Galaxy M31 is the first budget device to receive One UI 3.0 (Android 11) update

By

-

Jan 19, 2021

Samsung has been rolling out the One UI 3.0 (Android 11) update to its devices worldwide since December. So far, only premium devices have been receiving the update. But now, this chain has been broken as Galaxy M31 becomes the first budget smartphone to get the One UI 3.0 update.

Ahead of Christmas, Samsung started recruiting beta testers for Galaxy M31 One UI 3.0 update. Now, within a month, the South Korean tech giant has already begun to seed stable build for all the users.

For those unaware, the Galaxy M31 is supposed to get the update only in March 2020. But it has started receiving the update two months ahead of the schedule. Anyway, we aren’t surprised as all the devices that received the Android 11 update so far have got them earlier than the timeline shared by the company.

That said, the One UI 3.0 update for Galaxy M31 is currently live in India with firmware version M315FXXU2BUAC. Apart from bringing new features, the build also bumps up the security patch level to January 2021. The update weighs 1882.13MB in size and we have successfully installed it without any issue.

It is worth noting that like any other OTA update, it is being rollout out in batches. Hence, it may take time to reach your unit. But you can head over to Settings > Software update > Download and install to check if your device has received the update. Lastly, we expect Samsung to extend the availability of this update to other regions in the coming days.

Leaked Samsung Galaxy A52 images show Camera layout, 3.5mm audio jack, & more

By

Balaji S

-

Jan 19, 2021

Samsung Galaxy A52 is one of the A-series phones that has been constantly on the radar of leaks. The already delayed smartphone is expected to go official anytime soon. If you recall, its Predecessor Galaxy A51 came earlier in Dec. 2019. Today, a new report by 91Mobiles reveals the Panel images of the smartphone.

The exclusive rear panel images are probably coming from the Great Noida factory where the device is reportedly being mass-produced. Anyway, the images show a rectangular camera layout with rounded corners. This is similar to the earlier leaked design which showed a resemblance to Galaxy A51.

The supposed Samsung Galaxy A52 prototype also has a glossy finish all over it which could be the Glasstic rear panel mentioned in the previous leak. We don’t have any dimensions on the report but earlier info says it will measure 159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4mm. Moving on, we can spot five etched dots in total inside the camera layout with ‘A52’ labeling above it.

1 of 3

Although we cannot explicitly confirm it as quad-cameras, one of them seems to appear White suggesting that it could be the LED flash. So far, we know that the device will likely get a 64MP main lens on the rear setup.

On the bottom, there are cutouts for what is mostly a 3.5mm audio jack, and Type-C ports. That said, the report doesn’t show anything on the Front but it will probably feature a 6.5-inch Infinity-O AMOLED display with a punch-hole at the center. We can expect both 4G and 5G versions of the handset and the 5G variant is reportedly coming to India finally.

Accordingly, the processors Snapdragon 720G/ Snapdragon 750G 5G SoC will power the device from early reports. Other possible features are in-display fingerprint sensor, 15W charger, Android 11.

TikTok ‘s parent company ByteDance launches Douyin Pay, a mobile payment service

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 19, 2021

ByteDance has unveiled its payment service for the Chinese version of the video app TikTok, called “Douyin Pay” on Tuesday, January 19. The move is a good step forward as it continues to expand into previously uncharted territory in the e-commerce business segment of the Chinese market.

In a statement it released to the public, Douyin said that Douyin Pay will supplement existing payment options while at the same time it pursues establishing a superior customer experience for users of the alternative payment platform.

With more than half a billion daily users of its platform, Douyin is now adding Douyin Pay to Alipay and WeChat Pay, which were the payment platforms previously available for users who may want to pay for any of the numerous goods and services on offer on the platform.

Editor’s Pick: [UPDATE: Response] US government blacklists Xiaomi and 8 other Chinese companies

ByteDance got a foothold on the payment service in China when its founder and CEO, Zhang Yiming acquired Wuhan Hezhong Yibao Technology Co in 2020. Hezhong Yibao, at the time of its acquisition, already had a third-party payment license from the Chinese Central Bank in 2014.

ByteDance has had some taste of almost out gone US President, Donald Trump administration’s seeming harsh stance against Chinese businesses, as it had been directed to divest TikTok’s U.S. assets due to national security threats.

ByteDance insists that it is not a security threat, and continues to deny the allegations. The company has had discussions with Walmart and Oracle to move part of its assets into a new and untainted company.

Douyin is the main revenue source for ByteDance and gives us an inkling of what TikTok could metamorphose into. Douyin began sales of merchandise four years ago and is now operating a thriving e-commerce platform where over 600 million users do their online shopping daily.

ByteDance’s expansion coincides with a tightening of regulations and oversight functions by China’s financial regulators to prevent monopolistic tendencies in the mobile payment segment of the financial services architecture.

UP NEXT: HUAWEI releases Chinese New Year 2021 Limited Edition case for the Mate40 series

(via)

Vivo’s first tablet tipped to launch alongside the X60 Pro+

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 19, 2021

Vivo recently announced that the X60 Pro+ will be launched in China on January 21. There are also reports that Vivo is planning to launch its first tablet under both the iQOO and Vivo brand.

A Weibo handle that dishes out iQOO news has now hinted that the Vivo tablet will be launched soon. It is worth noting that the post is accompanied by a pre-launch teaser poster for the X60 Pro+. This is viewed as an indication that the tablet may be launched on January 21.

Before now, two products known as Vivo Pad and iQOO Pad were registered alongside the iQOO Book, NEX Book, NEX Pad, and others, as shown by trademark documents released in June last year.

Editor’s Pick: [UPDATE: Response] US government blacklists Xiaomi and 8 other Chinese companies

If the tablet doesn’t end up getting launched this January, Vivo’s first tablet PC is expected to be officially unveiled in the first half of this year, but no specific information has been revealed yet.

It is worth mentioning that according to the data released by IDC, due to the surge in demand for tablet computers in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese tablet computer market has seen the largest increase since 2013.

This year the tablet market will usher in changes. According to IDC’s forecast, with the growth of online education and leisure and entertainment usage scenarios, it is expected that more hardware terminal manufacturers, internet companies, and online education brands will flood the tablet market in 2021, which may include one of the Internet giants Bytedance, the addition of new brands will also stimulate more active development of the entire tablet computer market.

In addition, with the gradual popularity of 5G mobile phones, tablet products will gradually use 5G instead of 4G networks. It is expected that by 2021, the market share of 5G tablet computers will grow to 8.1%. Cloud computers and games are also currently more common usage scenarios.

UP NEXT: Honor Smart Screen X1 75” with Harmony OS to go on sale tomorrow

(source)

[Update: Official] Snapdragon 870 5G official details leaked; OnePlus, OPPO, Xiaomi and more will launch phones powered by it

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 19, 2021

Update: Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 870 5G (SM8250-AC) as the latest member of its Snapdragon 800 series of chipsets. Original article updated with more details.

Qualcomm has a new chipset coming and there is a possibility it may even launch today. Thankfully, we do not have to wait, as specs of the processor, which will arrive as the Snapdragon 870 5G (not Snapdragon 875 as previously reported), have already leaked.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 is an overclocked Snapdragon 865 Plus according to the source of the leak, Winfuture.de. This means it is a 7nm and octa-core chipset just like the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 865 Plus.

The Snapdragon 870 features the Kryo 585 CPU which has its prime core clocked at 3.2GHz, 100 megaHertz more than that of the Snapdragon 865 Plus’s prime core. The Adreno 650 is the GPU inside but there is no confirmation of it having a higher clock speed. There is a Snapdragon X55 5G modem that brings support for mmWave and sub-6GHz networks.

The Snapdragon 870 5G has Bluetooth 5.2, support for Wi-Fi 6, and Quick Charge 4+.

EDITOR’S PICK: Chip Battle: The Exynos 2100 challenges the Snapdragon 888

If you are wondering why the Snapdragon 870 exists, it has been reported that it is due to manufacturers’ demand for a new chipset for more affordable flagships that cost significantly less than premium phones which have now entered the $1000 mark. So, practically a chipset for flagship killers. We do not know if this (a flagship killer chipset) will be an annual thing or a one-time thing, but we know affordable flagship phones are here to stay.

OnePlus is one of the manufacturers that will launch a phone with the new chipset. There is a possibility that the phone is the OnePlus 9 Lite which was originally reported to have a Snapdragon 865 processor.

Other manufacturers that have signed up for the processor include Motorola (probably Moto Edge S), OPPO, iQOO, and Xiaomi. The first set of devices are expected to arrive this quarter.

HONOR Watch ES/GS Pro discounted by up to ₹3,000 in India

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Jan 19, 2021

HONOR announced the HONOR Watch ES and HONOR Watch GS Pro at IFA 2020 in September. A month later in October, the company debuted these smartwatches in India, priced at ₹7,499 and ₹17,999 respectively. Now, over three months later, these wearables are discounts by up to ₹3,000 on the occasion of Republic Day in the country.

HONOR Watch ES/GS Pro Republic Day 2021 Sale

The HONOR Watch ES is a fashion-centric smartwatch with a rectangular display. This watch is also sold as HUAWEI Watch Fit with built-in GPS in some markets. On the other hand, the HONOR Watch GS Pro is the brand’s first rugged smartwatch.

As mentioned in the beginning, they were released for ₹7,499 and ₹17,999 in India. But sometime after its launch, HONOR seems to have dropped the price of the Watch ES to ₹6,499.

That said, now, for a limited time, interested customers can buy these smart wearables at the following discounted price tags.

Product	Selling Price	Discount	Sale Price
HONOR Watch ES	₹6,499	₹1,500	₹4,999
HONOR Watch GS Pro	₹17,999	₹3,000	₹14,999

As you can see from the table, the Watch ES has received a ₹1,500 discount, whereas the Watch GS Pro gets a ₹3,000 price cut. Additionally, customers can also avail bank discounts. Lastly, it is with noting that the former is exclusive to Amazon India and the latter is only available on Flipkart.

Buy HONOR Watch ES – Amazon India

Buy HONOR Watch GS Pro – Flipkart

Xiaomi announces that its Mi Talk chat services will be shut down on February 19

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 19, 2021

Xiaomi first launched the MiTalk back in November 2010, way before Tencent launched the popular WeChat. Although the service was quite popular a couple of years back, hitting 70 million users with 7.5 million active users by September 2014.

However, the popularity of the MiTalk app has dwindled over the years. As such, the Mi Talk team has announced that the service will be discontinued next month. Specifically, Xiaomi will pull the plugs off the service at 12 noon on February 19, 2021.

Editor’s Pick: [UPDATE: Response] US government blacklists Xiaomi and 8 other Chinese companies

To this end, the brand advises that users should individually export the chat history, personal data, and other information themselves. Devices running on Android v8.8.70 and above support batch export. The team also alerts that after the service is stopped, any of the users’ information cannot be exported.

Here’s the complete message;

Dear MiTalk users:

Since its release, Mi Talk has been deeply supported and loved by everyone, and the Mi Talk team is deeply grateful. Due to business changes, we will stop the Mi Talk service at 12:00 noon on February 19, 2021. The specific schedule is as follows:

-At 12:00 on February 1, 2021: Account registration and messaging will be stopped;

-At 12:00 on February 19, 2021: Stop MiTalk login and shut down the server. Then and after that, you will not be able to log in and use MiTalk.

Users are requested to export their chat history and personal data and other information before stopping the service (Android v8.8.70 and above support batch export). After stopping the service, they will not be able to export any user information in MiTalk. In addition, the relevant information collected legally when we provide services to you will be stored in accordance with national laws and regulations and the “MiTalk Privacy Policy”. After the retention period, we will delete or anonymize your personal information.

Finally, I would like to thank every MiTalk user for their support and company in the past. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the suspension of MiTalk. In the future, the Mi Talk team will work hard to bring you more new services.

January 19, 2021

Mi Talk Team

UP NEXT: Honor Smart Screen X1 75” with Harmony OS to go on sale tomorrow

OnePlus answers the questions on major HydrogenOS 11 bugs via Q&A

By

Balaji S

-

Jan 19, 2021

OnePlus in China has answered a few of the most asked questions about bugs that are existing on the new HydrogenOS 11. The Global Version OxygenOS 11 has also been facing a lot of issues but OnePlus is solving them in succession. Anyway, the problems of HydrogenOS 11 range from Duplicate Images(Gallery), WeChat payment issues, Gestures/UI hiccups, and more.

OnePlus launched the HydrogenOS 11 in China on August 10, 2020. The new UI based on Android 11 was first made available on the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro in the country. It had new features like AOD(Always-On Display), Zen Mode 2.0, revamped UI, and more. However, soon after the stable rolled out, users started facing many issues.

Some of the notable ones include screen Flickering while multi-tasking, Gallery & WeChat issues, Network stability, Freezing Apps, etc. OnePlus, via a Q&A, answers the issue that it’s focusing on for January 2021.

You can look at the list of Fixed/Working issues on HydrogenOS 11 below:

Shuffled images(out of order) on Gallery App– OnePlus says that this is fixed in the 4.0.120 version. If you are on older versions, update the App, Resync the images to the cloud, and try again.(Translated)
Duplicated Images on Gallery- This issue is also fixed on the 4.0.120 version of the Gallery App. Update the App. Turn on Cloud Sync and Delete the duplicates with _01 filenames.(Translated)
Gallery App crash, Missing Screenshots– Fixed. Update the device to the latest firmware and Gallery App to the 4.0.120 version.
WeChat Payment Issue with Suzhou Bus Card– For the unware, this Smart card is a Public Transporation card to buy tickets easily in China. OnePlus says that due to Internal strategy and other reasons, Suzhou Bus Card has been removed from WeChat Payment. Hence, you can only opt for alternatives like AliPay.
OnePlus 8/8Pro/8T- Full-Screen Gestures Fail, Alarm issues- Fixed with latest version. For instance (11.0.6.8.KB05 firmware on 8T). Update to the latest version to solve this.
Flickering when Multi-tasking- Fixed with latest update. Make sure you are on the OnePlus launcher 5.0.2.1. version to see the changes.
Problem in receiving Voice/Video Calls in WeChat(on Screen state)- This problem isn’t solved as of now. OnePlus is working with WeChat to solve it ASAP.
No Widget on Weather App- The new version of the weather currently cancels widgets. If you need to use widgets, you can get weather information by adding a widget to the desktop.(Translated)
OnePlus 8T camera Focus issues(on Main camera)– close-range shot might affect the focus and the algorithm resulting in issues. You can try using Pro Mode to set the focus or use Super Macro to solve this.

Do note that some of the excerpts are Translated via Google. That said, we can also expect OnePlus to keep supporting the older versions of OxygenOS just like it’s been doing for the budget Nord N10, N100 series.

(via)

HUAWEI releases Chinese New Year 2021 Limited Edition case for the Mate40 series

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Jan 19, 2021

Ahead of the Chinese New Year 2021, Apple announced Limited Edition AirPods Pro in China earlier this month. Now, a few days later, HUAWEI is selling a special case for the HUAWEI Mate40 series for the same occasion.

The new case for the HUAWEI Mate40 series is called ‘New Year 2021 Bull Turns the World Limited Edition Protective Case’. It is available for HUAWEI Mate40 and HUAWEI Mate40 Pro. Interested owners of these smartphones can buy this special case for ¥99 ($15) from JD (Jingdong).

For those unaware, Chinese culture associates each year with one of the 12 animals included in the Chinese Zodiac, which is based on a lunar calendar derived from the orbital period of Jupiter. Since the upcoming Chinese New Year is called the ‘Year of the Bull’, HUAWEI has released a case with the art of two bulls circling around.

This red-colored case with golden engravings is made of PU material. It not only includes an opening for the rear camera setup but also comes with openings on the sides for a better user experience on the device’s waterfall display.

1 of 2

Last but not least, the company also claims a 0.35mm raised structure for the camera and 0.55 raised lips on the four sides of the front to offer protection.

Honor Smart Screen X1 75” with Harmony OS to go on sale tomorrow

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 19, 2021

Honor’s line of smart screens has a new model and it will be available for purchase starting tomorrow. The Honor Smart Screen X1 75” was announced at the end of 2020 and is its biggest model yet.

The Honor Smart Screen series already has 50”, 55”, and 65” models. The new 75” version is for those who want something even bigger. It will go on sale tomorrow for ¥5499 (~$849) for a limited time before returning to its original price of ¥5999 (~$926).

The Honor Smart Screen X1 75” has a 75-inch 4K display with a 60Hz refresh rate, 94% screen-to-body ratio, MEMC, and a 92% DCI-P3 color gamut. Under the hood is the Honghu 818 chip, a quad-core processor with two Cortex-A73 cores and two Cortex-A53 cores. It also has a four-core Mali-G51 GPU. Honor has paired the chipset with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Unfortunately, only 8GB is available to the user.

For connectivity, the smart screen has three HDMI 2.0 ports, a single USB 3.0 port, an ethernet port, AV input ports, and a DTMB connector. The smart screen also has four 10W speakers (two full-range speakers and two tweeters), Huawei Histen audio technology, and six far-field microphones for picking up your voice commands.

Honor is shipping the TV with Harmony OS/Hongmeng OS and it also has the YOYO voice assistant. This smart screen was developed while Honor was still a part of Huawei which explains why it is running Harmony OS. The next model, if there is one, will most likely run a different operating system. The Honor Smart Screen X1 75” supports 8K playback at 30 FPS and it also supports the AVS2/H2.65/VP9 codecs.

The smart screen can be purchased on JD.com as the Honor Mall site is still down.

Acer launches three new TWS earbuds starting at ₹2,499($34) in India

By

Balaji S

-

Jan 19, 2021

How often do we see PC Hardware MNCs launching Audio products? Well, we have got one for you as Acer has announced its new Truly Wireless(TWS) Bluetooth Earbuds in India. These earbuds start as low as ₹2,499($34.16) and are already on sale in the country.

Acer’s audio product portfolio comes after the company launched a wide range of products including monitors, Chromebooks, at CES 2021.

The newly launched Wireless Earbuds consists of Two- GAHR010 and GAHR011 budget ones under Acer. And a slightly premium GAHR012 TWS under the Gateway brand. For those who don’t know, Gateway Inc. is an American Hardware company producing Computer hardware and accessories. Acer brought it in 2007.

Acer TWS Price, Availability

Acer GAHR010, GAHR011 TWS come in a Single Black color option whereas the Gateway GAHR012 TWS comes in White color. You can take a look at the price below:

Acer True Wireless Stereo Earbuds- GAHR010 – ₹2,499(~~₹2,999~~)($34.16)
Acer True Wireless Stereo Earbuds- GAHR011 – ₹2,499(~~₹2,999~~)($34.16)
Gateway True Wireless Earbuds – GAHR012 – ₹3,499($47.8)

The Acer GAHR010, GAHR011 earbuds are available on Flipkart, Amazon, and Acer India website. However, the Gateway GAHR012 earbuds are on sale on Flipkart and Amazon only.

Gateway GAHR012 TWS Earbuds Features

Anyway, all the TWS earbuds have an in-ear design with silicone ear tips, touch controls, Type-C charging port(on the case). However, the Gateway GAHR012 has a stem below and resembles a lot like the Apple AirPods Pro. The earbuds and case are White in color with a button

Talking about specs, the most premium GAHR012 TWS has a 9mm audio driver unit. It has Bluetooth 5.0 for connectivity with support for HSP/HFP/A2DP/AVRCP profiles. It supports 20Hz to 20KHz frequency range and has a latency of 220ms.

1 of 3

For battery, you can enjoy the playback time of 4hrs on the earbuds in a single charge. Acer says that the TWS can charge fully in 1.5hrs and has a standby time of 24hrs(with case). Othe features include IPX4 water resistance, touch controls for Music, Hands-free calling, Activating voice assistant, and more.

Acer GAHR010, GAHR011 TWS Earbuds Features

As mentioned above, the GAHR010, GAHR011 TWS earbuds have a earbuds design without a stem. These come with an 8mm Audio driver unit which is a bit smaller than GAHR012. However, they surprisingly support upgraded Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity with profiles as above.

1 of 3

As for design, the only difference between them is a digital LED indicator(GAHR010) a physical indicator(GAHR011). Also, you get a single USB-A connector attached for charging on the GAHR010 but a USB-A and USB-C connector on the GAHR011. Also, you can detach the case of the earbuds from the charging point as it is magnetically attached.

1 of 4

Other similar features include 4.5hrs battery life(earbuds), 24hrs standby time(with case), 1.5hrs charging time, Touch controls for media/calls, Voice assistant support.

(via)

READ THIS before you Buy the Xiaomi Mi 11

By

Paco Zheng

-

Jan 19, 2021

The Xiaomi Mi 11 debuted as the first Snapdragon 888 flagship in the market last month. The phone offers tremendous value for your money bringing in a top-notch 2K display with the fastest Snapdragon chip in the market right now. You even get two different material options on the device, one with a leather back and another one with a traditional glass one.

However, being the first Snapdragon 888 smartphone in the market, there was bound to be some small bugs and issues with the device. Surprisingly, these bugs turned out to be more than what we had imagined which is why we decided to make a quick video giving you a complete picture of the Mi 11.

Note that most of these bugs can be resolved via a software update. So while it does hinder your user experience right out of the box, in the next couple of months, we can expect the phone to be more refined. That said, if you are buying the phone right now (before the software update), you’ll have to live with a few glitches and we have noted them down below.

Mi 11 bugs and issues we discovered

The Mi 11 randomly shuts down during usage.
The camera app crashes occasionally while shooting photos.
Some games don’t load properly and you may see a noisy pixelated screen.
Snapdragon 888 heats up quickly and the Mi 11 isn’t able to take full advantage of the chip’s processing power as it throttles down the clock speed to manage the heat.
Camera Performance is Average
The leather Mi 11 rattles when playing via the loudspeaker.

So these were some of the issues that we found on the Mi 11. Given that its a flagship device, you would expect it to have a flawless performance right out of the box. But that isn’t the case here.

However, we want to stress that most of these issues can be solved via a future software update. And in a month or two, the Mi 11 will likely be as refined as any other flagship in the market. So if you are okay with these bugs, you can go ahead and get the Xiaomi Mi 11. As we mentioned in our review, the phone has a lot to offer for its price tag.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra Review Cameras Featured — Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra

But personally, I am shifting back to the Mi 10 Ultra for the time being. Hopefully, when the Mi 11 Pro or the Ultra makes it to the market after the Chinese Spring Festival, I’ll try getting back to the Mi 11 series.

RELATED:

Xiaomi Mi 11 global launch could be nearing as it bags another certification

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jan 19, 2021

Xiaomi began the year by teasing the global launch of the Xiaomi Mi 11 flagship phone that went official in China in December 2020. The model number of the global version of the Xiaomi Mi 11 is M2011K2G. This phone has been recently spotted at certification platforms like the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) in the U.S, the Infocom Media Development Authority (IMDA) agency of Singapore, and Russia’s Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). Earlier today, the handset was spotted in the database of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) authority of Thailand.

The NBTC certification is yet another proof that the global launch of the Xiaomi Mi 11 is drawing near. Probably, the company will globally announce the handset at some point in the coming month.

GizmoChina had revealed last week that the Xiaomi Mi 11’s global launch will also see the arrival of a new upper-midrange phone called the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite. The handset has also received certifications from multiple agencies including the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Coming back to the Xiaomi Mi 11, its FCC certification had revealed that it will be hitting the global markets in three variants such as 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Mi 11 Review: The Best Value Snapdragon 888 flagship to beat in 2021

Xiaomi Mi 11 5G specifications

The Snapdragon 888 SoC powered Xiaomi Mi 11 5G features a 6.81-inch Quad HD+ resolution supporting AMOLED display. The screen supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a 480Hz touch sampling rate. It has a 20-emgapixel front camera and 108-megapixel + 13-megapixel (superwide) + 5-megapixel (telephoto macro) triple camera system. The 4,600mAh battery carries support for 55W rapid charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging.

(via)

Redmi K40 to come with upcoming sub-flagship chipset

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jan 19, 2021

Redmi is expected to take off covers from the Redmi K40 series in the coming month. Today, a tipster from China revealed that the lineup will include two models such as Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 Pro.

Last week, Redmi revealed that its forthcoming Snapdragon 888 SoC powered smartphone will be priced at 2,999 Yuan (~$463). The new leak claims that this device will be debuting as the Redmi K40 Pro.

The tipster further claimed that the other handset will be called the Redmi K40 and it will be featuring an unreleased sub-flagship chipset. The pricing of this model is under wraps.

Editor’s Pick: RedmiBook Pro 15 is debuting in February, Launching with Redmi K40 Series?

The predecessor RedmI K30 5G and Redmi K30 Pro 5G phones were powered by Snapdragon 765G and Snapdragon 865 chipsets, respectively. It is unclear whether the Redmi K40 will be equipped with the upcoming Snapdragon 7-series or the new Dimensity chipset that is scheduled to go official tomorrow.

The unannounced Snapdragon chipset with part number SM7350 was recently found mentioned in the kernel source code of Xiaomi Mi 11. It is speculated this part number may belong to the upcoming Snapdragon 7-series chip. Probably, this chip will break cover as the Snapdragon 775G.

As far as the new MediaTek chips are concerned, it is speculated that the rumored MT6893 SoC will launch as the Dimensity 1200 chip tomorrow. It is also speculated that a lower variant of the chip will be also announced tomorrow with Dimensity 1100 moniker.

Vu Cinema TV Action Series launched in India with 4K, MEMC, 100W Speakers, & more

By

Balaji S

-

Jan 19, 2021

Vu Technologies has launched the Cinema TV Action Series Smart Televisions in India. These 4K TVs come in two sizes (55-inch, 65-inch) and boast features like MEMC, 100W Speakers, Dolby Vision, and more.

Vu Cinema TV – Action Series- 55-inch, 65-inch 4K TV- Price, Availability

The new Vu Cinema TV Action series Televisions are already up for grabs on Amazon and retail partners across the country. However, Vu has reportedly said that the TVs will also be available on Flipkart but we could find any listing on the e-commerce site.

You can take a look at the prices of the 55-inch and 65-inch 4K TV below:

Vu Cinema TV Action Series 55LX(55-inch)- ₹49,999($683.66)
Vu Cinema TV Action Series 65LX(65-inch)- ₹69,999($957.13)

Vu Cinema TV Action Series- Specifications and Features

The model numbers of the Vu Cinema TV Action Series SKUs are – 55LX(55-inch) and 65LX(65-inch). The TVs have a bezel-less design with a Titanium Gray finish and Fabric-Clad for the soundbars.

Both the TVs support display resolution up to 4K meaning you get a resolution of 3840×2160 pixels. However, you are limited to a 60-hertz refresh rate. Vu’s new 4K TVs have a DLED(Direct-LED) panel that can light up to 400 nits(55-inch) and 500 nits(65-inch).

The company says that it uses a Pixelium technology to enhance the brightness of a typical panel up to 40%. This also has a 10-bit color depth and supports features like HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, MEMC(Motion Estimation & Motion Compensation).

1 of 4

Under the hood, the TVs sport a 1.4GHz Quad-Core CPU and ARM’s Mali 470MP GPU for improving the picture quality. You also get a 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage paired with this. For Audio, Vu has included an array of 6 JBL speakers(100W output) with 4xMasters and 2xTweeters.

They support Dolby Audio features like MS12(Multi-Stream Decoding AC-4 audio streams), Dolby Digital. You also get DTS Virtual – X Surround sound tech and software features like Theatre, Sports, Late night modes, etc.

Other features include Android 9.0 Pie OS with Google Assistant support, Major Streaming Apps pre-loaded(Hotkeys for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, YouTube, Google Play on Remote), Vu Action Voice Control.

For connectivity, you get Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 5GHz, 3xHDMI with HDMI Arc support(4k@60fps HDCP 2.2), 2xUSB-A, 1×3.5mm audio jack, 1xRj45, AV and Optical out ports. All these show similarities with the HiSense Tornado TVs powered by JBL that’s already selling in India.

(via)

vivo Y20G launched in India with Helio G80, 5,000mAh battery, Android 11, and more

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Jan 19, 2021

Chinese smartphone maker vivo has launched vivo Y20G as the sixth phone in the vivo Y series lineup of devices, which consists of vivo Y20, vivo Y20i, vivo Y20s, vivo Y20 2021, and vivo Y20A respectively. Unlike the previous models, the new handset sports a much powerful SoC but the design and other specs remain the same.

vivo Y20G Specifications and Features

The newly launched vivo Y20G flaunts a 6.51-inch IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels (HD+), 20:9 aspect ratio, and a dew-drop notch. It features a plastic body with a glossy finish and weighs 192.3g. As far as dimensions are concerned, the handset measures 164.41 × 76.32 × 8.41mm.

Further, the smartphone is powered by MediaTek Helio G80 chipset paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. However, if required, the storage can be further expanded up to 1TB via a MicroSD card (dedicated slot).

Talking about cameras, the phones houses a vertically aligned triple camera setup consisting of a 13MP primary snapper, a 2MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. Whereas, on the front, the device includes an 8MP selfie camera nested in the notch.

As for connecting and I/O, it comes with dual-SIM, 4G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS (GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo), 3.5mm headphone jack, and MicroUSB port. Other features include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, compass, and gyroscope.

Last but not least, the vivo Y20G comes in two color options ( Obsidian Black, Purist Blue), runs Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11, and is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.

vivo Y20G Pricing and Availability

As mentioned above, the vivo Y20G comes in a single 6GB + 128GB storage configuration priced at ₹14,990 ($205) in India. It can be bought starting today (January 19) from Amazon India, Flipkart, vivo India e-store, Paytm, Tata Cliq, and leading offline retail stores across the country.

(Via)

ASUS ROG Phone 5 with secondary screen appears in a leaked video

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jan 19, 2021

A live shot of the upcoming ASUS ROG Phone 4/5 phone had emerged on Weibo yesterday. The image revealed that its back panel does not feature the traditional RGB-lit ROG logo. Instead, it seemed to sport a glass-like panel. Today, a reliable tipster Digital Chat Station shared a video of the ROG Phone 5. The video suggests that its rear shell is fitted with a secondary display.

The rear view of the ROG Phone 5 reveals that it has a horizontally aligned triple camera system along with an LED flash. Towards the center is the secondary display that probably shows gaming info and notifications like an incoming call. Also, the presence of the “05” number next to the secondary screen suggests that the next ROG phone could be called ROG Phone 5, and not ROG Phone 4.

Editor’s Pick: ASUS announces three Chromebooks for Enterprises, General Consumers, and Gamers respectively

In the previous week, the Taiwan-based firm had shared the first teaser of the next-generation ROG phone. It suggested that the phone will offer a better display design with slim bezels. However, the leaked video shows that there is no significant change in the display design of the ROG Phone 5. However, the phone appears to be slightly curved towards the left and right edges from the front.

ASUS ROG Phone 5 specifications (Rumored)

So far, reports have revealed that the ROG Phone 5 could be sporting an OLED panel of 6.6 inches that will carry support for a high refresh rate. The Snapdragon 888 SoC could be fueling the device. It could be coming with a 6,000mAh dual-cell battery to keep the lights on.

The 3C listing of the phone revealed that it could be carrying support for 65W rapid charging technology. For photography, it is expected to arrive with a 64-megapixel main camera.

Windows 10X leak reveals support for Win32 apps

By

Sean

-

Jan 19, 2021

Back in 2019, the Windows 10X platform was announced as a modular and lightweight version of the Windows 10 operating system. Since its announcement, Microsoft had stated that the OS will support Win32 apps as well, although, reports had indicated that this might not be the case with the first version of the new OS.

Now, a new leaked build of Windows 10X has revealed that the new operating system could still launch with development tools for Win32 applications as well. According to a WindowsPhoneInfo report, the latest build of the Windows 10X features a new developer setting that will allow users to load “unsigned apps,” including desktop apps. Looking at a screenshot of this new setting, Microsoft has apparently built a dedicated settings page for this feature as well.

The settings option reveals a page for the container technology and the developer only toggle, which includes the Win32 app’s testing. At the moment, the feature does not work, although, that might only be the case for the leaked build of the OS. As per the setting’s description, “Enabling this setting will allow unassigned apps to run. Allowing all apps to run on your device could be harmful to your device or data.” Keep in mind, that simply enabling the setting will not allow users to install and run regular desktop (.exe) apps on Windows 10X, which is expected to be released later in the year.

However, what it does imply is that Microsoft is planning on adding Win32 app support sometime in the future. Meaning, developers would soon be able to test their apps on the lightweight OS soon. But, most would likely have to run UEP apps from the Microsoft Store and Progressive Web Apps till then. So stay tuned for more updates regarding the upcoming Windows 10X OS.

Unannounced Galaxy S21+ Phantom Green appears on Samsung’s Australian website

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Jan 19, 2021

Last week, Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy Buds Pro, and Galaxy SmartTag/SmartTag+ at the first-ever Unpacked event of 2021. These phones, in particular, come in a wide variety of colors. Samsung even announced certain custom colors for the Plus and Ultra models. Now, out of nowhere, an unannounced special color of the Galaxy S21+ emerges on Samsung Australia’s official website.

Samsung has begun to take pre-orders for the newly announced Galaxy S21 series worldwide. Interestingly, on the company’s Australian website (FAQ section), it has listed an exclusive color called Phantom Green. This variant of the handset has the following SKU IDs.

SM-G996BZGAXSA – Galaxy S21+ Phantom Green (8GB + 128GB)
SM-G996BZGEXSA – Galaxy S21+ Phantom Green (8GB + 256GB)

For those unaware, the custom color variants of Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra are exclusive to Samsung eStore. At the launch event, the South Korean tech giant only revealed two custom colors for the Galaxy S21+, namely Phantom Red and Phantom Gold, in addition to the standard colors – Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet, and Phantom Black.

Hence, it is surprising to know the existence of third custom color. But unfortunately, there are no renders of this version. And therefore, LetsGoDigital has published renders of Galaxy S21+ Phantom Green based on Galaxy S20 FE Cloud Mint, in partnership with designer Giuseppe Spinelli.

That said, we expect Samsung to extend the availability of this custom color to more markets in the near future.

Samsung Galaxy S21 and Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite are now a part of Google’s Android Enterprise Recommended program

By

Sean

-

Jan 19, 2021

The Android Enterprise Recommended (AER) program from Google is an initiative that certifies Android handsets for use in enterprise or business sectors. Now, the Samsung Galaxy S21 and the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite have also joined the list of certified devices.

According to an XDADevelopers report, the two smartphones are now a part of the AER program that features over 150 handsets from multiple major brands like Motorola, OnePlus, OPPO, LG, and more. To be certified, every smartphone must meet a certain set of requirements, like meeting a minimum hardware specification, receive regular Android security updates after 90 days of release with up to 3 years of patches from Google, and other criteria.

Back in 2020, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy S20, and Galaxy Tab S7 received the AER program certification, after receiving the Android 11 update. Now, the South Korea tech giant’s latest flagship has also joined their ranks for business use. Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Platforms & Ecosystems at Google stated that “For those of you interested in using the S21 for work, you’ll be pleased to learn that it’s an Android Enterprise Recommended device.”

Notably, Google’s Enterprise Solutions Directory has yet to list any of the three Galaxy S21 series models, although, the same was seen for the previous year’s certified models. Alongside the Galaxy S21, the Xiaomi MI 10T Lite also received AER certification for enterprises. The smartphone was launch back in September 2020, and is now a part of the enterprise approved list from Google. It is the only second non Android One device from the Chinese company to receive the AER certification, following the Redmi Note 9 Pro from last year.

UP NEXT: Samsung confirms more smartphones will ship without chargers or earphones

UP NEXT: Samsung customers in South Korea can now rent Galaxy S21 and win free prizes

UP NEXT: Qualcomm’s CPUs are about to get even more powerful as it plans to acquire NUVIA

HONOR Watch ES/GS Pro Republic Day 2021 Sale

UP NEXT: Honor Band 6 fitness tracker announced for the global markets at CES 2021

EDITOR’S PICK: Top 5 OxygenOS 11 Features launched in 2020

UP NEXT: OnePlus Nord OxygenOS Open Beta 1 brings Android 11, Canvas, insight AOD, and more

UP NEXT: Huawei plans to open its biggest Flagship Store outside China: Report

UP NEXT: Huawei delists all Honor products on Vmall as Honor Mall goes live

Acer TWS Price, Availability

Gateway GAHR012 TWS Earbuds Features

EDITOR’S PICK: OPPO Enco X TWS launched in India for ₹9,990 ($136)

Acer GAHR010, GAHR011 TWS Earbuds Features

UP NEXT: Acer announces three gaming monitors with up to 275Hz refresh rate

Mi 11 bugs and issues we discovered

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Mi 11 Review: The Best Value Snapdragon 888 flagship to beat in 2021

Xiaomi Mi 11 5G specifications

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 11 smartphone disassembled and reassembled into a dragon

Editor’s Pick: RedmiBook Pro 15 is debuting in February, Launching with Redmi K40 Series?

UP NEXT: Redmi’s GM Lu Weibing shares a screenshot showing the Redmi K40 battery life

Vu Cinema TV – Action Series- 55-inch, 65-inch 4K TV- Price, Availability

Vu Cinema TV Action Series- Specifications and Features

EDITOR’S PICK: CES 2021: Hisense unveils the TriChroma Laser TV display technology

UP NEXT: Thomson Path series smart TVs launched in India with Apple AirPlay support

vivo Y20G Specifications and Features

EDITOR’S PICK: vivo Y31s launched as the world’s first Snapdragon 480 smartphone

vivo Y20G Pricing and Availability

UP NEXT: vivo reveals Funtouch OS 11 (Android 11) update schedule for India

Editor’s Pick: ASUS announces three Chromebooks for Enterprises, General Consumers, and Gamers respectively

ASUS ROG Phone 5 specifications (Rumored)

UP NEXT: Asus and MSI saw growth in gaming laptop sales in 2020

Editor’s Pick: Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds Pro has a new update that brings hearing aid functionality

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy S21 and Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite are now a part of Google’s Android Enterprise Recommended program

UP NEXT: Samsung customers in South Korea can now rent Galaxy S21 and win free prizes

Editor’s Pick: Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds Pro has a new update that brings hearing aid functionality

UP NEXT: Carl Pei to announce his new brand next week and he’s also giving away 10 MacBook Air computers