Vivo Y33s gets 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant in Nigeria

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Oct 18, 2021

The HomePod Mini launched a little over a year ago as a more affordable version of the HomePod which wasn’t much of a success. The $99 HomePod Mini has seen wider adoption than its bigger sibling which has now been discontinued. For those expecting a successor, Apple has decided against and launched three new colors instead.

When it was announced last year, the HomePod Mini was available in two colors – Space Gray and White. Today, interested buyers can pre-order the speaker in Blue, Yellow, and Orange. It is still priced at $99 and will begin shipping in November.

The addition of new colors will provide more options for buyers to pick a color that better matches their apartments or rooms. Apple is taking a leaf out of Google’s book. The Nest Mini is available in Chalk, Charcoal, Coral, and Sky.

The HomePod Mini has an Apple S5 chipset that helps with computational audio. Two speakers can work together as stereo speakers, and if you have more than one HomePod Mini in the house, you can send a message to the other speakers using a feature called Intercom. You can also use Intercom to send and receive messages on your other devices such as your iPhone, Apple Watch, CarPlay, and AirPods.

Like smart speakers from Amazon and Google, the HomePod Mini will answer questions, control smart home devices, set reminders, and play your favorite podcasts. It can recognize up to six different voices and provide personalized responses depending on the user.

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Vivo Y3s with an Helio P35 chipset launched in India for Rs. 9,490 (~$126)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 18, 2021

Vivo has announced an entry-level smartphone for the Indian market. The Vivo Y3s comes as the latest offering under the Y series but that is just for the Indian market. The device was announced in China last year alongside the Y30. What it brings with it, aside from the decent specs line, is a super-affordable price tag of Rs. 9,490 (~$126).

As for the specifications, the Vivo Y3s features a 6.51-inch Halo FullView display with an HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The device is powered by an Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P35 12nm processor with IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU. The processor is paired with 2GB RAM while there is 32GB of expandable memory onboard.

For photography, the Vivo Y3s packs a single 13MP main camera with f/2.2 aperture and LED flash at the rear. For selfies, there is a 5MP camera with an f/1.8 aperture. The phone doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner.

For interface, the Y3s runs on Android 11-based FunTouch OS 11. Under the hood, there is a decent 5000mAh battery with 10W charging over a MicroUSB port. It equally packs dual SIM slots and dedicated MicroSD slots. You also get a 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, Bluetooth 5, GPS/ GLONASS/ Beidou.

The vivo Y3s is available from Vivo India’s e-store, Amazon India, Flipkart, Tata CLiQ, Paytm, Bajaj Finserv EMI store, and across all retail stores right now. The phone comes in Starry Blue, Pearl White, and Mint Green colors with a gradient back design.

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Vivo S12 series may launch next month with a new design

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Oct 18, 2021

Earlier today, the Vivo S10e was announced in China with no fanfare. It appears the reason for that is because a successor is coming next month. According to a leak from China, the Vivo S12 series is launching next month and it will come with a new design.

Vivo S10 and S10 Pro official renders leaked- — Vivo S10 and Vivo S10 Pro’ successors may drop the notch

The Vivo S10, Vivo S10 Pro, and the Vivo S10e all have a notch albeit of varying sizes. It is a design that can be termed outdated when compared to those from competitors. If you are one of those that don’t like the wide-notch on the Vivo S10 and Vivo S10 Pro, then you should look out for their successor coming next month.

According to the Weibo account @Arsenal, the Vivo S12 will have a flat and rigid display supplied by Samsung. Considering Samsung doesn’t have any display with a wide rectangular notch, we can expect the phone to have a centered punch hole. He also adds that the back of the phone is flat and the frame is metallic and flat.

For the Vivo S12 Pro, the source said the display will be supplied by BOE and it will be curved and flexible. It will also have a 3D curved glass back and a rounded middle frame. He also adds that the Vivo S12 Pro will be launched in three colors when it is available for purchase while the Vivo S12 will be available in only one color.

There is no information about their processors, cameras, and battery capacity. Nevertheless, we won’t be surprised if some of the specifications of the Vivo S10 series are carried forward since the focus seems to be on the design of the new phones.

All of these are unconfirmed, so even though the source has a good track record, we advise the info be taken with a pinch of salt.

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Official prices for upcoming Realme products revealed by offline store

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Oct 18, 2021

Realme has a launch event scheduled for tomorrow in China and it has been confirmed that it is for multiple products including the Realme GT Neo2T and the Realme Watch T1. However, you don’t have to wait until tomorrow to know how much these products will cost as an offline store has revealed their prices.

A photo posted on Weibo which was taken outside a Realme store shows a banner with the prices of the three new products launching tomorrow. The photo was posted on Weibo by the Weibo leaker @Arsenal.

The image shows that the Realme GT Neo 2T (stylized as Realme GT Neo2T) will have a price tag of ¥2299 (~$358). The price is just ¥200 (~$31) lower than that of the base model of the Realme GT Neo2 which has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Unfortunately, the banner doesn’t state the configuration of the phone with that price tag.

The Realme GT Neo 2T will have a 6.43-inch AMOLED display, 64MP triple rear cameras, a Dimensity 1200 processor, and a 4500mAh battery with support for 65W fast charging.

The Realme Q3s which is the second smartphone planned for launch will sell for ¥1899 (~$295). It has been reported that the phone will have a Snapdragon 778G processor, a 6.59-inch LCD display with a 144Hz refresh rate, 48MP triple rear cameras, and a 5000mAh battery capacity.

Realme will also launch its first smartwatch for the Chinese market, the Realme Watch T1, and it is priced at ¥999 (~$155). The watch will have a round dial and be available in three colors one of which matches the Neo Green colorway of the Realme GT Neo2.

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iQOO Z5x will arrive in three colors: Official

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Oct 18, 2021

Chinese smartphone brand iQOO has confirmed to launch a new handset called iQOO Z5x on October 20. Ahead of that, the company has been teasing the features of the phone. The latest teaser reveals all of its three colors.

According to the official iQOO Weibo account, the upcoming iQOO Z5x will arrive in the following three colors.

Lens Black
Fog Sea White
Sandstone Orange.

The company has even shared the renders attached above. We can see that the device will come with a vertically aligned dual-camera setup and an iQOO branding on the rear. We can also see an embedded fingerprint sensor on its power button.

As per previous reports, the iQOO Z5x will sport a 6.58-inch TFT LCD panel with FHD+ resolution and a punch-hole at the top left corner. The smartphone will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC paired with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage.

Further, it is expected to house a dual rear camera setup on the back consisting of a 50MP primary sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor. For selfies and video calls, it will use an 8MP shooter.

Other expected features of the smartphone include Android 11, 5,000mAh battery, and 44W fast charging. Finally, it is said to measure 163.95 x 75.30 x 8.5mm in dimensions and weigh 169g.

Samsung, Qualcomm, & Verizon together achieve 711mbps 5G upload speeds in lab test

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Oct 18, 2021

Samsung Electronics, Qualcomm Technologies, and Verizon managed to reach 5G upload speeds of 711 Mbps in a lab trial using aggregated bands of mmWave spectrum – the fastest ever for the three. The trio has continued to push the very boundaries of 5G using innovation to achieve more and more from the revolutionary technology.

The record was achieved by combining 400MHz of Verizon’s 5G mmWave frequency and 20MHz of 4G frequency using the latest 5G technologies, including mmWave carrier aggregation and Single-User MIMO (SU-MIMO). Samsung’s contribution was a 28GHz 5G Compact Macro, while the test device was powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System.

Samsung’s Compact Macro combines a baseband, radio, and antenna in a single physical factor to deliver 5G mmWave. This tiny and lightweight solution may be easily installed on the sides of buildings as well as on utility poles for the rapid 5G deployment.

The Snapdragon X65 is Qualcomm’s fourth-generation 5G mmWave Modem-RF System for phones, mobile broadband, computers, etc. The first mobile devices with it are expected to go live in late 2021. Current smartphones make use of the Snapdragon X60 5G modem.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 — Snapdragon 888 processor comes with X60 5G modem

The implication of the 711mbps uplink speed achievement is seamless, super-fast video and photo uploads to the cloud or social media. Such speeds will also allow students and employees to upload and synchronize massive files, simultaneously edit documents in the cloud, and collaborate with colleagues effortlessly.

These breakthrough uplink speeds will also drive new private network use cases for enterprises. Faster uplink speeds can enable quality control solutions for manufacturers using artificial intelligence to identify tiny product defects in products visible only through ultra HD video feeds. Other upload-intensive solutions such as multi-location, massive security video capabilities and augmented reality-centered customer experiences will also get a boost with these increased speeds.

Further, enterprises will be benefiting from the upload speeds as well. Manufacturers will be able to use AI to identify defects in products visible only through ultra HD video feeds. Other upload-intensive technologies like multi-location, large security video capabilities, and augmented reality will benefit too.

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Apple offers 20% bonus on adding funds to Apple ID in India

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Oct 18, 2021

To promote payments using the Apple ID balance, the company is now offering a 20 percent bonus to users in India who add funds to their ID. Users in the region can now benefit from this incentive by simply adding funds to their Indian IDs.

Interesting, Apple giving 20% extra to Indians who add funds to their Apple ID 😮 pic.twitter.com/WQEIPqUI1q

— Mustafa (@mufasaYC) October 16, 2021

The news arrives after the Cupertino based giant notified developers regarding a change in Indian’s local payments system. Now, the iPhone maker is asking developers to promote the payments being made through the Apple ID balance, with the company now offering a 20 percent bonus to Indian users that are adding funds on their IDs. This was also shared by developer Mustafa Yusuf on Twitter (Via 9To5Mac).

Furthermore, this promotional offer is valid through 31st October 2021 and will be available when adding 100 to 15,000 INR (roughly from 1 to 199 US Dollars) to the Apple ID. In other words, if a user adds 2,000 INR to their Apple ID, they can avail a bonus of 400 INR on their account. Similarly, if the funds being added amounts to 10,000 INR, then the bonus amount will include an extra 2,000 INR.

Notably, the move from the brand arrives as a new directive from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandates banks to require user approval through a new authentication system in order to approve recurring transactions using credit and debit cards. The smartphone maker stated that the new directive will impact apps with the auto renewable subscription payment systems, so it has asked developers to promote payments from its the company’s ID balance as it won’t be affected by the new changes from RBI.

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Samsung Galaxy S22 series design revealed in new schematics

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Oct 18, 2021

Over the last couple of weeks, various rumors and reports regarding the Samsung Galaxy S22 series have surfaced online. Now, a new leak has apparently revealed the official design of the upcoming flagship lineup.

New schematics of the Galaxy S22 series have just surfaced online that reveal certain measurements and port positions on the yet to be launched devices. For those unaware, the South Korean tech giant is expected to launch three models of the Galaxy S22 series next year, which includes the base variant, the high end Ultra model, and a new Pro version that replaces the “+” variant. The new schematics highlight the exact dimensions of all three models.

In other words, we now know how tall, wide, and thick the new flagship lineup will be, as shared by known tipster Tron on Twitter. The schematics further showcases that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will feature a design that is similar to the Galaxy Note series. This is most noticeably highlighted when looking at its camera module, which is different from the base and Pro variant.

On the other hand, the Ultra variant even sports a slot for the S Pen that is located on the bottom left side. With Samsung skipping the launch of the Galaxy Note series in 2021, the S22 Ultra might offer loyal Note series a worth device to upgrade to. Keep in mind that this is still an unconfirmed report so take it with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more updates.

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Vivo Watch2 appears on TENAA, more specifications revealed

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Oct 18, 2021

Vivo will be launching a successor to its first smartwatch, the Vivo Watch, soon. The new watch is expected to launch as the Vivo Watch2 and ahead of its arrival, more details have surfaced alongside a photo from its TENAA certification.

The Vivo Watch2 will have a round dial like its predecessor. There are markings on the bezel and the case is black with matching straps. We expect the smartwatch will be available in other color options when it is launched.

According to the Chinese leaker, Digital Chat Station, the display is OLED and the watch has a higher screen-to-body ratio than last year’s model. He also mentions that the watch has a 515mAh battery capacity which is an increase from the 478mAh battery inside the 46mm Vivo Watch. The bigger battery is necessary since the Vivo Watch2 will have an eSIM for making calls and sending messages.

There is a possibility we may only get a single size this time as a 42mm version with eSIM support may have poor battery life. The 42mm model released last year has a 226mAh battery capacity and a 9-day battery life as against the 18-day battery life of its bigger sibling.

The leaker goes on to reveal the watch will support three networks with eUICC support. He also mentions that the Vivo Watch2 will support more apps and still have a long battery life as one of its selling points.

There is no info on when the smartwatch will be announced. Last year’s model was launched in September. Regardless, a launch date should not be far off since it has already been certified by TENAA.

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POCO M3 Pro 5G is the first POCO device to get Android Enterprise Recommended certification

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Oct 18, 2021

The POCO M3 Pro 5G made its initial debut at the end of May. Five months post its launch, the device has been now certified by the Android Enterprise Recommended Program. Most importantly, it is the first-ever POCO smartphone to receive such a certification.

POCO M3 Pro 5G featured 14 — POCO M3 Pro 5G

Lately, almost all the popular Mi (Xiaomi) and Redmi-branded handsets from the Xiaomi group have been receiving Android Enterprise Recommended Program certification. Hence, it is not surprising to learn that POCO has also joined the bandwagon.

However, it is interesting to learn that the cheaper POCO M3 Pro 5G is the first to get the certification instead of the POCO F3. Perhaps, the latter model will be also joining the list in the near future.

For those unaware, the Android Enterprise Recommended program by Google helps enterprises to select devices from a vast catalog. These handsets and tablets have a suitable hardware and software update policy to support them longer.

The POCO M3 Pro 5G is the brand’s most affordable 5G smartphone. It is probably the only highlight of this phone other than its capable MediaTek Dimensiy 700 SoC. Apart from these two factors, we can consider its 5,000mAh battery as one of its pros.

In a nutshell, if an enterprise is looking for a cheap 5G smartphone with long battery life, the POCO M3 Pro 5G should be one of their options.

Huawei signs world’s largest energy storage project with 1,300MWh capacity for Saudi Arabia

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Oct 18, 2021

Huawei Digital Power’s Global Digital Power Summit 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates was attended by over participants from 67 countries. The summit aimed to inspire collective action towards developing a low-carbon and smarter society powered by digital technology, while the globe prioritizes carbon neutrality and post-pandemic recovery.

At the summit, Huawei Digital Energy Technology and Shandong Electric Power Construction (SEPCO3) successfully signed the Saudi Red Sea New City energy storage project (via: IT Home). Huawei stated that the energy storage capacity of the project reaches 1300MWh, which is by far the world’s largest energy storage as well as off-grid energy storage project.

huawei red sea bess project signing — Image: IT Home

The Red Sea New City Energy Storage Project is one of the key parts of Saudi’s Vision 2030 plan. FYI, the plan is a strategic framework to reduce the country’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism.

The project’s main developer is ACWA Power and the EPC contractor is SEPCO3. The Red Sea New City, or Neom, is located on the coast of the Red Sea and Saudi aims for the entire city’s energy needs to be met by renewable energy sources alone.

The Huawei Digital Energy Technology company was only recently established on June 7, 2021. It is built with a registered capital of RMB 3 billion (468 million USD) and has Hu Houkun, Deputy Chairman of Huawei as its legal representative.

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Xiaomi patents smartphone with curved display and telephoto zoom lens

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Oct 18, 2021

Xiaomi has filed a design patent for a new smartphone. The device in question features a curved display along with a dedicated periscopic telephoto zoom camera that could offer magnification feature.

According to a LetsGoDigital report, the Chinese tech giant filed a design patent with The Hague International Design System and the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). Looking at the patent designs, the smartphone features rounded corners and a curved display. The device has narrow bezels at the top and bottom. Furthermore, the display panel on the front houses a punch hole selfie camera at the top left corner.

On the rear, the device features a unique camera module that houses three image sensors. The primary sensor is the largest lens that is placed on top of the vertically stacked module while the bottom sensor has a rectangular cutout. In other words, the primary camera is likely to be a high resolution image sensor while the bottom sensor is a periscopic telephoto lens that likely offers both digital and optical magnification feature.

The design of the smartphone is quite unique as the rear camera module takes up a large part of the back panel. Apart from that, there isn’t any major aspect about the device which is unique. Unfortunately, it is also unknown if the company is actually working on such a product or is just covering all bases. But, the device could be a high end model that places an emphasis on its cameras.

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OPPO Reno6 series gets access to ColorOS 12 Closed Beta in China

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Oct 18, 2021

Last month, OPPO unveiled ColorOS 12 in China. Since then, the company has been rolling out beta builds for eligible devices in the country. A few days after the software’s global launch, the firm has now started recruiting testers for the Reno6 series in its home country.

OPPO Reno 6 Pro 5G Review 14 — OPPO Reno6 Pro 5G

According to the update timeline provided by OPPO, the OPPO Reno6 series is scheduled to receive Android 12-based ColorOS 12 open beta in China in November. Ahead of that, the company has now opened closed beta registrations for these devices.

As per an official announcement post on OPPO Community (via ITHome), the Chinese smartphone maker will be recruiting Android 12 beta testers for the following OPPO Reno6 series handsets till tomorrow (October 19) at 11 AM (local time).

The OPPO Reno6 Pro+ 5G Detective Conan Limited Edition is not eligible for the closed beta program. However, it has been confirmed to receive open beta builds alongside the regular Reno6 Pro+ 5G.

Having said that, the firm will be currently recruiting only 700 users for the closed beta initiative. Applicants will be selected within the next 5 days and they will start receiving the update via OTA within 3 days from the selection.

As far as international markets are concerned, these phones will directly receive open beta builds in November, as per the plan shared by OPPO.

You can learn more about ColorOS 12 based on Android 12 by checking out our launch story as well review.

OPPO K9s will come with a flagship X-axis linear motor & virtual mechanical keyboard

By

Zohaib Ahmed

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Oct 18, 2021

OPPO dropped some new teaser images for their upcoming OPPO K9s phone, revealing a couple of new stuff including the usage of an X-axis linear motor and a virtual mechanical keyboard.

An X-axis linear haptics motor is superior compared to Z-axis and older rotor motors in that it’s capable of producing vibrations that are crisper and can be adapted to dozens of scenarios. The new motor is flagship-level and will be shipped with an OPPO K series model for the very first time with K9s.

Further, the teaser images revealed that OPPO is cooperating with keyboard manufacturer Dujia to bring a vibration simulation function to the built-in virtual keyboard app of the K9s. The keyboard will support 3 kinds of lighting effects, 4 different skins, and 6 kinds of shaft feel. Of course, the X-axis motor will be put to good use here in replicating vibration sensations, not unlike the ones found on actual mechanical keyboards.

The OPPO K9s will also be using the motor to produce in-game 4D vibrations for a more immersive mobile gaming experience.

The phone is expected to be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chip, be powered by a 5000mAh high-capacity battery, and support 30W VOOC flash charging. It has an LTPS panel with a 6.59-inch size that produces an FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2412 pixels. It will come preinstalled with Android 11 OS.

The K9s’ rear features a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera unit. Its front side is fitted with a 16-megapixel selfie camera. The power button on the right of the device is integrated with a fingerprint scanner.

It will be released on October 20.

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Acer suffers from major security breach, affects millions of Indian users

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Oct 18, 2021

The servers of Acer have just been hit with a major breach recently. This breach has lead to loss of important internal business information related to several millions of users in India.

According to a NotebookCheck report, the Taiwanese PC maker suffered from a major breach that has affected its after sales services systems. This marks the second major cyberattack that the company has faced this year. As of right now, Hacker group Desorden have claimed responsibility for the attack. The hacker group claimed that they have stolen 60GB worth of data, which includes customer information, corporate data, sensitive accounts, financial data, and audit data.

Furthermore, the breach also includes login details of Acer retailers and distributors in India as well. The hacker group has also stated that it will also offer the company the rights to verify the authenticity of the breach and the stolen data. Reportedly, the publicly available data of 10,000 individuals has been already available. This breach first took place on 5th October 2021, with the hackers claiming to also have acquired sensitive data of millions of Acer customers that it will release for a fee.

According to an official spokesperson from the company, We have recently detected an isolated attack on our local after-sales service system in India. Upon detection, we immediately initiated our security protocols and conducted a full scan of our systems. We are notifying all potentially affected customers in India. The incident has been reported to local law enforcement and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, and has no material impact to our operations and business continuity.”

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Ulefone Armor 14 launched with a massive 10000mAh battery, 64GB storage and Android 11

By

Simranpal Singh

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Oct 18, 2021

Ulefone finally introduced a successor to the Armor 13 i.e Ulefone Armor 14 featuring a massive 1000 mAh battery. The new rugged smartphone further brings several new advancements in terms of performance, camera, and connectivity. However, there’s a bit of downgrade in battery capacity, but considering the market’s demand, it is useful to focus on the other aspects. You can have a look at the teaser video to know the new features and design aspects.

Must See: Ulefone Power Armor 13 charged 13200 mAh battery in 3 hours [Video]

Ulefone Armor 14 Specifications

Ulefone Armor 14 features major advancements over the previous generation Ulefone Armor 13 smartphone. The newly launched rugged smartphone houses a huge 10000 mAh battery with 15W fast charging support. There’s a 6.52-inch waterdrop display encasing a 16MP front sensor for beautiful selfies. The display is effective enough to render crisp and decently saturated depiction.

In the camera section, the Ulefone Armor 14 smartphone couples a 20MP primary sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a depth sensor. However, a 16MP Sony IMX481 is present on the front. It even facilitates features like face unlock. Moreover, there’s a quad-positional navigation system, headset-free FM radio, and support for 4G LTE connectivity. The smartphone runs on Android 11 with all its luxuries and security checks.

The smartphone is now up for pre-orders and the interested users can head over to the AliExpress to grab it with additional discounts and coupons. The discounts and coupons will be applicable only before October 24. To know more, you can head over to the official Ulefone Website.

Related: Ulefone Power Armor 13 charged 13200 mAh battery in 3 hours [Video]

Intel CEO aims on winning back Apple by making better chips

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Oct 18, 2021

Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger, recently sat with Axios on HBO. In the new episode, the senior official and Axios Chief Technology Correspondent Ina Fried to discuss various topics, which included the shift of Apple to its custom designed silicon for its Mac lineup.

During the new Axios episode, the executive was asked if the company has given up on the idea of Apple Macs using the Intel processors in the future. Gelsinger stated that he hopes to win back the Cupertino based giant by outcompeting Apple in this segment with its own chips over time. In the interview, he further added that the chipmaker had stumbled in the past and will “fight hard” to win back Apple’s business by producing better chips than Apple. For those unaware, Apple had announced its shift away from Intel chips in favor of its own custom silicon for its Mac lineup.

The CEO stated that “Apple decided they could do a better chip themselves than we could. And, you know, they did a pretty good job. So what I have to do is create a better chip than they can do themselves. I would hope to win back this piece of their business, as well as many other pieces of business, over time. And in the meantime, I got to make sure that our products are better than theirs, that my ecosystem is more open and vibrant than theirs, and we create more compelling reason for developers and users to land on Intel-based products.”

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vivo S10e with Dimensity 900 SoC gets a silent launch in China

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