Advertisement

ZTE Axon 30 Ultra full specifications revealed before launch

The ZTE Axon 30 Ultra will be made official tomorrow in China along with the Axon 30 and Axon 30 Pro smartphones. Ahead of the launch, the Chinese brand has confirmed the entire specs of the Axon 30 Ultra.

ZTE Axon 30 Ultra specifications and features

The Axon 30 Ultra has a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen that produces a 144Hz refresh rate. The official renders of the phone have revealed that it will be sporting a punch-hole display. For security, it features an in-screen fingerprint treader.

The handset will come preloaded with MyOS 11 based Android 11 OS. The Snapdragon 888 mobile platform will be fuelling the device with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. Past reports have suggested that it could be available with up to 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.

Axon 30 Ultra
Axon 30 Ultra

The Axon 30 Ultra is packed with a 4,600mAh battery that supports 66W rapid charging. According to ZTE, it takes only 15 minutes for the smartphone to gain 50 precent battery power from the scratch. For heat dissipation, the smartphone features triple ice-sealed vapor chamber liquid cooling. On the connectivity front, the Axon 30 Ultra offers users options like dual-band GPS, NFC, Wi-Fi 6E, and triple microphones.

The rear-mounted camera system of the Axon 30 Ultra has a 64-megapixel main camera, a 64-megapixel superwide lens, a 64-megapixel portrait sensor, and an 8-megapixel periscope telephoto shooter. The company recently confirmed that the smartphone will offer a photography feature called the ‘Super Moon Ultra’ for capturing shots of stars and the moon. The device has a thickness of only 8.1mm and weighs 180 grams. At present, there is no word on the pricing of the device.

RELATED:

Huawei to invest $1 billion to develop EV and Self-Driving technology

Huawei is going through very rough times as the United States has imposed several sanctions on the company, restricting the Chinese giant in various businesses. It shut down its high-end chip production and is also losing marketing share in the smartphone business.

While its telecom and mobile business is suffering, the company is moving ahead to establish itself in the next major thing — Electric Vehicles and Self-Driving Technology. In line with this, Huawei will invest about $1 billion for the development of such technologies under its brand, reports Bloomberg.

Huawei Logo MWC 2019

Huawei is now aiming to take on the likes of Tesla and Xiaomi, among others with its own self-driving car technology. The company has already clarified that it has no plans to make its own car but will supply its tech to carmakers.

It has already partnered with three automakers — BAIC Group, Chongqing Changan Automobile Co, and Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Eric Xu, the rotating chairman of Huawei also revealed that the cars launched will carry the Huawei name as a sub-brand.

Huawei’s autonomous-driving technology has already surpassed Tesla’s in some aspects of technology. For instance, the company’s cars have cruised for more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) without human intervention.

Commenting on this, Eric Xu said: “The smart car business unit receives one of the heaviest investments from Huawei. We will invest more than $1 billion in car component development this year. China adds 30 million cars each year and the number is growing. Even if we don’t tap the market outside of China, if we can earn an average of 10,000 yuan from each car sold in China, that’s already a very big business for Huawei.”

Huawei has already launched smart car connectivity products and the company’s info and entertainment technology can already be found in Mercedes-Benz sedans. It has also teamed up with companies like BAIC BluePark New Energy Technology Co. to develop smart car systems and the first model under the partnership — the Arcfox αS HBT will be unveiled at Auto Shanghai in April.

Apart from Huawei, other tech giants like Apple and Xiaomi are also targeting the automobile industry as companies race to make vehicles more environment-friendly, autonomous, and connected goes on. According to the report from Canalys, EV sales in China may climb more than 50 percent this year alone.

RELATED: 

Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III with variable telephoto lenses Official!

Japanese electronics giant Sony has released two premium offerings in the smartphone market, with the launch of the Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III smartphones, expected to begin shipping to US customers in the summer of 2021. The two smartphones are powered by the Snapdragon 888 5G chipset and offer loads of innovative and exciting features from their predecessors, the Xperia 1 II and Xperia 5 II, respectively.Sony-Xperia-1-III-and-Xperia-5-III

Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III Specs & Features

The two latest Sony smartphones will run on Android 11 and come in two color variants: frosted black and frosted purple for the Xperia 1 III, black and green for the Xperia 5 III. Both models reflect Sony’s great design philosophy that always puts its products up at the top in quality, innovation, and durability. The smartphones feature a 21:9 screen, uniform bezels, exquisite metal frames, and glass backs.Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III

Sony has drawn from its rich repertoire of technologies available in its wide array of products from TVs, professional cameras, and audio devices to incorporate such into the two high-end smartphones available to the US market in the summer of 2021.Sony Xperia 1 II

A two-step physical shutter button, available in both models, will be attractive to photography fans who will have a feel of using a conventional Sony professional camera. The picture and video quality of the two smartphones are top-notch, and the attached variable telephoto lens allows users to provide automatic focus in up to four focal lengths.

Both the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III have a fast display refresh rate of 120Hz. Both adorn innovative audio and video features that provide high definition quality from the HDR OLED display greater color accuracy.Sony Xperia 1 III

The two products are also well-suited as a gaming phone, with a 240Hz touch sampling rate, motion blur reduction, heat suppression technology, and an ability to bypass the battery when playing games and charging the phone.Sony Xperia 1 III

The Xperia 1 III has 12GB RAM with 256GB internal memory, while the Xperia 5 III comes in an 8GB RAM together with either 128GB or 256GB internal memory. They both have a 4500mAh battery with a 30W fast charger as an accessory.Sony-Xperia-1-III-and-Xperia-5-III

Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III Pricing and Availability

The prices of both the Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III were yet to be released, and we would expect that the prices would be on the high end of the spectrum.

RELATED;

 

Apple iPhone 14 to feature 48MP camera, iPhone mini series to be discontinued: Kuo

A new report has just surfaced that has revealed interesting details regarding the 2022 Apple iPhone lineup. Reportedly, the iPhone 14 will arrive with a 48 megapixel image sensor, while the mini series from the company will be discontinued.

Apple iPhone 12 All Colors Featured

According to an AppleInsider report, known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has just predicted that the next gen high end iPhone 14 models from the company will apparently arrive with a 1/1.3 inch 48MP CMOS image sensor for the wide angle camera module. Since this is a 48 megapixel sensor, the Cupertino based giant could also have the device support hybrid operating modes and even pixel binning to maximize pixel size and improve the the sensors’ light gathering capabilities.

Kuo noted that “We believe that the new 2H22 iPhone may support direct 48MP output and 12MP (four cells merge output mode) output simultaneously. With 12MP output, the CIS pixel size of the new 2H22 iPhone increases to about 2.5um, which is significantly larger than the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, and larger than existing Android phones, and close to the DSC level.” Furthermore, the Pixel size is a native 48 megapixel resolutions and is around 1.25um.

Apple iPhone 12

In comparison, the iPhone 12’s pixel is 1.7um, while the iPhone 13’s pixel is rumored to be around a 2um. Owing to the high resolution, Kuo notes that we might soon see smartphones capable of recording 8K videos soon. This will mark a significant shift from 4K recordings from current gen. Although, the frame rates for the capture were not mentioned in the report, so stay tuned for more updates. Lastly, the analyst also added that the company will discontinue the iPhone mini lineup in 2022, and offer only 6.1 inch and 6.7 inch base and Pro variants.

RELATED:

 

Micromax IN Note 1 Android 11 Early Access program announced

Micromax launched the IN Note 1 in November as one of the first two phones under its new IN series. Despite releasing in late 2020, the handset debuted with Android 10 out of the box. A few months later, the company revealed that it will be delivering the Android 11 update in April. As promised, the firm has now announced the Android 11 Early Access program for Micromax IN Note 1.

Micromax IN Note 1 Android 11 Early Access

Whenever an OEM opens registrations for beta programs, they ask users to register via forms. However, Micromax is not following the industry standard.

In an official announcement post on Micromax forums, the company vaguely requests interested users to share their unit’s IMEI numbers (both SIM 1 and SIM 2) and software version via private message.

We are not sure where Micromax is asking to share the sensitive data. Maybe this information needs to be shared via the company’s official social handles.

Anyway, if you are a Micromax IN Note 1 user and want to try Android 11 before most users, then send the requested details to the company by April 18.

That said, we expect the Android 11 stable update to arrive at least a month after the release of the Early Access build.

 

 

RELATED:

 

Taiwan says Chip firms will comply with new US rules that blacklists Chinese companies

Earlier today (14th April 2021), Taiwan said that its chip based firms will comply with the new US regulations, which had Washington add seven Chinese companies into its economic blacklist.

Taiwan

According to a Reuters report, these companies include China based supercomputing firms, which the US Commerce Department said were “involved with building supercomputers used by China’s military actors, its destabilizing military modernization efforts, and/or weapons of mass destruction programs.” For those unaware, blacklisted companies or other firms on the list are required to apply for licenses from the Commerce Department and face strict scrutiny when they seek permissions to receive items from suppliers based in the US.

At the moment, Taiwan is a major supplier of semiconductors for various industries across the globe. Now, Taiwanese Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua stated that the local chip firms will follow US rules and regulations, saying that “Our companies, whether producers or exporters, must accord with our country’s rules. Of course the United States has new rules, and our companies will pay attention and accord with the key criteria of the U.S. rules.”

Taiwan

Notably, the addition of the seven new firms into the blacklist arrives amid rising frictions between China over Taiwan. Furthermore, the tensions are also high amid the global shortage of semiconductors that has affected various industries around the world and disrupted supply chains globally. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available regarding this matter or any other important developments.

RELATED:

 

Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 75-inch confirmed to launch in India on April 23

Yesterday, Xiaomi teased a new Mi TV in India and we speculated that it could be the Mi TV Q1 75-inch from Europe. Today, the company has confirmed that the Mi QLED TV 75-inch is launching in India on April 23.

Xiaomi made the Mi QLED TV 75-inch launch announcement via a Twitter post. A microsite page has also gone live on the Xiaomi India website and the teaser images further show that it’s the MI TV Q1 from Europe.

That said, this TV would be the second QLED TV for Xiaomi in India. In December 2020, Xiaomi officially brought its first QLED TV to the country but the variant had a 55-inch display size.

Anyway, Xiaomi isn’t limiting the launch of the Mi QLED TV 75-inch on April 23. We already know that the company is bringing its top-of-the-line premium Mi 11 Ultra flagship, and the Mi 11X series as well. Looks like the event will be one of the biggest ever for Xiaomi India.

Mi QLED TV 75-inch Specifications (Expected)

Mi TV Q1 75-inch Europe

If Xiaomi doesn’t make any India-specific changes, the Mi QLED TV 75-inch should have a 75-inch QLED 4K display panel that covers 100% NTSC color gamut, has up to 1.07 billion colors and 1,024 different color shades.

The display will likely have 178° viewing angle, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 120Hz refresh rate with MEMC, HDR10+ certification and comes with support for Dolby Vision®️.

We can expect other features like HDMI 2.1 ports, ALLM, 360-degree Bluetooth remote, 30W speakers with Dolby AudioTM and DTS-HD,  Android 10 TV OS, Google Assistant/Alexa voice assistant support, and has pre-installed Popular apps including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube.

RELATED:

Tesla locally stores data collected from cars in China: Executive

The data collected in China from electric cars made by Tesla are stored within the country, as per a company executive. This statement arrives after the Chinese military banned the company’s cars from entering its facilities.

Tesla Logo

According to a Reuters report, the vice president of the company issued the statement after it faced a ban from the Chinese military. For those unaware, the known electric vehicle maker is facing scrutiny in the region in terms of security and data collection. Previously, we had reported that the cars made by the company do not have cameras enabled by default outside of North America. This statement was made due to the brand being accused of being a security risk in the country.

Now, Tao Lin stated that “Tesla as a company with operations in China must abide China’s laws and regulations. Our data is very well protected. Chinese data is stored in China.” The senior official further added that the company would even share its understanding of data protection with the Chinese government. This even prompted the Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk to say that his company would be shut down if the cars were to spy.

Tesla Model S

At the moment, Tesla is building its electric Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport utility vehicles in Shanghai. Meanwhile, China is the largest electric vehicle market in the world. Thus, it would make sense that the company would likely comply with the strict regulations that are imposed in the region. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

RELATED:

 

OPPO Reno Z and OPPO A73 5G get ColorOS 11 (Android 11) Beta update

OPPO has been rolling out Android 11-based ColorOS 11 update to eligible devices since September. The latest smartphones to get beta builds are OPPO Reno Z and OPPO A73 5G. interested users of these handsets can enroll themselves for the beta program to experience the new version of OPPO’s mobile operating system.

OPPO Reno Z Featured
OPPO Reno Z

A few days back. OPPO announced the ColorOS 11 update rollout plan for April 2021. According to the timeline, the OPPO Reno Z and the OPPO A73 5G were supposed to get ColorOS 11 Beta on April 13 and April 14 respectively.

However, the company had started recruiting testers ahead of the schedule on April 12. As per the official announcement posts on ColorOS Community, the registrations for the first batch will remain open till April 19.

As far as eligibility is concerned, interested users need to be running firmware version C.35 on OPPO Reno Z and A.13/A.15 on OPPO A73 5G. Also, the beta program is only live in Saudi Arabia and UAE for the former phone. Whereas, the initiative is also available in Australia for the latter handset, in addition to Saudi Arabia and UAE.

OPPO A73 5G Featured
OPPO A73 5G

That said, in order to register, users will have to navigate to Settings > Software Update > Gear Icon > Apply for Beta Version > Update Beta Version and follow the on-screen instructions.

The OPPO Reno Z debuted with ColorOS 6.x based on Android 9.0 Pie. It was later updated to Android 10 (ColorOS 7.x) last year. Hence, ColorOS 11 (Android 11) should be the last major update for this phone.

On the other hand, the OPO A73 5G launched with Android 10-based ColorOS 7.2. The latest ColorOS 11 is its first major update. Therefore, it may receive ColorOS 12 (Android 12), as per OPPO’s update track record.

 

 

RELATED:

 

Huawei seeks to bring HarmonyOS to 300 million devices in this year

HarmonyOS is the proprietary operating system from Huawei, which the company has heavily invested into for its development. Now, the brand is aiming on bringing its in house OS to about 300 million devices within this year.

Huawei

According to a CNTechPost report, the Chinese tech giant is currently working on improving its hardware and software capabilities, and is seeking to bring HarmonyOS to 100 million additional devices within this year, as per Xu Zhijun, vice chairman of Huawei. Previously, another executive had revealed that the consumer electronics maker had partnered with 20 hardware vendors and 280 application software developing companies that would use its new operating system.

Now, Wang Chenglu, president of Huawei’s consumer business software division, has announced that the company’s conservative target for the number of HarmonyOS equipped devices this year is 300 million units. Some of its partners that will help it reach this goal include brands like Midea and Joyoung. Out of the 300 million units, 100 million devices would arrive with the new OS out of the box. Meaning, the company would be launching various new products that will ship the OS rather than later being upgraded to it.

Huawei

For those unaware, HarmonyOS is a software built with cross platform integration in mind. In other words, the software is built to unify different devices and is not limited to just smartphones and TVs. The company aims to have it be universal for its product. Unfortunately, the vendor has yet to officially reveal a detailed release roadmap, although, the company has launched Beta versions of the OS for certain smartphone models.

RELATED:

 

OnePlus 9 and 9R now available for purchase in India via Amazon

The entire OnePlus 9 series is finally available in India as of today (14th April 2021). The company has just launched the base flagship model along with the slightly cheaper 9R variant as well, which will be available for purchase on Amazon.

OnePlus

Back in March 23, the Chinese tech giant had first launched the higher end Pro variant, which went on sale in the region from March 31. The other two variants arrives soon after and are now finally going on sale in India through Amazon, but will only be available for Prime users as a form of an early access sale. The official open sale for all customers will begin tomorrow (15th April 2021). The devices are also arriving with bank offers for SBI card users that offers some additional discount.

The OnePlus 9 starts from 49,999 INR (roughly 665 US Dollars) for the 8GB + 128GB variant, and goes up to 54,999 INR (roughly 731 US Dollars) for the 12GB + 256GB variant. It is available in multiple color variants, including Winter Mist, Arctic Sky and Astral Black. For those unaware, the device is the company’s latest flagship and arrives with top notch specs like the Snapdragon 888 SoC, paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage as well. It is powered by a large 4,500mAh battery pack and supports 65W fast charging.

OnePlus 9R Lake Blue Featured

Arriving at the OnePlus 9R, the device starts in India for a price of 39,999 INR (roughly 532 US Dollars) for the 8GB + 128GB version, and 43,999 INR (roughly 585 US Dollars) for the 12GB + 256GB variant. The smartphone is available in a Carbon Black and Lake Blue colour options. Unlike the base and Pro variant, the 9R sports a Snapdragon 870 SoC and aims to be a relatively affordable gaming flagship handset. Although, it still houses LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

RELATED:

 

OnePlus Nord N10 5G gets March 2021 security patches via OxygenOS 10.5.11/10.5.12 update

The OnePlus Nord N10 5G is the brand’s most affordable 5G smartphone to date. The device debuted with OxygenOS 10.5 based on Android 10 and it is yet to receive OxygenOS 11 (Android 11). However, the company has been delivering maintenance updates to this phone since its launch. It has now started receiving March 2021 security update.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G Featrued 02

OnePlus is rolling out a new system update for the OnePlus Nord N10 5G. This update comes almost two months after the last update that brought Ferbruary 2021 security patches.

The latest build comes with the following build numbers for different regions.

  • EU: 10.5.11.BE89BA
  • GLO: 10.5.12.BE86AA​

According to the official changelog, the update brings March 2021 security patches and certain improvements as well as fixes. This release is said to bring improvements for system power consumption, WiFi performance, and 5G network stability. Lastly, it also fixes some known issues and improves system stability.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G OxygenOS 10.5.11 / 10.5.12 Official Changelog

  • System
    • Improved power consumption of the system
    • Fixed known issues and improved system stability
    • Updated Android security patch to 2021.03
  • Network
    • Improved the performance and stability of Wi-Fi transfer
    • Improved the stability of communication and 5G network

The new OxygenOS stable update for the OnePlus Nord N10 5G is being seeded out in batches. Therefore, the build may take some time to reach every unit out there.

 

 

RELATED:

 

Logitech VOICE M380 wireless mouse with voice input support launched in China

Voice input has become a commonly used feature for an increasing number of mobile phone users, thanks to the rapid development of voice recognition technology. The reduction of the voice recognition error rate has brought powerful assistance for users to free their hands. The voice input method isn’t as sophisticated on PCs compared to mobile phones. However, Chinese accessories maker Logitech has launched its first wireless mouse with voice input capability dubbed Logitech VOICE M380 wireless mouse. Logitech

The VOICE M380 looks just like the ordinary wireless mouse but there is a dedicated button that prompts the voice input. The M380 adopts a soft curve shape that provides support for the user’s hand, ensuring that the user doesn’t feel fatigued easily even after working for a long time. It also supports multi-language translation.

The VOICE M380 wireless mouse combines Baidu’s voice input technology and only needs to click the mouse button to complete input and translation in multiple languages. The mouse currently supports seven languages ​​including Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, and Thai.

In addition, the mouse dictates about 400 words per minute, with an accuracy rate of about 98%. It supports Chinese, English, and Japanese dictation to help users complete tasks efficiently.

For seamless connectivity, the Logitech VOICE M380 supports online and offline connectivity. In the online mode, the voice can be recognized more accurately, and when the network is unstable, it can also be switched to the offline convergence mode.

The mouse uses Logitech’s advanced optical tracking technology to enable it to move accurately on most surfaces. At the same time, it is equipped with Logitech’s unique Unifying wireless connection technology, so that it can be connected stably within 10 meters. The mouse is powered by a single AA battery and Logitech touts it to last for 18 months. When not in use, it automatically enters the dormant state.

Logitech M380 wireless mouse is available in three colors: Graphite Black, Space Silver, and Pink. The mouse also carries an affordable price tag of 199 yuan (~$30).

RELATED;

 

(via)

 

 

Clubhouse Android version may be released by May, co-founder hints

There are strong indications that the audio chat app Clubhouse could soon unveil its Android version, thus opening access to millions of potential app users. Currently, the top-rated audio app is only available for iOS. ClubhouseClubhouse co-founder Paul Davidson had hinted in February that the company was in an advanced state of development. This has been further confirmed today with an interview conducted by CNBC and New York Times. Davidson and his co-interviewee, Microsoft’s Bill Gates discussed a raft of issues that veered into an ongoing Android version development of the Clubhouse app.

Further indication that the Android version of the fast-rising app is really on the track came from a couple of tweets from an app developer at Clubhouse, Mopewa Ogundipe, who gave a teaser on the incoming Android version, and Morgan Evetts, who projects that the actual launch of the Android app could be as early as May 2021.

Clubhouse app has had a massive hit since its release on iOS. Davidson has hinted that the Android version’s development is a top priority, as the company pursues a scaling of its growth numbers and ultimately revenue through app expansion. Indeed, the growth of Clubhouse globally has been phenomenal. Several brands within and outside China launch their alternative versions of the audio chat platform, including Twitter and ByteDance, owner of popular video-sharing social networking site TikTok.

It is not known why Clubhouse had delayed this long before making plans to launch an Android version of the app since its iOS unveiling. Twitter is developing a similar app called spaces, compatible with both iOS devices and Android.

RELATED;

 

 

Samsung announces Galaxy Unpacked event for April 28 to launch “the most powerful Galaxy” device

Samsung, the world’s leading smartphone maker, has announced a new “Galaxy Unpacked” event for 28th April. Teasing the device, the company reveals that it is the “most powerful Galaxy” but the actual device remains unknown.

The event will be live-streamed on the official Samsung website at 10:00 AM EST which is around 7:30 PM IST. This will be the company’s third ‘Unpacked’ event this year after it hosted one in January for the Galaxy S21 lineup and another in March for the launch of Galaxy A-series smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked April 28, 2021

The company has already launched the Galaxy S-series flagship lineup and the Galaxy Note series usually launches in the month of August. Thus, the device getting launched at this event could be a laptop.

Previous reports indicate that the South Korean giant has plans of launching a new Galaxy laptop, including Chromebooks. So, the upcoming event could be related to that. Going by the tagline of the event, the launch of mid-range smartphones seems unlikely.

Samsung is also expected to launch new foldable smartphones but reports indicate that the devices could launch in the summer. The company’s rumored new laptops — possibly the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 — could come with 5G connectivity, OLED screens, S-Pen support, and other high-end specifications.

On the other hand, Apple is also holding a launch event on 20th April, titled “Spring Loaded” where the company is expected to launch its new iPad Pro models. The company could also tease some of its Mac devices that are slated to launch later this year.

RELATED: 

‘Heads Up’ mode now rolling out on the Digital Wellbeing app in some devices

Google has added a new feature in the Digital Wellbeing app to help users pay greater attention to their environment while outside and operating their phones. The Heads Up feature has now rolled out among some selected devices and users who had already registered for the Beta program on the app. The new feature can help safeguard the user from potential hazards that may not be noticed because you are engrossed with your phone.Digital Wellbeing app

The new Heads Up feature needs location services to be enabled for it to operate, and the user also has to activate the feature on the app manually. The app will notify the user with words like Be careful, Watch out, Stay alert, and a few other cautions in potentially dangerous situations.

The Heads Up mode rollout has reportedly commenced and it would first be launched for users registered for the Beta program and on Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 devices. Users who may not be able to activate the Heads Up feature can go to the app setting, clear the Digital Wellbeing app’s cache, force the app to stop, and then restart. This may resolve the issue upon reopening the app, as you would manually activate the Heads Up mode.Digital Wellbeing When the new feature becomes available on a broader array of Android devices, it will certainly add another layer of safety for users who may be nestled in a game or other activities in their smartphones, oblivious of the dangers that may be lurking around. Safety concerns will be well served for the vigilant user while the reckless may remain oblivious to his environment’s risks.

RELATED;

 

(source)

 

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 launched with Intel and AMD processor options

Microsoft has refreshed its Surface lineup with the launch of Surface Laptop 4. The company is offering a choice between Intel and AMD processors for both the models — 13.5-inch and 15-inch display.

The devices come powered by Intel‘s latest 11th-generation processors or AMD’s Ryzen 4000 series chips. The devices will go on sale in the United States, Canada, and Japan from 15th April, for a starting price of $999.

Microsoft Surface 4

It’s noteworthy that Microsoft is not using the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 series but is using the older AMD Zen 2 architecture chips for the AMD Ryzen Surface Edition chip. But, the performance could be similar to the Intel version.

Apart from the internals, nothing much has changed for the Surface Laptop 4. It comes with a single USB-C port, one USB-A port, a headphone jack, and Microsoft’s Surface Connect port for charging.

With these new processors, the company is promising up to 70 percent more performance compared to its predecessor. Microsoft is also promising 19 hours of battery life on the 13.5-inch model and up to 17.5 hours on the 15-inch model.

The base model, priced at $999, comes packed with an AMD Ryzen 5 4680U processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. On the Intel side, the base model has a Core i5 1135G7 processor with 8GB RAM and 512GB of storage.

The Intel-powered models go up to $2,299 with a Core i7 processor, 32GB RAM, and 1TB storage. There’s also an AMD model with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage that is expected to launch after a couple of months for the price of $1,199.

As for the 15-inch models, the AMD-powered option starts at $1,299 that packs an AMD Ryzen 7 4980U model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It can go up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $1,699. On the Intel side, it starts at $1,799 for the Core i7 1185G7 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, with the option for 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for $2,399.

RELATED: 

Apple announces “Spring Loaded” event for April 20; expected to launch new iPads and more

Apple has officially announced that the company’s next event, named “Spring Loaded”, will take place on 20th April. The confirmation from the company comes just hours after Siri revealed the date when asked “When is the next Apple event?”

The event will be streamed from Apple Park and can be viewed on the company’s official website — apple.com. It will start at 10:00 AM PDT (10:30 PM IST).

The announcement from the company doesn’t reveal anything related to the products getting launched at the event. However, looking at the squiggly Apple logo and the tagline “spring loaded”, the company could be hinting at the new Apple Pencil.

Apple Spring Loaded 2021 Launch Event

The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros have been rumored to launch later this month and there’s a high possibility that the devices get announced on 20th April. They will reportedly come with the same design but the top-end variant in the lineup is expected to have a Mini-LED display.

There are reports about a new iPad Mini with a larger display — 8.5-inch to 9-inch, which is said to launch in the first half of this year. The much-delayed AirTags could also get launched at this event.

Apple’s true wireless earphones under the AirPods lineup are also expected to get launched in the first half of this year. The AirPods 3 will have a design similar to the AirPods Pro, with shorter stems and replaceable ear tips. It remains to be seen if the AirPods get announced at this event or we have to wait a bit longer.

Apart from launching the devices at the 20th April event, the company could also tease some of its upcoming products that are slated to get launched later this year. This includes a revamped iMac lineup and new Mac laptops powered by the Apple Silicon processors.

Recently, the company confirmed that it would stop selling the current base model of the iMac Pro once supplies run out, which suggests that Apple is poised to announce new models sooner rather than later.

RELATED: 

Realme tipped to launch Dimensity 1100 powered phone by April end

Realme has launched a handful of phones such as the Realme GT, Realme GT Neo, Realme V11 5G, Realme V13 5G, and Realme V15 5G, and Realme X7 Pro Ultra (Extreme Edition) in China this year. Fresh information shared by popular tipster Digital Chat Station reveals that the company is planning a new phone powered by the Dimensity 1100 SoC this month.

Realme D1100 chip

Unfortunately, there is no information available on the other specifications of the mysterious Realme phone that will arrive with the D1100 chip. The tipster claimed that it will be available with an affordable price tag. The Vivo X60t and Vivo S9 are the only phones with D1100 SoC available in the Chinese market.

Recently, a new Realme phone with an RMX2205 model number was spotted at the TENAA certification body of China. The images of the phone suggest that it could be featuring an AMOLED display with an in-screen fingerprint reader. The size of the display is 6.43 inches, which seemingly supports Full HD+ resolution.

Realme RMX2205

The phone measures 158.5 x 73.3 x 8.4mm with volume buttons on the left and a power key on the right. The phone runs on Android 11 OS and it is backed by a 4,400mAh battery. The back panel of the phone has a big “Dare to Leap” branding and a triple camera setup with an LED flash.

The final product name of the Realme RMX2205 handset is under wraps. There is a possibility that this device could be the rumored Realme phone with Dimensity 1100 chipset, which may launch as a Q-series handset. However, readers are advised to wait for further reports to know the identity of the RMX2205 phone. Speculations are rife that this phone will be debuting in some markets including India as the Realme 8i.

RELATED:

Choice SDK is an open-source solution that adapts GMS apps for Huawei’s AppGallery

Huawei first launched the Huawei Mobile Service (HMS) for its mobile phones in 2019 as a response to the U.S government ban which saw the company unable to access Google Mobile Service. While the service has continued to grow over the years, one major challenge is the rich large Android ecosystem that Google has built over the years. Although Huawei has made tremendous progress in its efforts to expand the HMS ecosystem, it is still miles away from Android. Huawei

However, hope seems to be in sight for Huawei as a developer partner has created an open-source solution that adapters Google apps for the AppGallery. The solution is developed by developer partner bluesource, Europe’s leading provider of enterprise app solutions. It is an open-source method that adapts GMS apps for AppGallery removing the need to redevelop apps specifically for Huawei’s app store.

The solution is christened Choice SDK and Huawei claims it makes it easy for app publishers to transform their existing apps based on GMS and Firebase frameworks into HMS usable applications. Thus, developers won’t need to create an HMS version of their apps, thus saving cost and time in app development as just little effort is needed for the apps to run on Huawei devices.

The open-source Choice SDK was originally developed for Raiffeisen Bank to help the bank make their app available to Huawei phone users in Austria. Bluesource has since made it available as open-source software so that other brands and developers can get their apps adapted faster, safer and in a more convenient way. Since it became open-source, the Choice SDK has reportedly been utilized by Austria’s national TV broadcaster ORF, Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB, Austria’s Postal Service and deals app Aktionsfinder.

Since it was rolled out in 2019, Huawei’s AppGallery has experienced a massive growth which has catapulted it to become the world’s third largest app marketplace with 530 million monthly active users (MAUs). The company recorded a massive 61.5% growth YoY in Europe to record more than 42 million users. Huawei has offered various incentives ranging from cash to a lion share of revenue from the apps and it worked. Huawei presently has over 2.3 million registered HMS developers with about 300,000 outside China. The platform has increased the number of registered developers to 2.3 million, up by 77% vs last year, and now also counts 300,000 developers outside China. Presently, there are about 120,000 apps integrated with HMS Core, an increase of 118% compared to last year.

RELATED;