6GB + 128GB – 1999 yuan / ₹23378 / $ 312
8GB + 128GB – 2099 yuan / ₹24565 / $328
8GB + 256GB – 2299 yuan / ₹26906 / $359

RELATED:

Mysterious Asus Zenfone 8 ‘ramdump’ error is forcing users to get motherboard replacements

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Oct 28, 2021

Some flagship Asus devices with the Snapdragon 888 chip like Zenfone 8, ZenFone 8 Flip, and ROG Phone 5 are getting bricked due to a mysterious ‘ramdump’ error. And the only definitive fix at the moment seems to be getting a motherboard replacement.

There has been a slew of complaints from device owners on the official Asus forums saying that their phone’s screen went black on its own and booted into a screen with a “Waiting for flashing full ramdump…” message. This occurred with various use cases such as the phone being left on charge overnight, being left idle, or even during regular usage.

Unfortunately, after the issue strikes, there is seemingly no way to get out of it. Holding down on the power and volume up buttons to enter recovery mode only leads back to the ‘ramdump’ screen. The only option thus left for users is taking their phone to the service center, which is fruitless as they suggest an entire motherboard replacement. And motherboard replacements do not come cheap – sometimes costing nearly as much as the device itself.

Back in August, an Asus community moderator did report that they were investigating the issue and searching for its root cause. But over two months later, new complaints have continued to pile up, and Asus still seems to be stuck on recommending motherboard replacements.

Some users found that holding all three buttons down together (power + volume up + volume down) did get them out of the ‘ramdump’ screen and into the bootloader mode. The technique for this is keeping the three buttons pressed until the fastboot mode pops up for a split second. When that happens, do not lift your fingers and continue holding down on the keys until the phone actually stays put on the fastboot screen. Then, let go of the power button followed by the volume buttons.

This has only worked for a few users though and isn’t guaranteed to work for you. No harm in trying though.

Still no luck? Then your best bet would be waiting for Asus to roll out a fix. In the meantime, you can always tweet about the Asus Zenfone 8 and ROG Phone 5 ‘ramdump’ bricking error to pull the company’s attention to it.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

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Realme might be planning to launch an Electric Scooter in India

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Oct 28, 2021

Recently, the electric vehicle market has seen a boom across the globe. This has even caused smartphone brands to diversify their interests into this field, and now, it seems like Realme is also planning on jumping on the EV bandwagon.

The latest rumor regarding the Chinese smartphone brand entering the EV market arrives from RushLane, who spotted a trademark from the company. Previously, we had also reported on brands like Apple, Xiaomi, Oppo, and even Huawei diversifying into the automobile market, and now it appears that another Chinese brand is joining this category as well. The company has filed a new trademark in India under the “vehicles, apparatus for locomotion by land, air or water.”

Notably, its former parent company, Oppo, had recently also unveiled its Carlink Smart Car solution while Xiaomi had revealed its 10 billion US Dollar investment for its electric vehicle project earlier this year. So, it doesn’t arrive as a complete surprise that Realme is also considering opportunities in the EV market. This trademark was filed by Realme Mobile Telecommunications (Shenzhen) Co Ltd back when it had first launched its first smartphone in the Indian market.

India is one of the emerging market for electric vehicles, with scooters and motorcycles in particular. So, RushLane believes that an electric scooter from the company might be in the works for the Indian market. Keep in mind that this is still just a trademark and does not officially confirm the brand’s entry into the market, so take this report with a pinch of salt for now. However, looking at the recent success of Ola Electric scooter in the region, other brands could possibly follow up with their own offerings.

RELATED:

Alleged Xiaomi 12 Lite series specs emerge

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Oct 28, 2021

Every now and then, upcoming Xiaomi devices get spotted in MIUI code months ahead of their launch. Two such smartphones codenamed Zijin and Taoyao have now popped up. They are said to go official as Xiaomi 12 Lite series.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G White — Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G

Xiaomiui has spotted two forthcoming smartphones in MIUI code. These devices bear model numbers L9 and L9B respectively. The former is codenamed Zijin, whereas the latter is called Taoyao.

The source of this information says that both these handsets will sport an FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an in-screen fingerprint sensor. They will be powered by a Qualcomm SM7325 chipset and will feature a triple rear camera setup.

The only major difference will be the third camera. Xiaomi Zijin will have a telephoto camera instead of a macro camera like on Xiaomi Taoyao. The other two cameras will be a primary wide sensor and a secondary ultra-wide unit on both of them.

Lastly, the source says that Zijin with be a China-only handset, while Taoyao will be available in global markets. They also suggest that these phones will release as Xiaomi 12 Lite series.

That’s because the Mi 10 Lite and Mi 10 Youth Edition launched in 2020 also differed only in terms of camera setup. Just like these unreleased devices, the one with the telephoto camera was exclusive to China.

Having said that, we are certain that the specs of these smartphones could be accurate as Xiaomiui is a reliable source. However, the official names of the phones could be something else as the source has been mostly wrong in guessing the marketing names.

Adidas partners with Marshall’s manufacturer for 3 sporty TWS earbuds

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Oct 28, 2021

Adidas is partnering up with Zound and has just launched three new truly wireless earbuds under its branding. The new wireless earphones are being by the Swedish company that produces headphones under the Urbanears and Marshall brands.

Now, Zound is making TWS earbuds under the Adidas brand and is releasing three new true wireless earbuds that arrive with a sporty and stylish design. Out of the three, the Z.N.E 01 ANC is the flagship, which features active noise cancellation with swappable ear tips. Notably, the earphones also features the iconic three stripes branding as well. The earbuds offer up to 20 hours of battery in a single full charge with 4.5 hours from the buds with 15.5 hours from the case.

The second TWS earbuds is the standard Z.N.E 01. Unlike the flagship variant, this does not feature active noise cancellation. These earphones are also more in line with standard modern TWS offerings but feature the Adidas logo stamped on the sides. Unfortunately, it does not offer the custom ear tips but offers a longer battery life overall. Its buds alone last 5 hours while the charging case adds another 20 hours.

The final earbuds launched under the popular sports brand is the FWD-02 Sport. It is a new TWS earbuds that does offer swappable ear tips and wings, along with a force sensor that lets you input controls while wearing gloves as well. Since the earbud is also geared towards sports and physical activities, it features IPX5 rating to protect against sweat and rain. These earbuds will run for up to six hours, while the charging case offers an additional 19 hours of audio playback.

The Z.N.E 01 ANC is currently available for purchase for a price of 189 US Dollars from the official Adidas headphones website, while the Z.N.E 01 is available for a price of 89 US Dollars. On the other hand, the FWD-02 Sport will cost 169 US Dollars and will start shipping sometime in November.

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Apple suppliers using clean energy have doubled in just a year in an effort to achieve carbon neutrality

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Oct 28, 2021

Apple today announced with a press release that it has more than doubled the number of suppliers committed to using 100 percent clean energy over the last year, boosting progress towards its goal of achieving carbon neutrality across its products as well as supply chain by 2030.

In total, 175 Apple suppliers will switch to clean and renewable energy. This will bring over 9 gigawatts of clean energy online throughout the world. Over 18 million metric tonnes of CO2e will be avoided annually as a result of these initiatives, which is the equivalent of removing over 4 million cars from the road every year.

tim cook weibo apple renewable energy — Source: Tim Cook’s Weibo

The company added 10 new projects for its first-of-a-kind Power for Impact initiative to bring clean energy solutions to communities around the world. These projects are designed to provide renewable power to under-resourced communities while supporting economic growth and social impact.

The company also announced 10 new projects for its groundbreaking Power for Impact initiative, which aims to offer renewable energy solutions to communities all around the world. The initiative is intended to supply low-income communities with renewable energy while also promoting economic growth.

Apple_clean-energy-update_wind_10272021 — Image: Apple

Apple, which claims to already be carbon neutral across global operations, is now aiming for all of the devices sold by it to have a net-zero climate impact as well. And things to achieve the goal have already been set in motion – the company expanded the amount of recycled material in its products and established new projects focused on environmental justice. All in all, Apple has reduced its carbon emissions by 40 percent over the past five years.

“Every company should be a part of the fight against climate change, and together with our suppliers and local communities, we’re demonstrating all of the opportunity and equity green innovation can bring,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re acting with urgency, and we’re acting together. But time is not a renewable resource, and we must act quickly to invest in a greener and more equitable future.”

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Samsung sees record sales and new 3 year high operating profit in Q3 2021

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Oct 28, 2021

Earlier today (28th October 2021), Samsung Electronics have revealed its financial report for the third quarter of this year, which showcased its strong performance especially with its semiconductor business booming.

In the period between July and September, the South Korean tech giant’s net profits rose by a sizeable 31.3 percent, with the brand’s profits reaching 12.29 trillion won (roughly 10.5 billion US Dollars. The brand shared the financial figures on a regulatory filing that also showcased its operating profits rising by 28 percent in the third quarter, reaching 15.82 trillion won (roughly 13.5 billion US Dollars). Notably, the operating profit was also the largest ever since the third quarter of 2018.

During this same period, the world’s largest smartphone maker’s sales also hit a quarterly record of 73.98 trillion won (roughly 63.2 billion US Dollars). Similarly, Samsung’s operating profits were also up by 26 percent from the previous quarter, with its sales also surging by 10 percent. According to TheKoreanHerald, the primary factor that enabled the company’s strong performance was its chip unit that saw robust growth amid rising memory chip prices, improving yield rates, and higher profitability at its contract based chipmaking business.

Furthermore, its mobile business also saw gains thanks to the launch of its latest generation of foldable smartphones, namely the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3. While the company saw growth in various segments, certain areas might see a slowdown in the following quarter. Reports have surfaced that point at DRAM/memory chips pricing expected to fall by around 15 to 20 percent in the fourth quarter.

RELATED:

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 becomes new Geekbench champion, dethrones Asus ROG Phone 3

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Oct 28, 2021

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is now the most powerful Android device in existence, at least if you swear by the Geekbench Android Benchmark Chart. The recently-released foldable tablet has been benchmarked enough times to show up on the chart, with a single-core score of 1051 and a multi-core score of 3317.

For comparison, the ASUS ROG Phone 3 that ranks second in the multi-core chart has scored 3235, which may indicate that the Duo 2 is even more powerful than a gaming phone. And in the single-core chart, the Duo 2 has overtaken the Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G‘s score of 966, becoming the new champion.

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The Microsoft Duo 2 does come with Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 processor and is also fitted with 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and up to 512GB storage, so it figures. However, enthusiasts will be aware of the fact that the Snapdragon 888 has now been succeeded by the Snapdragon 888 Plus. The chip is featured in phones like the Vivo X70 Pro+, Xiaomi Mix 4, and the Black Shark 4S – phones that are all missing from the chart.

Of course, most of the devices with the SD888+, if not all, will be outperforming the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 in terms of Geekbench scores. But they haven’t made it to the chart proving that it is incomplete.

Still, the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 can momentarily enjoy its position as the fastest overall device in the Geekbench list, at least until it’s overthrown by some other device sooner or later. But its performance comes at a huge cost too. The foldable device starts at $1,499 which is definitely no joke. This, despite it being reportedly plagued by numerous software bugs. But hey, at least it runs fast.

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OPPO A16K renders and specs leak ahead of launch

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Oct 28, 2021

At the end of August, OPPO A55 and OPPO A16K received essential certifications. The former device even went official earlier this month. Now, the latter has appeared in renders ahead of its launch. Even some of its specs got leaked.

OPPO A16K Renders Leak Featured A — OPPO A16K | Source: 91Mobiles

Industry sources of 91Mobiles have shared the renders of the upcoming OPPO A16K (CPH2349). They have even revealed the important features of the handset.

Going by the images and the name, the OPPO A16K will be an entry-level smartphone offering from OPPO. The device will house a single rear camera on a square island module and a dewdrop notch on the front. It is expected to feature a polycarbonate (plastic) build like any other phone in its segment.

As far as specifications are concerned, the handset is said to sport a 6.52-inch display with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels (HD+). It will be powered by MediaTek Helio G35 SoC paired with 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage.

The phone will have a 13MP sensor on the back and a 5MP shooter on the front. It will run ColorOS 11.1 based on Android 11 and will be backed by a 4,230mAh battery with support for 10W charging.

Being a budget smartphone, it will lack a fingerprint sensor. However, it will arrive with a MicroSD card slot and should also have a 3.5mm headphone though it is not revealed yet.

Last but not least, the product will measure 164 X 75.4 X 7.85mm in dimensions, weigh 175g, and will arrive in three colors (black, white, blue).

OPPO is yet to make an official announcement regarding the launch of OPPO A16K.

Snapdragon 898 and Dimensity 2000 feature identical ARM architecture: Tipster

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Oct 28, 2021

Qualcomm and MediaTek are gearing up for the launch of their next generation of flagship mobile processors that will compete against one another in the high end smartphone segment. Now, a new leak has just revealed the architecture of both SoCs (system on chip).

This leak arrives from known Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station who revealed that both the Snapdragon 898 SoC and the Dimensity 2000 will be based on the same ARM based architecture. The Qualcomm and MediaTek chipsets will feature the latest ARM Cortex X2 super cores along with the Cortex A710 and Cortex A510 cores. In other words, both chips will be based on ARM’s V9 architecture.

For those unaware, the X2 super cores and A710 cores are high performance cores while the A510 cores are geared for efficiency. This leak is in line with our previous report that had stated that both chips will be nearly identical in terms of their CPU. On the other hand, the difference will come down to the GPU, with the Qualcomm chip featuring an Adreno GPU while the MediaTek processor have an ARM Mali GPU.

So, we can expect the Snapdragon 898 to have an edge over the Dimensity 2000, since the Adreno has traditionally been faster over the Mali GPU. But, this might not be reflected in the CPU side since the Dimensity 2000 features higher clock speeds of 2.85GHz over the 2.5GHz clock speed on the Snapdragon 898 processor for their X2 and Cortex A710 performance cores. Notably, the tipster also stated that the upcoming high end Qualcomm and MediaTek chips will be based on the 4nm technology from TSMC as well. But it remains to be seen how both chips stack up against each other.

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HONOR made a strong comeback in China beating Xiaomi in Q3 2021

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Oct 28, 2021

Counterpoint Research has released its report on China Smartphone Market for Q3 2021. According to the firm, sales dropped by 9% YoY but increased by 3% QoQ. It is worth noting that the second quarter of 2021 witnessed the lowest Q2 sales since 2012. Hence, the QoQ improvement in the last quarter is negligible.

HONOR 50 Pro All Colors Rear Featured — HONOR 50 Pro

In Q2, the sales of smartphones in China plummeted as the competition could not fill the void left by HUAWEI. Whereas, in Q3, the lack of new features did not create enough demand for smartphones. At the same time, the industry went through component shortages.

Talking about bands, vivo continued to lead the market with a 23% market share, closely followed by OPPO with a 20% market share. As HONOR made a strong comeback with multiple products, it easily beat Xiaomi to take over the third position with a 15% market share.

India’s largest smartphone brand slipped to fourth place with a 14% market share in its home country. Apple, HUAWEI, and realme completed the chart with 13%, 8%, and 4% market shares respectively.

Unsurprisingly, HONOR was the fastest-growing smartphone brand in China in Q3 2021. Its market share almost doubled from 7.7% in Q2 2021 to 14.7% in Q3 2021 as the company’s sales grew 96% QoQ. It was expected as the brand is not only favored by the locals but over 30 distributors and retailers are its investors.

The HONOR 50 series and HONOR 20 were one of the top-sellers in the country last quarter. The HONOR Magic3 series, on the other hand, is not expected to be a major sales contributor even in the future.

HONOR’s biggest competitor will continue to be Xiaomi as both brands have a huge presence online. It will be interesting to see how these companies with stack up against each other in the coming quarters.

As far as the new market leaders are concerned, vivo and OPPO grew 21% YoY and 26% YoY respectively. However, their best-selling models were sub-$500 handsets like vivo S10, vivo S10 Pro, vivo Y31s, vivo Y52s, OPPO Reno6, OPPO A55, and OPPO A93.

Other Chinese OEMs are still struggling to make a name for themselves in the premium segment after the downfall of HUAWEI. Hence, Apple iPhones are currently the only most-preferred high-end smartphones by consumers in China.

Last but not least, 5G smartphone sales accounted for 79% of the total smartphones sales in China in Q3 2021. HONOR 20 and Redmi 9A were the only 4G-enabled devices in the top 10 best-selling smartphones list. Lack of 4G chips contributed to the increase in 5G phone sales but they also played a key role in an overall sales decline.

Honor X30i launched with lightweight aluminum alloy body and Dimensity 810 chip

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