At the beginning of the year, Realme announced the Realme C20 smartphone in Vietnam. Last week, it unveiled the Realme C21 handset in Malaysia. The Realme C25 could be the next C-series phone from the brand as it has bagged certification from the National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) authority of Thailand. The handset has also emerged at the Geekbench benchmarking platform to reveal some of its key specs.
The Realme C25 with its RMX3191 model number has appeared in NBTC’s database. The handset has also received approval from Europe’s EEC, Indonesia TKDN, and Indonesia Telecom. None of the certification listings have revealed information on the specs of the C25.
Thanks to its appearance at Geekbench, it is now known that the Realme C25 is fueled by the MediaTek Helio P65, which is mentioned as MT6768G. The SoC offers a base frequency of 1.70GHz. It is coupled with 4 GB of RAM and it boots to Android 11 OS. In the single-core and multi-core tests of Geekbench, the handset scored 383 and 1309 points, respectively. The other details of the Realme C25 are under wraps.
In related news, Realme is planning to launch the Realme 8 series of smartphones in India. A new leak that revealed the storage, RAM, and color variants of the upcoming Realme 8 and Realme 8 Pro claimed that the two phones may debut by the end of this month. It is speculated that the RMX3081 phone that was recently approved by the FCC regulatory body could be the Realme 8 Pro.
Speaking of FCC, the agency also approved the RMX3023 phone at the beginning of this month. The Realme RMX3043/2/1 phone was recently spotted by China’s TENAA authority. The identities of these phones are under wraps.
Earlier today (8th March 2021), the Meizu 18 series went on sale across multiple online channels. The new device is the company’s flagship series and arrives with top notch specs. But just one minute into its launch, the lineup was completely sold out, with sales surpassing 100 million yuan (roughly 15 million US Dollars).
The new “dual flagship” launch from the Chinese smartphone maker included the Meizu 18 and 18 Pro, which runs on the latest Flyme 9 custom skin that does not have any pre installed applications or advertisements. During the new series’ first official sale, the sales reached over 100 million yuan in value across all channels in just one minute, while the device was completely sold out within just 28 minutes.
Talking about the device itself, The Meizu 18 and 18 Pro are powered by the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform. Both handsets are equipped with up to 12GB of LPPDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The Meizu 18 has a 4,000mAh battery, whereas the Pro model gets a larger 4,500mAh battery. The vanilla model supports 36W Super mCharge fast charging, while the Pro model is equipped with 40W charging, 40W Super Wireless mCharge technology, and 10W reverse wireless charging.
In other words, the lineup is quite popular in the company’s home market, China, and has already seen great success. The reasonable pricing for the flagship grade premium smartphones and their design and popularity in the local market would’ve also helped boost sales.
Google is apparently planning on launching a new Pixel device in June 2021. A Tipster made the announcement on Twitter, while new Pixel Buds are also reportedly arriving in April 2021.
Google stuff:
New Pixel Buds coming mid-April.
New Google phone scheduled for June 11, 2021. Not sure exactly which one it is just yet. 🤔
According to Jon Prosser, a tech analyst, the search engine giant is planning on launching a new Pixel device on 11th June 2021. While the tipster did not explicitly mention the name of the device launching, it would probably be the Pixel 5a since the company’s flagship series in the second half of the year. Although, the launch period for the Pixel 5a would also be a few months early.
Furthermore, renders of the Pixel 5a had recently surfaced as well. These renders revealed that the upcoming mid range handset from the company might just feature slight design changes. The renders also showcased that the device will also feature a 6.2 inch OLED panel, which may support a high refresh rate. Meanwhile, the tipster also added that the company will also be launching a new Pixel Buds truly wireless earphones in mid April.
Similarly, Jon had also previously hinted at Google working on a foldable Pixel device. But just like that report, this is still an unconfirmed report so take it with a pinch of salt. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.
The Samsung Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72 are in the news for a few months now. The specifications of these handsets have leaked multiple times. However, every new leak regarding these phones has been revealing new information. The latest leak confirms some of the previously unknown miscellaneous features.
We won’t be talking much about the already known specs of the Samsung Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72 in this article. Instead, we will only focus on the new information shared by Twitter user TechTalkTV (@Mr_TechTalkTV).
To learn about the spec sheet leak by Roland Quandt of WinFuture, click on the respective handsets.
Coming to the latest leak, the upcoming Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 by Samsung will feature stereo speakers. That’s not all, these phones will also support Dolby Atmos for a 3D surround-sound experience.
Further, they will also have support for Snapchat lenses built right into the stock camera app, in addition to first-party lenses. A total of 21 lenses will change regularly, out of which 9 will be from Snapchat. Samsung calls this feature Fun Mode and for some reason, it will be not available on Galaxy A52 5G.
Continuing about camera features, the Galaxy A72 will come with 30x Space Zoom. This means the smartphone will be able to capture up to 30x digitally zoomed pictures, thanks to the presence of an 8MP sensor with a 3x telephoto lens.
Additionally, unlike the Galaxy A52, the Galaxy A72 will also ship with Advanced Game Booster with support for Microsoft Xbox Game Pass. Hence, users can play over 100 Xbox games on their phone itself.
Last but not least, Samsung will not be shipping a charger with these smartphones in certain markets. In some regions, even though these handsets support 25W fast charging, the company will be only including a 15W charger.
In December, Vivo announced the Exynos 1080 SoC powered Vivo X60 and Vivo X60 Pro smartphones in China. Reports have claimed that the global variants of the X60 and X60 Pro could be equipped with Snapdragon 870. Today, Vivo Malaysia confirmed the Vivo X60 series will be breaking cover on March 22. The company also confirmed that it will be equipped with the SD870 chip.
Vivo had also Snapdragon 888 powered Vivo X60 Pro+ smartphone in China. It is unclear whether March 22nd will also see the global launch of this handset. The landing page of the Vivo X60 series on Vivo Malaysia’s website states that it will come with camera features like Gimbal Stabilization 2.0 and Extreme NightVision 2.0.
It is likely that the global versions of the Vivo X60 and Vivo X60 Pro may only differ in the chipset department when compared to its Chinese variants. With two weeks remaining for the launch, Vivo is expected to reveal more features of the upcoming Vivo X60 series in the coming days.
Vivo X60 and Vivo X60 Pro specifications (Chinese variants)
The Vivo X60 and X60 Pro are equipped with 6.56-inch AMOLED FHD+ displays with 120Hz refresh rate support. The vanilla model has a 4,300mAh battery, whereas the Pro version has a 4,200mAh battery. Both phones support 33W fast charging. Both models are loaded with OriginOS based Android 11 OS.
The Vivo X60 and X60 Pro are equipped with a 32-megapixel front camera. The Vivo X60 has a 48-megapixel (main, with OIS) + 13-megapixel (portrait) + 13-megapixel ultrawide lens triple camera system. The Vivo X60 Pro has a 50-megapixel (main, with OIS) + 8-megapixel (periscope telephoto with OIS) + 13-megapixel (portrait) + 13-megapixel (ultrawide) in its quad-camera system.
Recently, Vivo India Director of Brand Strategy Nipun Marya revealed that the Vivo X60 series will be announced in India this month.
OnePlus has officially confirmed to launch the OnePlus 9 series on March 23 at 10:00 AM ET. The launch event will be livestreamed on the company’s official YouTube channel. That’s not all, the Chinese smartphone maker has also formally announced its partnership with the Swedish camera maker Hasselblad.
In the press release, OnePlus did not reveal the models in the OnePlus 9 series, which are expected to be OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, and OnePlus 9R, as per leaks. Instead, the brand has confirmed the camera specs of these devices.
OnePlus says that it has signed a three-year partnership with Hasselblad to co-develop camera systems for future OnePlus flagship devices. To do so, the company will be investing $150 million over the next three years for four R&D labs around the lab, including two imaging labs based in the United States and Japan.
The OnePlus 9 series and the upcoming high-end phones from the OEM will ship with ‘Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad’, a new color solution jointly developed by OnePlus and Hasselblad. The brand’s flagship smartphones will also come with ‘Hasselblad Pro Mode’ with support for 12-bit RAW format and options to adjust ISO, focus, exposure times, white balance, and more.
Additionally, OnePlus and Hassleblad are also working on a panoramic camera with a 140° FOV (Field of View) and T-lens technology for faster focus in the front-facing camera.
That said, here are some of the camera specs of the OnePlus 9 series, as confirmed by the company itself.
Custom Sony IMX789 Sensor
Freeform Lens for Minimal Distortion in Ultra-Wide Pictures
Support for 12-bit RAW
Improved HDR Video Recording
Video Recording at 4K 120FPS and 8K 30FPS
From the above-mentioned parameters, we can clearly say that none of the hardware is new but they are first for a OnePlus smartphone. Hopefully, the OnePlus 9 series’ camera system performs as well as the company claims.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming OnePlus 9 series and the OnePlus-Hasselblad partnership? Do let us know in the comment section below.
Samsung’s current lineup of smartwatches include Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 3. This year, the South Korean giant will be launching their successors, but if the latest report is to be believed, then the announcement could take place earlier than the company’s usual timeframe.
As per the report from @UniverseIce, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 4 could get launched in the second quarter of this year. This means that the devices will go official somewhere between April and June.
Usually, the new Galaxy series smartwatches gets announced in the month of August, along with the Galaxy Note lineup of flagship smartphones. However, this time, the company is planning to launch new wearable devices ahead of the launch of Apple’s Watch Series 7 to have an upper-hand in the segment.
It appears that both Samsung and Apple are gearing up to introduce a feature that will monitor the user’s blood glucose levels and Samsung wants to be the first in the market with this feature, thus an early launch of the devices.
There are also reports claiming that the Samsung is ditching its Tizen OS for the Google Wear OS on its upcoming smartwatches. If this turns out to be true, then it will be the first wearable devices from the South Korean giant to have Google’s Wear OS.
Samsung accounted for about 10 percent of the global smartwatch sale in the fourth quarter of 2020, which is way behind Apple‘s 40 percent market share. With major changes to the devices, the South Korean company is hoping to catch up with the market leader.
Rumors are rife that the upcoming Realme 8 series of smartphones will include two phones such as the Realme 8 and Realme 8 Pro. A fresh leak by tipster Himanshu has revealed the variants and color options of the Realme 8 duo.
According to the tipster, the Realme 8 will be available in two variants such as 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. It will be coming in colors like Cyber Silver and Cyber Black.
On other hand, the Realme 8 Pro could be coming in options such as 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. It could be available in color variants like Infinite Black, Infinite Blue, and Illuminating Yellow.
The tipster added that Realme may soon confirm the Realme 8 series launch date. He is of the view that the Realme 8 and 8 Pro will break cover by the end of March. He added that these phones will not be available in the 5G version.
Realme 8 Pro
Realme 8 and Realme 8 Pro specifications (Rumored)
A recent teaser by Realme India and Europe CEO Madhav Sheth suggested that the Realme 8 could be coming with specs like a 60Hz 6.4-inch AMOLED screen, Helio P95 chipset, a 64-megapixel quad-camera system, and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging.
The Realme 8 Pro is expected to feature a 108-megapixel quad-camera system. It is speculated that the Realme RMX3081 phone that was recently approved by the FCC authority of the U.S. could be the Realme 8 Pro handset. The FCC certification revealed that the RMX3085 has Realme UI 2.0 based Android 11 OS, a 4,500mAh battery, and it supports 65W fast charging.
Lately, ZTE has been trying to make impressive smartphones and is reportedly gearing up to launch the Axon 30, the successor of Axon 20 series, which was the first in the world to feature an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Now, the company has officially confirmed on Weibo that a new series of smartphones will soon be launched — ZTE S series and from the announcement, it seems like the company is targeting youth with the upcoming lineup.
So far, not much is known about this new ZTE S-series of smartphones. It is also not known which segment the company is targeting but given that it is focused at youths, we expect it to be a budget lineup.
Ni Fei, President of ZTE’s Mobile Business Unit, had said that 2021 will be a crucial year for the company as it plans to integrate high-quality resources and continue to invest in the construction of brands and establish new channels for business.
With the focus towards youth, the company is aiming to reposition itself in the smartphone market and launch devices with unique yet highly marketable features. It will be interesting to see what the company has up its sleeves.
Not only smartphones, the company is also focusing on other futuristic areas and has recently decided to enter the electric vehicles market. The expansion of its business comes at a time when the company is facing several restrictions imposed by the United States.
Recent reports have revealed that Xiaomi is planning to launch a new Mi 10 series smartphone called the Xiaomi Mi 10S in China. The reservation listings of the phone were found on JD.com on Saturday. The listing only revealed the moniker of the device. Today, Xiaomi confirmed that it will be announcing the Xiaomi Mi 10S smartphone in China at 2:00 PM (local time) on March 10. In addition, Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun took to Weibo to confirm the three key features of the Xiaomi Mi 10S.
Jun revealed that the Xiaomi Mi 10S is powered by the Snapdragon 870 chipset. He added that the phone will be featuring Harmon Kardon speakers and it will borrow its design from the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra smartphone from last year.
The image shows that the Xiaomi Mi 10S will come in three hues such as black, white, and blue. The quad-camera setup of the phone features a 108-megapixel main camera.
The Xiaomi Mi 10S is the M2012J2SC smartphone that was certified by Chinese regulatory bodies like TENAA and 3C earlier this year. These certifications had revealed that it will be arriving with specs like a 6.67-inch display, Android 11 OS, and a 4,680mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. Speculations are rife that its other specifications could be similar to the Xiaomi Mi 10 5G from last year.
The Xiaomi Mi 10 5G phone sported a 6.67-inch 90Hz AMOLED screen with FHD+ resolution support. It came with a 20-megapixel selfie camera and a quad-camera setup featuring a 108-megapixel primary camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide snapper, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. It housed a 4,780mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. It was powered by the Snapdragon 865 chipset.
OPPO will be taking off covers from the OPPO Find X3 series of smartphones in China on March 11. The Find X3 Neo and Find X3 Lite are not launching in China since they are rebranded versions of the Reno5 5Gv and Reno5 Pro+ 5G phones that were announced back in December in the home market. China is expected to receive two phones namely, the OPPO Find X3 and Find X3 Pro on the said date. Ahead of the launch, the reservations of the Find X3 and X3 Pro phones have started through OPPO’s online store, JD.com, and other Chinese retailer sites.
OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G
The official renders of the Find X3 Pro that can be found in the retailer listings show that it features a curved edge display with a hole-punch placed at the upper-left corner. There is a squarish camera housing on the backside of the Find X3. It houses four cameras and an LED flash.
The Find X3’s reservations listing shows that its front and rear appearance resembles the Pro model. Shown below is an official promo video released by the brand.
OPPO Find X3 and Find X3 Pro specifications
The OPPO Find X3 Pro has a 6.7-inch QHD+ display that supports 10-bit color depth. The Snapdragon 888 mobile platform powers the phone with 12 GB of RAM. It could be coming with a 4,500mAh battery that supports 65W fast charging and 30W wireless charging.
The Find X3 Pro could be featuring a 32-megapixel front camera. Its rear camera setup may include a Sony IMX766 50-megapixel main snapper, a Sony IMX766 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor, a 13-megapixel telephoto periscope shooter, and a 5-megapixel micro lens.
The OPPO Find X3 is expected to feature the Snapdragon 870 chipset. It is likely to borrow many of its specs from the Find X3 Pro model.
The fast-growing TWS market has seen some increase in recent times due to the shift towards video conferencing and virtual meetings. As a result, we have seen a rise in the rpoduct quality as well as the number of manufacturing making inorads into the TWS market. Sound giant, Marshall has launched a new wireless earbuds which happens to be its first TWS headset yet. The product dubbed Marshall Mode II earbuds ticks most of the boxes in terms of the design and features.
The Marshall Mode II earbuds is suitable for use during work out as it comes with an IPX4 waterproof rating. You get up to 5 hours of playback from a singlee charge but you can nudge that up to 25 hours with the charging case. The charging boox can charge the pair of earbuds up to four times and when it is down, you won’t have to wait for too long as the box charges over the USB-C port. The charging box also supports wireless charging.
The Marshall TWS earbuds has the brand’s logo crested on the body. It uses large 6 mm drivers which delivers a frequency response of between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. The company says the earbuds are tuned to deliver a “thunderous” sound and we can’t doubt that considering Marshall’s antecedents.
Further, the earbuds arrives with support for touch control which allows users make or end calls and also control music playback. It can also be used to activate voice assists such as Siri or Google Assistant.
The Marshall Mode II earbuds carries a hefty price tag of US$219 and is presently available on Marshall’s official website. The product will start shipping from 18 March.
Since we ran that poll, several new gaming phones, as well as regular flagship phones, have launched. Both categories have brought new and improved technologies such as much faster charging, better cooling, higher refresh rates, and more. We have even seen some of the issues some users complained about such as camera performance have gotten better in newer models. The iQOO 7 is one such example.
For this week’s poll, we are asking once again what you think of gaming smartphones compared to regular flagships. We want to know if your views have changed regarding this niche category or you believe they will always play second fiddle to regular flagships. So take the poll below and also share your opinions with us in the comment box below.
We got our first look at live images of the OnePlus 9 Pro exactly a month ago. The photos which were shared by the YouTuber, Dave2D, showed the phone in a Silver Gray colorway. Exactly a month later, the flagship has appeared in a new color which a leak says will be called Stellar Black.
The photo was posted by TechDroider, and from the image, it seems OnePlus is bringing back the Sandstone Black finish from the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 days. It doesn’t look like leather and we are not sure that such a finish can be pulled off with glass. Save for the color and textured finish, the phone is the same as the Silver Gray one we saw last month.
The OnePlus 9 Pro has a four-camera array on the back which is made up of a 48MP main camera, a 50MP camera, an 8MP camera, and a 2MP camera. Housed together with the cameras are a laser focus module and an LED flash. There is also a Hasselblad branding on the camera housing. A recent leak revealed the phone will be able to record in 8K at 30 frames per second and in 4K at 120 frames per second.
OnePlus has an event tomorrow which is related to the OnePlus 9 series. The manufacturer is expected to announce the launch date for the phone, and unconfirmed rumors say it will fall in the third week of March.
The new Narzo 30 series recently hitten the Indian shelves with three variants: the most powerful of them is the Narzo 30 Pro 5G, which is also the only 5G phone from the series. It belongs to the midrange segment and offers a very high value for money, but is it actually the highest? In order to understand this, we decided to compare it to two other amazing mid-rangers, one of which is equipped with 5G connectivity: the POCO X3 by Xiaomi and the Realme X7, both available in the Indian market.
Realme Narzo 30 Pro vs Xiaomi Poco X3 vs Realme X7
Quad 64 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.3, f/2.4 and f/2.4
32 MP f/2.5 front camera
BATTERY
5000 mAh, fast charging 30W, USB-PD 15W
5160 mAh, fast charging 33W
4300 mAh, fast charging 65W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Dual SIM slot, splash proof
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Design
If you mind having a beautiful phone with an attractive design, go for the Realme X7. You should go for it because it is actually thinner, lighter, and more compact than Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G and POCO X3. The aesthetics are very similar to the Realme Narzo 30 Pro but given that the Narzo is thicker and bigger, it is also less attractive. The POCO X3 does not come with an amazing design, but it offers a great build quality. Its frame is made of aluminum and the phone has the IP53 certification which makes it dust resistant and splash resistant. Further, its front glass is protected by Gorilla Glass 5.
Display
Despite it comes with a standard refresh rate, the best display belongs to the Realme X7 for a simple reason: it has an AMOLED panel. AMOLED displays are able to show more brilliant colors and deeper blacks. The phone is also equipped with an in-display fingerprint reader allowing for a more comfortable unlock. The Realme Narzo 30 Pro has a 120 Hz display just like the POCO X3, but a higher refresh rate does not stand for better image quality. You can get a smoother viewing experience, but the quality of these IPS displays is actually lower if you compare them to the Realme X7.
Specs & Software
The POCO X3 NFC is inferior when it comes to the hardware department because its chipset, the Snapdragon 732G, is actually less powerful than the Mediatek Dimensity 800U found on the Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G and the Realme X7. But the most important difference between the two chipsets is 5G: with the Snapdragon 732G, you do not get 5G connectivity, while you do with the Dimensity 800U. All the phones are based on Android 10 and run a highly-customized user interface. Further, they all pack up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of UFS 2.1 internal storage.
Camera
On the paper, the Realme X7 looks like the device with the best camera setup. On the rear side, it has a 64 MP main camera, an 8 MP ultrawide sensor, and a pair of 2 MP sensors for macros and depth. Last but not least, a great 32 MP selfie snapper.
Battery
The POCO X3 has the biggest battery and, given that the components are similar to the Realme Narzo 30 Pro in terms of energy consumption, it should provide a longer battery life. The Realme X7 has a smaller 4300 mAh battery, but it charges faster with its 65W fast charging technology.
Price
Realme Narzo 30 Pro is priced Rs. 18,799 / $257, POCO X3 costs Rs. 16,999 / $232, and Realme X7 starts from Rs. 19,999 / $273. Given that it does not support 5G, the POCO X3 is not the smartest choice for everyone. The Realme X7 is for those who love the camera and display quality, while Realme Narzo 30 Pro provides a longer battery life. Overall, the Realme X7 is more interesting (but also costlier) and it wins the comparison.
In line with ongoing moves by US tech giant Apple to revamp its PC line of iMacs, it has now been announced that the iMac Pro, which is barely four years old, having been launched in 2017, will be rested after its present stock of units is exhausted. This is a clear indication that the iMac Pro was not able to pull the punches required of it and has not had any significant upgrades since its debut, which obviously had affected its overall performance rating.
In addition, Apple had released the iMac in August 2020, which clearly satisfied the projected audience of the iMac Pro, and comes with greater power and speed. In a report monitored on business and tech news platform Bloomberg in January 2021, Apple was said to be at an advanced stage of retooling its lineup of desktop computers which were underpinned by the iMacs. The ongoing restructuring of the lineup may have thus taken the iMac Pro as the first casualty.
The iMac Pro costs about $5,000 for the base model can still be gotten across the various sales options available for Apple users, of course only while the present stock remains. Apple did not provide information on how long it will take before the stock of iMac Pros are exhausted across all its channels.
Apple also said on Saturday that Apple users who are interested in scaling their expectations and desire expandability and greater power for their desktop computers could opt for its present flagship product in the PC segment – the Apple Mac Pro. The Mac Pro comes packed with greater functionality and power, enabling it to eclipse both the iMac Pro and iMac in performance.
Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi, until January 2021, had seen rising interest and growth, as it continued to try to fill the void created by the US government’s shut-out of Huawei on fears that it has a strong connection with the Chinese military and could be carrying out espionage activities on their behalf. The brand had grown rapidly in the aftermath of Huawei’s blacklisting to become the third-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world.
However, it got a rude shock when the then outgoing government of President Donald Trump imposed a ban on the company together with seven other Chinese companies on the accusation of being owned by the Chinese military or having very strong ties with the Chinese communist government.
A Wall Street Journal report has now revealed that the reason for the blacklisting of Xiaomi was that its founder Lei Jun was the recipient of a 2019 award by MIIT titled: Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. The award was well received by the company, as it was well highlighted in the biography of its founder and in the corresponding annual report of the company.
In response to the blacklist by the US government, Xiaomi had put out a public statement reaffirming the claim that it has no links whatsoever with the Chinese government, neither is the company owned by the Chinese military establishment. Xiaomi stressed that the company had continued to abide by all legal protocols in their business operations and had not been found to run foul of these by the US government. It insisted that it will pursue all legal avenues to seek redress for the unfair categorization and blacklisting by the US government. The company’s shares had experienced substantial declines since the January decision, shedding a quarter of its shares (25%) as of this week, and closed at $15.34 per share.
Xiaomi had also filed a lawsuit challenging the blacklisting in the US, and an extended legal struggle has already ensued with the battle shifting to the courts. However, it remains to be seen the amount of evidence the US Defense Department would be willing to make public in support of the blacklist decision.
HMD Global has been unimpressive lately. Multiple Nokia phones that were expected to launch last year are still unannounced and its rollout of Android 11 to eligible devices has been really slow. However, exciting news has surfaced from the Finnish company and it says that the manufacturer is planning a new series of phones, the first of which will launch as the Nokia G10.
First reported by NokiaPowerUser, the Nokia G10 will be the first of a new line, the Nokia G-series. According to their source, the Nokia phone with model number TA-1334 is the Nokia G10.
The phone is expected to have a 6.4-inch screen, an octa-core processor, and have a 48MP quad-camera setup on its back. The device is said to share a lot of its specs with the Nokia 5.4 but we expect it to have some notable differences.
There is no news on when the phone will launch but it may not be too long considering the device has been certified in Thailand as well as by TÜV Rheinland.
In related news, it has been reported that HMD Global will adopt a new naming scheme this year. The info comes from the Twitter account Nokibar (@baidunokibar) and it revealed in a tweet that HMD Global will ditch the “dot” naming style it has used since it began manufacturing Nokia smartphones.
There have been several complaints about how the current naming scheme is confusing, and it appears HMD Global has decided to resolve it. From the image, it appears Nokia will be going with a mix of alphabets and numbers. So there is a chance that the Nokia G10 may actually not be a new series but the first phone to launch under the new naming scheme.
We advise you to take the info with a pinch of salt until there is concrete evidence.
If you are picking up a new Amazfit smartwatch in the US anytime soon, you will be eligible for a free strap depending on the model you purchase. We don’t know how long the promo has been on, but it will end on the 16th of March in the US.
According to the promotional page, all purchases of the Amazfit GTS 2, Amazfit GTR 2, Amazfit GTR 2e, and Amazfit GTS 2e will come with a free strap. The straps usually sell for between $19.99 to $24.99 depending on the model of the watch.
Those who purchase the Amazfit GTR 2 or Amazfit GTR 2e will get a free Amazfit Leather Series Strap (22mm) and can choose if they want it in white or black. While those who purchase the Amazfit GTS 2 or Amazfit GTS 2e will get the Amazfit Coor Series Strap (20mm) and get to choose if they want it in Navy Blue, Coral Red, and Olive Green.
1 of 2
Amazfit GTS 2e free strap
We checked other regions and found out that the promo is also on in Germany where it will end on March 8.
A few days ago, Realme launched the new Narzo 30 series: a lineup targeted to young people with great specifications offered at an affordable price. The lowest-end variant of the series is the Realme Narzo 30A providing entry-level specifications but great performance. POCO is actually one of the best Realme’s rivals in the low-end segment: the Xiaomi subsidiary recently released the POCO M3 in the global market. While waiting for the Narzo 30A to exit the Indian market under another moniker (even though it was never confirmed), we think it is time to compare it with the POCO M3 in order to establish which one is the king of entry-level phones.
Dual 13 + 2 MP, f/2.2 + f/2.4
8 MP f/2.0 front camera
Triple 48 + 8 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.4 + f/2.4
8 MP f/2.1 front camera
BATTERY
6000 mAh, fast charging 18W
6000 mAh, fast charging 18W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Dual SIM slot, reverse charging
Dual SIM slot, reverse charging
Design
Unfortunately, you can not expect a great design from devices in the low-end segment. Despite that, the Realme Narzo 30A and the POCO M3 have a pretty nice build quality and original aesthetics. I like the Realme Narzo 30A with its “laser” color variants composed of two pieces: a straight one on the upper part of the rear cover and a pattern on the lower part. Both the phones are made of plastic and they do not provide certification against water and dust. Fortunately, each of these devices is equipped with a fingerprint reader: it is placed on the side of the POCO M3 and on the rear of the Realme Narzo 30A.
Display
The displays on the Realme Narzo 30A and the POCO M3 are nothing special. Both come with a below-average HD+ resolution and IPS technology. The color reproduction is not very realistic and the definition is all but high, especially if we consider that these phones come with 6.5-inch displays. The Realme Narzo 30A is actually better because it sports a higher brightness (470 nits of typical brightness and 570 nits of peak brightness), but the differences are marginal. The phones have a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera.
Specs & Software
The POCO M3 is equipped with a Snapdragon 662 chipset, while the Realme Narzo 30A is powered by the Helio G85. While the Helio G85 is slightly more powerful than the Snapdragon 662 on benchmarks, the POCO M3 actually provides better memory configurations and faster internal storage, that is why it wins the hardware comparison. The RAM goes up to 6 GB in the most expensive configuration, and you get either UFS 2.1 or UFS 2.2 storage. The Realme Narzo 30A has just 4 GB of RAM in the best configuration paired with eMMC native storage. Both the phones run Android 10 as the operating system out of the box.
Camera
The POCO M3 has a superior camera department to the Realme Narzo 30A. With the POCO M3, you get a 48 MP main camera, a 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. The Realme Narzo 30A has an inferior 13 MP main camera and just one 2 MP depth sensor. There is no challenge: the POCO M3 is able to provide a better photo quality with a higher level of detail, as well as better macro shots.
Both Realme Narzo 30A and POCO M3 are equipped with a 6000 mAh battery. Their 6000 mAh batteries are the strongest point of these devices as they allow them to reach three days of battery life even with pretty intensive usage. Further, the phones support 18W fast charging and even reverse charging (only through the USB cable). These are real battery phones among the best in the whole market.
Price
The starting price of the Realme Narzo 30A in the Indian market is Rs. 9,799 / $134, while POCO M3 starts from Rs. 11,970 / $164. With the Realme Narzo 30A, you can save money, but the POCO M3 is actually a better phone thanks to its better memory configurations (more RAM and UFS internal storage) and higher-end cameras (48 MP sensor and a pair of 2 MP additional ones). The POCO M3 wins the comparison, while you should go for the Realme Narzo 30A only if you want to pay the lowest amount of money possible for your new phone (you would still get a similar experience if we exclude the camera).
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