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Amazfit GTS 2e and Amazfit GTR 2e announced at CES 2021; GTR 2 LTE coming later

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Huami has taken to CES 2021 to announce its new smartwatches, the Amazfit GTS 2e and Amazfit GTR 2e. The two smartwatches were first announced in China last month and are now available for purchase, at least in the US, starting today.

Amazfit GTS 2e
Amazfit GTS 2e

The Amazfit GTS 2e has a 1.65-inch AMOLED screen with a 341 ppi pixel density while the Amazfit GTR 2e has a 1.39-inch AMOLED screen with a 326 ppi pixel density. Both have 2.5D scratch-resistant glass covering their screens, unlike their more expensive siblings that have a 3D glass covering. There is a plethora of watch faces users can choose from and there is even the option to use your own pictures as a watch face. Huami also says that the displays can be rotated 180° to cater to both left-handed and right-handed users.

The two watches support up to 90 sports modes with auto-detection for six of them. There is also support for Blood-oxygen level measurement, sleep quality monitoring, stress detection, and all-day heart rate monitoring. There is GPS, an offline assistant, and customizable notification alerts. Users can also lock the screen with a password to prevent anyone from accessing the watch. The two smartwatches have a 5 ATM waterproof rating.

EDITOR’S PICK: The Best Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers of 2020

Amazfit GTR 2e
Amazfit GTR 2e

The Amazfit GTS 2e’s battery life will last up to 14 days on a single charge (24 days in basic watch mode) while that of the Amazfit GTR 2e will last up to 24 days (45 days in basic watch mode).

The GTS 2e comes in Lilac Purple, Moss Green, and Obsidian Black while the GTR 2e can be purchased in Obsidian Black, Matcha Green, and Slate Grey. Both watches have the same $139.99 price tag and can be purchased on the Amazfit US store starting today. The watches will be unveiled in India next week and should also be available in Europe later.

Amazfit GTR 2 and GTS 2 family
Amazfit GTR 2 and GTS 2 family

Amazfit GTR 2 LTE

Huami also announced that it will unveil an LTE version of the Amazfit GTR 2 The watch will arrive later this year as the Amazfit GTR 2 LTE with support for 4G, so users can make and receive calls on their watch without tethering to a phone.

Amazfit GTS 2e, GTR 2e purchase links:

Official shop:
AliExpress:
GTR 2E Coupon code: 2021AMAZFIT, 3USD off

Here is the Amazfit GTR 2e, GTS 2e, GTS 2 Mini & GTR 2 LTE Review and Comparison:

vivo Y51A goes official as a vivo Y51 with Snapdragon 662 and same price

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Earlier today, vivo unveiled the world’s first Snapdragon 480 smartphone in the form of vivo Y31s in China. Whereas, at around the same time, the brand also launched vivo Y51A, a toned-down version of vivo Y51 in India. Let us take a look at the specs, features, and price of this handset in this post.

vivo Y51A Titanium Sapphire Featured

vivo Y51A Specifications and Features

The newly released vivo Y51A is identical to the already launched vivo Y51. The only major difference is that the latest device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, instead of Snapdragon 665.

Apart from the above-mentioned dissimilarity, the new handset has the exact same specs as the old model. Hence, it also comes in a single 8GB + 128GB storage configuration with an indistinguishable design and colors (Crystal Symphony, Titanium Sapphire).

EDITOR’S PICK: vivo reveals Funtouch OS 11 (Android 11) update schedule for India

 

The smartphone flaunts a 6.58-inch IPS LCD panel on the front with a resolution of 2408 × 1080 pixels (FHD+) and a dewdrop notch housing a 16MP selfie camera. On the other hand, the back of the device sports a triple camera setup consisting of a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide unit, and a 2MP macro shooter.

On the connectivity front, the phone supports 4G (dual-SIM), dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS (GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo), 3.5mm headphone jack, and USB Type-C port. Other features include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, compass, gyroscope, MicroSD card slot, Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11, and a 5000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.

vivo Y51A Crystal Symphony Featured

Last but not least, the vivo Y51A measures 163.86 × 75.32 × 8.38mm in dimensions and weighs around 188g.

vivo Y51A Pricing and Availability

The vivo Y51A is priced at ₹17,990 ($245) in India. Weirdly, this is the same price for which the vivo Y51 debuted in India in early December. Anyway, the phone can be purchased from vivo e-store, Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm, TataCliq, and other popular online as well as offline retailers across the country.

As part of launch offers, interested customers can avail ₹1,000 cashback using HDFC Bank cards, zero downpayment schemes from Bajaj Finserv, Home Credit, IDFC First Bank, HDB Credit, and ICICI Bank. Additionally, VI (Vodafone Idea) customers can get some recharge benefits.

UP NEXT: Vivo Y20A with Snapdragon 439, 13MP triple cameras, and 5,000mAh battery launched

 

(Via)

Red Magic 6′ battery capacity revealed; will support 120W fast charging too

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Earlier today, Black Shark revealed some key specs of its upcoming smartphone, the Black Shark 4. Now, Nubia’s Red Magic has followed suit with a tease of some of the specs of the Red Magic 6, and from the details revealed, both phones will share similar specifications.

According to a poster shared by the official Red Magic Weibo account, the Red Magic 6 will have support for 120W fast charging and also have a 4500mAh battery capacity. This is the same battery capacity and charging speed as the Black Shark 4, which means folks will have to look at other features before choosing which of the two phones they want.

Red Magic 6 poster

The Red Magic 6 is expected to have a 1080p display, most likely AMOLED, with a refresh rate of 144Hz or above. It will also have a Snapdragon 888 processor, 5G support, an in-display fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, and an audio jack. Just like its predecessors, the Red Magic 6 will not have support for wireless charging. We expect it to run Android 11 out of the box considering that older phones such as the Red Magic 3 have been updated to Android 11.

With respect to design, we don’t know what Nubia has planned. A video surfaced last month that showed a Red Magic phone with an electrochromic glass back panel. The phone has a switch on the side which when turned on or off changes the glass from see-through to opaque. There are speculations that the device may be the Red Magic 6.

The Red Magic 5G didn’t join the punch hole bandwagon and we do not think Nubia will do so now. To be honest, I believe gaming phones are better with an “uninterrupted” display. There is no launch date for the Red Magic 6 yet but its launch should not be far off.

UP NEXT: ZTE outlines plans for 2021: will unite its ZTE, Nubia, and Red Magic brands

 

Kospet Prime 2 4G smartwatch available at a discount price of $194

By
Simranpal Singh
-

Kospet is primarily known for its high-end smartwatches as it gained good sales with the Kospet Prime. The successive performance of the maiden smartwatch led Kospet to launch the Kospet Prime 2 4g smartwatch late last year. The new smartwatch features several advancements including a 2.1-inch fully round retina display, a 13MP rotatable camera, a 1600 mAh battery. Kospet Prime 2 usually retails for $209.99, but you can grab it for $194.99 until January 27 2021, via Kospet official store. A discount of $15 is applicable after using a Coupon Code – 01PRIME2.

Must See: Kospet launches Prime 2 Smartwatch with rotating camera and face unlocking feature

Kospet official store supports international shipping and the buyers will get the product as soon as possible.

Kospet Prime 2 4G smartwatch is more than just a wearable. It does not require smartphone connectivity to work. Here are the full feature details of the smartwatch:

Display

Kospet Prime 2

Kospet Prime 2 comes with a 2.1-inch TFT IPS display with 480 x 480 pixels resolution. The colour display produces 16.7 million colours at 323PPI pixel density. The colourful dials and enticing User Interface makes the display worth every cent spent.

Performance

It is powered with Helio P22 Octa-Core SoC carrying 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. There’s a dedicated Power IMG GE8320 GPU which handles the graphics of the smartphone and further aids in running 3D applications. Moreover, it can run large videos smoothly and the power-hungry apps without stuttering and freezing.

Camera

kospet prime 2 rtable

A rotatable 13MP Sony IMX214 AF camera sits on the smartwatch for video calling and other use-cases. The device supports G-Sensor, Heart Rate, and Face ID. It is capable to capture HDR video at 1080p 20fps. Prime 2 utilizes the camera to unlock the device using face recognition services.

Software

The smartwatch runs on Android 10 carrying all the features and security enhancements. However, the company has fully optimized the Android 10 to fit inside the smartwatch. It features a redesigned interface and UI icons to match the exact size.

4G Support + Connectivity

It also supports Vo-LTE HD voice calls for seamless connectivity across the globe. Majority of the TDD LTE and FDD LTE bands are compatible extending support for connectivity across, Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Moreover, the users will be delighted to enjoy 4G services on the watch. A 1600 mAh battery is enough to power the smartwatch for 3-5 days. In connectivity, the Kospet Prime 2 supports GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0,  and Pogo Magnetic data cable. The smartwatch comes with support for iOS 9.0 and Android 5.1. It weighs 120g.

It comes with Silicone Watch strap and carries a ceramic bezel and plastic housing.

Grab Now 

See More: HONOR could launch Smart products like Laptops, Toothbrush, Smartwatch via HONOR MALL soon

 

Motorola Edge S flagship smartphone teased to launch soon in China

By
Balaji S
-

Back on December 2, at the Qualcomm summit, Motorola confirmed that it will bring the devices powered by flagship SoC. In fact, a G-Series smartphone with an 800 series chipset is coming in 2021. Now, Lenovo China’s GM has teased a new Motorola smartphone and it could be called ‘Motorola Edge S’.

Chen Jin has teased the device via a Post on Weibo. The post also has an image of the Motorola logo on it. It shimmers with a yellow light falling on it having brushed textured patterns. That said, the image could just be a placeholder. The highlight is the post says a new flagship with Snapdragon 8xx is coming soon.

And if you look at the timestamp of the Weibo Post, it seems to be posted from a device with the ‘Motorola Edge S‘ moniker. Hence, there is a strong possibility that the next device could carry the above name. While he hasn’t confirmed it as the latest Snapdragon 888, don’t rule out the possibility of an older SoC like Snapdragon 865.

EDITOR’S PICK: Motorola Capri Plus hits FCC, Geekbench, and TÜV Rheinland

 

This is not the first time as he posted a retail packaging of a Motorola device last month suggesting an imminent launch. Also, a couple of more hints like the Geekbench of a Motorola ‘Nio’(Model: XT2125) which could be the upcoming phone suggests that it will run Snapdragon 865, 8GB RAM, and Android 11.

While we don’t know if the Edge S will sport a flat display with a dual-punch hole or a curved display with a centered punch hole yet, there is a possibility that the Edge S might continue the trend of earlier launched Motorola Edge+. However, we do know that Motorola is working on a smartphone having a display with 105Hz refresh-rate support and a 64MP camera.

And it could be the Edge S as well. Let’s wait for more concrete details in the coming days as the launch window doesn’t seem far now.

UP NEXT: Motorola One 5G Ace with Snapdragon 750G launched in North America for $399

(via)

vivo Y31s launched as the world’s first Snapdragon 480 smartphone

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Chinese handset maker vivo has quietly launched vivo Y31s as the world’s first smartphone powered by the all-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 chipset. This device comes in a single 6GB + 128GB storage configuration priced at ¥1,698 ($262). It is already up for pre-order and will go on sale starting January 15 in China.

vivo Y31s All Colors Featured

vivo Y31s Specifications and Features

The newly unveiled vivo Y31s resembles every other new device from the company with a camera array design that first debuted on the vivo X50 series. Apart from the new chip, the handset’s specs are identical to other vivo phones in the segment.

On the front, the smartphone sports a 6.58-inch IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 2408 × 1080 pixels (FHD+), 90Hz refresh rate, 20:7:9 aspect ratio, 90.61% screen-to-body ratio, and 1500:1 contrast ratio. There’s also a dewdrop notch housing an 8MP selfie camera.

EDITOR’S PICK: vivo reveals Funtouch OS 11 (Android 11) update schedule for India

 

Whereas, the rear side of the phone includes a dual-camera setup consisting of a 13MP primary sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, and an LED flash. The back of the handset device does not feature a fingerprint sensor since it is embedded in the power key.

Further, as mentioned in the beginning, the phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 SoC paired with 6GB LDDR4X RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage. For connectivity, it comes with 5G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, and GNSS (BeiDou, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo).

Other features of this smartphone include a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, gyroscope, compass, Funtouch OS 10.5 based on Android 11, and a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.

Last but not least, the vivo Y31s comes in three colors (Monot Color, Titanium Empty Gray, Ruby Red), measures 164.15 × 75.35 × 8.40mm in dimensions, and weighs about 185.5g.

UP NEXT: Vivo files multiple design patents for a new TWS Earbuds

 

(Via)

Smartphones sporting Samsung 200MP sensor may launch soon

By
Sean
-

With the Samsung Galaxy S21 series‘ launch being just around the corner, the high end Ultra variant is expected to feature an upgraded version of last year’s 108 megapixel sensor. Although, the company is apparently also working on a 200 megapixel sensor that might be seen in upcoming flagship launches soon.

As per a tweet from known leakster @IceUniverse, the South Korean tech giant is planning on launching a new innovative sensor this year. These new sensors will also be under the company’s ISOCELL family and will include a 200 megapixel image sensor as well. Previously, we had reported on Samsung apparently working on a 600 megapixel smartphone image sensor, although, the 200 megapixel leak seems a lot more likely at the moment and should launch earlier as well.

Editor’s Pick: OnePlus Band for Rs 2,499 (~$34) launched with AMOLED display, 14-day battery life, fitness tracking sensors and more

Back in March 2020, it was rumored that the company would launch a new 150 megapixel sensor by the final quarter of last year. Although, this launch never happened and another report pointed at Samsung now working on a 250 megapixel sensor as well. Keep in mind that the performance of the camera on smartphones is not solely defined by the megapixel count. Software optimizations and machine learning also play a major role.

Samsung ISOCELL GN1

But the hardware is still just as important, with a higher megapixel sensor offering a wider degree of application to Samsung in fields like health, agriculture, IoT, drones, and automotive. Unfortunately, it is still too early to tell if the company is actually working on such a sensor, thus, we will have to wait for further reports and rumors or even an official announcement to know for sure. So stay tuned for more updates.

UP NEXT: Top stories from last week: 5G comes to the Snapdragon 400 series, a handful of new phones, and another round of app bans

 

Samsung to push sales of its QLED and microLED TVs in 2021: Report

By
Sean
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Samsung Electronics is apparently planning on adopting a new strategy to push forward the sales of its QLED and microLED TV technologies for this year. The news arrives to rival its known competitor LG Electronics, who is pushing its rollable OLED TVs.

Samsung

According to a DigiTimes report, the South Korean tech giant will employ a two pronged strategy to grow sales of its QLED and microLED TVs in 2021. For those unaware, Samsung QLED TVs arrive with integrate quantum dots (QD) and OLED technologies but the company aims at improving its performance in areas like power consumption and brightness. Furthermore, it aims on addressing the known screen burn in issues as well and plans to develop QNED technology within this year as well.

Editor’s Pick: OnePlus Band for Rs 2,499 (~$34) launched with AMOLED display, 14 day battery life, fitness tracking sensors, and more

Notably, Samsung is also planning on launching its 110 inch microLED TVs globally in the first quarter of this year. This might also launch along with rollable microLED technology if the company aims at pushing related technology together. Interestingly, both Samsung and LG are expected to contract the manufacture of their QLED and rollable OLED TVs, respectively, to third party companies for cost control reasons, with the former expected to raise the outsourcing ratio to 20 percent in 2021.

Samsung microLED panel

Additionally, Samsung and LG are also slowly withdrawing their TV assembly business from China and shifting to Vietnam and Indonesia due to the rise of local TV brands in the region. This move would also have both companies try and expand their sales in the Southeast Asian market as a whole.

UP NEXT: Top stories from last week: 5G comes to the Snapdragon 400 series, a handful of new phones, and another round of app bans

 

POCO was India’s third-largest smartphone brand online in November 2020

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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In early 2020, POCO became an independent brand under Xiaomi. Since then, the brand has launched five smartphones in India. Despite a few models, POCO managed to sell over a million units during the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale in October. Now, the brand reveals that it was India’s third-largest smartphone brand online in the month of November 2020.

POCO India Third Largest Smartphone Brand November 2020

POCO India announced its biggest achievement to date on social media. According to the post by the brand on Twitter, POCO beat OnePlus and realme to become India’s third-largest smartphone brand online in November 2020. The two companies ahead of POCO were none other than Samsung and Xiaomi.

Unlike the over 1 million units sold achievement in October, for which the data was sourced internally, the new one’s data come from Counterpoint Research’s India Smartphone Model Tracker November 2020.

That said, according to the data, 2 out of the top 3 smartphones sold online in the month were POCO M2 and POCO C3 respectively. It is worth noting that during this period, all the POCO handsets, as well as phones from other brands were discounted, in addition to bank offers. So this could have been one of the important reasons for POCO’s success.

The primary reason for POCO’s triumph could be the fact that the brand’s products are still online-exclusive in India. If it had an offline presence, we don’t think POCO could have managed to hit this milestone in a short period of time.

UP NEXT: POCO M2 and POCO C3 receive their first price cut in India

 

Tesla rival NIO offers EV with a record 700km range, raises competition in China

By
Sean
-

NIO has recently launched a mass production electric car with what appears to be the longest driving range in the EV market. This raises the competition in China, especially against the major EV maker Tesla. NIO

According to an SCMP report, the Standard Edition of NIO’s ET7 electric car offers a driving range of 500 kilometers through its 70 kilowatt hour battery pack. This car costs 448,000 Yuan (roughly 69,000 US Dollars) and offers about 7 percent farther range than Tesla’s Shanghai made Model 3 EV that costs 249,00 Yuan after subsidy (roughly 38,000 US Dollars).

Editor’s Pick: OnePlus Band for Rs 2,499 (~$34) launched with AMOLED display, 14-day battery life, fitness tracking sensors, and more

Although, the real highlight of NIO is its Premiere Edition of the ET7 that can reach up to 700 kilometers from its 100kWH battery pack. This model costs 536,000 Yuan (roughly 82,000 US Dollars). Notably, the Tesla rival has also launched a Extended Edition, which offers a claimed range of 1,000 kilometers on a single charge from its 150kWH battery pack. Unfortunately, the exact price of the Extended Edition is unknown at the moment.

NIO

As per the founder and chief, William Li Bin, “We will continuously invest in products and technologies, and speed up the development of our service network, thereby bringing a better experience of smart electric vehicles to users.” This arrives as the competition in the Chinese electric vehicle market is rising with almost 200 carmakers, including start ups are racing to launch their offerings in the market. Reports state that one in every five cars will be a non fossil fuel powered vehicle by the year 2025 in China, which is one of the world’s largest EV market.

UP NEXT: Top stories from last week: 5G comes to the Snapdragon 400 series, a handful of new phones, and another round of app bans

 

LG showcases a bed with a hidden transparent OLED TV at CES 2021

By
Sean
-

LG Display has just showcased its idea of the future at CES 2021, with its upcoming technology being seen in various scenarios. One of the more interesting implications has the company’s new 55 inch transparent OLED display being housed in a bed frame.

LG

According to TheVerge, the CES 2021 gave the South Korean tech giant a stage to unveil the various applications of its new breed of OLED displays. These new transparent or see through screens offer 40 percent transparency, which is much higher than past iterations of the technology that only offered 10 percent transparency. During the major tech event, LG imagined the screen being house at the foot of a bed, which rises out from the bed’s frame.

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This would basically have the display function as a TV that can display information or other forms of media entertainment like videos or movies. This transparent TV frame will also arrive with built in speakers, meaning you wouldn’t require external speakers along with it. Furthermore, LG also claims that this frame can also be moved and placed anywhere in the users’ home, offerings a degree of flexibility regarding its placement and use.

LG

As per Jong-sun Park, LG Display’s senior vice president and head of commercial business, “Transparent OLED is a technology that maximizes the advantages of OLED and can be used in various places in our daily lives, from stores, shopping malls, and architectural interiors to autonomous vehicles, subway trains, and aircraft. It will grow into a next-generation display that can change the existing display paradigm.”

UP NEXT: Top stories from last week: 5G comes to the Snapdragon 400 series, a handful of new phones, and another round of app bans

 

Xiaomi Mi 11 gets a price-cut on Giztop, retailing for $699

By
Simranpal Singh
-

It’s been just a few days since the device went on sale in China. Xiaomi fans from around the globe are looking forward to its global launch. Surprisingly, some have even got their hands-on via the means of Giztop which internationally ships the device. However, the Xiaomi Mi 11 has got a price-cut on Giztop and it is now retailing for the starting price of $699. The users can choose from three different colour options of Black, Blue and White.

Must See: Xiaomi Mi 11 Global variant appears on Singapore’s IMDA certification and Geekbench

Xiaomi Mi 11 is available with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage for $699, the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage version is retailing for $749 and the 12GB RAM +256GB storage variant is available for $899.

Giztop offers international shipping, and even facilitate buyers in other ways.

Xiaomi Mi 11 comes with a 6.81-inch 2K AMOLED WQHD display with 3200 x 1440 pixel display. It further supports 120Hz refresh rate for the smooth gaming experience. The smartphone is powered with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC carrying Adreno 660 GPU and octa-core CPU. The smartphone features a triple rear camera module consisting of a 108MP primary sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide sensor and a 5mP macro lens. There’s also a 20MP front camera with HDR support for selfies.

In connectivity, the users will get Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, IR, USB Type-C 2.0 and WiFi support. It houses a 4600 mAh battery with 55W fast charging support, 50W fast wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging. Grab the Xiaomi Mi 11 at a reduced price of $699 by hitting the below button.

Get Now

Related: Xiaomi Mi 11 vs Huawei Mate 40 Pro: Specs Comparison

 

China may fail to achieve its 2025 chip self sufficiency target: Report

By
Sean
-

A new report has revealed that China will apparently fall short of its goal of achieving chip self sufficiency by the year 2025. The new market research has revealed that only 19.4 percent of the ICs in its market will have been produced locally.

China

According to TheElec report, a market research report from IC Insights found that China will fall short of its chip self sufficiency goal by a large margin. As per the nation’s original plans, it aimed to have 70 percent of the ICs in its market produced locally, although, the figure arrives at just 19.4 percent as per current estimations. Back in 2020, locally produced ICs accounted for 15.9 percent of China’s total IC market that is worth 143.4 billion US Dollars, which is up from 10.2 percent from back in 2010.

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Furthermore, out of these 22.7 billion US Dollars worth of locally manufactured ICs, companies with headquarters in China only produced 8.3 billion US Dollars worth of ICs. This accounted for only 5.9 percent of the total IC market in China. In other words, the rest of the ICs produced locally were from foreign companies such as TSMC, SK Hynix, Samsung, Intel, UMC, and others that had their IC wafer fabs located within the country.

China

The report also states that if China based IC production rises to 43.2 billion US Dollars in 2025, it would still only account for just 7.5 percent of the total expected global IC market of that year, which is projected to be around 577.9 billion US Dollars in value. The news arrives despite the local government’s efforts and investment into major firms like Huawei, ZTE, SMIC, and more. Although, US sanctions against these companies have made it difficult for them to secure core technology and produce chips on their own.

UP NEXT: MediaTek becomes TSMC’s third largest customer after boom in mobile chip sales

 

HMD Global is reported to launch four Nokia 5G smartphones in 2021

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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As of now, HMD Global only sells a single 5G smartphone in the form of Nokia 8.3 5G, which is also known as Nokia 8 V 5G UW with mmWave support in the US. This count may soon increase to five by the end of 2021 as the company is reported to release four 5G smartphones this year.

Nokia 8.3 5G Featured
Nokia 8.3 5G

The information regarding the arrival of 4 new Nokia-branded 5G smartphones comes from the sources of NokiaPowerUser. According to the publication, these devices will not be launched together. Instead, two of them will debut in the first half of 2021, followed by the other two in the second half.

As of now, the exact names of these handsets are not known. But NPU speculates them to be the successors of Nokia 5.4, Nokia 7.3, Nokia 8.3, and Nokia 9 PureView. Hence, they could end up as the following models.

  • Nokia 5.5 5G
  • Nokia 7.4 5G
  • Nokia 8.4 5G
  • Nokia 9.x PureView

Also, the publication says that Nokia 7.4 5G should be one of the two smartphones releasing in the first half of the year. And also suggests it to be powered by the newly announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 SoC. But interestingly, it does talk about the recently leaked Nokia 6.3/6.4, which we think is a strong contender to launch early as its design is already out. 

Hence, consider this alleged list of upcoming Nokia 5G handsets with a pinch of salt except for the fact that we could expect 4 new Nokia 5G smartphones in 2021.

UP NEXT: Nokia leads 4G feature phone sales in China for the year 2020

 

MediaTek could launch 6nm Dimensity chipset at January 20 launch event

By
Jeet
-

MediaTek, one of the most popular mobile chipmaker, has confirmed that it is hosting a launch event on 20th January where a new chipset under its Dimensity lineup will be announced. The company has set the theme of “Sensation” for the event where it will unveil new products with superior technology and upgraded experiences.

MediaTek Dimensity January 20 Launch Event

This seems to be in line with the previous leak from ‘Digital Chat Station’ that MediTek is likely to launch a new chipset, MT689x in mid-January, which will be the company’s first chipset to be manufactured using a 6nm process.

As per the reports, there are two new Dimensity chipsets coming, manufactured using 5nm or 6nm process. One of them is MT6893 which uses ARM Cortex-A78 core and the main core has the highest frequency of 3.0GHz.

EDITOR’S PICK: Redmi K40 series confirmed to launch in February, key specifications and pricing details revealed

It could come with Mali G77 GPU for graphics processing. Reports also indicate that the upcoming MediaTek chipset will have the same design configuration as the Samsung Exynos 1080, which powers the newly launched Vivo X60 lineup.

For those who are unaware, the MediaTek Dimensity series of smartphone processors come with support for 5G communication technology. So far, the company has launched a few models in this lineup, ranging from budget to premium mid-range offerings.

Thanks to the booming sales, MediaTek became the third-largest customer of chip manufacturer TSMC. Recently, the company was also named as the leading vendor for smartphone chipsets in Q3 2020, dethroning Qualcomm.

UP NEXT: OnePlus Band for Rs 2,499 (~$34) launched with AMOLED display, 14-day battery life, fitness tracking sensors, and more

 

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

By
Jeet
-

A few months ago, Honor, which was a part of Huawei at the time, had launched its next-generation fitness tracker — Honor Band 6. Today, the same device has been announced for the global markets at CES 2021.

The highlight of this wearable device is that it comes with a bigger display compared to other devices from its competitors. The Honor Band 6 flaunts a 1.47-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 194 x 368 pixels and 2.5D glass.

Honor Band 6
Honor Band 6

There’s no capacitive key on the device given that the tacker is using gesture navigation. However, there’s a red-colored physical button on the right side of the device to wake the device up and on the left side, there’s an Honor branding.

As for the features, it comes with support for 10 sports modes, blood oxygen level monitoring, Huawei TruSeen 4.0 24-hour heart-rate monitoring, Huawei TruSleep sleep monitoring, and menstrual cycle monitoring, among others.

EDITOR’S PICK: Redmi K40 flagship series confirmed to launch in February, key specs and price revealed

It also comes with Bluetooth 5.0, an accelerometer, gyroscope, optical heart rate sensor. The device, which is rated 5ATM for water resistance, is powered by a 180mAh battery that is promised to offer 14 days of battery life on a single charge.

The company has confirmed that the Honor Band 6 will soon launch in select markets for a price of around $35. In China, the device is priced at 249 yuan, which is roughly the same as the global pricing. So far, the company has not revealed the name of countries where this new fitness tracker will be available for purchase.

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Redmi K40 series confirmed to launch in February, key specs and price revealed

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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Ever since Redmi became an independent brand, it has been releasing a flagship smartphone of its own. The first model was Redmi K20 Pro (Mi 9T Pro), followed by Redmi K30 Pro, which is sold as POCO F2 Pro in global markets. Now, just a few days after the launch of Xiaomi Mi 11, the world’s first smartphone powered by Snapdragon 888, Redmi also confirms the arrival of the Redmi K40 series powered by the same Qualcomm chip.

Redmi K40 Series Teaser Poster

The information regarding the launch of the Redmi K40 series comes directly from Redmi’s General Manager, Lu Weibing. He shared a post on Weibo revealing some key features of the brand’s upcoming flagship smartphone series.

According to him, the Redmi K40 series will be officially announced in February. Since the post as well teaser poster read ‘series’, we expect at least two devices – Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 but there could be more. Because last year, Redmi released multiple variants of Redmi K30 and a Zoom Edition of Redmi K30 Pro with a different camera setup.

That said, although the GM mentions Snapdragon 888, this chipset should be mostly exclusive to the Pro version, which he also confirms to start from ¥2,999 ($463). In other words, the Redmi K40 Pro could be the cheapest Snapdragon 888 smartphone for a while just like its predecessor.

Further, the brand’s executive also reveals the device to probably sport the “most expensive flat display” (translated”) and a battery rated above 4,000mAh. Since expensive panels are usually associated with AMOLED displays, we can expect the phone, at least the Pro variant to come with this type of screen. But there’s a chance that all the devices in the series may feature 144Hz refresh rate LCD panels like the Mi 10T (Redmi K30S Ultra) and the Mi 10T Pro.

Anyway, we expect to learn more about the Redmi K40 series via certifications, leaks, and teasers ahead of the official launch next month.

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HP launches new Dragonfly laptops, features 5G and in built Tile tracking

By
Sean
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Back in 2020, HP had launched the Elite Dragonfly laptop, which arrived with an impressively light weight of just 2.2 pounds (which is just under 1 kilogram). Now, the company is making the Dragonfly into a new series of light business oriented notebooks and has launched two new models in the series.

HP has now launched the Dragonfly Max and Dragonfly G2. The latter arrives with Intel’s latest 11th gen processors along with up to 32GB of RAM, which is an upgrade over the first gen’s 16GB limit. Other upgrades include, new “premium” keyboards that are backlit and spill resistant as well and arrive with additional features like on lap detection and Context Aware, which basically helps the device tell if it’s in users’ bag. Similarly, it can also detect if it’s on a stable surface or one’s lap based on how steady and even the surface is.

HP

This feature was added to avoid the laptop from getting too hot and lower the temperature so it doesn’t get too uncomfortably warm. When on an even surface, the new Dragonfly laptops can hit higher temps again. As for the Context Aware, HP claims that the feature can slash boot times by about “10+ seconds” and will even optimize battery life when the user is on the go. Both the HP Dragonfly Max and G2 arrive with 4G or 5G support, and a 13.3 inch display but with different configuration options.

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The G2 arrives with a low powered FHD screen alongside HP Sure Vie privacy feature that can be upgraded to a UHD panel, which supports HDR400 that offers up to 1000 nits of brightness. It weighs just under a kilogram similar to its predecessor while the Max is a bit heavier, weighing about 1.1 kilograms. Furthermore, both the new laptops feature Tile trackers integrated into the WLAN module. While both laptops are quite similar, the Max arrives with a few additional features like a 5 megapixel webcam and an IR sensor for Windows Hello login. On the other hand, the G2 only sports a 720p (1.2 megapixel camera).

HP

The HP Dragonfly Max also features HP Eye Ease that meets Eyesafe requirements. The slightly heftier version arrives in a new “Sparkling Black” color option in additional to the original blue, while the G2 only has the blue variant. Both laptops will be available for purchase in January 2021, although the company has yet to unveil the pricing for these laptops and will reveal the details near its launch date.

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Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite BIS certified; Could it be launching in Q1?

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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Soon after Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi Mi 11 flagship phone in China, the rumor mill started speculating on the arrival of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite mid-range phone. Last week, the handset that has a model number of M2101K9AG bagged approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. Rumors have it could be one of the several Xiaomi phones to debut in early 2021. The Indian variant of the smartphone received certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on Sunday (via). The BIS certification is a good hint that the handset will be heading to India in the near future.

The M2101K9AI Xiaomi phone’s listing at BIS has neither revealed its moniker nor specifications. The name was confirmed when its global variant (M2101K9AG) has FCC certification.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite BIS certified

The FCC listing of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite revealed that it has an LTE smartphone and it is packed with a 4,250mAh battery. The phone carries support for 33W fast charging technology and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. The handset may come in two variants such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage.

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Rumors are rife that the Mi 11 Lite may come with a 120Hz LCD display with a punch-hole design. The Snapdragon 732G chipset could be present under the hood. It could be coming with a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 5-megapixel triple camera system.

It was revealed through a recent leak that the upcoming POCO F2’s model number is K9A. It could be a rebranded or a modified version of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite that has a model number of M2021K9AG. There is a possibility that some markets may receive the Mi 11 Lite as the POCO F2.

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Apple to launch new AirPods Pro and iPhone SE in April 2021: Report

By
Sean
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Apple has been rumored to be gearing up for the launch of its next gen AirPods Pro and a new iPhone SE model. Now, a new report suggests that the company will be releasing its latest TWS earbuds and iPhone in April 2021.

Apple

According to a MacOtakara report (Via MacRumours), the Cupertino based giant will release the second generation AirPods Pro and the third generation iPhone SE model in April 2021. The news arrives from sources from within the company’s Chinese supply chain. As per the report, the upcoming AirPods Pro iteration will arrive with slight changes in its charging case. Reportedly, the new charging case for the hearables will retain its 21mm thickness height of 46mm and a width of 54mm.

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This makes the second generation ever so slightly taller and narrower than the existing AirPods Pro that arrives with a charging case with a height of 45.2mm and a width of 60.6mm. Unfortunately, the report does not offer any other specifics regarding the wireless earphones from Apple. Similarly, it also doesn’t reveal any information regarding the new iPhone SE either.

Apple

Rounding out a couple of rumors, Apple was reportedly aiming to remove the stem on its earbuds for the upcoming AirPods Pro. This would have the earbuds resemble a design similar to the Samsung Galaxy Buds. Furthermore, the iPhone SE rumors have centered around a larger Plus variant also launching alongside the base model. In other words, a 5.5 inch and 6.1 inch display variant being released, the larger version is apparently expected to hit the market by the second half of 2021. However, these are just unconfirmed reports at the moment, so take these with a pinch of salt for now.

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