Baidu CEO reveals ‘Robocar’, his futuristic concept of autonomous driving

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Aug 18, 2021

Baidu Chief Executive Robin Li has just unveiled his vision for the future of autonomous driving technology. The official describes this ‘robocar’ vehicle as more of a robot than a car.

Baidu robotaxi — Apollo Autonomous Vehicle from Baidu

Robin Li revealed a new prototype ‘robocar’ at the Baidu World 2021 conference (Via SCMP) earlier today (18th August 2021). The co founder of the search engine and artificial intelligence based giant also stated that this a concept of the ideal transport vehicle that would be a robot that would not be similar to cars that clog the roads in this day and age. Li added that “In the future, a car will be equivalent to a robot.”

It was revealed that Baidu took eight years to develop the robocar, which does not have an official name as of right now. Although, the prototype did reveal that it is a two seat vehicle that has no steering wheels or pedals, which is in line with the statement of it being a robot rather than a car. Furthermore, it has two retractable doors, a large curved intelligent display and a control pad as well. Li stated that its interior feature zero gravity seats, voice and facial recognition along with advanced artificial intelligence technology.

This AI would enable the robocar to analyze and make predictive suggestions to passengers. To improve the driving experience, the zero gravity seats work by positioning the passenger or driver in a manner that makes them feel weightless by reducing the effects of gravity. At the moment, the robocar has already met the level 5 (L5) autonomous driving standard, which means that it can handle itself in all circumstances without human interaction.

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Samsung Galaxy A03s goes official in India starting at Rs. 11,499 (~$155)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 18, 2021

Korean tech giant Samsung has officially announced its latest budget offering under the Galaxy A series. The Samsung Galaxy A03s, as the phone is called, has been in the news for quite a while, buzzing the rumor mills repeatedly.

Samsung Galaxy A03s Specifications

The Galaxy A03s packs a 6.5-inch LCD Infinity V display with an HD+ resolution of 1560 × 720 pixels. The device is powered by an Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P35 processor paired with up to 4GB of RAM on the topmost model which also has 64GB storage onboard. There is a second memory variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The storage is expandable up to 1TB via micro SD card.

The budget device packs a triple camera setup at the rear comprising a 13-megapixel main camera along with a 2MP depth and 2MP macro camera sensors. At the front, there is a 5MP front camera for selfies.

The Galaxy A03s runs on Android 11-based One UI 3.1 Core. It also features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and packs a mammoth 5000mAH battery under the hood which charges via a USB-C port. The phone also features a 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5, and GPS + GLONASS.

Samsung Galaxy A03s Pricing & Availability

As for the pricing and availability, the Samsung Galaxy A03s is priced at Rs. 11499 (~$115) for the 3GB + 32GB version while the higher 4GB + 64GB version costs Rs. 12499 (~$168). The phone features a haze and matt textured body and will be offered in Black, Blue, and White colors. The A03s will be available via Samsung.com, as well as across retail stores and leading online portals,

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ASUS aims to double its smartphone shipments this year to 1 million units

By

Jeet

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Aug 18, 2021

Just a few days back, ASUS launched its latest gaming smartphones — ROG Phone 5s and ROG Phone 5s Pro in its home market China. The phones, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Plus 5G SoC, are targeted at the high-end market.

The newly launched smartphones are the successor to the ASUS ROG Phone 5 series, which was launched in March this year. As per the reports, ASUS accounted for about 90 percent market share in Taiwan’s gaming smartphone segment in the first half of this year.

With the updated ROG Phone 5s series powered by the latest chipset available in the market, it appears that ASUS is trying to ensure that it offers top-of-the-line specifications and improves its lead in the market.

The company has confirmed that the ROG Phone 5 series, as well as the newly announced ROG Phone 5s series, will be released in Mainland China. Expanding to more regions will allow the Taiwan-based company to sell more units of its gaming smartphones.

As per the company’s estimates, it managed to sell around 500,000 units of its smartphones in the year 2020, and this year, the company is aiming to sell 800,000 to 1 million units and it seems quite achievable for the brand at this time.

ASUS only has a presence in the high-end premium smartphone segment and is no longer selling budget or mid-range smartphones. Although there’s a Zenfone lineup of flagship smartphones, the popular offering from the brand remains the ROG Phone gaming lineup.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 teardown reveals it is difficult to repair

By

Sean

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Aug 18, 2021

Samsung has just recently launched the new Galaxy Z Fold3. While we already have footage of the new foldable smartphone, a new teardown video offers us a closer look at the internals of the device and also reveals the repairability of the device.

PBKreviews has just published a new video on YouTube titled “Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G Disassembly Teardown Repair Video Review.” As the name suggests, the content creator disassembled the Galaxy Z Fold3 and even gave it a score based on its Repairability. Looking at the video, we can see that the YouTuber offers various useful information while picking apart the phone, which would be helpful for anyone brave enough to attempt to disassemble their smartphones.

The first step involved applying heat to the back plate to loosen up the adhesive that joins the rear panel to the rest of the device. After which, he skillfully removes various cables and brackets to offer us a better look at the Fold’s internal components. Furthermore, there are various screws on the device as well that holds together different components like the speaker system, cameras, the RAM and processor, which is indicative of how complex the internal structure is for a foldable smartphone that has two displays.

In terms of repairability, PBKreviews gave the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 a repair score of just 2 out of 10. The device received such a low rating since it is “a very difficult phone to take apart, and very time consuming.” Interestingly, the high end smartphones from the South Korean tech giant, like the Galaxy S21 series, has received low repairability scores in the past. So, it arrives as no surprise that even the Galaxy Z Fold3 would be difficult to repair, especially considering its a foldable handset.

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Battlegrounds Mobile India finally arrives on Apple iOS

By

Sean

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Aug 18, 2021

Battlegrounds Mobile India or BGMI has been a great success in India. The title launched back in June 2021 for Android and the company had stated that it was working on an iOS port as well. And now, the popular battle royal game is finally available in the Apple App Store.

For those unaware, BGMI only launched in India for Android smartphones. While the company did state that a version for Apple iOS was in the works, it had offered no set date for its launch. Recently, we had even reported on certain teasers, but it was speculated that the iOS port was a while away. But it seems Krafton Inc wasted no time in bringing the popular mobile game to iPhones, which is also one of the most preferred platforms for the title.

For those unaware, many professional esports athletes and players across the globe played PUBG Mobile on iOS devices. So, BGMI’s launch on the App Store was highly anticipated in India. It is currently available on the iOS platform for iPhones that run iOS 11.0 or later. The game has a total size of about 1.9GB and, similar to the Android version, will also offer players the option to download resource packs and other updates following the installation.

Although, Krafton did state that iOS users might not be able to login immediately due to ongoing maintenance but this is scheduled to end by 9:40pm IST later today (18th August 2021). Recently, BGMI achieved a notable feat with the game registering over 50 million downloads on Google Play Store alone. So the studio offered all players with a permanent Galaxy Messenger set in game. You can click on the link here to check out the game on iOS App Store.

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Redmi 10 launched with MediaTek Helio G88 SoC, 50MP quad-camera, 90Hz display, and more

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Aug 18, 2021

Xiaomi has quietly launched the Redmi 10. At present, the device has been announced for Malaysia. But it should make its way to other markets in the coming days. The Redmi 9 successor brings updated features all around. Let’s take a detailed look at the specs of this phone along with its price and availability.

Redmi 10 Specifications and Features

The specs of the Redmi 10 match with the press release that Xiaomi accidentally shared a few days back. The handset arrives with a new design in line with the Redmi Note 10 series.

The phone features a plastic build and comes in three colors, namely Carbon Gray, Pebble White, and Sea Blue. The former two color variants sport a matte finish while the latter has a glossy finish. The device measures 161.95 x 75.53 x 8.92mm in dimensions and weighs 181g.

The Redmi 10 flaunts a 6.5-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, AdaptiveSync refresh rate (45Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz), and a centered punch-hole. The panel supports both Reading mode 3.0 as well as Sunlight display.

Further, it is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 chipset coupled with up to 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. As for software, the handset runs MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11.

As for optics, the device houses a quad-camera setup on its rear consisting of a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide, a 2MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. Whereas, for selfies and video calls, it uses an 8MP snapper.

On the connectivity front, the smartphone supports dual-SIM, 4G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS (GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS), USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Other features of the phone include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual stereo speakers, a MicroSD card slot, and an IR blaster. Last but not least, it is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging (22.5W charger included in the box) and 9W reverse charging.

Redmi 10 Price and Availability

As of now, Xiaomi has only revealed the Redmi 10 pricing for Malaysia. In this county, the smartphone will retail at RM649 ($153) and RM749 ($177) for the 4GB + 64GB and 6GB + 128GB variants respectively.

It is worth noting that in the official press release, Xiaomi says the handset starts from $179, $199, and $219 for the 4GB + 64GB, 4GB + 128GB, and 6GB + 128GB storage configurations respectively. It will be available for purchase from August 20.

Since Malaysian pricing is cheaper, the price tags mentioned in the official announcement could be either for Europe or average global pricing.

That said, we expect Xiaomi to launch the Redmi 10 in other markets in the near future. In India, it could go official as Redmi 10 Prime, just like its predecessor.

Google Pixel Buds A TWS Earbuds with Real Time Translation launched in India

By

Sean

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Aug 18, 2021

Google has just launched the Pixel Buds A TWS earbuds in India. These are the latest wireless earphones from the company to launch in the region and even feature real time translation.

While the search engine giant is not bringing its A series of Pixel smartphones in India, the company has launched new true wireless earbuds in the country. For those unaware, the Pixel Buds A was launched in the US earlier this year and feature custom 12mm dynamic drivers that the company promises will deliver clear and natural sounds. The earbuds are basically cut down versions of the original Google Buds, so they miss out on a few features.

This includes wireless charging support and swipe controls for volume adjustment. Although, the brand claims that the A-Series offers audio quality that is identical to the original Buds. Apart from offering natural sounds, the new earbuds also offer a Bass Boost mode that focuses on the low tones. Furthermore, it also features Adaptive Sound, which raises or decreases volume levels based on the ambient noise around the user. To enhance the calling experience, the buds also use beamforming mics to focus on the user’s voice and reduce other sounds.

Notably, an interesting aspect of the Buds A is its real time translation functionality. This feature supports 40 languages, including Bengali, Hindi, and Tamil, and translates the languages right into the users ear. The Buds also support Google Assistant as well for voice commands and IPX4 rating for water resistance. For battery, the earbuds can last for up to five hours on a single charge, with an additional 24 hours when combined with the charging case. The company claims that the users can get three hours of listening with just 15 minutes of charging.

Google has launched the Pixel Buds A is available in India for a price of 9,999 INR (roughly 135 US Dollars), which is higher than its US counterpart that costs 99 US Dollars. It is available in a single Clearly White color in India. For those interested, you can purchase the new TWS earbuds from Flipkart, Reliance Digital, and Tata Cliq, with sales starting from 25th August 2021.

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Realme Exec hints at the Realme Pad sporting an AMOLED display

By

Sean

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Aug 18, 2021

Realme has just launched its GT series of smartphones and its first laptop in India. During the online launch conference, the company also announced that the Realme Pad will also be arriving soon. Now, an executive has hinted that the upcoming tablet will sport an AMOLED display.

Just prior to the start of the online conference, Francis Wong, the CMO of Realme India and Europe, shared a post on Twitter that also had a YouTube link to the live stream. A Twitter user commented on this, asking for the company to raise the size of their smartphone’s AMOLED display from 6.4 inches to 6.7 inches. To this, the executive responded with “Want a bigger Amoled? Wait for #realmeTablet. That will be big enough.”

In other words, this basically hints at the Realme Pad being the tablet in question that will sport an AMOLED panel as it was the only tablet teased during the online launch event. Unfortunately, the company has yet to officially reveal any finer details regarding its upcoming tablet, but we do have some information from previous reports. The tablet will sport a 10.4 inch screen and will be powered by a 7,100mAh battery.

Furthermore, the base model of the tablet could offer users 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. Rumors have also suggested that the tablet may arrive in Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + LTE variants as well. However, this is still unconfirmed reports so take it with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

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Realme Book Slim launched in India, with 2K display and 11th Gen Intel processors

By

Sean

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Aug 18, 2021

The Realme Book Slim has just been launched in India. The company officially announced the Realme GT and GT Master Edition in an online launch conference earlier today (18th August 2021) and has also unveiled its first laptop in the region.

Display & Design

Taking a look at the new notebook from the company, it is a light weight laptop that aims to be a portable PC which does not compromise on performance. It sports a 14 inch display that features 2K resolution (2160 x 1440p) with a 3:2 aspect ratio and 100 percent sRBG color gamut for professionals. The display offers 400 nits of maximum brightness and a 90 percent screen to body ratio, which is higher than an Apple MacBook Air. Notably, the laptop offers a Nano Edge display, with minimal bezels measuring just 5.3mm.

Arriving at the design of the laptop, the Chinese smartphone maker offers the notebook with a full metallic body with the rear sporting a mirror brand logo and the front sporting a backlit keyboard as well. The top bezel houses the built in HD camera for video calls, while the power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner. The Realme Book Slim weighs just 1.38 kilograms and measures a slim 14.9mm and will be available in two color models, Real Blue and Real Grey.

Specs & Features

Under the hood, the new laptop houses 11th Gen Intel Core processors, namely either an i3 or i5. The processor will be paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 512GB of PCIe SSD storage. For graphics, the notebook sports Intel’s Iris Xe graphics. The laptop will run Windows 10 out of the box but will support Windows 11 update in the future. For ports, the company offers a USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm headphones jack, Thunderbolt 4, and even USB-C 3.2 port as well.

The Realme Book Slim is powered by a 54Whr battery that supports 65W super fast charge, and also supports 30W fat charging as well. Just 30 minutes of charging can bring the battery up to 50 percent. The company promises battery life of up to 11 hours. Since it is a thin and light notebook, cooling is also an important factor to consider and the brand offers a dual fan cooling system to ensure good thermals even during heavy workloads.

For audio, the laptop houses stereo sound by DTS and powerful bass sound from Harman Kardon. Notably, it also offers dual mic noise cancellation as well. Other features include WiFi 6 and PC connect, which offers Realme smartphone users a seamless method of connecting their handsets to the laptop. This allows the user to bring their device and laptop into one screen which also supports simple drag and drop function for file transfer while also supporting certain Android apps.

Pricing & Availability

The Realme Book Slim will be available in India in two variants. This includes an Intel i3 and i5 version along with two color options as well. So lets take a look at the pricing:

Intel i3 with 8GB RAM+256GB PCIe SSD – 46,999 INR (roughly 632 US Dollars)
Intel i5 with 8GB RAM+512GB PCIe SSD – 59,999 INR (roughly 632 US Dollars)

The laptops will be available for purchase starting from 30th August 2021 and the company has also announced special introductory prices for both variants. This has the i3 version be priced at 44,999 INR (roughly 605 US Dollars) while the i5 version will go for 56,999 INR (roughly 767 US Dollars).

RELATED:

realme GT, realme GT Master Edition launched in India: Specs, Price, & Availability

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Aug 18, 2021

Handset maker realme has finally launched the realme GT series in India after teasing it for a while. The brand has brought two models to the country, namely realme GT (review) and realme GT Master Edition (hands-on). Let’s take a look at what these smartphones have to offer and how much they cost in the region.

realme GT, realme GT Master Edition Specifications & Features

The realme GT and the realme GT Master Edition flaunt a 6.43-inch Samsung Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), 120Hz refresh rate, and 360Hz touch sampling rate. The panel covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 98% of the NTSC color gamut. It has a peak brightness of 1000 nits, 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 91.7% screen-to-body ratio, and a single punch-hole at the top left corner.

Just like the display, the rear camera setup is also identical on the two. Both sport a triple camera setup consisting of a 64MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide unit, and a 2MP macro shooter. However, for selfies and video calls, the vanilla GT uses a 16MP snapper, whereas the Master Edition has a 32MP sensor.

realme GT All Colors Featured — realme GT

Now, talking about the major difference, the realme GT is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset as compared to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC present inside the realme GT Master Edition. The former comes with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage but there’s no information on the type of RAM and storage included with the latter.

On the connectivity front, the duo supports dual-SIM, 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GNSS, and NFC. Further, the realme GT has a 3.5mm headphone jack as well as dual stereo speakers. The realme GT Master Edition, on the other hand, lacks both of these features. Anyway, the duo arrives with all the essential sensors like an in-display fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass, proximity sensor, and gyroscope.

realme GT Master Edition Suitcase Gray Featured A — realme GT Master Edition

Although the two run realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 and support 65W SuperDart fast charging protocol, the standard model is backed by a 4,500mAh battery, while the Master Edition gets its energy from a slightly smaller 4,300mAh battery.

These phones measure around 8-9mm in thickness and weigh about 170-190g. They come in glass and vegan leather finishes. Last but not least, the leather finish on the Master Edition has a suitcase-inspired design.

realme GT, realme GT Master Edition Price & Availability

The realme GT and the realme GT Master Edition will be sold at the following price tags in India.

realme GT

Price
- 8GB + 128GB – ₹37,999
- 12GB + 256GB – ₹41,999
Colors
- Dashing Blue (glass)
- Dashing Silver (glass)
- Racing Yellow (leather)
First Sale
- 12 PM, August 25 on Flipkart and realme.com

realme GT Master Edition

Price
- 6GB + 128GB – ₹25,999
- 8GB + 128GB – ₹27,999
- 8GB + 256GB – ₹29,999
Colors
- Cosmos Black (glass)
- Luna White (glass)
- Voyager Grey (leather)
First Sale
- 12 PM, August 26 on Flipkart and realme.com

ZTE Axon 30 with under-display camera passes durability test

By

Jeet

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Aug 18, 2021

China-based ZTE recently launched its ZTE Axon 30 smartphone which comes with an under-display camera sensor for offering a true full-screen experience to users. This also marks the second such smartphone from the company.

The major difference between the in-display camera technology used in this model and in the last year’s phone is the display quality. The Axon 30 comes with a screen offering about 400PPI pixel density, almost double the pixel density on last year’s Axon 20. As for the durability, JerryRigEverything has put it to the test.

First of all, the front-facing camera, which is housed under the display, is pretty much invisible, unlike its predecessor. This is because of the high pixel density display. However, the camera performance isn’t as good as the regular camera sensor.

The phone’s display, when exposed to flame for about 20 seconds or more, forms a white-colored spot forming, which appears to be permanent given that the company has opted to use an OLED panel.

In the scratch test, the screen starts showing scratches at level six while deeper grooves on the display start forming at level seven. The screen area on top of the camera sensor is also immune to minor scratches. The in-display fingerprint sensor keeps working properly even after level seven grooves.

The smartphone is built using plastic but the power button and volume rocker keys are metallic. The camera module on the back is protected by a layer of glass and the separating the camera module from the back cover is made of metal.

The ZTE Axon 30 also passed the bend test, which is surprising given how much the phone bends. While bending the phone backward, there was a sound of something breaking inside but the device kept performing normally. Overall, the build quality is quite good for a smartphone costing about $500.

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Huawei to return for smartphone ‘throne’ despite US Sanctions: Chairman

By

Sean

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Aug 18, 2021

The Chairman of Huawei Technologies has just stated that the company aims on returning to the smartphone ‘throne’ despite its handset operations being crippled by the US sanctions.

For those unaware, the former US President Donald Trump had enforced new sanctions on the Chinese tech giant and had it placed on the export blacklist back in 2019. This banned the company from sourcing key technologies that originate from the US, which affected its ability to design its own chips and acquire components from its supply chain. Company’s Chairman Guo Ping stated in a recent Q&A with staff “Everyone knows that phone chips need advanced technology in a small size with low power consumption. Huawei can design it, but no one can help us make it: we’re stuck.”

Although, Guo believes that this issue is solvable, adding that “Huawei will continue to exist in the field of mobile phones and with continuous advances in chip production, the smartphone throne will eventually return.” Despite being one of the largest smartphone makers in the world just two years ago, the brand has since fallen off the the top 5 vendor lists in recent times. Furthermore, the company even had to sell off its budget smartphone unit, Honor, to keep the brand alive.

As of right now, Huawei’s revenue has declined by 29 percent in the first half of this year, which marks its biggest fall. The fall in revenue was especially notable in its consumer business operations like smartphones that saw a sizeable 47 percent decline in revenue, falling to 135.7 billion Yuan (roughly 21 billion US Dollars).

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Apple Mac Mini powered by M1X chipset reportedly delayed

By

Jeet

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Aug 18, 2021

Apple Silicon, which develops ARM-based chipsets for the company’s own Mac devices, is working on a successor of the M1 chip which is likely to be named M1X. The Cupertino-based giant is expected to devices powered by the upcoming chipset pretty soon.

The company has already launched Mac Mini powered by the M1 chipset and was rumored to launch a new version of the same with the M1X chipset powering the device. It was rumored to get launched in the coming weeks or months but it’s now delayed.

A new report coming through @LeaksApplePro claims that the M1X-powered Mac Mini may have been delayed until early 2022 because of “marketing reasons.” While the exact reason has not been pointed out, it’s likely that Apple wants to focus on the new chipset and the MacBook Pro models this year. The recent global chip shortage could have also played a role behind this decision.

Earlier, there were reports claiming that Apple could launch the new Mac Mini in the fourth quarter of this year, likey in the month of October or November, along with the new MacBook Pro laptops.

The M1X chipset is expected to be a powerhouse of an SoC, having 10 CPU cores and up to 32 GPU cores. As for the M1X Mac Mini, the Max Tech YouTube channel predicts $1,299 pricing for the base model that should have at least 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD storage.

There’s a possibility that Apple could unveil the new Mac Mini device along with the MacBook Pro models later this year while the actual launch is pushed to the first quarter of next year, along with the updated MacBook Air lineup. To know for sure, we will have to wait a bit longer for the official launch event for this new chipset.

Note: The article has been updated to emphasize that the leak talks about the launch date of the M1X-powered Mac Mini and not the release date.

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India’s Income Tax regulator raids ZTE India’s premises and some principal staff residences

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 18, 2021

India’s income tax regulatory body, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has announced that it raided five locations including offices and private residences connected to a foreign company, ZTE India, over suspected tax evasion and discrepancies. The places affected by the raid are the corporate office of the company, the residences of the foreign director, the chief financial officer (CFO), the company secretary, and the cash handler of the Chinese-owned company.

All the locations were in New Delhi and the search was aimed at establishing the tax liability status of ZTE and hundreds of its employees over the years. The search may have yielded a trove of evidence some degree of tax evasion and discrepancies. The accusation also includes the failure of ZTE to deduct tax at source for several years. The amount of money involved in tax evasion is not yet clear but is believed to be huge. An official statement by the CBDT however did not directly name ZTE, although the allusion to the fact that the company was engaged in trading of telecom equipment, installation, and servicing of the equipment, leaves no one in doubt who this company was.

The tax compliance agency CBDT says it had recovered a large amount of evidence that indicates an elaborate and well-oiled scheme to evade the payment of valid taxes by the company. The company was also accused of deliberately not deducting TDS on the basis of the scrutiny of its expenses books. The investigation could span back to 2014 and begin on August 16. Several top officials of the company were questioned in relation to the raid, although no arrests were made.

The investigation is possibly linked to ZTE India’s business dealings with state-owned telecom operator BSNL with some regularities observed. The searches could also be linked to financial irregularities and potential issues linked to the BSNL entered by ZTE. The regulator says it has already recovered incriminating evidence in the form of electronic data and paper documents.

Expatriate employees were also alleged to be trading illegally in medicines from India to China. ZTE has yet to respond to the accusations at this time.

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(source)

Google Pixel 6 series smartphones to come without a charger in the box

By

Jeet

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Aug 18, 2021

Leading smartphone brands are removing the charger from the retail box of their flagship or premium smartphones and now Google is also joining them. The search engine giant has said that the Google Pixel 5a will be the last phone from the brand to include a charger.

This indicates that the upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones, set to launch this fall, will come without a charger in the box. Google says that most of the customers already have a USB-C brick at home so there’s no need to include it.

Google Pixel 6 series featured — Google Pixel 6 Series Smartphones

The reason was given by Google for not including a charger in the box is the same one given by Apple and Samsung. Despite this, it’s likely that the cost-benefit played a major role in this decision.

Google has been including an 18W USB-C Power Adapter with every Pixel series smartphone that it launched in recent times. The Pixel 5a smartphone also comes with the same adapter but it’ll be the last smartphone from Google to have it bundled.

After Apple and Samsung made the move, Xiaomi also did the same but offered a different version of the smartphone with a charger bundled, at the same price. Since then, the company has been offering a ‘free’ charger with its phones.

None of the other China-based smartphone manufacturers have followed suit and given the popularity of such brands in the emerging markets, it could play to their advantage.

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Official Xiaomi Mix 4 unboxing video illuminates Xiaomi’s latest flagship

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 18, 2021

When Xiaomi announced the Mix 4 last week, the under-display camera, aptly named Camera Under Panel (CUP) emerged as one of the surprised highlights of the full-screen smartphone. The absence of a cutout in the front display implied that Mix 4 offers a full-screen picture and video experience when using the front camera.

Now, Xiaomi had provided further illumination to the Mix 4 by publishing an official unboxing video for the flagship model. The unboxing video further provides some fine details about the Xiaomi Mix 4.

The smartphone comes in a large box that includes a 120W charger and a charging cable. The 55-second video showed several angles of the smartphone revealing a sleek design and minimal bezels. Some views of the 6.67-inch AMOLED screen, with a 20MP front camera, were captured in the unboxing video.

The Xiaomi Mix 4 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ chipset and offers up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, with also an 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage available. The Mix 4 has a 4,500mAh battery and can be charged via 120W wired charging or 50W fast charging. There is also the boost mode which can fully charge a depleted battery in under 15 minutes. On the other hand, the wireless charger will fully charge a depleted battery in under 30 minutes.

The Xiaomi Mix 4 is selling at 4,999 yuan ($770) in China and other markets are expected to follow suit subsequently, although no details on the global availability and pricing of the device are available at this time.

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(source)

Apple Watch Series 7 CAD renders leaked ahead of rumored September launch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 18, 2021

Apple Watch 7 series is expected to go official in September alongside the iPhone 13 series. While nothing much is known about the Watch Series 7, 91mobiles has shared the CAD renders to reveal what to expect from it.

Earlier in May, tipster Jon Prosser had shared renders of the Apple Watch 7 series. The new renders shared by the publication are in line with the images shared by Prosser. The new renders show that the Watch 7 will continue to sport a square-shaped dial.

Apple Watch 7 Series CAD renders ...

1 of 4

Instead of rounded edges, the Watch 7 will be a flaunting flat-edged design. The renders suggest that it will offer a boxy design like the iPhone 12 series and the recent iPads. The renders further show that it has flat sides and a curvy frame like the predecessor models.

The Watch 7 is likely to feature a user-replaceable silicone strap. The right edge of the device has a crown and a flat selection button. Its left spine has a pair of slits for speakers. The rear side of the device seemingly features some sensors including a heart-rate sensor.

The publication further revealed that the Apple Watch Series 7 will come in a 44mm size that measures 44 x 38 x 9mm and it will house a 1.8-inch display. It could be featuring a new display with slimmer bezels. The Watch 7 series is also expected to offer enhanced health-tracking sensors. Some rumors surrounding the next generation Apple smartwatch claim that it will feature a new lamination technique that will bring the display nearer to the front cover and it will carry support for ultrawideband (UWB) connectivity.

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Redmi Note 10S Cosmic Purple color will go on sale today in India

By

Pranav Sawant

-

Aug 18, 2021

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 10S budget smartphone back in May in India. The smartphone comes with Helio G95 SoC and has a 6.43-inch display panel. It arrived in three colors – Deep Sea, Frost White, and Shadow Black. Now, Redmi has tossed a new color variant dubbed Cosmic Purple in the Indian market.

The Redmi Note 10S is priced similarly to the other color variants. It starts at ₹14,999(~$202) for the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant and ₹15,999(~$216) for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. The new Cosmic Purple color will go on sale today(18 August) at 12 PM IST on mi.com.

The Redmi Note 10S has a 6.43-inch Super AMOLED panel with a Full-HD+ resolution. It is a punch-hole display with a 60Hz refresh rate and 120Hz touch sampling rate. The screen is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

It boasts a quad-rear camera system with a 64MP primary lens, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, a 2MP macro unit, and a 2MP depth sensor. Upfront, it has a 13MP selfie snapper. It has an IP53 splash-resistant rating and a side-facing fingerprint scanner for security.

It is powered by the MediaTek Helio G95 SoC paired with 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage. It also has a microSD card slot for additional storage. It houses a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging technology. The device boots on MIUI 12 based on Android 11 out of the box.

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Vivo Y33s, Vivo Y21s India launch nearing, specifications, renders leaked

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 18, 2021

According to a new report by 91mobiles, Vivo is planning to launch two new Y-series phones such as the Vivo Y33s and Vivo Y21 in India. The publication has teamed up with tipster Yogesh Brar to share the leaked renders and specifications of both smartphones.

Vivo Y21 specifications (Rumored)

The Vivo Y21’s leaked posters reveal that it features a 6.5-inch Halo FullView display that offers an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and an 89 percent screen-to-body ratio. It is fueled by the Helio P35 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. The device will offer 1 GB of extended RAM and 128 GB of built-in storage.

It runs on FunTouch OS 11.1 based on Android 11. It is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W charging. For photography, it features an 8-megapixel selfie camera and a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual-camera system. The other features of the device include dual 4G VoLTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Vivo Y33s specifications (Rumored)

The Vivo Y33s, which will be rivaling the likes of the OPPO F19 and Samsung Galaxy M31 will offer a 6.58-inch Halo FullView FHD+ display, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and a 90.6 percent screen space, Helio G80 chipset, 8 GB of RAM, 4 GB of extended RAM, and 128 GB of built-in storage.

It also features a 5,000mAh battery with 18W rapid charging support. The phone offers a 16-megapixel selfie camera, and a 50-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera unit. It also offers dual 4G VoLTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and a side-mounted fingerprint reader.

While these Vivo Y21 and Y33s are expected to debut soon in India, there is no information on their pricing.

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Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 has an Exclusive Feature called Smart Charging

By

Pranav Sawant

-

Aug 18, 2021

Xiaomi unveiled the Mi Mix 4 last week in China with impressive specs like Snapdragon 888+ SoC, 108MP cameras, and 50W wireless charging. Today, Xiaomi has revealed that the flagship phone comes with another impressive feature called Smart Charging which protects the phone’s battery from getting damaged while charging excessively.

A couple of months back, Xiaomi was seen testing a feature called MIUI Battery Health Indicator which evidently showed the estimated health status of the battery. The feature was similar to Apple’s Battery health feature and was first rolled out to the Redmi Note 10. Now, the new Smart Charging feature is an addition to the previous battery feature, but it is currently exclusive to the newly launched Mi Mix 4.

According to Xiaomi, the feature will intelligently learn the daily charging habits of the Mi Mix 4 and timely behavior of charging and discharging. Based on long-term data, the feature will regulate the battery and hence improving the battery health.

Practically, when the feature is turned on from the settings, it will learn the charging time at night and discharging time in the morning through AI. This function will therefore allow the device to charge comfortably at night, and as soon as it’s time to wake up, it will intentionally transmit the charge, ensuring that it is fully juiced up in the morning. In a long run, the Smart Charging feature will save the battery from aging quickly.

The Mi Mix 4 comes with a 6.67-inch 3D curved AMOLED display. It has a triple rear camera system with a 108MP main sensor, an 8MP periscope lens, and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera unit. It comes powered by Snapdragon 888+ SoC coupled with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. It packs a 4,500mAh battery with 120W wired and 50W wireless fast charging support.

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