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Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) with improved ANC, better design launched for $99

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Amazon has unveiled the all-new Echo Buds (2nd Gen) wireless earbuds in the U.S. The new earbuds offer users improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and promises a long-lasting battery life. In terms of design, the 2nd generation Echo Buds are 21 percent smaller than the predecessor version. It features a shorter nozzle for enhanced comfort and a vent for reducing in-ear pressure.

The new Echo Buds come with four oval-shaped ear tips and a pair of wingtips. It has a matte finish and comes in black color only. With an IPX4 rating, it is designed to withstand damage from water splashes.

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)
Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)

The 2nd generation Echo Buds features a 5.7mm dynamic driver that promises increased bass and treble fidelity. Each earbud has 3 microphones for improved ANC that helps in cutting down background noise. It offers a Passthrough Mode that helps users to hear the ambient noise. The company claims that it is equipped with an advanced chipset for enhanced experience while using Alexa and ANC.

While it supports touch controls, users can rely on Alexa for a hands-free experience while skipping songs, increasing volume, and so on. Alexa’s assistance can be used for various tasks like starting a call and setting up a reminder. Later this year, Amazon will add a VIP Filter function that will allow users to select the notifications that they want to listen to. It also supports other voice assistants like Google Assistant and Siri.

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)
Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)

Coming to the battery life, charging the case for 15 minutes will bring two hours of playback time. Once charged, the new Echo Buds can offer up to 5 hours of music playback with ANC and handsfree Alexa. The battery life increases to 6.5 hours for music playback when ANC and handsfree Alexa are disabled. The charging has LED lights for each earbud.

 Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) pricing and availability

The Echo Buds (2nd Gen) with USB-C charging case is priced at $119, whereas it costs $139.99 for an upgraded case with wireless charging support. For a limited period of time, both models are available for $99 and $119. The sales of the Echo Buds (2nd Gen) will begin on May 13 in the U.S.

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Galaxy Book Pro 360 new renders appear ahead of April 28 launch event

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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Yesterday, Samsung confirmed that it will be holding a launch event on April 28. Speculations are rife that the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event could see the arrival of the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360. Ahead of the launch event, reputed tipster Evan Blass has shared new renders of the Galaxy Book Pro 360 to showcase its 2-in-1 convertible design.

While the Galaxy Book Pro is expected to arrive as a conventional laptop, the Galaxy Book Pro 360w will be a 2-in-1 convertible model with a touchscreen and S Pen stylus support. The renders show that the device is equipped with a pair of USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and an HDMI slot. On the other side, the Galaxy Book Pro features the same connectivity options except for the USB-A port.

The Galaxy Book Pro is expected to arrive with a 13.3-inch OLED screen, while the 360 model will offer users a larger 15.6-inch OLED display. The 11th generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors are said to be power the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360. These devices will come preloaded with Windows 10 OS.

The Galaxy Book Pro may arrive in Wi-Fi and LTE editions, whereas the 360 edition may hit the shelves in Wi-Fi and 5G versions. These devices may come in color editions like blue and silver. Reports also suggest that the South Korean company may also announce the Galaxy Book Go as a budget-friendly device. It is likely to offer users a 14-inch FHD screen, Windows 10 Home, Snapdragon 7cx / Snapdragon 8cx Gen. X (new version) CPU versions, 4 GB / 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and 128 GB / 256 GB of UFS 2.1 storage.

(source|via 1, 2)

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Realme 8 5G to debut as India’s first Dimensity 700 SoC phone

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Realme will be announcing the Realme 8 5G and Realme 8 Pro 5G smartphones in Thailand on April 21. It is speculated the Realme 8 5G series may break cover in India on April 22. A microsite for a new 5G-ready Realme phone has appeared on Flipkart. It does not explicitly mention the name of the upcoming 5G smartphone for India. However, a major clue suggests that the company could be teasing the arrival of the Realme 8 5G.

Realme has been actively launching 5G phones across different price points in India. The Realme X50 Pro 5G was made official as India’s first 5G phone last year and it has also launched a couple of other 5G phones like the Realme X7 5G, Realme X7 Pro 5G, and Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G in the recent months. Now, it is gearing up to launch India’s first phone powered by the Dimensity 700 chipset.

Realme 8 5G render
Realme 8 5G poster released by Realme Thailand

Last month, Realme announced the Realme V13 5G with Dimensity 700 SoC in China. Rumors are rife that the same device may get rebranded as the Realme 8 5G in India and other markets like Thailand. As far as India is concerned, the Chinese firm will be confirming more information on its specs and features on April 16.

Realme 8 5G specifications (Rumored)

The Realme 8 5G is expected to sport a 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen with a punch-hole design. The FHD+ display is likely to support a 90Hz refresh rate. The Dimensity 700 powered phone may offer users up to 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256 GB of UFS 2.1 storage.

It may come loaded with Realme UI 2.0 flavored Android 11 OS. For photography, it may feature an 8-megapixel selfie camera and a 48-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system. It may house a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.

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Moto G60, G40 Fusion Geekbench listings emerge as Motorola begins teasing new G-series phones in India

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Yesterday, Motorola India took to Twitter to teaser the arrival of a pair of new G-series smartphones in India. Probably, the company could be gearing up to launch the Moto G60 and Moto G40 Fusion phones as both models have appeared on the Geekbench benchmarking site (via).

The Geekbench listings show that the Moto G60 and Moto G40 Fusion are powered by the Snapdragon 732G. While the name of the SoC is not explicitly mentioned in the listings, a couple of leaks have claimed that the Moto G60 and G40 Fusion by the SD732G chip.

The Moto G60 has 6 GB of RAM, whereas the G40 Fusion has 4 GB of RAM. Both smartphones will offer an Android 11 OS out-of-the-box experience. In the single-core and multi-core tests of Geekbench, the Moto G60 scored 515 and 1375, respectively. The Moto G40 Fusion scored 519 in the single-core test and 1425 in the multi-core test.

Motorola India’s tweet neither reveals the design nor confirms the names of the upcoming G-series phones. The Moto G50 and Moto G100 smartphones, which debuted in other markets have not yet arrived in India. Moreover, the Moto G20 is also an upcoming phone from the brand. It remains to be seen whether the company announces any of these smartphones or the Moto G60 and G40 Fusion in India.

Reports have revealed that the Moto G60 and G40 Fusion have identical specs like a 6.78-inch FHD+ 120Hz display, a 6,000mAh battery, and an SD732G chip. As far as differences are concerned, the Moto G60 is expected to come with a 32-megapixel front camera and a 108-megapixel Samsung HM2 main rear camera, whereas the G40 Fusion has a 16-megapixel front camera and a 64-megapixel primary camera on the back. Both phones are rumored to feature a triple camera setup on their rear 8-megapixel and 2-megapixel auxiliary lenses.

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OPPO A74 5G tipped to launch in India by April end

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Recently, OPPO announced the OPPO A74 4G and OPPO A74 5G in some Southeast Asian markets. Tipster Abhishek Yadav has learned from a source that the Chinese manufacturer is planning to launch the OPPO A74 5G smartphone in India by the end of this month.

The tipster claimed that the OPPO A74 5G will be aimed towards offline markets in India. This phone is expected to launch in the last week of this month with under Rs 20,000 (~$266) price tag. The specifications shared by the tipster suggests that the A74 5G for India could be slightly different from the A74 5G, which was announced in Southeast Asian markets.

OPPO A74 5G specifications and features

The OPPO A74 5G has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen, which supports a Full HD+ resolution, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and a 90Hz refresh rate. The device boots to ColorOS 11.1 based Android 11 OS. For security, it features a side-facing fingerprint scanner.

The A74 5G has a 16-megapixel camera for capturing selfie shots. The camera setup of the phone features a 48-megapixel main camera and a pair of 2-megapixel cameras. The A74 5G which recently debuted in other markets has an additional 8-megapixel lens.

OPPO-A93-5G
China’s OPPO A93 5G may launch as the OPPO A74 5G in India

The Snapdragon 480 chipset fuels the OPPO A74 5G with 6 GB of RAM. The device offers users 128 GB of built-in storage. it is unclear whether this phone has a microSD card slot. It is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. The thickness of the device is 8.4mm and it weighs 188 grams.

The OPPO A74 5G for India appears to be rebranded version of the OPPO A93 5G, which debuted in China earlier this year.

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OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 9 Pro vs OnePlus 9R: Specs Comparison

By
Michele Ingelido
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For the first time ever, OnePlus launched three phones from its latest flagship series at the same time. The OP9 lineup is indeed composed of the OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, and OnePlus 9R. Three devices with pretty different specs sheets for different price ranges. Unfortunately, the 9R has a more limited availability: it did not launch in Europe, where customers can only opt for the vanilla OnePlus 9 and the 9 Pro. In case you are making confusion with the specifications of the new trio, here is a specs comparison highlighting the differences between each model.

OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 9 Pro vs OnePlus 9R

OnePlus 9 OnePlus 9 Pro OnePlus 9R
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 160 x 74.2 x 8.7 mm, 192 grams 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm, 197 grams 161 x 74.1 x 8.4 mm, 189 g
DISPLAY  6.55 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Fluid AMOLED  6.7 inches, 1440 x 3216p (Quad HD+), LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED  6.55 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+),  Fluid AMOLED
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, octa-core 3.2 GHz
MEMORY 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE Android 11, OxygenOS Android 11, OxygenOS Android 11, OxygenOS
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS
CAMERA Triple 48 + 50 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.2 + f/2.4
16 MP f/2.4 front camera		 Quad 48 + 8 + 50 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.4 + f/2.2 + f/2.4
16 MP f/2.4 front camera		 Quad 48 + 16 + 16 + 5 + 2 MP, f/1.7 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 + f/2.4
16 MP f/2.4 front camera
BATTERY 4500 mAh, fast charging 65W and fast wireless charging 15W 4500 mAh, fast charging 65W and fast wireless charging 50W 4500 mAh, fast charging 65W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot, 5G Dual SIM slot, 5G, IP68 waterproof Dual SIM slot, 5G

Design

If you are looking for the best design, you should go for the Pro without thinking twice. One single difference makes it more attractive than its two siblings: we are talking about the curved edge-to-edge display. With the vanilla OnePlus 9 and the 9R, you get more compact designs but a flat display making both the devices uglier. The curved display of the Pro variant and its higher screen-to-body ratio makes it more elegant. Further, the Pro version is waterproof and dustproof with the IP68 certification, while the OnePlus 9 and 9R are not (if we exclude the version of the OnePlus 9 sold in the U.S. under T-Mobile).

 

Display

The OnePlus 9 has the most advanced display: it might be the same astonishing panel used for the OPPO Find X3 Pro. We are referring to an LTPO AMOLED display with an adaptive refresh rate (from 1 to 120 Hz), one billion colors, a 120 Hz refresh rate, a high Quad HD+ resolution, and a 1300 nit peak brightness. OnePlus 9 and 9R feature the same lower-end panel: a Full HD+ display without adaptive refresh rate but with 120 Hz and the HDR10+ certification.

 

Hardware/Software

The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are powered by the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform: the best SoC released by Qualcomm until now. It is paired with up to 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256 GB of native storage (UFS 3.1). The OnePlus 9R is inferior with its Snapdragon 870 mobile platform, but given that it is the second Qualcomm’s flagship processor in terms of performance, most of the users won’t notice the difference with the Snapdragon 888. The phones run Android 11 customized by OxygenOS in the global market, while in China they run OPPO’s ColorOS.

 

Camera

The killer feature of the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro is the Hasselblad camera. Despite both come with Hasselblad cameras, the OP 9 Pro is a superior camera phone because it adds an 8 MP telephoto sensor with 3.3x optical zoom beside the main 48 MP sensor and the 50 MP ultrawide camera. The OnePlus 9R not only lacks the telephoto sensor but also the 50 MP ultrawide camera, replaced by an inferior 16 MP sensor. So the best camera phone is the OnePlus 9 Pro, followed by the vanilla OP9.

 

Battery

OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, and 9R pack the same 4500 mAh battery, but they come with different hardware departments. The OnePlus 9 should be the one with the longest battery life because it has a more efficient display than the 9 Pro and a more efficient chipset than the 9R. But with the Pro variant, you get faster wireless charging with a power of 50W (the vanilla version has just 15W). Unfortunately, the OnePlus 9R lacks wireless charging.

 

Price

In the global market, the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro start from €700/$838 and €900/$1080, respectively. OnePlus 9R is not available in Europe and it costs Rs. 39,999 in India. Overall, with the Pro variant you get a better display, better camera department, the IP68 certification, and faster wireless charging than the vanilla OnePlus 9. The 9R has an inferior hardware department to the OP9 and even an inferior camera department; further, it lacks wireless charging. The OP9 sits in the middle with well-balanced specifications and a non-excessive price. Which one would you go for?

 

 

OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 9 Pro vs OnePlus 9R: PRO and CONS

OnePlus 9

PROS

  • Great quality-price ratio
  • Same flagship processor as the OnePlus 9 Pro
  • Wireless charging
  • Hasselblad camera

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

OnePlus 9 Pro

PROS

  • Best cameras
  • Superior display
  • Fastest wireless charging
  • Waterproof

CONS

  • Price

 

OnePlus 9R

PROS

  • More affordable
  • More compact and lightweight
  • Same display as the OnePlus 9

CONS

  • Inferior chipset
  • Limited availability

 

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TCL 20 Pro 5G, TCL 20L, TCL 20L+, and TCL 20S announced

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

TCL has expanded its TCL 20 series with four new models. The new phones are the TCL 20 Pro 5G, TCL 20L, TCL 20L+, and TCL 20S and they were announced today via a live stream.

TCL 20 Pro 5G

TCL 20 Pro 5G

The TCL 20 Pro 5G is the leader of the pack and has a price tag of €549. For that price, you get a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED curved display with a centered punch hole and a Pixelworks chip that converts SDR videos to HDR. There is a Snapdragon 750G processor along with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

There are four cameras on the back – a 48MP main camera with OIS, a 16MP 123° ultrawide angle camera, a 5MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. A 32MP sensor sits inside the punch hole.

TCL has added a 4500mAh battery and it not only supports fast charging but adds support for 15W wireless charging. The phone will go on sale tomorrow in the UK and can be purchased in Moondust Gray and Marine Blue.

 

TCL 20L featured

TCL 20L and TCL 20L+

The TCL 20L has the same screen size as the TCL 20 Pro 5G but swaps the AMOLED display for an IPS LCD panel. It has a centered punch hole and also converts SDR videos to HDR in real-time. TCL claims it has a 91% screen-to-body ratio.

It comes with a Snapdragon 662 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage. There are four cameras on the back of the phone –  a 48MP primary sensor, a. The front-facing camera is a 16MP sensor. The TCL 20L has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and stereo speakers.

There is a 5000mAh battery inside with support for 18W fast charging. Just like the TCL 20 Pro 5G, it also runs Android 11 out of the box. The phone goes on sale tomorrow for €229.

TCL 20L+

The TCL 20L+ has similar specs but its primary camera is a 64MP sensor that can record in 4K. It also has 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage but the same Snapdragon 662 chipset. It also has Super Bluetooth, a feature that lets you connect to four Bluetooth audio devices at the same time. The price tag for the plus model is €269.


TCL 20S

The TCL 20S is a North-American exclusive device with similar specs as the TCL 20L+ but a different chipset which TCL didn’t reveal. The manufacturer says full details will be released in the coming weeks.

 

RELATED:

TCL Fold ‘n Roll is a 3-in-1 concept phone that folds and unrolls

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

TCL is known to experiment with flexible displays. The company has shown concept phones with different forms of foldable displays and another with a rollable display, however, it is yet to release a commercially available foldable phone. At its launch event today, it showed off another concept device called the TCL Fold ‘n Roll. This phone not only folds but also unrolls, making it a 3-in-1 device.

TCL Fold 'n Roll featured

The TCL Fold n’ Roll in its default state has an outward folding design. This means that in its folded state, the flexible screen covers both the front and the back.

In its folded state (smartphone mode), the front/cover display measures 6.87-inches. When unfolded, the display is 8.85-inches in size; TCL calls this phablet mode. Finally, when the display rolls out, you have a 10-inch tablet. So three different modes but a single device.

The device has two slits at the bottom which we believe are for the speaker. There is a USB-C port and what appears to be a stylus right beside it. There is also a button at the top and we can make out three cameras that double as both front-facing cameras and rear cameras.

TCL Fold 'n Roll
Is that a stylus on the far right?

TCL says the Fold ‘n Roll is a concept device but showed albeit very briefly a working prototype. Nevertheless, the company does plan to release its first commercially available foldable device later this year.

RELATED:

Vivo Y11 starts getting the Funtouch OS 11 (Android 11) update

By
Balaji S
-

Vivo, which recently updated devices like the Vivo Y19, is bringing the Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11 to yet another Y-series phone, the Vivo Y11.

Vivo Y11 (2019) featured

An OTA update with firmware version rev 6.8.25 is rolling out for the Vivo Y11 in India courtesy of several Twitter users(via Piunikaweb). The update weighs about 2.9GB and is bringing the latest Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11 to the device.

If you recall, the Vivo Y11 launched in 2019 December in India. It came with Funtouch OS 9.1 based on Android 9 Pie. The device is not getting the second major Android upgrade in India and it’s a welcoming thing.

However, what isn’t welcoming are the bugs that come along with it. Apparently, after updating the device to Android 11, users are experiencing issues like Wi-Fi disconnection, slow performance, fingerprint detection issues.

That said if you are really interested in trying out the latest Funtouch OS 11, you can try the update but if you aren’t that interested, you can wait. This is because, if the above-mentioned issues are indeed present, Vivo should roll out a hotfix soon and we suggest you hold your horses until then.

Vivo revealed the Funtouch OS 11 (Android 11) update rollout plan back in January 2021. Accordingly, it has so far updated devices like the Vivo V19, Vivo X50 series, V17 series, V20 SE, V15 Pro, and S1, Y12.

Last but not the least, if you want to know what Android 11 features are, you can read our coverage. Vivo is expected to stick with the Funtouch OS, at least for global markets for a while, as it recently revealed that it has no plans of bringing the OriginOS.

RELATED:

Samsung Galaxy A60 gets the Android 11 update

By
Balaji S
-

We have praised Samsung enough for its swift Android 11 update rollout plan. It has already rolled out the updates to several tablets, flagship, and mid-range devices. Now, the Galaxy A60, which launched in China back in April 2019, is getting the Android 11 update.

Samsung Galaxy A60

The Samsung Galaxy A60 is getting a new update with firmware version A6060ZCU3CUD3. This brings the Android 11 and March 2021 security patch to the device.

If you recall, the Samsung Galaxy A60 launched with Android 9 Pie OS out of the box. This makes it the second major Android upgrade for the device. We aren’t sure if it would get another major Andriod upgrade but we can expect Quarterly security patches for another two years.

Coming back, as the Sammobile report says, we aren’t sure if the underlying UI is One UI 3.0 or 3.1. The update hasn’t yet reflected on the Samsung official updates page too. That said, the Android 11 update will bring features as auto permissions reset, chat bubbles, conversations section in the notifications area, one-time permissions, and more.

Since the device is moving up from older One UI on Android 10 to the latest version, expect few UI changes like improving stock apps, more dynamic lock screen and AOD widgets, improvements to Digital Wellbeing, and more.

If you are someone living in China and holding a Galaxy A60, you can navigate to Settings > Software update > Download and install and try out the new update. 

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Purported OPPO Reno6 5G specifications leak reveals 90Hz display, Dimensity 1200 chip, 64MP quad cameras

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Last year in June, OPPO unveiled the Reno3 series of smartphones. It is speculated that the Chinese manufacturer may unleash the Reno6 series of smartphones around the same time this year. Rumors have it that the Reno6 5G could be OPPO’s first phone powered by the Dimensity 1200. Today, the well-known leakster Digital Chat Station shared key specifications of a mysterious phone with a Dimensity 1200 chip. It appears that the tipster may have spilled the specs of the Reno6 5G.

OPPO Reno6 5G specifications (Rumored)

The leak reveals that the purported OPPO Reno6 5G may sport a 6.55-inch AMOLED screen with curved edges and upper-left corner positioned punch-hole cut-out. The handset is expected to offer a 1080 x 2400 pixels FHD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate.

For snapping selfies, the Reno6 5G may continue to feature a 32-megapixel like a predecessor Reno5 5G. The back panel of the phone could be equipped with a 64-megapixel quad-camera system. The tipster did not reveal the configurations of the auxiliary cameras of the device. The Reno6 5G may house a 4,500mAh battery, which may carry support for 65W rapid charging.

Oppo Reno5 5G
Oppo Reno5 5G

The leak has no information on the RAM and storage versions of the alleged Reno6 5G. Like the predecessor model, the Reno6 6G may arrive with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of storage.

OPPO is likely to launch two other phones named the Reno6 Pro 5G and Reno6 Pro+ 5G along with the Reno6 5G. The Pro model may arrive with Snapdragon 870, whereas the Pro+ could be a flagship phone driven by the Snapdragon 888 chip.

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Google Podcasts is the first podcast app to reach over 100 million downloads on Play Store

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Google Podcasts is one of the many free services offered by Google. It debuted as an Android application in June 2018. Nearly three years after its launch, the app has achieved a huge milestone that other podcast app developers could have ever dreamt of.

Google Podcasts Logo Featured

Back in November 2020, the Google Podcasts Android app became the first podcasts app to hit 50 million installs on the Play Store. Now, only about five months later, this number has doubled.

As a result, Google Podcasts has become the first-ever podcast app to reach over 100 million downloads on the Play Store. For comparison, most other popular podcast apps are only around 10 million+ to 1 milllion+ mark.  It is worth noting that we are only talking about standalone dedicated podcast apps.

Almost a year after the release of the Google Podcasts Android app, a web version of the service was announced at Google I/O 2019. At the end of that year, the Android application was not only uplifted with the material theme but also got dark mode.

The Google Podcasts now even has an iOS app, which was released in March 2020. In other words, Google’s free-to-use podcast service is available on all the popular platforms.

 

 

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Redmi Note 10 Pro (Max) get Unofficial LineageOS 18.1 Custom ROM

By
Balaji S
-

Xiaomi Redmi Note series of devices are popular in most of the markets they get released. A recent example would be the 500 Crore INR($68 million)sales of the Redmi Note 10 series in India within two weeks. Similarly, the Note devices are also popular in the custom ROM development community. Accordingly, the LineageOS 18.1 (Unofficial) custom ROM is now available for the Redmi Note 10 Pro / Pro Max devices.

Redmi Note 10 Pro (Max) Featured 01

Xiaomi generally helps developers by releasing the kernel source code of its device as soon as it gets launched. Similarly, it did for the Redmi Note 10 Pro series last month and as a result, we now have the LineageOS 18.1 for Redmi Note 10 Pro and Note 10 Pro Max.

It’s worth noting that LineageOS 18.1 recently went official but the ROM build for the Redmi Note 10 Pro / Pro Max is currently unofficial. This means, the builds are initial and aren’t maintained by someone from the official ROM development team.

However, the ROM is open-source and some of the other developers are bound to take advantage of it and support devices unofficially. Anyway, the LineageOS 18.1 based on Android 11 builds for both Redmi Note 10 Pro and Note 10 Pro Max seem to be working fine except for a few bugs.

All the essentials like the boot, Wi-Fi, Calls, SMS, Mobile Data, VoWifi, Camera, Audio, and others are working as per XDA Senior Member grewal09. However, the build seems to have issues in double-tap to wake and SELinux is set to permissive so keep that in mind.

As we have reported in the kernel source article, the devices have similar specs, so the custom ROM build is unified for both the Global and Indian versions. Therefore, you will have to flash the respective firmware and vendor of your regions(eg. EEA/ India) to avoid fatal problems.

You can refer to the XDA community forum post to find the detailed instructions for flashing the custom ROM.

 

 

The Redmi Note 10 Pro / Max runs Android 11 OS out of the box but they don’t have the latest MIUI 12.5. However, they are present on Xiaomi’s official list of eligible devices scheduled to get the update.

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Anker announces a webcam with three fields of view and a new conference speaker

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Anker, the brand known for its phone accessories and audio products such as power banks, chargers, cables, earphones, and speakers, has announced a new webcam and speaker for work under its AnkerWork line.

AnkerWork PowerConf C300

AnkerWork PowerConf C300 Webcam

The Anker PowerConf C300 is a 1080p webcam with three fields of view. The default is 78° for closeups but can also switch to 90° for a wider view of the person or to 115° when there is more than one person or you are going to be presenting with a whiteboard.

Anker says that the webcam has a built-in AI chipset that keeps you or others in frame (front and center). It also has an autofocus mode that kicks in in just 0.35 seconds. There are two noise-canceling microphones that remove background noise and low-light correction that allows you to be seen clearly in the dark or backlit conditions. Anker has also added a privacy shutter.

The PowerConf C300 is priced at $129.99 in the US, €129.99 in Europe, and £119.00 in the UK. Interested buyers can grab it on Anker’s own site or on Amazon where it will be available on April 24.

 

AnkerWork PowerConf S500 Conference Speaker

Anker is known for its quality Bluetooth speakers, so its professional speakers for work should have the same quality. The PowerConf S500 is its third professional speaker and it brings a new design and new features.

AnkerWork PowerConf S500 featured

The new speaker has four upgraded noise-reducing microphones and 360° voice pickup. It has a 1.75-inch 10-watt custom-designed speaker that makes it ideal for conference calls. There is a companion app that allows you to customize the usage scenarios. Anker says you can also pair two speakers together for larger conference rooms. The built-in 6700mAh battery provides 16 hours of talk time.

The price and availability of the speaker will be revealed at a later date.

 

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Sony Xperia 10 III announced with OLED display, IP65/68 rating, 5G, & more

By
Balaji S
-

Sony unveiled the Xperia 1 III and 5 III flagship devices today. Along with it, the company also announced the mid-range Xperia 10 III smartphone. This device, which gets a big upgrade with 5G support, has an OLED display, 4,500mAh battery, and more. Let’s take a look at its specifications and features.

Sony Xperia 10 III All Colors

Sony Xperia 10 III Specifications and Features

At least from the looks, the Sony Xperia 10 III looks more like its predecessor. However, we have a lot of changes on the inside. Most important of all, Sony has brought the 5G connectivity to the mid-range Xperia lineup with Xperia 10 III as reported earlier.

The Sony Xperia 10 III features a 6-inch wide FHD+ OLED HDR display. This display has a 21:9 aspect ratio, 2520×1080 pixel resolution, 60Hz refresh, and 120Hz touch sampling rate, 97% DCI-P3 color gamut, 10-bit tonal gradation, and Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection.

Under the hood, it has Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G chipset. This is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. If you need to expand the storage, you can do it via the microSD card up to 1TB.

For optics, we have a Triple-camera setup on the back with a 12MP f/1.8 main lens, 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens, and an 8MP f/2.4 Telephoto sensor. Upfront, there is an 8MP f/2.0 selfie shooter with a 78-degree FOV.

Other specs include a 4,500mAh battery, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, IP65/IP68 rating, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, -GPS, A-GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, sub6 5G.

Sony has also packed audio features like a 3.5mm audio jack with LDAC and Hi-Res audio support, Hi-Res Audio wireless, DSEE Ultimate, Stereo Recording, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD audio. Finally, the Xperia 10 III measures 154x68x8.3mm. weighs 169g, and comes in White, Black, Pink, and Blue colors.

Sony Xperia 10 III Price, Availability

Along with Xperia 10 III, Sony also revealed official protective cases for the device. Just like the device, the cases also come in White, Black, Pink, and Blue options. That said, the company hasn’t revealed the price of the device or the cases yet.

As for availability, Sony says the device would be available in “Early summer” which could be in a couple of months from now. Do stay tuned to our channels to know the exact pricing and availability details as they come out.

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OPPO A5 2020, OPPO A9 2020 ColorOS 11 (Android 11) Beta registrations go live

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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After announcing the ColorOS 11 April update plan, OPPO has started recruiting beta testers for the listed phones. The latest devices to join the program as per the schedule are OPPO A5 2020 and OPPO A9 2020 respectively.

OPPO A5 2020 Featured
OPPO A5 2020

A few hours ago, we reported that OPPO had opened ColorOS 11 Beta registrations for the OPPO Reno Z and the OPPO A73 5G ahead of schedule. But that’s not the case with OPPO A5 2020 and OPPO A9 2020. The registrations for these two smartphones have begun right on time.

According to the official announcement posts on ColorOS Community, users should be on firmware version C.74/C.75 to enroll in the program. Also, the initiative is limited to India and Indonesia only.

In order to register, interested users need to navigate to Settings > Software Update > Gear Icon > Apply for Beta Version > Update Beta Version and follow on-screen instructions. The ColorOS 11 Beta registrations for these handsets will remain open till April 21 for the first batch.

OPPO A9 2020 Featured
OPPO A9 2020

Both the OPPO A5 2020 and the OPPO A9 2020 launched with ColorOS 6.1 based on Android 9.0 Pie. The devices were updated to Android 10-based ColorOS 7.x last year.

Hence, ColorOS 11 (Android 11) should be the last major system update for these smartphones, as per OPPO’s update track record.

 

 

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Apple 2023 iPhone to feature Under Display Face ID: Kuo

By
Sean
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Apple is apparently planning on adopting new display technology for its 2023 iPhone lineup. As per a new report, the company will be including Under Display Face ID systems starting from its future iPhone lineup.

Apple
Image Via MacRumors

According to a MacRumors report, known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that the upcoming iPhone 2023 lineup will feature the new technology, which will remove the need for the notch on the company’s smartphones. Kuo states that the new under display Face ID systems will debut along with a new periscopic telephoto lens in 2023. The analyst believes that the Cupertino based giant will abandon the notch design for a punch hold design for at least some of its 2022 iPhone lineup.

The Face ID first made an appearance with the iPhone X, with the notch primarily serving its purpose to house the TrueDepth camera system. Notably, we had reported on the company also launching its iPhone 14 with a 48 megapixel camera sensor. Now, Kuo states that the at least one of the high end iPhone model in 2023 will house an under display fingerprint sensor with no notch and a full front screen body. However, the analyst did not mention whether or not both an under display Face ID and Touch ID will be offered in a single device, or if the features will be exclusive to the higher end models.

Apple

For those unaware, the company has been rumored to adopt the under display fingerprint scanner for a while now. Although, this might be one of the first mentions of the iPhone maker offering an under display facial recognition system. From a technological standpoint, it would require more advanced systems to make the an under display Face ID, considering TrueDepth camera system must be able to read and recognize faces through pixels on the display without any distortion.

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Vivo overtakes OPPO to become largest Smartphone brand in China for the first time

By
Balaji S
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After recovering from the COVID-19 dip, the China Smartphone market is on the rise. The latest report by Counterpoint shows that Vivo has overhauled OPPO to become the largest smartphone brand in China.

smartphones
Representative image: Pile of Smartphones

Earlier in March, a similar report showed that OPPO became the No.1 Smartphone brand for the first time in January 2021. Now, Vivo has taken its turn to jump ahead of OPPO thanks to budget Vivo Y and S models.

That is, as of March 28, 2021(Week 13), Vivo holds the top spot with a market share of 24% as opposed to OPPO‘s 21% and Huawei‘s 15%. Comparing with the last report, we can see that Vivo has nearly grown its market share by 4% since January.

Do note that here Vivo also includes its sub-brand iQOO while OPPO’s share doesn’t include realme and OnePlus. Similarly, the share of Huawei, which led the smartphone market in 2021, doesn’t include its ex-sister HONOR.

Credit: Counterpoint Research

Huawei’s rivals have been seeking to steal the legend’s lost market share for a while and it is clearly evident in the latest report. Anyway, the report says that 76% of Vivo’s sales in February 2021 accounts 5G portfolio.

This is a significant bump up from 0.5% in 2019 when it started churning out 5G devices like Vivo Nex 3. Also, Vivo is said to be positioning its product lineup very well with NEX, X, S, Y series. The first two are flagship with camera upgrades(like ZEISS tie-up) while the latter two are more affordable devices.

Not to mention the iQOO has been on a ride with more focus on the online market. OPPO, on the other hand, has flagship Reno and mid-range A devices. Let’s wait and see if Vivo is able to hold the spot with more to come in the next Quarter.

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TCL OLED TVs might finally make the technology be more affordable

By
Sean
-

TCL has recently announced that it will officially start making OLED TVs. These TVs will be launched sometime in 2023 and would mark the company’s arrival in the premium segment of TVs. But, this might be good news as it could also have the technology finally becoming affordable.

TCL P725 Series 4K HDR smart TV FeaturedTCL P725 Series 4K HDR smart TV Featured

For those unaware, OLED is a rather expensive when compared to traditional LCD televisions. This is the case despite production for the screen type ramping up in recent years, with more and more manufacturers adopting the technology. Generally, when production picks up and adoption rates rise, the prices gradually drop but that did not affect the prices of OLEDs by a large margin, but now, TCL’s method of making the OLED panels might be significantly cheaper, as per a TechRadar report.

Furthermore, these savings would lead to overall lower RRPs when these TVs eventually launch. This alternative method of OLED production is by using inkjet printed panels (IJP), this effectively ‘prints’ OLED panels between panes of glass, instead of traditional ‘white OLED’ (WOLED) panels found in today’s OLED televisions, which require a more intensive production process that leads to a higher cost.

TCL Class 4-Series 4K Android TV Featured

It was previously estimated that the move to inkjet printing could see the production cost of OLED to fall by about 15 to 25 percent. This, in turn, implies that the launch price of OLED TV prices to drop from around 1,200 US Dollars to about 1,000 US Dollars. Additionally, the shift could also lead to more competition in the market, with more rivals for the current market leader LG Display.

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iQOO 7 gets an 8GB + 256GB variant in China ahead of India launch

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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Back in January, iQOO launched the iQOO 7 in China. At that time, the company only debuted two storage variants. Now, three months after the phone’s announcement, the brand has introduced a third storage configuration, which sits between the first two.

iQOO 7 Blackland Featured
iQOO 7

Chinese smartphone maker iQOO has launched a new 8GB + 256GB variant of iQOO 7 in its home country. The new version of the handset is priced at ¥3,898 ($597) and is already up for pre-order. Customers who pre-order this variant will get a pair of vivo XE710 earphones for free.

Unfortunately, this storage configuration only comes in standard Latent Blue and Blackland color options like the base 8GB + 128GB valiant that costs ¥3,798 ($581). Anyway, just spending ¥100 more, customers can now get double the storage.

On the other hand, customers interested in the iQOO 7 Legend BMW M Motorsport Edition will have to spend ¥4,198 ($643). Because it only comes in 12GB + 256GB storage configuration.

The new variant of iQOO7 gets released in China before the smartphone’s India launch. It is worth noting that the Indian version of this phone is being teased to cheaper than in China. But it will only support 66W fast charging instead of 120W.

 

 

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