Yesterday, Realme CEO Madhav Sheth shared an image of a new Realme phone alongside a stack of credit cards to tease its slim profile. While Sheth did not reveal the name of the device, GSMArenareported that it learned from internal sources that it will be arriving in the market as the Realme X9.
As can be seen in the image, the Realme X9 is only as thick as six credit cards. The phone sports a colorful rear along with “realme” and “Dare to Leap” brandings. The bottom edge of the Realme X9 has a loudspeaker grille, a USB-C port, and a microphone. There is no 3.5mm audio jack on the bottom edge of the phone. It is unclear whether the headphone slot is available on the top edge of the phone.
Realme X9
The appearance of the Realme X9 is quite like the Realme V15 5G that went official in China at the beginning of this month. The handset is yet to be made available outside the home market. It remains to be seen whether the Realme X9 arrives as a rebranded version of the Realme V15 5G, which neither features a 3.5mm audio jack or a microSD card slot.
The Realme V15 5G has a 6.4-inch S-AMOLED display with a punch-hole design. It offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The Realme UI based Android 10 OS comes preloaded on the Realme V15 5G.
Realme X9
The Dimensity 800U chip along with 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM powers the device. It has 128 GB of internal storage and it is backed by a 4,310mAh battery that supports 50W fast charging. For photography, it has a 16-megapixel front camera and a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system. The handset weighs only 176 grams and it measures only 8.3mm in thickness.
Samsung has announced three new Galaxy A phones for the UK market today. However, only one of them can be purchased right away. The phones are the Galaxy A12, Galaxy A02s, and Galaxy A32 5G.
Galaxy A12
The Samsung Galaxy A12 is a 4G smartphone with an Infinity-V display and four cameras that stick out on the back. It also packs a 5000mAh battery that powers the Helio P35 processor under the hood.
The Galaxy A12 rocks a 6.5-inch display with an HD+ resolution. The Helio 035 processor is paired with 4GB of RAM and buyers will be able to choose between having 64GB of storage or 128GB of storage.
There is a 48MP main camera on the rear and it comes along with a 5MP ultrawide angle camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera. The notch in the display is for an 8MP camera.
Samsung has added a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and its signature security framework, Knox, for device security. You also get 15W Adaptive Fast Charging and support for storage expansion (up to 1TB). Disappointingly, it ships with Android 10 out of the box.
The Galaxy A12 is available at Samsung channels and major UK retailers for £169. It comes in Black, Blue, and White, all of which have a glossy finish.
The Galaxy A02s which was announced alongside the Galaxy A12 will be available “in the coming weeks” in the UK. It also has a 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V display but swaps the Helio P35 for the Snapdragon 450. It has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage
On the back of the phone are a 13MP primary camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera. It also has a 5MP selfie camera, a 5000mAh battery, and 15W Adaptive Fast Charging. It skips the fingerprint scanner and comes in Black and White. It will sell for £139 when it goes on sale.
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
Galaxy A32 5G
The Galaxy A32 5G launched in Germany last week and now it has landed in the UK. However, just like Germany, it won’t be available for purchase until next month – February 19th to be precise.
The phone also has a 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V display and a 5000mAh battery with 15W fast charging support. Its processor is the Dimensity 720 and it is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.
Its camera configuration is almost identical to that of the Galaxy A12 but its macro camera is a 5MP sensor and you get a 13MP camera in front for selfies. It also has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
The UK gets the same colorways as Germany – Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Blue, and Awesome Violet. It will sell for £249 when it goes on sale.
Earlier today, Qualcomm announced the new Snapdragon 870 processor. The press release revealed that among the manufacturers signed up for the chipset is Motorola. Now, it has been confirmed that the Motorola Edge S will be powered by the chipset when it is unveiled on January 26.
The Edge S is Motorola’s first flagship phone in a while for the Chinese market and the first Moto Edge smartphone to launch in China. The official Lenovo China Weibo account says it will also be the first phone in the world to be powered by the Snapdragon 870.
The Snapdragon 870 is a 7nm chipset with a clock speed of 3.2GHz. It is an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 865 Plus which itself is an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 865.
The Motorola Edge S has been reported to have a 6.7-inch display with an FHD+ resolution, two holes in the screen for dual front-facing cameras, and an unusual 105Hz refresh rate. The chipset is expected to be paired with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and be available in multiple storage options.
It has also been revealed that the phone has a quad-camera system that includes a 64MP main camera and a 16MP ultrawide angle camera. In front, the main camera is a 16MP sensor paired with an 8MP ultrawide angle camera. It should also have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 5000mAh battery but there is no info on the fast charging technology. However, we expect the phone will run ZUI based on Android 11 out of the box.
At the moment, we do not know if the phone will get a global release but there is a chance that if it does, it will arrive under the Moto G umbrella. Motorola announced last month that it has a Snapdragon 800 series-powered Moto G phone planned for 2021. We want to believe the Moto G phone will be powered by the Snapdragon 870.
Samsung has launched the Galaxy Tab Active3 in the U.S. The rugged tablet was first launched in Europe and some Asian countries in September 2020. It is the successor to the Galaxy Tab Active 2 released in 2017. The new table can also be regarded as the budget-friendly alternative to 2019’s Tab Active Pro.
The Galaxy Tab Active3 features an 8-inch IPS LCD screen just like its predecessor but the resolution has been bumped up from 1280 x 800 to 1920 x 1200 pixels. The display has a touch sensitivity option that allows users to operate it even with gloves on.
Under the hood is the Exynos 9810, the chipset that powered the Galaxy S9 series released in 2018. The tablet will be available in two configurations – 4GB RAM+64GB and 4GB RAM+128GB. There is a MicroSD card slot that allows users to add up to an additional 1TB of storage.
The Galaxy Tab Active3 has a single 13MP autofocus camera on the back and a 5MP front-facing camera. The camera app has certain features such as barcode scanning.
Samsung has also included NFC, face recognition, a fingerprint scanner, an IP68 S Pen that is stored at the top of the tablet, an extra button called the Active Key which can be programmed to launch most used apps or for launching Push to Talk. The tablet also has Wi-Fi 6, Samsung DeX, support for ARCore, runs Android 10, and is MIL-STD-810H certified.
The Galaxy Tab Active3 has a removable 5050mAh battery with support for fast charging via USB and POGO pins. Samsung says that the tablet also has a “No Battery Mode” which allows it to work without a battery. This feature was added for businesses that use the tablet in a fixed location such as a kiosk.
As for the price in the U.S, the Galaxy Tab Active3 will be sold for $489.99 for the base model. The tablet is expected to be available to buy soon.
Xiaomi and OPPO launched very affordable flagship killers in China during the second half of 2020. If you are looking for an affordable phone but need a very high level of performance, then choosing OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G or Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is one of the best choices you can do. That is why we decided to publish this comparison: through it, we will try to let you know which flagship killer is the best for your actual needs. After comparing the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro to the Zenfone 7 and the Mate 40, here is a comparison between the specifications of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G and the OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G.
Quad 64 + 8 MP + 2 + 2 MP f/1.7 and f/2.2 and f/2.4 and f/2.4
32 MP f/2.4 front camera
Triple 108 + 13 + 5 MP f/1.7 + f/.4 + f/2.4
20 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY
4350 mAh
Fast charging 65W
5000 mAh, Fast Charging 33W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Dual SIM slot, 5G, reverse charging
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Design
The OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G is definitely a more raffinate device in terms of design. Its curved screen makes it look way more elegant than its rival. Further, it is thinner and lighter than the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G. Both are made of the same materials: glass for the back and aluminum for the frame. The camera module is less invasive and its color is the same as the rest of the body. Besides coming with a more elegant look, the OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G has a higher screen-to-body ratio with narrower bezels around the display. Last but not least, unlike the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G, it features an in-display fingerprint reader (on the Xiaomi flagship it is side-mounted).
Display
The OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G wins the display comparison in advance thanks to its AMOLED panel. With the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G, you actually get an IPS panel, and this is the weakest point of this device. We are not saying IPS panels are bad, but actually, AMOLED is the trending one as it shows more brilliant colors and deeper blacks. Despite the OPPO Reno5 Pro is the winner (and it even features a higher brightness, up to 1100 nits), Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G has one of the most interesting displays out there. It supports a high 144 Hz refresh ratio, the highest ever seen on a phone. Further, it has the HDR10+ certification.
Specs & Software
If we talk about the hardware department, then Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G is superior. The Snapdragon 865 found on the flagship killer is actually superior to the Dimensity 1000+ mounted on the OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G. Further, it has a faster UFS 3.1 internal storage. But the OPPO Reno 5 Pro 5G comes in a variant with 12 GB of RAM, while the Mi 10T Pro 5G offers a max of 8 GB of RAM. The Xiaomi flagship runs Android 10 out of the box, while the OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G runs Android 11 as it is a more recent handset.
Camera
Both Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G and OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G are good camera phones, but they are not top-end camera phones. Between these devices, the better one is the Mi 10T Pro 5G. It is equipped with a 108 MP main sensor with OIS, a 13 MP ultrawide sensor, and a 5 MP macro camera. The Mi 10T Pro 5G is able to record videos in 8K resolution and its main camera has a bright f/1.7 aperture. Unfortunately, both the phones lack a telephoto sensor, so you do not get optical zoom. While the Mi 10T Pro 5G provides a better rear camera department, OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G has a better selfie camera with its 32 MP resolution.
The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G is equipped with a bigger 5000 mAh battery and it is able to guarantee a longer battery life in a lot of scenarios. It is not among the best battery phone, but its battery life is very satisfying. But the OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G remains a pretty nice battery phone with its 4350 mAh capacity. Further, it features a way faster charging technology with 65W power. Last but not least, it supports reverse charging so that you can use it as a power bank to charge other devices (wired charging only).
Price
OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G is priced at €410/$500 in the Chinese market and it will probably hit the global market under the Find X3 series later this year. The Mi 10T Pro 5G costs €500/$605 in the global market. Overall, I would go for the OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G because of the AMOLED display, but the Mi 10T Pro 5G provides a better main camera and battery.
OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G: PRO and CONS
With an estimated 600 million players worldwide, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) is the most-played battle royale game in the world, beating Fortnite Battle Royale, NetEase’s mobile game Knives Out, and others. With its popularity comes a big challenge – cheating. hackers have continued to devise new ways to exploit bugs in order to create cheats. However, Tencent continues to clamp down on cheaters.
In its latest Anti-Cheating report for January 8 to January 14, 2021, the tech giant hinted that a total of 1,217,342 accounts were permanently suspended within the period for using hacks and cheats.
About 48 percent of these hackers were banned for using auto-aim hacks or changing their character models. Twenty-two percent of the hackers were banned for using X-ray vision, 12 percent for speed hacks, and seven percent for modifying the area damage.
The report also shows the ranks the hackers were in when they were banned. This distribution is as follows: Bronze: 38 percent, Silver: 11 percent, Gold: Nine percent, Platinum: 11 percent, Diamond: 12 percent, Crown: 10 percent, Ace: Six percent, and Conqueror: Three percent.
Last week, Tencent also released PUBG Mobile’s patch 1.2 which featured a new mode, weapon, and much more. The new mode is called Runic Power, which gives players certain abilities to use for getting the chicken dinner.
PUBG Mobile’s 17th season is also around the corner. It is called Runic Power and will kick-off on Jan. 19. As usual, a new Royale Pass will also be coming with the season which will have new skins, emotes, and more.
Meanwhile, there is still no word yet on when PUBG mobile will make its much-anticipated return to India after PUBG Corporation revoked the license granted Tencent to distribute the game in India.
Acer is on a launch spree today. The company already announced its new TWS earbuds in India. It has also announced a bunch of new Products like multiple Chromebooks, and a Laptop. The models include Acer Chromebook 311 & 511, Chromebook Spin 511, 512, and TravelMate Spin B3 laptop.
Acer’s new Chromebook Spin 511(R753T), 512(R853TA) are convertible Chromebooks. These two Chromebooks will start at $399.99, and $429.99 respectively. You can purchase the laptop across EMEA* from March 2021 and NA* from April 2021.
Besides, Acer’s Chromebook 311(C722) & 511(C741L) are entry-level devices aimed at Educational purposes. They will be available starting at $299.99 and $399.99 respectively. Similar to Chromebook Spin, you can get this in EMEA from March and NA from April of 2021.
The TravelMate Spin B3 (TMB311R-32) will start at $329.99/RMB 2,499. You can expect it to go on sale in China, NA, Europe from February, April, and Q2 of 2021 respectively.
Acer Chromebook 311, 511 Features
Acer says it’s aiming the 311, 511 covers the basics of the digital learning environment and is aimed at students and school administrators. The main difference between them is the chipset. That is, the former sports MediaTek SoC while the latter has Qualcomm Snapdragon with 4G LTE.
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The Acer Chromebook 511 has a textured cover panel on the back of the 11-inch display. It is also MIL-STD 810H certified like the Chromebook 311 meaning it has impact-resistant chassis. Weighing just 1.3kg, Chromebook 511 sports a Snapdragon 7c chipset, Mechanical keyboards with Drainage system(for Accidental Spills), and has 4G LTE in addition to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth for Connectivity.
Chromebook 311, on the other hand, features a MediaTek MT8183 processor and has an optional Touch screen variant. With MIL-STD 810H, it can also withstand up to 60kg pressure.
Both the laptops have common features like 20Hr battery life, HD Webcam, Chrome OS zero-touch enrollment(for Admins), ASTM F963-16 Toy Safety Standard and UL/IEC 60950-1standards, malware protection, Google Play with loads of Android Apps and more.
Acer says the Chromebook Spin 511, 512 are slightly higher priced but are a great deal for the school environment, including features such as a MIL-STD 810H rating, a tamper-resistant keyboard, and Antimicrobial coating on display, etc.
Being a Convertible, they sport a 360-degree hinge that also has four usage modes. The company says students can angle it anyway and continue their productivity. Talking about Specs, the Chromebook Spin 511 has an 11.6-inch HD IPS display in a 16:9 format whereas the Spin 512 has a 2-inch HD+ screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio.
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This 3:2 supposedly has 18% more screen real estate for productivity. Both the displays are Corning Gorilla Glass protected Touch screens with Spin 512 including an antimicrobial coating. Powering the devices are Intel® N4500 and N5100 Processors with a promised battery life of 10hrs. Other features include HDR webcam(5MP-511, 8MP-512) with 88-degree FOV, ChromeOS features, 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC storage.
They also have Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax MU-MIMO, 2xType-C USB 3.2 reinforced ports, Bluetooth 5.1 2x USB-A 3.2 ports for connectivity.
Acer TravelMate Spin B3 Laptop Features
Unlike the Chromebooks, this TravelMate Spin B3 laptop runs on Windows 10 OS. However, this laptop is also MIL-STD 810H-compliant, has mechanically anchored keyboards, Touch display with Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass, a moisture-resistance touchpad, and is spill-resistant as well.
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Also, this laptop can fold 180-degree like the Chromebook Spin. This makes it easy to use during Travel as you can fold it into a tablet-like form factor. Powering the device is Intel Pentium Silver processors with promised 12hrs battery life.
Other features include HDR 5MP Webcam, Wi-Fi 6 2×2 MU-MIMO, optional 4G LTE & optional Wacom AES pen, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, Rj45 & HDMI ports.
Are you looking for an impressive fitness band at an affordable price? Then the Honor Band 6 could be a perfect fit as it is available with a 36% discount offer. Gearbest is offering the fitness band for $57.99 in three different colors of Black, White and Pink.
It supersedes other fitness bands as it carries a large display, instead, it ranks well in the entry-level smartwatches segment in the same price range. Honor Band 6 is fully packed fitness trackrer which offers wider viewport with 1.47-inch display. It uses an OLED panel with 194 x 368 pixel resolution.
Honor Band 6 houses a strong and fast magnetic suction charging which replaces primitive methods of charging. It furher provides supports for detecting 10 different professional sports and outdoor activities. It houses a 180 mAh battery for 10-14 days of backup time.
Honor Band 4 comes with Bluetooth 5.0 facilitating seamless connectivity. It can be operated wither via touch screen or via button press. The smart fitness Band is 5ATM waterproof and sweatproof. It measures 1.69 x 0.98 x 0.43 in size and wieghs 0.05kg.
You can get it for the discounted price of $57.99 via Giztop.
We have to appreciate Samsung for shooting the gun on One UI 3.0 updates well despite facing recoils in the form of Beta bugs. The company has already started moving to the budget devices like the Galaxy M31. Out of nowhere, it has advanced into the next version i.e, the One UI 3.1 update. The first ones to receive it via OTA update are the Galaxy Tab S7, S7+ devices.
If you recall, Samsung launched the One UI 3.1 with the Galaxy S21 flagship devices. The new UI has features like Private Share, improvements to performance and memory allocation, and more. Samsung is now rolling out this version along with the Android 11 update for Samsung Galaxy Tab S7(SM-T875), Galaxy Tab S7+ LTE (SM-T975N), and the Galaxy Tab S7+ 5G(SM-T976N).
The respective firmware versions are T875NKOU1BUA8, T975NKOU1BUA8, and T976NKOU1BUA8. Weighing over 2.4GB, it is currently rolling out in South Korea but the OTA(Over The Air) update should expand to other regions soon. Talking about the important features, let’s quickly see what One UI 3.1 brings to the table:
Private Share
Feature to remove GPS location data from Images(When Sharing)
Improved performance and memory allocation
Lock Screen Widgets(More new Functionality added)
Background Video Calling
In addition to these, we can also expect the usual Android 11 perks like chat bubbles(conversations), media controls, improved permission management, improved Digital Wellbeing, and organized notifications. Besides, the Galaxy Tab S7, S7+ have also received an important feature called Second Screen support.
Typically, this allows the Tablets to operate as a second screen(like Apple Sidecar) with Select Samsung Windows PCs. They are Galaxy Book Flex, Galaxy Book Flex Alpha, Galaxy Book Ion, Galaxy Book S, and Notebook Plus.
Nonetheless, expect the One UI 3.1 to start tricking to other devices in the future. Speaking of which, a report says devices like Galaxy S20, Note 20, Z Flip 4G and 5G, S10 Series, and Note 10 devices are sure to get it.
A report today has revealed that Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, with ownership and stakes in Volvo and Daimler, has signed a collaboration agreement with Tencent Holdings to develop smart vehicle cockpit and autonomous driving capabilities that could be deployed by the automaker for its smart cars.
FILE PHOTO: A Geely Xingyue Coupe SUV is seen displayed at the second media day for the Shanghai auto show in Shanghai, China April 17, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song
There has been a motley of such collaborations and partnerships in the auto industry in recent times, as car manufacturers seek innovative ways to maintain their niche amidst a growing need for smart and autonomous vehicles across the world. In this fast-evolving and tech-driven sector, both companies are expected to work jointly to design and manufacture smart cockpits for cars, making them be more responsive to the dynamics of having greater mobile and mobility applications suitable for autonomous driving. The evolving technology could be deployed to the process already started by Geely to have EV manufacturing capacity.
Geely, of recent, has been entering partnerships with key industry leaders as it continues its plans to have manufacturing capacity for smart cars and autonomous vehicles. The partnership with Tencent is the third such entered by Geely. Tencent Holdings has stakes in electric vehicle manufacturers, Tesla and Nio, and is developing smart car technologies for wider applications.
Geely, earlier this month, had said it is planning to launch an electric vehicle manufacturing company with Baidu, and thereafter form a separate entity with Foxconn as an outsourcing vehicle manufacturing company for automakers who may need to outsource the assembling component of their manufacturing process.
Tencent Holdings Ltd, or Tencent for short, was formed in 1998 in China and has grown to become a multinational technology conglomerate and holding company. Its subsidiaries provide several internet-related products and niche services including entertainment, artificial intelligence, and several technology-based solutions.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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+.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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’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.
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