Honor to grab high end smartphone market share from Apple: CEO

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Aug 13, 2021

The iQOO 8 and iQOO 8 Pro flagship phones are all set to go official on Aug. 17 in China. At present, there is no word on the other markets that will be receiving the iQOO 8 duo. A tipster has spotted the alleged Indian variant at the IMEI database.

The IMEI database has a new iQOO phone with the I2019 model number. The listing reveals that this model number belongs to the iQOO 8. While the iQOO 8 is likely to make it to the Indian market in the near future, there is no word on whether the country will be also receiving the iQOO 8 Pro.

IQOO8 / I2019 spotted on IMEI Database India as well#iQOO8 #iQOO pic.twitter.com/2dxL7XfnHu

— Paras Guglani (@passionategeekz) August 12, 2021

A recent leak revealed that the iQOO 8 will be featuring an FHD+ 120Hz OLED flat display and a 4,350mAh battery that supports 120W fast charging. It may feature a 48-megapixel (Sony IMX598) + 13-megapixel (ultrawide) + 13-megapixel (telephoto) triple camera unit for photography. It is unclear whether the device will be powered by the Snapdragon 888 or Snapdragon 888+ chip. It is speculated that the V2136A Vivo phone that was recently certified by China’s 3C authority could be the upcoming iQOO 8 smartphone.

The leak further revealed that the iQOO 8 Pro has a 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED E5 panel with curved edges, which supports 2K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It may house a 4,500mAh battery that supports 120W fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging.

The Snapdragon 888 Plus is expected to power the iQOO 8 Pro. It may come with a 50-megapixel (Sony IMX766) + 48-megapixel (Sony IMX598, ultrawide) + 16-megapixel (telephoto with OIS support) triple camera unit. Other rumored specs include up to 12 GB of RAM, 4 GB of extended RAM, up to 256 GB of internal storage, and OriginOS based Android 11.

RELATED:

Samsung plans to sell 6.5 million units of foldable smartphones this year

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Aug 13, 2021

At the recent Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung officially launched its two new foldable smartphones in the market — Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3. Now, the company has revealed its sales target for foldable smartphones this year.

The South Korean technology giant is aiming to sell around 6.5 million units of foldable smartphones by the end of this year. We expect the majority of the portion will be for the newly launched Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3 models.

The numbers shared by the company are far more than 0.7 million units that the company reported for the year 2019. But given the cheaper pricing, advanced features, and offers for the new models, the target seems achievable.

Also, the company is not launching the Galaxy Note-series flagship lineup this year so the focus will be more on these newly launched devices.

Samsung is currently dominating the foldable smartphones market and is expected to do so in the coming years with the lack of credible competition in this segment. After taking an early lead with this new form factor, the South Korean company is doubling down on foldable smartphones and is actively trying to make it a mainstream product.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G starts at $1,799.99 in the United States and is already up for pre-orders and will be available for purchase from 27th August. It comes in three color options — Phantom Black, Phantom Green, and Phantom Silver.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Flip3 has a lower starting price of $999 and will go on sale from 27th August. It comes in four colors — Cream, Green, Lavender, and Phantom Black and three more exclusively sold through the Samsung website — Gray, White, and Pink.

RELATED:

OnePlus shares a teaser suggesting arrival of OnePlus 9T flagship smartphone

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Aug 13, 2021

OnePlus, the China-based smartphone maker has posted a new teaser on its official Twitter account which hints that the OnePlus 9T flagship smartphone might be coming in the coming weeks or months.

The tweet from the company showcases a OnePlus 9 smartphone that is placed in tea. Along with the image, the text shared by the company reads: “Don’t read too much into it.” But on first look, the ‘tea’ in the photo could be for the ‘T’ in the OnePlus 9T smartphone.

The #OnePlus9 in tea. Don't read too much into it. pic.twitter.com/hopsJTV8qu

— OnePlus (@oneplus) August 11, 2021

Earlier, a report claimed that OnePlus has canceled the T-suffix smartphone of its flagship lineup this year, and thus, the OnePlus 9T smartphone won’t get launched. If the company is planning to launch it, then the timing for the teaser is apt if the launch is set for the month of September or October.

The reason behind the rumored cancellation of the OnePlus 9T has not been revealed yet. It could be because of the global shortage of chips due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the issue isn’t expected to get resolved anytime soon.

If that’s the case, the OnePlus 9T isn’t the first smartphone to get canceled. South Korean giant Samsung has already canceled the Galaxy Note 21 this year, saying that it could be a burden to launch two flagships in a year so it might be difficult to release the Note series model in the second half of this year.

Replacing the Note-series models this year is the third generation of the flagship smartphones from the South Korean company — Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3. Several phone launches were been pushed back, including the Google Pixel 4a and the Apple iPhone 12 series. The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has also been delayed and the reason is said to be the chip shortage issue.

RELATED:

Xiaomi’s new Mi MIX series flagship in works, could be Mi MIX Fold’s new variant

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Aug 13, 2021

Xiaomi announced the Mi MIX Fold as its first foldable phone in March this year. It was reported in May that the company is working on a new version of the Mi MIX Fold. A Xiaomi phone with model number 21081018SC was spotted at the IMEI database in June. Reliable Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station has claimed that it is a new MIX series flagship. Since Xiaomi has recently launched the Mi MIX 4, it appears that the 20181018SC phone could be the rumored new variant of the Mi MIX Fold.

Unfortunately, the tipster has not shared any information on the specs of the 20181018SC handset. The existing Mi MIX Fold is packed with flagship specs, but it does not feature a high refresh rate display. Rumors have it that the next Mi MIX Fold could be an updated version of the original model.

Hence, the next Mi MIX Fold is likely to sport a 90Hz or a 120Hz foldable display. Moreover, the company may also incorporate an under-display camera to rival the Galaxy Z Fold3. Probably, it may feature the newer Snapdragon 888 Plus chip. The rest of its specs could be identical to the original model. Readers are advised to digest the report with a grain of salt as the 20181018SC may not necessarily be a new Fold series phone from the brand.

Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold specifications

The Mi MIX Fold has a 6.52-inch AMOLED 90Hz cover display and an 8.01-inch foldable AMOLED 60Hz screen. It is powered by the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform, up to 16 GB of RAM, and a 5,020mAh battery that supports 67W fast charging.

It offers up to 512 GB of internal storage and runs on MIUI 12 based Android 11 OS. It has a front camera of 20-megapixel and a 108-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 13-megapixel triple camera unit.

RELATED:

OPPO’s Dimensity 810 phone in works, full specifications leaked

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Aug 13, 2021

Earlier this week, MediaTek unveiled the Dimensity 810 and Dimensity 920 chipsets. Soon after the announcement, Realme confirmed that it will be soon launching a new phone with the Dimensity 810. Rumors have it that it could be releasing the Realme 8s phone with D810 chip. Fresh information shared by a Chinese tipster reveals that OPPO will be soon releasing a Dimensity 810 powered phone in China. She has shared the entire specifications of the phone.

As per the leak, OPPO’s Dimensity 810 powered smartphone will have a 6.5-inch LCD screen that will deliver a 90Hz refresh rate. While it is not mentioned in the leak, the screen may carry support for a Full HD+ resolution. For selfies, it may feature a 16-megapixel Samsung S5K3P9 selfie camera.

The rear camera setup of the smartphone will comprise a 48-megapixel Samsung GM1 lens as the primary shooter, an 8-megapixel Hynix Hi846 ultrawide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. It will be backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging.

It will come equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3D plate back cover. As far as durability is concerned, it will feature a Gorilla Glass panel on the front, and it will also offer P2i grade dust and water resistance. Lastly, the device will arrive with an affordable price tag. Unfortunately, the leak has no information on the final marking name of the device.

In related news, an upcoming OPPO phone with PEYM00 model number was approved by China’s TENAA authority. The listing revealed that it has a 6.43-inch AMOLED FHD+ display, 8 GB / 12 GB of RAM, 128 GB / 256 GB of storage, a 16-megapixel front camera, a 64-megapixel triple camera unit, and a 4,400mAh rated battery. It is speculated that it could be powered by the Dimensity 1200 or Snapdragon 888+ chip.

RELATED:

Honor to launch smartphones globally with support for Google Mobile Services (GMS)

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Aug 13, 2021

Honor has finally launched its first true premium high-end flagship smartphone lineup after splitting up from Huawei earlier this year. The Honor Magic3 series has been launched in the company’s home country China.

After the launch event, during an interview, Honor CEO George Zhao talked about the global launch of Honor smartphones. He said that the company will now focus on resuming business operations in over 50 countries around the world.

He added that the company is now preparing to launch the Honor 50 series smartphones globally in about 30 countries. For those who are unaware, the lineup was launched in China a couple of months back in June. The newly launched Honor Magic3 series will also be launched globally but there’s no timeline revealed by the Chinese company.

The Honor-branded smartphones launching globally will be equipped with Google Mobile Services (GMS). As per the recent report, Honor is currently undergoing Google’s Play Protect Security Review and Compatibility Testing to ensure that GMS applications can run on its smartphones.

Honor was forced to ditch GMS on its devices when the company was a sub-brand of Huawei given that the United States has imposed sanctions on the Chinese tech giant, barring it from using Google or any technology made by an American firm.

George Zhao has also acknowledged that the company’s market share in the overseas market has declined to almost zero. He adds that the brand’s focus is now on the recovery of its business in about 50 countries where it has established operations.

With the support of Google Mobile Services and the new promising devices launched in the market, Honor is hoping to make a V-shaped recovery, to become among the leading smartphone brands. It remains to be seen if the company can manage to achieve its goal.

RELATED:

Apple iPhone 13 series to reportedly come with bigger batteries, wider mmWave 5G support and more

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Aug 13, 2021

Ahead of Apple iPhone 13 series launch in September or October this year, leaks related to the upcoming smartphone keep surfacing online. Now, a new prediction from TrendMicro talks about the battery capacity and pricing of the upcoming iPhone 13 lineup.

The report coming from Taiwan-based TrendMicro says that the upcoming flagship smartphone series from Apple will come with notable hardware upgrades. It points out to a faster and more power-efficient chipset manufactured using a 5nm+ process, which is presumably the upcoming Apple A15 Bionic.

It also claims support for mmWave 5G for countries outside of the United States. The phones are said to come with the space-saving internal circuitry, which should allow the company to offer a larger battery inside the device. Everything that TrendMicro pointed out in its report has already been revealed earlier.

A report claims that the new iPhones will come with support for 25W fast charging technology, a slight upgrade from the current 22W charging. It is also expected to come with a LiDAR scanner.

In terms of design, the series is expected to come with a slightly smaller notch and will have a 120Hz refresh rate. Notably, the higher refresh rate is expected only in the Pro variants. There’s a possibility that the company may offer a 1TB storage model this time.

According to a leak, the upcoming iPhones are expected to feature improved fast charging support. Instead of 20W fast charging, the upcoming iPhone series is rumored to support 25W fast charging technology.

As for the pricing, it is said that the iPhone 13 series will be priced similarly to the current-generation iPhone 12 series. Apple is expected to keep up with the usual launch timeline to announce the upcoming iPhone 13 lineup in September this year. The iPhone 12 series was announced in October last year, a month later than its usual timeframe, because of the issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED:

Android 12 Beta 4 codes reveals the Pixel 6 will sport a 50MP Samsung GN1 sensor & Exynos 5123 5G modem

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Aug 13, 2021

Google is on course for the launch of its latest Pixel smartphones by October 2021. True to speculations, the camera setup of both devices is signposted by a 50MP primary sensor. This was confirmed by a code from the Android 12 beta 4 just released. It hints that Google will use a 50MP Samsung GN1 sensor, ahead of the 12.2MP Sony sensor in the Pixel 5.

The phones will also have Google’s own Tensor processor, which is believed to likely be a Samsung Exynos 9855 SoC. Another item mentioned in the latest Android 12 release, is the Exynos Modem 5123, a 5G modem by Samsung.

As Google continues to inch closer to its stable version, it announced today the release of Android 12 beta 4. The new operating system has gotten to the Platform Stability stage for evaluation by app and game developers. Google requested that app and game developers should commence the final compatibility testing and prepare to publish the compatibility updates. The trajectory of development shows we are very close to the final release of the stable version of Android 12.

There are no specific dates for the release of Google’s Pixel 6 smartphone, although October 2021 seems to be very credible. We are also not sure when the final release of the Android 12 operating system will kick in. We’ll keep you on the loop for further development.

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(source)

BOE is the exclusive screen supplier for the Honor Magic3 series smartphones

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Aug 13, 2021

BOE, one of the world’s leading makers of display panels, has been focusing on OLED and especially flexible OLED panels for some time now. Just hours after Honor launched its latest Magic 3 series of flagship smartphones, BOE has announced that it is the exclusive supplier of screen panels for these newly launched devices from Honor.

The company has revealed that the Honor Magic 3 series smartphones come equipped with a 10-bit 6.76-inch flexible full-screen OLED display. It uses an 89-degree super curved screen, offering 2772 x 1344 pixels Full HD+ screen resolution.

The screen-to-body ratio on the smartphone comes down to 94.86 percent and the display panel offers 1.07 billion colors, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, a high refresh rate of 120Hz and 1920Hz high-frequency PWM dimming.

BOE has been expanding its business and footprints, paving the way for the company to become the leading display panel manufacturer for the year 20202. It shipped around 408 million units last year, accounting for about 21.6 percent of the market share, which represents a year-on-year growth of 5.2 percent.

It was also an exclusive supplier of the display panels for the Huawei Mate X2 foldable smartphone launched earlier this year in February. The company has also showcased a prototype of a 360-degree foldable display.

The company is also a supplier of panels for Apple and could soon be supplying flexible OLED panels to Samsung for the first time. BOE is also set to commercially launch a MicroOLED display in the second half of this year which will be used to support Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality viewing.

RELATED:

Xiaomi exec suggests the Mix 4 UD camera won’t give a spectacular selfie experience

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Aug 13, 2021

The selfie camera has been hugely popular among smartphone users. Several other accessories like the selfie stick, have been developed in combination with the selfie cam for an enhanced photo and video recording experience. However, smartphone camera technology is a fast-evolving field that has thrown up under-display cameras as the new direction for front cameras. A few devices in the market have this new technology, and the Xiaomi Mix 4, just released this week, is one of such.

A Weibo post by a Xiaomi Executive has thrown more light on the Mix 4’s selfie camera. Senior Vice President at Xiaomi, William Lu, in the Weibo post, highlighted the strong points of the Mix 4, which sports an under-display front camera module, to be the full-screen display. Lu says that the Mix 4 lacks a punch hole, stressing that phones with punch holes offer more satisfaction for selfie enthusiasts. The Mix 4, on the other hand, offers a bigger screen and a more immersive display experience.

In other words, if you are a selfie enthusiast, the MIX 4 may not be for you. Recall that the ZTE Axon 20 was the first smartphone to feature a UD camera technology. The device really didn’t offer an impressive selfie experience but the Axon 30 released this year came with some improvement in that aspect. Since the Mix 4 is Xiaomi’s first attempt at UD camera technology, we expect some improvements un subsequent smartphones. .

The camera technology deployed in Mix 4 is called Camera Under Panel (CUP), and it offers a full screen for front shots. The under-display technology is still in a state of rapid development, and we are bound to see further innovations in this regard. Several OEMs are actively developing their own versions (some with patents) of the under-display camera setup.

RELATED:

Samsung increases the trade-in limit to 4 devices for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3

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Pranav Sawant

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Aug 13, 2021

Samsung trade-ins, especially for the US have been great. In the trade-in offer, buyers get an option to trade their existing smartphone for a brand new Galaxy device in return for some credits. These credits get deducted on your purchase making the new device even more affordable. So far, Samsung has allowed a single or two devices for the trade-in. Now, after the launch of the new Galaxy foldables, Samsung has bumped the limit to 4 devices.

Now, you can shelve off 4 devices for a brand new Galaxy Z Fold 3 or a Galaxy Z Flip 3. This is a great offer for those looking to clear the clutter of old smartphones. It is worth noting that the 4 devices limit is only for the new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 and it is currently available while you pre-order the phones.

Although you’ll be trading in up to 4 devices at once, there’s a maximum limit set by Samsung. For the Galaxy Z Fold 3, users can avail of up to $800 trade-in value, while those pre-ordering the Z Flip 3 can avail of up to $650 trade-in value. Not just smartphones, buyers can also trade a tablet or a smartwatch while pre-ordering.

Apart from this, Samsung is also offering up to $200 and $150 instant trade-in value for accessories of the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 respectively.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 comes with 7.6-inch and 6.2-inch displays with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. The device is powered by Snapdragon 888 SoC and has triple rear cameras. This time around, Samsung has offered S-Pen support with the Z Fold 3. The Z Flip 3 has 6.7-inch and 1.9-inch displays with the same Gorilla Glass Victus protection. It comes with the same Snapdragon 888 and has dual rear cameras. It comes in multiple color shades and is IPX8 water-resistant.

RELATED:

Honor Magic 3 series will receive two Android OS updates, confirms Honor CEO

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Aug 13, 2021

Yesterday, Honor announced the much-awaited Honor Magic 3 series of flagship phones such as Magic 3, Magic 3 Pro, and Magic 3 Pro+. It was widely reported that the Magic 3 models will receive only one major OS update. Fresh information reveals that Honor CEO George Zhao has confirmed to Android Authority that these phones will receive at least two Android OS upgrades.

The Magic 3 series will come preinstalled with Android 11 OS and Magic UI 5.0. It will also offer Google Mobile Services, which will give access to Play Store and other Google apps. The company is yet to reveal the global availability of the Magic 3 series.

Several reports had claimed that the Magic 3 series will come equipped with an under-display selfie camera. However, none of the Magic 3 models have the next-generation selfie camera tech. After the Magic 3 launch event, Zhao claimed that light transmittance during selfies and video calls is the biggest challenge with the under-screen camera technology. In its research, the company found that many image effects are unacceptable in some blacklight situations. Hence, it decided to not include the under-display camera on the Magic 3 series after a thorough evaluation.

In related news, Zhao said that Honor has resumed business in more than 50 countries across the world and the company will focus on recovering its business in the overseas market this year. The Honor 50 series that debuted a few months back in China will be available in more than 3 countries, and it will be launching more products in the global markets in the future. He also confirmed that the Honor phones arriving in the overseas markets will feature Google Mobile Services.

RELATED:

Honor offline sales account for over 70% of company’s total sales: CEO George Zhao

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Aug 13, 2021

At its recent launch event, the China-based Honor, which became an independent brand splitting from Huawei earlier this year, launched its new devices, including the Honor Magic 3 series flagship smartphones and Honor Tab V7 Pro.

Just after the launch event, in an interview, George Zhao, CEO of Honor, revealed that the offline sales for the company accounted for more than 70 percent of its overall sale. This is quite an interesting development given that Honor mostly positions its devices in the mid-range segment and it was the leading company for online sales in China.

Given that majority of the company’s sales are now through offline stores, George Zhao says that Honor will now be speeding up the work of expanding the brand’s footprints in the offline market.

During its peak, Honor-branded smartphones accounted for about 16.7 percent of the market share in China. However, it fell to about 3 percent in the first quarter of 2021, just as the company split from Huawei.

However, the company has now returned to the top three list of smartphone manufacturers in its home country China, with a market share of 14.6 percent. Not just China, Honor has also resumed business operations in about 50 countries around the world and is now focusing on recovering the lost market share.

Zhao acknowledges that the overseas market share of Honor has dropped to almost zero but the company is now hoping for a V-shaped recovery. The company has launched promising new devices and with more products in the pipeline, there’s a possibility that Honor could bring back the days of glory that it once witnessed, before the United States imposed sanctions on Huawei. We’ll just have to wait and watch.

RELATED:

Honor X20 5G debuts with Dimensity 900 SoC for CNY 1,899(~$293), Goes on Sale today

By

Pranav Sawant

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Aug 13, 2021

Honor on Thursday launched quite a few devices in the market. The Chinese giant unveiled the much-anticipated Honor Magic 3 series, Honor Tab V7 Pro, Honor Watch GS 3, and the Honor X20 5G smartphone. We’ve already covered details of the other devices and now, we’ll look at the X20 5G smartphone.

The Honor X20 5G is a mid-range smartphone priced starting at CNY 1,899(~$293) for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, CNY 2,199(~$339) for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, and CNY 2,499(~$386) for 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant.

It comes in three color options the Magic Night Black, Aurora Blue, and Titanium Silver. It is currently up for sale on the Jingdong shopping portal.

Honor X20 5G Specifications

The Honor X20 5G comes with a 6.67-inch LCD display sporting a Full-HD+ resolution. It is a punch-hole panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and support for the DCI-P3 color gamut. The display comes with a five-fold eye protection feature and has an e-book mode which is intended to be easier on the eyes while reading.

It has a 16MP front camera for selfies and boasts a triple camera setup at the rear. The rear camera island is similar to Huawei’s signature camera module designs. It holds a 64MP main sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, and lastly a 2MP macro unit. It also has an LED flash beside the camera lenses.

Under the hood, the device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC that is based on a 6nm process. It is paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. Honor has also implemented RAM expansion technology, wherein it supports an additional 2GB of RAM. This means the 8GB variant can have 10GB of RAM by using 2GB from the internal storage as memory.

The smartphone packs a 4,300mAh battery with 66W fast charging support. Honor claims that it can go from 0% to 50% with just 15 minutes of charge. As for security, it has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

RELATED:

Mi Notebook with backlit keyboard teased before Smarter Living 2022 event

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Aug 13, 2021

Xiaomi is working on a new laptop for India. Recently, Xiaomi India Chief Business Officer Raghu Reddy shared an image of a new Mi Notebook with a backlit keyboard. The Chinese manufacturer is selling a few notebooks in India, but none of them have a backlit keyboard.

Now that's an upgrade I have been waiting for… pic.twitter.com/wDwW1oomp9

— Raghu Reddy (@RaghuReddy505) August 11, 2021

Apart from Reddy, Xiaomi India Marketing Lead Karthik M S also shared an image of the upcoming laptop with a backlit keyboard. The images suggest that the next Mi Notebook will have a metallic build. Unfortunately, the company has not shared any information on the specs of the device.

So excited for this @RaghuReddy505 and @manukumarjain … have to say, getting early access to game changing devices is by far the favorite part of my job! https://t.co/r3XgoTwRIs pic.twitter.com/6boMjR7RMG

— Karthik M S (Railmani) (@m_s_karthik) August 11, 2021

Yesterday, Xiaomi India Managing Director Manu Kumar Jain released a tweet to announce the Mi Smarter Living 2022, which may take place either this month or in September. Rumors are rife that the company may unveil multiple products like the Mi Band 6, new Mi TVs, and other IoT products through the event. The company may use the same platform to announce the next Mi Notebooks.

From the #MiWatch to #MiBand to other Smart #IOT Products, #SmarterLiving has taken India by storm with its innovation, since 2018. This year will be no different. The #FutureIsSmart indeed! 🤩

RT and guess what all will be launched @ #MiSmarterLiving2022? 🎉

I ❤️ #Mi #Xiaomi pic.twitter.com/DRgIhcYUv8

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) August 12, 2021

A leak from the last month claimed that Xiaomi may announce two laptops named Mi Notebook Pro 14 and Mi Notebook Ultra 15.6 in India soon. The former may come with a 14.-inch LCD panel with 2K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, 11^th generation Core i7/i5 processor, Nvidia GeForce MX450 graphics, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, 512GB of NVMe SSD, and 56Wh battery.

The Mi Notebook Ultra 15.6 is said to the rebranded version of China’s Mi Notebook Pro X. It may come with a 15.6-inch OLED 3.5K display, a 60Hz refresh rate, 11^th gen. Core i7/i5 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, 1 TB of SSD storage, and 80Wh battery.

RELATED:

Razer Hammerhead TWS Earbuds with ANC & RGB lighting launched for $130

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Aug 13, 2021

Razer has continued to shift the bar higher in its development of truly wireless earbuds. Its 2019 model premiered low latency Bluetooth mode for gaming applications and continues to develop more impressive features with the latest Hammerhead TWS earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and RGB lighting.

The latest Hammerhead TWS earbuds offer sufficiently decent active noise canceling functionality. Razer says the device is able to shield even the noise from an airplane overhead, and several other sounds that could affect the listening experience. Using the Razer audio app, the user can customize the color and brightness of the Chroma RGB.

The device supports Bluetooth version 5.2 and has a battery life of 6.5 hours on a full charge and normal use. The battery life is reduced to 4 hours when ANC and RGB are enabled. The battery life is further extended when connected to the charging case and can offer up to 32 hours of entertainment and playback. In terms of battery functionality, the new Hammerhead TWS earbuds significantly beat its predecessor with a difference of 19 hours for the new model.

The new Razer Hammerhead TWS earbuds with RGB lighting are available via the Razer website for $130. We expect the device to be subsequently available in more online and even offline outlets. Razer has not indicated the global availability and shipping locations for the device.

RELATED:

iQOO 8 series will feature a 120W flash charging, while the Pro gets 50W wireless & 10W reverse charging

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Aug 13, 2021

A raft of details has been released relating to the iQOO 8 series which will be launched on August 17. According to a recent teaser poster released by Vivo, all the models in the iQOO 8 series will come with support for a 120W ultra-fast flash charging, which is a first by the company. In addition, the flagship iQOO 8 Pro will have 50W wireless flash charging and 10W reverse charging, another first for the company.

A new render released today has also provided further illumination on the iQOO 8 Pro’s beautiful white and BMW-themed sports design. The render also showed the under-display rear camera setup. Some pricing information is also available for the iQOO 8 Pro, as its price has been put at 5,299 yuan (~$818), although several key details are still lacking for the device.

iQOO debuted 120W flash charging in 2020 for its flagship iQOO 5 Pro, while this was absent in the lower models of the series. Therefore, the decision to extend 120W flash charging to all the models in the 2021 8 Series lineup is impressive. Further charging functionality is given to the 8 Pro, with 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging. The reverse wireless charging functionality makes it possible to use the iQOO 8 Pro to charge some devices under certain conditions.

The iQOO 8 Pro will come with a Snapdragon 888+ processor and a 2K resolution screen. It is still unclear at this time whether there is a global rollout for the device to other countries. Some of the fine details will become known as we inch closer to the August 17 launch date for the iQOO 8 series.

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(source 1, 2)

How the S Pen Fold Edition differs from the S Pen Pro

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 13, 2021

Following the launch of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the first Galaxy S phone to have S Pen support, earlier this year, Samsung revealed its plans to bring the S Pen to more Galaxy devices. It delivered on that promise this week when it launched the Galaxy Z Fold3 with S Pen support, and just like the S21 Ultra, this too has support for two types of S Pens.

There is the S Pen Fold Edition and the S Pen Pro which was revealed earlier this year but just launched this week. If you are wondering how the two styluses differ, then you are at the right place.

S Pen Fold Edition

The S Pen Fold Edition is designed to work only with the Galaxy Z Fold3. This is because of its nib that has been specially designed to work with the foldable display of the phone.

The stylus has a slim 1.5mm pen tip and a built-in spring that takes the impact when you press it against the display. It has 4096 pressure levels and also has support for Air Command. The S Pen Fold Edition doesn’t have Bluetooth, so there is no need to pair it with the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G. This also means that you can’t use it as a remote for the phone. It also doesn’t have a battery, thus doesn’t need to be charged.

The S Pen Fold Edition weighs 6.7 grams and measures 132.1 mm in length and 7.7mm in diameter.

	S Pen Fold Edition	S Pen Pro
Bluetooth	No	Yes
Air Command	Yes	Yes
Air Actions	No	Yes
Pressure Sensitivity	4096 levels	4096 levels
Buttons	Yes, One	Yes, Two
Multi-device support	No	Yes
Device compatibility	Galaxy Z Fold3	Most Galaxy devices with S Pen support
Device switching	No	Yes
Location tracking	No	Yes, with SmartThings app
LED indicator	No	Yes
Battery and Battery Life	No battery	Yes, 16 days. Charging is via USB Type-C port
Weight	6.3 grams	13.8 grams
Dimensions	Length - 132.1 mm Diameter - 7.7 mm	Length - 173.64 mm Diameter - 9.5 mm
Price	$49.99	$99.99

S Pen Pro

The S Pen Pro works with most Samsung devices (phones, tablets, and computers) that have support for the S Pen including the new Galaxy Z Fold3. It is not only longer and thicker at 173.64 millimeters and 9.5 millimeters respectively but also weighs more than double the S Pen Fold Edition at 13.8 grams.

It has Bluetooth for connecting to not just one device but multiple devices with support for seamless switching between devices. Owners will even be able to copy, cut, and paste across devices (phone to tablet to PC) provided they are logged in to the same Samsung account, on the same Wi-Fi network, and have Bluetooth and Continue turned on.

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Another key feature it has is that if you misplace the S Pen Pro, you will be able to find it by checking its location using the SmartThings app.

Last but not least is the price tag. The S Pen Pro is priced at $99.99, double the $49.99 price of the S Pen Fold Edition.

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