OPPO A15s launched in India with more RAM/storage, 8MP selfie camera, and new colors

By

-

Dec 16, 2020

After a number of leaks, Chinese smartphone maker OPPO has finally launched the OPPO A15s in India. It is said to be a slightly upgraded version of OPPO A15 that debuted in the country in mid-October. Let us take a look at the specs, features, and price of this handset.

OPPO A15s Specifications and Features

The newly unveiled OPPO A15s is similar to the already available OPPO A15. The only major differences are that the former features an 8MP selfie camera and comes in a single 4GB + 64GB storage configuration On the other hand, the latter sports a 5MP selfie shooter and is only sold in lower 2GB/3GB + 32GB variants in India.

Another small but notable dissimilarity is that the latest handset comes in two new colors namely Fancy White and Rainbow Silver, in addition to standard Dynamic Black.

Apart from the above-mentioned differences, the OPPO A15s is OPPO A15 inside out. Hence, it is powered by the same MediaTek Helio P35 chipset paired with eMMC 5.1 storage and LPDDR4x RAM. As for software, it runs ColorOS 7.2 based on Android 10.

On the front, the device sports a 6.52-inch IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 1600×720 pixels (HD+), 269ppi, 71% NTSC color gamut, 1500:1 contrast ratio, and 88.7% screen-to-body ratio. This screen can reach a peak brightness level of 480 nits and has a 60Hz refresh rate as well as a 60Hz touch sampling rate.

There is a dew-drop notch at the top of the display housing the selfie camera. Whereas, the rear panel of the handset features a 13MP (wide, f.2.2) + 2MP (macro, f/2.4) + 2MP (depth, f/2.4) triple camera setup and a capacitive fingerprint sensor.

Other features include dual-SIM, 4G, VoLTE, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS (GPS, A-GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS), MicroUSB 2.0 port, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card slot, and 4,230mAh battery.

OPPO A15s Pricing and Availability

The OPPO A15s is priced at ₹11,490 ($156) and will go on sale starting December 21. It can be purchased from Amazon India and leading offline retailers in the country.

As part of launch offers, customers can avail a 5% cashback via ICICI Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Federal Bank credits cards as well as ZestMoney if they opt for no-cost EMI (up to six months).

Also, customers buying through financial services like Bajaj Finserv, IDFC First Bank, HDB Financial, Home Credit, HDFC Consumer loan, and ICICI Bank don’t need to pay down-payment.

Samsung Galaxy M02s Google Play devices listing suggests it could be a rebrand of Galaxy A02s

By

Balaji S

-

Dec 16, 2020

Samsung is already working on the next budget M series of devices. Dubbed the M12, a device has already appeared on several certifications. Today, a report by Gadgets360 says another Galaxy-M series device is in the works. And it could be a rebrand of a Galaxy-A smartphone.

According to the report, a Samsung device with model number SM-M025F appears on Google Play Supported devices list. Accordingly, it’s marketing name is shown as Galaxy M02s. Besides, the device also has a codename ‘a02q’. This not only matches with the Galaxy A02s in the listing but also suggests that the device could be a rebrand of the latter.

That said, a few weeks back, a Samsung device with model number SM-M025F/DS was spotted on the company’s official support page. While the device is speculated to be the Galaxy M02 and a rebrand of the Galaxy A02, it could just be a variant of the Galaxy M02s.

Anyway, the Galaxy A02s which launched back in November, is yet to go on sale in Europe. Priced at €150, the device has quite the specifications to perfectly fit as a successor to the Galaxy M01s smartphone. It has better specs like a bigger display, powerful processor, triple cameras etc.

Galaxy M02s Specifications( Expected from A02s)

Either way, if Galaxy M02s turns out as the rebrand of Galaxy A02s from Europe, it will feature a bigger 6.5-inch HD+ display instead of the 6.2-inch on the M01s. Additionally, it will also have a better Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC under the hood.

If you look at the rear of the Galaxy A02s, it has a vertically striped triple-camera array. This is a sensor plus from the dual camera of the Galaxy M01s. Anyway, the M02s will likely have a 13MP main, and two 2MP sensors.

Other expected specifications are a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, MicroSD expansion up to 1TB, and more. Let’s wait for the official details to ascertain the above claims.

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

By

Balaji S

-

Dec 16, 2020

Back in November, a report said Apple plans to introduce mini-LED and OLEDs to iPads by 2021. However, an update from several tipsters revealed that the iPad will have OLED displays only by 2022. Now, a report from Korea has more details regarding the display tech that’s coming to the iPads.

According to the report, Apple has made the decision of introducing OLEDs to iPads from 2022. In fact, it has already made requests to suppliers like Samsung Display and LG Display. What is interesting here is the new OLED tech that Apple is reportedly going to use.

Precisely, Apple will use “hybrid OLED” displays on the 2022 iPads. These are said to be thinner than typical OLED displays. Samsung will reportedly start supplying these panels in 2022 while LG Display will join a year later. A source for the report says Samsung has already started taking necessary steps for it.

Also, if another source is true, Apple will use Samsung’s panel on one iPad model in 2022. Following this, both Samsung and LG will begin the full-scale supply from 2023. Speaking of which, the hybrid OLED panels will reportedly be a combination of flexible and rigid OLED. Basically, the terms refer to the rigid(glass) or flexible substrates that are being used.

The latter obviously is about 3x times costlier than rigid OLED and can withstand more impact. Anyway, the new panel from both the companies will have a rigid glass substrate(TFT- Thin Film Transistor). On top of this, it is said to be applied with TFE (Thin Film Encapsulation) technology.

Simply put, the TFE is used in flexible OLEDs to reduce the overall thickness whilst not compromising on the rigidity. Samsung calls it the UT(Ultra Thin) panel while LG says it as ATO (Advanced Thin OLED).

Either way, it looks like 2022 iPads will be the first to use OLED displays after a lot of rumors. Also, you can take a look at the display transition of its portfolio of products below:

First AMOLED product by Apple- Apple Watch 2015.
First OLED iPhone- iPhone X(2017)
Current Apple watch– use LGD’s Flexible OLED(2020)
First mini-LED MacBook– 14-inch(rumored-2021)
First OLED iPad-Expected-2022.

That said, rumors aside, Apple’s transition from LCD to LED tech has been a smooth and cleverly positioned strategy starting from 2015. Besides, the report also mentions the possibility of Apple using mini-LED on iPads in 2021. These are basically a film of backlit LEDs over a Liquid Crystal Layer(LCD).

Motorola-branded 4K Android TV dongle may soon launch in India

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Dec 16, 2020

With the advent of streaming wars, more companies have started releasing streaming devices. That’s not all, smart TVs have now become cheaper than ever before. In India, the country’s popular eCommerce platform Flipkart sells these sorts of products under three different brands namely MarQ, Nokia, and Motorola.

Now, according to Android TV Guide, Flipkart may soon release the first Motorola-branded 4K Android TV dongle. This device will bear the model number DVM4KA01 and will be powered by an Amlogic S905Y2 chipset with a 1.8GHz quad-core (ARM Cortex-A53) CPU and ARM Mali-G31 MP2 GPU.

This streaming dongle will run Android TV Pie and will support both Netflix and Prime Video. Manufactured by an ODM called Shenzhen SDMC Technology Co., Ltd., this device is also known as HAKO Mini (Taiwan), Polaroid SmartBox S, and Philips NeoViu D1.

Since the latter models are already official, we can visualize how the Motorola dongle will look like. The only major difference should be the presence of Motorola branding.

1 of 3

That said, when Flipkart will launch this product in India, it will be primarily competing against Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K since there aren’t any 4K streaming dongle, although there are boxes like Mi Box 4K.

The only Android TV competitor we could think of is the unreleased Mi TV Stick 4K, which is said to be powered by the same chip.

Real-life images of the Huawei Nova 8 surfaces online a week before launch

By

Balaji S

-

Dec 16, 2020

Ever since the Huawei Nova 8 launch date was announced, we have been coming across a lot of leaks. In the run-up to the December 23 event, it looks like everything about the device will probably be revealed. A recent leak shares the real-life images of the Nova 8 non-Pro in Green color.

As reported by ITHome, tipster Digital Chat Station has revealed the real-life image of the Huawei Nova 8 smartphone. Accordingly, the Nova 8 will have a 6.57-inch FHD+ OLED display. The display will have a refresh rate of 90Hz and probably a 2560×1080 pixel resolution. Interestingly, a live image shared by him shows a single punch-hole screen.

This leak corroborates the early report on specifications which said Nova 8 will have a 90Hz OLED screen with 1 billion colors. Anyway, a new report by ITHome shares additional images of the Nova 8. It shows the rear of Nova 8 having a Green color with an oval-shaped camera module.

Earlier today, a leaked render showed a similar module that goes well with this leak. The module has an LED flashlight and four sensors out of which the first one is pretty large. As you can see below, it has a white ring around it, and “AI QUAD CAMERA”, “ULTRA HD SENSOR” slogans surround it. Also, there is a ‘nova’ branding and Huawei logo at the bottom.

1 of 4

Nova 8, 8 Pro Camera Specifications(Expected)

Besides, the tipster says that the punch-hole on Nova 8 is about 4mm and the same as that of Huawei Mate40. However, the difference here is the punch-hole is moved to the center instead of the top-left position on the latter. Plus, it also confirms that Nova 8 series will have two devices.

This is because the previously leaked poster showed a device with a dual punch-hole screen which is likely Nova 8 Pro with dual cameras. Speaking of which, the Nova 8 series’ camera specifications will almost be similar unlike the predecessor, Nova 7 and 7 Pro. At the back, both the devices will have a 64MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, two 2MP sensors(likely macro, depth).

On the other hand, the Nova8 will have a single 32MP selfie shooter whereas the Nova 8 Pro will have dual 32MP and 16MP sensors. Other alleged specifications include a Kirin 985 SoC, 66W SuperCharge technology, and a rumored starting price of 3,000 yuan($458) for Nova 8, and 4,000 yuan($611) for 8 Pro. Let’s wait for the official launch to know more.

Google patents a fitness tracker design similar to Amazon Halo

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Dec 16, 2020

Last November, Google announced that it will be acquiring Fitbit for $2.1 billion. The acquisition is yet to complete but the search giant has already patented a design for a fitness tracker. Like any other patent, it is not sure if this will ever end up as a consumer product.

According to 91Mobiles, Google filed this design patent with the United States Patents and Trademarks Office (USPTO). The documentation with a number of design sketches mentions it to be a “wristband for tracking fitness”.

Looking at the sketches, we can notice that this fitness tracker is somewhat similar to the recently launched Amazon Halo. In other words, it does not feature a screen, and therefore, wearers will have to rely on their connected smartphone to known the readings.

Further, the strap of this wearable seems to be fitted with the tracker itself. If that is the case, then customers will have to buy a new unit if they want a different color. This suggests that this fitness tracker could be a part of a subscription service just like Amazon Halo.

That said, although the documents do not say anything about this product’s specs, we think that it will use a magnetic charger since there are pogo pins near a sensor that appears to be for heart-rate monitoring.

1 of 9

Anyway, if Google is ever to release a such wearable, we expect to learn about it before its official announcement via leaks and certifications.

Apple is working on AirPods Pro ‘Lite’, arrives without noise cancellation

By

Sean

-

Dec 16, 2020

Apple has confirmed that it is working on releasing an AirPods Pro ‘Lite’ version. This new variant of the popular TWS earbuds from the company arrives without its popular active noise cancelling feature and is expected to launch at a lower price tag.

As per TheElec report, the Cupertino based giant is working on such a product to expand its presence in the wireless earphones market, which has grown immensely in recent times. The report states that the Lite variant of the AirPods Pro without the noise cancelling feature will launch sometime within the first half of next year. At the moment, the company is developing a system-in-package (SiP) product containing ‘H1’, an AirPod audio driver chip, through a domestic materials partner.

The existing SiP has a rounded shape, while the upcoming Lite variant is expected to feature a simple square design. According to the report, it is scheduled to undergo quality verification within this year and start production in 2021. As per a source close to the matter, the price of these new hearables will be around 20 percent lower than the price of the AirPods Pro that arrives with the active noise cancelling technology.

Apparently, Apple had originally planned on launching the AirPods Pro Lite immediately after the base AirPods Pro. However, the demand and popularity of the latter exceeded expectations causing the company to delay the product to maximize its sales and margins. Apple is one of the most popular brand in the hearables market, so the move to launch a more affordable AirPods would only benefit its position in the industry.

Samsung will not discontinue the Galaxy Note series in 2021: Report

By

Sean

-

Dec 16, 2020

Over the last couple of months, various rumors and reports had surfaced regarding Samsung discontinuing its Galaxy Note series of flagship smartphones. However, a company official has stated otherwise, saying that the company is not planning on killing off the series anytime soon.

According to a SamMobile report based on a Yonhap News article, a Samsung official revealed that the company is “preparing to release the next Galaxy Note series next year.” In other words, we can expect a Galaxy Note 21 lineup along with the Galaxy S21 series. For those unaware, the rumors behind the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note series were strengthened after TM Roh, Samsung’s mobile business chief, hinted that the Galaxy S21 will arrive with S Pen support.

But the source from within the company stated that “Roh’s message does not mean that the Galaxy Note series will be discontinued.” At the moment, there are various conflicting reports regarding the future of the Galaxy Note series, with reports stating that the company might completely shut down the lineup, or launch one last generation before merging it with the flagship Galaxy S series.

Unfortunately, we still have no way of confirming any of these reports, and will have to wait for an official company announcement to know for sure. Furthermore, Samsung could possibly decide to end its Note lineup in favor of the new Galaxy Z series of fordable handsets in the near future, but this is again speculation so take it with a pinch of salt for now. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing more updates when additional information is available.

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

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Dec 16, 2020

Xiaomi India has entered the premium smart TV category with the launch of Mi QLED TV 4K 55. The newly unveiled Mi TV is the company’s first QLED television for the country. Initially, it was thought to be the Mi TV 5 Pro that the brand introduced in China last year. But then, the company itself confirmed that the model launching in India will be different. Let us take a look at the specs, features, and price of this new television.

Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K 55 Specifications and Features

As the name suggests, the new Xiaomi television flaunts a 55-inch QLED panel with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels (4K), 100% NTSC color gamut, 95% DCI-P3 color gamut, and 96% screen-to-body ratio. The panel supports all the popular HDR standards such as Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG. But unfortunately, the display does not come with the local-dimming feature.

Further, the TV also supports RealityFlow (MEMC) and Vivid Picture Engine (proprietary display profile tweak). As an added bonus, the television comes with a metal frame, carbon fiber back, and metal stands. However, the wall mount is sold separately. The regular variant costs ₹499, whereas the swivel version is priced at ₹1,199.

Under the hood, it features the MediaTek MT9611 chipset with the Mali-G52 MP2 GPU. This silicon is paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. The television’s chassis also includes a 30W 6-speaker system consisting of 4 x full-range speakers and 2 x tweeters. They operate at around 50-20KHz frequency range and support Dolby Audio and DTS-HD.

The TV runs Android TV 10 and therefore, it comes with Google Play Store, Chromecast Built-in, and Google Assistant. Like any other Mi TV, it also ships with PatchWall launcher, a content aggregation service that is currently at v3.4. The minimal Mi TV remote is also included as part of the package.

Talking about connectivity and I/O, the television comes with dual-band WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, 3 x HDMI 2.1 (eARC, 5ms input lag – 4K@60fps, ALLM – Auto Low Latency Mode), 2 x USB 2.0 (Type-A), Ethernet (RJ45), 1 x optical, AV, and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Other features include Mi Quick Wake (faster boot time – under 5 seconds), Mi Quick Mute (double press volume down to mute), and Mi Quick Settings (long press Mi button to access settings).

1 of 3

Last but not least, being a smart TV, it supports all the streaming platforms in India and Xiaomi has even announced that Discovery+ and Lionsgate Play will be coming soon to PatchWall.

Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K 55 Pricing and Availability

The Mi QLED TV 4K 55 is priced at ₹54,999 ($748). It can be purchased from Mi.com, Flipkart, Mi Home, Vijay Sales, and other leading retail stores starting December 21.

Customers buying from Flipkart can avail a 10% discount via SBI Credit Card or EMI transaction for a limited time.

SK Hynix begins operations in its foundry factory in China

By

Sean

-

Dec 16, 2020

SK Hynix is beginning operations from its foundry factory in China. The South Korean chipmaker held a factory production ceremony earlier this week and is now starting operations from the Chinese unit.

SK Hynix System IC’s factory can handle with 8 inch wafers, which is notable since Chine has numerous fabless companies, as per TheElec report. At the moment, China’s fabless market is estimated to have a value of 25.5 billion US Dollars, which is expected to more than double by next year reaching 68.6 billion US Dollars. This news also arrives after China’s largest chipmaker, SMIC, being added to the entity list by the US government, which should benefit the South Korean company.

Back in 2018, SK Hynix entered into a joint venture with the Wuxi government and has since completed its factory in 2019. Since then, the company had been working on shifting some of its equipment at its M8 fab in its South Korea to the newly opened one in China. Other necessary equipment are expected to be transferred by the end of 2021, and will have fab produced in China while research and development will be undertaken in South Korea.

Notably, the news also arrives as SMIC shares fell after one of its top executive resigned. The surprising resignation of the co-CEO Liang Mong Song was shared via online media outlets and stated that the reason for his departure was the appointment of a vice chairman without his approval. The Chinese semiconductor based firm has since seen a drop in shares between 7.2 percent to as much as 9.8 percent lower, which is the most in a day since the past three months, as per a Fortune report.

Honor to soon launch a new product, the company’s first after going independent

By

Jeet

-

Dec 16, 2020

About a month ago, Chinese giant Huawei officially confirmed selling off its sub-brand Honor to Zhixin New Information Technology Co. Ltd. Since then, the company has gone through a lot of structural change, and now Honor is set to launch its first product.

Zhao Ming, CEO of the new Honor band, shared a letter on Weibo, signed as Honor Management Team. In that, he has confirmed that the company will soon launch its first product after going independent from Huawei.

However, he has not revealed much about what the product is and what is the timeline for the launch. There have been reports claiming that the company could launch the Honor V40-series smartphones sometime in early 2021.

Coming back to the letter shared on Weibo, which was written to celebrate the seven-year anniversary of the Honor band, Zhao Ming thanked the company’s users, distributors, retail partners, suppliers, and manufacturers.

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple’s new patents hint at Touch ID and under-display Camera support for Apple Watch

It has also been confirmed that the company will be hosting an annual fan meet next month where the future of the Honor brand will be discussed. We expect the company to make an announcement about upcoming products at that event.

Zhao Ming has said that the company’s aim is to become the leading smartphone brand in China, surpassing its former parent company and the current market leader, Huawei. He has also set an ambitious sales target of 100 million units for the upcoming year.

The company has already started working towards that goal. It is currently in the process of getting its supply chain in order and is also expanding the Honor brand’s presence in the offline space. It has already opened stores in cities like Chengdu, Lanzhou, Wuhan, and Xiamen, and plans to keep launching new stores.

Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite pre order starts on December 17 in Malaysia for RM199 ($49)

By

Sean

-

Dec 16, 2020

Xiaomi has officially announced the Mi Watch Lite, which is their most affordable smartwatch, that will be available for pre orders in Malaysia on 17th December 2020 for a price of just RM199 (roughly 49 US Dollars).

Despite carrying such an affordable price tag, the Mi Watch Lite from the Chinese tech giant arrives with built in GPS, a heart rate sensor and even sleep monitoring. Its battery can have the wearable last till a week and powers its 1.4 inch TFT LCD touch display that features a 320x320px resolution. Additional sensors include accelerometer, gyro, light sensor, e-compass, and barometer. Xiaomi is also offering up to 11 sports modes to its users that can track different types of physical activities.

The Mi Watch Lite also arrives with water resistance and is rated for 5ATM, which means it can be submerged up to 50 meters deep under water. In terms of design, the smartwatch features a single physical button and arrives with 5 different color variants, ranging from Black, Navy Blue, Pink, Olive and Ivory. Notably, the straps are also replaceable and can be swapped as well.

The official price of the Mi Watch Lite is actually RM249 (roughly 61 US Dollars) and it will be available for purchase from the company’s official Xiaomi online store, Lazada, and other authorized Mi Stores and retailers as well, starting from 20th December 2020. But for those interested, you can check out the one day only pre order promotional offer that is offering the affordable smartwatch from just RM199, via the Xiaomi online store or Lazada on 17th December 2020.

Faraday Future partners with Phillips to develop and showcase health and wellness features

By

Jeet

-

Dec 16, 2020

Faraday Future, a startup working on an electric vehicle, has announced that the company has partnered with Philips Intellectual Property & Standards for showcasing vehicle features that use a select set of Philips technologies.

In this joint development agreement, Philips will provide its expertise in user wellness monitoring and together with Faraday Future, they will integrate the technologies accordingly in FF’s vehicles.

The company adds that Philips’ health technology and software add significant differentiators to Faraday Future’s product vision and its planned upcoming FF 91 and FF 81 luxury electric vehicles.

EDITOR’S PICK: China to reportedly raise antitrust scrutiny on tech giants

Faraday Future has also added that the company plans to kick-off production for FF 91 in about nine months after it successfully closes its funding round. This will then be followed by the FF 81 EV and development preparation of future models.

The company, founded in 2014, has been through a messy situation a few years ago. It has been facing financial issues since 2017 as LeEco, the company it was tied to, started having financial problems, which have been linked to the founder and CEO of both the companies — Jia Yueting, who filed personal bankruptcy earlier this year.

A couple of months ago, it was reported that Faraday Future is planning to go public through a special purchase acquisition company (SPAC) deal. But so far, there has been no announcement from the company regarding the same.

China to raise anti trust scrutiny on tech giants: Report

By

Sean

-

Dec 16, 2020

China is expected to tighten its anti trust reins around its technology giants, with its heavy fines being just the beginning. This arrives just after regulators also announced a probe into deals with major brands like Alibaba and Tencent.

Earlier this week, China’s market regulator announced that it would be raising its scrutiny on notable transactions, especially ones backed by internet giants. As per a Reuters report, the regulator is also looking into making “an example” of a 3.5 billion US Dollars plan for search engine Sogou Inc to be taken private by shareholder, Tencent Holdings. The information arrives from two sources close to the matter.

A third source added that the regulator is also targeting a bid by private-equity firm MBK Partners to buy China’s top online car rental firm. The source believes that the move arrives to address the concern of competition as MBK already owns the industry’s second car rental brand. The State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) is planning a a thorough review of the Sogou Tencent transaction, which could even translate to the deal missing its July 2021 completion deadline.

According to one of the sources, “The deal now faces big uncertainty and there’s a big chance that it may not close as planned.” Notably, Internet search is a sensitive issue in China, with SAMR taking special consideration that Tencent is already one of the market leaders in various online sectors and fields that it operates its business in. As per Jiaming Zhang, a senior associate at law firm Allen & Overy, “all these recent developments seem to suggest that SAMR is ready to open a new chapter for its enforcement actions in the internet sector.”

Vivo X60 confirmed to be powered by Samsung Exynos 1080 chipset

By

Jeet

-

Dec 16, 2020

Vivo X60 and X60 Pro smartphones have been leaked for quite some time now and the phones are now expected to go official in China on 29th December. Ahead of the official launch, the company has now started sharing details about the devices.

The company has now confirmed that the Vivo X60 smartphone will come powered by the Samsung Exynos 1080 chipset, which is manufactured using the 5nm EUV FinFET process.

As per the company, the Exynos 1080 SoC from Samsung offers a 14 percent improvement in performance and about 30 percent in power consumption when compared to a chipset manufactured using an 8nm LPP process.

It uses the latest generation of ARM‘s Cortex-A78 core and comes packed with a Mali-G78 graphics processor, which is claimed to improve performance by 25 percent when compared to the Mali-G77 GPU.

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple’s new patents hint at Touch ID and under-display Camera support for Apple Watch

The company has also confirmed that the Vivo X60 series features a brand-new ultra-stable micro-pan-tilt technology 2.0, which can obtain a larger anti-shake angle than the ordinary OIS technology and offers better night mode shooting.

A recent leak reveals that the Vivo X60 features a triple camera system that includes a 48-megapixel primary camera sensor with an f/1.6 aperture. It will be accompanied by a 13-megapixel super-wide lens, and a 13-megapixel portrait camera. It also features second-generation micro-gimbal stabilization powered by ZEISS optics.

Vivo is expected to launch three smartphones under the lineup — Vivo X60, X60 Pro, and X60 Pro+, all three of which are expected to have a 120Hz refresh rate display, Android 11 operating system with OriginOS, and 33W fast charging technology support.

Samsung Galaxy S21 to ship to early adopters in some markets

By

Sean

-

Dec 16, 2020

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is set to be given away in Indonesia, with a new dedicated registration page offering customers a chance to win the upcoming premium grade flagship handset.

Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G render by Letsgodigital

Recently, Samsung Indonesia made the announcement through Twitter that “Something Epic is on its way.” While the company didn’t outright state that it would be giving away the Galaxy S21, a video in the same tweet referred to “The Next Galaxy.” In other words, this more or less confirms the South Korean tech giant’s plans with the new registration page that just went live. This promotional move from the company offers its Indonesian customers a chance to win a free Galaxy S21, while also sharing exclusive updates, and other promotional offers, as per a SamMobile report.

At the moment, it is unknown how exactly the company will be announcing its winners or how they would be picked either. Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S21 series on 14th January 2020. This launch arrives a bit earlier than its usual release cycle, and in certain markets like India, the company is already taking pre orders for a fee of 2,000 INR (roughly 27 US Dollars).

Something EPIC is on its way.

Be the first to know by registering on https://t.co/cMDEOIEsna & get a shot to win #TheNextGalaxy !

— Samsung Indonesia (@samsungID) December 15, 2020

However, the pre orders are not available everywhere, nor has the registration page going live globally. Furthermore, the company is expected to start launching such registration pages in other regions as well soon, giving many early adopters a chance to win various prizes. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing more updates when additional information regarding this is available.

Apple’s new patents hint at Touch ID and under-display Camera support for Apple Watch

By

Jeet

-

Dec 16, 2020

Apple Watch lineup is arguably one of the best smartwatches in the world. Recently, the company added two more models to the lineup — Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE. The company has been adding more and more features to the smartwatches, ensuring they remain the market leader.

In line with that, it seems that Apple is now exploring the idea of adding Touch ID to the Apple Watch, along with an under-display camera sensor. The company has filed a patent for the same, titled “Electronic device having sealed button biometric sensing system.” This was spotted by Patently Apple.

The patent says that the Touch ID, which is basically Apple’s terms for the fingerprint sensor, can be embedded into the side button on the Watch, allowing users to have biometric authentication for unlocking the device as well as for making purchases.

There’s another patent filed by Apple titled “Electronic devices with two-stage display,” reports Apple Insider. It reveals how the company is planning to layer the display panels to include a camera and a flash, which are visible only when needed.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei releases HarmonyOS 2.0 Developer Beta version for smartphones with support for Android apps

It showcases that one layer will have a pixel array for displaying images while the outer layer will have an array of light modulator cells that can become transparent or block out light when needed to allow the camera to function.

The technology proposed by Apple for the under-display camera should also be working for other devices, including iPhones and iPad, but interestingly, the patent is only focusing on the Apple Watch.

Do note that these are patent filing by Apple and it doesn’t necessarily mean that the company actually has such devices under development. However, this does reveal that Apple is interested in exploring these technologies and there’s a high probability that the features could actually be available in Apple Watch in the coming years.

Russian woman dies after her iPhone fell into the bathtub while plugged into an outlet

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Dec 16, 2020

Smartphones have come to be a favorite companion for many people. It is quite common to see persons using their mobile phones in several places, including odd places like the toilet or bathroom. A Russian woman, however, ran out of luck while using her iPhone in the bathroom. The 24-year-old identified as Olesya Semenova was reportedly electrocuted when her iPhone fell into the water inside the bathtub she was sitting.

Miss Semenova’s lifeless body was discovered by her roommate in their apartment in Arkhangelsk, according to a report on East2West News.

“I screamed, shook her, but she was pale, did not breathe, and showed no signs of life,” her roommate Daria told the emergency operator. “I was really scared. When I touched her, I got an electric shock.”

She added that she found Semenova’s iPhone 8 in the water and it was still charging.

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

Paramedics who arrived on the scene after the incident confirmed that the clothing store worker had died when the phone fell into the tub while plugged into an outlet.

The Russian emergencies ministry said in a warning after the incident; “The tragedy once again reminds us that water and an electrical appliance connected to the mains are incompatible.”

“The same applies to any mobile device. If you drown a smartphone, the worst thing is its failure,” it added. “But when it is connected to the network, we see what the consequences are,” the agency added.

This is yet another chilling story that should make us more cautious in the way we handle our smartphones and electrical appliances in general. It is the latest of a number of such fatalities that have been reported in Russia. Back in August, a 15-year-old schoolgirl identified as Anna K died in Moscow after suffering an electric shock in her bath. Also, renowned poker star Liliya Novikova was electrocuted last year in her bathroom while using an hairdryer.

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

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon version scores lower than Exynos variant in DxOMark test

By

Sean

-

Dec 16, 2020

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G has just been reviewed again by known camera reviewing brand DxOMark. The tests have revealed that the company’s flagship Snapdragon version has scored lower than its Exynos variant.

Looking at the scores, the Snapdragon version that got reviewed recently scored 117 points in the DxOMark camera test while the Exynos variant scored 120 points when put through the same tests. The score had the handset receive 119 points for its photography, 75 for its zoom, and 103 points for its video recording. DxOMark noted that while the device offered “competent” performance with good “photographic versatility,” it is still not as impressive as the smartphones on the top of its rankings.

Talking about score, the firm found that it offered vivid colors in most images, with good details in both indoor and outdoor shots. It even praised the device’s bokeh mode and depth estimation, while its long range zoom pictures also retained high levels of details. The stabilization on videos was also quite effective and the white balance was neutral for both indoor and outdoor videos as well. Unfortunately, the flagship suffered from various instances of instability in autofocus both during videos and photos.

Night scenes or other low light scenarios had the device struggle, with noise being noticeable in most images. Furthermore, DxOMark also found a number of inconsistencies in performance while capturing videos, especially in terms of sharpness in between frames while walking. While the Exynos and Snapdragon variants offer comparable performance, the firm still preferred the the former over the latter, due to its more erratic autofocus performance and higher levels of noise.

Samsung Galaxy S21 press render leaks online showcasing the front panel

By

Jeet

-

Dec 16, 2020

Samsung is gearing up to launch its next-generation Galaxy S-series flagship smartphones — Galaxy S21. This time, the company is expected to launch the devices a couple of months earlier, most likely around 14th January.

Now, ahead of the official launch of the Galaxy S21 lineup, Evan Blass has shared the render of the upcoming Galaxy S21 5G smartphone, showcasing the device’s front panel.

Just looking at the front side, there is nothing that differentiates the smartphone from its predecessor, Galaxy S20. It features a punch-hole cutout on top of the screen, right in the middle, housing the front-facing snapper.

Evan Blass says that the real design changes are on the back panel of the smartphone. He has promised more leaks related to the Samsung Galaxy S21 lineup ahead of the official launch, which should reveal more information about the phone’s design.

EDITOR’S PICK: Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 678 SoC; CPU gets a minor boost over Snapdragon 675

Recently, M Roh, the President and Head of Samsung’s mobile division, almost confirmed that the Galaxy S21 lineup will be the first non-Galaxy Note series from the South Korean giant to have S-Pen support. However, it is likely to be limited to Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The upcoming flagship smartphones will come powered by either Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset or the company’s own Samsung Exynos 2100 SoC. Recently, the Galaxy S21 Ultra powered by the Exynos 2100, which is set for India and Europe region, was spotted on Geekbench with 12GB RAM and Android 11 operating system.

OPPO A15s Specifications and Features

EDITOR’S PICK: Oppo acquires shares of a Semiconductor based company in China

OPPO A15s Pricing and Availability

UP NEXT: OPPO Enco X tipped to launch in India in January 2021

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung Galaxy A52 5G spotted running Android 11; will it be One UI 3.0 or 3.1?

Galaxy M02s Specifications( Expected from A02s)

UP NEXT: Samsung will not discontinue the Galaxy Note series in 2021: Report

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple will reportedly contribute half of total flexible OLED smartphones in 2021

UP NEXT: Apple is working on AirPods Pro ‘Lite’, arrives without noise cancellation

UP NEXT: Snapdragon 800 series Moto G phone coming next year; desktop mode and more coming to Motorola phones

Nova 8, 8 Pro Camera Specifications(Expected)

UP NEXT: Huawei releases HarmonyOS 2.0 Developer Beta version for smartphones

EDITOR’S PICK: Google, OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi to launch foldable phones in 2021

UP NEXT: Google to turn ART into Mainline module with Android 12 for quicker system updates

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K 55 launched in India: Android TV 10, Dolby Vision, and 30W speakers

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon version scores lower than Exynos variant in DxOMark test

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

UP NEXT: Apple’s new patents hint at Touch ID and under display Camera support for Apple Watch

Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K 55 Specifications and Features

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Pro 82-inch 8K 5G & Mi TV LUX 82-inch 4K launched in China

Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K 55 Pricing and Availability

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi TV LUX OLED Transparent Edition is the cheapest transparent TV at 49,999 yuan

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon version scores lower than Exynos variant in DxOMark test

UP NEXT: Faraday Future partners with Phillips to develop and showcase health and wellness features

UP NEXT: Faraday Future partners with Phillips to develop and showcase health and wellness features for Smart Cars

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

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon version scores lower than Exynos variant in DxOMark test

UP NEXT: Vivo Y30 Standard Edition with Helio P35, 5,000mAh battery, and 13MP dual cameras launched in China

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon version scores lower than Exynos variant in DxOMark test

UP NEXT: Russian woman dies after her iPhone fell into the bathtub while plugged into an outlet

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon version scores lower than Exynos variant in DxOMark test

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with Exynos 2100 and 12GB RAM for India and European markets spotted

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon version scores lower than Exynos variant in DxOMark test

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with Exynos 2100 and 12GB RAM for India and European markets spotted

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

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with Exynos 2100 and 12GB RAM for India and European markets spotted

UP NEXT: Vivo Y30 Standard Edition with Helio P35, 5,000mAh battery, and 13MP dual cameras launched in China