Possible Xiaomi foldable (M2011J18C) smartphone gets 3C certification in China

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Mar 18, 2021

Xiaomi’s foldable smartphone has been in development for years now. Right from a prototype video showcased in early 2019, the company’s first foldable device has triggered quite a lot of expectations. This year, it is finally going to launch up to three such devices according to reports. And one of those might have just appeared on China’s 3C certification.

Alleged Xiaomi foldable spotted in the wild

A Xiaomi smartphone with model number M2011J18C appears on the 3C certification authority website. If you recall, this device, likely a foldable smartphone, had appeared on the TENAA certification last month.

A few reports have said that the company would bring this device under the Mi MIX series but that’s not confirmed yet. In that report, it was mentioned that the device would come with a 67W Wired Fast charging support.

In line with that, the 3C certification of the M2011J18C shows that the device can charge up to a maximum of 20V at 3.25A~65W. Apart from this, the listing shows that it supports 5G connectivity.

So far, reports say that the device would adopt Galaxy Z Fold2 like hinge design hinting at an inward folding display. The device is expected to feature and a display of around 7-inches with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Other expected features include a flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset, 108MP camera, 5,000mAh battery, run MIUI 12, and more. Let’s wait for more concrete details which are sure to come out as the launch draws near.

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ASUS ZenFone 8 Mini may offer 120Hz 5.9-inch OLED display and Snapdragon 888

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 18, 2021

ASUS has recently unveiled the ROG Phone 5 gaming smartphone and it is now rumored to be working on the ZenFone 8 series of flagship phones. According to a new report by XDA Developers which cites information found through the kernel source of ROG Phone 5 has revealed that there are models in the ZenFone 8 series. These handsets are codenamed as “SAKE”, “PICASSO”, and “VODKA.”

The ASUS “SAKE” model is expected to debut as the ZenFone 8 Mini. It is believed to have a model number of ASUS_ZS590KS / ASUS_I006D. It is expected to arrive with specs like a 5.92-inch OLED screen that offers a 120Hz refresh rate and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. It is powered by the Snapdragon 888 chipset.

For photography, it features a new camera with Sony IMX663 model number and a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 camera. It could be equipped with a Cirrus CS35L45 amplifier. In the ASUS software, the handset found to be mentioned as a “small phone,” which indicates that it could be the smallest Snapdragon 888 SoC powered smartphone.

The “PICASSO” handset could be the ZenFone 8 handset. It is expected to arrive with specs like a 120Hz 6.67-inch OLED panel, Pixel i6 visual processor, and Snapdragon 888 chipset. For photography, it may feature a 64-megpaixel (Sony IMX686) + 12.2-megapixel (Sony IMX363) + 8-megapixel telephoto (OmniVision) triple camera system and a 24-megapixel (OV24B1Q) selfie camera. The same camera setup can be found on the ZenFone 7. Its model number ASUS_ZS672KS / ASUS_I004D,

There is no word on the identity of the “VODKA” model, which is said to have ASUS_Z5675KW / ASUS_I007D model number. It is expected to feature a 6.7-inch display and Snapdragon 888 chipset. In related news, two monikers such as ASUS ZenFone 8 and ZenFone 8 Flip were spotted in the ASUS PixelMaster Camera app’s latest version. It is not clear whether the ASUS_ZS672KS or the ASUS_Z5675KW will be called ZenFone 8 Flip.

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vivo V17 Pro has started receiving Funtouch OS 11 (Android 11) update in India

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 18, 2021

Chinese smartphone maker vivo shared Funtouch OS 11 (Android 11) update plan for India in early January. Keeping up with the schedule, the company has started rolling out this update for the vivo V17 Pro in the country.

A few days back, vivo began to seed the FuntouchOS 11 update for the regular vivo V17 in India. Now, this update is live for vivo V17 Pro as well.

According to a report by PiunikaWeb, the Android 11 update for vivo V17 Pro is currently under greyscale testing. In simpler words, the latest update is only available for a select few users of this smartphone.

For those unaware, vivo greyscale testing is similar to Xiaomi MIUI Stable Beta. These types of builds are made available for only a few users to test their stability before rolling out to everyone. In this way, companies can avoid catastrophe if there are problems with the software build.

Anyway, the vivo V17 Pro FuntouchOS 11 (Android 11) update should be available for all the users in India very soon. However, we cannot tell for sure how long it will take for the company to seed it out to everyone.

That said, Android 11 should be the last major software update for the vivo V17 Pro since vivo is not known for providing more than two Android updates. This handset debuted with Android 9.0-based Funtouch OS 9.1 was updated to Android 10 (Funtouch OS 10) last year.

Huawei to launch the FreeBuds 4 in four color variants in May: Tipster

By

Sean

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Mar 18, 2021

Earlier today (18th March 2021), a tipster on Weibo,a Chinese microblogging website, shared that Huawei might be planning on launching its FreeBuds 4 truly wireless earbuds in four color variants in May 2021.

As per a social media post from @勇气数码君, the Chinese tech giant is planning on launching its latest iteration of the FreeBuds earphones in May. The wireless earbuds will be available in four different colors. At the moment, it is currently unknown what colors the new hearables will arrive in, but it is expected to be a white, black, red, and silver. The codename for the upcoming earphones is “Mermaid.”

The previous iteration, the FreeBuds 3, had a semi in ear design and still featured active noise cancellation feature (ANC). This design is expected to likely to be carried forward for the upcoming FreeBuds 4. Keep in mind, the actual name of the new earbuds are unknown as of right now. Notably, the consumer electronics maker already launched a FreeBuds 4i model recently.

Unfortunately, the finer details like specifications of the new earphones are still unknown. The FreeBuds 3 arrived with the Huawei HiSilicon’s Kirin A1 chipset along with support for Bluetooth 5.1, the first earphone to feature it. This is all the information we have so far, so stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

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itel G-series 32, 43, and 55-inch Android TVs launched in India: Specs, Features, and Price

By

Balaji S

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Mar 18, 2021

As reported before, a brand of Transsion Holdings, itel, has entered the Android TV market and launched its new G-series Smart TVs in India. The company has brought four models in total and they span across three different sizes- 32,43, and 55-inches. Let’s take a look at their specifications, features, and prices.

itel G-series Android TV itel G3230IE, itel G4330IE, itel G4334IE, and itel G5534IE Price, Availability

itel has brought four Android TVs to the market. The lower-priced ones run Android TV 9 whereas the 43 and 55-inches run Android TV 10. You can take a look at the pricing below:

itel G3230IE(32-inch, HD Ready)– ₹16,999
itel G4330IE(43-inch, FHD)– ₹28,499

The company hasn’t revealed the complete list of pricing yet but said that the TVs would be available for purchase starting today across offline stores in the country.

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itel G-series 32-inch, 43-inch, 55-inch Android TVs Specifications and Features

itel G3230IE and itel G4330IE

itel 32-inch and 43-inch Android TV with model numbers itel G3230IE and itel G4330IE has HD ready and FHD display. These displays have resolutions of 1366×768 and 1920×1080 pixels respectively. They also have a viewing angle of 170°, and have respective contrast ratios of 3000:1 and 4000:1.

In terms of storage, these two TVs have 1GB RAM and 8GB storage each. They run Android TV 9, have I/O like 1xTuner, 2xHDMI, 1xMini AV, 1xUSB, 1xRJ-45, 1×3.5mm jack, 1xOptical

itel G4334IE and itel G5534IE

On the other hand, the itel G4334IE and itel G5534IE come in 43-inch and 53-inches sizes, have a 4K UHD panel with a resolution of 3840*2160 Pixels, and 1300:1 and 1200:1 contrast ratios respectively.

Unlike the above models, these two Android TVs have slightly wider viewing angles(178°). Also, they have 2GB RAM and 8GB onboard storage, run Android TV 10, have 3xHDMI, 2xUSB ports, 1xMini AV & Mini-YPbPr port in addition to the ones mentioned above.

Apart from this, all the four models have some common features like frameless design, 60Hz refresh rate displays, 24W(12*2) speakers with Dolby Audio, Bluetooth remote with Voice control for Google Assistant(Hotkeys for Amazon Prime, Netflix, YouTube), Play Store, Google Assistant, Chromecast built-in, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity.

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Redmi Note 10 display and body breaks after Durability Test (Video)

By

Sean

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Mar 18, 2021

The Redmi Note 10 was recently put under an intense durability test. In a new YouTube video, the device was submerged in water, scratched, dropped, and even bent to test its endurance.

The new YouTube video was from a YouTube channel called Gupta Information Systems. This video had a brand new Redmi Note 10 model put through a durability test, which is quite similar to the one we’ve seen on the JerryRigEverything channel. The first test involves a complete submersion test for the device, which is rated for just splash proof. It was submerged for 5 minutes, which had small amounts of water enter through the SIM card slot.

Despite this, the device still functioned normally, but other flaws in the design started to show soon after. In the scratch test on the body, it was found that the device’s volume buttons still had the same issue that affected its predecessor, with the buttons being easy to snap off with enough force. Similarly, scratch were quite easy to induce on most parts of the body, except the Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 front panel. While the device still performed average in the remaining tests, the final drop and bend tests were where the issue started.

In the video title, “take an insurance” was stated, which seems apt considering a drop test with the screen facing downward ruined the display. While the Gorilla Glass remained intact, the panel on the inside did not function properly. This might also be partly due to the fact that the Note 10 was dropped in three different angles. In the final bend test, the smartphone broke apart from the region that housed the side mounted fingerprint sensor.

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Sennheiser IE 300 earphones launched in India with detachable MMCX Fidlidy+ connectors

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 18, 2021

Last month, Sennheiser revealed that it is looking to sell its consumer audio business. However, that’s not stopping the company from launching new products. The German brand has announced a new pair of audiophile earphones in India called Sennheiser IE 300.

The newly launched Sennheiser IE 300 earphones are targeted at customers who want to experience hi-fi audio at budget. But that does not mean they are cheap since they are priced at ₹29,999 ($414).

These earphones will be available at Sennheiser online store, leading online retailers, and select offline stores across India. They will go on sale starting March 25 in the country.

The Sennheiser IE 300 in-ear earphones feature the company’s 7mm Extra Wide Band (XWB) transducers that are manufactured in Germany. Unlike common earphones, they come with a detachable 3.5mm cable.

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This cable is reinforced with Para-Aramid for durability. Further, the cable includes gold-plated MMCX Fidlidy+ connectors that go into the 4.8mm-wide socket of earphones’ housing and an L-shape 3.5mm headphone jack. Customers can also buy 2.5mm and 4.4mm connector cables separately.

Talking about technical specs, the earphones offer up to 124dB Sound Pressure Level (SPL), 6Hz-20KHz frequency response, less than 0.08% Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) at 1KHz and 94dB SPL, and 16Ω impedance.

Other features of these earphones include a resonator chamber to remove masking resonances, a membrane foil for minimized natural resonances, three different sizes of silicone ear tips, and adjustable flexible ear hooks.

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Last but not least, the Sennheiser IE 300 weighs 4g without the cable, and the included cable measures 125cm in length.

Huami schedules launch event for March 23, most likely for Amazfit T-Rex Pro

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 18, 2021

Huami has set a launch date for March 23 and from the teasers, it is for a new smartwatch under its Amazfit brand. The teasers hint at the launch of the much-awaited Amazfit T-Rex Pro which has appeared in some recent leaks.

We spotted the announcement on the official Amazfit Store on AliExpress and it includes a short video teaser. Both the video teaser and image teasers below show a silhouette of a rugged watch whose design matches that of the Amazfit T-Rex Pro.

A leak from earlier this month revealed that the Amazfit T-Rex Pro will have a 1.3-inch AMOLED 360 x 360 display with Gorilla Glass protection and oleophobic coating. It will come with the BioTracker 2 PPG sensor, a 3-axis acceleration sensor, a 3-axis gyroscope, an altimeter, and a geomagnetic sensor. The watch will also support GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo satellite navigation systems.

Alongside the new Biotracker 2 PPG sensor, the Amazfit T-Rex Pro will also have a higher waterproof rating of 10 ATM. The battery capacity will remain unchanged at 390mAh but it will come with a new operating system that is based on RTOS (Real-Time OS). The smartwatch will be compatible with both Android and iOS devices. The smartwatch will also come in three new colors.

A leaked product page for the EU site said the Amazfit T-Rex Pro will cost €169.90 while the AliExpress listing puts a placeholder price of $299. We advise you to take these prices with a pinch of salt and wait till the March 23 launch date to know the official price tag. If you want to get an early look at the watch, a hands-on video is already available online.

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ZTE to launch MyOS on March 30, the company’s new user interface for smartphones

By

Jeet

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Mar 18, 2021

ZTE, the China-based technology company, has today officially announced its new mobile operating system interface — MyOS. This new user interface for the smartphone will replace the company’s existing MiFavor.

Making the announcement of this new UI, the company said that “this time, we broke through the inherent thinking, incorporated unfettered creative inspiration into the design, and brought a unique new personalized system: MyOS.”

This new MyOS user interface, running on top of the Android operating system, is expected to be first available on the company’s upcoming ZTE S30 series smartphones that are also scheduled to launch in China on 30th March. Later, it will be released for other ZTE models.

ZTE is calling it MyOS 11, which indicates that it is a successor of the MiFavor 10.5 that came installed in the ZTE Axon 20 smartphone. Thus, it’s likely that the company has just changed the name from MiFavor to MyOS.

The development comes just days after ZTE’s executive confirmed that the company has no plans of adopting the Huawei HarmonyOS for its smartphones this year. Now, the reason behind that is pretty clear.

At this time, nothing much is known about the new MyOS but the company will be revealing more details on 30th March, along with the launch of the Axon S30 series smartphones. We expect to know more about it in the coming days through leaks and teasers from the company.

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Deal: Buy Zhiyun Cinepeer C11 Gimbal for $52.13 (Original Price $60)

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Daily Deals

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Mar 18, 2021

AliExpress is giving out Zhiyun Cinepeer C11 Gimbal for $52.13 only. The handheld stabalizer which generally retails at $60 is now available at the discounted price of $52.13 only.

WHERE TO BUY

Zhiyun Cinepeer C11 Gimbal at $52.13 @AliExpress

Zhiyun Cinepeer C11 is a gimbal/stabilizer specifically designed for smartphones. With this device, you can simply record your stories on the go without worrying about video and image quality. Compatible with iOS 10.0 and Android 5.0 or higher versions, the gimbal comes with an optimized C11 3-axis stabilizing system that helps you to take smooth and clear footage while minimizing shaky and grainy frames, as you move.

The gimbal comes with a 4-way joystick and features a variety of visual functions like dolly zoom, object tracking, panorama, timelapse, motion lapse, etc. Designed to function in both portrait and landscape mode, Zhiyun Cinepeer C11 comes with 12 hours of battery life and even a Phone charging option.

Generally retailing at $60, you can now buy Zhiyun Cinepeer C11 Gimbal for $52.13 only. This limited-time offer comes with free shipping from the China warehouse and additional coupons from AliExpress. So go get your gimbal 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.

OPPO Find X2 Neo gets the stable ColorOS 11(Android 11) update

By

Balaji S

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Mar 18, 2021

OPPO has been living up to the promise of updating its older devices with ColorOS 11 based on Android 11. The company has recently updated devices like the OPPO F15, Reno2 Z (Beta), and Reno2 F. Now, It has added the OPPO Find X2 to this tally.

If you recall, OPPO had released the global update rollout plan for March 2021 earlier this month. Accordingly, the OPPO Find X2 Neo was supposed to be getting the stable update this month. However, a user named Rafael on Twitter had posted a query about the delayed update.

As per his tweet, the device with model number CPH2009 didn’t receive the update, and OPPO’s ColorOS global account has replied to this and officially confirmed that the rollout has already begun in Spain. In case you don’t know the March rollout plan notified that users in Spain, Netherlands, and France will be getting the update for the OPPO Find X2 Neo.

I go there every day every 5 minutes a day and my phone doesnt get the software update. You are not reading me.

— Rafael Jiménez (@rafajimenezpe) March 18, 2021

Responding to this message, the user has replied that despite checking in the software update section frequently, he isn’t receiving it. This could be because of a staggered rollout and it might take a few days before reaching everyone via OTA.

OPPO launched the Find X2 Neo with Android 10-based ColorOS 7 in April 2020. It’s almost a year now and the device is finally getting the Android 11 update. To know more about the features of the ColorOS 11, you can read our coverage on the same.

Talking about the rollout, now that OPPO has begun the update in Spain, the other two countries, Netherlands and France, as mentioned above, should be getting it sooner. However, if you are living in Spain and have already got the update, let us know in the comments below.

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Huawei working on addressing the security concerns across the globe: Official

By

Sean

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Mar 18, 2021

Huawei is working on addressing the various security risks and national security concerns that surrounds it across the globe, as stated by the company’s official in a recent interview.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Andy Purdy, chief technology officer of Huawei Technologies Co.’s U.S. operations, stated that it is currently discussing the ‘prospects’ for the company amid frictions between the world’s two largest economies, the US and China. Last week, the US Federal Communications Commission stated that telecommunications and video surveillance made by five Chinese companies including Huawei “pose an unacceptable risk to the national security.”

Earlier this week, the FCC moved towards banning China Unicom and ComNet from the US entirely. Purdy added that the it also too early to tell if the new Biden administration would be better than the previous one. Furthermore, the executive also added that the company is focusing on its “ability to do business in the United States,” while recognizing the COVID-19 having a major impact on the nation’s economy.

Previously, we had reported on the US government had imposed a new restriction on Huawei suppliers over 5G technology licensing. Furthermore, when asked about its efforts in addressing the allegations regarding the company being a security threat, Andy stated that the firm has made “tremendous developments.” The official said that the company is focusing globally, especially with the European Union, pushing for “objective standards” for telecom operators and equipment suppliers, which the brand hopes would inform the US government and help alleviate the national security concerns the company faces.

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Blackview Tab 9 launching soon with its own customized OS Skin

By

Simranpal Singh

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Mar 18, 2021

It looks like Blackview is heading to launch a new tablet named Blackview Tab 9. The new tablet device will be a replacement for Blackview Tab 8, which was launched back in 2020. The tablet has acquired a great deal of notoriety for its good quality and budget-friendly price tag.

Must See: Blackview BV6600 rugged smartphone with 8580 mAh battery debuts for sale at $129.99

Coming to its highlights, the new tablet runs Android 10-based self-developed OS. Blackview’s engineers have been developing the OS for many months by putting in a lot of effort and time. The new OS is expected to come with subtle app icons and a user interface that gives a great and fantastic experience. Moreover, an inbuilt system helps users run every task more smartly than before. As it is a self-developed OS, the device may run perfectly as each, and every feature is selected manually.

The name of Blackview’s upcoming OS is not decided yet, but the company is conducting a prize contest to congregate all the user suggested names. Interested users can follow this link to join the prize contest. Also, remember that the contest is going to end on March 22 at midnight, GMT+8.

Talking about a few specifications, the Blackview Tab 9 comes with a 10.1-inch FHD+ display while sporting a 1920 x 1200 pixels resolution and offering very thin bezels. Moreover, the device comes with a slim and elegant look. It is also expected to house a 7,480 mAh massive battery which can support 840 hrs Standby, 30 hrs Calling, 38 hrs of Music, etc. It is coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage to provide a better multitasking experience. In-camera, there’s a 13-MP rear camera and a 5-MP front camera.

More information about the Blackview 9 Tab is available via its official website.

Related: Blackview BV6600 rugged smartphone will offer 3-5 days of battery backup

Live images of Vivo X60 Pro global variant appears via NCC listing revealing a triple cam setup

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 18, 2021

BBK subsidiary Vivo has already launched the Vivo X60 series comprised of the X60 and X60 Pro in China. The two models are almost identical in terms of specs with some minor differences. One prominent difference is the presence of a Quad camera setup on the X60 Pro with the fourth sensor being an 8MP 5x periscope lens.

Well, Vivo may soon launch the models in the global market with several teasers already being shared. The models have also been certified by several agencies. The latest news is that the X60 Pro has appeared on the website of Taiwan’s NCC, giving us a peek at the device.

The major take from the listing is that the X60 Pro will come with a triple camera setup instead of four which is utilized on the Chinese variant. This doesn’t seem to be the Vivo X60, in case you are thinking along that line. The device is listed with the model number V2046 and it has appeared on several certification websites bearing this same model number. For reference, the X60 has model number V2045.

In addition, the model also comes with a centrally located punch-hole camera as well as a gradient rear panel. At the rear, there is a rectangular camera module with the Zeiss badge. The module houses three sensors.

Other aspects seem to align with those of the Chinese variant as the X60 Pro is shown to pack a 4200mAH battery with 33W fast charging support.

To recall, the Vivo X60 Pro packs a 6.56-inch AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution of 2376×1080 pixel. The phone also comes with support for HDR10 and HDR10+. While the Chinese version is powered by an Exynos 1080 chip, the global version may likely pack a Snapdragon chipset.

The Vivo X60 series is expected to be launched in India on March 25.

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OPPO F19 Pro+ 5G will launch as OPPO Reno5 Z 5G in Asia and OPPO A94 5G in Europe: Report

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 18, 2021

Last week, OPPO launched the OPPO F19 Pro+ 5G as the company’s most affordable 5G smartphone in India. This handset is now expected to arrive with two different names in separate markets.

OPPO A94 5G Cosmo Blue Render Leak — OPPO A94 5G Cosmo Blue | Source: Dealntech

Two OPPO smartphones called OPPO A94 5G and OPPO Reno5 Z 5G are in the news for a while now. According to a report by Dealntech, these devices are nothing but a rebranded OPPO F19 Pro+ 5G.

The publication says that the OPPO Reno5 Z 5G will be sold in Asia. On the other hand, the OPPO A94 5G will be available in Europe. Additionally, the report reveals that the latter phone will come in two colors, namely Cosmo Blue (pictured above) and Fluid Black.

As far as specifications are concerned, the upcoming OPPO A94 5G and OPPO Reno5 Z 5G will be powered by MediaTek Dimensity 800U SoC. They will flaunt a 6.43-inch FHD+ (2400 × 1080 pixels) AMOLED display with a single punch-hole at the top left corner.

Further, the devices will sport a quad-camera setup on the back consisting of a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide unit, a 2MP macro snapper, and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies and video calls, they will come with a 16MP shooter.

Other features of these handsets will include dual-SIM, 5G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, GNSS(BeiDou, GLONASS, and Galileo, GPS), 3.5mm headphone jack, dedicated microSD card slot, in-display fingerprint sensor, ColorOS 11.1 based on Android 11, 4,310mAh battery, and 50W fast charging.

Huawei launches the IdeaHub Board smart screen aimed at smart education and offices

By

Sean

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Mar 18, 2021

During its Intelligent Collaboration New Product 2021 launch event, Huawei officially announced its IdeaHub Board, which is the industry’s first collaboration whiteboard that offers optical anti blue light technology.

The Huawei IdeaHub Board is certified by TÜV Rheinland, a technology that eliminated harmful blue light and color cast to provide a more vivid while safe visual experience, as per a PRNewsWire report. Furthermore, the Chinese tech giant also featurse innovative functions like wireless projection and smart writing to enhance user experience for multiple purposes like education, or training sessions, local meetings, and a lot more. The IdeaHub Board is available in 65 inch and 86 inch variants and is suitable for both floor and wall mount and can even be used in classrooms and offices.

According to Pan Yong, Vice President of Huawei Intelligent Vision & Collaboration Product & Solution Sales, “The rapid acceleration of the digital economy has made digital work and education the new normal for every organization and individual. HUAWEI IdeaHub series, which was released last year, are brand-new productivity tools designed to help users across various industries adapt to this new normal and achieve device-cloud synergy collaboration.”

He further added that “The brand-new HUAWEI IdeaHub Board is the latest addition to this series. It is specially designed for smart classrooms, meeting rooms, and open office spaces, facilitating smarter and more efficient collaboration.” The company has even worked on optimizing the device’s color calibration, and ambient light adaptation to ensure a safe visual experience, especially through its 4K optical blue-light proof technology.

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iQOO Z3 reservations begin in China, May launch next week

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 18, 2021

A reservations page of the unannounced iQOO Z3 phone has appeared at the Chinese retailer site JD.com. Hence, it appears that the iQOO Z3 could be the moniker of the upcoming Z-series iQOO phone for China. The listing suggests that the smartphone may break cover in the coming week.

The JD listing of the iQOO Z3 has no information on its specifications. The handset is now up for reservations until March 26 in China. This indicates that the Z3 may go official on March 26. iQOO is yet to confirm the specifications of the smartphone.

iQOO Z3 specifications (Rumored)

It is speculated that the Vivo V2073A that was recently spotted at China’s 3C authority and Google Play Console could be the upcoming iQOO Z3 smartphone. At Play Console, the smartphone was seen with an SM-7250 Qualcomm chipset. This SoC is associated with Snapdragon 765G and Snapdragon 768G chipsets. According to a reliable Chinese tipster, the iQOO Z3 is powered by the Snapdragon 768G SoC.

The iQOO 7 and iQOO Neo5 flagship phones are equipped with OLED panels. The upcoming iQOO Z3 will be the company’s first smartphone with an LCD screen. It supports a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2408 pixels and it may carry support for a 144Hz refresh rate.

The rear-facing triple camera unit of the smartphone could be led by the Sony IMX589 48-megapixel primary camera. There is no word on its auxiliary camera, selfie camera, and battery capacity. Its 3C listing revealed that it could be coming with support for 55W fast charging.

The Chinese manufacturer is also speculated to soon launch an entry-level 5G phone called the iQOO U3x in China. This device could be are branded version of the Vivo Y31s 5G, which was announced in January in China.

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ASUS ROG Phone 5 premium gaming smartphone fails durability test

By

Jeet

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Mar 18, 2021

ASUS launched its fourth-generation gaming smartphone — ASUS ROG Phone 5 series earlier this month. The lineup includes three devices — ROG Phone 5, ROG Phone 5 Pro, and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate.

Now, YouTube channel JerryRigEverything conducted a durability test of the ASUS ROG Phone 5 but to the surprise of many, the device failed the test. A premium high-end gaming smartphone, which is made for rough usage, should have better durability.

When Jerry tried to bend the smartphone, without applying the full force, the phone’s vibratory went haywire and the bottom of the display started facing issues. A little more bend on the front made the display stopped working. When the phone was bent on the back, the glass-coated back panel cracked and the phone was dead.

However, the phone survived a few other tests, including the scratch test and the heat test. But it ultimately failed the durability test given that the smartphone was dead after performing the bend test on the device.

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 series come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The standard and Pro model max at 16GB RAM and 512GB internal storage, while the Ultimate version comes with a whopping 18GB RAM, similar to the RedMagic 6 Pro Special Edition.

On the front, the phones in the lineup come with a 6.78-inch FHD+ Samsung Super AMOLED Display (E4) with up to 144Hz refresh rate, 24.3ms touch latency, 300Hz touch sampling rate, and an in-screen fingerprint sensor.

As for the optics, the devices feature a triple camera setup on the back consisting of a 64MP Sony IMX686 primary sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide unit, and a 5MP macro shooter. There is also a 24MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.

The devices run the latest Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with both ZenUI and ROG UI on top. The phones are powered by a dual-3000mAh (6,000mAh) battery with support for 65W fast charging and Qualcomm Quick Charge 5.0.

RELATED:

Volvo to halt car production in China and US in March due to chip shortage

By

Sean

-

Mar 18, 2021

Volvo Cars will temporarily be halting or adjusting its production in China and the US. The primary reason for this move is due to the company being affected by the chip shortage issue that has affected various industries across the globe.

According to a YahooNews report, the automobile maker made the announcement of adjusting or halting production earlier this week for China and the United States. As per the official statement, “We expect the situation to become critical during the second quarter and have therefore decided to take measures to minimize the impact on production while working daily to improve the situation. Volvo Cars will temporarily stop or adjust production in some of its car factories (in the United States and China) during the month of March.”

The company further added that it has yet to be affected or lose volumes due to the global chip shortage. Although, it said that there was a “big risk,” which could hit during the first quarter of this year. Notably, the shortages in semiconductors has affected the automobile industry, with various car makers competing with the consumer electronic industry for chip supplies.

Previously, we had reported on the impact the chip supply issue would have on the automobile industry. Similarly, Germany has also urged Taiwan for help over its own automobile production issues owing to semiconductor shortages. The issue is expected to persist this year, so stay tuned for more updates.

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iQOO 7 and Neo5 spotted at BIS, Likely to launch soon in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Mar 18, 2021

Recent reports have claimed that iQOO is gearing up to launch new iQOO phones in India. One of them seems to be the iQOO 7 flagship phone that debuted in China in January. A screenshot shared by tipster Abhishek Yadav reveals the alleged iQOO 7 and iQOO Neo5 smartphones have received approval from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

🤩🤩🤩
iQOO 7 will launch in April in India 🇮🇳got BIS certification.
Model No: I2009
One More device will launch in India having model no I2011 (iQOO Neo5 expected)@gagan_arora1 Can't Confirm but I can🤪 https://t.co/CjATsxS9d9 pic.twitter.com/58Wvr48DSh

— Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) March 18, 2021

The BIS screenshot shared by the tipster shows that I2009 and I2011 are the model numbers of the upcoming iQOO smartphones for India. The I2009 was previously spotted with Snapdragon 888, mobile platform, 12 GB of RAM, and Android 11 OS at Geekbench in February. It is speculated that this model may break cover in India as the iQOO 7.

The iQOO I2011 model number has been spotted for the first time. A similar model number I2012 with specs like Snapdragon 870, 8 GB of RAM, and Android 11 OS was spotted at Geekbench last month. At that time, it was speculated that this device could be the Indian variant of the iQOO Neo5.

The I1927 and I1928 model numbers belong to the 4G and 5G variants of last year’s iQOO 3. Hence, there is a possibility that I2012, as well as I2011 model numbers, could be associated with the Neo5. With BIS certifications in tow, it appears that iQOO will soon announce new iQOO phones in India.

In related news, iQOO is reportedly planning to launch a mid-range Z-series phone and an entry-level U-series smartphone in China. These devices are likely to debut as iQOO Z3 and iQOO U3x by the end of this month. The Z3 may feature a 144Hz display, Snapdragon 768G, and 48-megapixel triple cameras, whereas the iQOO U3x could be a rebadged version of the Snapdragon 480 powered Vivo Y31s 5G.

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