Realme Race to launch after Chinese New Year, reveals Realme Marketing Director

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Feb 5, 2021

When Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform in December 2020, Realme was one of the first companies to reveal that it will be launching a Realme Race flagship with an SD888 chip in Q1 2021. Recent reports have revealed that the upcoming flagship phone from the brand is codenamed as “Race.” One of the recent reports referred to the device as Race Pro. Realme Marketing Communications Director Song Qi Arc revealed through a

that the Realme Race will be launching after the Chinese Spring Festival (aka Chinese New Year), which falls on Feb. 12.

The company is yet to confirm the final product name of the Realme Race handset. The Realme executive said that the device has a special name and meaning. Previous reports have claimed that OPPO has transferred its Ace series to Realme. Hence, there is a possibility that the Race smartphone could end up as the first Ace series phone by Realme.

Past reports have revealed that the model number of the Realme Race is RMX2202. A leak by GSMArena revealed that the Snapdragon 888 powered Realme Race has 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of internal storage, and Android 11 OS overlaid with Realme UI 2.0.

Realme Race leaked shot- — Leaked shot of Realme Race

A recent leak revealed the existence of the Realme Race Pro handset, which suggests that there could be a vanilla model and a Pro variant. The leak mentioned that the Race Pro has a 6.8-inch OLED panel that offers a 160Hz refresh rate and offers a Quad HD+ resolution.

The Realme Race Pro is said to arrive with 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, up to 512 GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with 125W ultrafast charging. Its rear camera setup may include a 64-megapixel primary lens and two 13-megapixel sensors.

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Motorola Ibiza with 6GB RAM, Android 11 spotted on GeekBench database

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 5, 2021

In January this year, a German publication Technik News had revealed the codenames of upcoming Motorola phones which include Nio, Capri, and Ibiza, all expected to debut in Q1 2021. While Nio is an upcoming Snapdragon 865 mobile platform powered smartphone, the Capri and Capri Plus are expected to debut as 4G midranges. The Motorola Iniza smartphone is tipped to feature a Snapdragon 400-series 5G chipset.

A Motorola phone believed to be the Ibiza has been spotted on the database of GeekBench. The device appears with the model number XT2137-2 and carries the Ibiza codename as the motherboard.

The phone is listed as running the latest Android 11 and is powered by an Octa-core Qualcomm processor. The processor is believed to be the Snapdragon 480 chipset which is Qualcomm’s cheapest 5G chipset. At the moment, only Vivo Y31s and Oppo A93 5G have been launched with the budget 5G SoC. The processor on the Ibiza model is paired with 6GB of RAM.

On the test score, Motorola Ibiza managed 2,466 points in the single-core test run and 6,223 points in the multi-core test. Keep in mind that this test was done on Gekbench 4.

The GeekBench details align with those previously spotted on Moto Ibiza’s listing on the Wi-Fi Alliance database which shows it features dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity and runs Android 11.

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Qualcomm’s Q1 2021 financial report shows a surge in revenue YoY despite global chip shortage

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 5, 2021

US chipmaker Qualcomm has announced a very impressive Q1 2021 financial performance. During the October-December period, marked as Q1 2021 in the fiscal year, the company’s revenue grew by 62%, while net income grew by 165% from $925 million to $2.455 billion Year-on-Year.

The impressive results notwithstanding, Qualcomm’s CEO Cristiano Amon stated that it is struggling to meet the demand for chips, amidst a growing global shortage that could persist up to the third quarter of the year.

Qualcomm is a major supplier of the chipset to most of the leading smartphone companies although it partners with TSMC and Samsung in the production of its chips.

The global pandemic had affected the business landscape in more ways than one and could be seen as a major factor in the rising supply shortfall of chipsets as suppliers struggle to fulfill supply contracts amidst demand for chipsets from smartphones to smart homes appliances, laptops, and even vehicles manufacturing.

The Qualcomm CEO also stated that despite plenty of companies relying on just a handful of chip factories across the world, the bottleneck issue should be fixed by the second half of 2021, as chip manufacturing companies ramp up their production capabilities together with investment in new plants.

The effect of the global shortage of chips is now being felt in different areas. Apple has already reported it has failed to meet the demand of iPhone 12 devices due to what it termed “limited availability of some components”. What we know is that Qualcomm, the main provider of the 5G modem has been unable to meet its quota for Apple, thereby stalling further production of the iPhone. In addition, General Motors announced a scaling down of production in three of its car manufacturing plants due to a shortage of chipsets.

It is expected that Qualcomm will continue to record good financial performance, at least for the first two quarters of 2020.

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TikTok now warns users when a video containing unverified information is being shared

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 4, 2021

TikTok has now joined Twitter, Facebook, and a host of other social media platforms to put protocols in place to tackle the menace of fake or misleading content being propagated on its platform.

TikTok has now unveiled a new early warning system that will warn users when they are about to share what it termed “unsubstantiated content”. These prompts will appear on video content that TikTok’s partnering web-based fact-checking platforms PolitiFact, Lead Stories, and SciVerify are unable to confirm. TikTok says this feature will be particularly useful during unfolding events before fact-checkers pronounce their final opinion on the content.

Whenever a user tries to re-share a video with unsubstantiated content, a grey caution prompt will show on top of the screen. Although the user will still be able to share the video, he would have been notified about being a potential broadcaster of misleading content. TikTok explains that the goal is to have you think twice before yielding yourself as an unverified content broadcaster before you take the action. The originator of the unverified video content will also get a warning from TikTok if his content is flagged; the videos will not be listed on the “For You” feed which is TikTok’s landing page.

If you as a viewer attempt to share an already flagged video, you will get a prompt reminding you that the video has been flagged as unverified content. This additional layer of caution is aimed at assisting you to consider deeply whether it is worth it to share.

Based on beta testing of the new warning feature, TikTok says users on its platform shared 24% less misleading content while likes on flagged videos reduced by 7%. The new feature is already active for TikTok users in the US and Canada and will ultimately roll out to other parts of the world.

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iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 4, 2021

iPhone 12 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra are the best of the best by Apple and Samsung. At the moment, you can not get a better handset from the two best brands in the whole smartphone market. But which brand released the best product? The Galaxy S21 Ultra just hitten the shelves and now we can finally give an answer to this question, even though we specify that it depends on the users’ needs. In this specs comparison between Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, we will try to let you find out all the main differences between these amazing top-tier flagships.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

	Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm, 228 g	165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm, 227 g
DISPLAY	6.7 inches, 1284 x 2778p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED	6.8 inches, 1440 x 3200p (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X
PROCESSOR	Apple A14 Bionic, hexa-core 3.1 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz or Samsung Exynos 2100, octa-core 2.9 GHz
MEMORY	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – 6 GB RAM, 512 GB	12 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 16 GB RAM, 512 GB
SOFTWARE	iOS 14	Android 11, One UI
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	Triple 12 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.6 + f/2.0 + f/2.4 Dual 12 MP + SL 3D front camera	Quad 108 + 10 + 10 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/4.9 + f/2.4 + f/2.2 40 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY	3687 mAh, fast charging 20W, wireless charging 15W	5000 mAh, fast charging 25W and wireless charging 15W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot, 5G, Face ID	Dual SIM slot, 5G, water resistant (IP68), reverse wireless charging, S Pen

Design

Despite its big notch, we believe the best design and build quality is provided by the iPhone 12 Pro Max. First of all, it has more premium material: the iPhone 12 Pro Max is composed of a stainless steel frame (instead of the aluminum frame found on the Galaxy S21 Ultra) and a Ceramic Shield rear cover. It offers better water resistance compared to the Galaxy S21 Ultra as it is waterproof up to 6 meters deep. Further, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is more compact thanks to its smaller display, it is thinner and it is even lighter thanks to its smaller battery. The iPhone 12 Pro Max wins the design and builds quality comparison.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra offers a superior display compared to the iPhone 12 Pro Max, as well as one of the best displays in the smartphone market. It has a wide 6.8-inch panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a Quad HD+ resolution, a high 1500 nit peak brightness, the HDR10+ certification, and the LTPO technology allowing for an adaptive refresh rate and lower energy consumption. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is also the first phone from the Galaxy S series to support the S Pen for handwriting and drawing. The iPhone 12 Pro Max still comes with an amazing display, but it lacks a high refresh rate and pen support.

Specs & Software

Both Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max offer flagship-class hardware and you will hardly notice the differences between their performances as they are meant for the most advanced usages. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is equipped with an Apple A14 Bionic chipset, while the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is fueled either by the Snapdragon 888 or the Exynos 2100 mobile platform depending on the market. iPhone 12 Pro Max runs iOS 14, while Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is based on Android 11.

Camera

In terms of photo quality, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a superior phone thanks to its better cameras. It packs a 108 MP main sensor with OIS and laser autofocus, a 10 MP periscope sensor with 10x optical zoom, a 10 MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom, and a 12 MP ultrawide sensor for Super Steady videos. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is an awesome camera phone for both photos and videos, but Galaxy S21 Ultra is actually better.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21+ vs Galaxy S21 Ultra: Specs Comparison

Battery

Thanks to its huge 5000 mAh battery, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is able to guarantee a longer battery life than iPhone 12 Pro Max. But the latter is still a good battery phone thanks to its great software optimization.

Price

Both Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max are priced above €1000/$1000 in the global market, with prices varying depending on the market. We think the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a superior device on the paper, thanks to a better display, cameras, and bigger battery, as well as the S Pen support. But a lot of people may still prefer the iPhone thanks to the advantages and the great user experience offered by iOS.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: PRO and CONS

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

PRO

Great materials
More compact
Face ID
Better water resistance
MagSafe

CONS

Smaller battery

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

PRO

Wider and better display
S Pen
Bigger battery
120 Hz refresh rate
Amazing cameras

CONS

Dimensions

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Xiaomi Mi 10 gets a special retail box in celebration of Chinese New Year

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 4, 2021

It has become a tradition for Chinese phone manufacturers to release a special edition of their products in celebration of the Chinese New Year/Spring Festival. The latest to do so is Xiaomi as it has released a special version of the Mi 10 5G for the holiday season.

Unlike some manufacturers that release a special color variant of an existing device – usually red, Xiaomi has decided to change only the retail box of the Mi 10. So if you can’t get your hands on this special edition or already have the original, you are really not missing out on anything.

The new retail box is bright red and sports a design that highlights the holiday. This special edition can be picked up in all configurations including the base model that has 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a ¥3399 (~$525) price tag. The CEO of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, said in a Weibo post that the special edition is available across all sales channels.

With respect to specs, the Mi 10 5G has a 6.67-inch FHD+ curved Super AMOLED display with a 2340 x 1080 resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 865 processor and has up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

On the back is a 108MP quad-camera system that also includes a 13MP ultrawide angle camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. The selfie camera is a 20MP sensor. The Mi 10 can record 8K videos at 30fps and 4K videos at 60fps.

There is a 4780mAh battery inside the phone and it has support for 30W fast wired charging, 30W fast wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging, The Mi 10 also has Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, stereo speakers, an infrared blaster, and an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Xiaomi already launched a successor, the Mi 11, which has a more powerful processor, a bigger and sharper display, faster wired and wireless charging, and a ¥3999 (~$618) starting price.

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Teclast to launch a new high-end T.Bolt Notebook series soon

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 4, 2021

Chinese brand Teclast is a popular name when it comes to the manufacture of entry-level and affordable laptops and tablets. The brand is about to make an in-road into the high-end 2-in-1 notebook market as it gets set to launch a new T.Bolt notebook series soon. The company has released a teaser poster revealing the name and the picture of the laptop.

The T.Bolt laptop has an ultra-thin body with a near-bezel-less display of which the lower bezel is the largest. The laptop is portable and is expected to every light in weight. The notebook is said to be equipped with a backlit keyboard and has a large touchpad.

Teclast is yet to disclosed the internal configuration of the laptop but it is expected to pack an Intel processor. We can’t say for now if it is the latest Core family or a more affordable Intel chip. But since it is teased as a high-end notebook, we expect that to be reflected in the choice of processor used. For instance, if it is equipped with the 11th generation Core processor as well as Intel Xe GPU and also, if the price is reasonable, then the notebook may be a hot-selling one.

At present, the Teclast F7 Air is the brand’s latest laptop and it features some compelling specifications. It carries Intel N4120 processor, a 14-inch HD display, 8GB LPDDR4 RAM and 356GB SSD at the price of $399. The beautifully crafted laptop is fully laminated and houses 4.2mm small bezels. It carries a decent $399 price tag.

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KUU XBook Laptop with Intel Celeron J4115 discounted to just $343 on Gearbest (Coupon)

By

Greeva Agnihotri

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Feb 4, 2021

Given our new normal work-/study-from-home situation; having a decent laptop has almost become a necessity. KUU XBook is one such device that covers all our needs without burning a hole in our pocket. This laptop is currently up for sale on Gearbest where interested readers can add a coupon code to avail the offer. And since the devices will be shipped from the German warehouse, you can get free shipping. Keep reading to know more. KUU XBook Laptop-1-

KUU XBook boasts a 14.1-inch IPS display that has a resolution of 1920 x 1080p. It runs on a Windows 10 OS and is powered by Intel Celeron J4115 processor, a quad-core, quad-thread CPU with 4MB cache and a base clock speed of 1.8GHz. This laptop is designed with an elevation angle that facilitates cooling and offers a comfortable working position. With 5000mAh lithium-ion battery, it provides an average 5-hour continuous use and up to 12 hours on standby.

Specifications:

CPU- Intel Celeron J4115
Graphics- Intel UHD Graphics 600
RAM- 8GB VLSI DDR4
Screen- 14-inch FHD resolution
Storage- 512GB ShanDianZhe
Ports- 2 x USB 3.0, audio jack, 1 x HDMI, microSD card reader
Connectivity- Realtek RTL8821CE, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2

Deals:

KUU XBook Laptop (8GB RAM, 512GB ROM)

Coupon: L5F5D03B98D53001

Final Price: $373.98/313.03€ KUU XBook Laptop 8GB

KUU XBook Laptop (3GB RAM, 256GB ROM)

Coupon: Z5F5CFF7F0553000

Final Price: $343.98/287€ KUU XBook Laptop 3GB

KUU XBook ranks for its performance with entry-level laptops and can easily compete with a fifth-generation Intel Core i5 while consuming a fraction of the power. It would have been much better if the device had a type C connector and a better battery life. But setting these points aside and considering the above specifications, this laptop is a pretty good bargain for its Price. You can buy this laptop at a discounted price from Gearbest.

3C Certification reveals Mi 10 (SD870 version), Redmi K40, and Redmi K40 Pro will support 33W fast charging

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 4, 2021

Xiaomi and its subsidiary, Redmi, have a handful of phones scheduled to launch after the Chinese Spring Festival. These phones include the Snapdragon 870 version of the Mi 10 5G and the Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 Pro. Now, a certification site has revealed the fast charging technology of all of the aforementioned devices.

The Mi 10 (Snapdragon 870 version) was certified with the model number M2102J2SC and according to the 3C certificate, the phone supports a maximum power input of 33W.

3C certificate - Mi 10 Redmi K40 Redmi K40 Pro — Source: 3C | Via: Digital Chat Station

The Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 Pro were certified with the model numbers M2012K11AC and M2012K11C respectively and they too support a maximum power input of 33W. The marketing names for the devices were revealed by Digital Chat Station. All three phones are 5G devices as shown in the image above.

Fans may be disappointed that Xiaomi is sticking to 33W for these phones considering it has faster wired charging technologies. However, if you remember, the original Mi 10 supported 30W fast charging, so 33W isn’t bad considering the processor is actually the main change in this new version.

The Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 Pro also feature faster charging than their predecessors. The Redmi K30 launched with 27W fast charging while the Redmi K30 Pro launched with 30W fast charging, so 33W fast charging is definitely an upgrade even though it pales to what the competition is offering.

These three phones should come with 33W chargers in the box, so buyers should not have to buy another charger to experience the fastest charging the phone can support.

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Office Lens is now Microsoft Lens, can Re-edit PDFs, Scan handwriting, & do more

By

Balaji S

-

Feb 4, 2021

Recent reports said that Microsoft is seeking to fill the void with Bing in Australia if Google leaves the country. Turns out, it could do that in the Mobile Scanning App arena too with the latest update to its Lens App. It now gets a new name(Microsoft Lens), Logo, and Features.

Microsoft in an official post on its community(via XDADevelopers), talked about the new evolution of the Lens. Accordingly, the App will now be called Microsoft Lens instead of Office Lens. That’s not all, as the company has unveiled a new Logo and some features inside the App.

For the unware, the Microsoft Lens(Formerly Office Lens), is an app(Android/iOS) that lets you take pictures of whiteboards or printed documents, and helps enhance your image via quick editing. It mainly aims to improve your productivity whether you are at a School/Office.

That said, the new update brings features like Image to Text, Image to Table, Image to Contact, Immersive Reader, and QR Code Scan. What this means is that you can convert a Text written in an image into an actual formatting Text(scanning Handwriting shown below).

Additionally, the company has also added features like the ability to re-order images, re-edit Scanned PDFs, apply new Filters, switch toggle between cloud/local storage, easy file finder, and more. It’s worth noting that you can now scan documents having up to 100 pages and convert them into PDFs.

With this update, the other Microsoft apps like Office, Teams, Outlook, and OneDrive can now leverage the new features of the Microsoft Lens App. Microsoft says that it will initially roll out this update to Android and iOS later in the coming months.

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Samsung Galaxy M12 Triple-Camera details and Wallpapers leaked

By

Balaji S

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Feb 4, 2021

Samsung is preparing to launch various Galaxy A & M series of devices courtesy of a host of leaks. Among them is the Galaxy M12 budget device that is expected to launch very soon. A new report by NILS AHRENSMEIER of TechnikNews.net gives info regarding the Camera and Wallpapers of the upcoming Galaxy M12.

According to Nils, Samsung Galaxy M12 codenamed “Lottie” will feature triple-cameras with a S5KGM2 48MP primary sensor at the back. Early renders from Onleaks revealed that Galaxy M12 will have a quad-camera setup and an LED flashlight. In fact, Steve had explicitly mentioned that the device would have up to 4 rear lenses.

We aren’t sure who would turn out right here so let’s wait for official confirmation. Anyway, the other rear lenses on the Galaxy M12, as per Nils, will likely be a 13MP ultra-wide(HI1336) and a 2MP Macro(GC02M1)sensors. Upfront, the device will have an 8MP (S5K4HA) sensor for selfies.

It’s worth noting that Nils isn’t completely sure about the ultra-wide just yet so take that with a pinch of salt. Apart from Camera sensors, the report also has leaked what could be the official wallpapers launching with the device. In case you are curious, you can download that here. For your reference, we have attached a few of them here.

1 of 3

Besides the Samsung Galaxy M12, a device with model number SM-F127 is also under the radar of leaks. This is rumored to be a rebadged version of Galaxy M12 carrying the Galaxy F12 moniker. They are likely to share a lot of similarities in specs and features.

Speaking of which, the Galaxy M12 is expected to feature a 6.5-inch Infinity-V HD+/FHD+ display, Exynos 850 chipset, 3/4/6GB LPDDR4x RAM, 32/64/128GB eMMC 5.1 storage. Other specs include a 6,000mAh battery and Android 11 OS(One UI).

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Nothing has an important announcement next week and it might be its first product launch

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Feb 4, 2021

It has been a week since Carl Pei, the OnePlus co-founder, announced his new startup called Nothing. Now, the company is teasing an announcement for next week and we have a feeling it might be its first product.

The teaser was posted on the brand’s official Instagram and Twitter accounts. The caption for the image which shows the company’s milestones says another milestone is scheduled for next week.

A new important milestone in Nothing's journey is coming up next week. pic.twitter.com/GZkYVXc4dp

— Nothing (@nothing) February 4, 2021

We have found nothing with respect to what Nothing plans to unveil next week. There are no products certified under the brand’s name, so it is impossible to tell what it wants to inveil next week. We hope more details surface before the announcement.

Nothing is a London-based consumer technology company. According to the founder, the plan is to launch products across multiple categories that will eventually form an ecosystem. We are excited to see what the company announces as its first product and we hope it is a game-changer in the industry.

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OnePlus 8/8 Pro get OxygenOS Open Beta 6 update with a host of optimizations

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Feb 4, 2021

The OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro were launched in the first half of 2020 with Android 10-based OxygenOS 10. The smartphones were later updated to OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11. Before this update, the company started releasing OyxgenOS Open Beta builds for these handsets. Now, the duo is receiving the sixth build in the series.

The OxygenOS Open Beta 6 update for the OnePlus 8 series comes over a month after the Open Beta 5 update, which was released before Christmas. The latest build brings a new feature, lots of optimizations, and January 2021 security patches.

Talking about the new feature first, the update adds a ‘Dock’ in the OnePlus Shelf. This dashboard displays information like daily steps, screen usage time, and more.

Further, the new public beta build optimizes UI display of the status bar, frame rate stability in games, and community homepage’s interface, weather animations, and interface of cloud service in the Oneplus Gallery app.

Last but not least, the new build also fixes the crash issue with the browser’s drop-down menu and notifications not turning off for some games in Game Space along with improvements for Bluetooth transmission rate.

Oneplus 8/8 Pro OxygenOS Open Beta 6 Official Changelog

System

- Optimized the UI display of the status bar
- Optimized the stability of frame rate and improved the experience when playing games
- Optimized the interface of the Community homepage and make notifications more eye-catching
- Fixed the crash issue where the drop-down menu of Browser
- Updated Android Security Patch to 2021.01

Shelf

- Newly added Dock, a dashboard that displays various information, including daily steps, screen usage time, etc.
- Optimized weather animation effects to improve fluency
Weather
- Optimized animations for sunny and cloudy days for a clearer dynamic display

Gaming Space

- Fixed the issue where notifications could not be turned off in the game in some cases

Gallery

- Optimized the layout of the cloud service interface in the Gallery for a better operation experience

Bluetooth

- Improved the transmission rate of Bluetooth when connecting watches

This update is being pushed to users on the previous beta build via OTA. However, interested customers on the stable channel can also install it by downloading the appropriate file from the OnePlus Community.

SMIC releases impressive Q4 2020 financial report & guidance for Q1 2021

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Feb 4, 2021

China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) has announced its unaudited results for the last three months of the last year which ended on December 31, 2020. The fourth-quarter earnings call shows that the firm raked in US$981.1 million which is a slight drop from the US$1,082.5 million accrued in the third quarter of 2020. However, it is slightly higher than the US$839.4 million generated from sales of semiconductors in the fourth quarter of 2019.

SMIC was one of the firms affected by Donald Trump’s obnoxious ban on Chinese companies from using US technology. The ban has no doubt affected the brand’s ability to meet up with orders but SMIC is optimistic that its revenue will grow in Q1 2021 by 7% to 9% QoQ. Also, the chipmaker expects gross margin to range from 17% to 19%.

Gross profit in the fourth quarter of 2020 was US$176.8 million, compared with US$262.0 million in the third quarter of 2020 and US$199.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2019.

The gross profit margin in the fourth quarter of 2020 was 18.0%, compared with 24.2% in the third quarter of 2020 and 23.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Dr. Gao Yonggang, Chief Financial Officer of SMIC commented:

“The Company’s revenue in the fourth quarter of 2020 was US$981 million, and gross margin was 18.0%. Multiple full-year financial metrics for the Company (unaudited) hit record highs. Annual revenue was US$3,907 million, a growth of 25.4%; gross profit was US$921 million, a growth of 43.3%; profit attributable to the company was US$716 million, an increase of 204.9%; and EBITDA was US$2,123 million, a growth of 54.6%.

Looking to 2021, as SMIC was placed on the US Entity List, the Company is restricted from procuring related US items or technologies; so, there are risks and uncertainties to our annual forecasts. The forecast we give today assumes that operational continuity is not significantly adversely affected. Export license application processes must be followed, they take time and will face uncertainty. Based on the above, our targets and plan for 2021 are as follows: our annual revenue target is mid-to-high single-digit percentage growth; revenue target for 1st half is around $2.1 billion, and annual gross margin target is in the mid-teens range.”

Dr. Haijun Zhao and Dr. Liang Mong Song, Co-CEOs of SMIC commented:

“At present, the foundry industry capacity is tight, the demand for non-FinFET processes remains strong, and our capacity for non-FinFET will continue to be fully loaded. In order to meet customer needs, the Company expects capital expenditures this year to be US$4.3 billion, in which the majority is for non-FinFET capacity expansion and the remaining for FinFET, the infrastructure of the new Beijing joint-venture project, and etc. In terms of capacity expansion, we increase monthly non-FinFET capacity by 10,000 for 12-inch, and not less than 45,000 for 8-inch this year. Given the impact of being added to the Entity List, we will consider strengthening the development and deployment of our first and second-generation FinFET multi-platforms and expand the reliability and competitiveness of our platforms.”

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CiBest Mini Projector available for just $72.24 at Amazon US (1-day Offer)

By

Greeva Agnihotri

-

Feb 4, 2021

Projectors have made it possible for us to watch our favourite content on the big screen, but the hefty price tag sets us back while buying. To make it possible, Amazon US is offering a pretty sweet deal on CiBest Mini Projector. Interested readers can now buy it for just $72.24 (original price: $85). It comes with built-in speakers, high-quality projection and multiple compatibility options that make it worth its value. CiBest Mini Projector Amazon

Compared to the other mini projectors in this price range, CiBest Mini Projector offers much more features. It has a higher brightness level and supports 1080p resolution content. With a contrast ratio of 2000:1 and diffuse reflection technology, it provides good picture quality while protecting your eyes. This unit works with TV stick, PC, laptops, tablets, Blue-ray DVD player, SD card, USB flash drive, and more. One can expect it to project a 30-inch to 200-inch screen from the distance of 2.62-ft to 14.8-ft. Other features include a cooling system, 3.5mm audio output, compatibility with iPad, iPhone, and Android smartphones, and more. CiBest Mini Projector-2-

Packed with a host of features, this device offers more than what is expected from a budgeted projector. It is currently on sale at Amazon and available for just $72.24 (original price:$85). This offer exclusive for today and deal ends in almost 7.5 hours. So hurry and make the most of it. CiBest Mini Projector-1-

Xiaomi’s Lei Jun launches survey to know if you’ll buy a $1,500 Mi phone

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Feb 4, 2021

Xiaomi has often used Weibo surveys to get feedback from its fans regarding an upcoming product. The company’s CEO Lei Jun has recently published a survey which is aimed at finding out if fans will be willing to pay 10,000 yuan (~$1,548) for an upcoming phone. Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun did not disclose what the phone will be. Instead, he also asked them what a Xiaomi phone with this price tag should look like. However, there are speculations that the survey may be a prelude to the brand’s first foldable smartphone.

The Chinese company is known for its budget and pocket-friendly products that offer users amazing value for their money. However, Xiaomi released the mi 10 Ultra last year with the price hitting the $1,000 mark. The Mi 10 Ultra was well received and even though the sales figures are not known, we believed the product performed very well in the market.

It is unlikely that Xiaomi will release a flagship phone that isn’t a foldable model and sell it up to $1500. Thus, this could be taken as a teaser for the brand’s upcoming foldable phone. There is no word yet on when the company will release its first foldable device but we expect it to happen this year.

Lei Jun equally hinted that he will discuss the brand’s plans for the premium expensive phones on February 7 during his Chinese New Year address to Mi fans. We’ll bring you more details as they unfold. Meanwhile, you can also share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Would you buy a $1,500 Xiaomi phone?

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Lu Weibing: Redmi K40 series will have the smallest punch hole in the world

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Feb 4, 2021

The Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 Pro are hotly anticipated smartphones. The two devices are expected to launch this month, and ahead of their arrival, Redmi General Manager, Lu Weibing, has been releasing bits of information about them.

Today, the Redmi top executive revealed that the Redmi K40 will have a centered punch hole for the front-facing camera. That is a change from the pill-shaped hole punch of the Redmi K30 and the pop-up selfie camera of the Redmi K30 Pro and Redmi K30 Ultra.

Mr. Weibing said that the decision to switch to a centered punch hole is so as to achieve the highest possible screen-to-body ratio. However, Redmi is not just adopting a centered punch hole but they say it will be the smallest in the world.

At the moment, the phone with the smallest hole punch is the Vivo S5 whose punch hole measures 2.98 millimeters. This means the Redmi K40 should have a punch hole smaller than 2.98 millimeters in size.

The Redmi K40 series is expected to have at least one model with a Snapdragon 888 processor. It has also been reported that other models will have other processors. The phones are also expected to have OLED displays, high refresh rates, and fast charging.

There are speculations that Redmi may not include a charger in the box but there is a possibility it may follow Xiaomi’s path and provide an option for those who want a charger to get one.

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Noise ColorFit Pro 3 Smartwatch India launch date is February 10

By

Balaji S

-

Feb 4, 2021

Noise, a popular wearable brand in India has announced the launch date of the new Noise ColorFit Pro 3 Smartwatch in India. Going by the name, this will be the successor to the ColorFit Pro 2.

Noise, which was found by Amit Khatri & Gaurav Khatri in 2014, started as a company selling smartphone cases and accessories. Later, it has developed itself and entered into audio and other smart IoT segments. The ColorFit Pro 3 is their latest addition to the tally of Smartwatches and it is launching in India on February 10 at 10:00 AM IST.

ColorFit Pro 3 Specs

Ahead of the launch, the company has revealed key specs and features of the smartwatch. Accordingly, the ColorFit Pro 3 will feature a 1.55-inch HD Color Touchscreen with a 320×320 pixel resolution and 500 nits brightness. To compare, the predecessor has a smaller 1.3-inch display.

Moving on, the ColorFit Pro 3, just like any other smartwatches, has Blood Oxygen(SpO2), 24/7 Heart rate(PPG), Stress-level monitoring. Additionally, it can also track your sleep and give reports based on Light, Deep sleep, and REM cycles.

Other features include 5ATM water resistance, Bluetooth v5.0, 210mAh battery, and more. The official website event page also shows a variety of interchangeable straps in Red, Green, Pink, Gray, Purple colors. You can also customize the Watch Faces, track workout activities via the NoiseFit Application.

Flipkart has already opened a teaser page confirming the availability on the e-commerce platform. To remind you, the ColorFit Pro 2 is currently retailing for ₹3,299(~~₹5,999~~) in India. Hence, we can expect a similar if not less pricing for the ColorFit Pro 3.

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OnePlus Nord OxygenOS Open Beta 3 update brings more fixes

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Feb 4, 2021

Earlier last month, OnePlus rolled out the first-ever OxygenOS Open Beta update for the OnePlus Nord. A few weeks later in the same month, the company released Open Beta 2 for this handset. Now, the brand is seeding out Open Beta 3 update already.

Just like the previous Open Beta release for the OnePlus Nord, the latest build is all about fixes. These fixes are related to the system, camera, and ambient display, and clock.

First and foremost, the new update fixes dial icons overlapping on the lock screen and white space issue in the notification bar in dark mode. Also, it optimizes UI display effects of work life balance.

Further, the build fixes the camera app failing to start through quick gestures and front camera video not playing issue. Lastly, the update also fixes Canvas AOD not activating bug and alarms cannot be set issue.

OnePlus Nord OxygenOS Open Beta 3 Official Changelog

System

- Optimized UI display effects of work life balance
- Fixed the issue that the dial icons overlap on the lock screen
- Fixed the issue of white space in the notification bar in Dark mode

Camera

- Fixed the issue that the camera fails to start through quick gestures
- Fixed the issue with video recorded by the front camera that can not be played

Ambient Display

- Fixed the small probability issue that Canvas AOD can not be activated

Clock

- Fixed the small probability issue that alarm clocks can not be set

The OxygenOS Open Beta 3 update for OnePlus Nord is currently being rolled out via OTA to the users who are on the previous build. Any interested user on the stable channel can also install it by downloading the appropriate file from the OnePlus Community.

Samsung Level U2 now available in India for ₹1,999 ($27)

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Feb 4, 2021

Back in late November 2020, Samsung launched Level U2 neckband-style wireless earphones in South Korea. It is the successor to the popular Level U from over five years back. In the following days, this product made its way to various markets across the world. Now, two months later since its initial debut, this audio product is finally available in India.

The newly launched Samsung level U2 wireless earphones in India feature 12mm drivers, which the company claims to deliver rich and balanced sound over Bluetooth 5.0 connection.

This pair of in-ear type earphones support multiple audio codecs, namely HFP, HSP, A2DP, AVRCP, and SSC (Samsung Scalable Codec). For those unaware, SSC is only supported on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets running Android 7.0 Nougat and above.

Further, this product comes with a single microphone and 4-button inline control. Talking about dimensions, it measures 146 x 39 x 170mm and just weighs 41.5g. Also, it ships with three different-sized ear tips (Small, large, Wing Tip).

Last but not least, these Samsung earphones are backed by a 159mAh battery, which the company claims to offer up to 18-hour music playback, 13-hour talk time, and 500-hour standby time on a full charge via USB Type-C port.

The Samsung Level U2 neckband-style wireless earphones are priced at ₹1,999 ($27) in India. It is currently available in two colors (Black, Blue) on Samsung online store and Flipkart. But it should hit offline markets and other retailers in the coming days.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Design

Display

Specs & Software

Camera

Battery

Price

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: PRO and CONS

Specifications:

Deals:

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus sees significant growth in the US smartphone market in 2020

Oneplus 8/8 Pro OxygenOS Open Beta 6 Official Changelog

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ColorFit Pro 3 Specs

OnePlus Nord OxygenOS Open Beta 3 Official Changelog

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