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Xiaomi Group acquires remaining 50.09% stake in Zimi for $205 million

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.

Xiaomi Logo

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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OnePlus 7/7 Pro finally get the much-awaited Android 11 (OxygenOS 11) update

Ahead of the OnePlus 9 series launch, the brand started rolling out the Android 11 (OxygenOS 11) update for the OnePlus 7T series. Now, a few days later, the company has finally started seeding this same update for the OnePlus 7 series.

oneplus-7-main

The OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro were OnePlus’ flagship smartphones in the first half of 2019. The duo debuted with OxygenOS 9 based on Android 9.0 Pie. The handsets were later updated to OxygenOS 10 (Android 10) last year.

Now, they have begun to receive Android 11 (OxygenOS 11) as well. This much-awaited update arrives four releases of OxygenOS 11 Open Beta since January.

The Oneplus 7 series OxygenOS 11 update brings a new UI along with tons of new useful features like a quick toggle for Dark Mode, Dark Mode scheduler, redesigned Shelf, new Weather widget, updated Gallery app with story function, new Game Space features, and more.

Lastly, apart from core Android 11 features, the latest system update for the OnePus 7 series also comes with February 2021 security patches and January 2021 GMS (Google Mobile Services) package.

OnePlus 7 / 7 Pro OxygenOS 11 (Android 11) Update Official Changelog

  • System
    • Update to OxygenOS 11 version
    • Fresh new UI visual design brings you a more comfortable experience with various optimizations of details
    • Optimize the stability of some third-party applications and improve the experience
    • Updated Android security patch to 2021.02
    • Updated GMS package to 2021.01
    • Since this is the upgrade of Android 11 version with many new features, the upgrade time may be longer. Please wait for the completion of the upgrade
  • Camera
    • Updated the camera UI and optimized some of the function paths to offer more convenient operation
    • Newly added the HEVC codec to reduce video storage size seamlessly, capture and shoot more without compromising on quality
  • Dark mode
    • Added the shortcut key for Dark Mode, pull down the quick setting to enable
    • Supporting automatically turn on feature & customize time range (path: Settings – Display – Dark Mode – Turn on automatically – Automatically enable from sunset to sunrise/Custom time range)
  • Game Space
    • Newly added gaming tools box for convenient switches of Fnatic mode. You can now choose three ways of notifications: text-only, heads-up and block, just for your immersive gaming experience
    • Newly added quick reply feature in a small window for Instagram, Whatsapp and Telegram (Enable it by swiping down from upper right/left corners of the screen in gaming mode.
    • Newly added mis-touch prevention feature. Enable it, swipe down from the top of the screen, click and the notification bar will pop out.
  • Shelf
    • Newly shelf interface design, the interface is clearer
    • Added weather widget, animation effect smarter
  • Gallery
    • Supporting Story function, automatically form weekly videos with photos and video in storage.
    • Optimize the loading screen of the gallery, and the image preview is faster

The Android 11 update for the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro is currently being rolled out in batches. Hence, it may take time to reach every user.

 

 

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OPPO A74 5G Geekbench listing shows Snapdragon 480 chipset, 6GB RAM, & more

OPPO is said to be working on two different Axx smartphones. Certifications like Thailand’s NBTC reveal that the OPPO CPH2219 is the OPPO A74 4G while the OPPO CPH2197 is the OPPO A74 5G. Today, the 5G variant has been spotted on Geekbench by Nashvillechatterclass.

OPPO A74 5G
OPPO A74 5G Space Silver render, Credit: mobielkopen.net

As the report says, an OPPO smartphone with model number CPH2197 appears on Geekbench. This device has a Qualcomm processor with a base frequency of 1.8GHz. While the name isn’t specified, the motherboard is written as “holi“. This is said to belong to the Snapdragon 480 5G chipset launched in Jan. 2021.

Further, the OPPO CPH2197 device, which is the OPPO A74 5G as per certifications, seems to run Android 11 OS with 6GB RAM. The device could very well debut with the latest ColorOS 11.2 out of the box but let’s wait for an official word.

OPPO A74 5G isn’t new to us. Recently, the high-quality renders and key specs of the devices surfaced on the internet. Accordingly, the device is said to measure 169.2 x 74.7 x 8.4 mm and weigh 190 grams.

The 5G version is said to come in two colors- Fluid Black and Space Silver. Expected specs of the device include up to 128GB storage, 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.

The predecessor, OPPO A73 5G featured an IPS LCD panel but we will have to wait and see if OPPO shits to AMOLED on the successor. We are speculating this because the chipset seems to be a bit downgraded on the OPPO A74 5G compared to last year.

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Huawei to launch new product worth 300,000 Yuan ($46K), might be an electric car

Earlier today (25th March 2021), a Weibo blogger, a Chinese microblogging website, shared an online post, which stated that Huawei is working on launching a product worth 300,000 Yuan (roughly 46,000 US Dollars) that could be its first electric car.

Huawei

According to @看山的叔叔, the Chinese tech giant is working on a product with this eye watering price tag. Apparently, the new product will be a part of the consumer electronics maker’s Smart series of products and could even be an electric vehicle. If it is an automobile, it will likely be made by the company along with a partnered car making brand.

In the past, Huawei has stated that it is not planning on building a car, rather, it focuses on ICT technology and other internal components that will be featured in a vehicle. In other words, it is a supplier rather than a manufacturer, so we can expect the company to partner with an automobile vendor for its own car. Recently, the company had also announced that its HMS services will also be arriving in the Mercedes Benz S Class Sedans that are sold in China.

Huawei Logo MWC 2019

Unfortunately, the Weibo blogger didn’t share any finer details regarding the product that carried an exorbitant price tag. But, if the leak is true, then it would likely be a car, considering the price tag is more in line with electric vehicle offerings from other brands like Tesla. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information regarding this matter is available.

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Huawei likely won’t qualify for India’s “trusted” vendors list for 5G: Report

With 5G trials being just around the corner in India, the government has made a list of “trusted” vendors list for telecom operators to procure their networking equipment from. But, it seems that Huawei will not be included in this list.

huawei

Previously, we had reported on the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker might qualify for the “trusted” vendors list earlier this week. This news had arrived from a government official, who believed that Huawei and ZTE might meet the eligibility criteria for the list. However, a new report from ET states otherwise as highly places sources close to the matter stated that the company is unlikely to be given approval to supply its 5G gear to telecom operators in the region.

These sources believe that the brand would likely not be included in the “trusted” list due to security concerns. For those unaware, Huawei has faced various accusations across the globe regarding its alleged ties with the Chinese government. Furthermore, the recent military clashes in the Indo-Chinese border also worsened the political tensions between India and China. This further prompted the Indian government to create a “trusted source” list to tighten its security regulations, especially in the case of telecommunications.

Huawei

Thus, while it seemed like the Chinese vendor could’ve been a part of India’s 5G trials, this change in policy might not allow the company’s gear to be used by local vendors like Airtel, VI, and others. Meanwhile, networking equipment from Nokia and Ericsson would likely be eligible for the “trusted” list. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

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realme GT Neo official image shows 3.5mm audio jack, 64MP Triple-camera layout, & more

realme seems to be following a split-design on its smartphones these days. Yesterday, we saw an example with the realme 8 series, and today, the first look of realme GT Neo Final Fantasy color gives the same vibes.

realme GT Neo
realme GT Neo Final Fantasy Color

Today(March 25), about a week before the official launch, realme took to Weibo to show us the first look at the realme GT Neo. The device’s color is called Final Fantasy. The company says that it has used the micron-level process to obtain the matte textures on the back.

Along the camera layout vertically, a soft glossy coating runs till the end of the device. Another image with more design elements has been revealed by realme China’s President Xu Qi. He says that the company has drawn inspiration from the cyberpunk elements to obtain the design.

realme GT Neo
realme GT Neo

The image shared by him shows the Triple-camera layout with 64MP main lens, realme and DARE TO LEAP logo on the glossy area of the back, Power button on the right, Volume buttons on the left, and 3.5mm audio jack, Type-C port, microphone, and Speaker at the bottom. You can look at the video below:

The realme GT Neo has already been confirmed to debut with MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset. We can also expect things like a 120Hz AMOLED display, 6/8GB LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, battery & charging tech similar to realme GT, and run Android 11 OS out of the box.

The device has reportedly been certified by India’s BIS  and the realme India CEO has already teased a smartphone with Dimensity 1200 chipset. So, we can expect the flagship to extend borders outside China.

Rumors have it that the realme GT 5G will retail for a starting price of around ¥2000($305). If this is true, then the device would be ¥800 cheaper than realme GT. Either way, let’s wait for the official word on it.

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vivo X60, X60 Pro, and X60 Pro+ launched in India: Specifications, Price, and Availability

Chinese smartphone maker vivo has officially launched the vivo X60 series in India. The company has brought all three models to the country, namely vivo X60, vivo X60 Pro, and vivo X60 Pro+. However, the cheaper two models are different than their Chinese counterparts. These two phones went official in Malaysia earlier this week.

vivo X60 Pro Plus Featured 02
Vivo X60 Pro+

vivo X60 / X60 Pro / X60 Pro+ Specifications and Features

All the three models in the vivo X60 series flaunt a 6.56-inch centered punch-hole Super AMOLED display with a resolution of FHD+ (1080 x 2376 pixel), a 120Hz refresh rate, and an in-screen fingerprint sensor. But the panel on the standard variant is flat compared to curved on the other two.

Under the hood, the vivo X60 and the vivo X60 Pro feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC while the vivo X60 Pro+ sports a much powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. For those unaware, the Chinese versions of the first two models are powered by a Samsung Exynos 1080 SoC.

Talking about cameras, the vivo X60 and the vivo X60 Pro have an identical triple camera setup (48MP + 13MP + 13MP)  and a 32MP selfie camera. However, although both have Zeiss optics, the primary sensor on the Pro model not only has a larger F/1.48 aperture but also Gimbal Stabilization 2.0. Anyway, the standard model does come with OIS. Whereas, the other two sensors are accompanied by a 2x telephoto lens and a 120° ultra-wide lens that also acts as a macro lens respectively.

On the other hand, the vivo X60 Pro+ features a quad-camera setup with Zeiss T* coating (main camera). This setup includes a 50MP Samsung GN1 sensor with OIS, a 48MP Sony IMX589 sensor with a 114° ultra-wide lens and gimbal stabilization, a 32MP 2x telephoto shooter for portraits, and an 8MP sensor with a 5x periscope lens. Lastly, it also has the same 32MP selfie camera.

On the connectivity front, all three smartphones come with dual-SIM, 5G, dual-band WiFi (WiFi 6 on Pro+), Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, GNSS (GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS), and USB Type-C. They also include all the necessary sensors, such as an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass, color spectrum sensor, gyroscope, and proximity sensor. But unfortunately, like most high-end devices, they also lack a 3.5mm headphone jack and a MicroSD card slot.

As for software, the trio runs Funtouch OS 11.1 based on Android 11. Further, the regular variant is backed by a 4,300mAh battery while the Pro and Pro+ sport a slightly smaller 4,200mAh cell. As for charging, only the Pro+ support 55W fast charging and the other two are capped at 33W. Sadly, they don’t have support for wireless charging like other flagship smartphones

vivo X60 Pro Plus Dark Blue Featured
vivo X60 Pro+

Last but not least, the vivo X60 and vivo X60 Pro come in Midnight Black and Shimmer Blue color options. Whereas, the vivo X60 Pro+ only comes in a single Vegan Leather Emperor Blue option.

vivo X60 / X60 Pro / X60 Pro+ Price and Availability

The vivo X60 series will retail for the following price tags in India

  • vivo X60
    • 8GB + 128GB – ₹37,990
    • 12GB + 256GB – ₹41,990
  • vivo X60 Pro
    • 12GB + 256GB – ₹49,990
  • vivo X60 Pro+
    • 12GB + 256GB – ₹69,990

All three smartphones are available for pre-order starting today (March 25). They will go on sale from April 2. Interested customers can avail a 10% cashback on HDFC Bank Debit/Credit cards and EMI transactions.

 

 

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Apple Car may feature Infrared Headlights to offer better visibility

The Apple Car has been surfacing on numerous reports and rumors recently. It is the company’s iteration of an electric car, which will arrive cutting edge technology. Now, a new patent has suggested that the EV may arrive with infrared headlights to improve visibility.

Apple

According to an AutoEvolution report, the Cupertino based giant is working on infrared headlights to offer better visibility to the driver by as much as three times compared to conventional headlights. Furthermore, the brand also aims to help its autonomous car be able to see in total darkness, and by extension, detect obstacles, hazards, and other hurdles on the road. In the recent patent, the company describes a complex night vision system that would be used in its automobile.

Its visibility system would use visible light, near infrared (NIR), and long wave infrared (LWIR) sensors as well to greatly improve visibility in low light scenarios. The patent states that “Having a limited effective range (e.g., about 60 meters) for detecting and or classifying objects can reduce safety and/or reduce the speed at which the vehicle can travel safely.” Notably, Apple states that it can achieve an effective visible range of up to 200 meters from the vehicle.

Apple

This range would allow the autonomous car to detect any potential hazard earlier, which would give it more time to make better decisions while reducing the risk of accidents as well. Keep in mind, this is still a patent and we have no way of confirming if the company is actually working on such a system or that it would be included in its upcoming Apple Car. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

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Huawei P50 Pro+ renders leak showcases the upcoming smartphone’s design

Huawei has been working on its next-generation of flagship smartphones in the upcoming P-series — Huawei P50 lineup. Recently, 3D renders of the Huawei P50 and P50 Pro smartphones were leaked.

Now, another leakster has shared renders of the top-end device in the upcoming lineup — Huawei P50 Pro+. It features a design similar to the other phones in the P50 lineup with a bumpy pill-shaped camera module.

Huawei P50 Pro+ Render

It appears that the smartphone comes with a penta-camera setup on the back that includes a periscope lens and a smaller lens in one circle and a triple-camera set up in the other circle along with another sensor.

However, do keep in mind that these renders may not be accurate and the device may end up looking a bit different. Even if we believe that these renders are accurate, then also there’s a possibility that the company may change the design for the smartphone based on the feedback from internal testing.

Huawei P50 Pro+ Render

Earlier, the Huawei P50 series flagship smartphones were rumored to launch in the month of March but given that there’s no official communication from the Chinese giant related to this, the launch isn’t happening this month.

The United States government has imposed several sanctions on the company which hasn’t been eased off and thus, the company had to delay the launch as it couldn’t source components from other companies.

Based on the renders, the device is expected to feature a “waterfall” display and it seems that the phone will have a curvier screen compared to the P50 Pro. There were also reports that it will source OLED display panels from Samsung or LG but that may no longer be true.

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PUBG Mobile records 1 billion downloads since its launch in 2018

Earlier today (25th March 2021), Tencent announced that its popular shooter game PUBG Mobile crossed the 1 billion downloads mark, with the numbers being accumulated from when it first launched, back in 2018.

PUBG

According to a Reuters report, this figure is for all the downloads outside of China. In other words, the Chinese publisher has seen great success across the globe by porting the mobile variant of the popular battle royale game, which has various players fight to be the last man standing. As per the company’s latest record, it is only behind two other mobile game titles, including Kiloo Games’ Subway Surfers and King Digital Entertainment’s Candy Crush Saga.

Analyst Daniel Ahmad stated that “PUBG Mobile achieving 1 billion downloads shows that core games, in this case a AAA Battle Royale title based on the PC IP of the same name, can achieve the same scale in the mobile space.” In China, Tencent also has another battle royale genre based mobile game called Peacekeeper Elite. Furthermore, it also has another hit title called Honor of Kings, which is based on the MOBA genre as well, which has been quite successful in China and in the overseas market as well.

PUBG Mobile Featured

Tencent had also added that it seeks to generate half of all its game revenue from the foreign market. Thus, it has opened up shops in Los Angeles in the US, for its LightSpeed and Quantum Studios and Timi Studios. These sites will aims on “creating content with original intellectual property that has global appeal.”

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Lenovo Xiaoxin Pro 14 2021 Core Standard Edition goes on pre-sale in China for 5,066 yuan ($776)

Lenovo recently announced its new laptop — Lenovo Xiaoxin Pro 14 2021 in both Ryzen Edition and Core Edition. Now, the company has confirmed that the Lenovo Xiaoxin Pro 14 2021 Core Standard Edition is available for pre-order in China, for a price of 5,066 yuan which roughly converts to $776.

The device can be purchased in three variants — one is powered by Intel’s Core i5-1135G7 while the other variant has an MX450 graphics processor. There’s a third variant that is powered by the Intel Core i5-11300H processor.

Lenovo Xiaoxin Pro 14 2021 Core Edition

The company has also confirmed that the device has passed the Intel Evo certification, making the device power efficient and comes with improved performance and boot timing as well as battery life.

As for the display, the laptop features a 14-inch screen that offers a 16:10 aspect ratio, 2240 x 1400 pixels screen resolution, 100% sRGB color gamut, 300nits brightness, and DC Dimming. It has also passed Rhein Eyesafe Hardware Low Light Certificatoin.

The Xiaoxin Pro 14 2021 Core Standard Edition packs 16GB LPDPR4X-4266 RAM and 512GB PCIe SSD. It supports dual full-speed lightning ports, 100W PD Fast Charging, and comes with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port as well s a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The device packs a 61W larger battery that offers about 19.1 hours of battery life. To make sure that the laptop doesn’t heat up, there’s a dual heat pipe and dual-fan cooling system with support for the fourth-generation Fn+Q Smart Adjustment function.

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Xiaomi Mi MIX series smartphone confirmed to launch on March 29

Xiaomi has scheduled its 2021 New Product Launch event on 29th March, which will be hosted in China, and a live event for the global markets. The company has confirmed that it will be launching Mi 11 Pro and Mi 11 Ultra smartphones at the same event, along with a Mi Notebook Pro laptop and a new MIJIA Washing Machine.

We were expecting the company to launch a Mi MIX series device as well at the same event and Xiaomi has now confirmed this. While the company confirmed that the Mi MIX smartphone will be launched on 29th March, it has not revealed anything else related to this upcoming device.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 29 March Launch Event

If the recent reports are to be believed, then this new Mi MIX series smartphone is expected to be the company’s first foldable smartphone. As we recently reported, the device has already passed the 3C certification.

As of now, nothing much is known about the foldable smartphone from Xiaomi, but it is believed that the phone could be a part of the Mi MIX lineup, which the company uses for its experimental devices. This upcoming 5G smartphone likely has a Galaxy Z Fold2-like hinge design, making the display fold inwards.

Based on the previous reports, it is believed that the smartphone will come with a display size of around 7-inch with support for a 120Hz refresh rate. It could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset and feature a 108MP primary camera sensor in the triple-camera module. It could run MIUI 12 and pack a 5,000mAh battery.

If the company indeed launches a foldable smartphone in the form of Mi MIX at the event on 29th March, then the company will be among the very few brands that have a device in this category, which currently includes Samsung, Huawei, and Motorola.

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Logitech launches the G603 wireless mouse, keyboard & mouse pad for gamers in China

Logitech continues to build its accessories and devices with greater attention to wireless capability for its product. The company recently launched three new computer accessories for the Chinese market that can be combined to build a wireless gaming desktop. The products include the G613 wireless mechanical keyboard, the G603 Wireless Mouse, and the G840 ultra-wide mousepad.Logitech G613 wireless mechanical keyboard

The products have all been released in other markets outside China but this is the first time they are hitting the Chinese market. The G603 Wireless Mouse utilizes a new generation of Hero optical sensors, known as the most advanced game sensing solution. The strong point is that it can provide a report rate of 1ms and a zero smooth adjustment of DPI between 200 and 12000. The G603 also comes with six programmable buttons and features the ultra-fast Lightspeed wireless receiver. The mouse also supports Bluetooth connectivity.

The mouse is powered by two AA batteries that can keep up with up to 500 hours of gaming in Hi mode (1ms report rate). The battery life is said to last up to 18 months in Lo mode (8ms report rate).

On its part, the Logitech G613 wireless mechanical gaming keyboard features the same Lightspeed wireless receiver onboard. It also comes with Bluetooth connectivity. On the left side of the keyboard are 6 programmable G keys. The keyboard mechanical keys utilize the ROMER-G switches which Logitech claims are 25% faster and 40% more durable than standard mechanical switches. The keyboard doesn’t have a built-in battery instead, it is powered by two AA batteries with up to 18 months of shelf life.

Although the three products have been listed in China, their prices are not known yet. Outside China, the G603 mouse is priced at $70 (~RMB 461), and the G613 keyboard is on sale for $150, while the mouse pad is $50. All three products are expected to go on sale in China next month.

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Qualcomm’s latest chipset is the 5nm Snapdragon 780G 5G

Qualcomm has a brand new processor for the Snapdragon 700 series. The new Mobile Platform is the Snapdragon 780G 5G and it comes with an improved CPU, GPU, AI Engine, ISP, and more.

Snapdragon 780G 5G featured

The processor is yet to be announced but the German blog, Winfuture.de found the press release as well as some additional details. Qualcomm should officially announce the processor later today.

The Snapdragon 780G 5G is a 5nm processor just like Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line chipset, the Snapdragon 888. Said to be made at Samsung’s foundries, the octa-core processor features one prime Kryo 670 (Cortex-A78) core clocked at 2.4GHz, two main Kryo 670 (Cortex-A78) cores clocked at 2.2GHz, and four Cortex-A55-based cores clocked at 1.8GHz. For its GPU, there is the Adreno 642 which brings True 10-bit HDR gaming, ultra-smooth gaming, and updateable GPU drivers.

It also has a new triple ISP, a first for the Snapdragon 7-series, called the Spectra 570, and it can shoot from three cameras simultaneously. This means it can capture from the zoom, wide, and ultrawide lenses at once. Qualcomm’s press release also says that it has a “new low-light architecture powering professional quality photos in any lighting condition”. There is also support for 4K HDR and HDR10+ video capturing.

The Snapdragon 780G 5G comes with a 6th gen AI Engine, the Hexagon 770, which boasts up to 12 TOPs AI performance, twice that of its predecessor. A second-gen Qualcomm Sensing Hub integrates a low-power AI processor for audio processing.

For its modem, there is the Snapdragon X53 5G modem-RF System that boasts download speeds of up to 3.3Gbps on sub-6GHz frequencies. The processor also has Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 and offers multi-gigabit Wi-Fi 6 speeds up to 3.6Gbps. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 with the same audio features as the Snapdragon 888, and the new Snapdragon Sound technology.

Qualcomm says commercial devices powered by the new chipset are expected in the second quarter of the year and WinFuture adds that it may likely make its debut in the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G.

 

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3rd gen. Alexa Voice Remote (Fire TV remote) has buttons you may never use

Amazon has borrowed a leaf from the design of some Android TV remotes for its latest Alexa Voice Remote a.k.a. Fire TV remote. The 3rd generation remote now comes with shortcut buttons to streaming services, some or all of which you may never use.

3rd gen Alexa Voice Remote

Just like we have seen on the remotes of numerous Android TV streaming devices, the new Alexa Voice Remote has preset app buttons for not only Amazon’s own Prime Video service but also for Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu. Considering a lot of people subscribe to only one streaming service, some of these buttons may never be used. Sorry HBO Max users and the other streaming services that don’t have a shortcut button.

Another change is that the microphone button has been replaced with a dedicated Alexa button. After all, it is called an Alexa Voice Remote. Also, the mute button has been moved to the left side of the volume buttons and an additional button called “Guide” is on the opposite side. Below are the devices the new remote is compatible and incompatible with.

3rd gen Alexa Voice Remote device compatibility

The 3rd gen Alexa Voice Remote is already listed on Amazon US but it doesn’t have a price tag yet. When it goes on sale, it will come with two AAA batteries.

 

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OnePlus US is giving community members $20 off the OnePlus Watch

The OnePlus Watch launched yesterday as the first smartwatch from OnePlus. Priced at $159 in the United States, OnePlus US is offering all of its community members a discount towards the purchase of the smartwatch.

According to a post on the OnePlus Forums, community members in the United States and Canada will get a $20 credit towards their purchase of the smartwatch. The Appreciation Credit, as OnePlus calls it, will be available for redemption until April 14.

The OnePlus Watch has a 46mm dial and comes with a fluoroelastomer strap and a 316L stainless steel case. There are two buttons on the side, one of which has “OnePlus” engraved on it.

There is 1GB of RAM paired with an STM32 processor and 4GB of onboard storage that allows you to store up to hundreds of audio files. The watch can track more than 110 different workout modes. It also has a Blood oxygen sensor that tracks your SpO2 level even when you are sleeping, a heart rate sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, and a barometer.

OnePlus says that the watch can be used to answer calls, check messages, control media playback, and also even control OnePlus TVs. When connected to a OnePlus TV, it will automatically turn the TV off 30 minutes after it senses you have fallen asleep. The 412mAh battery will last up to 14 days in typical usage mode but it drops to 25 hours for heavy usage and with GPS turned on.

The OnePlus Watch is available in Moonlight Silver and Midnight Black. There is a Cobalt Limited Edition that will be available for purchase later.

 

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OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro pre-orders live on Giztop for the special price of $649 and $849, respectively

After a wait for over months, OnePlus finally launched the highly-anticipated smartphone of the year – OnePlus 9 series. The latest flagship series comprises three devices including OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 9R. Each of the smartphones comprises high-end specifications in their respective price segment. The smartphones are up for pre-orders in the UK, but others have to wait for even a longer time However, the interested buyers can pre-order the device from Giztop for the special price of $649.

Must See: OnePlus 9 series launched in China with ColorOS 11 and 2-year warranty

Giztop is offering a special discount of $50 using a coupon code OP950. Otherwise, OnePlus 9 is retailing for the price of $699. The discount offer is applicable on both the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro smartphones till March 31.

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer cooperated with Hasselblad to improve the camera experience on the OnePlus 9 series.

OnePlus 9 arrived with a 6.55-inch Fluid AMOLED display with 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution and 120 HZ refresh rate. The display is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass Display and offers 1100 nits peak brightness. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 9 Pro houses a 6.7-inch LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED display featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, 1300 nits brightness, and 1440 x 3216 pixels resolution.

OnePlus 9 Series All Colors Featured

Both the smartphones are powered with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset coupled with an Octa-core processor and Adreno 660 GPU.

In the camera department, the OnePlus 9 carries a triple rear-camera module consisting a 48MP primary sensor with f/1.8, a 50MP ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 and a 2MP depth sensor. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 9 Pro comes with a quad-rear camera that features a 48MP Sony IMX786 primary camera, an 8MP telephoto camera, a 50MP ultrawide sensor and a 2MP depth camera.

There’s a 4500 mAh battery on board of both the devices with 65W fast wired charging. However, the OnePlus 9 is limited to 15W fast wireless charging and the OnePlus 9 Pro enjoys 50W fast wireless charging. The OnePlus 9 wireless charging is only available for EU and NA variants.

You can grab both the devices in two storage variants of 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB storage variants. OnePlus 9 Pro is available in Morning Mist, Forest Green and Stellar Black colour option. Whereas, the OnePlus 9 buyers can opt for Winter Mist, Arctic Sky or Astral Black colour options. Don’t forget to use coupon code OP950 to grab a $50 discount on the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro pre-order via Giztop.

Related: These older OnePlus phones will get ColorOS 11 in China

 

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is one of the lightest ultrabooks retailing from ₹1,19,990($1652) in India

Lenovo has launched the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon laptop in India. This ultrabook weighs less than 1kg and is made of lightweight carbon fiber material, comes with Intel EVO certification, 11th-gen Core i5/i7 processors, and more. Let’s take a look at its specifications, features, and price.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon Specifications and Features

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon comes in a special white coating(Moon White) and as mentioned above, is made of carbon fiber material, MIL-STD-810G certified for durability. This makes the laptop very lightweight and it measures 295.9 x 208.85 x 15mm and weighs just 966 grams.

As for the display, there is a 13.3-inch 2K IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. This display supports Dolby Vision, 300 nits of maximum brightness,  certified by TÜV Rheinland for eye protection, and covers 100% sRGB color gamut.

Under the hood, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i comes with two variants- Intel 11th gen Core i5-1135G7 and Core i7-1165G7 processors. This is paired with either 8/16GB LPDDR4X RAM clocked at 4266MHz, up to 1TB PCIe Gen 3 NVMe SSD, integrated Xe GPU to handle the graphics.

Due to the lightweight and slim form factor, the laptop only has USB-C ports as primary I/O.

That is, there are 2xUSB-C Thunderbolt™ 4, 1xUSB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C which is a DisplayPort/Power Delivery. Additionally, the laptop also has a 3.5mm audio/mic jack and a power button on the right side.

Other specs include a Backlit Keyboard, 4W Harmon Kardon speakers with Dolby Atmos, Windows Hello Face recognition, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 50WHr battery with a 65W charging(Lenovo Rapid Charge Boost), Intel EVO certification, Windows 10 Home Edition, 720P IR Camera.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon Price, Availability

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is already retailing in the country starting at ₹1,19,990($1652). Users can get the laptop via Amazon India, and Lenovo’s Official website, and offline markets.

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Samsung Neo QLED 8K TV launched in China, starts at RMB 69,999 (~$10,729)

The tech industry has adjusted strongly to online-only launch events that we were almost forgetting physical launch events with all its glitz and glamour used to be a thing in the past. Samsung yesterday held a virtual launch event in China where it unveiled its 2021 smart TV product offerings for the Chinese market.Samsung Neo QLED 8K TV

The lineup consists of three new series namely; Samsung MicroLED, Neo QLED, and Lifestyle. Among them, the much-anticipated Samsung Neo QLED 8K TV QN900A flagship series is the main highlight. The product comes with several limited-time perks for buyers. It is priced at 69,999 yuan (~$10,729) for the 75-inch version while the top-end 85-inch model (QN900A) is priced at 99,999 yuan (~$15,327). The smart TV will be on sale across several channels.

Buyers who purchase the 85-inch model between March 22 and April 11 will get a 512GB version of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 512GB version while those who buy the 75-inch will get a 256GB version of the same phone.

The Neo QLED 8K TV adopts a Neo QLED panel that uses its latest quantum matrix technology Pro display system which brings a 1.5 times larger brightness area than conventional quantum dot matrix technology. The TV also has super-slim bezels and is avilable in 21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratios.Samsung Neo QLED 8K TV

The Neo QLED 8K TV also comes with a new audio system that adopts “audio-visual tracking OTS Pro” technology. It uses audio positioning and scene analysis to match the sound effects with the actions on the screen.

In terms of design, Neo QLED 8K TV adopts an integrated design with a frame of only 0.8mm, supports 4K 120Hz motion enhancement, dynamic acceleration technology, and supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology, which can bring consumers ultra-low latency and ultra-high-definition gaming experience.

It would be recalled that the Galaxy Neo QLED TV was recently crowned as the “Best TV of All Time” by German AV magazine.

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Realme Smart Scale and Smart LED Bulb go official in India

Realme today held a launch event in India which heralded the unveiling of the Realme 8 and 8 Pro smartphones. The company also unveiled two accessories dubbed Realme Smart Scale, and Realme Smart LED Bulb. Realme Smart Scale

The Realme Smart Scale isn’t just a bodyweight scale but it can be used to measures weights of between 0.05Kg to 150Kg. Thus, users can deploy it to weigh their fruits, vegetables, and even cats. Realme Smart Scale

In terms of the design, the smart scale is equipped with a 6mm tempered glass cover on top. The glass is capable of withstanding stress from weights of up to 350kg. The entire scale is just 23.3mm thin, weighing in at 1.69kg, excluding the battery. The scale also comes with movable feet with a firm grip.

Talking of the features, the smart scale stays true to its name as it comes with 16 different types of health measurements, and these include Weight, Fat Rate, Body Mass Index (BMI), Muscle Mass, Body Age, Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), Lean Body, Moisture Rate, Muscle Rate, Visceral Fat Level, Skeletal Muscle, Bone, Protein, Fat Mass, and Heart rate. The smart scale is equipped with several sensors, BIS (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), and advanced algorithms which help in keeping track of these measurements.

For connectivity, it comes with Bluetooth 5.0 support and can pair with a companion smartphone via the Realme Link app. The app supports multiple profiles which makes it possible for different members of the family to have their own customized daily reports.

The scale is powered by four AAA batteries and realme claims the device can last up to 360 days if the scale is used 2 to 3 times a day.Realme smart scale

Intending buyers can avail themselves of the Realme Smart Scale in two colors – Blue and White. The Smart Scale is priced at Rs. 1,999 (~$27) and will go on sale on March 30 via Realme India’s website.

REALME SMART LED BULB

Realme also launched a smart LED bulb that is available in two variants; one with 9W/800 Lumens brightness and a second version with 12W / 1000 Lumens brightness. The smart bulb packs 16 Million colors, giving users the liberty to change to any color of their choice within the spectrum. It equally has 1700K-6500K color temperature.

Harmful Blue light is presently one of the challenges in this era of proliferation of LCD/LED screens. However, the smart bulb beams absolutely zero harmful Blue light. You also get support for voice /app control, making this a fitting part of any smart home. Realme also touts it to have 13 years lifespan. REALME SMART LED BULB

The Realme Smart LED Bulb starts at Rs. 799 (~$11) for the 9W variant while the 12W/1000 Lumens version comes in at Rs 999 (~$13). It will go on sale on May 30 in India on Realme’s website.

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