LeEco is coming back; announces LeTV Smart Ecological Conference on May 18

-

May 13, 2021

OPPO has today launched the world’s first smartphone accessory that comes equipped with Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology — OPPO One-Touch Phone Case Set. Apart from providing protection to the device, it also has an interesting use case.

The mobile case comes in a Galaxy Gray color scheme and has a hand-feeling paint finish that offers a delicate and smooth feel. Equipped with UWB, it enhances the spatial perception of the smartphone through functional modularity.

With the one-key identity sticker, it can realize the one-key connection and real-time control of smart home devices. The one-key ID sticker comes in a two-color and two-material water ripple design.

The sticker has a hidden indicator light that acts as a switch status prompt. There’s also a USB Type-C interface to make charging easy and convenient. Additionally, the magnetic design allows users to easily place identification stickers on smart home devices.

The product comes with the support of three modes — Switch, Control Card, and Startup. The user just needs to point the phone towards the device that needs to be controlled and then double-click the back are of the case to complete the trigger action.

The Switch mode can turn the specified device ON or OFF while the Control Card mode brings up the control page for that device with more functions to choose from. The Scene mode executes a preset profile. The usage of this last mode is quite interesting as it can be used in several situations, for instance, to turn off all the devices when leaving home.

The Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a wireless technology with several advantages over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It offers accurate positioning, wide application, low power consumption, and low interference. OPPO UWB Space Sensing technology uses a high-precision lateral antenna array on the mobile phone side, and a low cross-polarization microstrip antenna on the identity sticker side to achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy, ±3° angle measurement accuracy, and a usable distance of up to 15 meters.

RELATED:

Xiaomi launches FlipBuds Pro with Active Noise Cancellation in China

By

Joel Joseph

-

May 13, 2021

TWS earbuds have been in demand for the past few years and Xiaomi is trying to further tap into the market with the launch of the new Flipbuds series in China. The first model in the lineup is the FlipBuds Pro, targeted at a relatively premium segment of the market with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and an Airpods Pro-like design.

There’s no denying that the Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro gets its inspiration from the Apple AirPods Pro. The typical short stem design with a curved body looks similar to the Apple earbuds. However, the FlipBuds Pro distinguishes itself with a high-gloss all-black body and it’s the only color available, at least for now. Xiaomi states that the earbuds get a mirror finish thanks to a nano NCVM coating that gives it a premium look.

The new ANC earbuds feature Qualcomm’s QCC5151 ultra-low power audio chip along with 11mm ultra dynamic sound drivers. It supports Bluetooth 5.2 and Xiaomi claims that low-latency activities like gaming shouldn’t be an issue on its new earbuds. As for gestures, it’s very similar to what you get on the Apple AirPods Pro. So long pressing either left or right earbuds will switch between transparency and noise-canceling modes, a single press will play/pause/ accept calls, a double press will move to the next music track or reject calls.

The new FlipBuds Pro can also seamlessly switch between your smartphone and your laptop (Dual Device Intelligent Connection). You can also connect two pairs of these earbuds to a single smartphone or laptop to share the audio output between two people.

Coming to its noise-canceling performance, the Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro can officially block up to 40dB of noise in its strongest ANC setting. You can choose between three levels of ANC like daily, office, and travel, depending on your environment for the optimum noise cancellation performance. You get these settings via the MIUI pop-up settings menu (on Xiaomi phones) or the XiaoAI app on other Android smartphones.

The FlipBuds Pro comes in an oval charging case which you can charge via USB-C port or a wireless charger. The company promises 28 hours of battery life in total with the case and up to 7 hours of playback on a single charge. The earbuds support fast charging so you can get up to 2 hours of playback in just 5 minutes of charging with the case.

The Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro will go on sale from May 21 across all sales channels in China at a retail price of 799 yuan (~$124).

RELATED:

Motorola partners with GuRu to bring over-the-air charging to its smartphones

By

-

May 13, 2021

Earlier this year, the parent company of Motorola, Lenovo, had teased its new concept for an air-to-air charging system that can charge multiple devices remotely. Now, the company has announced a partnership that will further advance the development to make this technology practically available for everyone.

Motorola has partnered with GuRu Wireless to add support for over-the-air wireless charging to the company’s smartphones. For those who are unaware, GuRu specializes in customizable over-the-air power systems that use “millimeter-wave integrated circuits, modules and proprietary Smart RF Lensing technology”.

This is quite an interesting move by Motorola which usually avoids adding wireless charging capabilities to its phones but now it is making a major development by investing in a charging technology that is truly wireless and doesn’t require phones to be placed on a charging pad for it to work.

This new concept for charging technology is named “Motorola One Hyper.” The demonstration shows two handsets start charging without any contact with the charger over the air when they are placed at 80cm and 100cm away respectively.

Motorola’s devices will be using GuRu’s RF Lensing to charge the device from across the room. It uses a miniature power transfer system to transmit power in a long range and with precision. As of now, nothing much is known about this partnership.

It remains to be seen when the fruit of this partnership will be available to the users but it’s likely that we will have to wait a bit longer as the technology seems to be at least a few months away for commercial use.

This year, Xiaomi also unveiled its Mi Air Charge which is a similar technology to what Motorola is trying to build. The concept from Xiaomi for an over-the-air charging system uses space positioning and energy transmissions to remotely charge a device.

RELATED:

Tesla stops accepting Bitcoin payments citing environmental concerns

By

-

May 13, 2021

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that the company has stopped taking Bitcoin as payment for its electronic cars. The reason being provided for this move is concern about the environmental impact.

The development is quite surprising given that the company had started accepting bitcoins as a payment method along with the traditional card payment options for its vehicles a few weeks ago, in late March.

According to the statement issued, the company would start accepting bitcoin payments once the process of mining bitcoin “transitions to more sustainable energy.” It adds that the company is also “looking at other cryptocurrencies that use <1% of Bitcoin’s energy/transaction.”

Along with this, Elon Musk has also said that the company won’t be selling any more bitcoin from the stash worth around $1.5 billion that is purchased earlier this year. For those who are unaware, Tesla sold some of those bitcoins in the first quarter of this year which helped the company’s quarterly profit figures.

Mining of cryptocurrency involves computers competing against other machines to solve complex mathematical puzzles, which is an energy-intensive process. As per one estimate, it takes up about the same amount of energy annually as the Netherlands.

RELATED:

Infinix Note 10 series smartphones launched; features 6.95-inch FHD+ 90Hz display and MediaTek chipset

By

-

May 13, 2021

Infinix Mobile, the Hong Kong-based device manufacturer has announced its new Infinix Note 10-series smartphones as the successor to the company’s Note 8 series that was launched last year. There are three phones in the lineup, which include Infinix Note 10, Note 10 Pro, and Note 10 Pro NFC.

Infinix Note 10 Pro and Note 10 Pro NFC

As the name indicates, these two smartphones are identical to each other in almost every way, except for the support of NFC. Both the phones come with a 6.95-inch Full HD+ display that offers a screen resolution of 2460 x 1080 pixels, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 180Hz touch sampling rate.

Under the hood, these two phones are powered by the MediaTek Helio G95 processor. The chipset is built using a 12nm process and features two Cortex-A76 cores at 2.05 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores at 2.0 GHz. It is said to be around 25% faster than Helio G80 used in its predecessor while the graphics performance has been bumped by 120%.

The smartphones come in two memory variants — 6GB RAM with 128GB storage and 8GB RAM with 256GB storage. There’s also a microSD card slot that allows users to further expand the phones’ storage capacity.

As for the camera department, there’s a 64-megapixel primary sensor with a 1/1.7” sensor, an 8-megapixel 120-degree ultra-wide lens, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel monochrome lens. On the front side, there’s a 16-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

The devices come with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. They run the company’s own XOS 7.6 based on the Android 11 operating system and are powered by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging technology.

The Infinix Note 10 Pro smartphone will be available for purchase for a price of around $260 from this month. However, the pricing of the device will vary based on the region.

Infinix Note 10

The standard variant in the lineup also features the same 6.95-inch Full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. The screen is said to offer a 1,500:1 contrast ratio and 480 nits of brightness.

Internally, the device is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 chipset that has two Cortex-A75 cores running at 2.0GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. The phone is offered in two variants — 4GB RAM with 64GB storage and 6GB RAM with 128GB storage.

Coming to optics, the smartphone features a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel monochrome lens. Upfront, there’s a 16-megapixel snapper taking care of the selfie and video calling needs.

Similar to the Pro variants, this standard model also has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security. It runs the Android 11 operating system with XOS 7.6 on top and is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with just 18W fast charging support.

RELATED:

The $60 Wyze Buds Pro boasts ANC and wireless charging, standard version coming later

By

-

May 12, 2021

Wyze is known for its affordable products. With security cameras that cost as low as $19.99 and a smartwatch that also goes for the same price, it is bound to be pretty popular. Now, it has announced a new pair of TWS earbuds called the Wyze Buds Pro that offers features found in more expensive earbuds for half of the price.

The Wyze Buds Pro has an in-ear design with silicone tips. There are three voice-isolating microphones in each bud that help to reduce the noise by as much as 40dB while reducing wind noise by 10dB. The earbuds also have a transparency mode that allows you to hear the sounds around you. This is useful when having conversations with people, at the airport, or when walking outdoors.

Each earbud has a 10mm dynamic driver and has an IPX4 rating for protection against sweat and rain. The earbuds have Alexa built-in but also supports Siri, Bixby, and Google Assistant. They will automatically pause playback when you remove them from your ears and resume when you put them back in. Like a lot of earbuds, it supports custom touch controls for playback and toggling ANC on and off.

The Wyze Buds Pro supports charging via USB-C or via a Qi-certified wireless charger. A full charge via wired charging takes 1.5 hours (3 hours for the case) and it also supports fast charging (15-minute charge provides 1 hour of listening time). The spec sheet says that the earbuds have a battery life of up to 4.5 hours with ANC on and 6 hours with ANC off. It goes up to 13.5 hours and 18 hours respectively with the case.

The pair of earbuds has a price tag of $59.99, comes in black, and is available for pre-order on the Wyze website. Wyze has also promised that there will be a standard version called the Wyze Buds that doesn’t have ANC but brings 6 hours of additional battery life.

RELATED:

ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip is practically the Zenfone 7 Pro with a Snapdragon 888 chip

By

-

May 12, 2021

Alongside the Zenfone 8, ASUS also announced the Zenfone 8 Flip, a second flagship phone that keeps the flip camera design of the Zenfone 6 and Zenfone 7 series. ASUS says there are several people who loved the design of the previous generations which is why it has brought it back for a third time.

Zenfone 8 Flip Design

With respect to design, the Zenfone 8 Flip is practically the Zenfone 7 Pro with an in-display fingerprint scanner. Same screen size, same camera arrangement, and almost the same dimensions. It does come in new colors though – Galactic Black and Glacier Silver.

Zenfone 8 Flip Specs

The Zenfone 8 Flip’ 6.67-inch Samsung AMOLED display has a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+. It also has a 110% DCI-P3 Color Gamut, a peak brightness level of 1000 nits, and a 200Hz touch-sampling rate.

As expected, there is a Snapdragon 888 processor under the hood with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. There is a dedicated MicroSD card slot for adding more storage along with Dual SIM support.

1 of 2

The Zenfone 8 Flip has three cameras on the back – a 64MP Sony IMX686 f/1.8 camera, a 12MP ultrawide angle camera, and a tele camera with 3x optical zoom and up to 12x total zoom. ASUS says there is a sheet of Gorilla Glass 3 covering the cameras and that the motor module has been enhanced.

The phone has a 5000mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging via a USB-C port. It doesn’t have an audio jack and neither does it have an IP68 rating but it has stereo speakers, NXP amplifiers, and Hi-Res Audio.

Price and Availability

The Zenfone 8 Flip’s price is €799 for the 8+256GB version. It is available for pre-order already in Europe and is expected to be launched in more markets later.

RELATED:

Motorola Moto G 5G vs Moto G50: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

-

May 12, 2021

Motorola released a lot of smartphones from the G series this year. However, there are still several valid phones launched last year from the same lineup. The advantage of the older devices is their street prices: given that they came to the market in 2020, they are more affordable and often they offer a higher value for money. Is it happening with the Motorola Moto G 5G? Does it offer a higher value for money than the new Moto G50 5G? Let’s discover it together through this comparison between their specifications.

Motorola Moto G 5G vs Motorola Moto G50 5G

	Motorola Moto G 5G	Motorola Moto G50 5G
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	166.1 x 76.1 x 9.9 mm, 212 grams	164.9 x 74.9 x 9 mm, 192 grams
DISPLAY	6.7 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 393 ppi, 20:9 ratio, LTPS IPS LCD	6.5 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 480, octa-core 2 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android 10	Android 11
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS
CAMERA	Triple 48 + 8 + 2 MP f/1.7, f/2.2 and f/2.4 16 MP f/2.2 front camera	Triple 48 + 5 + 2 MP, f/1.7 + f/2.4 + f/2.4 13 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY	5000 mAh, Fast charging 20W	5000 mAh, fast charging 15W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot, 5G	Dual SIM slot, water repellent

Design

The Moto G 5G has a more beautiful design than the Moto G50 5G. Despite it is actually an older handset, it looks more modern thanks to its punch-hole display. Further, I like its square-shaped camera module. On the other hand, the Moto G50 5G has a more compact body, and, unlike the Moto G 5G, it has a water repellent design. Both the phones feature a rear-mounted fingerprint reader, they are made of polycarbonate and they are pretty thick and heavy due to their bigger batteries.

Display

The display of the Motorola Moto G 5G is actually superior to the Moto G50 5G. It has a higher Full HD+ resolution, so it is able to provide a higher level of definition. Further, the HDR10 certification should give you a better image quality on streaming platforms. With the Motorola Moto G50 5G you get a 90 Hz refresh rate, but unfortunately, the display has a lower HD+ resolution. The Moto G 5G also comes with a wider panel: the diagonal is 6.7 inches with a 20:9 aspect ratio. Both the phones have IPS panels, so do not expect an OLED-like quality.

Specs & Software

If you need the most powerful device, go for the Motorola Moto G 5G without thinking twice. It is powered by the Snapdragon 750G mobile platform that is an upper-midrange 5G processor. The SoC is paired with up to 6 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of native storage. With the Moto G50, you get an entry-level Snapdragon 480 5G mobile platform paired with 4 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of internal storage. Motorola Moto G 5G ships with Android 10 out of the box, while Moto G50 5G ships with Android 11: this means you will most likely get longer software support with the Moto G50 5G.

Camera

The Motorola Moto G 5G and the Moto G50 5G pack the same 48 MP main camera with an f/1.7 focal aperture. But the Motorola Moto G 5G is a better camera phone because it has an 8 MP ultrawide lens besides its 2 MP macro camera. The secondary sensors of the Motorola Moto G50 5G are a 5 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. The Moto G 5G is also equipped with a better 16 MP front camera which can record 1080p HDR videos.

Read More: Motorola’s promo makes the Moto G 5G a better buy than the Moto G50

Battery

Motorola Moto G 5G and Motorola Moto G50 5G have exactly the same battery capacity: 5000 mAh. They are pretty good battery phones and the best is the Moto G50 5G because it has more efficient components: thanks to the HD+ resolution and a smaller panel, it should last more on a single charge. With the Moto G 5G, you get a faster charging technology thanks to a power of 20W.

Price

The Motorola Moto G 5G is actually available in the global market with street prices of about €200/$242. Actually, you have to spend more than €200 to grab a unit of the Moto G50 5G as it has been launched recently with a listing price of €279/$338. The Moto G 5G has better specifications, including a Full HD+ HDR10 display, an ultrawide camera, and a better chipset paired with more RAM in the most expensive configuration. That is why Moto G 5G wins the value for money comparison. The only real disadvantage of the Moto G 5G is the fact that it ships with Android 10 out of the box as it is a phone released in 2020.

Motorola Moto G 5G vs Motorola Moto G50 5G: PRO and CONS

Motorola Moto G 5G

PRO

Better hardware
HDR10 certification
Full HD+ resolution
Ultrawide camera
Faster charging

CONS

Android 10 out of the box

Motorola Moto G50 5G

PRO

Android 11
Water repellent
90 Hz display

CONS

HD+ resolution

RELATED

Samsung Galaxy M02s, Galaxy F02s get Android 11-based One UI Core 3.1 update

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

May 12, 2021

Yesterday, we reported that Samsung had started rolling out the Android 11 update for the Galaxy A02s and the Galaxy A12 as One UI Core 3.1. Now, the very same update is live for the Galaxy M02s and the Galaxy F02s as well.

Samsung Galaxy F02s — Samsung Gaalxy F02s

For those unaware, Galaxy A02s, Galaxy M02s, and Galaxy F02s are basically the same phone with different names. They have an identical hardware and therefore, they also run a similar software build.

Hence, the Galaxy M02s and the Galaxy F02s have started receiving the Android 11 (One UI Core 3.1) update in India soon after the Galaxy A02s. The latest system update for these handsets comes with firmware versions M025FXXU2BUDC and E025FXXU1BUDC respectively.

Apart from bringing new features and UI changes, the new update for these budget smartphones also bumps up the security patch level to April 2021. Like any other OTA system updates, these builds are also being pushed in batches. Therefore, they may take some to reach every unit.

Anyway, users of these two Samsung handsets in India or any other region for that matter can head over to Settings > Software update > Download and install to check whether their unit has got the update.

ASUS Zenfone 8 packs flagship features in a compact body for €599

By

-

May 12, 2021

ASUS has announced its latest flagship phone and it arrives as the Zenfone 8. The new flagship is smaller than most of the phones available on the market now and caters to those who want a device with a small form factor.

Zenfone 8 Design

The Zenfone 8 was born out of the requirement of customers who want a compact phone that doesn’t compromise on performance. Most phones these days are in the 6.5-inch range which can be pretty uncomfortable for a lot of people.

ASUS has managed to squeeze a 5.9-inch screen in a frame that is just 148mm tall and 68.5mm wide. The back is curved to make it more comfortable to hold and the frosted matte back adds a nice touch to the overall design while keeping fingerprint smudges at a minimum.

The Zenfone 8 has a blue-colored power button and is available in Obsidian Black and Horizon Silver, the latter whose color shifts depending on the angle light rays land on it.

Zenfone 8 specs

The 5.9-inch screen which is protected by a sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus has a 120Hz refresh rate and a punch hole at the top left corner. It also has a Pixelworks chip, HDR10+, a 112% DCI-P3 color gamut, and a peak brightness of 1100 nits.

There is a Snapdragon 888 processor inside and it comes with up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

On the back of the phone are two cameras – a 64MP Sony IMX686 f/1.8 1.6µm main camera with Quad Bayer technology and a 12MP Sony IMX363 f/2.2 1.4µm ultrawide angle camera with Dual PDAF that also supports 4cm macro photography. For the front-facing camera, ASUS has put a 12MP sensor inside the hole in the left corner. The Sony IMX663 camera has a 1.22µm pixel size and Dual PDAF too.

1 of 2

ASUS has also focused on the audio features of the Zenfone 8. In addition to having an audio jack at the top, the phone also has stereo speakers, Dirac HD sound technology, dual Cirrus Logic CS23L45 amplifiers, and Hi-Res Audio. The amplifiers provide increased volume and a higher bass with better power optimization. There is also an Audio Wizard app that allows you to choose from four sound profiles scenario effect and 10 customizable equalizers.

1 of 3

The phone packs a 4000mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging via a USB-C port. There are three charging profiles that you can choose from including Scheduled Charging which lets you choose when the phone should begin charging when plugged in.

The Zenfone 8 has an IP68 rating, Wi-Fi 6E, and an under-display fingerprint scanner. It runs Android 11 out of the box and comes with a 30W adapter.

Zenfone 8 Price and Availability

The Zenfone 8 comes in four configurations. below are their prices:

6+128GB = €599
8+128GB = €669
8+256GB = €729
16+256GB = €799

The phone is already available for pre-order on the ASUS estore in Europe and will be available on May 31. ASUS says it will also be available for purchase in different markets around the world.

RELATED:

Deal: Get Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite Global Version for $58.99

By

Daily Deals

-

May 12, 2021

Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite, Global Version is now available at AliExpress for $58.99 only.

WHERE TO BUY

Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite, Global Version at $58.99 @AliExpress

Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite comes with a stylish 1.4” TFT color touch display and an auto-brightness function. The smartwatch features more than 120 watch faces and allows for customization of faces, to make your unique display image.

To monitor and maintain your health and athletic needs, Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite comes with 11 dedicated workout modes, a 24*7 heart rate monitor, calorie counter, step counter, sleep tracker, etc. The smartwatch also allows you to view calls, messages, and app notifications and play and control your music remotely.

Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite is 5ATM water-resistant and comes with an average battery life of 9 days. The global version of this smartwatch is now available at AliExpress for a discounted price of $58.99 only. Please note that this price is applicable to the Black, Blue, and Ivory color variants ordered from the China warehouse.

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

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

Vivo Y12s 2021 launched in Vietnam sporting a SD439 SoC & 5,000mAh battery

By

-

May 12, 2021

In November last year, Vivo launched the Y12s packing a Mediatek Helio P35 processor. The smartphone was only launched in India in January this year. The Chinese tech giant has now unveiled another budget offering dubbed Vivo Y12s 2021.

The Y12s 2021 is an upgrade of the original model as it retains most of the features from last year’s model with just a few differences. The Vivo Y12s 2021 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor as against the MediaTek Helio P35 utilised on last year’s model. The phone is available in a sole 3GB RAM and 32GB storage option but there is a dedicated MicroSD slot for expanding the storage.

The Y12s 2021 sports an impressive 6.51-inch LCD screen with an HD+ resolution. The display houses a waterdrop notch at the top which holds the selfie camera. At the rear, there is a dual camera setup and LED flash located in a vertically aligned module at the top left corner of the panel. The sensors include a 13MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor while the front camera is an 8MP shooter.

In terms of the interface, the Vivo Y12s 2021 runs on Funtouch OS 11 which is based on Android 11 OS. That’s a major upgrade over the Y12s which runs on Android 10. There is no fingerprint scanner on the back instead, the device packs a side-mounted fingerprint scanner integrated with the power button.

Keeping the lights on is a generous 5,000 mAh battery. The battery charges via a micro-USB port at a speed of up to 10W. The phone also supports 5V/1A reverse charging. Vivo touts the battery as capable of withstanding up to 17.4 hours of HD movies viewing and 10.2 hours of continuous gaming on a single charge.

The Vivo Y12s 2021 is presently up for grabs in Vietnam via e-retailer FPTShop for VND3,290,000 (~$140). The budget smartphone is available in Mysterious Black and Ice Blue color options. We don’t know when Vivo will release the smartphone in other markets.

RELATED:

HTC Vive Pro 2 and Focus 3 5K VR headsets go official

By

-

May 12, 2021

HTC has unveiled its latest enterprise-focused virtual reality headsets, the Vive Pro 2 and Focus 3 with a revamped 5K screen. We’ll take a look at the features of the two VR headsets which by the way, are focused on enterprise users and not the ordinary consumer.

HTC Vive Focus 3

The most prominent feature of the Vive Focus 3 is its impressive display. The VR headset uses a single 2448 x 1600 panel for each eye. The display refresh rate is 90 Hz, which is an improvement from its predecessors. The display far surpasses brands on the high-end spectrum, like the Oculus Quest 2 and the HP Reverb G2.

The overall design of the Vive Focus 3 reflects substantial improvements in various spheres that make the headset a top-notch alternative for businesses. The excellent audio output of the device also lends support to the robust design philosophy behind the conceptualization and implementation of the Vive Focus 3. HTC says it has produced an enhanced audio output that will guarantee audio privacy, limiting the amount of sound that outsiders can hear. The headset has a touch-style analog stick, two triggers, two face buttons, and one menu button on each controller. However, hand tracking is a functionality absent on the Vive Focus 3, unlike the Oculus Quest 2.

According to HTC Vive’s general manager Dan O’Brien, the Vive Focus 3 is a better product than the Oculus Quest 2 in terms of screen resolution, swappable battery, and overall ergonomics and performance. The company feels the product is a better device than the Quest 2. It also does not need a Social Media account to sign in to the device, unlike the Quest 2. O’Brien insists that the company still has a focus on consumer products, although it will continue to lean towards the enterprise segment as a sustainable business model at this time.

HTC Vive Pro 2

On its part, the Vive Pro 2 also features a revamped 5K screen and 120Hz refresh rate. It is a highly comfortable headset and will cost $749 on its own and $1,399 with the SteamVR base stations and Vive controllers. The Vive Pro 2 also has an expansive 120-degree field of view, by deploying a stacked dual-lens system.

Pre-orders for the Vive Pro 2 standalone model have kicked off and the full VR kit will be available on June 4th for $1,399. The Vive Focus 3 will be sold for $1,300 and arrives June 27th.

RELATED:

Lava Z2 Max with a 7-inch screen, 6000mAh battery launched in India

By

-

May 12, 2021

Indian phone manufacturer Lava has updated its product offering with the launch of the Lava Z2 Max. The smartphone is the fifth product in the Z series after it unveiled the Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, and Z6 in January this year.

The Lava Z2 Max comes with a spectacular design that lives up to its name as a phone with a massive display. It packs a mammoth 7-inch screen with an HD+ resolution. The 19:9 aspect ratio ensures the phone isn’t too difficult to perform a one-handed operation with. The display utilizes a waterdrop notch design which houses the selfie camera. The full-screen design ensures users get an immersive display experience. The phone is actually targeted at students and is equipped with tools to facilitate online learning.

The Z2 Max is powered by an unspecified quad-core MediaTek Helio chipset clocked at 1.8GHz. The processor is backed by 2GB RAM while there is 32GB storage onboard. The storage is expandable via a MicroSD slot that can bump up the storage up to 256GB. Under the hood, there is a mammoth 6000mAh battery which Lava touts to support up to 9 hours of video streaming at full-screen brightness and volume level.

In terms of photography, the Lava Z2 Max packs a dual-camera setup at the rear consisting of a 13-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. At the front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter embedded inside the notch. For interface, the Lava smartphone comes with stock Android 10 Go Edition which doesn’t have any bloatware. Other features onboard the Z2 Max include a 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C port, dual-SIM support, and box speakers.

As for the price, the Lava Z2 Max carries an INR7,799 (~$105) price tag and is available at Lava’s online store as well as Amazon.in and Flipkart. It can also be purchased in offline stores across India. The phone is available in two colors – Stroked Blue and Stroked Cyan colors. Buyers will receive a one-year free screen replacement warranty from Lava.

RELATED:

Deal: Get Infinix Zero 8 Global Version for $209.10 (Original Price $250)

By

Daily Deals

-

May 12, 2021

Infinix Zero 8, Global Version which generally retails for $250 is now available for $209.10 only at AliExpress.

WHERE TO BUY

Infinix Zero 8, Global Version at $209.10 @AliExpress

Infinix Zero 8, Global Version

Key Features:

Display	6.85″ FHD, 2460*1080P
Processor	Helio G90T (Octa-core)
Memory	8GB + 128GB, expandable up to 2TB
Battery	4500mAh supports 33W charging
Camera	64 MP + 8 MP +2 MP + 2 MP, Quad-Flash Light
Front Camera	48 MP + 8 MP, Dual-Flash Light
Operating System	Android 10
Charging Port	TYPE – C

Generally, you can buy Infinix Zero 8 for $250. But for a limited period, AliExpress is giving out this smartphone for $209.10 only. Please note that this deal is available only for the Black Color, Global Version and comes with free shipping via AliExpress Standard Shipping. So place your orders asap, before the deal expires.

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

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

Realme 8 with Helio G95 and Dimensity 700-powered Realme 8 5G arrive Europe

By

-

May 12, 2021

In the past few years, Realme has continued to make inroads into overseas markets with its affordable smartphones. Its mid-rangers continue to attract the attention of its growing customer base. Weeks after an impressive unveiling of its most recent offerings in India, Realme has launched the Realme 8 and Realme 8 5G smartphones across Europe. The United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain are the first countries in Europe that the mid-range smartphones will berth before it subsequently spreads across the continent within few days, expectedly.

We note that the two smartphones – Realme 8 and Realme 8 5G are essentially different phones, with few similarities. Principally, the 5G version has greater functionality than expected and offers a 48MP triple camera on the rear, compared to the Realme 8, which has a 64MP primary camera in a quad-camera setup. The 5G version has a 30W fast charging capability, while the LTE version only offers 18W charging speed. In terms of the processors, you get a MediaTek chipset on both models but while the 8 4G packs a Helio G95 chipset, the Realme 8 5G is powered by a Dimensity 700 SoC.

The Realme 8 4G is available in 4GB and 6GB RAM capacity, together with 64GB and 128GB internal storage. The two variants are priced respectively as £199 and £219. It is already available for direct purchase from Realme in three color options: Cyber silver, Punk black, and Cyber black. The three color variants of the Realme 8 are well-adorned with a touch of Realme excellence. On the other hand, the Realme 8 5G comes in two variants in terms of the available RAM and storage. The 4GB/64GB version is available for £199, while the 6GB/128GB variant will go for £249. A three-day discount window of £20 is open for everyone who preorders on or before May 15. Actual sales commence on May 20 for both the Realme 8 and Realme 8 5G in the aforementioned European countries.

RELATED:

(source 1, 2)

Amazon announces new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 5 along with a Kids Edition

By