Hisense, a renowned TV manufacturer, has tipped that a flagship Vidda TV is around the corner that will sport a massive 85-inch display and will have a 120Hz refresh rate to take the viewing experience to an all-new level. The release is set for September 29, confirms the officially tipped posters.
The Vidda poster says “end of the field of view, no boundaries” which suggests that the new TV will certainly have minimal bezels, offering a high screen share for an astonishing view. The poster also emphasizes highly the number 3, suggesting that one of the TV’s parameters has the number 3.
There are additionally two more posters that feature a leopard and a singing parrot which can easily be deciphered as having a fast refresh rate of 120Hz and a built-in audio system.
IT House has learned that a new product page has gone live on e-commerce websites that is most probably the Hisense Vidda new 85-inch TV with model 85V1F-S. This corroborates that the TV is indeed a flagship-level product that will pack a 4K 120Hz screen with built-in 3GB of memory and 64GB of storage. The number “3” in the poster represents 3GB of memory, which is a gig above the mainstream 2GB memory capacity seen on the majority of peers. Officially termed as a “game TV”, the product also features a game-only HDMI 2.1 interface that supports VRR variable refresh rates as well. The Vidda 85V1F-S TV also bundles 2×18W speakers and 25W subwoofers set up for high-fidelity stereo sound.
As for pricing, it is expected to start from 8499 yuan ($1315).
Xiaomi will be announcing its first Xiaomi CIVI branded smartphone at 2 PM (local time) today in China. A leaked poster of the Xiaomi CIVI that mentions all its specifications and pricing is now doing rounds on Weibo. Let us see what to expect from the smartphone.
Xiaomi CIVI specifications (rumored)
The poster states that the Xiaomi CIVI measures 6.98mm in thickness and 71.5mm in width. It weighs only 166 grams. The handset sports a curved edge display, a metallic frame, and an AG glass on the back.
The Xiaomi CIVI has a 6.55-inch curved OLED panel that offers 1 20Hz refresh rate, 1.07 billion colors, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+. The centrally positioned punch-hole screen also features an in-screen fingerprint scanner. It has a 32-megapixel front-facing camera, which comes with features like pixel-level skin renewal technology, autofocus, and double soft light.
The rear camera setup of the Xiaomi CIVI is headlined by a 64-megapixel main camera. It is coupled with an ultrawide lens with a 120-degree FOV and a macro lens.
The Snapdragon 778G chipset is present under the hood of the Xiaomi CIVI. The leaked poster further mentions that it comes with 8 GB / 12 GB of RAM and 128 / 256 GB of built-in storage. It is backed by a 4,500mAh battery that carries support for 55W fast charging.
Xiaomi CIVI pricing (rumored)
As per the leaked poster, the Xiaomi CIVI has three variants such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage, and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage, respectively. They are priced at 2,799 Yuan (~$433), 3,099 Yuan (~$479), and 3,399 Yuan (~$526). It could be available in three colors like black, blue, and peach.
Honor has launched a couple of laptops under the MagicBook lineup at its recent launch event in China, including the Honor MagicBook V 14. It is Honor‘s first notebook to be Intel Evo platform certified and is the world’s first laptop to come pre-installed with the latest Windows 11 operating system.
The Honor MagicBook V 14 features a 14.2-inch LTPS LCD display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, 2.5K screen resolution, and a refresh rate of 90Hz. It covers 100% sRGB color gamut, shows 1.07 billion colors, and offers a maximum brightness of 400nits.
Interestingly, the laptop features a 5-megapixel dual-camera setup with an ISP chip to improve the quality of video calls. It also comes with four speakers and four microphones along with support for directional pickup as well as 5 meters far-field pickup.
Under the hood, the device is powered by the Intel Core i5-1132H processor while the top-end model is powered by the Core i7-11390H processor. Taking care of the graphics processing is the NVIDIA MX450 GPU. As for the memory configuration, Honor offers the device packing up to 16GB RAM and 512GB NVMe storage.
The laptop comes with dual fans and dual heat pipes for heat dissipation. There’s also a fingerprint sensor embedded into the power button which the company claims can unlock the device in 0.7 seconds.
The company says that the keyboard on the Honor MagicBook V 14 has a 1.5mm keystroke and the keycaps are coated with skin-friendly resin, which is claimed to be stain-resistant and wear-resistant to ensuring protection from grease.
There are three different models and are now up for pre-order and will be available for purchase from 6th October. The base model of the Honor MagicBook V 14 packs an Intel Core i5-1132H processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe storage, and integrated graphics. It is priced at 6,199 yuan (~$959) and comes in two colors — Star Gray and Glacial Silver.
There’s another model which packs an Intel Core i5-1132H processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, and NVIDIA MX450 GPU. It comes in a Starry Sky Gray color for the price of 6,999 yuan (~$1,082). The top-end model packs an Intel Core i7-11390H processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, and NVIDIA MX450 with Independent Display. This one is priced at 7,999 yuan (~$1,237) and comes in two colors — Starry Sky Gray and Dawn Blue.
Chinese technology giant Huawei officially launched the Huawei P50 series flagship smartphones in its home market in July this year. Now, a couple of months after getting announced, the Huawei P50 Pro is now finally on sale in China.
The 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage model of the Huawei P50 Pro is now available for purchase in China through the online marketplace JD.com. The device is priced at 6,488 yuan which roughly converts to $1,003. It comes in five different colors — Black, Gold, White, Pink, and Blue.
As for the specifications, the Huawei P50 Pro features a 6.6-inch curved OLED display with a screen resolution of 2700 x 1228 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, 1440Hz PWM dimming, and can show up to 1.07 billion colors.
Underneath, the device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 flagship chipset. However, the processor in this smartphone doesn’t support 5G connectivity and is limited to 4G. There’s also another variant of the phone which is powered by the company’s own HiSilicon Kirin 9000 SoC.
The Huawei P-series is known for its camera performance and this P50 Pro is no different. It comes with two primary cameras – a 50-megapixel f/1.8 RGB sensor with OIS and a 40-megapixel f/1.6 Black and White sensor. There’s also a 13-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide angle camera and a 64-megapixel f/3.5 telephoto camera with OIS. On the front side, there’s a 13-megapixel f/2.4 front-facing camera with support for autofocus and AIS anti-shake.
The phone’s camera support 3.5x optical zoom, 20x hybrid zoom, and 100x digital zoom. It also comes with an HDR Vivid mode and an XD Fusion Pro graphics engine that optimizes image quality and color reproduction.
It is running Huawei’s own HarmonyOS 2.0 operating system and is powered by a 4,360mAh battery that supports 66W fast wired charging and 50W wireless fast charging along with support for reverse wireless charging. Unfortunately, the company isn’t bundling the power adaptor with the smartphone this year.
Lenovo has announced that the company will be hosting a launch event on 28th September in China where the firm is set to announce five new laptops, all of which will come running the latest Windows 11 operating system.
In the official poster shared by the company, it has been revealed that the five upcoming laptops are Xiaoxin Pro 14 2021 Core Edition, Xiaoxin Pro 14 2021 Ryzen Edition, YOGA 13s 2021 Ryzen Edition, Xiaoxin Air 14 Plus 2021 Ryzen Edition, and Xiaoxin Air 14.
It’s noteworthy that the company has said that these devices will come pre-installed with the Windows 11 operating system and is not just a promise for an update at a later date.
Lenovo has already confirmed that the Xiaoxin Pro 14 2021 Core Edition will be powered by the Intel Core i5-11320H processor and will pack an Intel Iris Xe G7 96EU graphics processor, offering 20 percent increased performance.
It will feature a 14-inch 2.8k 16:10 display offering 400nit high brightness, a screen resolution of 2880 × 1800 pixels, a 90Hz refresh rate, and DC dimming. There’s also a TÜV Rheinland protection certificate, a low Blu-ray Certification, and Dolby Vision support.
Last month, Microsoft confirmed that the new Windows 11 operating system will be provided to eligible devices free of cost. The latest version of the OS is set to get released from 5th October in a phased manner. This means that not all the eligible devices will get the latest Windows 11 the day rollout begins but will have to wait for a few weeks or months, depending on how old your current system is.
There is a wide array of electric scooters that are now available in the market with several features. These trendy transportation machines are gradually taking a new identity as luxury gadgets. Unagi is also tapping into this design philosophy amidst the rising demand for these products.
Premium scooter manufacturer Unagi has announced its first smart scooter with some similarities in looks to the Model Eleven. However, the Unagi smart scooter comes with some amazing features and functionality.
The built-in Bluetooth speaker makes it possible to play music or podcasts and also get concise directions as you navigate with the scooter. The GPS feature is the culmination of the partnership between Unagi and Google, and the app is available both in iOS and Android. After selecting your destination, the display of the smart scooter provides navigational steps while direction prompts are sounded through the audio system.
On the security end, the smart scooter has a motion sensor alarm as an anti-theft measure. It is also possible to demobilize a stolen scooter remotely using the app.
The Model Eleven’s signature feature is the ADAS sensor in the higher-end version. With the ADAS, the smart scooter can tell the difference between people, stop signs, stoplights, cars, and an array of different other objects. It will warn the user of a potential collision through both the audio system and the touchscreen display.
The Model Eleven is the outcome of the collaboration between Unagi and industrial designer Yves Béhar. The company says its latest scooter is the lightest, full-suspension model on the market. The long carbon fiber body is a major source of the lightweight design. The scooter is foldable, has a swappable battery system and puncture-proof tires, for greater versatility.
The basic model is priced at $2,440, while the higher model could be up to $2,860. The Unagi smart scooters are available for pre-order via Indiegogo.
Ahead of its September 28 scheduled event, Amazon may be lining up a few innovative devices for release. Among the products in the lineup are a new soundbar and new Echo Auto devices. The company is also currently working on several innovative offerings including a wall-mounted Echo that has a 15-inch display. The September 28 hardware event was mentioned in some online channels including Bloomberg.
The new 15-inch wall-mounted Amazon Echo, as expected, will be Alexa-enabled. It is codenamed Hoya and can also operate conventionally when mounted on a stand like the regular Echo products. The upcoming Echo device, as per the details available, will be a smart home hub capable of controlling the security architecture, lights, camera, and a host of other devices. It is also capable of displaying several notifications including weather, timers, photos, names, etc. It is designed with the capability to provide smart services like displaying recipes, cooking tips, and so on in the kitchen. Your favorite Netflix movies and other applications can also be covered with the upcoming Echo.
There are also some Amazon-branded TV models in the product lineup, as well as Amazon’s own soundbar, called Harmony. The Harmony Soundbar will have a front-facing camera to enable video calls from a compatible TV. Another Echo Auto product is also believed to be under development by Amazon. Codenamed Marion, the product will reportedly allow inductive charging of the device. Some of these devices are scheduled for a 2022 launch, alongside new Echo speakers, and wearable devices for kids and the elderly (fall detection enabled).
The Honor Pad V7 Pro/Honor Tab V7 Pro was launched last month as Honor’s flagship tablet and the first device powered by MediaTek’s Kompanio 1300T processor. If you want a more affordable version, albeit with less powerful specifications and a smaller screen, then the new Honor Pad V7/Honor Tab V7 is for you.
Honor Pad V7 Design
With respect to design, the Honor Pad V7 appears to have a more rounded design. There is a single camera on the back and it sits in a pill-shaped housing along with the LED flash. Although the tablet doesn’t come in a fancy leather version, buyers have the option to choose from three different colorways – Dawn Blue, Amber Gold, and Titanium Silver.
Honor Pad V7 Specifications
For the Honor Pad V7, Honor has cut some corners which isn’t surprising since this is the toned-down version of the pro model. However, some of the key features available on the pro model are also present.
The Honor Pad V7 has a 10.4-inch LCD display with a 2K (2000 x 1200) resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10, and blue-light protection. Honor says the tablet has a video enhancement feature that dynamically adjusts the contrast depending on the content on the screen. This feature along with the quad speakers with DTS:X Ultra make the Honor Pad V7 a great device for entertainment.
Powering Honor’s latest tablet is the Kompanio 900T, a new chipset announced earlier this month designed for tablets and PCs. The 6nm processor has two Cortex-A78 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores along with a Mali-G68 GPU. The base model has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage but those who want more RAM can pick up the 8GB RAM version. There is a MicroSD card slot if you need to add more storage.
The tablet ships with an 8MP f/2.2 front-facing camera while a 13MP f/1.8 sensor is on the back for taking photos and scanning documents. Honor says that when making video calls, the front-facing camera will keep you in focus even when you move.
The Honor Pad V7 runs Magic UI 5.0 based on Android 11 and it comes with lots of useful software features. The multi-screen collaboration feature allows you to record a video on your phone and edit it on the tablet. It will also allow you to run your mobile apps in full screen on the tablet. Another feature is the extended mode that allows the tablet to serve as an extension of your laptop’s display. The tablet also has multi-window multitasking, and Honor claims more than 4000 apps have been optimized to take advantage of the screen estate such that you can have dual instances of an app running side by side.
One cool feature creatives will love is the ability to draw on the tablet with the Magic-Pencil 2 and have it appear on your computer. This feature also allows you to easily annotate and sign documents. It is important to note that some of these features are compatible only with eligible Honor phones running Magic UI 3.1+ and select Honor computers.
The Honor Pad V7 has WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1. There is a 5G version too which has a feature called Link Turbo X which combines your 5G network with your Wi-Fi network for a faster network with speeds of up to 2.7Gbps.
The tablet has a 7250mAh battery capacity and supports 22.5W fast charging.
Honor Pad V7 Price and Availability
The Honor Pad V7 is priced at ¥1999 (~$309) for the 6+128GB WiFi version and ¥2299 (~$356) for the 8+128GB WiFi version. The 5G version priced at ¥2599 (~$402) has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can pre-order the tablet now on the HiHonor website ahead of its September 30 release date. Those who pre-order get a ¥100 discount.
The Bluetooth keyboard case has a price tag of ¥399 (~$62). However, Honor is offering the keyboard along with the Magic-Pencil 2 for ¥549 (~$85) which is a pretty good deal considering the stylus sells for ¥499 (~$77) separately.
OPPO has announced a new wearable today. The OPPO Watch Free arrives with the features expected of a health tracker but also adds some unique ones of its own.
The OPPO Watch Free has a 1.64-inch AMOLED display with a 280 x 456 resolution, DCI-P3 color gamut, and a 326 PPI pixel density. The rectangular display is housed in a frame made of polycarbonate and fiber while the underside is covered in a material made of nylon plastic (PA) and fiber. Attached to the watch are silicone straps with a leather texture which OPPO claims are breathable and comfortable to wear during sleep.
The fitness tracker can track more than 100 sports modes including cricket, skipping, archery, skiing, volleyball, kayaking, and badminton. However, only four sports can be automatically tracked and they are running, walking, rowing (machine), and ellipticals. There is even a built-in trainer for running.
As expected, there is a heart rate monitor, and the OPPO Watch Free will display the five heart rate zones in real-time. It will also warn the user when the heart rate is too high or too low. There is also sleep tracking, snoring detection, music playback control, and support for WeChat and Alipay contactless payment. The wearable has an NFC version that allows you to store bus cards and bank cards for contactless payment. The OPPO Watch Free also comes with OPPO’s Breeno voice assistant with support for an offline mode.
One neat feature the OPPO Watch Free has is an eSports mode. When activated, all notifications and alerts are automatically sent to the watch instead of appearing on your phone. The eSports mode works only with the OPPO Find X3 series and Reno6 series. However, OPPO says that more of its phones will gain support later. There is also a sleep mode on the watch which when activated, turns on Do Not Disturb mode on your phone.
The fitness tracker has a 230mAh battery that will provide up to 14 days of usage. It also supports fast charging as OPPO claims a quick 5-minute charge will provide enough charge to last a day. It connects via Bluetooth 5.0 and it is compatible with Android devices running Android 6.0 and later as well as devices running iOS 10.0 and later.
The OPPO Watch Free is available in two colors Quicksand Gold and Silent Night Black. The price tag is ¥549 (~$85) for the standard version and ¥599 (~$93) for the NFC version. It is already available for pre-order on JD.com ahead of its September 30 release date.
Barely a week after the release of the iPhone 13 and several other Apple products, buyers of the new models would need to update their devices due to a bug that prevents a seamless playing of music. It was suggested by MacRumors that both the iPhone 13 and new Apple iPads were affected by this music bug.
Apple had issued an advisory that informed users about the Apple Music bug, which can be quickly fixed when users update their devices. If left unattended, the bug prevents users from accessing their Apple Music catalog, settings or use their Sync Library if the new device is restored from a backup. The lineup of devices thought to be affected by the Apple Music bug are the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max. The latest Apple iPad mini and the 9th-generation iPad are also affected by the bug.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the pick of the bunch of devices unveiled during the Apple event last week. It comes with some impressive features and a $1,600 price tag. Performance-wise, the iPhone 13 Pro Max thumps the lower models on several aspects including battery life, the brightness of the display, display size, etc. It is unclear how the Apple Music bug escaped pre-release scrutiny, but the update offers a quick fix to the problem.
For now, this is the only blemish that could be noticed on the latest product offerings by Apple. The company has of late, been battling with embarrassing leaks of its trade secrets by Apple employees. Even with sometimes stringent measures put in place to curb the leak, it persists. At least we know that the Apple Music bug issue did not leak before the launch of the devices last week. That could have posed a serious embarrassment to the company.
OPPO had a launch event in China today and it announced a handful of new products, one of which is the OPPO K9 Pro smartphone. The mid-range phone packs some pretty impressive features found in premium mid-range phones and at a pretty affordable price tag.
OPPO K9 Pro specs
The OPPO K9 Pro has a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 180Hz touch sampling rate, HDR10, and a DCI-P3 wide color gamut. There is a punch hole at the top left corner that houses a 16MP sensor.
Powering the phone is a Dimensity 1200 processor and it is paired with 8GB or 12GB of RAM. Depending on the RAM variant you pick up, you get either 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. However, there is no support for storage expansion via a MicroSD card slot, though it has support for OTG, so you can connect a thumb drive.
The back of the phone is home to three cameras – a 64MP f/1.7 primary sensor with a 6P lens, an 8MP f/2.2 super wide-angle camera with a 119º field of view and a 5P lens, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera with a 3P lens that can shoot 4 CM macro photos. The camera app has lots of features such as a neon portrait mode, a super night mode, and a night mode for the front camera.
There is a 4500mAh battery inside the phone and it can charge from empty to 50% in just 16 minutes thanks to having support for 60W Super Flash Charge. The OPPO K9 Pro also has an in-display fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock, NFC, dual SIM dual 5G support, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.2, an audio jack, and a USB-C port. OPPO ships the phone with ColorOS 11 based on Android 11.
OPPO K9 Pro Price and Availability
The OPPO K9 Pro is priced at ¥2199 (~$340) for the 8+128GB version but will be sold for ¥1999 (~$309) for a limited time while the 12+256GB version is priced at ¥2699 (~$417) but will be sold for ¥2499 (~$386) for early buyers. It will be available for purchase starting September 30.
A few days ago, POCO announced it has a new smartphone set for launch on September 30. The teaser poster for the announcement hinted at the new device launching under its C-series of smartphones. Today, POCO has let the cat out of the bag and revealed the new phone will launch as the POCO C31. Yes, that sure is a big jump from C3.
A short teaser video shared on Twitter today confirmed the name of the phone and also gave us an early look at the device.
The POCO C31 is shown to have a waterdrop notch, slim side bezels, and a thicker bottom bezel. Unfortunately, the teaser doesn’t show the back of the phone. However, there is a chance we may see a full reveal as well as a confirmation of some of its specifications before the launch on Thursday.
The new phone should be affordable and should arrive as a rival to the Realme C25Y that was launched a few weeks ago in India. The Realme C25Y is a Unisoc T610-powered phone with a 6.5-inch LCD HD+ display, 50MP triple rear cameras, a 5000mAh battery, and a ₹10,999 (~$149) price tag.
Vivo will be unveiling the Vivo X70 series of smartphones on Sept. 30 in India. Reports have revealed that India will be receiving the Vivo X70 Pro and Vivo X70 Pro+ smartphones, but not the vanilla X70. Tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore has tipped the pricing of both models.
Vivo X70 Pro, X70 Pro+ price in India (rumored)
The tipster revealed that the Vivo X70 Pro will come in two options such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. They are priced at Rs 46,990 (~$635) and Rs 54,990 (~$743), respectively.
The Vivo X70 Pro+ will come in a single variant offering 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. It is priced at Rs 69,990 (~$945). The tipster added that the pricing leak should not be taken as confirmed information as it has been acquired from a new source.
Vivo X70 Pro+
Vivo X70 Pro, X70 Pro+ specifications
The Vivo X70 Pro has a 6.56-inch AMOLED FHD+ 120Hz display. It is powered by the Dimensity 1200 chip and a 4,450mAh battery that supports 44W fast charging. Its quad-camera setup has a 50-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel periscope zoom lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera.
The Vivo X70 Pro houses a 6.78-inch AMOLED FHD+ 120Hz display. It comes with Snapdragon 870 chip and a 4,500mAh battery with 55W fast charging. It also supports 50W wireless charging. Its quad-camera setup has a 50-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel periscope zoom lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera with micro-gimbal stabilization.
The X70 Pro and X7 Pro+ have a 32-megapixel selfie camera. Both phones are also equipped with an in-screen fingerprint scanner. It will come preinstalled with FunTouch OS 12 based Android 11 OS.
Flipkart’s brand MarQ has introduced its first smartphone called the MarQ M3 Smart in India. Priced at Rs 7,999 (~$108), the handset offers users modest specs. It will be available at a much lower price when it goes on sale in October.
MarQ M3 Smart specifications and features
The MarQ M3 Smart houses a 6.088-inch display that offers an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1560 pixels and 281ppi pixel density. It is equipped with 2.5D curved glass screen protection. It has a front camera of 5-megapixel.
MarQ M3 Smart
The vertical camera module on the phone’s back has a 13-megapixel main camera, a bokeh lens, and an LED flash. It supports photography features like night mode, beauty mode, time-lapse, and slow-motion video recording. The handset runs on Android 10 OS.
The M3 Smart is powered by an unknown 1.6GHz octa-core processor. It ships with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. For more storage, it has a microSD card slot. The device is backed by a 5,000mAh battery. It offers other features such as dual 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth, GPS, microUSB, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The modest phone lacks a fingerprint scanner. It measures 148 x 70.9 x 10.75mm and weighs 185 grams..
MarQ M3 Smart price in India
The MarQ M3 Smart costs Rs 7,999 (~$108), but it will be available at a special price of Rs 6,299 (~$85) when it goes on sale through Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale on Oct. 7. It will be available in two colors such as black and blue.
Last week, Realme unveiled the Realme GT Neo2 smartphone in China. Soon after its launch, Realme CEO Madhav Sheth took to Twitter to tease its arrival in India. One of his tweets confirms that the GT Neo2 will be landing in India next month.
As it is known, the Realme GT Neo2 is the successor for the Realme GT Neo that debuted earlier this year. The GT Neo was made available in India with Realme X7 Max and downgraded charging speeds. The Neo2 will not be releasing in India as an X-series phone as the company has already axed the lineup. Instead of X-series, the company will be providing GT series in India.
Realme GT Neo2 specifications
The Realme GT Neo2 has a 6.62-inch AMOLED FHD+ display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate and a Full HD+ resolution. The Snapdragon 870 mobile platform is present under the hood of the device. It ships with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
Realme GT Neo2
The Neo2 runs on Android 11 OS, which is customized with the Realme UI 2.0 skin. The handset houses a 5,000mAh battery that supports 65W fast charging through USB-C.
The rear camera system of the Realme GT Neo2 features a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. It has a front camera of 16-megapixel. The handset offers other features like stereo speakers and an in-display fingerprint scanner. At present, there is no word on the pricing of the GT Neo2 for India.
The Galaxy Z Flip3 also has two displays, though they are much smaller than the ones on the Galaxy Z Fold3. The outer display, which is bigger than that of the original Galaxy Z Flip, is the stronger of the two screens. It scratches at a level 6 with deeper grooves at level 7, thanks to the sheet of Gorilla Glass Victus protecting it. It also holds up on the flame test, lasting up to 25 seconds before turning white.
The foldable display is not as strong which isn’t surprising. Simply running your fingernail on the screen with a bit of pressure will cause grooves to appear. However, the display does hold up pretty well and is still functional and undamaged even after being bent twice!!
The Galaxy Z Flip3 has its frame made of metal, so it will survive drops. There is also a rubber lip around the display that absorbs the shock when you snap the phone shut. The phone isn’t dustproof but it is force-fed dust and it comes out working fine.
Samsung has done an impressive job with the Galaxy Z Flip3, proof that it isn’t experimenting with this new product category but making phones the average person can use.
Realme is expected to launch a new Q-series phone soon in the global markets as the company’s Global VP Wang Wei Derek has just confirmed it on Weibo. Derek posted that there will be a new Snapdragon 778G powered Q-series phone in forthcoming months and it will likely be called the Realme Q5.
If the Realme Q5 indeed launches soon then it will feature an LCD display with Full-HD+ resolution and a high refresh rate. While one of its variants will be powered by the Dimensity 1200 chipset, the other variant is expected to fuel the Snapdragon 778G SoC.
Recently, a Realme smartphone with model number RMX3357 appeared on the TENAA certification. It revealed that the device has MediaTek’s Dimensity 1200 SoC. It features a 6.43-inch OLED panel and a battery that supports 65W fast charging technology. It is believed to be one of the phones from the Realme Q-series.
Similarly, the Q5 series may have more phones and the entire series may debut soon. However, the exact launch date is not confirmed. As for their global availability, the Realme Q-series phones are expected to first launch in Europe and China and later head to some other major markets .
In related news, Realme recently launched the V11s budget smartphone in the home market China. The smartphone comes with a 6.5-inch water-drop notch panel and has dual rear cameras. It has a 13MP main sensor and a 2MP secondary lens. Upfront, it has an 8MP single camera lens. It comes powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC and has 6GB of RAM, 128GB of onboard storage. It packs a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.
Samsung will launch a new mid-range smartphone soon as the Galaxy F42 5G has been making rounds in the leaks spree. Now, the smartphone has appeared on the Google Play Console ahead of its September 29 India launch.
According to the Google Play console, the Galaxy F42 is nothing but a rebranded Galaxy Wide5. It has the same specs as the Samsung Galaxy Wide5. The Galaxy F42 5G will feature a water-drop notch panel with a Full-HD+ resolution. It will have an exact resolution of 1080 x 2009 pixels and a pixel density of 450 PPI.
via – Mukul Sharma
The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC and has 8GB of RAM. We expect this particular variant to be the top model and it may also come in a 6GB RAM option. As for the software, the device will boot on Android 11 out of the box.
Apart from the listing, the smartphone previous certifications revealed that it will have a 90Hz screen refresh rate and may feature a 6.6-inch LCD display panel. The device is touted to come with a triple camera system with a 64MP main lens, a 5MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP depth-sensing lens. It will pack a 5,000mAh battery with support for some fast charging technology.
The Samsung Galaxy F42 5G will go official on September 29 in India. It will be sold exclusively via Flipkart and is expected to come at a similar price range as its predecessor. The predecessor Galaxy F41 retails for ₹14,499(~$196) in the country.
It appears manufacturers are in a race to announce new products before September wraps up judging by the number of launches scheduled for the last week of the month. The stream of announcements starts on Sunday, the 26th, with multiple products from OPPO and Honor and continues into the week with new phones from Xiaomi and iQOO as well as a handful of new products from Amazon. Here is a roundup of what’s coming next week:
Honor Event – September 26
Honor has an event on Sunday, September 26 during which it will unveil new products under its mobile division as well as Honor Life division. So far we know it will announce the Honor Tab V7, the standard model to the Honor V7 Pro launched in August. We already knew the Honor V7 was on the way shortly after the launch of the pro model, thanks to the spec sheet of the Magic-Pencil 2 stylus which revealed compatibility with multiple Honor tablets including the yet-to-be-announced Honor Tab V7.
OPPO also has an event set for tomorrow. It has confirmed that it will announce a new wearable called the OPPO Watch Free, the OPPO K9 Pro smartphone, and the OPPO Smart TV K9.
Xiaomi True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earphones, Xiaomi Civi, Color Watch 2 – September 27
Xiaomi has two new products launching on Monday, September 27. One of them is a new pair of wireless earbuds that is expected to launch as the Xiaomi True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earphones 3 Pro. However, the highlight of the launch will be its new smartphone, the Xiaomi Civi.
The Xiaomi Civi is a mid-range phone with a focus on design. It has been confirmed that the phone will have a Snapdragon 778G processor and a 4500mAh battery. if you want to know what it looks like, you can check out this early official reveal of the device.
Xiaomi will also announce the Watch Color 2, a successor to the Watch Color announced early last year. The new smartwatch will have a round dial, two physical buttons, and more than 200 watch faces.
POCO India has a launch happening on September 30 and the teaser hints at a new POCO C-series smartphone. The POCO C3 was the first phone under the C-series and it is due for a successor already. Unfortunately, details of the new device are unknown.
OPPO A55 4G – October 1
OPPO has another launch event but this time in India. The Chinese manufacturer will unveil the OPPO A55, a 4G smartphone with a 50MP primary rear camera. It will also have a punch hole display and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
iQOO is currently one of the brands which release the highest amount of flagship killers in a year. The iQOO 8 is simply an amazing phone for gamers and power users, not only for its performance but especially because of its price. But there is another old glory that came up with a flagship killer that is even more powerful at the same price: Meizu. The Meizu 18s offers the best hardware you can expect from a 2021 flagship and, thanks to its price tag, it is able to compete with the iQOO 8. This comparison should help you to understand which one is the best for you.
Triple 64 + 8 + 16 MP, f/1.6 + f/2.4 + f/2.2
20 MP f/2.2 front camera
Triple 50 + 13 + 13 MP
16 MP f/2.5 front camera
BATTERY
4000 mAh, fast charging 36W
4350 mAh, fast charging 120W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Design
If you are looking for the most elegant phone, then the Meizu 18s offers something more for you. It is thinner, lighter, and more elegant with its incredibly high screen to body ratio and its clean glass back. Last but not least, the Meizu 18s has a curved edge to edge display making it even more elegant. Further, it is a very compact phone, one of the most compact out there. The iQOO 8 still comes with an original design, but it is chunkier and less interesting than the Meizu 18s.
Display
The display of the Meizu 18s has a diagonal of just 6.2 inches and it may not be the best for several gamers out there due to its small size, but its image quality is awesome. One of the elements which makes it clearly better than iQOO 8 is the resolution: it has a Quad HD+ panel with a 1440p resolution, as well as the 120 Hz refresh rate and the HDR10+ certification. You get HDR10 and 120 Hz with the iQOO 8, but the resolution is a standard Full HD+ with 1080p. On the other hand, it has a wider 6.56-inch panel making it more comfortable for advanced users. The fingerprint reader is inside the display. Do you prefer a better image quality on a 6.2-inch panel or a bigger display for your phone?
Specs & Software
The hardware department of the Meizu 18s is more powerful thanks to the Snapdragon 888+ mobile platform which provides an important boost over its predecessor Snapdragon 888, including a higher 3 GHz clock frequency. But the iQOO 8 is still a very powerful flagship killer with its Snapdragon 888 and the same high-end memory configuration as the Meizu 18s. The iQOO 8 runs OriginOS which is actually a more advanced operating system than Flyme, but both the devices are based on Android 11.
Camera
The Meizu 18s is a superior camera phone. Its 64 MP sensor comes with OIS support and it is paired with a telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom and a 16 MP ultrawide sensor. The iQOO 8 has a 50 MP camera, a telephoto lens with 2x zoom, and a 13 MP ultrawide camera: it is still a good camera phone but, on paper, it is inferior to its rival
The Meizu 18s’ battery capacity is just 4000 mAh, which is above the average: the phone has a smaller battery because it is very compact thanks to its 6.2-inch display, so there was probably not enough space to include a bigger battery. The iQOO 8 comes with a bigger 4350 mAh and not only it provides a longer battery life, but even faster charging speeds thanks to 120W fast charging.
Price
Both Meizu 18s and iQOO 8 are only available to purchase in the Chinese market with prices starting from €490/$574 and €500/$586, respectively. We are waiting for the launch of the iQOO 8 in India, but it is still too early. Which is the best device between these two? The Meizu 18s offers a few interesting pros: a better image quality for the display and a superior camera setup, as well as a more interesting design, a stronger processor, and more compact dimensions. But it has a display that could be too small for advanced users, with a diagonal of just 6.2 inches. Further, the iQOO 8 has a bigger battery and a more advanced operating system. Each of these devices has its pro and cons and understanding which one has the best value is not easy as it depends on the users’ needs. Which one would you pick?
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