Alleged Live image of Red Magic 6 ‘Tencent Games’ Edition appears online

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Jan 22, 2021

Intel has just reported on its fourth quarter earnings earlier today (22nd January 2021). In the report, the company noted a strong quarter and a record year, while also promising an update on its 7nm process.

The known chip maker stated that it has apparently fixed its 7nm process but still plans on outsourcing some plans, as per a TomsHardware report. Intel is planning to contract out the production of some of its leading edge products. Previously, we had reported on team blue outsourcing the production of its Core i3 processors to TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker. Furthermore, Intel’s upcoming CEO Pat Gelsinger added that he has personally reviewed the progress of the updated 7nm process.

The senior executive said that he was pleased with the “health and recovery of the 7nm program.” He further added that Intel will be using external foundries for some of its products. The upcoming CEO is also confident that the majority of the company’s 2023 CPU products will mostly be from its own factories. Further plans regarding production will be unveiled at a later date, after Gelsinger takes the lead in February 2021.

Notably, Intel has also noted great performance in its mobile chips that are found in laptops. Thanks to affordable notebooks, the company’s PC business saw a significant rise of 33 percent year on year in the fourth quarter of last year. During this time, the average price of notebooks dropped by 15 percent, which further helped boost the sales of laptops with Intel chips, as per an Engadget report. The bump in sales was also backed by the pandemic that made remote working and online education the new norm as well.

HONOR Watch GS Pro Mysterious Starry Sky Edition launched in China

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Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 22, 2021

The HONOR Watch GS Pro is the brand’s first rugged smartwatch. It was first unveiled at IFA 2020 in early September. In the same month, it went on sale in multiple regions, including China. Now, four months later, the company has launched a special version of this watch called ‘HONOR Watch GS Pro Mysterious Starry Sky Edition’ in its home country alongside HONOR V40 5G and HONOR MagicBook 14/15 2021.

There’s nothing new about the HONOR Watch GS Pro Mysterious Starry Sky Edition, except for design and special watch faces. This variant of the watch is co-designed with Discovery, Inc., a well-known media company known for infotainment TV channels.

Unlike the regular version, the special edition of this smartwatch features copper-accented keys and stainless steel bezels with additional etches, such as ‘DISCOVERY’ and ‘HONOR WATCH GS PRO’ at the top. Whereas, the polycarbonate part of the wearable’s chassis and the strap are black in color.

You might be wondering why copper color although the watch is called Mysterious Starry Sky. That’s because this special edition smartwatch’s design is inspired by the planet Venus, which is shown clearly in the custom watch faces with the Discovery logo.

That said, despite being a limited edition product, HONOR has priced this watch at only ¥1,399 ($216), the current selling price of the regular variant. For those unaware, this wearable initially debuted for ¥1,599 ($247) in China.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite bags another important certification

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Jan 22, 2021

GizmoChina reported last week that the Xiaomi Mi 11 and a new handset called the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will be debuting together in the global market. The Chinese brand is yet to confirm the existence of the Mi 11 Lite, but recent reports have suggested that it has been busy bagging important certifications. In the recent past, the device was seen at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S., the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) in Russia, and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in India. Today, the smartphone received approval from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) authority of Thailand (via).

The NBTC listing corroborates that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite’s model number is M2101K9AG and it is a 4G phone. The BIS certification mentioned the model number of the Mi 11 Lite as M2101K9AI. Except for FCC, the other certifications have not revealed any vital information on the specs of the Mi 11 Lite.

The FCC listing revealed that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is loaded with MIUI 12 and it has a battery of 4,250mAh (typical value). It is also revealed other specs such as 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB / 256 GB of storage, Bluetooth 5.1, dual-band Wi-Fi, and 33W rapid charging support.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi to launch a Mi 10 model with Snapdragon 870 SoC: Report

A report that appeared earlier this week revealed that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will be coming to India in options like 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. It could be arriving in colors like black, blue, and pink.

Xiaomi MI 11 Lite 4G render — Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite render that appeared in The Pixel’s YouTube video

Rumors are rife that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will come with a 120Hz LCD panel and Snapdragon 732G chipset. It could be sporting a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 5-megapixel triple camera system. Speculations are rife that it may go official in March with a pricing of around $325.

CEO: Honor has over 8000 employees and aims on launching high end phones soon

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Jan 22, 2021

During the Honor V40 launch conference that took place earlier today (22nd January 2021), the company’s CEO, George Zhao stated that the company still has more than 8,000 employees after separating from Huawei, and it aims at soon launching on mid to high end devices while also evaluating on using HarmonyOS in the future.

According to an ITHome report, the known Chinese budget smartphone maker still retains over 8,000 employees despite being separated from its former parent company, Huawei. Furthermore, more than half of these employees are working in the company’s research and development department. This department includes over five R&D sites, with more than 100 laboratories across the globe and over 3000 service centers, and 43 call centers in more than 82 countries and regions.

George Zhao also added that Honor will be dedicated to maintaining its standard of service experience and that each of its products undergoes more than 400 rigorous tests and arrive with over 20 global certification standards as well. Notably, the senior executive also stated that Honor would be working on launching mid to high end smartphones in the future, to grow its presence in its home country and overseas market, along with an expansion of its IoT portfolio as well.

Interestingly, the company’s CEO also talked about HarmonyOS and its future with its devices. After its separation from Huawei to avoid the US sanctions, the recently launched Honor V40 arrives with Google support and services. Thus, Zhao stated that the company is currently evaluating HarmonyOS, and would make the decision of using the new OS depending on its open source progress.

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Vivo V2045 with Snapdragon 870 receives Bluetooth approval

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Jan 22, 2021

Earlier this week, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 870 chipset for flagship devices. The SoC is slotted between the Snapdragon 888 and the older Snapdragon 865 SoC. The SD870 also offers faster performance than the Snapdragon 865+, which is an overclocked version of the SD865 chip. While Motorola Edge S debuting on Jan. 26 will break cover as the world’s first SD870 powered handset, companies like Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and OnePlus are also expected to announce SD870 powered smartphones. Last week, a Vivo phone with a V2045 model number was spotted at the Geekbench benchmarking platform with the new chip. The same device has now received approval from the Bluetooth SIG authority.

The Bluetooth SIG authority has approved two Vivo phones such as V2045 and V2047 (via). The latter has already gone official as the Vivo X60 Pro in China. The Bluetooth SIG listing could be a hint that its global launch is drawing near.

Coming to the mysterious V2045 phone, the Bluetooth SIG listing only confirms support for Bluetooth 5.1. It has no information on its other specifications. At present, it is unclear whether the V2045 will be arriving in the market with Vivo or iQOO branding.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo X60 Pro+ launched with Snapdragon 888 and two main rear cameras

The Geekbench appearance suggests that the Chinese brand could be internally testing the performance of the Vivo V2045 before making it official. Apart from hinting at the presence of the Snapdragon 870 chip, the listing also revealed that it has 12 GB of RAM and Android 11 OS. However, the other specs of the Vivo V2045 are under the wraps.

Phones that appear at the Bluetooth SIG’s database are known to go official within a month. Hence, the Vivo V2045 could be heading for a Q1 launch.

Xiaomi to launch a Mi 10 model with Snapdragon 870 SoC: Report

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Jan 22, 2021

Earlier today (22nd January 2021), a known leakster revealed that Xiaomi is apparently working on a new Mi 10 series smartphone model, which will sport Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 870 SoC.

According to an ITHome report, known Weibo blogger (a Chinese microblogging website) @数码闲聊站 shared the information. The tipster stated that the Chinese tech giant is currently working on a new Mi 10 model with the newly launched Snapdragon 870 processor. Reportedly, Xiaomi is testing a prototype variant that is currently running on the new chipset. For those unaware, the Snapdragon 870 was first announced to launch with the Motorola Edge S.

It is a new chipset from Qualcomm, which arrives between the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 870 processors. The chipset uses an enhanced version of the Kyro 585 CPU cores that can reach clock speeds up to 3.2 GHz. This is the highest clock speed ever achieved on the A77 architecture. At the moment, many other companies are expected to launch their devices with the new chip as well including brands like OPPO, OnePlus, iQOO, and more.

Notably, even the Redmi K40 series is rumored to sport the Snapdragon 870 SoC. Unfortunately, these are just unconfirmed reports right now and we would have to wait for an official company announcement. So, take this report with a pinch of salt for now and stay tuned for more, as we will be providing more updates when additional information is available.

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realme C20 launched in Vietnam with Helio G35, 5,000mAh battery, and Android 10

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Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 22, 2021

Chinese smartphone brand realme is known for releasing a handful of phones in a short period of time. For some unknown reasons, we did not see any handset launch from the brand for a longer period of time for the first time. But now, we think the brand will continue its momentum again as it has announced a new device called realme C20 in Vietnam just after two weeks from the realme V15 5G China launch.

realme C20 Specifications and Features

The realme C20 was leaked extensively earlier this week revealing everything about it. Turns out that retailer listing was legit and those were really the renders, specs, and price of this handset.

Anyway, coming to the specifications, the phone flaunts a 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel on the front with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels (HD+), 20:9 aspect ratio, 270 ppi, 89% screen-to-body ratio, and 1500: 1 contrast ratio. This screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and includes a dew-drop notch and a larger chin.

Under the hood, the new realme budget smartphone features a MediaTek Helio G35 chipset paired with 2GB LPDDR4X RAM and 32GB eMMC storage. Whereas for connectivity and ports, it comes with dual-SIM, 4G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS), MicroUSB port, microSD card slot (up to 256GB), and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Talking about cameras, the device sports a single 8MP primary camera accompanied by an LED flash and a 5MP selfie shooter. It also comes with limited sensors, such as proximity, ambient light sensor, and accelerometer.

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Another major disappointment is the presence of realme UI based on Android 10 in a budget phone releasing in 2021 that has a less chance of getting Android 11. Hence, the only standout feature of this phone apart from its chipset is a huge 5,000mAh battery that supports 10W charging and reverse charging.

Last but not least, the realme C20 is available in two colors (Gray, Blue), measures 165.2 x 76.4 x 8.9mm in dimensions, and weighs 190g.

realme C20 Pricing and Availability

The realme C20 is priced at VND 2,690,000 ($117) in Vietnam. It is already up for sale and is being sold at a discounted price tag of VND 2,490,000 ($108) up until February 11.

That said, like any other realme smartphones, this one should also make its way to other Asian markets in the coming days.

(Via)

Sony Xperia Pro could be available for purchase soon

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Jan 22, 2021

Last year, Sony unveiled the Sony Xperia 1 II, Xperia 10 II, and Xperia Pro smartphones in February. While the other two devices were made available for purchase in different markets a few months later, but the company did not begin the sales of the Xperia Pro. Fresh information shared by Xperia Blog reveals that the Japanese tech giant could now be gearing up to release the Xperia Pro in the market.

While the Xperia Pro carried specs similar to the Xperia I II, it boasted topnotch videography and photography features for professionals. The handset was intended to arrive only in the US, but the company has been silent on its availability. However, it appears that the device will be heading to the US soon as its firmware has emerged on Sony’s public servers.

The Xperia Pro’s (XQ-AQ62) firmware with build number 58.0.A.9.116 has been spotted. It is based on Android 10 OS and includes Android security patches for September 2020. Now that the firmware has appeared, it is likely that Sony will begin with the pre-orders of the Xperia Pro in the coming weeks.

Editor’s Pick: Sony Xperia 10 III CAD renders appear, reveals design similar to predecessor model

Sony Xperia Pro specifications

The Sony Xperia Pro has a 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLD display that offers a 21:9 aspect ratio. It comes with Gorilla Glass 6 protection and IP68 certification. It has a front camera of 8-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture.

The rear camera of the Xperia Pro has a 12-megapixel with f/1.7 aperture, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens with 124-degree FOV, and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with 70mm focal length, 3x optical zoom, and OIS support. The device boots to Android 10 OS.

The Snapdragon 865 powered Xperia Pro smartphone has 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of UFS storage. It is equipped with a microSD card slot for additional storage. The 4,000mAh battery of the device supports USB-PD charging. Other features of the phone include a reconfigurable hardware shortcut key, mmWave 5G support, a 360-degree antenna design, and an HDMI micro connector. There is no word on the pricing of the Xperia Pro.

Honor partners with key suppliers like Intel, Qualcomm, and more after separating from Huawei

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Jan 22, 2021

Honor has apparently signed partnership deals with key chip suppliers after its separation from its former parent company, Huawei. The brand has now partnered with Intel and Qualcomm.

According to a Reuters report, the Chinese budget smartphone maker is only able to partner with these major chip suppliers due to its separation from Huawei. The latter is suffering from the impacts of US sanctions, which have crippled its smartphone business and also disrupted its supply chain. For those unaware, Huawei sold off Honor last year, to a consortium of 30 of its subsidiary’s agents and dealers in an effort to save its budget smartphone sub brand.

Earlier today (22nd January 2021), the company launched the Honor V40, which was sold out in just over 3 minutes. This marks the first device that the brand has launched after the split, and it seems like the company is off to a positive start. Now, it is even partnering with key suppliers from across the globe, including AMD, MediaTek, Micron Technology, Microsoft, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Sony.

According to George Zhao, “the last five months have been an extremely difficult but meaningful time for Honor. We feel the weight of expectation from industry partners and consumers.” After its independence from Huawei, Honor is expected to also launch mid to high end smartphones in the near future while also focusing on expanding its presence in the overseas market. It would also make efforts in launching IoT (internet of things) products and other smart connected products as well.

Honor V40 sold out in just over 3 minutes during its first sale

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Jan 22, 2021

Earlier today (22nd January 2021), the Honor V40 was launched and was made available for purchase as well. However, during its first ever sale, the device managed to get sold in just 3 minutes and 46 seconds.

The Chinese tech giant shared this achievement on its official Weibo account, a Chinese microblogging website. The device went on sale through multiple online websites, which included the Honor Mall, JD.com, Tmall, and other major platforms as well. All of these channels now have the device listed as out of stock, as per an ITHome report. In other words, the newly launched smartphone is currently unavailable for purchase in China.

For those unaware, the Honor V40 is the company’s latest launch, which features MediaTek’s Dimensity 1000+ chipset along with a 50 megapixel primary rear camera. It has a 6.72-inch screen with a dual punch-hole design and is also the first V-series phone from Honor to feature an OLED panel. The device supports 5G + 5G dual SIM connectivity and offers 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage of 128 GB / 256 GB.

While the device is unavailable at the moment, the company has announced that the next sale will go live on the 26th of January 2021. The starting price of the Honor V40 is 3599 Yuan (roughly 556 US Dollars) and is available in two different storage configurations and multiple color variants including Magic Night Black, Titanium Silver, and Rose Gold. Notably, the new smartphone also arrives with Google apps and services as well.

Motorola Edge S with Snapdragon 870 is now available for reservations in China

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Jan 22, 2021

Earlier today (22nd January 2021), the Motorola Edge S went live for reservation. The device is the first smartphone to feature the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset and can be reserved through JD.com.

On the popular Chinese e retail website, the new device has been opened for reservations. For those unaware, the Motorola Edge S is the latest smartphone launched by the company and features a 6.7 inch FHD+ display that has a 16 megapixel dual punch hole selfie camera shooter on the front. On the rear, a 64 megapixel primary camera is housed while the device is powered by a large 5,000mAh battery pack.

Under the hood, the Motorola Edge S feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 870 SoC. It is the first device to sport the new chipset, which is based on the 7nm process from TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker. The new chip is 5G enabled, meaning it is compatible with the newer and faster bandwidth thanks to the X55 5G modem that is also paired with the Adreno 650 GPU for mobile gaming.

At the moment, the device is only open for reservations, which means that it has yet to be launched or be available for purchase. But the Motorola Edge S is confirmed to launch on 26th January 2021. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing more updates and provide additional details after the new smartphone is launched.

HONOR MagicBook 14/15 2021 launched with 11th Gen Intel CPUs and MX450 GPU

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Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 22, 2021

At the HONOR V40 5G launch event, the brand also unveiled two new Windows laptops in the form of HONOR MagicBook 14 2021 and HONOR MagicBook 15 2021 respectively. Both of them share similar specs as well as price and only differ by size. Let us take a look at these notebooks in this article.

HONOR MagicBook 14/15 2021 Specifications and Features

The newly launched HONOR MagicBooks are powered by up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor paired with NVIDIA GeForce MX450 GPU. But interestingly, all the variants come with 16GB DDR4 dual-channel RAM and 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD as a standard.

Further, as their name suggests, the MagicBook 14 2021 sports a 14-inch panel, whereas the MagicBook 15 2021 flaunts a 15.6-inch panel. However, both the IPS LCD screens have the same resolution of 1920×1080 pixels (FHD), 16:9 aspect ratio, 100% sRGB color gamut, 300 nits peak brightness, DC Dimming, and TÜV Rheinland low blue light emission certification.

As for connectivity and ports, these laptops feature WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, a single USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, an HDMI port, 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A ports, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.

Other features include a pop-up webcam in the full-size keyboard (without numpad), a fingerprint sensor, a metal build, Microsoft Windows 10 operating system, Multi-Screen Collaboration support, 56Wh (14-inch)/42Wh (15.6-inch) battery, and 65W fast charging.

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HONOR MagicBook 14/15 2021 Pricing and Availability

The new MagicBook notebooks are already up for pre-order in China and will go on sale for the following prices from January 27.

i5-1135G7, 16GB + 512GB – ¥4,899 ($757) [First Sale Special Price: ¥4,699 ($726)]
i5-1135G7, 16GB + 512GB, MX450 – ¥5,499 ($849)
i7-1165G7, 16GB + 512GB, MX450 – ¥6,399 ($988)

Lastly, although HONOR did not confirm, these laptops may release in global markets like the previous models.

Honor V40 5G with 6.72-inch OLED screen, Dimensity 1000+, and 50MP triple cameras launched; specifications and price

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Jan 22, 2021

Honor has announced the Honor V40 5G smartphone in China. It is the first handset after its separation from Huawei in November. The Honor V40 5G carries support for 5G connectivity as it features a powerful Dimensity chip. It featured a large-sized OLED display with 80-degree curvature at its left and right edges. The phone is flanked by a 50-megapixel triple camera system and a 16-megapixel dual selfie camera setup. It also comes with support for fast wireless charging technology.

Honor V40 5G specifications and features

The Honor V40 5G has a 6.72-inch screen with a dual punch-hole design. It is the first V-series phone from Honor to feature an OLED panel. The screen offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1236 x 2676 pixels resolution, a 10.7-bit color depth, a 120HZ refresh rate, a 300Hz touch sampling rate, and a DCI-P3 color gamut. The display is integrated with a fingerprint sensor. It appears to be fitted with the same display which can be found on the Huawei Nova 8 Pro that went official in December. According to Honor, the V40 5G delivers a screen-to-body ratio of 92.3 percent. As far as the rear design is concerned, the Honor V40 5G has a glass back, which does not attract fingerprint marks. It weighs 186 grams and has a slim profile of 8.04mm only.

The MediaTek Dimensity 1000+v 5G chipset is present at the helm of the Honor V40 5G, which brings support for 5G + 5G dual SIM connectivity. The phone features 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage of 128 GB / 256 GB. The smartphone runs on Magic UI 4.0 based Android 11 OS. It comes with support for GPU Turbo X graphic acceleration engine and Hunter Boost for a better gaming experience.

Editor’s Pick: Honor View 40 (V40) likely to arrive with Google apps and services in Q2

The rear camera module has a 50-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 2-megapixel macro lens, a laser autofocus unit, and an LED flash. The primary shooter has a 1/1.56-inch large sensor equipped with an RYYB filter array, which makes it possible to capture brighter shots in low-light conditions. The rear cameras offer features like front/rear dual scene photography, AI RAW super portrait engine, handheld super night scene mode, 4K HDR timelapse photography, and 1920fps super slow-motion video shooting. The pill-shaped camera cutout on the screen has a 16-megapixel main camera and a ToF (Time-of-Flight) lens for depth estimation.

The Honor V40 5G has a 4,200mAh battery that carries support for 66W superfast wired charging. The device also supports 50W fast wireless charging. The handset carries support for dual SIM slot, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and USB-C. For an enhanced gaming experience, the V40 5G also features dual linear motors for in-game vibrations and stereo speakers.

Honor V40 5G pricing and availability

Here is the pricing and variants of the Honor V40 5G in China:

8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – 3,599 Yuan (~$556)
8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage – 3,999 Yuan (~$618)

The Honor V40 5G comes in color editions such as Magic Night Black, Titanium Silver, and Rose Gold. The sales of the V40 5G have commenced in China. Recent reports have revealed that the phone could be debuting with Honor View 40 moniker in Q2 in international markets. Instead of Huawei’s AppGallery, the smartphone is expected to arrive with Google apps and services.

LG could sell its smartphone business to Vietnam-based VinGroup

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Jan 22, 2021

We recently reported that the South Korea-based LG could soon exit the smartphone business. LG CEO has sent an internal memo to employees confirming that the company is looking for options and is open to all possibilities.

Now, it is being reported that the company is already in talks with potential buyers for its smartphone business unit. As per the latest information, Vietnamese conglomerate VinGroup is likely to be the buyer of the LG smartphone business.

The report mentions that VinGroup has put forward an attractive offer to acquire the smartphone business unit of LG. It is the third-largest phone maker in Vietnam after Samsung and OPPO. This is the same company that makes LG’s mobile phones as an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM).

LG tried several different things to revive its smartphone business but every effort from the company seems to be in vain. It has been suffering losses for 23 quarters straight, reporting over $4.2 billion in operating losses over that period.

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple’s first-ever AR/VR headset will reportedly adopt a premium pricing, expected in 2022

The company has now opted to differentiate itself by offering unique devices. It recently launched LG Wing, which comes with a secondary display that can be stacked horizontally on the primary display for easier multitasking. The company also has another unique device in the making — LG Rollable.

If the deal materializes, then LG will join the lists of fallen smartphone brands such as BlackBerry and HTC. Sony has also been struggling in this space for the past few years but new data reveals that the business has been stable in the last quarter and the Japanese company is expected to post a profit for the first time in four years.

Samsung stops rollout of Android 11-based One UI 3.0 for Galaxy S10 series

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Jan 22, 2021

A couple of weeks ago, Samsung started rolling out the latest Android 11 update with its own One UI 3 custom user interface layered on top, to the users of the Galaxy S10 series smartphones, starting with Switzerland.

While it seemed everything was going smoothly, but that may not be the case as the company has now rolled back the update (via SamMobile). It’s noteworthy that Samsung has not yet confirmed why the update has been pulled. This means that as of right now, the Android 11 update with the One UI 3.0 is no longer available for the users of Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, and S10e.

EDITOR’S PICK: Smartisan says after-sales services and support not affected; operating system will continue to be maintained

Reports indicate that the reason Samsung pulled the latest update is likely bugs in the firmware that needs to be sorted out. Some users are also complaining about camera blur and device heating up. There could also be more to the issues which are yet unreported and Samsung may have come across those issues and decided to roll back the update.

As of now, there’s no information about when Samsung is planning to start rolling out the update after fixing the issues. However, we expect to get more information about this from the South Korean giant in the coming days or weeks.

Android 11 is the second major update of the operating system for the Galaxy S10 series and going by Samsung’s promise to provide three years of updates for the phone, it is expected to get Android 12 too when it gets released.

Google shuts down Loon, its venture to provide internet through balloons

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Jan 22, 2021

Google’s parent company Alphabet has confirmed that it is shutting down Loon, a venture that aimed to provide wireless internet connectivity to remote regions of the world through high-altitude balloons.

Alastair Westgarth, CEO of Loon, said that the decision to shut down the venture comes because of the lack of willing partners and the inability to build a sustainable business model around this effort.

In a blog post making this announcement, he said, “While we’ve found a number of willing partners along the way, we haven’t found a way to get the costs low enough to build a long-term, sustainable business. Developing radical new technology is inherently risky, but that doesn’t make breaking this news any easier.”

EDITOR’S PICK: Even after shutting down, Smartisan says after-sales services and support not affected and the OS will be maintained

Last year, it announced launching a fleet of 35 balloons in Kenya to offer internet service to more than 50,000-kilometer region to the subscribers of Telekom Kenya. Recently, the company had started deploying a new navigation system that was capable of teaching itself how to navigate balloons better than the original navigation system.

Prior to launching the first commercial project in Kenya, Project Loon was granted an experimental license by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for 30 Project Loon balloons to fly over Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Project Loon, which started in 2012, was earlier a part of the Google X division. In 2018, it was spun out as an independent company under Alphabet, alongside Wing, the tech giant’s drone business. In 2019, the venture had secured around $125 million from SoftBank-backed fund.

Xiaomi sold over 1 million units of Mi 11 in just 21 days

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Jan 22, 2021

Last month, Xiaomi introduced its latest flagship smartphone, dubbed Mi 11. With that, it became the world’s first smartphone to come powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 flagship chipset. Days after its official announcement, the phone went on sale in China.

Today, the company has revealed the sales number of the Mi 11 flagship smartphone, which hints at the immense popularity of the device. Xiaomi revealed that it managed to sell more than one million units of Mi 11 in just 21 days, which is quite impressive.

The smartphone comes in three variants — 8GB RAM + 128GB Storage for 3,999 yuan (~$611), 8GB RAM + 256GB Storage for the price of 4,299 yuan (~$657), and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage, which costs 4,699 yuan (~$719).

Coming to the device’s specifications, the smartphone features a 6.81-inch 2K display that offers 3200 x 1440 pixels screen resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch sampling rate, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, coupled with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner and a heart-rate scanner.

EDITOR’S PICK: Kia will reportedly lead Apple Car project work under Hyundai

In the camera department, there’s a triple-camera sensor on the back that features a 108MP primary sensor with f/1.85 aperture, a 13MP super wide-angle lens with a 120-degree field of view, and a 5MP telephoto-macro lens. On the front side, the device has a 20MP snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

The smartphone runs the Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with the MIUI 12 on top, although the company has officially released the MIUI 12.5 custom interface. It is powered by a 4,600mAh battery that supports 55W fast wired charging, 50W fast wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging.

Meanwhile, the company is now gearing up to launch the Mi 11 Pro smartphone in its home country. Ahead of the launch, its renders and some key features have been leaked online. While the exact launch date of the Mi 11 Pro is not yet known, the phone will get launched after the Spring Festival in China.

Check out our review of the Xiaomi Mi 11 smartphone by clicking here.

Huawei Nova 7 SE 5G LOHAS Edition with new Kirin 820E launched; specifications and pricing

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