LG might continue to provide software updates including Android 12 for some phones

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Apr 5, 2021

It’s definitely not a good day for the LG smartphone fans and the company itself. It finally announced that it is exiting the smartphone business worldwide by July 31. However, it said that it will continue to provide software updates for the older ones and as spotted by @Kuma_Sleepy, it might just include the upcoming Android 12 too.

As spotted by the Twitter user(Via XDADevelopers), LG has detailed on what would happen to the software updates after the shutdown of the smartphone business. On a FAQ support page, it says that it will continue to roll out the Android 11 update as intended.

If you recall, the company shared a rollout plan for Europe recently. The list of devices getting it include LG Velvet 5G, LG G8X, LG G8S, LG Wing, and more. Among these, it has already rolled out the stable Android 11 update to V60 ThinQ, Velvet 5G devices.

Moving on, on the support page, the South Korean giant says that it will also push Android 12 OS for select models.

Now, it hasn’t really mentioned the list of devices on the page and the info on it shouldn’t come out at least until Google’s official announcement of Android 12. Speaking of which, Google has already released Developer Preview of Android 12 and the stable version could be coming this fall(could be September).

Besides, LG also puts out a disclaimer that the upgrade schedule, i.,e the timeline may vary by country and changes might occur to this policy in the future. This suggests that if the company hits a major roadblock in the development, it may also bring down the shutters on the entire rollout plan.

In the announcement of its exit from the Smartphone business, LG said that it will move forward and focus on areas like electric vehicle components, smart homes, robotics, AI, and others.

Let’s just hope that the company finds invests time in the software updates and delivers them as planned.

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Upcoming vivo NEX could feature under-display camera, 60W wireless charging, and more

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Apr 5, 2021

Chinese smartphone makers have been lately leading in bringing innovations to the masses. For instance, vivo is known for introducing pop-up cameras and in-display fingerprint sensors. Both of these features first debuted on vivo APEX concept smartphones and later, debuted on vivo NEX series commercial phones. Now, over a year after the last NEX series handset, rumors of its successor have begun to pop up on the internet.

vivo NEX 3S 5G Featured — vivo NEX 3S 5G

The last-ever vivo NEX series smartphone called vivo NEX 3S 5G was launched in March 2020. It was basically the vivo NEX 3 5G and vivo NEX 3 from 2020 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, UFS 3.1, WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1. In other words, it wasn’t that interesting.

But as per a Weibo user (@馬然熊猫), the upcoming vivo NEX series device, which could go official as vivo NEX 5 in H2 2021 will be impressive. It will not only sport all the ket specs of current-gen vivo flagships but will also include the most-awaited smartphone feature for the masses.

According to this person on the popular Chinese microblogging website, the next vivo NEX phone will come with an under-display camera. The in-screen camera will sit beneath the waterfall display supplied by LG Display.

Further, just like the vivo X60 series, the new vivo NEX will also flaunt Zeiss optics. Also, it will support the company’s 120W Super FlashCharge charging protocol and unannounced 60W wireless charging protocol. Last but not least, the upcoming vivo NEXT smartphone will be IP68-certified for dust and water resistance, as per the tipster.

Having said that, we urge you to consider this information with a pinch of salt. If this device indeed exists, then we expect to learn more about it in the coming days.

HMD Global’s Nokia Smartphones may step away from Android One for its own custom UI

By

Balaji S

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Apr 5, 2021

Nokia licensed its name to Hmd Global Oy for selling Nokia-branded smartphones. Since then, the latter has been launching devices across different price points but is struggling to gain a greater ground lately amidst heavy competition from Chinese brands. In spite of this, the company has managed to tie up with Google to provide a clean software experience under the ‘Android One Program’. That may change now as HMD Global is hiring a new UX designer for its Android phones.

As reported by XDA, HMD Global seems to be looking for a new User Experience Designer. In a job listing posted on LinkedIn, the company is expecting the employee to focus on things like designing GUI elements like menus, tabs, and widgets, developing UI mockups and prototypes, creating original graphic designs, Identify and troubleshoot UX issues, etc.

Although there doesn’t explicitly say anything about a new UI development, citing a tipster, the XDA report says that this move a step in the direction of making their own custom UI.

As mentioned above, Nokia smartphones, under HMD Global, have mostly depended on Google’s Android One Program. Typically, they are intended to give a near-stock Android experience with no bloatware, faster and regular updates for up to two Generations of Android upgrades.

However, a lot has been going on in the camp of HMD Global lately. Before a scheduled April 8 launch event where it is expected to revamp the smartphone naming, its CPO and VP of the North America division, Juho Sarvikas announced his exit from the company.

Coming back, the job description of Nokia could also be for tinkering around a few of its first-party apps too. Nokia phones ship with their own Camera, My Phone apps just like Motorola have their own but a majority of the UI is clean with just Google Apps.

Either way, let’s wait for concrete info to find out if Nokia is indeed shifting from Android one in the future.

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Apple iPhone 13 alleged mockup reveals smaller notch, with new camera and earpiece positions

By

Sean

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Apr 5, 2021

New images have recently surfaced online that are apparently the mockup for the next gen Apple iPhone 13. This mockup has revealed that the notch on the front would be smaller, and will also have new positions for its earpiece and front facing camera.

According to images shared by MacOtakara (Via MacRumors), the iPhone 13 Pro from the Cupertino based giant will feature a 6.1 inch display. Overall, the device would also arrive with minimal changes on the front, including the repositioned earpiece and selfie camera. Although, these changes are in line with previous leaks and reports that showcased a similar design. Furthermore, the alleged iPhone 13 Pro mockup is reportedly based on leaked design drawings that are circulated among case manufacturers.

For those unaware, case makers usually use mockups well ahead of the actual release of smartphones. Previous reports had also revealed that the glass cut out for the iPhone 13 will also have a camera positioned on the left side of the notch. MacOtaka also shared specific dimensions of the upcoming iPhone 13 Pro’s notch as well. In comparison to the iPhone 12 Pro, the mockup suggests that the newer variant will have a 5.35mm height over the 5.30mm of the 12 Pro, but will have a 26.8mm width on the 13 Pro over the 34.83mm in the predecessor.

Unfortunately, this is still an unconfirmed report so take it with a pinch of salt for now. We also have no way of confirming the news or the finer details regarding the Apple iPhone 13 lineup at the moment. However, the higher end variants are rumored to feature LTPO display panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a faster A15 chipset along with other generational improvements as well. So stay tuned for more updates.

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OPPO Reno6, Reno6 Pro, Reno6 Pro+ key specifications leaked

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 5, 2021

Last year in June, OPPO unveiled the OPPO Reno4 5G series of smartphones. Rumors are rife that the company may announce the Reno6 series of smartphones around the same month this year. A tipster from China has shared the key specifications of the Reno6 series.

The tipster claims that the OPPO Reno6 has a 90Hz display and it is powered by the Dimensity 1200 chipset and the Reno6 Pro has a 90Hz screen and the Snapdragon 870 SoC. The Reno6 Pro+ could be a flagship model with a 120Hz refresh rate and Snapdragon 888 mobile platform.

He also claimed that all three Reno6 series smartphones will be equipped with a 4,500mAh battery that carries support for 65W charging. These phones could be also equipped with a Sony IMX789 lens as the primary camera. Since the authenticity of the leak couldn’t be confirmed, it is advisable to wait for further reports to know reliable information on the Reno6 series.

Recent reports suggest that the PEPM00 OPPO phone, which was seen at the 3C certification last week could be the Reno6 smartphone. It is speculated that the phone will be equipped with a punch-hole OLED display, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of native storage, and ColorOS 11 based Android 11 OS.

An OPPO phone with model number PENM00 had appeared in a leak recently. It is said to be the Snapdragon 870 powered Reno6 Pro. It is also speculated that the Reno6 series of smartphones will also carry support for 30W wireless charging. In related news, an OPPO phone with model number PEXM00 was certified by TENAA recently. The listing revealed that it has 159.1 x 73.4 x 7.9mm dimensions, a 6.43-inch display, a 2,100 battery, and Android 11 OS. It is expected to feature a 32-megapixel selfie camera and a 64-megapixel main rear camera.

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Samsung brings the Mystic Navy color variant of the Galaxy Tab S7, S7+ to South Korea

By

Balaji S

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Apr 5, 2021

Six months after the official announcement, Samsung brought new color, storage variants to the Galaxy Tab S7 series. The new variants debuted in Europe, the USA, and later in countries like India. Now, it is finally coming to Samsung’s home country, South Korea.

Users in South Korea can purchase the new Mystic Navy color variant of the Galaxy Tab S7 and the Galaxy Tab S7+ starting April 8 across offline and online stores. The devices will also be available in a new 12GB RAM, and 512GB storage option.

You can take a look at the prices below:

Galaxy Tab S7(Mystic Navy Color)
- Wi-Fi – KRW 10,49,400($930)
- LTE – KRW 11,49,500 ($1,019)
Galaxy Tab S7+(Mystic Navy Color)
- Wi-Fi – KRW 12,95,985($1,149)
- LTE – KRW 13,99,920 ($1,240)
- 5G – KRW 14,99,300 ($1,329)

If you are impatient, you can get the new variants from April 6, i.e., tomorrow on offline stores like Coupang, ELand, HiMart, WeMakePrice, EMart, Samsung Digital Plaza across the country. Also, Samsung has exciting offers for the buyers of the new Mystic Navy color variant.

If you purchase those variants before May 31, you can get a Genuine Book cover and a limited edition Monami S Pen as a bundle gift. Additionally, Samsung will give you a 50% discount coupon for the genuine Keyboard Cover as well.

Apart from the free gifts, Samsung also bundles a 6-month Samsung Care+ plan, 6-month YouTube premium, 3-month Millie’s Library pass.

If that isn’t enough, the first 3000 users who purchase the Galaxy Tab S7 or S7+ from the Samsung Electronics website / Galaxy Campus Store will get a pouch with the Adidas logo, a coupon to purchase the Adidas Stan Smith sneakers, and Disney stickers.

With this launch, the Galaxy Tab S7 series will be available in four colors in South Korea- Mystic Black, Mystic Bronze, Mystic Navy, and Mystic Silver.

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OnePlus 9/9 Pro get ‘Assistive Ball’ and ‘Flashback Button’ via ColorOS 11.2 update in China

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Apr 5, 2021

The newly launched OnePlus 9 series runs ColorOS instead of HydrogenOS in China. In fact, the brand has even promised to update its older devices to OPPO’s Android skin. Now, few days after the launch of these smartphones, the company has started rolling out the ColorOS 11.2 update with lots of optimizations.

OnePlus 9 Pro Morning Mist Featured 09 — OnePlus 9 Pro

Lately, OnePlus has been releasing smartphones with buggy software builds. However, to the company’s credit, it continues to roll out new builds with fixes and optimizations. But unfortunately, due to this move, most OnePlus devices are yet to get the Android 11 update.

We thought that would change with the brand opting for ColorOS in China. But that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least for now. Because OnePlus is currently seeding out ColorOS 11.2 for the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro with a number of optimizations

For starters, the new update adds support for the OnePlus Watch. Also, for some reason, ColorOS for OnePlus lacked the popular ‘Assistive Ball’ and ‘Flashback Button’ at launch. Hence, these two features also make their way to the OnePlus 9 series with the new update.

Other than the above-mentioned features, the ColorOS 11.2 update is all about optimizations for ‘All Clear’ button in the notification bar, system power consumption for better battery life, touch experience in some scenarios, noise and color expression of indoor scene with the rear camera, rear camera focus and video stability, ultra-wide-angle delay, camera stability, camera zoom experience, overall camera photo and video experience.

Lately, the update also brings optimizations for health app icon and online game network delays to improve fluency, in addition to fixes for some known issues to improve system stability.

The latest system update for the Chinese variant of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro is being rolled out in batches. This build should be available for all the units, including imported ones in the coming days.

Tesla sees bump in shares after record electric car sales in Q1 2021

By

Sean

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Apr 5, 2021

Tesla Inc‘s shares surged by almost 8 percent in pre market trading earlier today (5th April 2021) after the company witnessed a record shipments of its electric cars, which saw great demand in the first quarter of this year.

According to a Reuters report, the popular electronics car maker posted record sales in Q1 2021, despite the world suffering from a global shortage of chips that are used in these vehicles. The automobile manufacturer also announced earlier this month that it was encouraged by the strong demand of its Model Y crossover in China, which was quickly progressing to full production capacity in the region.

Notably, Tesla’s ability to produce about the same amount of vehicles in the first quarter of this year in comparison to the fourth quarter “stands out relative to the trend in global light vehicle production”, as per a J.P. Morgan analysts’ note. During the first quarter, the company shipments 184,800 vehicles across the globe, which is higher than the previously estimated 177,822 vehicles deliveries.

This, in turn, caused the shares of Tesla to rise by nearly 8 percent, arriving in at 714 US Dollars in trading. On the other hand, other electric vehicles like NIO Inc and Workhorse Group also saw a rise as well. Although, both firms only saw a increase of just 1 percent to 4 percent respectively.

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Nokia launches Bluetooth Headset T2000 and TWS ANC T3110 Earbuds in India

By

Sean

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Apr 5, 2021

Nokia has just unveiled two new hearable products in India. This includes the new Bluetooth Headset T2000 and the True Wireless Earphone ANC T3110 earbuds. The company launched these two products on Flipkart, a major e-commerce website in India.

The new Bluetooth Headset T2000 is powered by a Qualcomm QCC3034 Bluetooth Audio chipset with Qualcomm cVc Echo Cancellation and Noise Suppression technology. This would minimize background noise and sound and support a distraction free audio experience. This is further supplemented by the Qualcomm aptX HD audio technology. The neckband earphones also supports fast charging support, which allows it to have 9 hours of playback with just 10 minutes of charge.

The Nokia True Wireless Earphone ANC T3110 features active noise cancellation feature along with IPX7 water resistance rating as well. The earbuds offers consumer friendly and comfortable fit, with support for Bluetooth 5.1 technology as well. It offers 5.5 hours (up to 4.5 hours with ANC on) of continuous playback and 22 hours (18 hours with ANC) of additional charge through the case.The new neckband Bluetooth Headset T2000 is priced at 1,999 INR (roughly 27 US Dollars) while the True Wireless Earphones ANC T3110 arrives with a price tag of 3,999 INR (roughly 55 US Dollars). Both audio products will be available on Flipkart from 9th of April 2021.

Chanakya Gupta, Vice President – Private Brands, Flipkart, stated that “As a homegrown marketplace, we are nuanced with customer aspirations and cater to their varied needs with relevant products. We are delighted to introduce two new offerings by Nokia in the space of audio devices, as the category sees high demand and growth. It will further enable us to cater to the professional, personal, and entertainment needs of consumers. These brand new audio devices will ensure seamless access to high-quality audio expectations.”

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OPPO A74 5G pre-orders begin on an Australian retailer site, May launch next week

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 5, 2021

OPPO is rumored to be working on the launch of OPPO A74 4G and A74 5G. Ahead of the official announcement, the OPPO A74 5G has appeared on an Australian retailer site with specifications and renders.

The OPPO A74 5G is now listed for pre-orders on JB Hi-Fi, a retailer site in Australia. It states that the 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage is priced at AUD 444 (~Rs 24,800). it is listed in colors like Fluid Black and Space Silver. The release date of the A74 5G is mentioned as April 13. The Chinese manufacturer is yet to confirm the launch date of the smartphone.

OPPO A74 5G specifications and features

The OPPO A74 5G’s retailer listing has revealed that it has a 6.5-inch FHD+ display that offers a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. The punch-hole screen supports 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

The Snapdragon 480 5G chipset is present under the hood of the device. The handset runs on ColorOS 11.1 based Android 11 OS. It is packed with a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging through USB-C.

The handset offers users 128GB of built-in storage and a microSD card slot for additional storage. Past reports have revealed that It has a 16-megapixel camera for capturing selfies and its back panel has a 48-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel superwide lens, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth helper.

The OPPO A74 5G has a side-facing fingerprint sensor. It offers other features such as dual SIM support, 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

RELATED:

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro adidas Originals Special Pack launched in South Korea

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Apr 5, 2021

Samsung launched the Galaxy Buds Pro alongside the Galaxy S21 series in January. It is the company’s second truly wireless earphones with ANC after the Galaxy Buds Live from 2020. Now, over two months after their release, the South Korean tech giant has announced a limited edition called Galaxy Buds Pro adidas Originals Special Pack.

The newly launched Galaxy Buds Pro adidas Originals Special Pack is exclusive to South Korea. Samsung will be only selling 6,000 units on April 7 at 7:30 PM (local time) via the company’s official website and Kakao. This limited edition pack is priced at KRW 279,000 ($247).

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro adidas Originals Special Pack will include the following contents.

Galaxy Buds Pro (Color of Choice – Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet)
adidas Originals Snapback Case
adidas Originals STAN SMITH Purchase Coupon

Samsung says that this special edition pack is to promote sustainable products and fashion, which the MZ generation prefers.

As per the company, the Galaxy Buds Pro use PCM (Post-Consumer Materials) material that contains 20% of recycled waste plastic ingredients. Further, the snapback case is also made of recycled plastic.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Adidas Originals Special Pack 02

That’s not all. users also get access to a custom adidas Originals theme on their Samsung smartphone, complete with a custom lock screen, icons, call screen, and messages. This theme gets installed automatically when the adidas Originals Snapback Case equipped-Galaxy Buds Pro are tapped on the back of a supported phone.

What are your thoughts on this collaboration? Do you think Samsung should bring this to the global markets? Do let us know in the comment section below.

Spotify Car Thing voice controlled device spotted in Apple iOS code

By

Sean

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Apr 5, 2021

The Spotify Car Thing device has surfaced online again. This time the voice controlled gadget has appeared in certain codes in Apple’s iOS. New images of the iOS codes that featured Car Thing had been shared online on Twitter by Steve Moser.

I imagine the knob on Spotify’s Car Thing is for volume and it looks like your phone connects to both Car Thing and your car’s audio via BT. I wonder if Car Thing could show directions as well. pic.twitter.com/1pDq1HMFwI

— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) April 2, 2021

For those unaware, the popular music streaming platform had first announced the Car Thing back in 2019. The device is a “voice-controlled music and podcast device” as the company described it and even added specifically that it would “focus remains on becoming the world’s number one audio platform—not on creating hardware,” as per a Gizmodo report. Now, the images shared by Steve Moser on Twitter, which showcase the iOS code for Car Thing.These images depict a horizontally oriented smartphone like display with a known on the right side, along with buttons.

Notably, this looks quite similar to a FCC filing that had been spotted previously, although, the company has tinkered with the design of the upcoming product by looking at the initial mockups in comparison to the recent FCC filings. In a confidentiality filing, the company also stated that “spent substantial effort in developing this product and it is one of the first of its kind in the industry. Having the subject information easily available to ‘competition’ would negate the advantage they have achieved by developing this product. Not protecting the details of the design will result in financial hardship.”

Back in 2019, the product was even tested by a “small group” of premium Spotify users that were invited to participate. The company stated that the device was developed to “to help us learn more about how people listen to music and podcasts.” Unfortunately, it is still too early to know for sure, so stay tuned for more as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

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Over 500 million Facebook users’ phone numbers and personal data leaked

By

Sean

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Apr 5, 2021

It has recently been found that the personal data and phone numbers of hundreds of millions of Facebook users has been leaked online. All of this information was posted on a low level hacking forum that was found recently.

According to a BusinessInsider report, the leaked data includes personal information and the phone numbers of 533 million users of the popular social media platform. The data is from about 106 countries, including information on 32 million users from the US, 11 million users from the UK, 6 million users from India, and more. In the leak, personal data includes the users phone numbers, Facebook IDs, full names, location, birth dates, bios, and even email addresses in certain cases.

As per a statement from Facebook spokesperson, the data found online is actually scrapped due to a vulnerability that the company had patched back in 2019. Although, despite the information being dated, the information could still provide valuable information to cybercriminals that can use this information to impersonate people and scam others to handover login credentials as well.

Alon Gal, CTO of cybercrime intelligence firm Hudson Rock stated that “A database of that size containing the private information such as phone numbers of a lot of Facebook’s users would certainly lead to bad actors taking advantage of the data to perform social engineering attacks [or] hacking attempts.” Gal further added that there is not much the company can do at this point as the information is already out in the open, but has advised users to be wary of phishing schemes or fraud.

RELATED:

Xiaomi Mi Protective Glass for Redmi Note 10 Pro (Max) launched in India

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Apr 5, 2021

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 10 series in India in early March. The lineup for the country includes a total of three devices – Redmi Note 10, Redmi Note 10 Pro, and Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. A month after their launch, the company has released an official screen protector for the Pro models.

Xiaomi India introduced Mi Protective Glass, an official screen protector for the first time after the launch of the Redmi Note 8 Pro. This accessory was also made available for the vanilla Redmi Note 8, Redmi Note 9 Pro, and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max.

Now, the Xiaomi Mi Protective Glass has been also launched for the Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. This accessory is already up for sale on Mi.com for ₹399. It should be also available at Mi Home stores across the country.

Talking about features, this accessory features ‘Accessory Glass by Corning’. It has a total of six layers, namely oleophobic coating, tempered glass layer, optical clear adhesive coating, anti-burst film layer, silicon adhesive coating layer, and release liner.

Xiaomi claims that with an additional ion-exchange process and 9H hardness, the Mi Protective Glass offers 5x protection against scratches and drops. Lastly, this official accessory measures 0.4mm in thickness.

Last but not least, the Xiaomi Mi Protective Glass for the Redmi Note 10 series with model number MTG0010P ships with a microfiber cloth, a wipe set, and an instruction manual.

Timi Studios from Tencent has generated $10 billion in revenue in 2020: Report

By

Sean

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Apr 5, 2021

Timi Studios, a popular mobile gaming app developing studio from Tencent, has apparently generated 10 billion US Dollars worth of revenue last year, as per two people close to the matter.

According to a Reuters report, the 10 billion US Dollars revenue would mean that Timi Studios is now the world’s largest developer, as per the sources. For those unaware, Timi is the studio behind the popular mobile game title, Honor of Kings and Call of Duty Mobile. While it is known for its mobile based IPs, the studio is apparently also planning on taking on major video game studios for AAA titles for PC and even console gaming. These titles would imply a hefty investment to make games for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Last month, the company had even posted a recruitment notice, which wrote that the company is seeking to create new AAA games that resembles the virtual community from the movie ‘Ready Player One’. This title will compete head on against other established studios from regions like Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the US. Furthermore, Tencent is also building studios locations outside of China, including one for Timi, and one for Lightspeed and Quantum as well in Los Angeles, US.

The goal of these new studios is to create content with original intellectual property that will have a global appeal. In simpler terms, the new sites will focus on making new and original game titles that will appeal to the mass market across the globe. This is in line with Tencent’s plans to generate half of its revenue from overseas, from 23 percent in the fourth quarter pf 2019. Reportedly, Timi Studios accounted for 40 percent of the Chinese tech giant’s game revenue.

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Xiaomi raises investment into chips amid increasing US pressure

By

Sean

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Apr 5, 2021

Xiaomi has been ramping up its investment into chips amid increasing US pressures. This is a part of China’s efforts to lower dependency on foreign technology after the US had targeted Huawei Technologies.

According to a NikkeiAsia report, the Chinese tech giant raised its stakes by a large amount in at least 34 China based chip related firms from 2019 till now. Furthermore, the company also added stakes in about 25 other tech hardware based firms that were not related to semiconductors as well. At the moment, the smartphone manufacturer is targeting chip develops, chip equipment makers, startups, and even advanced displays, camera lenses and automation and, precision equipment.

Notably, these investments made by Xiaomi are in line with China’s road map for building a more competitive tech manufacturing supply chain. In other words, reducing its reliance on foreign advanced technology and strengthening its own tech industry. The company is currently a rapidly growing firm from China, with its global smartphone market share rivaling other giants like Apple. Huawei had been the target of various US trade restrictions and even Xiaomi has been facing similar accusations of alleged ties to Chinese military.

Xiaomi Surge C1 — Xiaomi’s Surge C1 Chipset

Xiaomi Founder, Lei Jun stated that “It has been seven years since Xiaomi invested in chips. … [The C1] is only a small step in Xiaomi’s chip progress, but it marks a milestone for our image processing capability. The road to [Xiaomi’s chip ambition] is long and full of challenges, but we have the patience and perseverance to make it.” Other Chinese companies have also been making similar efforts in boosting chip development since last year, when the US cut off Huawei’s access to its primary chip supplier, TSMC.

RELATED:

OPPO patents design for a detachable device similar to Microsoft Surface Book

By

Jeet

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Apr 5, 2021

OPPO has been trying to offer different form factors for its device has recently unveiled a couple of concepts with unique smartphone designs. In line with that, the Chinese company has now applied for a detachable device patent.

A new patent from OPPO with publication number CN112470452A titled “Mobile Terminals and Hosts” has surfaced online. The device indicated in this patent is a detachable device, similar to the Microsoft Surface Book.

The abstract for the patent shows that the device includes the main body has a groove that supports connecting the display with the main body. The lower part is the base of the device while the upper part is the attachable display unit.

OPPO had applied for the parent of a foldable smartphone last year and now it seems that the company has begun working on different types of devices to get attention, including foldable screens and detachable displays.

A few months ago, the company had unveiled a new concept phone which was developed in collaboration with Japanese design studio Nendo — Slide-Phone with a triple-fold design. The display size ranges from 1.5-inch to 7-inch, depending on the folds.

There’s a possibility that the first foldable smartphone getting released from the brand could be a rollable display device, which the company showcased as OPPO X 2021.

RELATED:

Samsung Galaxy F02s, Galaxy F12 launched in India as rebadged Galaxy M02s/M12

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Apr 5, 2021

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy F02s and the Galaxy F12s budget smartphone in India after teasing them for a while. As expected, these devices are nothing but rebranded Galaxy A02s / M02s and Galaxy A12 / M12 respectively. Anyway, let us take a look at their specs, features, price, and availability.

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Samsung Galaxy F02s / F12 Specifications and Features

Both the Galaxy F02s and the Galaxy F12 flaunt a 6.5-inch PLS TFT LCD panel with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels (HD+) and a dewdrop notch (Infinity-V Display). Additionally, the screen on the latter phone also has a 90Hz refresh rate.

The duo features a plastic build but a different design. Under the hood, the Galaxy F02s comes equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 S0C, whereas the Galaxy M02s sports an Exynos 850 SoC. Like any other budget device, they come with eMMC 5.1 storage and a dedicated microSD card slot (up to 1TB).

Further, the Galaxy F02s houses a vertically-aligned triple camera setup (13MP wide + 2MP macro + 2MP depth) on the back and a 5MP selfie camera on the front. On the other hand, the Galaxy F12 features a matrix-style quad-camera setup (48MP Samsung GM2 sensor + 5MP ultra-wide + 2MP macro + 2MP depth) on the rear panel and an 8MP front-facing camera.

On the connectivity front, the duo supports dual-SIM, 4G, single-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2 (F02s) / 5.0 (F12), and GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, GALILEO). Sensors on these phones include an accelerometer, grip sensor, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor. The Galaxy F12 also has a grip sensor and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. As for ports, the duo sports a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB Type-C port.

As for software, the Galaxy F02s runs One UI Core 2.x based on Android 10, while the Galaxy F12 boots the latest Android 11-based One UI Core 3.x. Similarly, although both of them support 15W fast charging, the Galaxy F02s is backed by a 5,000mAh battery, whereas the Galaxy F12 sports a larger 6,000mAh battery.

Last but not least, the duo comes in the following three colors.

Galaxy F02s
- Diamond Blue
- Diamond White
- Diamond Black
Galaxy F12
- Sea Green
- Celestial Black
- Sky Blue

Samsung Galaxy F02s / F12 Price and Availability

Samsung will be selling the Galaxy F02s and the Galaxy F12 for the following price tags on Flipkart, Samsung online store, and select offline retail stores.

Galaxy F02s
- 3GB + 32GB – ₹8,999 ($122)
- 4GB + 64GB – ₹9,999 ($136)
Galaxy F12
- 4GB + 64GB – ₹10,999 ($150)
- 4GB + 128GB – ₹11,999 ($163)

The Galaxy F02s and the Galaxy F12 will be available for purchase starting April 9 and April 12 respectively.

ByteDance says freeze on bank accounts in India is illegal and amounts to harassment

By

Jeet

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Apr 5, 2021

ByteDance, the parent company of the popular short video social media platform TikTok, has told the Indian court that the freeze on its bank account in the country by the government amounts to harassment.

As per the court filing, the Chinese giant says that the freeze on its bank accounts in a probe of possible tax evasion amounts to harassment and was done illegally. India’s tax intelligence unit ordered HSBC and Citibank in Mumbai to freeze bank accounts of ByteDance India as it probed some of the unit’s financial dealings.

The company has challenged the freeze on the four accounts in a Mumbai court. ByteDance had reduced its Indian workforce after the government maintained a ban on TikTok which was imposed last year amid a border clash between India and China.

Because of the account freeze, none of ByteDance India’s employees have been paid their March salaries, claims report from Reuters citing two people familiar with the matter. The company told the court it has a workforce of 1,335, including outsourced personnel.

The company told the High Court that authorities acted against the company without any material evidence and gave no prior notice, as required by Indian law. It added that blocking accounts “during the process of investigation amounts (to) applying undue coercion” and is “intended, improperly, to harass the petitioner.”

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Lenovo Legion 2 Pro touted to be world’s first device with dual turbofan super liquid cooling technology

By

Jeet

-

Apr 5, 2021

Lenovo has confirmed that the company will be launching its next-generation gaming smartphone — Lenovo Legion 2 Pro at a launch event on 8th April in China. Now, ahead of the official announcement, the company has been teasing the phone’s features.

In the latest teaser, Lenovo has revealed that the smartphone is the world’s first to come with dual turbofan super liquid cooling technology with an integrated heat dissipation system to make sure that the device doesn’t heat up under heavy usage.

Apart from that, in another teaser, the company confirmed the camera configuration on the smartphone. It will come with a 64-megapixel primary sensor on the back with a 1/1.32-inch sensor and support for 4K 120fps and 8K 30fps video shooting.

Previously, it was confirmed that the Lenovo Legion 2 Pro gaming smartphone will come with a 44MP front-facing camera. This is quite a big jump from the 20MP camera of the Legion Duel/Legion Pro.

So far, it has been confirmed that the upcoming flagship smartphone from Lenovo will come with a 6.92-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display that offers a 144Hz refresh rate and a 720Hz touch sampling rate.

Under the hood, the device will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The company has also bumped the battery capacity from 5000mAh on the first-gen model to 5500mAh.

It offers 90W fast wired charging but the device comes with an updated charging algorithm. Lenovo even claims that the battery will still retain 85 percent of its original capacity even after 1200 charge cycles.

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