Lately, Transsion brands have been building their presence in India apart from African nations where they are more popular. Infinix, in particular, has even debuted its smart TV in the country. That said, this brand is now all set to launch a new entry-level smartphone in India in the form of Infinix Hot 10 Play.
A couple of weeks back, the upcoming Inifinix Hot 10 Play was spotted on FCC. The listing for this handset revealed some of its specs. Now, this phone has been also found on India’s BIS certification bureau and thus, suggesting the device to soon launch in the country as well.
According to FCC, this handset will come with model number X688C. Like any other entry-level smartphone will come equipped with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. However, unlike most other devices in the segment, it will not only have a dual-camera setup but also a fingerprint sensor as well.
The FCC listing of the phone also includes a sketch of its rear panel. Therefore, we know that it will be featuring a rectangular camera bump at the top left corner, a squircle capacitive fingerprint sensor, and vertically aligned ‘Infinix’ branding.
Nothing else is known about this product apart from the above-mentioned specifications. Anyway, what we know is that the Infinix Hot 10 Play will be the third device in the Infinix Hot 10 series after the vanilla Infinix Hot 10 and Infinix Hot 10 Lite.
Recently, Apple increased the price of Apps, Games on the App Store in India, Indonesia. Now, it is turning the attention towards China. Despite Apple fixing deadlines and extending them, publishers didn’t submit a license on time. This has led to the company removing thousands of Apps including Games from its China App Store.
According to a Reuters report, Apple has removed 39,000 games from the China App Store. This move comes as the company’s already-extended deadline for obtaining a License comes to an end today. For the unware, Apple issued guidelines to publishers for submitting a License number from the Chinese Government.
This is reportedly for allowing users to do in-app purchases on the App Store. The deadline, which initially was on June-end got extended to Dec. 31 which is today. Anyway, apart from games, Apple has also removed other apps bringing the overall tally to more than 46,000.
Besides, some of the biggies like Ubisoft‘s Assassin’s Creed Identity and NBA 2K20 also seem to have affected in this sweep. In fact, only 74 of the 1,500 top-grossing games made the cut according to Qimai. While the move could be to be on good terms with regulators of China who hunt unlicensed content, experts also feel it would flip coins for Apple.
Previously, the company came under a lot of criticism for allowing a crowdsourced police activity App on its App store amidst Hong Kong Protests in 2019. More drama unfolded during the initial days of the US – WeChat ban controversy as well. Anyway, analysts say that such stringent measures would make overseas developers look for alternate ad-supported platforms which won’t be good news for the Cupertino giant.
Xiaomi Mi 11, which launched back on Monday(Dec. 28), is already up for pre-orders in China. And now, a report reveals that the device has received a staggering response for pre-sale registrations.
As per the report, Xiaomi Mi 11‘s pre-order registrations have exceeded 850,000 on JD.com(Jingdong). Precisely, at the time of writing this, the registrations are steering up further and it is around 865,638 according to the Jingdong website. With around 3-4hrs still left for the first sale tomorrow(January 1, 2021), the number is expected to go even higher.
Xiaomi’s official Weibo has already conveyed that the first sale of Mi 11 will be at 0:00 AM Beijing time(UTC+ 08:00). Although this appointment is online, reports say that on January 1, as many as 171 Xiaomi stores will sell the device offline simultaneously. A Xiaomi executive had already said that the company is prepared well-enough to maintain stocks of the Mi 11.
Besides, the first snapdragon 888 2021 flagship deserves such a reception. This is because the device is a compelling offering starting at 3999 yuan(~$611). You can take a look at all the variants and their pricing below:
8+128GB*- 3,999 yuan($611)
8+256GB- 4,299 yuan($657)
12+256GB- 4,699 yuan($719)
*- RAM + storage
The device comes in Blue, Black, and White Color options. There is also a special Lei Jun Signature Edition with Scodix Crystal finish for 12GB variant. Additionally, Xiaomi also announced two Vegan Leather versions in Smoky Purple and Khaki colors.
Also, it’s worth noting that the Mi 11 won’t come with an in-box Adapter this time. However, Xiaomi is kind enough to include a special 55W GaN charger in a Special Set Edition. This bundle will reportedly be available for the same price for a limited time. And after this, you need to pay 99 yuan($15) to get it.
Huawei just launched its latest flagship smartphone series in the form of the HUAWEI Mate40 series. The company even introduced the HUAWEI nova 8 series last week. Now, we get to see the first look at the upcoming HUAWEI P50 series.
Out of the blue, popular leakster, Steve Hemmerstoffer (@onleaks) shared a 3D CAD render of the forthcoming HUAWEI P50 Pro smartphone on Voice. According to him, this handset will come equipped with a 6.6-inch display and the body of the phone will measure 159mm high as well as 73mm wide.
Since it is early days, the leaker is not sure of the other aspects of the device except for the fact that it will feature a standard earpiece instead of the magnetic earpiece speaker system found in the HUAWEI P40 series.
Further, going by the render, the upcoming HUAWEI P50 Pro will be similar to its predecessor with slimmer bezels and curved display but will sport a centrally aligned single punch hole for the selfie camera rather than a pill-shaped cutout.
Having said that, @onleaks did reveal that he will be sharing more information about this smartphone once he gets his hands on them. Additionally, we also expect certification bureaus and benchmark platforms to expose this handset before its official announcement in the coming months.
It was a rough year for smartphone manufacturers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, the premium smartphones from these companies still managed to attract many takers. Apple launched iPhone 12, OnePlus introduced the OnePlus 8 and 8T series, meanwhile, Samsung unveiled Galaxy S20 and Note 20. Several Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo, and Vivo attracted a good volume of sales.
We have concluded a list of the Best flagship smartphones of 2020 in India.
The Cupertino giant unveiled the iPhone 12 featuring Apple A14 Bionic SoC carrying Hexa-Core CPU and quad-core GPU. The smartphone features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with 1170 x 2532 pixels resolution. Apple iPhone 12 is available in three different storage options including 4GB + 64GB, 4GB RAM + 128GB and 4GB + 256GB storage. It carries a dual-rear camera consisting of 12MP + 12MP sensors and a 12MP front camera. There’s a 2815 mAh battery supporting 20W fast charging.
Xiaomi Mi 10 was launched in February featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC and Adreno 650 GPU. It comes with a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display featuring 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution. It comes in three different storage options of 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB and 12GB + 256GB. The smartphone comes with a 108MP quad-rear camera, a 13MP ultrawide sensor, a 2MP macro lens and 2MP depth sensor. Xiaomi Mi 10 carries a 4780 mAh battery with 30W fast charging and 30W fast wireless charging.
OnePlus 8 Pro is the flagship device featuring a 6.78-inch Fluid AMOLED display while carrying 1440 x 3168 pixels resolution. Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC is present on board with 8/12 GB RAM and 128/256GB storage options. The smartphone carries a quad-rear camera module consisting of a 48MP primary sensor, another 48MP telephoto lens, an 8MP telephoto lens and a 5MP colour filter camera. A 16MP camera is present on the front for selfies. It packs a 4510 mAh battery with 30W fast charging and 30W fast wireless charging.
Oppo Find X2 was launched globally in march with Snapdragon 865 SoC and Adreno 650 GPU. It features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display featuring 1440 x 3168 pixels. The smartphone is available in three different storage options of 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB and 12GB + 256GB internal storage. In-camera department, the phone comprises 48MP primary sensor, a 13MP telephoto and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. A 32MP selfie camera sits on the front side for selfies. The battery carries a 4200 mAh battery with 65W charging.
The Korean giant unveiled Galaxy S20+ smartphone in March as a successor to the Galaxy S10. The device features a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display carrying 1440 x 3200 pixels resolution. The global version comes with Exynos 990 and the Chinese, the US and Korean version feature Snapdragon 865. In the camera department, a 12MP primary sensor, a 64MP telephoto lens and a 12MP ultrawide sensor are present on the rear side. Meanwhile, a 10MP single sensor resides on the front.
Asus ROG Phone 3 is the third iteration of the gaming smartphone from Asus. It features an advanced multi-level processor cooling system, Snapdragon 865+ SoC and 12GB RAM. To handle gaming graphics, the smartphone carries a 6.59-inch AMOLED display featuring a 144Hz refresh rate. The display carries a 6000 mAh battery with 30W fast charging. Asus ROG Phone 3 comes with different storage and RAM variants – 128GB + 8GB RAM, 128GB + 12GB RAM, 256GB + 12GB RAM, 512GB + 12GB RAM, and 512GB + 16GB RAM.
It is quite a difficult job to choose the best flagship device. But, we have eased the operation for you and filtered the best flagships of 2020. We hope you’re loving our best smartphone guides. Don’t forget to share with your near and dear ones. stay connected with us for more!
As Samsung prepares its products for 2021, it has so far confirmed a new Display Technology event on January 6, and an all-new Exynos on January 12. However, it didn’t utter a word on the most awaited launch of the year, the Galaxy S21(Tentative) series. The silence has finally ended now as an Unlisted Video of a Samsung Official Channel confirms the arrival.
As Sammobile reports, an unlisted video has popped up on Samsung US’ official YouTube channel. In case you don’t know, an unlisted video won’t appear on YouTube search, channel, or a browsing page. You can only view it if you have the link to the video.
Anyway, the teaser begins with a tagline, “New Year, New ways to express yourself” and goes on to show the evolution of the Galaxy S series of Smartphones. Even if you haven’t got the faintest idea about them, the video explains it clearly.
From the first Galaxy S in 2010, bringing Water-resistance in Galaxy S5, curved-display in S6 to a punch-hole (Infinity-O) display in S10 and S20, the company has come a long way. It has not only pioneered the display technology but has made sure the S-series gets the best attention every year in every aspect.
Having said that, the video ends with “A new Galaxy Awaits” in 2021. With this, it has practically confirmed the next flagship series’ arrival. Although it is yet to reveal the official branding, several reports say that it will be the Galaxy S21 series.
The series will likely feature three smartphones- Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra. Almost all of the specs and pricing of these devices have already been leaked. In fact, it is reportedly up for pre-orders in countries like the US, China, and India ahead of launch.
It’s only a matter of time before the company reveals the official launch date which is expected to be on January 14.
Xiaomi surprised Mi A3 users by rolling out Android 11 stable update without a beta program. Turns out that this build is more fatal than any other software build seeded out by the company for this handset. That’s because this update hard bricks the phone and as a result, early adopters are now left with a broken smartphone.
As soon as users who updated started sharing the issue on forums and social media, Xiaomi quickly published a warning post on Mi Community asking users of Mi A3 to not update to Android 11 if the OTA hits their device. Similarly, multiple Xiaomi and Mi A3-related Telegram groups and channels spread the message as fast as they could.
Even we received the OTA weighing 1.40GB on our unit. The changelog mentions four new highlights namely improved notification shade, conversation bubbles, better permission management, and improved DND mode.
Anyway, Xiaomi has asked users to wait for the fix. We do not know how long it will take for the company to fix this mishap since the firm is yet to roll back the OTA as of publishing this article.
Whatever, make sure to not hit the ‘Download and install’ button. Else, you will also be left with a hard bricked smartphone (won’t turn on).
The newest iteration in the Honor Smart Screen X1 TV lineup features a 75 inch display. As per the Chinese tech giant, the new TV is “bigger”, “more beautiful” and “smarter.” In other words, we can expect a refresh in its internals along with improvements to its display, apart from just a larger sized display. Notably, the launch of this new 75 inch Smart Screen X1 TV is also imminent, as reservations have already begun on certain Chinese online retail websites.
Earlier this year, the company had launched three variants within the Smart Screen X1 series. This included the 50 inch, 55 inch, and a 65 inch variant. So, the latest addition is the largest in the lineup and would also be the most expensive as well. The launch from Honor also arrives after its separation from its previous parent company Huawei and is a part of its efforts to capture the large screen market, as per a MyDriversreport.
According to AVC, the TV market is expected to grow in 2021 as well, especially in segments of 65 inch and 75 inch sized displays. Both segments are expected to grow by 2.6 percent and 1.8 percent respectively. In other words, the market is seeing a positive trend at the moment, so we can expect competition to be stiff in the arriving year and Honor would likely try to expand its presence in the market as well.
Samsung started rolling out the One UI 3.0 stable update to its devices earlier this month starting with the Galaxy S20 series. Now, within a few weeks, the company has extended the availability of this update to more devices than the timeline shared by the firm for different markets. That said, the original Galaxy Z Flip from early 2020 is the latest handset to get it.
The South Korean tech giant began to seed One UI 3.0 (Android 11) stable update to the Galaxy Z Flip 5G units before Christmas last week. The original 4G variant is now being treated with this update ahead of New Year.
According to GSMArena, the update is currently live in Europe and Nigeria. But it could be available in other regions as well. It is worth noting that this smartphone is supposed to get the update only in January 2021. But the company has started delivering it a month earlier.
Anyway, it is the same case for all the devices that were originally scheduled to receive the update in January. We think Samsung has started the rollout earlier in order to finish seeding the update as per the original schedule.
Whatever, if you own the Galaxy Z Flip 4G/5G, Galaxy Note20 series, Galaxy S20 series (including Galaxy S20 FE), Galaxy Note10 series, or Galaxy S10 Lite, then head over to Settings > Software update to check whether your device has received the One UI 3.0 (Android 11) update.
The Galaxy A32 5G is one of the upcoming A-series phones by Samsung. Recent reports have revealed a lot of information about the smartphone. Today, the handset appeared in the database of Bluetooth SIG authority. With an important certification in tow, it appears that the Galaxy A32 5G launch date is not far away.
The listing reveals that the Galaxy A32 5G moniker belongs to model numbers such as SM-A326B, SM-A326_DS, and SM-B326BR_DS. The only other thing that can be found in the listing is that it carries support for Bluetooth 5.0.
Smartphones are known to go official around a month after their appearance at Bluetooth SIG authority. Hence, it is likely that it may break cover in the coming month. A recent report had revealed that some markets may receive the 4G edition of the smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G specifications (Expected)
The Galaxy A32 5G is expected to sport a 6.5-inch display panel. Its CAD renders have revealed that it will be sporting a waterdrop notch screen. The Dimensity 720 chipset is present under the hood of the Galaxy A32 5G. Its 4G model may feature a different chip.
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G CAD renders
It will come preloaded with Android 11 OS and it will draw power from a 5,000mAh battery. The rear camera setup of the device will have a 48-megapixel main camera. The phone may feature a 3.5mm audio jack. It is likely to debut in Europe with a price tag of 299 euro (~$367).
LG Display has been working on transparent OLED panels for a while now and is aiming on making the technology more feasible for consumers as well. Now, the company unveiled a possible application of the transparent displays with its “Smart Bed” concept, which would use a 55 inch transparent screen that would function as a TV that can turn invisible when not in use.
During the South Korean tech giant’s CES 2021 show, it introduced the “Smart Bed” concept.” This concept had a transparent OLED display be housed on the foot of the bed, or even at other positions at one’s home. One would simply have to press a button to have the transparent panel rise from the base, allowing for seamless entertainment. This invisible TV would also use Cinematic Soun to output audio without requiring separate external speakers.
Furthermore, LG also gave other possible applications of the 55 inch panel, with the example of the transparent OLED screen being used in restaurants. This would allow the customers to see their meals being prepared by the chef. Similarly, subway trains could also sport these screens, offering real time information like route map and location along with the view of the outside, as per an AndroidAuthorityreport.
As per the company, its 55 inch transparent OLED panel would thrive on a high 40 percent transparency level compared to the 10 percent found in LCD screens. It also expects such transparent displays to replace windows in smart homes or even smart driving cars sometime in the future as well. LG stated that it is not sure when transparent display would hit the consumer market or store shelves, but there has been “growing demand” from different industries.
Xiaomi has launched the MIJIA Smart Electric Pressure Cooker 2.5L under crowdfunding. This smart cooker solves the safety problems of traditional pressure cookers that don’t allow the user to keep a tab on the cooking status or the water level inside. The new MIJIA Pressure Cooker comes with 8 safety protections and is also equipped with smart functions.
It can cook with one-click smart recipes activated via the MIJIA app which solves the problem of how to cook certain dishes for people without cooking experience. The product is, thus, easy to use.
The MIJIA Smart Electric Pressure Cooker features a relatively rare 2.5L capacity which is enough to cook eight bowls of rice or meat dishes for three people. Thus, it is suitable for a single person or a small family’s use.
The biggest difference between a pressure cooker and an electric rice cooker is the pressure. The MIJIA Smart Electric Pressure Cooker 2.5L has a peak pressure of 70kPa and can increase the boiling point of water up to 115°C. Under the action of high temperature and high pressure, the food in the pot is soft and easy to be cooked, and the cooking speed can be greatly improved.
An ordinary rice cooker cooks rice in 40 minutes, a pressure cooker can cook the same quantity of rice in 21 minutes. Also, an ordinary rice cooker needs 4 hours to cook sirloin but a pressure cooker can cook it until tender in 50 minutes. Further, while an ordinary rice cooker needs 3 hours to cook pork feet, the pressure cooker can cook it in 1 hour To boneless.
Like most MIJIA products, the Mijia smart electric pressure cooker 2.5L can also be connected to the Mijia app, supporting operations such as mobile phone remote start and appointment.
At the same time, it also supports the expansion of cloud smart recipes. The recipes contain detailed ingredients and operation steps. Even if you are a kitchen novice, you can easily prepare hard dishes by preparing the ingredients step by step according to the recipe, and then automatically start cooking with one button.
The electric pressure cooker also has an open-lid cooking mode. Remove the lid to turn the pressure cooker into a small hot pot which can be used to prepare dishes such as oden, skewers, or noodles.
The MIJIA Smart Electric Pressure Cooker is presently being crowdfunded at Xiaomi Mall/Xiaomi Home (via), and the crowdfunding price is only 279 yuan ($42).
2020 was probably the year of the TWS earbuds. Almost every known smartphone manufacturer released at least one TWS earbuds this year, be it Samsung, Huawei, OPPO, or even OnePlus. And as usual, we got a bunch of premium earbuds from dedicated audio brands too like the new Sennheiser Momentum 2 and the Bose QuietComfort TWS. Overall, we were spoiled for choices in 2020 which made it harder to compile a list of the Best TWS Earbuds released in 2020.
But what you see below are the ones we think stood out for their sound quality and value for money.
Best TWS Earbuds of 2020
1Best Value (Android): Samsung Galaxy Buds+
Galaxy Buds Plus
If you are looking for the best non-ANC TWS earbuds with good connectivity, excellent sound quality, comfortable fit, and a good looking design, the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ fits the bill. These AKG tuned earbuds come with a new dual-driver system for clear audio reproduction. Despite its compact form factor, the Buds+ also boasts of excellent call quality, thanks to the three microphones, of which two are situated outside.
But the biggest selling point of the Buds+ is its exceptional battery life. You get over 11 hours of music playback on these earbuds, which is way above average for a pair of TWS earbuds. It doesn’t support the aptX codec but comes with support for Samsung’s proprietary Scalable codec.
The Galaxy Buds+ are usually available for sale for under $110 (under Rs. 9000 in India) which is a steal for the sound quality and features it offers. There are a bunch of color options available too.
2Best Value ANC TWS Earbuds (Android): Huawei Freebuds Pro
Huawei Freebuds Pro
If ANC is important to you, Huawei’s TWS earbuds — the Huawei Freebuds Pro offers excellent ANC and sound quality. The earbuds stands out from the crowd which is filled with AirPods Pro’s lookalikes. The shiny Silver Frost color option is particularly unique.
The Freebuds Pro comes with 11mm drivers with excellent ANC and balanced sound quality. In fact, in our review, we found out that it was one of the best sounding earbuds in its price segment. The Huawei earbuds also offer a comfortable fit and a good microphone setup for voice calls.
The battery life with ANC is average at around 4 hours but you should get way more (around 7 hours) without ANC turned on. Also, the provided case will add 15 hours more to your listening time.
The Huawei Freebuds Pro is often cheaper than its launch price and currently can be bought for around £128.35 (around $180) making it a solid ANC TWS option at this price.
The Jabra Elite Active 75t is also a decent option with ANC around this price tag especially if you want something for workouts that has good sound quality with ANC noise isolation.
Most 2020 earbuds either come with a compact Galaxy Buds-like design or Apple Airpods Pro-like design with a stem. But what if you want something that’s so uniquely designed that people will have a hard time realizing you are actually wearing a pair of TWS earbuds?
The Buds Live comes in a shiny metallic finish in a bunch of fancy colors like Blue, Red, and Bronze. It’s an open-ear TWS earbud (usually rare in this product category) which can be its plus point as I personally know some users who hate the traditional in-ear design. It sounds pretty good even though the design doesn’t guarantee good isolation and what’s more, Samsung has also added ANC which works to a pretty decent extent.
Other highlight features of the Buds Live include good and comfortable fit, Qi Wireless Charging, 6 hours of battery life, and a pretty decent set of microphones for voice calls.
The Galaxy Buds Live like the Buds+ can be usually found at discounted prices for under $150.
The Sennheiser Momentum TWS 2 is the Best TWS earbuds in the market right now. Building upon the pros of the first-generation model, the new TWS earbuds comes with a fancy fabric covered case, best in class sound quality, and excellent ANC to offer the best TWS earbuds experience in 2020.
The Momentum TWS 2 has a very comfortable fit, comes with aptX support, and is rated IPX4. You get these features at a premium though as it’s very expensive. However, you’ll often find a few dollars off on these, so make sure to keep an eye out for good deals if you are out to get a pair.
Bose’s first pair of noise-canceling earbuds deserves more than an honorable mention. The Bose QuietComfort TWS is often touted as the Best ANC earbuds in the market right now. It has a fancier bulkier design than the Sennheiser pair and sounds exceptional. The only major con is its average battery life and a chunky companion charging case.
Budget TWS earbuds are a hard sell mainly because you’ll often get better sound quality on non-TWS models. However, if you want the convenience and comfort of TWS earbuds at an extremely budget price, then you probably are looking for the OPPO Enco W11. Two of our writers on GizmoChina already have a pair of these earbuds and considering its pricing of under Rs. 2000 ($30), they sound pretty balanced with stable connectivity.
The OPPO Enco W11 triumphs the Realme and Redmi options in the budget TWS category by offering good mid-tones, sufficient bass, and a comfortable fit.
If you can’t get hold of the OPPO W11, you can also check out the Earfun Free TWS which offers a wireless charging case, good sound quality in its price segment, a comfortable fit and retails for under $35.
Or if you have a slightly higher budget, you can go for the OPPO Enco W51 which comes with a premium stem design, has a good and balanced sound quality, decent ANC, and a good microphone system.
OnePlus Buds Z is another great value for money TWS earbuds in its price segment. It’s extremely comfortable to wear all day long, has good sound quality even if it’s a bit bass-heavy, and if you have a OnePlus smartphone, then it’s a solid option under $50.
As I mentioned above, some users don’t like the in-ear fit of most TWS earbuds in the market and this category is specifically for them. While non-in-ear earbuds don’t sound as great as in-ear ones (thanks to the lack of effective noise isolation), there are still decent options available in the market, with the Apple AirPods being one of the best among them.
If you have an iPhone, there’s no doubt that the new AirPods will be the best companion for your phone with stable connectivity and decent sound quality.
But if you are on Android and don’t have a large budget, you have decent open-ear TWS options in the market like the OnePlus Buds (not the Z). While the sound quality is not out of the ordinary, it offers pretty decent bass and mid-tones for its design type, and are way cheaper than the AirPods.
Xiaomi is all set to launch the Xiaomi Mi 10i smartphone in India. It will be a new edition to Mi 10 series that already includes members like Xiaomi Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 10T, Mi 10T Pro, and Mi 10T Lite. Today, Xiaomi Global VP and Managing Director of the Indian division Manu Kumar Jain revealed that the Xiaomi India-focused smartphone.
Through the tweet, Jain conveyed that Xiaomi Mi 10i has been specially customized and designed for India. It will come with a brand-new camera sensor and it will be equipped with many other customizations for users in India.
The Xiaomi Mi 10i will be arriving in India as a rebadged version of the Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G that went official in November in China. As far as the camera sensor is concerned, it will be equipped with the all-new Samsung HM2 108-mgeapixel lens as the primary camera. The Mi 10i will be debuting on Jan. 5.
The Xiaomi Mi 10i has a 6.67-inch IPS LCD FHD display with 120Hz refresh rate support. The handset sports a punch-hole display and a round-shaped camera module on its back. The latter comprises of a 108-megapixel (Samsung HM2 lens) + 8-megapixel (ultrawide) + 2-megapixel (macro) + 2-megapixel (depth) quad-camera system and a front-facing camera of 16-megapixel. It has a side-facing fingerprint sensor.
Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G
The Snapdragon 750G SoC fuels the Xiaomi Mi 10i and it has a 4,820mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. It has a side-facing fingerprint sensor. It is rumored to arrive in 6 GB and 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM variants. Both models are expected to feature 128 GB of UFS 2.2 built-in storage. It is expected to arrive in colors like gradient orange/blue, black, and blue.
The Apple AirPods Max has just been launched recently. It is the company’s latest addition to its hearables lineup, but some users are already suffering from an issue that affects the headphones’ noise canceling feature.
Digital crown, Noise cancellation button
According to a MacRumors report, the new over the ear headphones from the Cupertino based giant is already suffering from an issue that affects the active noise cancellation and transparency modes. With the AirPods Max, users are able to press the noise control button on the right ear cup to toggle between the two modes seamlessly. However, it seems that certain units would only have one ear cup switch while the other remains unresponsive.
In other words, one cup is running ANC, while the other is stuck in transparency mode. At the moment, there is no official fix from Apple, but the company should soon patch this issue out, which seems to be a software glitch. But till then, the report also has a temporary fix to the issue. One has to essentially reboot their Apple AirPods Max, but make sure that they still have some charge. Then, one has to pressing and holding on to the Noise Control button and the Digital Crown until the LED status at the bottom of the right ear cup flashes amber.
After this, your AirPods Max should reboot, which should also fix the issue for the time being. The problem would likely recur, but one can simply reboot the device to fix the issue temporarily. It does seem like a hassle at the moment, but we can only wait for an official company fix for the time being. For those suffering from a persistent ANC/transparency mode bug, resetting the AirPods Max by pressing the same buttons but for 15 seconds should do the trick. This time the light will flash white and would require users to set up the device again.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 was one of the first flagships of 2021 to feature Qualcomm’s latest flagship Snapdragon 888 mobile chipset. Other companies have also announced their own premium grade handsets with the new processor, and now, a new leak report suggests that the Xiaomi subsidiary, Redmi, might be launching the most affordable handset that sports the new Snapdragon 888 SoC.
The news arrives from the known tipster @数码闲聊站 on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website. As per the report, Redmi might be following Xiaomi’s footsteps in launching its own flagship with Snapdragon 888, although, this handset could possibly be one of the cheapest in the market to sport the latest Qualcomm processor. As per the Weibo post, the device also arrived with the code name Haydn model K11.
Unfortunately, there is currently no further information available regarding this new flagship from the Chinese smartphone manufacturer. However, a recent leak from another blogger had revealed images of what was allegedly the Redmi K40. Although, these are just images and we still have no way of confirming the specifications of this device or whether or not it actually is the Redmi K40.
Alleged Redmi K40
Furthermore, previous reports had also hinted at the new K40 lineup featuring the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 series chips. This is also unconfirmed at the moment, thus, we will have to wait for an official company announcement or further leaks. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing more updates regarding the upcoming Redmi flagship.
We, have already compiled a list of the Best 2020 Smartphones and Best 2020 Wearables. Among this, I am privileged to cover the most exciting topic that one could wait for – Concept Smartphones. Despite the rollercoaster ride the industry had, we saw some cool concepts of Smartphones in 2020. From the retracting cameras to rollable displays, companies have come a long way in experimenting with new technologies.
Although many of these concepts never see the light of the day, they do give a glimpse at what’s in store in our future. One such example would be foldable displays which, in 2021, is definitely going mainstream across different price points. That said, let’s look at some of the best concepts that came out this year.
6Xiaomi Retractable Camera concept
Xiaomi Retractable lens
At the MIDC 2020, Xiaomi unveiled a concept by which a Telescopic Camera physically retracts (when not in use) inside a smartphone. This wide-aperture lens technology is inspired by conventional cameras in the market. This mechanism has two major advantages- more light, and videos without shake.
Precisely, such a wider aperture increases the amount of light by 300%(better for night mode) and produces a 20% crispier and stable image using the anti-shake feature. As you can see above, the retractable optical structure allows the lens to lodge in just like any point-shoot camera, and its response time is supposed to be quicker as well.
5OnePlus McLaren (Concept One) / 8T Concept
Back in January, OnePlus showcased it’s Concept One smartphone at CES 2020. This product is developed in collaboration with McLaren. It’s typically an OnePlus 7T Pro but has color shifting glass technology on the camera layout which is an Electrochromic Glass. Simply put, the glass changes from transparent to translucent (here it occurs in 0.7sec) if you vary the current/light through it.
You can spot these glasses on the sunroofs of some premium cars, Aeroplanes and buildings’ windows, etc. However, the significance of using it here is, it acts as a neutral density filter to capture the best shots in bright light scenarios.
Recently, OnePlus also revealed what could have been a cool addition to the tally of the OnePlus 8T models. This concept phone has a rear glass with a metal oxide film underneath. Similar to the concept above, the glass changes color (dark blue to light silver) as you vary the voltage across it.
Inspired by the hot springs of Pamukkale in Turkey, the concept, when paired with a radar module (based on mmWave) on the camera housing, responds to gestures like waving hands (for call accept/reject), sense breathing, etc. Precisely, it transmits/receives EM waves and works in conjunction with CPU, DSP to locate and track objects.
After the cancellation of MWC 2020, Vivo showcased its Apex 2020 Concept in February. The portless-smartphone has a 6.45-inch FullView Edgeless Waterfall display. Precisely, the display has a whopping 120° curved edges. The device also features an under-display 16MP selfie camera by increasing light-transmittance to that portion of the display by 6x times.
Vivo didn’t skimp on the cameras either. The rear layout has a 16MP active moving lens which Vivo coined as the “continuous optical zoom”(5x to 7.5x Optical) feature. Additionally, the device has a 48MP Gimbal-like camera (200% more stability than OIS), 60W wireless charging.
Just like OnePlus, Vivo also tapped into the peculiar property of the Electrochromic Glass tech in a color-changing panel concept. That is, the rear panel adopts the concept of Electrochromism where the color/opacity of material changes when the voltage is varied.
As you can see in the video below, the color changes from Blue to Silver to a Gradient of Purple colors. This is made possible by sandwiching two transparent electrodes and Glass sheets with an Electrochromic film in the middle. Nevertheless, this tech has all the possibilities to make it to commercial devices in the form of dynamic rear panels.
3
2TCL rollable/ tri-fold concept
TCL, a brand famous for Smart TVs, out of nowhere, showed two Concept renders of smartphones in March 2020. One has a rollable screen and the other is a tri-foldable display design. The displays, which are from the in-house TCL-CSOT, feature a flexible AMOLED technology.
Further, the tri-fold device helps a 10-inch tablet contract into a smartphone with a 6.65-inch screen. It has an aspect ratio of 20.8:9 and a 3K resolution. The company also had two types of hinges- DragonHinge and ButterflyHinge. The former is like Galaxy Fold while the latter resembles Huawei Mate X.
Besides, the highlight of the two concepts was the rollable display. Accordingly, the AMOLED display extends sideways to a 7.8-inch screen and retracts to a 6.75-inch display on pushing a button. However, unlike the tri-fold above, it uses a motorized mechanism so you don’t have to push it manually.
TCL, in a video(as shown below), showcased that the display adapts to either of the given screen real estates in real-time. This makes additional features like multi-tasking, split-screen windows a joy to use.
1OPPO X 2021 Concept
Last, but not least, and my personal favorite, is the OPPO X 2021 extending display Concept. Although TCL was like a front-runner of sorts, OPPO unveiled a working prototype of the tech making it a first of its kind. At the INNO DAY 2020, OPPO showcased a device whose display extends from 6.7 to 7.4-inches.
The display is obviously an OLED screen and it rolls into the frame via a 6.8mm Roll Motor and a proprietary rollable concept design. Additionally, you can also see a 2-in-1 support frame plate inside for taking care of the rolled-up screen. Apart from this, OPPO also used a 0.1mm Warp Track laminate to protect the screen.
That’s it! Those were some of the coolest smartphone concepts of 2020. Heading into next year, we expect some of these ideas to evolve into a whole new array of explosive out-of-the-box products from the brands. And we are as excited as you are.
Perhaps, if we ask you whether you would’ve imagined the feasibility of these at the beginning of this decade, what would have been your answer? Let us know down in the comments below!
Samsung will reportedly remove the charger or power adapter from the box of the upcoming flagship Galaxy S21 series smartphones. While the company has not explicitly confined this, as Xiaomi did, but the removal of social media posts mocking Apple for doing the same hints towards that direction.
Now, leaker Ishan Agarwal has claimed that the next-generation Galaxy S-series flagship smartphones will come without a charger in the retail box, at least in the United Kingdom. The tweet has now been deleted but below is the screenshot of the same (via GSMArena).
However, we expect the company to exclude a charger from the Galaxy S21 series’ retail box in almost every region. Recently, a certification list of the upcoming lineup in Brazil confirmed the exclusion of chargers and earphones.
But it’s not just following Apple‘s footsteps. Samsung has been working towards this move since the launch of the Galaxy Note20 lineup in which the company excluded the earphones from the box in the United States. The South Korean giant shipped out the earphones for free to those customers who requested.
So, there’s still a possibility of Samsung doing the same for the charger and earphones in the upcoming Galaxy S21 series. So far, it remains to be seen if the company decides to remove the bundled accessories in all three models — S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra.
However, to know for sure what the company has planned, we will have to wait for the official launch event that is expected to take place on 14th January. Meanwhile, Samsung company has set an event in the first week of January where it will showcase its new display technology.
Back in late November, an MIUI 12 code exposed Xiaomi to be working on a smartphone with a QHD+ display. Following that, a few days back, the Chinese tech giant announced Mi 11 with a similar spec’d panel. Now, another code in the MIUI Gallery app confirms that there will be a Mi 11 Pro as well.
Earlier this year, Xiaomi launched both Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro at the same event. But surprisingly, the company only unveiled Mi 11 for 2021 as of now. Although the firm did not say anything about Mi 11 Pro at the launch conference, Digital Chat Station, a popular as well as reliable Chinese tipster revealed that the Pro variant will be announced after the Spring festival.
That said, recently, Xiaomi updated the MIUI Gallery to v2.2.17.18. According to kacskrz, a recognized XDA member, the source code of the latest version of the MIUI Gallery app not only confirms the existence of Mi 11 Pro but also its QHD+ curved display.
According to previous reports, the Mi 11 Pro’s display may also support 120Hz refresh rate, SDR to HDR mapping, MEMC, and AI upscaling. On the other hand, the vanilla Mi 11, which is now official does not come with any of these features except for the 120Hz refresh rate.
Apart from the differences in display, we also expect the Mi 11 Pro to come with a better camera setup and support for faster charging.
Vivo’s sub-brand iQOO confirmed that the company’s upcoming flagship smartphone, dubbed iQOO 7 will get launched on 11th January 2021 in China, powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset.
Now, days ahead of the official launch, the company has shared a new teaser poster on its social media, confirming that all the models in the iQOO 7 series will come with support for 120W fast charging technology.
As per the company’s claim, the smartphone with a 4,000mAh battery can get fully charged within 15 minutes using this technology. Prior to this, the company had revealed that the phone will have its audio output tuned by Audio Technica. Along with the latest flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset, the phone will pack LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage for better performance.
The upcoming smartphone was recently spotted on the AnTuTu benchmark with a score of 752,935. The listing reveals that the phone will have a Full HD+ display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate. It is likely to feature a 6.56-inch AMOLED screen with in-display fingerprint sensor technology for added security.
A recent report has revealed that the smartphone will come with a triple-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 48-megapixel primary camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) support.
In the software department, the device will come running the latest Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with OriginOS on top, which was recently released by Vivo. We also expect the phone to come with several software enhancements, including a Gaming Mode for advanced users to boost performance and overall experience.
Along with the iQOO 7, the company has confirmed to launch the iQOO 7 BMW Edition on 11th January. This edition will come with a White-colored body and a Red-Black-Blue colored vertical stripe on the back. We expect the company to keep sharing more information about the device as the launch nears.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
