Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro update improves noise cancellation and switching speed

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Feb 3, 2021

Last month, along with the Samsung Galaxy S21 series flagship smartphones, the South Korean tech giant had also launched its next-generation true wireless earphones, dubbed as Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.

Just days after the launch, Samsung rolled out an update for the earphones, bringing features related to hearing enhancements, in addition to sound balance adjustments. Now, the company has released another update.

The latest Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro update, which brings software version R190XXU0AUA5, brings improvements to the three main features of the earphones — active noise cancellation, ambient sound, and switching mode for voice detect mode.

The Galaxy Buds Pro are priced at $199.99 and comes with intelligent active noise cancellation which kicks in when it detects your voice, switching automatically from ANC to ambient sound when you are having a conversation.

It supports Dolby Head Tracking which provides a 360-degree audio experience when watching a movie or TV show. The Auto Switch feature automatically switches the connection between devices based on different scenarios.

The TWS earphones pack a battery life of 8 hours on a single charge, which is further extended to 28 hours with the carrying case. It goes down to 5 hours when the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature is turned on.

To cut down the charging time, it comes with support for fast charging. The company claims that charging the device for five minutes will provide one hour of playback time. The case supports both wired charging via USB-C and Qi wireless charging.

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Motorola Edge S sold over 10,000 units in its first sale within 2 minutes

By

Jeet

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Feb 3, 2021

A few days ago, Lenovo-owned Motorola had launched its flagship smartphone — Motorola Edge S, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC. Today, the device was made available for purchase for the first time in China.

Soon after the device was made available for purchase, the company shared that it managed to sell more than 10,000 units of the Motorola Edge S smartphone in the first sale within just two minutes.

The smartphone comes in two color options — Emerald Glaze and Emerald Light. It is offered in three configurations — 6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 128GB, and 8GB + 256GB, costing 1,999 yuan (~$310), 2,399 yuan (~$371), and 2,799 yuan (~$433) respectively.

Coming to the configuration, the Motorola Edge S features a 6.7-inch LCD display that offers 2520 x 1080 pixels screen resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 21:9 aspect ratio. It has a pixel density of 409 PPI and supports HDR10, and a DCI-P3 color gamut.

Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, making it the first smartphone to pack this new chipset. It also packs LPDDR5 RAM which is 72% faster than LPDDR4 and the UFS 3.1 storage which is 25% faster than UFS 3.0.

In the camera department, the phone has a quad-camera setup on the back that includes a 64MP f/1.7 primary sensor, a 16MP 121-degree ultrawide angle lens, a 2MP depth-sensing camera for taking better portrait images, and a ToF camera lens.

On the front side, the smartphone has a 16MP sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The device is running the MY UI custom interface which is based on the latest Android 11 operating system, along with support for Motorola’s gestures. It packs a 5,000mAh battery and supports 20W fast charging.

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Alleged OPPO Reno5 Lite 5G bags TENAA certification, details emerge

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 3, 2021

OPPO is reportedly working on a phone named OPPO Reno5 Lite 5G. The alleged smartphone that has a model number of PELM00 has received certification from China’s TENAA telecom authority (via) through which some of its details have surfaced.

The OPPO PELM00 is a 5G smartphone that has 160.1 x 73.4 x 7.8mm dimensions. The left edge of the phone has a volume rocker, and a power key is available on its right spine. The frontal view of the phone does not clearly reveal whether it has a waterdrop notch or a punch-hole design.

The fingerprint sensor is neither available on the backside nor on the edge of the device. This indicates that it could be embedded under the display, which in turn suggests that it could be featuring an AMOLED display. The TENAA listing states that it has a 6.43-inch screen. It runs on Android 11 OS.

The OPPO PELM00 has a 4,220mAh rated battery. The 3C appearance of the device had revealed that it may ship with a 30W fast charger. The rear shell of the phone has a large-sized rectangle housing. Since the rear image is not clear, it could not be confirmed whether it has three or four rear-facing cameras.

Since the alleged Reno5 Lite 5G has bagged 3C and TENAA certifications, it is likely that the OPPO PELM00 phone may go official later this month. Hopefully, newer reports will reveal more information on the device.

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Apple AirPods Pro 2 leaked image hints at updated design for TWS earphones

By

Jeet

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Feb 3, 2021

Last year, Apple launched the AirPods Pro true wireless earphones, bringing active noise cancellation functionality to the company’s AirPods lineup. Now, the company is expected to soon launch its successor, but with a different design.

Compared to the current-generation model, the upcoming AirPods Pro is expected to have a more rounder-shaped earphone design. It will continue to have the in-ear design, offering active noise cancellation feature support.

As for the charging case, the shape is pretty much the same as what the company currently offers. However, reports indicate that the carrying case may be a bit compact and lighter in weight compared to the current model.

Internally, the AirPods Pro second-generation model is expected to be powered by the Apple H1 chipset, the same chipset that powers most of the AirPods series devices, including the current-generation of AirPods Pro.

While the audio experience for the upcoming version is expected to be the same as what the current model offers, the AirPods Pro 2 could come with some additional features, including support for water resistance, among others.

There are also reports which indicate that the AirPods Pro could come in two different sizes — one regular and another larger. However, to know for sure what Apple has up its sleeves, we’ll have to wait for the official launch in the coming months.

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OnePlus Nord N10 5G, Nord N100 prices to be slashed next week

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 3, 2021

OnePlus announced the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and Nord N100 back in October 2020. At present, they are the most affordable smartphones from the brand. Fresh information shared by reliable tipster Max Jambor reveals that the company will be slashing the prices of the Nord N10 5G and Nord 100 in the coming week. This could be a hint that it could be gearing up to launch a new Nord N series phone.

The tipster revealed that OnePlus will be dropping the prices of the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and OnePlus Nord N100 on Feb. 8. Currently, these handsets are selling for 349 euros and 199 euros in Europe. According to the tipster, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G’s price will be reduced to 299 euros and N100’s cost will be brought down to 149 euros in the next week.

Max had recently claimed that the next mid-range phone from the brand would be arriving in the market like the OnePlus Nord N1 5G. He revealed that the N1 5G is codenamed as Ebba. This phone will be succeeding the Nord N10 5G. The tipster also said that since Nord N100 and N10 5G arrived in October last year, it may take some more time for the OnePlus Nord N1 5G to go official.

Rumors are rife that the next month could see the arrival of the OnePlus 9 series of smartphones, which reportedly includes three handsets such as OnePlus 9 Lite, OnePlus 9, and OnePlus 9 Pro. The company is also expected to launch a device named OnePlus Nord SE in Q1 2021. It does not seem to be an entirely new device. Max said that it is just a Special Edition of the original OnePlus Nord phone from last year.

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Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 specifications leaked; Likely to launch soon

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 3, 2021

Samsung announced the Galaxy XCover Pro rugged phone in January last year. Last week, the upcoming Galaxy XCover Pro was spotted at Geekbench and Federal Communications Commission (FCC). These listings suggested that the device may go official soon. Now, tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore has shared the key specifications smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 specifications (Rumored)

The leak reveals that the Galaxy XCover 5 will be arriving with a 5.3-inch display that will produce an HD+ resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. The leak has no information on the processor of the device. However, it mentions that it will ship with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native storage.

The Galaxy XCover 5 will have a 3,000mAh battery that will carry support for 15W charging. It may house a front camera of 5-megapixel. The rear side of the phone may feature a single camera of 16-megapixel. The device will carry support for LTE connectivity, and it will come in Black color.

It was revealed through the Geekbench listing of the XCover 5 that it will be equipped with Exynos 850 chipset and Android 11 OS. The FCC listing did not reveal any information on its specs. The specs leak suggests that the Galaxy XCover 5 could be an inferior device when compared to last year’s XCover Pro.

The Galaxy XCover Pro has a 6.3-inch IPS LCD punch-hole display that offers a Full HD+ resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The Exynos 9611 chipset powered device shipped with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. It sported a 25-megapixel + 8-megapixel dual-camera setup and a 13-megapixel selfie camera. It came with other specs like a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a 4,050mAh battery, and 15W charging support.

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Huawei Mate X2 foldable launch date is February 22

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 3, 2021

On Monday, a Weibo user claimed that Huawei will hold a press conference later this month to announce its next foldable smartphone. Today, the company took to the micro-blogging platform to confirm that the Huawei Mate X2 will launch on Feb. 22.

The predecessor models such as Huawei Mate X from 2019 and last year’s Mate Xs foldable smartphones were equipped with an out-folding design. Several reports claimed that the Huawei Mate X2 will be arriving with an in-folding design. The launch poster released by the brand suggests that it will be sporting an inward folding design. It is speculated that the design of the Mate X2 will somewhat differ from the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Huawei Mate X2 specifications (Rumored)

The Huawei Mate X2 could be flaunting a foldable screen of 8.01 inches. It is said to support a resolution of 2480 x 2220 pixels. The front side of the phone may feature a 6.45-inch display that delivers a resolution of 2270 x 1160 pixels. The device is likely to be powered by the Kirin 9000 5nm chipset.

The Mate X2 could be fitted with a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. A quad-camera system a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 16-megapixel lens, a 12-megapixel snapper, and an 8-megapixel sensor could be available on the backside of the Mate X2. It is likely to arrive with support for 10x hybrid zoom.

The Mate X2 may come loaded with Android 10 OS. The device may receive power from a 4,400mAh battery. It may carry support for 66W rapid charging. It measures 161.8 x 145.8 x 8.2mm and weighs 295 grams.

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[Update] Huawei ANA-AL00 TENAA listing with images spotted; multiple Honor devices bag 3C certification

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 3, 2021

Update: The ALA-AN00 phone is found to be a Huawei device.

A new ~~Honor~~ Huawei phone with model number ANA-AL00 has received approval from the TENAA authority of China

The TENAA listing of the ~~Honor~~ Huawei ANA-AL00 smartphone revealed that it is a 4G LTE phone that houses a 6.1-inch display, and its rear has a rectangle-shaped camera module. The front and rear cameras are not clearly visible in the images of the phone that have appeared at TENAA. The handset boots to Android 10 OS and it has a 3.85Wh battery. It measures 148.9 x 71.06 x 8.5. Apart from TENAA, this handset has been reportedly certified by the BIS authority of India.

The 3C certification has two new Honor phones with model numbers HJC-AN90 and ANA-AL70 in its database. Both phones carry support for 5G connectivity, and they are likely to arrive with a 66W fast charger. These phones are yet to appear in TENAA’s database.

As can be seen in the screenshot, three upcoming devices with model numbers HBE-B39, KAN-B39, and MNS-B39 are listed as smartwatches at 3C. These devices are likely to carry support for 5W charging. These three models were seen with Bluetooth 5.1 support at the Bluetooth SIG authority last month.

Honor is already selling Honor Cube Bluetooth speaker in China. The 3C listing has a new listing for the Honor Cube Bluetooth mini speaker. In addition, a new laptop is also listed at 3C. It is not clear whether it is an upcoming notebook or the recently MagicBook 14 or MagicBook 15 2021.

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Xiaomi Youpin launches the QCY T11 TWS Earbuds Ring Iron Edition

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 3, 2021

Xiaomi Youpin has launched the QCY T11 TWS Earbuds Ring Iron Edition for sale on the platform. The product carries a decent price tag of 169.9 yuan (~$26) but the original price is 199.9 yuan (~$30).

The QCY T11 TWS Earphones adopt a moving coil + moving iron dual hybrid speaker design. The moving coil has a wide sound field, full low frequency, good sound field envelopment, loose and natural sound, suitable for listening to music.

The moving iron has rich details, bright mid-to-high frequencies, clearer sound lines, and rich musical details, suitable for listening to gentle and delicate songs such as vocals and classical music.

In terms of design, QCY T11 adopts a simple and fashionable design. Each ear weighs only 3.7g, which is lighter than a piece of A4 paper. It offers three kinds of ear caps to choose from, and it is compact and close to the ear. The T11 adopts four microphone noise reduction technology, and each headset is equipped with two beamforming microphones. Through digital signal processing algorithms, it can more effectively suppress the background noise of the call, even in noisy offices, buses and other places, thus ensuring clear calls.

In terms of battery life, the QCY T11 supports up to 3.5 hours of playback when fully charged. The total battery life can reach 21 hours when used with the charging bay. It also supports fast charging. The 600mAh charging compartment can charge both ears in just about 10 minutes, and it can be used for 1 hour.

After the first pairing is successful, you can experience the smart experience of automatically connecting back after opening the cover. It also supports pop-up window pairing, making it easier to connect with one click.

As stated, the product is available on the Youpin website. It comes in white and black but only the black variant is on sale at this time.

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OPPO Find X3 Pro’s new images and camera details emerge in a massive leak

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 3, 2021

OPPO is expected to unleash the Find X3 Pro smartphone in March. In December, reputed tipster Evan Blass shared the key specifications and features of the Find X3 Pro. Last month, he shared the official renders of the Find X3 Pro. Now, he is back with the fresh images of the smartphone. The leak also carries the configurations of the quad-camera setup of the device.

The new images give a look at the black and white color edition of the OPPO Find X3 Pro. According to Blass, the unique camera housing of the smartphone is internally referred to as the “crater” design. It includes four cameras and an LED flash.

The quad-camera setup has a Sony IMX766 50-megapixel primary camera and another Sony IMX766 50-megapixel lens for ultrawide shots. The 3-megapixel macro lens differentiates itself from other cameras through its flash-ringed appearance.

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The macro shooter will allow the device to work like a microscope as it will carry support for 25x zoom. The fourth lens in the camera setup is a 13-megapixel telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom, which has been previously used by the company on the Find X2 handset. The leak ends by saying that OPPO will be announcing the Find X3 Pro, Find X3 Neo, and Find X3 Lite smartphones in March.

Past reports have revealed that the OPPO Find X3 Pro has a 6.7-inch curved OLED panel with support for 1440 x 3216 pixels resolution, up to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 10-bit color support, Snapdragon 888, 12 GB of RAM, a 4,500mAh battery, 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging, and 30W VOOC Air wireless charging. It will be available in black, white, and blue colors.

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AutoX shares a video of its autonomous RoboTaxi in action in Shenzhen, China

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 3, 2021

In December last year, Alibaba-backed RoboTaxi company AutoX announced the commencement of test-run exercises for its driverless taxis in China. Just a few days ago, the company also disclosed that it will be running a pilot commercial program for the electric vehicle in Shenzhen, China.

We’ve now gotten our first glimpse of the Robotaxis in action. AutoX has released a new video in English demonstrating how the company’s autonomous robotaxi service works. Shenzhen is the 5th largest city in China and China’s tech hub. Thus, it is just apt that the first test run is carried out here. The video is impressive, showing the AutoX Chrysler Pacifica navigating left turns, going around parked vehicles, overtaking on two-lane roads, and stopping for pedestrians and cyclists. This qualifies the vehicle as Level 4 autonomous. All of this with no driver in the front seat.

The vehicles of AutoX are equipped with the startup’s proprietary vehicle control unit called XCU, which the company claims have faster processing speed and more computational capability to handle complex road scenarios. The video shows the car doesn’t exceed the speed limit of 40km/h. Those riding in the RoboTaxi are also able to speak to a customer support agent to ask any question that they wish to enquire about. The customer care agents will also be able to check the status of the vehicle in real-time to provide any necessary assistance

Since this is a pilot program, interested persons can sign up through the AutoX RoboTaxi registration page to join. Once selected, the pilot users can use the AutoX membership credits as well for the RoboTaxi rides.

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iPhone 12 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21+: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 2, 2021

Samsung released its flagship lineup for 2021: the Galaxy S21 series. That is the reason why it is time to compare the new Samsung phones with the latest iPhones. Does it still make sense to spend a lot of money for an Apple flagship or Samsung offers better features with its Android phones? This comparison will help you to find out depending on your actual needs. In this article, we compared the intermediate variants of each series: the iPhone 12 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S21+. If you do not want to spend a huge amount of money but you still want amazing flagship-class specifications, these are among the most advanced devices you can get. Let’s discover the differences.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus

	Apple iPhone 12 Pro	Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm, 189 g	161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm, 200 g
DISPLAY	6.1 inches, 1170 x 2532p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED	6.7 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full 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	8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 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	Triple 12 + 64 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.0 + f/2.2 10 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY	2815 mAh, fast charging 20W, wireless charging 15W	4800 mAh, fast charging 25W and wireless charging 15W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot, 5G, Face ID	Dual SIM slot, 5G, water resistant (IP68)

Design

The design of the iPhone 12 Pro by Apple is definitely more raffinate than the Samsung Galaxy S21+. Its frame is made of stainless steel instead of classic aluminum and the rear side comes with the Ceramic Shield protection. Further, the iPhone 12 Pro has better water resistance as it is waterproof up to 6 meters deep. The iPhone 12 Pro has a very high screen-to-body ratio with symmetric bezels on three sides and it is way more compact than the Samsung Galaxy S21+. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S21+’s front panel looks more elegant because it has just a punch hole instead of that big notch you can see on the iPhone 12 Pro.

Display

The display of the iPhone 12 Pro offers an amazing color accuracy with its Super Retina XDR OLED technology, as well as a very high peak brightness and perfect contrast. But the Samsung Galaxy S21+ has a more versatile panel: unlike the iPhone 12 Pro, it comes with a very high 120 Hz refresh rate, while iPhone 12 Pro has a 60 Hz display. It even sports a higher peak brightness (up to 1200 nits). Even the color accuracy is awesome: it is one of the best AMOLED displays out there, despite not the best ever. Samsung Galaxy S21+ relies on an in-display fingerprint reader for authentication, while iPhone 12 Pro has 3D facial recognition (Face ID).

Specs & Software

Both iPhone 12 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21+ guarantee astonishing and flagship-class performance thanks to incredible hardware departments. Thanks to the power of the Apple A14 Bionic and the amazing software optimization of the iOS operating system, you should get a faster user experience with the iPhone 12 Pro. But we are only talking about marginal differences. The Samsung Galaxy S21+ is based on Android 11 and it will get three years of major updates thanks to the updated support policies by Samsung.

Camera

The iPhone 12 Pro can guarantee higher-end camera performance if compared to the Samsung Galaxy S21+, especially when it comes to video recording. Even the front camera is simply amazing. While the iPhone 12 Pro has the same camera department as the iPhone 12 Pro Max (including the LiDAR scanner), the Samsung Galaxy S21+ has inferior cameras to the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

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

Battery

The iPhone 12 Pro loses the battery comparison due to its small 2815 mAh battery. Besides having a longer battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ supports reverse wireless charging, unlike the iPhone 12 Pro.

Price

The Galaxy S21+ and the iPhone 12 Pro hitten the shelves with similar prices: around $1000/€1100 (prices vary depending on the market). If the battery life is not your main priority and you are ok with iOS, then iPhone 12 Pro is a better deal for that price, no matter if Galaxy S21+ has a higher refresh rate. The iPhone 12 Pro is a more compact phone, it has a better build quality, an amazing camera department, MagSafe, and more. The Galaxy S21+ has a higher refresh rate and a longer battery life: not enough to be better than the latest iPhone. But the price of the Galaxy S21+ will drop a lot faster and the phone will offer a higher value for money.

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

Apple iPhone 12 Pro

PRO

Compact
Amazing performance
Better water resistance
Amazing cameras
MagSafe

CONS

Smaller battery
Price

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus

PRO

Wider display
Bigger battery
120 Hz refresh rate
Reverse wireless charging

CONS

Nothing particular

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Sony releases a pink Xperia 5 II in Europe and it comes with free earbuds

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 2, 2021

The Sony Xperia 5 II has gotten a new color variant in Europe. The phone which launched in Black, Blue, and Grey, now comes in Pink. Sony is also including a free pair of its WF-1000XM3 noise-canceling earbuds.

The new colorway is available in Germany, Italy, and Spain. Depending on the country or store you purchase from, you can grab the phone for €899 or €799. For example, Estorepartner Germany sells the phone for €799 while Amazon Germany has it listed for €899. Both stores include the Sony WF-1000XM3 Bluetooth headphones.

The offer with the free headphones runs from February 2 to February 14, and if you decide to return the phone, you also have to return the headphones.

The Xperia 5 II has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 2520 x 1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. There is a Snapdragon 865 processor under the hood and you get 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

The back of the phone has three cameras – a 12MP main sensor with OIS, a 12MP telephoto camera with OIS and 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide angle camera. The front-facing camera is an 8MP sensor.

Even though the Xperia 5 II has an OLED display, it opts for a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. There is a 4000mAh battery under the hood with support for 21W fast charging via a USB-C port. Other features it has includes an audio jack, stereo speakers, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC. It runs Android 10 out of the box but Sony has begun rolling out the Android 11 update for the phone.

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iOS 14.5 developer beta allows users unlock their iPhones with Face ID while wearing mask

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Feb 2, 2021

Apple has just released the developer beta of iOS 14.5 that has incorporated a new feature that makes it possible to unlock an iPhone using Face ID even while putting on a facemask. The feature in the Apple watch is called Unlock iPhone, and if it scales through the beta testing, then masked iPhone users who have an unlocked Apple Watch on their wrist will have Face ID automatically unlocked when Apple’s facial recognition system determines that they are wearing a mask. This is possible because the watch would have already verified a user’s Passcode to unlock the watch.

Last year March, as COVID-19 bore its fangs on the global populace and the use of facemasks were made compulsory, iPhone users found that Face ID was blocked from unlocking their devices forcing them to open the Passcode input screen. To prevent users from taking their masks off, even for a second, and putting themselves at risk of catching COVID-19, Apple added a new feature in iOS 13.5 last May. If Apple’s facial recognition algorithm detects an authentic user wearing a mask, the Passcode screen comes up immediately instead of waiting for the mask to generate an incorrect Face ID result.

Also included in the iOS 14.5 developer version is the new App Tracking Transparency feature that asks users whether they want to opt-in so that they can be tracked by third-party apps and continue to receive tracked ads on their phone.

To install the iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 developer betas, you first need to register as an iOS developer. Here are the steps to do that.

Go to: https://developer.apple.com/enroll/.
Select ‘ Start Your Enrollment ‘.
Sign in using an existing Apple ID create a new Apple ID.

After that, sign up to become an iOS beta tester. To do that head to https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/ and tap on the button that says “Sign up.” Use your Apple ID to continue and follow the directions on the screen. When Apple drops its public betas, those who joined the beta program can download and install the update by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Keep in mind that beta versions of operating systems are not stable. If you are using your iPhone as a daily driver, give it some deep thought before deciding whether to become an iOS beta tester.

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Apple unveils Black Unity Apple Watch Series 6 & Sport Band to celebrate Black history Month

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Feb 2, 2021

Apple is highlighting the Black History Month celebration this year and has launched a limited-edition Black Unity Apple Watch Series 6 and a Black Unity Sport Band, both of which are now available to order in the United States and a few other countries.

A close up of the black unity Apple watch is custom made for the occasion of the Black History month celebrations. It has the words Black Unity written on its space gray aluminum case. It has a Black Unity sport band, drawing inspiration from the colours of the Pan-African flag, and the band’s metal pin has a custom laser-written message that reads “Truth – Power – Solidarity.”

The Black Unity Apple Watch Series 6 will sell at $399, while the Black Unity Sport Band is also available to order separately for $49. Due to limited numbers, Apple has said the watch will only be available in February 2021, while the band is expected to remain available throughout the year. Orders could take a few days currently estimated to ship in one business day on Apple’s online store.

The limited-edition Apple Watch is complemented by the new “Unity” watch face in watchOS 7.3, also based on the Pan-African flag.

Apple had previously supported causes that promote and support the pursuit of racial equity for minority and disadvantaged groups in the US and even beyond.

An unboxing video of the Black Unity Watch Series 6 on YouTube has been shared by Rafael Zeier. Check out the video below.

Apple says it will continue to support organizations dedicated to advancing racial equity and justice in the United States and globally, including the Black Lives Matter Support Fund via the Tides Foundation, the European Network Against Racism, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights, the Leadership Conference Education Fund, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and Souls Grown Deep.

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Canceled HTC-made Pixel 2 XL appears in hands-on video

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Feb 2, 2021

In 2017, Google announced the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL which were made by HTC and LG respectively. However, Google’s plan was to have HTC make the Pixel 2 XL but it canceled it and went with LG instead. There were reports that the HTC U11+ was the canceled Pixel 2 XL but a hands-on video of the HTC-made Pixel 2 XL which was codenamed ‘muskie’ has now appeared on the internet and it looks nothing like the HTC U11+.

The video was posted on the web by the YouTube channel, Calyx Hikari, and it gives us a good look at the phone. As you can see, the phone has pretty huge bezels that are not only thicker than those of the HTC U11+ but also thicker than those of the Pixel 2 XL. HTC’s phone would have gone well with the Pixel 2 as that too had thick bezels and a 16:9 display.

On the back, ”muskie” is shown to have a similar design to that of the Pixel 2 XL – a two-tone finish and a single camera that is on the left side of the phone. It also has a fingerprint scanner just below the upper part of the glass.

The video shows the device is operated with a wireless mouse as it doesn’t respond to touch input. We get to see the ”About Section” of the phone and it confirms the phone is ”muskie”. It is also shown to be running Android Oreo with May 2017’s security patch.

Google probably decided to go with an 18:9 display instead of the 16:9 display of HTC’s phone which is why this phone never got released. It was a wise decision as quite a number of manufacturers had ditched the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio for the trendy 18:9 aspect ratio.

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Benchmark report shows the Exynos 2100 is far more power-efficient than the Exynos 990

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Feb 2, 2021

The latest benchmark report on Samsung’s flagship processor the Exynos 2100 may have confirmed that the hype and buzz around the processor weren’t misplaced after all. The Exynos 2100, as per the benchmark numbers, has made significant improvements in power efficiency and overall performance in comparison with its predecessor, the Exynos 990.

The benchmark surfaced on YouTube via the account Golden Reviewer and contains performance and power efficiency ratings for premium smartphone processors between 2020 and 2021.

The Exynos 990’s M5 (big) and Cortex-A76 (mid) CPU cores got 30.95 points and 21.54 points, respectively, while the Exynos 2100’s Cortex-X1 (big) and Cortex-A78 (mid) CPU cores garnered 39.61 points and 35.71 points, respectively.

In terms of power efficiency, the Exynos 2100 also surpassed the 990 for both big and medium CPU cores. reflecting massive improvements over the 990. The implication is that after taking some flak in the aftermath of the Exynos 990, the tech giant silently worked on a solution that has proved very solid.

The Exynos 2100 may therefore be the reason why Galaxy S21 models performed better, with longer battery life than the Galaxy S20 devices.

However, the Exynos 2100 could not outperform the latest Snapdragon processor, the Snapdragon 888. It has a slightly better CPU performance and power efficiency compared to the Exynos 2100 but The latest mobile processor offering from Samsung is still better than the Snapdragon 865+ and the Kirin 9000.

The GPU of the Snapdragon 888 is marginally better than the Exynos 2100, although the Exynos 2100 seems to have a better power management rating as it is cooler when compared to the Snapdragon 888. A YouTube video has shown Exynos and Snapdragon versions of the Galaxy S21 running various CPU, GPU, and overall benchmarks. The heat and temperature measurements for the Exynos was better.

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Xiaomi Mijia 10-inch Writing Tablet Up for Sale at Banggood (Limited Time Offer)

By

Greeva Agnihotri

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Feb 2, 2021

The Xiaomi Mijia Writing Tablet is designed to make teaching fun for kids and help adults be more creative with art. By default, it has dust-free ink that is healthy and eco-friendly. At present, this device is up for sale on Banggood and can be purchased at a discounted price for just $16.29 (original price $22). Let’s take a look at some of its features. Xiaomi Mijia 10-inch Writing Tablet-2-

Xiaomi Mijia Writing Tablet features a 10-inch LCD screen that adopts a liquid crystal film formula that displays crisp letters in blue-green handwriting. Its pressure-sensing technology changes the writing according to the force applied. The LCD screen consumes less energy even when the screen is cleared multiple times a day. It comes with a lightweight magnetic stylus for convenient storage. With 7mm thickness and ultra-thin body, this Xiaomi tablet is easy to carry. Xiaomi Mijia 10-inch Writing Tablet-1-

Xiaomi Mijia Tablet is built to meet the creative needs of both children and adults alike. All interested users can purchase this tablet for just $16.29 (original price $22) at Banggood. This deal is up for just today, so hurry and make the most of it.

Nokia 8.3 5G starts getting the Android 11 update

By

Balaji S

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Feb 2, 2021

Nokia 8.3 5G launched with Android 10 out of the box. Today, a post on the community page announced that the latest Android 11 update for the device has started rolling out.

A post on the Nokia Community page by Dipankar paul shows(via) the details of the Android 11 rollout for the Nokia 8.3 5G. He says that the company has begun the rollout but will carry it out in Phases(waves) to ensure a smooth rollout.

The countries to receive the update in the 1st wave of rollout are: Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Macau, Morocco, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Tunisia, the UAE, the US, and Vietnam.

Going by the name ‘1st wave’ you should have realized by now that a subsequent follow-up of rollout including the UK will continue after this. In fact, the post says that 10% of people will get now, 50% by Feb 5th. By Feb 7th, every one of these markets will have received the Android 11 update.

For features, you can expect all the goodies of Android 11 like chat bubbles(conversations), media controls, improved permission management, and organized notifications. Further, a screenshot shared by Nokiamob shows that the software version V2.180 weighing 1.80GB brings the latest January 2021 security patch.

That said, Nokia 8.3 runs UI which is based on the Android One program the overall interface will most likely remain the same i.e stock Android with very fewer customizations. Either way, the update is a bit late looking at its schedule, and let’s hope Nokia doesn’t mess it up further for other devices.

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IDC report shows Huawei leads the Chinese smartphone market by a wide margin

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Feb 2, 2021

The Chinese smartphone market is a very competitive one with several key players vying for consumers’ money. IDC has released its report for the year 2020 and it shows that Huawei is still the leader in its home country and by no small margin.

At the top of the list sits Huawei with a total shipment of 124.9 million units, giving it a market share of 38.3%. However, that figure is a significant drop from 2019’s 140.6 million units. While the pandemic definitely affected sales, we also think that Huawei’s limited supply of parts may have affected the drop in total shipments.

Vivo comes in at second place with 57.5 million shipments and a market share of 17.7%. In 2019, it shipped a total of 66.5 million units and had a market share of 18.1%. OPPO follows closely behind with a market share of 17.4% and total shipments of 56.7 million units.

Xiaomi comes in at the fourth spot with 39 million shipments and a market share of 12%. In 2019, it shipped 40 million units and its market share was 10.9%.

Apple shipped a total of 36.1 million units, almost 4 million more than it shipped in 2019. its market share also increased from 8.9% in 2019 to 11.1% in 2020. As you can see, save for Apple, all the other brands on the top five list recorded a drop in the total number of smartphones shipped in 2020.

Other brands accounted for the remaining 11.5 million units of the 325.7 million total smartphones shipped in 2020.

We expect the smartphone market to pick up this year now that there is a vaccine for the coronavirus. Also, Huawei may have a difficult year unless the U.S. ban is lifted and it can get components for its smartphones.

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