Xiaomi was part of the official Android 11 Beta program. Hence, the company was one of the first to start rolling out stable update to its devices. Currently, a handful of phones from the firm are already on Android 11 stable worldwide. Now, Redmi K30 4G has also joined this elite list of smartphones running the latest version of Android.
For those unaware, the Redmi K30 4G started receiving MIUI weekly builds based on Android 11 back in late October. However, it took Xiaomi over two months to deliver the first stable build for this device.
That said, the update comes with build number V12.1.3.0.RGHCNXM and brings the December 2020 security patch apart from the newest version of Android. It is currently in the Stable Beta phase and therefore, it is only available to select users.
Also, since the Redmi K30 4G is exclusive to China, it only has a single variant of the software build. Hence, if you have imported this handset, you should also get the update as soon as the build’s availability has been extended.
On the other hand, this very same phone is also sold as POCO X2 in India. Since both of them share everything unlike the other POCO devices that are slightly different, it should also receive the Android 11 update very soon.
Update: The source has corrected his original tweet to say that the 3nm chipset is called the Kirin 9020 and not the Kirin 9010. However, there is a chipset called the Kirin 9010 which is a 5nm+ chipset. Both chipsets are under development already.
It has just been a few months since Huawei announced the Kirin 9000 processor. The chipset comes in two variants – the Kirin 9000 and Kirin 9000E – and is found only in the Mate 40 series. Now, a leaker has disclosed details about the next flagship Kirin processor which has been reported to be called the Kirin 9010.
The info about the new Kirin processor comes from the leaker @RODENT950, and according to a tweet posted today, the next-gen Kirin processor should arrive as the Kirin 9010 and it will be a 3nm chipset.
The Kirin 9000 launched as the first 5nm processor for Android devices and after its announcement came the Samsung Exynos 1080 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. While most people will expect Huawei to stick to the 5nm process for at least two years, this leak reveals it is making the jump to 3nm for its next mobile chipset, which if all goes well, should launch this year and possibly appear in the Mate 50 series by the fourth quarter.
We won’t be wrong to presume that other chip manufacturers such as Qualcomm will follow suit and also switch to 3nm for their next-generation flagship chipset if the news about Huawei’s 3nm chipset is true. Though the San Diego-based company is expected to announce a Snapdragon 888 Plus chipset later this year which should be a 5nm processor like its sibling but with a higher clock speed.
Samsung, on the other hand, has been reported to be skipping the 4nm process and jumping to 3nm. Apple is also expected to announce 3nm processors that will be built by TSMC but it is not expected to arrive until 2022. So there is a chance Huawei may be the first manufacturer to announce a 3nm chipset
Prior to the release of the 5nm Kirin chipset, there were reports that the Mate 40 may be the last Huawei flagship to be powered by a Kirin chipset processor but that will likely not be the case. The Huawei P50 phones are expected to come with Kirin 9000 processors and if Huawei is able to pull it off, then this year’s Mate series will come with the 3nm Kirin 9010.
Chinese smartphone brands are known to choose celebrities in the entertainment or sports industries as their brand ambassadors. Xiaomi is one of such brands but it has decided to look inwards for its newest ambassador.
New images posted on Weibo have revealed that Xiaomi has decided to choose its CEO, Lei Jun, as its new brand ambassador for its new phone, the Mi 11. The CEO himself posted a photo on his Weibo that shows him posing with the flagship phone.
The caption for the photo reveals that the decision by the marketing department to use him as the new brand ambassador is a result of fans’ requests. He added that billboards of the new promotional image will be put up at the T3 terminal of the Beijing Capital International Airport.
Lei Jun is one of the most popular CEOs in the Chinese tech industry and is loved by fans of the brand. So Xiaomi has not made a bad decision by using him to market the new phone. The Mi 11 even has a special edition that has a unique finish and the CEO’s signature engraved on it but surprisingly that is not the version Lei Jun is holding in the promotional images.
In other news, Xiaomi has announced that the next date of sale for the Mi 11 is 10 AM on January 5. The phone will be available in two retail versions – an “Eco/Green Edition” without a charger and data cable and a Set Edition that includes a 55W Gan Charger and cable.
The first sale was on January 1 and Xiaomi announced it recorded over ¥1.5 billion in the total sales revenue which roughly amounts to over 350,000 units sold.
Xiaomi‘s ecological chain company ZMI is gaining popularity for its wide range of charging solutions. The company’s products include superfast power banks, wired chargers, wireless chargers, as well as car chargers. The brand even launched its first TWS noise-canceling headphones in China. In October last year, the brand launched the No. 20 Powerbank Pro with a massive 25000mAh battery capacity and up to 200W output. The Chinese company has now released a poster announcing that the power bank will be launched for sale on January 6, 2021.
The ZMI No. 20 Mobile Power bank is a successor to the No. 10 Mobile power bank which was launched towards the end of 2016 with 45W power output. This model has been upgraded from 45W to a staggering 200W. The Mi 10 Pro Extreme Commemorative Edition was launched last year with support for 120W fast charging something Xiaomi didn’t replicate on the Mi 11. Thus, the power bank happens to be the only one globally which supports up to 120W fast charging.
In terms of design, there is an LED screen on the side of the mobile power bank which can display real-time power. There are two USB-C ports on the top, one supports 100W, and the other supports 45W, which can charge almost all notebooks with Type-C ports on the market. There is also a USB-A port with 120W output, and the total output power of the three ports can reach 200W. At the same time, it supports 65W self-charging and can be filled within 2 hours if it goes flat.
The 25000mAh battery capacity is yet another interesting feature of the No. 20 Powerbank Pro. ZMI touts the big battery as capable of charging the iPhone SE 2020 from zero to full charge eight solid times and the MacBook Pro 1.3 times.
The Mi 11 which was announced on Monday, 28th of December, as the first Snapdragon 888-powered phone in the world went on sale in China today. Based on the total sales revenue released by Xiaomi, it sold about 350,000 units. If you are wondering how many of those orders were of the bundle without a charger, it is just a small fraction.
Xiaomi announced that the Mi 11 will not ship with a charger by default, following in the footsteps of the iPhone 12 series which launched without chargers. However, unlike Apple, the Chinese giant provided the option for buyers who wanted a charger to get one for free, for a limited time. The bundle with a free charger is called the Special Set Edition and includes a 55W GaN charger that is worth ¥99 (~$15). Once the promotion is over (Xiaomi didn’t say when), the bundle with a charger will sell for ¥4099 (~$627) instead of ¥3999 (~$612).
Xiaomi has released a press statement on Weibo announcing that of all the orders made on the first-day sale, only 20,000 of them were for the “Green Edition” which is the unofficial moniker that has been given to the version without a charger and data cable. That number translates to less than 6% of the total devices sold.
We are not surprised by the low figure, and personally, I believe that a significant percentage of the remaining 330,000 buyers who opted for the bundle with a charger do not actually need it but chose it so as to have an extra charger. I also believe that more buyers would have chosen not to go for a charger if they were getting a free gift such as an extra case or power bank instead.
In the press release, Xiaomi thanked these 20,000 buyers for choosing to make the world a better place in their own little way. It also revealed that it had considered not including a charger along with its phones as far back as 2015 but didn’t make the decision until now.
While Apple may be credited as the first manufacturer to kickstart the “no charger in the box” trend, it actually isn’t. The first-generation Motorola Moto G announced in 2013 didn’t ship with a charger in the box. However, while Apple and Xiaomi’s reason is to reduce e-waste, Motorola’s reason was to keep the price of the phone low. In the coming months, we expect more manufacturers to jump on the new trend and not include chargers with their phones.
With their actual prices, do top-tier flagships still make sense in 2021? We believe they do, but only for certain kinds of users. If you need the most advanced cameras, the best build quality, and the best displays, then you need a top-tier flagship. And this comparison is for those kinds of users, as it includes the most advanced flagships from Apple, Samsung, and Huawei. The first device of the comparison is the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is the most powerful iPhone out there. Then we choose the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra as it is the most advanced Samsung flagship if we exclude the foldable Galaxy Z Fold 2 (the Note 20 Ultra has a few inferior specifications making it at the same level). At last, we included the Huawei Mate 40 Pro which is the best Huawei flagship sold in the global market.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Huawei Mate 40 Pro
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
Huawei Mate 40 Pro
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm, 228 g
166.9 x 76 x 8.8 mm, 222 g
162.9 x 75.5 x 9.1 mm, 212 g
DISPLAY
6.7 inches, 1284 x 2778p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED
6.9 inches, 1440 x 3200p (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X
These devices feature premium and elegant designs, even though I personally think there are more beautiful handsets in the market. A lot of people would prefer the iPhone 12 Pro Max due to its stainless steel frame, more symmetric look, its compact size, and its thinner and lighter body. But several people do not like that big notch: if you are one of those, the leather variant of Huawei Mate 40 Pro maybe your favorite choice with its extremely curved display. Or you could go for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra with its single punch hole. Note that iPhone 12 Pro Max features better water resistance as it can go up to 6 meters deep without damages.
Display
The display of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the most advanced one on the paper as it features a Quad HD+ resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate, two features you do not get on the Huawei Mate 40 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. That is why Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra wins the display comparison. But you can actually get a better color reproduction on the iPhone 12 Pro Max which features a very bright OLED panel with Dolby Vision and a wide color gamut. Huawei Mate 40 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max support 3D facial recognition for authentication, while Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra relies on an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader.
Hardware and Software
With the iPhone 12 Pro Max, you can actually get better performance thanks to the iOS operating system. But the Huawei Mate 40 Pro actually comes with the best hardware including a Kirin 9000 5G chipset built at 5 nm which is even more powerful than the Apple A14 Bionic. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has older Exynos 990 and Snapdragon 865 chipsets built at 7 nm, so, despite its huge amount of RAM (up to 12 GB), it loses the hardware comparison. Note that you do not get Google services on the global version of the Huawei Mate 40 Pro due to the U.S. ban.
Camera
The Huawei Mate 40 Pro takes the first place in the camera comparison. It comes with a 50 MP main camera with omnidirectional autofocus and laser autofocus, as well as a periscope sensor with 5x optical zoom and an ultrawide sensor. The iPhone 12 Pro Max comes right after, but the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is more or less at the same level as the iPhone 12 Pro Max with its 108 MP camera.
Battery
Despite the 5000 mAh battery of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro has a longer battery life thanks to more efficient components: a 5 nm chipset and a display with a lower resolution. Further, it has the fastest charging technology and the fastest wireless charging technology. The battery life of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is close to the Mate 40 Pro.
Price
The prices of these three devices vary depending on the market, but in each case, you need more than €1000 to get them. If you can deal with the lack of Google services, Huawei Mate 40 Pro is a more interesting option than Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra due to its battery life, charging technologies, better hardware. But the iPhone 12 Pro Max actually comes with a more compact design, better display, great performance, and specifications close to the Mate 40 Pro. If iOS is not a problem for you, it looks like a very interesting choice.
In the last day of 2020, Padmate, a well-known Chinese audio brand, launched a brand new true wireless headset product- PaMu Nano. The market positioning of this headset is a HiFi headset that can be carried with you considering its lightweight and compact size. The headet also comes with graphene speakers, which can bring a comfortable wearing experience without ear fatigue. PaMu Nano True wireless Bluetooth headset is comfortable to wear and adopts a design concept which makes it near invisible to the eyes when worn. This solves the discomfort caused by the pressure of the earphone on the periphery of the ear when the user is lying on his side.
Using bionic earplugs, the force is even, can fit the ear canal well, even during strenuous exercises, it will not fall. The headset also supports IPX6 waterproof and sweatproof. Thus, even if the user is sweating profusely, it will not affect the music output.
In terms of sound quality, it uses a 6mm graphene audio dynamic speaker with full low frequency, precise and pure high frequency, and rich details. The headset supports a 21-hour long battery life on standby. It supports up to 6 hours of music playback when fully charged. It also comes ith a charging biox as well as support for fast charging. A 10-minute charge can be used for 1 hour.
At present, the headset is available on Padmate’s website, Tmall, and other malls, and the price is 399 yuan (~$61).
In continuation of the sequence of leaks connected with Samsung’s upcoming lineup of high-end smartphones, another seeming drawback detail has been leaked. Virtually all the important details have been revealed well ahead of the official unveiling of the Galaxy S21 models on January 14, 2021.
As is expected, the smartphone should come with several improvements on all fronts, from previous models. However, a recent leak may indicate that Samsung may have regressed in some respect, with the absence of storage expansion capability that comes with the inclusion of a MicroSD slot.
All three Galaxy S21 models could lack this microSD expansion capability, although some pundits may be of the opinion that the absence of a microSD slot may be overcome by having larger internal storage in the devices.
Previous leaks had already hinted that the Galaxy S21 series may come without a microSD slot, and today, industry authority Roland Quandt, is seemingly confirming the story when he said that a memory card reader is not included on the Galaxy S21 specifications sheet. It is speculated that Samsung decided to do away with expandable storage for the Galaxy S21 lineup as a market strategy to enhance the uniqueness of its flagship models, and stand them out among the competition.
S21 spec sheets say: memory card reader: "No"
Some markets might still get a charger in the box though, while others don't.
Samsung has taken such actions previously. All of its 2015 premium models were without a MicroSD slot, with some models in 2019 and 2020 also lacking a microSD slot. It would seem that these moves do not significantly affect the company’s bottom line as sales continued on an upward trajectory except last year, obviously due to the coronavirus pandemic. Customers shouldn’t expect a charger in the box, this time around.
It is worth reminding us, however, that these remain speculations, as Samsung is yet to debunk or confirm the stories. However, there could also be some substance in at least some of the stories on the eve of the release of the S21 lineup. We keep our fingers crossed and await the official launch in a fortnight with bated breath.
Electric car maker, Tesla Inc says it has begun sales of its China-made Model Y sport-utility vehicles (SUV) and the first customers are expected to take delivery of their automobiles this month, as the company makes inroads into the Chinese market, which is the world’s biggest car market.
Although the demand for electric vehicles, as well as the needed infrastructure needed for it, is still very low in parts of Asia compared to Europe, the Chinese market provides abounding opportunities and potentials for electric vehicle makers to tap in, as countries key into initiatives to cut greenhouse gases emissions and reduce their carbon footprint.
The electric car runs on substantially cleaner energy than its gasoline and diesel counterparts, thus producing a significantly reduced carbon footprint, in comparison with conventional cars.
China offers several incentives including hefty subsidies for electric vehicle manufacturing and deployment as it pursues a policy of cutting down on pollution from petrol or diesel cars, which aligns with Tesla’s global strategy. The electric vehicle maker is expanding its Shanghai factory where the Model 3 sedans are produced. The Model 3 vehicles have been exported to the European market since October 2020.
The company is also adding manufacturing capacity for electric vehicle chargers in Shanghai and expanding its sales and service network in China. It sold over 20,000 vehicles in November 2020 alone.
The Model Y sells in China for around 339,900 yuan (about $52,000). Tesla’s China sales figures are indicative of a growing demand for these electric vehicles which also provide substantial savings in energy costs in the long run.
Some other electric vehicle makers already berthed in China include Volkswagen and BMW, while several local manufacturers such as Nio, Xpeng, and Li Auto are also seeking a bite from the lucrative Chinese market.
In the past, Xiaomi has launched Mouse Pads with features like Wireless charging support. Today, it has listed a new Double Material Mouse Pad on Xiaomi Mall in China. For the price, it offers improved ergonomics, double the coverage area than conventional Mouse Pads.
As ITHome reports, the Extra Large Double Material Mouse Pad has a thickness of just 2mm. And this is despite it sporting two types of Materials- PU and Cork. For the unaware, PU is Polyurethane and Cork is an impermeable buoyant material.
Traditionally, Cork is extracted from the bark of an Oak tree(Quercus suber) and that seems to be the case here. Xiaomi says that the Cork material is from European natural oak bark. It adds that this material underneath the pad is non-slippery and will definitely last longer.
However, the PU material at the top is typically an Artificial leather and a composite material. Despite the leather texture, it is soft and easy on the wrist laying on it. As per the company, it adapts to temperature and humidity conditions and is Abrasion, Dirt, Water, stain, and moisture resistant.
Xiaomi says that you can wipe the water spilled with a damp cloth and turn it good as new again. Apart from this, Xiaomi has improved the looks and durability by refining the materials and stitching them seamlessly like the seats of a Car. As for the large size, the Mouse Pad measures 800x400x2mm.
This means you get an 80cm long Track Pad which should essentially act as High-quality Desktop Mat as well. It comes in two colors- Black, and Gray. The Mouse Pad is rollable, flexible, and also comes with a carrying pouch to aid portability.
To put it in perspective, Xiaomi has listed a few use-case scenarios on the official website. Accordingly, you can use it as a base for books while Studying, encompass a lot more than keyboard, mouse in Home and Office, and more. The Mouse Pad is currently up for pre-orders on Xiaomi Mall for 49 yuan($8).
Recently, Xiaomi unveiled the kernel source code of its newly launched flagship smartphone, the Mi 11. Thanks to a report now we have some findings about a possibly new smartphone and an unannounced SoC of Qualcomm.
1 of 2
Redmi K40 Pro display design leak
Alleged Redmi K40
The Mi 11source code(via) reportedly has new filenames of what could be an upcoming processor from Qualcomm. Accordingly, a screenshot shows two sets of filenames – one with ‘Venus’ and another of ‘Xiaomi’. The ‘Venus’ is the codename for Mi 11 as it is listed with “SM8350” part number which is of Snapdragon 888.
However, a new “SM7350” also appears along with “Xiaomi“. If we recall, Snapdragon 750G, 765G, 768G have part numbers SM-7225, SM-7250-AB, SM7250-AC respectively. And older SoCs like Snapdragon 730, 730G belong to the “SM7150” series. Thus, the SM7350 could be an upcoming SoC.
We also have a few reasons to believe this. Back in July, a tipster said that Redmi’s K40 and K40 Pro are coming with SM7350 and SM8350 SoCs respectively. Out of this, Redmi has already confirmed that the Snapdragon 888 processor will debut on a Redmi device in Q1 2021 and it could be the K40 Pro.
Later, a popular tipster Roland Quandt, in September said that SM7350 could be Snapdragon 775 and is codenamed “Cedros”. According to him, Qualcomm was working to close boundaries with flagship processors with this SoC.
Also, what could be Qualcomm's SD775 is SM7350 and seems to be codenamed "Cedros".
The unannounced 7-series SoC also was reportedly tested with 12GB DDR5 RAM, 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, 120Hz screen putting the SoC in close quarters with 8-series SM8350. That said, Qualcomm is yet to officially reveal the processor.
And if reports are to be believed, the SoC is coming soon in Q1 2021 which also falls in-line with the Redmi’s launch timeline. Either way, it looks like Redmi K40 will sport a Snapdragon 7x processor(likely Snapdragon 775) but let’s wait for more details in the coming days.
Just as scheduled, Xiaomi Mi 11 officially went on sale for the first time in China at 0:00 on January 1. As the first Snapdragon 888-powered flagship product, the Mi 11 was already the center of attraction in the tech circle. The device also came with an extremely decent price tag, starting at 3999 yuan (~$612) which further beamed the searchlight on the model. As we were already expecting, the first sale turned out to be a reflection of the device’s popularity. Xiaomi’s mobile phone division officially released the first sales report for the Mi 11 at 00:13, just 13 minutes after the first sales commenced. According to the details, its omnichannel sales exceeded 1.5 billion yuan in just 5 minutes. If calculated using the average price of 4,300 yuan, Xiaomi my have sold over 350,000 units of the device.
Already, the device is listed as out of stock on Xiaomi’s official mall despite the company claiming that it is prepared well-enough to maintain stocks of the Mi 11.
As a reminder, the Mi 11 packs a 6.81-inch curved display with a hole in the top left corner of the screen and Corning Gorilla Victus protection. The screen is not only bigger than that of the Mi 10 5G but also sharper as it has a 2K (3200 x 1440) resolution. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate and a 480Hz touch sampling rate.
The phone crams a 4600mAh battery under the hood with support for 55W fast wired charging, 50W fast wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging. It also supports Quick Charge 4+, Quick Charge 3+, and Power Delivery 3.0.
The 5nm Snapdragon 888 chipset powers the device and is paired with 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 high-speed storage. There is also an in-display fingerprint scanner, which Xiaomi says can also measure your heart rate in addition to unlocking your phone and authorizing payments. There are stereo speakers tuned by Harman Kardon, dual nano-SIM support, NFC, IR blaster, enhanced WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 with Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Plus. It runs MIUI 12 based on Android 11 out of the box.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 has three rear cameras. The main camera is a 108MP 1/1.33″ sensor with an f/1.85 aperture, a 7P lens, and a 1.6μm pixel size. There is a 13MP super wide-angle lens with a 123° field of view and the third camera is a 5MP 50mm telephoto macro camera. The front-facing camera is a 20MP sensor.
OPPO announced ColorOS 11 based on Android 11 in mid-September. Since then, the company has been rolling out this update to its smartphones worldwide. So far, only a handful of phones have received them. That said, last evening, ahead of the new year, the firm revealed the ColorOS 11 update rollout plan Q1 2021 for China.
For those unaware, OPPO has already shared the ColorOS 11 update timeline for different markets. The company has been seeding builds following that schedule. But for some reason, the firm has reshared the rollout plan for Q1 2021, especially for China.
According to the ColorOS Assistant Weibo account, the following OPPO smartphones will be receiving ColorOS 11 update in the first quarter of 2021 in China.
January 27, 2021 – Open Beta (limited)
OPPO Reno3 5G
OPPO A92s
OPPO A52
March 2021 – Open Beta (limited)
OPPO Reno2
OPPO Reno2 Z
OPPO K5
OPPO A72 5G
OPPO A91
March 2021 – Stable Release
OPPO Reno 10x Zoom
OPPO Reno Ace
OPPO Reno3 Pro 5G
OPPO Reno4 SE 5G
OPPO Reno3 Vitality Edition
OPPO K7
As you can see from the above list, most of these handsets are China-exclusive. But it is worth noting that some of them are sold with different branding in other markets.
Anyway, this update schedule is similar to that of global. Therefore, we can expect the above-mentioned phones to receive the ColorOS 11 update at around the same time in global markets as well.
Samsung is preparing to launch the next Galaxy S series of Smartphones in January. Alongside the flagship, the company is also expected to launch a new Tracker. Today, 91Mobiles has spotted its real-life images courtesy of NCC Certification.
As per the report, a Samsung device appears on the NCC certification website. Its model number is “EI-T5300” and the moniker is “Galaxy SmartTag”. This corroborates with a EUIPO trademark filing which showed it as an Object tracker. And the name rhymes well like the rumored Apple AirTags.
Besides, a device with a similar model number has also passed Indonesia Telecom Certification. Hence, it is safe to say that it is indeed the upcoming Tile tracker-like Bluetooth tracking device from Samsung. Accordingly, the applicant is also listed as Taiwan Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., (Translated).
We have two sets of images. Although both have a circular ring at the center of the front, only one of them has a “Galaxy SmartTag” name. At the back, we have a Samsung branding. These images of the Black variant also remind us of a recent design reveal in Black and White color options.
Just like the early report, the images from this NCC listing also show a hole at one corner. As we said earlier, it could be for attaching a lanyard or any other strap as a grip. The circular ring on these supposed prototypes is like the early GIF image leak which depicted an animation of its Bluetooth functionality.
To quickly remind you, a Tracker is a device that relies on the Bluetooth Low-Energy technology. It has a battery in itself with which it is able to locate objects like Keys, wallets, remote, earbuds, Smartphones etc. The upcoming Samsung Tracker is also expected to have features like Bluetooth 5.1, UWB(Ultra Wide Band), interfacing with NFC, and RFID.
That said, Samsung is yet to officially reveal the other details of this SmartTag. It is expected to tag along the Galaxy S21 launch on January 14 and if true, we will know the pricing and availability in a couple of weeks.
If you are a fan of PS5 in India, this has got to be the best New Year’s gift from Sony. The company has finally announced a launch date of PlayStation 5 for the country.
Sony‘s PlayStation India, via a Twitter post, made the breaking announcement. Accordingly, the next-gen Gaming Console will launch officially on February 2, 2021, in India. Before that, you can start pre-ordering it from January 12 at 12 PM IST(UTC+ 05:00). Below is the list of online and retail partners where you can pre-order the PS5:
Amazon
Flipkart
Croma
Reliance Digital
Games The Shop
Shop at Sony Center
Vijay Sales
Select Authorized Retail Partner
That said, Sony has put a neat little disclaimer that pre-orders will last till the “stocks last”. Now, we really want to be positive and don’t want to jinx it but don’t expect a lot as the demand is strikingly high in the country. Not willing to wait for an official launch, People had already started buying imported units at crazy prices as high as ₹90,000($1,231).
Speaking of which, the company has already announced the pricing of the gaming console and other accessories for India back in October. In case you don’t know, you can take a look at the details as follows:
PlayStation 5(4K- BlueRay Disc Drive Edition)- ₹49,990($684)
PlayStation 5(Digital Edition)- ₹39,990($547)
Accessories:
DualSense Wireless Controller – ₹5,990
DualSense Wireless Charging Station- ₹2,590
Media Remote- ₹2,590
PULSE 3D Wireless Headset- ₹8,590
HD Camera- ₹5,190
In addition to this, Sony also said that titles like Demon’s Souls, Destruction Allstars, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition would be available for ₹4,999. However, Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Marvel’s Spider-man: Miles Morales standard edition is priced at ₹3,999.
The Sony PlayStation 5 is coming after a three-month delay in India. Right from the first official launch on November 12(US, Japan), it has been under great demand. The company tried its best to improve the stock during November 19 launch in Europe.
Nevertheless, the India launch finally is here and it is definitely going to add up to the tally of 3.4 million unit sales Sony had already achieved elsewhere last year.
Chinese smartphone maker realme is expected to launch two new smartphones in the near future with model numbers RMX3092 and RMX3093 respectively. Both of these handsets have been certified by 3C, whereas the former has even cleared the BIS certification. The first device was spotted on Geekbech a few days back and now, the second one also visits the popular benchmarking platform.
According to the Geekbench listing, the upcoming realme RMX3093 will be powered by MediaTek Dimensity 720 chipset paired with 8GB RAM. But unfortunately, despite set to launch in 2021, it will be running Android 10 out of the box.
Above all, it is interesting to see that it will be featuring the exact same specs as the realme RMX3092, including 65W fast charging, as per the 3C certification bureau. This suggests that both these phones could be of the same series.
Hence, the camera setup and size could be the only major difference between them. Further, going by the launch cycle, this duo could be realme 8 and realme 8 Pro respectively. But there’s a chance that they could be part of a new series as realme has confirmed to release more 5G smartphones in the future.
Whatever it may be, we expect to learn more about these handsets in the coming days before their official announcement.
Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy S21 series on January 14. Although the company is yet to officially reveal the date, the launch teaser video has been already listed on one of its official YouTube channels. Also, the press renders as well as specifications of these handsets are out as well. Now, a tipster suggests battery life improvements on the vanilla Galaxy S21.
In case you do not know, Samsung’s flagship smartphone series – Galaxy S and Galaxy Note feature two different chipsets. Countries like the US and China usually get the Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered devices, whereas the rest of the world gets the in-house Exynos-powered handsets. The latter variants are known for thermal issues, throttling, and above all, poor battery life, compared to the former.
That said, this year’s Galaxy S21 series is said to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and the unannounced Exynos 2100 SoC. The Qualcomm chip is already official and there’s even a commercial smartphone (Mi 11) featuring it. But not much more is known about the Exynos 2100, which is expected to debut on January 12.
Ahead of it, a Twitter user called Anthony (@TheGalox_) says that the Exynos 2100 present in the regular Galaxy S21 will deliver about 25-35% better battery life than the Exynos 990-powered Galaxy S20. Similarly, according to him, the Snapdragon 888-powered Galaxy S21 will offer 15% battery life than the Snapdragon 865-powered Snapdragon Galaxy S20.
In other words, both the variants of Galaxy S21 will have a better battery life than their predecessors despite sporting the same 4,000mAh battery, as per the specs leak.
Anyway, this is merely a tip from a random Twitter user who is, however, mostly accurate with his leaks. But still, we would like you to consider this piece of information with a pinch of salt.
Redmi 7 was one of the best-selling smartphones of its time. The handset debuted with MIUI 10 based on Android Pie in early 2019. It was later updated to MIUI 11 worldwide. Last week, the global variant of this device started receiving the long-awaited Android 10 update. Now, this update is live in India as well.
The Android 10 update for Redmi 7 in India comes with build number V11.0.3.0.QFLINXM. Apart from bringing last year’s Android, the new software build also bumps up the security patch level to December 2020.
Currently, the update is in the ‘Stable Beta’ phase. Hence, it is only available to select users. We expect the company to extend the availability of the update to more users if there’s no major issue with the build.
It is worth noting that Xiaomi is yet to begin this update rollout for other variants apart from India, Global, and China. We believe the firm will soon seed the build for those variants in the coming days.
A mysterious Vivo phone with model number V2048A was spotted at the Geekbench benchmarking website earlier this week via theNashville Chatter Class. The listing revealed that it will be a mid-tier offering from the brand.
The Vivo V2048A Geekbench listing shows that it is powered by a MediaTek processor that has a model number of MT6875. It is the Dimensity 820 chipset that has been previously seen only on the Xiaomi Redmi 10X smartphone.
The listing states that the Dimensity 820 chipset is coupled with 8 GB of RAM. The device is preinstalled with Android 11 OS. It has scored 652 in the single-core test of Geekbench and it recorded a score of 2525 in its multi-core test. Unfortunately, there is no word on the final product name and other specs of the device.
In related news, another Vivo phone with a V2037 model number was spotted at Geekbench recently. The listing revealed that it will be the first Helio G80 powered smartphone from Vivo. The listing revealed that it runs on Android 11 OS and it has 8 GB of RAM. On Geekbench 4, the Vivo V2037 scored 1823 and 5466 in the single-core and multi-core tests of Geekbench, respectively.
Again, there is no information available on its other specifications and moniker. Hopefully, newer reports will soon reveal more information on the Vivo V2037 and V2048A phones in the coming weeks.
On Dec. 14,HMD Global announced the Nokia C1 Plus smartphone in Europe. It China, the handset has been available for pre-orders since Dec. 25. As scheduled, the smartphone is now up for purchase in China. The Nokia C1 Plus is an updated version of the Nokia C1 that debuted in December 2019.
Nokia C1 Plus specifications and pricing
The Nokia C1 Plus features a 5.45-inch LCD panel that offers an HD+ resolution and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The back panel of the phone is made out of plastic.
The smartphone is preinstalled with Android 10 (Go edition). It draws power from a 2,500mAh battery that supports 5W charging. It is fueled by an unknown quad-core processor that works at 1.4GHz.
The SoC is coupled with 1 GB of RAM. It has a native storage of 16 GB and carries support for external storage. Unlike the older Nokia C1 handset, the Plus edition lacks a dedicated button for accessing the Google Assistant.
On the front, the Nokia C1 Plus has an LED flash assisted 5-megapixel camera with face recognition support. The backside of the phone features a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and HDR support.
In related news, the Finnish has already started with the sales of other entry-level Nokia 4G features in China. Recently, it began with the sales of Nokia 6300 4G for 429 Yuan (~$65) and Nokia 8000 4G or 699 Yuan (~$107).
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