Xiaomi has recently teased the launch of a new TV series from its Redmi sub brand. While the company had been promoting its new Mi TV Master series, it has now showcased its Redmi Smart TV X 2022.
The Chinese tech giant has yet to announce the regional availability of the new Redmi Smart TV X 2022 series, but current models are only available in China and India. For those unaware, the previous generation, Redmi Smart TV X 2020, was launched in a 50 inch, 55 inch, and 65 inch display sizes. So we can expect the upcoming models with the same display sizes or even more options. The predecessor also offered features like, DTS Virtual X, Dolby Audio, Dolby Vision, and MEMC.
In other words, most of these features if not all would likely make an appearance in the upcoming 2022 series as well. Other features could also includes 4K display panels with HDR10+ support among other aspects. As of right now, the smartphone maker has only shared two image posters so far, although, these images have revealed that the brand is aiming on launching the new Redmi Smart TV X 2022 on 20th of October 2021. So stick around as we will be covering the launch.
Not all superheroes wear capes, some wear cases. This is exactly what a local Moto G5 turned hero has proven after saving the life of a person who was shot during an armed robbery in Brazil. Funnily, the phone’s case had a picture of Marvel’s bulletproof hero The Incredible Hulk on it, establishing that it had definitely lived up to the character’s spirit.
Image: Daily Mail
The incident took place last Thursday when the victim was shot during an attempted robbery in a rural area of the municipality of Petrolina – a region in the northeast of the country (via: Daily Mail). The victim was rushed to the University Hospital right after, with the doctors preparing for the worst.
However, they were surprised to find that the bullet did not even penetrate his skin, thanks to the Moto G5 – a new contender to the invincible Nokia bar phone. The bullet had grazed the victim’s hip, and although he was shaken, he suffered only a small bruise, as per Dr. Pedro Carvalho.
At the time of reporting, the suspects were not identified. They had fled by the time the police arrived.
Dr. Carvalho subsequently posted photos of the damaged mobile phone on Twitter where the images were widely shared.
As for the Moto G5, it just couldn’t make it and died a noble death with its screen completely shattered and internal components taking damage as well from the bullet impact. A huge bulge can also be seen on the phone’s rear, demonstrating the sturdiness of the metal back the hard way.
That said, it is worth mentioning here that this isn’t exactly a novel incident. Perfectly positioned phones have been the difference between life and death several times before. Who knew that a smartphone could be much more than an infotainment and communication device?
HUAWEI unveiled the FreeBuds 4i in China in February. This pair of truly wireless earphones made its way to the UK and the markets in the following weeks. Now, almost eight months after its initial debut, this product is being tipped to launch in India.
HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i | Honey Red, Ceramic White, and Carbon Crystal Black
According to an IANS report (via), the HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i will be launching in India ahead of Diwali (first week of November). The TWS earphones will be priced around ₹8,000-₹9,000 in the country. As per tipster Debayan Roy (@Gadgetsdata), the earbuds will release in October itself.
The HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i are a mid-range truly wireless earphones offering by the Chinese tech giant. The main highlight of these buds is their battery life. They are rated to last for 10 hours without ANC and 7.5 hours with ANC. With the charging case, they are said to offer music playback of 22 hours with ANC disabled.
These buds feature 10mm dynamic drivers and look like an AirPods clone. They arrive in three colors, namely Honey Red, Ceramic White, and Carbon Crystal Black. But unfortunately, it’s not known whether India will be getting all the colors.
Other features of these wireless earbuds include Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, touch gesture controls, wear detection, Awareness Mode (transparency mode), quick pairing with Huawei devices, and HUAWEI AI Life app compatibility, and USB Type-C charging.
Xiaomi recently launched the Xiaomi 11T series. These devices are yet to receive the MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition. However, the older Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro have now begun to get the latest version of MIUI in India.
Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
The Xiaomi Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro feature near-identical hardware. The only major difference between the two is their camera setup. As a result, the devices run a common MIUI build.
Therefore, they receive new system updates together. The MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition for them in Indi arrives with build number V12.5.3.0.RJDINXM.
The above-mentioned software build is currently in the Stable Beta phase. In simpler words, it is being seeded out in batches. This means it will take some time to reach every user in the country.
This update is also live for the ‘Globa’ and ‘Indonesia’ variants of the Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro. It is also available for the Chinese version of these phones called Redmi K30S Ultra. However, multiple regional versions like ‘EEA’, ‘Russia’, ‘Turkey’, and ‘Taiwn’ are yet to get access to the update.
MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition was unveiled at the Xiaomi MIX 4 launch event. It brings improvements to devices running MIUI 12.5. Xiaomi has been rolling it out to eligible products since August.
The Xiaomi Vice President and Redmi General Manager, Lu Weibing, has just teased the arrival of a new smartphone series. The official took to Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform to hint at the launch of the Note 11 series.
In the social media post, the executive stated that this month will be “very busy,” which suggests that the Chinese tech giant is aiming on hosting a new product launch conference. Furthermore, Lu Weibing also shared an image of himself back during the Note 10 series launch conference. In other words, the executive is hinting that the Note 11 series might be announced later this month. Earlier this month, a known tipster @数码闲聊站 had also shared information regarding the upcoming Note series of smartphones.
Note 10 Pro Max
Apparently, the top end model of the lineup will arrive with support for 120W fast charging, which is on par with the Xiaomi Mi MIX 4. Notably, the Note 10 Pro only supported 67W fast charging, which means the next generation nearly doubles its charging rate capabilities. This would also have the Note 11 be the fastest charging Note smartphone from the brand. Although, this would likely affect the pricing of the device as well. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.
The Honor 50 series has been doing rounds on the internet for months due to one reason – Honor had confirmed that the smartphones will be the first in quite some time to ship with Google’s apps and services, in accordance with Google’s licensing and governance models. Until now, both Huawei and Honor have been dependent on HMS (Huawei Mobile Services) following the Huawei ban, which is in no way a substitute for Google services outside of China.
And now, the Shenzhen-based company took to Twitter to announce that they have succeeded in confirming cooperation with a number of supplier partners in the early stage, thus hinting at its imminent launch.
HONOR has succeeded in confirming cooperation with a number of supplier partners in the early stage. #HONOR50 series will be equipped with Google Mobile Services, which will provide a more comprehensive application environment and extraordinary mobile experience to our customers. pic.twitter.com/rAhByQVAlx
Further, the tweet emphasized that the Honor 50 series will be equipped with Google Mobile Services (GMS), which will “provide a more comprehensive application environment and extraordinary mobile experience to our customers.”
Of course, most of the apps that are used outside of China still continue to depend on GMS for plenty of their functionality. Take WhatsApp for example which uploads backups to Google Drive. Consumers know of how essential the services are and have thus been hesitant from purchasing Honor devices, despite them being quite compelling in every other way.
But with Honor 50 now coming with the Google Play Store and every other essential Google service once again, it’s clear that they’re set to make a comeback.
Turning to the devices themselves, the Honor 50 and 50 Pro both have an especially eye-catching camera module with two distinct circles, both housing their own set of cameras. Both have four cameras at the rear including a 100-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle, a 2-megapixel macro, and a 2-megapixel depth camera. On the front, the Honor 50 Pro has a pair of selfie cameras, combining a 32-megapixel camera with a 12-megapixel ultrawide. The non-Pro variant has a single 32-megapixel camera.
Last week, Motorola announced a bunch of budget smartphones. One of them was Moto E40. This device has now made its way to India. Let’s take a look at what this handset offers and how much it costs.
Motorola Moto E40 Specifications and Features
The Motorola Moto E40 features a plastic build with IP52 certification for splash resistance. The phone sports a 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels (HD+), a 90Hz refresh rate, a punch-hole, and a 20:9 aspect ratio.
Like any other budget smartphone, it arrives with a 3.5mm headphone jack, a MicroSD card slot, and a USB Type-C port. Additionally, it also has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and a dedicated Google Assistant key.
Further, the handset is powered by a UNISOC T700 SoC coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. It runs Android 11 with Motorola’s My UX UI on top of it.
Talking about optics, it houses a triple camera on the rear consisting of a 48MP primary sensor, a 2MP macro snapper, and a 2MP depth sensor. Then, there’s an 8MP front-facing camera inside the punch-hole.
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As far as connectivity is concerned, the device supports dual-SIM, 4G, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GNSS. Last but not least, it comes in two colors (Carbon Gray, Pink Clay) backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W charging.
Motorola Moto E40 Price and Availability in India
The Motorola Moto E40 is priced at ₹9,499 in India. Its first sale is scheduled for October 17 at 12 PM on Flipkart.
Apple has slowly started migrating towards using USB Type-C port on its devices, with iPad Mini being the latest device coming with a USB-C port. However, the company’s smartphones, the iPhone series models, still feature its proprietary Lightning port.
While Apple is yet to make the changes to the iPhones, a YouTube video claims that a user of the iPhone named Ken Pillonel has installed the USB-C component into the iPhone X, replacing the Lightning port in the process.
Ken Pillonel has a background in electronics and has studied for a Master’s degree in robotics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, EPFL, says a report from AppleInsider. It means that not everyone can make this change on their device.
In the video, it is claimed that after making the change, the phone is able to receive power via the connection, as well as being able to handle data transfers over a USB-C cable.
Ken Pillonel reverse-engineered Apple’s C94 connector to make a PCB with a female USB-C port. After the schematics were set in place, he started working to shrink it down and install it into the iPhone.
He had been working on this for a few months now, detailing the process on his own personal blog. He got a flexible PCB last month and says that a future video is in production which explains how the board was made and squeezed into the iPhone itself.
It’s noteworthy that according to Apple’s Repair Terms and Conditions, unauthorized modification deems the device as “Out-of-Warranty” when in need of repair if it prevents Apple from addressing the reported issue with the device.
Last month, Xiaomi had launched the Mijia Air Purifier 4 Pro in its home country and now the company has launched a mini version of the same in China — Xiaomi Mijia Air Purifier 4 Lite for the price of 6,99 yuan which is approximately $108. However, for the first sale, which begins from today, the device will cost 599 yuan, which is around $93.
The Xiaomi Mijia Air Purifier 4 Lite has a rectangular design and takes up a small space of A4-sized paper when placed inside a room. The company says that the product is suitable for a space of 26-45m2 and generates noise as low as 35.8db.
The device is also equipped with an LED display that shows some important information on the screen, including indoor PM2.5 numerical values in real-time.
One of the highlighting features is that it can deliver 6330 liters of fresh air per minute at a super-powerful speed. It is also 99.99% antibacterial and can effectively intercept inactivated bacteria for ensuring the user’s health.
The customers usually face issues in upgrading or replacing certain parts of the air purifier but not in this one as the company claims that it has been designed to make upgrading the filter and removing aldehydes effortless.
Similar to most other home products coming from Xiaomi, this one too has support for Mijia App for controlling the air purifier using a smartphone. Additionally, it also comes with support for XiaoAI smart voice assistant for controlling it thorugh voice commands.
Tomorrow, OnePlus will be announcing the OnePlus 9RT flagship phone in China. Alongside it, the company will be taking off covers from the OnePlus Buds Z2 TWS earbuds. Ahead of the launch, the company has confirmed the key specifications of the Buds Z2. It has also made the earbuds available for pre-orders on retailer sites like JD.com, Tmall, and Suning in the home market.
The below-shown poster confirms that the Buds Z2 will come with 3 microphones and offer 40db active noise reduction. It will be equipped with 11mm audio drivers and carry support fro Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
The Buds Z2 will offer 94ms low-latency while gaming. In addition, it will offer up to 38 hours of battery life. It will also come equipped with a transparency mode. As it is known, the Buds Z2 will be replacing the Buds Z TWS earbuds that debuted last year. It lacked support for noise cancellation.
The official renders of the Buds Z2 TWS earbuds are now available on the retailer listings in China. The listings reveal that it will be available in Day Black and Day White colors.
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OnePlus Buds Z2 white
OnePlus Buds Z2 Black
Other reports have revealed that each earbuds will house a 40mAh battery, whereas its charging case will be packed with a 520mAh battery. It is expected to achieve a full charge in around 90 minutes. The new earbud are said to be equipped with IP55 rating for sweat and water resistance. At present, there is no word on the pricing of the Buds Z2 for China.
Xiaomi’s gamer-centric sub-brand Black Shark is scheduled to launch the Black Shark 4S smartphone series on October 13 in the Chinese market. The series is expected to have two phones – the Black Shark 4S and Black Shark 4S Pro. Thanks to various certifications, details for both phones are partially available. Today, we’ll do a rumour roundup of all the details learned so far, giving us an idea of what to expect from the upcoming Shark 4S series launch event.
Black Shark 4S Rumor Roundup: What to Expect?
Design and Display
Only recently, the rumours for the Black Shark 4S series surfaced on the internet confirming the monikers. Recent posters revealed that the 4S series will bring a similar design as the predecessors with slightly different graphics at the back.
The duo is touted to come with a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a Full-HD+ resolution. The series will feature a 144Hz refresh rate and a touch sampling rate of a whopping 720Hz. This time around, the screen will be a punch-hole panel with thin bezels. Reportedly, it is said to be a Samsung E4 panel.
The series will feature a pressure-sensitive screen offering dual-zone pressure sensitivity. These pressure-sensitive zones will serve as in-game controls.
Cameras on the Black Shark 4S
The Black Shark 4S series is expected to come with a triple camera system at the rear and a single selfie camera. While the details for the vanilla model are yet to be known, rumours reveal that the 4S Pro will have a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro camera. Upfront, it will feature a 20MP selfie snapper.
For those who are unaware, this is the same camera setup seen in the predecessor Black Shark 4 Pro. That said, the vanilla model is also expected to come with a similar camera system but, it may replace the 64MP lens with some other sensor.
Hardware and Software
A popular tipster Bald Pandarevealed that the Pro model will come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ SoC. Recently, an AnTuTu listing confirmed that the device is indeed powering the Snapdragon 888+.
To recall, the predecessor powered the non-plus variant of the Snapdragon 888. Hence, there will be a slight improvement in the performance. The AnTuTu sheet showed a score of 887734.
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Black Shark 4S Pro AnTuTu
Black Shark 4S Pro AnTuTu
Talking about the vanilla model, reports claim that the 4S will also have Snapdragon 888+ chipset. The duo will have up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 built-in storage. Reportedly, the Pro model will have an SSD disk array system which allows the storage to offer faster read and write speeds.
As for the battery, the Black Shark 4S series is expected to have fast charging support. However, only the Pro model’s exact details are available. The Shark 4S Pro will pack a 4,500mAh battery with support for 120W fast charging support. We can expect a similar battery capacity in the vanilla model. The series will run on Android 11 out of the box with Joy UI on top of it.
Pricing, Color variants, and Availability
Unfortunately, the pricing of the series has not been leaked. But, what we know are the colour variants. Considering it will be a gamer-centric smartphone series, the phones won’t have any fancy colours. Instead, there will be only two finishes – White and Blue. Both colours will have heavy graphics at the back with a Black Shark branding.
The series will launch on October 13 in China and is expected to go on sale soon after its launch. As of now, there’s no intimation of its global release but we expect the phones to land in other markets in the coming months.
OPPO is reportedly working on the OPPO Reno7 series of smartphones. Fresh information reveals that the vanilla Reno7 with model number PFDM00 has been approved by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (CMIIT). The certification suggests that it launch may not be far away.
According to WHY LAB, the Reno7 will be sporting a flat display and its back panel will be equipped with a triple camera unit setup led by a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 lens.
Leaked information that surfaced yesterday revealed that it is a 1/1.56” sensor with 1.0micron native pixels. The camera sensor carries support for DOL-HDR and All-Pixel autofocus. The tipster who shared the screenshot of Reno7’s CMIIT certification claims that it may break cover in November.
The Reno6 was fueled by the Dimensity 900 chipset. There is a possibility the Reno7 could be driven by the Dimensity 920, which was announced by MediaTek in August. None of the smartphone OEMs have launched a Dimensity 920 powered phone. At present, there is no other information on the specs of the Reno7.
OPPO Reno6 5G color variants
The Reno7 will be succeeding the Reno6, which came with a 6.43-inch AMOLED FHD+ 90Hz display with an in-screen fingerprint scanner, ColorOS 11.3 based Android 11 OS, a 32-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera unit. The Dimensity 900 powered phone offered 8 GB / 12 GB of RAM, 128 GB / 256 GB of storage, and a 4,300mAh battery with 65W fast charging support.
Black Shark will be announcing the Black Shark 4S gaming flagship phone tomorrow in China. Speculations are rife that the company may also unveil the Black Shark 4S Pro alongside it. Ahead of the launch, AnTuTu shared a screenshot of an upcoming Black Shark phone with a KSR-A1 model number. The benchmarking platform speculated that this device could be the Black Shark 4S Pro.
According to AnTuTu, the Black Shark KSR-A1 smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 888 Plus. The SoC is coupled with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of built-in storage.
Black Shark 4S Pro AnTuTu
As can be seen in the screenshot, the handset scored 216996 in the CPU test, 319,912 points in the GPU test, 189,260 in the memory test, and 161,566 in the UX test. These scores have allowed the KSR-A1 to record a very impressive score of 887,734 on AnTuTu.
AnTuTu claims that the Black Shark 4S Pro will come equipped with an enhanced UFS 3.1 + SSD disk array system, which will allow it to offer better read and write speeds than the traditional UFS 3.1. Black Shark recently confirmed that the Black Shark 4S series will feature the same display as its predecessor. Hence, it is likely that the 4S Pro may sport a 6.67-inch AMOLED FHD+ display that offers a 144Hz refresh rate.
The Black Shark 4S Pro is likely to come with support for 120W fast charging. However, it is unclear whether Smartbox will retain the 4,500mAh battery, which was made available on its predecessor. For photography, the 4S Pro may feature a 20-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 64-megapixel (main) + 8-megapixel (ultrawide) + 5-megapixel (macro) triple camera unit.
The Realme GT Neo 2T will be debuting on Oct. 19 in China. Today, the company released the first poster of the smartphone. The image gives a good look at the amazing Glaze White model of the GT Neo 2T.
The Realme GT Neo 2T Glaze White has an impressive white finish. The protruding camera module features a 64-megapixel triple camera system and an elongated LED flash unit. The back panel of the GT Neo 2T has a slight curvature towards the left and right edges.
The bottom edge of the device offers a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone, a USB-C port, and an external speaker. Its right spine is populated with a SIM slot and buttons for controlling volume.
Realme GT Neo 2T in Glaze White
Realme GT Neo2T specifications (expected)
The Realme GT Neo2T will flaunt a 6.43-inch AMOLED panel that produces an FHD+ resolution. For security, it may come equipped with an in-screen fingerprint scanner. Its display punch-hole may house a 16-megapixel selfie snapper.
The 64-megapixel primary camera on the backside of the GT Neo2T will be accompanied by an 8-mgeapixel ultrawide lens and a 2-megapixel macro camera. The Dimensity 1200 chipset is likely to power the GT Neo2T and 8 GB / 12 GB of RAM. The device is expected to offer a Realme UI 3.0 based Android 11 experience. It will be arriving in 128 GB and 256 GB storage options in China. The handset has a 4,500mAh battery that supports 65W rapid charging.
Samsung is gearing up to launch a new foldable smartphone, exclusively in the Chinese market, dubbed as Samsung W22 5G. As the name itself indicates, the phone is a successor to the W21 5G launched last year.
Similar to the Samsung W21 5G, which was a recolored model of the Galaxy Fold2 smartphone, the upcoming Samsung W22 5G is also an exclusive color option of the Samsung Galaxy Fold3 smartphone for the Chinese market.
Ahead of its official launch tomorrow, a teaser poster of the Samsung W22 5G has surfaced online, which has revealed the phone’s design. The phone has a black-colored body but the hinge area, as well as the logo on the back panel, has a golden hue.
The S Pen stylus provided with the phone is also in Black color with a golden colored ring at the top to match the phone’s design. This new smartphone will definitely be sold by China Telecom but we expect China Mobile and China Unicom to all sell this device.
The poster reveals that the phone will be available for pre-orders from 14th October till 21st October while the device will be up for purchase from 22nd October to 7th November. Those who purchase the phone during that period will be eligible for a gift that can be redeemed within 15 days of activating the phone.
The smartphone will have a 7.6-inch primary display and a 6.2-inch cover screen. The screens are expected to feature a 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass protection. The device is also rumored to have an under-display camera and a triple camera system.
Underneath, the device will come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, which will be paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. Running the One UI 3.1 based on the Android 11 operating system, the phone is expected to be powered by a 4,400mAh battery with 25W fast charging and wireless charging support.
Fuchsia OS is the newest operating system from Google that was launched earlier this year. This latest software from the technology giant is already powering the company’s first-generation Nest Hub.
Now, a new job listing from the company, spotted by 9to5Google, sheds light on the matter that Google is looking to expand the Fuchsia operating system to “additional smart devices and other form factors.”
Google’s Fuchsia OS
For those who are unaware, Google has been working on this new Fuchsia OS for a few years, developing the software from scratch. It launched earlier this year without any fanfare, powering the Nest Hub, which seamlessly switched from Cast Platform.
The company has been working on adding support of Fuchsia OS on more devices, including the Nest Hub Max and the second-generation Nest Hub. Now, the company is looking to expand it to more devices and not just smart displays.
From the job listing, it appears that the “Fuchsia Devices team” will be working on the operating system and will be responsible for making sure that it can successfully apply the Fuchsia platform to real world products that make a difference to Google and users.
As of now, there’s no information about what new form factors the operating system will support but it’s likely to be the devices with support for Chromecast, Video Conferencing, and Machine Learning capabilities.
There’s also a possibility that Google could work with some of its partners and bring the latest Fuchsia OS to non-Google devices, including products from companies like JBL and Lenovo. Do note that there’s no concrete evidence on where this latest OS from Google is heading and this is just speculation until more details surface online.
The upcoming Vivo V2115A smartphone has been spotted at the TENAA certification site. As usual, the listing has revealed all the important specifications of the smartphone. Unfortunately, there is no information available on the final marketing name of the device.
Vivo V2115A specifications
The Vivo V2115A handset measures 164.70 x 76.68 x 8.49mm and weighs 192 grams. It has a 6.67-inch TFT panel that delivers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.
The back panel of the V2115A handset features a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera unit. It is fitted with a front camera of 16-megapixel. The handset runs on Android 11 OS.
TENAA images of V2115A
The V2115A has a 2.4GHz octa-core processor under its hood. The handset is expected to arrive in China with 8 GB / 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB / 256 GB of built-in storage. The device lacks support for a microSD card slot. It will be arriving with the Android 11 OS onboard.
The V2115A smartphone is backed by a 4,900mAh battery. The 3C certification of the phone revealed that it may ship with a 44W fast charger. It’s right edge seems to be fitted with a fingerprint scanner.
Vivo V2115A 3C
The specifications of the V2115A appears identical to the iQOO Z5. While the final moniker is not known, it appears that the V2115A will be a rebranded version of the iQOO Z5. Hence, it appears that the phone may come equipped with the Snapdragon 778G chipset.
Zepp Health (Huami) has announced three new smartwatches – the Amazfit GTR 3, Amazfit GTR 3 Pro, and the Amazfit GTS 3. All three smartwatches pack multiple new features and competitive price tags. Just like their predecessors, they should sell pretty well. However, there is a demographic that most likely won’t be picking up any of the new smartwatches, not that they are bad, but because none of these smartwatches is for them, no thanks to their size.
The last time Zepp Health announced a smartwatch under its GT series with a small dial was in 2019, and that was the Amazfit GTR 42mm which launched with a 1.20-inch display. Since then, it has launched 8 new smartwatches under the GT series, none of which has a display smaller than 1.39 inches.
My wife has an Amazfit GTR 47 Lite, and while she likes it, especially for its long battery life, she has said a few times that she wishes it was smaller. So, on some days she ditches it for her Withings hybrid watch which not only has a smaller display, but is more comfortable, and is a better match for select outfits. We have both discussed picking up new Amazfit smartwatches, but seeing as none of these new models have a small display, I don’t see her sticking to Amazfit when she’s ready to upgrade.
Not everyone wants a watch with a large display, and there are lots of people, including me, with a small wrist size. It is therefore disappointing to see Zepp Health launch products that do not cater to this demographic. Competitors such as Apple and Samsung know the importance of having multiple sizes which is why their watches including the new Apple Watch Series 7 and Galaxy Watch4 series come in different sizes.
I have no idea what Zepp Health’s product lineup for the future looks like but I want to believe there is space for a smaller Amazfit GTR watch. Last year, it launched the Amazfit GTR 2e, a cheaper version but with the same screen size as the GTR 2. The GTS 2, on the other hand, got two more affordable models – the GTS 2e and the GTS 2 Mini, with the latter packing a smaller display than its siblings. If it plans to launch more third-generation GT models, then it makes sense to include an Amazfit GTR 3 Mini with a smaller display or an Amazfit GTR 3 42mm version.
Of course, there are tradeoffs with having a smaller display such as a smaller battery which means reduced battery life. Nevertheless, if the battery life can be kept at 12 days just like on the Amazfit GTR 42mm, folks should be fine with it. Heck, the new Amazfit GTR 3 Pro and Amazfit GTS 3 both have a 12-day battery life.
An upcoming Vivo smartphone with a V2009A model number has been spotted at TENAA. The certification has revealed all the major specifications and images of the device. Unfortunately, there is no information available on the moniker of the device.
Vivo V2009A specifications
The Vivo V2009A handset measures 163.84 x 75 x 7.79mm and weighs 176 grams. The handset houses a 6.58-inch TFT screen that delivers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2408 pixels. It is backed by a 4,005mAh battery.
The V2009A features an 8-megapixel front camera. Its back panel has a dual-camera system with a 50-megapixel primary lens and a 2-megapixel secondary shooter. The device boots to Android 11 OS and it has a side-facing fingerprint scanner. It is driven by a 2.4GHz octa-core processor.
It is likely to arrive in China in 8 GB and 12 GB RAM editions. The device offers storage options like 128 GB and 256 GB. For more storage, it has a microSD card slot.
The specifications of the V2009A are identical to the Vivo V2156A phone that was approved by the TENAA authority recently. They mainly differ in the network department. The V2156A may release in the Chinese market with the Vivo Y55s or Y76s moniker. The V2009A is yet to receive 3C certification. The 3C appearance of V2156A has revealed that it supports 44W fast charging. Hence, it is likely that the V2009A may offer the same charging speeds.
iQOO, the sub-brand of Vivo for premium smartphones recently launched its latest iQOO 8 series flagship smartphones in its home market China. The company is gearing up to launch the same in the Indian market.
Ahead of the launch of the iQOO 8 series in India, the next-generation iQOO 9 Pro Indian variant has been spotted through IMEI certification. The phone carries model number I2022 which indicates that the device will go official next year.
Going by the launch timeframe between the iQOO 7 series and iQOO 8 series phones, the brand launches an upgraded lineup of its flagship smartphones in about six to seven months. If the company continues to do so, then we expect the iQOO 9 series phones to get announced by the end of the first quarter in 2022.
While the launch date of the iQOO 8 Legend smartphone for the Indian market is not yet known, the device is expected to go official in the country before Diwali, which means that it could get launched by the end of this month or early next month.
The iQOO 8 Legend is expected to be a rebranded version of the iQOO 8 Pro that is being sold in China. The phone is expected to come with a 6.78-inch Samsung E5 LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3200 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, 1500 nits peak brightness, and Dolby Vision.
iQOO 8 Pro
Under the hood, the device will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ chipset, coupled with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. It also features an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor for added security.
In the camera department, the device will feature a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 16-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 48-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. On the front side, there will be a 16-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.
The smartphone will be running the Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box and will come powered by a 4,500mAh battery, with support for 65W fast charging technology along with support for wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.
In related news, iQOO, which started launching gaming smartphones in 2019, is rumored to go independent next year. The company started as a sub-brand of Vivo for premium phones, has gotten bigger, and is now launching devices in the mid-range segment as well.
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