ASUS ROG Phone 5 vs 5 Pro vs 5 Ultimate: Specs Comparison

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Mar 10, 2021

Earlier in January this year, rumors about Xiaomi‘s much-touted foldable smartphone ran riot with a leaked photo of the foldable phone running MIUI 12 first appearing and then a report which claimed Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo will all launch foldable phones this year. Also, the foldable device has got certified by China’s TENAA which is suggestive of an imminent launch.

The latest leak about the Mi foldable smartphone is from noted tipster Digital Chat Station. The tipster hinted on Weibo that the Xiaomi foldable will adopt an internal structural design similar to that of Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold 2. This also includes the hinge design.

The vast majority of foldable phones presently in the market use one form of hinge design or the other to achieve the folding effect. The structure also supports the repeated folding movements of the flexible screen. However, the hinge is also a major flaw in the current foldable phones. It was a defect in the hinge design that affected the initial Galaxy Z Fold, thus reducing the durability of the phone. The defective hinge led to dust particles getting into the phone.

Apart from the hinge design, another important aspect is the folding style. In this regard, there is the in-folding and out-folding designs. Both orientations bring different usage methods and screen durability. Previous rumors already hinted that Xiaomi’s first foldable smartphone will adopt an in-folding design that can better protect the flexible display panel from wear and tear. Also, the main screen will not have any opening.

According to reports, the Xiaomi foldable phone will use a foldable OLED panel supplied by Samsung, with a specific size of 8.03 inches. The phone will also be equipped with a 6.38-inch secondary screen at the rear.

Another reason why Xiaomi’s model is worth looking forward to is the pricing. Xiaomi may bring the device as the cheapest foldable phone around.

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Amazon’s home robot codenamed Vesta reportedly in advanced stage of development

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Mar 10, 2021

In what looks like a pick from a sci-fi thriller, Amazon is bringing such imaginative concepts to reality with its development of the home robot codenamed Vesta. Inside sources close to the hugely secretive project by Amazon say that the project may have reached an advanced stage, with the commencement of the critical late-prototype testing commencing for the home robot that is bound to be revolutionary.

Amazon Echo Show 10 — The robot is said to have a built-in display

It would seem that the four years of toil and efforts put in by several hundreds of Amazon employees are paying off gradually with the significant progress made this far. However, Amazon is still cautious, as failure is still a possibility, even though distant.

Most of the information surrounding the device is at best speculative, as Amazon has not made a definitive statement on the process of development of the robot. It is said to have an interactive screen and would essentially be a voice-activated smart assistant like Amazon Echo, but on wheels that would enable it to navigate easily to various parts of your home. It can also easily interface with other smart home devices.

It is believed that Vesta will also have microphone sensors and a number of cameras and several other smart sensors that would enable it to respond smartly to the home environment by performing its tasks seamlessly, while also navigating through the home without hitting obstacles. It will also be equipped with a compartment for holding objects, among other features that were speculated by the insiders.

Vesta is just an addition to a growing list of gadgets developed by Amazon to make the home experience to be as simple as possible. It has however been a mixed bag of fortunes for the company in that regard.

While the buzz continues, it remains to be seen how the company will react to the leak, as further developments unfold.

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Alleged Black Shark 4 Pro spotted on Geekbench with Snapdragon 888 chipset

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Mar 10, 2021

Black Shark has been dormant on the launch of Black Shark 4 devices. The company is expected to launch two smartphones in the series. However, before the launch, a possible Black Shark 4 Pro variant has been spotted on Geekbench.

A smartphone with model number KSR-A0 appears on Geekbench 5 with the codename ‘Kaiser’. We have seen reports of this device earlier and it was believed to be the Black Shark 4. However, a tipster recently said that the company had changed plans.

As per the reports, the Black Shark 4 series will include two devices- Black Shark 4 and Black Shark 4 Pro. Out of this, the ‘Pro’ variant is said to feature the flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset while the non-Pro will darn the Snapdragon 870 SoC.

To clear you up, the two smartphones that are believed to belong to the Black Shark 4 series, have the following codenames thanks to various certifications like TENAA, 3C:

Black Shark 4
- codename: SHARK PSR-A0(3C)
Black Shark 4 Pro
- codename: SHARK KSR-A0(TENAA)

Talking about the Geekbench listing itself, we couldn’t find it on the Geekbench database. However, MySmartPrice has reported it first and from the screenshots, we can see that the device features Adreno 660 GPU, has 12GB RAM, runs Android 11, and scores 1,140 and 3,754 on single and multi-core categories.

If this turns out to be the ‘Pro’ variant, then the device will likely sport a 6.67-inch FHD+ display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. This is a downgrade from the 1440p resolution on the predecessor. The devices could also have up to 12GB RAM, 512GB storage, 4,500mAh battery with 120W fast charging support.

With companies like Nubia, ASUS opting for crazy 16/18GB RAM versions, we wouldn’t be surprised if Black Shark joins this bandwagon in 2021.

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Sonos Roam smart speaker with exciting features goes official for $169

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Mar 10, 2021

Portable smart speakers have caught the fancy of many people and this has seen their increasing use in various scenarios both at the home and outdoors. Due to their versatility, they can be used as standalone music devices or combine seamlessly with other music players to deliver high-quality audio content.

Along these lines, Sonos has launched its latest portable speaker with WiFi and Bluetooth functionality, largely affordable and great for both indoor and outdoor use. The Sonos Roam portable smart speaker, as it is called, is a very rugged and versatile speaker capable of streaming music from dozens of music platforms via its Wi-Fi functionality, as well as interface with the Sonos smart multi-room system. There is also the part that the Roam portable speaker can tap from the functionality of both the Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa using the smart speaker feature.

Sonos aims to use the release of the Roam as an addition to its existing systems that could be used both indoors and outdoors in a very easy manner, as well as a cheap and affordable device.

The rugged, waterproof Sonos Roam speaker uses the homegrown Sonos’ Trueplay technology to produce high-quality acoustics and overall excellent sound when in use. It has both a woofer and a tweeter in each unit.

Other specifications of the Roam include playtime of up to 10 hours between charge, seamless switch between Bluetooth and wifi mode without interruptions, and a wireless charging stand (optional). It also has USB Type-C charging capability. The speaker equally comes with an IP67 waterproof rating and as such, can be underwater for up to 30 minutes at depths below one meter.

The Sonos Roam smart speaker sells for $169 and orders are being received already while it is expected to start shipping by April 2021.

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OnePlus 9 series static and live wallpapers leaked before launch

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Mar 10, 2021

Just like last year, the wallpapers of the upcoming OnePlus 9 series have been leaked. The devices- OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, OnePlus 9R are said to be unveiled on March 23.

Last year, leaked OnePlus 8T wallpapers gave us a hint on what color variants to expect. Accordingly, it had accents of Green, Silver which turned to be the color variants of the device(Aquamarine Green, Lunar Silver). Similarly, the static & live wallpapers of the OnePlus 9 series, as leaked by folks over at oxygenupdater, has Blue, Green, Orange, and Purple color schemes.

Also, in case you don’t know, these very same guys had shared the possible color variants of the upcoming OnePlus 9 flagship devices. If that turns out true, the devices will have the following options:

OnePlus 9– Astral Black, Arctic Sky, Winter Mist.
OnePlus 9 Pro– Stellar Black, Forest Green, Morning Mist.

Carrier versions:

OnePlus 9 (T-Mobile)- Astral Black, Winter Mist
OnePlus 9 (Verizon)- Gloss black, Gloss gradient purple
OnePlus 9 Pro (T-Mobile)- Morning Mist

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That said, let’s wait for OnePlus to reveal them officially. Do note that the Wallpapers attached here are of low quality. If you want to download the original ones, you can visit the links below:

Google Drive | MEGA

Talking about the devices itself, the OnePlus is expected to launch three devices in the OnePlus 9 series- OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, and a 9R.

Not much is known about the OnePlus 9R but rumors say that it could feature a Snapdragon 870 onboard. However, the OnePlus 9 will likely feature a flat 6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED display and the ‘Pro’ variant will have a 6.7-inch QHD+ curved LTPO AMOLED display.

Both the devices will feature Snapdragon 888 chipset paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. For cameras, OnePlus has partnered with Hasselblad to tune the colors probably for the OnePlus 9 Pro. And it will feature quad-cameras with a custom 48MP Sony IMX789 and 50MP ultra-wide sensors.

The non-Pro OnePlus 9 will likely have dual 48MP sensors in the triple-camera setup. Both the devices will have a 4,500mAh battery with a 65W Warp charging support(likely) and come with a charger inside the box.

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Teclast T.BOLT high-end laptop with Intel Iris Xe Max GPU launching on March 12

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Mar 10, 2021

Chinese electronics manufacturer Teclast is well known when it comes to the manufacture of entry-level and affordable laptops and tablets. The company last month released a teaser which suggests that it is about to make an in-road into the high-end 2-in-1 notebook market with a new T.Bolt notebook series. Teclast has now revealed that the T.BOLT series will be launched on March 12 on popular Chinese retail platform Pinduoduo.

Teclast T.BOLT 10DG is expected to arrive with the Intel Core i7-10510U processor which uses a 14nm process, has 4 cores and 8 threads, and the turbo frequency can reach 4.9GHz. The notebook will come with Intel’s exclusive Iris Xe Max graphics card and this has been the main teaser Teclast first released. The notebook will also come with 4GB 128bit LPDDR4X-4266 video memory, and its performance is roughly equivalent to the MX 450 independent display.

In terms of heat dissipation, the T.BOLT 10 DG also adopts a dual-fan design, with multiple heat dissipation holes, which can prevent heat leakage during the conduction process, thereby achieving a better heat conduction effect. Teclast claims that even under high-level work for a long time, the whole system can maintain a constant temperature and run smoothly.

In terms of the build, the teased images show that the Teclast T.BOLT will come with an ultra-thin body with a near-bezel-less display of which the lower bezel is the largest. The laptop is portable and is expected to be very light in weight. The notebook is said to be equipped with a backlit keyboard and has a large touchpad.

We’ll find out more about the T.Bolt in a couple of days’ time.

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Honor 10A and V40 Lite are among Honor’s upcoming lineup

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Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 10, 2021

Honor is expected to expand its product lineup soon with new models. Since it became an independent company, the manufacturer has announced only one phone which is the Honor V40. A new leak has revealed that more products will be launching by the end of the month, one of which is the Honor 10A.

According to RODENT950, a Twitter user known for Huawei and Honor-related leaks, the Chinese manufacturer will announce the Honor V7 tablet and Honor 10A mid-range phone by the end of the month.

The Honor V7 and Honor 10A will arrive as successors to last year’s Honor V6 and Honor 9A respectively. The V7 should arrive as a high-end flagship tablet just like its predecessor but it remains to be seen what chipset it will come with considering that its predecessor has Huawei’s Kirin 985 processor inside it.

Honor V7
Honor 10A
Honor 40 series

— Teme (特米)😷 (@RODENT950) March 9, 2021

Honor tablet 7 and V40 lite

— Teme (特米)😷 (@RODENT950) March 10, 2021

For the Honor 10A, we expect a modest mid-range phone with a large display and a big battery capacity. The Honor 9A launched with a 6.3-inch screen, 13MP triple rear cameras, an Helio P22 processor, and a 5000mAh battery. Our guess is that the Honor 10A will keep the battery capacity the same but swap the chipset for one of MediaTek’s new Helio G series processors.

Apart from these two devices, the source mentioned that Honor will also announce the Honor 40 series, the Honor Tab(let) 7, and the Honor 40 Lite. The Honor Tab 7 (Honor Pad 7) is expected to launch this month according to a recent leak. However, this new leak hints at it arriving later, possibly alongside the Honor V40 Lite.

Honor is yet to announce any launch scheduled for this month but we will keep you posted once we have more info.

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Samsung Galaxy A52 5G early unboxing video reveals in-box contents, camera features, & more

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Mar 10, 2021

Samsung has announced an ‘‘Galaxy Awesome Unpacked’ event on March 17 and the mid-range Galaxy A52 and A72 devices are said to be the showstoppers. We are still a week away from the unveiling but a YouTuber named Moboaesthetics has already unboxed the Galaxy A52 5G to reveal its in-box contents and features.

Right off the bat, we see a cover with the ‘FMP’ logo on the box packaging and it leads us to a retailer website in Saudi Arabia. The model number of this Samsung Galaxy A52 is SM-A526B/DS and the 5G variant inside comes in ‘Awesome Black’ color and 128GB storage.

Speaking of which, the device is said to come in both 4G and 5G variants in respective markets. You can read our extensive coverage to know more about it. Moving on, after opening the box, we see the device itself.

The wrapper covered on the device says “Infinity-O display, Quad camera (64MP with OIS), IP67 water & dust resistant”. The following are the in-box contents of the Galaxy A52 5G:

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
Documentation
Clear Silicon case(TPU)
15W Charger(USB-A input)*
USB-A to USB-C cable
SIM ejector pin

*Note- Unlike the marquee that says 25W adapter in the video, the charger actually has a maximum output of [email protected] which is about 15W. You can see for yourself in the images below:

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Also, as you can see above, the YouTuber says that the device runs One UI 3.1 out of the box. As for the design and looks, it is the same as the leaked renders. We have a hybrid SIM slot and a mic on the top, Volume & power buttons on the right.

The device has a 64MP + 8MP+ 5MP + 2MP quad-camera setup on the rear, 32MP selfie camera tucked inside the punch-hole AMOLED display. At the bottom, there is a USB-C port, speaker, primary mic, and 3.5mm audio jack.

Initial firmware of the Galaxy A52 5G variant in Saudi Arabia seems to have camera features like Single take, 2x optical, 0.5x(ultra-wide), and macro options. For gamers, PUBG seems to be limited to HD graphics at high frame rates(30fps) while the COD Mobile is maxing out at ‘Very High’ Graphics.

We are sure that Samsung would enable higher fps before the launch or via a firmware update considering the 5G version has Snapdragon 750G chipset. That said, the 4G variant is likely to have similar in-box contents, features whilst having a different SoC(Snapdragon 720G).

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Giztop is Now Taking Pre-Orders for Xiaomi Mi 10S starting at $599.

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Daily Deals

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Mar 10, 2021

Attention all Xiaomi lovers onboard! Xiaomi Mi 10S is now available for pre-order at Giztop.

The smartphone comes with a 6.67 inch curved AMOLED display and Android 11 OS. Powered by Snapdragon 870 5G processor, Xiaomi Mi 10S is fueled by a 4680mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. A 20-megapixel selfie camera and a quad-camera rear setup with 108-megapixel primary camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide snapper, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor makes it a great choice for photographers and social media influencers.

For more detailed information and comparisons, you can check out this article on Gizmochina.

Giztop is now allowing to pre-book Xiaomi Mi 10S for all its global customers. Please note that this smartphone is of the Chinese Edition but comes with the Global Version software (pre-installed) and the Google Play Store. Also, the smartphone supports OTA updates and multiple languages like English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, etc.

Xiaomi Mi 10S is now available for pre-booking at Giztop for the following price :

STORAGE	COLOR	PRICE
8GB – 128GB	Black/Blue/White	$599
8GB – 256GB	Black/Blue/White	$659
12GB – 256GB	Black/Blue/White	$749

All the pre-orders will be shipped as soon as the product is available with the estimated delivery time being mid-March. So without further ado go and pre-book your Xiaomi Mi 10S from Giztop.

Redmi Note 10 Pro (Max) common kernel source code could trigger a flurry of custom ROMs

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Mar 10, 2021

Last week, Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 10 series for global markets. The lineup includes a total of five devices. They are yet to go on sale but the company has already released the kernel source code for the Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.

For those unaware, the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max announced for India is called Redmi Note 10 Pro in other markets. However, the Redmi Note 10 Pro unveiled in India is exclusive to the region as of now. All three phones have a common codename – ‘sweet’.

Their individual codenames are as listed below.

Redmi Note 10 Pro (Global) – sweetpro
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max (India) – sweetin_pro
Redmi Note 10 Pro (India) – sweetin

Since these phones have identical specs except for the primary camera, they use a common kernel. Hence, they basically run the same MIUI build with regional changes.

This means custom ROMs for these three smartphones should be available in a unified flavor. In other words, they will have common custom ROM builds.

Hence, the new Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max have a chance of becoming the most popular Redmi Note devices in the custom ROM community after the Redmi Note 5 Pro (aka Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera).

In case you do not know, the Redmi Note series has always been popular in third-party software development. But that streak broke with the past few generations due to multiple devices in the series and varied availability across regions.

Now, as the same device with a common kernel is sold in all the regions with some minor tweaks and different names, we can expect more custom ROMs, kernels, and other mods once developers get access to these smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy M31s gets the Android 11(One UI Core 3.1) update in India

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Mar 10, 2021

Samsung steered the OTA update builds from One UI 3.0 to 3.1 for its older devices post the Galaxy S21 series launch. Initially, after rolling out its flagship tablets and smartphones, it has been updating the affordable devices(One Core UI 3.1). The latest in line to get is the Galaxy M31s in India a week after Russia and Ukraine.

The Samsung Galaxy M31s recently received a price cut of ₹1,000 in India. Hence, if you are looking to buy a Samsung smartphone with the latest software, the Galaxy M31s could be your best bet. Anyway, the Galaxy M31s is getting an OTA update with firmware version M317FXXU2CUB1.

Weighing about 1.93GB, the update brings the latest One UI Core 3.1 version and not the 3.0 like Russia and Ukraine. Anyway, this update also bumps up the security patch of the Galaxy M31s to February 2021.

This new UI not just brings the latest Android 11 features but has UI improvements like revamped UI, Digital Wellbeing & parental controls, dedicated media player widget(in Quick Settings), improved stock apps and features to Samsung Keyboard, Samsung Internet, and more.

Do note that this is Samsung’s Core version of the One UI so don’t expect every feature that is on its flagship devices. Besides, the report also says that Samsung has removed the microSD card access to its cloning feature ‘Dual Messenger’. It seems users will have to go to Gallery/My Files->Select file->Share via sharesheet->copy App.

That said, Indian users can update their device to the latest One UI 3.1 by navigating to Settings > Software update > Download and install. As usual, the rollout should be staggered and hence, take a few days to reach everyone.

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Deal: Get OnePlus Nord N10 5G for $269 (Original Price $350)

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Daily Deals

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Mar 10, 2021

OnePlus Nord N10 5G which retails at around $350 is now available at AliExpress for a discounted price of $269.

WHERE TO BUY

OnePlus Nord N10 5G at $269 @AliExpress

OnePlus Nord N10 5G comes with a 6.49 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen and Android 10 + OxygenOS 10.5 operating system. The smartphone which is powered by Qualcomm SM6350 Snapdragon 690 5G processor, is packed with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

The smartphone comes with a quad-camera set up with 64 MP (wide) main camera and 8 MP (ultrawide) + 5MP (depth) + 2 MP (macro) cameras. The selfie cam is a 16MP front-facing camera. Fueled with a 4300mAh battery this phone supports 30W fast charging.

For more information on Nord N10 5G check out this article on Gizmochina.

As a limited period offer, AliExpress is giving out OnePlus Nord N10 5G for $269. This offer is applicable only on the EU Version ordered from the China warehouse. With free shipping and additional discount coupons, this deal is simply too good to ignore. So grab your OnePlus Nord N10 5G asap.

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.

A new pair of OPPO Enco X earbuds will be announced tomorrow

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 10, 2021

Last October, OPPO announced the Enco X, a pair of TWS earbuds made in partnership with Danish audio company, Dynaudio. OPPO has revealed that there will be an announcement tomorrow for another Enco X, but from the posters, we are not sure if it is a new model entirely, a new color variant, or a special edition of some sort.

Acoording to posters which have surfaced online, OPPO will unveil a pair of Enco X TWS earbuds made in collaboration with Dynaudio at tomorrow’s Find X3 event. The tag line on one of the images teases “a new sound quality experience”.

The second poster shows a large water droplet shaped like the case of the Enco X that was announced last year. Some have reported that this is a tease for the color variant of the earbuds.

The Enco X which launched last year for ¥999 has support for SBC, AAC, and LHDC codecs, three-level noise reduction, Bluetooth 5.2, and IP54 rating, and a battery life of 5.5 hours. With the case, the battery life shoots up to 25 hours. The earbuds supports wireless charging, has a quick pair mode, and also supports single-earbud mode. It is available in green, black, and white.

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OPPO Reno 10x Zoom gets ColorOS 11 (Android 11) stable update in India and Indonesia

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Mar 10, 2021

In late January, OPPO started recruiting ColorOS 11 (Android 11) beta testers for the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom in India and Indonesia. Now, one and a half months later, the company has begun to release the stable update for this handset in the said regions.

Last week, OPPO shared the ColorOS 11 update plan for the month of March 2021. As per the timeline, the OEM was supposed to roll out the stable update for the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom on March 9. And the smartphone maker did the same.

OPPO has been rolling out the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom Android 11 stable update in India and Indonesia since yesterday. In order to download and install the latest system update, users will need to navigate to Settings > Software Updates > Gear Icon > Official Version Application and mark the ‘I Agree’ checkbox before tapping on ‘Apply Now’.

In other words, the update is currently only available for users who apply for it manually as mentioned above. Anyway, it should be available for the users without application in the coming days.

That said, the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom ColorOS 11 stable update comes with firmware versions C.33 and C.34 for India and Indonesia respectively. In order to apply for this update, users need to be on build number F.40.

Android 11 could be the last major system update for the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom. Because OPPO is not known for providing three Android updates. The phone was launched with Android 9.0 Pie and was updated to Android 10 (ColorOS 7.x) last year.

POCO India teases the POCO X3 Pro India launch for March 30

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Mar 10, 2021

POCO India is expected to launch the Poco X3 Pro but there has been no word yet on the exact launch date. Well, the brand has shared an image on Twitter that seems to give a clue to the X3 Pro’s launch date.

The poster is accompanied by the tag #PROformance, with the company disclosing that it will be a replacement for the POCO F1 in India. But what should interest us the most is the hint that the Poco X3 Pro will launch on March 30. Just the way the “Pro” is highlighted in the text, so too “30 M” was highlighted to make it different from other characters. This could be POCO telling us that the X3 Pro will be launched on 30 March.

It is exactly 30 months since POCO launched the POCO F1 and the teaser is an indication that this model will be designed to be an upgrade over the model. The X3 Pro had earlier been certified bearing the model number M2012K11AG. The listing shows the device will pack a 6.67-inch display with Full HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It is also expected to come with a mammoth 5,200mAh battery.

Same madness, only more!

Get ready for #PROformance coz ONLY a POCO can beat a POCO. pic.twitter.com/PeW2AX0ZjL

— POCO – Madder By the Minute (@IndiaPOCO) March 10, 2021

The POCO X3 Pro is expected to be powered by the upcoming Snapdragon 860 SoC which is an upgrade to the Snapdragon 855 / 855 Plus chipset. However, the chipset will only arrive with support for 4G connectivity and not 5G. We also expect the phone to come in 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB variants. Available colour options will including Blue, Black, and Bronze colour options.

The X3 Pro is tipped to launch with a starting price of €250 in Europe which should be around Rs. 20,000 in India. We expect to find more details about the product as time rolls by.

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ASUS ROG Phone 5 series launched with up to 18GB RAM and 3.5mm headphone jack

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Mar 10, 2021

ASUS has officially launched its fourth generation of gaming smartphones called the ROG Phone 5 series. The lineup includes a total of three devices, namely ROG Phone 5, ROG Phone 5 Pro, and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. Let us take a look at their specs, features, and pricing in this article

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Series Design

The latest-gen ROG Phone 5 series feature a better design than its predecessor (ROG Phone 3 series). The last year’s phones looked too dull for a gaming smartphone when compared to competitors. ASUS has fixed that with the new models.

As mentioned in the begging, there are three devices in the lineup. Although all three have an identical design except for the color and the secondary screen.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Featured — ASUS ROG Phone 5

The vanilla ROG Phone 5 features a dot-matrix RGB LED for the ROG logo (similar to ROG Zephyrus G14 AniMe Matrix), whereas the ROG Phone 5 Pro has a color POMLED display called ROG Vision. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate also flaunts the same ROG Vision screen but it is monochrome. Anyway, users can customize lightings on all three implementations.

Further, the motherboard now sits in the middle and the 3.5mm headphone is back. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, the frame is aluminum, and the rear panel is Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

As for colors, the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate comes in a single white color option with a blue accent as well as a matte finish. The ROG Phone 5 Pro, on the other hand, features a glossy black color finish. Lastly, the regular ROG Phone 5 can be bought in either Phantom Black or Storm White color option with a glossy finish.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Series Specifications

The entire lineup is powered by 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, However, the Ultimate version comes with a whopping 18GB RAM, just like the RedMagic 6 Pro Special Edition.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Pro Featured — ASUS ROG Phone 5 Pro

On the front, these smartphones flaunt a 6.78-inch FHD+ ( 2448 x 1080 pixels) 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. This panel has a 20.4:9 aspect ratio, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 395 PPI, Delta-E<1 color accuracy, and 800 nits peak brightness. The screen supports HDR10+ and covers 111% and 150.89% of DCI-P3 and sRGB color gamuts respectively.

On the connectivity front, these handsets support 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and dual-frequency GNSS (GPS, Globass, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, NavIC). As for ports, as mentioned earlier, the devices sport a 3.5mm headphone jack and 2 x USB Type-C ports.

Talking about optics, they 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.

Other features of these smartphones include a grip detection sensor, Ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5, Pixelworks i6 Processor, dual stereo speakers, Nokia OZO Audio, dual Cirrus Logic CS35L45 Mono AMP, ESS Sabre ES9280AC Pro QUAD DAC, lots of gaming-oriented features, and Android 11 operating system with both ZenUI as well as ROG UI. The Pro and Ultimate models also have two additional touch sensors on the back.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate Featured — ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate

All three handsets are backed by a dual-3000mAh (6,000mAh) battery with support for 65W fast charging (included in-box) and Qualcomm Quick Charge 5.0. However, it is worth noting that in some regions, ASUS will be shipping the devices with a 30W charger.

Last but not least, the ROG Phone 5 series measure 172.8 x 77.2 x 10.29mm in dimensions and weighs 238g.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Series Pricing

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 Series will sell for the following tags in Europe and India.

ASUS ROG Phone 5
- 8GB + 128GB – €799 / ₹49,999
- 12GB + 256GB – €899 / ₹57,999
- 16GB + 512GB – €999 / NA
ASUS ROG Phone 5 Pro
- 16GB + 512GB – €1,199 / ₹69,999
ASUS ROG Phone 5 Ultimate
- 18GB + 512GB – €1,299 / ₹79,999

Unfortunately, ASUS has not revealed the pricing for other than these two regions.

A new ZTE S poster reveals it will have a 64MP quad rear camera array

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 10, 2021

The Axon 30 Pro is not the only phone ZTE has planned for release soon. The manufacturer has also announced it will announce a new series of smartphones too, the first of which will launch as the ZTE S. Today, we get our first look at the upcoming phone.

A poster shared on Weibo by ZTE’s CEO, Ni Fei, gives us an early look at the ZTE S. However, the image only shows the rear of the device.

As seen in the image above, the ZTE S will have four rear cameras with the primary camera being a 64MP sensor. The camera housing which is raised has a dual finish – some parts appear to have a smooth finish while the other has a glistering sandstone-like finish.

The ZTE S has a curved back that looks to be made of glass and the color variant is a pink-blue gradient. Based on the finish, we are sure the appearance of the phone will change with respect to the angle light rays falls on it. If you are not a fan of this color, we believe there will be other colorways at launch.

A lot is still unknown about the ZTE S which is targeted at the younger generation. Nevertheless, we expect more details will surface as the launch date, which is still unknown, draws closer. When it does launch, it should be more affordable than the Axon series.

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E INK Kaleido 2 rebranded as Kaleido Plus, arrives with brighter colors and other improvements

By

Sean

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Mar 10, 2021

E INK has officially rebranded the Kaleido 2 or New Kaleido, which will now be known as the E INK Kaleido Plus. Apart from the new branding, the print color display based device also arrives with various improvements.

As per a GoodEReader report, the Kaleido Plus offers brighter colors, which is thanks to its new printing pattern that brings the color filter closer to the ink layer. Furthermore, the color gamut has also been increased by over three times. This was enabled due to the improved front light illumination, which scatters lightless to offer better color saturation. In other words, the text is also crisper cause of the way the CFA produces white and black. For those unaware, the Kaleido Plus is the latest generation of print color display technology.

The Kaleido Plus also sports a 7.8 inch display, which is larger than the 6 inch variant from the first generation. The company is expected to launch the new iteration soon. Johnson Lee, E INK CEO stated that “We took our customer’s feedback from our initial launch, and incorporated it into this upgrade, bringing a new level of color saturation to our color devices, and we look forward Kaleido Plus being adopted in the eTextbook market in the future.”

He further added that “We are happy to expand our product line of color devices, presenting a new 7.8-inch PocketBook InkPad Color e-reader with updated Kaleido Plus,” said Evgeniy Zaitsev, Chief Sales, and Marketing Officer, PocketBook. “The world’s market of eContent is growing in terms of volume and diversity. There is more and more eContent with illustrations which require color, like comics and books for children, non-fiction and periodicals.”

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