iQOO 7 Officially confirmed; First look suggests a possible BMW Special Edition

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Dec 19, 2020

Apple has been hitting headlines in India lately but not for good reasons. Its supplier Wistron’s facility near Bengaluru, India, recently got attacked by workers demanding unpaid wages. Now, as Reuters says the company has put Wistron on notice.

According to the report, an early audit by Apple reveals that Wistron has violated the “Supplier Code of Conduct”. Apparently, it didn’t manage the working hours properly and this led to delay in payment wages. Precisely, as Wistron admits it didn’t pay some workers during October and November on time. In case you don’t know, Wistron assembles Apple’s iPhones like iPhone 7 and iPhone SE 2020.

The report says that Wistron planned to expand operations by hiring 20,000 workers in a year. However, it couldn’t cope up with the scale of manpower, violated several laws which led to the outrage. Also, the inspection result by Karnataka Govt reveals Wistron had 5,500 workers more than the allowed number.

Some of the other violations include improper HR management, underpayment of wages for contract workers, housekeeping staff. The company has also made female staff work overtime without proper authorization.

As a result of this, the report says Wistron will face delays in production due to Apple’s probationary action. This will take dent over its earlier ₹13 billion($177 million) commitment for the next five years to leverage the PLI scheme. If you recall, the Indian Govt recently approved cash incentives of 4-6% of the Sale of goods locally made in next 5yrs from 2019-2020.

That said, Apple says it will continue to monitor how Wistron manages to mitigate the violent attack which made it lose millions of dollars of property, Gears, and iPhones. Apart from Wistron, Apple’s other suppliers Foxconn, Pegatron are also expanding production in Vietnam, India.

Apple releases support document showcasing the AirPods Max low power mode

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Dec 19, 2020

Apple has just updated the support page that outlines the key performance metrics including charging and battery-related aspects of the just-released AirPods Max. The support document provides insights into how wireless headphones behave when it is not in active use.

The support page specifies that when the headphones are in an idle position for 5 minutes, in order to substantially conserve battery energy, the low power mode is automatically activated. The low power mode ensures that some battery-draining activities are scaled down to reflect the idleness. The next milestone is achieved after the headphones have been without any activity for 72 hours (three days).

At this instant, they go into an even lower power mode that turns off Bluetooth and several power-draining activities.

Editor’s Pick: Redmi 9 Power launched in India with 6,000mAh battery, Snapdragon 662, and 48MP quad-camera

When using the supplied case of the AirPods Max wireless headphones, the device will instantly switch to the low power mode. The ultra low power mode is activated after 18 hours of using the case. When the ultra-low mode is active, then Bluetooth and Find My feature is turned off in this very low power mode.

The tech giant specifically used the word ultra-low to denote the lowest power saving option while using the case but it is yet to be seen how this so-called ultra-low power mode differs from the lowest power mode when not using the case.

As could be seen in other wireless headphones without these new power mode functionalities, the major difference is that while those AirPods come fitted with a power button to switch off power when not in use, the AirPods Max does not have one, but uses a different technology that has incorporated a sort of smart and energy-conserving behavior into the workings of the device.

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China’s display makers expect to grab 55% of global LCD panel shipments this year

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Dec 19, 2020

The U.S currently holds the upper hand when it comes to semiconductor technology. That is why the ban on some Chinese companies from using US technology was hard felt. A few years back, most of the LCD panels in use by Chinese manufacturers in TVs, monitors, and other large-screen products were procured from Japan and South Korea.

But in recent times, domestic companies like BOE have been able to overtake manufacturers from Japan and Korea to ship the highest volume globally. China’s display manufacturers have predicted that this year’s domestic panel production capacity will historically account for around 55% of the global panel shipments.

This was made known at the 2020 Chongqing Micro-LED Industry Innovation Forum and Konka Semiconductor Display Technology and Product Launch Conference was held yesterday in China. The statement is credited to Liang Xinqing LCD Branch Secretary of the China Optics and Optoelectronics Manufacturers Association.

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Liang Xinqing also disclosed that the global display device output value in the first three quarters of 2020 was US$82.723 billion, an increase of 8.6% year-on-year. The shipment area was 178 million square meters, an increase of 5.7% year-on-year.

The data for the first three quarters of 2020 in Mainland China shows that the TFT-LCD shipment area is 97.01 million square meters, which accounts for 54.5% of the global market and the output value is $26.685 billion US dollars.

However, in terms of AMOLED panels, lots of efforts are still needed to gain more market shares. In the first three quarters, the AMOLED shipment area was 1.09 million square meters, accounting for 0.6% of the global market, and the output value was US$2.709 billion.

At the same time, Liang Xinqing also mentioned domestic shortcomings. Currently, Japan has mastered the upstream core technology, South Korea’s OLED is the world leader. He added that China was currently gaining an advantage in terms of production capacity, but the technology structure is single and the entire industry chain is still to make significant headway.

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US Govt adds DJI to Entity List; DJI says users can continue to buy its products

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Dec 19, 2020

The US Government recently banned China’s partially state-owned Semiconductor company SMIC from using American tech. Now, it has added a dozen of companies including China’s technology and drone maker DJI to the economic blacklist.

As Reuters reports, the US Department of Commerce has added China’s SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd to the entity list. The company has a trade name DJI which is currently the World’s largest drone maker. According to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, DJI has involved in “ubiquitous surveillance to repress its citizens in Xinjiang and elsewhere.”

Some of the companies added to the entity list are as follows:

SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd
AGCU Scientech
China National Scientific Instruments and Materials
Kuang-Chi Group

Specifically, the ban of the above companies is because they led to wide-scale human rights abuses within China. Precisely, the companies reportedly involved in abusive genetic collection and analysis or high-technology surveillance. In case you don’t know, the Entity list is a trade blacklist published by the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security.

Generally, it is the Govt’s prerogative to make its companies seek license to export, re-export, or transfer technology to the parties concerned. However, the entity list means that it bans US companies from exporting their technology to the blacklisted members. If we recall, US Govt confirmed that it has added SMIC, CNOOC to the list two weeks ago.

Coming back, DJI has responded to The Verge saying that it is disappointed with the Dept. of Commerce decision. Although it didn’t comment on the result of this action, it says People can still buy its DJI products as usual. Apart from Drones, DJI’s portfolio of hand-held products includes Gimbals, Action Cameras, Flight patrol and propulsion systems etc.

Hence, it will be interesting to see how this affects the enterprise businesses let alone individual consumers. Besides, these are not the only companies that the US Govt has banned. It is targeting Huawei and its subsidiaries like Honor citing National Security and Privacy concerns.

In fact, it is also preaching to other countries to avoid using Chinese technologies including 5G-equipments saying that they might be used for surveillance by the Chinese govt.

Huawei Mate40 Pro+ future sales in China comes with a twist

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Dec 19, 2020

Huawei unveiled the Mate40 series of smartphones back in October. It’s already been two months but many of the models are in short supply in China. In fact, the Mate40 was opened up for pre-orders just a couple of days back. Now, it looks like the Mate40 Pro+ will also be available for sale but with a twist.

Huawei’s official Vmall has listed the Huawei Mate40 Pro+ for sale from December 21 in China. The top-of-the-line flagship from the Chinese giant will be available for purchase at 07:38 AM Beijing time(GMT+08:00). However, after this, the website says it will go on sale only on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday of a week at 10:08 AM.

This suggests(via ITHome) that the device is still in short supply and the stocks will be limited even during the sales. The situation is similar for the Mate40 RS Porsche Design as well. If we recall, these devices, after a short sale were often out of stock during the last two months. In fact, a previous report said Pro+ and RS Porsche Design’s inventories on offline stories were also in short supply.

It’s a no-brainer that Huawei is facing these issues due to the US Govt’s restrictions on procuring the company’s Kirin SoCs. In fact, the Mate40 series could be the last flagships to feature the in-house chipsets. And this could also be a factor in driving the demand for the upcoming sales of Mate40 flagships. The series has already received great reception with Mate40 getting sold out in under a minute recently.

Mate40 Pro+ Specifications

Anyway, the Mate40 Pro+ features a 6.76-inch flexible OLED 90Hz display with 2772x1344p resolution, 456 PPI. Under the hood, it is powered by HiSilicon Kirin 9000 chipset paired with a single 12GB RAM, 256GB UFS 3.1 storage.

For cameras, we have a 50MP f/1.9, RYYB primary, 20MP f/2.4 ultra-wide, 12MP f/2.4 Telephoto with 3x zoom, 8MP f/4.4 periscope with 10x optical, and a ToF sensor. Upfront, there is a 13MP f/2.4 wide-angle lens and a 3D ToF sensor.

Other specs include 5G, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, 4,400mAh battery with 66W wired, 50W wireless charging. The device also has IP68 certification, 3D face unlock, in-display fingerprint scanner, reverse wireless charging, Dual stereo speakers, and came with EMUI 11 based on Android 10 with HMS at launch.

Download Galaxy S21 series official wallpapers from here

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Dec 19, 2020

The Samsung Galaxy S21 series is yet to go official. It is expected to be announced in mid-January. Ahead of it, all three devices in the series have leaked extensively revealing almost everything about them, including price. Now, even their wallpapers are available for everyone to download.

Almost all OEMs introduce a new set of wallpapers with the release of their popular smartphones, especially flagships. Samsung is also no different in this regard. The South Korean tech giant is even known for releasing new variants of its ‘Over the Horizon’ ringtone every year.

Normally, these wallpapers are soon extracted by modders after the release of the phone’s firmware after its official announcement. Sometimes, they even make it to the internet before the release of the actual phones. The latter has happened in the case of the Galaxy S21 series.

The official wallpapers of the Galaxy S21 series were shared by a well-known leakster known as ‘Jimmy is Promo’. The collection includes a total of 22 still and live wallpapers.

Out of which, 4 are DeX Mode wallpapers, 12 are normal device wallpapers, and lastly, 5 of them are live wallpapers. You can download all of them from the link provided at the end of the post.

Having said that, the Galaxy S21 series will consist of three smartphones and you can learn everything about them by clicking/tapping on their names listed below.

Download Galaxy S21 Series Official Wallpapers

Entire specs of Galaxy S21 Ultra leak ahead of official launch

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Dec 19, 2020

Samsung is reported to announce the Galaxy S21 series on January 14. Ahead of it, the three devices in the series have leaked extensively in the past few days. Now, a new leak has emerged revealing the entire specs of the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The specifications sheet of the upcoming Galaxy S21 Ultra comes from Roland Quandt of WinFuture. The same tipster is also responsible for the press renders of all the three handsets in the series – Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra.

According to him, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will feature a glass and metal sandwich design like any other premium smartphone. The glass used on it will be Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, which made its debut on the Galaxy Note20 Ultra.

The handset will flaunt a 6.8-inch Infinity-O-Edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels (WQHD+), 515 ppi, 1600 nits peak brightness, and 1-120Hz refresh rate (LTPO). In simpler words, it will sport a 3K curved screen with a centered punch-hole. Additionally, the panel will also support S Pen stylus.

Further, the device will be powered by Exynos 2100 chipset paired with 12GB RAM and 128GB/256GB/512GB internal storage. It is worth noting that the US variant will come equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 instead.

As for photography and videography, the phone will feature the following camera setup.

Rear (Quad-camera)

108 MP (wide-angle lens, f / 1.8, 79 °, 24mm, 1 / 1.33 “, 0.8 µm, OIS, AF)
12 MP (ultra-wide-angle lens, f / 2.2, 120 °, 13mm, 1 / 2.55″, 1.4 µm, AF)
10 MP (telephoto lens, f / 2.4, 35 °, 72mm, 1 / 3.24 “, 1.22 µm, OIS, AF, 3x optical zoom)
10 MP (telephoto lens, f / 4.9, 10 °, 240mm, 1 / 3.24″, 1.22 µm, OIS, AF, 10x optical zoom)
PDAF, Laser AF, and LED Flash

Front (Single-camera)

40 MP (f / 2.2, 80 °, 1 / 2.8 “, 0.7 µm, 25mm, AF)

The smartphone will be capable of shooting 8K (30 fps), 4K (30/60 fps), 1080p (30/60/240 fps), and 720p ( up to 960 fps) videos respectively.

On the connectivity front, the Galaxy S21 Ulta will include dual-SIM + eSIM (varies by region), 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, GNSS, NFC, and USB Type-C port. Talking about sensors, it will be equipped with accelerometer, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, proximity sensor, gyroscope, compass, hall sensor, ambient light sensor, and UWB.

Other features include One UI 3.1 operating system based on Android 11, 5,000mAh battery, 45W wired fast charging, fast wireless charging (Qi), Wireless PowerShare (reverse wireless charging), stereo speakers, IP68 dust and water-resistant, Samsung Knox, ANT+, DeX, and two colors – Phantom Black & Phantom Silver.

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Last but not least, the Galaxy S21 Ulta will measure 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm in dimensions, weigh 228g, and it will start from €1,399 in Europe.

HONOR V40 gets certified by 3C with 66W fast charging

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Dec 19, 2020

Last month, HUAWEI sold its HONOR sub-brand to a consortium of over 30 agents and dealers. The brand’s first flagship smartphones after the sale are expected to be the HONOR V40 series. Not much information is available about these handsets. But since one of the models has now received 3C certification, we expect them to get listed on TENAA soon.

According to the 3C certification, the upcoming HONOR V40 device with model number YOK-AN10 will support 66W fast charging. Going by the charger’s model number (HW-110600C00) and output rates, the charging protocol should be HUAWEI 66W SuperCharge, which debuted on the HUAWEI Mate40 series.

But since HUAWEI no longer owns HONOR, the latter company may use a different branding for this charging tech just like OPPO (SuperVOOC), OnePlus (Warp), and realme (SuperDart).

That’s not all, we also expect the HONOR V40 series to run Magic UI 4, which is a fork of EMUI 11 based on Android 10. In other words, despite parting ways with HUAWEI, we expect HONOR to use its former parent company’s tech for the time being. That’s because these upcoming devices should have been in development for months.

That said, apart from 3C, this particular HONOR V40 model has also been certified by MIIT. Also, we know its codename – YORK. We expect to learn more about this device along with other models in the series if any in the coming days.

Leak: The standard vivo X60 will come in flat and curved display variants

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Dec 19, 2020

Chinese smartphone maker vivo is expected to officially announce the vivo X60 series by the end of this month. The company is yet to reveal the exact date for the launch event, however, the devices in the series have already been listed on online retailers. Even some of their specs are out as well. Now, new interesting info regarding this series has emerged.

According to the well-known tipster Digital Chat Station, the standard vivo X60 smartphone will come in two different variants. One with a flat-screen and another with a curved display. What’s more interesting is that the type of panel is similar (flexible AMOLED) on the two and so are their price.

That’s not all, even they will feature the exact same specs, except for the battery. As per the tipster, the flat version will be backed by a 4,300mAh battery, whereas the curved variant will come with a slightly lower 4,200mAh battery.

Hence, it seems like vivo will be testing the consumer’s display design preference by directly releasing the same phone with two different display designs. If this tip happens to be true, then vivo will become the first OEM to do a such thing as normally companies depend on surveys.

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Having said that, which type of display design you prefer – flat or curved? Let us know in the comment section below.

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra pricing for the European markets leaked

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 19, 2020

The rumor mill is spilling all kinds of information about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S21 series. A new leak by 91mobiles that cites information shared by popular tipster Ishan Agarwal has revealed the pricing of the Galaxy S21 5G, Galaxy S21+ 5G, and Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G for the European markets.

According to the leak, the 128 GB variant of the Galaxy S21 5G will be priced at 849 euros. The 128 GB Galaxy S21+ 5G will be priced at 1,049 euros. This pricing is lower than the 128 GB edition of the Galaxy S20+ that was priced at 1,099 euros at launch.

The 256 GB variant of the Galaxy S21+ 5G will carry a price tag of 1,099 euros. The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G with 128 GB storage will cost 1,399 euros. Shown below is the new render of the Galaxy S21+ shared by Agarwal. It shows the phone in its three color variants.

Samsung Galaxy S21 5G render- — Samsung Galaxy S21 5G render

Editor’s Pick: Official: Samsung’s new Exynos chipset will debut on January 12; could be Exynos 2100

Galaxy Club recently reported that the 128GB versions of the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra will be priced at 879 euros, 1,079 euros, and 1,399 euros. The differences in the pricing between the two leaks could be because of the taxes.

Shown above is another image shared by Agarwal. The image showcases the violet-colored Kvadrat case designed for the Galaxy S21 Plus. Recent reports have revealed that the Galaxy S21 series is already up for blind orders like India and China.

It is likely that the Galaxy S21 lineup may go official on Jan. 14 and it may release in different markets by the end of January. Samsung is expected to confirm the Galaxy S21 series launch date in the coming week.

Google Camera Go now allows users to click HDR pictures

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Dec 19, 2020

Google Camera Go debuted on Nokia 1.3 that was announced back in March 2020. A month later, the search giant was found to be working on HDR feature for this application. Now, eight months later, this feature is finally available for users.

Android Go Edition is a stripped-down version of the regular Android operating system for entry-level smartphones. It is designed for devices with 2GB or lower RAM. Most of these handsets are sold in developing nations as they are targeted at first time smartphone buyers.

Every now and then, Google introduces new features to this branch of Android OS. Hence, earlier this year, the company released an app called Camera Go. Months after the application’s official announcement, it received its first major feature – Night Mode in October.

Now, two months later, the app has got its second major feature – HDR. The Mountain View-based company confirmed it in a tweet sent by the official Android Twitter account.

In the announcement tweet, the firm even mentions that the final output of HDR pictures will vary by manufacturer. Anyway, these images should be much better than the regular shots.

Having said that, as we mentioned in the beginning, the Camera Go app is only available on smartphones running Android Go Edition. Although the APK can be installed on any device running Android 8.0 Oreo or higher, the Night Mode and HDR functionality won’t work.

Moto G Play (2021) specs leak through Google Play Console appearance

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 19, 2020

Recent reports have revealed that one of the upcoming Motorola phones could the Moto G Play (2021) smartphone. This phone could be the successor to the Moto G9 Play that went official earlier this year. The Moto G Play (2021) has been spotted at the Google Play Console. The listing has revealed a few key specs of the smartphone.

The Google Play Console listing reveals that the Moto G Play (2021) could be codenamed as “Guama” and its screen supports an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels and 280ppi pixel density. The smartphone is preinstalled with Android 10 OS.

The smartphone is fueled by the SM4250, which is nothing but the Snapdragon 460 chipset. The SoC is coupled with 4 GB of RAM. A frontal image of the smartphone is also available in the listing. It shows that the screen features a waterdrop notch and it has a thick bottom bezel. The right edge of the phone has a volume rocker and a power key. It is unclear whether it is a real or placeholder image.

Editor’s Pick: Motorola Capri receives FCC certification; Launch could be near

A month back, the Moto G Play (2021) had surfaced at the Geekbench benchmarking platform. It appears that its processor may have been wrongly identified as the Snapdragon 662 at that time. The Geekbench listing had also revealed that the G Play (2021) has 3 GB of RAM and Android 10 OS.

At the beginning of November, reliable tipster @OnLeaks had shared the CAD renders of the Moto G Play (2021). The renders revealed that the phone has a 6.5-inch display with a punch-hole design. The rear shell of the phone was found to be fitted with a square-shaped camera housing for its triple shooters and an LED flash. A fingerprint scanner was also found to be present on the rear shell of the device. The leak also revealed that the Moto G Play (2021) measures 165.3 x 75.4 x 9.5mm. The tipster had also mentioned that the model number of the device is XT-2117. It was found through a TUV Rheinland certification listing that is packed with a 4,850mAh battery.

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Samsung Galaxy M12 bags FCC certification; Could be launching soon

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 19, 2020

Since last month, the rumor mill has been spilling information about the Galaxy M12 mid-ranger phone by Samsung. Fresh information reveals that the smartphone has bagged certification from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. The FCC certification has revealed the battery capacity of the Galaxy M12.

A previous report had claimed that the Samsung Galaxy M12 is packed with a huge 7,000mAh battery. However, the FCC listing tells a different story. It has been found that the model number of Galaxy M12’s battery is EB-BM207ABY, which is nothing but a 6,000mAh cell.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro official support page goes live; A leak shows off 360° look

Last week, the Galaxy M12 was spotted at the Geekbench benchmarking platform. The listing revealed that it is powered by the Exynos 850 chipset. The listing also revealed that the M12 is equipped with 3 GB of RAM and Android 11 OS.

So far, the Galaxy M12 has bagged approval from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Bluetooth SIG, and Wi-Fi Alliance. The Galaxy M12’s model number is SM-M127F/DS. It is speculated that it could be rebranded as the Galaxy F12 in some markets. The F12’s model number is SM-F127G.

The CAD renders of the Galaxy M12 that had surfaced last month revealed that it measures 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9mm and it houses a 6.5-inch Infinity-V notch display. The M12’s back panel has a unique dual-textured design. The rear shell of the phone has a square-shaped camera module that houses four lenses. Below the camera housing is an LED flash unit. It has a side-facing fingerprint scanner.

Samsung is yet to confirm the arrival of the Galaxy M12 smartphone. With many of the important certifications in tow, it appears that the M12’s launch may not be far away.

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Sony removes Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store following complaints

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Dec 18, 2020

In yet another setback for games developer CD Projekt, its highly anticipated game, Cyberpunk 2077 has moved from one controversy to the other since its arrival last week, as it is being reported that it is unplayable on Sony‘s PlayStation PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox One S consoles. Disappointed gaming fans have therefore accused the developer CD Projekt Red of doing little to provide widely compatible versions of the game, saying that the Cyberpunk 2077 is riddled with unacceptably poor graphics and several game-crashing bugs.

In a swift move to restore confidence, and in response to the outcry, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has taken the decision to remove Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store and has gone further to offer full refunds to those users who purchased the game via its online store.

Editor’s Pick: Redmi 9 Power launched in India with 6,000mAh battery, Snapdragon 662, and 48MP quad-camera

In a statement, SIE says it strives to maintain excellent customer satisfaction, which standard was breached by the performance of Cyberpunk 2077, hence it is offering a full refund for all gamers who have purchased the game through the PlayStation Store. Sony also said it will be removing Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store until further notice.

Sony, with this move, also prevents PS4 Pro and PS5 users from further purchasing the game digitally, even though these versions are far more stable.

CD Projekt has tendered its apologies for the stated problems users of Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 and Xbox One faced and has promised to fix all issues and improve the overall experience.

The developer also stated that all efforts are in place to bring Cyberpunk 2077 back to the PlayStation Store as soon as possible, stressing that all earlier purchased physical and digital copies of the game will continue to receive technical support and updates as part of the improvement strategy for a better user experience for the game.

CD Projekt has also stated that there are no plans to pull out Cyberpunk 2077 from the Xbox digital store.

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Realme 7i vs OnePlus Nord N100 vs Samsung Galaxy A21s: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Dec 18, 2020

Lower-midrange smartphones are actually a great segment for those who want to save a lot of money while still getting great performance with daily use. You can actually get very interesting devices for less than €200. The latest one launched in Europe is the Realme 7i bringing all the power of a midrange MediaTek chipset to the low-end segment. But is it the most powerful and versatile handset under €200? There is no better way to understand it than comparing it with the most recent lower-midrange phones from other brands. The most suitable devices for this specs comparison are the OnePlus Nord N100: the first low-end phone released by OnePlus, and the Samsung Galaxy A21s.

Realme 7i vs OnePlus Nord N100 vs Samsung Galaxy A21s

	Realme 7i	OnePlus Nord N100	Samsung Galaxy A21s
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	164.1 x 75.5 x 8.9 mm, 188 g	164.9 x 75.1 x 8.5 mm, 188 g	163.7 x 75.3 x 8.9 mm, 192 g
DISPLAY	6.5 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), IPS LCD	6.52 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), IPS LCD	6.5 inches, 720 x 1600p (HD+), PLS IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	MediaTek Helio G85, octa-core 2 GHz (Snapdragon 662 in Asia)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 460, octa-core 1.8 GHz	Samsung Exynos 850, octa-core 2 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	2 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 3 GB RAM, 128 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE	Android 10, Realme UI	Android 10, OxygenOS	Android 10, One UI
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS
CAMERA	Quad 64 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.3 + f/2.4 + f/2.4 16 MP f/2.1 front camera	Triple 13 + 2 + 2 MP, f/2.2 + f/2.4 + f/2.4 8 MP f/2.0 front camera	Quad 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP, f/2.0 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 + f/2.4 13 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY	6000 mAh, fast charging 18W (5000 mAh in Asia)	5000 mAh, fast charging 18W	5000 mAh, fast charging 15W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot

Design

Realme 7i, OnePlus Nord N100 and Samsung Galaxy A21s sport a very similar design. All come with a punch-hole display, a rectangle-shaped camera module, a plastic unibody design, and a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. There are only marginal differences and what really changes are the color variants. Given that it is thinner and lighter, my favorite one is the OnePlus Nord N100. But the Samsung Galaxy A21s is slightly more compact, so it is a great option too. The Realme 7i has more interesting color variants thanks to its reflective back, and its display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.

Display

If you expect a great display, you should not go for any of these phones. In each case, you get a below-average LCD panel with an HD+ resolution (720p). We are not saying these panels are bad, but you can find a lot of better displays in the market. Samsung Galaxy A21s is the most disappointing as the OnePlus Nord N100 and Realme 7i come with a 90 Hz refresh rate, while the Galaxy A21s has just 60 Hz. The display of the OnePlus Nord N100 is slightly wider compared to the Realme 7i.

Hardware/Software

The best chipset is the one found on the Samsung Galaxy A21s. It is very powerful for a so affordable phone, and it is very efficient because it is built with an 8 nm production process. The Realme 7i offers great performance as well thanks to its Helio G85 and, in its most expensive configuration, it offers a higher amount of RAM compared to the Samsung Galaxy A21s (8 GB vs 6 GB). Further, the Realme 7i has UFS 2.1 internal storage, while Samsung Galaxy A21s is based on eMMC storage. My choice would actually be the Realme 7i despite the SoC of the Samsung Galaxy A21s is more efficient. All of these devices run Android 10, but we know OnePlus Nord N100 will only get one year of major updates.

Camera

The Realme 7i’s camera department varies depending on the market: in Asia, you get an amazing 64 MP rear camera, while in Europe, it has a 48 MP main camera. In both cases, we are talking about the best rear camera department of this trio. Even the front camera is actually better. The second place goes to the Samsung Galaxy A21s packing a 48 MP quad-camera and a 13 MP selfie camera, while OnePlus Nord N100 is disappointing with its 13 MP rear camera.

Battery

Realme 7i is the battery champion as it packs a bigger 6000 mAh battery. Samsung Galaxy A21s and OnePlus Nord N100 remain amazing battery phones, but they have just 5000 mAh.

Price

OnePlus Nord N100 is priced at €200/$245, Realme 7i costs €170/$208, and Samsung Galaxy A21s is priced less than €200. The winner of the comparison is the Realme 7i due to its great hardware department, very nice cameras, and a bigger battery.

Read More: Realme 7 5G vs OPPO A73 5G vs Moto G 5G: Specs Comparison

Realme 7i vs OnePlus Nord N100 vs Samsung Galaxy A21s: PRO and CONS

Realme 7i

PROS

Best rear cameras
Great hardware
90 Hz display
Huge battery

CONS

Nothing particular

OnePlus Nord N100

PROS

90 Hz display
Stereo speakers
Gorilla Glass 3
18W fast charging with 5000 mAh

CONS

One year of major updates
Inferior cameras

Samsung Galaxy A21s

PROS

Wide variety of memory configurations
Efficient chipset
Good design
NFC

CONS

Nothing particular

Qualcomm releases a video detailing the Snapdragon 888 multiple benchmark results

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Dec 18, 2020

US tech giant and leading chipmaker, Qualcomm has released further details about its latest chipset, the Snapdragon 888 which was announced on December 1 and detailed specifications provided on December 2. Today, the US chipmaker outlined the official benchmarking results for its high-performance chipset.

The initial reviews point in the direction that this latest offering by Qualcomm comes well recommended for high performance. The tests were carried out on a reference device powered by the Snapdragon 888 and conducted up to three times with average scores computed for the various performance metrics.

The benchmarks tested by the chipmaker include AnTuTu, GeekBench, GFXBench Aztec Normal and Manhattan 3.0, Ludashi AiMark, AITuTu, MLPerf and UL Procyon.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite with up to 9 days battery power launched for the global market

Starting off with AnTuTu (version 8.3.4) the Snapdragon 888 obtained an average score of 735,439 points which is a milestone score on the platform. The reference device, Huawei’s Mate 40 Pro+ chalked 698,654 points while the highest performing Snapdragon 865 phone so far was Xiaomi’s Mi 10 Ultra with 671,045 points.

The Geekbench (version 5.0.2) tests revealed 1,135 points in the single-core test and 3,794 for the Snapdragon flagship, marginally higher than that of SD 865 at about 900 on the single-core test and 3,400 points in the multi-core test. This result puts the SD 888 ahead by about 20% and 10% in single-core and multi-core performance, respectively compared to its predecessor, the SD 865.

Further details show that the SD 888’s Adreno 660 GPU averaged 86 frames per second on the Aztec Ruins Vulcan test and 169 fps on the Manhattan 3.0 test, both done at a resolution of 1080p offscreen. This result outclasses that of the Snapdragon 865+ whose maximum score was 133fps on Manhattan 3.0 runs.

UP NEXT: Exclusive: Xiaomi Mi 11 scheduled for December 29 launch

(via)

Konka unveils the world’s first MicroLED smartwatch with up to 35 days battery life

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Dec 18, 2020

The 2020 Chongqing Micro-LED Industry Innovation Forum and Konka Semiconductor Display Technology and Product Launch Conference was held today in China. At the press conference, Li Hongtao, Vice President of Konka Group and Chairman of Chongqing Institute of Optoelectronics Technology, gave a speech and introduced the layout and achievements of Konka Group in the semiconductor industry. At the end of the conference, Konka released the world’s first Micro-LED watch.

According to details released by the company, the world’s first micro-LED watch uses a 2-inch microcrystalline screen with a glass substrate of only 0.12mm. The company says that its chip size is less than 30um, which is a true microLED product. In addition, its display driver uses the most advanced active low-temperature polysilicon semiconductor display technology, which has a very good display effect.

Furthermore, the screen of this watch can reach a maximum brightness of 1500nit, the color gamut can reach 147% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, and the working temperature can reach-30 to 70 degrees, and the battery life can reach 35 days.

MicroLED uses self-emission backlight just like OLED panels, unlike the traditional LCD displays which require LED backlight modules to emit light through layers from behind to generate images.

Micro LED can achieve effects such as very high contrast, extremely deep blacks, and fast response time just like OLED. However, Micro LED has higher brightness and is more stable than OLED because of its inorganic nature.

A report from 2018 had revealed that Apple was working on using microLED for its smartwatch, AR device, and another unknown product. Although Konka didn’t reveal the manufacturer of the display used on its smartwatch, we suspect BOE. The Chinese display maker started mass producing its microLED panels last year.

UP NEXT: realme Watch S Pro Specifications and Features revealed ahead of December 23 launch

(source)

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro official support page goes live; A leak shows off 360° look

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