Apple is presently the most valuable smartphone brand globally and its products are of premium quality. That doesn’t apparently bestow on them immunity from the usual glitches sometimes associated with electronic products. What happened to Birmingham, England-based 17-year-old Amie Hall may well be beyond a minor glitch as her iPhone charger reportedly set her blanket on fire.
The incident is reported to have happened on the night of March 18 while Miss Hall was about going to sleep. Before then, she plugged her iPhone to charge and apparently kept it on the bed, perhaps under the blanket. What happened next could have left her with severe burns or even be fatal. She suddenly noticed “flashing orange” flames on her blanket which caught the blanket on fire and inflicted her with a minor burn to her cheek.
However, the teenager quickly alerted her mum downstairs and they were able to extinguish the fire without needing the help of firefighters.
Miss Hall shared some pictures of her burns and the burnt charging cable on Facebook apparently to draw the attention of other persons to the danger of “leaving their phone to charge overnight”. Well, modern smartphones and their adapters come with several technologies to protect against overcharging, overheating, and others. But there are substandard third-party products out there without such protective features.
While it is not known at present what caused the fire, Birmingham Mail reports that the charger consisted of an Apple charging cable and another brand’s charging adapter even though Hall states otherwise. “This isn’t even a cheap charger, it’s an Apple charger,” she wrote on Facebook. “Please don’t go to bed and leave your phone charging overnight.”
Apple is currently investigating the cause of the fire and has stressed that all iPhone users should ensure they comply with safe charging standards. It is advised that users should not charge their iPhones in places where there is moisture or areas that are not well-ventilated. These could lead to the charger overheating or moistures could cause sparks. The company also advised regular checks for damaged accessories.
Attention readers! Amazon US is giving a great deal on Anker PowerCore Lite 20000mAh Portable Charger. The power bank which generally retails for $40 is now available for just $36.52.
Anker Portable charger comes with a massive 20000mAh battery which can give more than 5 charges for iPhone XS, almost 5 full charges for Samsung Galaxy S10, more than 4 charges for iPhone 11, and over 2 charges for iPad mini 5.
The highlight of this power bank lies in Anker’s exclusive PowerIQ and VoltageBoost technology which gives you optimized charge for different devices at different voltages. Additionally, the charger comes with a trickle charging mode specially designed to charge low-power accessories.
The power bank comes with two USB ports that can charge two devices simultaneously and comes with a micro USB (input only ) as well as a Type C port (input only). Equipped with safety features like high-voltage protection, current regulation, temperature control, etc the power bank is designed to keep you and your devices safe. With just 0.7 inch thickness and weighing less than a pound this power bank is truly portable and a must for regular travelers and globe trotters.
Generally retailing at $40, Amazon US is giving Anker Portable Charger for $36.52 only. Please note that this limited period offer is applicable on the 20000mAh, Black color variant only. So go get your Anker power Bank asap.
For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.
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Haylou’s LS05 Solar smartwatch turned out to be quite popular among budget smartwatch enthusiasts across the globe. Now the brand is out with another model, the Haylou LS05S smartwatch, bringing a slightly tweaked design in a familiar form factor for the global audience. Like its predecessor, the Haylou RT (official name) will retail at an affordable price tag of just $39.99 (use coupon: LS05S328 for $5 off).
Haylou RT (LS05S) Design
The Haylou RT retains the same round 1.28-inch TFT color screen as the Haylou Solar with 240 x 240 resolution. However, the new model ditches the smooth and curved finish of its predecessor in favor of a rougher and sharper cut metal body. The Haylou RT has a slightly rugged finish, especially with the two massive buttons on its right side. The older Haylou Solar had one simple, non-intrusive button. The watch body is paired with a nano silicone wrist band which is wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, skin-friendly, and breathable.
Haylou RT LS05S
haylou solar
Like the Solar, the Haylou RT is IP68 certified, making it dustproof and waterproof. While the watch is not certified for a swim, it can easily handle sweaty workouts, showers, and basic splashes when you are out jogging or playing your favorite sports.
Haylou LS05S Features
The Haylou RT comes with support for 12 different professional sports modes. With the aid of high-precision motion sensors and AI algorithm analysis, the watch can keep a track of your health and exercise regime. Like most smartwatches these days, this new Haylou watch supports the ‘Raise Wrist to Turn on Screen’ feature. The watch also comes with a new generation heart rate sensor which the brand claims offers more accurate heart rate and health tracking.
Haylou LS05S Battery Life
According to the official specs, the new RT model comes with a slightly smaller 300mAh battery (as opposed to 340mAh one in the Solar). This also makes it a bit lighter than the previous generation model. However, Haylou claims that the battery life is still comparable to the Solar, thanks to the use of a low power consumption chip.
Haylou claims that the LS05S can last for up to 15 days (with continuous heart rate tracking) on a single charge and up to 20 days on long battery life mode.
Last month, HMD Global launched the Nokia 5.4 in India. The smartphone was released without any offers. But now, a month after its launch, the company is offering a gift card on purchase.
Nokia 5.4
HMD Global, the company behind Nokia-branded smartphones and features phones is offering a gift card worth ₹1,500 on the purchase of Nokia 5.4 in India. This offer is only applicable on the company’s official website (nokia.com/phones).
This offer is only valid from Match 10-31. Customers buying the Nokia 5.4 smartphone during this period are eligible for the gift card. This gift card will be delivered to the registered email ID within 7 days of the product’s delivery.
The ₹1,500 gift card is only valid for 30 days from the date when it was delivered via email. Customers can use this gift card to buy their desired product on Nokia official website. This offer was first reported by NokiaPowerUser.
That said, the Nokia 5.4 is a budget smartphone from HMD Global. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC, 6.39-inch HD+ display, 48MP (wide) + 5MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) quad-camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, dual-SIM, 4G, VoLTE, single-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, Google Assistant key, fingerprint sensor, MicroSD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C port, 4,000mAh battery, and Android 10.
The Nokia 5.4 comes in 4GB + 64GB and 6GB + 64G storage configurations in India. They are priced at ₹13,999 and ₹15,499 respectively.
Last year, Motorola promised us a Moto G phone with a Snapdragon 800 series chipset. Today, it has unveiled the Moto G100, a smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 870. The chipset is not the only highlight of the phone, Motorola has also included some software features you won’t find in a lot of phones in this category.
The Moto G100 has a 6.7-inch LCD CinemaVision screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10. It has two punch holes in the top left corner for its two front-facing cameras. Depending on the market, the phone has 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage paired with the Snapdragon 870 processor.
There are four cameras on the back of the phone – a 64MP main camera, a 16MP ultrawide angle camera that pulls double duty as a macro camera. The ultrawide angle camera also has a ring flash so your macro subjects are illuminated. There is a 2MP depth sensor that works with the main camera for portrait images and the last is a TOF camera for laser autofocus. The phone also has audio zoom. In front, you have a 16MP main camera and an 8MP ultrawide angle camera.
The battery capacity is 5000mAh and Motorola boasts more than 40 hours of use. It supports 20W TurboPower fast charging. The Moto G100 has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, an audio jack, and a nano-SIM slot. The phone lacks an official IP rating but has a water-repellent coating.
The Moto G100 runs Android 11 and has a handful of useful software features branded under “Ready For”. One of the features allows you to connect the phone to an external monitor and pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, so you can use it as a desktop computer. The increased screen estate allows you to complete your tasks easily.
You can also connect it to an external screen or TV to enjoy your favorite shows and movies. Another feature is specially designed for gaming on a TV or external screen. Motorola says it provides a console experience for the user. In this mode, you can pair a Bluetooth controller with the phone.
Last but not least, it allows you to use the phone’s main rear camera for video calls when connected to an external display or TV. The camera also tracks movement thanks to intelligent software. There is a special dock with a built-in cooling fan that allows you to charge your phone while keeping it connected to the external display.
Price and Availability
The Moto G100 comes in three colors – Iridescent Sky, Iridescent Ocean, and Slate Grey. Color and configuration vary from market to market. It has also been reported that some regions will include the dock with your purchase while others will include an HDMI cable.
In Mexico, the phone is priced at 12,999 Pesos (~$623) for the 8+128GB version while in Brazil, it comes with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage for R$3,999 (~$709) and includes a free pair of Motorola TWS earbuds. In the UK, it has a price of £449.99 for the 8+128GB version.
Even before the iPhone 12 series launched, we saw a very early report on the iPhone 13 devices. Since then, the devices have been appearing on the reader of leaks frequently. info. One of the major talking points about the devices is the presence of a 120Hz LTPO display with a smaller notch. Today, Macrumors has brought their alleged front glass panel images.
Representative image: iPhone 12
As per the report, the iPhone 13 models will have the same sizes as before- 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch across the models. Speaking of which, Apple is expected to name them as iPhone 13(first two sizes), iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Out of this, the ‘Pro’ variants are said to get a few upgrades. Talking about the smaller notch, the alleged front panel images show that the earpiece/speaker has moved to the top of the device. Early reports said that Apple isn’t in a mood to ditch the notch anytime soon and the images corroborate with that.
credit: Macrumors
Apart from the notch, the iPhone 13 series is said to be similar to the predecessors. However, you can expect upgrades in the internals like the Apple A15 chipset, improved ultrawide camera, Qualcomm X60 5G modem, storage up to 1TB, and support for Wi-Fi 6E.
As mentioned above, the biggest change would be the LTPO display panel with a 120Hz refresh rate support on the ‘Pro’ variants. Also, you might have wondered is there a 5.42-inch version for the iPhone 13 models.
Well, reports say that Apple still plans to launch a smaller version despite lower sales but it might do it under a different name say, iPhone 12S.
A few hours back, an IANS report revealed that Samsung will be launching the Galaxy S20 FE 5G in India next week. Now, a Twitter user suggests on which date this smartphone will be debuting in the country.
Back in October, Samsung only released the 4G variant of Galaxy S20 FE in India. This version of the handset is powered by the company’s in-house Exynos 990 SoC, which is inferior to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset present inside the 5G version.
But now, after five months, the South Korean tech giant has finally decided to bring Galaxy S20 FE 5G to India. The IANS report that broke the news only mentioned that this phone will be launching next week.
However, according to a Twitter user called Debayan Roy (@Gadgetsdata), the Galaxy S20 FE 5G will be launching in India on March 30 (Tuesday). This person has been lately accurate with their tips.
Also, Samsung has already put up a product page for this smartphone with the tagline ‘Now with Snapdragon processor’ on its Indian website, in addition to the support page that went live a few weeks back.
The IANS report claimed that the company will be pricing this handset under ₹50,000. On the other hand, Twitter user Debayan says that the Galaxy S20 FE 5G will compete with the newly announced OnePlus 9 in India.
Huawei AX3 Router is powered by a Gigahome Dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and comes with the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology. This advanced feature makes the router 3 times more faster and 4 times more powerful than the traditional Wi-Fi 5 routers. This means faster speed and stable connections over multiple devices. Also compared to Wi-Fi 5, the new Wi-Fi 6 technology gives you lower latency and lag issues and increased efficiency with 30% reduced power consumption.
The quad power amplifiers, give you a strong signal over a large space and even overcome Wi-Fi dead zones. Fitted with Harmony OS and Huawei Home Sec, this router gives you a seamless, stable, and secured network. However, the highlighting feature of Huawei AX3 lies in its one-tap connect, which allows you to connect a device directly by tapping the router, using Huawei Share.
The revolutionary Huawei AX3 Router is now available for just $59.83 on Banggood. Please note that this offer which ends on March 27 2021 is only available on orders placed from the China warehouse. So without further ado go and get your router at the discounted price asap.
For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.
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Banggood is giving a fantastic deal on Xiaomi 34” Curved Gaming Monitor. The monitor which generally retails at $550 is now available for a discounted price of $496.99 only.
The 34” gaming monitor comes with 2K, 3440×1440 ultra-clear resolution and a cinematic aspect ratio of 21:9 and can display 16.7 million colors with a typical 3000:1 contrast ratio and up to 300nit brightness.
Designed primarily for gamers and multimedia users the display comes with a 4ms GtG response time and a 144Hz refresh rate which is strengthened by AMD’s FreeSync technology. This means the gaming monitor will give you super clear and sharp images with high brightness and contrast ratio that will take your gameplay to the next level.
Generally retailing at $550 Banggood is giving Xiaomi 34” Curved Gaming Monitor for $496.99 only. Please note that this heavily discounted price is available only for the next 2 days on orders made from the Spain (ES) and CZ warehouses. So go get your ultra-wide curved gaming monitor before the deal expires.
For more information on such exciting deals and offers check out our deals hub.
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In the last article, we gave a brief picture of the Realme 8 and Realme 8 Pro. In this article, we will compare these two models and tell you what exactly makes the Pro model worthy of its PRO title, and also if the Realme 8 can defeat the Pro in some areas.
Realme 8 vs Realme 8 Pro: Design
We hardly found any differences in their appearances. These twin models share the same 90Hz 1080P AMOLED display and a similar rear design. The only detail that helps us to distinguish one from the other is their rear processing.
For Realme 8 Pro, there are 3 color options, which are Infinite Blue, Infinite Black, Illuminating Yellow; while for Realme 8, there are only two options: Cyber silver and cyber black. Since we introduced their appearance in the last article, today we won’t go through their design in detail.
Realme 8 vs Realme 8 Pro: Benchmarks & Gaming
Let’s shift our attention to their performance department, which is where the two models differ. The Realme 8 comes with an MTK Helio G95 chipset, while the Pro is equipped with a Snapdragon 720G chipset. Both of them are popular mid-range chipsets.
But does the Pro achieve better performance and provide a better gaming experience?
Well, the answer is quite complicated.
Let’s see the benchmark results first. In Geekbench 5, their results are pretty close. The standard 8 got a slightly better score in the multi-core test, while the 8 Pro got a score over the 8 Pro in the single-core test. But overall their CPU performance is almost at the same level.
3D Mark
Geekbench 5
In 3Dmark which mainly tests models’ graphic processing, however, the standard 8 won the race with an obvious lead in the overall score, which shows a performance gap of nearly 40% between them.
But how about actual gaming?
Well in PUBG Mobile, there is no way to unleash the best performance from each of the models, because the game only supports a balanced graphic setting with a framerate limit of 40fps. So both of them run the game extremely stably at 40fps.
Eventually, under the same testing conditions, the average framerate remained at 39.6fps for the 8 Pro and 39.8fps for the standard 8.
So we turned to another game, Genshin Impact, which mainly relies on the CPU performance. In this game, the results are pretty close to what we got in Geekbench 5. Their performance in the game is pretty close. Specifically, the Pro version achieved a slightly higher framerate at 48.8fps, while the standard 8 was also not bad at 46.7fps. It looks like there is no solid evidence that shows a remarkable gap between the standard 8 and 8 Pro’s CPU performance.
The last game we tested was the Nimian Legend, which mainly assesses the best performance from a phone’s GPU. In this game, the standard model staged a comeback with a small lead. The Standard 8 got a result of 24.6fps while the 8 Pro ran it at 22.6fps.
To conclude, we have to say there is no obvious performance gap simply looking at their gaming results. But if we look deeper at their power consumption and heat management, the Pro seems to have a more efficient performance output.
In most games, although their performance was pretty close to each other, the Pro was always able to maintain a lower power consumption.
However, we also have to add that the standard 8 model comes with a larger 5000mAh battery. So eventually we still are not able to judge which one has got a longer battery life since they are too close in our power consumption test.
Now let’s look at the area where they differ the most — the cameras.
Realme 8 vs Realme 8 Pro: Camera Performance
The main camera on the Realme 8 comes with 64MP resolution, while the main camera on the Realme 8 Pro is a 108MP HM2 sensor. The other three lenses are the same on both phones, including an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP macro one, and another black&white lens.
But before we start to show you all the samples, we have to remind you that the software on both these models is likely a non-commercial version, which means that some issues that we encountered in this review will be fixed in the near future updates.
Okay, let’s start it with their main cameras.
Main Camera
Realme 8 Pro main camera (1)
Realme 8 Main Camera (1)
Realme 8 Pro main camera (13)
Realme 8 Main Camera (13)
Realme 8 Pro
Realme 8 Main Camera (12)
Realme 8 Pro
Realme 8 Pro
Realme 8
Realme 8 Pro
Realme 8
Realme 8 Pro
Realme 8
Realme 8 Pro
Realme 8
Realme 8 Pro
Realme 8
The HDR mode is easily activated on the standard 8 model, so sometimes the standard model has better presentation of colors than the Pro.
But the Realme 8 Pro is able to deliver better saturation and higher contrast on most occasions.
At the same time, the Realme 8 Pro tends to present purer images with better noise control, while the processing on the standard 8 seems to more focus on shape detail, which makes the whole images look noisier and jaggier. Another problem shared by both is the fringing effect when shooting high-contrast scenes.
Night Camera Performance
realme 8
Realme 8 Pro
Realme 8 night mode
Realme 8 Pro night mode
Realme 8
realme 8 pro
Realme 8 night mode
Realme 8 pro night mode
realme 8
Realme 8 pro
Realme 8 Pro night mode
When we moved to the night scene, the 8 Pro shows great progress in brightness and its ability to capture rich detail, but it doesn’t significantly improve the quality of the sample in the dark areas.
While the standard 8’s night shots are not as good as what we had on the 8 Pro especially in the dark regions, the difference is not so significant. In addition, although the standard model’s night mode can slightly improve the sharpness of the images, the edges sometimes would turn out to be reddish. But it should probably be fixed in the next few updates.
Wide Angle Cameras
Realme 8 ultra wide (1)
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide
Realme 8 ultra wide
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide
Realme 8 ultra wide
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide
Realme 8 ultra wide
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide
Realme 8 ultra wide
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide
Realme 8 ultra wide (2)
Realme 8 ultra wide
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide
Realme 8 ultra wide
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide
Realme 8 ultra wide night
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide night
Realme 8 ultra wide
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide
Realme 8 ultra wide night
Realme 8 Pro ultra wide night
Realme 8 ultra wide
Realme 8 pro ultra wide
As for the wide-angle cameras, the Pro’s samples have higher saturation and continue to be less noisy, while the samples shot on the Standard model are not that great with less noise control. However, at the same time, Realme 8’s sharper image presents more details.
For their wide-angle cameras, sometimes the auto mode of both the models look better than with the night mode turned on. The auto mode samples doesn’t just have better colors but also has better exposure for brightness.
The 8 Pro’s low-light images sometimes turn out to be a bit greenish, and its image quality may not compare to the samples shot on the standard model’s wide-angle camera.
108MP vs 64MP modes
Realme 8 64MP
Realme 8 Pro 108MP (1)
Realme 8 Pro 108MP (2)
Thanks to the 108MP super high-resolution sensor, the 8 Pro is dominant in the zoom race. That’s because both of their digital zoom capacity was based on the high resolution of their main cameras.
Realme 8 1x (2)
Realme 8 Pro 1x (2)
Realme 8 2x (2)
Realme 8 Pro 2x (2)
Realme 8 3x
Realme 8 Pro 3x
Realme 8 5x (2)
Realme 8 Pro 5x (2)
Therefore, it’s no surprise that the 8 Pro has the much better zoom capacity.
Macro Cameras
Realme 8 Pro macro (1)
Realme 8 macro (2)
Realme 8 Pro macro (2)
Recently we have seen even some budget phones featuring a similar macro camera found on the Realme 8 series. In fact, we don’t think it’s a smart move to reserve such low-resolution macro lens on 2021 smartphones, since most of them have proved to be useless with poor image quality. And the Realme 8 series is no exception.
Realme 8 vs Realme 8 Pro: Battery
Realme 8 vs 8 Pro battery life
As for battery, we think Realme is pretty smart to choose the right solutions for both the models. A 5000mAh battery for the Realme 8 powered by the Helio G95 with slightly higher power consumption; and another 4500mAh battery for the Realme 8 Pro running the Snapdragon 720G. To give you a basic idea of their battery life, we played Genshin Impact, shot photos and videos, and watched online videos, and performed each activity for 30 minutes. Then we recorded the power consumption for each activity. Their results were very close to each other, which also confirm excellent battery performance at their price.
Realme 8 vs 8 Pro charging
In our full-charge test, it took us 66 mins to fully charge the Realme 8, while on the Pro model, it took 17 mins less than this figure to charge it to 100%.
So this was our comparison between the Realme 8 and Realme 8 Pro. To be honest, these two models both have fairly great value for money and there were no obvious issues during our daily use.
Note that the Pro model’s cameras, especially the main camera is better than its twin brother. But apart from that, both the models perform similar to each other.
So which model do you prefer? Please leave your comments down below and let us know what else we can review for you.
There are a lot of new models coming in the next few days! So stay tuned!
Meitu used to be known for its camera-centric smartphones but decided to stop manufacturing phones in 2019. However, in November 2018, it signed a partnership with Xiaomi that would see both companies co-develop smartphones. These phones will be designed, developed, manufactured, marketed, and sold by Xiaomi but will have the Meitu brand and feature Meitu’s imaging technology and algorithms. Just a little over two years after this agreement was signed, the partnership has ended.
The news was revealed by Meitu’s own CEO, Wu Xinhong, at its annual conference. He revealed that Meitu has ended its partnership with Xiaomi and has taken back its trademarks and licenses. He also stated that Meitu will no longer be involved in the manufacturing and sales of mobile phones.
The partnership between both companies was supposed to result in not just only phones but other Meitu-branded products. Save for the Xiaomi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition that was announced in 2019, no other device was co-developed by the two companies.
Xiaomi Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition
It was reported that Meitu-branded phones will arrive in 2020 but that never happened. We want to believe the pandemic must have affected the plans and Xiaomi decided to focus on its own brands. With no devices manufactured which means no share of the profits for Meitu, sad as it may be, it makes sense that an end is put to the partnership which was supposed to last for 30 years.
In related news, Meitu announced that it generated total revenue of RMB 1.194 billion, an increase of 22.1% year-on-year. It also revealed that 2020 was its first year of achieving full-year profitability since it was established.
Meitu started as a software company, making mobile apps and it still does that. Its total monthly active users was 261 million in December 2020. Lately, it has also begun to invest in cryptocurrencies and has $90 million worth of cryptocurrencies.
Samsung has been rolling out stable Android 11 (One UI 3.x) update to the eligible devices since December. Since the rollout has now completed for newer devices, the company has started seeding out the latest Android update to its older phones and tablets. Hence, the 2019 Galaxy A70s and the Galaxy A90 5G are now receiving the One UI 3.1 update.
Samsung Galaxy A70s
Both the Galaxy A70s and the Galaxy A90 5G launched in 2019 with Android 9.0 Pie (One UI 1.x) out of the box. The smartphones were later updated to One UI 2.5 (Android 10) last year.
Now, Samsung has started rolling out Android 11 to these phones. Also, instead of One UI 3.0, they are being directly updated to One UI 3.1.
The Galaxy A70s Android 11 update is currently live in India with firmware version A707FDDU3CUC6. The software build weighs over 2GB in size and brings March 2021 security patches.
On the other hand, the Galaxy A90 5G Android 11 update is rolling out in South Korea with firmware version A908NKOU3DUC3. This build also comes with March 2021 security patches.
We can expect Samsung to extend the availability of this update to more regions in the coming days. Users of these handsets can navigate to Settings > Software update > Download and install to check whether their unit has received the One UI 3.1 update.
Samsung launched the Galaxy S21 smartphones back in January 2021. At the event, the company spoke about a lot of new UI camera features but those were limited to the S21 devices. Now, after Galaxy S20 and Note 20 series, the company is bringing them to the older flagships like Galaxy S20 FE 5G.
A new update with firmware version G781BXXU2CUC6 is rolling out to the users of Galaxy S20 FE 5G. As for features, the device gets the following camera features from the Galaxy S21:
New effects in Portrait mode
Ability to use Ultrawide camera in ‘Pro’ mode.
That said, the update hasn’t brought other notable features like Director’s view which lets you preview your video while shooting via front/rear cameras. Apart from this, the Night mode hasn’t got the goodies like low-light Portraits, highest exposure settings etc.
It is worth noting that the update for the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 series that came last week with the respective firmware versions G98xxXXU7DUC7 and N98xxXXU1DUC8 also didn’t get the Director’s View.
Coming back, the new update for Galaxy S20 FE 5G is available in several European countries like Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, the Baltic region, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and the Nordic region.
If you are someone living in Europe, you can try out the new update by navigating to Settings->Software update->Download and install.
Do note that this update is for the 5G variant with model number SM-G781B only as of now. That is, the users of the Galaxy S20 FE LTE variant in countries like India needs to wait till Samsung expands the regions.
Xiaomi has recently patented a new technology. This new technology seeks to help avoid dangerous battery issues like bulging or explosions, with the patent titled “A battery charging method, device and medium.”
The patent publication was on 23rd March 2021 and its publication number is CN112542861A, as per an ITHomereport. In the patent, the Chinese tech giant describes a battery charging process, which is monitored in real time. So when the battery capacity is great that the threshold, the device will enter the floating charging mode to avoid any dangerous situations such as bulging or even any explosions.
To put things simply, during a battery’s charging cycle, the device switches between a current charging cycle when charging initially and enters into the floating charging mode after a while. But if the former cycle continues for too long, it could damage the battery and cause it to become a hazard to the user. So, the patented system would monitor this in real time while also making sure that the battery doesn’t bulge or explode in a high temperature environment or when receiving high voltage.
At the moment, the batteries used in smartphones have improved greatly and these issues are far less common. However, the issue can still be dangerous is why companies like Xiaomi and even Apple have patented technology to address this issue. Unfortunately, this is just a patent and it is unknown if the company is actually working on such a product.
The economic impact of the global chip shortage that has persisted for several months since 2020 could soon be felt directly by phone users as phone makers continue to grapple with the challenge of increased smartphone production costs. The chip shortage mainly affected the automotive industry at the early stages. It led to the shutdown of some production plants in the US and other places.
A few months back, some governments took steps to stimulate production, but it is clear that these moves are yet to yield the desired results as chipmakers continue to grapple with increasing demands. Now it seems that phone makers are now gradually feeling the impact of the shortage as production costs continue to climb.
Xiaomi’s president Wang Xiang said that his company has been grappling with increased production costs due to the shortage of semiconductors needed for smartphones. There was every likelihood that the increased production cost would lead to higher prices of several of its forthcoming smartphones. Xiang made the comments during Xiaomi’s fourth-quarter 2020 earnings call (via) and also stressed that Xiaomi would continue to offer competitive prices as it seeks ways of optimizing its production processes.
Some chipmakers have announced plans for expansion in capacity but the impact on global chip supply may not become apparent until after two years due to the intricate and complex processes involved in chip production. But generally, chipmakers have been struggling to meet supply backlogs from a variety of customers across the spectrum. Some industry watchers have predicted that the present global shortage may persist until the end of the year, with the attendant inflationary impact on consumers.
iQOO has launched the budget gaming-focussed smartphone, iQOO Z3 in China. The device starts at 1,699 yuan and features Snapdragon 768G 5G chipset, LCD display with a 180Hz touch sampling rate, and more. Let’s take a look at its specs, features, and price.
iQOO Z3
iQOO Z3 Price, Availability
iQOO has launched three memory variants of the iQOO Z3. The device comes in two colors- Deep Space Black, Cloud Oxygen Blue, and Nebula Gradient options. You can take a look at the pricing below:
iQOO Z3
6GB + 128GB- 1,699 yuan($260)
8GB + 128GB- 1,799 yuan($275)
8GB + 256GB- 1,999 yuan($305)
The pre-orders for the device will begin today, i.e, March 25 at 20:00 Beijing time and the first sale of the device will be on April 1 at 10:00 AM local time.
The device will be available online across various e-commerce sites like Jingdong, Tmall, Vivo shop, Suning, and other major partners across the country.
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iQOO Z3 Design, Display, and Specifications
The iQOO Z3 has 3D curved glass on the back and a slimmer body for better ergonomics while gaming. That is, the device has a 2.75mm ultra-narrow middle frame, 8.5mm thickness, and weighs just 185.5 grams.
The device features a 6.58-inch FHD+ LCD waterdrop display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. This display also has a resolution of 2408×1080 pixels, 401 PPI, supports HDR, has a 90.61% screen-body ratio, covers 96% NTSC color gamut, and has a 1500:1 contrast ratio.
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Under the hood, the device sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G 5G chipset. This chipset is paired with LPDDR 4x 6/8GB RAM and 128/256GB UFS 2.2 storage.
iQOO Z3 gaming-focused features
iQOO Z3 has memory fusion technology that makes a typical 8GB RAM function like an 11GB version. Along with this, the device is paired with UFS 2.2 storage and supports Multi-Turbo 5.0 for smartly managing the storage while gaming.
Further, the device has Eagle Eye Mode 2.0, multi-channel support, and 4D game vibration along with a Game Box function. It also has an array of 5G Antenna spread across the device like the iQOO 7 for better reception while gaming.
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iQOO Z3 Cooling
5G Antennas
Gaming functions
For cooling, iQOO has brought a Five-fold liquid-cooled cooling system. This system has a mix of thermal gel and copper pipes beneath to help the temps control by about 10-degrees as claimed by the company.
iQOO Z3 Camera and other features
For cameras, the iQOO Z3 has a triple-camera layout on the back. The setup has a f/1.79 64MP main lens, 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide with 120-degree FOV, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens. Upfront, there is a 16MP f/2.0 selfie shooter.
Camera features include 10x digital zoom support, Night mode, AI polar night selfies, Vlog creation templates, the style filter, Big movie mode, EFB continuous focus tracking, old photo repair 2.0, and other functions.
For connectivity, we have Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX HD code support, SA/NSA 5G. The device also has all necessary sensors including Gyroscope for gaming.
Other features include a 4400mAh battery with 55W FlashCharge support, 3.5mm audio jack, Type-C port, side-mounted fingerprint, face unlock, OriginOS for iQOO 1.0 based on Android 11.
More than a month ago, the support page for the Galaxy S20 FE 5G went live on Samsung India’s website. At around the same time, this handset was also certified by BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). Now, a report says that the South Korean tech giant will be finally debuting this smartphone in the country next week.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S20 FE in September 2020. The smartphone comes in two variants – 4G and 5G. However, the company only released the 4G model in India in October.
Now, five months after the launch of this handset in the country, the firm may finally bring the 5G variant next week, as per an IANS report (via ET Telecom). The report citing industry sources says that Samsung will be pricing the Galaxy S20 FE 5G under ₹50,000 ($688).
If this happens to be true, the Galaxy S20 FE 5G could be one of the best deals for premium smartphone buyers in India, thanks to all the selective features from the Galaxy S20 series. Above all, this model comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC instead of an Exynos 990 SoC as found inside the 4G variant.
That said, if your budget is lower, you can currently get the Galaxy S20 FE 4G version for around ₹40,000 ($550) or less. But it is worth noting that due to the Exynos 990 chipset, this variant of the phone provides poor battery life and performance when compared to the 5G version.
During the launch event of the ZTE S30 series, the company will also be announcing another new product. As per a company official, the March 30 launch conference will also include announcements for a new surprise as well.
According to an ITHomereport, Lu Qianhao, the director of the marketing strategy department of the Chinese tech giant, stated that the upcoming launch event will not solely be limited to the S30 series of smartphones. An ITHomereport believes that the company could also be using the event to announce the company’s Axon 30 Pro flagship handset. Although, this is just speculation so take it with a pinch of salt for now.
Previously, we had reported on the smartphone maker launching the ZTE Watch GT smartwatch launching on the same date as the S30 series. In other words, the company would likely announce other peripherals or IoT (internet of things) related products during the conference, like the P3 Smart Tag, K3 Smart Home Camera, new routers and more. However, we have no way of knowing for sure what the surprise is, so stay tuned for more as we will be covering the launch event at the end of this month and providing information when additional details are available.
Xiaomi has just announced its financial results for the last year. The numbers reveal a strong year for the company, which marked a notable growth of 17.5 percent year on year over 2019, reaching 146.4 million shipments in total.
The Chinese tech giant shared its financial performance on Twitter earlier this week. In the images shared by the smartphone manufacturer, the company revealed that it managed to also sell over 10 million premium or high end handsets in 2020. Furthermore, the brand added that its MIUI now has more than 400 million monthly active users. Notably, about half of the company’s entire revenue is now from the overseas market.
Xiaomi’s premium smartphones are those devices that are sold over 3,000 Yuan (roughly 460 US Dollars) in its home country, China, or above 300 Euros (roughly 350 US Dollars) in the overseas market. So, this figure does not strictly refer to its flagship series of smartphones. Interestingly, the rise of its handset shipments in 2020 helped the company climb the list to become the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, while Huawei saw a sharp decline during the same time.
Additionally, Xiaomi was also able to bring in most of the demand for handsets and managed to increase its domestic shipments by a whopping 51.9 percent year on year. The company had an overall revenue of about 245 billion Yuan (roughly 37.4 billion US Dollars), out of which, 152 billion Yuan (roughly 23.2 billion US Dollars) was from smartphones alone with the remaining arriving from its other electronics portfolio.
Zimi, a company that makes smartphone accessories and was backed by Xiaomi, is now wholly owned by the Chinese brand. Xiaomi Group stated in its performance announcement that the company is acquiring a 50.09 percent stake in Zimi.
The acquisition comes at a cost of $205 million. Prior to this, Xiaomi already owned 49.91 percent equity in Zimi. With this latest transaction, Zimi becomes the wholly-owned subsidiary of Xiaomi.
Making the announcement, Xiaomi said that the company believes that Zimi’s technology, as well as Research & Development capabilities in the power supply and multiple IoT fields, can improve Xiaomi’s technical competitiveness in the smart field, and achieve product power standardization to save costs.
During 2014 and 2018, the cumulative sales of Xiaomi’s mobile power supply exceeded 100 million units. Zimi has its own lineup in the form of ZMI and the company says that it is committed to high-end smartphone accessories, including chargers, wireless chargers, data cables, smart home appliances, and more.
Zimi was established in the year 2012 as Jiangsu Zimi Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., and in the year 2013, it became a member of the Xioami industrial ecology chain. The company was responsible for the development of Xiaomi mobile power supplies and related products in the category. Zhang Feng, the founder of Zimi, later served as a Partner and Vice President of the Xiaomi Group.
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