vivo X50e 5G launched in Singapore for S$699 ($527)

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Dec 17, 2020

Chinese smartphone maker vivo debuted the vivo X50e 5G in late September in Taiwan. It is the cheapest 5G device in the vivo X50 series of handsets. This phone has now launched in Singapore as well. Priced at S$699 ($527), it will go on sale starting December 19 in the region.

The vivo X50e 5G is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset as the standard vivo X50 5G. But instead of a punch-hole display, it flaunts a 6.44-inch FHD+ (2,400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED panel with a dew-drop notch and a fingerprint sensor underneath it.

Further, the back design of this handset is different than the rest of the vivo X50 series. Because it has the company’s older diamond-shaped camera module that includes a 48MP primary sensor, a 13MP 2x telephoto shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide snapper, a 2MP macro camera, and an LED flash. Whereas, on the front, the smartphone sports a 32MP selfie camera.

Other features of this device include dual-SIM, 5G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, GNSS (GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo), NFC, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, compass, gyroscope, USB Type-C port, and Funtouch OS 10 operating system based on Android 10.

Last but not least, the vivo X50e 5G draws power from a 4,350mAh battery with support for vivo FlashCharge (33W) fast charging, measures 162.05 × 74.97 × 8.88mm in dimensions, weigh 200.4g, and comes in two colors – Black & Silver.

As far as availability is concerned, the vivo X50e 5G can be purchased from authorized retailers across Singapore, including M1, Singtel, StarHub, Lazada, Qoo10, Shopee, and vivo official stores. For a limited time, customers can get a free pair of vivo neckband earphones and a case worth S$99 ($75).

(Via)

realme X7 and Watch S India retail boxes teased by realmeow

By

Balaji S

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Dec 17, 2020

A couple of days back, realme unveiled its official mascot, REALMEOW. The brand said that it is a reflection of the company’s vision. Further, it will be a part of realme’s marketing campaign going forward. Also, the character is the brand’s official Chief Trend Officer as per the company. Now, REALMEOW teases the box packaging of the upcoming realme Watch S and realme X7.

As you can see below, REALMEOW has posted the image on the realme India community page. The snap reveals what could be the Indian retail boxes for the upcoming products. Among the lot, visible ones are realme Smart Bottle, realme Watch S, realme X7. We already know that the company is bringing the realme Watch S, S Pro to India on December 23.

However, the realme X7 series, despite getting confirmed for 2021, hasn’t got an official launch date yet. Anyway, the yellow-colored box shows the first look of the realme Watch S Indian variant. It has a circular base, two crowns on the right side just like the one launched in Pakistan back in November.

Moving to the realme X7, there are two boxes- One is a white box with a big ‘X7’ labeled in Silver accent. This suggests that the realme X7 could have a “Fantasy White, C color Gradient” like the Chinese variant. The other one has the company’s usual yellow stripes in a white box with an ‘X’ label and realme X7 moniker.

Although the ‘Pro’ variant is missing in the images, the company has already confirmed that it is bringing a Watch S Pro and realme X7 Pro to India. Among these, the Watch S Pro is launching here first despite getting teased at IFA 2020 trade show in Europe. It will have improvements over the Watch S like a bigger 1.39-inch AMOLED display, stainless steel casing, GPS, and more.

The X7 Pro, on the other hand, has already got the country’s BIS certification alongside the X7 a few weeks back. Anyway, both the specs of Watch S and X7 are already known, and hence, let’s wait for the official pricing.

Vivo X60 / X60 Pro Geekbench listing appears with Exynos 1080 and Android 11 OS

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 17, 2020

Vivo is expected to announce the Vivo X60 series of smartphones such as the Vivo X60, Vivo X60 Pro, and Vivo X60 Pro+ by the end of this month. While the rumor mill has speculated that the X60 lineup will be made official on Dec. 28, there is no official confirmation on the launch date yet. Vivo recently confirmed that the newly unveiled Exynos 1080 will be present under the hood of the device. A new Vivo phone with model number V2047A has appeared on the Geekbench benchmarking platform with the Exynos 1080. It appears that the V2047A could be a Vivo X60 series smartphone.

The “S5E9815” text mentioned in the motherboard field in the Geekbench listing of the V2047A is the part number of the Exynos 1080 chipset. Hence, it appears that the Vivo V2047A phone could be the Vivo X60 or Vivo X60 Pro. It may not be the Vivo X60 Pro+ handset since it is expected to arrive with the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform.

The Vivo V2047A is loaded with Android 11 OS. The listing states that its SoC is coupled with 12 GB of RAM. It has scored 888 in the single-core test of the Geekbench 5 and it recorded a score of 3244 in the multi-core test.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo Y30 Standard Edition with Helio P35, 5,000mAh battery and 13MP dual cameras launched in China

The V2047A model number was previously spotted at the 3C certification platform of China. It revealed that the phone could be arriving with support for 33W fast charging. The V2046A and V2059A model numbers are said to be associated with the Vivo X60 series. They are also expected to support 33W rapid charging.

The rumor mill has only leaked the camera details of the Vivo X60 and X60 Pro so far. The X60 is expected to arrive with a 48-megapixel (f/1.6 aperture) + 13-megapixel (superwide) + 13-megapixel (portrait) triple camera system. On the other side, the Vivo X60 Pro is expected to feature the same camera setup along with an additional 8-megapixel periscope zoom lens with 5x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom support. The main camera of the X60 Pro is said to have an aperture rating of f/1.48.

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G FCC certifications suggests launch date could be approaching

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 17, 2020

Samsung is reportedly working on a few mid-range smartphones such as the Galaxy A72 5G, Galaxy A52 5G, and Galaxy A32 5G. The arrival of the Galaxy A32 5G could be drawing near since it has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. The FCC documents have revealed a few pieces of information about the Galaxy A32 5G.

Recent reports have revealed that the SM-A326J is the model number of the Galaxy A32 5G smartphone. The FCC documents revealed that the device will arrive with support for 5G connectivity, NFC, and 15W charging.

At the beginning of this month, reliable tipster @OnLeaks shared the CAD renders of the Galaxy A32 5G. It revealed that the phone will be sporting a plastic rear with a glassy appeal.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy A52 4G variant spotted with Snapdragon 720G

The rear side of the phone has a unique camera design that includes three cameras. It is speculated to arrive with a 48-megapixel main camera. An LED flash and an unknown sensor is placed alongside the three vertically aligned cameras. At the front, the smartphone features a 6.5-inch display with a waterdrop notch. The smartphone is expected to arrive with Android 11 OS preinstalled.

The Galaxy A32 5G is expected to arrive as the cheapest 5G-ready phone from Samsung. The Galaxy A42 5G is available with a starting price of 369 euros in the European markets. There is a possibility that the Galaxy A32 5G may start at 299 euros.

In related news, the CAD renders of the Galaxy A72 5G had appeared today. The leak revealed that it could be arriving as a larger version of the upcoming Galaxy A52 5G. The Galaxy A72 5G is expected to arrive with a 6.5-inch display and a 64-megapixel + 12-megapixel (ultrawide) + 5-megapixel (macro) + 5-megapixel (depth) quad-camera system. Its other specs are under wraps.

(via)

Galaxy A72 5G will come with a 64MP quad-camera setup

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Dec 17, 2020

Samsung is soon expected to unveil Galaxy A72 and Galaxy A52 as the successors to Galaxy A71 and Galaxy A51 respectively. Both the phones have been in the news for the past few days. Seems like they will continue to do so as new details regarding Galaxy A72’s camera setup have now emerged.

A few days back, case renders of Galaxy A72 5G popped up confirming it to come with a quad-camera setup instead of penta-camera. This leak was soon followed by 3D CAD renders by reliable leakster @OnLeaks (Steve Hemmersoffer), which also tell the same story.

Now, details regarding this camera setup have been shared by GalaxyClub. According to the publication, the upcoming Galaxy A72 5G will come equipped with a 64MP primary sensor but the sensor could be different than the one present in its predecessor. Further, this sensor may also feature OIS, as per a report from earlier this year.

Whereas, the other three modules will be a 12MP sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5MP sensor with a macro lens, and a 5MP depth sensor. In other words, Samsung has ditched the 8MP sensor with a 3x telephoto lens that was reported earlier.

Nothing else is known about the Samsung Galaxy A72 5G apart from its design and rear camera setup. But we expect to learn more in the coming days ahead of the handset’s official announcement.

Redmi Note 9T gets TUV Rheinland Certification; launch imminent

By

Balaji S

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Dec 17, 2020

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note9 series in China back in November. Since then, the devices started appearing in other country certifications leading us to believe an imminent global launch. Following this, the Note9 4G launched with few tweaks as the POCO M3 Globally, and as Redmi 9 Power in India today(Dec.17). Besides, several reports say that the Redmi Note9 5G from China could also launch as the Redmi Note 9T 5G globally. To ascertain this, the device has got TÜV Rheinland certification.

As you can see below, a Redmi device with model number M2007J22G appears on the TÜV certification website. If you recall, Thailand’s NBTC certification revealed that that M2007J22G belongs to Redmi Note 9T 5G a while ago. Additionally, two more model numbers M2007J22R, M2007J22C also appear alongside the device.

Previously, before the Redmi Note9 series launch in China, a device with a similar model number M2007J22C got listed on TENAA. This later turned out to be the Redmi Note9 5G with Dimensity 800U SoC. Thus, looking at all these, we can safely say that the M2007J22G is a global variant of the Redmi Note9 and has Redmi Note 9T moniker. Also, we guess the M2007J22R could just be a version for Russia(R – Russia).

Redmi Note 9T (Specifications)

Considering the device shares model numbers with the Chinese variant, its specs should be the same unless Xiaomi decides to surprise us with last-minute tweaks. In that case, the device is likely to feature a 6.53-inch FHD+ LCD display with a top-left punch-hole. Under the hood, it could be powered by a Dimensity 800U chipset paired with LPPDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage.

At the back, it should have a similar circular camera layout as China’s Note9 Pro 5G. However, it will probably have only three sensors namely 48MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP sensor. Other expected specs are a 5,000mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging, SA/NSA 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, GLONASS, MicroSD slot, and more.

Besides, the device has also got Malaysia’s SIRIM certification. So, the launch should happen across several regions. Let’s wait for official teasers to know more.

Bugatti is entering the home audio business with the ‘Royale’

By

Sean

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Dec 17, 2020

Bugatti, the known luxury sports car maker, is entering the home audio business. The automobile manufacturer is apparently partnering up with another brand to launch “the Bugatti of home audio.”

Similar to its ultra high end sports cars, Bugatti is planning on launching premium home audio systems as well. In an announcement earlier this week, the company said that it would be collaborating with a German based audio company called Tidal. This partnership will create “the Bugatti of home audio,” with its first pair of luxury speakers being dubbed “Royale.” Any sports car enthusiast would have heard of Bugatti, and its sports cars that are one of the fastest in the entire world. But the new move to enter the home audio is a bit surprising to say the least.

The Royale speakers are large floor standing loudspeakers that house a combination of four woofer speakers, a single three way driver, and a tweeter with a diamond diaphragm. As per a CNet report, these new audio products from Bugatti are active speakers. In other words, each individual speaker has its own built in amplification. For those unaware, most audiophile speakers are passive and are driven by a separate amplifier and preamp. The Royale speakers will pair with a Bugatti branded controller, which will allow users to connect to a variety of different audio sources to the speakers.

At the moment, the company is only planning on producing 30 pairs of the Royale speakers in two special editions, namely Edition Noir and Edition Blanc, which are black and white respectively. Notably, Bugatti will offer limitless amounts of customization on the massive speakers that weigh approximately 352 pounds (roughly 160 kilograms). Unfortunately, the automobile maker has yet to disclose the speakers’ price.

WhatsApp rolling out Audio and Video calls for its PC users

By

Sean

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Dec 17, 2020

While its been a couple of years since WhatsApp has added video and audio call feature, the social media platform has yet to bring the feature to its desktop PC users. But that might soon be changing, as the company is rolling out both features to WhatsApp Desktop app.

According to an AndroidAuthority report, WABetaInfo found that both the audio and video calls features are arriving to the desktop apps. The only issue is that the feature has only been available through a limited launch. So, most have yet to receive the update for now, and that both features still arrive with a beta label. But, the people that have received it should be able to see the buttons in the chat header, which is right next to the search icon.

This feature would still require users to connect their smartphones to the desktop application. Although, any audio or video calls will be routed via one’s computer. Furthermore, it is also unknown if the desktop app will support third party microphones or cameras. But hopefully, that is the case when the update rolls out to the current stable builds.

The social media giant had been rumored to be working on bringing these features to desktop for a while now. It even planned on making desktop a standalone application, meaning you would no longer require your smartphone to pair with the app or browser. Other beta updates, include the use of biometric security in your smartphone to activate WhatsApp on desktop. So stay tuned for more updates.

Realme C20 confirmed through NBTC certification

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 17, 2020

Realme released a couple of C-series smartphones such as the Realme C11, Realme C12, Realme C15, and Realme C17. Recent reports have revealed that recently spotted RMX3063 and RMX3061 phones could be the upcoming C-series Realme smartphones. Today, the NBTC authority of Thailand approved the RMX3061 smartphone. The certification revealed that the device will break cover in Thailand as the Realme C20

At present, there is no word on the specifications of the RMX3061 smartphone. While the RMX3063 and RMX3061 were both approved by India’s BIS regulatory body, Indonesian certification sites like TKDN and Sertifikasi, and Europe’s EEC authority. However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had only approved the RMX3063 phone. A few key details of the RMX3063 were found mentioned in its FCC documents.

Editor’s Pick: realme Buds Air Pro Master Edition and realme Watch S Pro to launch on Dec. 23

One of the FCC documents had carried the rear schematics of the Realme RMX3063. It revealed that the phone will be coming with a square-shaped camera module with three cameras inside it. The listing also revealed that it could be backed by a 5,000mAh battery and it will come loaded with Realme UI 1.0.

There are speculations that the RMX3063 and RMX3061 could be variants of the Realme C20. At present, the Realme C17 is available as the most powerful C-series smartphone in various markets. The Realme C20 moniker suggests that it could be positioned higher than the Realme C17. Hopefully, new reports will reveal more information about the Realme C20.

The Realme C17 has a 6.5-inch HD+ punch-hole display that offers a 90Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 460 chipset fuels the smartphone with a 5,000mAh battery. The handset supports 18W fast charging. In terms of photography, the Realme C17 offers users an 8-megapixel selfie camera and a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel (macro) + 2-megapixel (depth) triple camera system.

VinSmart plans on launching its smartphones in overseas markets

By

Sean

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Dec 17, 2020

VinSmart, the Vietnamese smartphone brand, is planning on launching its self developed smartphones in foreign markets. The company recently launched three new smartphone models in its home country’s market in the second half of 2020 and is apparently planning on expanding its horizons overseas.

According to TheElec report, VinSmart is apparently looking into launching smartphones in markets like North America, India, or other markets where Chinese smartphone brands have a lower market share or are facing obstacles due to the ‘geopolitical tension’. For those unaware, VinSmart is a relatively new brand, with its operations only beginning in 2018. At the start, it used Chinese manufacturers for its smartphones design, and only assembled a few of its products by itself.

Now, it has begun marking its own smartphones and has even expanded its development team, which includes past employees of industry giant’s like Samsung and LG. In the third quarter of this year, the company launched the Live 4 (code named V640 during development). It was priced around 177 US Dollars and targeted the entry level market. Since then, it has launched other models, which also target the budget level market. The company aimed on shipping a million units of all three models combined, but this target is unlikely considering it faced delays in production and launch due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

At the moment, its factory is located in Hanoi, Vietnam, and is capable of producing up to 26 million smartphones every year at full capacity. Although, once the site is completed, its production capacity will be able to reach up to 125 million units per year. Notably, the company’s plans on expanding outside of Vietnam will have its South Korean suppliers like Cammsys and Ryuk-Il C&S benefit. The former supplies its camera modules and fingerprint scanner, while the latter supplies the rear cover of its devices.

Huawei patents Identification Module and Storage Method for drones

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Dec 17, 2020

Huawei makes a number of products apart from telecom equipment and smartphones. The company is also exploring new categories like UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Hence, the firm has patented a technology related to drones.

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. filed a patent with the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration) for ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Identification Module and Storage Method’ in June 2019. However, it got approved and published on December 8, 2020. In simpler words, this patent details how the company’s future drones can be identified.

For those unaware, phones come with two physical identifiers – MAC (Media Access Control) and IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). The former is used for WiFi and Bluetooth, whereas the latter is used by SIM cards. Since these identifiers are unique, the device with a particular identifier can be easily recognized by the system.

Drones also use similar identifiers and like any other gadget, they are also prone to hacking. Hence, the identification system needs to be secured. Therefore, Huawei has created a new system for its drones and has patented them.

Hence, this patent only details how the physical identifier and storage method works to read and track information of a drone during its whole life-cycle.

As of now, Huawei is yet to launch a consumer drone. We don’t think the firm will ever release such products. Its UAV business should be mostly for commercial usage only.

(Via)

Huawei Mate 40 sold out in just under 1 minute in China

By

Sean

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Dec 17, 2020

Despite being announced a while ago, the Huawei Mate 40 only recently went available for pre orders. Since then, the device went on pre sales and was sold out in just under a minute, as the device went live online.

According to a Sohu report, the pre sales for the base model of the Huawei Mate 40 officially began on 16th December 2020 around 10:08 am. But just within a minute, the number of prospective buyers and overwhelming demand had the website display “sold out.” In other words, the premium grade flagship is already out of stock even before its actual December 21 release date. Apparently, many even believed the device to be one of the last to feature the company’s proprietary Kirin chipset, which led to a rise in demand.

For those unaware, Huawei lost its primary chip supplier TSMC, due to US sanctions. But, the company did have deadline to complete its existing orders with the world’s largest contract chipmaker, which allowed it to stock up on the Kirin 9000 series chips. Although, the Huawei Mate 40 series might be the last to arrive with its self designed chips. So, at the very least, the device is already successful in its home country China.

The company will be releasing the device on 21st December as well, so we might see a similar demand in the arriving official sale as well. Keep in mind, this is still a flagship device, so its quite impressive to see such a high end model being sold out in just under a minute, especially when its prices are 4,999 Yuan and 5,499 Yuan (roughly 763 US Dollars to 839 US Dollars). Unfortunately, we do not know how many units were up for sale.

Xiaomi emerges as the best-selling phone brand in Malaysia & SEA during 12.12

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 17, 2020

Xiaomi Malaysia has today disclosed that the brand emerged as the best-selling smartphone brand both in the country and also in entire southeast Asia during the Double 12 sales campaign. The feat was achieved on the two top e-commerce platforms Lazada and Shopee.

The data released shows that the recently launched POCO M3 was Xiaomi’s top-selling smartphone model on Lazada. The company raked in a cool 25,000 units in sales during the campaign.

On Lazada, Xiaomi ranked number one followed by Samsung and then Infinix, a Transsion Holding brand. The fourth spot is occupied by Realme, with OPPO completing the top 5 spots.

Editor’s Pick: Apple will use ‘hybrid OLED’ displays on iPads from 2022: Report

Xiaomi still topped the chart on Shopee with Samsung following closely. Realme was ranked as number three while OPPO and Vivo completed the top 5.

The Double 12 record for Southeast Asia is a continuation of where the Chinese brand left off during the 11.11 sales festival. From November 1st to 11th, Xiaomi was able to set a number of new records. Xiaomi’s mobile phones, smart TV, and other categories emerged as the top-sellers on multiple platforms such as JD.com, Tmall, and Suning. Among them, Xiaomi smart TV brand ranked as number one on the TV category in both JD.com and Suning Tesco both ranked first in sales.

For this year’s Double 11, Xiaomi distributed 1 billion yuan in subsidies across all platforms which includes Xiaomi Mall, Xiaomi Home, Xiaomi Youpin, Tmall, JD.com, Suning, and others. The subsidies and discounts cover all major Xiaomi product brands including smart TV, notebooks, and AIoT products, covering all major brands under Xiaomi Category.

It is worthy of note that Xiaomi has been the top brand on Tmall’s singles’ day sales for seven consecutive years, that is since 2013.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K 55 launched in India: Android TV 10, Dolby Vision, and 30W speakers

(via)

Xiaomi has shipped 5 million Mi TV units in India in just over 2 years

By

Sean

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Dec 17, 2020

Xiaomi has just shared a milestone that it achieved via a tweet. On Twitter, the company announced that its Mi TV lineup, which it introduced in India back in 2018, has reached 5 million units in shipments.

The Chinese tech giant made the announcement with the sales numbers arriving from the Xiaomi Data Center. Its first Mi TV model was the Mi TV 4 which launched back in February 2018. At the time, Xiaomi called it the world’s thinnest LED TV, which had it garner a lot of attention. Since then, the company has become one of the most popular smart TV brand in the Indian subcontinent, with part in due to its budget friendly pricing strategy paired with notable specifications.

The tweet was shared by the company’s official Mi India Twitter handle and announced reaching the 5 million Mi TV units being shipped. Xiaomi India also expressed its gratefulness to its customers and userbase in the tweet, and even asked their supportive fans regarding which Mi TV model they owned. Back in March 2020, the popular smartphone maker had announced that it had hit the 4 million mark for its Mi TV models in India, and in just 9 months, the figure has reach 5 million, which arrives as the company launched multiple new models in this year.

This includes a 2020 edition of the Mi TV 4X 55 inch, which is powered by a quad core Amlogic A53 processor and has 2GB of RAM. It runs on Android TV 9 and sports 20W speakers. Similarly, it also launched the Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition that is available in a 32 inch and 43 inch variant, and arrive with some highly competitive prices. The latest launch in Mi TV lineup is the recently launched Mi QLED TV 4K, which has a 55 inch QLED Ultra HD display.

Sony PlayStation 5 breaks Console sales number records in the US

By

Sean

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Dec 17, 2020

The newly launched Sony PlayStation 5 is already breaking sales number records in the US. The next gen gaming console is surpassing records set by some of the most popular consoles that launched in the past.

Sony and its PlayStation lineup has always been successful in the market, but the PlayStation 5 sales numbers suggest that the latest generation is performing quite well in comparison to the first month launches of older PlayStation models. Although, the record breaking feat does not end there, as it turns out, the the PS5 is actually beating any other video game console sales numbers in the US. This is a major achievement for the company, despite there being such a short supply for the new console.

At the moment, many stores are sold out or are selling out of stock in just minutes after fresh inventory arrives. So, we can clearly surmise that the demand is already there and the sales numbers could have been even higher. The PS5 has reached the highest launch month sales in US history, surpassing its previous iteration, the PlayStation 4, as per an AndroidHeadlines report.

Notably, the report also states that the PS5 is the highest selling console in US history for both number of units sold and the dollar amount as well. It is important to keep in mind that this is just the launch month, and the overall sales could still not be as impressive. So, there is still a chance for that to happen. But, we can assume that the new console from the Japanese tech giant already has a head start in the new console generation.

Huawei releases launch poster for a new smart screen coming on December 21

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Dec 17, 2020

Huawei has officially announced that it would launch a new smart screen product on December 21. The company released a teaser poster which shows that the smart screen will among other things, usher in the ability to change the channel without the remote control.

Previous rumors had hinted that the Chinese tech giant was planning to announce a smart screen before the end of the month. A tipster also added that the product to be released in an entry-level device dubbed Huawei Smart Screen S series. The product is said to feature a 55-inch display size with a 60Hz refresh rate. The smart TV will also have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage onboard.

Editor’s Pick: Apple will use ‘hybrid OLED’ displays on iPads from 2022: Report

In April this year, Huawei released a new smart screen V55i, equipped with AI smart eyes, support for Huawei Share smart multi-screen, Huawei Sound smart audio, and other functions. After that, in May, Honor released the Honor Smart Screen series, offering three versions of 65-inch, 55-inch, and 50-inch. We believe the new Smart Screen S series will also be available in different sizes.

Huawei also disclosed at the end of September that the Huawei Smart Screen will be the first batch of terminal products to upgrade to the new HarmonyOS 2.0. In October this year, Huawei’s smart screen series started to recruit for the new version of smart screen UX 2.0.

It is reported that the UX 2.0 user interface will bring functions similar to the operating system of smartphones to smart screen products, such as the pull-down notification center, which can more conveniently set some functions and parameters of the TV. UX 2.0 will also add multi-tasking and multi-device control.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K 55 launched in India: Android TV 10, Dolby Vision, and 30W speakers

(source)

Xiaomi Youpin launches voice-controlled Wall Lamp that costs 99 yuan ($15)

By

Jeet

-

Dec 17, 2020

Xiaomi Youpin has today launched a new product on its Youpin crowdfunding platform, a voice-activated wall lamp, for a price of 99 yuan, which is roughly $15. The store is also offering a nine-piece bundle for 699 yuan, roughly $107.

The highlight of this new voice-controlled lamp is that it changes the color based on the audible sound. There’s a Music Rhythm feature that is created for the game space which can interact with the sound of the game to change the light color.

EDITOR’S PICK: Google and Qualcomm promise big with 4 years of Android updates, But here’s what you need to know

The smartboard for the lamp can be spliced as well as combined on the wall and ceiling as per the user’s choice to design creative patterns. Xiaomi Youpin adds that it can be spliced up in any shape that the user wants to give it a more personalized look. It can also be used as a background for various activities, such as shooting video, streaming, or taking photos.

It comes with support for 16 million colors and can also be controlled through the color temperature line in the Mijia mobile application as well as the external sound volume. Apart from controlling it through the app, there’s also support for XiaoAI that brings voice-command-based control to this product.

Google and Qualcomm promise big with 4 years of Android updates, But here’s what you need to know

By

Sean

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Dec 17, 2020

Earlier today (17th December 2020), Google and Qualcomm announced a major improvement in the existing update cycle for Android smartphones. This largely had most believing that Android devices will now soon be eligible for “four years” of Android updates, which is an additional year over what certain manufacturer’s like Google or Samsung offer with their flagship smartphones. Although, this is not actually what both companies implied with the new announcement.

Apparently, the news and the headlines of various reports have been a bit confusing or even misleading to a certain degree, but that is only due to the original announcement from the chipmaker and search engine giant. According to an AndroidPolice report, very little is actually changing with this announcement of four year of Android updates. For those unaware, Google and Samsung currently offers about three major OS updates on their popular smartphones.

However, today’s announcement from both companies does not actually add to this figure. Rather, this just makes policy that was already an optional extra for smartphone OEMs who work with Qualcomm. In reality, it does not actually extend the lifespan of Qualcomm’s top end chips in any manner. This is all really confusing owing to how well Google and Qualcomm announced the entire news, but there are two major points to note:

Qualcomm will support three major Android OS updates for its entire portfolio of smartphone chips going forward, starting with the Snapdragon 888.
Smartphone OEMs will likely be able to now offer four full years of Android security updates going forward (based on our reading of the announcement).

These points from the original basically imply that four years of updates is being promised and not four years of Android OS updates. So, don’t expect four major OS version upgrades anytime soon. Google already offers about 36 months of security patch updates, which will now be extended to 48 months after this announcement. Furthermore, this also only applicable to all Android smartphones that feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 888 SoC for now.

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

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Dec 17, 2020

After teasing for the past few days, Xiaomi India has finally launched the Redmi 9 Power in India. As expected, this smartphone is a tweaked version of the Redmi Note 9 4G that debuted in China last month. Let us take a look at the specs, features, and price of this handset.

Redmi 9 Power Specifications and Features

The new Redmi-branded smartphone sports a 6.53-inch IPS LCD panel on the front with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and a typical brightness level of 400 nits. The display also includes a dew-drop notch at the top for an 8MP selfie camera. Moreover, the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and it is also certified by TÜV Rheinland for low blue light emission (Reading Mode).

The polycarbonate rear panel of the phone flaunts a large vertically aligned ‘Redmi’ branding and a quad-camera setup consisting of a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ( 120˚ field-of-view) ultra-wide unit, a 2MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. Whereas, the power key with an embedded fingerprint sensor and the volume rocker are located on the right side

Further, the left side of the device includes a 2+1 triple card slot for dual-SIM and a microSD card (up to 512GB), the top houses an IR blaster and a secondary microphone hole, and finally, the bottom includes a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack (Hi-Res Audio), a primary microphone hole, and a speaker grille.

Powering the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset paired with 4G LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB (UFS 2.1)/128GB (UFS 2.2) internal storage. The handset is backed by a massive 6,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. But interestingly, the company ships the phone with a 22.5W fast charger and it claims the battery to last for up to 3 years, thanks to ELB (Enhanced Lifespan Battery) technology.

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Other features of this budget smartphone include 4G LTE, VoLTE, VoWiFi, dual-band WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS (GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou), accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, compass, splash-proof nano-coating, rubberised ports, auto-cleaning stereo speakers, and MIUI 12 based on Android 10.

Last but not least, the Redmi 9 Power measures 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6mm in dimensions, weighs 198g, and comes in four colors namely Mighty Black, Blazing Blue, Electric Green, and Fiery Red.

Redmi 9 Power Pricing and Availability

Xiaomi has priced the Redmi 9 Power at ₹10,999 for the 4GB + 64GB variant and ₹11,999 for the higher 4GB + 128GB version. The first sale for the phone is scheduled for December 22 at 12 PM. It can be purchased from either Amazon India, Mi.com, or Mi Home stores.

Like any other Xiaomi handset, it will be also available from leading offline retailers in the coming days.

Google faces yet another antitrust lawsuit in the US, this time for its advertising business

By

Jeet

-

Dec 17, 2020

Earlier this month, we reported that several states in the United States are planning to file new antitrust lawsuits against Google and Facebook. That turned out to be true when last week Facebook was sued by the US federal regulators and more than 45 state prosecutors.

Now, around ten states of the U.S., led by Texas attorney general, has filed a lawsuit against Google, accusing the company of working with Facebook in an unlawful manner that violated antitrust law.

It accuses the tech giant of abusing its monopoly over the digital advertising market, allowing its own exchange to win ad auctions even when others bid higher and overcharging publishers for ads.

With such practice, the company aimed to boost its already-dominant online advertising business, claims the lawsuit. It adds that Google unlawfully acquired, attempted to acquire, or maintained a monopoly in several steps of the online ad market including both buying and selling sides.

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Further, it alleges that the search engine giant also engaged in unlawful tying arrangements between its ad products, forcing publishers to use another Google tool if they chose to operate on its ad exchange.

The lawsuit is seeking compensation for damages and also asks for “structural relief” which usually means divesting some assets. For those who are unaware, Google controls one-third of the global online advertising industry.

This latest lawsuit is the second major from regulators against Google and the fourth overall in the United States. The company is also expected to face another lawsuit this week from another coalition of bipartisan state AGs which also targets its search services.

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