Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 tipped to launch early August with an affordable price tag

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May 6, 2021

Various reports have claimed that Samsung will be announcing the Galaxy Z Flip3 clamshell phone with a foldable screen in July or August. A fresh leak claims that the Galaxy Z Flip3 will debut in early August. The leak also reveals that it will be arriving with an affordable price tag.

It can be said based on the tweet by well-known tipster Tron, the Galaxy Z Flip3 may debut on Aug. 3. The Snapdragon 865+ powered Galaxy Z Flip 5G that debuted last year carried a price tag of $1,499. The tipster claimed that the Galaxy Z Flip3 will arrive with a starting price of $999 or $1,099.

Recent reports have revealed the design of the Galaxy Z Flip3, but the rumor mill is yet to spill information on its specs. A leaked promo video of the Galaxy Z Flip3 that appeared earlier this week revealed that it could be coming with a two-tone design and multiple colors such as gray, white, purple, green, black, beige, blue, and pink.

Galaxy Z Flip3 3D renders by LetsGoDigital (Giuseppe Spinelli)

The Galaxy Z Flip3 is expected to feature a larger external display of 1.83 inches. It has a dual-camera system, which reportedly includes a 12-megapixel main snapper and a 12-megapixel ultrawide snapper. The inner screen of the Z Flip3 may feature a punch-hole design with a 10-megapixel selfie camera.

For better durability, the Galaxy Z Flip3 may come with a renewed Armor Frame and Gorilla Glass Victus protection on the outside. It is unclear which processor will be fueling the Z Flip3. Rumors have it that it may sell in variants like 128 GB and 256 GB. It remains to be seen whether the Galaxy Z Fold3 debuts alongside the Z Flip3.

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OPPO Smart TV K9 Series Launched: 3 Sizes, ColorOS TV 2.0, MediaTek Chipsets, & More

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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May 6, 2021

As scheduled, OPPO has launched the OPPO Smart TV K9 Series in China at the OPPO K9 5G launch event. The company also announced OPPO Band Vitality Edition and OPPO Enco Air at this conference. Let us take a look at the specs, features, price, and availability of these new televisions.

OPPO Smart TV K9 Series Specifications and Features

The OPPO Smart TV K9 Series consists of three models. Unlike Xiaomi Mi TVs, these televisions not only differ in sizes but also in terms of features as well.

First and foremost, the lineup includes three sizes – 43-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch. All three variants flaunt an LED-backlit (DLED) LCD panel and a metal frame. However, the specs of the display are different.

The 43-inch model has an FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) screen with a 60Hz refresh rate, 230 nits typical brightness level, and low blue light mode. On the other hand, the 55-inch and 65-inch versions sport a 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) display with a 60Hz refresh rate, 1.07 billion colors, 93% DCI-P3 color gamut, ΔE<2 color accuracy, 300 nits typical brightness level, and low blue light mode.

Anyway, all three versions support HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. But the 55-inch and 65-inch models can also decode and pass HDR10+ content. Additionally, the 65-inch variant also supports 60Hz dynamic MEMC.

Further, the 43-inch and 55-inch versions are powered by a MediaTek MT9632 SoC consisting of 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 CPU cores and ARM Mali-G52 MC1 GPU. Whereas, the 65-inch variant features a MediaTek MT9652 chipset comprising of 4 x ARM Cortex-A73 CPU cores and ARM Mali-G52 MC1 GPU.

All three come with 2GB RAM and run ColorOS TV 2.0. But the storage is only 8GB on the 43-inch model as compared to 16GB on the other two. Anyway, all three televisions support dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0.

As far ar as ports are concerned, all the TVs have 1 x DTMB, 1 x digital audio port (coaxial), 2 x USB 2.0, and 1 x LAN (Ethernet). Further, the 55-inch and 65-inch versions also have an AV port but it is RCA on the former and 3-in-1 on the latter.

Then, the 43-inch and 55-inch variants sport 3 x HDMI 2.0. However, the 65-inch version comes with 3 x HDMI 2.1 and one of them even supports eARC.

As for audio, all three televisions ship with Bluetooth voice and NFC-enabled remote control for Xiaobu AI assistant and to share content from OPPO smartphones. But additionally, the 55-inch and 65-inch models also come with far-field microphones. Also, these TVs have 2 x 15W (30W) speakers as opposed to 2 x 10W (20W) speakers on the 43-inch variant. But all of them support Dolby Audio.

Last but not least, the 55-inch and 65-inch also support an optional 1080p (FHD) external webcam accessory.

OPPO Smart TV K9 Price and Availability

The OPPO Smart TV K9 Series will retail for the following price tags in China.

OPPO Smart TV K9 43-inch – ¥1,999 ($309)
OPPO Smart TV K9 55-inch – ¥2,799 ($432)
OPPO Smart TV K9 65-inch – ¥3,999 ($618)

However, these televisions will be selling for ¥1,799 ($278), ¥1,999 ($309), and ¥3,299 ($510) respectively for a limited time. Their first sale is scheduled for May 11.

Lastly, OPPO will be also selling a bundle consisting of OPPO Smart TV K9 43-inch and OPPO K9 5G (8GB + 128GB) for only ¥2,999 ($463). But this deal will be limited to 999 customers only.

Huawei AX2 Pro router to support Wi-Fi 6 Plus: Leak

By

Sean

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May 6, 2021

A new leak has revealed that the upcoming Huawei AX2 Pro WiFi Router will support the latest Wi-Fi 6 Plus standards. The news arrives from a leakster on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website.

According to known tipster @看山的叔叔, the new AX2 Pro router from the Chinese tech giant is expected to support 2000Mbps wireless data transmission, although, the router will apparently not feature 160Hz bandwidth. Furthermore, the device is said to be available in two color variants, namely black and white. In terms of design, it will reportedly feature a body that is similar to the AX3 Pro that was launched last year.

The AX3 series from the company will also support the Huawei’s one touch to connect to the internet feature that will work with android smartphones that are equipped with the NFC. Through this, one can simply connect to the router by tapping their devices on the router for internet. The leakster also believes that the company will further reduce the price of the latest AX3 series of WiFi routers.

Keep in mind, this is still an unconfirmed leak, so take this report with a pinch of salt for now. Unfortunately, finer details regarding this router are currently unknown, but it will likely feature a quad core chip similar top its predecessor along with the latest WiFi 6 Plus standard. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available regarding this matter.

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Samsung Galaxy A82 5G promo video appears, launch seems imminent

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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May 6, 2021

Last month, Samsung announced the Galaxy Quantum2 smartphone in South Korea. Reports have claimed that this device will be heading to global markets with Galaxy A82 5G moniker. Earlier this week, the unannounced Galaxy A82 5G was found listed among other phones that are scheduled to receive quarterly security updates. Yesterday, reliable tipster Max Weinbach shared a leaked promo of the smartphone. These developments show that the arrival of the A82 5G may not be far away.

The promo video shows hat the Galaxy A82 5G does not reveal any information on its specs. It does confirm the moniker once again and reveals that it will offer a good battery life. The A82 5G is likely to feature the same specs that are available on the Galaxy Quantum2.

Samsung Galaxy A82 5G, the worst kept Samsung A-series secret pic.twitter.com/14y3Yei6nk

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) May 5, 2021

Samsung Galaxy A82 5G specifications (expected)

The Samsung Galaxy A82 5G may feature a 6.7-inch S-AMOLED display with Infinity-O punch-hole design. It offers a Quad HD+ resolution of 1400 x 3200 pixels and a 120H refresh rate. The device runs on One UI 3.1 based Android 11 OS.

The Snapdragon 855+ chipset by Qualcomm is expected to fuel the Galaxy A82 5G with 6 GB of RAM. For storage, it may offer users 128 GB of built-in storage and a dedicated slot for adding a microSD card.

The Galaxy A82 5G may come with a front camera of 10-megapixel. Its rear camera setup may include a 64-megapixel primary camera with OIS support, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 5-megapixel macro camera.

The A82 5G phone may house a 4,500mAh battery that supports 25W rapid charging. The other features that are expected to be available on the A82 5G include a stereo speaker and an in-display fingerprint scanner.

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Huawei abandoning low end smartphone production due to chip shortage in China: Report

By

Sean

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May 6, 2021

Huawei has been facing various troubles in recent times with its smartphone business. The various US sanctions have already made it difficult for the company to acquire crucial components for its smartphones, and it seems that the chip shortage in China has further led it to abandon its low end models entirely.

According to a MyDrivers report, the Chinese tech giant’s official stores in China have been facing this issue. The report adds that employees working in these stores have revealed that the company is selling fewer handsets now, although, this is mainly attributed to the fact that the country is facing a shortage of smartphone chips. For those unaware, the world is facing a major shortage of semiconductors at the moment, with various industries being severely impacted.

As per the employee, almost every smartphone model in Huawei stores are now out of stock, with certain configurations and colors variants also being unavailable for the ones that are in stock. The report found that from the five experience stores that were visited, a combined total of just four smartphone models were on sale. Furthermore, apart from just the lack of various models, the prices of these devices have also changes and low end handsets have almost completely disappeared.

One of the official Huawei stores in Chengdu, China, had a salesperson say that the Nova series that were targeted towards students was no longer in production and that the cheapest variant that is currently available is the Nova 8 Pro. This is also available in limited quantities and is priced at 3999 Yuan (roughly 617 US Dollars).

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Oppo launches the Band Vitality Edition, Enco Air TWS, and more in China

By

Sean

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May 6, 2021

Earlier today (6th May 2021), the Oppo K9 launch conference was held in which the company announced the new smartphone along with its Band Vitality Edition, Enco Air TWS earbuds, and more in China.

Talking about the Oppo Band Vitality Edition first, the new smart wearables will be available in two color variants, namely orange and blue. The band from the Chinese tech giant offers real time blood oxygen monitoring, and even supports online payment services like WeChat and Alipay payment as well. The smart wearables also supports live heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and even allows users to control music on their smartphones. On the front, the band sports an 1.1 inch AMOLED panel and offers water resistance up to 50 meters.

Arriving at the Oppo Enco Air earbuds, the hearables are the latest true wireless earphones from the company. These earbuds are set to offer a playback of up to 24 hours when paired with its charging case and the buds themselves feature a design similar to the base Apple AirPods. The product overall features a white color scheme and is powered by a 25mAh battery that also supports 10W fast charging via a USB Type C port.

The Oppo Band Vitality is available for a price of 199 Yuan (roughly 31 US Dollars) and is currently available for pre orders on JD.com for a special discounted price of 149 Yuan (roughly 23 US Dollars). Similarly, the new Enco Air TWS earbuds are available for a price of 299 Yuan (roughly 46 US Dollars) but can be pre ordered in a special discounted price of 249 Yuan (roughly 38 US Dollars). Notably, the company has also launched a unique custom Enco Buds Air Wu Liuqi Limited Edition, which is available for 2199 Yuan (roughly 340 US Dollars).

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PUBG maker announces Battlegrounds Mobile India, pre-registerations to start soon

By

Sean

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May 6, 2021

PUBG Mobile is apparently launching in India soon under a new name. The news arrives after the company behind the popular mobile game officially announced Battlegrounds Mobile India.

According to an official announcement from Krafton, the company behind the PUBG franchise, the new title will be an exclusive video game for the Indian subcontinent. The announcement arrived earlier this week and officially marks the re-entry of the popular mobile game in India. For those unaware, PUBG Mobile was banned from India as growing tensions between India and China had caused the former to ban certain Chinese apps, including the battle royale title as it was ported from PC to mobile by Tencent Games.

Now, Krafton is working on releasing the title under a new brand exclusively in India and offer its own esports ecosystem with various tournaments and leagues as well. Similar to the past entry, the new game will also be free to play on smartphones. Furthermore, the game will also have a pre registeration period prior to its launch, although, it is currently unknown when that actually is since the company did not announce any official dates. Interestingly, the company even changes the PUBG Mobile India’s YouTube channel’s name to Battlegrounds Mobile India.

Krafton also added that privacy and data security will be one of the top priorities of the brand moving forward in India, and that it would work with its partners to ensure data protection and security at each stage. The new logo of the game is quite similar to the older one’s but carries a distinct color scheme of saffron whit and green, which are also found in the country’s flag. So stay tuned for more updates.

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Honor MagicBook X series to launch in China on May 7

By

Jeet

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May 6, 2021

Honor, the company which recently spun off from Huawei as an independent brand, has scheduled a launch event tomorrow, i.e. 7th May in China. At the event, the company will be introducing a new laptop lineup called MagicBook X.

The event is scheduled to take place at 2:30 PM Beijing time. Looking at the image of the upcoming laptop showcased in the teaser photo, it seems that the device will be thinner and will have a compact design compared to other MagicBook laptops.

So far, there’s no information about how the company is planning to position this upcoming lineup of laptops. It appears that the MagicBook X could be an alternative to the MagicBook Pro lineup from the company.

From the image, it is confirmed that the upcoming laptop from Honor will come with two USB-A ports — one on each side. There’s also a micro HDMI, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and a USB-C for the power delivery.

Continuing with the trend, the laptop features very thin bezels, meaning that the front-facing camera sensor will be between the F6 and F7 keys on the keyboard — similar to other MagicBook models.

Currently, there’s no information available about the interns of these MagicBook X series devices. However, it’s just a few hours before we get information about its features, specifications, pricing details, and availability in China.

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Deal: Buy Bose Sport Earbuds for $159 (Original Price $179)

By

Daily Deals

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May 6, 2021

Bose Sport Earbud which generally retails for $179 is now available at a discounted price of $159 at Amazon US.

WHERE TO BUY

Bose Sport Earbuds at $159 @Amazon US

Designed specifically for athletes and health enthusiasts, Bose Sport Earbuds bring life-like sound quality to a comfortably secure fit, thereby enhancing your workout experience. The earbuds come with high-efficiency drivers and an acoustic port design that delivers big sound from this small device, making it perfect for playing some energetic and pumped-up workout music. Also with a capacitive touch interface, you can simply tap your earbuds for different functions like play or pause music, accept or reject calls, etc.

Design-wise Bose sport earbuds exceed your expectation with the umbrella-shaped StayHere Max tips. The tips feature an extended flexible wing, that ensures the earbuds stay securely in place no matter the intensity of your movement. This means you can exercise, move and run around freely without worrying about dropping your earbuds.

The earbuds come with an IPX4 certification making them moisture and sweat resistant and features a battery life of 5 hours on a single charge and 2 hours on a 15 min quick charge.

Generally retailing at $179 you can now buy Bose Sport Earbuds for $159 only at Amazon US. Please note that this offer is applicable on Triple Black, Glacier White, and Baltic Blue color variants.

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.

OPPO K9 5G with 90Hz display, Snapdragon 768G, and 64MP triple cameras launched in China

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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May 6, 2021

OPPO has announced the OPPO K9 5G smartphone in China. It has arrived as the successor to last year’s OPPO K7 5G phone. It is the first K-series phone from the brand to feature a high refresh rate display. The smartphone comes with other exciting features like a powerful midrange chipset with 5G support, a large-sized battery with fast charging capabilities, and a 64-megapixel quad-camera system.

OPPO K9 5G specifications and features

The OPPO K9 5G has a 6.43-inch AMOLED screen with a punch-hole design. It delivers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, a 20:9 aspect ratio, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 180Hz touch sampling rate. OPPO claims that the screen of the K9 5G is integrated with a sixth-generation in-screen fingerprint reader.

The Snapdragon 768G chipset powers the OPPO K9 5G with 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM. The device comes with up to 256GB of native storage and it lacks support for a microSD card slot. It boots to ColorOS 11.1 based Android 11 OS.

On the front side of the OPPO K9 5G is a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The quad-camera system on the backside of the phone has a 64-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with a 119-degree FOV, and a 2-megapixel macro lens.

The OPPO K9 5G has a 4,300mAh battery that offers 65W rapid charging. According to OPPO, the handset can fully charge in just 35 minutes using the 65W fast charger. For a smoother gaming experience, the phone ships with VC liquid-cooled heat sink, copper plate, and multi-layer thermal conductive graphite sheet for heat dissipation. The K9 5G offers users other features like a dual SIM slot, 5G, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

OPPO K9 5G pricing and availability

The OPPO K9 5G is priced at 1,999 Yuan (~$309) for the 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage version and 2,199 Yuan (~$339) for the 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage variant. It comes in two colors like Spades K (black) and Wings of Symphony (blue gradient).

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Samsung Galaxy Buds2 colors and model number leaked ahead of launch

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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May 6, 2021

Samsung is reported to launch the Galaxy Buds2 as a successor to the Galaxy Buds+. These upcoming truly wireless earphones are in the news for the past few days. Now, even more details about them emerge on the internet.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Sketch — Samsung Galaxy Buds2 | Source: Yogesh

A new report by GalaxyClub reveals the colors of the unreleased Samsung Galaxy Buds2. According to the publication, these forthcoming earbuds will be available in the following four colors.

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Colors

Black
White
Purple
Green

The publication notes that the green color variant of the Galaxy Buds2 will match that of the green color option of the Galaxy Z Flip3 and the Galaxy Z Fold3. Further, as per the same report, these new earbuds bear the model number SM-R177.

According to the previous reports, the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 are codenamed ‘berry’. These truly wireless earphones will lack ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and will compete with sub-$100 earbuds. They will have a similar design as the Galaxy Buds+ but with a slightly larger charging case.

Last but not least, they are reported to launch in June. However, GalaxyClub suggests that the Galaxy Buds2 could debut alongside the next-gen Samsung foldables in either July or August.

ADO A20 Foldable ebike with 350W motor launching today for $769

By

Simranpal Singh

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May 6, 2021

The popular eBike maker – ADO is launching a new foldable bike ADO A20 with several new advancements over the Himo Z20. It will come with an advanced 250W electric motor powered by a 10.4Ah battery. The ADO A20 eBike will offer three different modes and will have a maximum range of around 80 KM. It will start retailing at the introductory discount price of $769 via Banggood. But, a few weeks later the price will be back to $1199.99.

ADO A20 eBike Features

It is a value-for-money deal as the new ADO A20 comes with several new enhancements over its predecessor. The primary features of the ADO A20 are its 350W powerful motor, 10.4Ah high-quality battery, triple suspension system, and Quality Bike Frame. ADO new eBike can attain a maximum speed of 35 KM/h which is much better than the Himo Z20.

ADO A20 houses Shimano 7 Speed gears for proper utilization of the powerful electric motor. It comes with a fender and ships along with a phone holder, and air pump. It features a tire size of 20 inches x 1.95 inches. The shock is handled by a front fork and addle tube for comfortable riding. Surprisingly, there’s also a provision for phone charging.

In order to make the eBike smarter and efficient, the company has added a G-Drive frequency conversion control system. The golden differential gear design reduces the power loss and uplifts the overall riding experience. Braking is equally important as it houses a double disc-brake system consisting fast heat dissipation design.

Being an electric bike, ADO A20 features a high-efficient removable battery for flawless operations. It can be charged in two different methods – fast charging enables to charge it within 4-6 hours.

Aluminium Alloy material is used to carve the eBike frame which is 40% lighter than carbon steel. Its classic six-axis alloy design makes riding comfortable, offers better performance and stability while riding.

The eBike can be easily folded within 10 seconds.

ADO is well known for its after-sales service as it offers free replacement of unit while in warranty. However, the ADO A20 will come with 12 months warranty on key components. 5-year main frame warranty. Moreover, there are three after-sales centers in the UK, Germany, and Poland.

ADO A20 eBike Pricing

The interested users can grab the ADO A20 from Banggood at a discounted price of $769. The European customers can head over here for the dedicated store. For more information related to ADO A20 bike, the users can head over to the official website.

OnePlus Watch gets AOD and camera shutter control via the latest firmware update

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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May 6, 2021

The OnePlus Watch was announced alongside the OnePlus 9 series in late March. The wearable is now available for purchase in multiple markets. It even received its first-ever firmware update a couple of weeks back. Now, the company is rolling out another update with a much-requested feature by media houses and early adopters.

OnePlus Watch Midnight Black Featured — OnePlus Watch

The latest firmware update for the OnePlus Watch comes with build number B.48. It brings two new features that should have been present at the launch.

These features are nothing but the missing AOD (Always-on Display) functionality and camera shutter control function. Apart from these two additions, the new update also adds a ‘Marathon’ workout mode.

Additionally, the new firmware update arrives with optimizations for system UI, fixes known issues, and improves system stability.

OnePlus Watch B.48 Firmware Update Official Changelog

Add Always-on Display dial
Remote Control Camera function
Add Marathon workout
Improvements
Optimize system UI details
Fix known issues and improve system stability.

OnePlus recommends users to have at least 40% battery on their OnePlus Watch while updating to this new firmware. Also, it warns about poor endurance when AOD is enabled. In fact, the brand claims that the battery life could be reduced by half.

Smartphone shipments in China increase by 9% in Q1 2021; OPPO leads the market

By

Jeet

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May 6, 2021

With the COVID-19 pandemic getting in control in China, smartphone makers have been able to manage supply chain and production. This has helped the companies boost up smartphone sales in the country.

According to the data published by DigiTimes Research, the smartphone shipments in China increased by 9 percent in the first quarter of this year, totaling 94.6 million units.

OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi have emerged as the leading smartphone brands in China as these companies had a stockpile of chipsets and components because of which there were no issues with the production of their devices amid the global shortage of components.

Huawei, which had been ruling the Chinese smartphone market continues to see a decline in its market share. Honor, which spun off into an independent company earlier this year, doesn’t have significant numbers in sales to become a mainstream brand in China.

The top five smartphone brands in China — OPPO, Vivo, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Apple accounted for 91.8 percent market share in the first quarter. If Honor is included in the mix, which comes in at a sixth place, then the total market share amounts to 98 percent.

While the first quarter of 2021 saw an increase in shipments for smartphone brands in China, the report is forecasting a decline of 19.3 percent for the second quarter, mainly due to the shortage of required components.

As for the global markets, a report from Canalys reveals that smartphone sales increased by 27 percent in Q1 2021, reaching 347 million units. The top five smartphone companies during the first quarter are Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo respectively.

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Tencent reportedly in talks with the United States to keep gaming investments

By

Jeet

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May 6, 2021

Tencent Holdings, one of the Chinese giants, is negotiating agreements with the United States national security panel as it eyes permission to keep its ownership stakes in the US-based gaming companies like Riot Games and Epic Games, reports Reuters citing people familiar with the matter.

The report adds that Tencent has been in talks with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) since last year. The committee has the authority to order the Chinese technology giant to divest its holdings in the U.S.

On the other hand, the report adds that CFIUS has been looking into whether Epic Games‘ and Riot Games’ handling of the personal data of their users constitutes a national security risk because of their Chinese ownership.

For those who are unaware, Tencent holds around 40 percent stake in Epic Games which is a maker of the popular game Fortnite. The Chinese giant had bought a majority stake in Riot Games in 2011 and acquired the remaining stake in 2015. Riot Games is the developer of League of Legends.

A Riot Games spokesman said to Reuters that the company operates independently of Tencent and that it has implemented “industry-leading practices” to protect player data.

Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has been cracking down on Chinese ownership of U.S. technology assets in the last few years amid an escalation in tensions between both the countries over trade, human rights, and the protection of intellectual property. The United States is concerned about the data of its citizens could end up in the hands of China’s Communist Party government.

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Selected Lenovo laptops getting a new Alexa mode bringing Echo Show functions

By

Jed John Ikoba

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May 6, 2021

Earlier this year, tech giant Amazon announced a new “Show Mode” for the PC version of the Alexa app. The feature hopes to expand the user base of Amazon’s smart home app as it brings features that are found on the Echo Show including skills that can be activated only by a voice prompt. The company has now announced that the feature will be making its debut on some Lenovo laptops.

Amazon describes the Show Mode for PCs as a “voice-first, interactive Alexa experience for PCs”. The mode can be activated via a voice command asking the virtual assistant to open the feature. It can also be activated using the Show Mode icon domiciled in the Alexa app.

When activated, the app displays in fullscreen mode on the PC’s screen, showing information that the user will find vital. The interface is exactly as it is on the Echo Show with features such as calendar appointments, weather information, and others. In addition, users can perform actions such as playing a song on Amazon Music, controlling connected smart home devices, checking for weather updates, and creating to-do lists.

The feature will also be enabled automatically when the laptop is idle and become sort of a screensaver. This feature, Lenovo says, is optimized to deliver optimal battery conservation. Lenovo’s Igor Bergman, Vice President of Cloud and Software, Intelligent Devices Group says; “By enabling Show Mode on Lenovo PCs, we are providing customers with a highly versatile user experience on a natural and convenient interface”.

The company listed the models in which the new feature will be available to include the Lenovo Yoga, IdeaPad, and ThinkPad PC models equipped with the Alexa app built into the Windows 10.

The feature will be available in the following countries; US, UK, Germany, Japan, India, Ireland, Austria, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. Amazon plans to expand the compatible models with the addition of other Lenovo models in due course.

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(source)

Lei Jun responds to complaints about the Mi 11 Ultra’s secondary screen

By

Jed John Ikoba

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May 6, 2021

Xiaomi launched the Mi 11 Ultra flagship smartphone in March this year. The flagship device was well-received but one feature that has proved controversial is the secondary display. The back panel has received mixed reactions among Mi fans. While some see nothing wrong, some others don’t seem to fancy the idea of a secondary display on the phone.

Xiaomi’s Founder/CEO Lei Jun has weighed in on the discussion, revealing some details about the screen. In his opinion, the secondary screen is not too big. Also, it didn’t cost so much to produce, meaning the effect on the price of the phone isn’t too significant. Lei Jun equally added that the only challenge Xiaomi faced in designing the secondary display is space. Recall that the Mi 11 Ultra’s display is housed in a rectangular module and also houses the rear camera sensors.

One of the respondents complained about the camera module being too big, to which the Xiaomi CEO responded that it is because the phone is targeted at professional photographers. He then recommended the Mi 11 Pro to the complainant. Further, another respondent complained about the device being too heavy. This is equally attributed to the huge camera module.

Lei Jun had earlier disclosed that the Mi 11 Ultra’s secondary screen uses an OLED panel just like the Mi Band 5. In terms of specification, the secondary display has a 1.1-inch size and it can display a variety of information. The main reason for including the display is for shooting selfies as the front display doesn’t have any cut-out for a front camera. As our review of the Mi 11 Ultra noted, the device is top-heavy but it’s really not a big issue. The secondary display doesn’t increase the thickness too much as it is just 8.38mm thick. This is even thinner than the vegan leather version of the vanilla Mi 11.

The secondary screen also displays custom time, weather, animations, and themes. Users can catch up with notifications and receive message reminders, health reminders as well as control the phone’s music player.

In the comments section of his post, Lei Jun also disclosed that the issue of users not being able to turn off the secondary screen notifications will be solved soon via a software update. The MIUI 12.5 update which ushers in DXOMARK camera optimizations will be pushed soon, Lei Jun also added.

RELATED;

Pixel 6 may feature Google’s Whitechapel custom chip, reveals new evidence

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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May 6, 2021

It was reported last month that the forthcoming Google Pixel 6 may not feature a Snapdragon SoC. Instead, it is expected to house a Google-made chip, which is codenamed as “Whitechapel.” A fresh report by XDA Developers states new evidence has appeared to point that the Pixel 6 will be driven by the company’s in-house chip.

In the screenshot shared by the publication, the “Whitechapel” text can be seen in the URL mentioned by one of the Google engineers in a code change submitted to the Android Open-Source Project (AOSP). The publication claims that the P21 mentioned by the engineer in the line “You don’t need coredomain to use binder_use. This one lives fine on P21,” could be referring to the Pixel 6. P21 may not be the Pixel 5a as it is expected to feature the Snapdragon 765G, which powered the Pixel 4a 5G last year.

Google-Pixel-21-Whitechapel-GS101 — Image source: XDA Developers

In the URL, Whitechapel refers to Google’s own chip and “GS101” probably stands for Google Silicon. 9to5 Google had reported last month the Whitechapel chip could be under construction at Samsung’s system large-scale integration (SLSI) division. Since the SLSI is also responsible for the Exynos chips, speculations are rife that Google’s first chip will have some common features with Samsung Exynos.

Past reports have claimed that it could be a 5nm octa-core ARM chipset that may comprise of two Cortex-A78 CPU cores, two Cortex-A76 cores, and quad Cortex-A55 cores, and an ARM Mali GPU. The performance of the chip could be similar to the Snapdragon 7-series chips by Qualcomm.

By using its own chip, Google will possibly have better control over driver updates since it would not need to rely on Qualcomm. This means that the drivers can be compatible with newer Android OS versions for a longer time. At present, Pixel devices offer users 3 years of Android OS upgrades. However, having its own chip could allow Google to offer 4 or 5 generations of OS upgrades.

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Here’s a video comparison of Huawei’s HarmonyOS and EMUI 11

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 6, 2021

Just yesterday, a video showing a Huawei Mate 40 Pro model running the firm’s self-developed HarmonyOS 2.0. The demo video details the features and functionalities of Huawei’s homegrown operating system. The development of the HarmonyOS was fast-tracked with the US blacklisting of Huawei that prevented the Chinese tech powerhouse from accessing important software and hardware components from its US suppliers.

Yet another video has appeared online showing a comparison between a phone running on HarmonyOS 2.0 and another running on the Android 11-based EMUI 11. The comparison is between the Developer Beta3 version of HarmonyOS 2.0 and the current stable firmware of EMUI 11. The video highlights the features and some performance metrics of both operating systems.

In terms of speed, the video showed that the HarmonyOS was a bit slower than EMUI 11 as per the app loading time. This may not be a definitive indicator that the EMUI 11 was faster. There could be several reasons. The speed test was also conducted in two different phone models, and it is impossible to situate the differences in their app loading times under such a scenario.

It is therefore difficult to compare the performance of the two operating systems because we do not have the stable build of the HarmonyOS and the use of separate phone models for the performance test.

Huawei plans to ultimately deploy HarmonyOS to most of its products in the coming years. It hopes to begin featuring the operating system in its new products within a few months. We, therefore, expect a stable build version very soon.

The most visible change in the HarmonyOS is a new control center, with a search engine at the top left corner, while a swipe-down gesture anywhere on the screen reveals the notifications.

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Redmi’s product director hints there won’t be an LCD screen flagship this year

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 6, 2021

Redmi‘s GM and Xiaomi Group VP Liu Weibing recently conducted a poll to know which most fans prefer between LCD and LED displays. The survey showed that most fans prefer LED display-toting smartphones as against an earlier preference for an LCD screen as of last year. However, there are apparently still fans who would love to have a flagship phone with an LCD screen.

Recently, a Weibo user had inquired (via) from Redmi’s product Wang Teng Thomas if Xiaomi is considering producing an LCD display-packing flagship phone powered by the Snapdragon 870 chipset. Of course, there were rumors recently that Xiaomi was going to launch three smartphones this year with Snapdragon 870 chip. But in response to the question, Wang Teng Thomas disclosed that the Chinese tech giant wasn’t planning to launch an LCD flagship this year. He even recommended the Redmi K30S Ultra to Mi fans who seek an LCD flagship phone. The K30S Ultra was released last year in China but is still on sale despite the arrival of the K40 Ultra.

The Xiaomi exec had earlier revealed that Xiaomi won’t be launching flagship models using LCD screens going forward. At present, OLED screens have become the standard configuration of flagship mobile phones. This trend has even shifted to the mid-range segments as more mid-range models are launched presently with OLED screens.

For instance, this year alone, Xiaomi has launched the Mi 11 flagship series with OLED screens and even the mid-range Mi 11 Lite equally utilizes an OLED panel. Further, the Redmi K40 series, Redmi 10X series and a couple of other models also use OLED screens.

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