Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G images appear on TENAA

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Mar 22, 2021

The open beta from Android 12 OS has just revealed that the Google Pixel 6 might arrive with an under display fingerprint scanner. This feature was recently spotted in the latest beta version of the upcoming operating system.

According to a TechRadar report, developer kdrag0n spotted the mention of ‘UdfpsControllerGoogle’ in the code from the second Android 12 developer preview. The ‘udfps’ stands for an under display fingerprint scanner, which was a part of the com.google.android.systemui path that suggests that the feature might be arriving for a future Pixel device. This also implies that the feature is being developed for Pixel smartphones, instead of the feature being generally supported by Android OS.

Keep in mind that this does not confirm that the search engine giant will be launching a Pixel with an under display fingerprint scanner, but it does hint at it. With support for the feature being included in Android 12, we might see the Pixel 6 arrive with this feature, along with the latest iteration of Android OS as well. Previously, reports had also emerged that the company might be using a combination of an in display fingerprint scanner and facial recognition system, to unlock the device.

Another new feature noticed in the Android 12 beta, the company made certain changes to its dark mode. At the moment, Pixel devices offer a black background, but the newer update changes the backgrounds of supported apps to gray. This is an odd move considering that the darker color would be more effective in lessening the battery consumption on an OLED display.

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Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 tipped to feature an 11-inch high refresh rate display

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Mar 22, 2021

Xiaomi’s last tablets (Mi Pad 4, Mi Pad 4 Plus) were released in 2018. It was thought that the company has exited this device category. However, that does not appear to be the case. The so-called Mi Pad 5 has been rumored for the past few weeks. Today, a reliable Chinese leakster has also confirmed the existence of this tablet.

According to the popular Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station, the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 will flaunt an 11-inch display with a high refresh rate. For comparison, the 2018 Mi Pad 4 and Mi Pad 4 Plus had an 8-inch screen and a 10.1-inch display respectively with the standard 60Hz refresh rate.

In other words, the Mi Pad 5 will have a similar-sized display as the iPad Air 4th Gen (10.9-inch) and iPad Pro 11-inch. Further, according to him, the upcoming Xiaomi tablet will also have support for Xiaomi Device Control, a feature identical to HUAWEI Multi-screen Collaboration.

Anyway, the leaker is not sure if the Mi Pad 5 will be announced at the company’s March 29 event at which it is expected to unveil Mi 11 Lite 5G, Mi 11 Pro, and Mi 11 Ultra.

That said, in late February, alleged specs and renders of the Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 leaked. But they could be mostly fake.

Vivo Y72 5G with a 6.58-inch display, Dimensity 700, 64MP triple cameras, and 5,000mAh battery launched

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 22, 2021

Vivo has launched the Vivo Y72 5G smartphone in Thailand. While the company has launched a couple of 5G-enabled Y-series smartphones in China, the Y72 5G is the first Y-lineup with 5G support to arrive in other markets. The major highlights of the smartphone include a 6.58-inch display, Dimensity 700 chipset, a 64-megapixel triple camera system, and a big battery.

Vivo Y72 5G specifications and features

The Vivo Y72 5G sports a teardrop notch IPS LCD screen of 6.58 inches. It offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, a 20:9 aspect ratio, 96 percent NTSC color gamut, and a 90.6 precent screen-to-body ratio. The display notch features a 16-megapixel snapper for selfies and video calls.

The Y72 5G has a uniquely designed vertical camera setup, which comprises a 64-megapixel, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with a 120-degree FOV, and a 2-megapixel macro shooter with a 4cm focal length. It offers photography features like EIS, eye autofocus, and super night mode. The phone boots to FunTouch OS 11.1 flavored Android 11 OS.

The Dimensity 700 SoC powers the Vivo Y72 5G with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. It is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W charging. The handset offers users other features like dual SIM support with 5G, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, USB-C, a microSD card slot, a superlinear speaker, and a 3.5mm audio jack. For security, the Y72 5G has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and it carries support for face unlock.

Vivo Y72 5G pricing and availability

The Vivo Y72 5G’s sole version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage is priced at 9,999 Baht (~$323) in Thailand. It comes in two colors such as Graphite Black and Dream Glow. The smartphone will be up for pre-orders between March 25 to March 30, and it will go on sale on March 31.

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iQOO Z3 pricing leaked, starts from 1799 Yuan ($276)

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Mar 22, 2021

Earlier today (22nd March 2021), iQOO President revealed the official renders of the iQOO Z3. The device is set to launch on 25th March 2021, and now, the pricing of the new device has been spotted on a popular Chinese e-commerce platform, starting from 1,799 Yuan (roughly 276 US Dollars).

The upcoming handset is expected to arrive with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G processor along with 55W flash charging as well. It was estimated that the new device will be priced between 1,000 Yuan to 2,000 Yuan, so the listing on the online portal seems to be in line with previous expectations. Talking about the device, the device is expected to feature Snapdragon 768G SoC, which is a 5G enabled processor.

Furthermore, the display is also said to feature a high refresh rate as well. For photography, the handset will reportedly arrive with a 48 megapixel Sony IMX589 primary camera on the rear. Other features include, a centered punch hole display, LPDDR4X RAM, UFS 2.2 storage, while the device is powered by a large 4,500mAh battery pack.

Apart from the high refresh rate, the display is expected to have a FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2408px) with a PPI density of 480. Unfortunately, we will have to wait for the smartphone maker’s official announcement to know for sure. So stay tuned for more, as we will be covering the launch event and provide updates when additional information is available.

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OnePlus Watch Pricing for Europe leaked

By

Balaji S

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Mar 22, 2021

Amidst a packed launch schedule, OnePlus is bringing their OnePlus 9 series and OnePlus Watch tomorrow(March 23). With just a day left, the pricing of the OnePlus Watch for Europe has now been leaked.

Leaker Ishan Agarwal says that the OnePlus Watch will start at €150 for the European / EU market. He hasn’t mentioned the price for other regions like China, India. Also, do note that he says it’s a starting price so this could be for the standard variant.

Previous leaks say that the OnePlus Watch will launch in two variants- Standard and LTE. The Watch dial, however, will have 46mm size and come in two colors- Silver, Black. Renders have already given us a good look at how the smartwatch would look like in Black.

Unsurprisingly, the OnePlus Watch looks more like the OPPO Watch RX that never released. Today, Ishan has posted the renders in both colors. Considering its OnePlus, the device should also have an AMOLED display and there are chances of it being 1.28-inches in size.

OnePlus Watch Official Renders, Credit: Ishan Agarwal

Coming back to the pricing, Ishan clearly says that these prices are only for Europe. Generally, OnePlus products tend to be a little pricier in this region compared to others like Asia so a mere conversion is useless.

As for features, the OnePlus Watch is expected to have heart-rate(PPG) and Blood Oxygen monitoring(SpO2 sensor), in addition to sleep and stress monitoring, 4GB storage, IP68-rating, Warp Charge technology, answer phone calls, control media, serve as a remote for OnePlus TVs, 110+ workout modes, & more.

The smartwatch is launching on March 24 in China but the pre-orders are already live in the region.

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HONOR Pad 7 launch date is March 23, Could be powered by Helio G80 SoC

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Mar 22, 2021

A couple of weeks back, a leakster tipped that HONOR will be launching HONOR Pad 7 later this month. The person turned out to be right as the brand has officially confirmed to unveil this product tomorrow (March 23) alongside HONOR V40 Light Luxury Edition. That’s not all, a mysterious HONOR tablet has also been spotted on Geekbench, and there’s a high chance that it could be the HONOR Pad 7.

Late last week, the HONOR Smart Life Weibo account confirmed that HONOR Pad 7 will be launched on March 23 (tomorrow). Also, the handle revealed the design of this tablet by sharing a couple of images that showcase the device in two colors (Grey, Blue).

Going by the pictures, the HONOR Pad 7 will look identical to its predecessor HONOR Pad 6, just like the mockup design shared by the leakster who tipped the existence of this product in the first place. Lastly, earlier today, the brand has also confirmed that this tablet will be targeted at students and it will support split-screen mode with up to 4 apps.

Talking about the Geekbench listing, which could be of this tablet, this device with model number AGM3-W09HN will be powered by MediaTek Helio G80 SoC coupled with 4GB RAM. For comparison, last year’s HONOR Pad 6 comes with HiSilicon Kirin 710A SoC. However, similar to its forerunner, the new model will also run Android 10.

Unfortunately, nothing else is known about this tablet except for the above-mentioned specifics. But anyway, since the launch is just a few hours away from now, we don’t have to wait for a long time to learn more about it.

Samsung Display OLED shipments falls by 9% due to low Apple iPhone 12 mini sales

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Mar 22, 2021

Samsung Display‘s shipment of OLED (organic light emitting diode) panels has fallen by 9 percent in January 2021, over the previous month, reaching 45 million units in sales as per a new report.

The primary reason for the decline in sales is apparently due to the lackluster sales of the iPhone 12 mini from Apple, as per TheElec report. Last year, the Cupertino based giant launched four models in its iPhone 12 series. While the lineup overall saw great success across the globe with higher than expected sales thanks to its 5G support, the lowest end entry model saw lackluster demand. The sales of the 5.4 inch iPhone 12 mini was lower than what the company had anticipated.

Notably, the South Korean display maker is the sole supplier for the OLEDs on the Mini variant of the iPhone 12. The first quarter of a year is usually known to be an off season for smartphone sales, although, Samsung Display’s OLED display supply to Chinese companies remained strong in the same month. These ‘rigid’ OLED panels use glass substrates and are relatively cheaper than flexible OLED panels that use plastic (polyimide), which are found in flagship handsets like the iPhone and Galaxy S21 lineup.

The global shipments of OLED panels reached 53 million units, marking a decline of 9 percent. Out of this figure, Samsung Display accounted for 45 million units or about 85 percent of the total. On the other hand, LG Display shipped 6 million units in January 2021. In terms of rankings, Samsung Display arrived first, followed by BOE and Tianma as second and third respectively.

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Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro teased again, features a high resolution display

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Mar 22, 2021

Earlier today (22nd March 2021), Xiaomi officially teased its new and upcoming Mi Notebook Pro. In the latest teaser, the company teased that the laptop will feature a high resolution display. Although, the high resolution is only one of its high end specifications.

Earlier this month, the Chinese tech giant shared the first teaser, in which it shared three images. These images offered a first glimpse of the new Mi Notebook Pro 2021’s design along with its retail box. Now, the consumer electronics maker shared a new teaser, which reveals that the laptop will sport a high resolution screen. As per a previous social media post from a company executive, the new Mi Notebook Pro will be a high end device.

According to ITHome report, the laptop was apparently spotted on Geekbench, with a model of TIMI TM2021. This notebook featured an Intel Core i7-11370H processor and the yet to be released NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. This device is expected to be the Mi Notebook Pro 2021. Although, this is still an unconfirmed benchmark listing, so take it with a pinch of salt for now.

Unfortunately, finer details regarding the laptop is still unknown. Furthermore, if the notebook does feature the RTX 3050 Ti, it would likely be released after NVIDIA officially announces the GPU. So, stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

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Honor flagship smartphone powered by SD888 to launch in July; foldable smartphone also coming

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Mar 22, 2021

After splitting up from Huawei Technologies a few months ago to run independently, Honor has made it a mission to surpass its former parent company and become one of the leading smartphone makers globally.

Recently, Honor’s Chief Executive Officer Zhao Ming revealed that the company will launch flagship smartphones this year and with that, it aims to surpass the Huawei Mate-series and P-series of flagship devices.

Now, a roadmap of the Honor devices for the current year has been leaked online which reveals when the mid-range and high-end devices from the brand will go official. It reveals that the flagship smartphone powered by Snapdragon 888 SoC will launch in July this year.

This is in line with the previous leak related to the premium high-end device from the brand. Further, it is revealed that the company will also launch its foldable smartphone around the same time.

Honor has been actively trying to build relations with other companies to strengthen its supply chain and production lines. It is reportedly working with AMD, Intel, Micron, Samsung, Qualcomm, Microsoft, and MediaTek for its upcoming devices.

Given that the company has separated from Huawei, it can now easily source required components from vendors which were earlier not possible under Huawei because of the sanctions imposed by the United States due to the on-going US-China trade war.

Honor is also in talks with Google to get GMS support. The company is also expanding its footprints, starting with its own Honor Mall online store and new offline stores. It will be interesting to see how Honor’s new devices perform in the market.

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Huawei and ZTE could qualify for India’s trusted 5G gear vendors list: Report

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Mar 22, 2021

Huawei and ZTE, two major Chinese telecommunications equipment maker, might just qualify for the Indian government’s “trusted” 5G gear vendors list. Both companies could meet the eligibility criteria for the list, which is being made by the government.

According to an EconomicTimes report, the India may qualify the two Chinese tech giant’s for the trusted list, as per a government official close to the matter. The official stated that the Department of Telecommunications is preparing to launch an online portal in June 2021. This portal will reveal the final list of approved manufacturers from which telecom operators can source their networking equipment from. The portal would also track the approval process as well.

As per the official, “Currently, most service providers buy equipment on an L1 (lowest-bidder) basis. We do not have any form of embargo or condition to procure such gear. We are worried about the procurement of active programmable components such as chips for which we are tightening the rules.” Firms like Nokia, Samsung, and Ericsson, as well as chip makers like Intel and Qualcomm, will also be scrutinized to be included in the “trusted” list along with the Chinese telecom equipment maker.

Notably, military clashes in the Indo-China border regions have led to growing anti-Chinese sentiments in India. This also caused the government to take various steps against China based companies to operate in India. It was basically implied that Chinese companies could no longer invest in the region and would require approval from Indian authorities. For those unaware, India is planning on rolling out 5G by late 2021 or early 2022. Thus, the government has been tightening rules for telecos to procure their 5G gear.

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HONOR Band 6 global launch teased officially

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Mar 22, 2021

Back in November, HONOR launched the HONOR Band 6 as the world’s first full-screen fitness tracker in China. Two months later in January, the brand showcased this product at CES 2021. At the event, the company confirmed that this smart band will be available in select markets priced at around $35. Now, a couple of months later, HONOR finally teases the global launch of HONOR Band 6.

The official Twitter handle of HONOR Global tweeted an image of the HONOR Band 6 with the text ‘Something BIG Is Coming’. This post by the brand clearly indicates the imminent global launch of its new fitness tracker.

As far as specs are concerned, the HONOR Band 6 sports a 1.47-inch rectangular AMOLED display with a resolution of 194 x 368 pixels and 2.5D glass. The fitness tracker comes in three colors (Meteorite Black, Seagull Grey, Coral Powder) with a subtle HONOR branding on the left side and a red-accented power key on the right.

The wearable connects with devices via Bluetooth 5.0 but unfortunately, it does not feature GPS. However, it includes all the necessary sensors, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an optical heart rate sensor for heart rate monitoring, and a SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen level monitoring.

Further, it supports 10 sports modes, sleep monitoring, menstrual cycle monitoring, 5ATM water resistance, up to 14-day battery life, and magnetic charging.

Last but not least, the HONOR Band 6 measures 43 × 25.4 × 11.45mm in dimensions and weighs about 18g (without strap).

LG might shut down its Mobile Phone operations: Report

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Mar 22, 2021

LG Electronics might be closing its mobile communications business instead of selling it. The news from a source close to the matter. Reportedly, the negotiations regarding the sale of the smartphone unit has failed.

According to a report from DongA Ilbo (Via Bloomberg), the South Korean tech giant’s plans on selling its mobile phone business has failed, with negotiations with Germany’s Volkswagen AG and Vietnam’s Vingroup JSC now being off the table. Earlier this year, the consumer electronics manufacturer’s CEO had stated that the company is considering all options for its loss making business. Since then, it has been reported that LG Electronics has been seeking the sale of the smartphone unit.

Previously, the company had apparently halted the development of its upcoming smartphone with a rollable display, back in February. Now, it is also being reported that the brand will also be shelving its plans to launch any new smartphones within the the first half of this year. In other words, it is effectively stopping any new devices from rolling out at the moment. Furthermore, the company may share its decision to the public and to its employees as soon as early April.

Notably, a recent Bluetooth SIG certification has given hope of the rollable smartphone’s launch, while a company spokesperson had also stated that the handset’s development has not been suspended. Unfortunately, this is still an unconfirmed report, so take it with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available regarding this matter.

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Xiaomi announces 2021 New Product Launch Event on March 29

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Mar 22, 2021

Xiaomi, one of the leading consumer electronics brands from China, has today officially announced that the company will be hosting its Spring New Product Launch Event in its home country on 29th March.

And not just China, the company has also announced the ‘2021 New Product Launch’ event globally, which is set on the same day — 29th March. The online (virtual) event will begin at 19:30 (GMT +8 timezone).

While the company has not confirmed which products are getting launched at the event, we expect to know more about it in the coming days, as Xiaomi keeps sharing new posters and teasers to keep the buzz going.

Rumors indicate that Xioami could be launching some high-end devices, including new variants of the Mi 11 lineup — the Mi 11 Pro and the Mi 11 Lite. There’s also a possibility that the company could announce the highly anticipated foldable smartphone under the brand’s Mi MIX lineup.

Additionally, a new flagship Mi Notebook Pro is also set to get launched at the same event, as the company has already teased, along with several other products. To know for sure what exactly the company has up its sleeves, we will have to wait for a few more days.

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OnePlus 7/7T series receive OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 4, OnePlus 7 finally gets AOD

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Mar 22, 2021

At the end of February, OnePlus released OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 3 update for OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7T, and OnePlus 7T Pro. Almost a month later, the company is now rolling out OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 4 for these four smartphones.

Just like the previous Android 11 public beta builds, the latest one for the OnePlus 7 series and the OnePlus 7T series come with a common changelog. However, since the brand did not release Open Beta 3 for the OnePlus 7 at the last moment, the changelog for this phone is different from the other three.

Anyway, talking about common fixes first, all four handsets get fixes for silent issue in Bluetooth aptX Adaptive mode and abnormal display of battery icon in the status bar. Further, the OnePlus 7 Pro and the OnPlus 7T series also receive fixes and improvements for some known issues and system stability respectively.

As for the OnePlus 7, the new public beta for this device brings fixes for slow charging rate in some cases, Voice Wakeup is turned off after a system upgrade, lagging issue when playing screen-recorded videos, and issue with Double Tap to Wake gesture.

Lastly, this update for the OnePlus 7 finally comes with Always-on display (AOD) and improvements for WiFi connection stability.

OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7T/7T Pro OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 4 Official Changelog

System

- Fixed the issue that the battery icon in the status bar is abnormally displayed
- Fixed known issues and improved system stability

Bluetooth

- Fixed the issue where Bluetooth headsets are silent in aptX Adaptive mode

OnePlus 7 OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 4 Official Changelog

System

- Fixed the issue of slow charging rate in some cases
- Fixed the issue where Voice Wakeup is turned off after a system upgrade
- Fixed the lagging issue when playing screen-recorded videos
- Fixed the small probability failure issue with the Double Tap to Wake
- Fixed the issue that the battery icon in the status bar is abnormally displayed

Ambient Display

- Always-on ambient display is available now (Go to: Settings – Utilities – OnePlus Laboratory – Always-on ambient display)

Bluetooth

- Fixed the silent issue when the Bluetooth transport protocol is changed to aptX or aptX Adaptive

Network

- Improved the stability of the Wi-Fi connection and reduce Internet outages

The OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 4 update for the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7T sears is being currently pushed in batches via OTA to the units that are already running the previous beta build. However, users running stable build can also install it by downloading the appropriate file from the OnePlus Community.

OPPO’s ColorOS Beta is now available for the OnePlus 8 smartphone in China

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Mar 22, 2021

OnePlus has two operating systems for its smartphones — HydrogenOS in China and OxygenOS for the rest of the world. While OxygenOS is very much alive and kicking, the HydrogenOS seems to be getting shut down.

The company is gearing up to switch to OPPO’s ColorOS for the Chinese market but the global versions will continue to run OxygenOS. Gary C., OxygenOS Product Lead has confirmed this development on OnePlus Forums.

In a blog post, Gacy C. writes that “China market devices will now be using a customized version of ColorOS, tailored specifically for OnePlus smartphones, starting with the upcoming OnePlus 9 series.”

It has also been confirmed that by OnePlus CEO Pete Lau that HydrogenOS will continue to be maintained and updated for the past devices. For those who are interested to switch to the ColorOS, the company has now also released a flashable build for the OnePlus 8 users.

Although OnePlus has been operating independently, the company was founded by former OPPO employees Pete Lau and Carl Pei. It has been using OPPO’s production lines and supply chain resources and some of the devices from OnePlus closely resemble the design of some OPPO’s phones.

Over the past few years, both the company seems to be merging their operations. Recently, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau took on additional responsibility as Senior Vice President of OPLUS, which allegedly involves duties for OPPO and OnePlus. They have also even merged the hardware R&D teams for both companies under one brand.

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Black Shark 4 Pro gaming smartphone becomes top performer in DxOMark audio testing

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