Vivo Y12s 2021 launched in Vietnam sporting a SD439 SoC & 5,000mAh battery

By

-

May 12, 2021

In November last year, Vivo launched the Y12s packing a Mediatek Helio P35 processor. The smartphone was only launched in India in January this year. The Chinese tech giant has now unveiled another budget offering dubbed Vivo Y12s 2021.

The Y12s 2021 is an upgrade of the original model as it retains most of the features from last year’s model with just a few differences. The Vivo Y12s 2021 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor as against the MediaTek Helio P35 utilised on last year’s model. The phone is available in a sole 3GB RAM and 32GB storage option but there is a dedicated MicroSD slot for expanding the storage.

The Y12s 2021 sports an impressive 6.51-inch LCD screen with an HD+ resolution. The display houses a waterdrop notch at the top which holds the selfie camera. At the rear, there is a dual camera setup and LED flash located in a vertically aligned module at the top left corner of the panel. The sensors include a 13MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor while the front camera is an 8MP shooter.

In terms of the interface, the Vivo Y12s 2021 runs on Funtouch OS 11 which is based on Android 11 OS. That’s a major upgrade over the Y12s which runs on Android 10. There is no fingerprint scanner on the back instead, the device packs a side-mounted fingerprint scanner integrated with the power button.

Keeping the lights on is a generous 5,000 mAh battery. The battery charges via a micro-USB port at a speed of up to 10W. The phone also supports 5V/1A reverse charging. Vivo touts the battery as capable of withstanding up to 17.4 hours of HD movies viewing and 10.2 hours of continuous gaming on a single charge.

The Vivo Y12s 2021 is presently up for grabs in Vietnam via e-retailer FPTShop for VND3,290,000 (~$140). The budget smartphone is available in Mysterious Black and Ice Blue color options. We don’t know when Vivo will release the smartphone in other markets.

RELATED:

HTC Vive Pro 2 and Focus 3 5K VR headsets go official

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 12, 2021

HTC has unveiled its latest enterprise-focused virtual reality headsets, the Vive Pro 2 and Focus 3 with a revamped 5K screen. We’ll take a look at the features of the two VR headsets which by the way, are focused on enterprise users and not the ordinary consumer.

HTC Vive Focus 3

The most prominent feature of the Vive Focus 3 is its impressive display. The VR headset uses a single 2448 x 1600 panel for each eye. The display refresh rate is 90 Hz, which is an improvement from its predecessors. The display far surpasses brands on the high-end spectrum, like the Oculus Quest 2 and the HP Reverb G2.

The overall design of the Vive Focus 3 reflects substantial improvements in various spheres that make the headset a top-notch alternative for businesses. The excellent audio output of the device also lends support to the robust design philosophy behind the conceptualization and implementation of the Vive Focus 3. HTC says it has produced an enhanced audio output that will guarantee audio privacy, limiting the amount of sound that outsiders can hear. The headset has a touch-style analog stick, two triggers, two face buttons, and one menu button on each controller. However, hand tracking is a functionality absent on the Vive Focus 3, unlike the Oculus Quest 2.

According to HTC Vive’s general manager Dan O’Brien, the Vive Focus 3 is a better product than the Oculus Quest 2 in terms of screen resolution, swappable battery, and overall ergonomics and performance. The company feels the product is a better device than the Quest 2. It also does not need a Social Media account to sign in to the device, unlike the Quest 2. O’Brien insists that the company still has a focus on consumer products, although it will continue to lean towards the enterprise segment as a sustainable business model at this time.

HTC Vive Pro 2

On its part, the Vive Pro 2 also features a revamped 5K screen and 120Hz refresh rate. It is a highly comfortable headset and will cost $749 on its own and $1,399 with the SteamVR base stations and Vive controllers. The Vive Pro 2 also has an expansive 120-degree field of view, by deploying a stacked dual-lens system.

Pre-orders for the Vive Pro 2 standalone model have kicked off and the full VR kit will be available on June 4th for $1,399. The Vive Focus 3 will be sold for $1,300 and arrives June 27th.

RELATED:

Lava Z2 Max with a 7-inch screen, 6000mAh battery launched in India

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 12, 2021

Indian phone manufacturer Lava has updated its product offering with the launch of the Lava Z2 Max. The smartphone is the fifth product in the Z series after it unveiled the Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, and Z6 in January this year.

The Lava Z2 Max comes with a spectacular design that lives up to its name as a phone with a massive display. It packs a mammoth 7-inch screen with an HD+ resolution. The 19:9 aspect ratio ensures the phone isn’t too difficult to perform a one-handed operation with. The display utilizes a waterdrop notch design which houses the selfie camera. The full-screen design ensures users get an immersive display experience. The phone is actually targeted at students and is equipped with tools to facilitate online learning.

The Z2 Max is powered by an unspecified quad-core MediaTek Helio chipset clocked at 1.8GHz. The processor is backed by 2GB RAM while there is 32GB storage onboard. The storage is expandable via a MicroSD slot that can bump up the storage up to 256GB. Under the hood, there is a mammoth 6000mAh battery which Lava touts to support up to 9 hours of video streaming at full-screen brightness and volume level.

In terms of photography, the Lava Z2 Max packs a dual-camera setup at the rear consisting of a 13-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. At the front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter embedded inside the notch. For interface, the Lava smartphone comes with stock Android 10 Go Edition which doesn’t have any bloatware. Other features onboard the Z2 Max include a 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C port, dual-SIM support, and box speakers.

As for the price, the Lava Z2 Max carries an INR7,799 (~$105) price tag and is available at Lava’s online store as well as Amazon.in and Flipkart. It can also be purchased in offline stores across India. The phone is available in two colors – Stroked Blue and Stroked Cyan colors. Buyers will receive a one-year free screen replacement warranty from Lava.

RELATED:

Deal: Get Infinix Zero 8 Global Version for $209.10 (Original Price $250)

By

Daily Deals

-

May 12, 2021

Infinix Zero 8, Global Version which generally retails for $250 is now available for $209.10 only at AliExpress.

WHERE TO BUY

Infinix Zero 8, Global Version at $209.10 @AliExpress

Infinix Zero 8, Global Version

Key Features:

Display	6.85″ FHD, 2460*1080P
Processor	Helio G90T (Octa-core)
Memory	8GB + 128GB, expandable up to 2TB
Battery	4500mAh supports 33W charging
Camera	64 MP + 8 MP +2 MP + 2 MP, Quad-Flash Light
Front Camera	48 MP + 8 MP, Dual-Flash Light
Operating System	Android 10
Charging Port	TYPE – C

Generally, you can buy Infinix Zero 8 for $250. But for a limited period, AliExpress is giving out this smartphone for $209.10 only. Please note that this deal is available only for the Black Color, Global Version and comes with free shipping via AliExpress Standard Shipping. So place your orders asap, before the deal expires.

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.

Realme 8 with Helio G95 and Dimensity 700-powered Realme 8 5G arrive Europe

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 12, 2021

In the past few years, Realme has continued to make inroads into overseas markets with its affordable smartphones. Its mid-rangers continue to attract the attention of its growing customer base. Weeks after an impressive unveiling of its most recent offerings in India, Realme has launched the Realme 8 and Realme 8 5G smartphones across Europe. The United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain are the first countries in Europe that the mid-range smartphones will berth before it subsequently spreads across the continent within few days, expectedly.

We note that the two smartphones – Realme 8 and Realme 8 5G are essentially different phones, with few similarities. Principally, the 5G version has greater functionality than expected and offers a 48MP triple camera on the rear, compared to the Realme 8, which has a 64MP primary camera in a quad-camera setup. The 5G version has a 30W fast charging capability, while the LTE version only offers 18W charging speed. In terms of the processors, you get a MediaTek chipset on both models but while the 8 4G packs a Helio G95 chipset, the Realme 8 5G is powered by a Dimensity 700 SoC.

The Realme 8 4G is available in 4GB and 6GB RAM capacity, together with 64GB and 128GB internal storage. The two variants are priced respectively as £199 and £219. It is already available for direct purchase from Realme in three color options: Cyber silver, Punk black, and Cyber black. The three color variants of the Realme 8 are well-adorned with a touch of Realme excellence. On the other hand, the Realme 8 5G comes in two variants in terms of the available RAM and storage. The 4GB/64GB version is available for £199, while the 6GB/128GB variant will go for £249. A three-day discount window of £20 is open for everyone who preorders on or before May 15. Actual sales commence on May 20 for both the Realme 8 and Realme 8 5G in the aforementioned European countries.

RELATED:

(source 1, 2)

Amazon announces new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 5 along with a Kids Edition

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

May 12, 2021

Amazon has refreshed two of its smart displays. The 2021 edition of the Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8 bring upgraded cameras and new features. It has also announced a kids version of the smaller model.

Echo Show 8

The Echo Show 8 comes with a new octa-core processor which Amazon has deliberately not named. The new chipset should provide the additional power needed for some of the new features such as panning and zooming with the new 13MP camera while making a video call. Amazon has made the field of view of the camera wider (110°) for the pan and zoom feature since the Echo Show 8’s display can’t rotate like that of the Echo Show 10.

There is also a human detection feature that turns on configured routines when someone walks into the room. Amazon says that this feature is not activated out of the box. Another feature that has been included according to The Verge is new AR effects for Amazon’s video chat service. Users will be able to set custom virtual backgrounds and animated reactions will now cover the screen.

Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 5 Kids Edition

The new Echo Show 5 now has a 2MP camera but doesn’t have the pan and zoom feature of the Echo Show 8 but gets the motion feature that activates routines such as turning on the lights when you enter a room. Amazon now offers the smart display in a new blue variant alongside white and charcoal. It has also permanently dropped the price to $84.99.

The Echo Show 5 Kids Edition has the same specs but gets a multi-color fabric on the rear. It also comes with 1 year of Amazon Kids Plus services and a 2-year warranty that covers all damages. This special edition costs $94.99. All three devices have camera shutters and buttons to turn the microphone/camera off.

There is no news yet as to when they will be available for purchase as they are all still listed as out of stock on the online store.

RELATED:

Deal: Get Edifier X3 TWS Earphone for $20.99 (Original Price $30)

By

Daily Deals

-

May 12, 2021

Edifier X3 TWS Earphone which generally retails for $30 is now available for a discounted price of $20.99 only at AliExpress.

WHERE TO BUY

Edifier X3 TWS Earphone at $20.99 @AliExpress

Edifier X3 TWS earphone comes with the Qualcomm aptX audio that gives you high-quality sound over Bluetooth. The compact and lightweight earphone features Bluetooth 5.0 and gives you 24 hours playback time with the charging case.

Edifier X3 features the CVC V.8.0 noise-cancellation technology that reduces your background noise and environmental sound, to give you a distraction-free audio experience. Moreover, with Bluetooth 5.0 and the powerful Qualcomm aptX audio, you get a fast, stable, strong, and seamless connection with CD-like audio quality. The earphone is IPX5 certified, making it water and dust resistant and comes with multiple touch and tap functions, that help you to control your call and music remotely.

Generally retailing for $30, you can now buy Edifier X3 TWS Earphone for $20.99 only at AliExpress. Please note that this price is applicable to the X3 Black-USB version only. However if interested, you can get the TYPE-C version for a small additional cost. So be sure to check out the variant and shipping warehouse before you place the order.

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.

ZMI launches an RGB portable fan that can be worn around the neck

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

May 12, 2021

Last year, two Xiaomi-backed companies (ZMI and Jisu Life) launched portable fans to beat the heat in summer. A year later, ZMI is back with another such product with a unique design. The company calls this ‘ZMI Hanging Neck Folding Fan’ (translated).

The new ZMI portable fan is different than the model released last year. As the name suggests, this fan can be folded to position it as per requirement. But the main highlight is that it can be worn around the neck with the help of the included adjustable nylon lanyard.

According to the company, the fan can be adjusted from 0° to 120°. Further, other than coming in three colors (White, Pink, Green), the fan blades also feature RGB LED light. The lighting effect can be changed via a dedicated button on the side.

1 of 3

The product comes with a brushless motor to run its seven blades. It supports three different speed settings and can be easily disassembled for cleaning.

As for endurance, ZMI claims 13-hour battery life in the first gear, 8 hours in the second gear, and only 4 hours in the third gear. Like most accessories, it charges via USB Type-C and a cable is included in the box.

1 of 4

Last but not least, ZMI Hanging Neck Folding Fan weighs 130g and is priced at ¥99 ($15). However, during the product’s first sale on May 15, it will retail for ¥89 ($14).

Deal: Get Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Headphone for $51.19

By

Daily Deals

-

May 12, 2021

Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Headphone which generally retails for $60 is now available for $51.19 only at AliExpress.

WHERE TO BUY

Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Headphone at $51.19 (after discount)@AliExpress

Anker Soundcore Life Q20 is a wireless over-ear, Bluetooth headphone. The headphone comes with a High-Res audio certification which gives you an exceptional and rare sound quality. The headphone also features Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) with a reduction in ambient noise up to 90%. The advanced hybrid active noise cancellation function can detect and cancel out a wider range of low and mid-frequency noises such as cars and airplane engines, thereby giving you a peaceful musical and call experience.

With an exclusive BassUp technology the headphone provides a strong and amplified bass note. This means you can now enjoy your EDM and Bass-heavy genres with a high-quality bass effect. Anker Soundcore Life Q20 works for up to 40 hours on ANC mode and 60 hours on Standard mode on one single charge. And with just 5 mins of charging you can use the headphones for 4 hours.

Generally retailing at $60, you can now buy Anker Soundcore Life Q20 for $51.19 only at AliExpress. Please note that this deal is valid only for the next two days and applicable only on the Black color variant. So hurry up and grab your discounted headphone before the deal expires.

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.

POCO has no plans to launch Android One smartphones

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

May 12, 2021

Xiaomi was the first OEM to kick off the second generation of Android One smartphones in 2017 with the Mi A1. This device was later followed by Mi A2, Mi A2 Lite, and Mi A3. The Chinese tech giant hasn’t released any further handset in the series for around two years now. Above all, there’s no official word on the lineup’s discontinuation as well. On the other hand, the company’s POCO brand has answered a question related to Android One in a recent interview.

POCO X3 Pro

Earlier today, Android Central published an exclusive interview with two executives of the POCO Global team. This story focussed on the brand’s upcoming smartphone – POCO M3 Pro 5G and its future plans.

When the interviewer asked about Android One, one of the brand representatives revealed that POCO has no plans for releasing Android One smartphones at the moment. Hence, don’t expect any POCO handset with beefier hardware and stock Android for an affordable price tag in near future.

Therefore, custom ROMs are the only way to experience stock Android on POCO smartphones. But this solution is only applicable for very few users.

Xiaomi was the only company to offer good hardware with stock Android via its Mi A series of Android One smartphones. Whereas, stock Android phones from brands like Motorola and HMD Global (Nokia) still offer lackluster hardware for the same amount of money.

Anyway, stock Android was also the Achilles’ heel of the Xiaomi Mi A series. The devices in the lineup suffered from various bugs and mostly never received updates on time.

Although Xiaomi has not confirmed it, we believe this is the reason why the company has not launched any new handset in the series and has discontinued the lineup without making an official announcement.

The only way to put this is that POCO is playing safe by sticking with MIUI for POCO instead of spending resources on a separate software that did not work for Xiaomi.

POCO M3 Pro 5G renders leaked ahead of May 19 launch, comes in three colors

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

May 12, 2021

The POCO M3 is getting a pro model and it will have support for 5G. Confirmed to launch as the POCO M3 Pro 5G, renders of the phone have now been shared online, giving us an early look before it launches next week.

POCO M3 Pro 5G Render Leak — POCO M3 Pro 5G | Source: Ishan Agarwal

As seen in the images posted by Ishan Agarwal, the POCO M3 Pro 5G will come in three colors – Black, Yellow, and Blue. This shade of blue is quite different from that of the POCO M3 but looks good nonetheless. The display has a centered punch hole and it has been reported that it has a high refresh rate too.

For the rear, POCO has adopted a design different from that of the standard version. Gone is the well-received horizontally-elongated black bar of the M3, and in its place is a vertical one that also has the manufacturer’s name printed boldly. While the design is unique in its own way, there are complaints about the font size of the manufacturer’s name printed on the back. Similar complaints surfaced when the POCO M3 was announced and it is surprising POCO decided to repeat it again.

The POCO M3 Pro 5G has three rear cameras and the primary one is a 48MP sensor. There is a pill-shaped LED flash and what appears to be a laser focus module. A side-mounted fingerprint scanner is visible albeit with a different design from that of the standard version.

The manufacturer has confirmed that a global launch is scheduled for May 19. The launch event will be live-streamed on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and it will begin at 20:00 GMT+8.

RELATED:

Realme C25s bags EEC certification, launching could be nearing

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 12, 2021

Realme has recently launched two C-series phones such as Realme C11 (2021) and Realme C20A in different markets. Recent reports have revealed that the company is working on another C-series phone called the Realme C25s. The handset could be coming soon as it has received certification from the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).

A new Realme phone with RMX3195 has bagged EEC certification. This device was spotted with Realme C25s at Thailand’s NBTC certification. It could be a variant of the Realme C25, which was debuted in March.

The EEC listing of the phone has not revealed any information on the specs of the C25s. The moniker of the device suggests that it could be a variant of lower variant of the existing Realme C25.

Realme C25 specifications

The Realme C25 has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD HD+ display and it runs on Realme UI 2.0 based Android 11 OS. The Helio G70 chipset powers the device with 4 GB / 6 GB of RAM. The handset ships with 64 GB / 128 GB of storage and a microSD card slot.

It has a front camera of 8-megapixel and it houses a 6,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. The Indian edition came with a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel (depth) + 2-megapixel (macro) triple camera system, whereas its global edition has a 48-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel (depth) + 2-megapixel (macro) triple camera setup. Probably, the Indian edition of the phone could be heading to the global markets with the Realme C25s moniker.

(via)

RELATED:

China consumers’ smartphone upgrade cycle has risen to 25 months: Report

By

Sean

-

May 12, 2021

A new report has revealed that the average smartphone upgrade cycle for consumers in China has risen. The average time for an upgrade is now 25.3 months, which is up by 0.7 months as of October of last year.

According to a new report from China Mobile Terminal Lab (Via Cankaoxiaoxi), the replacement cycle for older smartphone in favor of newer devices has lengthened again. The slight 0.7 month rise arrives after an increase of a whole month in 2020, compared to 2019. Although, it is worth noting that the upgrade cycle is different for various brands that are popular in the region. In this regard, Apple has the most stable and highest upgrade cycle of about 27.1 months on an average.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi users have the most frequent upgrade patterns out of the lot with just a 22.8 months upgrade cycle. Talking about the frequency in replacements for other brands, Honor has a cycle of 26.4 months, Oppo with 26.3 months, 25.6 months for Huawei, 25.5 months for Vivo, and Samsung has a replacement cycle of 24.5 months. The report adds that one of the primary reasons for the rise arrives due to smartphone technology improving over time.

In other words, the experience each device offers now is better than the models sold in the past, causing users to be content with their current devices for longer periods of time. Another interesting finding is that the upgrade cycle for both the high end and low end handsets are relatively long, crossing the 26 months mark. On the other hand, the mid range and premium grade segments have a much shorter cycle that averages around just 21 months. The premium grade flagship models are those that sell for more than 10,000 Yuan (roughly 1,552 US Dollars).

Apparently, this trend is due to buyers of low end devices being more cost sensitive about upgrades while consumers that are willing to spends upwards of 1,000 US Dollars are much likely to be early adopters for new flagship models that launch in the market. This report adds an insightful look regarding the market trends in China, which might also be a good example of the trend in a more global scale, especially after the impacts of the pandemic.

RELATED:

ASUS ZenFone 8 HQ renders appear before launch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 12, 2021

Later today, ASUS will be holding the ZenFone 8 launch event in New York, Berlin, and Taipei simultaneously. In New York, the event will kick off at 1PM UTC-5. A couple of hours ahead of the launch, the HQ render of the ASUS ZenFone 8 have appeared online.

ASUS ZenFone 8 HQ renders

The ASUS ZenFone 8 high-resolution renders show that it has a punch-hole display on the front. The narrow bezel on the houses a front-firing speaker, whereas its other speaker can be found on the bottom edge along with a microphone, a USB-C port, and a SIM slot. The top edge of the device has a 3.5mm audio jack and another microphone.

1 of 2

The ZenFone 8’s right edge features a volume rocker and a blue-colored power key. The rear shell of the device has a rectangle-shaped camera module that houses two cameras and an LED flash. ASUS has already confirmed that it will be an IP68 rated waterproof and dust-resistant device. The device also features a metallic frame, claims Winfuture.de.

ASUS ZenFone 8 specifications and price (Rumored)

The ASUS ZenFone 8 has a 5.92-inch AMOLED FHD+ display that supports a 20.5:9 aspect ratio, a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, 1100nits brightness, and it comes with Gorilla Glass Victus protection. The screen is integrated with a fingerprint scanner.

1 of 2

The Snapdragon 888 SoC fuels the device with 6 GB / 8 GB / 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. Its 4,000mAh battery supports 30W fast charging. It runs on Zen UI-based Android 11 OS. Its rear camera setup has a 64-megapixel primary camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. Sitting on the front is a new 12-megapixel Sony IMX663 selfie snapper.

The 6GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB, and 16GB+256GB variants of the ZenFone 8 are said to be priced at 699 euros (~$847), 749 euros (~$908), and 819 euros (~$993), respectively. The handset will be arriving in Obsidian Black and Horizon Silver

(source 1, 2)

RELATED:

Here’s the first look of the new Huawei Children’s Watch 4X variant: Leak

By

Sean

-

May 12, 2021

Back in August of last year, the Huawei Children’s Watch 4X was officially launched. The wearable was targeted towards kids and is set to arrive in a new color variant on 19th May 2021. Now, a new leak has offered us a first look of the wearable.

As per a new series of posts on Weibo (1,2,3), a Chinese microblogging website, the new color variant of the Children’s Watch 4X will arrive with a new strap as well. Furthermore, the Chinese tech giant will also be reportedly adding some new functions to the wearable. This new model will apparently be teased by the company tomorrow (13th May 2021), according to the leak. Apart from sharing just images, the leak also showcased a video that offers a first look at the device.

This video highlights the UI of the Huawei Children’s Watch 4X New Bright Model along with some of its features. Talking about the new design changes, the device sports a blue color scheme mixed with a dark gray frame. This is different from the single color body of the previously launched base model. Another notable difference includes the new cloth strap, which was not found in the smartwatch that launched last year.

Unfortunately, finer details regarding the product is currently unknown, but the device is expected to be announced on 19th May 2021. It is likely to feature similar specifications to the Huawei Children’s Watch 4X, which feaures 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. So stay tuned for more updates, as we will be covering its launch along with the other products the company is set to announce in the coming weeks.

RELATED:

No, Redmi Note 10 Pro/Pro Max are not receiving MIUI 12.5 update in India

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

May 12, 2021

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max in India in March. These smartphones debuted with MIUI 12 based on Android 11. Yesterday, reports started pouring in that the duo has begun to receive the MIUI 12.5 update in the country. But unfortunately, that’s not the case.

A few weeks back, Xiaomi recruited testers for MIUI 12.5 in global markets. The company calls these testers ‘Mi Pilot Testers’. The Chinese smartphone maker recruits new ‘Pilot Testers’ every now and then as it no longer releases MIUI Global Beta builds.

For those unaware, up until mid-2019, Xiaomi used to release weekly MIUI Global Beta builds. But right now, these weekly builds are limited to China.

Hence, the only way to experience new MIUI features officially before anyone in international markets is to enroll in the Mi Pilot testing program. These testers receive exclusive builds that can be only installed on their registered Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO smartphone with their ‘Mi Account’ logged in.

Others can install these builds unofficially. Interested users will need to unlock their phone’s bootloader and install a custom recovery for this purpose. Although this does not void warranty, we advise you not to follow this if you don’t know what you are doing.

Coming back to the topic, the MIUI 12.5 build (V12.5.1.0.RKFINXM) that has been released for the Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max right now in India is solely for ‘Mi Pilot Testers’. In simpler words, the update is not available for the general public.

We are not sure when Xiaomi will be releasing MIUI 12.5 for these phones. But whenever the company does, it will be rolled out in batches as ‘Stable Beta’ (limited rollout), followed by ‘Stable’ (final release) to everyone.

Samsung to reportedly use Exynos 2200 SoC with AMD GPU for laptops

By

Jeet

-

May 12, 2021

Samsung and AMD have been working together for developing a custom GPU and are expected to launch later this year. The processor, under the Samsung Exynos lineup, will be the most powerful from the South Korean giant.

Now, a new report coming from The Korean Economic Daily, Samsung could also plan to launch a laptop powered by this new chipset. While not yet confirmed, the name of the chipset is likely to be named Exynos 2200.

This new processor will be powering the upcoming flagship smartphones as well as tablets from Samsung. Now, the rumors suggest that it will also be used to power a laptop, competing against Apple M1 chipset which is now being used for laptops and tablets.

Samsung could be launching a Windows-powered laptop in the second half of this year. However, it’s noteworthy that this won’t be the first ARM-based laptop from Samsung as the company has already launched Galaxy Book S powered by Snapdragon 8Cx chipset.

But, it will be the first Samsung will be using the same chip to power its laptop as well as smartphones. To be honest, we don’t expect the South Korean company to launch Exynos 2200-powered phone anytime soon but there’s a possibility that next year’s Galaxy S22 lineup could come equipped with it.

Currently, there’s no information available about the upcoming new chipset and it’s too early to know for sure. We expect to know more about it in the coming weeks and months, as the official announcement nears.

RELATED:

Xiaomi MIUI has successfully warned about 35 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 and higher in China

By

Sean

-

May 12, 2021

Xiaomi has just announced that its MIUI has successfully announced its users in China regarding 35 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 and higher. The company’s software has even offered support to 25 provinces in the country.

The consumer electronics maker shared this achievement on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website, along with an image poster. For those unaware, various smartphones nowadays feature an early warning system that is built into the device to offer push notifications regarding upcoming natural disasters. In the announcement, the company also stated that it has reached a total number of 8,640,477 devices including smartphones and TVs with its early warning systems.

The news shared by the Chinese tech giant arrives on the day of the 2021 National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Day. These early warnings regarding earthquakes were sent to 25 provinces all across the nation but has yet to achieve a full coverage. Notably, the system from the compay has been active for more than 500 days and has so far detected 35 earthquakes.

Although, company officials have also announced that MIUI will also work with Disaster Mitigation Research Institute to optimize its early warning feature to improve it even further. These natural disaster warnings from the company will also be improved in cooperation with the National Early Warning Release Center, National Emergency Broadcasting, and China Earthquake Networks as well. So hopefully, the improvement in the future would help prevent any major casualities in cases of natural disasters in the future.

RELATED:

New HONOR 50 render reveals a triple camera setup

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

May 12, 2021

The HONOR 50 series in the news for quite a while now. This new smartphone lineup from the former HUAWEI sub-brand is said to feature a new design. This design even got leaked in April. Now, weeks later, yet another render of the HONOR 50 series appears with more details.

A report from April exposed the design of the upcoming HONOR 50 series. The lineup is expected to include two giant circular modules for its rear cameras. This camera layout will be similar to the one present on the HONOR V40 series and the HUAWEI nova 8 series.

Now, a new render shared by ZEALER on Weibo sheds more light on the design of the HONOR 50 series. The lineup is said to include three handsets, namely HONOR 50, HONOR 50 Pro, and HONOR 50 Pro+. But unfortunately, the exact phone in the render is a mystery.

Anyway, as per the render, this device will feature three cameras. The large primary sensor will be housed inside the top circle, whereas a secondary periscope zoom camera and a tertiary sensor will be nested inside the bottom circle.

Lastly, according to the Weibo account that posted this render, this color variant of the phone will be called ‘Jifeng Blue’ (translated).

As per previous reports, the vanilla HONOR 50 will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC. On the other hand, the HONOR 50 Pro will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. Additionally, alleged specs of HONOR 50 Pro+ leaked late last month.

The leaked specifications of the HONOR 50 Pro+ suggest a quad-camera setup. Hence, the handset in this new render could be either the HONOR 50 or the HONOR 50 Pro.

Last but not least, there’s no concrete launch timeline for the HONOR 50 series yet.

POCO M3 Pro 5G key features officially confirmed

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 12, 2021

Last year, POCO announced the POCO M3 smartphone in India and other markets. The company sold over 3 million units of the device and it is now gearing up to launch its Pro version called the POCO M3 Pro 5G. Reports have revealed that it will be POCO’s first mid-range phone to support 5G connectivity. In an interview with Android Central, Kevin Xiaobo Qiu, who heads POCO global, and Angus Ng, POCO global’s head of product marketing, shared key details of the POCO M3 Pro 5G.

Qiu said that POCO is still sharing its resources including R&D, manufacturing, and after-sales with Xiaomi. However, it is operating independently as a brand. He further said that there will be “some crossover” (read: rebranding) between POCO and Redmi brands. However, POCO phones will have their own design language. Hence, the upcoming POCO M3 Pro 5G will have a refreshing design like the POCO M3.

The M3 Pro 5G is the first Dimensity powered 5G phone. Rumors have claimed that the device will be equipped with Dimensity 700 since it is expected to arrive as a rebadged Redmi Note 10 5G. The executive confirmed that the M3 Pro scored 329,072 on AnTuTu benchmarks.

While the M3 Pro 5G is not a gaming phone, it will be able to handle intensive games at medium settings, claimed Ng. It will be the company’s first M-series phone to feature a high refresh rate display. It will come with more RAM, fast storage (probably UFS 2.2), and it will sell in three colors. With the arrival of the M3 Pro 5G, the company may retire the POCO X3.

The MIUI for POCO, which comes with an app drawer differentiates POCO phones from Xiaomi handsets. Ng said that the company aims to add some exclusive features to MIUI for POCO before the end of 2021. The new interface could be called the POCO UI.

Lastly, the brand aims to enter the AIOT segment, but there are no plans to launch wearables and audio products soon. To know more about the other things that Qiu and Ng said to Android Central, readers can visit the source link.

(source)

RELATED: