Sony launches a compact, portable wireless speaker for the Indian market

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Jun 22, 2021

Xiaomi launched the Mi 2 in November 2012. It was later followed by the Mi 2s in April 2013. These two devices can be called Xiaomi’s second-generation smartphones. Nearly a decade later, there are still people using these handsets, as per the company’s founder.

Xiaomi Mi 2 Featured A A few days back, Lei Jun, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi revealed that there are over 2 million active users of the Mi 6. A day later, the executive shared a similar fact about Mi 2 and Mi 2S.

According to his Weibo post, there are more than 184,000 active users of Mi 2 and Mi 2S. This data is fascinating since these devices are not capable of running modern apps.

Unfortunately, it is not known whether this count only includes the units running stock MIUI or both stock ROM as well as custom ROMs. Anyway, it is still a huge number nevertheless.

For comparison, the OnePlus One, which launched more than a year after the debut of Mi 2S, only has over 300 active users. Additionally, the Xiaomi handsets received a longer official software support than the first-ever OnePlus phone.

Anyway, If you are one of those Mi 2 and Mi 2S users, do share your experience with these smartphones in the comment section below.

Moto G10 drops Motorola branding as it lands in Russia as the Lenovo K13 Note

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Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 22, 2021

It is no longer news that some Motorola phones are rebadged as Lenovo phones for other markets. The latest example is the Moto G10 which has made its way to Russia as the Lenovo K13 Note.

Announced today for ₽12,490 (~$170), the Lenovo K13 Note is a budget 4G phone with a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display that has a waterdrop notch and an HD+ resolution. It is powered by the Snapdragon 460 and comes in a single configuration with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A MicroSD card slot will allow users to add up to 512GB of extra storage.

There are four cameras on the back that sit together with an LED flash in a slightly protruding housing. The primary camera is a 48MP sensor and it comes along with an 8MP ultrawide angle camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. An 8MP camera is in front for selfies and video calls.

There is a fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone, a 5000mAh battery under the plastic body, and support for 10W charging via a USB-C port. It also has an audio jack at the top and runs Android 11 out of the box.

Lenovo has made the K13 Note available in the same Aurora Gray and Sakura Pearl colors as the Moto G10, though we believe launching it in different colors would have been better to further differentiate them save for the branding.

You can purchase the Lenovo K13 Note at the Lenovo online shop. The pearl variant is discounted and can be purchased for ₽9,990 (~$137) from now till the 30th of June while the gray variant has its price cut down to ₽11,990 (~$164).

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ZTE announces MyOS now supports 5G Messaging Solution

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Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 22, 2021

With every new mobile wireless telecommunication technology or network standard, comes improved benefits. The arrival of 2G brought data services such as text messages, picture messages, and multimedia messages while 3G brought video calling. When 4G arrived, it brought faster and more stable connections that allowed for streaming and faster downloads as well as RCS-based messaging. 5G also brings faster connections along with improvements to legacy messaging.

Dubbed 5G Messaging, it is said to bring improvements in multimedia messaging, commercial messaging, chatbots, carousels, and even support for payment. Messages will not only include audio and video but also geolocation. The service also brings messaging over Wi-Fi and group chats.

ZTE has now announced that it has added support for 5G Messaging to MyOS, its custom Android skin for its phones. It has been reported that only three ZTE phones support 5G Messaging at the moment. They are the ZTE S30, Axon 30 Pro, and the Axon 30 Ultra. We believe more devices will get the feature later.

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Lava Probuds is the Indian phone maker’s first TWS Earbuds

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 22, 2021

Indian smartphone maker Lava has launched its latest truly wireless (TWS) earbuds, named the Lava Probuds TWS earbuds in India. The Probuds TWS earbuds is the first TWS earbuds produced by the company, and it comes with some impressive features.

The earbuds have an extended battery life of up to 25 hours which is super impressive. It is powered by a MediaTek chipset and has IPX5 certification, making them water- and sweat-resistant. Lava hopes to make a strong statement with its debut offering in the TWS earbuds segment of the accessories market.

The Lava Probuds come with 11.6mm advanced drivers that offer an excellent audio output, have Bluetooth 5.0 support and its signature technology is the Wake and Pair technology, which allows it to turn on and connect the headset immediately when the case is opened.

In a comment relating to the launch of the product, Tejinder Singh, a product executive at Lava International, stated that the Lava Probuds are high-performance earbuds that will appeal to modern audiophiles. He said the product was developed in line with the philosophy of Lava to develop products tailored to the needs of its home market of India. With the unveiling of its new truly wireless earbuds, Lava hopes to have a share of the market, and it targets the youths within the school-going and working class of the population. Lava says the earbuds can substantially ease the user’s work/study demands and provide entertainment when needed.

The Lava Probuds TWS earbuds will go on sale from June 24 and would be sold for Rs. 2199 ($30). The product will be available in India at Lava e-store, Amazon, and Flipkart from noon on June 24.

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Upcoming OPPO phone may offer 120Hz display, SD768G, 64MP triple cameras

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Jun 22, 2021

OPPO announced the Snapdragon 768G powered OPPO K9 5G last month in China. A tipster from China claimed that the company is working on another SD768G powered device. While its moniker is not known yet, the leaker has shared the entire specifications of the mysterious phone.

According to the tipster, the upcoming OPPO phone may house a 6.43-inch Samsung AMOLED E1 Pro display that will produce a 120Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 768G chip is likely to drive the smartphone with LPDDR4x RAM.

The rear camera setup of the phone may feature a 64-megapixel Samsung GW3 primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. For selfies, it may possess a 32-megapixel front camera.

The device could be equipped with a 4,500mAh battery that may support 50W rapid charging. It may come with other features like a single speaker, Dolby panoramic sound, and an in-screen fingerprint scanner. The tipster also revealed that the device measures 7.9mm in thickness and weighs 174 grams. It is speculated that the device may ship with up to 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB and it could be priced around 2,499 Yuan (~$386).

Most of the specs mentioned above are available on the OPPO K9 5G. It remains it arrives as a new variant of the K9 handset.

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Some Galaxy A52 users are facing brightness issue in HDR video playback

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Jun 22, 2021

The Galaxy A52 is one of the best Samsung smartphones released in 2021. The handset offers almost everything one needs in a smartphone at an affordable price tag. However, with the latest system update, the company appears to have broken a feature of the phone.

Samsung Galaxy A52 Awesome White Featured — Samsung Galaxy A52

Samsung Galaxy A52 HDR Video Playback Brightness Issue

The Galaxy A52 flaunts a 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 800 nits peak brightness. This panel is also HDR-certified, and therefore, it is capable of playing HDR videos on YouTube. Anyway, the device lacks certifications for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video like any other Samsung smartphone other than flagships.

But the latest June 2021 security patch update has broken HDR playback support even on YouTube. The issue is sort of weird. The YouTube app shows HDR options, however, the handset’s display does not brighten up.

I randomly came across this bug. While discussing with several other users on a Telegram group dedicated to Galaxy A52, I found out that I wasn’t the only one facing this issue.

Samsung Galaxy A52 SM-A525F DRM Info — DRM Info app on the Samsung Galaxy A52

At first, I thought the latest system update might have affected DRM certification. Hence, I installed the DRM Info app to check the status. As you can see from the screenshot, the app clearly says that the phone’s screen not only supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG but also has Widevine L1 certification.

I did come across a workaround for this bug. Unfortunately, it did not work for me. Nonetheless, it did for others, but albeit for a short period of time.

Samsung Galaxy A52 HDR Video Playback Brightness Issue Workaround

In case you have a Galaxy A52 with HDR brightness not kicking in on YouTube or while playing local videos, then follow these steps.

Enable ‘Developer options’
- Settings > About Phone > Software information
- Tap 7 times on Build number
Go to Settings, search for ‘Disable HW overlays’, and enable this option

This method should fix HDR brightness issue on the Galaxy A52 or any other Samsung smartphone for that matter. Anyhoo, your mileage may vary and it may not work for a long time.

Samsung Galaxy A52 HDR Video Playback Brightness Issue: What is the solution?

I think only Samsung can fix this bug via the next system update. But if you have any workaround, then do let us know in the comment section below.

Until then, all we can do is hope for Samsung to fix it with the July 2021 security patch update next month.

Huawei P50 series may launch on July 29

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Jun 22, 2021

Huawei is known for launching its P-series of camera-centric flagship by the first quarter of the year. However, in a bid to launch the P50 series preinstalled with the company’s HarmonyOS 2.0 and the ongoing supply issue has reportedly delayed the arrival of the P50 models this year. While recent reports claimed that the P50 lineup will debut in June, new leaks suggest that it could be debuting by the end of July.

A Chinese digital blogger took to Weibo to share a binary code 1011011001 to reveal the launch date of the P50 lineup. This code converts to 729, which suggests that P50, P50 Pro, and P50 Pro+ may debut on July 29.

Another tipster claimed that the Huawei P50 series may mainly include Kirin 9000 SoC-powered 4G devices due to the supply issue. However, there is a possibility that the lineup may include 5G variants. Another source has claimed that the P50 will be equipped with a new 1/1.8-inch sensor for the ultrawide camera. Hence, it appears that the P50 could be featuring the largest ultrawide camera sensor seen on any smartphone.

Other reports have claimed that the Huawei P50 Pro+ and Huawei P50 Pro could be featuring the 1-inch Sony IMX800 as the primary lens, which is the biggest smartphone camera sensor ever. The base model is expected to feature the main lens, an ultrawide camera and a telephoto camera in its triple camera setup, and a slightly curved OLED screen.

The P50 Pro may feature a main camera, an ultrawide shooter, and a periscope lens in its triple camera system. The P50 Pro+’s rear camera system may comprise of the main camera, an ultrawide lens, a telephoto camera, a periscope lens, and a ToF depth sensor. Bot handsets may feature the so-called “waterfall” curved edge displays.

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Xiaomi launches the MITU Children’s 4G Phone Watch 5C with video call support

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Jun 22, 2021

Xiaomi has just launched a new product that is designed for kids in China. The device in question is the MITU Children’s 4G Phone Watch 5C, which is available for a price of 379 Yuan (roughly 58 US Dollars).

The new wearable is supports 4G and can even make video calls as well. It also offers a precise location tracking and is powered by a 900mAh battery pack. Furthermore, it even supports the the XiaoAI voice assistant and is waterproof for up to 20 meters. On the front, it sports a wide angle camera that enables it to make video calls, through 4G networking from its three supported telecom carriers.

The new MITU Children’s 4G Phone Watch 5C is also capable of activity tracking as well and can track the schedule of the children, ranging from its school time period to even tracking their commute between homes and schools. The display is a 1.4 inch colored display, while the watch also supports learning based applications as well. It is currently listed on JD.com, a major Chinese e-retailer, and is available for a price of 379 Yuan.

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Xiaomi has plans to launch Mi 11 Lite 5G in India

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Jun 22, 2021

A few hours back, Xiaomi announced the Mi 11 Lite in India. The Mi Watch Revolve Active was also unveiled alongside it. In the pre-recorded launch livestream, Manu Jain, the Managing Director of Xiaomi India revealed that the company also has plans to launch the Mi 11 Lite 5G in the country.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G Citrus Yellow — Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G

The Mi 11 Lite and Mi 11 Lite 5G are identical to each other. The only major difference between the two is the chipset. The 4G variant is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G SoC. On the other hand, the 5G version features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G chip.

Mr. Jain says that Xiaomi is more than happy to launch the Mi 11 Lite 5G in India whenever the 5G network rolls out in the country or when there’s sufficient demand.

Unfortunately, we cannot tell for sure if this smartphone will ever debut in India. Because the rollout of 5G networks is still quarters away. However, the public trials are expected to begin as early as next year.

But by then, the Mi 11 Lite 5G will become an outdated model in today’s fast-paced smartphone launches. This means only demand and competition can make Xiaomi bring this handset to India.

For those unaware, almost all the phones sold in India above ₹20,000 ($269) are 5G-enabled. Hence, the Mi 11 Lite 4G could be a tough sell in the region.

Huawei and ZTE banned from telecom based government portal in India

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Jun 22, 2021

With border tensions between India and China rising, the trade relations between the two countries has also been impacted negatively. Now, Chinese networking gear makers Huawei and ZTE have been banned from the new telecom based government portal in India.

Due to deteriorating relations, the Indian government has banned numerous apps from China, along with a nationwide ban for certain Chinese products. Furthermore, consumer electronics makers from China also faced backlash due to anti China sentiments in the region, while the Indian government excluded telecom equipment maker Huawei and ZTE from its trusted telecom operator list that it released earlier this year.

According to a TelecomTalk report, the Indian telecom sector has witnessed high imports of products and components from China due to their relatively more affordable prices. Thus, a National Security Directive has been implemented to check the telecom sector and its use of Chinese gear. At the moment, carriers like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea are working along with international brands like Nokia, Ericsson, Cisco, and others.

The government even launched a trusted telecom products portal as well, to offer clearance to trusted telecom products used by Indian carriers. This portal was officially launched back in June 15, and will require telecom operators to specify the products they want to procure and also mention the company they would source the components from. If a firm does seek to source gear from Chinese vendors, they would have to fulfill all requirements on the portal on the Chinese gear maker’s behalf and will face careful scrutiny from the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).

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NZone S7 Pro 5G with 90Hz display, Dimensity 720, and 64MP triple cameras launched

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Jun 22, 2021

China Mobile’s sub-brand Nzone has launched a new phone called the Nzone S7 Pro 5G in China. The handset sports a trendy punch-hole screen on the front, and it has a triple camera system on the rear. Here is what the Nzone S7 Pro offers to its customers in China

NZone S7 Pro 5G specifications and features

The NZone S7 Pro 5G has a 6.6-inch IPS LCD Full HD+ resolution that supports a 20:9 aspect ratio, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 180Hz touch sampling rate. The company claims that it offers a screen space of 91.24 percent. For capturing selfies, it has a front camera of 16-megapixel.

The rear camera module of the device is pioneered by a 64-megapixel main camera. It is coupled with an 8-megapixel superwide lens with a 120-degree FOV, a 2-megapixel macro camera with a 4cm focal length, and an LED flash unit.

The Dimensity 720 chipset is present under the hood of the NZone S7 Pro. The device is packed with a 4,000mAh battery that supports 40W fast charging. The company claims that the device can gain 25 percent battery juice by charging it only for 10 minutes. The device comes preinstalled with Android 11 OS.

NZone S7 Pro 5G pricing and availability

The NZone S7 Pro 5G variants such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage cost 2,299 Yuan (~$355) and 2,499 Yuan (~$385), respectively. The device comes in three colors such as Golden Sunlight, Misty Blue, and Elegant Black.

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Samsung denies rumors of buying LG OLED panels, says QLED is better for TVs

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Jun 22, 2021

Over the last couple of months, Samsung had been rumored to be planning on ordering OLED panels from LG Display for its TVs. But now, the company has officially denied these rumors.

According to a SamMobile report, the South Korean tech giant that it is not buying OLED panels from LG. Furthermore, the company also claimed that its QLED display technology is better than OLED technology for TVs. Previously, Jong-hee Han, President of Visual Display business, had denied the rumors on multiple occassions. Now, a South Korean tech publication IT Chosun has reported on a statement from another company official.

As per this executive, “There is no change in the idea that our QLED TVs have better picture quality than OLED TVs. I’m trying to make it clear that the rumors are groundless. It is true that LCD prices are rising, and we are facing a difficult situation, but we have enough capacity to overcome as a No. 1 company.” For those unaware, the brand was reportedly planning on placing orders for 2 to 3 million OLED panel units from LG Display for its first OLED TVs that would launch sometime in H2 2021 or H1 2022.

The company switching to OLED panels from its QLED displays is highly unlikely, considering it has spent years marketing against OLED TVs. Samsung Display is currently switching from LCD to QD OLED panels, which is its own version of OLEDs and has also heavily invested in this display technology.

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Apple iPhone production to rise by 12.3% in 2021, company shifts focus from Mini models: Report

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Jun 22, 2021

Apple will apparently witness a rise in sales for its iPhones in this year. A new report has revealed that the company will raise its iPhone production by 12.3 percent year on year in 2021.

According to a TrendForce report, the Cupertino based giant will benefit from the market’s recovery post the coronavirus pandemic. The company’s iPhone production is expected to reach 223 million units in this year, marking a 12.3 percent growth over last year. TrendForce added that there is still a room for “slight growth going forward.” Notably, the report arrives despite the ongoing global chip shortage, so it might affect the iPhone maker’s attempts to raise production.

Furthermore, the brand’s iPhone 13 is also expected to benefit from the ProMotion support, which will be a feature in the Pro models. Although, Apple is expected to focus less on the “mini” models of its iPhone lineup. This is likely due to the lower than expected market performance of the iPhone 12 mini that was launched back in 2020. The report also added that the company will also benefit from Huawei‘s decision to pull away from the high end smartphone market slightly.

Interestingly, the report believes that the 2021 series of iPhone will be called the iPhone 12s rather than the iPhone 13 and that the brand would focus more on the physical appearance and pricing of the devices. The research based firm believes that “the degree of innovation is not particularly significant in terms of appearance.” Reportedly, the new iPhones will be an “extension” to the existing iPhone 12 range as a “proactive pricing strategy.”

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Xiaomi Mi 8 starts receiving MIUI 12.5 update

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Jun 22, 2021

The Mi 8 was Xiaomi’s flagship smartphone of 2018. The handset has powerful internals like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. Hence, even after three years, the company is still supporting it. The device has now started receiving the latest version of Xiaomi’s mobile operating system based on Android – MIUI 12.5.

Xiaomi has been rolling out MIUI 12.5 update for eligible devices worldwide. Now, as the firm is done seeding out the update for newer flagships and mid-rangers, it has started updating its older premium smartphones like Mi 8.

Just last week, Xiaomi confirmed the MIUI 12.5 update for a number of its classic flagships. One of them was Mi 8 and it is now receiving the said update in China with build number V12.5.1.0.QEACNXM.

Right now, this software build is in the ‘Stable Beta’ phase. This means it is being rolled out in batches for a select few units in China. However, it should reach all the units in the coming days. Similarly, all other regional variants (Global, Russia) should also start receiving the update.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 debuted with MIUI 9 based on Android 8.1 Oreo. So far, the handset has received three MIUI updates, namely MIUI 10, MIUI 11, and MIUI 12. Additionally, it also got two Android updates – Android 9.0 Pie and Android 10. Although it is being updated to MIUI 12.5, it will neither get Android 11 nor the upcoming MIUI 13, as per Xiaomi’s update track record.

Infinix Zero X flagship leak reveals 108MP camera, 160W charging and 50W wireless charging

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Jun 22, 2021

Infinix is reportedly planning to launch a new flagship in multiple markets. Earlier this week, Infinix India teased the arrival of a new phone with 160W charging. A fresh tweet by Infinix Pakistan reveals that this phone will carry support for 50W wireless charging. The mysterious handset is expected to hit the market with Infinix Zero X moniker.

Introducing 50W wireless charging. ⚡ Imagine a world where everything charges wirelessly in the background. This is the first step.
#Infinix pic.twitter.com/2FGAHY0hlp

— Infinix Pakistan (@InfinixPakistan) June 22, 2021

A Pakistan-based publication has shared the below shown renders of the upcoming Infinix Zero X. One of the posters claims that the handset will be sporting a 108-megapixel camera. This handset is expected to arrive as a successor to last year’s Zero 8. This indicates that the company may have decided to skip the Zero 9 moniker for its Zero series phone.

The Zero X seems to be equipped with an AMOLED panel that is integrated with a fingerprint scanner. The curved edge display has a camera cutout at the upper-left corner. The right edge of the device has a volume rocker and a power button.

The rear camera setup of the Zero X is said to include a 108-megapixel primary camera, an ultrawide snapper, and a periscope lens with optical zoom support. It goes without saying that the 160W ultra-fast charging will be the major highlight of the device. At present, there is no information on the specifications of the Zero X.

It appears that the Chinese brand could be planning to launch the Infinix Zero X in the third quarter of the year. Hopefully, it will hit the market with an aggressive price tag.

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Xiaomi Mi TV 6 Extreme Edition teased, sports 100 backlight partitions and HDR10+

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Jun 22, 2021

Earlier today (22nd June 2021), Xiaomi announced that its Mi TV 6 is scheduled to be unveiled on 28th June 2021. Now, the company shared another teaser trailer for the Extreme Edition of the upcoming smart TV, highlighting its display.

On its official Weibo account, a Chinese microblogging website, the brand shared a new teaser that showcased the display of the upcoming TV. The Mi TV 6 Extreme Edition will sport over 100 backlight partitions that will enable it to offer a much more efficient local dimming on its LCD panel. In the teaser, the Chinese tech giant states that the smart TV will be capable of offering picture quality that rivals high end models.

Notably, this also implies that the Mi TV 6 Extreme Edition would now carry a hefty price tag than the high end models it would aim to compete with. Although, finer details like the pricing of the TV is currently unknown at the moment. For those unaware, local dimming is a technique to improve the black levels of a television that feature LCD panels. So, the higher number of backlight partitions for local dimming would mean that the TV could offer better picture quality with more realistic black colors.

Furthermore, the new Mi TV 6 Extreme Edition has also been spotted on JD.com, a popular Chinese e-retailer (Via ITHome). In the listing, the Extreme Edition has been spotted along with the Mi TV ES 2022. Both these TV’s will apparently arrive in a 55 inch, 65 inch, and 75 inch variant. The smartphone maker also teased that the Extreme Edition has grabbed two major HDR certifications as well, including Dolby Vision IQ and IMAX Enhanced.

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Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite launched in India with thin & light design and 10-bit 90Hz AMOLED display

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