LG Gram lightweight laptops to launch in China in February, with 11th Gen Intel processors

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Jan 15, 2021

Earlier today (15th January 2021), LG officially announced that its Gram lineup of lightweight notebooks are launching in China in February 2021. The new ultrabooks were announced during CES 2021.

The new LG Gram notebooks are the company’s latest offerings in the lightweight ultrabook categories and will feature Intel’s latest 11th Gen mobile processors. Furthermore, these laptops will also feature a 16:10 aspect ratio, with an enlarged keyboard and trackpad for more convenient productivity. The new laptops from the South Korean tech giant include the LG Gram 17 (model 17Z90P), LG Gram 16 (model 16Z90P), LG Gram 14 (model 14Z90P), LG Gram 2 in 1 16 (model 16T90P), and LG Fram 2 in 1 14 (model 14T90P).

Under the hood, the 2021 lineup of the LG Gram notebooks will also feature Intel’s EVO platform certification along with its 11th Gen Core processors. In other word, the laptops will feature Iris Xe graphics as well, paired with LPDDR4X memory. Notably, despite the LG Gram 17 featuring a large 17 inch display, the notebook only weighs 1.35 kilograms.

Similarly, the other laptops are even lighter, with the gram 16 and Gram 14 weighing just 1.2 kilograms and 999 grams respectively. Furthermore, in terms of dimensions, both laptops measure less than 1.68 cm in thickness, with the Gram 14 and 16 inch 2 in 1 thin and light notebook also being shipped with a Wacom AES 2.0 compatible stylus.

Samsung may eventually stop shipping chargers with its smartphones

By

Sean

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Jan 15, 2021

The Samsung Galaxy S21 series is following the footsteps of the Apple iPhone 12 lineup, as the company’s latest flagship lineup does not ship with chargers in the packaging box. This might even lead to the company eventually discontinuing providing chargers with any of its smartphones.

According to an Android Authority report, the South Korean tech giant might gradually remove shipping the in box chargers and earphones with its smartphone offerings. Similar to Apple, Samsung also cited environmental concerns as the primary reason for removing these accessories from the retail box. While this may now only be for the newest premium grade flagship, the practice might extend to its other upcoming lineup as well.

Recently, the company published a set of FAQs about its new flagship handsets and the items that it ships with them. Along with this set of questions, Samsung even hinted at its possible future plans regarding the accessories it provides with its retails boxes. The company stated that “We believe that the gradual removal of charger plugs and earphones from our in-box device packaging can help address sustainable consumption issues and remove any pressure that consumers may feel towards continually receiving unnecessary charger accessories with new phones.”

Samsung further added that it first introduced USB Type C charging ports back in 2017. Meaning, there are plenty of older and compatible chargers that its Galaxy S21 series buyers can use. Keep in mind, the company hasn’t directly stated that it will remove these accessories completely, although, the move might be permanent for its Galaxy S series of flagship smartphones. In other words, the Galaxy A, M, and F family of devices might still continue to ship with these accessories in the future.

Motorola Nio clears WiFi certification ahead of launch

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 15, 2021

The upcoming Motorola Nio is in the news for a while now, all thanks to certification listings and leaks. This device is expected to launch as Motorola Edge S in China and a Moto G series device globally. Ahead of its official announcement, the handset has now cleared WiFi certification.

The Motorola Nio’s (XT2125) listing on WiFi Alliance does not reveal anything new. But its certification confirms that the device may launch soon. Because the company has already started teasing this phone in China.

As far as specs are concerned, this upcoming Motorola-branded smartphone from Lenovo is reported to be powered by an unreleased Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series SoC, which could be an underclocked Snapdragon 865, going by the Geekbench listing.

Further, the handset is expected to sport an FHD+ (1080 x 2520 pixels) display with an unusual 105Hz refresh rate and dual punch-hole cutout (separate) for selfie cameras. Talking about the cameras, it will feature a 64MP (primary) + 16MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (depth) triple rear camera setup and a a 16MP (primary + 8MP (ultra-wide) dual front camera setup.

Other expected features are Android 11, 8GB/12GB RAM, and 256GB inernal storage. That said, Motorola is yet to officially announce the launch date for this phone.

Asus and MSI saw growth in gaming laptop sales in 2020

By

Sean

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Jan 15, 2021

Asustek Computer and Micro Star International (MSI) have both seen robust sales for their gaming laptop offerings back in 2020. The laptop makers saw record high shipments of their high end gaming notebooks during this time.

According to a DigiTimes report, industry sources close to both companies saw stronger than expected demand for their gaming laptops last year. As per sources, both firms are estimated to have seen at least a 20 percent rise in shipments in comparison to 2019. This also marked the first time either company saw shipments cross 200 million units. The momentum, which is expected to carry forward to the second half of this year as well, is said to be backed by the Coronavirus pandemic.

For those unaware, PC and laptop shipments saw growth despite the viral outbreak, owing to the growing popularity of work from home and remote working situations. The pandemic has also led to an increase in competition in the gaming laptop market. The first half of this year is expected to see a boost in performance as well, especially with the launch of NVIDIA’s RTX 30 series GPUs for laptops and new notebooks. In other words, the first quarter of 2021 might have the market see the strongest performance.

Apart from just work from home, the entire desktop gaming market has also seen a sudden rise in popularity as well. Competitive esports titles have also led to gaming machines becoming a lot more popular during the lockdowns, which were enforced across the globe. Both MSI and Asus are estimated to have shipped over 1.4 million units in market segments over 899 US Dollars. This marks a 30 to 40 percent rise in shipments in comparison to 2019.

ZTE to soon launch its second-generation in-display camera smartphone

By

Jeet

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Jan 15, 2021

A few months ago, in September last year, ZTE launched the Axon 20 5G smartphone, making it the first smartphone in the world to feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. Now, the Chinese company is gearing up to launch its successor.

Ni Fei, President of ZTE’s Terminal Business Unit and President of Nubia Technologies, has now officially confirmed through a Weibo post that the company’s new smartphone with an under-display camera will soon get launched.

It’s noteworthy that ZTE will be launching a second-generation smartphone model with an in-display camera sensor while most companies are still in the Research & Development stage and have been trying to launch an in-display camera smartphone for at least a couple of years, including the likes of Samsung, Xiaomi, and OPPO.

Although Ni Fei has revealed that the upcoming device will soon get launched, he has not revealed what the phone is called. However, reports indicate that the product in question could be the Axon 30 smartphone.

EDITOR’S PICK: WhatsApp faces a first legal complaint in India over its recent Privacy policy changes

ZTE had previously confirmed that the company will be launching Axon 30 and Nubia Z30 series flagship smartphones in the market this year, powered by the newly launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset.

If the smartphone teased by the company is set to get launched anytime soon, then we will soon be getting more information about it in the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see what the company has up its sleeves for this second-gen model.

WhatsApp faces first legal complaint in India over its recent Privacy policy changes

By

Sean

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Jan 15, 2021

After WhatsApp faced intense backlash across the globe over its recent privacy policy changes, the messaging platform is now facing a legal complaint against it in one of its largest markets, India.

According to a Gadgets360 report, the social media giant has a petition filed against it in an Indian court earlier this week. This arrives as the first legal challenge that the company is facing for its recent privacy policy updates. For those unaware, WhatsApp rolled out an update that made changes to the application’s privacy policies. These changes gave the company the right to share some of the users’ data, like phone number and location, with its parent company Facebook, and its other platforms, Instagram, and Messenger.

This, in turn, led to the company facing intense backlash in regions India, which is its largest market, with over 400 million users. Notably, the Turkish government even launched an investigation into the messaging service after the policy changes went live. Furthermore, many people have also begun shifting to other messaging services like Signal and Telegram, which has led both apps to see millions of new downloads.

According to lawyer Chaitanya Rohilla, “It [privacy updates] virtually gives a 360-degree profile into a person’s online activity.” The petition stated that ” WhatsApp has made a mockery out of our fundamental right to privacy.” At the moment, the company has given users till the 8th of February 2021 to accept the new terms. The petition also added that “This type of arbitrary behavior and browbeating cannot be accepted in a democracy and is complete ‘ultra vires’ (beyond its powers) and against the fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution of India.”

Xiaomi Mi Portable Mouse 2 goes on sale in China after successful crowdfunding

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 15, 2021

Back in late December 2020, Xiaomi crowdfunded Mi Portable Mouse 2, the successor to the original Mi Portable Mouse for ¥79 ($12) in its home country China. Since this wireless mouse had successfully completed the company’s crowdfunding goal within a few days, it is now officially available for purchase on multiple retailers.

Xiaomi Mi Portable Mouse 2 Specifications and Features

Before going on crowdfunding, the Mi Portable Mouse 2 was first spotted on Bluetooth SIG back in August 2020. Now, months after, this wireless mouse has finally hit the stores in China.

It features an anodized aluminum alloy body with a sandblasted surface, dual-tone finish, two colors(Silver, Space Gray), measures 109.8 x 60 x 25.7mm in dimensions, weighs about 86g (including battery). It is worth noting that this mouse is not entirely made of aluminum as it includes materials like ABS (acrylonitrile-butadlene-styrene) and polycarbonate).

One of the main USP (unique selling proposition) of this product is that it can either cannot via Bluetooth 4.2 LE or a 2.4GHz USB receiver that can be placed under the magnetic cover of the mouse alongside the battery when not in use. Hence, it can be connected with two devices at a time and can be easily switched between the two using a dedicated button.

The second highlight is that it supports the following 4 DPI levels for different resolutions.

1200 DPI – 1080p (FHD) Display
1800 DPI – Widescreen Display
2400 DPI – 2K (QHD) Display
4000 DPI – 4K (UHD) Display

The DPI key is located at the bottom, whereas the regular left-right mouse button, scroll wheel, switch key, and an LED indicator are at the top. Further, the product is backed by an AA battery, which the company claims to run for up to 12 months.

1 of 4

Last but not least, the Mi Portable Mouse bears model number BXSBMW02 and supports Microsoft Windows 10, Apple macOS 10.10 or above, and Android 6.0 or above. Although there’s no mention of iPadOS, it should work with iPads via Bluetooth.

Xiaomi Mi Portable Mouse 2 Pricing and Availability

The Xiaomi Mi Portable Mouse 2 was crowdfunded for ¥79 ($12). But now, it is selling for ¥89 ($14) on Mi.com and ¥99 ($15) on both Xiaomi Youpin and JD in China. Since previous Xiaomi mouse products were made available in global markets, it may also hit other regions in the coming days.

TSMC on track with 3nm process, risk production to start in 2021

By

Sean

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Jan 15, 2021

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) is on track with its 3nm process technology. The company is on schedule with its development and plans on beginning the risk production phase within this year.

In a conference call earlier this week, the chipmaking giant’s CEO CC Wei stated that ” Our N3 technology development is on track with good progress. We are seeing a much higher level of customer engagement for both HPC and smartphone application at N3 as compared with N5 and N7 at a similar stage.” Furthermore, the company aims on starting mass production by the second half of 2022, with the risk production starting in the second half of this year.

According to a DigiTimes report, TSMC has also set its Capex target at 25 to 28 billion US Dollars, which is higher than the previously estimated 20 to 22 billion US Dollars. The reason for the hike is currently unknown as the company’s CEO refrained from commenting on specific orders and customers when asked about receiving outsourcing demand from Intel. However, Wei added that TSMC’s Capex intensity is high due to technical complexity.

As per the senior executive, the expenditure on EUV lithography and its technological advancements is a major reason for the higher Capex this year. Additionally, TSMC believes that a higher levels of expenditure on capacity will be helpful towards future growth as well. Similarly, the world’s largest contract chipmaker has also raised its CAGR target for revenue to 10 to 15 percent in US dollar term through 2025.

TSMC has also disclosed that it is working on its 3D SoIC (system on integrated chips) packaging technology, which will be ready for production in 2022. The company is expecting its revenue from backend services to grow as well within the next few years, especially with its 3DFabric family of technologies that it has been promoting. Wei further added that “We observe chiplets are becoming an industry trend. We are working with several customers on 3DFabric to enable chiplet architecture.”

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra pricing, pre-orders and cashback offers for India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 15, 2021

Yesterday, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S21 series of smartphones in various markets across the globe. At the event, the company also confirmed the pricing of the Galaxy S21 5G, Galaxy S21+ 5G, and Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. Here is all information on the pricing and offers available for buyers of the Galaxy S21 series in India.

The Galaxy S21 5G is available in India in two choices like 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. They are priced at Rs 69,999 (~$958) and Rs 73,999 (~$1,013), respectively. Its color options are Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, and Phantom Silver.

The Galaxy S21+ 5G has landed in the country in two options such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. They are priced at Rs 81,999 (~Rs 1,113) and Rs 85,999 (~$1,177), respectively. Its color options are Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, and Phantom Silver.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has arrived in India in two options such as 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage and 16 GB RAM + 512 GB storage. They are priced at Rs 105,999 (~$1,450) and Rs 116,999 (~$1,600), respectively. It comes in two colors such as Phantom Black and Phantom Silver.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung spokesman says the S Pen is coming to more Galaxy devices

Pre-order and cashback details

The pre-booking period for Galaxy S21 series will end on Jan. 28 in India. People who order an S21 series phone during this period will get a Galaxy SmartTag as a gift. Pre-ordered units will be shipped earlier starting from Jan. 25. The sales of the Galaxy S21 series will begin on Jan. 29. Customers can take advantage of no-cost EMI and stand EMI plans to purchase the desired handset.

Customers who pre-book the S21 shall be eligible for Rs 4,000 e-voucher benefits, which can be redeemed through the Samsung Shop app. Customers who pre-order S21+ shall be eligible to get Buds Live for Rs 990 (~$13.5) or e-voucher benefits of up to Rs 10,000 (~$136). People who pre-book S21 Ultra shall be eligible to get Galaxy Watch Active2 for Rs 990 or e-voucher benefits of up to Rs 10,000. The prebook offers end on Jan. 28.

Buyers of the Galaxy S21 models will get 4 months of free subscription of YouTube Premium. This offer expires on March 6. Customers who purchase S21 Ultra, S21+, and S21 can avail Rs 10,000 (~$136), Rs 7,000 (~$96), and Rs 5,000 (~$68) cashback, respectively through HDFC Bank cards. Samsung is offering Rs 3,000 (~$41), Rs 4,000 (~$55), and Rs 5,000 (~$68) additional bonus on the exchange of old phone for buyers of S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra, respectively. The HDFC Bank and Upgrade offers are available until Jan. 31. The 20K Advantage promotion by Samsung brings benefits worth Rs 20,000 (~$273) through the Samsung Shop app for S21 series buyers.

(source)

Apple MacBook Pro 2021 to reportedly have new design without Touch Bar

By

Jeet

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Jan 15, 2021

Apple recently launched the new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini powered by the company’s latest ARM-based M1 chipset. With that, the Cupertino-based giant kicked off the process of transitioning from Intel chips to its own Apple Silicon.

The company has been long rumored to launching new MacBook Pro devices in the market and now reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed some interesting information about the upcoming laptop.

Kuo indicates that the upcoming MacBook Pro 2021 will come with a refreshed design, featuring squared-off sides in both the top and bottom halves of the machine. The design will be similar to what we have seen in the iPad Pro and the new iPhone 12 models.

While Kuo suggests major redesign, Mark Gurman claims that the upcoming models will look similar to the current models with minor changes. Ming-Chi Kuo also claims that the company will remove the Touch Bar in favor of the physical row for the function keys.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung announces new ISOCELL HM3 108MP camera sensor with improved performance

The company is reportedly bringing back the MagSafe charger which is expected to have a similar design to the previous incarnation on Mac notebooks. But the devices will continue to support USB-C ports on both sides.

Apple is expected to launch two different models of MacBook Pro this year — one with a 14-inch display and another with a 16-inch display. The report goes on to add that the devices could be officially launched in the third quarter of this year.

Both of them will be powered by the company’s ARM-based chipset but this report doesn’t confirm if this will be a new processor. Previously, it was reported that the models in 2021 will be powered by the M1X or M2 chipset from Apple.

Apple App Store in China removed nearly 50,000 games in December 2020

By

Sean

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Jan 15, 2021

The Apple App Store in China has removed a large number of mobile games during the month of December 2020. Around 48,000 gaming based applications had been removed from the app ecosystem, which were found breaking the local rules and regulations.

For those unaware, China’s mobile gaming regulator requires every title to receive a special license from the nation’s National Press and Publication Administration, prior to its launch. This license confirms that the game conforms to the local guidelines and rules, which are known to be strict regarding the content that is allowed to be displayed. Now, Apple is keeping the apps they include in their App Store in check as well, which is something Android stores were already enforcing. This apparently led to a massive number of titles being removed from the App Store, as per a SensorTower report.

As per Sensor Tower’s report, 5,500 apps were removed in July 2020, followed by another 27,000 games in August. However, December saw the biggest purge with over 40,000 titles being removed from the App Store. Notably, this also includes a few apps that were also previously one of the store’s top downloaded or highest grossing games in terms of revenue. At the moment, there is still a possibility for the removed games to return to the Apple App Store sometime in the future, after acquiring the license.

Previously, the Apple App Store was seen as a sort of a ‘grey market’ in China, despite strict regulations being placed on content in the region. However, publishers and studios will no longer be able to benefit from this loophole. China is one of the largest gaming markets in the world, especially for mobile gaming. So, the removal of apps from the App Store highlights the government’s message of ” follow the rules or it’s closed to you.”

Nubia Cube Charger with 22.5W output announced for 59 yuan ($9)

By

Jeet

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Jan 15, 2021

Nubia, a sub-brand of ZTE Corporation, has today announced its latest product in its home market China — Nubia Cube Charger. As the name itself indicates, the device is a cube-shaped charger that supports 22.5W charging.

It comes with a USB Type-C interface and the company has revealed that the product will be available in four color options — Cream White, Matcha Green, Strawberry Pink, and Mint Blue. The product is priced at 59 yuan, which roughly converts to $9.

EDITOR’S PICK: United States government blacklists Xiaomi and eight other Chinese companies citing military ties

While the company has not yet revealed when this new Nubia Cube Charger will be available for purchase, some reports indicate that it could go on sale in the Chinese market from 20th January.

The launch of this new 22.5W charger from Nubia comes months after the company had launched the Nubia 65W GaN Candy Charger, which also comes in colorful options, including Blue, Green, Pink, and Yellow, for a price of 109 yuan (~$17).

The 65W charger from the company also comes with a single USB Type-C interface, similar to the newly launched 22.5W Nubia Cube Charger. Along with 65W output, it supports PD 3.0 protocol and 3.3-11V-5A and 3.3-21V3A PPS.

Samsung announces new ISOCELL HM3 108MP camera sensor with improved performance

By

Jeet

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Jan 15, 2021

Samsung was the first company to launch a 108-megapixel smartphone camera sensor and after a couple of years of its debut, the company keeps on introducing updated variants of the same. In line with that, the South Korean giant has now announced the third-generation of the 108MP sensor, Samsung ISOCELL HM3.

The updated HM3 camera sensor comes with a host of notable upgrades and new tricks for an improved output in terms of image clarity, dynamic range, and autofocus performance. It is a 1/1.33-inch sensor that uses 0.8μm pixels and performs 9-in-1 Nonacell pixel-binning to deliver images of 12MP size.

The company has introduced a new technology named Super PD Plus that improves autofocus stability. Talking about it, Samsung says that “Super PD Plus adds AF-optimized micro-lenses over the phase-detection focusing agents, increasing measurement accuracy of the agents by 50-percent.” The technology ensures that moving subjects are always in sharp focus, and low-light performance gets a boost as well.

It also comes with Smart ISO Pro — a high-dynamic-range (HDR) imaging technology that uses an intra-scene dual conversion gain (iDCG) solution. It captures a frame in both high and low ISO and merges them into a single image in 12-bit color depth with reduced noise.

EDITOR’S PICK: MediaTek announces large bonuses after seeing a bump in sales

The company adds that with a low-noise mode, the technology improves the light sensitivity by 50 percent to capture brighter and clearer photos in low-light environments compared to its predecessor.

Samsung claims to have reduced the energy uptake under preview mode, thanks to the new sensor design for ISOCELL HM3. As for availability, the company has revealed that it is already under mass production but it remains to be seen which device becomes the first to have this new camera sensor.

MediaTek announces large bonuses for employees after seeing a bump in sales

By

Sean

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Jan 15, 2021

Earlier this week, MediaTek announced that it would be offering incentive bonuses worth 1.7 billion New Taiwan Dollars (roughly 59 million US Dollars) to its various employees after the company recorded a surge in sales of its smartphones chips last year.

According to a TaiPei Times report, the chipmaker is giving large bonuses to its employees, which also includes those that work in the company’s major subsidiaries as well. Notably, this announcement marks the biggest incentive bonus that MediaTek has ever distributed in its 23 year long history. At the moment, the company employs around 17,000 people working under it and its five subsidiaries, including Richtek Technology Corp and Airoha Technology Corp.

The employees working under these firms will receive a “red envelope,” with each letter giving out 100,000 New Taiwan Dollars (roughly 3,580 US Dollars), as per the company’s official announcement. This move from the company arrives after its revenue hit 10 billion US Dollars back in 2020. The company also stated that “Surpassing 10 billion US Dollars is just the beginning. We will continue to [grow] on this basis.”

Currently, MediaTek has about 10,000 employees, among which it is allocating 20 percent of its annual distributable earnings for local employees in the form of end bonuses. With 5G enabled smartphones becoming more popular, the company has seen a bump in sales, especially within the affordable handset segments with its Dimensity series of 5G chips. Chinese companies like Oppo, Vivo, Realme, and others are a few of its major customers that ship their devices with 5G chips from MediaTek.

Realme Watch 2 and Realme Watch 2 Pro could soon get launched

By

Jeet

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Jan 15, 2021

Last year, in the months of May, Realme launched its first smartwatch in the market — Realme Watch S. A few months ago, it launched the Realme Watch S and S Pro. Now, it seems that the company is gearing up to launch the successor of its first watch.

Realme has a mobile application named Realme Link which acts as a hub for all the connected devices coming from the company. Now, a report claims that the app’s source code has revealed the Realme Watch 2 and Realme Watch 2 Pro devices.

Presence of the two upcoming smartwatches in the company’s application hints that Realme is quite close to making these devices official. However, the company has not yet officially shared anything related to this.

Also, while the app mentions these two upcoming devices, it doesn’t reveal anything related to their specifications and features. However, given that the devices are the successor to the existing models, we expect some noteworthy improvements.

EDITOR’S PICK: US government blacklists Xiaomi and 8 other Chinese companies

To remind you of the specs and features of the Realme Watch, it comes with a 1.4-inch Touchscreen display with 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 3 protection on top, offering 320 x 320 pixels screen resolution, 323 PPI pixel density, and 380 nits brightness.

It comes with a 24/7 Health Assistant, which includes a real-time heart rate monitor, blood oxygen level monitor (SpO2), and 14 sports modes. There’s also Step Tracker, Idle Alert, Meditation, Water Drinking Reminder, and Sleep Monitor.

The device can be used to control music, unlock smartphones, as well as to control the smartphone’s camera functions. It is IP68 rated, making it water and dust resistant. The product is priced at ₹3,999, which is approximately $55. We expect a bit higher pricing for the successor, if not the same.

OPPO A93 5G with 90Hz display, Snapdragon 480, 48MP triple cameras launched in China

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 15, 2021

Qualcomm recently unveiled the Snapdragon 480 5G mobile platform for budget-friendly 5G phones. It revealed that brands like Vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi, and a few more will launch SD480 powered phones in Q1 2021. Last week, the Vivo Y31s 5G debuted in China as the world’s first Snapdragon 480 powered smartphone. Today, OPPO announced the OPPO A93 5G phone with Snapdragon 480 onboard.

OPPO A93 5G specifications and features

The OPPO A93 5G measures 162.9 x 74.7 x 8.4mm and it weighs 188 grams. The handset has a 6.5-inch LTPS LCD panel with a punch-hole design. The screen supports an FHD+ resolution, a 20:9 aspect ratio, DCI-P3 color gamut, 405ppi pixel density, and a 90Hz refresh rate.

The handset features a front camera of 8-megapixel. Its rear shell has a triple camera system that comprises a 48-megapixel main camera with f/1.7 aperture, a 2-megapixel portrait lens, and a 2-megapixel macro camera.

Editor’s Pick: [UPDATED] OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G pre-order poster, pricing and specifications leaked for India

The Snapdragon 480 SoC is coupled with 8 GB of RAM. The phone ships with 128 GB / 256 GB of internal storage. It has a microSD card slot for additional storage. There is a 5,000mAh battery inside the device that supports 18W fast charging.

For security, it features a side-facing fingerprint scanner and face unlock. Other features that are available ont eh device include ColorOS 11.1 based Android 11 OS, dual SIM, 5G, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

OPPO A93 5G pricing and availability

The 8GB + 256GB edition of the OPPO A93 5G is priced at 1,999 Yuan (~$309). The pricing of the 8GB + 128GB is not known yet. Its color variants are Elegant Silver, Dazzle Black, and Aurora. There is no word on the other markets that will be receiving the A93 5G.

Galaxy M02 and Galaxy A02 model numbers revealed by Bluetooth certification

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jan 15, 2021

Just recently, Samsung launched a budget smartphone called Galaxy M02s in Nepal and India. Two more devices in the form of Galaxy M02 and Galaxy A02 with similar specs and price tag are expected to join it in the coming days. These handsets have been in the news lately, thanks to certifications and benchmarks. Now, they have been cleared Bluetooth certification as well.

According to the Bluetooth SIG website, the upcoming Galaxy M02 will come with three model numbers, whereas the Galaxy A02 will arrive with five model numbers, intended for multiple markets. All three variants of the former device will have dual-SIM support, however, two variants of the latter handset will come with a single-SIM card slot.

Galaxy M02
- - SM-M022M_DS
  - SM-M022F_DS
  - SM-M022G_DS
Galaxy A02
- SM-A022F
- SM-A022M
- SM-A022F_DS
- SM-A022M_DS
- SM-A022G_DS

According to a Geekbench listing, the Galaxy M02 will be identical to the Galaxy M02s with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC, 3GB RAM, and Android 10. On the other hand, the Galaxy A02 is expected to sport MediaTek MT6739WW chipset, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, Android 10, and 5,000mAh battery. Some of the above-mentioned models numbers could also feature a Snapdragon 450 chip.

Apart from Bluetooth, these smartphones have also been spotted on WiFi Alliance, BIS, TÜV Rheinland, support page, and Google Play Console.

Vivo X60 Pro+ launch date is January 21

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 15, 2021

On Dec. 29, Vivo held a launch event in China for unveiling the Vivo X60 series of smartphones. At the event, it announced three devices such as the Vivo X60, Vivo X60 Pro, and Vivo X60 Pro+. However, it did not divulge the specifications and pricing of the Pro+ model. It only claimed that it will be made official in January. Today, the company took to its Weibo channel to reveal that the Vivo X60 Pro+ will be announced at 7:30 PM (local time) on Jan. 21 in China.

The all-new Exynos 1080 chipset is present under the hood of the Vivo X60 and X60 Pro smartphones. The more advanced X60 Pro+ could be fueled by the Snapdragon 888 SoC. A listing of the X60 Pro+ had appeared on JD.com through which its memory variants and color options were revealed.

It was found on the Chinese retailer site that the X60 Pro+ will be arriving in two variants such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. And it will be available in colors like Deep Ocean Blue and Classic Orange.

Vivo X60 Pro+ Leaked Render in Blue, Orange

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Rumors surrounding the Vivo X60 Pro+ have claimed that it will be equipped with the same 6.56-inch AMOLED display with centered punch-hole design that is available on the X60 and X60 Pro handsets. The screen offers a Full HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and it is integrated with a fingerprint scanner.

The X60 Pro+ is expected to arrive with support for 55W fast charging. It goes without saying that it will offer better photography capabilities than the other X60 models. It is likely that it could be fitted with a 50-megapixel main camera coupled with the second-generation micro-gimbal tech.

Google completes Fitbit acquisition in record time, promises new devices & services

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 15, 2021

In what would be considered one of the fastest acquisition deals in the face of antitrust concerns, Google has finally acquired watchmaker Fitbit. The two companies commenced acquisition talks over 14 months ago but the bid was faced with serious scrutiny by regulatory authorities such as EU’s European Commission over privacy concerns.

The final acquisition means the road has been cleared for the deal to happen but obviously, Google had to make a series of “binding commitments with global regulators” that ultimately quelled the privacy concerns. It comes in a record time considering how long it took before the T-Mobile and Sprint merger was allowed to sail through last year.

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The acquisition deal will see the search giant dole out a little more than $2 billion for the renowned wearable manufacturer established in 2007. Google says it is planning to work closely with Fitbit to “create new devices and services” helping you “enhance your knowledge, success, health, and happiness.”

In his official blog post announcing the completion of the acquisition, Google’s Senior VP of Devices & Services Rick Osterloh didn’t elaborate on the tech giant’s future hardware plans. However, the post explicitly mentioned the recently released Fitbit Sense and Inspire 2 which seems to suggest their successors could very be in the pipeline.

Also, there was no indication if Google will try to blend its own Wear OS with the Fitbit OS software platforms going forward. But then, it is too early to phantom the duo’s future plans for the partnership.

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ASUS announces the Fanless Chromebox designed like a router

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 15, 2021

Taiwanese tech giant ASUS has launched its latest Chrome OS device known as Fanless Chromebox. The device packs 10th generation Intel CPUs and is available in two processor versions. Also, to enable the device to deliver premium performance, there is a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 for ultrafast connections as well as built-in Google Play support for a rich selection of apps for productivity, and communication.

The Fanless Chromebox adopts a tough and versatile aluminum chassis with a fanless design that allows for smooth and reliable operation even in harsh commercial and industrial environments.

ASUS Chromebox is powered by 10th Gen Intel Core or Celeron processors, paired with up to 16GB of DDR4-2666 memory and up to 256GB of M.2 SSD storage for fast, smooth performance with energy efficiency at the peak. The device is also equipped with a versatile USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port for fast data transfers, power delivery, and DisplayPort functionality. In addition, the Chromebox supports the connection of up to three 4K displays simultaneously for brilliant, sharp visuals and powerful productivity. You also get an Intel WiFi 6 connectivity support and USB 3.2 Type-A ports for rapid data transfers.

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Further, the Fanless Chromebox features support for an external power-switch cable which enables it to be turned on or off easily especially when it is placed in difficult-to-reach locations. There is also an RS232 via RJ50 interface allowing users to interface the device with legacy monitors and devices.

The use cases for the ASUS Fanless Chromebox are diverse, including digital signage, point-of-sale systems, intelligent vending machines, warehouse workstations, and even factory production lines. It is also a suitable desktop-replacement system for cloud workers.

The bulit-in Google Play support onboard the mini PC brings a rich lineup of apps and other contents that makes the Chromebox a fitting companion for businesses. It also gets automatic software and security updates ensuring that it is safe from viruses, malware, and other security issues. There is a lockable VESA mount which enables the Chromebox to be mounted securely in a diverse range of locations like on ceilings, walls, or under desks or counters. There is also a separate cable lock which provides the ability to secure DC-in and HDMI cable connections in commercial settings.

ASUS is yet to disclose the pricing and availability details of the Fanless Chromebox.

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