OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 2 for OnePlus 7/7T series brings AOD for the Pro models

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Feb 5, 2021

A couple of weeks back, OnePlus released OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 1 based on Android 11 for the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7T series. It was followed by the last OxygenOS 10 (Android 10) stable update for these four smartphones earlier this week. Now, these phones are receiving the OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 2 update.

The Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 2 update for OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7T, and Oneplus 7T Pro brings a number of fixes and optimizations. Above all, the new build finally adds AOD functionality, however, it is only limited to the Pro models.

Further, the latest public beta update fixes adapter not charging issue when using the headset at the same time, battery icon not displaying in the status bar bug, Tips & Support not displaying in the Settings issue, and flashback issue with the camera when unlocking in professional mode.

Lastly, the update also optimizes the sliding effect of dynamic wallpaper and adjusting intensity of automatic brightness, in addition to improving power consumption in some scenarios.

OnePlus 7/7 Pro and 7T/7T Pro OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 2 Official Changelog

System
- Optimized the sliding effect of the dynamic wallpaper
- Improved power consumption in some scenarios
- Optimized the adjusting intensity of automatic brightness to bring a more smooth using experience
- Fixed the issue with the adapter not charging and using the headset at the same time
- Fixed the issue in which the battery icon is not displayed on the status bar
- Fixed the issue that ‘Tips & Support’ is not displayed in the Settings
Camera
- Fixed the small probability flashback issue with the camera when unlocking in professional mode
Ambient Display
- Newly supported Always-on ambient display feature for OP7Pro and OP7TPro (Go to: Settings – Utilities – OnePlus Laboratory – Always-on ambient display)

This new Android 11 beta update is currently rolling out to users on the previous public beta build via OTA. However, interested users on the stable channel can also install it by downloading the appropriate file from the OnePlus Community.

Asus ROG partners with IKEA to launch gaming-themed furniture & accessories

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 5, 2021

Recently, ASUS sub-brand, Republic of Gamers (ROG), and IKEA agreed on a collaboration between both brands to design and produce various pieces of furniture and accessories specifically tailored to suit the nuances of the gaming community. The joint effort has now begun yielding results, as IKEA last month, introduced a variety of gaming furniture to the Chinese market, with hopes of extending these products to the global market this year.

The new gaming range is mainly focused on gamers using a personal computer. IKEA has categorized the products into six categories. They include HUVUDSPELARE, UTESPELARE, MATCHSPEL, GRUPPSPEL, UPPSPEL, and LÅNESPELARE.

One of the six families of products is called UPPSPEL and is a culmination of the joint collaboration between both companies. The UPPSPEL product family was designed and produced via a close collaboration between Asus ROG and IKEA. The other five product families were developed solely by IKEA, although it claims these products were based on the insights and knowledge gained from the collaboration.

The list of products that culminated from the IKEA/ Republic of Gamers collaboration is over thirty.

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The list of new gaming-focused furniture is expected to debut in Japan around May 2020. The products include gaming desks and chairs, a drawer unit, a mug holder, a neck pillow, a ring light, a mouse bungee, a ring light, and several other products that both companies hope would combine to produce a wonderful gaming experience.

However, gamers will have to wait a bit longer for these products, as IKEA has said that global sales are expected bro kick off in October 2021.

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Gearbest Sale: Get Xiaomi Mi Gaming Mouse for just $29.99 (1-Day Deal)

By

Greeva Agnihotri

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Feb 5, 2021

Thankfully, there are many options out there, and buying a decent gaming mouse without burning a hole in your pocket is totally possible. Xiaomi’s Mi Gaming Mouse could be an ideal option if you’re looking to buy a budgeted gaming mouse. It is wireless, has a 7000DPI optical sensor, and lights up in pretty colors. Currently, it is up for a flash sale in Gearbest and available for just $29.99 (original price: $43.55). This is a limited time offer, and the deal ends in just 19 hours.

Xiaomi Mi Gaming Mouse features a minimalist and straightforward design with glowing RGB accents and additional customization buttons. Featuring smooth rubber sides, this unit offers a firm and comfortable hold. It has programmable M3, M4, and M5 buttons on the left side, meaning it is not an ambidextrous mouse. Buttons near the top scroll wheel enable the user to change the DPI. The optical sensor at the base tracks movements regardless of the surface. You can also choose from the wired and non-wired form while using it. Xiaomi Mi Gaming Mouse-1-

Xiaomi Mi Gaming Mouse is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems to offer convenience. This unit is up for sale at Gearbest and available for just $29.99 (original price: $43.55). The offer ends in the next 19 hours, so make the most of it while you can.

OPPO A15s now also comes in a 4GB + 128GB variant in India

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 5, 2021

OPPO launched the OPPO A15s smartphone in India in mid-December 2020. This handset is a slightly better version of the regular OPPO A15 with a different selfie camera and more RAM as well as internal storage. Now, over a month later, the company has debuted a new memory variant of this phone in the country.

The OPPO A15s can be now purchased in 4GB + 128GB variant in India. This version of the smartphone comes in two colors, namely Dynamic White and Fancy White. It is priced at ₹12,490 and can be bought from either Amazon India or any leading offline retail store.

The all-new 4GB + 128GB model is similar to the standard version except that it features more internal storage. However, it does not come in the Rainbow Silver color option like the cheaper 4GB + 64GB variant that costs ₹11,490.

That said, the OPPO A15s flaunts a 6.52-inch HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels) IPS LCD panel with a dew drop notch housing an 8MP selfie camera. The device is powered by MediaTek Helio P35 SoC paired with LPDDR4X RAM and eMMC 5.1 storage.

Further, the handset sports a 13MP (wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) triple camera setup on the back arranged in matrix manner along with an LED flash. The phone runs ColorOS 7.2 based on Android 10 and is backed by a 4,230mAh battery with support for 10W charging.

Other features of this device include a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual-SIM, 4G, VoLTE, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS (GPS, A-GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS), 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card slot, and MicroUSB port.

Order OnePlus 7T for just $419.99 at Gearbest (Limited Time Offer)

By

Greeva Agnihotri

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Feb 5, 2021

The OnePlus 7T is a popular device from 2019 featuring a powerful processor, gestures, good camera, and much more. Gearbest is currently offering a 19% off on this device where interested users can order it for just $419.99 (original price: $519.99). OnePlus 7T Gearbest

OnePlus 7T features a 6.55-inch screen with HDR10+ technology and 90 Hz refresh rate. It has a 20:9 aspect ratio and is covered with a 3D Corning Gorilla Glass to prevent scratches. This smartphone runs on OxygenOS based on Android 10 and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus with Qualcomm AI Engine. It has 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB/256GB UFS 3.0 2-LANE ROM for seamless multitasking and storage. Other features include 48MP triple rear and 16MP front camera, stereo speakers, a 3800mAh battery with 30W fast-charging, and much more. OnePlus 7T-1-

Packed with a host of features, this smartphone comes with pretty decent features. Currently, it is up for sale at Gearbest and available for just $419.99 (original price: $519.99). This deal is part of a flash sale that ends on 10th February, so hurry and make the most of it.

40% Off on Marshall Mid ANC Earphones at Gearbest Flash Sale

By

Greeva Agnihotri

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Feb 5, 2021

Marshall is a big name in the audio category and is known for its high-end speakers, headphones, and amplifiers. Today, Gearbest is offering a massive discount on one of its products – Marshall Mid ANC Earphones. The regular price tag for this pair is around $199, but you can now buy it for just $119.90. It offers excellent audio performance with boosted lows and sculpted highs, that is far better than most earphones in this price range. Marshall Mid ANC Earphones Gearbest

Marshall Mid ANC Earphones have generously padded square earcups that, in addition to comfort, manage to block out the ambient sound of your environment. Each cup houses a 40mm dynamic driver that perfectly balances sound clarity with the right amount of bass. It features a multi-directional knob that lets you control music and phone functionalities with ease. This pair offers 20 hours of continuous use and 30+ hours of wireless playtime without ANC. Marshall Mid ANC Earphones

These Marshall earphones also feature a micro USB port for charging and a 3.5mm jack for the detachable headphone cable. You can now buy these headphones at a discounted rate for just $119.90 (original price: $199) at the Gearbest flash sale. This deal is up for a limited time and ends on 11th February.

Samsung Galaxy A12 tipped to launch in India next week

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 5, 2021

Samsung launched the Galaxy A12 alongside the Galaxy A02s for the European markets in late November 2020. Now, over two months later, this budget smartphone with a large screen, a huge battery, and a quad-camera is tipped to debut in India next week.

The Samsung Galaxy A12 received BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certification last month. Hence, it was certain that this handset will be available in the country very soon. According to Ishan Agarwal (via MySmartPrice), a well-known reliable leakster, the device will be launching in the country next week itself.

The Galaxy A12 is similar to the Galaxy M12 that went official a few hours back. The only major differences between the two is that the former is powered by a MediaTek Helio P35 SoC and runs Android 10 One UI Core 2.x, as compared to Exynos 850 chipset and One UI Core 3.0 based on Android 11 on the latter. Also, both feature different patterns on their rear panel.

Apart from the above-mentioned dissimilarities, both devices are identical. The Galaxy A12 flaunts a 6.5-inch HD+ (720 x 1600 pixels) PLS TFT LCD panel with a dewdrop notch (Infiniti-V Display) that gets its juice from a 5,000mAh battery.

The handset comes with a 48MP (wide) + 5MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) quad-camera setup on the back and an 8MP selfie camera. Talking about connectivity, the phone supports dual-SIM, 4G, single-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, and GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, GALILEO).

Other features of this smartphone include a microSD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, grip sensor, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and 15W fast charging.

Last but not least, the Samsung Galaxy A12 measures 164 x 75.8 x 8.9mm in dimensions, weighs 205g, and comes in multiple storage configurations (3GB+32GB, 4GB+64GB, 4GB+128GB, 6GB+128GB) as well as four colors (Black, White, Blue, Red). But it is not known which variants will be sold in India at what price.

Samsung to erect a $17 billion chip plant in the US, located in Austin, Texas

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 5, 2021

Global brand Samsung Electronics is considering Austin, Texas, as one of the sites for a new $17 billion chip plant that could create up to 1,800 jobs. This is according to documents filed with Texas state authorities. With the proposal, Samsung is seeking combined tax breaks of $805.5 million spread over 20 years from Travis County and the city of Austin, according to the papers filed.

Samsung said in its filings that if Austin is selected, the company would have begun construction work on the site by the middle of the year and that the plant will begin operations by Q3 of 2023.

Samsung says the project is highly competitive, and the company is looking at alternative locations both in the US and South Korea. Some other sites in the US include Arizona and New York. The company further states that it is taking into account access to talent, chip ecosystem, and speed to market in its evaluation of the various sites.

Samsung semiconductor arm is a supplier of chips to some industry big hitters like Tesla, Qualcomm, and Nvidia. The filings show that the new chip manufacturing plant will produce “advanced logic devices,” which could mean that it would be producing the smallest, fastest kinds of computing chips.

Samsung has also confirmed that it would be expanding the capacity of its existing chip plant in Austin although there has been no definitive statement from the company on how the expansion process will run.

The papers show that the project would involve the construction of a 7 million square feet (650,000 square meters) facility on a 640-acre (259-hectare) site that the company already owns.

Political considerations may also be factored into the final decision by Samsung, as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, has encouraged Samsung to build a factory in his home state of New York, pledging to work to secure federal incentives for the facility, which he felt was very important for the US economy.

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Vivo X51 5G scores 114 and 81 points in DXOMARK rear and Selfie Camera tests respectively

By

Balaji S

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Feb 5, 2021

Vivo launched the Vivo X51 5G as a tweaked version of the Vivo X50 Pro in Europe last year. The device also recently got tested by DXOMARK and leveled the iPhone 12 Pro, Galaxy S20 Ultra in the Display category. Now, the same DXOMARK has recently reviewed its rear and Selfie Camera performance.

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According to the Testing, Vivo X51 5G scores an overall 114 and 81 points in the rear and Selfie camera tests respectively. This is not a sensational score by any means as the respective categories’ top scores are 139 and 104 points(as of writing this).

Specifically, HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro+ leads the Rear Camera pack with a record-breaking score. As for Selfies, its sibling Mate 40 Pro tops the chart currently. Anyway, the report says that Vivo X51 performs has an all-around package for a mid-range Camera phone. It has Quad rear-camera positives like Good Exposure, Autofocus, and Depth of Field.

Further, it seems to perform well in the Video category with well-controlled noise levels in overall conditions. Apart from this the device also seems to produce better long-range shots using Telephoto lens. Yes, you heard it right. The device has an 8MP periscope Telephoto lens on the back with OIS.

As for Selfies, it produces images with good colors and has a wider dynamic range. You also get Good exposures in Photo/Video, accurate White Balance, Color, and Autofocus.

That said, it does have its own set of Cons as well. For rear cameras, it has noise in most Still Photos, limited dynamic range & low contrast, and frameshifts, autofocus instability, shadow clipping in videos.

In the Selfie department, images have high noise in low-light, frequency hue shift Artifacts(highly intense), not good depth estimation in Portrait shots, and poor stabilization and high noise in video(low-light).

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A massive leak details Moto E7 Power, Moto G10, and Moto G30

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 5, 2021

Yesterday, we reported that Motorola will make changes to the Moto G series branding with the upcoming models. Today, specs, price, renders, and live images of two of these smartphones leak along with a Moto E phone.

The new leak regarding the forthcoming Motorola budget smartphones comes from Nils Ahrensmeier of TechnikNews and Adam Conway of XDA Developers. For those unaware, the duo is known for Motorola-related leaks.

In their new leak, they have shared the renders, live images, specifications, price of three handsets, namely Moto E7 Power, Moto G10, and G30. Let us take a look at them one by one.

Moto E7 Power

This is the first time we are hearing about the Moto E7 Power. Also, this device will be the first Moto E smartphone with Power branding. As per the tipsters, it is codenamed ‘Malta Lite’.

As for specs, the Moto E7 Power will be powered by MediaTek Helio P22 chip paired with 2GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB internal storage. The phone will house a 13MP (wide) + 2MP (macro) dual-camera setup on the back and will sport a 5MP front-facing camera.

Lastly, it will be available in two colors (Digital Blue, Oxy Red) backed by a 5,000mAh battery with an unknown price tag.

Moto G10

The Moto G10 had already leaked in December with the codename Capri. It will feature a 60Hz 6.5-inch HD+ (720 x 1600 pixels) LCD panel with a dewdrop notch, Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 SoC, 4GB RAM, and 64GB/128GB internal storage.

For optics, it will come with a 48MP (wide) + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) quad-camera setup and an 8MP selfie camera. Other features will include a dedicated Google Assistant key, microSD card slot, dual-SIM, NFC, USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, Android 11, 5,000mAh battery, and a wavy pattern on the rear panel.

Lastly, this handset will be available in two colors (Iridescent Pearl, Aurora Gray) priced at €149.99.

Moto G30

We know the G30 as Capri Plus. It is a better version of Moto G10 with a 90Hz 6.5-inch HD+ (720 x 1600 pixels) LCD screen with a dewdrop notch. It will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset paired with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB internal storage with support for MicroSD cards.

Other features of this phone will include a 64MP (wide) + 13MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) +2MP (depth) quad-camera, a 13MP front-facing camera, Google Assistant key, 3.5mm headphone jack, dual-SIM, USB Type-C, NFC, Android 11, 5,000mAh battery, and 20W fast charging.

Last but not least, this handset will be sold in two colors (Phantom Black, Pastel Sky) priced at €179.99.

Apple’s mixed reality headset to feature 8K displays, LIDAR sensors and more

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 5, 2021

In the course of recent months, bits of gossip about Apple VR and AR headset that is in the works has been charging the terrain. The most recent report from The Information presently uncovers that the headset will cost a premium, around $3000, and will highlight 8K presentations, a ground-breaking processor, and heaps of sensors and cameras.

The report additionally indicated a render of how the headset may look. The headset will have a texture network outside that will diminish its general weight, and this data confirms with a report from Bloomberg from a month ago. The headset likewise seems as though its headbands are propelled by the wristbands found on the Apple Watch.

Its Apple Silicon processor apparently will be more impressive than the M1 chip, and it will control 8K presentations on the headset. Be that as it may, it will not be continually running at 8K goal, rather it will utilize a strategy called “Foveated delivering”, where the headset will progressively scale goal dependent on where the client is zeroing in on the screen

Since the headset will likewise have AR usefulness, it will have heaps of cameras to follow hand development and LIDAR sensors to plan the climate. On the off chance that the improvement interaction stays on target, we may the headset be delivered at some point in 2022, after which Apple intends to deliver a lighter AR headset that will be more standard.

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Motorola Ibiza with 90Hz LCD display could launch as budget 5G phone in India in February

By

Balaji S

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Feb 5, 2021

Motorola brought the budget 5G phone Moto G 5G under ₹20,000(incl. Discount) in India last year. Later, brands like Xiaomi and now realme have started to slowly flood the market with 5G mid-range devices. That said, a new tip by Mukul Sharma hints that Motorola might bring a 5G budget device soon to India.

Motorola Ibiza XT2137 — Mockup Image by TechnikNews

According to a Tweet by Mukul, Motorola will launch a budget 5G device soon. Now, considering he is mentioning ‘budget’ here explicitly, we can expect the pricing to be below the already-selling Motorola Moto G 5G. Talking about the device, he says it could be the Motorola Ibiza that has been appearing on leaks recently.

In case you aren’t aware, Techniknew revealed a Motorola device with the codename ‘Ibiza’ in the works and will debut in Q1 of 2021. Later, the device passed through Wi-Fi Alliance certification having the same model number XT2137 as leaked before. This device is expected to be a 5G phone with Snapdragon 480 chipset.

To affirm the rumors, it appeared on Geekbench today carrying 6GB RAM, and running Android 11. Anyway, Mukul says that the device will also feature a 90Hz IPS LCD display. Considering it’s a budget device, it could also have an HD+ resolution but that isn’t confirmed yet.

Regarding the launch, the tipster feels that Motorola will most likely unveil it this month i.,e February 2021. Regarding the naming, a recent Tip by Techniknews also hints that Ibiza/Denver could be ‘Moto G40’. Since this isn’t confirmed yet, let’s take it with a pinch of salt.

Apart from Motorola ‘Ibiza’, the company will also launch a device codenamed ‘Capri’ soon in India. Accordingly, the device has cleared BIS certification.

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Samsung DeX extends Wireless support to PCs, currently works with Galaxy S21

By

Balaji S

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Feb 5, 2021

Samsung introduced the Samsung DeX in early 2017. Cut back to 2020, and it brought the ability to connect to TVs/Monitors wirelessly. However, it was limited to certain compatible models. That is changing now and as spotted by Android Police, it is now extending the support to PCs.

Although Samsung’s Insights webpage on Wireless DeX says “latest devices”, currently, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series running One UI 3.1 only seems to support it. To get it, update the DeX client on the PC to the latest version. You can download it here too. Now, follow the steps below:

Open the DeX shortcut on the Phone and Select the “DeX on PC” option.
From the list of devices available(if many), choose one and select “Start Now”.
After accepting the Prompt on PC, you can start using it wirelessly.

Note: If you have “Link to Windows”(Samsung’s Microsoft Your Phone-like soln) connected, this won’t work. Be sure to turn it off.

The report also says that the resolution is limited to 1080p. As for performance, the feature is reportedly working fine on PC and not as bad as when connecting to TV. One more thing to note, the S-Pen isn’t reportedly seamless.

Apparently, you can’t sketch drawings on Samsung Notes using S-Pen(on your device) when opened on the PC.

Samsung DeX is a software platform to make your smartphone into a desktop computing machine. It initially required a DeX Station/Pad as an accessory. Later, it got reduced into an HDMI adapter. This made users connect to external monitors/displays and enjoy a desktop experience.

In 2019, it finally brought the DeX for PC however required a cable. With the launch of Galaxy Note 20 last year, it finally expanded the horizon wirelessly. As long as Smart TVs with Miracast support and Phone are connected to the Same Wi-Fi, users were able to use DeX wirelessly.

Anyway, the feature is finally supported for PC and you can expect the compatibility to extend to many devices like Galaxy Tab S7 which recently got the One UI 3.1 update.

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Xiaomi confirms no GMS framework for future phones running MIUI China ROM

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 5, 2021

A few days back, news broke out that Xiaomi is blocking users from installing GMS (Google Mobile Services) on its devices running MIUI China ROM. To this, the company has now issued an official statement.

Xiaomi posted an image on Weibo via its ‘Xiaomi Company Spokesperson’ account. This image includes a total of four points

The first one says that the information regarding GMS on Xiaomi phones was shared by an unofficial Xiaomi Community group. Whereas, in the second one, the company denies that it is blocking GMS installation and calls this news a ‘rumor’.

However, the firm’s third point contradicts the first two. In this, the company notes that the GMS framework, which is required for GMS apps comes pre-installed on certain smartphones sold in China. But it will be not the case in the future.

Hence, users will not be able to install GMS on their phones (from the app store) themselves without the required framework. Anyway, Xiaomi does say that it will be shipping select handsets with the GMS framework based on demand.

Looks like instead of ‘future’, the Chinese smartphone maker has already removed the framework with the latest MIUI update on some of its models. Therefore, we think that with multiple users reporting on the issue, the unofficial Xiaomi Community Group brought this news to a wider public.

Lastly, the fourth point confirms that international models are not affected. Thus, Xiaomi’s global customers need not worry about GMS on their smartphones.

So who all are affected by this change? First and foremost, people who import Xiaomi handsets from China. These users will no be able to install GMS on their device if it does not come with the required framework. Secondly, Chinese citizens who want to try out GMS.

Xiaomi patents a foldable smartphone solution to mitigate creases

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 5, 2021

Foldables are said to be the future of smartphones. As of now, only four companies, namely Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, and Royole sell this type of phones. But others are also expected to release their devices very soon. Hence, almost all the major OEMs have been patenting tech related to foldables for the past few years. That said, one such patent by Xiaomi detailing a solution to reduce crease has emerged now.

Foldables come in two different types right now. The first design folds out to be a tablet, whereas the second design resembles clamshell phones from the past. But both these designs have one thing in common and that is creases.

Creases can be found in all the foldable smartphones that are available in the market. Although they don’t bother you if you don’t look for them, they are still a flaw. Therefore, we have seen multiple patents over the past few months from different companies to mitigate them.

Xiaomi’s new patent is also a solution to this problem. The company filed this patent with the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration) in July 2019. However, it got approved and published only on February 2, 2021. This patent is titled “Support Structure of Flexible Screen, Flexible Screen Structure and Terminal Equipment” (translated).

According to the documentation, this design includes two supporting structure for the flexible display panel. The second structure, which is close to the screen is deformable. Hence, when the device is closed, the display has a low chance of getting affected by a larger crease in the long run. Will this design work? We can only know when Xiaomi uses it in a commercial foldable smartphone.

Xiaomi foldable phone — Alleged Xiaomi Foldable Smartphone

So far, we are only aware that Xiaomi is working on a foldable smartphone codenamed ‘Cetus’. This handset is said to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, 108MP camera, and MIUI 12 based on Android 11. This device could be the one that was leaked in lived images last month.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 series will get a new Color variant, Tab S7+ storage upgraded to 512GB

By

Balaji S

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Feb 5, 2021

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Tab S7 series of tablet devices back in August 2020. Now, these flagship tablets are getting a new Phantom Navy color and a memory variant(for Galaxy Tab S7+).

As spotted by Roland Quandt(@rquandt), Samsung’s Germany website has listed a new “Phantom Navy” color variant for Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7+. This color, which is also called Navy Blue, will be available on respective LTE, Wi-Fi, and 5G models and across 128/256/512GB storage as well.

Additionally, a T&C page reveals that Galaxy Tab S7+ will also get a new 512GB storage variant. Earlier, the Plus variant of the tablet launched in 128/256GB UFS 3.0 depending on the markets. Also, it’s worth noting that the T&C page currently shows the 512GB variant only for the Wi-Fi model and its price is unknown.

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Carrying the model number SM-T970NDBFEUB, the Galaxy Tab S7+ should be available soon in Europe. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, and Tab S7+ feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ flagship chipset. The Galaxy Tab S7 sports an 11-inch WQXGA LCD 120Hz display whereas the Tab S7+ has a 14-inch WQXGA+ sAMOLED 120Hz display.

Also, the Tab S7, S7+ feature side-mounted and in-display fingerprint sensors respectively. The battery is 8,000mAh on the former and 10,090mAh on the latter.

That said, they feature similar specs like 13MP f/2.0 main + 5MP f/2.2 ultra-wide rear cameras, 8MP f/2.0 front camera, 5G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and more. These tablets recently got the update to Android 11 and were the first to get One UI 3.1 tagging along.

Apart from the Tab S7, S7+ regular variants, Samsung also launched an Enterprise Edition of the Galaxy Tab S7 at 809 euros.

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PayPal to shut down Domestic Payment business in India from April 1

By

Balaji S

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Feb 5, 2021

PayPal recently entered the Chinese market to take on giants like Alipay. However, it has made a breaking announcement in India and it isn’t April Fools by any means. The company will shut down its domestic business in India in less than two months time.

PayPal, in a statement(via Reuters), said that from April 1, 2021, it won’t offer domestic payment services within India. It added that it is going to shift away from domestic products and bring more international sales via cross-border payments to Indian customers.

For the unware, PayPal began the local payment operations in India back in 2017. Its operations include the Payment Gateway and Aggregator services for various merchants within the country. Speaking of which, starting from February 6(i.e., Tomorrow), it will notify Indian merchants about the new decision.

PayPal is an American Online Payments System company. Its scope of business in India includes gateway services for brands like Myntra, Swiggy, BookMyShow, etc., and cross-border payments for businesses.

The company has its centers(i.e Offices) in cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Bangalore. India’s digital market is growing rapidly and the company’s economy is expected to $1 trillion in the next decade. Apart from PayPal, we have giants like Paytm, Google, Amazon running domestic payment systems in India.

All these companies run digital payments by following guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) and use the Unified Payments Interface(UPI) gateway developed by the National Payments Corporation of India(NPCI).

Anyway, PayPal’s Global customers can still pay Indian Merchants after April 1 as it will focus more on international trade.

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Samsung Galaxy M12 goes official with Exynos 850, quad-camera, Android 11, and more

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 5, 2021

Samsung has finally unveiled the Galaxy M12 after numerous leaks. This budget smartphone is currently listed on the company’s official website for Vietnam. The page reveals everything about the handset except for its price.

Samsung Galaxy M12 Featured — Samsung Galaxy M12

The all-new Galaxy M12 features a polycarbonate body with a unique pattern for grip. The phone’s rear panel houses a square-shaped quad-camera module accompanied by an LED flash. The device comes in three colors, namely Black, Blue, and Green.

On the front, the handset flaunts a 6.5-inch PLS TFT LCD panel with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels (HD+) and a dewdrop notch. Samsung calls this screen ‘Infinity-V Display’.

Further, the smartphone is powered by Exynos 850 SoC paired with 3GB/4GB/6GB RAM and 32GB/64GB/128GB internal storage. If required, users can further expand the storage by up to 1TB via a MicroSD card.

Talking about cameras, the device sports a quad-camera setup on the back consisting of a 48MP primary sensor, a 5MP ultra-wide unit, a 2MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. There’s also an 8MP front-facing camera in the notch for selfies and video calls.

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On the connectivity front, the phone supports dual-SIM, 4G, single-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, and GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, GALILEO). As far as ports and sensors are concerned, it comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, grip sensor, ambient light sensor, and proximity sensor.

Last but not least, the Galaxy M12 is backed by a 6,000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging, runs One UI 3.0 Core based on Android 11, measures 164.0 x 75.9 x 9.7mm in dimensions, and weighs 221g.

ZTE Axon 30 Pro 5G gets certified by Russia’s EEC

By

Balaji S

-

Feb 5, 2021

When the Under-screen hidden camera solution was yet to make it big commercially, ZTE shocked the world by bringing the Axon 20 5G last year. In 2021, the company is taking it a step above by launching the successor, the ZTE Axon 30 Pro. The company has already started teasing it in China and now it appears on Russia’s EEC certification.

A ZTE Smartphone with model number ZTE A2022PG appears on the EEC website(Via @yabhishekhd). The listing itself reveals that the moniker is ZTE Axon 30 Pro 5G. The device is listed along with Spare parts but the certification doesn’t have any info beyond this.

This under-display Camera smartphone’s name has already been confirmed by the company. On that note, the EEC listing further strengthens the rumor about an imminent Global launch but we aren’t sure about the timeline yet. Last year, it took nearly three months for ZTE to bring the Axon 20 5G Globally.

Anyway, the ZTE Axon 30 Pro’s Specs isn’t widely out yet. It is rumored to arrive with at least a 6.92-inch display having a 120Hz refresh rate. Plus, this 2021 flagship will likely be the first smartphone to feature Snapdragon 888 chipset and an under-display camera.

Further, the device will also get a second-gen under-display front camera and as for the rear, it might get a 200MP rear camera sensor. Considering the predecessor had a quad-camera, we can expect the same here on the back. Other expected specs include a 4,700mAh battery, Android 11, and more.

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Tablet shipments to decline by 31% worldwide in Q1 2021: Report

By

Sean

-

Feb 5, 2021

Tablet shipments across the globe are expected to face a decline in the first quarter of this year. A new report has suggested that in Q1 2021, global shipments for large screen devices will fall significantly by 31 percent.

Laptop Tablet Smartphone Featured — Photo by fauxels from Pexels

According to a DigiTimesResearch report, global tablet shipments had climbed to a 13 quarter high during the fourth quarter of last year, reaching 51.56 million units. However, this figure is expected to decline by 31 percent during the first quarter of this year. Shipments of tablets last year rose by 17.6 percent sequentially in Q4 2020 and by 19.3 percent annually year on year. This surge was backed by growing demand for large screen devices for online education and work from home demands due to the pandemic.

With the demand for tablets growing, various vendors also raised their component orders with their suppliers over fears of the deterioration of chip supply/shortages that might affect their supply chain in the first half of 2021. Apple launching the 10.2 inch iPad had also resulted in the bump in tablet shipments during the final quarter of last year. The fall in shipment numbers in this quarter is also due to the period traditionally being a slower season for tablet sales.

In 2020, the global tablet shipments reached 159.76 million units, which marked a year on year rise primarily due to the pandemic. Although, the shipments are expected to face an on year decline this year because of component shortages within the first half of the year. At the moment, the lead times for new orders for tablet chips is around 20 weeks. In other words, the supply shortage is unlikely to recover until the end of the second half of 2021.

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