Samsung Galaxy A22 camera details ahead of rumored launch in June

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Mar 16, 2021

Samsung Electronics has been the market leader for memory chips for almost three decades now. But now, its dominance might not continue for much longer as emerging rivals have intensified competition, while it lags behind other major chip makers in the SoC industry (System on Chip).

According to a BusinessKorea report, the South Korean tech giant held a market share of 41 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. This was followed by SK Hynix that held 29.3 percent and Micron Technology with 24.3 percent market share. Furthermore, this is indicative of the gaps between Samsung and the other firms narrowing. As per the report, Samsung’s dominance might continue if its performance in the system on chip sector. Although, this would be quite difficult for the company.

An industry source close to the matter said that “Foundry-based ecosystem establishment to cover fabless and packaging is urgent to catch up with TSMC. South Korea’s system-on-chip industry can grow only after global leaders emerge in each of the segments.” In simpler terms, the fabless industry in South Korea is still insufficient as they lack original technology and professional manpower.

Notably, TSMC and Samsung Electronics’ first quarter foundry market shares are estimated to be around 56 percent and 18 percent respectively, with the latter’s market share never crossing 20 percent in the global foundry market. Talking about the former, the Taiwanese chip maker has been more than 300 percent of Samsung’s this year.

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OPPO Reno2 Z ColorOS 11 (Android 11) beta registrations go live in India

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Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 16, 2021

Earlier this month, OPPO shared the ColorOS 11 update plan for the month of March 2021. As per the schedule, the company is supposed to open beta registrations for the OPPO Reno2 Z on March 17 in India. However, the brand has started recruiting testers two days early since yesterday.

According to the announcement post on ColorOS Community, users who are on the software build version C.45 or C.47 can apply for the Android 11-based ColorOS 11 beta program in India. The first batch of recruitments will go on from March 15 to March 18.

In order to enroll in the program, interested users will have to navigate to Settings > Software Update > Gear Icon > Apply for Beta Version > Update Beta Version and follow the on-screen instructions. Users who get selected will receive the Android 11 beta update via OTA.

If they don’t get recruited, they can try registering whenever the company opens the next round. Anyway, all users should get the ColorOS 11 stable update in the coming days whether they apply for the beta program or not.

That said, Android 11 should be the last major update for the OPPO Reno2 Z. This smartphone debuted with Android 9.0 Pie-based ColorOS 6 in 2019 and was updated to ColorOS 7 (Android 10) last year.

Nokia G10 spotted with Helio P22, Nokia G20’s detail appear

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Mar 16, 2021

HMD Global will be announcing a launch event on April 8^th. Rumors have it that the company will announce Nokia X10, Nokia X20, and Nokia G10 smartphones. The initial report on G10 claimed that it will be arriving as a gaming-focused phone. However, its Geekbench listing tells a different story as it has been spotted with a low-powered chipset. At the same time, a new report by Nokia Power User has revealed the key details of a new phone named the Nokia G20, which may arrive with the G10.

The Nokia G10’s has scored 150 in the single-core test and 858 in the multi-core. The handset recorded such low scores because it is equipped with an Helio P22 chipset, which is mentioned with the MT6762 model number in the listing. The SoC is supported by 4 GB of RAM and it runs on Android 11 OS.

It is speculated that the handset has a 6.4-inch HD+ display, a 48-megapixel quad-camera system, a 16-megapixel selfie camera, 3GB / 4GB RAM, 32 GB / 64 GB storage, a 4,000mAh battery with 10W charging support. It may arrive in blue and purple color editions.

According to NPU, its source has revealed that the Nokia G20, which will be positioned higher than the G10, will feature a more powerful MediaTek chip. Without mentioning the details, it claimed the Nokia G20 will come with better cameras than the G10.

The publication claims that the Nokia G10 and G20 will bear some similarities with the Nokia 5.4. It calls the G10 a low-priced Nokia 5.4 alternative. On the other hand, the G20 is expected to offer a few better specs than the Nokia 5.4.

The Nikia G20 may arrive with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. It could be coming in colors like Silver and Blue. The 4G+64GB base model could be priced at 169 euros (~$201).

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realme C25 Indonesia launch date is March 23, Design and key specs revealed by a retailer

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Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 16, 2021

A few days back, realme C25 got certified by multiple certification bureaus. This smartphone with model number RMX3191 was even spotted on Geekbench. Now, this phone has been listed by a retailer in Indonesia revealing its primary specs, design, and launch date.

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According to the listing of realme C25 on Lazada, the smartphone will be launching in Indonesia on March 23. The device will be available in two colors (Water Grey, Water Blue) and in a single 4GB + 64GB storage configuration.

As far as specifications are concerned, the realme C25 will be powered by a MediaTek Helio G70 SoC. However, the handset’s Geekbench listing said it to feature a MediaTek Helio P65 SoC instead.

Further, the phone will sport a 48MP triple camera setup arranged in a matrix-like manner on the rear panel along with a capacitive fingerprint sensor. The device’s back will include a two-tone finish with a vertically placed realme branding.

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Other features of this handset will include a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone, and a 6,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. Last but not least, the smartphone will run realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 out of the box.

We expect to learn other aspects of the realme C25, including its price on March 23 when it will be officially launching in Indonesia.

Apple leads the wearables market, while global shipments rise by 28% in 2020: Report

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Mar 16, 2021

The global shipments of wearable products reached 153.5 million units in the fourth and final quarter of last year. This marked a year on year growth of 27.2 percent in this period while the annual shipments rose by over 28 percent, reaching 444.7 million units, with Apple leading the market once more.

According to an IDC report, the holiday season was a big driver for sales, owing to new launches and lowering prices. However, the surging demand is also due to the rising trend of wearable products, especially as disposable income rose due to falling expenditure on leisure activities during the pandemic. Furthermore, the rise in demand also marks a shift in the market trends and increasing popularity of smaller connected devices.

Apple led the market with an overall share of 36.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020. Its Watch shipments rose by 45.6 percent during this period, thanks to rising appeal of its three models aimed at different price segments, namely Series 6, Watch SE, and Series 3. Furthermore, even its hearables shipments rose during this quarter, despite its year on year performance showing a slight fall to 22 percent, down from 28 percent and 29 percent in the previous two quarters.

Despite the overall market seeing a rise, the growth was not even across various segments of the market, as companies and brands were also affected by the ongoing issue of global semiconductor shortages. Notably, the wristband category declined by 17.8 percent during the final quarter and only accounted for 11.5 percent of the all wearables shipped. By far, the hearables category accounted for the largest share of shipments, with a 64.2 percent share. This was followed by watches that accounted for 24.1 percent market share.

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Realme 8 Pro leak reveals display, processor, camera, and battery details

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Mar 16, 2021

Realme will be launching the Realme 8 series of smartphones on March 24 in India. Yesterday, Tech Spurt YouTube channel released an unboxing video of the Realme 8 Pro. The video did not reveal the specs of the phone but showcased its design from all angles. In addition, it also revealed what is included in the retail box of the Realme 8 Pro. Tipster Debayan Roy has leaked the key specifications of the Realme 8 Pro today.

The tipster claimed that the Realme 8 Pro will be equipped with a 6.4-inch S-AMOLED display that supports a 60Hz refresh rate. The single punch-hole screen is expected to carry support for a Full HD+ resolution.

The Realme 7 Pro was powered by the Snapdragon 720G chipset. It appears that the company will be using the same chip to fuel the Realme 8 Pro. Recently, a leakster revealed that it will come in variants like 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage.

There is no word on the front camera of the Realme 8 Pro. The square-shaped rear camera module of the device may have a 108-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel lens, and a pair of 2-megapixel sensors. The handset will be equipped with a 4,500mAh battery that supports 50W fast charging. In contrast, the Realme 7 Pro offered 65W fast charging.

The handset will come preloaded with Realme UI 2.0 based Android 11 OS. It also features an in-screen fingerprint reader. The device is expected to arrive in hues like Infinite Black, Infinite Blue, and Illuminating Yellow.

While the tipster is confident about the leaked specs of the Realme 8 Pro, it is advisable to digest this report with a grain of salt.

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Xiaomi patents a new ‘anti-peeping’ technology to ensure user privacy

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Mar 16, 2021

Earlier this week, a new Xiaomi patent was published online. The company’s mobile software unit published the new patent, which is for a new ‘anti-peeping’ technology to ensure user privacy.

According to an ITHome report, the patent from the Chinese tech giant describes a dedicated sensor that is constantly working to sense at least one face that might appear within a predetermined range of the sensor. In other words, the sensor will be capable of capturing at least one face, by performing facial recognition on the acquired image. As per the result of the facial recognition software, the algorithm would determine whether there is a person peeping on the user’s smartphone.

Through this technology, the device will be able to ensure user privacy by preventing any confidential data of files from being ‘peeped’ or leaked. In other words, the patent is to help protect sensitive user data. Unfortunately, it is currently unknown if the the company is actually working on such a product or covering all bases for a future iteration of this technology.

In the past, other consumer electronic makers have also patented similar technology as well. Although, a full fledged system has yet to be more widely adopted. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available regarding this patent.

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Mar 16, 2021

OnePlus will be launching its next-generation flagship smartphones under the OnePlus 9 series next week on 23rd March. Soon after that, the devices will up for sale in several regions. But potential buyers in Europe have a chance to get the device earlier than others.

Deutsche Telekom and OnePlus are partnering for a Blind Box Sale which will take place tomorrow. Users will be paying €1,111 (approximately $1,324) and they will get either OnePlus 9 or OnePlus 9 Pro along with a bunch of accessories.

The OnePlus 9 series smartphones are confirmed to get two years of official warranty. It remains to be seen if this is limited to Chinese users or applicable globally. The company decided to add an additional year of warranty as it found that most users replace their flagship smartphone after two years.

As for the specifications, the OnePlus 9 5G is expected to come with a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen that offers a 120Hz refresh rate while the OnePlus 9 Pro 5G may feature a 6.67-inch AMOLED QHD+ screen with support for a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, both the devices will come powered by the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform, coupled with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.

The smartphones are expected to feature a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. The Hasselblad branded rear camera system of the OnePlus 9 5G includes a 48-megapixel Sony IMX789 primary camera, and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 ultrawide snapper, and probably a telephoto lens. The Pro model has a quad-camera setup that includes a Sony IMX789 48-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 superwide sensor, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 2-megapixel depth helper.

The OnePlus 9 5G and 9 Pro 5G may feature a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging support. A recent leak claimed that the Pro model will support 50W wireless charging. There is a possibility that the standard variant may come with 30W charging.

Recently, it has been leaked that the OnePlus 9 5G will come in Stellar Black, Arctic Sky, and Winter Mist colors while the Pro variant will be offered in three colors — Astral Black, Morning Mist, and Pine Green. The launch event for the OnePlus 9 series is scheduled for 23rd March and the devices will launch in China on 24th March.

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AnTuTu calls out Realme GT smartphone for its unverified high score; removes it from platform

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Mar 16, 2021

AnTuTu, one of the leading smartphone benchmarking platforms issued an official statement to “fight against counterfeiting”. It said that the app couldn’t reproduce the scores secured by the Realme GT smartphone.

AnTuTu clarified that the Realme GT scores about 750,000 points in the AnTuTu v8. This is a good score among smartphones in the market that are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. However, when the company conducted its own analysis during testing, it found that the score obtained by the phone was not a manifestation of its true strength but was obtained through other means.

Because of this, AnTuTu said that it will remove the Realme GT’s scores for three months from the platform. After three months, the device will be included in the relevant list if Realme takes constructive steps against such practice. If that is not done, then the device could be permanently removed from the platform.

Last month, Xu Qi, Vice President of Realme, had published a screenshot of the test score of the Realme GT smartphone. He claimed that in a random AnTuTu, the phone scored 770,000 points, making it one of the most powerful phones powered by SD888 SoC.

Earlier, a similar spat between Realme and AnTuTu had taken place because of the scoring related to the Realme X50 Pro smartphone. The smartphone maker had claimed that the phone’s AnTuTu score surpassed the 60W mark but AnTuTu refused to acknowledge that as the test wasn’t conducted on the internet.

Realme GT 5G flagship smartphone was launched earlier this month and then soon went on sale in China. With a starting price of 2,899 yuan, the company claimed that it managed to generate a revenue of 100 million yuan in just 10 seconds of the phone going on sale.

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Redmi explains why the K40 series has a side mounted fingerprint sensor

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Mar 16, 2021

Earlier this week, Redmi officially released an article through its official Weibo account, a Chinese microblogging website, explaining why its latest K40 series of smartphones have its fingerprint sensor mounted on the side.

As per the article, the Chinese tech giant had to consider various factors while making the decision to have the fingerprint sensor placed on the side. This includes aesthetics and the overall look of the device along with its unlocking speeds. The last gen Redmi K30 series also featured a side mounted fingerprint scanner as well, although, that sensor required a small area to be cut out from the handset’s frame surface. But with the K40 lineup, the company housed the sensor on the button itself.

Furthermore, the fingerprint sensor on the K40 series is also thicker due to the button, which also enhances its structural strength and raises the height of the buttons as well. Similarly, due to its curved surface, the company’s team was also able to improve the materials and craftsmanship of the fingerprint button’s surface. This, in turn, improves its reception rate, which is also further optimized by recognition algorithm to ensure a quick and accurate unlock.

The Redmi K40 series was launched last month and is the company’s current flagship lineup. It features top notch specifications like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870/888 processor, with its price starting from 1999 Yuan (roughly 307 US Dollars). The brand also offers functions to this fingerprint scanner, while it is also directly tied with the Alipay health code as well.

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POCO X3 Pro design revealed via leaked renders

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 16, 2021

Yesterday, both POCO India and POCO Global revealed when their next launch event will be. The brand is expected to announce the long-rumored POCO X3 Pro at these virtual conferences. We know some of the specs of this handset along with its price for Europe. But now, for the first time, we get to see its design, thanks to a few leaked renders.

POCO X3 Pro Renders Leak Featured 01 — POCO X3 Pro | Source: Ishan Agarwal (Twitter)

The renders of the upcoming POCO X3 Pro come from Ishan Agarwal. He shared them on Twitter, just like he posted the renders of the Redmi Note 10 series before its launch.

As per his tweet and the image, the POCO X3 Pro will be available in three colors, namely Phantom Black, Metal Bronze, and Frost Blue respectively. Going by his Redmi Note 10 series renders leak, these could be the name of the colors in Europe and not India.

Talking about the design, the POCO X3 Pro will look identical to the standard POCO X3, as per the renders. The rear panel of the phone will have stripes, a huge POCO branding, and a large camera module. However, the colors will shimmer a little and that little thing will differentiate the Pro model from the non-Pro variant in terms of design.

POCO X3 Pro Renders Leak Featured 02 — POCO X3 Pro | Source: Ishan Agarwal (Twitter)

Further, the device will have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Whereas, on the front, it will flaunt a centered punch-hole display.

According to previous reports, the POCO X3 Pro will come with the unannounced Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC, FHD+ display, 4G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, 48MP quad-camera setup (wide + ultrawide + macro + depth), 6GB/8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB internal storage, and MIUI 12.

Last but not least, the smartphone is expected to retail for €269 and €319 for the 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB storage configurations respectively.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite key specs emerge, launch could be near

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Mar 16, 2021

Recent reports have revealed that the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will come in 4G and 5G versions. Fresh leaks have appeared to reveal the key specifications regarding the display, processor, and cameras of the Mi 11 Lite 4G.

According to Digital Chat Station, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G is equipped with a 6.55-inch screen. An image of the smartphone’s demo stand was shared by Xiaomiui Twitter handle. The image reveals that the Mi 11 Lite 4G features a 90Hz OLED screen that delivers 10-bit color depth. The Snapdragon 732G powers the device and it has a triple camera setup led by a 64-megapixel camera.

There will be a slight difference between the Indian and global version of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G. The global model has a macro lens, whereas the Indian edition is said to feature a depth sensor (probably, a 5-megapixel lens). The second sensor in the triple camera setup of the Mi 11 Lite 4G could be an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor.

Past reports have also revealed that the Mi 11 Lite 4G has 6 GB / 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in storage. It will be running on MIUI 12 based Android 11 OS. It could be backed by a 4,250mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging.

Previous reports have revealed that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G is codenamed as Courbet, whereas its 5G editions has a codename of Renoir. The 5G variant could be powered by the upcoming Snapdragon 7-series chip that is speculated to launch as the Snapdragon 775G. It may come in options such as 6 GB RAM +128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. This device may get rebadged as the Xiaomi Mi CC11 in China.

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OnePlus 9 Pro Morning Mist color teased; camera samples and screen specifications revealed

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Mar 16, 2021

OnePlus has already confirmed that the next-generation flagship smartphones from the company, the OnePlus 9 series, are getting launched on 23rd March. Along with the phones, the company is also expected to launch the OnePlus Watch.

As the launch date nears, the Chinese company is sharing more and more details related to smartphones as teasers. In the latest, the company’s CEO Pete Lau has shared images of the OnePlus 9 Pro in Morning Mist color and has also showcased its camera capabilities.

The smartphone looks stunning in the new Morning Mist color. Pete Lau says that the process of getting this finish on the glass takes 30 steps and more than 25 days. Apart from this, it is known that the phone will come in a few more color options.

At first glance it may appear simple. But the more you look at it, the more you see its beauty is in how it reflects the world around you. This is the #OnePlus9Pro Morning Mist. pic.twitter.com/OohJzxqirh

— Pete Lau (@PeteLau) March 15, 2021

The company has also shared a few images as camera samples of the upcoming OnePlus 9 Pro’s rear camera module. The primary sensor in the setup is the custom-made Sony IMX789, coupled with a Sony IMX766 ultra-wide sensor. OnePlus has also partnered with Hasselblad to improve its camera performance.

The camera on the OnePlus 9 series is said to be capable of supporting 4K video recording at 120fps and 12-bit RAW format for capturing 68.7 billion colors. OnePlus has been criticized for camera performance and this time, it seems to be determined to change that.

Capture a world of wonder and beauty with the #OnePlus9Series and @Hasselblad Camera for Mobile. Coming March 23.

👉 https://t.co/poRMwhH6Pq pic.twitter.com/neZBbqIy0b

— OnePlus (@oneplus) March 15, 2021

The #OnePlus9Series and @Hasselblad Camera for Mobile gives you the power to frame your memories with perfection. Coming March 23.

👉 https://t.co/poRMwhH6Pq pic.twitter.com/2cRIZDoFPQ

— OnePlus (@oneplus) March 15, 2021

Today, the company has also shared details about the OnePlus 9 Pro’s screen specifications. It claims that DisplayMate has certified its screen as A+. The true 10-bit display supports 2K resolution with 120Hz refresh rate, 8192-level brightness adjustment, automatic color temperature sensing, and is also the first batch of LTPO flexible screens.

The OnePlus 9 is expected to come in Blue, Black, and Purple colors while the Pro variant is expected to have three options — White, Green, and Black. Memory variants, pricing, and availability details will be officially revealed on 23rd March.

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Huami Technology shipped 45.7 million units of its wearable devices in 2020

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Mar 16, 2021

Huami Technology, the wearable device-making company backed by Xiaomi, which has recently changed its name internationally to Zepp Health, has revealed financial details for the fourth quarter of 2020 and the whole year.

The company has revealed that in the fourth quarter of 2020, it generated an operating income of 1.973 billion yuan and the company’s adjusted net profit was 128 million yuan. For the same time duration, it managed to ship 11.3 million units of its products.

As for the whole year of 2020, the company generated around 6.433 billion yuan in operating income, indicating a year-on-year increase of 10.7 percent. The adjusted net profit stands at 294 million yuan. For the year 2020, the company shipped 45.7 million units with a year-on-year increase of 8 percent.

Huami also said that it spent around 538 million yuan in Research & Development, which shows around a 25 percent increase compared to 2019. It also revealed that as of 31st December 2020, the company held cash and cash equivalents of 2.273 yuan, which is approximately $348.4 million.

For those who are unaware, Huami Technology is one of the leading wearable device makers globally and owns Amazfit and Zepp lineup of products. The company changed its name to Zepp Health Corporation for the global markets, trying to better convey its aim of “Technology Connected Health” and is hoping for better performance in 2021.

The company predicts that the net income for the first quarter of 2021 will be around 1 billion yuan and 1.15 billion yuan. Huami Technology has also officially confirmed that the Mi Band 6 is “ready to go” and could soon get launched in the market by Xiaomi.

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POCO X3 Pro price, variants and color options appear through retailer listing

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Mar 16, 2021

POCO is all set to launch the POCO X3 Pro smartphone in India on March 30. It will be an enhanced version of the POCO X3 handset from last year. DealnTech came across a European retailer listing of the POCO X3 Pro. The listing revealed the pricing of its two variants along with its color options.

The POCO X3 Pro may arrive in variants such as 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage. These variants could be priced at 269 euros (~$321) and 319 euros (~$380), respectively. It may arrive in color editions such as Phantom Black, Frost Blue, and Metal Bronze.

The POCO X3 Pro is expected to arrive with a 120Hz refresh supporting FHD+ display. It is unclear whether the device has an AMOLED or LCD screen. A couple of leaks have claimed that the phone is powered by the Snapdragon 860. Interestingly, the chipset has not gone official yet.

The X3 Pro could be backed by a 5,200mAh battery. Like the POCO X3 handset, the Pro model may carry support for 33W fast charging. For photography, it may feature a 48-megapixel quad-camera system. It will come with other features like 4G VoLTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC, and Android 11 OS. The other details of the POCO X3 Pro are yet to be revealed.

In related news, POCO will be holding a global launch event on March 22. While the company has not confirmed the name of the phone that will go official through the global event, it is speculated to unleash the Snapdragon 870 powered POCO F3. Rumors have it that it is a rebadged version of the Redmi K40 that went official in February in China.

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Black Shark 4 series launch date is March 23, Pro variant may flaunt 108MP camera

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