realme 8 Pro unboxed several days before launch

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Mar 15, 2021

realme is bringing the realme 8 series on March 24. However, the unboxing videos of the realme 8 Pro is out several days before the launch. Let’s take a look at the in-box contents, and features of the realme 8 Pro.

Right off the bat, we see two color variants of realme 8 Pro being sent out to different reviewers. They are Infinite Black and Infinite Blue. Apart from this, the device is also said to get an Illuminating Yellow color that glows in the dark.

realme 8 Pro: in-box contents

Anyway, the following are the in-box contents of the realme 8 Pro courtesy of an unboxing video from Tech Spurt:

realme 8 Pro(Infinite Black- in Video)
TPU case(Silicone)
SIM ejector pin, Documentation
USB-A to USB-C Charging cable
65W SuperDart Charger

As you can see from the pictures above, realme does include the TPU case and a charger inside the box. This is a welcoming change considering the situation is changing nowadays and the response isn’t good for such a trend.

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realme 8 Pro Design

Anyway, the realme 8 Pro also comes with a dedicated micro-SD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, and a pre-installed screen protector.

On the right, we have power and volume buttons, SIM & micro-SD card tray to the left, Type-C and Speakers along with primary mic & 3.5mm audio jack to the bottom, and a secondary mic up top.

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The rear has a big ‘DARE TO LEAP’ logo, square-shaped quad cameras and a realme branding at the bottom left. The black version has a textured finish and as per the video, the realme 8 Pro has a plastic back panel. Upfront, we have an AMOLED display with a single punch-hole to the top left.

realme 8 Pro features(confirmed from Video)

realme has already confirmed that the device will feature a quad-camera setup with a 108MP camera. Apart from this, the device will boot in realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11. It will also feature an in-display fingerprint sensor.

The realme UI 2.0 is said to include features like motion gestures, global theme customizations, improved dark mode & always-on display, third-party launcher support, deep-sea privacy, and more. You can check the video to see camera samples of the 108MP sensor.

We will know the other features of the realme 8 Pro as we approach the launch date.

RELATED:

Vivo S9 first sale clocks 100 million yuan in just 9 seconds in China

By

Balaji S

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Mar 15, 2021

Vivo launched the Vivo S9 series in China on March 3. The company brought two devices – Vivo S9 and a more affordable Vivo S9e to the market. Among these, the Vivo S9 went for sale on March 12 for the first time. And it looks like the device has received a great response.

The company, in a Weibo post, said that the Vivo S9 clocked sales worth 100 million yuan in just 9 seconds. This data is compiled from channels where the device went for sale. These include Vivo’s official store, JD.com, suning.com, and Tmall.

For the unware, Vivo brought the Vivo S9 to China at a starting price of 2,999 yuan($461.16) for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. It also has a higher 12GB RAM, 256GB storage variant priced at 3,299 yuan($507).

The reason we are brushing up the price is that if we calculate the total sales and divide it by the price(starting price), we approximately get around 30k-33k units of Vivo S9 selling on the first sale.

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On the other hand, the Vivo S9e, which starts at a much lower 2,399 yuan($368) price tag, doesn’t go on sale until March 27 in China.

The Vivo S9 is special in several departments. It has brought the MediaTek Dimensity 1100 chipset to the market for the first time. Also, it claims a thickness of just 7.3mm and weighs just 173 grams despite sporting a big 4,000mAh battery.

Other specs of the Vivo S9 includes a 6.44-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and wider notch, triple rear camera with 64MP + 8MP ultrawide + 2MP lenses, dual front cameras with 44MP main + 8MP ultrawide lens, 33W fast charging, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, and OriginOS 1.0 based on Android 11.

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OnePlus Nord Android 11 stable update re-released as OxygenOS 11.1.1.1

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 15, 2021

Earlier this month, OnePlus finally started rolling out the Android 11 stable update for the OnePlus Nord in the form of OxygenOS 11. However, the company halted the update rollout last week due to bugs. Now, it has once again re-released this update with a new build number OxygenOS 11.1.1.1.

OnePlus launched the OnePlus Nord as its first-ever mid-range smartphone in late July 2020. The handset debuted with OxygenOS 10.5 based on Android 10.

The brand began to release Android 11 (OxygenOS 11) open (public) beta builds for this phone in early January. A two months later, users finally got the stable build a couple of weeks back.

But unfortunately, the update was pulled a little over a week later. Now, this update is live once again with the exact same changelog but with a different build number, which happens to be OxygenOS 11.1.1.1.

The changelog only highlights the new features of OxygenOS 11. You can learn more about it in our dedicated hands-on article.

OnePlus Nord OxygenOS 11.1.1.1 Official Changelog

System
- Update to Android 11 version
- The brand new UI design brings you a more comfortable experience with various optimizations of details
- Optimized the stability of some third-party apps and improved user experience
- Optimized power consumption to increase battery life
- Improved system stability
- Fixed the known issues

Ambient Display

- Newly added Insight clock style, a joint creation with Parsons School of Design. It will change according to the phone usage data (Go to: Settings > Customization > Clock on ambient display)
- Newly added the Canvas always-on display, which can extract the subject’s outline from any photo and display it on your lock screen (Go to: Settings – Customization – Wallpaper – Canvas – Choose photo preview and it can be generated automatically)

Dark Mode

- Added the shortcut key for Dark Mode, pull down the quick setting to enable
- Now supporting automatically turn on feature & customize time range (Go to: Settings – Display – Dark Mode – Turn on automatically – Automatically enable from sunset to sunrise / Custom time range)

Shelf

- Brand new shelf UI
- Newly added a weather widget with smarter animation effect

Gallery

- Newly added the Story feature, which can automatically create the weekly stories by using your local photos and videos
- Optimized the loading speed to improve the image preview experience

That said, just like any other OTA update, the latest system update for the OnePlus Nord is being seeded out in batches. Hene, it will take time to reach every user. Lastly, it is with noting that this build is also available for users who have already updated to Android 11 earlier.

Motorola to launch the Moto G100 globally on March 25

By

Balaji S

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Mar 15, 2021

A few days ago, Motorola teased the arrival of the G100 smartphone showing the device’s design in Blue color. The company is finally said to bring it to the global markets on March 25.

The Motorola Moto G100 is said to launch Globally on March 25(via @NilsAhrDE). Official press renders were leaked yesterday(with watermarks) by Techniknews. Today, LetsGoDigital has come out(source: mobielkopen.net) with the product images without watermark and it looks like the company is bringing both White and Blue colors globally but with few tweaks in shades.

The device is codenamed ‘Nio’ and has a model number ‘XT2125’ for the Global markets. It’s mostly the same as the Motorola Edge S from China. However, it has a minor addition i.e, a dedicated Google Assistant Key on the left.

The Moto G100 will likely feature a 6.7-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. This display will have a dual punch-hole on it to house the 16MP + 8MP front cameras and a 20:9 aspect ratio.

Moto G100 product images, credit: LetsGoDigital

Under the hood, the Moto G100 will sport a Snapdragon 870 chipset just like the Chinese variant. At the back, we see the same camera layout on the Moto G100 and it shows ’64MP’ and ‘Audio Zoom’. Accordingly, the device is said to feature the same 64MP wide-angle + 16MP ultra-wide + 2MP depth + ToF sensor.

Other expected features include a 3.5mm audio jack, 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, 5,000mAh battery with 20W Turbo Power charging, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, up to 12GB RAM, 256 GB storage, and run Android 11 OS out of the box.

The device is expected to retail for €400-500 in Europe. Let’s wait for the next 10 days to know it officially.

RELATED:

Edifier releases the LolliPods Pro, highly resembles Apple’s AirPods Pro

By

Sean

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Mar 15, 2021

Edifier has just launched a new audio product. These new hearables are a pair of new truly wireless earbuds that closely resemble Apple’s AirPods Pro and are priced at 399 Yuan (roughly 61 US Dollars).

The new earbuds from the popular audio products maker arrives with active noise cancellation, supporting up to -38dB deep noise reduction. It also offers an ambient sound listening mode as well, and is equipped with a polymer composite diaphragm, which offers AAC high definition audio decoding. For mobile gaming, it also supports a dedicated game mode to reduce the latency to 80ms to avoid any hindrance during gameplay.

The new earbuds support Bluetooth 5.0 and has an effective range of 10 meters. Each earbud carries a 30mAh built in battery pack, while the charging case houses a 350mAh battery. Through this, the LolliPods Pro offers up to 5 hours of continuous music playback and up to 15 hours more through the charging case with normal use. On the other hand, activating active noise cancellation brings it down to 4 hours of use with an additional 12 hours through the charging case.

Looking at the design, the LolliPods Pro design is quite similar to the AirPods Pro as it also features a similarly positioned silicon tip along with a stem. The earbuds and the charging case also feature a solid white color scheme. The new product is available for purchase from the company’s official website in China and is priced at 399 Yuan, which is roughly 61 US Dollars.

If you are interested and want to get the Lollipods Pro internationally, you can get them at Giztop for around $69.

RELATED:

POCO confirms a global launch event on March 22, could bring two phones

By

Balaji S

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Mar 15, 2021

POCO has finally taken its wraps off the secret that has been roaming on the internet. The company has set March 22 as the launch date for the global markets and it is expected to be the POCO X3 Pro and POCO F3 / POCO F3 Pro.

POCO Global, in an official tweet, said that the event is going to be the biggest launch of POCO for the year 2021. With a tagline, “When Power Meets Speed”, the launch poster says an Online launch event will happen on March 22 at 20:00 GMT+08:00.

As always you can expect the company to stream it on the official channels like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. Talking about the launch, the company hasn’t yet confirmed the naming of the product that is arriving on next Monday. However, reports say that it is the POCO X3 Pro.

A few days ago, tech influencer Mukul Sharma said that POCO is bringing two devices Globally and there are high chances that the second device is POCO F3/POCO F3 Pro. It is said to be a rebrand of the Redmi K40 devices from China. Last year, POCO brought the POCO F2 Pro to the Global markets on May 12.

However, OEMs have been preponing their launches in 2021, and giants like Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO have already announced their flagships a bit early. Hence, there are chances that POCO might do the same to bid its 2021 flagship POCO F3/F3 Pro right on the lines of its competitors.

Either way, the POCO X3 Pro is almost confirmed to arrive with a #PROformance upgrade over its sibling. Reports so far say that the device will feature a 120Hz AMOLED FHD+ display panel, yet-to-launch Snapdragon 860 chipset, and a 5,200mAh battery and retail for €269.

Besides, POCO is also launching the device in India on March 30, a week after the Global launch. Stay tuned for more official teasers in the coming days.

RELATED:

POCO India wants to break the price-performance benchmark on March 30

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 15, 2021

Last week, POCO India teased the arrival of POCO F1’s spiritual successor. According to multiple leaks and the teaser shared by the brand, this device could go official as POCO X3 Pro. Today, the company has officially scheduled a launch event for March 30.

As per the official press release, POCO India will be holding a launch on March 30. The brand says that it will ‘break the price-performance benchmark’ with its upcoming phone. The company is promoting this handset with #PROformance.

Going by recent leaks and certifications, this smartphone could be called POCO X3 Pro. We believe this could the same device, which Anuj Sharma, the country director of POCO India teased in an AMA video.

Anyway, this phone could go official first in global markets. Because POCO Global has also scheduled a launch event for March 22.

The so-called POCO X3 Pro is said to be powered by an unreleased Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC. It is rumored to feature an FHD+ AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate, just like the Redmi Note 10 Pro (Max) and the Redmi K40 series.

Further, it could run MIUI 12 backed by a 5,200mAh battery. On the connectivity front, the handset may come with dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC (region-specific).

The smartphone has two codenames (Vayu, Bhima) and two codenames (M2102J20SG – Global, M2102J20SI – India). It is also expected to house a 48MP quad-camera (wide + ultrawide + macro + depth) setup on the back.

Last but not least, the POCO X3 Pro is reported to come in three colors (Black, Blue, Bronze) and two storage configurations (6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB) priced at €250/€269 and €300 respectively.

Samsung Display may expand notebook OLED production: Report

By

Sean

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Mar 15, 2021

Samsung Display is considering raising its investment into notebook OLED (organic light emitting diode) panels to increase their production. The news arrives amid reports of display makers ramping up production of panels for notebook applications.

According to TheElec report, the South Korean tech giant is considering to use its A2 line to expand notebook OLED production instead of build the new A4-2 line. The company is also planning on producing more notebook OLED panels by building a Gen 6 rigid OLED production at L7-2 plant at Asan. At the moment, the plant is being used to manufacture large sized LCD displays, which is currently being downsized by the company.

Furthermore, Samsung Display is already using some of the capacity from its A2 line to manufacture notebook OLED panels. Back in 2020, the company shipped over 800,000 units of these panels. Additionally, the brand is also aiming to ship 2 million notebook OLED units, although, it is likely that it actually manufactures about 1.5 million units from the A2 line alone.

Meanwhile, global LCD panel makers are also expected to setup higher shipment targets from notebook applications in this year. This growth in production also arrives amid higher demands for large screen devices like laptop PCs, due to rise in popularity of work from home related activities, like remote working or online education. As per DigiTimes report, the global shipments registered a rise of over 20 percent year on year in 2020.

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Super Deal: Buy Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 Hybrid ANC Headphone for $79.78(Original price $100)

By

Daily Deals

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Mar 15, 2021

If you are planning to buy a good quality wireless headphone then check out these awesome deals on Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 Hybrid ANC headphone which is available for $79.78 only.

WHERE TO BUY

US Customers buy Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 Hybrid ANC headphone at $79.99 @Amazon

WHERE TO BUY

EU and Other regions buy Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 Hybrid ANC headphone at $79.78 @AliExpress

Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 is an over-the-ear headphone designed specifically for its Hybrid ANC (Active Noise Cancelling ) function. The headphone comes with multi ANC modes which help you to navigate and enjoy your music and calls/ videos in different environments.

Multiple ANC modes:

TRANSPORT: In this mode, the headphone will remove up to 95% of engine noise. This is suitable for travel especially on a plane or train where you experience deafening engine sounds.

INDOOR: Tailor-made to be used in quiet locations like cafes, restaurants, libraries, etc. this mode will give you a cozy feeling as it removes subtle but persistent sounds like that of the air conditioner, coffee machine, conversations, etc. Best for studying and working.

OUTDOOR: In this mode, the headphone specifically reduces the sounds of cars, buses, and other vehicles thereby giving you a peaceful environment while walking down the streets. It also reduces the bustling wind noises and annoying honks and blares.

TRANSPARENCY: Press the right earcup for 2 seconds and activate the transparency mode to let in the background noise. This means you don’t need to remove your headphones to have conversations or listen to the traffic noise. By just activating this mode you can listen to the outside sound at your convenience.

Built with soft memory foam earcups and a lightweight head frame, Soundcore Anker Life Q30 is perfectly comfortable for long usage and the NFC function allows you to quickly pair your headphone with any Android smartphone with a simple tap on your right earcup. With simultaneous dual device connection and multiple mode access through the Soundcore app, Soundcore Anker Life Q30 is the perfect headphone for both indoor and outdoor usage.

The Hi-Res Certified Music headphone gives you highly detailed notes. This means you can enjoy a clear, sharp, and detailed musical experience with your Soundcore Anker Life Q30 headphones.

The headphone which generally retails at $100 is available for a heavily discounted price at multiple stores.

For US customers:

Get Soundcore Anker Life Q30 for $79.99 only from Amazon.com. This offer comes with free shipping and is applicable only on the Black color variant.

For EU and Other Regions:

Get Soundcore Anker Life Q30 for $79.78 only from AliExpress.com. This offer comes with free shipping from the China Warehouse and is applicable only on the Black Color Variant.

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.

EV sales in China to grow by more than 50% in 2021: Report

By

Sean

-

Mar 15, 2021

A new report has suggested that the electric vehicle sales in China are expected to rise by more than 50 percent, despite seeing a modest sales a year ago. The news arrives as the Chinese market saw just an 8 percent growth year on year in 2020, while the global market saw a surge of 39 percent in the same period.

According to a Canalys report, the Chinese market alone saw 1.3 million electric vehicles being shipped last year. The impressive sales figure is likely due to the Chinese government’s actions in supporting the market, although, recent EV related policy changes have also had car makers struggle to maintain and build a sales momentum in the region. As per Chris Jones, Canalys Chief Analyst, “The Chinese RV market in 2020 was all about two vehicles: the made in China Tesla Model 3, the market leader in the first half of 2020, and the Hongguang Mini EV from the SGMW joint venture.”

Notably, the 1.3 million EVs sold in China last year also represent 41 percent of global EV sales as well, which is just behind the 42 percent of the global sales from Europe. Meanwhile, the US also represented 2.4 percent of the overall sales. Jones further added that “There is an excellent network of standardized public EV chargers in China, good government support and now a return to strong consumer demand.”

Canalys projects that in 2021, the Chinese market would ship 1.9 million EVs, marking a 51 percent surge in the local market and a 9 percent growth of EV’s market in the overall automobile market in China. Sandy Fitzpatrick, VP at Canalys said that “With a share of just 6.3% of all passenger cars sold in China in 2020, EVs have many years of growth ahead. But with Tesla expanding its portfolio in Chihna, it will be hard for competitors offering premium EVs to gain market share.

RELATED:

Leaked photos of the Apple AirPods 3 reveal absence of interchangeable ear tips

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 15, 2021

Tech giant Apple has been grappling with several instances of unauthorized release of its trade secrets and in-development products information via many leaks to tipsters and media outlets. This week, it was revealed that Apple had filed a lawsuit against its former employee, Simon Lancaster, who was accused of leaking Apple’s trade secrets to a media correspondent for personal benefits. The upcoming Apple AirPods 3 has been the subject of much speculation and leaks. A new set of photos released by 52Audio has now revealed that the next-generation Apple AirPods will not be having interchangeable ear tips and instead will have a universal fit.

The pics also show that the AirPods 3 bear a close resemblance to the AirPods Pro, with some features tweaked for better efficiency and overall performance. It comes with a shorter charging case and is a bit more compact than its predecessors.

In what looks like a mixture of both the AirPods Pro and the base model AirPods, the AirPods 3 combines the design and features of both devices to give a marginally better listening experience. However, close scrutiny of the available speculative information shows that the AirPods 3 may just be a minor improvement from its predecessors but they still lack some critical technical capabilities like active noise cancellation, interchangeable tips, and a few other stuff that could have placed it on a higher pedestal of quality.

It bears repeating that the information available on the AirPods 3 could be speculative and contain a mixed bag of facts and alternative facts, including the release date put at March 23. Unfolding events will put everything relating to the upcoming AirPods 3 in better perspective, as Apple remains mum on the purported details released on the device.

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Xiaomi Mi 11 Star Diamond Gift Box Edition with glittery design launched in China

By

Jeet

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Mar 15, 2021

Xiaomi has today launched a special version of its flagship Mi 11 smartphone, dubbed as Mi 11 Star Diamond Gift Box Edition. As with all previous special edition devices, this one too has a refreshed design but keeps the same internals.

It comes with a new Star Diamond packaging which covers the whole body of the smartphone in its pattern. The company is also including a Star Diamond protective case in the box with a glittery star and diamond design.

As for the specifications, it remains the same as the standard model. It comes with a 6.81-inch AMOLED display that offers a 3200 x 1440 resolution and a punch-hole at the top left corner for the front-facing camera.

The display has a 120Hz AdaptiveSync refresh rate, and what this means is that it automatically switches between 30Hz to 120Hz refresh rates based on the content on the screen. The screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus while the curved back is covered in Gorilla Glass 5.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Star Diamond Gift Box Edition

Under the hood, it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB internal storage. It comes with a 108MP wide-angle camera along with a 13MP 123° ultrawide angle camera and a 5MP “telemacro” camera. On the front side, there’s a 20MP selfie snapper.

The smartphone is running the Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with MIUI 12.5 on top. It is powered by a 4600mAh battery that supports 55W fast wired charging, 50W fast wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging.

RELATED:

Deal: Buy Asometech 40W PD3.0 Fast Travel Adapter with 4 Charging Ports for $15.19

By

Daily Deals

-

Mar 15, 2021

AliExpress is giving out Asometech 40W fast charging 4 in 1 USB wall charger at a discounted price of $15.19 only.

WHERE TO BUY

Asometech 40W fast charging 4 in 1 USB wall charger at $15.19 @AliExpress

Asometech 40W with PD3.0 is a portable wall charger compatible with almost all smartphones like iPhone, Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Google, etc, and laptops from brands like MacBook, Lenovo, Asus, Sony, etc. The charger comes with 2 USB ports, 1 QC3.0 port, and 1 Type C port. This means you can charge almost every device be it a laptop, smartphone, tablet, camera, mp3 player, etc using this one single charger. Moreover, you can charge 4 devices simultaneously using an Asometech wall charger.

The wall charger comes with a smart LED digital display that shows you real-time charging status and the Qualcomm QC3.0 port enables quick and fast charging for your device. The in-built intelligent identification technology automatically detects the device’s voltage and current and matches it with your charger thereby protecting your device from voltage and current fluctuations. Moreover, a wide voltage range (100v to 240v) makes it suitable for almost all countries and regions.

Fitted with an intelligent shunt regulation, the charger automatically identifies the charge and appropriates the required power. For example, when your device shows low battery the charger will automatically turn on high-power charging, and as soon as the device gets close to saturation (i.e full charge) the charger switches to trickle mode to reduce the power and save the battery.

Asometech 40W fast charging wall charger/adapter usually retails for around $20. But for a limited period, AliExpress is giving out this highly portable charger for just $15.19. Please note that this offer is applicable to the EU plug model. Other similar offers are available on US/ UK plugs etc. With free shipping and additional new user coupons, this offer is a bargain too good to be ignored. So get your Asometech 4 in 1 portable wall charger 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.

Chinese OEMs might ship entry level ToF lenses in new smartphones in H2 2021

By

Sean

-

Mar 15, 2021

Major smartphone brands in China are expected to adopt the ToF 3D sensing camera technology for rear imaging modules of new and upcoming smartphone models. These new devices with the ToF sensors are projected to ship in the second half of this year.

According to a DigiTimes report, these popular Chinese vendors are expected to finalize their plans in the early second quarter of this year. As per a source close to the matter, Meizu has already launched 5G enabled smartphones with the Time of Flight 3D sensors that were supplied by Shenzen based firm, Orbbec Technology. Similarly, China based Wuhan Sillicon Integrated and Ningbo RaySea Technology are also preparing to supply entry level 3D ToF 3D sensing modules for other Chinese smartphone manufacturers.

Furthermore, Taiwan based fingerprint recognition IC design firms are also planning to partner with other Taiwanese LED chip makers, along with other optical device or III-V compound semiconductor makers, which are essential for making ToF 3D sensing modules. This move arrives as competition intensifies for business opportunities for these firms, as per the sources.

Unfortunately, the report does not specifically mention the names of any leading Chinese smartphone manufacturers. Although, if one is offering the ToF sensor on their smartphones, others are likely to follow to not fall behind on the competition. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

RELATED:

Xiaomi gets court injunction stopping US blacklisting

By

Jeet

-

Mar 15, 2021

A few weeks ago, the Defence Depart of the United States under the Donald Trump administration had tagged Xiaomi as a company with ties to the Chinese military, putting financial restrictions on the Chinese firm, which were scheduled to go into effect next week.

However, before the restrictions could go into effect, a U.S. District Jude has put a temporary halt on the ban. The judge sided with Xiaomi in a lawsuit that argues that the move by the United States government was “arbitrary and capricious” and deprives the company of its due process rights.

In mid-January, Xiaomi and eight other Chinese companies were added to a list by the Defence Department that requires Americans to sell their interests in the firms. Soon after that, Xiaomi filed a complaint in a Washington court seeking to be removed from the list, calling its inclusion “unlawful and unconstitutional” and arguing it was not controlled by the People’s Liberation Army.

Xiaomi is the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer by volume. The company is likely to win a full reversal of the ban as the litigation unfolds. After the ban was announced, the company faced the prospect of being delisted from U.S. exchanges and deleted from global benchmark indexes.

In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C., said that the court “concludes that defendants have not made the case that the national security interests at stake here are compelling.”

In a statement, a Xiaomi spokesperson welcomed the ruling and said that the designation of Xiaomi as a Chinese military company “arbitrary and capricious.” It also indicates that Xiaomi plans to continue to request that the court declare the designation unlawful and to permanently remove the designation.

RELATED:

OnePlus 9 series smartphones to come with 2 years of official warranty

By

Jeet

-

Mar 15, 2021

OnePlus has already confirmed that the company will be launching its next-generation flagship smartphone lineup — the OnePlus 9 series on 23rd March. Ahead of the launch, the company has been revealed details about the phones.

In the latest development, Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus has confirmed that those who purchase the OnePlus 9 series smartphones will get two years of official warranty. It remains to be seen if this is limited to Chinese users or applicable globally.

This is quite an announcement given that most of the smartphones available in the market come with standard one year of warranty. OnePlus decided to add additional year to it 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.

OnePlus 9 Pro 5G renders by Ishan Agarwal

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 on 23rd March and the devices will launch in China on 24th March.

RELATED:

OnePlus CEO talks about photography with new camera partner Hasselblad

By

Sean

-

Mar 15, 2021

OnePlus has recently released a new video titled ‘Behind the Lens’ on its official YouTube channel. In the video, the company’s CEO, Pete Lau, talks about photography and its importance, which also included its new lens partner Hasselblad.

As per the short video, the CEO and Chief Product Officer talks about how “photography is an essential part” of its smartphones. The senior executive of the Chinese tech giant also included a number of negative comments regarding its previous generation flagship handsets. These included complaints like “You need to improve your camera module on 8T, it’s the same as the 8. Little disappointing,” or “I feel when I shoot on landscape the sky isn’t merging, the blue tones (are) too low, would be great if you fix.”

The official highlighted this to show that the company is reading feedback and aims on improving the camera performance for its latest OnePlus 9 series of smartphones. For those unaware, Hasselblad has one of the best reputations in the world of photography. So, the smartphone maker is aiming to improve its camera game with the new partnership, to bring more vibrant and dynamic colors.

As per OnePlus, “Hasselblad Camera for Mobile will also offer improved HDR video recording, as well as support for capturing 4K 120FPS and 8K 30FPS video.” The company further added that it will be working “with a true heavyweight partner” to “create a new benchmark in mobile photography.”

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Download Redmi K40 Agent Kino and Hoho Wallpapers

By

Simranpal Singh

-

Mar 15, 2021

Very few brands launch Mascots of their smartphones, and Redmi is one of those. They’ve launched Kino and Hoho mascots before launching their Redmi K30 series. Xiaomi has launched several devices under the Redmi K40 series, and none of them is available globally. The standard Redmi K40 is expected to debut as Poco F3 in other countries. However, the device isn’t yet available in countries like India. We have got hands-on the new Redmi K40 Agent Kino and Hoho Wallpapers. You can download the new wallpapers from the link below. But before, let us look at the specifications of the Redmi K40 series.

Must See: Here is the new Android 12 wallpaper for you to download

Redmi K40 Series Specifications

Redmi K40 series includes Redmi K40, K40 Pro and K40 Pro+ or K40 Ultra.

All three smartphones feature the same 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The whole Redmi K40 series is powered by Snapdragon 888 Chipset coupled with 6/8/12GB RAM and 128GB/256GB storage.

There’s a slight change in the camera configuration among these three devices. The Redmi K40 features a 48MP primary sensor, the Remdi K40 Pro uses 64MP primary sensor and the Redmi K40 Pro+ uses a 108MP primary sensor. The device houses a 20MP front selfie camera.

Redmi K40 series is coupled with the same 4520 mAh battery having 33W fast charging.

Tale of Hoho and Kino

Redmi introduced Kinor and Hoho Avatars with the Redmi K30 series. The orange colour monster is known as Kino meanwhile the Yellow colour is Hoho. Redmi now introduced a set of new wallpapers of Kino and Hoho for Redmi K40.

Download Kino and Hoho Wallpapers by Xiaomi

As we said, these are the mascots of the Redmi K30 series. And we have explained the specifications of all those devices in the above section. You can preview some of them below.

As seen in the above section, all those look beautiful, and you can download them in full quality. These characters are some of the best mascots and out there. You can then download the same by clicking on the link below.

Download

Redmi K30 Specifications

There are few devices under this series including Redmi K30S, Redmi K30 Pro, Redmi K30 Pro Zoom, and Redmi K30 Pro Ultra. All these devices except Redmi K30S sport an AMOLED panel. Redmi K30 Pro and K30 Pro Zoom feature a regular 60Hz AMOLED panel. While the K30 Pro Ultra sports a 120Hz AMOLED panel, and the K30S features a 144Hz IPS Panel. Everything except Ultra sports the same Snapdragon 865 SoC, while Ultra features a Dimensity 1000+ chipset.

The Redmi K30 Pro and Pro Ultra feature the same camera setup. That is a primary 64MP sensor that couples with a 13MP ultra-wide sensor. Further, it gets a 5MP telephoto and finally a 2MP sensor. The lower Redmi K30S has the exact camera setup, but it ditches the telephoto sensor. The Zoom variant has an 8MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom instead of the 5MP sensor found in other devices. All these phones except K30S come with a motorized setup sensor with the same 20MP sensor. But the lower Redmi K30S has the same sensor but in the form of a punch hole. The K30 Pro and Zoom draws juice from a 4700mAh battery with 30W fast charging support. The Ultra variant gets a 4500mAh battery with 33W fast charging tech. And finally, the K30S gets a larger 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging tech.

Share the article with your friends and family who loves changing their wallpapers.

Related: OnePlus 9 series static and live wallpapers leaked before launch

realme narzo 30 Pro and narzo 30A scheduled to get Android 11 beta in Q3 2021

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 15, 2021

In late February, realme launched the realme narzo 30 Pro in India as the cheapest 5G smartphone in the country. This handset was accompanied by another device called realme narzo 30A. Despite being newer phones, the duo debuted with Android 10 (realme UI). A few weeks after their announcement, the brand has now revealed when these products will be updated to Android 11 beta (realme UI 2.0).

realme narzo 30 Pro 5G Sword Black Blade Silver Featured — realme narzo 30 Pro

Chinese smartphone maker realme has been running the Android 11 (realme UI 2.0) beta program for the eligible devices since September 2020. However, only two phones, namely realme X50 Pro and realme narzo 20 have received the Android 11 stable update in India.

What’s worse is that the company has released its newer mid-range 5G smartphones with outdated realme UI (Android 10) out of the box in India. Last week, the brand revealed that the realme X7 and realme X7 Pro will be getting the Android 11 beta update in Q2 2021.

Now, this week, the company confirms that India’s most-affordable 5G smartphone (realme narzo 30 Pro) will be receiving the Android 11 beta update only in Q3 2021. The even cheaper 4G-only realme narzo 30A will be also getting this update at the same time.

Since this schedule is only meant for the beta, which realme calls ‘Early Access’, the open (public) beta release and final stable release may take even more time. In other words, the new narzo handsets will be probably getting Android 11 stable when Google would have already released Android 12.

realme narzo 30A Laser Blue Laser Black Featured — realme narzo 30A

The brand quietly updated its ‘realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 Schedule’ post on realme Community to include these two devices. The changes were first spotted by PiunikaWeb.

Interestingly, the brand has removed realme 7i from the timeline. For those unaware, this handset had already started receiving beta builds. Perhaps, it was a mistake, and therefore, the phone may get listed again.

That said, what are your thoughts on realme’s software support? Do let us know in the comment section below.

Redmi launches RedmiBook Pro 15 in China, features 11th Gen Intel chip and 3.2K display

By

Sean

-

Mar 15, 2021

Last month, Redmi had announced its latest lineup of RedmiBook Pro series laptops. The company announced refreshed versions of its existing lineup, and now, the RedmiBook Pro 15 has just launched in China, with 11th Gen Intel processor.

Earlier this month, the Chinese tech giant released the RedmiBook Pro 14 inch variant in its home market. This version featured an 11th Gen Intel Core i5, which optionally arrived with an NVIDIA MX450 mobile GPU and could even be upgraded to an Intel i7 as well. Now, the company launched the 15 inch variant earlier today (15th March 2021). The base variant also arrives with a Core i5, which can upgraded to an i7 as well. Similar to the 14 inch version, it can also be paired with an NVIDIA MX450 mobile graphics card.

In the new RedmiBook Pro laptops, the highlighting feature is the new displays, which features a resolution of 3200x2000px that also supports 90Hz high refresh rate as well. These displays also supports 100 percent sRBG color gamut and offer a 178 degree wide viewing angle along with DC dimming and TYV Rheinland Low blue light certification. Under the hood, the new laptop features 16GB of DDR4 3200Mhz RAM, 512GB of PCIe SSD storage.

The notebook is powe3red by a built in 70WHr battery, which supports a USB Type C port for charging at up to 100W, which can charge the device up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes. The price of the new RedmiBook Pro 15 starts from 4,999 Yuan (roughly 758 US Dollars), while the top variant is priced at 6,299 Yuan (roughly 968 US Dollars). It is currently available for purchase from major Chinese e commerce websites like JD.com.

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