OPPO Reno6 Pro+ Detective Conan Limited Edition launched for 4,499 yuan ($696)

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Jul 29, 2021

Last week, we reported about OPPO gearing up to launch a new model of the Reno6 Pro+ smartphone. The Reno6 Pro+ is the top-end variant in the Reno6 lineup that was officially launched a couple of months ago.

Today, the company has officially launched the OPPO Reno6 Pro+ Detective Conan Limited Edition, which comes in two colors — Red and Grey. The phone has a Silver-colored body but features design elements in Red and Grey hue at the back of the device.

The smartphone comes in a single variant that packs 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Priced at 4,499 yuan, which is approximately $696, the device will be available for purchase in China from tomorrow, i.e. 30th July.

Apart from the physical appearance of the phone, the company has also customized the user interface with the custom Conan theme. The customization of the theme includes more than 70 icons, dial pad, text messages interface, status bar, etc. Further, OPPO is offering 11 more Detective Conan series of themes for the users to choose from.

Not just that, the company has also added a unique lock and unlock mechanism where users get to play a puzzle game. Along with the smartphone, OPPO has also launched other devices featuring Detective Conan, including OPPO Watch 2 watch, OPPO Band, Enco Free2 TWS earphones, and a flash charging power bank.

The company is also bundling a custom-made car pin of Detective Conan, as well as customized earphones with Xinlan silhouette. OPPO is also including a custom-made charging kit in the retail box of this new smartphone variant. It adds that the hand-made customized packaging boxes are inspired by Maori detective firms.

In terms of specifications, the Detective Conan Limited Edition model packs the same set of specs as the original Reno6 Pro+. It features a 6.55-inch curved-edge flexible AMOLED display and comes with support for a 90Hz refresh rate. Underneath, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset.

In the camera department, there’s a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 primary sensor, coupled with a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 13-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front side, there’s a 32-megapixel snapper for taking selfies.

The smartphone runs the Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own ColorOS 11.1 custom user interface on top. It is powered by a 4,500mAh battery and has support for 65W super flash charging.

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LG confirmed to start selling Apple products in its stores in South Korea

By

Jeet

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Jul 29, 2021

A few months ago, South Korea-based LG officially shut down its mobile phone business. Now, confirming the rumors (via ZDNet), the company has revealed that it will start selling Apple iPhones as well as other Apple products in its own stores in South Korea.

The selling of Apple’s products at LG Stores in South Korea is expected to being next month as the company’s exit from the smartphone business will be completed by the end of this month. LG currently has around 400 stores across the country.

LG was reportedly facing an issue with the smartphone reseller trade organization. In 2018, Samsung and LG had agreed to only sell their own smartphones at their respective stores in South Korea. Since LG has now stopped manufacturing its own phones, the trade organization has signed a new contract allowing LG to sell phones from other brands.

The company won’t be selling Mac devices or any of Apple’s PC-related products as LG is still making products in this category. Also, there will be no after-sales support, and buyers of Apple devices from the LG Best shops will have to seek customer support elsewhere.

This latest move by LG will increase competition for Samsung which practically had the entire South Korean smartphone market to itself after the exit of LG. In order to get the customers of LG, both Apple and Samsung started offering a new trade-in discount for purchasing their own smartphones.

A report from the market research from Counterpoint claims that Samsung had around 65 percent of the South Korean smartphone market share last year, while Apple held around 20 percent. LG, which is no longer in the business, had a 13 percent market share.

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OnePlus Buds Pro TWS earphones launched in China for 799 yuan ($123)

By

Jeet

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Jul 29, 2021

OnePlus had announced the OnePlus Buds Pro, the company’s latest true wireless earphones and the Pro variant of the OnePlus Buds launched last year. Now, the company has launched the same in its home country, China.

The TWS earphones are priced at 799 yuan, which roughly converts to $123. They are now up for pre-sale in China and will be available for purchase from 3rd August.

The newly launched earphones are shaped similar to the Apple AirPods Pro and to differentiate from Apple’s, there’s a shiny chrome stem. It also comes with Smart Adaptive Noise Cancellation that automatically adjusts how much noise cancellation is applied based on the user’s surrounding environment.

Taking care of the Active Noise Cancellation is a three-mic setup that is claimed to filter out noise up to 40dB. Further, the company has also added support for the Dolby Atmos audio. It comes with features like and OnePlus Fast Pair as well as OnePlus Audio ID that allows users to customize the audio experience as per their preference.

The OnePlus Buds Pro packs a pair of 11mm dynamic drivers and comes with support for Bluetooth 5.2 as a connectivity feature. Additionally, there’s also support for Low Latency High-Definition Audio Codec (LHDC).

Now, coming to the battery life, the OnePlus Buds Pro is touted to offer up to 38 hours of battery with the charging case. However, without the charging case and with Active Noise Cancellation enabled, the battery life reduces to five hours and seven hours without ANC.

The charging case also comes with support for Warp Charge and is claimed to offer up to 10 hours of playback time with just 10 minutes of charging. Further, it also supports Qi Wireless Charging.

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Apple sees record shipments in Q2 2021, while Xiaomi becomes 2nd largest smartphone brand

By

Sean

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Jul 29, 2021

A new report has revealed that Apple has seen record shipments in the second quarter of this year. The news arrives as the global smartphone market saw a slight decline quarter on quarter.

According to a Coutnerpoint Research report, the market saw a 7 percent decline over last quarter but saw a 19 percent growth year on year over 2020. While the decline was due to the ongoing component shortages that vendors are facing at the moment, the YoY growth arrives as consumer demand grew since the Coronavirus outbreak last year. During this quarter, Xiaomi managed to become the second largest smartphone brand in the world, although, the Cupertino based giant fell to the third sport.

However, the brand still managed to register record second quarter shipments primarily due to the consistent demand and supply for its iPhone 12 series. Meanwhile, Samsung still held the top spot while Oppo and Vivo retainted their rankings in the top 5 smartphone vendor list. Research Analyst, Aman Chaudhary added that “Global smartphone wholesale shipment revenues eclipsed $96 billion, up 25 percent YoY but declined 16 percent sequentially. This comes at a time when the industry was facing supply constraints. Apple captured a record second-quarter revenue share of 41 percent driven by continuing demand for the iPhone 12 Series followed by Samsung, OPPO, Xiaomi and vivo.”

Notably, Apple’s shipments fell by 18 percent quarter on quarter but grew by a significant 30 percent year on year to reach 48.9 million units in Q2 2021. Unlike certain other brands, the iPhone maker was not as severely affected by the ongoing semiconductor shortages due to its strong industry relationships. The company’s revenue also grew by a sizeable 52 percent in the same period over last year.

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Realme Book 3C certified, likely to launch in August

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 29, 2021

In June, Realme confirmed that it will be releasing the Realme Pad tablet and Realme Book laptop this year. The company is expected to launch both devices in multiple markets. While there is no fresh information on the Realme Pad, it seems the Realme Book launch date could be close at hand. The reason behind it is that the company’s first notebook has received approval from the 3C authority of China. This indicates that the Realme Book may go official as early as next month in China.

As can be seen in the screenshot, the 3C authority has approved Realme’s upcoming portable computer laptop. The listing further reveals that the retail package of the device may include a VCA7JECH charger that supports up to 65W fast charging.

Realme Book specifications (Rumored)

Past reports have revealed that the aluminum-bodied Realme Book will look a lot like the Apple MacBook Air. The device is expected to arrive in colors like Real Blue, Real Red, and Real Apricot. It will be sporting a 14-inch display that will offer a 3:2 aspect ratio. The device is likely to be powered by Intel’s 11 generation Core i3 and Core i5 processors.

The Realme Book will run on Windows 10 and will be eligible to receive the Windows 11 upgrade. It will come with a chiclet keyboard featuring a power button that doubles up as a fingerprint scanner. On the connectivity front, the Realme Book is expected to offer users a USB-A port, two USB-C ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a charging port. In India, the device is likely to be priced at around Rs 40,000 (~$538).

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Xiaomi Mi MIX 4 variants spotted at TENAA

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 29, 2021

Xiaomi is expected to announce the Xiaomi Mi MIX 4 flagship phone in August. Recent reports have revealed that the M2106118C model number belongs to the upcoming MIX series phone. This model was recently certified by Chinese certification sites like TENAA and 3C. The updated TENAA listing now shows the two variants of the Mi MIX 4.

The listing states that the M2106118C Xiaomi phone will be available in two variants such as 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. While it is not mentioned in the TENAA listing, the Mi MIX 4 is also expected to arrive in a higher version with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 4 specifications (rumored)

Rumors surrounding the Xiaomi Mi MIX 4 have revealed that it will be sporting a 6.6-inch OLED display with curved edges. It will debut as the company’s first phone with an in-display camera. The Mi MIX 4’s screen will offer a Full HD+ resolution and an in-screen fingerprint scanner.

It may draw power from the Snapdragon 888 or the faster Snapdragon 888+ chipset. It will be accompanied by Micron’s LPDDR5 uMCP. The 3C listing of the phone revealed that it may arrive with support for 120W wired charging. It is speculated to carry support for 70W or 80W wireless charging.

For photography, it may feature a triple camera unit led pioneered by a 50-megapixel Samsung GN1s lens. It is likely to weigh around 226 grams. Xiaomi is also speculated to announce the Mi CC11 series smartphone along with the Mi MIX 4 in the coming month.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3’s Phantom Black variant appears in leaked press renders

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 29, 2021

Samsung will be unleashing its next foldables such as the Galaxy Z Flip3 and Galaxy Z Fold3 on Aug. 11. Earlier this week, Winfuture.de shared the leaked renders of the Z Flip3. Now, it is back with fresh renders of the Phantom Black color variant of the Z Fold3.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 specifications (Rumored)

The Galaxy Z Fold3 has a 6.2-inch AMOLED display with a punch-hole design. It features a front camera of 10-megapixel. It is equipped with an inner foldable screen of 7.6 inches that houses a 4-megapixel in-display camera. The back panel of the phone is equipped with a 12-megapixel triple camera unit. Both displays are expected to carry support for a 120Hz refresh rate.

1 of 4

The Snapdragon 888 chipset will be powering the Galaxy Z Fold3 with 12 GB of RAM. The device may come with up to 512 G of storage. It could be backed by a 4,400mAh battery, which is likely to carry support for fast charging.

Past reports have claimed that the Z Fold3 will arrive with support for S Pen stylus. A recent leak claimed that the South Korean company will sell two different S Pen such as the S Pen Pro and S Pen Fold Edition for the Z Fold 3 buyers. It is also expected to arrive with a IPX8 rated waterproof chassis. The other details of the Z Fold3 are under wraps.

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event will also see the arrival of the Galaxy Watch4 models and Galaxy Buds 2.

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Motorola Edge 20 Fusion in works, reveals new leak

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 29, 2021

So far, reports have revealed that Motorola’s Edge 20 family includes three models such as Edge 20, Edge 20 Pro, and Edge 20 Lite. However, a fresh leak by DealnTech reveals that the lineup also includes a fourth model called the Edge 20 Fusion.

The publication has shared an image that showcases the official marketing name of the Edge 20 series of smartphones. While it reveals the existence of the Edge 20 Fusion, there is no information available on its specifications and design.

Past reports have shown that Edge 20 has two variants, one for North America and the other one for the global markets. While they are powered by the Snapdragon 778G, both phones have different specifications. Hence, there is a possibility that the North American could be coming to the global market as the Edge 20 Fusion.

Motorola Edge 20 specifications (Rumored)

The Edge 20 for global markets will come with a 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED panel, Snapdragon 778G chipset, 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB / 256 GB of storage, a 4,000mAh battery, and Android 11 OS. For photography, it features a 32-megapixel front camera and a 108-megapixel (main) + 16-megapixel (ultrawide/macro) + 8-megapixel (telephoto, 3x zoom) triple camera unit.

Motorola Edge 20 CAD renders by Steve Hemmerstoffer

On the other side, the North American variant offers a 6.78-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED display, SD778G chip, 6 GB / 8 GB of Ram, 128 GB / 256 GB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery, and Android 11 OS. It has a 32-megapixel selfie camera and a 108-megapixel (main) + 8-megapixel (ultrawide/macro) + 2-megapixel (depth) triple camera unit.

Motorola will be announcing the Edge 20 and Edge 20 Pro on Aug. 5 in China. The Edge 20 series is also expected to debut in other markets soon.

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iQOO 8 series to feature a 10-bit LTPO panel with 2K screen resolution

By

Pranav Sawant

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Jul 29, 2021

iQOO has announced that the forthcoming iQOO 8 series would make its debut at the ChinaJoy event early next month. To begin, the ChinaJoy event will be held from July 30 to August 2, and we may anticipate seeing several iQOO 8-series phones there. Now, news about its display has leaked ahead of its unveiling, bringing us closer to the actual announcement.

According to a tipster, the iQOO 8 series will feature an E5 2K resolution display. It will be an LTPO panel with 10-bit color. The phone will also sport a high 120Hz screen refresh rate. Interestingly, it will be a variable refresh rate that will switch between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on the content consumed on the screen. Previous rumors suggested that it will be a large punch-hole panel.

Additionally, another popular tipster revealed that the iQOO 8 series will be the first to come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Plus chipset. It is expected to be paired with 12GB of RAM and it will have an additional 4GB of virtual RAM support. As for the storage, it will have 256GB of onboard ROM.

The smartphone is expected to pack a 4,500mAh battery with a whopping 120W fast charging support. This will be an upgrade over the 4,000mAh battery in the predecessor iQOO 7.

Aside from that, the series is expectedto include an in-display fingerprint scanner and boot on OriginOS 1.0, which is based on Android 11.

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Deal: Get Sonifer Espresso Machine for $73 (Retail Price $140)

By

Daily Deals

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Jul 29, 2021

Sonifer Espresso Machine which generally retails for $140 is now available at a highly discounted price of $73.64 only at AliExpress. This deal ends in 3 hours.

WHERE TO BUY

Sonifer Espresso Machine at $73.64 (after discount)@AliExpress

Sonifer Espresso Machine

Key Features:

15Bar High-pressure extraction – Pure without impurities, rich crema, and great flavor
Rich in fats which gives you a great taste without bitterness
1.6L detachable transparent water tank
Dual stainless filter – Make two coffees at a time
Removable drip tray and shelf
Milk frother/ Steam Wand
2 years warranty
Make espresso, cappuccino, latte, mocha, and more
Complete cafe experience at home

Generally retailing at $140, you can now buy Sonifer Espresso Machine at a discounted price of $73.64 only at AliExpress. Please note that this price is applicable to the EU variant ordered from the Spain warehouse only. The price changes according to the variant and warehouse. This super deal ends in 3 hours. So place your order asap.

For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.

* Please Note: When you buy something using the links in our articles, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Deal: Get Haylou LS02 SmartWatch 2 for $23 (Retail Price $30)

By

Daily Deals

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Jul 29, 2021

AliExpress is giving a fantastic deal on Haylou LS02 SmartWatch 2. The watch which generally retails at around $30 is now available for $23.24 only. This deal ends on 1 August.

WHERE TO BUY

Haylou LS02 SmartWatch 2 at $23.24 @AliExpress

Haylou Smartwatch 2 comes with a 1.4” touch screen display covered with a 2.5D curved tempered glass which makes the dial both beautiful and damage resistant. The watch features a soft, smooth, and skin-friendly silicone strap and comes with a 260mAh battery that gives you a battery life of up to 20 days on basic mode and 30 days on standby mode.

Catering to your health and athletic needs the smartwatch features 12 dedicated sports modes like jogging, walking, biking, climbing, etc, and a 24×7 Heart Rate monitor, Sleep tracker, Sedentary alert, etc. Moreover, with an IP68 certification, you can easily carry the smartwatch in your bath or swimming pool without worrying about water damage.

Generally, you can buy Haylou LS02 Smartwatch 2 for around $30 from retailers across the globe. But AliExpress is giving this watch for just $23.24. This flash deal ends on 1 August. So grab this super deal while it lasts.

For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.

* Please Note: When you buy something using the links in our articles, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

China records its lowest Q2 sales since 2012; Vivo emerges as the market leader – Counterpoint

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 29, 2021

The latest Counterpoint Market Pulse Report for the Chinese smartphone market has highlighted some highs and lows in the market until the end of June 2021. The report indicates that Xiaomi was the fastest growing brand within the second quarter of the year, and Vivo has the largest market share of 23% during the period under review.

The Counterpoint report also showed that the second quarter of the year saw the lowest sales numbers since 2012, with 75 million smartphones sold. While there was a 13% dip QoQ in Q2 2021, a 7% decline YoY was also reported. The numbers paint a varied picture of the state of the Chinese smartphone market. It could also indicate that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic may still be felt after a tortuous 2020 for China. However, there could be several other factors contributing to the shrinking of the market. The US ban on Huawei, coupled with its actions to shed some businesses, could also be part of the reasons for the decline.

Xiaomi and several Chinese brands, and even Apple experienced some significant improvements while Huawei was the biggest loser. Huawei’s market share plummeted from 32% in 2020 to the current 10% as of Q2 2021. Xiaomi grew fastest with a 70% performance year-on-year. The number reflects Xiaomi’s rapid expansion plans that have seen it scale up its presence in lower-tier locations with several offline outlets.

The Counterpoint report also predicts a quick bounce-back of the Chinese smartphone market in Q3, as the fundamentals remain bright. The rebound could be driven by some inherent factors, including a resurgent Honor brand, which continues to expand and experienced a decent growth trajectory and fast-rising market share.

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(source)

Leak: Snapdragon 898 is Qualcomm’s next-gen flagship chipset

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 29, 2021

Qualcomm surprised us last year when it announced the successor to the Snapdragon 865 as the Snapdragon 888 instead of the Snapdragon 875. There have been reports that the next-gen chipset will arrive as the Snapdragon 895 but a new report says that won’t be the case. Instead, Qualcomm will announce it as the Snapdragon 898.

The source of the info is the renowned Chinese leaker, Ice Universe, who disclosed on Weibo that the chipset is called the Snapdragon 898. He also added that the prime core which is expected to be based on the new Cortex-X2 will be clocked at 3.09GHz. Arm announced the high-performance CPU core in May and it said it brings a 16% increase in performance over the Cortex-X1.

The Snapdragon 898 will be a 4nm chipset that will be manufactured by Samsung as reported earlier this month when it was still referred to as the Snapdragon 895. The higher-clocked plus variant expected to be released in mid-2022 will be manufactured by TSMC.

Qualcomm is also expected to go with a different CPU cluster from that of the Snapdragon 888. Instead of a 1+3+4 CPU cluster, a leak from a few weeks ago revealed that the Snapdragon 898 will have a 1+3+2+2 CPU cluster. This translates to: 1x Cortex-X2 prime core + 3x Cortex-A710 cores + 2x Cortex-A510 cores + 2x Cortex-A510 cores (at a lower clock speed).

The Snapdragon 898 or whatever it ends up being called should be announced in December.

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Sony has sold over 10 million PlayStation 5 consoles

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 29, 2021

The PlayStation 5 (PS5) was released last year as the latest version of Sony’s gaming console line and was available for purchase in November. While the launch of the console has been plagued by a long-running shortage as demand outweighs supply, no thanks to a chip crisis, Sony announced that it has sold more than 10 million units.

Announced via Twitter as well as a blog post, Sony revealed that as of July 18, it had sold more than 10 million PlayStation 5 consoles globally. This figure makes the PS5 the fastest-selling console in the history of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE).

There is no doubt that Sony would have sold a significantly higher figure if it didn’t have to grapple with supply issues. The console also didn’t launch in China, a major market, until the end of April 2021.

It’s official: PS5 has sold 10 million consoles. Thank you!

Full details: https://t.co/PmajlWtWh1 pic.twitter.com/cMGTGBEVwY

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) July 28, 2021

The press statement praised the efforts of the Product Development team, the Hardware Engineering and Operations team, as well as the Business Operations teams around the globe in achieving the milestone.

Sony also took the chance to mention that it has exclusive games coming to the platform such as God of War: Ragnarok, Gran Turismo 7, and Horizon Forbidden West. It also mentioned other highly-anticipated games such as Battlefield 2042, DEATHLOOP, Far Cry 6, and Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Some of these games will arrive this year while others won’t be released until 2022.

Lastly, Sony mentions that it is still working on improving supply around the globe and can’t wait for the day the console will be easily available to get for everyone.

The PS5 is priced at $399/€399/£349/₹39,990 for the Digital Edition which doesn’t have a disc drive. The model with a drive for physical games is priced at $499/€499/£449/₹49,990.

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iPhone 12 vs iPhone 12 Mini: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jul 28, 2021

The latest lineup of Apple phones includes four variants: the vanilla iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Mini, the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The most affordable ones are naturally the non-Pro variants and for the first time in Apple’s history, there is a Mini version of the iPhone. Despite the existence of a Mini variant, the vanilla iPhone 12 is still a pretty compact phone compared to Android flagships. Does it make sense to choose an even smaller phone? What are the differences between the two handsets? This comparison will help you find out.

Apple iPhone 12 vs Apple iPhone 12 Mini

	Apple iPhone 12	Apple iPhone 12 Mini
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm, 164 g	131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm, 135 g
DISPLAY	6.1 inches, 1170 x 2532 pixels (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED	5.4 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED
PROCESSOR	Apple A14 Bionic hexa-core 3.1 GHz	Apple A14 Bionic hexa-core 3.1 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 4 GB RAM, 256 GB	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 4 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE	iOS 14	iOS 14
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 12 + 12 MP, f/1.6 + f/2.4 Dual 12 MP + SL 3D f/2.2	Dual 12 + 12 MP, f/1.6 + f/2.4 Dual 12 MP + SL 3D f/2.2
BATTERY	2815 mAh, fast charging 20W and Qi fast wireless charging 15W	2227 mAh, Fast Charging 20W, Qi wireless charging 12W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	5G, optional dual SIM, optional eSIM, MagSafe, IP68 waterproof	5G, optional dual SIM, optional eSIM, MagSafe, IP68 waterproof

Design

If we exclude the dimensions, iPhone 12 and 12 Mini have the same design. They come with a glass back and an aluminum frame, as well as a borderless display on all the sides and a classic notch. Besides being more compact, the iPhone 12 Mini is also lighter with a weight of just 135 grams against 164 grams. The phones are dustproof and waterproof up to 6 meters deep for a max of 30 minutes, with the IP68 certification. Both the phones come with the MagSafe connectors on the rear side to attach official external accessories such as wireless chargers and battery packs.

Display

The display is the most important difference between iPhone 12 and 12 Mini. First of all, they differ for the diagonal: the vanilla version has a 6.1-inch display, while the Mini variant has a 5.4-inch diagonal. Further, the vanilla version has a higher resolution with 1170 x 2532 pixels against 1080 x 2340 pixels. Both are Super Retina XDR OLED panels with HDR10 support, Dolby Vision, and very high brightness. They are definitely two of the best displays out there, despite they do not have a high refresh rate. The phones do not come with an in-display fingerprint reader but they rely on Face ID for authentication.

Specs & Software

iPhone 12 and 12 Mini are equipped with the same hardware setup. It includes an Apple A14 Bionic chipset built at 5 nm with a max frequency of 3.1 GHz, 4 GB of RAM, and 64, 128, or 256 GB of native NVMe storage depending on the chosen configuration. They run iOS 14 out of the box which can be updated to iOS 14.7 with the last updates. Their performance is simply amazing in every scenario, despite you can get an even better multi-tasking experience with the Pro variants of the 12 series. Unfortunately, they do not have a micro SD slot to expand the internal storage, but they support the 5G connectivity, as well as Wi-Fi 6.

Camera

The iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Mini sport a dual rear camera with a 12 MP main sensor including optical stabilization and a 12 MP ultrawide sensor. Unfortunately, you do not get a telephoto sensor with these two phones (so no optical zoom), but they are able to shoot awesome photos in every condition and even better videos with a 4K resolution, 60 fps, and Dolby Vision.

Read More: iPhone 12 is expected to beat Galaxy S20+ 5G as the best-selling 5G smartphone in H2 2020

Battery

The iPhone 12 Mini is smaller than the vanilla version, which means the battery is smaller too. The capacity of the battery in the iPhone 12 Mini is 2227 mAh, while the original iPhone 12 has a way bigger 2815 mAh battery. The vanilla iPhone 12 is able to reach up to 65 hours of battery life, while the Mini variant goes up to 50 hours. Both support fast charging with a power of 20W, as well as wireless charging through the MagSafe connectors. Note that iPhone 12 Mini supports 12W wireless charging, while the vanilla version goes up to 15W. However, this should not result in faster charging times because the Mini version has a smaller battery out of the box.

Price

The starting price of the vanilla iPhone 12 is €750 or $700, while the iPhone 12 Mini starts from €630 or $680. Note that the prices vary depending on the market: in the U.S. for example, the handsets are more affordable than in Europe. If you need a very compact phone and you do not mind having a smaller battery because you can charge your phone every day, the iPhone 12 Mini might be a very interesting choice for you. But if you prefer having a wider display and a bigger battery, just go for the iPhone 12 to get a better user experience.

PRO and CONS

Apple iPhone 12

PRO

Faster wireless charging
Wider display
Bigger battery
Higher resolution

CONS

Dimensions
Price

Apple iPhone 12 Mini

PRO

More compact
Lighter
Better prices

CONS

Inferior display

Telegram Beta adds gets new features including screen sharing

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 28, 2021

When it comes to instant messaging apps, Telegram is ahead in terms of features, especially when compared to WhatsApp. The messaging app is cementing its lead with a handful of new and interesting features including screen sharing which have now been made available for the beta version.

The latest update to Telegram beta according to Testing Catalog brings multiple new features. Among them is Screen Sharing during a video call. This can come in handy when you need to help an older relative with their device. To turn on this feature, you will have to first press the “Stop Video” button, then start it again. You will get three options at the bottom of the screen one of which is “Phone Screen”. Select this and follow the prompts to begin sharing your screen with the caller on the other end.

Telegram has also added support for adjusting video playback speed. You will remember that WhatsApp recently added support for adjusting playback speeds for voice notes. Telegram now lets you speed through those long videos forwarded to you. The speed menu also has options for slowing down playback speeds too.

Another feature that has been added is the ability to clear a chat history older than one month. Previously, you could only do this for chat histories a week old. There is also support for playing short videos in a floating window when you are scrolling.

To get to experience these new features, you will have to manually get the app yourself as there is no way to join the beta program from the Play Store like you have for some apps. Android Police reports that the APK for Telegram Beta is available on the Microsoft App center.

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Huawei P50 Series rumor roundup: Specs, Price, Colors & More – What to Expect!

By

Pranav Sawant

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Jul 28, 2021

Huawei P50 series launch is one of the most interesting smartphone launches occurring this month in China. While the series is set to arrive on July 29, leaks about the smartphone series don’t seem to be slowing down. With so many leaks around, it is a daunting task to keep a track of each one. Today, in this piece, we are rounding up all the rumors about the Huawei P50 series.

Huawei P50 Series Rumor Roundup: What to Expect?

The Huawei P50 series will include three phones dubbed P50, P50 Pro, and P50 Pro+. Additionally, the series is also said to get a few 4G models.

Display and Design

According to recent leaks, the Huawei P50 will feature a 6.3-inch flat OLED display with a 90Hz high refresh rate. On the other hand, the P50 Pro and P50 Pro+ will be sporting a 6.7-inch curved OLED display with a higher 120Hz refresh rate.

The trio will feature a 10-bit color panel and a punch-hole cut-out for the front camera. A leak revealed that the P50 Pro will feature a 2.5K resolution panel.

Moreover, we shared exclusive case renders of the phone which revealed its rear design.

Cameras on the P50, P50 Pro, and P50 Pro+

Talking about cameras, the P50 series is expected to feature a unique camera island. The island will hold two huge camera rings sporting multiple cameras in the upper ring and a single periscope lens in the bottom ring.

Upfront, the P50, and P50 Pro will flaunt a single camera setup, whereas, the P50 Pro+ will boast a dual-punch-hole camera system. Recently, the smartphone was confirmed to feature a VARIO-SUMMILUX lens. It is also touted to take real-life colors while capturing images.

Hardware and Software

Under the hood, the vanilla Huawei P50 is slated to come powered by Kirin 9000 5G chipset and Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G chipset.

The P50 Pro and P50 Pro+ would be launching with the same Kirin 9000 5G chipset. The phones will come in the base 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant.

Major differences between the trio will be in the battery. The Huawei P50 will pack a 4,200mAh battery with support for 66W fast charging technology. The P50 and P50 Pro+ were spotted with a 4,300mAh battery. The former will support a 66W wired and 50W wireless fast charging support, whereas, the P50 Pro+ will support 100W wired and 50W wireless fast charging support.

Earlier, rumors had it that the P50 series will run on HarmonyOS out of the box.

Color variants and Pricing of the P50 series

While the smartphone was supposed to be released in Black, White, and Yellow(gold) hues, a Sparkling Pink model was just seen in a leak.

Just like the predecessor, the upcoming P50 series is expected to launch in the premium segment. The predecessor P40 was launched starting at ~$900, and with this we can expect the P50 series to start at a similar price range.

RELATED:

Oukitel WP15 5G rugged smartphone with a massive 15600mAh battery launching on 23 August

By

Simranpal Singh

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Jul 28, 2021

Oukitel is on the verge to announce the Oukitel WP15, the world’s first 5G rugged smartphone with a 15600mAh battery, next month. To aid the highly power-consuming 5G network, Oukitel added such a massive battery. The new smartphone is efficient enough to power the device for a week upon a single full charge.

Must See: Oukitel C23 Pro debut sale commencing today via AliExpress for $99

The smartphone packs several other competitive features that are the part and parcel of the Oukitel WP15. Interestingly, the company is hosting a giveaway, where the users can win WP15 for free along with 70 other different prizes. Otherwise, the Oukitel WP15 will retail at an affordable price of $299.99 from 23 August via AliExpress. The interested buyers can add it to the cart for early bird pricing.

Oukitel WP15 Specifications

Huge Battery

The 5G smartphone with a 15600 mAh battery features a rugged design that is even MIL-STD-810G certified. It is designed to offer you seamless connectivity with its massive battery which offers 1300 hours of standby time and 90 hours of calling time. Recharging the Oukitel WP15 is quite easy as it supports 18W fast charging. It can be a perfect companion for people who often go on adventurous trips. Moreover, you can reverse-charge other devices using the smartphone.

Fast 18W charging

Oukitel WP15 will come with 18W fast charging which can charge the humongous 15600 mAh battery in just 5 hours. It can be your life-saver in odd situations as it can even charge other smart devices.

High-End Performance

The smartphone will ship with MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC which couples an Octa-core chipset and 5G connectivity support. The users could enjoy 5G speeds up to 2.3GBp/s while downloading and 1.2GBp/s while uploading. It is 10x faster than the 4G network. The smartphone will ship with the ability to easily stream 4K videos without buffering.

Further, it will house an 8GB RAM which is effective enough to multi-task without worrying about any lag or stutter. Oukitel WP15 will debut with a 128GB internal storage along with adding expandable storage support of up to 256GB via a TF card

Powerful Camera

It embeds a 48MP Sony AF primary camera that captures detailed photos even in the low light. However, the phone brings another 2MP macro sensor and a 0.3MP Virtual camera for better portraits. Over the top, software advancements like beauty mode make the most out of the present sensors.

Bright Display

Oukitel WP15 will ship with a massive 6.52-inch HD display offering an 18:9 aspect ratio for a vivid viewing experience. The display will be effective enough to bring you crisp, detailed and large pictures of objects.

IP68/IP69K + MIL-STD-810G

The upcoming smartphone will be water, dust and drop proof as it meets OPP68 and IP69K ratings. It supports MIL-STD-810G certification which confirms its rugged design.

Oukitel WP51 will launch on 23 August via AliExpress and other prominent retailers. You can add it to the cart to grab some early bird discount. You can know more about the device by heading to the official WP5G product page.

Related: Oukitel C21 Pro with 6.39″ punch-hole display launched for $94.99

Xiaomi may be working on a Mi Band X with a 360° screen

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 28, 2021

Xiaomi’s Mi Band (Mi Smart Band) line of fitness trackers is very popular and a best seller thanks to its wide range of features and affordable price tags. The Mi Band 6, the latest version launched this year sold more than 1 million units in less than a month after it was available for purchase.

We do not expect Xiaomi to announce a successor this year but there is a high chance that the Chinese manufacturer may be working on more than one new Mi Band. Alongside a successor to the Mi Band 6, a new report has revealed that Xiaomi is planning a concept version dubbed the Mi Band X which will have a 360° wraparound display.

The news first appeared on Weibo via a user that goes by @我才是羽度非凡. The post revealed that Xiaomi is working on a Mi Band with a flexible display that goes around the entire circumference of the device thus needing no strap. Think of it as an advanced version of the Nubia Alpha and Nubia Watch. The source backs up the leak with a picture that seems to be from a Xiaomi event.

We do not know when Xiaomi will announce this product. We also do not know if it will be available for purchase or if it will just be Xiaomi showing us what it can pull off just like the Mi MIX Alpha. If it does make it available for purchase, we expect it to be way more expensive than any of the Mi Band fitness trackers it has announced. Nevertheless, we are excited and we are sure our readers are too.

RELATED:

realme MagDart magnetic wireless charging will be available for laptops, tablets, & more: Leak

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jul 28, 2021

Chinese tech brand realme is being reported to launch the world’s first Android smartphone with magnetic wireless charging. The brand is yet to confirm the official branding of this protocol. However, we know that it will be called ‘realme MagDart’. That being said, as per new information, this charging tech will be supported by a wide variety of devices.

[Exclusive] Looks like Realme is going all in when it comes to MagDart
MagDart charging technology will be available for all category devices and Realme's looking forward to democratizing MagDart tech
Here's an exclusive image of what all MagDart will be able to pull off#MagDart https://t.co/KnLJ2I4qq4 pic.twitter.com/WiVTTB7pn8

— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) July 28, 2021

Earlier today, realme announced that it will be holding ‘realme Magnetic Innovation Event’ on August 3. The brand is expected to spill the beans on its MagDart charging solution at this conference.

We already know that this charging tech will be available on smartphones. According to a popular Indian tech influencer Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings), realme MagDart charging solution will be also supported by laptops, tablets, smartwatches, and truly wireless earphones.

However, at the moment, we cannot tell for sure if the company will be releasing any MagDart-enabled consumer products from the above-mentioned product categories. All we can do is wait for the realme Magnetic Innovation Even to learn more about this charging protocol.

Chinese handset maker realme’s MagDart charging solution first appeared in a trademark filing earlier this month. A few days from that, we ran an exclusive story with renders of the MagDart charger. It was followed by a report revealing all the key details of realme Flash – the world’s first Android smartphone with support for magnetic wireless charging.