Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Fold 2: Specs Comparison

By

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Apr 1, 2021

Xiaomi just released its first foldable phone and it is under the Mi Mix series which made a wonderful comeback. We are talking about the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold, which adopts the same form factor as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. That is exactly the reason why we decided to publish a comparison between these two foldable phones. Did Xiaomi release a foldable superior to the king of foldable phones or the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is still the best choice? This specs comparison will help you find out.

Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Fold 2

	Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
THICKNESS	17.2 mm when folded, 7.6 mm when unfolded	16.8 mm when folded, 6.9 mm when unfolded
DISPLAY	Main display: 8.01 inches, 1860 x 2480p (Quad HD+), 387 ppi, Foldable AMOLED External display: 6.52 inches HD+ (840 x 2520p), 27:9 ratio, AMOLED	7.6 inches, 1768 x 2208p (Quad HD+), Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X External display: 6.23 inches, Super AMOLED, 816 x 2260 pixels (HD+)
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, octa-core 3.09 GHz
MEMORY	12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – 16 GB RAM, 512 GB	12 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 10, MIUI	Android 10, One UI
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS
CAMERA	Triple 108 + 8 MP + 13 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4 20 MP front camera	Triple 12 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8, f/2.4 and f/2.2 10 MP f/2.2 selfie camera 10 MP f/2.2 cover camera
BATTERY	5020 mAh Fast charging 67W	4500 mAh, Fast Charging 25W and wireless charging 11W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Foldable display, secondary external display, 5G	Foldable display, secondary external display, 5G

Design

As mentioned in the intro, the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 share the same form factor: unlike the recent Huawei Mate X2, they come with a foldable display placed internally and a secondary traditional and non-foldable display placed externally, in case you want to use them as normal phones. I personally prefer the design of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 due to its more elegant camera module. Further, it has a more compact and thinner body. It is even a lighter phone. On the other hand, the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold offers bigger displays: both the foldable screen and the external display have wider diagonals. Further, the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold comes in an additional ceramic version built with better materials.

Display

Talking about the displays, these devices come with similar specifications and both feature excellent AMOLED panels. Despite it is a Xiaomi phone, the display of the Mi Mix Fold is made by Samsung. In both cases, you get foldable AMOLED panels with 2K resolutions, HDR10+ certification. But on the paper, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is superior thanks to its 120 Hz refresh rate, while Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold has a standard 60 Hz refresh rate. If we talk about the external non-foldable displays, then Mi Mix Fold wins: it has a 6.52-inch external panel which, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, features a 90 Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and the HDR10+ certification.

Specs & Software

Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold is the most powerful foldable phone ever made: it is powered by the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform paired with up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of native storage (UFS 3.1). The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes with the weaker (but still flagship-class) Snapdragon 865+, which sits in the middle between Snapdragon 865 and 870. It offers a max of 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage. Despite Mi Mix Fold just went official it is still based on Android 10, just like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. But the latter has already been upgraded to Android 11.

Camera

It is still too early to establish which is the best camera phone here. The Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold comes with a 108 MP main camera, an 8 MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom, and a 13 MP ultrawide sensor, as well as a new Surge C1 proprietary image co-processor. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has three 12 MP cameras with dual OIS (unlike the Mi Mix Fold), 2x optical zoom and an ultrawide sensor. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is definitely better when it comes to the front cameras.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 features ‘Anti-Erosion Waterproof Coating’ to protect internal components: Report

Battery

Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold has a bigger battery and, with its standard refresh rate, it should last more than Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 in most scenarios. It also supports the fastest charging technology with a power of 67W. But you should consider that Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 supports wireless charging and reverse charging, while Mi Mix Fold does not.

Price

Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold made its debut in China with a €1300/$1530 starting price, while Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 launched in the country with a €2200/$2585 listing price. Despite the Mi Mix Fold is a newly-announced foldable phone and Galaxy Z Fold 2 is not, it is not superior to Samsung’s offering in every aspect. It has better hardware and a bigger battery, but with the Galaxy Z Fold 2, you get wireless charging and a better internal display. Which one would you pick?

Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2: PRO and CONS

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2

PRO

More compact
Wireless charging
Wider availability
eSIM support

CONS

Inferior hardware

Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold

PRO

Better hardware
Bigger internal display
Better external display
Bigger battery
Faster charging

CONS

No wireless charging

OPPO F19 India launch date is April 6, Entire specs revealed beforehand

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Apr 1, 2021

In early March, OPPO debuted the OPPO F19 series in India. But the company only introduced two models, namely OPPO F19 Pro and OPPO F19 Pro+ 5G. Now, weeks later, the brand has confirmed to launch the standard OPPO F19 in India on April 6.

OPPO F19 India Launch Date

Initially, there used to be a single OPPO F series device in a generation. But that number increased to two with the introduction of the Pro variant. This year, the company added the third model in the series with the moniker Pro+. The latest variant also brings 5G.

That said, for some reason, OPPO did not launch all three devices in the OPPO F19 series in India earlier last month. Instead, it only debuted the OPPO F19 Pro and OPPO F19 Pro+ first and has now scheduled another separate launch event for the OPPO F19 on April 6.

OPPO F19 Specifications and Features

OPPO India had already teased the launch of OPPO F19 before revealing the launch date. So we already knew how it will look. But now, thanks to OPPO Nepal, we have also learned the entire specs of this phone.

According to the handset’s listing on the OPPO Nepal website, the upcoming OPPO F19 will be the company’s first 33W fast charging smartphone. We came to know about the existence of this device (OPPO CPH2219) when it was certified by CQC in February.

Talking about specifications, this phone will flaunt a 6.43-inch FHD+ (2400×1080 pixels) AMOLED display with up to an 800 nits peak brightness level, 409PPI, 60Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, 1000000:1 contrast ratio, 92% DCI-P3 color gamut, 100% sRGB color gamut, 90.8% screen-to-body-ratio, a punch-hole at the top left corner, and an in-screen fingerprint sensor.

The smartphone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC paired with 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB internal storage. There could be other storage variants as well. On the connectivity front, the handset will support dual-SIM, 4G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, and GNSS (GPS, A-GPS, Beidou, Glonass, Galileo).

The phone will come with all the essential sensors, such as an accelerometer, proximity sensor, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, and compass, It will also include a 3.5mm headphone jack, MicroSD card slot, and a USB Type-C port.

As far as cameras are concerned, the smartphone will sport a 48MP (wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) triple camera setup on the back and a single 16MP punch-hole selfie camera on the front. Further, the handset will run ColorOS 11.1 based on Android 11 and will be backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging.

Last but not least, the OPPO F19 will measure 160.3 x 73.8 x 7.95mm in dimensions, weigh 175g, and will be available in two colors (Black, Blue).

Moto G60 and Moto G20 renders leaked to reveal design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 1, 2021

Motorola has launched a couple of G-series phones this year such as Moto G10, Moto G30, Moto G50, and Moto G100. Rumors are rife that the company will be announcing other G-series smartphones like the Moto G20 and Moto G60 soon. A tipster from India has shared the leaked renders of these smartphones.

Motorola Moto G20

The Moto G20 render shows that it has a waterdrop notch display. Its right edge has a dedicated voice assistant button, a volume rocker, and a power key. The rectangle-shaped quad-camera setup of the phone has four cameras and an LED flash. A fingerprint scanner seems to be integrated with the company’s logo on the backside of the phone.

Past reports have revealed that the Moto G20 has a model number XT2128, and it could be powered by the Unisoc T700 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. It will come preloaded with Android 11 OS. The handset could be coming with a 5,000mAh battery that supports 10W charging. It is speculated that the 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage edition of the Moto G20 could be priced at 148.07 euros in Spain.

Motorola Moto G60

On the other side, the Moto G60 can be seen sporting a punch-hole display and a triple camera setup. It also features a voice assistant hardware key, a volume controller, and a power button on its right edge. A fingerprint reader seems to be placed on the rear shell of the device.

Past reports have revealed that model numbers such as XT2135-1, XT-2135-2, and XT2147-1 are all associated with the Moto G60. The handset is expected to arrive in markets like Latin America, Europe, and India.

The Moto G60 is expected to arrive with a 6.78-inch display that delivers 1080 x 2460 pixels resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The XT2135-1/2 model is expected to feature a 32-megapixel front camera. It has a 108-megapixel Samsung HM2 + 16-megapixel (ultrawide) + 2-megaipxel triple camera system on the back. The XT2147 edition may feature a 16-megapixel selfie snapper and a 64-megapixel primary rear camera.

The Moto G60 may arrive with a 6,000mAh battery and it could be powered by the Snapdragon 732G chipset. The phone may hit the shelves in 4 GB / 6 GB RAM options and 64 GB / 128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage variants.

(source|via)

RELATED:

Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 to sport Snapdragon 800 series chip and display features similar to Mi Mix Fold: Report

By

Sean

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Apr 1, 2021

Xiaomi has been rumored to be working on a new tablet for a while now. This is the Mi Pad 5, which was expected to also be announced during its online conferences earlier this week, but that was not the case.

Since the device was not revealed, finer details regarding its specifications and features are still unknown. But, a recent online post from known Weibo tipster, a Chinese microblogging website), @数码闲聊站 has leaked some of its supposed features. As per the social media post, the new tablet will feature display functions that are similar to the folding screen that is found in the Mi Mix Fold. In other words, we can expect support for handheld PC mode, parallel windows, dual screen drag and drop and more.

The Weibo blogger also added that the PPI of the display would not be very high, which will also support high refresh rate. Under the hood, the Mi Pad 5 will feature Snapdragon 800 series processor as well. Unfortunately, it is unknown which processor the device would ship with, but it could be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor.

Although, going by previous reports, the tablet will feature an 11 inch display, with 2K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate and up to 480Hz touch sampling rate on the LCD display. Keep in mind, this is still an unconfirmed report so take it with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available regarding the device.

RELATED:

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra to launch in India on April 23

By

Sean

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Apr 1, 2021

Xiaomi had recently held an online conference in which it announced various new products. One of these new launches was the company’s high end flagship Mi 11 Ultra that is officially arriving in India on 23rd April 2021.

#Mi11Ultra: BEST & most premium flagship phone ever! 😍

It is NOT a #Smartphone. It is a #SuperPhone!
👍 World's #DXO No. 1 Camera
👍 World’s 1st #50MP + #48MP + #48MP

Launching in #India on 23rd April. RT if you are excited.

I ❤ #Mi #Xiaomi #Mi11 #Mi11series pic.twitter.com/7YGnGcoOAT

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 1, 2021

Manu Jain Kumar, the Global Vice President and Managing Director of the Chinese tech giant, even shared a new tweet on Twitter announcing the launch date of the new device for the Indian subcontinent. Furthermore, he also shared that the new premium grade handset is the world’s first device to feature a 50 megapixel + 48 megapixel + 48 megapixel rear camera module, through which, it also holds the title of the top spot in DxOMark smartphone camera rankings.

For those unaware, the Mi 11 Ultra features Snapdragon 888 with LPDDR5 RAM 6400Mbps and UFS 3.1. You get Wi-Fi 6 Enhanced support as well. The device is powered by a large 5,000mAh capacity battery that supports 67W wired and wireless charging. On the rear, it sports a powerful triple camera module with a primary sensor, paired with a IMX586 Ultra Wide and TeleMacro lens. Notably, the smartphone also sports two displays with a smaller secondary display being housed next to the rear camera module.

The Mi 11 Ultra will be launching on the 23rd of April 2021 and starts from a price tag of 5,999 Yuan (roughly 914 US Dollars). Unfortunately, we do not know the official price of the device in India, but we can expect it to be around the aforementioned price tag. So stay tuned, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

RELATED:

realme C20, C21, and C25 India Launch Date is April 8

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Apr 1, 2021

Yesterday, a popular tech influencer revealed that realme will be debuting three realme C series smartphones in India early this month. Just a day later, the brand has now officially confirmed the launch date of realme C20, realme C21, and realme C25 for the country.

realme C25 Water Grey Featured 01 — realme C25

Chinese handset maker realme just launched the realme 8 and the realme 8 Pro last week. Despite that, the company is now all set to launch not one but three more phones, namely realme C20, realme C21, and realme C25 in India on April 8.

The virtual launch event for these three budget smartphones will be liverstreamed on the brand’s official social media channels from 12:30 PM on April 8. Further, like most realme devices, they will be sold exclusively online on Flipkart and realme.com, in addition to partner offline retail channels in the coming days.

These upcoming realme C series phones are already official in some SEA regions. Therefore, we know almost everything about them. You can learn more about these devices by clicking on their names listed below.

The only thing that we don’t know is the price of these handsets in India. Although realme will be officially revealing it on the launch day, there’s a chance that we may learn about it ahead of it via leaks.

Samsung Galaxy A82 Google Play Console gives first look its front design, key specs

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 1, 2021

Recent reports have revealed that Samsung is working on the Galaxy A82 smartphone. It was recently spotted at Geekbench benchmarking site and in the database of Bluetooth SIG authority. Now the handset has appeared at the Google Play Console (via. Mukul Sharma) to reveal its front design and a few specs.

The Galaxy A82’s image in its Google Play Console listing reveals that it has a punch-hole screen. It is unclear whether it is a placeholder image or an official render of the phone.

Samsung Galaxy A82 image at Google Play Console

The Play Console listing reveals that the Galaxy A82 is powered Qualcomm’s SM8150P chipset. This model number confirms that the A82 is powered by the Snapdragon 855+. The Geekbench listing of the phone had revealed that it has 4 GB of RAM. The Play Console appearance reveals that it could be also available in a 6 GB RAM variant.

The Galaxy A82 supports a screen resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and 450ppi screen density. The device is preinstalled with Android 11 OS. Its appearance at Bluetooth SIG had revealed that it carries support for Bluetooth 5.0.

The Galaxy A82 is expected to replace the Galaxy A80 which debuted with a slide-up rotating camera design back in 2019. A recent report claimed that the smartphone will be sporting a Sony IMX686 64-megapixel primary camera. Reputed tipster Evan Blass had recently claimed that the A82 is equipped with a “dual-use” camera. Hence, it is advisable to wait for further reports to know whether the A82 will feature a slide-up rotating camera like its predecessor. While the phone is expected to debut around mid-2021, there is no new information on its launch date.

RELATED:

Samsung Galaxy F02s, F12 to launch on April 5, key specs appear on Flipkart

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Apr 1, 2021

Last year in October, Samsung introduced the Galaxy F41 as its first F-series smartphone. While it arrived as a rebadged version of the Galaxy M31, it had a few differences such as an extra rear camera and in a new green color. The Galaxy F62 that debuted in February this year in India was later rebranded as Galaxy M62 in other markets. The microsites of the upcoming Galaxy F02s and Galaxy F12 have emerged on Flipkart. The listings have confirmed that the F02s and F12 will break cover at 12 PM (local time) on April 5 in India.

Samsung Galaxy F02s

The Galaxy F02s landing page on Flipkart reveals that it has a 6.5-inch HD+ display with an Infinity-V notch design. It is backed by a 5,000mAh battery and it lacks a fingerprint scanner.

Its rear shell has a rectangle-shaped camera module, which includes a triple camera system and an LED flash. The handset features a 13-megapixel primary camera. The Snapdragon 450 chipset is present under the hood of the phone. These specs suggest that the Galaxy F02s could be a rebadged edition of the Galaxy A02s / Galaxy M02s.

Samsung Galaxy F12

The Galaxy F12 also features a 6.5-inch display with an Infinity-V notch design. It supports an HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. The back panel of the device has a square-shaped camera housing that includes a 48-megapixel Samsung GM2 main camera and three auxiliary cameras.

It has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and its bottom edge features a speaker grille, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. There is no word on the processor of the device. It seems that the Galaxy F12 will be arriving as a rebranded version of the Galaxy A12 / Galaxy M12 handset.

RELATED:

Skyworth W82 and W92 8K OLED TVs with “Acoustic Glass Sound Tech” launched

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Apr 1, 2021

Chinese electronics manufacturer Skyworth held its 2021 TV product launch conference on Wednesday in China. The company unveiled two high-end OLED TVs at the event. The two products are the Skyworth W82 and W92 Smart OLED TV.

Skyworth W82 Smart OLED TV is said to be the first Original Brand Manufacturer (OBM) bendable display. The W92 also adopts a flexible panel and they both come with 8K resolution, making them some of the early smart TVs to have support for 8K resolution.

The W92 is equipped with an 88-inch OLED panel with an 8K resolution of 7680×4320pixels, four times that of a 4K TV. The screen also supports a 120Hz refresh rate, a configuration that isn’t very common in the TV market. It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 standards and is equipped with Skyworth’s AI image quality engine 8K version.

The smart TV is also equipped with two built-in independent MEMC chips to upgrade the already extremely high-definition 8K picture to the ultimate performance of 8K 120 frames, which should give the most detailed and extremely realistic visual output on the large screen.

It also features Skyworth’s self-developed Acoustic Glass Sound Technology. Skyworth claims this is an industry first and it uses a whole glass as the diaphragm and four 30-core electromagnetic drivers that are evenly distributed on the whole glass plate to directly drive the glass to produce sound. Immersive sound output is achieved using Point-to-face sound transmission. The sound system also includes the self-developed Acoustic Built-in Bass Drum and pneumatic tweeters to form the sound matrix of the TV’s audio system. The sound output is said to be full and clear. The TV is also equipped with a 12MP gimbal AI camera with three-axis rotation which allows the camera to shoot in all directions. The camera’s CMOS adopts a large single pixel area of 1.55μm*1.55μm, with f/1.76 large aperture and it can capture clear images under poor lighting conditions. It can realize functions such as family care, panoramic family portrait, portrait tracking video call, etc.

The Skyworth W92 8K OLED TV will retail for a staggering RMB 199,999 (~$30,521). It will be sold on Jingdong and other channels in China.

RELATED:

OnePlus Watch might get Always-on Display via an OTA update

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Apr 1, 2021

Last week, OnePlus launched its very first smartwatch, the OnePlus Watch. The $159 watch comes with several features but also misses out on some, one of which is Always-On Display (AOD). In a Deep Dive and FAQ posted on its official forums, OnePlus explains why the feature is missing and the possibility of it being added later on.

The OnePlus Watch has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display. Owners will be able to wake the display by pushing the side button or lifting their wrist. If the watch had support for AOD, owners would not have to do either of these just to check the time or date.

OnePlus acknowledges that AOD is a much requested feature, however, it explains that AOD can lead to a 50% increase in power consumption. Nevertheless, they are “evaluating the possibility of bringing it in a future OTA”

Some manufacturers that include the AOD feature in their smartwatches allow users to be able to turn it off or on when they want. For example, on the Amazfit GTR, there is a settings menu that lets you turn on or off the feature. It also lets you customize what time during the day you want it activated. We expect OnePlus will follow a similar pattern if it decides to bring the feature to the OnePlus Watch.

The post also mentions some other important details about the watch. OnePlus says that they optimized the bottom layer of the display architecture and increased the frame rate from the industry’s 30 fps standard to 50 fps. This result in the OnePlus Watch beiing one of the smoothest smartwatches with long battery life available.

OnePlus also revealed that an OTA update will allow users customize a pre-set reply list to instantly reply to messages on the watch. At the moment, the pre-set reply list cannot be modified.

The OnePlus Watch will go on sale on April 14 in select markets. It is only compatible with Android devices for now and works with the OnePlus Health app.

RELATED:

COMPUTEX Taipei cancels onsite exhibition for 2021 event, now an online event

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Apr 1, 2021

The Taipei International Information Technology Show a.k.a. COMPUTEX Taipei is a computer show that is held annually in Taiwan. It is one of the biggest computer trade shows in the world, and just like a lot of other tech shows, it too has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizers have now announced the cancellation of this year’s in-person event and will now have it online.

In an official statement put out this week on the official COMPUTEX Taipei website, it was revealed that the onsite exhibition for this year has been canceled due to the ongoing pandemic and border control that affects the majority of the stakeholders, international exhibitors, visitors, and media.

Important Notice‼ https://t.co/yl39ldndvz

COMPUTEX 2021 Hybrid combines the onsite events with #COMPUTEXVirtual for an exceptionally vibrant show experience. And to connect the startup community, #InnoVEXVirtual will also be held on a parallel track. 👉https://t.co/TkYyJWjEQT pic.twitter.com/1b4MZIFSP2

— COMPUTEX TAIPEI (@computex_taipei) March 30, 2021

Previously, the plan was to have a hybrid event that combines the onsite experience with a virtual one. However, the recent development means that there will only be a virtual one.

The last COMPUTEX event was held back in 2019 before the pandemic. Last year’s event was first postponed from June to late September before it was eventually canceled due to safety concerns. This year’s event is scheduled to hold between June 1 and June 5.

RELATED:

Google is the latest exhibitor to pull out of MWC Barcelona 2021

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Mar 31, 2021

The GSMA, the organizers behind the world’s biggest mobile tech show, Mobile World Congress (MWC), announced earlier this year that it plans to make this year’s edition of MWC Barcelona an in-person event. Following its announcement, some exhibitors and partners have disclosed that they will not be attending the event which will begin on June 28. That list has now grown to include Google.

The tech giant put out a statement that it will not be attending this year’s edition of MWC due to its current COVID-19 travel restrictions and protocols. The official statement says that it (Google) will continue to work together with the GSMA and support its partners through virtual opportunities. Google added that it will attend the 2022 edition of the event.

Google’s announcement comes weeks after Sony Mobile and Oracle, and telecom giants – Nokia and Ericsson, announced that they will not be attending MWC Barcelona 2021. We won’t be surprised if more exhibitors pull out as the event draws closer.

It appears the organizers’ measures for the event are not satisfactory enough for exhibitors, so they would rather not take the risk. The GSMA’s measures include reducing the number of attendees from 100,000 to 50,000, requiring a negative COVID-19 test result from attendees that was done 72 hours before their arrival, touchless registration process, mandatory masks, and regular disinfection of stands, product samples, and audio-visual equipment.

MWC Barcelona 2021 is scheduled to hold between June 28 and July 1.

RELATED:

TCL 20L Plus gets Bluetooth certification, may launch next month

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Mar 31, 2021

TCL has an event scheduled for April 14 where it plans to unveil new mobile products. Although the manufacturer is yet to specify which products will be announced, we want to believe it will unveil the rest of the TCL 20 series that made its debut at CES 2021 in January. While not among the series unveiled, a new model that has recently been certified may also join the list.

That new model is the TCL 20L Plus (stylized as TCL 20L+) and it was certified by the Bluetooth SIG a few weeks ago, though we just discovered it. The certification page says the phone has model numbers T774B, T775H, and T775B which means there are three variants. Also, all three are 4G devices and have Bluetooth 5.0.

The TCL 20L itself and the TCL 20S and TCL 20 Pro 5G are the three phones that were scheduled for a later release when they were first announced at CES 2021. We want to believe the TCL 20L Plus should be a bigger and or better-specced version of the TCL 20L.

From the image of the TCL 20L provided by the manufacturer, the phone has a flat display with a centered punch hole. The plus model will most likely have a similar design but may come with a bigger screen, more cameras, and or bigger battery capacity. We also expect it to run Android 11 out of the box.

RELATED:

Redmi K30S Ultra gets the Android 11 update in China

By

Balaji S

-

Mar 31, 2021

Xiaomi launched the Mi 10T, Mi 10T Pro in India back in October 2020. Later, it brought the Mi 10T as Redmi K30S Ultra in China. While the former has already got the Android 11 update in India, the latter is getting it in China only now.

An OTA update with firmware version V12.1.1.0.RJDCNXM is rolling out to the users of Redmi K30S Ultra in China. This update brings the stable MIUI based on Android 11. A few days back the rollout had begun for select users and Xiaomi seems to be widening the rollout from today.

If you recall, the Redmi K30S Ultra(i.e, Extreme Commemorative Edition) came with MIUI 12.0 based on Android 10 out of the box when it launched. Despite being a part of the Android 11-based weekly MIUI builds in China, it is getting the Android 11 upgrade late compared to the Mi 10T in India.

Anyway, this update brings the MIUI 12.1 UI with it and it is still not the latest MIUI 12.5. Compared to this, the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE, which is a two-year-old device, has already started getting the stable MIUI 12.5 update in China.

Xiaomi has started the stable rollout of this new incremental UI in its home country lately and devices like Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra and Mi 11 are among the first ones to it.

Coming back, this is the first major upgrade for the Redmi K30S Ultra so the device isn’t going off Xiaomi’s list of devices just yet. Speaking of which, it is one of the 28 devices that is getting the MIUI 12.5 update in the first wave in China so expect the rollout to begin anytime.

RELATED:

WhatsApp Pay finally secures approval from Brazil’s Central Bank, relaunch imminent

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Mar 31, 2021

WhatsApp will relaunch its payment service in Brazil after the first launch was quickly halted by Brazil’s Central Bank in 2020, citing the need to establish compliance issues and failure to obtain a license. WhatsApp’s goal of creating the payment service was to expand financial inclusion among users in its second-largest market while also allowing users to make payments within the platform using a Visa or Mastercard credit card. At its launch in 2020, local lenders and international payment solution providers partnered with WhatsApp to produce the payment service. These included Nubank, Sicredi, Banco do Brasil SA, Visa, and Mastercard.

The newly repackaged payment service is coming after WhatsApp, Visa and Mastercard secured separate licenses from Brazil’s Central Bank to offer the specific payment solution to WhatsApp users. WhatsApp remains the primary online presence for millions of small and medium enterprises in Brazil. This revamped model will serve as the first step to achieving seamless digital payments among small businesses in the country.

There were rumors in June 2020 when the WhatsApp payment service was halted, that its presence might impede the growth of the Central Bank’s Pix instant payment service, which was yet to take off at that point. It was scheduled to commence before 2021. In the aftermath of the suspension, WhatsApp said it felt there was no need to obtain an additional banking license, and both Visa and Mastercard already had valid banking licenses from the Central Bank. There were also risks of heavy fines being slapped on both Visa and Mastercard, which could have been part of the reasons for the quick suspension of the service last year.

The relaunched WhatsApp payment service in Brazil holds a lot of promise for small businesses.

RELATED;

(source)

Samsung Galaxy M42 5G spotted on Geekbench with Snapdragon 750G chipset

By

Balaji S

-

Mar 31, 2021

Samsung is seemingly launching a 5G smartphone under the Galaxy M lineup soon. Early reports indicate that the device could be called Galaxy M42 5G and it could take hints from the already available Galaxy A42 5G. Now, the former has appeared on Geekbench.

A Samsung smartphone with model number SM-M426B appears on Geekbench 5 benchmarking database. As per the benchmark listing, the device in testing features a 4GB RAM, Android 11 OS, and has a Qualcomm chipset running at a base frequency of 1.8GHz.

When looked upon the source code, the chipset has the Adreno GPU 619 GPU and this suggests that it is the Snapdragon 750G chipset. As for the device, its official support page has already gone live in India and it might launch as the Galaxy M42 5G as mentioned above.

Further, it has already gone through other certifications like the Wi-Fi Alliance, China’s 3C authority, and others like India’s BIS. Of course, the naming isn’t confirmed yet, but looking at the model number, there is a possibility for it coming as Galaxy M42.

Samsung is said to bring a lot of other midrange 5G devices and the Galaxy M42 isn’t the only one. Apparently, it is said to be working on the Galaxy M62 5G, and an ODM-made Galaxy A22 5G device. Out of this, we don’t know which is going to launch first in India just yet.

As for specs, it could feature 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, MicroSD, One UI 3.1, and more.

Let’s wait and see how long Samsung takes to make the device official in India.

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realme C3 and realme narzo 10A join realme UI 2.0 (Android 11) Early Access program

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 31, 2021

Chinese smartphone maker realme has been rolling out the Android 11-based realme UI 2.0 beta builds to a number of eligible devices since September 2020. However, only two handsets have received the stable update in India so far. But the brand is continuously adding new phones to the Early Access program. The realme C3 and the realme narzo 10A are the latest handsets to join the initiative.

According to the realme UI 2.0 update plan shared by realme, the brand is supposed to start recruiting Early Access testers for realme C3 and realme narzo 10A in March. Following the schedule, the company has opened registrations before the end of this month.

For those unaware, the realme UI Early Access program lets a select few users experience the latest version of realme UI available. Based on the feedback received from these early adopters, the brand fixes the issues if any. Only then, the update is made available to the general public.

In order to enroll in this program, users of these two phones should be on the following builds.

realme C3 – RMX2027_11.A.59
realme narzo 10A – RMX2020_11.A.59

If interested users on the above-mentioned builds, then they can navigate to Settings > Software Update > Gear Icon > Trial > Submit Details > Apply Now to register.

Users who get selected will be receiving the realme UI 2.0 (Android 11 ) beta build via OTA. For some reason, if these users want to roll back to Android 10 (realme UI 10), then they can. But that process will not only wipe the phone’s internal storage but those users won’t be able to rejoin the Early Access initiative.

Realme Buds Air2 earbuds with ANC launched in China for ¥299 (~$45)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 31, 2021

Realme held a product launch conference today where it unveiled the much-anticipated realme GT Neo smartphone. The device happens to be the first smartphone to pack MediaTek’s Dimensity 1200 processor. Alongside the smartphone, Realme also unveiled the Buds Air2 ANC headphones for the Chinese market.

The Realme Buds Air2 TWS earbuds were first launched in India in February this year. The device adopts a design language similar to the Buds Air Pro which first made its entrance in October 2020. The specifications of both earbuds are also similar.

The earphones feature ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) just like most high-end earbuds that are finding their way to the market in recent times. The earbuds are capable of reducing the external noise by up to 25dB and filter out most low-frequency sounds.

As an added bonus, these truly wireless earphones support low-latency mode for gaming sessions. When this mode is enabled, it will lower the latency by up to 88ms, making it suitable for gaming. It also arrives with support for ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation) for calls. The use of dual microphones on the two earbuds also facilitates clearer calls.

Further, the Realme Buds Air2 utilizes a custom R2 chip which helps extend the battery life by 80% and reduce latency by 35%. They are each equipped with a large 10mm dynamic unit and a flagship diamond-like diaphragm. Compared with the traditional diaphragm, the earbuds can provide richer bass, clearer sound and better frequency response.

In terms of battery life, the Buds Air 2 can provide 5 hours of playback time on a single charge. With the charging box, the headset can achieve 25 hours of battery life. Lastly, 10 minutes of charging is said to deliver 2 hours of playback, while the TWS takes up to 2 hours to charge completely.

You also get smart touch controls, Bluetooth 5.2, and dual-channel transmission functions. The earbuds also support IPX5 waterproof protection making them suitable for use during workouts.

As for the price, the Realme Buds Air2 will retail in China for RMB 299 (~$45). This is similar to the Rs. 3,299 (~$46) price tag it adopts in India. The earbuds come in Closer Black and Closer White colours.

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Meizu 18 series to get 2K+120Hz mode and more via OTA update on April 2

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 31, 2021

Meizu 18 and Meizu 18 Pro owners will be getting a new update later this week that will bring an interesting new feature and more to their devices.

According to an announcement by Meizu, it will be rolling out an update on April 2 that will allow owners to be able to set the display resolution to QHD+ and the refresh rate to 120Hz. Out of the box, owners of the Meizu 18 and Meizu 18 Pro could only choose between having the highest resolution or having the highest refresh rate but with the update, they can have both set to the highest.

The update will also bring optimizations to the two phones’ power consumption and charging mode. Meizu also mentions new camera features such as 8K video recording for the Meizu 18 Pro, HDR for videos, and an optimized ultrawide angle camera. There will also be an optimization for Game Mode 4.0.

The update will be available to all versions of the phone starting on April 2.

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Leak: iQOO 7 Legend BMW M Motorsport Edition coming to India

By

Balaji S

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Mar 31, 2021

iQOO brought the iQOO 7 flagship smartphone in China in early January 2021. Ahead of an imminent launch in India, Tech influencer Mukul Sharma says that the BMW M Motorsport edition is coming to India as iQOO 7 Legend.

iQOO 7 in China has three colors- Black, Latent Blue, and a Legendary Edition. Out of this, the Legendary Edition has white color on the back with stripes of the BMW M Motorsport logo with the “Fascination meets Innovation” slogan.

iQOO has been a partner of BMW Motorsport since last year and the 2021 edition is a continuation of the iQOO 5 Pro BMW Edition. That said, despite the unique design, all the color variants use a Marine Aluminum as a mid-frame for rigidity.

For India, iQOO has been teasing the launch of a new Smartphone with Snapdragon 888 chipset under ₹40,000($547). While the brand is yet to confirm that it’s the iQOO 7, certifications have already revealed it.

[Exclusive] I can confirm that this is the iQOO 7 Legend, confirmed to launch in India in April powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. This will be the BMW M Motorsport edition.
Feel free to retweet.#iQOO #iQOO7 #iQOO7Legend https://t.co/r2eiONV17K

— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) March 31, 2021

If iQOO doesn’t make any major changes, the iQOO 7 in India should feature a 6.62-inch AMOLED FHD+ centered punch-hole display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1300 nits max brightness. Under the hood, the flagship Snapdragon 888 is likely to be paired with up to 12GB of RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

Since iQOO devices are aimed at gaming, the iQOO 7 should carry over many features like Monster touch, Dual Linear motors with 3D vibration, Multi-Turbo 5.0, One-Touch Game Space, L-shaped VC plate for cooling, and more from China.

Other expected specs include a triple-camera setup with a 48MP main lens, 16MP selfie camera, 4,000mAh battery, and Android 11 OS. Let’s wait for more info in the coming days.

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