OnePlus 9 series first sale exceeds 300 million yuan in just 10 seconds in China

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Mar 30, 2021

OnePlus unveiled the OnePlus 9 series in China on March 24. The company had opened the on pre-order and it already crossed 2 million reservations in the country. The devices finally went on sale for the first time earlier today in China and OnePlus has posted the official details on the sales.

In a Weibo post, the company has officially said that the entire OnePlus 9 series has sold for about 300 million yuan worth in the first sale in China. This record, which took place at 10:00 AM Beijing time sale has happened in just 10 seconds.

Back in April 2020, OnePlus unveiled the OnePlus 8 series in China, and the first sale clocked about 100 million yuan worth of sales in 1 minute. Cut back to present times, the first sale of the successors seems to have tripled in the home country.

OnePlus launched two devices under the OnePlus 9 series in China- OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. However, the biggest change this time around is the transition from HydrogenOS to ColoroS 11 in China. That’s not all as the devices are sold with an official 2-year warranty there which doesn’t void even if you root your device.

Apart from bringing the newer devices to the ColorOS, OnePlus has also revealed a list of older devices that would get the update later in the future in China. Talking about the price, the OnePlus 9 starts at ¥3,799 ($582) while the ‘OnePlus 9 Pro‘ variant is sold from ¥4,999 ($766). Both the devices come in 8/12GB RAM and 128/256GB internal storage.

Along with the OnePlus 9 series, the company also launched its first smartwatch, the OnePlus watch(classic edition) for ¥999 ($153) in China.

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Global Chip shortage affects microwave and other home appliances production

By

Sean

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Mar 30, 2021

The world is currently suffering from a major semiconductor shortage, which has impacted various industries across the globe. Now, the latest one is the home appliances industry, with production of products like refrigerators and microwaves being affected as well.

According to a NDTV report, the shortage of chip supply has been straining the existing stockpiles for consumer electronics manufacturers, with home appliance makers being one of them. As per Jason Ai, President of Whirlpool Corp in China, the company, which is also one of the world’s largest white goods vendors, has fallen behind in terms of exports to regions like Europe and the US from China by as much as 25 percent on certain months.

The senior executive also called this situation as the “perfect storm.” He further added that “On the one hand we have to satisfy domestic demand for appliances, on the other hand we’re facing an explosion of export orders. As far as chips go, for those of us in China, it was inevitable.” At the moment, the company is struggling to secure sufficient microcontrollers, which are simple processors that power more than half of its product ranges includes microwaves, refrigerators, and washing machines.

Notably, chip shortages have affected high end suppliers like Qualcomm, but the issue originated and remains dire for mature technologies like power management chips, which are used in automobiles. Thus, the global shortage have affected car makers worldwide, with certain brands halting production altogether for some of their models. Meanwhile, the smart home market has also been facing issues as these products require chips as well.

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realme to launch MeowBook laptop, Meow AI speaker, and Meow VR glasses in early April

By

Balaji S

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Mar 30, 2021

Before the year 2021 begun, realme vowed to launch more than 100 AIoT products this year. Accordingly, the company has expanded its portfolio and launched several products like smart scale, smart LED bulb. Now, it is expanding further with MeowBook laptop, Meow AI speaker, and Meow VR glasses.

realme’s realmeow was unveiled as a mascot and was said that it would be in the company’s marketing materials and also be an integral part of the design of products. Now, it looks like the company is launching Smart AI products with the ‘Meow’ on it.

To clear you up, realme TechLife and an account with ‘realme Pakistan’ name on it have posted teasers on Twitter about the upcoming products in April. These include realme’s MeowBook laptop, Meow AI speaker, and Meow VR glasses. Speaking of which, this is not the first time we hear about realme laptops.

Earlier in January, Tech influencer Mukul Sharma said that realme laptops would hit the market as soon as June 2021. However, the company seems to have jumped the timeline and bring it in April. In the teaser page, we see that the laptop has Meow logo with a brushed finish and Black color.

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Inside, we see the keyboard which we aren’t sure if it would have the backlit on it. On the side, there are power pin and USB-A ports. Apart from this, we don’t have any other info about the AI speaker or the VR glasses yet.

Smart speaker segment crossed 1 million shipments in 2020 in India and it is understandable that realme wants to grab a bite for itself this year. Let’s wait for more details in the coming days.

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Xiaomi announces commencement of its Smart Electric Vehicle business

By

Jeet

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Mar 30, 2021

Xiaomi, which is currently the world’s third largest smartphone manufacturer, has been itching to enter the smart vehicles market for some time. Today, the company has officially announced the commencement of its smart electric vehicle business.

The company has revealed that it is setting up a new wholly-owned subsidiary to work on the electric vehicles and related business. Initially, it plans to invest around 10 billion yuan (~$1.5 billion) but over a period of 10 years, the company would have invested over $10 billion for this new category of business.

Xiaomi Logo

Further, it has also been confirmed that Lei Jun, who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Xiaomi Group, will also serve as the Chief Executive Officer for this new smart electric vehicles entity.

Recently, at the fifteenth annual meeting of the China Entrepreneurs Forum, Lei Jun had confirmed that Xiaomi has no plans for the release of an electric vehicle for the next three to five years as it plans to focus on its existing products.

A few days ago, it was reported that the China-based smartphone maker could partner with China’s Great Wall Motor Co Ltd and use its factory for building its own electric car. But both the companies had declined to comment on the matter.

Given the past record of Xiaomi, it’s likely that the upcoming smart car from the company will be a consumer product and will be targeted at mass market. We expect more details related to this new business to be revealed at the Xiaomi Mega Launch Part II event where the company is expected to launch the Mi MIX Fold smartphone.

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Didi seeks to raise $6 billion for its self driving unit: Report

By

Sean

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Mar 30, 2021

Didi Chuxing is apparently raising funds for the growth of its autonomous driving unit. The company is seeking to raise 6 billion US Dollars in an attempt to rival Uber, who is trying to diversify beyond its core businesses ahead of an anticipated initial public offering later this year.

According to a SCMP report, the Chinese ride hailing giant is planning on raising about 500 million US Dollars at a valuation of roughly 6 billion US Dollars. As per sources close to the matter, the funds raised will help Didi speed up its mass production of self driving vehicles and invest in technologies like artificial intelligence chips and more. Although, the plans for this fundraising could still change as considerations are at an early stages as per sources.

Unfortunately, a representative from the company declines to comment on this news. The attempt from Didi is an answer to Uber, as the former tries to grow its presence in strategically important sectors like autonomous vehicles prior to the company going public. This is also possible going to be one of the largest tech IPOs across the globe this year.

Furthermore, the company is targeting a valuation above the 62 billion US Dollars it had secured during its latest funding round by accelerating its pace just prior to its debut as a public company within the next quarter. The company began testing autonomous vehicles back in 2016 before separating the unit as a separate company in 2019 and aims on operating over 1 million self driving taxis by the year 2030.

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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will feature a 32MP selfie camera: Report

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 30, 2021

We learned about the existence of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE back in November 2020. A few months later, the key specs of this smartphone leaked in February 2021. Now, a month later, more information about this handset emerges.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE Cloud Mint Featured — Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

According to a report by GalaxyClub, the upcoming Galaxy S21 FE will sport a 32MP selfie camera. The publication suggests that it could be the same sensor as found on the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72.

Further, the report says that this phone will be available in a light green color variant, in addition to four colors that were revealed by an earlier report by SamMobile. For those unaware, the other four colors will be gray/silver, pink, violet, and white.

Unfortunately, the new report does not reveal anything else apart from the above-mentioned two specifics. But as per the older report, the Galaxy S21 FE will bear the model number SM-G990B. It will come with 5G connectivity, 128GB/256GB internal storage, and Android 11.

That said, Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S21 FE in August. Because there will be no Galaxy Note this year, which is usually introduced at that time of the year. But ahead of this phone’s announcement, the South Korean tech giant will be releasing a new variant of last year’s Galaxy S20 FE.

Huami Amazfit GTR 2 eSIM Edition imminent launch teased

By

Sean

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Mar 30, 2021

The Huami Amazfit GTR 2 eSIM edition is expected to launch soon. The company teased the upcoming wearable on its official Weibo account, a Chinese microblogging website, earlier today (30th March 2021).

As per the Weibo post, the Chinese wearables maker shared a new image poster and added that caption, “see you in 3 days!” In other words, the company is planning on officially announcing the product within the first week of April 2021. Last year, the Amazfit GTR 2 had been launched in September, which featured the blood oxygen and heart rate monitoring feature. Now, the company is launching this device in a eSIM edition, which would enable it to make calls as well.

The ability to make calls will be independent from the users’ smartphones. Meaning, one does not require their paired handset to make or receive calls on their smartwatch. Not a lot is known about the Amazfit GTR 2 eSIM edition, but it is likely to feature specifications similar, if not identical to the base GTR 2. This includes a 1.39 inch AMOLED display that is surrounded by a stainless steel body and a leather strap.

It also features the heart rate monitoring feature that can offer information in real time along with the blood oxygen sensor, BioTracker 2. Furthermore, the device also has a sleep monitoring function as well and its blood oxygen test has an accuracy level of 96 percent, with an average margin of error as per tests being around just 1.6 percent. It also supports various sports related activity modes and features GPS+GLONASS with up to 50 meters water resistance as well.

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After Mi 10 Ultra, Xiaomi Mi 11 gets the MIUI 12.5 stable update

By

Balaji S

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Mar 30, 2021

Earlier today, we saw that Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra beat the 2021 flagship Mi 11 to get the stable MIUI 12.5 update in China. Now, the latter is finally getting it in the home country.

An update with firmware version V12.5.1.0.RKBCNXM is rolling out to select users of the Xiaomi Mi 11 in China. It brings the latest MIUI 12.5 and March 2021 security patch to the device. If you recall, the flagship smartphone debuted in December 2020 but had MIUI 12 based on Android 11 and not the newer 12.5.

However, the company unveiled the incremental MIUI 12.5 at the event and said that Xiaomi Mi 11 would be one of the first ones to get it later in the year. The company then went on to release the Mi 11 and MIUI 12.5 globally.

Besides, Xiaomi unveiled the new members of the Mi 11 series- Mi 11 Pro, Mi 11 Ultra yesterday. Unlike the Mi 11, these devices come with MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11 out of the box.

Either way, the Mi 11 will get all the goodies of MIUI 12.5 like Design improvements, more Super wallpapers, improved privacy, haptics, MIUI+, uninstallable built-in apps, and more. As for the rollout, since it’s still in the Stable Beta stage, it will be rolled out to a few users as mentioned above. After ensuring that it is void to major bugs the wider rollout will begin.

That said, Mi 11 won’t be the loner to get the latest UI in China as a list of 27 other devices are scheduled in the near future.

Similar to China’s schedule, the Mi 11 devices around the globe are likely to receive the MIUI 12.5 stable update around Q2, 2021. After this, expect the update to trickle down to the older flagships as well.

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Black Shark 4 is available for $459 at AliExpress (Coupon)

By

Daily Deals

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Mar 30, 2021

Black Shark 4 is now available at a heavily discounted price on AliExpress from 29 March 2021 to 2 April 2021. The gaming smartphone which generally retails at $598 is available for just $459 after the AliExpress anniversary sale discount and using an additional $20 coupon code: BLACKSHARK20

WHERE TO BUY

Black Shark 4 at $459 (after discount)@AliExpress

Black shark 4 unlike its competitors comes with a minimalistic and sleek design but does not compromise on features or functions. The device sports a simple gradient rear panel with a triple camera setup at the top featuring a 48MP main camera and 8MP and 5MP secondary cameras while the front features a 20MP punch-hole selfie camera.

The gaming phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor and comes in two memory variants viz: 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 128GB. The highlight feature of Black Shark 4 lies in its uniquely designed magnetic pop-up triggers which rise when playing a game and retract when not in use. The highly durable physical triggers give you a comfortable push back after each press thereby adding to the fun factor of your gameplay.

A massive 4500mAh battery fuels this gaming smartphone which also supports 120W HyperCharge. This means you get to 100% charge in just 17 minutes. The smartphone which comes with a 6.67” Samsung AMOLED screen uses a new generation E4 luminous material which improves the brightness and brings unprecedented super visual effects. With a record-breaking 720Hz touch sampling rate and a high-quality fully symmetrical stereo system you can be assured to have the best gaming experience on Black Shark 4.

As a part of the 11th AliExpress Anniversary sale, Black Shark Official Store is giving a whopping $20 discount on Black Shark 4 via coupon code: BLACKSHARK20 or by simply using this $20 store coupon. This means you can buy Black Shark 4 which generally retails at $598 at a discounted price of $459 only.

Please note that the above-mentioned price is for the 8GB + 128GB Black / Grey color variant. The product comes with a one-year warranty and Black Shark Official Store’s original guarantee.

For more information on discounts and deals on other Black Shark products, you can visit the Black Shark Official Store at AliExpress. So without wasting any more time grab your discounted Black Shark products before the deal expires on 2 April 2021.

For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.

* Please Note: When you buy something using the links in our articles, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Oppo A54 launched in Indonesia, with Helio P35 chip and 18W fast charging

By

Sean

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Mar 30, 2021

The Oppo A54 has just been launched in Indonesia. It is the company’s latest mid range smartphones from the A series in the region, which features Helio chip and 18W fast charging.

As per a TeknoKompas report, the Chinese tech giant launched the device as a successor to the A31 model that was launched in February 2021, instead of the A53 that was launched in August of 2020. This was stated by PR Manager Oppo Indonesia Aryo Meidianto, who said that “Oppo A53 is positioning more to replace Oppo A31. The specifications are almost the same, however, it has a number of significant improvements from its predecessor.”

One of these improvements is the punch hole 16 megapixel selfie shooter on the front, which is up from 8 megapixel on the A31. This camera also offers AI Beauty 2.0, which enhances selfie shots. Other changes include the fingerprint scanner that is now mounted at the side of the smartphone. Talking about the specifications, the device sports a 6.51 inch HD+ display on the front, while the rear houses a 13 megapixel triple camera module (2 MP macro sensor and a 2 MP bokeh lens).

Under the hood, the device features the MediaTek Helio P35 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It is powered by a large 5,000mAh battery pack that supports up to 18W fast charging. Additional features include, IPX4 splash resistance and runs on the Android 10 operating system based ColorOS 7.2 custom skin. The device is available in two color variants, namely Starry Blue and Crystal Black and can be purchased on 1st April 2021 for a price of IDR 2.7 million (roughly 186 US Dollars).

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Xiaomi crowdfunds Mi Power Bank Boost Pro 30000mAh in India for ₹1,999 ($27)

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 30, 2021

Back in June 2020, Xiaomi launched the Mi Power Bank 3 30000mAh in China. This product has been now introduced in India as Mi Power Bank Boost Pro 30000mAh. However, customers cannot buy it right away because the company is only crowdfunding it for the time being.

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank Boost Pro 30000mAh Specifications and Features

As the name suggests, the newly launched Xiaomi Power Bank in India comes with a 30,000mAh capacity. This battery pack supports up to 18W output and 24W input. Most importantly, it relies on USB PD (Power Delivery) 3.0, and therefore, it is compatible with almost all devices.

The power bank has a total of four ports. They are 2 x USB Type-A (output only), 1 x MicroUSB (input only), and 1 x USB Type-C (input & output). The product comes in a single black color option and features 16-layer protection.

Like all Xiaomi power banks, this one also has low power charging mode for accessories like fitness trackers, smartwatches, TWS, and more. Unfortunately, despite sporting a USB Type-C port, it will ship with a MicroUSB cable.

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Last but not least, the Mi Power Bank Boost Pro 30000mAh measures 154.5 x 72.3 x 38.9mm in dimensions and weighs 640g.

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank Boost Pro 30000mAh Price and Availability

The Xiaomi Mi Power Bank Boost Pro 30000mAh is priced at ₹2,299 ($31) in India. However, it is currently up for crowdfunding for a discounted price tag of ₹1,999 ($27).

The crowdfunding will run for 15 days starting today and the company will start shipping to supporters from May 15. We can expect Xiaomi to start selling it for the regular price after that.

Samsung chip production in Texas is almost at normal levels

By

Sean

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Mar 30, 2021

Earlier today (30th March 2021), Samsung Electronics stated that the production of chips in the company’s Austin chip plant in Texas, US, has returned to nearly normal levels as of last week.

For those unaware, the South Korean tech giant and other chip makers with production facilities in the region had seen shutdowns due to the cold wave that had hit the area last month. Although, the company declined to comment on when the production levels would be fully back to normal, as per a Reuters report. These disruptions also had an impact on the global chip contract chip manufacturing industry, which is currently struggling against a severe capacity crunch.

At the moment, the world is facing a major shortage in chip supply with various contract chip makers having their production sites running at full capacity. The shortage of semiconductors has affected a number of industries as well, like the automobile industry, with some companies having to stop production entirely due to a lack of chip supply.

Notably, Qualcomm and Samsung logic chips also account for about 65 percent of the monthly production at the latter’s chip plant. Furthermore, the disruption that occurred last month is expected to impact the production of smartphones globally over the period of April and June by about 5 percent. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available regarding the matter.

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Xiaomi unveils an 80W wireless charging stand & a multi-device wireless charging pad

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 30, 2021

Xiaomi has over the years set itself apart as a leading innovative brand when it comes to wireless charging solutions. In January, the tech giant unveiled the Mi Air Charge technology which is a true wire-free charging solution. The company has now unveiled a couple of new wireless charging solutions during the Mi 11 series launch that saw the Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11 Pro, Mi 11 Lite unveiled.

Back in 2019, the company unveiled a vertical wireless charging stand which was well-received. Along the line, there were complaints that the charging stand can’t be used when the phone is placed horizontally. That issue has now been tackled on this latest model. Not only that, the new Xiaomi wireless charging stand comes with a super-fast 80W charging speed. Unfortunately, there is no smartphone right now with up to 80W wireless charge support. The freshly unveiled Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11 Pro supports 67W wireless fast charging.

In terms of design, the 80W wireless charging stand adopts a futuristic design style. It features a curved air duct which allows heat to be dissipated more efficiently. This time around, phones can be charged lying vertically and horizontally, thanks to a double coil design. The Mi Wireless Charging Stand also has a dedicated button that allows users to turn on fast charging mode.

In terms of price, the Xiaomi 80W Wireless Charging Stand carries a decent retail price of RMB 499 (~$76) and that is because it is bundled with a 120W charging brick. But if purchased with the Mi 11 Pro, it will be sold for RMB 199 (~$35).

In addition, Xiaomi also released a multi-coil wireless fast charging version that supports simultaneous charging of up to 3 devices, with 19 built-in charging coils. Each of the three devices can be charged at 20W speed which brings the total power rating of the Mi Wireless Charging Pad to 60W.

The Mi Wireless Charging Pad is priced at RMB 599 (~$91). Xiaomi is yet to disclose if the new wireless charging products will be launched globally.

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Acer and Asus to raise the prices of laptops by up to 10% in Q2 2021: Report

By

Sean

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Mar 30, 2021

Asus and Acer, two major tech giants from Taiwan, have largely benefited from the coronavirus pandemic, which led to an increase in their notebook shipments. But now, these firms might be raising prices for these laptops due to high demand and shortage of supply.

According to a UDN report, the price hike rise is due to the demand still being high, while the supply is still catching up. Furthermore, components suppliers are already facing increasing pressure, leading them to raise the prices of these part. Thus, both Acer and Asus are expected to raise the prices of notebooks in the second quarter of this year. The supply gap is still large, but the increase in prices along with the current demand would benefit both tech giants.

This also implies that their is a wave of price hikes in the electronics industry, which extends from components to end systems and products. As per industry sources, the prices of notebooks adjusts as per the currency fluctuations in certain markets. Meanwhile, the world is also seeing a massive shortage of semiconductors at the moment, which has also led to straining of various supply chains.

Back in 2020, the laptop market saw an explosive growth due to the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted various governments to impose lockdowns. These lockdowns then led to a rising trend of online education and work from home, which required consumers to buy laptops and other large screen products like tablets as well. Acer and Asus have seen one of the strongest annual performance in years, and this trend will continue for the foreseeable future, till supply doesn’t catch up with demand.

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HUAWEI MatePad Pro 2 certified by TENAA with HarmonyOS and 5G connectivity

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 30, 2021

The HUAWEI MatePad Pro is the company’s flagship tablet. The original model debuted in late 2019 and a 5G model was released in the first half of 2020. Now, over a year later, the Chinese telecom giant is expected to launch its successor called HUAWEI MatePad Pro 2. This high-end tablet has been now listed on TENAA. Additionally, a well-known leaker has tipped some of its primary specs.

The upcoming HUAWEI MatePad Pro 2 with model number WGR-AN19 (codename: Wanger) has been certified by TENAA. But unfortunately, the listing neither has the images of the product nor its entire specifications. But it does confirm some of its features. The device was earlier spotted on 3C as well.

As per the listing, the premium tablet will support SA/NSA 5G connectivity. Most importantly, the listing says that it will run HarmonyOS. Popular Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station tells that the HUAWEI MatePad Pro 2 will be the first device to launch with HarmonyOS out of the box.

That’s not all, according to him, this forthcoming tablet will be powered by HiSilicon Kirin 9000 SoC. Further, it will be available in two sizes – 12.2-inch or 12.6-inch. For those unaware, the HUAWEI MatePad Pro sports a smaller 10.8-inch screen.

Unfortunately, he does not say about the type of display. Its predecessor has an LCD panel and therefore, the new model could also feature the same but with a higher refresh rate, which the older tablet lacks. Also, we cannot rule out the possibility of an OLED display either.

Anyway, we expect to learn more about the HUAWEI MatePad 2 Pro before its official announcement sometime later in the near future.

POCO X3 Pro with 120Hz screen, Snapdragon 860, 48MP quad cameras launched for Rs 18,999 (~$260)

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 30, 2021

Last week, POCO announced the POCO X3 Pro and POCO F3 flagship for global markets. Today, the company held a dedicated launch event in India to announce the arrival of the POCO X3 Pro. Here is all the information on the pricing and specifications of the X3 Pro for India.

POCO X3 Pro price in India

The POCO X3 Pro has arrived in two options such as 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage in India. They are priced at Rs 18,999 (~$260) and Rs 20,999 (~$287), respectively. Flipkart will carry out the first sale of X3 Pro at 12 PM on April 6. Customers with ICICI Bank credit cards and EMI transactions can avail up to Rs 1,000 instant discount on both variants of the X3 Pro.

The POCO X3 Pro comes in three color variants such as Golden Bronze, Graphite Black, and Steel Blue. With the arrival of the X3 Pro, the company has slashed the price of the existing POCO X3. It is now available with a new starting price of Rs 14,999 (~$205).

POCO X3 Pro specifications

The POCO X3 Pro has a 6.67-inch IPS LCD FHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate support. The punch-hole display is shielded by Gorilla Glass 6. The polycarbonate body of the phone offers IP53 rated dust and splash protection. The device features a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and it runs on Android 11 OS and MIUI 12 for POCO.

The Snapdragon 860 flagship chipset along with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 3.1 storage drives the POCO X3 Pro. It has a 5,160mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The X3 Pro has a front camera of 20-megapixel and its circular camera module on the back has a 48-megapixel Sony IMX582 main lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide snapper, a 2-megapixel depth assist sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. The smartphone also features stereo speakers, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

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Samsung reclaims top position in global smartphone sales in February

By

Jeet

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Mar 30, 2021

Samsung Electronics, the South Korean giant, has managed to reclaim the top position in global smartphone sales in the month of February. As per the report from Strategy Analytics, the company has beat Apple, which had managed to get the top spot in the Q4 2020, thanks to the sales of the iPhone 12 series.

The report reveals that Samsung managed to ship 24 million units of its smartphones in February 2021, accounting for 23.1 percent of the market share. On the other hand, Apple managed to sell 23 million units, making for a 22.2 percent market share.

Xiaomi was the third-largest smartphone vendor last month with a market share of 11.5 percent, followed by Vivo and OPPO with 10.6 percent and 8.5 percent global market share respectively. All three of these are Chinese brands with almost none to the limited presence in the United States.

Samsung had a market share of 15.6 percent in January while Apple had a market share of 25.4 percent. When comparing the data Year-on-Year (YoY), the smartphone shipments of Samsung were 26 percent more than last year and 12 percent more than the pre-pandemic levels in February 2019.

The South Korean giant introduced its flagship Galaxy S-series smartphones in the form of the Galaxy S21 lineup in January this year, deviating from its usual timeframe of mid-February. This has helped the company increase its market share. Another major impact is the decreasing share of Huawei, which is struggling in this category because of several sanctions imposed by the United States.

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Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold spotted in promo poster with key specs, expected to launch today

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 30, 2021

Xiaomi held a mega launch event in China yesterday to announce Mi 11 series phones such as Mi 11 Pro, Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11 Lite 5G, and some other products like the Xiaomi Mi Band 6, chargers, routers, and other equipment. At the event, it also announced the Xiaomi Mi 11i and Mi 11 Lite 4G / 5G for global markets. Fresh information reveals that the Chinese manufacturer will be holding another launch event in China today. It is speculated to announce the Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold as its first foldable smartphone. A leaked shot of the offline promo material of the Mi MIX Fold has surfaced on Weibo today to reveal its design and key specs.

As the rumor mill claimed, the Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold can be seen sporting an in-folding design. The Chinese text that can be seen at the bottom of the image reveals that it is equipped with an 8.01-inch foldable screen that produces 2K resolution and 1.1 billion colors. The Snapdragon 888 mobile platform is present under the hood of the device.

The rear camera module of the MI MIX Fold appears similar to the camera housing of the Xiaomi Mi 10S, which was announced recently in China. It is equipped with a 108-megapixel primary camera with a liquid lens. The device promises 3D output as it is fitted with Harman Kardon powered quad speakers.

In related news, Xiaomi is also expected to announce a self-developed Surge chipset today. At present, there is no information available on its specifications. The company is also expected to unveil some other products like a new Mi Notebook Pro, Mi Washing Machine with a front-loading feature, a new Mi Robot vacuum cleaner, and more.

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MediaTek led smartphone chipset market in 2020 with 27% market share: Report

By

Jeet

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Mar 30, 2021

MediaTek surprisingly dethroned Qualcomm as the world’s leading smartphone chipset vendor for the first time in the third quarter of 2020. Now, a new report claims that the Taiwan-based chipset maker led the market for the whole year.

As per the recent report from London-based Omdia, the shipments of MediaTek grew 48 percent year-on-year in 2020, reaching 352 million units. The company managed to capture about 27 percent of the global markets.

On the other hand, Qualcomm saw an 18 percent year-on-year drop in chip shipments last year and shipped 319 million units of its Snapdragon-series processors in 2020. With that, MediaTek took the pole position while Qualcomm got the second spot with 25 percent of the global market share.

MediaTek seems to have benefited the most from the sanctions imposed by the United States of Huawei, which barred the Chinese giant from using Qualcomm’s chipsets in its devices. Given that Huawei was one of the leading smartphone brands globally, losing the business also hit Qualcomm and other vendors significantly.

However, Xiaomi is the brand that used the most MediaTek chips on its devices last year. The Chinese company shipped 63.7 million phones powered by processors from the Taiwanese company in the year 2020, a growth of 223.3 percent YoY.

Apart from that, the company has been winning the market when it comes to entry-level or low-price and mid-range smartphones. Most of the budget and mid-range phones come powered by the Taiwanese company’s processors and the company is also testing waters for the high-end chips.

MediaTek has added support for 5G connectivity on its offerings with the Dimensity series of processors. The company isn’t stopping at smartphone chips and is also one of the leading vendors globally for Smart TV chips.

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Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra is the first device to get MIUI 12.5 stable update

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 30, 2021

Xiaomi unveiled MIUI 12.5 at the Mi 11 China launch event in late December 2020. It is a minor upgrade over MIUI 12. Since that conference, the company has been seeding weekly beta builds for the eligible devices in its home country. Now, three months after the announcement, the Mi 10 Ultra has become the first smartphone to get MIUI 12.5 stable update.

The Mi 10 Ultra is Xiaomi’s 10th-anniversary special smartphone. This handset is sold exclusively in China. Hence, it has a single branch of MIUI build (MIUI China).

The phone debuted with MIUI 12 based on Android 10. It was later updated to Android 11. And now, the device has even started receiving the MIUI 12.5 update. In fact, as mentioned in the beginning, it is the first smartphone to receive MIUI 12.5 stable update.

That said, the latest system update for the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra comes with build number V12.5.1.0.RJJCNXM. Since this software build is currently in the Stable Beta phase, it is only available for a select few users. If there’s no issue with this build, then it should be rolled out to all the users in the coming days.

As far as new features are concerned, MIUI 12.5 brings optimizations for system animations, improved haptic feedback throughout the UI, new customizable system sounds with stereo effects, uninstallable system apps, and more.