Xiaomi investigates apps that violate its user data collection policies on the Mi Store

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Jul 14, 2021

Earlier this week, Xiaomi officially announced that it would be conducting an investigation for applications in its Mi Store that have violated its policies regarding the collection of user data.

The Chinese tech giant shares notice of investigation for apps that have been illegally gathering and using personal information while also infringing on user rights and interests. For those unaware, there has been an emerging call from users regarding the frequent harassment and other issues regarding their personal information that has been infringed on Xiaomi’s application store, especially in China. The Mi Store has a large user base all across the globe, with its home market alone accounting for 90 million users.

So, it arrives as no surprise that certain apps target users’ data to get a more competitive edge over their rivals in the current market. In the past, user privacy and data collection policies have been scrutinized. Now, it seems that Xiaomi aims to weed out apps that have been harmful to its Mi Store users. Notably, the Chinese government is also working on reforming user data collection policies in the country, with the nation’s cyberspace regulator even ordering companies in China to delist Didi from their app stores. This was apparently due to Didi Global Inc illegally collecting users’ personal data.

In other words, Xiaomi is also joining in the efforts of its home country and is ordering app developers to reform data collection methods or face removal from its Mi Store. In the note, the brand said that it has received large amounts of feedback that have criticized apps on its platforms for their predatory data gathering practices. So, the company is springing into action, in compliance with the latest regulations from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

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OPPO Reno6 5G, Reno6 Pro 5G launched in India, start at ₹29,990 ($402)

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jul 14, 2021

After teasing for a while, OPPO has finally launched the OPPO Reno6 series in India as planned. The company has released two models, namely OPPO Reno6 5G and OPPO Reno6 Pro 5G. Interestingly, they are the exact same models, which debuted in China at the end of May. Let’s take a look at what these smartphones have to offer.

OPPO Reno 6 Pro 5G Aurora Stellar Black Featured — OPPO Reno6 Pro 5G

OPPO Reno6 5G, Reno6 Pro 5G Specifications and Feaures

The primary highlights of the OPPO Reno6 5G and the OPPO Reno6 Pro 5G are Reno Glow design and Bokeh Flare Portrait Video. You can learn more about them from here.

Display

The Reno6 5G sports a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, 410 PPI, 16.7 million colors, and 93.28% DCI-P3 color gamut. The panel has a 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, 600 nits peak brightness (typical), and 91.7% screen-to-body ratio.

On the other hand, the Reno6 Pro 5G flaunts a 6.55-inch curved AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, 402 PPI, 16.7 million colors, and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. The screen comes with a 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, 800 nits peak brightness (typical), and 92.1% screen-to-body ratio.

The displays on both phones feature an in-screen fingerprint sensor and are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5

Chipset and Software

The vanilla Reno6 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC. It is the first smartphone to launch with this chip in India. The silicon is paired with 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 storage.

Whereas, the Reno6 Pro 5G houses a MediaTek Dimensiy 1200 SoC underneath it. This chipset is coupled with 12GB LPDDR4x RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage.

Anyway, both phones run the brand-new ColorOS 11.3 based on Android 11. The new version of OPPO’s mobile operating system arrives with multiple device-specific AI camera features and a RAM expansion feature.

Camera

The Reno6 5G has a triple camera setup consisting of a 64MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide unit (119° FOV), and a 2MP macro snapper. For selfies and video calls, the phone uses a 32MP front-facing shooter.

The Reno6 Pro 5G, on the other hand, comes with a quad-camera setup on the rear and a 32MP selfie camera on the front. The primary camera setup includes a 64MP main sensor, 8MP ultra-wide unit (120° FOV), 2MP macro shooter, and a 2MP monochrome sensor.

Connectivity

As the name suggests, both the phones support 5G connectivity but India still does not have networks. Like any other upper mid-range smartphone, they support dual-SIM dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.2, GNSS, NFC, and USB Type-C.

Unfortunately, they neither come with a 3.5mm headphone jack nor feature a MicroSD card slot.

Battery and Charging

Both the OPPO Reno6 series models support 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging. However, the battery of the vanilla model is slightly lower at 4,300mAh as compared to a 4,500mAh cell inside the Pro variant.

Dimensions, Weight, and Colors

The OPPO Reno6 series arrives in two colors – Aurora and Stellar Black. The vanilla model measures 156.8 x 72.1 x 7.59mm in dimensions and weighs 182g. Whereas, the dimensions and weight of the Pro variant are 160 x 73.1 x 7.6mm and 177g respectively.

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OPPO Reno6 5G, Reno 6 Pro 5G Price and Availability in India

The OPPO Reno6 series will retail for the following price tags in India.

OPPO Reno6 5G
- 12GB + 256GB – ₹29,990 ($402)
OPPO Reno6 Pro 5G
- 8GB + 128GB – ₹39,990 ($536)

The Pro model will go on sale from July 20, followed by the vanilla variant on July 29.

Launch offers include a ₹4,000 cashback on HDFC Bank, Citibank, ICICI Bank, and Kotak debit/credit cards as well as Bajaj Finserv EMI card. Paytm users can also avail a flat 15% instant cashback.

Customers opting for accessories with the OPPO Reno6 series can buy OPPO Watch, OPPO Enco X, or OPPO Enco W31 at discounted price tags of ₹12,990 (₹2,000 off), ₹7,990 (₹1,000 off), and ₹1,999 (₹1,500 off) respectively.

Huawei launches new MateBook D 15 in the UK with 11th Gen Intel CPU

By

Sean

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Jul 14, 2021

Huawei has just launched a new notebook in the UK. This laptop is the MateBook D 15, which arrives with Intel’s latest 11th Gen Core processors and is designed to be a thin and light notebook geared towards productivity.

On the front, the new laptop features a 15 inch FHD IPS anti glare panel, which arrives with the Chinese tech giant’s FullView design. This has it offer users an 87 percent screen to body ratio and a 16:9 aspect ratio as well. Furthermore, the display has also passed the TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification and Flicker Free certifications that enable it to offer a more comfortable viewing experience to the user and reduce eye strain with long periods of use.

Under the hood, the MateBook D 15 arrives with an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, which is based on the 10nm SuperFin technology. It is a quad core processor that arrives with Intel’s Iris Xe integrated graphics. For memory, it houses up to 16GB of dual channel DDR4 RAM paired with 512GB of NVMe SSD storage. The device also features Huawei’s Shark fin fan designs that let the laptop in better control its thermals during intensive workloads.

Other notable features include Wi-Fi 6 standard support, a fingerprint scanner on the Power Button, a recessed camera, and even support for SuperCharge fast charging as well. As of right now, the MateBook D 15 is available in the UK for a starting price of 749.99 Pounds (roughly 1040 US Dollars). The laptop is currently available on the company’s official Huawei UK Store website along with other authorized retailers as well.

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Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Vivo to use UTG in foldable smartphones arriving in H2 2021

By

Sean

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Jul 14, 2021

Major smartphone brands in China will apparently shift to UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) for their upcoming foldable handsets. These OEMs will opt for these panels as voer windows on flexible phones launching in H2 2021.

As per a report from TheElec, the Chinese brands will be following Samsung in shifting away from polyimide films to glasses for the cover window that is used on the flexible display panels on foldable smartphones. While the original Galaxy Fold that launched in 2019 featured polyimide, its successor and every subsequent foldable models like the Galaxy Z Flip that launched last year now sported UTG panels.

As of right now, every foldable handset from Chinese brands has arrived with polyimide films so far. This includes the likes of the Huawei Mate X2 and Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold, which launched earlier this year. But now, foldable smartphones launching in the second half of this year by Chinese vendors will use UTG panels. Reportedly, the from Xiaomi will launch later this year and will feature an 8.01 inch screen from Samsung Display on the inside that is covered with UTG.

Similarly, Vivo is also gearing up for the launch of its own foldable smartphone in the fourth quarter of this year that will sport an 8 inch display on the inside as well. It will also arrive with UTG for the flexible panel that is made by Samsung Display. Other notable brands include Honor and even Google, which is rumored to launch a 7.6 inch inward folding smartphone.

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Developing OS is as difficult as making chips, says Huami CEO Huang Wang on Zepp OS

By

Jeet

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Jul 14, 2021

Xiaomi-backed smartwatch and fitness tracking device maker Huami Technology held a new product launch event in China where the company has unveiled a new self-developed operating system — Zepp OS.

This newly launched Zepp OS is developed upon FreeRTOS microkernel open-source code. The system package size is around 55MB only which is about 1/10th the size of Amazfit OS used by Huami Technology.

The company is projecting the Zepp OS as not only a smartwatch operating system that is powering the hardware but as an open health management platform. Huang Wang, CEO of the company says that the difficulty of making a smartwatch operating system is actually no less than that of making a chip.

Huami has done both of these “difficult” things. Along with announcing its new self-developed operating system for wearable devices, the company has also launched Huangshan 2S which is the industry’s first dual-core RISC-V wearable chip.

Having the company’s own operating system ensures that the software is optimized to perform better compared to using an existing system and implementing it on the device. Optimized software is what offers a good performance out of the hardware.

It is claimed that the operating system reduces operational power consumption by 65 percent and increases battery life by 190 percent compared to the preview version, which offers an overall improved user experience for wearable devices.

Further, Zepp OS integrates many different functionalities, including support for dynamic dials with smooth motion effects and different interfaces. Most of the interfaces on the watch achieve more than 60FPS, and the animation effects are smooth, delicate, and vivid, allowing users to watch every time they interact with each other.

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China chip imports surges in June as firms stock up amid global shortage

By

Sean

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Jul 14, 2021

Semiconductor imports in China have maintained its growth momentum in June 2021. The region noted high imports to meet the massive demand of integrated circuits (IC) of the country for the production of automobiles, smartphones, home appliances, and much more.

According to an SCMP report, China imported 51.9 billion semiconductor devices in the month of June alone. This was the third largest volume in a single month, which arrives as the region saw a record high back in March of this year. April 2021 also saw strong imports this year, as per information released by the country’s customs administration earlier this week. Notably, the high figures also arrive as local firms stocked up on semiconductors across various industries amid the ongoing global shortage of chips.

The report further added that chipsets are still the products with the largest volume of imports in China, with the country spending a total of 38 billion US Dollars to import semiconductors in June 2021. To put things into perspective, this figure was almost double the cost of the region’s crude oil shipments in the same period. Additionally, the country also imported more than 310 billion semiconductor devices in the first six months of this year.

This marked a sizeable increase of 29 percent from the same period from back in 2020. During this time, the nation increased its imports from chip foundries, especially from Taiwan, amid the global semiconductor shortage. The supply would enable the region and its local manufacturers to ramp up the production of cars, smartphones, home appliances, and various other consumer electronic products as well.

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OnePlus Nord 2 price in India, colors options, and more revealed

By

Sean

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Jul 14, 2021

While the launch of the OnePlus Nord 2 is just around the corner in India, a new report has revealed key information regarding the device, including its color options, storage variants, and even pricing for the Indian market.

According to a 91Mobiles report, the news arrives from a known tipster Yogesh Brar who has revealed certain key detail of the upcoming smartphone. For those unaware, the Nord 2 is the successor to the original Nord that was previously launched by the Chinese smartphone maker back in July 2020. The Nord 2 is set for a 22nd July 2021 launch date and now a major leak has revealed its price in India.

Reportedly, the Nord 2 will be available in two storage variants, namely 8GB RAM + 128GB storage version and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage version. The base model will be priced at 31,999 INR (roughly 430 US Dollars) while the higher end model will be priced at 34,999 INR (roughly 470 US Dollars). If this is true, then the new Nord smartphones will be priced higher than its predecessor, also crossing the 30,000 INR mark as an upper mid range handset.

Furthermore, the OnePus Nord 2 lineup will be available for purchase in two color options as well, namely Grey Sierra and Blue Haze. Although, the tipster added that the brand will also launch the new smartphone in a special leather back edition with Green Woods color. Keep in mind, this is still an unconfirmed report so take this news with a pinch of salt for now and stay tuned for more updates regarding this matter.

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Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition, Mi 8 Pro, Mi 8 SE bag MIUI 12.5 update

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jul 14, 2021

Last month, Xiaomi confirmed MIUI 12.5 update for the Mi 8 series. A few days later, the vanilla Mi 8 started receiving the said update. Now, the latest version of MIUI is available for three more Mi 8 models, namely Mi 8 Explorer Edition, Mi 8 Pro, and Mi 8 SE.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition Featured A — Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition

Xiaomi unveiled MIUI 12.5 alongside the Mi 11 at the end of December 2020. Since then, the company has been trying to deliver the new version of its mobile operating system to eligible devices worldwide.

The firm started sending stable builds in late March. Over three and a half months later, the update is finally available for Mi 8 Explorer Edition, Mi 8 Pro, and Mi 8 SE. The update is currently live in China with the following build numbers.

Mi 8 Explorer Edition – V12.5.1.0.QEHCNXM
Mi 8 Pro – V12.5.1.0.QECCNXM
Mi 8 SE – V12.5.1.0.QEBCNXM

Unsurprisingly, the above-listed builds are labeled as ‘Stable Beta’. This means they are being rolled out in batches for select few users. Anyway, the update should be available for all users in China as well as other regions in the near future.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 family debuted with MIUI 9 based on Android 8.1 Oreo. The handsets were later updated to MIUI 10, MIUI 11, and MIUI 12. They even received Android 9.0 Pie and Android 10. Going by Xiaomi’s software update track record, MIUI 12.5 is likely the last major system update for these phones.

No new Snapdragon 780G phones launching anytime soon, Here’s Why

By

Sean

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Jul 14, 2021

We might not see the launch of a smartphone that sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G anytime soon. New information has just surfaced that has revealed that the chip is in limited supply and might not be available in smartphones for a while.

Known Weibo blogger, a Chinese microblogging website, @数码闲聊站 (digital chat station) had recently shared a post on the social media platform. In this, he stated that he expects a wave of new smartphones will launch that feature the Snapdragon 778G SoC. However, he said that no new device with the Snapdragon 780G is expected to launch due to limited supply and further added that the issue might also affect the production of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite as well.

To this online post, the product director of Xiaomi, Wang Teng added that the chipset from Qualcomm is in short supply due to its limited production capacity at the moment. Although, the Chinese tech giant’s official said that the Mi 11 Lite will still be shipped as the company was able to secure what little stock remained of the processor. In other words, the Mi 11 Lite is the only latest handset that sports this SoC as of right now and we might not see a new device featuring this processor for a while now. OEMs would also likely have to wait for the production of the chipset to rise to include it in their offerings.

For those unaware, the Snapdragon 780G from Qualcomm is a top of the line chip for mid range handsets. It is built on a 5nm process and features a Cortex-A78 core clocked at 2.4GHz paired with three Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.2GHz, and four Cortex-A55 cores that are clocked at 1.9GHz. For graphics, the chip features the Adreno 642 GPU.

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vivo Y72 5G price in India could be cheaper than the previously tipped amount

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jul 14, 2021

Last week, news broke out that vivo Y72 5G will launch in India on July 15. A few days later, the price and launch offers of the handset were tipped. Yesterday, we even learned about the device’s complete specs. Now, once again, the price of the smartphone appears on the web.

vivo Y72 5G India Leak Featured — vivo Y72 5G (India)

Initially, the vivo Y72 5G was said to retail for ₹22,990 in India. But now, as per reliable tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore, the handset will actually cost slightly cheaper at ₹20,990. Anyway, there’s no change in the launch date. He reiterates that the device will go official on July 15.

As per previous reports as well as Sudhanshu, the upcoming vivo Y72 5G for India will be a rebranded vivo Y52s (t1 version). Hence, the main highlights of this phone will be Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 chipset and a 6.58-inch FHD+ LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate.

The smartphone will come with a 48MP + 2MP dual-camera setup on the back and an 8MP front-facing camera inside the dewdrop notch. The phone will feature 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It will run Funtouch OS 11.1 based on Android 11 with support for optional 4GB virtual RAM.

Other specs of the phone will include 5G, 4G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS, USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, 5,000mAh battery, and 18W fast charging.

Samsung Exynos 2200 codename revealed, Snapdragon 895 to launch in H2 2021

By

Sean

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Jul 14, 2021

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 895 is expected to launch in the second in the second half of this year. Similarly, Samsung is also gearing up for the launch of its own next gen chip, the Exynos 2200, with a tipster revealing the upcoming flagship processor’s codename.

For those unaware, the Exyno 2200 is an upcoming chipset from the South Korean tech giant that will arrive with an AMD Radeon GPU, which reportedly outperforms the Apple A14 SoC in graphics. According to a Weibo post, a Chinese microblogging website, from @i冰宇宙 (IceUniverse) the Exynos 2200 is codenamed “Pamir.” This chip is expected to be built on a 4nm process and will arrive with Team Red’s RDNA 2 architecture graphics codenamed “Voyager.”

Notably, the RDNA 2 from AMD is the same architecture which is also used in current gen gaming consoles like the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. Its latest lineup of Radeon RX 6000 series of graphics card also feature this technology as well. In other words, Samsung might have a competitive edge in terms of graphical performance with the new Exynos 2200 on its flagship smartphones. Previously, we had reported on Qualcomm launching the new Snapdragon 800 series SoC in early December 2021.

We can likely expect this chip to debut with the Galaxy S22 series. Although, since the brand launches the lineup in two variants, we can also expect the latest flagship smartphone models to also arrive with Qualcomm Snapdragon 895 processors as well. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available regarding this matter.

RELATED:

A new Samsung Galaxy A12 variant with Exynos 850 is set to launch soon

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jul 14, 2021

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A12 in late November 2020. The smartphone started hitting the shelves across most regions in early 2021. Now, months later, the company is being reported to release a new version of this device.

According to a report by DealNTech, Samsung could soon release a new variant of the Galaxy A12 with model number SM-A127F. A support page for this handset is already live on one of the regional official websites of Samsung. This device has been also certified by Bluetooth SIG.

As per the source of the publication, the new Galaxy A12 will be powered by an Exynos 850 SoC instead of a MediaTek Helio P35 chipset, which is found inside the original model. In fact, this will be the only difference between the old and new variants.

Hence, the upcoming Galaxy A12 (SM-A127F) is expected to come with a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD screen with a dewdrop notch, 48MP (wide) + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) quad-camera setup, 8MP selfie camera, 5,000mAh battery, and 15W fast charging.

It should also feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, a MicroSD card slot, a USB Type-C port, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Unfortunately, it’s not known whether it will debut with Android 10-based One UI Core 2.x or the latest One UI Core 3.x (Android 11), which was made available via OTA system update for the original model recently.

Samsung is yet to officially announce the launch date of this smartphone. Since it differs only in terms of the chip, it will most likely get a silent release.

Vivo S10 Pro full specifications confirmed before launch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 14, 2021

The Vivo S10 series will be made official tomorrow in China. The lineup has two phones namely, the S10 and S10 Pro. Speculations are rife that both models have identical specs, and they mainly differ in the camera department. The S10 Pro’s full specifications have been revealed today through its TENAA listing.

Vivo S10 Pro specifications

The TENAA listing of the Vivo S10 Pro (V2121A model number) reveals that it measures 158.2 x 73.6mm and its thickness is only 7.29mm. The device weighs only 173 grams despite housing a 3,970mAh rated battery. Previous reports have revealed that it supports 44W fast charging.

The Vivo S10 Pro has a 6.44-inch S-AMOLED FHD+ display with a wider notch. The TENAA listing confirms that the display notch houses a 44-megapixel primary selfie camera and an 8-megapixel secondary lens. The screen is integrated with a fingerprint scanner.

The S10 Pro back panel has a squarish camera module that comprises a 108-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel secondary lens, a 2-megapixel camera, and an LED flash. The device runs on Android 11 OS.

The 2.6GHz octa-core processor mentioned in the listing is the Dimensity 1100 chip. The phone come is expected to release in China in RAM options like 6 GB, 8 GB, and 12 GB, and storage models such as 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB.

Vivo S10 and S10 Pro official renders leaked- — Vivo S10 and S10 Pro

The Vivo S10 has not yet appeared at TENAA. It is speculated that it will come with a 64-megapixel triple camera setup and an inferior dual selfie camera system.

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ZTE Axon 30 teaser showcases phone’s full-screen design with under-display camera

By

Jeet

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Jul 14, 2021

Last year, ZTE had launched the Axon 20 5G smartphone as the world’s first mobile phone to feature an under-display camera. Now, the Chinese company is gearing up to launch a successor of the same, dubbed ZTE Axon 30.

Today, ZTE officially released a teaser video for the upcoming ZTE Axon 30 smartphone, showing the phone’s front panel for the first time. Compared to its predecessor, the smartphone comes with several improvements.

The teaser video reveals that the smartphone will come with an improved screen-to-body ratio compared to its predecessor. The bezels around the screen are quite narrow and only the bottom bezel is a bit thicker. It will be offering a true full-screen experience to users.

It has already been confirmed that the phone will feature ZTE’s second-generation under-display camera technology which was demonstrated a few months ago at Mobile World Congress Shanghai. This new technology is touted to have significant upgrades and improvements over the first generation.

The company previously said that its team of engineers has gone through difficult research to effectively eliminate glare and diffraction from the material. It can effectively eliminate the adverse effects of foggy surfaces, ensure that the picture is bright and transparent, and intelligently adjust the exposure.

While nothing has been confirmed by ZTE, it is believed that the phone will come powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset but there’s a possibility that the company may opt for a different processor. It could run Android 11 with ZTE’s new MyOS interface on top.

The ZTE Axon 30 was teased back in January this year as the successor to the Axon 20 5G, however, the phone’s launch was delayed due to the global chip shortage and some other related issues. But with the new teaser shared by the company, it seems that the device is now ready to make its debut.

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Realme RMX3361 full specifications revealed, could be Realme GT Master Explorer Edition

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 14, 2021

Last week, a Realme phone with RMX3361 was spotted at the TENAA certification site with few details like display size, battery capacity, and dimensions. Now, the listing has been updated with its full specifications, but unfortunately, its images are not yet available. This phone may debut as the Realme GT Master Explorer Edition along with the Realme GT Master Edition on July 21 in China.

The Realme RMX3361 has a 6.43-inch AMOLED display that offers a Full HD+ resolution. It is powered by a 2,100mAh (rated capacity) dual-cell battery. Its total capacity could be 4,200mAh (rated value). The device is fueled by a 2.4GHz octa-core and is expected to arrive in China in RAM variants like 6 GB, 8 GB, and 12 GB.

The RMX3361 may arrive in storage options like 128 GB and 256 GB. The device will boot to Android 11 OS and will lack support for external storage. It has a selfie camera of 32-megapixel, and its back panel is fitted with a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera unit.

The other features of the Realme RMX3361 include an in-screen fingerprint scanner and support for fast charging. The handset has 159.2 x 73.5 x 8mm dimensions and weighs 174 grams. It will arrive in white, blue, and gray color variants.

Last week, 91mobiles published a report to reveal the pricing, specifications, and renders of the GT Master Edition series phone. The specs of the phone are an exact match with the RM3361. The publication revealed some additional information such as it supports a 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 778G, 65W fast charging, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It also revealed that the device may come in three variants such as 6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB, and 8GB+256GB. These models may cost 349 euros (~$411), 399 euros (~$470), and 449 euros (~$529), respectively.

RELATED:

Tecno Camon 17, Camon 17 Pro Launch Scheduled for July 15 in India

By

Pranav Sawant

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Jul 14, 2021

Recently, a new listing on Amazon India revealed that the upcoming Tecno Camon 17 series will launch soon in India. The series will be first available in the Prime Day sale on July 26. Considering this, netizens assumed the smartphone series would launch on the same day. But Tecno India has officially confirmed July 15 as the launch date of the Tecno Camon 17 series.

For those who are unaware, the series was launched back in April in a few markets, including Kenya. Now, the series will launch in India with the same specs as the global models with sales kicking off from July 26.

The clearest selfie camera, an ultra pro video camera and gleam aesthetics design, it's got it all. CAMON 17 Series is almost here. Time To Stand Out from the crowd!
Launching on 15th July only on @amazonIN 🤩📱
Check it out now: https://t.co/ONCuEOHMF6 #TECNO #CAMON17 pic.twitter.com/yXgXWGdDEZ

— TecnoMobileInd (@TecnoMobileInd) July 12, 2021

The Tecno Camon 17 series will feature two phones – Tecno Camon 17 and Tecno Camon 17 Pro. The former is expected to land in India under the ₹15,000 price range, whereas, the latter is touted to arrive between ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 price range.

Tecno Camon 17 and Camon 17 Pro Specifications

The Camon 17 comes with a 6.6-inch LCD display with an HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. On the other hand, the Pro model sports a 6.8-inch FHD+ LCD display with the same 90Hz refresh rate. Both phones boast a single camera at the front, with a 48MP sensor on the Pro and a 16MP snapper on the vanilla model.

There is a quad-rear camera system on the Camon 17 Pro with a 64MP primary lens, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and two 2MP units for bokeh and monochrome shots. The vanilla Camon 17 has a triple rear camera system with a 48MP main lens, a 2MP bokeh lens, and lastly, an AI sensor.

At the helm, there is a MediaTek Helio G85 SoC on the Camon 17 paired with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The Pro is powered by the Helio G95 chipset, paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The phones pack a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support on the vanilla and a 33W quick charging support on the Pro.

Both phones have a dedicated fingerprint scanner for added security. The Pro rocks it on the side, whereas, the Camon 17 has it at the rear.

Read our Tecno Camon 17 Pro review here.

RELATED:

Realme GT Master Edition series launch date revealed

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 14, 2021

After weeks of rumors, Realme has finally revealed the launch date of the Realme GT Master Edition series. It will be holding an unveiling event at 2 PM (local time) on July 21. Like Realme did for its predecessor Master Edition phones, it will be teaming with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa for designing the next GT Master series.

Realme GT Master Edition specifications

Last month, the TENAA telecom authority of China approved a Realme smartphone with an RMX3366 model number. The listing revealed that it has a 6.55-inch AMOLED display that has curved edges and a punch-hole design. It offers a Full HD+ resolution, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and an in-screen fingerprint reader.

REalme RMX3366 — TENAA images of the Realme RMX3366

It features a front camera of 32-megapixel, and its rear is fitted with a 50-megapixel (Sony IMX766) + 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system. The Snapdragon 870 chip fuels the device with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of native storage. It has a 4,500mAh battery that supports 65W rapid charging.

Realme GT Master Edition’s variant

At the beginning of this month, 91mobiles teamed up with reliable tipster OnLeaks to share the full specs and renders of the Realme GT Master Edition. Since its specs are different from the above-mentioned RMX3366 phone, it appears that it will be arriving as a variant of the GT Master Edition. Probably, it could be arriving with the rumored GT Master Explorer Edition moniker.

The leak revealed that it has a 6.43-inch AMOLED FHD+ display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate, an in-screen fingerprint sensor, Snapdragon 778G, up to 12 GB of RAM, up to 256 GB of storage, and a 4,300mAh battery that offers 65W fast charging. For photography, it may feature a 32-megapixel front camera, a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera setup.

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Google hit with $593 million fine in France over copyright issues

By

Jeet

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Jul 14, 2021

The antitrust regulator in France has fined the tech giant Google around $593 million and has given the company two months to come up with proposals on how to pay publishers for their content or face more punishment.

In a statement, the regulator said that Google had disregarded several injunctions related to the tech company’s negotiations with French news publishers. Isabelle de Silva, Chief of Antitrust Agency, said: “When the regulator imposes obligations for a company, it must comply scrupulously, in both the spirit and letter. In this instance, this was unfortunately not the case.”

France’s Competition Authority said that Google had breached an April 2020 ruling that ordered the company to negotiate “in good faith” licensing deals with publishers and news agencies for any reuse of copyrighted content.

The tech giant has been fined €500 million ($593 million) over its failure to comply. If the search giant does not present compensation offers to publishers within the next two months, it faces additional penalties of up to €900,000 ($1.1 million) per day.

It is the largest-ever fine imposed by France’s competition watchdog for a company’s failure to adhere to one of its rulings. It’s the latest development in an ongoing copyright battle between tech giants like Google and Facebook and news publishers.

Google said that it was “very disappointed” by Tuesday’s decision. The spokesperson for the company added: “We have acted in good faith throughout the entire process. The fine ignores our efforts to reach an agreement and the reality of how news works on our platforms. To date, Google is the only company to have announced agreements on neighboring rights. We are also about to finalize an agreement with AFP that includes a global licensing agreement, as well as the remuneration of their neighboring rights for their press publications.”

Earlier this year, in January, Google agreed to a major digital copyright deal with French publishers. As part of that deal, it would negotiate individual licenses with members of France’s press alliance for rights and access to a new service called News Showcase.

However, France’s competition agency took issue with this, saying it did not include a discussion on remuneration for current uses of content covered by “neighboring rights” for the press. It also added that Google restricted the scope of talks with the media by refusing to include the use of press images.

The European Union had overhauled its copyright laws in 2019, making platforms responsible for copyright infringements committed by their users. The new rules also require search engines and social media platforms to share revenue with publishers if their content is displayed.

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Nokia will launch a rugged phone on July 27, possibly the Nokia XR20

By

Pranav Sawant

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Jul 14, 2021

HMD Global’s Nokia was subject to a new leak when its yet-to-be-announced Nokia C30 appeared out of the blue in a retailer listing. Today, Nokia is yet again in the discussion as the company has teased the arrival of a rugged phone.

Nokia, on Twitter, shared an image of a new phone with a thick case that said, “With our newest Nokia phone you will never need a case again 27.07.21”, clearly hinting at a launch of a rugged smartphone. The rugged phone will be launched on July 27 and a Twitter user has revealed its moniker.

Coming 🔜

🗓 27.07.21 pic.twitter.com/uwQa5Ja2QP

— Nokia Mobile (@NokiaMobile) July 13, 2021

Jack Lo of Blogjack suggests that this rugged phone will be called the Nokia XR20, and it will come with a fresh design. He claims that the rear camera of the XR20 (Nokia rugged phone) won’t be Oreo-like in design. Rather, it will have a different rear camera island, and it will be powered by Zeiss optics. For those who are unaware, the current Nokia X20 has an Oreo-like rear camera island.

As of now, there’s no other information regarding the upcoming Nokia rugged phone, but we can expect a new batch of leaks about the phone in the future. Till then, Nokia fans can check out the recent leak of the Nokia C30 smartphone.

The Nokia C30 is expected to be an entry-level phone with a 6.82-inch FHD+ screen. It is said to house a massive 6,000mAh battery and will come powered by a Hexa-core chipset.

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Honor schedules Global Press Conference for August 12, Honor Magic 3 expected

By

Pranav Sawant

-

Jul 14, 2021

Now that Huawei‘s dominance in the global market has diminished significantly, Honor is eyeing to take its place internationally. Ever since it broke up with Huawei, Honor has been trying to make it big outside China.

Today, Honor confirmed its Global conference is scheduled for August 12. Considering the aggressive leaks of the Honor Magic 3, we can expect the phone to debut at the August event in the global market.

Now that a global press conference is scheduled, a major question that arrives is will the upcoming Honor phones come with Google Play Store and play services pre-installed? Well, Honor recently confirmed that the Honor 50 and the upcoming Honor Magic phones (Honor Magic 3) will come with Google Play store out of the box.

The Honor Magic 3 is confirmed to feature the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ chipset. The Snapdragon 888+ is a more advanced version of the current 888 model with improvements in performance.

Some previous rumors also revealed that there will be two Honor Magic phones, the Magic 3 and a foldable Magic model. Currently, the details of the Honor Magic Fold are unavailable but considering the launch is official, we could also see the leaks about the phone soon.

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