A new report has revealed that the smartphone shipments in China have seen a decline of around 32 percent year on year for the month of May 2021, reaching just 23 million units.
According to an ITHomereport, the Chinese Institute of Information and Communications Technology shared data of the handset shipment market. The report found that the region’s shipment figures reached 23 million devices in May 2021. This marked a significant decline of 32 percent from a year prior. The news arrives while the overall global smartphone market is expected to see an annual shipment rise of 12 percent year on year, reaching 1.4 billion units.
Furthermore, the report also added that the domestic handset makers shipped around 19.249 million units during this month, marking a notable year on year decrease of 37.8 percent. Although the domestic brands have seen a decline, these vendors still account for 83.8 percent of all smartphones that were shipped in this period. This includes the launch of 25 new models last month. Interestingly, even the number of handset models being launched fell by 16.7 percent year on year.
For the first five months of this year (from January to May), the local smartphone manufacturers in China shipped a total of 131 million units. This marked a year on year rise of 16.7 percent. The domestic brands alone accounted for 88 percent of all handset shipments during these months. In this period, a total of 166 new smartphone models were also launched in the Chinese market, which marked an increase of 11.4 percent year on year. The data also showcased that the market in China grew rapidly during the first five months, which was especially true for 5G enabled handsets.
Earlier this week, reports started claiming that the Galaxy S21 FE production has been suspended due to supply chain issues. Samsung quickly refuted the rumor by saying that its production has not been suspended. Hence, the device is expected to break cover in Q3 this year. Its arrival seems to be drawing near as it has received certifications from authorities like TUV Rheinland and China’s 3C body (via).
The model numbers such as SM-G990B, SM-G990N, SM-G990B, and SM-G9900 that belong to the Galaxy S21 FE have appeared in the database of TUV, but the listing has no information its specs. The SM-G9900 model has also been spotted at the 3C certification site. The listing reveals that it is a 5G phone that may come equipped with a 25W rapid charger.
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Samsung-Galaxy-S21-FE-TUV-Rheinland-Japan
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G fast charging capabilities revealed through 3C listing
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G that debuted in September last year also came with 25W fast charging support. It is likely the S21 FE 5G may carry support for wireless charging and reverse wireless charging like the predecessor model.
Some reports have claimed that the Galaxy S21 FE 5G could be a replacement for the Galaxy Note series phone which will not be launching this year. Hence, there are vague rumors that suggest that the S21 FE 5G may come with S Pen support. A recent report claimed that it may cost between $625 and $720 in South Korea. Leaked renders by Evan Blass have revealed that it will come in multiple colors such as green, white, blue, violet, and grey.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE renders by Evan Blass
Past reports have revealed that the S21 FE has a 6.4-inch AMOLED Infinity-O display, a 32-megapixel front camera, 12-megapixel triple cameras, and One UI based Android 11 OS. The Snapdragon 888 powered phone is expected to come in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants. It may offer up to 256 GB of storage and it may draw power from a 4,500mAh battery.
According to IceUniverseon Twitter, the South Korean tech giant will be launching its Galaxy Watch 4 at the Mobile World Congress event later this month. The conference is set to be an in person physical event, although, Samsung has withdrawn from this and will host a virtual conference, which mentioned a “Galaxy Ecosystem/New Watch Experience/Mobile Security.” This event is scheduled to go live on Monday, June 28.
As per the tipster, the company will unveil the latest wearable, which features a number of new technologies. This includes the new merged Tizen and Wear OS version, along with a 5nm processor, 2D glass, narrowed bezels for its display, and improved frame texture that is rumored to be a titanium alloy for the smartwatch. The new WearOS will integrate the features of the Tizen OS, which could be dubbed as the “TizenWear OS.”
Galaxy Active 4： 1. TizenWear OS 2. New 5nm processor 3. 2D glass (not 2.5D) 4. Bezel narrowed 5. Excellent frame texture, suspected to be titanium alloy
Interestingly, Samsung is skipping the 2.5D glass panel with this model but will offer a narrower bezel. Furthermore, previous reports had hinted at two variants, with one of them sporting an aluminum chassis. It is currently unknown which 5nm chipset will be used in this device, but could offer various benefits liked faster performance with improvement in battery life as well. So stay tuned for more updates regarding this matter, as we will be covering the MWC 2021 event.
The Samsung Galaxy A20e launched as a lite variant of the Galaxy A20 in the first half of 2020. The latter device started receiving the Android 11 update last week. Now, the South Korean tech giant has begun to roll out the same update for the former device as well.
Samsung Galaxy A20e
According to GalaxyClub, the Android 11 update for the Galaxy A20e arrives as One UI 3.1. The update is currently live in the Netherlands and Belgium with firmware version A202FXXU3CUE9.
Unlike the Galaxy A20, the second major system update for the Galaxy A20e comes with May 2021 security patches instead of June 2021. Anyway, it gets all the supported new One UI features. Users can head over to Settings > Software update > Download and install to check whether their unit has received the OTA update.
That said, Android 11 is the last big update for the Galaxy A20e. The handset debuted with One UI based on Android 9.0 Pie. It was updated to Android 10-based One UI 2.x last year. However, it should receive security updates at least until 2023.
Talking about the phone, the Galaxy A20e is identical to the Galaxy A20. The only differences between the two are display and battery. The ‘e’ variant features a smaller 5.8-inch display and a 3,000mAh battery as compared to a larger 6.4-inch display and a 4,000mAh battery.
Honor may have separated from the Huawei brand after its sale last year but the company is still trying to retain Huawei’s product cycle for the brand. Just last month, the Honor MagicBook X 14/15 were unveiled in China. Honor is now rolling out the sleek notebook for the global market with Russia being its first prot of call outside China.
While we expect the company to announce the release itinerary for other markets soon, only that of Russia is knownas of this momnt. The MateBook 14 carries a price tag of RUB 49,990 (~$690) while the MateBook X 15 will retail for RUB 52,990 (~$730). The two models are currently available to buy.
The Honor MagicBook X comes in two sizes – a 14-inch model and a 15-inch model. The two models feature a premium build heralded by an aluminium unibody design. They are available in a single Glacial Silver color option which add some sleekness to the build.
The two models utilise an IPS LCD panel with FHD resolutions of 1920 x 1080 pixels, 16:9 aspect ratio, 250 nits typical brightness level, 178° viewing angle and more. The displays are said to be certified by TÜV Rheinland for low blue light emission and anti-flicker eye protection. While the MagicBook X 14 measures 15.9mm in thickness and weighs 1.38kg, the 15-inch model is 16.9mm thick and weighs 1.56kg.
The two notebooks are powered by Intel’s 10th Generation processors. The base models are powered by the Core i3-10110U while the higher models are powered by the Core i5-10210U. Further, the models are available in either 8GB or 16GB of DDR4 memory bundled with either 256GB or 512GB of PCIe NVMe SSDs.
Both laptops get their power supply from a 56Wh battery that features support for up to 65W fast charging over the USB-C port. You also get severla ports onboard which inclludes a USB-C, USB-A 3.0 Gen1, USB-A 2.0, an HDMI port and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced an investigation into the “duopoly” of Apple and Google on mobile ecosystems. The development comes just one day after a similar investigation was initiated in Japan.
The CMA will look into Apple and Google’s “effective duopoly” on the supply of operating systems, including iOS and Android, the App Store and Google Play Store, and web browsers such as Safari and Chrome.
The department defines “mobile ecosystems” as “gateways through which consumers can access a variety of products, content and services,” meaning that the investigation will cover a range of services and products.
The investigation will be wide ranging, with the watchdog concerns about the nested gateways that are created as a result of the pair’s dominance of mobile ecosystem — intermediating how consumers can access a variety of products, content and services.
It beileves that consumers could be “losing out across a wide range of areas” as a result of the purported duopoly, leading to “reduced innovation” and “consumers paying higher prices.” Further, the investigation will also examine the effect of the companies’ market power on other businesses, including app developers and advertisers.
This new development comes at a time when UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is already investigating Apple’s App Store policies. Market investigations can make recommendations to the government or other bodies in the UK, issue guidance to businesses and consumers, and more.
Last week, OnePlus announced the OnePlus Nord CE 5G smartphone in India. It debuted as a slightly affordable version of the last year’s OnePlus Nord 5G. As confirmed earlier by the brand, the Nord CE 5G is now available on open sale in India starting from today. Here is all the information on its pricing, offers, and specifications.
OnePlus Nord CE 5G price in India
The OnePlus Nord Core Edition 5G variants such as 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage are priced at Rs 22,999 (~$319), Rs 24,999 (~$341), and Rs 27,999 (~$382), respectively. It comes in colors like Charcoal Ink, Silver Ray and Blue Void.
The Nord CE 5G is available for purchase through Amazon India, OnePlus.in website and OnePlus Exclusive Stores across the country. Customers with HDFC Bank cards can avail Rs 1,000 discount on the purchase of the handset. There is up to 5 percent cashback for American Express cardholders. Buyers can avail the Nord CE 5G with up to 6 months of no-cost EMI through Bajaj FinServ and HDFC Bank.
On June 16 and June 17, customers of Nord CE 5G can get additional Rs 500 cashback. Buyers can also benefit from benefits worth Rs 6,000 from Jio. In addition, Red Cable Club members can get an additional 1 TB cloud storage.
OnePlus Nord CE 5G
OnePlus Nord CE 5G specifications
The OnePlus Nord Core Edition 5G has a 6.43-inch AMOLED FHD+ 90Hz display with an in-screen fingerprint reader. It has a front camera of 16-megapixel, and its vertical camera module on the back has a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide snapper, and a 2-megapixel macro camera.
The Nord CE 5G is driven by the Snapdragon 750G chipset and up to 12GB of LPDDR4x RAM. The phone ships with up to 256 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. It is loaded with OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 OS. The phone is backed by a 4,500mAh battery that supports 30W rapid charging. It comes with other features such as dual SIM, 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Xiaomi had recently teased its Audio and Video Conference Speaker and now the Chinese company has officially launched it in the market. It is priced at 2,329 yuan but will be available for purchase at 1,999 yuan (~$312) from 16th June to 20th June.
Design-wise, the product looks similar to a soundbar, packing a camera in the center that enables support for video calling. Under the hood, it is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm APQ8053 chipset with support for dual image processing cores and 4K video output.
There are also six array microphones with beamforming algorithms that can capture human voices within five meters and intelligently adjust pickup parameters so that people at different distances can get good reception.
It also comes with support for AI-based Smart Noise Reduction technology to eliminate the command noises in conference rooms. To make the device suitable for larger conference rooms, it comes with support for extended microphones to improve the radio effect. It has a built-in 360-degree full-array microphone with a cable length of 7 meters.
The product is also equipped with two 2.5-inch high-fidelity speaker units which also support professional conference acoustic algorithms. There’s a Sony camera sensor offering a 120-degree viewing angle, 8X digital zoom support, and 10-degree mechanical adjustment for upward and downward direction.
Microsoft will be announcing the next version of Windows called Windows 11 on June 24. Yesterday, a near-final edition of the Windows 11 with build number 21996.1 was leaked on a Chinese forum site. The leak not only confirms the moniker of the device but also reveals its new UI and features.
The leaked Windows 11 ISO reveals that the new operating system is not significantly different from Windows 10 in terms of design. However, there are many noticeable changes in the UI throughout the OS such as rounded corners, new animations, colorful icons, and a cleaner experience. Right off the bat, the user interface of the Windows 11 looks almost identical to the now-defunct Windows 10X.
The Start Menu and icons are now placed at the center of the taskbar. Users who do not want it at the center can use a toggle provided in the setting to move it to the left corner of the taskbar. The Live Tiles have been replaced by pinned apps and recently accessed files in the Start Menu.
It features slide-out widgets for weather, news, and other content from the internet. The maximize button on all apps has a snap controls function that offers a couple of options to snap windows in different sections or side by side. It features new built-in themes and an enhanced dark mode. While there have been reports that Microsoft is working on a new store for apps, the Windows Store available in the leaked Windows 11 build is almost the same as what is available on Windows 10.
Readers should note that the leaked Windows 11 ISO (build number 21996.1) is a near-final version. Hence, Microsoft is expected to add more features once it is announced. There is a possibility that the leaked build may contain malicious programs or viruses. Hence, it is advisable to install it on a virtual machine.
To sum up, Windows 11 appears to a more refined version of Windows 10. Speaking of Windows 10, Microsoft recently confirmed that it will be ending support for the 10-year-old Windows 10 on Oct. 14, 2025.
HMD Global may not yet be a force to reckon with in the high-end smartphone market but when it comes to feature phones, the Nokia brand is one of the major players with millions of units in shipments annually. A recent report by Counterpoint shows that the Finnish company shipped 11 million feature phones in Q1 2021 alone. To further shore up its market share in that segment, HMD has announced two new feature phones – Nokia 110 4G and 105 4G.
The major highlight of the two phones is the presence of 4G connectivity, a feature which itel included in the recently launched itel Magic 2 4G. The 4G phones may not have WiFi and hotspot tethering features like itel’s Magic 2 4G but they come with support for high-quality HD Voice calls over VoLTE. In an era where many carriers are planning to phase out 2G network, these new Nokia phones guarantee you several years of usage.
The Nokia 110 and 105 were first unveiled in 2019 but only featured 2G connectivity. Apart from the enhanced LTE offering, the models also come with some improvements in their designs. They retain the tiny, compact build inherited from their predecessors but the form factor is different. You get a more symmetrical design with a slight curvature of the top and bottom aspects.
The two models sport a 1.8-inch display with 120 x 160 pixel resolution. While the Nokia 110 4G packs a single rear camera, there is no camera on the 105 4G. You also get a 3.5 mm headphone jack on both models., a microSD slot that supports up to 32GB storage expansion and an FM radio. You won’t be needing to plug in a headphone jack to use the FM radio which is cool. The phones also come with a LED flashlight located at the top edge on both models.
Finally, the two models are powered by a 1,020mAh battery each. The battery will support several days of standby use while for voice calls, it can last up to 5 hours. This can be extended if the phone is used in 3G and when 2G is in use, the battery life can even last up to 16 hours.
The Nokia 105 4G will be available in Black, Blue, and Red while the Nokia 110 4G will be available in Black, Yellow, and Aqua. There is no word yet on the prices and availability.
Google is rolling out new features to a number of its Android apps and services. Apps such as Messages, Gboard, and the accessibility app, Voice Access are on the list alongside Android Auto and the Android Earthquake Alerts System.
Google Messages – Starred Messages
The ability to star messages is a feature I use a lot on WhatsApp, and I’m sure a lot of our readers do too. Now the feature is coming to Google Messages, so users can star important messages in their inbox.
The feature will begin rolling out in a few weeks and once available, all you have to do is long-press on a message you wish to star.
Gboard – Emoji Kitchen Suggestions
Keyboard apps have become much smarter since their first iteration. They can not only predict texts but also suggest emojis and stickers. Gboard which is Google’s own keyboard app will now be able to suggest stickers in the Emoji Kitchen based on the context of your message.
For those who don’t know what Emoji Kitchen is, it is a feature that lets you combine two emojis into one creative sticker. For example, you can combine the clown emoji with a kiss emoji to get a clown blowing a kiss. With the suggestion, you will get sticker suggestions from the emoji kitchen.
The feature which will work with messages in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, will be available for beta users today and will come to the stable version later this summer.
Hey Google
You can use the Hey Google command to control a number of apps and we don’t mean just launching them. Google is expanding the feature to more apps including Strava. Users will be able to ask Google Assistant to check a metric on Strava.
Voice Acess – Gaze Detection and Enhanced Password Dictation
Voice Access is an accessibility app that allows those with motor impairment to control their device. With Gaze Detection, the app will be able to tell if the user is looking at the phone which is when it will work. Another feature Google has added is enhanced password dictation which allows the user to not only dictate passwords but also ask the app to capitalize an alphabet and also say the name of a symbol such as saying ‘ampersand’ for the ‘&’ symbol.
Android Auto – New customizations and features
Android Auto owners will be able to choose a dark mode, customize the launcher from their phone, and has added an A to Z button to the scroll bar that makes it easier to jump to an app.
Android Earthquake Alerts System – Support for more countries
The Android Earthquake Alerts System which uses sensors on Android devices to detect earthquakes is now rolling out to more countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, The Philippines, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Generally retailing for $230, you can now buy Alldocube iPlay 40 Tablet for $209.99 only at Banggood. Please note that this price is applicable only to orders made from the HK warehouse. This flash deal ends in the next 6 days. So place your order asap.
For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out ourdeals hub.
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70mai Car Tire Inflatable Pump is a mini portable and light car air pump that gives you about 420ml airflow per second. This means you can easily fill and empty a tire within 5 minutes by using this pump. The pump is designed to give continuous airflow up to 30 minutes and comes with advanced safety features like smart charge and stop and high-temperature resistance, corrosion-resistant, etc.
70mai Car Tire Inflatable Pump comes with accurate pressure measurement and a precision cylinder and the integrated design fits in all the parts including the inflated tube, power cord, conversion nozzle into a single compact box making it easy to carry during your travel.
Generally retailing at $50, Banggood is giving 70mai Car Tire Inflatable Pump for just $35.99. This flash deal ends in the next 7 days. So grab your air pump asap.
For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out ourdeals hub.
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Compatible Operating System: Android 5.0 and above, iOS 9.0 and above
Call Reminder
Heart Rate Monitor
Blood Pressure Monitor
Sleep Tracker
Pedometer
Calorie counter
Sedentary reminder
Weather Forecast
Music Control
Waterproof
Custom dial
Intelligent Anti-loss function
USB charging interface
Colors: Black, Blue, Pink and Yellow
The retail price for this Sports Bracelet is fixed at $26. But as a part of its launch sale, you can now pre-order Bakeey M6 Smart Sports Bracelet for a discounted price of $9.99 only at Banggood. Please note that this price is applicable only to the first 100 pieces. After that the price increases to $12.99 for the next 100 pieces and $16.99 for the next 100. So hurry and place your order asap.
For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out ourdeals hub.
* Please Note: When you buy something using the links in our articles, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Last year, OnePlus began launching select models for select regions. The Nord N100, one of its budget offerings, was launched in North America and Europe. Today, OnePlus has announced a successor – the OnePlus Nord N200 – and it comes with 5G, a better display, and a slightly refreshed design.
Nord N200 Design
The OnePlus Nord N200 keeps the punch-hole display design of its predecessor but the rear has undergone some changes. The camera housing is not only larger but the sensors are too. The LED flash has also been moved to the bottom. Another significant change is the fingerprint scanner which is no longer on the back but now buried under the power button on the side.
OnePlus Nord N200 Specs
OnePlus has replaced the 6.52-inch screen with a smaller 6.49-inch one but upgraded the resolution from HD+ to FHD+. The display is still LCD and the refresh rate has been kept at 90Hz.
The Nord N100 was a 4G phone with a Snapdragon 460 processor but its successor comes with the Snapdragon 480 5G chipset. You still get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage with a MicroSD card slot to add more space if you want.
For the cameras, OnePlus is sticking to the same 13MP + 2MP + 2MP triple camera setup of last year’s model but has upgraded the selfie camera from 8MP to 16MP. The Nord N200 has an audio jack, Bluetooth 5.1, and dual-band Wi-Fi. It packs a 5000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging and unlike the Nokia X20, it ships with a power brick.
The device runs OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 out of the box and should receive at least one OS upgrade.
Price and Availability
The OnePlus Nord N200 is priced at $240 in the US while Canadians will shell out CAD 320. It will be sold exclusively by T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile in the US and will also be sold unlocked by Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, and on the OnePlus site. It will be available starting June 25
Transsion Holdings subsidiary itel Mobile has launched a new feature phone under the Magic series in India. The itel Magic 2 4G is the first model under the series that arrives with support for LTE connectivity. The device which features the model number it9210 also arrives with support for Wi-Fi connectivity as well as Hotspot Tethering. The device can be used as a modem to share internet data with up to 8 devices.
Talking of the specifications, the itel Magic 2 4G features a 2.4-inch QVGA Curved display with alphanumeric keys and a capacitive button at the bottom of the display. At the rear, the device packs a single camera housed in a circular module at the top left corner of the back panel.
The feature phone is powered by a UNISOC Tiger T117 chipset which is specifically designed to deliver 4G to feature phones. The chipset brings dual 4G VoLTE connectivity to the phone. The processor pairs with 64MB RAM while there is 128MB storage onboard which can be expanded via a MicroSD slot up to 64GB.
Further, the device comes with itel mobile’s exclusive text-to-speech feature known as King Voice feature which lets the user hear incoming calls, messages, menu, and also the phone book. The phone book allows users to add up to 2000 contacts.
Other features onboard the phone include a 1.3MP rear camera with flash, a dedicated LED torchlight, a One-Touch mute, a wireless FM with recording advantage, and an Autocall recorder to record conversations. The phone also has eight simple games preloaded inside. entertainment needs. Keeping the light on is a 1900mAh battery that promises up to 24 days of standby time.
The itel Magic 2 4G (it9210) is available in Black and Blue colors. It carries a price tag of Rs. 2349 (~$32).
There have been multiple complaints from owners of the POCO X2 about the rear camera. The manufacturer has now announced a way for users to fix the issue themselves.
In a press statement shared on Twitter, the official POCO India account said the camera issue has been reported by less than 0.2% of the total population. Nevertheless, they apologize to those affected. Below is the procedure to follow to fix the issue:
Clean Camera app data – to do this, Open Settings > Search Manage apps > Search Camera > Clear Data > Clear all data
Reboot the phone
Check if the camera is working
The solution may not work for everyone and POCO knows that which is why it has asked those who still face the issue to report it on the Services and Feedback app and upload the device logs under the camera section. The Services and Feedback app is amongst the pre-installed apps and can be found in the app drawer.
Dear POCO users, A few of you have approached us with a 'camera not working' issue on the POCO X2. We have detailed out the steps that need to be followed to fix it. Please go through the letter to know more. pic.twitter.com/Najbl8Pq1n
After this has been done, users can visit the nearest service center or POCO India support with the feedback generated ID they got from the Feedback and Services app. The manufacturer also advises that users make an appointment before visiting a service center. Executives at the center will be able to fix the camera issue for the affected user.
POCO also revealed in the memo that they have learned of a few users who are trying to intentionally brick the camera so as to receive a free replacement unit. It says this affects its ability to provide support for genuinely affected customers.
Xiaomi‘s ecological chain company ZMI has launched a 65W GaN charger that has the same form-factor as the Xiaomi 65W GaN charger that was launched earlier this month. The noticable difference between the two is the colour. While Xiaomi’s 65W GaN comes in white, the ZMI 65W GaN charger comes in black.
This is similar to what obtains on the Xiaomi 33W GaN Charger which was later launched as ZMI 33W GaN Charger Mini in black. The new 65W GaN charger uses a foldable pin design. It is compact and portable and features a dual-port design consisting of a USB Type-C port and a USB-A port.
The ZMI 65W GaN charger has an area of just 31×31mm which shouldn’t take up much space. It utilises a gallium nitride chip which is capable of providing higher power density. The maimum output of the ingle USB-C port is 65W while the USB-A port has a maximum output of 18W. ZMI touts the charger as capable of providing 55W fast charging for the Mi 11, delivering full charge in just 45 minutes. It can also provide 20W of power for iPhone 12, charging from zero to 60% in 30 minutes.
It should be noted though, that when the two ports are in use, the USB-C port charges at 45W maximum while the USB-A port retains its 18W output. In addition, the ZMI 65W GaN charger comes standard with a 1.5m-long dual-port Type-C cable which can support PD high-power fast charging for some laptops.
The ZMI 65W GaN charger carries a price tag of 149 yuan (~$23). The product will be sold simultaneously on the ZMI’s official Jingdong (JD.com) store and Xiaomi Youpin on June 16.
Chinese firms like Huawei and ZTE have been banned from participating in the 5G infrastructure by the United States and it has also pushed its allied countries to do the same, barring the companies in several countries.
But, it seems that the ban in certain countries hasn’t affected the company’s market share much. According to the data released by Omdia, Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE are the market leaders globally for the 5G market in the first quarter of this year, i.e. Q1 2021.
Huawei has maintained its lead in the first quarter of this year while Ericsson ranks second, followed by Nokia in the third position. ZTE is the fourth company in terms of market share with a significant increase from 7.8 percent in the last year to 12.3 percent this year.
However, when it comes to 5G NR shipments in the first quarter of 2021, Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE ranked first and second, followed by Ericsson and Nokia in the third and fourth positions.
When it comes to 5G NR revenue, Huawei continues leading the market, followed by Ericsson in second place. ZTE stood third with a significant rise from 5.8 percent in the same period last year to 16.4 percent this year. Nokia comes in at the fourth position.
The report adds that in terms of 5G construction, the investment speed and intensity of the Asia-Pacific region are very large, followed by North America and EMEA (collectively referred to as Europe, the Middle East, and Africa).
As of the first quarter of 2021, China has built a total of 819,000 5G base stations, accounting for more than 70% of 5G base stations deployed globally, covering all cities above the prefecture-level in the country.
Speaking of tablets, the Apple iPad is probably the first thing that comes to your mind. But if the market is dominated by one player, isn’t it too boring?
The fact is that the iPad is getting better, and more professional for productivity, but at the same time, it’s also getting more expensive. So no doubt the market is calling for more alternatives. And today we have a powerful candidate that is very likely to spice up the Android tablet market — the Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad Pro 2021. By far it’s also the best budget tablet product that we’ve seen on the Android platform.
It features a 11.5-inch 90Hz OLED display with 2K+ resolution, while for performance, it’s powered by the Snapdragon 870 chipset, which is the latest powerful SoC that’s often seen on gaming phones. And more than that, the software is based on Android, which used to be considered a drawback before. However, on the Xiaoxin Pad Pro, this same software turns out to be a big surprise.
In this review, we’re going to follow its usage and divide it into three parts: First, we’ll talk about how it works as an audio-visual tablet, and then how it can be an educational or working pad. In the last part, we will show you how it works as a gaming pad or gaming PC.
So let’s start with its audio-visual performance. It’s rare to see a 90Hz 2K+ display on a tablet priced under 500 US dollars. By far, the other premium tablets that come with a high-refresh-rate display generally cost over 850 US dollars, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ and Apple’s iPad Pro. This makes the Xiaoxin Pad Pro an extremely competitive option for those who don’t want to pay too much money for an entertainment tablet. The 11.5-inch full-screen tab comes with four edges of equal narrow width, which no doubt boosts the immersive enjoyment of watching videos on the tablet. And this OLED display supports wide range of colors with around 100% DCI-P3 gamut.
So in terms of displaying vivid colors, it looks much better than most LCD displays. But at the same time, the color accuracy would be affected if you apply the default color setup. After testing, under the P3 color gamut, its delta E came to 4.6. But the Pad also offers a standard color mode with better color accuracy. Under the standard mode, the average delta E drops to around 1.3. But if shift to the standard color mode, users have to take the narrower color coverage with around 99% coverage of sRGB and 73% of P3.
And its peak brightness reaches 600 nits and supports a brightness-enhanced mode for use under strong sunlight for a short time.
If you only use it for watching films or TV shows, the issue of color accuracy doesn’t matter a lot. What really matters is that in addition to wide color gamut supports, the Pad surprisingly supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. So if you are looking for a mobile device with a bigger display than a smartphone for watching HDR or Dolby-vision content, basically it won’t disappoint you. Just note that though the actual effect of the display doesn’t really compare to those expensive tablets like Apple’s iPad Pro, it still looks much better than those that don’t support HDR or Dolby Vision. For audio, the tablet features 4 JBL speakers with 1.5W output with Dolby Atmos certification. As for its actual performance, just put on your headphones and listen to it here.
As a mobile device with an 11.5-inch display, it has excellent size control with a weight of 485g and a thickness of 5.8 mm. And the one-piece Aluminum body achieves a good cooling effect while enhancing the premium metallic feel. But the antenna design looks a bit strange and affects the neatness of the back.
So what features of this Pad can aid users in study or work? Let’s start with your kids’ education. I know some of you have been struggling with kids’ online classes in the past year. And a working device with a good selfie camera is really important for that. The new Lenovo tablet sports dual selfie cameras with a TOF sensor to achieve safe facial unlock. And the cameras are placed at the top middle position of the edge, which makes for a pretty good angle for online video calls, classes, or meetings when you place it horizontally.
However, a tablet could also be over entertaining. To help users or kids develop healthy digital habits and focus on study or certain usage efficiently, Lenovo has developed a feature collection called study assistant, including physical and mental health for children’s eye health care and risky website restriction, hardware-level anti-addiction, course management, and family guardian. But for the feature of family guardian, it’s only available for China’s social app, WeChat.
In study assistant, you can check the usage time of certain apps and set daily time limits for tablets and certain apps or categories. And it’s also available for parents or users to add course schedules with certain education apps. Even more, you can restrict the installation of non-education apps on this Pad, and restrict access to unsafe websites and also add permitted websites as well.
Or if you are looking for a convenient mobile device for basic work, this tablet could be a real surprise. In addition to providing great adaptability for wireless keyboard and mouse, Lenovo officially released a productivity case with an exclusive keyboard and a touchpad. What’s more interesting is that Lenovo has designed a well-functioning PC mode for all their devices, including the Legion game phones and the tab products. When entering the PC mode with the keyboard, the user interface and interaction is really no different from a laptop.
And thanks to its light and compact body, it’s even more convenient than carrying a compact laptop. And the 90Hz display powered by the Snapdragon 870 also brings a smooth experience when using all the apps shared with the Pad mode. Most apps are allowed to resize the window or use full-screen mode. For official work, there is a Microsoft Office collection available. And for basic creative work, I think you can still find your options on the Google Play Store, and most of them adapt the tablet or PC mode very well. But I have to remind you that the PC mode allows you to simultaneously open only up to 5 apps, probably due to the limits of 6 GB ram.
If you are an artist who’s looking to draw your artwork on a tablet, this pad could be a reasonable budget option. Lenovo has also released an official stylus for this pad, the Xiaoxin Pen. It features 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt detection.
Speaking of the PC mode, inevitably, a question arises. Can it work as a PC for gaming?
Of course! But note that it means you can play Android games but not the PC games launched on the Windows platform. About gaming on PC mode, we will talk about it later. First, let’s look at its general game performance.
We all know that the Snapdragon 870 is one of the top chipsets for Android smartphones so far. And compared to the Snapdragon 888, it’s even more efficient on power consumption and heating. The benchmarks results show that the Xiaoxin Pad can release the power of the chipset very well. And that’s also the reason why it’s really smooth on software response and animation without being laggy in our experience. As we mentioned earlier, the 6GB RAM probably is the only limit that may cause lag issues.
The actual gaming performance is also great. The large display no doubt gave us a different experience on gaming. In Genshin Impact, it achieved an average framerate of 56.8fps. But due to the in-game graphic settings for android devices, it’s only allowed to play at 720P resolution, which doesn’t look sharp enough on this 11.5-inch display. Well in another game, Nimian legend, we could apply the 1080P resolution with highest graphic settings, where it can run 55.2fps on average. Still not bad at all.
In PUBG Mobile, it stably runs at the highest frame rate allowed with the best graphics. Even when we unlocked the framerate limits in the China version, it still ran stably without any lags. A great thing about playing the game on a tablet is that you can enjoy the clear vision on a larger display, easily find the targets at a longer distance and better operate the game with multi-fingers as you want.
In addition to the PC mode and better adaption of Keyboard and mouse, the peripheral mode on the Legion phone can also be found on the Xiaoxin Pad. It allows gamers to use a keyboard, mouse or game controller to operate applications or games with button mapping. For example, you can customize the gaming of PUBG mobile to the keyboard-mouse operation, just like playing the PC version of PUBG.
In addition, the tablet also has a wide application of projection. You can project the Pad’s screen to another PC via WiFi, or to a monitor or TV via cable. So you can also choose to play games on a larger screen. And in this case, we suggest you use cable connection to reduce latency.
The Pad features an 8600mAh battery with support of Quick Charge 3 fast charge. In our battery test, it performs pretty well. Even for continuous heavy use, it’s estimated to last for over 5 hours.
To fully charge the pad, it took us over 3 hours with the included 20W charger, which isn’t really fast enough.
To conclude, the Xiaoxin Pad Pro really surprised us. This is the first time that we really felt the affordable Android tablet market had potential. And the Xiaoxin Pad Pro probably is the start of the trend.
In addition to what we mentioned, some other small details like the support of TF-card extension and the power button with fingerprint reader, also make this tablet more attractive. As for two rear cameras, most of us don’t bother much about a tablet’s image quality, so we just skipped the camera part.
So these were the things that we thought were interesting about the Xiaoxin Pad Pro. What do you think about this new Lenovo tablet?
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