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

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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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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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

By

Sean

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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

By

Sean

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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

By

Sean

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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

By

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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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

By

Jeet

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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

By

Jeet

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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

By

Jeet

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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

By

Jeet

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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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 22, 2021

Huawei has announced the Huawei Nova 7 SE 5G LOHAS Edition smartphone in China. The major highlight of the smartphone is that it is equipped with a new chipset named Kirin 820E.

Huawei Nova 7 SE 5G LOHAS Edition specifications and features

The Huawei Nova 7 SE 5G LOHAS Edition features a 6.5-inch IPS LCD punch-hole screen. It offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The device runs on EMUI 10.1 based Android 10 OS. It is equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for security.

The 7nm Kirin 820E chipset that includes the all-new Kirin 820E, which is a lower version of the Kirin 820 SoC powers the Huawei Nova 7 SE 5G LOHAS Edition. It is a hexa-core processor that comprises of 3 x Cortex-A76 cores clocking at 2.2GHz and 3 x Cortex-A55 that works at 1.84GHz along with Mali-G57 GPU. The SoC is accompanied by 8 GB of RAM. It has 128 GB of internal storage and an NM card slot for additional storage.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei has reserved Kirin 9000 chips for P50 and Mate 50 series smartphones

Selfies can be shot using the 16-megapixel front camera of the Nova 7 SE 5G LOHAS Edition. The rear-facing quad-camera system of the phone has a 64-megapixel primary camera with f/1.8 aperture, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro lens.

The Huawei Nova 7 SE 5G LOHAS Edition carries support for 40W fast charging for its 4,000mAh battery. The usual connectivity options such as dual SIM, 5G, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, USB-C, and 3.5mm audio jack are also available on the device.

The original Nova 7 SE 5G that was announced in April has been discontinued. In Q4 2020, the company introduced the Huawei Nova 7 SE 5G Vitality Edition with Dimensity 800U. The only major difference between the LOHAS and Vitality Edition is the presence of a new chip.

Huawei Nova 7 SE 5G LOHAS Edition pricing and availability

The Nova 7 SE 5G LOHAS Edition has arrived with a pricing of 2,299 Yuan. The phone comes in four colors like silver, green, black, and purple. It will go on sale from Jan. 23.

Will the Samsung Galaxy A82 resurrect the slider design once again?

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 22, 2021

2018 and 2019 might be remembered as the year slider phones made a brief comeback. One of the phones with a slider design announced during this period is the Galaxy A80. Now it has been reported that a successor, called the Galaxy A82, is coming and the big question is if it will bring back the slider design.

The Galaxy A82 was first heard of in early 2020 when Samsung applied for a trademark for a bunch of Galaxy A smartphones, some of which have already launched. It has been reported that the phone will have 5G support. However, there is no information about how it looks, so we do not know if it will keep the slider + rotating camera design of the Galaxy A80.

The Galaxy A80 launched with a 6.7-inch FHD+ display that didn’t have a notch or hole in the screen. Its sliding + rotating mechanism allowed for the triple rear cameras to slide upwards and then rotate to double as the front-facing cameras.

The phone also packed a Snapdragon 730G processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and 48MP+8MP+TOF triple rear cameras. It launched with a 3700mAh battery capacity with support for 25W fast wired charging.

Since the Galaxy A82 chipset will have 5G, it should come with a 5G chipset from Samsung, MediaTek, or Qualcomm; though our guess is that it will be powered by a Snapdragon chipset. We expect the phone to pack a bigger battery capacity than its predecessor and run Android 11 out of the box.

The Galaxy A82 is expected to be announced during or after summer, so there is still a bit of waiting to do. We expect more details to surface as time goes on. Nevertheless, please let us know in the comment box if you will like the phone to bring back the slider design of its predecessor or if you prefer the current punch hole trend.

POCO C3 sold over a million units in India since its launch

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 22, 2021

POCO was introduced as a flagship killer brand with the iconic POCO F1 aka POCOPHONE F1. But Xiaomi did not release the much-awaited successor – POCO F2 the next year. Instead, it spun off the division into an independent brand focussed on budget handsets in 2020. In the same year, the brand launched its cheapest smartphone in the form of POCO C3. This India-exclusive phone has now sold over 1 million units since its release.

The POCO C3 was unveiled in early October, a month ahead of Diwali festive season. It debuted at ₹7,499 for the base 3GB + 32GB variant and ₹8,999 for the higher 4GB + 64GB version. Soon after this handset’s release, POCO managed to sell over 1 million units of smartphones during the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale event.

Then, earlier this month, POCO slashed the price of the POCO C3 higher variant by ₹500. A few days later, the brand announced that it was the third largest smartphone brand online in India in the month of November 2020. That’s not all, POCO C3 was the number three selling smartphone during that time.

Now, the brand says that it has sold over a million units of POCO C3 since its launch in India. Also, as part of ongoing Republic Day sale on Flipkart, both the variants of this phone are now discounted by ₹500. And customers can get it for even cheaper by availing the partner bank offer.

It is interesting to see POCO C3 sell these many units despite it being online (Flipkart) and India-exclusive handset. We think the brand achieved this because its most-affordable phone, though being based on the Redmi 9 series, is cheaper and offers better value.

LG launches the 32-inch UltraFine Display Ergo 4K monitor in India

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 22, 2021

LG Electronics is known for its quality displays and it is bringing one of the top-notch monitors equipped with a 4K display to India. The LG Ultrafine Display Ergo 4K Monitor (32UN880) adopts a 31.5-inch display with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. The display also supports HDR10, 95% DCI P3 color accuracy, 5ms response time, and 350nits brightness.

The Ergo series was first unveiled at CES 2020 and comes in 32 inches and 27 inches models. The monitor features a space-saving stand with a C-Clamp attachment that clasps to your desk. The stand can extend outward or be positioned close to the wall, moved up to eye-level, or lowered to the desk. It can even swivel to face the opposite direction for convenient sharing of information with an office colleague. It can also be positioned at the perfect height, distance, and angle for a far more comfortable and more sustainable user experience.

Further, you get a USB-C One Cable solution onboard the monitor that also conveniently provides fast data transfer and power for laptop charging through a single cable. The monitor has built-in 10W (two 5W) speakers and supports AMD FreeSync. It also comes with two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort and a Headphone Out.

The LG 32UN880 UltraFine Display Ergo 4K HDR10 Monitor is priced at Rs. 59,999 (~$822) and is available from Amazon.in online as well as offline stores.

Commenting on the launch, Hak Hyun Kim, Director- Home Entertainment, LG Electronics stated that the lockdown, occasioned by the economically disruptive coronavirus pandemic, has significantly increased the amount of time people spend at their desks. This, he noted, has led to an increase in work-related health issues and affected the productivity of employees. He then added that the new UltraFine Ergo is specially designed to help users experience maximum productivity and efficiency during this period due to the product’s ability to allow users to customize their workstation.

UP NEXT: Two OnePlus smartwatches receive BIS certification

Smartisan says after sales services and support not affected; operating system will continue to be maintained

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 22, 2021

Last week, we reported that ByteDance has shut down Smartisan Mobile and that no new smartphones will be released by the Chinese manufacturer. The news must have gotten owners of Smartisan phones worried, especially those who picked up the Nut R2 flagship that was announced just three months ago. The manufacturer has released a statement that allays their fears and concerns.

The official Smartisan Mobile Weibo account confirmed in a post a few days ago that its research and development team is indeed being merged with the educational hardware team at ByteDance to focus on educational products. That was the decision ByteDance took following the shutdown of the mobile phone brand.

In the same post, it was revealed that after-sales service and system maintenance for its current lineup of Smartisan phones will not be affected. So if you own a Smartisan phone and run into an issue, you should still be able to get support when you contact the company.

The official Smartisan OS Weibo account also quoted the post and added that Smartisan OS will continue to be maintained and that they will continue to explore innovative opportunities for the operating system.

Smartisan OS may not be popular but the operating system offers several features that stock Android doesn’t have. From the ability to run more than two apps side by side, to productivity features that allow you to easily extract key information from documents to a more advanced copy and paste feature.

Smartisan OS also has a desktop mode which is practically like a different OS built into the main OS that is called TNT OS. When a supported device is connected to an external display, a monitor, or a projector, it switches to this desktop mode. TNT Desktop OS not only provides a desktop-like experience but is also packed with productivity tools that are not available when you are in ”mobile mode”.

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Last year, Smartisan announced the TNT Go, a Surface Go-like 2-in-1 device that provides on-the-go access to TNT OS. The device is powered by the Smartisan Nut R2 as it doesn’t have a built-in operating system. It works by connecting the Nut R2 phone to it via a cable or wirelessly. When connected, it automatically brings up TNT OS so the owner can work in a desktop-like environment wherever they might be. The TNT Go has a 2K touchscreen display, a detachable keyboard, and a stylus with 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity.

While there is no news of that happening yet, we hope this is not the end of Smartisan Mobile and look forward to seeing it rise again.

Kia will reportedly lead Apple Car project work under Hyundai Motor

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 22, 2021

Reports from South Korea had indicated that Korean automaker Hyundai may be the preferred manufacturer that will lead the charge in the much awaited Apple car project. Rumours are rife that Hyundai Motor is close to penning a partnership agreement with the company.

Hyundai, in a statement on Wednesday, said it is looking at cooperation with foreign firms with capacity and expertise in self-driving and electric cars. The statement by Hyundai is instructive, as the company had, on several occasions, refused to comment on any speculation surrounding work on an Apple Car.

However, tipsters have continued to predict that the Apple car project is still alive, and progressing with its development. This month, a raft of reports had mentioned Apple and its progress in developing the Apple car. Some reports have also projected that the car will be ready as early as 2024.

A prototype may be unveiled in 2022, according to another report, while it was even mentioned that the production plant will be Kia’s factory in Georgia. It should be noted that the Kia brand is owned by Hyundai Motor Corporation.

Seemingly, the wave of rumours and leaks concerning the Apple car could indicate that we may be approaching a big announcement from Apple in terms of the development of the much expected electric smart vehicle.

Research on evolving battery technology for electric vehicles and autonomous mobility systems could be the potential catalyst that could yield a revolutionary car, and Apple wants to be at the fire of such a breakthrough by researching those aspects actively.

Choosing an established automaker to handle final production is certainly an inevitable and logical choice since Apple does not have the expertise to build any car, much more smart cars.

So, we keep our fingers crossed while we await what becomes of this new partnership between Apple and Kia.

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(source)

JBL C115 TWS Earbuds with Bluetooth 5.0 support hits India for Rs. 4999 (~68)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 21, 2021

JBL C115 TWS Earbuds has just made its way into the Indian market. The earbuds offer a rewarding sound experience with lthe Pure Bass sound technology. It also has an ergonomic balance, voice assistant support, and longer battery life.

TWS earbuds are now very popular devices among youths in India, and this release by JBL will have to compete with Apple, Samsung, and others who already have TWS earbuds and had made inroads into the Indian market.

The C115 earbuds each have a 5.88mm dynamic driver with the sound system providing JBL Pure Bass sound technology for undistorted bass and precise sound. The earbuds connect via Bluetooth 5.0, offering quick and stable connectivity, and it supports the Autonomous Listening, capability, which allows each earbud to function independently in a healthy manner.

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The design of the earbuds is such that it offers ergonomic appeal as it is well suited for listening to several hours of audio without stress.

The battery can power the device for 6 hours on a single, full charge, and a further 15 hours when the charging case is used. They are fitted with microphones for taking calls, and it supports Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa.

The JBL C115 TWS earbuds come in 4 variants — Black, White, Mint, and Red; they can be gotten from Amazon.in for Rs. 4999 (~68).

Commenting on the launch, Vikram Kher, Vice-President, Lifestyle Audio, HARMAN India said that the release of the earbuds is a milestone for the company in the 75 years of its existence. He expressed joy that with the release of the C115 for the youths segment of the population. it will be a highly affordable gadget which also appeals to other segments of consumers.

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

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 21, 2021

A recent Bloomberg report has revealed that US tech giant, Apple could launch a tech-loaded VR-AR headset within a year. The report says that the virtual reality and augmented reality headset may actually be the precursor of more applications using AR glasses.

Apple has been a leader in research and development relating to AR and VR technology for several years, even CEO, Tim Cook had stated that augmented reality was promising.

The headset, which is expected to be quite expensive, could usher in a new way of producing smartphones using augmented reality glasses. 2022 is the expected year of release of the headset by Apple and it will square up against other VR headsets like Facebook’s Oculus and PlayStation VR, from Sony.

The VR-AR headset is a culmination of active research and development in the area by Apple for several years, as the company deployed components of VR and AR devices and software. Last year the LiDAR technology was deployed in the sensor of the iPhone 12 Pro, making the device to be more versatile and in performing augmented reality activities.

The technology used for the VR headset could be scaled up and adjusted so that Apple could indeed come up with thinner and premium looking smart glasses touted to replace the iPhone within the decade.

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The new VR-AR headset is primarily a virtual reality gadget, with a remarkable 3D digital environment on display, which enables the user to carry out any task from watching a video to playing his favorite game, as well as a number of other tasks. However, the VR=AR headset may have much limited AR capability, as this is an area of continuing research, as they inch towards firming up the technology for more revolutionary applications.

The headset, like the existing stuff of this nature, will have a battery that powers its operations and does not require a console, unlike Sony’s PlayStation equivalent headset, PSVR. However, it is projected that the price of the VR-AR headset from Apple will be much higher than that of its current competitors.

From the Bloomberg report, there could be single sales of the device daily at its various retail locations, as a strategy to ramp up the cost and demand of the flagship product from Apple. It is also seen in some quarters as a gamble by Apple into the uncharted territory of augmented reality, an area that is still in development. The design of the headset may after all, just be a prototype of a more enduring device or gadget using smart AR glass technology.

The risk of such release of seemingly revolutionary products is the possibility of it turning to a flop. A clear case is the Google glass product, launched in 2013 but collapsed two years later.

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(via)

Ninebot S MAX self-balancing e-Scooter with a steering wheel launched on Indiegogo

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 21, 2021

Xiaomi‘s partner, Segway-Ninebot has launched its latest self-balancing electric scooter for the global market. The product dubbed Ninebot S MAX is similar to the Ninebot Self-balancing Scooter MAX Sports version which was launched in China last year.

Just like the Chinese version, this international version is designed for use as a single unit or attached to the GoKart Pro/Lamborghini edition that was also launched on Indiegogo last year. The new self-balancing scooter offers three ways of usage – as a standalone, with the handlebar and attached to the GoKart.

The Max sports version is the most powerful scooter from Ninebot so far. It offers a maximum speed of up to 20km/h and a range of 38km when used as a standalone scooter. While when attached to the Gokart, it achieves a boosted high-speed of 37km/h while the range is reduced to 25km which is still impressive.

The Ninebot S Max is significantly bigger than the previous-gen self-balancing scooter. It also brings support for a handlebar just like the original Segway scooters sold in the US. The handlebar not only provides support but makes steering the e-scooter easier. It is shaped like a racing car steering wheel and there is equally a display on top which shows the traveling speed. The height of the handlebar is adjustable from 1.3m to 1.8m to suit the height of different users.

The Ninebot S Max has a net weight of 22.8kg. It is equipped with Ninebot’s Leansteer control technology. The sensitivity of the steering stick is as high as 0.01 seconds and it can be controlled as smoothly as an arm makes a finger. The scooter also automatically maintains the balance of the body when it detects that a person is standing, allowing you to get on the car as simple as stepping up, and you can easily control it with a little adaptation. This feature was first introduced on the Ninebot Nano Self-balancing scooter launched in May 2020.

It also has the same thoughtful 15-fold safety technology as the Ninebot Nano ranging from standing on the scooter to moving forward, steering, stopping the scooter as well as charging.

You can back the Ninebot S MAX self-balancing e-Scooter on Indiegogo with a starting price of $849.

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