Samsung Galaxy Quantum2 unboxing video confirms curved display & in-box 15W charger

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Apr 12, 2021

Earlier today (12th April 2021), Huawei announced that its latest Vision S smart TV series will be arriving in the Malaysian market. The new TV will be launching on 20th April 2021, with the country being the first region outside of China to receive the company’s first smart TV.

As per a TechNave report, the Chinese tech giant will be launching two size variants, including a 55 inch and a 65 inch model. One of the notable features of the upcoming smart TV is the inclusion of the webcam on top. This enabled the users to make video calls through Huawei MeeTime at 1080p resolution. Furthermore, the display is also a 4K panel with support for 120Hz high refresh rate as well.

For a more seamless experience, the company has also enabled users to utilize the OneHop feature that works with compatible Huawei smartphones. This means that one would be able to project the screen of your smartphone on to the smart TV. For audio, the new Vision S smart TV series features quad 10W speakers on the rear, while the device can also be paired with the Sound X speaker and WiFI AX3 router.

Unfortunately, while the consumer electronics maker has announced the arrival of the new smart TVs and their launch dates, it has yet to divulge any information regarding pricing and availability. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available regarding the upcoming launch.

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Amazfit GTR 2 eSIM now available in China for ¥1999 (~$305)

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 12, 2021

The Amazfit GTR 2 family added a new member last week. The new smartwatch is the Amazfit GTR 2 eSIM Edition and it joins the Amazfit GTR 2 and the Amazfit GTR 2e.

The new smartwatch adds an eSIM, allowing users to be able to make and receive calls among other functions without the need for a connection to a phone. What this means is that you can leave your phone at home and still be able to make and receive calls as well as reply to an SMS. Owners can decide to use the same number as the one for their phone or get a new number for the watch.

Huami has put a price tag of ¥1999 (~$305) on the Amazfit GTR 2 eSIM and it is already available for purchase in China in Obsidian Black. The watch is compatible with all three major Chinese operators (China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom).

Save for the eSIM and surprisingly, the battery capacity, the rest of the specs are the same as those of the standard Amazfit GTR 2. The display is a 1.39-inch AMOLED screen with curved glass on top and a polished aluminum alloy frame.

The smartwatch has support for 90 sports modes and can autodetect 6. It has a BioTracker 2 PPG sensor that monitors the user’s heart rate in real-time. There is also support for Blood oxygen level detection and sleep tracking. The Amazfit GTR 2 eSIM has Xiao AI assistant which has both online and offline functions. It also has NFC, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0.

The surprising part is the battery capacity which is much smaller at 338mAh compared to that of its siblings which is 471mAh. The specification page says that the watch will last 48 hours in heavy usage mode, 96 hours in standard usage mode, and 14 days in power saving mode. The charging time is put at 2 hours.

There is no news yet of a global release of the Amazfit GTR 2 eSIM.

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Fake ads of a PC version of Clubhouse has been spreading malware

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Apr 12, 2021

With the recent and explosive growth of Clubhouse app, fake versions of the application has been spreading around via fake ads. These ads have also been responsible for the increasing number of malware infections.

According to a PhoneArena report, the rising popularity is what likely lead to the creation of these fake ads of a non existent Clubhouse app. For those unaware, Clubhouse is only available in Apple iOS at the moment. Meaning, the Android version is still a few months away. But since the app has been quite popular in recent times, fake ads of its non existent versions, which is filed with malware has been circulating online.

For those unaware, the audio only chat room has become a rising social media platform over the course of a year. But, certain Facebook ads have been connecting users to pages on the social media site that impersonate the app. If people click on these ads, they will be directed to a fake Clubhouse PC website. When tapped, the link is also included with malware, which is downloaded into the victim’s device.

This app seeks instructions from a C&C (command and control) server as to what action to take next. Some of the people that clicked on the fake ads had their device be loaded with ransomware. In other words, victims would have to pay money for the infected device to function normally again. While Facebook hasn’t revealed the exact number of clicks on these fake ads, nine of these ads were discovered on the social media platform.

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Samsung Galaxy F62 gets a ₹2,000 discount in India for a limited time

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Apr 12, 2021

The Samsung Galaxy F62 is the company’s most affordable smartphone with a flagship chipset. The handset made its global debut in India in mid-February. Now, almost two months after its release, this phone has been discounted for a limited time in the country.

Samsung launched the Galaxy F62 in two storage variants and three color versions (Laser Green, Laser Blue, and Laser Grey). The device is priced at ₹23,999 and 25,999 for the 6GB + 128GB and the 8GB + 128GB storage configurations respectively.

But now, according to a report by 91Mobiles, the handset has been discounted for a limited time across offline stores in India. The price of both the variants has been dropped by ₹2,000.

Hence, interested customers can purchase the Galaxy F62 for either ₹21,999 (6GB + 128GB) or ₹23,999 (8GB + 128GB) up until April 19. This offer is applicable to all three colors. Interestingly, this discount is not available online.

That said, the highlights of the Samsung Galaxy F62 includes an Exynos 9825 SoC, 6.7-inch sAMOLED+ Infinity-O (centered punch-hole) FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) display, 7,000mAh battery, 25W fast charging, 64MP (wide) + 12MP (ultra-wide) + 5MP (macro) + 5MP (depth) quad-camera setup, 32MP selfie camera, and One UI Core 3.1 based on Android 11.

ZTE Axon 30 Ultra ‘Super Moon Ultra’ feature to take on Astrophotography mode of rivals

By

Balaji S

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Apr 12, 2021

ZTE is emphasizing a lot on cameras of the upcoming ZTE Axon 30 series of devices. With just three days left for the launch, it has confirmed today that it will have a Super Moon Ultra mode.

Capturing the celestial bodies or the areas of the night sky isn’t new to us. Other smartphone makers have their own version of Astrophotography to capture the stars and moon during the night-time. However, it looks like the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra will take it to the next level.

In a series of posts on Weibo, ZTE showcases how the Super Moon Ultra mode on the device works. Although the company shares the posts with #ZTEAxon30series, the teasers are shown with the Ultra so we will have to wait and see if other devices support it.

Talking about the Super Zoom Ultra, ZTE says that the model relies on multi-camera synchronization to perfectly bring the clarity of the moon and the environment surrounding it. By fusing this with the algorithm underneath, the images that come out are said to produce perfect moonlight seen by the human eye.

You can look at a few sample images shared by the company below:

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The images suggest that the Ultra will make use of the 64MP trio and the 8MP Periscope Telephoto Super Zoom lenses to get the right shot. Also, in a couple of videos, we can see that the device has a curved display with a punch-hole at the center for the selfie camera.

Reports so far say that the ZTE Axon 30 Pro and Ultra variants will have a second-generation under-display front camera with a 44MP lens. The display is likely a 6.92-inch OLED screen with 10-bit colors, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 360Hz touch sampling rate.

Talking about the camera, the Ultra is said to have a 64MP f/1.6 main, 64MP ultra-wide, 64MP portrait lens, in addition to that 8MP periscope lens with 5X optical zoom.

Other expected specs include Snapdragon 888 flagship chipset, LPDDR5 RAM, and the latest UFS 3.1 storage, 4,500mAh battery with 55W or 65W fast charging support, MyOS based on Android 11.

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Apple iPad Pro 2021 with Mini-LED display to launch this month: Report

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Apr 12, 2021

Apple is rumored to launch new iPad models in the first half of this year and now a new report coming from Bloomberg confirms that the Apple iPad Pro 2021 is on track to get launched later this month.

The report also says that despite issues related to the supply of Mini-LED displays, the upcoming Apple iPad Pro will feature a Mini-LED screen, replacing the LCD panels in the 12.9-inch variant of the iPad Pro.

While the report claims that Apple may announce the new 2021 iPad Pro later this month, it also points out the possibility that the more expensive version of the Mini-LED display may ship a few weeks later.

The new iPad Pro is expected to come with an upgraded camera as well as support for the Thunderbolt connection via USB-C port. It is also believed that the device could come powered by the Apple A14X chipset which means that the device may have a processor based on the Apple M1 chip.

What remains to be seen is that if Apple is planning to hold a special launch event for the introduction of the new iPad models or if the device will be announced through a press release, just like the company did last year.

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Apple iPhone 11 Pro with misprinted brand logo was sold for $2,700

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Apr 12, 2021

An iPhone 11 Pro with a misaligned Apple brand logo on the rear has just been sold. The device had the branding positioned incorrectly and was allegedly sold for a high price of 2,700 US Dollars.

A misprint iPhone 11 Pro that sold for 2700$. This misprint is extremely rare- I’d say 1 in 100 million or possibly even rarer. pic.twitter.com/68F7giZAbm

— Internal Archive (@ArchiveInternal) April 9, 2021

According to an AppleInsider report, a tweet by Internal Archive on Twitter shared images of the rear of an iPhone 11 Pro model. In the images, the handset can be seen in multiple angles. This offers a clear look of the iPhone, highlighting its misprinted brand logo on the rear. Looking at the defect, it is clear the angle of the logo and its actual position is incorrect compared to the centrally aligned official logos that can be found on the rear of every iPhone.

We can see that the misprinted logo is off center and positioned noticeably to the right. Furthermore, the angle of the logo is also titled slightly anticlockwise. If this is truly the case, then the device would have faced a manufacturing error where the rear panel was likely not seated properly when the machine was imprinting the logo on the iPhone. Unfortunately, the tweet offers very little details and there is no concrete evidence to support the existence of the device.

Although, there is still a plausible chance for this to occur, however, it is numerically unlikely considering that this would be extremely rare. Like, ” in 100 million” chance of it ever happening. This would also mean that the faulty device also managed to somehow make it through the Cupertino based giant’s strict quality assurance process and actually shipped to a customer. Lastly, it is also unknown how and where this misprinted iPhone 11 Pro was sold for 2,700 US Dollars.

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Apple and Qualcomm face lawsuit over patent infringement on 5G chips

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Apr 12, 2021

Apple and Qualcomm are facing a lawsuit as both companies are accused of patent infringement. The lawsuit targets certain 5G technologies that are used by both companies, which infringes on an RF calibration patent.

According to an AppleInsider report, lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas last week. It alleges that a handful of the chip makers 5G wireless transceivers infringe on its patent. Similarly, it further adds that the iPhone 12 series from the Cupertino based giant uses these infringing transceiver technology, as the lineup incorporates Qualcomm’s 5G modems.

To be specific, the lawsuit targets Qualcomm’s SMR526, SDR865, and SDX55M as the infringing products. The party suing both tech giants is Red Rock, who owns these patents. The lawsuit also alleges that both Apple and Qualcomm had prior knowledge of the existing patent, and the lawsuit alleged that Qualcomm had received notices of the existence of the patent at least three times between the years 2008 and 2011.

Furthermore, the lawsuit states that the actions taken by the iPhone maker and Qualcomm “have been, and continue to be, committed in a knowing willful, and egregious manner and constitute willful infringement of” the intellectual property. At the moment, the complaint seeks a jury trial and a long list of prayers for relief, including enjoinments barring Apple and Qualcomm from infringing on the patent, along with royalty payment and even cover for damages as well.

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HP Chromebook x360 14c refreshed with 11th Gen Intel Core CPUs and SSD storage

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Apr 12, 2021

The HP Chromebook x360 14c is one of the best convertible Chrome OS laptops. The company has now refreshed this notebook with a newer processor and better storage. Let us take a look at the specs, features, price, and availability of this machine.

HP Chromebook x360 14c 2021 Specifications and Features

The 2021 edition of HP Chromebook x360 14c comes with the exact same design and features as last year’s model except for the processors and storage. The newer laptop is powered by 11th Gen Intel Core processors coupled with up to 8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB NVMe SSD instead of 10th Gen Intel Core processors and eMMC storage.

The convertible flaunts a 14-inch WLED-backlit IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (FHD), touch input, 250 nits peak brightness, 45% NTSC color gamut, USI stylus support, and Gorilla Glass protection.

On the connectivity front, the laptop supports dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0. Further, it sports 2 x USB 3.1 Type-C (USB PD, DisplayPort 1.2), 1 x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1 x headphone/microphone combo, and 1 x MicroSD card reader.

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Other features of this Chromebook include a backlit keyboard, fingerprint sensor, dual speakers, dual microphones, 48WHr battery, and 45W fast charging.

HP Chromebook x360 14c 2021 Price and Availability

The HP Chromebook x360 14c 2021 with Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU, 8GB DDR4 RAM, and 128GB NVMe SSD is priced at $649 in the US. There’s no official word on other variants and international availability as of now.

This laptop will be available for purchase on Best Buy and HP online store later this month.

PUBG Mobile developer reportedly working on a new Sci-Fi game codenamed Vertical

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Apr 12, 2021

The people behind PUBG Mobile might be working on another new title. Recently, the developers and creators, Krafton, had announced PUBG: New State, and now, a leak suggests that another project could be in the works as well.

According to a TechRadar report, the new project is reportedly working on a sci fi shooter game, although, unlike New State, the IP is not a part of the battle royale genre. At the moment, the game is still under development and it will apparently take at least up to two to even three more years to be completed. The tipster, PlayerIGN, shared screenshots on his Twitter account that revealed key job openings created within the company to work on the project, which is in its nascent stages.

PlayerIGN believes that the game could possibly be the sequel to PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds, and would simply be PUBG 2. However, unlike the original massively popular battle royale title, its sequel might not be a battle royale title in the franchise. Furthermore, the tipster also leaked some interesting details regarding the game as well. This includes its game engine, which is reportedly the Unreal Engine 4.

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PUBG's working on an open-world sci-fi shooter game. The project's codenamed: Vertical.

It's built on UE4, a pre-built engine, as such I can imagine them looking to release this game after 2-3 years.

Is this the PUBG2 game that was mentioned? If so, guess it's not a BR. pic.twitter.com/XugVZ0203q

— PlayerIGN (@PlayerIGN) April 10, 2021

Currently, the company has opened up 14 new job listings for developer positions in the game. This includes Background Concept Artist, Video Editing Artist, Character Concept Artist, Lighting Artist, etc. Similarly, there are also openings in the development and technical teams as well. The upcoming title might just be a single player focused or campaign centric launch within the battlegrounds series, but that is just speculation, so take it with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more updates.

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Samsung, TSMC, and others to discuss global chip shortage at the White House summit

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Apr 12, 2021

Various companies including Samsung, TSMC, Alphabet, AT&T, Ford, and more will be participating in virtual White House summit today (12th April 2021). The summit is set to discuss the current situation surrounding the global shortage of semiconductors.

Notably, while Apple isn’t listed to participate in the summit, the company will be represented in proceedings by its chip supplier TSMC. As per a CNBC report, chief executives from these major tech giants will be present in the virtual summit, which arrives as the Biden administration seeks to investigate the shortages of key supply chain materials like semiconductors, high capacity batteries, rare earth materials and medical supplies as well.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the chip suppliers that are based in Asia are unable to keep up with rising demand for semiconductors from various industries like automobile brands, including GM and Ford, and smartphone brands as well. Furthermore, the White House summit arrives as the US lawmakers are concerned over the security of the nation, which is also dependent on the supply of advanced chips. In other words, the White House is concerned regarding the gap in domestic manufacturing and the supply chain, which is predominantly based in “nations that are or are likely to become unfriendly or unstable.”

In February, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated that “semiconductor manufacturing is a dangerous weak spot in our economy and in our national security.” He further added that an executive order signed by President Biden was designed to check the “resiliency and capacity of the American manufacturing supply chains and defense industrial base to support national security [and] emergency preparedness.”

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Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad Plus could be the company’s first 5G tablet

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Apr 12, 2021

Lenovo has officially confirmed to launch two new Android tablets called YOGA Pad Pro and Xiaoxin Pad Plus. We already know some of the specifications of the first model. Now, a popular leakster has revealed certain features of the second device.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Featured — Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (aka Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad Pro)

According to Digital Chat Station, the upcoming Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad Plus could be Lenovo’s first 5G tablet. He says that it will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC and an 11-inch display. However, as of now, the company has only confirmed a WiFi-only version with model number TB-J607Z.

Further, the tipster also reiterates the specs of the Lenovo YOGA Pad Pro. As per him, this tablet will come equipped with a 13-inch 2K(2160 × 1350 pixels) display without a punch-hole. It will feature impressive speakers and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC.

According to previous reports, the Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad Plus will run Android 11. On the other hand, the Lenovo YOGA Pad Pro will have the model number YT-K606F and it has been confirmed to run ZUI 12.5 based on Android 11 in China with support for Lenovo One

That’s not all, the latter tablet is expected to launch as Lenovo YOGA Tab 13 in the global markets with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Similarly, the former device could release as a Lenovo Tab P11 series tablet internationally.

Apart from these two Android tablets, Lenovo will be also launching a Window-powered 2-in-1 called Lenovo YOGA Duet 2021.

Vivo phones embargoed by Hong Kong Airline after phone catches fire

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Apr 12, 2021

Hong Kong Airlines has embargoed all shipments of Vivo mobile phones after one consignment of the company carrying the Vivo Y20 model caught fire at the Hong Kong airport a couple of days back.

In an internal communication on 11th April, accessed by Economic Times, the Hong Kong Air Cargo Carrier said, “We regret to inform you that the latest update of the embargo with immediate effect, all cargo is forbidden to accept the “CargoLink Logistics HK Co Ltd” and “Sky Pacific Logistics HK Co Ltd” and/or co-loader on carriage by RH/HX aircraft until further notice. Also embargo all types of “VIVO” mobile phone.”

Currently, it is only one airline but if more or all airlines follow the suit of banning Vivo cargos, it may cause damage to brand imagery especially when the company is spending top dollars in markets likes India for branding. It also recently hired cricketer Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador.

For those who are unaware, the company is the title sponsor for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), a cricket tournament, which is among the world’s largest sports leagues. It remains to be seen if this recent ban impacts the company’s operations in India. Vivo is also making smartphones in India.

A few years ago, in 2017, Samsung had to recall all the units of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, and the company suffered the loss of millions of dollars. Several handsets of the model were reported to explode because of battery-related issues.

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OnePlus 9R reservations begins in China before April 15 announcement

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 12, 2021

Last month, OnePlus announced the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro smartphones in various markets. The OnePlus 9R was also made official last month as an India-exclusive device. It appears that the smartphone will be no longer exclusive to the country as it is set to launch in China at 2 PM (local time) on April 15. Ahead of the launch, the smartphone is now up for reservations through retailer platforms like OnePlus China’s online store, JD.com, Tmall, and Suning.

OnePlus is endorsing the OnePlus 9R with a popular fictional superhero named Ultraman Tiga to showcase its performance prowess. The handset will be arriving in two colors like Black Island and Blue Island in the home market. In terms of specifications, it could be identical to the Indian variant.

OnePlus 9R specifications and features

The OnePlus 9R is equipped with a 6.55-inch Fluid AMOLED screen with a punch-hole design. It produces a Full HD+ resolution, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone is loaded with ColorOS11 based Android 11 OS.

It has a front-facing camera of 16-megapixel and its rear camera setup has an OIS assisted 48-megapixel main camera, a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The phone is backed by a 4,500mAh battery that supports 65W fast charging. The Snapdragon 870 chipset powers the device with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

It is speculated that the OnePlus 9R will be costing under 3,000 Yuan (~$458) in China. In India, the OnePlus 9R variants such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage are priced at Rs 39,999 (~$535) and Rs 43,999 (~$588), respectively.

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vivo Y20s [G] launched in the Philippines as a rebadged vivo Y20G

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Apr 12, 2021

In January, vivo launched the vivo Y20G budget smartphone in India. Nearly three months later, the Chinese handset maker has debuted this device as vivo Y20s [G] in the Philippines. The phone is priced at ₱9,999 ($206) in the country.

The vivo Y20s [G] features a similar design as all other smartphones in the vivo Y20 series sold worldwide. The handset measures 164.41 × 76.32 × 8.41mm in dimensions, weighs 192.3g, and comes in two colors (Obsidian Black, Purist Blue).

On the front, it flaunts a 6.51-inch IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels (HD+), a 20:9 aspect ratio, and a dewdrop notch nesting an 8MP selfie camera. Whereas, the glossy polycarbonate back of the phone houses a vertically-aligned 13MP (wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) triple camera setup.

Further, the device is powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 SoC coupled with 6GB RAM and 128GB RAM. On the connectivity front, the smartphone supports dual-SIM, 4G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, and GNSS (GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo).

It also includes all the necessary sensors, such as an accelerometer, proximity sensor, compass, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Other features of this phone include a dedicated MicroSD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, MicroUSB port, Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11, 5,000mAh battery, and 18W fast charging.

Last but not least, the vivo Y20s [G] ships with an 18W power adapter, MicroUSB to USB Type-A cable, screen protector (pre-applied), a protective case, SIM injector, and documentation.

Alibaba fined $2.75 billion in China for violating anti-monopoly rules

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Apr 12, 2021

Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd, the tech giant in China, has been slapped with a record 18 billion yuan, approximately $2.75 billion, after a probe related to anti-monopoly found that the company abused its dominant market position for years.

The State Administration for Market Regulation in China said that it had determined that Alibaba, which is listed in New York and Hong Kong, had been “abusing market dominance” since 2015 by preventing its merchants from using other online e-commerce platforms.

This practice violates China’s antimonopoly law by hindering the free circulation of goods and infringing on the business interests of merchants, the regulator added. Apart from the highest-ever antitrust penalty globally, the company has been asked to make “thorough rectifications” to strengthen internal compliance and protect consumer rights.

The fine imposed on the Chinese tech giant accounts for about 4 percent of Alibaba’s domestic revenues in 2019, reports Reuters. It comes amid a crackdown on technology conglomerates and indicates China’s antitrust enforcement on internet platforms has entered a new era.

Alibaba came under intense scrutiny in its home country after the company’s billionaire founder Jack Ma’s stinging public criticism of the country’s regulatory system in October last year. A month later, authorities scuttled a planned $37 billion IPO by Ant Group, Alibaba’s internet finance arm, which was set to be the world’s biggest ever.

In December last year, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced its antitrust probe into the company. After this record fine, Ant Group still needs to agree to a regulatory-driven revamp that could significantly cut its valuations and rein in some of its freewheeling businesses.

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Samsung Galaxy M42 5G smartphone teaser appears online; launch imminent

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