Huawei has recently been expanding its presence in the automobile industry, but now, it seems like Xiaomi is also planning on entering the market as well. A new report has suggested that the company is planning on building its own car.
According to an iFengNewsreport, multiple sources have recently stated that the Chinese tech giant is planning on building its own car and is considering it as a strategic decision, but the specific details and path it aims to take has yet to be determined. The sources also claimed that there are many variables and nothing is set in stone. As per a person familiar with the matter, the project will directly be led by the smartphone maker’s Founder and CEO, Lei Jun, although, the company has yet to respond when asked about this.
Back in 2013, Lei Jun had visited the US twice to meet with Tesla CEO Elon Musk and now it seems that its interest on the field has grown. The report adds that the diversification arrives as the smartphone market faces stagnation. Furthermore, the electric smart vehicle market has been seeing a rise in popularity. So, it won’t arrive as a complete surprise if the company aims to expand its presence into an untapped market, especially in regards with its considerable research and development team and expertise in electronic hardware.
Unfortunately, Xiaomi has yet to respond on this so we have no way of confirming this report at the moment. So, take this report with a grain of salt and stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.
Last year, Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 9 Proand Redmi Note 9 Pro Max smartphones in March. Later, it also announced the Redmi Note 9. The Chinese firm will be taking off covers from the Redmi Note 10 series in India on March 4. A fresh leak by Xiaomiui Twitter handle (not an official Twitter account by Xiaomi) has revealed the key features of the Redmi Note 10 series. The leak claims that the Note 10 lineup will include three models such as Redmi Note 10, Note 10 Pro, and Note 10 Pro Max.
Redmi Note 10 key specifications (Rumored)
The leak states that the Redmi Note 10 with M2101K7A model number is equipped with a Snapdragon 678 mobile platform, an IPS screen, and a 48-megapixel quad camera. It may come in variants such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. It may come in colors such as Pebble White, Lake Green, Aqua Green, Frost White, and Shadow Black.
Redmi Note 10 Pro and Redmi Note 10 Pro Max key specifications (Rumored)
The leak associates the M2101K6I model number to Redmi Note 10 Pro and Redmi Note 10 Pro Max 5G smartphones. Both phones are said to arrive in common colors like Glacier Blue, Gradient Bronze, Vintage Bronze, Onyx Gray, and Dark Night.
The Note 10 Pro may come in two model such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. On the other side, the Note 10 Pro Max 5G could be available in 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage editions.
While there are speculations that the Pro model has an AMOLED display, the leak states both phones have IPS screens that offer a 120Hz refresh rate. The Note 10 Pro may feature Snapdragon 732G chipset and a 64-megapixel quad-camera setup, whereas the Pro Max 5G may come with Snapdragon 768G and a 108-megapixel quad-camera system. Both phones may house a 5,050mAh battery.
Readers are advised to digest the leak with a pinch of salt as its authenticity could not be confirmed.
Earlier today (19th February 2021), the official Weibo account, a Chinese microblogging website, of Redmi shared a new teaser image poster of the K40 Pro. In this, the company teased the higher end variant’s triple camera module on the rear. The series is set to be launched on 25th February 2021.
The Redmi K40 series will be announced via a live stream online on February 25. Notably, the Chinese tech giant also added that the conference will be for the unveiling of its “Dual Flagship” in the online post. Furthermore, this is also the first time the company officially revealed the device, meaning its also the first official look at the upcoming K40 series. Looking at the image poster, three image sensors can be observed on the rear, with two being similar in size, with one of them likely being the 108 megapixel primary camera.
As per a recent certification, the Redmi K40 series measures in at 163.7×76.4×7.8mm, and is powered by a large 4,420mah battery. Additionally, the model number is M2012K11AC/AG. Under the hood, the higher end Pro variant will arrive with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, and will likely sport features like UFS 3.1, LPDDR5 RAM and more. The base model is expected to arrive with a Snapdragon 870 SoC.
Unfortunately, other finer details regarding the device and its complete specifications are unknown at the moment. Thus, we will have to wait for the official launch event to know for sure. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.
As expected, Motorola has officially launched the Moto E7 Power budget smartphone in India. This handset offers a large screen, huge battery, dual-camera, and more. Let us take a look at its entire specs, features, and price in detail.
Motorola Moto E7 Power Specifications and Features
The Moto E7 Power was extensively leaked a few days before the company officially started teasing its specs. Hence, we know almost everything about it for a quite while now.
The handset flaunts a 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels (HD+), a 20:9 aspect ratio, and an 85% screen-to-body ratio. The screen also has a dewdrop notch at the top center housing a 5MP selfie camera.
The phone features a plastic build and comes in two colors, namely Tahiti Blue and Coral Red. Its rear panel houses a vertically-aligned dual-camera setup consisting of a 13MP primary sensor paired with a 2MP macro shooter. The back also includes a fingerprint sensor with the iconic Motorola Batwing logo embedded on it.
Further, the device is powered by MediaTek Helio G25 SoC coupled with 2GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB internal storage. If needed, the storage can be further expanded up to 1TB via the MicroSD card slot.
On the connectivity front, the phone supports dual-SIM, 4G, single-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, and GNSS (GPS, A-GPS, LTEPP, SUPL, GLONASS, GALILEO). It also comes with all the essential ports and sensors like a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C port, proximity sensor, accelerometer, and ambient light sensor.
The device runs Android 10, and a 5,000mAh battery backs it with support for 10W fast charging. Additionally, the smartphone is IP52-certified for splash resistance and features a dedicated Google Assistant button.
Last but not least, the Moto E7 Power measures 165.06 x 75.86 x 9.20mm in dimensions and weighs 200g.
Motorola Moto E7 Power Pricing and Availability
Lenovo-owned Motorola has priced the base 2GB + 32GB variant of Moto E7 Power at ₹7,499. Whereas, the higher 4GB + 64GB version will cost the buyer ₹8,299.
The smartphone will be available on Flipkart, starting February 26 at 12 PM. It will be also sold at leading offline retail stores.
Back in October 2020, DxOMark published its camera rating review for the Vivo X50 Pro+, which received a score of 127 points and praises for its performance. But now, the known camera testing brand has updated its score for the 2020 flagship, raising its score to 131 points.
According to the updated DxOMarkrating, the new score reflects the performance with Version 4, which now includes image preview tests and other new test scenes. Looking at the scores, the handset received 137 points for photography compared to 139 points it received last year. For videos, its score was 108 points, higher than 104 points that it received in 2020. A new category that was included in the updated test is the Zoom segment, where it received 88 points.
Through the update, the Vivo X50 Pro+ delivered a strong performance, with its photography score being in the third highest in the firm’s database. It delivered ‘excellent’ performance, with low noise in images with good color under most conditions. Its ultra wide angle lens was lackluster compared to a few other flagships. For video, the performance was notable, with detailed clips that feature low noise, even in 4K.
However, DxOMark still noted some cons, as strong ghosting affect was observed in scenes with motion. Similarly, color spread and aliasing artifacts were also visible along with high contrast boundaries. Furthermore, the company also found fusion artifacts in medium zoom range, with the wide mode also suffering from underexposure and unnatural colors. Despite this, the Vivo X50 Pro+ offered great camera performance as per DxOMark.
Honor is one of the major Chinese smartphone brands in the world. Established in 2013 as a Huawei subsidiary to take on online competitors, the brand sold products that were targeted at the younger generation and that cost less than those from its parent company. Honor has since grown to become a household name with a strong online and offline presence in several countries.
A necessary but painful separation
Last year, Huawei had to let go of its subsidiary to prevent the brand from figuratively sinking with it, no thanks to the sanctions by the United States. Purchased by Zhixin New Information Technology Co. Ltd which is a consortium of 30 agents and dealers of the Honor brand alongside Shenzhen Smart City Development Group Co. Ltd, Honor is now a separate business with no ties to Huawei. The advantage this move gives Honor is that it can get access to the supply chain and software services Huawei has been cut off from.
Honor has confirmed that it has been in talks with Google to get Google Mobile Services, as well as chipmakers Intel, Qualcomm, and MediaTek. If all goes well, it means Honor will be free from the chains that are literally dragging its former parent company under.
Also, Honor has promised that its operations will not be affected and that its goal is to surpass Huawei which despite its troubles, is still the biggest smartphone brand in China.
However, the big question is “Can Honor truly survive without Huawei?”
Before we try to answer the question of Honor’s survival as an independent company, let us revisit its life under Huawei.
A brief look at Honor’s life under Huawei
As a sub-brand of Huawei, a number of Honor’s own products were usually cheaper alternatives to that of its parent company. Also, a significant percentage of its products and technologies were rebadged, with some launching first under the Honor brand and others launching first as a Huawei product. The wireless chargers in the image below are perfect examples of the “close relationship” that existed between both companies
Nevertheless, the manufacturer did have some exclusive products that were not rebadged or relaunched in other markets as a Huawei device. An example is the Honor Magic line of smartphones and the Honor Hunter line which includes gaming laptops, routers, and accessories. These “self-developed” products can be said to be evidence of Honor’s early steps at showing it wasn’t wholly tethered to Huawei.
Regardless of whether Honor’s products were rebadged or not, Huawei’s dual-brand strategy helped it become one of the top brands to come out of China, and its current woes can be said to have even stifled Honor’s own growth in key markets.
The future of Honor – definitely not bleak but will be challenging
Honor has set big goals now that it is no longer a Huawei company. According to its CEO, George Zhao, their goal is to surpass Apple and Huawei, and we all know that won’t be easy. The company is retaining its sales partners which means it should have no difficulty in making its products available to buyers.
A tough competition
While Honor launching phones with support for Google Mobile Services will help it win back lost customers, it will have to do more than that to grow its customer base. The competition is pretty stiff right now with Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Redmi, Realme, and Vivo launching phones practically every week. And there is Samsung whose renewed focus in the budget and mid-range category has helped it regain lost market share in key markets. To succeed, Honor will have to launch not only competitively priced products but also innovative ones that will give it an edge over its rivals.
Honor’s plans for the year include a global release of new flagships such as the Honor View 40 and the Honor 40 series. It has also been reported that the Magic series will get a new model too which has been reported will be a foldable device. A few mid-range 5G phones have also been certified in Europe and they should launch soon.
A new Android Skin
Honor phones run Magic UI which is practically a rebadged version of Huawei’s EMUI with some additional features. The image below which is an official one confirms that both skins are closely related.
Image source: HiHonor.com
Now that Honor is no longer part of Huawei, it will have to differentiate its Android Skin from that of its former parent company. Our guess is that Honor will want to stick to calling it Magic UI, the work is in creating something that is familiar to users but also distinct from EMUI. It won’t be easy work and it will actually take some time since it will most likely be working with a smaller team than that of Huawei. We expect this new skin should debut as Magic UI 5.0.
When Magic UI 5.0 or whatever this new skin is called arrives, we expect to see it first on its new flagships; it might even make its debut alongside the new Magic phone before it becomes available for older models.
Building Trust
This might as well be Honor’s biggest task. The manufacturer will have to build trust in consumers (most especially its international ones) that it takes user privacy important and that their data is safe and secure from the Chinese government.
New product categories
Honor has an extensive lineup of products that includes smartphones, computers, tablets, fitness trackers and smartwatches, headphones, speakers, smart TVs, routers, and a handful of lifestyle products. We expect it to continue to launch new products under these categories and also add new ones. For example, we expect the Hunter series to expand into a proper gaming line with gaming keyboards, mice, and headsets.
Conclusion
This year is going to be a defining one for Honor but we presume it will take things slow and may even adopt a different approach to how it conducts its business going forward. Nevertheless, we should have an idea of its plans as the year progresses.
The company has already begun a new journey with the launch of the Honor V40 in China. However, this phone doesn’t bring any visible changes that show it is no longer owned by Huawei, it is the global launch (as the Honor View40) that will reveal if things have changed if it comes with Google Mobile Services out of the box. Folks should also keep an eye out for the launch of the Honor 40 and the new Magic phone which should arrive in the second half of the year.
Finally, we believe Honor does have a promising future but one that will have its challenges. It will definitely be a bit difficult without access to Huawei’s resources but it should be able to succeed considering it has already made a name for itself.
What are your thoughts? Will Honor survive as a standalone brand in this highly competitive market?
In March, OPPO will be taking off covers from the OPPO Find X3 series in China and global markets. In China, it may announce the Snapdragon 870 powered Find X3 and Find X3 Pro featuring the Snapdragon 888 SoC. The global markets are expected to receive the Find X3 / X3 Pro, X3 Neo, and X3 Lite. A recent leak that revealed the front design of the global models suggested that the Find X3 Neo and Find X3 Lite will be rebranded versions of the Reno5 5G Pro 5G and Reno5 5G phones, which launched in China in December 2020. However, a new leak by a Dutch publication reveals that the Find X3 Neo will be a rebadged edition of the more powerful Reno5 Pro+ 5G.
The leaked official renders shared by Dutch publication Nieuwe Mobielshow that the Find X3 Neo 5G has a curved edge screen with a circular cutout for the selfie snapper at the upper-left corner. Its rear camera module has four cameras and a dual-LED flash unit. The Reno5 Pro 5G has a similar design, but it features a slightly different quad-camera module.
The Find X3 Neo 5G is likely to feature the same specs that are available on the Reno5 Pro+. The Reno phone has a 6.55-inch FHD+ display that produces a Full HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 865 mobile platform fuels it with 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
The Reno5 Pro+ has a 32-megapixel front-facing camera and its rear setup includes a Sony IMX766 50-megapixel main camera, a 13-megaixel telephoto lens, a 16-megapixel superwide sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro shooter. Its other specs include Android 11 OS, a 4,500mAh battery, and 65W fast charging support.
The publication claimed that the OPPO Find X3 Neo will be arriving in colors like black, white, purple, and blue. The Find X3 models could be made available for purchase in global markets by April.
US tech giant Amazon delved into the world of crowdfunding, aimed at bringing to life some of the concepts it has developed and would only mass-produce when the crowdfunding goal is achieved. This isn’t a new concept as it is the same idea behind the like of Xiaomi’s Youpin crowdfunding, Indiegogo, Kickstarter, and a couple of others. However, unlike Kickstarter, the platform will only feature Amazon’s products for now.
The first set of products that are up for funding include a cuckoo clock with the feature to programme the alarms, a smart scale that gives nutritional information, and a printer that prints sticky notes.
The cuckoo clock carries a $79.99 price tag but will retail for $99.99 after the exercise, It features a sleek minimalist design. The clock has an actual pop-out cuckoo bird and equally packs 60 LED bulbs as well as built-in speakers for timers and alarms. There is a removable pendulum so it can be mounted on a table or wall.
The stick-note printer is said to be about the size of a Rubik’s Cube and equally adopts a square shape. It carries an $89.99 price tag and is helpful in printing out shopping lists, reminders, calendar events, and more via spoken words. The device will need to be paired with an Echo device to use the speech-to-text function. Also. you won’t be needing ink as it uses thermal technology. All three products are integrated with Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant.
The crowdfunding will run for 30 days in all cases. In this case, all three products will be open for pre-orders until March 19. Backers will only be billed after the product ships. If the pre-order meets the set threshold after 30 days, production would then commence. The company stated that the prices of the products will go up after 30 days and customers have the option to cancel preorders or return a product after it has been shipped to them.
You can find more details on the crowdfunding page on the Amazon website.
In recent weeks, the Xiaomi MI 11 Lite that has a model number of M2101K9AG has been spotted at multiple certification sites like SIRIM (Malaysia), EEC (Europe), FCC (US), NBTC (Thailand), IMDA (Singapore), and Bluetooth SIG. Its Indian variant with model number M2101K9AI was approved by the BIS authority last month. These listings have revealed that it is a 4G LTE model. However, a new finding reveals that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will also come in a 5G version.
The Xiaomi MI 11 Lite has passed the IMDA certification again today (spotted first by Abhishek Yadav). However, this time it is the 5G variant that has a model number of M2101K9G. The listing has no information on its other specs. It only mentions that the device supports 5G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and NFC.
It is unclear what differences are there between the 4G and 5G versions of the Xiaomi MI 11 Lite. It is likely that both phones could end up with identical specs, but they may feature different chipsets.
Alleged Mi 11 Lite render
The FCC certification of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G revealed that it will be arriving in 128 GB and 256 GB storage choices. Both models are expected to feature 6 GB of RAM. The device is expected to draw power from a 4,520mAh battery and it may carry support for 33W rapid charging. The handset will boot to MIUI 12 and it supports Bluetooth 5.2.
Rumors are rife that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will be sporting an LCD punch-hole display panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 732G chipset may fuel the 4G variant and it expected to flaunt a 64-megapixel triple camera system. The device is likely to feature a side-mounted fingerprint reader. In terms of appearance, it may look like a stripped-down version of the Xiaomi Mi 11 5G.
An OPPO phone with model number PEDM00 was spotted at various places like AnTuTu, AIDA64, Geekbench, and 3C certification site. A leaked image of the ‘About Phone’ page of the device revealed that the PEDM00 model number is associated with the forthcoming OPPO Find X3 smartphone. The arrival of the smartphone seems to be close at hand as it has appeared in the database of China’s TENAA regulatory body today.
The OPPO Find X3’s listing at TENAA has no information on its specifications. The front view of the device shows that it has a punch-hole screen with curved edges. It is speculated to feature a 6.78-inch OLED screen that offers a Full HD+ resolution. The Find X3 Pro could be featuring a same-sized display, but it is expected to support Quad HD+ resolution.
The Find X3’s rear camera setup is included a 50-megapixel primary camera. It could be the same Sony IMX766 lens that will be available on the Find X3 Pro model. The Pro model’s triple camera system is said to include a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 main lens, a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 superwide sensor, and a 3-megapixel macro camera that is said to offer a 25x zoom. The configurations of the other cameras of the Find X3 are not known yet.
The Find X3 Pro will draw power from the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform, whereas the Find X3 will feature the Snapdragon 870 SoC. The vanilla model is also expected to arrive with other specs like 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB of internal storage, ColorOS 11.2 based Android 11 OS, and 65W fast charging.
With TENAA certification in two, the Find X3 and Find X3 Pro is expected to go official soon in China. In the coming, both phones are expected to launch along with Find X3 Neo and Find X3 Lite in global markets.
Apple, alongside Google, was reported to have joined the Next G Alliance in November last year, a group that looks to advance the next generation of wireless technology (6G). Apparently, Apple is also planning to start working on 6G on its own. A new job posting spotted by Bloomberg shows that the Cupertino-based company is sourcing for engineers and talent that will help in the development of next-generation 6G cellular technologies.6G technology is stilll several years away from realization, considering that 5G has not even been fully deployed globally. But then, US companies seem to have been caught off guard by their Chinese counterparts who led the way in 5G deployment and so, are trying to avoid a repeat.
The job posting explains that Apple is looking for people who will “research and design next-generation (6G) wireless communication systems for radio access networks” and “participate in industry/academic forums passionate about 6G technology.” It states further that the candidate will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to craft next generation wireless technology that will have a deep impact on future Apple products. “In this role, you will be at the center of a cutting-edge research group responsible for creating next-generation disruptive radio access technologies over the next decade,” it states.
Experts are of the opinion that 6G cellular technology standards won’t be deployed until around 2030 but this is the right time to begin research and development. Apple is apparently looking to move ahead of the pack and perhaps develop the 6G modem and other products that would be used on its smartphones and other gadgets.
Apart from Apple, other notable companies already on the forefront of 6G R&D efforts include Huawei, LG, Nokia and others.
The ZTE Axon 20 5G is one of the first devices to launch with an under-display selfie camera. The technology is expected to pick up this year, but based on DxOMark’s review of the phone’s selfie camera, it shows that under-display cameras still have a pretty long way to go.
DxOMark has awarded the phone an overall selfie score of 26! That is miles from the 104 points scored by the Huawei Mate 40 Pro, or for a fair comparison, the 88 points scored by the Mi 10 Ultra.
The review lab says in its review that the Axon 20 5G’s 32MP selfie camera is plagued by a host of image quality problems, though its exposure and focus are fairly stable. The overall score is broken down into 10 points for photo and 51 points for video.
Some of the major issues are the phone’s narrow dynamic range and underexposure in very low light. That is not surprising considering the camera is sitting behind the display. The Axon 20 also struggles with colors in photos and there are visible white balance casts regardless of the condition you shoot in.
ZTE Axon 20 5G Group Selfie | Source: DxOMark
For videos, the phone does a bit better but still sits almost at the bottom of DxOMark’s list. The low dynamic range is said to result in clipping in both shadows and highlights. There is color degradation and the noise level is high in all shooting conditions.
The Axon 20 5G may have found a neat way to hide the selfie camera but if you enjoy taking selfies or frequently use your phone for video calls, then you should avoid it. You can read the full review here.
On Wednesday, the Made By Google Twitter account posted a tweet that hinted at something that had to do with Apple TV. It has now officially announced that Apple TV+ is now available for Chromecast with Google TV via the Apple TV app.
According to the blog post released by Google, users can access the Apple TV app by going to the Apps tab or the apps row in the For you tab. If you have an Apple TV+ subscription, you will be able to watch your favorite TV shows within the app.
Users in the US will be able to browse through Apple Originals in their personalized recommendations and search results. They will also be able to ask Google Assistant to open the app or play a certain show from the app. You can also add Apple Originals shows or movies to your watchlist. Google says that these features will be available globally in the coming months.
The Chromecast with Google TV is a $49 streaming device that was announced by Google last year. It comes with a voice remote, so you can call up Google Assistant to launch an app or play a favorite show or movie.
Google has said that the Apple TV app will be available on more Google TV devices later.
The OnePlus Nord N10 5G and OnePlus Nord N100 are the brand’s first-ever budget smartphones. Unlike the company’s other models, the duo is only available in select countries in Europe, US, and others. Although they are only eligible for a single Android update, the firm has been delivering regular maintenance updates for these devices. Hence, they are currently receiving a new security patch update.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G
Last month, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G became the first OnePlus handset to get the January 2021 security patch update. Now again, it has become the first device from the company to get the February 2021 security patch update. On the other hand, the brand is seeding out the January 2021 security patch update for the OnePlus Nord N100.
Apart from security patches, the new OxygenOS update for this duo also brings improvements and optimizations. The OnePlus Nord N10 5G gets updated GMS package (December 2020) and 5G improvements. Whereas, the update for OnePlus Nord N100 brings improvements for power consumption and network as well as system stability, VoWiFi optimizations, and some bug fixes.
That said, the latest update for these handsets come with the following build numbers.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G
EU: OxygenOS 10.5.10.BE89BA
GLO: OxygenOS 10.5.11.BE86AA
OnePlus Nord N100
EU: OxygenOS 10.5.7.BE83BA
NA: OxygenOS 10.5.5.BE81AA
OnePlus Nord N100
OnePlus Nord N10 5G OxygenOS 10.5.10/10.5.11 Official Changelog
System
Adjusted a few feature descriptions
Updated Android Security Patch to 2021.02
Updated GMS package to 2020.12
Network
Improved 5G quality of connection in some scenarios to provide a better and stable network environment
OnePlus Nord N100 OxygenOS 10.5.7/10.5.5 Official Changelog
System
Improved the power consumption
Updated Android Security Patch to 2021.01
Improved system stability and fixed some bugs
Network
Further improved network stability
Optimized the stability of VoWiFi connection
Last but not least, like any other OTA update, the new system update for the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and the OnePlus Nord N100 is being rolled out in batches. Hence, it may take time to reach every unit.
Caviar, the Russian luxury business has announced its customized PlayStation 5 will sell for $499,000!!! What do you get for the almost 100,000% increase in price? You get a console covered in 4.5 kilograms of 18-carat gold and a crocodile leather-clad controller!
There will only be nine of these consoles made and Caviar says it has received more than 1,342 applications including from the NBA star, Lebron James. There are also some unnamed Russian and American businessmen who have expressed their interest in purchasing one.
The Gold Sony PlayStation 5 Golden Rock as it is officially called will be assembled from 8 sheets that have been cast in solid gold. From the images, it appears Caviar is only selling the digital edition of the PlayStation 5.
1 of 5
We know most of our readers can’t afford the PlayStation 5 Golden Rock, don’t feel bad, we can’t too. Nevertheless, Caviar has two other more affordable versions. There is an Alligator leather version with bits of 24-carat gold that is priced at $8140. There will be 99 pieces of this version.
The third version is the Caviar Sony PlayStation 5 Carbon and it is covered in the “most durable car carbon”. The gamepad also gets the same treatment. The price tag on this version is $5830 and just like the Alligator edition, there will be 99 pieces made available too.
Sensor Tower recently released research data which shows that Telegram was the most-downloaded app in January 2021. The research firm has again published data regarding to the top-grossing mobile game globally for the month of January. The revenue estimates were collated from data obtained from the App Store and Google Play worldwide between January 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021, and represent gross user spending.
The data shows that Tencent’s Honor of Kings was the top earner with a revenue of $267.3 million spent by players. The figure represents almost 22% growth from January 2020. It should be noted that most of the game’s revenue emanated from China, put at a whopping 97% while Thailand contributed 1% of the game’s revenue for January.
The second top-earner is unsurprisingly PUBG Mobile, yet another game distributed by Tencent. The game raked in more than $259 million in gross revenue, a 26 percent year-over-year growth when compared to January 2020. About 60% of PUBG Mobile’s revenue were from players in China where the game is known as Game For Peace. The United States contributed 9.8%. PUBG Mobile is still banned in India so the revenue from India would have dropped drastically.
The third-highest grossing game is Fate/Grand Order from Sony’s Aniplex, while the fourth spot is occupied by Genshin Impact from miHoYo. Completing the top 5 is Roblox from Roblox Corporation.
Professional Baseball Spirits A from Konami was a new entrant to the overall top 10 grossing mobile games in January. The title had its best month ever, racking up $112.5 million, a more than three times increase from January 2020. By January 31, 2021, lifetime revenue had reached $1.3 billion, with Japan accounting for all player spending. It’s evidence of just how lucrative the Japanese mobile games market remains, and how much success publisher Konami has found in the space.
If you want a high-end Android tablet, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7+ are your best bet. The two tablets which launched last year with Android 10 have begun to get the upgrade to Android 11 along with the new One UI 3.1 update. A new update coming to the two tablets this quarter will bring new S Pen and Galaxy Buds Pro features.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
S Pen Features
One of the coming features will allow you to use the stylus to handwrite in boxes you would usually have to type in, for example, the address bar in a browser. So rather than type out the URL, you will be able to write it out with the tablet’s stylus. The same applies to the text bar in messages and the search bar in YouTube. When a user is done writing, the handwritten text is turned into typed text.
The Samsung Notes app will also get a “Pen to Text” option that allows you to write naturally and have it converted instantly to digital text. Samsung says users can also draw symbols for certain functions such as a ‘v’ between words to put a space between them and a ‘⌒’ to join two words together. The feature will be available in over 80 languages and can detect punctuations and spacing.
This feature will be available in late February via an update in select markets. It can be activated by going to Settings > Advanced Feature > S Pen > S Pen to text, or to Settings > General management > Samsung Keyboard settings > S Pen to text.
Snap, Scan, and Edit with Samsung Notes
The Samsung Notes app will now let users scan and edit documents from within the app itself. Normally, folks can use the camera app on the Galaxy Tab S7 series to scan a document. However, by building the feature into the Notes app directly, users can scan and edit the document directly. All you have to do is select the attachment icon (paper clip), choose scan, and once you are done, you can edit it right away.
360 Audio via Galaxy Buds Pro
360 Audio is Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Spatial Audio. The feature, launched with the Galaxy Buds Pro, allows you to not only enjoy 360° surround sound when watching a video but will also sync the audio with the movement of your head thanks to a motion-tracking sensor.
The feature is available on select Galaxy smartphones and tablets (Galaxy S20 series, Galaxy Note 10 series, Galaxy Z Fold series, Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Tab S7 series, and Galaxy Tab S6 series) running One UI 3.1.
Samsung is the only popular Android tablet OEM apart from Huawei. Whereas, other well-known smartphone makers have left this category. According to a new leak, the South Korean tech giant will be releasing two new lite models of its premium Galaxy Tab S7 and budget Galaxy Tab A7 later this year.
Last year, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite as a mid-range productivity tablet. It is expected to get a successor in the form of Galaxy Tab S7 Lite, as per a new leak. This model could also become the company’s cheapest 5G tablet to date.
Similarly, there will be a budget tablet called Galaxy Tab A7 Lite as well. It is reported to be a smaller counterpart of the currently popular Galaxy Tab A7.
According to the images shared by Twitter user WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_), both these tablets will be launching in June 2021. The pictures not only reveal the front design of these upcoming tablets but also some of their highlights.
The Galaxy Tab S7 Lite is said to sport a 12.4-inch display, 5G connectivity, and Galaxy Continuity. For those unaware, the latter feature allows users to use their tablet as a secondary screen for their Galaxy smartphone. On the other hand, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite will reportedly come with an 8.7-inch display and will be targeted at one-handed usage for immersive entertainment with a slim metal design.
Lastly, according to a previous report by SamMobile, the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite may bear the model numbers SM-T730, SM-T735, and SM-T736B / SM-T736N for the WiFi-only, 4G, and 5G variants respectively.
In a massive escalation in the growing tensions between Facebook and the Australian government, Facebook has now banned all news media from Australia from being placed on its platform. The tensions grew over new regulations seeking to compel Facebook to pay for news content from Australian media which it shares on its platform. Now in a firm and frontal attack by the social networking site, it has asserted its importance by shutting out all news media, including the pages of government agencies and parastatals who increasingly use Facebook for information dissemination.
In a statement on Wednesday Facebook had said that people and publishers in Australia will subsequently be unable to share or see any news content from local or international outlets.
The Facebook pages of many Australian government agencies seem to have been one of the major casualties so far in the unfolding imbroglio. Several Australians have noted that the official Facebook pages of several government departments and agencies have been blank, including the fire department and the meteorological agency, many of whom had used the Facebook platform to disseminate weather warnings, fire, and so on.
In a blog post, Facebook’s executive, Campbell Brown asserted that what the proposed Australian law failed to take into consideration was that it failed to recognize the fundamental nature of the relationship between Facebook and the Australian publishers of news content. Campbell said that contrary to what had been suggested by some uninformed proponents of the new regulations, Facebook indeed does not steal news content, but publishers choose to share their stories on Facebook, which then becomes visible to users on the platform.
Some have already accused Facebook of pursuing a vendetta against the public by shutting out news from these public pages.
The news ban has already been met with confusion and criticism in the country. Facebook has responded to the sharp criticism of its action and said it will reverse pages “inadvertently impacted” by its decision to enforce the media ban.
Chrome OS will be getting new features in the near future, most of which are centered around education. One of the key features is support for screen recording and it will be available in March.
Screen recording will come in handy for teachers and students who have to record lessons and reports. You don’t have to be a schoolteacher or student to find it useful. If you create tutorial videos, you will find it useful too.
ChromeVox, the Chrome OS screen reader, will also be getting new features such as the ability to search ChromeVox menus and a voice switching feature that automatically changes the screen reader’s voice based on the language of the text.
Google says it will also make it possible for parents to add a Google Workspace for Education account to their child’s Google account that is managed with Family Link. This feature allows parents to be able to monitor their kids with Family Link even though the kids are using a school account.
In the blog post by Google, the tech giant says it will be launching over 40 new Chromebooks this year. These Chromebooks will include models that are convertible, allowing them to double as a laptop and tablet. They will also come with a stylus for taking notes and editing, a touchscreen, dual cameras, and features to help them create podcasts, draw, and publish digital books.
All of them will have features that allow them to provide exceptional Google Meet and Zoom experiences right out of the box says Google. There will also be LTE versions for those who are in countries with limited access to the internet or countries with strong mobile broadband networks.
A list of Chromebooks will be made available to make it easy for schools to choose from.
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The Find X3 Neo 5G is likely to feature the same specs that are available on the 
