Xbox Series S 2022 may feature refreshed 6nm AMD APU with higher Compute Units

By

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Sep 9, 2021

A new report has revealed that Microsoft aims on refreshing both of its newly launched consoles late next year. The first to receive the refresh would be the cheaper Xbox Series S, which will apparently house a refreshed AMD APU that is based on a 6nm process with higher compute units.

The information arrives from a new video from Moore’s Law Is Dead (MLID) on YouTube. In the video, the tech based content creator stated that the Series S 2022 variant will feature a 6nm process that is a more refined version of the 7nm process. In other words, Microsoft can expect to see higher yields that could allow it to offer 24 Compute Units from its Xbox Series S APU.

This is higher than the existing version of the Series S, which currently features just 20 Compute Units but has as many as 4 of these disabled to preserve good yields and to keep the supply of consoles more consistent. To put things simply, the noticeably higher Compute Units would allow for higher clock speeds, which the YouTuber claims can make the new Series S up to 50 percent faster.

Although, with higher performance, the a more expensive price tag is also expected. But, the Series S sits as an entry console so Microsoft might launch this 2022 refreshed version for 350 US Dollars, which is about 50 US Dollars more than the original variant. Meanwhile, the older Series S model could see a potential price slash as well. MLID believes that the new lowered price tag could be somewhere around 189 to 249 US Dollars. However, that would imply that the company will continue selling both consoles together.

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Realme 8s 5G launched with 90Hz display, Dimensity 810, and 64MP triple cameras

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 9, 2021

The Realme 8s 5G has launched in India today. It has arrived as the second 5G-ready Realme 8 series phone in India after the Realme 8 5G, which debuted a few months ago. The Realme 8s 5G has gone official as the world’s first Dimensity 810 SoC powered smartphone. Apart from the new chip, it offers an exquisite design, a high refresh rate display, 64-megapixel triple cameras, and a large-sized battery with fast charge support.

Realme 8s 5G specifications and features

The Realme 8s 5G has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel that offers a punch-hole design. It offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and a 90Hz refresh rate. For security, it offers features like face unlock and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The 6nm Dimensity 810 5G chip is present under the hood of the Realme 8s 5G. It is assisted by 6 GB / 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. Users can expand its storage by adding a microSD card. The Realme 8s 5G offers users up to 5 GB of virtual RAM.

It features a front camera of 16-megapixel. The back panel of the device features a squarish camera module, which houses a 64-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth assist lens.

The Realme UI 2.0 based Android 11 OS comes preloaded on the Realme 8s 5G. It is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W Dart Charge fast charging. The smartphone offers connectivity features like dual SIM support, 5G, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone.

Realme 8s 5G price in India

Here is the pricing of different variants of the Realme 8s 5G:

6GB RAM + 128GB storage – Rs 17,999 (~$244)
8GB RAM + 128GB storage – Rs 19,999 (~$272)
Color variants: Universe Blue and Universe Purple.

Realme will carry out the first sale of the Realme 8s 5G at 12:00 pm (local time) on Sept. 13 in India. It will be available through Realme India’s website and Flipkart. Customers purchase the smartphone with HDFC and ICICI credit cards and EMI transaction can avail Rs 1,500 (~$20) cashback.

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Huawei teases upcoming laptops, will feature support for Android apps

By

Sean

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Sep 9, 2021

Earlier today (9th September 2021), Huawei announced that it will be hosting a new event later this month on September 13. Now, the company even shared a new teaser for its upcoming laptops.

The Chinese tech giant is gearing up for the launch of new notebooks from its MateBook lineup of laptops and shared a teaser on its official Weibo account. On the Chinese microblogging website, an image poster can be seen that showcases a laptop from the side that acts as the hour and minute hands of a clock with the numbers being swapped with various different applications. However, these apps are based on the Android platform, so the company is clearly hinting at the new laptops supporting smartphone applications from Android.

Taking a look at these apps, it includes some of the most popular apps in China. This includes Douyin, which is basically a Chinese version of TikTok, along with an app that is similar to Yelp in the region called Dianping. Finally, we can also see the Himalayan Tingshu app as well, which is the Himalayan Podcast application. In other words, users will be the option use these applications on the laptop. While Windows 11 will bring support for Android apps, Microsoft will not be including this feature on launch. Meaning, Huawei is not simply shipping the laptops with the new Windows but is working on its own emulation based system or another new software that allows the use of these Android apps on Windows.

Recent reports have hinted at the company aiming on releasing new laptops called MateBook 13S and 14S, which are 13 and 14 inch notebooks. A Weibo tipster @北午数码鲲 stated that the 14 inch model can run Android applications thanks to Huawei’s self developed mobile application engine. So stay tuned for more updates, as we will be covering the September 13 launch event.

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Ulefone Armor 12 5G excels with dual HiFi speaker and headset-free FM Radio

By

Simranpal Singh

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Sep 9, 2021

Ulefone Armor 12 5G was launched a few weeks ago with useful specifications at a genuine price. Apart from the flawless performance, the device is designed to offer a premium sound experience with the Dual HiFi Speaker and Headset-free FM Radio. The presence of dual speakers optimizes and enhances the user experience.

Related: Ulefone Power Armor 13 passes rigorous Quality Test with flying colors

In the video above, the company has compared the Ulefone Armor 12 5G with the iPhone to practically verify its prowess in the sound department. Technically, the smartphone comes with dual 1216 superlinear speakers which are symmetrically located inside a 1.6cc-equivalent super large sound cavity. Speakers offer up to 0.65mm sound amplitude with 7 magnetic sound units and have maximum loudness of up to 110db.

It aggressively competes against the iPhone while playing music, games and videos. Ulefone Armor 12 5G offers original sound with a high sound reproduction mechanism.

As with the Power Armor 13, the new Armor 12 5G garnered a lot of attention with its handset-free FM radio feature. It allows users to enjoy the FM Radio services in their area without plugging the earphones. It is quite a useful feature for radiophiles who often listen to the radio.

The new smartphone features several other distinguished features if compared with other rugged smartphones. More information is available on the official website.

Must See: Ulefone Armor 12 5G flexes its muscles in an Official Video

OnePlus tipped to launch sub-₹20,000 smartphones in India

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Sep 9, 2021

Recently, OnePlus merged with its sister brand OPPO. Hence, changes were expected. In fact, the company has already started using ColorOS. Now, according to the latest rumor, the brand that was once known for flagship killer phones in India might enter the budget smartphone category.

As per tipster Yogesh Brar, OnePlus might release sub-₹20,000 smartphones in India in the near future. These devices are estimated to hit the market as early as Q4 2021 or Q2 2022. The upcoming affordable handsets from the company will likely use the ‘Nord’ branding.

OnePlus already sells budget phones in some regions. But this will be the first time for India, a market where the brand has been leading in the premium smartphone category for quite some time.

Unlike the premium segment, the budget category in India is too competitive. There are players like Redmi, realme, and even Samsung to some extent. Let’s not forget the Transsion brands (Infinix, TECNO) either.

All these brands offer great hardware at affordable price tags. The software is probably the common problem among these handsets, except for Samsung, which is doing fine.

At present, it’s not known what set of features OnePlus’ budget smartphones for India will offer. We are looking forward to learning more about these devices in the coming days.

Google Pixel 6 promo video showcases the real smartphone for the first time

By

Jeet

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Sep 9, 2021

About a month ago, Google had unveiled the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro flagship smartphones, revealing that the premium smartphones from the brand will get officially launched in a couple of months.

Now, Google has released the first advertisement for the upcoming premium Pixel 6 series smartphones. The 30-second video teaser, which carries the tagline “For All You Are,” shows the real, non-rendered device for the first time.

The video highlights the new Android 12 user interface elements. It asks viewers “What if smartphones weren’t just smart?” and “What if your phone saw you for who you are?”

Google is not showing the phone’s display but the teaser shows that the bottom bezel on the device is a bit thicker compared to the three other sides. There’s also a shot of someone picking up the face-down Pixel 6 Pro model in Gold color. This is the first time a live model of the smartphone is shown instead of a rendered design.

There’s also a shot of people holding the Pixel 6 in different color variants — Pixel 6 Pro in Gold, Pixel 6 Pro in White, Pixel 6 in Green/Teal, and Pixel 6 in Orange.

The company is highlighting three aspects of the Pixel 6 lineup — Learning, Evolving, and Adapting. It showcases Google’s custom chip and considers the upcoming phones “first-ever, all Google.” It also sheds light on the Material You design of Android 12 and Dynamic Color theming support.

Google reiterates that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be officially launched and made available for purchase in Fall 2021, however, the exact date hasn’t been revealed. If the reports are to be believed, then the phones could go on sale from 28th October.

So far, the search engine giant has revealed some key details about the upcoming phones even though the full specifications sheet hasn’t been shared. The Pixel 6 comes with a 6.4-inch Full HD+ display offering a 90Hz refresh rate while the Pro model has a 6.7-inch QHD+ display offering a 120Hz refresh rate.

The highlight of the Pixel 6 series remains its processor as the phones will come powered by Google’s own chipset — Tensor, which the company says is made especially for Pixel devices. Apart from on-device AI and ML capability, the chip is also claimed to have significant improvement in translation, captioning, and dictation. The chipset is likely to be an unreleased Samsung Exynos 9855 SoC.

The standard model features a dual-camera setup on the back while the Pixel 6 Pro has a triple-camera setup that includes a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 4x telephoto lens. The photography performance is expected to top the charts as the chipset is focused on photo output and uses artificial intelligence along with machine learning.

RELATED:

Apple iPhone 14 launching next year may not feature under-display Face ID

By

Jeet

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Sep 9, 2021

Apple is set to launch the iPhone 13 series smartphones next week on 14th September but ahead of the official launch of this year’s phones, renders of the next year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max got leaked online.

The leaked render indicates that the iPhone 14 will come with a punch-hole display for the first time. In that case, it’s believed that the devices will have an under-display Face ID which the company is already rumored to be working on.

iPhone 14 render — Apple iPhone 14 Render

Now, analyst Ross Young claims that there’s a possibility that the feature could be delayed as the next year’s Apple iPhone 14 series may not come with an under-display Face ID. He says that Apple wants to move ahead with this technology but the change “isn’t yet final” as the tech giant is still working on it.

He added that it’s easier to hide the Face ID sensors under the display than to hide the main camera setup. This may be the reason why the front camera will remain on the display, tucked under the punch-hole cutout.

It is also speculated that only the Pro models — iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will come with a punch-hole display while the other models will keep having a notch or switch to using Touch ID for security.

Previously, it was reported that Apple is working on alternative methods to get rid of the notch on top of the iPhone screen. It is rumored that the company could offer an in-display Face ID for the high-end models while the low-end models could feature Touch ID housed inside the display.

Coming to the upcoming Apple iPhone 13 lineup, the phones are expected to come with a slightly smaller notch and will have a 120Hz refresh rate in the Pro variants. It is also expected to come with a LiDAR scanner and the company could also be offering a 1TB internal storage model this time

The upcoming flagship smartphone series from Apple will come powered by a faster and more power-efficient A15 Bionic chipset manufactured using TSMC’s 5nm+ process. The phones are said to come with the space-saving internal circuitry, allowing the firm to offer a larger battery inside the device. The smartphones are also expected to come with support for 25W fast charging technology, a slight upgrade from the current 22W charging.

RELATED:

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro smartwatch set to launch in India next week

By

Jeet

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Sep 9, 2021

Huawei is gearing up to launch a new wearable product in the Indian market next week, dubbed as Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro. While the company has confirmed that the smartwatch will launch in India next week, a specific date hasn’t been revealed yet.

The smartwatch, which is already launched in several regions, comes with an AMOLED display panel along with scratch-resistant sapphire glass on top. The encasing of the device is built out of titanium to provide a lightweight design while the back is made of ceramic to ensure it’s skin-friendly and comfortable.

It’s not yet known what software will be used in the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro but whatever be the case, it’ll be custom-tuned by the Chinese giant. It is said to offer more than 200 watch faces. There will also be over 100 workout modes, including a Golf Driving Range Mode to analyze the swing posture intelligently and provide data references for improving swing speed and frequency.

The device will also be able to measure VO2max. While the battery capacity of the smartwatch is not yet known, it is said to offer two weeks of usage on a single charge with all health tracking features turned on.

Further, the wearable device will have support for wireless charging and charging the device with a compatible charger for just five minutes should offer 10 hours of usage. There’s also support for reverse wireless charging.

RELATED:

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G, F42 5G likely to launch soon in India as support pages go live

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 9, 2021

A report from last month claimed Samsung may announce the Galaxy M52 5G and Galaxy F42 5G smartphones in September in India. It appears that these devices will go official soon in India as their support pages have gone live on Samsung India’s website.

The support pages of the Galaxy M52 5G and F42 5G have information on their specs. The F42 5G is mentioned with its SM-E426B/DS model number, whereas the M52 is listed with its SM-M526B/DS model number. Rumors have it that the Galaxy M52 5G may debut by the end of this month. The F42 is also expected to launch this month.

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Samsung Galaxy M52 5G specifications

Past reports have revealed that the Galaxy M52 5G has a 6.7-inch S-AMOLED FHD+ display, Snapdragon 778G chip, 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, a microSD card slot, One UI 3.1 based Android 11, and a 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging. It may feature a front camera of 32-megapixel and its rear shell may house a 64-megapixel primary shooter, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor.

Samsung Galaxy F42 5G specifications

The Galaxy F42 5G is likely to arrive as a rebranded version of the Galaxy A22 5G. It may offer specs like a 6.6-inch FHD+ screen, Dimensity 700 chip, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with 15W charging. It may feature a front camera of 8-megapixel and a 48-megapixel + 5-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera unit.

Samsung is yet to confirm the existence of the Galaxy M52 5G and Galaxy F42 5G smartphones. Probably, the South Korean company will release the first teasers of the M52 5G in the third or fourth week of this month.

(via 1, 2)

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Qualcomm CEO confirms plans to work with European foundries to boost chip production

By

Ashutosh

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Sep 9, 2021

Amidst the chip shortage that has hit the entire world, the EU is pushing for billions of dollars of investment to boost its share of global chip production and get relieved of its dependence on Asia. The world’s number 1 supplier of semiconductors in the smartphone industry – Qualcomm – is also keen on powering dashboards and infotainment systems of cars. Qualcomm’s CEO Cristiano Amon has confirmed that Qualcomm welcomes the idea of working with foundries in Europe if they are able to attract the right partners in the automobile industry in Europe.

Qualcomm’s production is aimed at leading-edge technology, and the majority of foundries for that are located in Taiwan, South Korea, and the United States but Amon has confirmed that Qualcomm fully supports the idea of the EU to attract foundries.

The company has done some extraordinary work in the last 1 year to expedite the manufacturing and build new facilities to counter the global chip shortage. With this pace, the CEO believes to leave the majority of the problems to be behind them as we enter 2022.

Related:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdg4EPN_Mbk[/embedyt]

(via)

Huawei confirms Windows 11 support for all its MateBook Series Laptops

By

Ashutosh

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Sep 9, 2021

Huawei, well known for its craftsmanship and industry-leading specifications, has a bunch of laptops selling under the MateBook series lineup. After the entire smartphone industry saga with Google services, the company decided to make the transition to HarmonyOS, an in-house operating system. Well, as for Huawei MateBook users, the only big transition in the pipeline is the Windows 11 upgrade. Huawei has officially confirmed that all its MateBook series laptops will be upgraded to the new version of Windows.

This confirmation from the official social media of Huawei on Weibo comes ahead of the October 5 launch of Windows 11. Huawei confirms that all MateBook laptops with pre-installed Windows 10 are eligible for a completely free-of-cost Windows 11 upgrade.

Huawei’s MateBook notebooks are categorized into ‎‎the X-Series, the MateBook Series, the D-Series, as well as‎‎ the recently launched MateBook B-Series. We can expect the Windows 11 update to air for these MateBook devices soon after Microsoft officially launches it globally.

Windows 11 brings a plethora of visual changes, the addition of widgets, along with an all-new Microsoft Store with the ability to run Android apps on a desktop. The next generation of Windows will have a revamped look, which will also boost productivity.

Related:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdg4EPN_Mbk[/embedyt]

Tecno Spark 8 budget smartphone confirmed to launch in India on September 13

By

Jeet

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Sep 9, 2021

A couple of days ago, we reported that the upcoming Tecno smartphone under the Spark series dubbed Tecno Spark 8 could go official in India next week. Now, it has been confirmed that the smartphone will be officially launched in India on 13th September.

The smartphone was first launched in Nigeria and is an entry-level device. It features a 6.5-inch waterdrop notch IPS LCD display with a screen resolution of 1600 X 720 pixels. It is powered by MediaTek Helio P22 SoC and comes packed with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

In the camera department, the phone features a big square-shaped module in the top-left corner that houses a dual-camera setup, including a 16-megapixel primary sensor and a QVGA secondary sensor. On the front side, the device has an 8-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

There’s a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security. As for the connectivity options, the smartphone supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It comes with a 3.5mm audio jack and a micro-USB port for charging the device.

The phone runs HiOS 7.6 custom user interface which is based on Android 11 Go Edition, especially design for budget devices. It is powered by a 5,000mAh battery under the hood with supports 10W charging.

Coming to the pricing, the Tecno Spark 8 is priced around $130 in Nigeria but we expect the phone to cost less in the Indian market. To know the phone’s pricing and availability details in India, we will have to wait for a few more days.

RELATED:

Purported Xiaomi CC11 Pro bags 3C certification

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 9, 2021

Recently, four upcoming Xiaomi phones with model numbers 20191116C, 20191116AC, 20191116UC, and 2019119BC were approved by China’s TENAA authority. The specifications of these smartphones haven’t yet appeared on the certification site. Two of these have received approval from the 3C certification site of China today.

The 2109119BC’s 3C listing reveals that it is a 5G phone and it may ship with an MDY-12-EQ charger, which offers maximum charging speeds of up to 55W. The 20191116AC is the other model that has been approved by the 3C authority. This 5G phone is likely to ship with a 33W (MDY-11-EX) charger.

It can be said based on recent reports that the 2019119BC could be debuting in the Chinese market as the Xiaomi CC11 Pro. This device is expected to feature a 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 778G, and impressive cameras. To recollect, a Xiaomi phone with a 2017119DC model number that was recently approved by the TENAA authority could be the upcoming CC11 handset.

The 20191116AC handsets appear to be a variant of the 20191116C. Unfortunately, there is no information available on the final monikers of these devices.

The TENAA listing of the alleged CC11 revealed that it has a 6.55-inch OLED FHD+ display. The Snapdragon 778G powered is expected to arrive with Android 11 OS, up to 12 GB of RAM, and up to 512 GB of native storage. It will feature a front camera of 20-megapixel and a 64-megapixel triple camera unit. The device may house a 4,150mAh battery. It seems that the Xiaomi CC11 and CC11 Pro smartphones may break cover later this month or in early October.

RELATED:

NVIDIA seeks EU approval for ARM acquisition deal; ruling set for next month

By

Jeet

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Sep 9, 2021

NVIDIA has sought European Union antitrust approval for the $40 billion acquisition of chip designing company ARM. This could kickstart an antitrust probe which may become an obstacle for the company’s plan to close the deal by early 2022.

According to the European Commission filing, the initial deadline to rule on the transaction has a deadline of 13th October. The regulators are likely to echo worries similar to those voiced by the UK watchdog last month.

The competition watchdog of the United Kingdom has warned that the deal could damage competition and weaken rivals, and required a further lengthy investigation. The acquisition also needs approval from the U.S. and China.

The deal must be completed by September of next year, or NVIDIA would have to pay SoftBank $1.25 billion.

In a statement related to this, NVIDIA said, “We are working through the regulatory process and we look forward to engaging with the European Commission to address any concerns they may have. This transaction will be beneficial to Arm, its licensees, competition, and the industry.”

With criticism surrounding the deal, the EU is likely to extend its review by at least another four months to examine potential competition concerns. The company had originally planned to complete the deal by March 2022, when the acquisition was announced.

For the uninitiated, NVIDIA, the world’s biggest graphics card and AI chips maker announced the acquisition of ARM last year. As a part of the deal, NVIDIA will be paying 12 billion US Dollars in cash, which includes 2 billion US Dollars payable at signing and giving out 21.5 billion US Dollars worth of NVIDIA’s stock to SoftBank.

SoftBank had acquired ARM back in 2016 for 31.4 billion US Dollars. ARM is a known chip designer with its architecture being one of the most popular designs used in most smartphone chips from companies like Qualcomm, Apple, and even certain Intel chips.

Companies like Qualcomm, Samsung, and Apple are opposing the acquisition while some other companies, including Broadcom, MediaTek, and Marvell are in support of the deal.

To ensure that the deal gets approval, NVIDIA has promised that it will maintain open licensing and that the deal will help ARM, its licensees, and the industry. Antitrust officials rarely approve “behavioral commitments” without a more careful review due to the difficulty of checking how a company will keep its promises.

RELATED:

After Android 12, Google could release Android 12.1 version update instead of Android 13

By

Jeet

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Sep 9, 2021

Google has just released the final beta version of the Android 12 operating system and soon the company will officially release the stable version of the same. While the Android 12 stable version is yet to be rolled out, details about its successor have surfaced online.

It is being reported that the next version update for Android will be a minor update — Android 12.1. Further, the report adds that this new update should be rolled out pretty soon to the Pixel 6 series phones, once they get launched.

Android 12 Logo

This is an interesting development given that Google has stopped releasing minor version updates for the Android operating system which are called point updates. The last point update was Android 8.1 Oreo and since then, there haven’t been point updates from Google for the Android operating system.

Developers are being advised by Google to update their apps to target API level 31, which is the framework API that Android 12 delivers. The API level for Android 11 is 30 while its processor was 29. So, it’s being bumped with every Android version update.

Now, folks at XDA-Developers spotted evidence within AOSP Gerrit that suggests API level 32 corresponding to Android 12 “sc-v2” and not Android 13 “T.” In a new code change, a Googler changes the API level that a new NDK API will be first made available from 32 to 33. The reason could be because “there are currently no planned NDK APIs in sc-v2-dev.”

It looks like Google will be releasing an interim update between Android 12 and Android 13, with a change in the user-visible version number, resulting in the Android 12.1 point release. There’s also a possibility that the new API level won’t be accompanied by a new version number and could be targeted at another form factor.

Android 12 update comes with a major visual overhaul but it appears that Google’s own Pixel phones will be the ones to experience the full redesign. One of the highlights is support for a theming system, a redesigned lock screen, and quick settings menu, along with a new widget system, new animations, new privacy settings, and more.

RELATED:

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE pricing, specifications, renders leaked before launch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 9, 2021

Leaked information that appeared yesterday revealed Xiaomi will be soon launching the Mi 11 Lite 5G NE this month in India and some other markets. It is believed that the ‘NE’ letters in its moniker stand for New Edition. A fresh leak by tipster Snoopy has revealed all the major specifications of the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE.

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE specifications (Rumored)

As per the new leak, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE measures 160.5 x 75.7 x 6.8mm and weighs 159 grams. It features a front camera of 20-megapixel, and its rear panel has a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 5-megapixel triple camera setup.

The Snapdragon 778G chip is present under the hood of the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. The device will offer 128 GB of internal storage and will come preloaded with Android 11 OS. The leaked render of the device reveals it will be sporting a punch-hole display. Unfortunately, its rear image is not available yet. The leak claims that the device will be priced at 329 euros in Europe.

Recently, a Xiaomi phone with model number 2017119DC was approved by the TENAA authority. The dimensions and specs of this device match with the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. This indicates that this device may go official this month in China. However, it is unclear whether it is expected to debut as the Xiaomi CC11 series phone.

The TENAA listing revealed that it has a 6.55-inch OLED FHD+ display, a 20-megapixel front, 64-megapixel triple cameras, up to 12 GB of RAM, up to 512 GB of storage, 2.4GHz octa-core processor (Snapdragon 778G likely), and a 4,150mAh rated battery. Snoopy’s leak suggests that the 11 Lite 5G will come at least in Black color. On the other side, TENAA listing hints that it may release in colors like black, white, blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange, red, and purple in the Chinese market.

RELATED:

TCL X9 features Google TV, an ultra-thin 85-inch mini-LED 8K screen & pop-up camera

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 9, 2021

Chinese electronics giant TCL last month unveiled the first batch of its smart TVs that are equipped with built-in Google TV. The company is further expanding the portfolio of its Google TV-equipped smart TV with the launch of the flagship TCL X9 mini-LED TV.

The TCL X9 doesn’t just stand out because of the Google TV built-in but mainly because of its design. The X9 packs a massive 85-inch mini-LED screen with Google TV, and other features and is priced at a whopping $9,999.

The 85-inch display is at the core of the smart TV. The screen supports an 8K resolution and utilizes a mini-LED backlight. Also, the panel also utilizes QLED technology to improve the color output. It equally supports variable refresh rates and packs two HDMI 2.1 ports and eARC support.

The X9 features an ultra-thin frame on which the panel is mounted. The frame deploys “OD Zero” technology to extremely cut down the distance between the mini-LED backlight and the LCD display layer. According to TCL, OD Zero Technology fuses TCL’s mini-LED tech with in-house development and expertise in display engineering. This in turn helps in reducing the thickness of the TV to a great extend. The smart TV also comes with ultra-thin bezels on all sides which looks almost non-existent.

As a result of the slim build, the TV features a separate 5.1.2 soundbar with Onkyo-tuned drivers. The package also includes a subwoofer. The soundbar is integrated with the TV stand. The smart TV also coles with a pop-up camera that can be deployed for video calls using Google Duo.

RELATED:

Apple reveals launch date for iPhone 13 in China

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 8, 2021

We reported yesterday that the iPhone 13 series will be announced on September 14 at a global event that will be live-streamed. Apple has now revealed the date the new phones will launch in China.

iPhone 13 China launch — Image source: Weibo

The iPhone 13 series will be unveiled in China on Wednesday, September 15, a day after the global launch. The event will also be live-streamed on Apple.com.

Apple is currently the fifth biggest manufacturer in China, however, its market share should increase once the new iPhone 13 series goes on sale. Sales of the new phones should also see it retain its lead of the premium smartphone category which sits at 66% according to a Counterpoint report for the month of July.

Ahead of the release of the new iPhones, Apple already slashed the price of the iPhone 12 in China. The 128GB version received a price cut of ¥2000 (~$310) last week. We expect Apple will announce new prices for its older phones at the event next week.

Other than the iPhone 13 series, Apple will also announce the Apple Watch Series 7, new iPads, and the AirPods 3. There are also reports that new MacBooks will be unveiled at the event.

RELATED:

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE certified by Thailand’s NBTC, India’s launch date tipped

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 8, 2021

In the first half of this year, Xiaomi launched four models in the Mi 11 series namely, Mi 11, Mi 11 Lite (Mi 11 Youth Edition in China), Mi 11 Pro, and Mi 11 Ultra. Among them, Mi 11 Lite is positioned as a thin and light model, which is the only product in the Mi 11 series that is positioned at the mid-end. Xiaomi may soon expand the Mi 11 series with the addition of a thin and lightweight model dubbed Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE alongside the Mi 11T.

The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE has now obtained NBTC certification in Thailand meaning the Chinese company will likely launch the smartphone in the region soon. It is not difficult to see from the naming that Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is a derivative version of Xiaomi 11 Lite and it is expected to retain the lightweight and thin build for which the Mi 11 Lite is known.

In terms of specifications, Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE uses a 90Hz refresh rate OLED full screen, equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 series processors (maybe Snapdragon 780G, or Snapdragon 778G chip). It is worthy of note that a Xiaomi model equipped with the Snapdragon 778G chip recently received network approval from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The phone may be a new CC series product of which the corresponding overseas model may be the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE.

IN a related development, a report carried by 91Mobiles claims Xiaomi is planning to launch the upcoming smartphone in India by this month. The report says that the company might start teasing the phone’s launch in the next few days. We can vouch for the credibility of the information and the exact launch date wasn’t given. So, as it stands, the date Xiaomi will release the model is still unknown. We’ll keep you informed when more details emerge.

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Android 12 (stable) is coming in a few weeks, Pixel 5A 5G gets beta release

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Sep 8, 2021

If you have been waiting for the stable version of Android 12 to be released, there is still a bit of waiting to do as Google has revealed that it is just a few weeks away. However, owners of the new Pixel 5A 5G can get to experience Android 12 today with the new beta release.

The Pixel 5A launched a few weeks ago, so, unlike its siblings that already received the beta release, Google has just made the beta available for it. Google has also released beta 5 for the other eligible devices. This is the final beta before the official release in a few weeks.

Android 12 is bringing a new visual change to Android, though it appears Google’s own Pixel phones will be the ones to experience the redesign in full. There is now a theming system, a redesigned lock screen and quick settings menu, a new widget system, new animations, new privacy settings to mention a few.

While the update will arrive in a few weeks, we expect only a few non-Pixel devices will receive it on Day 1. However, we should see other manufacturers release a list of devices that will receive the update and when to expect it.

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