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

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.

PUBG

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.

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

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.

SamsungNotably, 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.”

Samsung

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

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.

 

 

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Vivo phones embargoed by Hong Kong Airline after phone catches fire

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

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 reservations
OnePlus 9R reservations being on JD.com

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

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.

 

 

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

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.

Alibaba
Alibaba

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

Samsung has been constantly launching new smartphones in the market across different price groups and this strategy of the South Korean giant has worked in its favor as the company dominates the global smartphone market.

It is now gearing up to launch a new smartphone in the Indian market, dubbed the Samsung Galaxy M42 5G, and the teasers of the device have now surfaced online. Mukul Sharma and Gaurav Chaudhary have shared the teaser on Twitter.

This smartphone is said to be the first-ever 5G smartphone in the Galaxy M-lineup from Samsung. So far, nothing has been officially revealed about this upcoming device but given that the teaser has surfaced online, the launch should be days or weeks away.

As per the previous reports, the smartphone has a model number SM-M426B/DS and has already got the NFC certification. The device has already been spotted on Geekbench,  the Wi-Fi Alliance, China’s 3C authority, India’s BIS, and more.

It is said that the phone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G chipset. The Geekbench leak and the source code revealed that the device in testing had Adreno 619 GPU which also corresponds to the SD750G.

We expect the smartphone to come with a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ display, quad-cameras with a 64MP primary camera, 32MP selfie camera, 6,000mAh battery, in-display fingerprint sensor, fast charging support up to 15W, One UI 3.1, and more.

Apart from bringing the Galaxy M42 5G, Samsung is also said to be working to bring a few more 5G smartphones in the market in the coming months, including the Galaxy M62 5G, and an ODM-made Galaxy A22 5G.

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Samsung Galaxy Quantum2 (aka Galaxy A82 5G) specifications, live shots appear before April 23 launch

The official posters of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Quantum2 were shared by a user of South Korea’s Naver blog on Friday. It has revealed the entire design and specifications of the smartphone. The source claims that the Galaxy Quantum2 will be announced on April 23 in South Korea and it will be up for reservations between April 13 and April 19. The smartphone will be kept for demonstrations at SKT telecom operators’ retail stores. Rumors are rife that this device will come to markets outside South Korea with the Galaxy A82 5G moniker.

Samsung Galaxy Quantum2 (Galaxy A82 5G) specifications

The Samsung Galaxy Quantum2 measures 161.9 x 73.8 x 8.1mm and it weighs 176 grams. The device houses a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display that offers WQHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The Infinity-O punch-hole on the screen has a 10-megapixel selfie camera with autofocus support.

The rear camera setup of the device has a 64-megapixel main lens with f/1.8 aperture and OIS support. It is coupled with a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens with f/2.2 aperture and a 123-degree FOV and a 5-megapixel macro camera with f/2.4 aperture.

Samsung Galaxy Quantum 2 live shots
Samsung Galaxy Quantum 2 (aka. Galaxy A82 5G)

The Snapdragon 855+ chipset is present under the hood of Quantum2. It is coupled with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The 4,500mAh battery of the device supports 25W fast charging. It offers other features like a microSD card slot and an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Shown above are live shots of Quantum2 that are now doing rounds on the social platforms. There is no word on its pricing. It will come in three colors such as Color Gray, White, and Light Violet.

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iQOO Z3 5G likely to arrive in India soon as moniker appears in IMEI database

iQOO will be announcing the iQOO 7v Legend later this month in India. Its launch date is likely to be confirmed in this week. iQOO India’s Country Director Gagan Arora revealed last week that the company will be launching multiple phones across different price points in India. Rumors are rife that an iQOO phone with Snapdragon 870 chipset will be heading to India. This handset could be a rebranded version of China’s iQOO Neo5. The iQOO U1x is also expected to arrive in India as it was certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) authority last week. Fresh information reveals that the iQOO Z3 5G could also be landing in Indian in the near future.

iQOO Z3 5G IMEI listing

Earlier this year, an iQOO phone with model number I2011 was certified by the BIS agency. At that time, it was speculated that it could be the iQOO Neo5 for India. However, it was later found that the Neo5 has a model number of I2012 in India. Rumors are rife that it may release an iQOO 7 series smartphone. Coming back to the I2011 phone, its IMEI database listing in India has revealed that it may arrive in the country with iQOO Z3 5G moniker.

The iQOO Z3 5G had gone official by the end of March in China. The device arrived with a 6.58-inch IPS LCD screen with a waterdrop notch, which offered a Full HD+ resolution. It runs on iQOO UI 1.0 based Android 11 OS.

iQOO Z3 5G
iQOO Z3 5G

The Snapdragon 768G chipset fuels the iQOO Z3 5G with up to LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256 GB of UFS 2.2 storage. It has a front camera of 16-megapixel, a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system, and a 4,400mAh battery with 55W fast charging, and a side-facing fingerprint scanner. The iQOO Z3 5G was introduced with a starting price of 1,699 Yuan (~$259) in China.

(via)

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Huawei Whole House Smart Host turns the entire house to a truly smart home

At Huawei‘s product launch conference held on Thursday last week, the company officially announced a new product dubbed Huawei Whole House Smart Host. The product was announced alongside the Smart Screen V series and other smart TV series the company rolled out on that day. Huawei Whole House Smart Host

The Whole House Smart Host operates in line with a concept which Huawei dubbed 1+2+N aimed at providing consumers with more choices and possibilities with a brand-new smart life experience. Under this working pattern, 1 refers to the whole house AI while 2 refers to the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and WiFi 6+ control systems.Huawei Whole House Smart Host

Finally, N represents a variety of ecological products belonging to Huawei’s ecological chain such as intelligent lighting control system, safety protection system, environmental intelligent control system, water intelligent control system, audio-visual entertainment system, sleep assistance system, intelligent home appliance system, sunshade intelligent control system, etc. It extends beyond Huawei-branded products to other gadgets running Harmony OS and this includes brands such as Midea and others. Huawei Whole House Smart Host

The Huawei Whole House Smart Host adopts a modular design and is equipped with a HarmonyOS-powered central control system. It can be directly placed in the location of the former smart hub as the small size ensures it doesn’t take up too much space. The host uses an all-aluminum alloy one-piece stamping design with a sandblasted surface coating, treated by anodization.

Apart from the central controller, the Whole House Smart Host houses a Wi-Fi 6+ modem and a PLC control bus. The PLC can load control signals and data onto the power line for transmission, realizing a stable and reliable connection when there is electricity and the network is available. Huawei’s Whole House PLC technology reportedly hit a transmission distance of 2000 meters, which can cover large houses up to 500 square meters and can connect up to 384 devices.

The  Wi-Fi 6+ main route includes an IPTV, an uplink connection optical modem, a connection PLC, 5 multi-room AP extensions, and a total of 8 network ports. These all ensure the entire house has adequate WiFi coverage. Huawei Whole House Smart Host

The Huawei Whole House Smart Host arrives in two price ranges—one designed for three bedrooms and two living rooms (about 100 square meters) and it start at 99,999 yuan (~$15,260). The second model is designed for five bedrooms and two living rooms (about 200 square meters) and it starts at 149,999 yuan ($22,890). The product will go on sale in August. Huawei has promised to open experience stores for the smart host across 50 cities in China.

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Upcoming Moto G series phone for India to feature 108MP main camera and 32MP selfie snapper

Motorola has recently launched the Moto G10 and Moto G30 smartphones in India. Last week, tipster Mukul Sharma claimed that the company is planning to launch two new G-series phones in India. Through a new tweet yesterday, Sharma revealed key details of one of the upcoming G-series smartphones.

According to the tipster, one of the forthcoming G-series handsets will have a quad-camera setup headlined by a 108-megapixel camera. It will have a 32-megapixel front-facing camera. He further mentioned that the device will actually feature three rear-mounted cameras and one of the lenses might have two functions. The leak has no information on other upcoming G-series phones for India.

Upcoming Moto G series leaked shot
Leaked render of the upcoming Moto G series | Source: Mukul Sharma

Recent reports have revealed that Motorola is working on a named Moto G60. The leaked shot shared by the tipster seems to match with the recently seen render of the G60.

It is expected to arrive with a 6.78-inch FHD+ display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate support, Snapdragon 732G chipset, 6 GB of RAM, 128 G of UFS 2.1 storage, and a 6,000mAh battery. It could be coming with a front camera of 32-megapixel and its rear camera setup will include a 108-megapixel Samsung HM2 primary camera, an 8-megapixel lens, and a 2-megapixel sensor.

Moto G60 render
Moto G60 render

There is another variant of the same phone named Moto G40 Fusion. It has the same display, processor, and battery and it is expected to arrive in two variants such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. It may feature a 16-megapixel selfie camera and a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system.

Reports have claimed that the Moto G60 will be heading to Europe, and G40 Fusion will release in India and Brazil. It is advisable to wait for further reports to see whether both phones will arrive in India.

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LG Wing to be available for Rs 29,999 (~$401) from tomorrow in India

LG has recently shut down its mobile business. While it will continue to support its smartphones, it will not be launching any new phones. The LG Wing has been one of the ambitious smartphones from the brand as it is a dual-display phone featuring a rotatable main screen. The base model of the device was introduced with a price tag of Rs 69,990 (~$940) in India. Starting from tomorrow (April 13), this device will be available for as low as Rs 29,999 in the country.

LG Wing new price

The LG Wing with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB will be sold at a significantly low price of Rs 29,999 (~$401) through Flipkart starting from tomorrow. Apart from a 1-year warranty, the company will be providing 5 years of service to the buyers of LG Wing. At present, there is no clear information on the “5-year service” that will be available for the purchasers of the LG Wing.

A recently released statement by LG confirmed that it will provide OS updates to its premium phones released in 2019 or later. Hence, the G series, V series, VELVET, and Wing are guaranteed to receive three years of OS upgrades. The LG Wing arrived with Android 10 OS onboard. Hence, it is expected to receive Android 11, 12, and 13 OS versions.

LG Wing Flipkart listing
A screenshot of the LG Wing’s Flipkart listing with revised pricing

LG Wing specifications and features

The LG Wing has a 6.81-inch P-OLED FHD+ display that offers a 20.5:9 aspect ratio. Its 3.9-inch secondary G-OLED screen supports a 1.15:1 aspect ratio and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 1240 pixels. The Snapdragon 765G chipset is present under the hood of the device with LPDDR4x RAM.

For snapping selfies, it is equipped with a 32-megapixel pop-up selfie camera. Its rear camera setup has a 64-megapixel primary camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 12-megapixel gimbal motion camera. The latter is equipped with 6 motion sensors and stabilization software. The secondary screen can be used as a joystick for functions like pan and tilt.

The LG Wing has a 4,000mAh battery that supports 25W Quick Charge 4.0 and 10W wireless charging. It also features an under-display fingerprint scanner.

(via)

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Xiaomi to launch three new tablets including one with a Snapdragon 860 chip

With Huawei’s market share up for grabs, competitors are trying to outdo themselves with new products every week, and it is already yielding results, at least for smartphones. However, things are slower with regards to the tablet market which is another area Huawei had a grip on in China but that is about to be snatched by players such as Lenovo and Xiaomi. The two manufacturers have multiple new tablets lined up to launch this year. Now, new details have surfaced of Xiaomi’s upcoming tablets.

Xiaomi took a break from making tablets for a few years but this year it plans to make a comeback with not one but three new tablets. According to a new report, Xiaomi’s three new tablets will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 series chipsets.

The info comes from the Twitter account @xiaomiui and it revealed in a tweet that there are three models codenamed “Enuma”, “Elish”, and “Nabu” with model numbers K81, K81A, and K82 respectively.

The tablets will have IPS displays with a 2560 x 800 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. These displays will have a brightness level of 410 nits. The source also adds that the tablet codenamed “Enuma” will have a 48MP primary rear camera while the other two will have a 12MP primary rear camera. All three will have four rear cameras that include an ultrawide camera, a macro camera, and a depth camera.

With respect to processors, the Snapdragon 870 will power “Enuma” and “Elish” while “Nabu” will have a Snapdragon 860 processor. Based on these specs, it means Nabu should be the cheapest of them all. It is also stated that the tablets will have NFC, quad speakers, wireless charging, and ultra-fast charging.

All three tablets should launch under the Mi Pad line, run MIUI based on Android out of the box, and should launch first in China before a global release.

 

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Xiaomi India acknowledges display problems with Redmi Note 10 series, working on a quick fix

Several users of Xiaomi‘s latest Redmi Note 10 series have, in the last few days, reported problems with the display of their devices freezing occasionally. Xiaomi has now come out with an official statement acknowledging the complaints and reassuring its customers that they have nothing to panic about, as the problem was reported by a very small proportion of the users of the Redmi Note 10 Series.Redmi Note 10 series global

The official statement from Mi India indicated that the brand will continue to pursue excellence and customer satisfaction in meeting consumer expectations always.

The company stressed that its products go through a rigorous process to ensure that they meet the highest quality standards. An inquiry is now being carried out on why some customers, even though very few, experienced display issues with their smartphones. The company says it is looking into the matter critically and expresses its regrets for the inconvenience caused to its consumers.

The main complaint from multiple Redmi Note 10 users was that the display of their devices becomes unresponsive on several occasions. Tweets by several users established the authenticity of the claims thereby drawing a response from the product’s manufacturer. Some users also tweeted of noticing a flickering screen on their devices, while another user observed that the flickering became more visible in dark mode.

 

 

The Redmi Note 10 Series was launched with fanfare in March 2021 in the Indian market. The series is a significant improvement from its predecessors, and came with several upgrades, across several segments. The series feature an AMOLED display with a 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rate for the various variants.

Xiaomi has had a pretty excellent performance in India this year. A recent national survey conducted on exclusive smartphone stores placed Xiaomi’s Mi Home stores as the best in a field containing several global tech brands.

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Former Tencent staff fined ¥1.1m (~$167K) for joining ByteDance in breach of non-compete pact

A former Tencent employee Chen Shuo has been fined about $167,000 by a Beijing court for breaching the non-compete agreement he signed with Tencent. The Beijing Number 1 Intermediate People’s Court ruled that Chen was guilty of interacting in a manner that indicated he could have joined TikTok-owner ByteDance less than six months after leaving Tencent. The Beijing Court then ordered Shuo to pay 1.1 million yuan (about $167,000) to his former employer for the breach.ByteDance Logo

A growing rivalry has been observed between Tencent and ByteDance in recent years, as both companies continue to battle for market superiority in various areas of their businesses. Chen was a former Senior Editor in Tencent who left the company in March 2019. He was spotted in ByteDance premises on several occasions in August 2019 that indicated he could have joined the company before the expiration of the mandatory period of the non-compete agreement.

Tencent insisted that Chen’s presence in ByteDance premises was different from an ordinary visit, and the company also tendered evidence of email communication between Chen and ByteDance.

Chen, in his defense, claimed that he did not sign a new employment contract directly with ByteDance, and therefore could not have been deemed to have breached the agreement. He also claims that Tencent had no proof that the video evidence tendered to the court was during the non-compete agreement period. He also said that he was filmed without his content, and Tencent had violated his privacy.Tencent Logo

However, the court ruled that Chen should pay a fine totaling more than 1.1 million yuan in compensation and also refund Tencent’s 158,900 yuan payment that came with the signing of the non-compete agreement.

ByteDance presently has a case against Tencent in court, alleging that the company violated Chinese antitrust laws by restricting access to content from Douyin, ByteDance’s local version of TikTok its platforms, and is requesting damages of 90 million yuan. Chen joins the growing list of former Tencent employees who had been fined for breach of its non-compete agreement.

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(source)

 

 

Poll of The Week: Choose your fighter (gaming phone)!

We are already in the second quarter of the year and there are already a handful of new gaming phones available on the market to choose from. Manufacturers such as ASUS, Black Shark, Lenovo, and Nubia’s Red Magic have announced new models for their gaming line of smartphones.

All of these new gaming phones have unique selling points that make them appeal to buyers and give them an edge over the competition. So for this week’s poll, we want you to choose your fighter (read gaming phone) and also tell us why you prefer one over the other.

Gaming Phones Poll

Do you like the Lenovo Legion Pro 2 because of its dual cooling fans and double charging ports that offer a combined charging speed of 90W? Or is it the Red Magic 6 Pro‘s 165Hz refresh rate and 120W fast charging that does it for you or the Black Shark 4 Pro‘s retractable trigger buttons? Do let us know.

[yop_poll id=”81″]

 

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Beijing Tokyo Manufacturing Co. launches Electric clothes drying rack with UV sterilization

The Beijing-Tokyo Manufacturing Co. Ltd has launched electric clothes drying rack.  The product is priced at 1,299 yuan (~$198) and is already listed on Jingdong (JD.com) but you can online register to be notified when it goes on sale.Electric Clothes drying rack

The product utilizes an aviation-grade aluminum-alloy body and also integrates a silent German DC motor. It uses a self-developed integrated rope winding electric lift system that can drop down up to 1.1 meters. The lift has an operational noise of fewer than 50 decibels. The smart dryer also features an ultra-light and thick magnesium-aluminum alloy scissors frame, 304 stainless steel wire rope. It supports 1200W powerful drying, disinfection, and sterilization, and is equipped with maternal and child crossbars.Electric Clothes drying rack

After the smart clothes drying rack unfolded, it has a large 4-pole telescopic drying space. the poles can stretch between 1.2 meters and 2 meters. It can be laid flat to prevent the clothes from folding and to create more drying space on the rack. jingdong Electric Clothes drying rack

With this design, the clothes dryer can fit into any space that meets its minimum installation size which is 140*90*180cm. The product itself has a dimension of 120*45*30cm when folded. It weighs just 13.1kg and has a carrying capacity of 14kg. It adopts a three-safety system which includes a photoelectric switch limit, anti-loosening protection, as well as a silent and uniform speed lifting that stops when it encounters obstacles.Electric Clothes drying rack

The smart clothes dryer is equipped with a 14W lighting power LED lamp to reduce the problem of excessive light-blocking due to clothes during the drying process. The device also features Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heaters with a power rating of 1200W. PTC heaters are self-regulating, ensuring that it doesn’t get overheated. The rack also supports ultraviolet sterilization and the sterilization rate is as high as 99%.

The device also comes with a portable remote controller which can be attached to the wall for easy access.

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Next Week in Tech: Sony Xperia 1 III is coming, New TCL 20 phones, ZTE’s Axon 30 series, OnePlus 9R heading to China

Mark your calendars as there are new phones launching next week from Sony, TCL, and ZTE. Here are the announcements scheduled for the second/third-ish week of April.

Sony Xperia 1 III

Sony has an event set for April 14. The Japanese tech giant will announce the Xperia III, its flagship phone of 2021. There should also be a mid-range smartphone that should launch as the Xperia 10 III.

 

TCL April 14 launch

TCL launch – more TCL 20 phones

TCL will announce new smartphones on April 14. These phones are new models of the TCL 20 series that made its debut at CES 2021 in Janaury. We expect at least three new phones will be announced alongside some other products.

 

OnePlus 9R

OnePlus 9R heading to China

The OnePlus 9R launched last month as an Indian-exclusive model in the OnePlus 9 series. On April 15, OnePlus will announce the Snapdragon 870-powered smartphone in China. It is expected to cost less than in India.

 

ZTE Axon 30 Series

ZTE will unveil the Axon 30 series in China on April 15. The Chinese manufacturer is expected to announce three phones – the Axon 30, the Axon 30 Pro, and the Axon 30 Pro+. The Axon 30 Pro will have three 64MP rear cameras, an OLED screen with an under-display camera, and a Snapdragon 888 processor.

 

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First look at the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: a strikingly familiar but different design

Keeping to its words of launching an FE phone every year, Samsung will be announcing an FE version of the Galaxy S21 series. Now, we have our first look at the upcoming smartphone which should launch as the Galaxy S21 FE. These renders show a device that appears to be a replica of the Galaxy S21, but on closer look, it is actually different but gorgeous nonetheless.

Galaxy S21 FE render

Our first look at the Galaxy S21 FE comes from renders posted by the reliable leaker, Steve Hemmerstoffer a.k.a. OnLeaks on the Voice. The images show the phone has a Cloud Navy paint job which we hope is one of the colors the device will come in when it is eventually announced.

On the front, the Galaxy S21 FE has a flat display with a centered punch hole just like the Galaxy S21. Even the back has the same number of rear cameras and keeps the LED flash in the same position. However, the difference is in the design of the camera housing.

Unlike on the Galaxy S21 where the camera housing is an extension of the middle frame, the Galaxy S21 FE’s housing is not connected to the frame but mimics the design with just the back panel. Samsung pulled it off well such that if you were looking at the back of the device directly without seeing the sides, you would think it is the Galaxy S21.

The Galaxy S21 FE most likely has a back panel made of “glasstic” but the frame is metal as antenna bands are visible around it. There is a speaker grille at the bottom along with a USB-C port and the SIM card tray. The power button and volume rocker are on the right while the left side of the phone is devoid of buttons.

OnLeaks says the Galaxy S21 FE has a screen size of about 6.4-inches. That is bigger than the S21’s 6.2-inch display and this is because the Fan Edition is a bit wider at 7.45mm and longer at 155.7mm as against the Galaxy S21’s 71.2mm width and 151.7 height. The thickness is the same (7.9mm) on both devices.

There is no mention of when to expect the phone to launch but we don’t expect it will be announced until the third quarter at the earliest.

What do you think of the Galaxy S21 FE? Has Samsung got another winner here? Let us know in the comment box.

 

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