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

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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.

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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.

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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.

1 of 2

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

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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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Redmi 20X poster reveals pricing, design, key specs, and color variants

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 5, 2021

A poster of a new smartphone named the Redmi 20X is now doing runs on Weibo. The image has revealed its design, key specifications, and color editions. It is expected to replace the Redmi 10X 5G phone from last year.

The Redmi 20X can be seen sporting a punch-hole display and its rear camera setup has a triple camera setup with a dual-LED flash. A silver plate can be seen around the first two cameras of the phone. The handset can be seen in three colors such as silver, blue, and green.

The Redmi 20X is a 5G-ready handset, which features a 90Hz display. Its rear camera setup has a 48-megapixel primary lens. The poster further reveals that the 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage edition of the Redmi 20X will be priced at 999 Yuan (~$152) in China.

By this, the Redmi 20X is expected to arrive as one of the cheapest 5G phones in China. The specifications and design of the phone suggest that it could be a rebranded version of the Redmi Note 10 5G, which was announced for the global markets in March.

Redmi Note 10 5G specifications

The Redmi Note 10 5G has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display that offers an FHD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. It features Gorilla Glass 3 protection and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Dimensity 700 5G is present under the hood of the device with up to 6 GB of RAM. The phone offers up to 128 GB of UFS 2.2 storage and a dedicated microSD card slot.

Redmi Note 10 5G All Colors Featured — Redmi Note 10 5G

The Note 10 5G boots to MIUI 12 based Android 11 OS. it has an 8-megapixel front camera and a 48-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system. The 5,000mAh battery of the phone supports 18W fast charging.

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Xiaomi opens the 5000th Mi Home in China, the first to don the new logo

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 5, 2021

Xiaomi has officially opened its newest Mi Home in China located in the city of Shenyang. This store opening marks a milestone for the brand as it is the 5000th Mi Home store. Another interesting fact about this new store is that it is the first to wear the new Xiaomi logo.

The Mi Home will play host to a number of new products including the Mi 11 Pro, Mi 11 Ultra, and Redmi K40 that was unveiled recently. the company is also promising some discounts to patrons as part of activities to mark the store’s opening.

The Mi Home flagship store has been a crucial part of brand Xiaomi’s success. The resurgence of the brand post-2015 could be traced to the drive to create Mi Home in many cities, bringing its products closer to fans. The rapid proliferation of the experience store is surprising, though. As of 2017, Xiaomi had just 100 Mi Home stores in China and had plans to push the number to 200 stores. By December 2020, the company announced the opening of the 1000th Mi Home store in China. How the brand pushed that number to 5000 stores within such a short period beats our imagination. That means a total of 4000 stores were opened in the last three months. The brand reportedly opened 1,000 Mi Homes in China in January this year.

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Huawei to launch new V-series Smart Screen models in China on April 8

By

Jeet

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Apr 5, 2021

Huawei is set to host a new product launch event in its home country China on 8th April where it is expected to launch a new V-series Smart Screen 2021 devices. For those who are unaware, Huawei prefers to call its Smart TV a Smart Screen.

If the reports are to be believed, then the upcoming 2021 models of the Huawei Devale V-series Smart Screen features HDR Vivid Display technology which is jointly promoted by Tencent and a few other companies.

It is also said to have support for HDR10+, which is industry-leading in HDR technology. There’s also support for Dolby Vision and the product is expected to come with Devalent Speakers. The company is also expected to offer support for mini-games.

An image of the upcoming lineup of Smart TVs from Huawei has leaked online which reveals that the screen has ultra-narrow bezels on three sides — top, left, and right. There’s also a pop-up camera, allowing support for video calling.

The series is said to have three models — 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch. Reports indicate that the pricing for the Huawei Devalent V-series 2021 Smart Screen models could start from between 6,000 yuan and 10,000 yuan.

Apart from this new product launch event on 8th April, Huawei has also scheduled another event at the end of this month, between April 24-26, where the company will host Huawei Developer Conference. It is also expected to have two more events in the coming months to launch the new HarmonyOS and its flagship Huawei P50 series smartphones.

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Realme Narzo 30 has Helio G95, 6GB RAM, reveals Geekbench

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 5, 2021

In February, Realme launched the Narzo 30 Pro 5G and Narzo 30A smartphones. The company is likely to introduce the Realme Narzo 30 handset this month. It was recently confirmed by Realme CEO Madhav Sheth that the Narzo 30 will be coming in 4G and 5G editions. A report by My Smart Price reveals that the alleged Narzo 30 4G has appeared in the database of the Geekbench benchmarking platform.

It is believed that the upcoming Realme Narzo 30 4G has appeared with its RMX2156 model number at Geekbench. The listing reveals that it is powered by the MediaTek MT6785V/CD SoC, which appears to be the Helio G95.

The listing further mentions that the RMX2156 runs on Android 11 OS and it has 6 GB of RAM. In the single-core test, the handset scored 517 points and it recorded a score of 1682 in the multi-core test.

This RMX2156 phone has been previously seen at certification platforms like the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), Federal Communications (FCC), Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS), and TKDN in Indonesia. Last week, it appeared with Realme Narzo 30 moniker at a listing at Indonesia Telecom.

These listings have revealed that the Narzo 30 4G has 162.36 x 74.46 x 9.45mm dimensions and it weighs 198 grams. The phone houses a 5,000mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging. The other details of the Narzo 30 4G are under wraps.

The rumor mill is yet to reveal the specs of the Narzo 30 5G. Speculations are rife that it could be arriving as India’s cheapest 5G smartphone.

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Xiaomi launches the InkPalm 5 mini e-reader for 599 yuan (~$91)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 5, 2021

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.

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LG confirms shutting down its mobile business to focus on connected devices, smart home

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 5, 2021

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.

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Lenovo Legion 2 Pro will have a 44MP side pop-up selfie camera

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 4, 2021

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.

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.

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Nokia TWS earbuds with Noise Cancelation to launch tomorrow in India

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 4, 2021

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.

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Asus ROG Phone 5 vs Black Shark 4 Pro: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Apr 4, 2021

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
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz
MEMORY	8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 16 GB RAM, 256 GB	8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 16 GB RAM, 512 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 11, Rog UI + Zen UI	Android 11, Joy UI
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS
CAMERA	Triple 64 + 13 + 5 MP f/1.8, f/2.4, and f/2.0 24 MP f/2.5 front camera	Triple 64 + 8 + 5 MP f/1.8, f/2.2, and f/2.4 20 MP f/2.5 front camera
BATTERY	6000 mAh, fast charging 65W	4500 mAh, fast charging 120W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot, 5G, AirTriggers, RGB logo, reverse charging	Dual SIM slot, 5G, physical gaming triggers

Design

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.

Read More: ASUS ROG Phone 5 series launched with up to 18GB RAM and 3.5mm headphone jack

Asus ROG Phone 5 vs Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro: PROs and CONS

Asus ROG Phone 5

PROs

Gorilla Glass Victus
Great display
Huge battery
Better connectivity
Several compatible accessories

CONS

Price

Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro

PROs

Faster charging
Physical gaming triggers
Good price
Borderless display

CONS

Smaller battery

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Research firm ranks Xiaomi’s Mi Home as India’s top exclusive smartphone retail store

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Apr 4, 2021

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.

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Upcoming Smartphones in April 2021: Redmi, Samsung, OPPO, Nokia, Sony, & more

By

Balaji S

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Apr 4, 2021

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.
On the other hand, the OPPO A94 5G could be the OPPO F19 Pro+ 5G for Europe whereas OPPO A54 5G is said to be a rebadged version of OPPO A93 5G.

Huawei P50 series

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.

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Poll of The Week: Which of these new Xiaomi products are you buying?

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 4, 2021

Last week, Xiaomi unveiled several new products at its China and global launch events. The two-day events included phones such as the Mi MIX Fold, Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11 Pro, Mi 11i; a new fitness tracker – the Mi Band 6/Mi Smart Band 6; the Mi Laptop Pro; a new projector; a new router; and many more.

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.

[yop_poll id=”80″]

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Next Week in Tech: Nokia has a new phone(s), Lenovo Legion 2 Pro coming, Realme c-series and Samsung F-series are getting new models

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 3, 2021

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.

New Samsung Galaxy F-series phones – April 5

Samsung‘s Flipkart-exclusive Galaxy F-series will be getting two new models on April 5. The two phones are the Galaxy F02s and the Galaxy F12 and both will have Infinity-V displays.

Nokia Mobile Event – April 8

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.

The Finnish company is expected to announce a couple of mid-range phones which may include all or some of the following phones – the Nokia G10, Nokia G20, Nokia X10, Nokia X20, and Nokia C20. There is also the possibility of new mobile accessories such as these power banks that were listed on the official website last month.

Lenovo Legion 2 Pro – April 8

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.

Realme expanding its C-series – April 8

Realme’s C-series is a line of budget smartphones and on April 8 it plans to add three new models to the lineup. These phones include the realme C20, realme C21, and realme C25.

If a phone isn’t what you are looking for now, realme will unveil a new pair of TWS earbuds on April 7. The realme Buds Air 2 Neo is scheduled for release on April 7 and it has been confirmed that it will have active noise cancellation.

Amazfit Bip U Pro

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.

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