Former OnePlus co-founder, Carl Pei, announced his exit from the company last October to start his own venture. In December, he revealed that his new startup has raised $7 million but revealed little details about the business. If you are curious just as we are, you should look forward to next week.
Today, Carl Pei took to Twitter to announce that the audio brand will be unveiled next week on January 27th. While that is exciting news, the founder will also be giving away 10 units of the new Apple M1-powered Macbook Air.
We’ll announce our new brand on the 27th and feeling grateful for all the support we’ve gotten thus far. Received M1 #MacBook Air for the team, and thought of doing a #giveaway for our community.
The giveaway is open to everyone from across the globe and winners will be selected on January 31.
There is little we know about Carl Pei’s new company other than that it will deal in audio-related products, though that may change later in the future as companies are known to expand their portfolio as they grow bigger.
The money raised for the startup last month was raised from family and friends that include notable names such as Casey Nesitat, Kevin Lin who co-founded Twitch, Tony Fadell who invented the iPod, Steve Huffman of Reddit, and Josh Buckley who is the CEO of Product Hunt.
Recent reports said that Samsung postponed the launch of the next Galaxy Flip to a later date in order to evade the cannibalization of Galaxy S21. This clamshell foldable smartphone is so far rumored to be called Galaxy Z Flip3 and not Z Flip2. Now, a Twitter user has posted alleged specs and price of the device.
According to the user(@TheGalox_), Galaxy Z Flip3 will cost about $1,499. If this report is true, then the 3rd gen Flip will cost only $50 more than its predecessor. Previously, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G debuted for a price tag of $1,449.
Apart from this, he also talks about a few details of the upcoming foldable. He says that the device will have a Glass display(i.e., UTG), with a 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED display with thinner bezels. To this, famous Ross Young(@DSCCRoss) replies that the display will be a LTPO and measure 6.70-inches which we already know.
Z Flip 3
-Glass display -120hz Dynamic Amoled display -Around 6.7 to 6.9 inch display -Thinner bezels -Smaller hole -New triple camera system (i expect same as Z Fold 2, 12/12/12) -Snapdragon 888 5g -New hinge -Better dust/water resistance -very small front display
Further, he mentions the processor of the smartphone as Snapdragon 888 SoC which suggests that Samsung might launch before the H1 of 2021. Usually, Qualcomm updates its flagship SoC with a ‘+’ at the beginning of the second half of the year.
And companies rush to include it in their flagships. For instance, we saw the Z Flip 5G boast the new Snapdragon 865+ in July 2020.
However, the Galaxy Z Flip3, unlike he says, is rumored to come with a 1.8-inch cover display which is actually higher than 1.1-inch on Z Flip. It’s worth noting that an earlier leak said Z Flip3 will also have a 4G model with affordable pricing. That said, he also mentions things like smaller punch-hole, New Hinge, Better Water-resistance(could be longer submerge times with IP68).
Recently, we saw a concept render of the Z Flip3 which was according to a leak that said it will have a Camera layout like Galaxy S21. On that note, this Twitter user says it will sport the same 12MP triple-cameras as the Galaxy Z Fold2. Either way, let’s take this info with a pinch of salt and wait for more leaks in the future.
Chinese phone maker Ulefone is known for its wide array of phones ranging from normal smartphones to rugged phones. The brand has just launched the Armor Mini 2, a rugged smartphone that is also a feature phone.
The Ulefone Armor Mini 2 features a regular T9 keyboard, and some additional buttons, including the ‘SOS’ one. There is also a single camera on the back. In order to aid users in the outdoors, the phone has a lanyard at the bottom.
The phone features a 2.4-inch QVGA display. It is powered by a MediaTek MT6261D SoC and there is a single 0.3-megapixel camera on the back of the device. Keeping the lights on is a 2,100mAh battery. That battery can provide you with 20 hours of talk time, and almost 19 days on standby time, claims Ulefone. On top of having an SOS key, this phone has a dedicated flashlight key as well.
The Armor 2 Mini comes with IP68 water and dust resistance rating. The rating means it can be submerged in water up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes. The phone can also withstand falls, shocks, and bumps.
Ulefone itself says that this device is suitable for kids and elders, as well as being a backup device. This may be a good thing to have if you’re going backpacking or something of the sort. It’s also a nice option for construction workers.
The Ulefone Armor Mini 2 is extremely affordable. The device is priced at only $49.99 and comes in Dark Gray and Camouflage color variants. There is no word yet on when it will go on sale.
Xiaomi has announced two new smartwatches for Spain. The Mi Watch and the Mi Watch Lite can now be purchased in the country for €59.99 and €99.99 (limited time) respectively.
Mi Watch
The Mi Watch sold in Spain is not the same Mi Watch sold in China. They only share the same name. Neither is it the Mi Watch Revolve sold in India. Actually, this is the international version of the Mi Watch Color Sports Edition that has a SpO2 sensor. The spec sheet says its model number is XMWTCL02.
The smartwatch has a 1.39-inch AMOLED screen with a 454 x 454 resolution. Users will be able to choose from more than 100 watch faces that match their style or mood for the day.
The Mi Watch has support for 117 sport modes (17 professional training modes and 100 extended training modes). With the FirstBeat algorithm, Xiaomi says the smartwatch can accurately monitor and analyze more than 30 key data points including heart rate, speed, and calories burned. It also has automatic training detection and will stop when you do.
Alongside hear rate monitoring and sleep tracking, the watch also monitors vital signs, stress, and has a built-in breathing training exercise to help you quickly relieve physical and mental stress. Xiaomi has also added a SpO2 sensor that measures your blood oxygen level.
The watch has 5 ATM water-resistance, GPS GLONASS, Galileo, and BDS. Its 420mAh battery will provide 16 days of battery life in typical usage mode, go up to 22 days in basic watch mode, and drop to 50 hours for training mode (GPS turned on).
The Mi Watch comes in Beige, Black, and Navy. It is priced at €129.99 but for a limited (ends in 8 hours as at the time of writing), the watch can be purchased for just €99.99 on the official Xiaomi Spain website.
The Mi Watch Lite has an identical appearance to the Redmi Watch sold in China. However, it packs more features and has a higher price tag.
The smartwatch has a 1.4-inch display and more than 120 watch faces. It can track up to 11 sports modes including cricket and hiking and it has built-in GPS and GLONASS for positional tracking. It also has a 5 ATM water resistance rating.
You get heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, and a breathing exercise trainer but it misses out on the SpO2 sensor of the Mi Watch. The watch has support for music playback control (when connected to your phone), app notifications (with support for emojis), and it will also alert you if you have been inactive for a while. Its battery will provide up to 9 days of usage in typical mode and 10 hours for training mode (with GPS turned on).
The Mi Watch Lite comes in Beige, Black, and Blue. Unlike its sibling, there is no limited time discount for its €59.90 price tag when you purchase it on the official website.
Xiaomi launched the Mi Note 10 Lite in the first half of 2020. This design-focused handset was one of the cheapest curved-display smartphone released last year. For some reason, the company does not sell this device in China and India, which are its largest markets. That said, this phone debuted with MIUI 11 based on Android 10. But was soon updated to MIUI 12 and now, it has even started receiving Android 11.
Though the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite is only sold in select countries, there are four different MIUI builds for this smartphone, namely Global, EEA, Turkey, and Russia. All these variants of the handset are currently on MIUI 12 based on Android 10.
But the Global version has now started receiving Android 11 update with build number V12.1.1.0.RFNMIXM. This update is currently in the ‘Stable Beta’ phase and therefore, it is only available for select users. The build should start rolling out to more users if there are no major issues.
Similarly, we expect also Xiaomi to start seeding the update to the other three variants of the phone (EEA, Turkey, Russia) in the coming days.
Usually, Xiaomi provides two Android updates and three MIUI updates for its mid-range and high-end devices. Hence, the Mi Note 10 Lite should also receive Android 12 along with MUI 13 and MIUI 14 during its lifetime.
In tune with its trailblazing performance as an industry leader in teardown reviews, PBK has again blazed the trail by providing a teardown review of the Samsung Galaxy S21 model that was disassembled to examine the quality of the components and features of Samsung’s latest flagship series, in comparison with its predecessor, the Galaxy S20. The main findings of the teardown of the flagship device’s Snapdragon 888 version which is available in the United States have also been provided.
One of the quickest findings from the review is that the Galaxy S21 model is quite easy to dismantle and put back together again. It ramped up a repairability score of 7,5/10.
Also present in the S21, according to the review, is a removable cable connecting the screen display of the smartphone to the motherboard at the top of the device. This was claimed to be the main reason while the S21 got an above-average repairability score. It also reveals how the manufacturer, Samsung was able to come up with an almost perfectly symmetrical bezel width with the chin, which usually has the display controller cable attached in a permanent manner.
The cooling architecture of the Galaxy S21 was also discovered to be superior, with its lighter and simpler graphite materials to copper tubes and vapor chambers.
In comparison to the S20, the fingerprint scanner of the S21 is larger resulting in greater responsiveness of the device in the area of granting fingerprint access.
For the S21, the unproved speaker assembly and circulation combine to produce an all-round better sound performance.
In terms of the cameras, the teardown revealed that both the main and zoom cameras come with optical image stabilizers, thus enhancing the quality of their outputs.
Also available for the single-SIM models, is a dual-SIM reader whose functionality is software-dependent.
In terms of connectivity, the S21 has two small mmWave 5G antennae, placed at both sides of the phone to pick up 5G super-fast network signals.
In summary, the teardown review has provided quite some insights into the motivation behind the Galaxy S21’s design.
I have been using the OPPO Reno5 Pro for over a week and the hands-on feel of the device along with its extremely lightweight design surprised me. The Astral Blue color is also very unique as the shifts between blue and purple at different angles.
Let’s take a closer look at the Reno5 Pro in this hands-on.
OPPO Reno 5 Pro Hands-on: Design & Display
Inside the Reno5 Pro box, you get a charger, USB-C cable, a silicone case, as well as a wired USB-C headphone.
OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G box contents
The first thing that you’ll notice about the new OPPO model is its lightweight body. The phone weighs just 173 grams and measures only 7.6mm in thickness. It’s extremely comfortable to hold, even with one hand and the edges are rounded and curved for a better hands-on feel.
Another thing you immediately notice about the phone is its unique Astral Blue color. The color has a sparkly texture in a matte finish. So the back doesn’t attract any fingerprints yet the sparkly texture stands out quite significantly. The color isn’t plain blue and the shade shifts from light blue to purple at different angles.
The camera housing is located on the top left corner. It does protrude a bit from the body, but it’s hardly noticeable. A thin silicone case (provided inside the box) will completely eliminate this protrusion.
The phone is just 7.6mm thick
The power button is located on the right side and it’s at a good position for your thumb to reach out. The volume buttons are located on the opposite side. On the top, you have a Designed For Reno text while all ports are down at the bottom which includes the dual SIM slot, USB-C, and a single speaker setup.
The OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G features a 6.5-inch 3D curved display upfront. It’s a Super AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. The display is HDR10+ certified and the bezels on the top and bottom are noticeably thin. The colors pop out really well on this AMOLED panel and it’s sufficiently bright even under direct sunlight.
There are no visible color shifts at different angles and it’s clear that the Reno5 Pro 5G is using a top-notch AMOLED panel. I’ll talk more about the display quality in my full review but overall, the phone has an extremely vibrant display as good as any other premium flagship.
The in-display fingerprint sensor is located near the bottom bezel of the display. It’s actually very close to the home button’s position (if you have onscreen buttons enabled) and is situated a bit lower than what I would have preferred. But the sensor is fast and you get used to the position very quickly.
OPPO Reno 5 Pro Hands-on: Specs, Camera, & Battery
The Reno5 Pro is the first Dimensity 1000+ smartphone in India. Its an important chip for both MediaTek and OPPO, given how it features an integrated 5G modem and comes with top of the line flagship-grade specifications. In real life, the Dimensity 1000+ on the OPPO Reno5 Pro performed pretty well. However, I will talk about the chipset and its performance in detail in my full review that’ll come a week later.
Reno 5 Pro Specs
The review unit with me is the 8GB RAM variant with 128GB of ROM on board. There are four cameras at the back, led by a 64MP primary shooter, an 8MP wide-angle shooter, a 2MP depth sensor, and another 2MP macro shooter. The last two sensors are not really mainstream ones so expect mediocre performance from them. However, the primary 64MP camera can capture excellent photos, especially in daylight scenarios.
The AI Highlight algorithm that combines Live HDR and Ultra Night Video algorithms bring out vibrant colors in photos with good level of details. The videography experience on the phone is also very interesting thanks to the company’s proprietary FDF Portrait Video System.
The front 32MP sensor can capture high-quality selfies that are bright and vibrant, even at night.
The 4350mAh battery can easily give you a day’s battery life but I never really had to worry about the phone’s battery because of its super-fast 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charger. You can get up to 100% in just half an hour, so low battery won’t really be an issue with this particular device.
The OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G retails for Rs. 35,990 in India and I personally think it offers quite a lot of features to justify this price tag. The thin and lightweight body is a big selling point of this 5G device and it offers a premium experience in the right areas. You get a flagship quality Super AMOLED display, a fast and efficient Dimensity 1000+ processor, a unique Reno Glow matte finish at the back and a super-fast 65W charging technology.
I’ll be testing out the performance of the Dimensity 1000+ as well as the phone’s quad-camera setup in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned to Gizmochina for more updates.
realme launched the realme C12 in India way back in August 2020. It debuted with a price tag of ₹8,999($122.77) and as a single 3GB RAM, 32GB storage variant. Now, the company has quietly launched an upgraded variant of the same smartphone in the country.
An upgraded 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant of the realme C12 has now landed in India. The smartphone is officially listed for ₹9,999($136.47) on the realme India website. Just like the 3GB variant, this one is also available in two colors- Power Blue and Power Silver. And it should go on sale soon.
Although it currently isn’t listed(as of writing this) on Amazon, you can expect the device to be available on Amazon, Flipkart, and other retail partners as well.
realme C12 Specifications
The realme C12 shares a lot of design to its higher-priced sibling realme C15. The main difference here is the Camera, and Charging tech. Hence, if you are ok with one less camera sensor and a slightly slower charger, you can very well get the 4GB Variant of the C12 at a ₹1,000 lesser than C15’s 4GB variant.
Talking about specs, the realme C12 features a 6.5-inch LCD HD+ dew-drop notch display and a 20:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, MediaTek Helio G35 SoC powers the device paired with 3/4GB RAM, 32/64GB storage.
For cameras, it has a triple-camera layout with a 13MP main lens, a 2MP monochrome(B/W sensor), and a 2MP macro sensor. Upfront, you get a 5MP selfie snapper.
Other features include a 6,000mAh battery with 10W charging, microSD card slot(for storage expansion), micro-USB and 3.5mm audio jack ports, rear fingerprint sensor, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and Android 10(Realme UI).
OPPO launched the OPPO A12 budget smartphone in India in June 2020. The handset received its first price cut after its release in late November last year. Just within two months, this phone’s price has been now slashed once again.
Chinese smartphone maker OPPO debuted the OPPO A12 in India priced at ₹9,990 and ₹11,490 for the 3GB + 32GB and the 4GB + 64GB variants respectively. The handset’s first official price cut brought down its selling price to ₹8,990 and ₹11,490.
According to the retail sources of 91Mobiles, the company has dropped the price of this smartphone once again by ₹500. Thus, the base 3GB + 32GB version is now being sold for ₹8,490, whereas the higher 4GB + 64GB model is retailing for ₹10,990.
It is worth noting that these prices are only applicable offline as of now. Amazon India has still listed this device at the old price. But the seller is offering a ₹2,000 coupon for the 4GB + 64GB variant and so, interested customers can get the phone for only ₹9,490. On the other hand, Flipkart has listed the 3GB + 32GB for ₹7,990.
Hence, despite the price drop in offline stores, the OPPO A12 is cheaper online. Anyway, it is a known fact that the online prices of most products are dynamic. Hence, the price of OPPO A12 may increase to match that of offline pricing. Therefore, if you were planning to get this handset, then make sure to buy it online as quickly as possible.
As usual, Amazfit has made the GTR 2e and GTS 2e smartwatches official a day before the January 19 launch in India. Both the wearables are priced under ₹10k in the country and offer features like Heartrate, Blood Oxygen Monitoring, and more.
Amazfit GTR 2e(right) GTS 2e(left)
Amazfit GTR 2e, GTS 2e India Price, Availability
Amazfit India has revealed the prices of these new GT-2 smartwatches on its official website and other e-commerce platforms. You can take a look at them below:
GTR 2e- ₹9,999.99($136.48)
GTS 2e- ₹9,999.99($136.48)
The Amazfit GTR 2e will be available in Obsidian Black, Slate Grey, and Matcha Green colors. The Amazfit GTS 2e, on the other hand, will retail in Moss Green, Obsidian Black, and Lilac Purple options.
Both these smartwatches are already listed as ‘Buy Now’ on the Amazfit Indiawebsite. Additionally, the GTR 2e will be available on Amazon which says the sale starts Midnight(i.e, January 19 at 0:00 AM IST(UTC+05:00). The GTS 2e teaser page on Flipkart says it’s ‘coming soon’ which is mostly the same as January 19.
1 of 2
If you recall, the ‘e’ versions of the GT-2 series are updated to the older GTR 2 and GTS 2 smartwatches. They brought improvements to battery life, a new Temperature sensor back at December launch in China. Later, the devices got introduced to other markets like USA(@ CES 2021).
Amazfit GTR 2e, GTS 2e Specifications and Features
Anyway, the smartwatches feature a round display(GTR 2e-1.39-inch, 326 PPI) and a Square Display(GTS 2e-1.65-inch, 341 PPI). Both these are AMOLED displays and come with 50+ watch faces, 90 sports modes.
The display on GTR 2e has a 454x454p resolution with 450 nits brightness whereas GTS 2e has lesser 348 x 442 pixels. Compared to their GTR 2, GTS 2 siblings, they come with improved battery life. Precisely, GTS 2e with a 246mAh battery is claimed to give 14-day battery life in Normal and 24-days in Basic Watch modes.
The GTR 2e, however, will give a higher 24-days(Normal), and 45-days(Basic Watch Mode) with 471mAh battery. Other similar features include a new Temperature measurement sensor, Huami’s self-developed BioTracker™ 2, Heartrate, Blood Oxygen(PPG) and sleep tracking, 5ATM water resistance, Bluetooth 5.0/BLE, GPS, and microphone.
realme started the global journey of the X7 series with realme X7 Pro launch in Thailand. Later, the company confirmed that it’s bringing the series to India this year. And it has already started appearing on support pages. Now, the company has revealed the launch date of the ‘Pro’ variant in Malaysia.
In a Facebook post, realme Malaysia says that the realme X7 Pro 5G will debut in Malaysia on January 26. It’s worth noting that the company has explicitly mentioned the ‘Pro’ like Thailand and Taiwan. However, we can’t rule out the possibility of the company launching the non-Pro(i.e., realme X7) variant in the future.
Anyway, the launch event will happen at 12:00 PM MST(UTC+08:00). Surprisingly, the event will be happening via Facebook which means you can expect a live stream on the platform. Plus, realme Malaysia also said that realme Watch S Pro will accompany the X7 Pro on Jan. 26 event.
Thanks to the early China launch, we know what to expect from the realme X7 Pro Malaysian variant. We can already spot the Gradient color with that ‘DARE TO LEAP’ slogan etching on the realme Malaysia Poster page. The Chinese variant also has two other options- Black and Fantasy White colors.
The device features a 6.55-inch sAMOLED 120Hz FHD+ display and is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 1000+ SoC. This is paired with up to 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and 256 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. For cameras, we have a quad-camera setup with a 64MP main lens, an 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro, and depth lenses. Upfront, there is a 32MP sensor inside the top-left punch-hole for selfies.
Other features include an in-display fingerprint sensor, 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging, SA/NSA 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi, 4K video recording, dual-frequency GPS, NFC, stereo speakers, and more. It could run Realme UI based on Android 10 but with Android 11 already out, it will only be fair for realme to bring that to flagship.
The OnePlus Nord N10 5G is the brand’s cheapest 5G smartphone. It is also the company’s second most affordable handset. The device initially debuted in Europe and was made available in the US a few days back. Despite being a budget smartphone, this phone has been getting regular updates since its launch. Now, it has started receiving OxygenOS 10.5.9 with January 2021 security patch ahead of expensive models.
OnePlus is known for its OxygenOS operating system and regular timely updates. Unfortunately, these two most favored qualities of the brand began to degrade over the past few months.
The Chinese smartphone maker’s OS is full of issues, as per multiple users on the OnePlus community, social media, and other forums. Similarly, the firm has now become slower in delivering updates as its portfolio has increased.
As a result, the company’s flagship smartphones – OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and OnePlus 8T are still on November 2020 security patch. This is mostly because the firm is busy fixing the bugs, which should not have been there in the first place.
That said, apart from bringing January 2021 security patch, OxygenOS 10.5.9 update for the OnePlus Nord N10 5G also optimizes power consumption and improves network stability. Also, the update is being rolled out in batches with the following build numbers.
Samsung heir Lee Jae Yong has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison over a bribery scandal. The news arrives after a high court in South Korea passed the judgment over the company’s head.
According to a BBCreport, the bribery case is a retrial of a bribery case, which even involved the country’s previous President, Park Geun-hye, who also faced prison term for bribery and corruption charges. For those unaware, Lee has been the head of Samsung Electronics since 2014, although, the recent ruling will likely have impacts on his current role in the South Korean tech giant. Notably, the news of the prison term on Lee Jae Yong caused the company’s shares to plummet by more than 4 percent.
Furthermore, the prison sentence will temporarily have Lee be separated from being involved in any decision making process involving him in Samsung. Kim Dae-jong, a business professor at Sejong University, told news agency AFP that “It’s really a huge blow and a big crisis for Samsung.” Back in 2014, Lee had assumed the leadership of the company after his father Lee Kun-hee was forced to step down over health related issues.
As per the court’s ruling, Lee “actively provided bribes and implicitly asked the president to use her power to help his smooth succession” as the head of Samsung. “It is very unfortunate that Samsung, the country’s top company and proud global innovator, is repeatedly involved in crimes whenever there is a change in political power.” The court found that Lee is responsible for 8.6 billion won (roughly 7.8 million US Dollars) worth of bribery, embezzlement, and concealment of criminal proceeds.
The Apple iPhone 13 series will arrive later this year, although, the 2021 lineup isn’t expected to arrive with major changes. However, a new report believes that the company might add an in display fingerprint scanner into the iPhone 13 display and that a foldable iPhone is in the works.
iPhone SE (2020) with Touch ID
According to a Bloombergreport, the Cupertino based giant is testing an in display fingerprint scanner for the iPhone 13, as one of the key upgrades for its 2021 iPhone lineup. Starting with the iPhone X, the company has mostly discontinued Touch ID from its mainline iPhone series for the facial recognition system, Face ID, for biometric security. But the report states that the system has become less practical due to the pandemic, which has caused users to wear masks when outside.
So, Apple might be working on a more practical solution for its iPhone 13 series, which is already present available on Android smartphones for a couple of years now. The report also claims that the company will still keep Face ID, but might be considering the removal of a charging port on certain iPhone models in favor of wireless charging. Similarly, the report also talks about the company working on a foldable iPhone as well.
The source claims that internal testing for prototype foldable displays are already being undertaken and the screen will feature a hinge design similar to Samsung‘s foldable smartphones, with one of them featuring a 6.7 inch display. The company doesn’t have any plans for a finalized launch and has yet to even develop a prototype foldable handset.
Earlier today (18th January 2021), Oppo announced that it would be launching more than six 5G enabled smartphones in India this year. This arrives as the company aims on expanding its IoT and 5G handset portfolio in the region.
According to a Business Insider report, the move from Oppo arrives after the Chinese tech giant set up its first 5G Innovation lab in India, which will be for its overseas market outside of China. This lab will support the company’s plans in developing core 5G technologies and growing its global 5G presence. Oppo’s Vice President and Head of Research and Development, Tasleem Arif, stated that “In 2021, we will carry on this growth legacy with much more innovative products and concepts to make the life of our users even better. Building upon our 5G and IoT product category will be one of the key focus areas for us.”
He further added that “Aligned with this strategy. we have added Reno5 Pro 5G and EncoX True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earphones for our Indian customers. Our Reno series has been the epitome of consumer-centric innovation and one of the most loved smartphone devices. All the editions of Reno have been very well received around the world and in India, it witnessed a growth of over 50 per cent in Q3 2020.” In other words, the company is pushing for the growth of its IoT devices along with new 5G enabled smartphones launches.
Notably, the Oppo Reno5 pro 5G will be manufactured at the company’s Greater Noida plant, which recently had its capacity increased to 50 million handset units in a year. Furthermore, the company’s Hyderabad site is also its first R&D center which is located outside of its home country, China, and is playing a vital role in the development of 5G technologies.
Galaxy A5x series of smartphones is Samsung’s global best-sellers. The 2020 Galaxy A51 was announced in December 2019 itself. But its successor, Galaxy A52, is yet to go official. Just like last year, there will be a 5G version as well, according to multiple reports. This 5G variant has been now certified by TENAA.
The Galaxy A52, like the Galaxy A51, is said to come in two variants – 4G and 5G. Both devices are expected to pack the same design and features except for the chipset. They have received multiple certifications in the past few days.
One of those certifications is 3C, which not only confirmed that the Galaxy A52 5G will launch in China but also the device’s 15W charger. Now, this very same phone with model number SM-A5260 has been certified by TENAA as well. But unfortunately, the listing does not include the images and spec sheet of the handset yet.
According to previous reports, the Galaxy A52 5G will sport a design similar to its predecessor with some minor tweaks. It is expected to flaunt a 6.5-inch Infinity-O AMOLED display (centered punch-hole) with an in-screen fingerprint sensor.
The smartphone is reported to sport a 64MP quad-camera setup consisting of wide, ultra-wide, macro, and depth units. As for software, it expected to run Android 11 (One UI 3.0 or 3.1), whereas, for horsepower, it will feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset. On the other hand, the Galaxy A52 4G will come with Snapdragon 720G, as per Geekbench.
Indian retailer giant Flipkart will carry out the Big Saving Day sale from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24. Early access to the sale will be available to the people starting from Jan. 19 at midnight. During the sale, like other brands, POCO will be offering attractive discounts on its smartphones like the POCO M2 Pro, POCO M2, and POCO C3. However, the POCO X3 is already up for purchase at a discounted starting price of Rs 14,999 on Flipkart from today. Furthermore, there is an HDFC offer which is only available until today that allows users to avail the POCO X3 for as low as Rs 13,999 (~$191)
The POCO X3 variants such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage are priced at Rs 16,999 (~$232), Rs 18,499 (~$252), and Rs 19,999 (~$272), respectively. During the sale that kicks off from tomorrow, these variants will be available for Rs 14,999 (~$205), Rs 15,999 (~$218), and Rs 17,999 (~$245), respectively.
With the HDFC Bank credit/debit and EMI transactions, the three variants of the POCO X3 can be bought for Rs 13,999 (~$191), Rs 14,999 (~$205), and Rs 16,999 (~$232), respectively. The HDFC offer is only available today. Customers will be able to take advantage of the additional discounts by exchanging their old phones for the POCO X3 during the sale.
The POCO X3 is fitted with a 6.67-inch IPS LCD FHD+ display that offers an FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a front camera of 20-megapixel and its back panel as a quad-camera system comprising of a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a pair of 2-megapixel lenses for adding depth effects and macro shots.
The Snapdragon 732G SoC fuels the POCO X32 with LPPDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. The 6,000mAh battery of the phone supports 33W fast charging.
The Huawei Mate 20 series was launched back in 2018. The lineup consisted of the company’s then premium grade flagship handsets. Now, the company is officially ending the support for the Mate 20 series and will be no longer offer security updates.
The Huawei Mate 20 series featured the HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset, which was based on the 7nm process. In terms of performance, the device is still a capable handset. Although, on the Chinese tech giant’s official website, Huawei removed the names of three devices from its EMUI security update list. This included the Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, and Mate 20 X, which will no longer receive either the monthly or quarterly security patches, as per an AnTuTureport.
At the moment, it seems that only the Mate 20 X 5G variant will receive the update, however, the rest of the Mate 20 lineup will are no longer on the security update list. The flagship series aren’t exactly dated by today’s standards but Huawei has decided to end the support of these devices. So this report arrives as a reminder to the owners of these smartphones.
For those unaware, the Huawei Mate 20 series is a flagship model from the company from back in 2018 and featured top notch specs for its time. This included the Kirin 980 SoC paired with 40W fast charging and a 40 megapixel primary rear camera, which was said to be one of the best performers of that year.
Earlier today (18th January 2021), the Vietnamese government has just given Foxconn the license to set up its plant worth 270 million US Dollars. The new site will produce laptops and tablets, as per a new report.
According to a Reutersreport, the new plant will be developed by Fukang Technology and is situated in the northern province of Bac Giang. It will be responsible for producing up to eight million units each year as per a statement by the local government. Foxconn Technology, the known Apple supplier, has already invested about 1.5 billion US Dollars in Vietnam and aims to recruit over 10,000 additional local workers within this year.
Furthermore, local reports have also indicated that Foxconn is planning to invest an additional 1.3 billion US Dollars in the Thanh Hoa province, which is south of Hanoi. Through the new site, the company is aiming to shift the assembly of some iPad and MacBooks, as per a person close to the matter. The move also arrives after Apple decided to diversify its supply chain to minimize the impacts faced by straining US-China relations.
Apart from raising its workforce in the region, the Taiwanese firm is also aiming on raising its investment in the region by another 700 million US Dollars as well. The investment would again be towards its local plants in Vietnam, as per the government. In other words, we can soon see Apple MacBook and iPads that were made in Vietnam be in circulation across the globe.
Last week, ASUS released the first teaser of its upcoming ROG branded gaming smartphone. The teaser suggests that the next-generation ROG Phone will be sporting an improved display design. A tipster from China recently revealed that the battery capacity and fast charging capabilities of the ROG Phone 4. Now, a Weibo user has shared a live shot of the smartphone to reveal its rear design.
The tipster who shared the live shot of the new ROG Phone has claimed that the device could be called ROG Phone 5. The reason behind it is the presence of number 05 at the center of the back panel. This suggests that the Taiwanese company may skip the number 4 to launch its next gaming phone as the ROG Phone 5.
The design language of the alleged ROG Phone 5 is not very different from its predecessor models. However, the ROG brand logo is now placed at the bottom-left corner of the back panel. There is a red-colored button on the lower-right corner of the phone’s frame. It could be a one-click key to enter the game mode. At the top is a horizontal camera module that houses a 64-megapixel main camera that is equipped with quad-Bayer technology.
There is no confirmation of the authenticity of the image. Hence, it is advisable to wait for newer reports to know about its exact design. The rumor mill is yet to leak concrete information on the specs of the phone.
All that is known so far is that the ROG Phone 5 could be packed with a 6,000mAh battery. The handset is likely to arrive with support for 65W fast charging. It goes without saying that it could be powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC. It is likely that the phone may launch as early as next month.
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