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

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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But by then, the Mi 11 Lite 5G will become an outdated model in today’s fast-paced smartphone launches.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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Jun 22, 2021

After teasing for days, Xiaomi has finally launched the Mi 11 Lite in India. The smartphone is accompanied by a smartwatch called Mi Watch Revolve Active. Let’s take a look at what his handset offers apart from the sleek form factor.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite Specifications and Features

Xiaomi advertises the Mi 11 Lite as the thinnest smartphone of 2021. The handset measures only 160.53 x 75.73 x 6.81mm in dimensions and weighs just 157g. It comes in three colors in India, namely Tuscany Coral, Jazz Blue, and Vinyl Black.

On the front, the phone sports a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, 402ppi, 10-bit color depth, 90Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The HDR10-certified panel has a 5000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical), 800 nits peak brightness, DCI-P3 color gamut, and color accuracy of JNCD≈0.55 as well as Delta E≈0.55.

Further, the device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G SoC coupled with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. On the connectivity front, it supports dual-SIM, 4G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, and GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO).

Talking about optics, it houses a 64MP primary camera paired with an 8MP ultra-wide unit, and a 5MP telemacro shooter. Whereas, for selfies and video calls, the phone uses a 16MP snapper.

Other features of the device include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual speakers, 360° ambient light sensor, accelerometer, proximity sensor, gyroscope, compass, linear vibration motor, and IR blaster.

Last but not least, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite runs MIUI 12 based on Android 11 and is backed by a 4,250mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite Price and Availability in India

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will retail for the following price tags in India.

6GB + 128GB – ₹21,999
8GB + 128GB – ₹23,999

Buyers can avail a ₹1,500 instant discount on pre-paid transactions. Additionally, by using HDFC Bank Credit Card or EMI option, one can get another ₹1,500 discount. With these two offers, the price of Mi 11 Lite in India drops effectively to ₹18,999 and ₹20,999 respectively.

Customers can pre-order the smartphone starting from 12 PM on June 25. It will be available at Mi.com, Mi Home retail stores, Flipkart, and partner retail stores. The first sale is scheduled for June 28 at 12 PM.

Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve Active launched in India for 9,999 INR ($135)

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Jun 22, 2021

Xiaomi has just launched the new Mi Watch Revolve Active in India. It is the latest smartwatch from the company that has been released in the country and arrives along with the Mi 11 Lite.

During its official launch event, the Chinese tech giant launched the new smartwatch under its “Watchful Living” promotional campaign. The new wearable offers various features that are common with smartwatches of this generation, like a SpO2 blood oxygen monitoring, 24/7 heart rate monitor, VO2 Max, sleep tracking, and even offers a stress and energy indicator. It also supports 5ATM water resistance and will be offered in 6 colorful strap options.

Furthermore, the Mi Watch Revolve Active also supports Amazon’s Alexa and offers users music control, 117 sports modes, over 110 Watch faces, in built GPS/GLONASS positioning system alongside app notifications. The smartwatch sports a circular 3.53 cm (1.38 inch) colored AMOLED display and has a battery life of 14 days. It will be available for purchase starting from 25th June 2021.

The device has been launched for a price of 9,999 INR (roughly 135 US Dollars), although, the company is offering a special Early Bird discount that offers a 1,000 INR discount. The Mi Watch Revolve Active will be available for purchase on the company’s official website, its official stores, Amazon India, and even authorized retail stores in India.

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India plans to ban flash sales on Amazon, Flipkart and other online retailer

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Jun 22, 2021

India has proposed banning flash sales on e-commerce platforms and preventing affiliates of the e-commerce entity from being listed as sellers, in a bid to tighten rules that could severely hurt the prospects of Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart in the country.

The proposed rules from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs come amid complaints by brick-and-mortar retailers that foreign e-commerce players are bypassing Indian laws by using complex business structures. They are raising their voice against the alleged unfair practices by Amazon and Flipkart to expand their operations in India.

Amazon Featured — Image Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson

The rules say that e-commerce companies should not hold flash sales in India. For those who are unaware, flash sales are hugely popular during the festive season but have faced anger among offline sellers who say they cannot compete with the deep discounts online.

It also adds that e-commerce firms must also ensure that none of their “related parties and associated enterprises” are listed as sellers on their shopping websites, and no related entity should sell goods to an online seller operating on the same platform.

Similar to the recent IT rules, India is also proposing the e-commerce firms appoint a Chief Compliance Officer, a nodal contact person for 24×7 coordination with the law enforcement agencies, and officers to ensure compliance to their orders as well as a resident grievance officer for redressing of the grievances of the consumers on the e-commerce platform.

With the new rules, Amazon, Flipkart, and other similar e-commerce platforms may be prohibited from running their private label brands as it asks firms to ensure that none of their related and associated parties are listed on their platforms as sellers for selling to customers directly.

Currently, India does not allow e-commerce firms to hold inventory or sell items directly to consumers. To bypass this, the companies are operating through joint ventures with local companies that operate as inventory-holding firms.

In response, Amazon has said that it is reviewing the proposed policies while Flipkart hasn’t commented on the matter. The proposal, which is applicable to both Indian and foreign players, is open for public consultation until July 6.

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OnePlus Nord N200 5G will get three years of maintenance updates

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Jun 22, 2021

The OnePlus Nord N200 5G is the latest smartphone from the brand. This device will be sold in the US and Canada priced at $240 and CAD 320 respectively. A few days before the start of its sale, the brand sheds details about the handset’s software support.

OnePlus Nord N200 5G Featured A — OnePlus Nord N200 5G

The OnePlus Nord N200 5G runs OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11. The company has confirmed to 9to5Google that the device will be only receiving a single major update, just like last year’s OnePlus Nord N100 and OnePlus Nord N10 5G.

However, unlike the 2020 models, the OnePlus N200 5G is eligible for three years of maintenance updates instead of two years. But OnePlus does not say whether it will be getting monthly, quarterly, or biannual updates.

Unfortunately, we also cannot estimate when the company will be rolling out the Android 12 update for the OnePlus Nord N200 5G. That’s because the older OnePlus Nord N100 and OnePlus Nord N10 5G are yet to receive the Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 update.

We hope that OnePlus improves its software update delivery in the coming months. Because it is one of the reasons why the brand says it’s merging with OPPO.

Whare are your thoughts on OnePlus’ software update policy for its budget smartphone? Do you think the company should offer at least two Android updates like others? For those unaware, Xiaomi, OPPO, and realme offer two Android updates for similarly priced handsets.

Samsung Galaxy M32 launched in India; packs Helio G80 SoC, 6GB RAM, quad-camera setup, and 6000mAh battery

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Jun 22, 2021

Samsung has launched its latest M-series budget smartphone in the Indian market, dubbed as Samsung Galaxy M32. Keeping in line with other M-series phones, the device comes with an interesting set of specs and a high-capacity battery.

The phone flaunts a 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with support for a 90Hz refresh rate. Although the refresh rate is not the trendy 120Hz screen, it is better than the traditional 60Hz screen.

Underneath, the device is powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, coupled with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot that allows you to further expand the storage capacity.

In the camera department, you get a quad-camera setup on the back that includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front side, there’s a 20-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also comes with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security. Running Android 11 with One UI 3.1 on top, the phone comes pre-installed with the Samsung Pay Mini app and privacy-focused AltZLife mode.

The phone is powered by a 6,000mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging technology. However, Samsung is bundling a 15W charger in the box so take full advantage of this fast charging tech, you will need to buy a separate charger.

The Samsung Galaxy M32 is priced at ₹14,999 for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage model while the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage model costs ₹16,999. The phone comes in two color options — Black and Light Blue and will be available for purchase through Amazon, Samsung Online store, and retail stores across India from 28th June.

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Xiaomi could offer 100W fast charging support to Redmi Note series smartphones

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Jun 22, 2021

Xiaomi has a successful lineup of mid-range smartphones under its Redmi Note series and has been setting sales records for the company. This is mainly due to the value-for-money offering and some interesting features usually found on premium phones.

Going forward, the company is planning to offer 100W charging support to the Redmi Note series smartphones, claims a new report coming from Digital Chat Station on Weibo. Currently, the highest charging support offered by the brand in this lineup is 67W.

Recently, Xiaomi introduced its new HyperCharge Fast Charging solution and demonstrated that the 200W wired charging can charge a 4,000mAh battery to 50 percent in just three minutes and takes about eight minutes to get fully charged.

Similarly, the 120W wireless charging solution can charge a 4,000mAh battery to 10 percent in just minutes and takes seven minutes to charge it to 50 percent. It takes only 15 minutes to fully charge the battery.

The 120W wireless HyperCharge has been launched as a successor to Xiaomi’s 80W wireless charging, which was announced back in October last year. The 80W wireless charging technology can fully charge a 4,000mAh battery in 19 minutes.

Going by the development, it seems that Xiaomi will be offering 100W fast charging support for mid-range Redmi Note series smartphones while the brand’s premium or flagship devices will come with support for 200W fast charging support.

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Tecno Phantom X leak reveals live shots and topnotch specifications

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Jun 22, 2021

Tecno is likely to launch a new phone named the Phantom X soon. A couple of live shots of the handset along with key specifications are now doing rounds on social sites.

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The live shots of the Tecno Phantom X show that it features a curved edge display with a pill-shaped cutout for dual selfie cameras. A vertical quad-camera module couple with the quad-LED flash unit can be seen on the back panel of the device. The absence of a traditional fingerprint scanner suggests that it could be embedded under the display of the Phantom X. The device measures 163.5 x 73.8 x 8.7mm.

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A leaked poster of the phone reveals that it will come in colors like Van Gogh Sky Blue and Monet’s Summer Garden. The right edge of the device has a volume rocker and a power key. Its bottom edge features a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port, and a speaker grille.

Tecno Phantom X specifications (Rumored)

One of the above-shown live shots has revealed the key specifications of the Tecno Phantom X. It is mentioned on the “My phone” page of the phone that its model number is AC8, and it runs on HiOS 7.6 based on Android 11 OS. The 6.7inch OLED panel of the device supports a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and it is powered by the Helio G95 chipset. Leaks suggest that the phone supports a refresh rate of 90Hz.

Placed on the front is a 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel dual selfie camera system. The back panel of the phone has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel lens, an 8-megapixel lens, and an unknown sensor.

The Tecno Phantom X has 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB of built-in storage, and a 4,700mAh battery. The handset is expected to arrive with support for 33W fast charging. The Phantom X is speculated to debut in August.

(source 1, 2, 3|via)

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Android gaming tablet powered by Snapdragon 8xx chipset and 100W fast charing to launch soon

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Jun 22, 2021

While there are several Android-powered tablets available in the market from brands like Samsung, Huawei, Lenovo, among others, such devices are not on par with Apple iPad in terms of performance.

Android-powered tablets are not considered suitable for gaming whereas iPads are being used for gaming. However, that is about to change, if the new report from Digital Chat Station is to be believed.

In a new Weibo post, the China-based leaker has revealed that a manufacturer is working on launching a gaming-focused Android tablet that will come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8xx processor.

Further, it is said that the device will come with an LCD display offering a 120Hz or 144Hz high refresh rate screen. The report also talks about 100W fast charging technology support. Given the specifications, do not expect the pricing to be lower than currently available premium tablets in the market.

The report doesn’t reveal the manufacturer of this upcoming gaming tablet but given the technology used, it’s likely to be one of the gaming smartphone makers from the likes of ASUS, Red Magic, and Black Shark. Brands like Meizu and Ouga don’t have commercial 100W fast charging technology, they are out of the list. However, there’s a possibility of brands like ZTE, OPPO, among others to launch this product.

As of now, nothing much is known about this new gaming tablet running the Android operating system but we will let you know soon and keep you informed as more details emerge online. So, stay tuned!

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Motorola Edge 20 Lite, G60S and G50 5G rumored to be in works

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