Research shows smartwatches can aid early detection of COVID-19

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Jan 17, 2021

It is claimed that your smartwatch, as well as other smart wearables that continuously measure the users’ vital statistics like heart rates, skin temperature, and other physiological indicators, can provide sufficient information that may help in determining possible coronavirus infection a few days before an individual is diagnosed with the virus, after doing a test.

Such devices include the Apple Watch, Garmin, and Fitbit watches, as well as other brands from producers of smart wearables, could indicate whether an individual is positive for COVID-19, even before the known symptoms are felt, at which time they have become symptomatic and tests could detect the presence of the virus. This is according to studies from a number of leading academic and medical institutions, including Mount Sinai Health System, and Stanford University, both in the US. It is believed in many quarters that wearable technology could play a very important role in curtailing the pandemic, as well as some other communicable diseases.

The researchers at Mount Sinai Health System discovered that the Apple Watch can detect subtle changes in a person’s heartbeat, which can provide evidence and a signal that the person may have contracted the coronavirus. This indication or signal could come as early as a week before the person may feel sick or the infection is detected after a test was conducted.

The study analyzed what was defined as heart rate variability — the variation in time between a person’s heartbeats, which is also an indicator of how well a person’s immune system is working. Persons who had COVID-19 were observed to have lower heart rate variability, while the COVID-negative persons were exhibiting a higher variability in the time between heartbeats.

It is noted that a high heart rate variability does not reflect or indicate an elevated heart rate, but rather It indicates that a person’s nervous system is quite active, adaptable, and could be more effective in coping with stress.

The Study involved about 300 health care workers in the Mount Sinai medical facility who wore Apple Watches for 153 days from April to September 2020.
Apple was not part of the Mount Sinai Study but is aware of the potentials of its smartwatches.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra pricing, pre-orders and cashback offers for India

Data generated by smartwatches could be very helpful in the fight against the pandemic, as it is estimated that more than 50% of coronavirus cases are spread by asymptomatic persons, well unaware that they are carriers. This is according to a report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week.

A separate and independent study by researchers from Stanford University, in which the participants wore a variety of different activity trackers from Garmin, Fitbit, Apple, and others, discovered that about 81% of COVID-19 positive participants experienced an elevated increase in their resting heart rates up to nine full days before symptoms began to be observed, which, according to the study, indicated the onset of symptoms.

The Stanford researchers used the smartwatch data to correctly identify up to 66% of COVID-19 cases, four to seven days before the participants showed symptoms, as reported in their study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering in November last year. The study examined data from 32 persons who tested positive for covid-19 among more than 5,000 participants.

The Stanford research team has gone ahead to create an alarm system that alerts wearers of smart devices that their heart rate has been elevated for a sustained period of time,
It is believed that such technology could assist to mitigate some of the observed shortcomings in relation to testing for coronavirus.

Manufacturers of these smart wearables are also looking at how the technology could be used to fight the virus and have started funding research in this direction.

UP NEXT: Amazon announces service that allows companies customize Alexa

(source)

Belkin launches the BOOST↑CHARGE Pro Wireless Charger & Soundform Freedom TWS Earbuds

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 17, 2021

Belkin, a long-standing manufacturer of a wide array of electronics products, has announced the launch of its latest TWS headphones, the Soundform Freedom True Wireless Earbuds. Also announced was the BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand from Apple. The announcement of the launch of the two products was made during CES 2021.

The Belkin Soundform Freedom True Wireless Earbuds, among other features, has Qualcomm’s QCC3046 Bluetooth SoC built-in. These, in combination with the custom-built and impressive drivers, has made the device to be capable of delivering a wonderful sound experience, as the earbuds can produce powerful bass and great clarity for music playback.

The Belkin Soundform Freedom True Wireless Earbuds is IPX5 certified, and it is compatible with Apple’s Find My network. The earbuds also feature environmental noise cancellations.
On a single full charge, the battery of the earbuds is projected to last up to 8 hours, which Belkin claims can be further extended for another 20 hours with the charging case which is included in the package. It has a fast-charging capability, as charging the device for 15 minutes could provide up to two hours of music playback non-stop. In addition, the charging case can be charged either through its USB-C port or with a Qi wireless charger.

Editor’s Pick: Zeaplus Studio Review: ANC Headphones for just $39!

The BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand is part of Apple’s MagSafe accessory devices, and, according to Apple, it is capable of charging the iPhone 12 series smartphones at up to 15W. The Wireless Charger stand also contains a second charging coil for the AirPods Pro and AirPods True Wireless Earbuds, with Wireless Charging Case.

The Apple BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand with MagSafe will be available around April 2021 and would sell for about $100. The Belkin Soundform Freedom True Wireless Earbuds will be available around the same period of early April 2021, although the price is yet to be announced.

UP NEXT: OPPO Find X2 Pro vs Reno5 Pro+: Specs Comparison

Huawei delists all Honor products on Vmall as Honor Mall goes live

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 17, 2021

It is no news that Honor is no longer a Huawei company, and to further emphasize that, Huawei has delisted all Honor products from its Vmall online store.

If you head to Vmall.com and search for Honor, you get a message that says that “Honor related products have been removed…”. If you want to purchase Honor products, you will have to go to the manufacturer’s own online store via its official website, HiHonor.com.

The link to the Honor online store which was announced on January 12, is currently giving a 404 error. We want to believe the site is under maintenance. ITHome reports that aside from the website, there is also a WeChat app version of the store but a proper mobile app is yet to be announced.

The Honor Mall will sell the brand’s smartphones, tablets, smart displays, notebooks, earphones, and smartwatches. It has been reported that the 75-inch Honor X1 Smart Screen is already listed for purchase there and also opened registration for the new Honor MagicBook notebooks and Honor V40 smartphone scheduled to launch on January 22.

Honor used to be a subsidiary of Huawei before but the latter’s ongoing battle with the US has greatly affected its business. Last November, Honor was sold to Zhixin New Information technology Co. Ltd – a company formed from a consortium of more than 30 agents and dealers of the Honor brand, and Shenzhen Smart City Development Group Co. Ltd.

Honor has been in talks with chip manufacturers, MediaTek and Qualcomm, for chip supply. The manufacturer says it plans to ship more than 100 million smartphones this year and it can only do that if its chip supply and supply chain, in general, is not cut off.

ByteDance shuts down Smartisan; team will focus on educational hardware products

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 17, 2021

ByteDance has pulled the plug on Smartisan, the Chinese company known for its well-designed smartphones. Both companies had worked together last year to release the Smartisan Nut R2 after reports surfaced that ByteDance had acquired some of Smartisan’s patents and also employed some members of its staff.

According to Chinese media, ByteDance suspended the mobile phone hardware business on January 13. The Chinese company which owns TikTok announced that it has integrated the R&D team established by Smartisan into its own educational hardware team. This educational hardware team is said to be led by Yang Luyu, the founder of Musical.ly. The team will report to Chen Lin, the senior vice president of ByteDance and the head of the education business.

There are a handful of reasons that have surfaced regarding ByteDance’s decision to shut down the Smartisan mobile business. ITHome reports that a mobile phone distributor had revealed that the popularity and sales of Smartisan phones are very low. This is said to be partly because they are sold only online, and those sold offline are usually second-hand units. Another distributor revealed that he purchased a few second-hand units last year but he is yet to sell them. He has decided to write them off as a bad purchase.

EDITOR’S PICK: China may fail to achieve its 2025 chip self-sufficiency target

Bigger outlets such as JD.com and Taobao have reported that total sales of the Smartisan Nut R2 flagship phone launched last year is less than 100,000 units. At the moment, the stores have slashed the price from ¥4499 (~$694) to ¥2299 (~$355). Now that news of the business shutting down has surfaced, we do not think anyone will want to buy such a phone.

Smartisan Nut R2 White — Smartisan Nut R2

Another reason that has surfaced is the cost of production. ByteDance doesn’t have the supply chain advantage that bigger manufacturers such as OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi boast of, so the production cost is more expensive. It has been reported that ByteDance has switched to the development of desk lamps for its education business.

Wondering why desk lamps? A research institute, Multi-Whale Capital Education Research, predicts the K12 education smart hardware market will reach ¥57 billion by 2022 and smart lamps are part of the products that have gained popularity. Last October, ByteDance announced the Dali Smart Tutoring Lamp which has a screen and an educational coach built-in.

This may not be the end for Smartisan as there is a possibility that an investor or buyer may enter a deal with the owners to bring its products back to the market. However, if that is going to happen, the mistakes of the past will have to be avoided.

ASUS ROG Phone 4 will have a 6000mAh battery and significantly faster charging

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 17, 2021

The ROG Phone 3, just like the ROG Phone II before it, has a 6000mAh battery capacity. Now, a leak has revealed that ASUS will once again go with a 6000mAh battery capacity for the ROG Phone 4.

Just a few flagship phones have a battery capacity of 5000mAh, so 6000mAh is more than sufficient for the ROG Phone 4. We also don’t see that battery capacity changing anytime soon. Seeing as battery capacity has remained unchanged over three generations, ASUS has decided to go with faster charging as the way to distinguish between the phones.

According to Digital Chat Station, the ROG Phone 4 will support 60W or 65W fast (wired) charging. This should allow users to recharge the dual-cell 6000mAh battery faster than its predecessor, the ROG Phone 3, which supports 30W fast wired charging.

EDITOR’S PICK: ASUS confirms no Android 10 update for ROG Phone

When compared to other competing gaming smartphones that will also be launched this year such as the Black Shark 4 and Red Magic 6, the ROG 4’s 60W/65W fast charging is much slower than their 120W fast wired charging. However, its battery capacity is significantly higher than theirs which is just 4500mAh.

The ROG Phone 4 should also support reverse wired charging, Quick Charge 4, and Power Delivery. The phone is expected to arrive this quarter, which is at least four months earlier than the ROG Phone 3.

Just like other flagship phones, the ROG Phone 4 will have a Snapdragon 888 processor under its hood and support for 5G. Its AMOLED display is also expected to have a refresh rate of 144Hz or higher and it should run Android 11 out of the box.

Samsung to launch S Pen Pro for the Galaxy S21 Ultra later this year

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 17, 2021

The Galaxy S21 Ultra‘s S Pen costs $40 if you want it as it does not come included in the box. It also doesn’t have the same features as the S Pen of the Galaxy Note 20 series. Samsung says a bigger stylus called the S Pen Pro with more features will arrive for the new flagship later this year.

The S Pen Pro is much bigger than the S Pen for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. It actually looks like the Apple Pencil in black. Some have said that it is just the S Pen of the Galaxy Tab S7 in black but it appears that is not the case.

S Pen and S Pen Pro for the Galaxy S21 Ultra

The S Pen for the Galaxy S21 Ultra doesn’t have Bluetooth and also doesn’t have air gestures but the S Pen Pro will have these features. Seeing as Samsung says that you can use the S Pen available with its other devices on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, you would think Bluetooth and air gesture feature of the S Pen of the Galaxy Note 20 will carry over the S21 Ultra, right? No. You only get the same basic functions as the standard S Pen.

What this means is that if you want these extra features, you will have to purchase the S Pen Pro. Samsung says it will arrive later this year but did not reveal the price. The stylus will also not have a special phone case where users can store it based on its size.

OPPO Find X2 Pro vs Reno5 Pro+: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 16, 2021

OPPO launched two top-tier flagships this year: OPPO Find X2 Pro and Reno5 Pro+. The former came in the first part of 2020, while the latter hitten the shelves at the end of the year. Despite that, there is a lot of confusion around their specifications and a lot of people do not know which one to buy since they do not understand which one is the most advanced and which delivers the highest value for money. Usually, the more flagships are recent, the more they are better than their predecessors. But the Find series is a higher-end series than the Reno lineup, and it is not exactly so in this case. This comparison will let you know the differences between the specifications of OPPO Find X2 Pro and Reno5 Pro+.

OPPO Find X2 Pro vs OPPO Reno5 Pro+

	OPPO Find X2 Pro	OPPO Reno5 Pro+
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	165.2 x 74.4 x 8.8 mm, 200 g	159.9 x 72.5 x 8 mm, 184 g
DISPLAY	6.7 inches, 1440 x 3168p (Quad HD+), AMOLED	6.55 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, octa-core 2.84 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, octa-core 2.84 GHz
MEMORY	12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB	8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 10, ColorOS	Android 11, ColorOS
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS
CAMERA	Triple 48 + 13 + 48 MP, f/1.7 + f/3.0 + f/2.2 32 MP f/2.4 front camera	Quad 50 + 13 + 16 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.4 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 32 MP f/2.4 front camera
BATTERY	4260 mAh, fast charging 65W	4500 mAh, fast charging 65W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot, 5G, IP68 waterproof	Dual SIM slot, 5G, reverse charging, electrochromic glass

Design

The OPPO Find X2 Pro has a fantastic design, especially if we talk about materials. It is available in three color variants made of vegan leather and a ceramic version. It is one of the most raffinate devices in the market and it is even waterproof, thanks to the IP68 certification. But the OPPO Reno5 Pro+ is a premium device as well. It is made with a glass back and an aluminum frame: at first glance, we are talking about less raffinate materials, but the OPPO Reno5 Pro+ is the first commercial phone with an electrochromic glass changing its color after a simple double tap. Further, the OPPO Reno5 Pro+ is more compact, thinner, and lighter than the Find X2 Pro. This makes it an awesome flagship even in terms of aesthetics.

Display

The display champion is the Find X2 Pro: it has one of the best displays ever seen. We are talking about a 6.7-inch panel with a high Quad HD+ resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of up to 1200 nits, one billion colors, and the AMOLED technology. The OPPO Reno5 Pro+ has a great AMOLED panel as well, but the resolution is lower and even the refresh rate. However, it remains an amazing display with the HDR10+ certification, a very high brightness, and great color reproduction. Both feature an in-display fingerprint reader and a punch-hole design, as well as curved edges and a very high screen-to-body ratio.

Specs & Software

With OPPO Find X2 Pro and OPPO Reno5 Pro+, you get exactly the same chipset: the octa-core Snapdragon 865 which is Qualcomm’s flagship chipset of 2020. The amount of RAM for the Find X2 Pro is 12 GB, while for the OPPO Reno5 Pro+ you get 8 GB and 12 GB. Find X2 Pro features up to 512 GB of UFS 3.0 internal storage, while Reno5 Pro+ has up to 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The native storage of the Reno5 Pro+ is actually faster, but you can get more space with the Find X2 Pro. However, when it comes to storage speed, we are only talking about marginal differences. Find X2 Pro runs Android 10 out of the box, while Reno5 Pro+ ships with Android 11.

Camera

The OPPO Find X2 Pro has better secondary sensors, while the Reno5 Pro+ has a better main camera. So, if you want a more versatile camera phone, you should go for the Find X2 Pro. If you only care about normal photos, the Reno5 Pro+ is enough. The Find X2 Pro has a periscope sensor with a 5x optical zoom that is not present on the Reno5 Pro+. It also features a better 48 MP ultrawide camera, while Reno5 Pro+ stops at 16 MP. You do not get a dedicated macro camera on the Find X2 Pro, but the periscopic sensor is definitely more important. The front cameras are the same, with a 32 MP resolution and an f/2.4 focal aperture.

Read More: OPPO Find X2 Pro Automobili Lamborghini Edition goes on sale in Switzerland; comes with Lamborghini-branded accessories

Battery

The OPPO Reno5 Pro+ has a bigger 4500 mAh battery and it is able to provide a longer battery life not only thanks to the bigger capacity but also because the display is more efficient. Both feature a 65W fast charging technology and both lack wireless charging. So the only difference is the battery capacity.

Price

The OPPO Reno5 Pro+ starts from €500/$604 in China, while the Find X2 Pro has an €826/$998 listing price in the country. Overall, Find X2 Pro is a very interesting phone due to its better display, IP68 certification, and more versatile cameras, but the OPPO Reno5 Pro+ is amazing thanks to its value for money, Android 11 out of the box, and bigger battery.

OPPO Find X2 Pro vs OPPO Reno5 Pro+: PRO and CONS

OPPO Find X2 Pro

PRO

Best display
Waterproof
Worldwide availability
Periscopic camera

CONS

Smaller battery

OPPO Reno5 Pro+

PRO

Great cameras
Electrochromic back
Bigger battery
More compact
Android 11 out of the box

CONS

Inferior display

Next Week in Tech: Amazfit GTR 2e/GTS 2e coming to India; MediaTek’s 6nm chip launch, and Vivo X60 Pro+ unveiling

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 16, 2021

This week was packed with several announcements which is no surprise as it was not only CES Week but also Samsung Week. Thankfully, next week has fewer events but you wouldn’t want to miss them either.

Amazfit GTR 2e and Amazfit GTS 2e are heading to India

Huami announced the Amazfit GTR 2e and Amazfit GTS 2e at CES 2021 a few days ago and can now be purchased in the US. The two watches already launched in China last month. Now, it has been announced that it is v.

MediaTek Dimensity 1200

MediaTek has an event scheduled for January 20th and we are expecting a new chipset will be unveiled. There are reports that MediaTek will unveil a 6nm processor called the Dimensity 1200 and it is said to be more powerful than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 chipset. The processor should power phones from Redmi, Vivo, OPPO, and realme.

EDITOR’S PICK: Qualcomm’s CPUs are about to get even more powerful as it plans to acquire NUVIA

Vivo X60 Pro+ is finally coming with Snapdragon chip(s)

The Vivo X60 series made its debut in China in late December. The series includes the Vivo X60 and Vivo X60 Pro, two phones powered by the Exynos 1080 chipset. A third model will arrive on January 21 and there are reports that it may come in two variants – a Snapdragon 888 version and a Snapdragon 875 version.

Amazon announces service that allows companies customize Alexa

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 16, 2021

Amazon’s Alexa is one of the top smart assistants. It is not only available on phones but also on tablets, computers, TVs, smart displays, smart speakers, and even microwaves. You will also find the assistant available in vehicles as Alexa Auto. Now, Amazon has announced a service that will allow customers (read car makers, consumer electronics manufacturers, and service providers) to customize the assistant.

Called Alexa Custom Assistant, it will allow manufacturers to build their own experiences on top of Alexa in a fashion similar to the way phone manufacturers build their own experiences on top of Android.

With Alexa Custom Assistant, manufacturers can have their own smart assistant name and create their own wake word in addition to skills and routines. They will also be able to create custom voices with help from Amazon’s own “voice science experts”.

EDITOR’S PICK: Amazon launches its Prime Video ‘Mobile Edition’ in India; Plans start at ₹89($1)

Amazon said the solution will help manufacturers reduce the cost and complexity of building their own intelligent assistants.

“By reducing the burden of building the core capabilities of an intelligent assistant, companies can focus their time and resources on creating unique capabilities that delight their customers,”

One of the manufacturers that have signed up for Alexa Custom Assistant is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The car manufacturer has plans to bring a custom assistant to select vehicles.

Amazon Alexa Custom Assistant should help bring smart features to a lot more products now that manufacturers don’t have to build from the ground up. Amazon says it will manage the data generated by these manufacturers and it will apply the same “rigorous privacy and security policies” that it uses for Alexa.

The service is already available in countries where Alexa is supported such as the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Brazil. Amazon says more countries will follow.

Vivo X60 Pro+ may have a Snapdragon 875 version

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 16, 2021

Following the launch of the Vivo X60 and Vivo X60 Pro, it was announced that there will be a third phone called the Vivo X60 Pro+. Unlike its siblings that are powered by the Exynos 1080 chipset, the Vivo 60 Pro+ will have a Snapdragon 888 processor. Now, a leak has revealed there may be another version with a different Snapdragon chipset.

According to tweets by the leaker Teme (@RODENT950), the Vivo X60 Pro+ will have a version powered by the yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 875 processor. In one of the tweets, he said the phone “seems to come with SD875” and in another, he said that alongside the Snapdragon 888 version of the phone, there is probably a new SD875 version.

Vivo X60 Pro+ seems to come with SD875🤔
2 vegan leather options, orange (similar than Mate 30) and black.

— Teme (特米)😷 (@RODENT950) January 16, 2021

Vivo's top end flagship coming next week, early teaser show that it's focus on camera and performance.
Theaser show's also that X60 Pro+ coming with SD888 but also there is probably new SD875 version ( sd865++).#VivoX60ProPlus pic.twitter.com/a0EWyY06TZ

— Teme (特米)😷 (@RODENT950) January 16, 2021

Qualcomm is yet to announce the Snapdragon 875 processor. Actually, the Snapdragon 888 was expected to launch as the Snapdragon 875 but it came as a surprise when it announced the processor with a different name. These new details reveal that there is an actual Snapdragon 875 processor, one that may be a higher clocked Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset.

There is also a possibility that it may arrive under a different name. Chinese leaker, Digital Chat Station, said that the processor may launch as the Snapdragon 870. He also added that the chipset has its CPU clocked at 3.19GHz and its GPU will be clocked higher too. For reference, the Snapdragon 865 Plus is clocked at 3.09GHz.

The Vivo X60 Pro+ is scheduled to launch on Thursday, the 21st of January, 2021 in China. The phone will come in 8GB RAM and 12GB RAM variants according to listings on JD.com with 128GB and 256GB of storage respectively. It will also come in Vegan leather options with one of them similar to the Huawei Mate 30.

Other specifications that have been revealed include a 6.56-inch AMOLED screen with a centered punch hole for the selfie camera, a 120Hz refresh rate, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and cameras with ZEISS optics.

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra China Price, Colors, and Memory variants revealed

By

Balaji S

-

Jan 16, 2021

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ along with the Galaxy S21 Ultra(w/ S-Pen support) 5G smartphones on January 14 event. The company has already announced prices for the US, Europe, and countries like India. Ahead of a scheduled online event on January 18 in China, it has revealed the pricing and variants of the Galaxy S21 series.

1 of 2

According to a Weibo Official post, Samsung is holding an online conference on January 18 at 19:30(UTC+8) in China. Here, it will probably unveil more details about Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy SmartTag, more S21 offers, and more. Anyway, let’s look at the Prices, storage variants, and Color options mentioned on the Samsung Shop website as follows:

Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G(SM-G9980):
- Colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver
- Memory: 12/16GB RAM, 256/512GB storage
- Price:
  - (12GB + 256GB)- 10,199 yuan($1,574)
  - (16GB + 512GB)- 11,199 yuan($1,728)
Galaxy S21+ 5G(SM-G9960):
- Colors: Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, Phantom Silver
- Memory: 8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage
- Price:
  - (8GB + 128GB)- 7,699 yuan($1,188)
  - (8GB + 256GB)- 8,499 yuan($1,311)
Galaxy S21 5G(SM-G9910):
- Colors: Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom White.
- Memory: 8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage
- Price:
  - (8GB + 128GB)- 5,999 yuan($926)
  - (8GB + 256GB)- 6,799 yuan($1,049)

Right from January 15, at 0:00 Beijing time, the devices are already on pre-orders in China. As per the official Samsung shop website, priority shipping starts from 0:00 on January 22.

A disclaimer says that the 16GB RAM variant of Galaxy S21 Ultra will ship only from January 25 in the country. The official specs list also shows that Galaxy S21, S21+ box will include a standard charger(could be 25W) but S21 Ultra won’t.

It’s worth noting that Samsung denotes the Price as “Early Adopters’ Price” in the Terms & Conditions below. It says any difference after the final reveal(i.e, on Jan. 18) will be refunded/sought to & from the consumer respectively.

WhatsApp postpones new Privacy Policy cut-off date to May 15; Explains the changes in Detail

By

Balaji S

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Jan 16, 2021

Right from the day WhatsApp announced its changes in Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, it has been facing a lot of backlash. Users on Social media have been expressing their disapproval and some are even recommending alternatives. As a result, rivals like Telegram and Signal have witnessed millions of downloads recently. To end this, WhatsApp has now given an explanation and postponed the cut-off date.

WhatsApp tweeted that it’s working constantly to counter the confusion on the privacy of users’ messages and Account suspension. Through a blog post, it has now announced the extension of the cut-off date to May 15, 2021. Also, WhatsApp clearly says that it won’t delete anyone’s account on February 8 which was earlier the last date for users to accept the new update changes.

Speaking of which, in case you are unaware, WhatsApp recently updated its privacy policy and terms of service. Accordingly, it added new sections about business chats and sharing of data with other Facebook companies.

However, People started spreading the news that WhatsApp gets access to Private messages and locations. To this, WhatsApp now says that they are protected by end-to-end encryption and neither Facebook/WhatsApp can access it.

Thank you to everyone who’s reached out. We're still working to counter any confusion by communicating directly with @WhatsApp users. No one will have their account suspended or deleted on Feb 8 and we’ll be moving back our business plans until after May – https://t.co/H3DeSS0QfO

— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 15, 2021

Through the blog post, WhatsApp also says that it will continue to follow the things that it did before as shown below:

No access to users’ private messages by WhatsApp/Facebook
WhatsApp doesn’t store logs of Messages/call info.
WhatsApp/Facebook can’t see your Shared Location.
WhatsApp doesn’t share your contacts with Facebook.
WhatsApp Groups are Private.
You can make your messages disappear(via Disappearing Messages)
Locally Download your data anytime.

That said, WhatsApp still stands by the update changes regarding Businesses, Payments, and concurrently Facebook’s help. Precisely, some businesses that use Facebook’s hosting services might run on WhatsApp too. WhatsApp will label them separately so you can make your choice as to whether chat with them/not.

It further mentions clauses about Discovering businesses from Facebook/Instagram Ads and using their shopping experiences on WhatsApp. Simply put, the update excludes sharing info like personal messages, contacts & location to Facebook.

Nevertheless, WhatsApp is now moving back the date for accepting the terms. During this period, we can expect more explanation about privacy in future before the business options go live on May 15.

POCO M3 Indonesia launch date is January 21

By

Balaji S

-

Jan 16, 2021

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note9 4G in China back in November. However, POCO was the first to launch this as the POCO M3 in Europe a couple of days earlier. Although the specs are similar we have differences in design and Cameras. A tweaked version of the Redmi Note9 4G has also landed in India as the Redmi 9 Power. Now, POCO has finally revealed that POCO M3 will make it to Indonesia.

POCO Indonesia, via a Tweet, confirms that POCO M3 will launch in Indonesia on January 21. The company is marketing it as an entry-level killer smartphone in the country. The launch event is scheduled to happen at 19:30 WIB(Western Indonesian Time – UTC+7). A poster image shared in the tweet shows the device in Yellow Color in the Faux Leather Finish on rear.

Recently, some leaked videos said that the POCO M3 could be rebranded as Redmi 9T in some markets. However, the latter is just a rebrand of Redmi 9 Power as its images showed quad-cameras and not Triple-cameras like POCO M3 above. Anyway, it’s refreshing that POCO is expanding the horizons of POCO M3 which in my opinion is a beautiful looking device.

The New Entry Level Killer bakal hadir! #POCOM3 akan memberikan sesuatu yang berbeda di kelas entry-level dan siap untuk menggebrak pasar! Pastiin lo tonton peluncurannya tgl 21 Januari 2021 pukul 19.30 WIB #EntryLevelKiller
Bookmark link peluncurannya : https://t.co/VsjQxMcddw pic.twitter.com/JMW05FFiam

— POCO Indonesia (@POCO_ID) January 16, 2021

POCO M3 Specifications

Assuming that POCO doesn’t do a last-minute dive on change in specs, POCO M3 should carry over the same features from Europe. In that case, it will feature a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display with a water-drop notch. It will have an FHD+ resolution, Gorilla Glass 3 protection, TUV Rheinland certification for Low Blue-Light.

Under the hood, Snapdragon 662 SoC will power the device paired with 4GB RAM, and 64/128GB UFS 2.1/2.2 storage. That said, we will have to wait and see if POCO brings any other variants to Indonesia. For Cameras, it will likely get a 48MP f/1.79 main lens, and a pair of 2MP sensors.

Othe features will include an 8MP selfie camera, 6,000mAh battery with 18W charging, dual speakers, IR blaster, 3.5mm jack, and run MIUI 12(Android 10).

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

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Jan 16, 2021

Super Plastronics, the brand licensee of Thomson televisions in India, has launched two new models under the Thomson Path series of smart TVs. These televisions run the Android TV operating system but also support AirPlay to stream content from Apple devices. Let us take a look a the specs, features, and price of these TVs in this article.

Thomson Path Series (PATH2121, PATH0009BL) Smart TVs Specifications and Features

The new Thomson Path series smart televisions come with model numbers PATH2121 and PATH0009BL respectively. The former TV sports a 42-inch panel, whereas the latter flaunts a 43-inch panel.

Though both of them have different sized screens, these DLED IPS panels include identical features, such as FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 178° viewing angle, 500 nits peak brightness, 60Hz refresh rate, and 500000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.

Further, they are powered by an Amlogic chipset consisting of a quad-core CPU ( 4 x 1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A53) and an ARM Mali-450MP3 GPU. This SoC is paired with 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage.

For connectivity and I/O, these televisions come with single-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x AV ports, optical port, line port, RF port, ethernet port, and 3.5mm audio jack. Talking about audio, the 42-inch and 43-inch models include 30W and 40W speakers respectively.

Last but not least, they run the Android TV Pie operating system with support for Google Assistant (via voice-enabled remote control) and all the leading streaming services except Netflix. Also, interestingly, they support Apple AirPlay, in addition to Google Chromecast.

Thomson Path Series (PATH2121, PATH0009BL) Smart TVs Pricing and Availability

The Thomson Path Series smart televisions will retail for the following prices starting January 20 on Flipkart.

Thomson Path Series 42-inch Smart TV (PATH2121) – ₹19,999 ($273)
Thomson Path Series 43-inch Smart TV (PATH0009BL) – ₹22,499 ($308)

(Via)

Nexstgo launches VAIO E15 and VAIO SE14 laptops in India

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Jan 16, 2021

Nexstgo Company Limited, the official brand licensee for VAIO laptops in Asia, has launched two models in India in the form of VAIO E15 and VAIO SE14. These notebooks mark the return of VAIO-branded notebooks in the country after a very long time. For those unaware, Nexstgo, a Hong Kong-based firm, is known for its Avita-branded laptops in India.

The new VAIO laptops are exclusive to Flipkart in the country and come with a 2-year onsite warranty. They are currently up for pre-order up until January 24. As part of the launch offer, the company is providing a discount of ₹3,000 for prepaid customers.

VAIO E15 Specifications, Features, and Price

The VAIO E15 is the cheapest of the two laptops launched by Nexstgo in India. It is priced at ₹49,990 for the variant powered by AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor and ₹56,990 for the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U version.

This notebook flaunts a 15.6-inch IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (FHD) and a 16:9 aspect ratio. Weighing approximately 1.77Kg, it comes with a full-size backlit keyboard (numpad included) and measures 358.7 × 239.2 × 19.9mm in dimensions.

Further, the laptop features 8GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM and 512GB SSD. For GPU, the Ryzen 5 version comes with Radeon Vega 8 Graphics, whereas the Ryzen 7 variant features Radeon RX Vega 10 Graphics.

Talking about connectivity and ports, it comes with dual-band WiFi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, 1 x LAN, 1 x USB Type-C (charging), 2 x USB Type-A 3.1, 1 x HDMI, and 1 x 3.5mm combo audio jack, and 1 x SD card reader.

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Other features include a 1MP webcam, dual-speaker, dual-microphone, Microsoft Windows 10 Home operating system, and two colors (Graphite Black, Tin Silver).

VAIO SE14 Specifications, Features, and Price

Unlike the former model, this notebook comes in a single variant powered by 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8265U processor with Intel UHD Graphics 620. It features 8GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM and 512GB PCIe SSD.

It is also smaller and lighter than the previous laptop as it sports a 16:9 14-inch IPS LCD screen with FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, weighs approximately 1.35kg, and measures 324.4 x 229.6 x 19.55mm in dimensions.

For connectivity and ports, it comes with dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, 2 x USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1 (Power Delivery, DisplayPort), 2 x USB Type-A 3.1, 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x 3.5mm combo audio jack, and 1 x MicroSD card reader.

Other features include a 1MP webcam, quad-speaker (dual-top firing, dual down-firing), dual-microphone, TPM2.0 HW solution, fingerprint sensor, lock slot, full-size backlit keyboard (without numpad), Microsoft Windows 10 Home operating system, up to 13-hour battery life, and two colors (Red Copper, Dark Gray).

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Last but not least, the VAIO SE14 thin and light laptop is priced at ₹62,990.

Galaxy M62’s FCC listing confirms the device to be a phablet

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Jan 16, 2021

The existence of a Samsung smartphone called Galaxy M62 was first reported in November 2020. The handset was later said to be a tablet instead. Then, its alleged images appeared on the internet last week. They suggested it to be a giant phone aka phablet. Now, the device’s FCC certification also confirms the same.

Samsung Galaxy M62 Live Image Leak Featured — Alleged Galaxy M62 Chassis (Source: 91Mobiles)

The upcoming Galaxy M62 has been spotted on FCC with ID A3LSMM625F. The listing confirms the phone’s two model numbers – SM-M625F/DS and SM-E62F/DS (DS stands for dual-SIM).

A device with the latter model number leaked in live images in December as Galaxy E62. But now, we can confirm that it will be not the case, however, there’s still a chance of Samsung releasing the Galaxy M62 as Galaxy E62 in some markets.

Further, the listing reveals this device to come with 4G LTE, dual-band WiFi, NFC, and a 7,000mAh battery. As far as other specs are concerned, it is expected to feature Exynos 9825 SoC, at least 6GB RAM and, Android 11 (One UI 3.0) operating system, as per a Geekbnech listing.

For those unaware, this is the same chipset that powers the older Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10+ flagship smartphones. Lastly, according to the first-ever report of this phone, it will come with 256GB internal storage but there could be a lower storage option as well.

Unfortunately, nothing else is known about the display and camera of the upcoming Galaxy M62 phablet. But we do expect to learn about them before the product’s official launch in the coming days.

Xiaomi releases the first batch of 28 models scheduled to receive MIUI 12.5

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 16, 2021

Back in December 2020, Xiaomi announced the MIUI 12.5, a successor to the MIUI 12, which it describes as lighter, faster, and more efficient than before. The update brings a refined package with lower power and memory consumption by the core apps.

When it was released, Xiaomi disclosed that a number of models will get the update in batches. Xiaomi has now officially posted the full list of eligible devices that would get upgraded to MIUI 12.5. The list spreads across flagship and mid-range models from Xiaomi and the Redmi brand.

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The models include Xiaomi Mi 11, Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 10 Extreme Commemorative Edition, Mi 10 Youth Edition, Mi 9, Mi 9 Pro, Mi 9 Transparent Exclusive Edition, Mi 9SE, Mi CC9 Pro, Mi CC9, Mi CC9e, Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition, Redmi 10X, Redmi 10X Pro, Redmi K30, Redmi K30 5G, Redmi K30i 5G, Redmi K30 Pro, Redmi K30S Extreme Commemorative Edition, Redmi K30 Extreme Commemorative Edition, Redmi K20, Redmi K20 Pro, Redmi Note 9, Redmi Note 9 Pro, Redmi Note 8, Redmi Note 7, and Redmi Note 7 Pro.

As expected, the update will be pushed to the models in China first but Xiaomi has promised to deliver MIUI 12.5 Beta for global units . There no word yet on the roll out timeline.

As a reminder, the MIUI 12.5 has an improved “MIUI Light Cone Motion Effect Architecture” than MIUI 12. It includes a dedicated thread for gestures, priority scheduling with the improved response time. It’s computing power has also been upgraded to 20-times the Rendering Engine than before. Further, the UI animations have also been improved. You can read more about the new ROM from our launch article here.

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OPPO A94 could be coming soon as it bags IMDA certification

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jan 16, 2021

OPPO is working on a new smartphone called the OPPO A94. The handset has bagged approval from Singapore’s IMDA authority.

The IMDA listing of the OPPO A94 (via) reveals that its model number is CPH2203. Unfortunately, apart from revealing that its an LTE phone with support for GPS and Bluetooth, the IMDA listing has no information on its specs.

There is a possibility that it could be a country variant of the OPPO CPH2205 phone that was spotted at the Federal Communications Commissions’ (FCC) database recently. The assumption is only based on the similarity of the model numbers of the two phones. Hopefully, upcoming reports will reveal more details on the CPH2203 and CPH2205 phones.

OPPO CPH2205 FCC — A schematic of the OPPO CPH2205 spotted at FCC

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The OPPO CPH2205 smartphone has 160.1 x 73.32mm dimensions. It is expected to arrive with a 6.2-inch display, but it is not clear whether the device supports Full HD+ or HD+ resolution.

The large camera housing on the rear shell of the phone seems to house three cameras and an LED flash. It could b be equipped with a 48-megapixel primary camera. The smartphone seems to be fitted with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, which indicates that it could be equipped with an LCD screen.

The CPH2205 is expected to arrive with ColorOS 11.1 based Android 11 OS preinstalled. It may draw power from a 4,310mAh battery. It is yet to be confirmed whether the device carries support for fast charging.

In related news, OPPO’s recent teaser revealed that the Find X3 series of flagship phones will be debuting in March. The series also includes two other phones such as Find X3 Lite and Find X3 Neo. Recently, popular tipster Evan Blass claimed that these phones will be debuting in early March and they will be available for purchase from April.

itel Vision 1 Pro with HD+ display, Android 10 Go, and 4,000mAh battery launched in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jan 16, 2021

The itel Vision 1 Pro smartphone has gone official in India. It is an entry-level smartphone that has arrived in the Indian market to compete with similarly placed phones such as Micromax In 1B and Lava Z2. As the name suggests, it is an upgraded version of the itel Vision 1 handset that debuted in 2020.

Itel Vision 1 Pro specifications and features

The itel Vision 1 Pro is fitted with a 6.52-inch IPS LCD panel with a waterdrop notch. The screen produces an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels and it is overlaid with 2.5D curved glass. It offers a screen-to-body ratio of 90 percent, claims the company.

For capturing selfies, the itel Vision 1 Pro features a front camera of 5-megapixel. The back panel houses a triple camera system that includes an 8-megapixel main camera and a pair of VGA lenses. The company claims that the itel Vision 1 Pro can capture enhanced, brighter, and crystal clear HDR quality shots with amazing clarity even in low light. A fingerprint sensor is also available on the plastic rear of the phone. It also supports face unlock.

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It is powered by an unspecified 1.4GHz Cortex-A53 quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM. The phone is packed with a 4,000mAh battery that promises 800 hours of standby time, 35 hours of music playback, and 7 hours of video playback. It has an internal storage of 32 GB and a microSD card slot for more storage. Lastly, it runs on Android 10 (Go edition).

Itel Vision 1 Pro price in India

The itel Vision 1 Pro is priced at Rs 6,599 (~$90) and it comes in colors like Aurora Blue and Ocean Blue. As a limited period offer, the phone comes with a free mono BT headset. It is available for purchase through Flipkart.

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