Xiaomi‘s eco-chain enterprise InkPalm Technology has launched a new mini electronic paper dubbed InkPalm 5. The product is presently on sale on the Youpin platform and is priced at 599 yuan (~$91).
The InkPalm 5 e-Reader packs a 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and a pixel density of 284ppi. The device weighs just 115 grams and is as thin as 6.9mm. It is very convenient to carry and can be easily fit your pocket.
In addition, the mini e-reader also uses a high-transmitting glass cover, which greatly improves the sensitivity when touching the screen. The brand logo at the bottom of the screen is a touch key that supports custom operations. It also supports 24-level dual-color temperature reading light adjustment, which is basically only available on flagship e-paper books. The back case is also touch-friendly and is available in two color options – gray and green.
In terms of performance, the e-book reader uses a quad-core processor paired with 1GB RAM and there is 32GB storage onboard. Keeping the lights on is a 1400mAh battery which should last for a long time since it consumes less power.
In terms of the operating system, it runs on Android 8.1 OS and comes integrated with five major bookstores of Jingdong Reading, Variety Reading, WeChat Reading, Kindle Reading, and Handy Reading. The device also supports the installation of third-party apps as well as importing e-books.
Today, LG confirmed that it is shutting down its mobile business division. The decision has not come as a surprise as multiple reports in the past have claimed that the South Korean company will be quitting the phone business. The announcement has come after its board of directors approved the “strategic decision.”
In its official statement, LG said that stepping away from the mobile phone business will allow it to focus on other areas like electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence, and business-to-business solutions, as well as platforms and services.
While it will not be manufacturing new phones, it will continue to provide support and software updates to existing customers for a certain “period of time” which will vary by region. To recollect, LG German confirmed last month that it will be releasing Android 11 OS update for phones like LG Velvet 4G, LG Velvet 5G, LG G8X, LG G8S, LG Wing, LG K52, and LG K42.
Existing phones will also continue to sell, but the company expects to completely wind down the mobile business by July 31. Until then, it will be working with suppliers and business partners for the closure of the mobile phone division. The South Korean company will be using its mobile expertise and mobile related technologies like 6G in other businesses, existing and future products.
The LG G5, which arrived as its first-ever modular smartphone back in 2016, and last year’s LG Wing with the rotatable display are some of the ambitious phones for which the brand will be remembered. The company was expected to launch the LG Rollable as the world’s first phone with a rollable screen, but it appears that it is unlikely to see a release.
Lenovo will announce its second-gen gaming smartphone this week. The phone which is expected to arrive as the Lenovo Legion 2 Pro will pack significant upgrades over its predecessor. Today, Lenovo has confirmed one of the features that have been upgraded is the front-facing camera.
According to a Weibo post by the official Legion Gaming Phone account, the Legion 2 Pro will have a 44MP front-facing camera. That is a big jump from the 20MP camera of the Legion Duel/Legion Pro.
The attached poster also reveals that the front-facing camera will be a motorized pop-up camera that slides out from the side just like on last year’s model.
Lenovo’s new gaming phone is not the only phone with a 44MP front-facing camera this year. The Vivo S9 and the recently announced ZTE S30 Pro both have 44MP front-facing cameras too.
So far it has been confirmed that the Legion 2 Pro will have a 6.92-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 720Hz touch sampling rate. Just like last year’s model, the display will be flat.
There will be a Snapdragon 888 processor under the hood along with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The phone will have a 64MP OV64A 1/1.32-inch primary rear camera with support for 4K recording at 120 fps and 8K video recording at 30 fps. Below is a sample photo that was taken with the camera.
Legion 2 Pro camera sample
Lenovo has bumped the battery capacity from 5000mAh on the first-gen model to 5500mAh. However, you still get 90W fast wired charging but with an updated charging algorithm. Lenovo even claims that the battery will still retain 85% of its original capacity even after 1200 charge cycles.
The Legion 2 Pro will be announced on April 8 in China and should get an international release later.
Although HMD Global has a launch event scheduled for Thursday, April 8, it appears the licensee isn’t the only one that has a Nokia-branded product launch set for this week. A promotional page on Flipkart has revealed that a pair of Nokia TWS earbuds will be announced tomorrow.
RichGo Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. is the manufacturer behind several of the Nokia TWS earbuds currently on the market, so there is a high probability that it is the one behind this new product albeit in partnership with Flipkart.
According to the promo page on Flipkart, the earbuds can be worn in the rain and for working out which means it is designed to prevent water/sweat from getting in. One of the teaser videos actually confirms it has an IP67 rating. It also mentions that it can be used in crowded places. This, along with the second of the teaser videos (below) hints at the new Nokia TWS earbuds having noise cancelation.
Last but not least is support for gaming which should mean that the earbuds have low audio latency.
We should know all about the earbuds when it is unveiled tomorrow.
A few weeks ago, Asus launched the king of gaming phones in the Asus ROG Phone 5 series. A few days ago, Xiaomi came up with its alternative belonging to a lower price segment. The Asus ROG Phone 5 series also includes a variant for those who want to save some money: the vanilla version. A perfect rival of this handset in the affordable flagship segment is the Black Shark 4 Pro. Unless you want to opt for the ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, these are the most interesting gaming phones you can find in the market. Here is a comparison between their specifications.
Asus ROG Phone 5 vs Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro
Asus ROG Phone 5
Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
172.8 x 77.3 x 10.3 mm, 238 grams
163.8 x 76.4 x 9.9 mm, 220 grams
DISPLAY
6.78 inches, 1080 x 2448p (Full HD+), 395 ppi, AMOLED
6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 395 ppi, Super AMOLED
Despite a lot of people who may prefer the attractive rear side of the Asus ROG Phone 5, I personally love the Black Shark 4 Pro because of its narrower bezels around the display and its punch-hole design. However, having thicker bezels is actually an advantage for gamers who want to have a better grip. Further, the RGB logo on the rear side of the Asus ROG Phone 5 and its premium materials make it a very interesting phone in terms of aesthetics.
Display
The display of the Asus ROG Phone 5 is better than Black Shark 4 Pro because it is able to show up to one billion colors. It also offers a wider diagonal which may be better for power gamers. The Asus ROG Phone 5 includes an in-display fingerprint scanner, while the fingerprint reader of the Black Shark 4 Pro is side-mounted. On the rear side, Asus ROG Phone 5 has pressure sensitive zones which can be used as capacitive gaming triggers, while the Black Shark 4 Pro has physical gaming triggers on the side. In both cases, you get an AMOLED panel with very high brightness, the HDR10+ certification, and a 144 Hz refresh rate.
Specs & Software
With the Asus ROG Phone 5 and the Black Shark 4 Pro, you can get a very advanced flagship-class hardware side. They are both fueled by the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform paired with up to 16 GB of RAM. The Black Shark is available in a memory configuration with 512 GB of internal storage, while the Asus ROG Phone 5 offers a max of 256 GB. The phones run Android 11 out of the box with a customized user interface, but the Asus ROG Phone 5 can let you switch to stock Android.
Camera
The Asus ROG Phone 5 and the Black Shark 4 Pro are equipped with midrange-class camera setups. The main camera is the same 64 MP f/1.8 sensor, but the Asus ROG Phone 5 has a better ultrawide sensor with a 13 MP resolution. Besides these sensors, you also get a 5 MP macro camera. The Asus ROG Phone 5 is also able to record videos at 8K resolution, while Black Shark goes up to 4K.
Battery
The king of battery here is the Asus ROG Phone 5, and it is also one of the best flagships when it comes to battery life. The Asus ROG Phone 5 packs a huge 6000 mAh battery which can provide a lot of gaming hours and it charges very quickly thanks to its 65W fast charging technology. However, the Black Shark charges even faster with a power of 120W: the fastest commercial charging technology.
Price
The starting price of the Asus ROG Phone 5 is about €493/$580, while the Black Shark 4 Pro carries a €520/$611 starting price (the prices vary depending on the market). Despite the Black Shark 4 Pro features a faster charging technology, the Asus ROG Phone 5 wins the comparison thanks to its bigger battery and great display. It is also better for gamers as it supports a higher amount of external gaming accessories.
A recent national survey by UNOMER has revealed that Xiaomi’s retail outlets for its products in India had the most significant appeal among Indian consumers. The study showed that the Mi Home store was the first choice for an exciting experience overall across several customer satisfaction parameters captured in the survey questionnaire.
Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction on the various measurement criteria, and the percentages were computed for each parameter across the exclusive smartphone retail stores in India.
The Unomer study titled: “Smartphone Retail CSAT Benchmarking Research Report” aims to measure customer satisfaction across a broad spectrum of India’s leading smartphone exclusive retailers, including Xiaomi, Samsung, Oppo, Apple, and several others. Some of the customer satisfaction parameters captured in the study were the physical layout, purchase financing options available, the fluidity of the checkout system, and staff knowledge, among others.
The Mi Home stores had an average rating of about 62% in staff knowledge criteria, billing/ checkout process, and financing options, which were the highest among the surveyed exclusive retail stores. Xiaomi has seen remarkable progress since it first established its Mi Home stores in India, and it now has 75 of such stores spread across 19 cities across the subcontinent.
In his response to the UNOMER report, an executive of Xiaomi India, Sunil Baby expressed joy at the report, putting the Mi Home stores as the best premium exclusive smartphone store in India. He said the Mi brand would continue to pursue excellence in all its ramifications and continue to provide satisfaction to its teeming customers across India. Baby stressed that the Mi Home stores have a unique architectural design and were constructed using eco-friendly materials, which combine with the excellent staff and products to give a unique experience for its teeming Indian customers.
Xiaomi has assured that it will continue to strive to maintain and even exceed expectations in the high standards it has set for itself.
Last month was one of the busiest ones in a while. We had so many events that it was a bit hard to keep count of the many devices that launched in the span of a month. Well, if you had thought of taking a breather, hold on, because we are back with yet another edition of Upcoming Smartphones April 2021 Edition.
As usual, we have entries from well-known brands like OPPO, Xiaomi, Redmi, realme, Nokia, and a few surprises from companies like Sony and TCL. So without wasting your time, let’s dive into it straight away.
13realme 8 5G, realme 8i
realme has already confirmed that it will launch a 5G version of the realme 8 and a budget-friendly realme 8i in India. Out of this, the realme 8 5G has already stopped at FCC certification.
However, this launch might skipped to next month as well so take this with a pinch of salt.
Vivo V21 series
Vivo V21 series was rumored to come before in India but that hasn’t happened yet. The company had other ideas and brought a flagship X60 series to the country. However, it could soon launch one of the supposed members of the V21 series- Vivo V21 SE.
Reports reveal that it could be a rebadged version of the iQOO U3 which means it could come with a Dimensity 800U chipset with 5G support. Let’s hope that Vivo doesn’t skip any further.
Oppo A74 4G & 5G, A94 & A54 5G
OPPO is said to bring the remaining devices of the OPPO Axx series and it might happen this month. The company has already unveiled the OPPO A54 4G version already. Next in line could be the OPPO A74, A54, and A94 5G models.
The OPPO A74 4G is said to come in certain markets as rebranded OPPO F19 while the 5G version could have Snapdragon 480 chipset.
When it comes to Huawei, things haven’t been so smooth lately. The company is struggling a lot to gather the supply chain after the US ban and it is hitting them hard. Previously rumored to come this month, the launch of the Huawei P50 series looks to be a far cry for now.
However, anything can happen in between so let’s hope that Huawei turns tables to come back stronger.
These are the confirmed/expected smartphone launches for the month of April. We hope you enjoyed reading it and as always please share your feedback in the comments below. It really helps us improve our future articles.
For this week’s poll, we want to know which of these products you will be purchasing. Will you be importing the China-exclusive Mi MIX Fold or Mi 11 Pro, or are you are going for the Mi 11 Ultra with its rear secondary display? Maybe you prefer the Mi 11 Lite 4G/5G or all you need is the new Mi Band 6/Mi Smart Band 6 fitness tracker? Also, please share your opinions about Xiaomi’s new plethora of products in the comment box below.
After the plethora of phones launched in March, manufacturers are not slowing down even as we enter a new month. For the first week of April, there are already multiple announcements lined up and we expect no less than eight new devices to be announced.
HMD Global has an event scheduled for April 8. The manufacturer is expected to announce new phones for the year and it has been reported that these devices will adopt a new naming scheme.
With the RedMagic 6 series, ASUS ROG Phone 5 series, and Black Shark 4 series out of the way, Lenovo is ready to grab the spotlight with its next-gen gaming phone – the Legion 2 Pro. When it arrives on April 8, the phone will have a 144Hz refresh rate, a bigger battery, and support for 90W charging.
Huami will announce the Amazfit Bip U Pro next week in India. The smartwatch which launched last year in the U.S. differs from the standard model with the addition of four new features – built-in GPS, an electronic compass, a microphone, and Amazon Alexa.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the airline industry very hard, and several airlines across the world are still grappling with the pandemic’s effects. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, many airports were shut down for extended periods. There were fears that the virus was being transmitted rapidly through airplanes. Even with the easing of air travel restrictions, the airlines have put in place an extensive screening protocol to ensure the safety of air passengers.
Now, a Swiss company, UVeya has developed robots capable of using ultraviolet light to screen passenger airplanes clean of viruses before humans board the aircraft. UVeya is conducting pilot trials within aircraft owned by Helvetic Airways, owned by Martin Ebner, a Swiss billionaire.
The pilot trials will establish whether the robots are indeed capable of killing all viruses in the aircraft through UV light. Simultaneously, the impact itself of the UV emission on the aircraft’s interior is also being examined. Before the UV spraying robots can be certified safe for use, all safety concerns must be addressed by the robot’s manufacturer.
UVeya co-founder Jodoc Elmiger says that aircraft manufacturers must certify the virus-killing system, and they are studying the impact of the UV light on the aircraft’s interior upholstery after many such UV disinfection. Elmiger is confident that robot cleaners could assure the flying populace’s safety even with the Covid-19 still prevalent.
UVeya already has three UV spraying robots, and it tested one of them in a Helvetic aircraft in Zurich Airport. The robot’s UV lights, mounted on a crucifix-shaped frame, illuminated the aircraft’s interior in a soft-blue glow as it went up the aisle. UVeya says the robot can disinfect a single-aisled plane in as low as 13 minutes.
If the pilot trials are successful, them UVeya may produce the robots in commercial quantities, and we would expect them to have a high demand for the UV spraying robots globally.
On April 2, Microsoft‘s Xbox defeated Skittles in the final round of Twitter’s inaugural #BestOfTweets Brand Bracket competition. Xbox’s marketing director, Aaron Greenberg, tweeted a promise the previous day that if Xbox won, Microsoft would produce Xbox Series X mini-refrigerators. Indeed Greenberg has affirmed that the company will go ahead and manufacture Xbox Series X Mini refrigerators.
The promise by Xbox on the Xbox Series X mini fridges came on April 1, and many could have viewed it as a joke on a day given to such tricks. Still, Greenberg specifically tweeted that this was not a joke, so we should be expecting the Xbox mini fridges soon from Microsoft. Greenberg had said in a post-victory tweet shortly after the results were announced that “we will move forward on our promise to make those Xbox Series X Mini Fridges” and Skittles will get the first unit of these mini cooling devices.
Microsoft first unveiled the Xbox Series X refrigerator last year which resulted from comparisons that the Xbox Series X console looked like a fridge. The Xbox Series X fridges were giveaway units and were not sold in the open market. It would seem that the concept is still appealing to a wide array of followers. Therefore, Greenberg’s promise could have swayed the votes in Xbox’s favor to win the Twitter brand competition.
— Aaron Greenberg 🙅🏼♂️💚U (@aarongreenberg) April 2, 2021
There are, however, still several gaps in the project to produce the Xbox Series X mini fridges, as Microsoft is yet to give us detailed information on the production trajectory for the fridges, although it is still early at this time. The production could commence this year, and we do not yet know the numbers to be produced and whether you would be able to buy one when it finally comes out. We shall keep you in the loop whenever any additional information comes out from Microsoft.
The latest flagship killer released by Realme is incredibly affordable. We are talking about the Realme GT Neo, offering flagship-class performance to a lot of people thanks to its price. Given the high value for money of this phone, we decided to compare it with its main Xiaomi rival in the same price tag, at least for the Chinese market. For this comparison, we chose the Redmi K40 for obvious reasons. None of these devices is actually global, so this will be a comparison especially thought for Chinese readers, at least for now.
Xiaomi Redmi K40 vs Realme GT Neo
Xiaomi Redmi K40
Realme GT Neo
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
163.7 x 76.4 x 7.8 mm, 196 grams
158.5 x 73.3 x 8.4 mm, 179 g
DISPLAY
6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
6.43 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
Triple 48 + 8 + 5 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.2
20 MP front camera
Triple 64 + 8 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.3 + f/2.4
16 MP f/2.5 front camera
BATTERY
4520 mAh, fast charging 33W
4500 mAh, fast charging 50W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Design
The design of the Realme GT Neo is more original and suggestive, thanks to its very brilliant color effects on the rear side, especially in the Final Fantasy color variant. The Realme GT Neo is even lighter than the Redmi K40, as well as more compact. On the other hand, the Redmi K40 is thinner because it has a body with bigger dimensions. Another important difference is the punch hole: you get a hole on the top left corner with the Realme GT Neo, while Redmi K40 has a hole placed centrally.
Display
On the paper, the Redmi K40 has a superior display, but we are only talking about marginal differences. With the Redmi K40, you get the HDR10+ certification, as well as a very high 1300 nit peak brightness. Both the phones feature an AMOLED panel and a 120 Hz refresh rate, but the display of the Redmi K40 is wider (6.67 inches vs 6.43 inches). Note that the Realme GT Neo features an in-display fingerprint reader, while the Redmi K40 does not.
Specs & Software
The Redmi K40 is powered by the Snapdragon 870 mobile platform, while the Realme GT Neo has a Mediatek Dimensity 1200 inside. While the Dimensity 1200 is built with a better production process (6 nm) and is more efficient, the Snapdragon 870 is slightly more powerful. You can get the same maximum amount of RAM and storage: up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of UFS 3.1 native storage, respectively. Redmi K40 and Realme GT Neo run Android 11 out of the box, customized by MIUI and Realme UI 2.0, respectively.
Camera
The Realme GT neo comes with a superior main sensor for its rear camera, so it wins the camera comparison. We are referring to a 64 MP rear camera against a 48 MP sensor found on the Redmi K40. With the Redmi K40, you actually get a better macro camera, but it does not matter as the main camera is inferior. Unfortunately, none of these handsets is a camera phone. They are mid-range class and there are a lot of better choices in the same price range if you need a great camera setup. So, if you are looking at these devices especially for the cameras, you should go for something else.
Realme GT Neo has a 4500 mAh battery, while Redmi K40 has a 4520 mAh battery. The difference in battery capacity is minimal and these devices should provide a similar battery life. We expect the GT Neo to offer a slightly longer battery life due to its smaller display and a chipset with a 6 nm production process, but it will also depend on the software optimization. You can see a bigger difference when it comes to the charging speed: the Realme GT Neo has a 50W fast charging technology, while Redmi K40 stops at 33W.
Price
The starting price of the Redmi K40 in China is about €367/$432, while Realme GT Neo starts from just €250/$274. Despite the lower price, the Realme GT Neo has a better rear camera and it offers faster charging speeds. The Redmi K40 has a slightly more powerful mobile platform and a slightly better display, but this is not enough to justify the price difference and the difference in the user experience. That is the reason why the GT Neo wins this specs comparison.
LG may be planning to shut down its ailing smartphone business but the brand is still a leading name in other aspect, one of which is the display segment. The Korean brand has just announced a new laptop packing its OBM display in the home market. The laptop is dubbed LG Ultra Gear 17 and it is an high-performance product.
The Ultra Gear 17 sports a massive 17-inch WQXGA display which is an LCD panel with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. The size of the display provides vivid and clear picture quality. The laptop also packs a 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor paired with 8GB of DDR4 3200MHz memory. There is equally 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD onboard. Both the RAM and memory can be upgraded by users if they want, using expansion slots..
Further, the Ultra Gear 17 features an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti GPU inside. The graphics card provides a rapid and comfortable environment when running video work or games.
Despite the huge display size, the new LG laptop isn’t very bulky as it weighs 1.95kg. This is despite packing an 80Whr battery cell. Talking of the battery, LG touts it as capable of providing long battery life. The laptop comes with a ‘dual power cooling system’ that quickly cools internal heat with two coolers and can stably run high-end programs.
There ae also several ports onboard the laptop including three USB 3.1 ports, a USB 4 port which also supports USB-PD, 1 HDMI port, and a DC-in for power.
As for the pricing and availability, LG Ultra Gear 17 is available for purchase in South Korea and is priced at 2.24 million won (~$ 1,986).
Lenovo is launching the successor of the Legion Pro, the Legion 2 Pro in China on April 8. With less than 5 days remaining for the launch, the company has confirmed today that the Legion 2 Pro will have a similar charging tech and a slightly better battery.
In a Weibo post, Lenovo has confirmed that Legion 2 Pro will come with a 5,500mAh battery and 90W Super Flash charging. The battery capacity is about 10% higher than the 5,000mAh on the Legion Pro. Talking about the charging tech, it is unclear if it’s a sole 90W or a split-up of two 45W.
A few weeks ago, a Lenovo L70081 5G device speculated to be Legion 2 Pro got 3C certification in China. It revealed that the device has support for 65W and 45W charging protocols. Besides, the predecessor had two USB-C ports and hence supported up to a total of 90W charging.
If the pattern continues, then the successorLenovo Legion 2 Pro could also have the same implementation but let’s wait for official info. Lenovo has already confirmed that Legion 2 Pro will come with a 6.92-inch 144Hz Samsung E4 AMOLED display.
Further, Master Lu benchmarks revealed that the display resolution would be 1080 x 2460 pixels i.e., FHD+ and have a 20.5:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the Legion 2 Pro will feature Snapdragon 888 chipset and come paired with either 12GB/128GB, 12GB/256GB, and 16GB/512GB RAM/storage options.
Other expected specs include a dual-turbo cooling fan, run Android 11 OS, and more. Let’s wait for more teasers next week.
realme is said to host a launch event in Pakistan on April 7 where it looks like a few AIoT products are going to see the light of the day. Among the lot, the company has now confirmed to bring a budget-friendly realme Buds Air 2 Neo TWS earbuds with ANC feature.
In a Facebook Post, realmePakistan has confirmed that realme Buds Air 2 Neo will launch in the country on April 7 at 12 PM local time. Along with the design, the company has also confirmed a few specs and features that are coming on the wireless earbuds.
realme brought features like the ANC(Active Noise Cancellation) on the recently launched realme Buds Air 2. The TWS launched for a price tag of ₹3,299($45) in India. However, it looks like the Buds Air 2 Neo with ANC will launch in Pakistan at an even lesser price.
The company says that it is bringing features like ANC to the masses and if you recall, the predecessor Buds Air Neo launched at a lesser price tag than the original realme Buds Air. If the same pattern continues, then the realme Buds Air 2 Neo could very well launch below ₹3,299 price tag of the Buds Air 2.
realme Buds Air 2 Neo Features
Anyway, apart from the ANC, the realme Buds Air 2 Neo will have a 10mm Dynamic Bass Boost Driver and have a total battery life of about 28Hrs. Talking about the design, it resembles a lot like the realme Buds Q but has few design changes.
There is a button on the case and the earbuds themselves are also having a pebble-like shape that we even saw on the recently certified realme Buds Q2. However, we will have to wait for the official word to confirm if this is indeed coming out as the realme Buds Air 2 Neo.
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra was the first-ever smartphone to get the stable MIUI 12.5 update. Now, the remaining siblings of the series- Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro are getting it.
Xiaomi Mi 10
An OTA update with firmware version V12.5.3.0.RJBCNXM and V12.5.3.0.RJACNXM is rolling out to Xiaomi Mi 10, Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro respectively in China. Both the builds weigh about 4.0GB in size and it does bring the latest MIUI 12.5 stable based on Android 11 to the devices.
If you recall, Xiaomi started rolling out the stable MIUI 12.5 update to users in China a few days ago. As mentioned above, the Mi 10 Ultra and followed by other devices like the Mi 11, Mi 9 SE have got it recently.
Coming back, the update for the Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro also has the March 2021 security patch. Xiaomi launched the MIUI 12.5 back in December. The incremental UI has improvements like UI Design improvements, more Super wallpapers, improved privacy, haptics, MIUI+, uninstallable built-in apps, and more.
That said, the rollout is said to continue further and not stop with the flagships as Xiaomi has already revealed a list of 28 devices scheduled to get it in the first wave in China. When it comes to global markets, the Mi 11 is likely to get it soon, and followed by it, various devices are on the list.
As for the Mi 10 users elsewhere, do keep in mind that this rollout is only for China so you will have to wait till Xiaomi expands the regions for this stable update. And for the users in China, these particular builds are in ‘stable beta recovery’ so it should reach only a few for now before coming out as a wider rollout in the coming days.
Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold2 in September 2020. The company’s second flagship foldable smartphone debuted for $1,999.99 in the US. Now, seven months after its release, the firm has announced a permanent price cut on this handset along with a referral program.
The Galaxy Z Fold2 has been on sale at a discounted price tag multiple times since its launch. Bu this is the first-ever official price drop by Samsung. The South Korean tech giant has reduced the device’s MSRP by $200.
Hence, the Galaxy Z Fold2 is now retailing in the US for $1,799.99. The new price is applicable to both unlocked and carrier variants (Verizon, AT&T). Also, it is worth noting that, unlike regular smartphones, Samsung’s foldable phones (Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Z Fold2) come with a 100-day return policy.
Further, alongside the price drop, Samsung has also announced a referral program for the Galaxy Z series. Any existing Galaxy Z Series customer can share a referral code to someone looking to buy a Samsung foldable handset.
By using the code, the new buyer can snag a $100 discount. On the other hand, the referrer gets a $100 credit, which can be used on Samsung’s online store. Hence, interested customers can get the Galaxy Z Fold2 for as low as $1,699.99 in the US.
Earlier this week, Infinix Hot 10i was spotted on Google Play Console. The listing revealed the primary specs and the front design of this handset. Now, we have spotted this smartphone on FCC. The certification shows off the device’s rear design and also confirms its battery capacity and charging speed.
Infinix Hot 10i (X659B) | Source: FCC
The upcoming Infinix Hot 10i was certified by FCC in late February. In fact, its listing went live just a day after we reported on Infinix X693’s FCC certification.
That said, as per the FCC listing, the Infinix Hot 10i will come with model number X659B. The listing does not mention the phone’s marketing name. We found out that from an automated Google Play Certified Android devices list on GitHub.
It is worth noting that the Infinix Hot 10i spotted on Google Play Console has a different model number (X658B). But these handsets could be the same but meant for different markets. However, we cannot rule the possibility of them being different devices.
Infinix Hot 10i (X658B) | Source: Google Play Console
Anyway, as per FCC, the Infinix Hot 10i (X659B) will feature a 5,850mAh battery (rated) with support for 10W charging. In other words, this smartphone will be backed by a 6,000mAh battery (typical).
As far as rear design is concerned, it will house a squircle camera module on the top left corner and a fingerprint sensor slightly below it. Going by the size of the module, we can expect at least two cameras. Whereas, the power button and the volume rocker will be loathed on the right side.
Assuming the Infinix X659B to be the same as Infinix X658B, we can expect this phone to come with an HD+ (720 x 1600 pixels) display with 320 DPI and centered punch-hole, MediaTek Helio A20 SoC, 2GB RAM, and Android 11.
As of now, there’s no official word from Infinix regarding the launch of Hot 10i.
As France goes into a third lockdown, Apple has announced that it is closing all its 20 stores across the country. Prior to this announcement, most of Apple’s stores across the country have been closed with the exception of 8 which were originally classified as essential shops.
The announcement was made on Twitter by the official Apple UNSA account. The tweet said that the eight stores including the Apple Champs-Élysées, Apple Opéra, and Apple Marché Saint-Germain stores which have remained open since March will be closed indefinitely starting on the evening of April 3. So all those who have orders to pick up have until this evening to do so.
This is the first time this year that Apple is closing all of its stores in the country. Lately, cases have been rising in the country which led to the government announcing a third lockdown on Wednesday evening. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, did say that this will be the country’s last national lockdown. Since the beginning of the pandemic, France has recorded up to 100,000 in total deaths.
On April 5, Samsung will take off covers from the Galaxy F02s and Galaxy F12 smartphones in India. Both phones’ microsites are now available on Flipkart. Before launch, the Galaxy F12 (model number SM-F127G) has surfaced at Geekbench (via).
The landing page of the Galaxy F12 at Flipkart has already revealed that it is powered by the Exynos 850. However, it does not tell the amount of RAM present inside it. The Geekbench listing states it has 4 GB of RAM. It is unclear whether it will come in a higher 6 GB RAM version. The phone is loaded with the latest Android 11 OS. In the single-core and multi-core tests of Geekbench 5, it scored 154 and 969 points, respectively.
It is mentioned on F12’s landing page at Flipkart that it is equipped with a 6.5-inch display that offers an Infinity-V notch design, an HD+ resolution, and a 90Hz refresh rate. The power button placed on the right edge of the phone is integrated with a fingerprint scanner.
The polycarbonate rear of the Galaxy F12 features a square-shaped camera with a 48-megapixel Samsung GM2. Below the camera module is an LED flash unit. It houses a 6,000mAh battery, which probably supports 15W fast charging. It is equipped with other features such as a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port, and a speaker grille. It appears that the Galaxy F12 will be arriving as a rebranded version of the Galaxy M12 smartphone.
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