Samsung Galaxy S21 series new leak reveals names of accessories, new 30W fast charger

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Dec 11, 2020

After a high-intensity battle over royalty payment dues, Apple and Qualcomm settled over a deal in 2019. This effectively wiped Intel out of the 5G smartphone modem business. And now, it looks like Qualcomm might also lose a big chunk of revenue in the future as Apple starts developing its own cellular modem.

As Bloomberg reports, Johny Srouji, Senior VP of Apple Hardware Technologies made the announcement in a meeting with company’s employees. Precisely, he says that the company kicks off the first internal cellular modem development. Accordingly, this decision will have a key impact someday in the future if not today.

Citing this as another strategic transition, he says the $1 billion acquisition of Intel‘s modem business helped them build a team of engineers. If we call, apart from hiring Intel’s 5G mobile technology head, the company actively hired engineers from Qualcomm as well. Adding to the tally of wireless chips, he also said that this modem will join Apple’s W-series(Apple Watch) and iPhone‘s U1 ultrawide-band chips.

In case you don’t know, a cellular modem is essential to a Smartphone. It makes calls, and internet connection possible via wireless cellular networks. And now, Qualcomm might be in danger of losing revenue(11% as of now) from Apple. This is because Apple’s self-reliance has pushed it to invest in processor, camera chips, and now cellular modems.

Besides, after Qualcomm acquired the deal of supplying 5G modems to Apple, Intel reported a multi-million dollar loss and accused the former of anti-competitive practices. However, it looks like Qualcomm will be in a similar situation in the future. As a head start, report says Qualcomm’s shares dropped about 4.4% in New York on Friday(December 12) at 9:37 AM(GMT+5:30).

Although this is a momentary lapse, the company should be wary of Apple’s goals here. Currently, iPhone 12 series including iPhone 12 mini, 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max use Qualcomm’s 5G modems. Anyway, it has a deal that makes Apple procure its 5G modems at least until 2024. This suggests that Apple’s own cellular modem won’t be featuring on its devices anytime soon.

Apart from the cellular modem and recently launched M1 chip, Srouji says Apple is working on a ‘family’ of Mac chips. It is reportedly planning to oust Intel’s fastest chips hinting at the processors up to 32-cores.

Hyundai Motor to buy a controlling stake in U.S robotics firm Boston Dynamics

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Dec 11, 2020

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group has agreed to buy a controlling stake in US robot firm, Boston Dynamics from SoftBank Group Corp in a deal worth $1.1 billion.

In a statement released on Friday (via), Hyundai said the purchase would fast track its expansion plans in the automation of its vehicle assembling processes in its factories and production of autonomous cars, drones, and robots, as it pursues transformation from a carmaker to a broader mobility service provider.

Hyundai said the deal, which involves a new share issue, would give the company and its Chief Executive a combined 80% stake in Boston Dynamics, with Softbank retaining 20%.

Newly promoted Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung sees the future business direction of the company would be a mix of traditional car manufacturing, robotics, and urban air transportation in the ratio of 50%:20%:30%.

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Chung will own a 20% stake in Boston Dynamics, while Hyundai Motor and its affiliates Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis will have a combined 60% holding in the new firm.

Softbank Group Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said the partnership with Hyundai Motor Group would accelerate the robot maker’s path to commercialization.

Boston Dynamics was an offshoot of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992 and has changed hands from MIT to Google in 2013 and then to SoftBank in 2017. It chalked up a net loss of $103 million in 2020, following declines from previous years. The transaction, subject to regulatory approvals and other considerations, is expected to be concluded by mid-2021.

For Hyundai Motor Group, this is the latest move in a seemingly well-choreographed lineup of deals under Chung, who had pledged to transform the automaker into a mobility provider.

Hyundai Motor Group announced in January 2020 that it had partnered with Uber to develop electric air taxis, although it would seem the venture was not productive, as Uber said this week it plans to sell its loss-making flying taxi unit to Joby Aviation.

UP NEXT: Samsung patents a clamshell foldable phone design with zero-gap hinge & larger cover display

Tipster hints the Exynos 2100 will consume far less power than the Exynos 990

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Dec 11, 2020

Samsung’s soon to be released Exynos 2100 flagship processor will be more power-efficient and yield a significantly longer battery life than the Exynos 990, according to reports from tipster Ice Universe, via a tweet from his Twitter feed.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra equipped with Exynos 990 was found to consume 55-percent of the battery during a “test project”, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra, fitted with Exynos 2100 lost only 22-percent for a similar test.

Further details of the test project were not provided by Ice Universe although it seems to be based on the phone’s energy usage for specific tasks under certain conditions. The Exynos 990 is a 7nm processor, while the Exynos 2100 will be a 5nm chip.

In comparison, the Snapdragon 888 is also a 5nm processor. Those two chips will be direct competitors in 2021, and Samsung will use both in its smartphones.

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The Exynos 2100 will power Samsung’s high-end smartphones in Europe and the Indian sub-continent, while the Snapdragon 888 will apply for products produced for US and Chinese markets.

Performing the same test project, the S20U equipped with Exynos990 consumes 55% of the battery, while the S21U equipped with Exynos2100 only consumes 22%👏

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) December 11, 2020

Qualcomm has a record of outclassing Exynos processors with their own offerings. It is yet to be seen whether this trend will change in 2021. What is obvious is that Samsung was certainly not oblivious of its rating with Qualcomm’s chips and could have gone the extra mile in research and development to berth the Exynos 2100.

Initial reports and projections have already put the Exynos 2100 a considerable step ahead. Samsung may indeed have realized the shortcomings of its processors, and made significant improvements and modifications with its latest chip. this time around.

It remains to be seen how accurate these claims are. The Exynos 2100 will likely come on stream by mid-December although Samsung has not put out a definitive statement to this effect.

Samsung is expected to announce the launch of its Galaxy S21 series in mid-January 2021, and they are likely to be the first phones to come with the Exynos 2100 processor.

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Redmi Smart TV Max 98-inch to hit offline store 8 months after launch

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Dec 11, 2020

Xiaomi announced the Redmi Smart TV MAX 98-inch back in March in China. This is the company’s Biggest TV by-far in the country. After multiple sales across its online channels, Xiaomi is finally ready to let users experience the 98-inch madness in a store and buy it offline.

As Mydrivers reports, Xiaomi‘s Mi Home Weibo has shared an official post regarding the arrival of the TV. Accordingly, Xiaomi will open a new Mi Shenyang Changbai Wanxianghui store on December 12 in China. The Mi Home store will be located in Shenyang city, northeast Liaoning Province of the country. Anyway, at the launch, the company says it will unveil the Redmi Smart TV MAX 98-inch for the first time in an offline store.

If you recall, the company, despite announcing the TV two weeks back, launched the 98-inch TV only on 9th April, 2020 in China. Priced at 19,999 yuan($3054), the TV was available for sale online via Xiaomi Mall and official website. Now, after about eight-months of sale, the company seems to be bringing it to the offline market as well.

That said, the improvement in sales could have made the company push it for the offline segment. To be precise, the company first sold over 1,500 units in less than 11 hours back in June. Later, it followed this trend with another 1,600 unit sales in a single day. Having said that, we need to wait and see how Xiaomi manages to attract the offline audience to buy this humongous TV.

Coming back, Xiaomi says the new Store will also include gifts for people who buy the Redmi Smart TV MAX 98-inch. One such is the Redmi Note 9 as per the company’s post. However, it’s unclear if the gift will be a 4G or one of the 5G versions. Additionally, there are other surprise gifts as well but they are supposed to be limited.

The Redmi Smart TV MAX 98-inch is as tall as the company’s founder Lei Jun. The TV is huge and complex to build as well. Consequently, installing the TV at your home also requires a special professional team. Some of the notable features include a 98-inch 4K UHD display panel(LCD) that has 85% NTSC color gamut, 192 dynamic backlight zones, MEMC motion compensation, custom Amlogic T972 SoC with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and more image quality tuning technology.

DOOGEE S59 Pro rugged phone with a 10050mAh battery launching on Dec. 15

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Dec 11, 2020

Chinese smartphone company DOOGEE, which specializes in manufacturing affordable rugged smartphones, has announced a launch event for its latest model – S59 Pro. The brand’s upcoming top smartphone will make its international debut on December 15th at 11:00 am Beijing time. The conference will be broadcast live on YouTube.

The DOOGEE S59 Pro has been revealed before. The phone is equipped with a 5.71-inch HD+ display and run Android 10. The device is powered by an Octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 CPU with a clock speed of 2.0 GHz. The rugged phone will pack a Quad camera setup on the back. The camera includes a 16-megapixel AI Samsung main lens, an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens, an 8-megapixel macro lens, and a 1-megapixel depth sensor.

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Other features that have been confirmed include a mammoth 10050mAh battery and has support for NFC, Google Pay Protect. The phone also packs 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The device packs a 2W powerful speaker. In addition, this smartphone will come with an IP68 waterproof and dustproof function and IP69K.

Intended buyers can choose from three color options of black, green, and orange.

In terms of price, Doogee S59 Pro will be sold globally at a price of $199.99. Pre-orders are currently open and can be pre-ordered on AliExpress. Doogee earlier on hosted a giveaway of the new smartphone for intending buyers and fanboys which they could participate in and grab the smartphone for free.

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Lumi launches the Aqara Induction Night Light with up to 8 months battery life

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Dec 11, 2020

Xiaomi‘s ecological chain company Lumi technology is known for its range of smart home products ranging from the smart door lock, smart hub, smart home surveillance camera, smart clothing dryer to other IoT gadgets. The brand has now launched the Aqara Induction Night Light in China.

The induction light is powered by two AA batteries which can last up to 8 months. The battery can replace d with rechargeable ones. The lamp utilizes adhesive magnetic stickers which will make it possible to be fixed in many places such as wardrobes, at the foot of the bed, in corridors and other places.

The lamp features a 3200K warm yellow LED light source and has two levels of brightness which can be switched via a button at the side. It has a power rating of just 0.06 W.

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In terms of the design, the Aqara induction lamp adopts a triangular prism shape with a length of 17.5cm. The light source part is equipped with a white guide plate, which is soft and not dazzling.

This induction light is equipped with two sensors which include a human body and a light sensor with a sensing distance of 5-6m. The horizontal sensing angle is 120° and the longitudinal sensing angle is 30°. The sensor will turn on the light when it detects a person passing by, and will automatically turn off within 15 seconds. According to the calculation based on 12 times a day, this lamp can last up to 8 months.

As for the price, the Aqara Induction Night Light carries a retail price of 49 yuan ($7) and is available on Tmall.

UP NEXT: Royole FlexPai 2 5G 12GB+512GB version finally available for purchase

Samsung releases GameDriver app to update GPU drivers on its phones

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Dec 11, 2020

Qualcomm was the first chipmaker to introduce support for updateable GPU drivers with the launch of Snapdragon 865. A few months later, ARM also announced support for the same. That said, Xiaomi became the first OEM to release an app to update GPU drivers on its devices earlier this year. The company was later followed by OPPO and vivo. Now, Samsung has also joined this bandwagon with its new GameDriver app.

Smartphones are the gateway to the internet in many developing nations. They are also the people’s first computer and gaming device. Therefore, with the introduction of more affordable smartphones, the smartphone gaming industry has been growing at a higher rate than ever before.

As a result, a new breed of handsets called gaming smartphones emerged. Even companies began to promote gaming on their devices no matter whether it is a premium or budget device.

With the growth of this industry, chipmakers added support for updateable GPU drivers just like on PC. Therefore, with a proper app, OEMs can deliver GPU driver updates without relying on system updates. This also allows them to fix issues quickly.

Coming back to Samsung, the South Korean tech giant calls its GPU updater app GameDriver and it is part of the firm’s Galaxy GameDev initiative. There are two variants of this app, one for ARM Mali GPUs (Exynos-powered phones) and another for Qualcomm Adreno GPUs (Snapdragon-powered phones). Both of them are available on Google Play Store as well as Samsung Galaxy Store.

Currently, these apps are only applicable to the Galaxy S20 series and Galaxy Note20 series. Also, they only support the following games – Call of Duty: Mobile, Black Desert, and Fortnite.

Having said that, we can expect the support to extend for more handsets and games in the coming months since Samsung has partnered with more than 50 game studios, publishers, tool developers, game engine companies, and GPU vendors.

(Via)

realme Buds Q2 FCC listing shows a similar earbud design and battery as the predecessor

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Dec 11, 2020

realme is getting in the groove of its usual launch cycle again. The company has already teased the realme Watch S and S Pro in India and confirmed the realme X7 Pro’s global debut in Thailand. Now, an FCC listing suggests that the second-iteration of Buds Q wireless earbuds isn’t that far away from launch.

As cnBeta reports, the realme Buds Q2 appears on FCC certification with a model number RMA2008. If we recall, the predecessor realme Buds Q had the model number RMA215. Although the model number isn’t following a pattern, it looks like the design will. The FCC listing shows that the Buds Q2 will have a similar round-shaped in-ear earbud as the predecessor.

This suggests that the company will stick to what it called the “cobblestone design” on the Buds Q. Anyway, the design of the earbud isn’t visible clearly due to the Bluetooth Antenna tag hiding the majority of it. Besides, there is a small cutout on the top of the earbud which is probably for the microphone. Apart from the design, the listing also shows the possible battery capacity of the earbuds.

1 of 2

Accordingly, the Buds Q2’s earbuds will have a 40mAh capacity each. Again, this is the exact same capacity on the earbuds of the original Buds Q. That said, the listing doesn’t have the capacity of the battery case which is understandable considering the particular listing is only for an earbud.

Anyway, the above details(including Bluetooth) suggest that Buds Q2 will borrow a lot of specs from the predecessor, if not be a replica. Previously, the TWS earbuds revealed themselves as the Buds Q2 at Indonesia Telecom certification. And although the version of Bluetooth isn’t mentioned, it should have the Bluetooth 5.0 just like the previous version.

Unfortunately, details like the charging case, audio driver, latency modes, and Touch controls aren’t known yet. The realme Buds Q2 appears just days after the realme Buds Air 2‘s FCC listing, and hence, we expect them to launch very soon.

Amazfit GTR 2 starts at ₹12,999($176) in India; pre-orders begin today

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Dec 11, 2020

Last week, Huami confirmed the arrival of Amazfit GTR 2 to India. Now, ahead of December 17 launch, the pricing and features of the wearable have been revealed.

Amazfit GTR 2 India Price, Availability

As reported by XDADevelopers, Amazfit GTR 2 price has been revealed on Flipkart, and it’s official website. You can take a look at the price of the Classic, and Sports edition below:

Sports Edition- ₹12,999$($176)*
Class Edition- ₹13,499($183)*

As mentioned above, the Amazfit GTR 2 will be available for purchase on both the Amazfit website and Flipkart after the official launch. Now, the device is up for pre-orders on the official website whereas Flipkart shows the ‘Coming soon’ message and a ‘Notify Me’ button. Additionally, the Amazfit website says the Delivery will start from December 17 suggesting the sale date.

*- users who pre-order the fitness tracker before the launch date will get an additional strap for free.

Amazfit GTR 2 Specifications, Features

Although Huami lists the specifications and features of the GTR 2, we already know that from the China launch back in September. The wearable is merely a fitness tracker but hides under the look of a Smartwatch. It comes in two modes- Classic and Sports Edition.

Measuring 46.4*46.4*10.7mm, the GTR 2 weighs 31.5g(Sport) and 39g(Classic) and comes in Obsidian Black color. You get a Round display upfront and two circular crowns on the right side. Amazfit says the body is made of Aluminum alloy(Sport), Stainless steel(Classic), and the touch screen with tempered glass, Anti-fingerprint, and ODLC coating.

It features a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 454×454, 450 nits brightness, and 326 PPI. For connectivity, you get built-in GPS, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and Wi-Fi (2.4GHz). A 471mAh battery backs all this and it charges via a Magnetic charging stand. Amazfit claims that one charge will give a typical battery life of up to 14 days.

As for features, the GTR 2 has a self-developed BioTracker™, 2 PPG with blood oxygen monitoring. It also supports 24-hr heart rate monitoring, stress and sleep monitor, 12 sport modes, PAI health assessment, Amazon Alexa built-in, and more. Apart from GTR 2, Amazfit has already confirmed that it will launch the Amazfit GTS 2, and GTS 2 Mini in India.

Samsung patents a clamshell foldable phone design with zero-gap hinge & larger cover display

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Dec 11, 2020

Samsung is the market leader in the foldable smartphone category. The Galaxy Z Flip is the world’s best setting foldable handset. Its successor is reported to launch in spring 2021. Ahead of it, the company has patented a design for a similar phone with improvements.

According to LetsGoDigital, Samsung Electronics filed a design patent titled ‘Foldable electronic device’ with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in June 2020. After its approval, the documentation for this patent got published on December 10.

The clamshell foldable smartphone in this design patent is similar to the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Flip 5G but with a larger cover display, more cameras, and a better hinge. Hence, we can expect the same elements in the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 2.

The cover display in this design is located at the center like on the Motorola razr 5G but it seems to be comparatively smaller. Anyway, it is larger than the tiny screen present in the current-gen Galaxy Z Flip.

Further, it features a triple camera setup instead of a dual-camera module along with an LED flash. Interestingly, there’s no punch-hole camera in the inner display. It looks like one of those circular things on the top bezel could be for the front-facing camera.

Lastly, but most importantly, this design sports a redesigned hinge that not only supports Flex Mode but also shuts the phone with zero-gap.

iFFALCON K61 4K TV launched in India with Dolby Audio, HDR10 support, and more

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Dec 11, 2020

TCL‘s iFFALCON brand has launched a new K61 4K UHD TV in India. Announced almost two months back, the TV has a slim design, and has features like 4K, Dolby Audio, and more.

TCL iFFALCON K61 4K UHD TV India Price, Availability

The iFFALCON K61 4K UHD TV comes in three sizes- 43, 50, and 55-inches. You can take a look at the pricing of the sizes as mentioned in the report, below:

43-inch: ₹26,999*
50-inch: ₹30,499*
55-inch: ₹36,499

The iFFALCON K61 models are already up for sale on Flipkart. That said, the Gadgets360 report says that according to the company’s press release, the *43-inch price is ₹24,999 but the above price is listed on the Flipkart website. Additionally, Flipkart also lists the *50-inch variant for ₹33,999 (at the time of writing this).

Anyway, Flipkart has some offers like 5% unlimited cashback using Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card, ₹1,750 instant discount on HDFC Credit and Debit/Credit(EMI) card transactions.

iFFALCON by TCL K61 UHD TV Features

All the models of the TCL’s iFFALCON K61 TV have display resolution up to 4K (3,840×2,160 pixels). The display also supports micro Dimming(512 different zones to analyze brightness, contrast), HDR10 support.

Plus, the display also supports 4K upscaling meaning it will scale non-4K contents to UHD resolution. Under the hood, the TVs are powered by an Amlogic 64-bit quad-core CPU. It is paired with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. On the audio side of things, it has 2x12W speakers with a total output of 24W.

The TV also supports Dolby Audio, DTS and comes with Android TV certification featuring Android 9 Pie out of the box. It also has a Google Play Store which means you can download as many as 5000 apps including Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, etc.

Other features include AI-X-IoT which is the company’s IoT ecosystem, hands-free voice control, Google Assistant and Chromecast built-in, Dynamic color enhancement, and frequency compensation.

Xiaomi confirms Android 11 update for select 2019 devices

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Dec 11, 2020

Xiaomi is the only smartphone OEM to release weekly software builds for its devices. In the announcement post for this week’s builds on Mi Community China, the company confirmed the Android 11 update for a number of Xiaomi and Redmi phones from 2019.

Xiaomi unveiled MIUI 12 in late April. Since then, the world’s third-largest smartphone maker has been updating its devices to the latest version of its mobile software. As of now, the company’s flagship, mid-range, select budget phones have received the update. Only certain budget and older handsets are yet to get the update.

On the other hand, the 2020 premium devices that have been updated to MIUI 12 have also started receiving Android 11 update. Hence, the firm has now revealed the next batch of handsets that will be getting the latest version of Android.

The below-mentioned smartphones will start receiving MIUI 12 beta builds based on Android 11 once the program continues after its temporary halt.

Redmi Note 8
Redmi Note 8 Pro
Redmi K20 Pro / Mi 9T Pro
Redmi K30S Ultra
Mi CC9 / Mi 9 Lite
Mi CC9 Meitu Edition
Mi 9 SE
Mi 9
Mi 9 Pro

That said, it is not sure when Android 11 builds will be released for the above-mentioned phones. Because the company has suspended the beta program for an unspecific period of time from next week ahead of MIUI 12.5 release.

Anyway, even after the firm starts releasing those builds, the final stable update for different regions may take time to arrive.

Note: Redmi K30 4G, POCO X2, Redmi K30 5G, Mi CC9 Pro, Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition, Mi Note 10, and Mi 10 Pro from 2019 are also eligible for Android 11 update. These handsets have been receiving MIUI 12 beta builds based on Android 11 for a few months now.

Latest Review: Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G

OPPO executive teases the launch of Reno5 Pro in India

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Dec 11, 2020

Yesterday, OPPO launched the next iteration of Reno smartphones, the Reno5 series in China. Today, an OPPO India executive has started teasing the launch of the Reno5 in India.

As spotted by MySmartPrice, Tasleem Arif, Vice President, and Head of OPPO R&D India has posted a tweet. He says the company recently revealed a smartphone that can shoot great videos. To quote about the photography and video, the Reno5 5G and Reno5 Pro 5G have a 64MP camera and a host of features live HDR, EIS(not OIS), bokeh videos, etc.

He further hints at the arrival of the Global Product in India. If you recall, the Reno5 series Global edition tipped to arrive both as 5G and 4G versions. Leaks say that the Reno5 Pro 5G version will have the Snapdragon 765G and the Reno5 4G version will retain the SoC of its predecessor, the Reno4 Global variant.

Amazed to share that we revealed this great smartphone to shoot brilliant videos😍Are you excited to get this global product in India? Guess you already know what I’m talking about!🤩😃

— Tasleem Arif 🇮🇳 (@tasleemarifk) December 11, 2020

Besides, Arif has also hinted at the launch of the 5G device with a smiley to tipster Ishan Agarwal’s reply. The tipster has replied with a guess that the device is likely to be Reno5 Pro 5G. Hence, it will be interesting to see if the company brings both versions to India or just the Pro.

🙂

— Tasleem Arif 🇮🇳 (@tasleemarifk) December 11, 2020

Previously, the company launched only the Pro version of the predecessor in the country back in July. In any case, the Reno5 Pro, if launches, should finally bring the 5G-support to the Reno series in India. Let’s wait for more details as we get closer to the launch.

Reno5 Series (China) Specifications

The OPPO Reno5 5G in China features a 6.43-inch OLED FHD+ 90Hz display, Snapdragon 765G SoC, 8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB UFS 2.1 storage, quad rear camera with 64MP f/1.7 main lens, 8MP ultra-wide, and two 2MP sensors, 32MP selfie shooter. The device has a 4,300mAh battery and supports 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 charging.

The Reno5 Pro 5G has a 6.55-inch curved OLED 90Hz display, MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ SoC, same cameras as the Reno5, 4,350mAh battery with the 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 charging. Both the devices run ColorOS 11 based on Android 11 out of the box.

Apple to embed Antennas and Touch ID in the display: Report

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Dec 11, 2020

Future Apple iPhones might arrive with larger screens that could have Touch ID fingerprint reader and antennas embedded into the display. This could offer better WiFi and cellular connectivity and boost reception for the company’s devices.

According to an AppleInsider report, the Cupertino based giant might be working on offering its users better signal reception while still providing a secure user authentication system as well. This would also lead to thinner bezels and notches, offering more screen estate to its customers. The company could achieve this by having both the Touch ID and antennas being housed under the display.

In the past, it was reported on multiple occasions that Apple is working on an in display fingerprint reader for its Touch ID system. Various patents had surfaced over the course of last year, which touched on topics like acoustic imaging, infrared, and more. Furthermore, these features have also been subject to many rumors and claims from known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and his leaks on Twitter.

Apart from Touch ID being housed under the display, the company has also applied for related patents that cover using these layers to house an RF antenna into the display. Since signals require the WiFi and cellular antennas to be exposed, having one that takes up an entire side over a single thin band is better for the connectivity and reception for the device. This was described in Apple’s recent patent titled, “Display Integratable Hybrid Transparent Antenna.”

The patent application reads, “Today’s wireless systems (smart watches or other devices with a predominant display feature, for example) are striving to achieve an edge-to-edge display with a smaller bezel or bezel-less display solution. Especially for wearable devices, such as smart watches, smart glasses, or smart health-related monitoring devices, the display is small and the number of wireless radios (e.g., Bluetooth, GPS, WiFi, 3G/4G/LTE, FM, and so forth) that need to be supported and the related antennas is increasing.”

Realme seeks to become one of the top 5 brands in Taiwan

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Dec 11, 2020

Realme aims on becoming one of the top 5 smartphone brands in Taiwan. The company seeks to achieve this by launching 5 to 6 handset models with support for either 4G and 5G in 2021, as per a senior official.

For those unaware, the Chinese tech giant was once a sub brand of Oppo. It is planning to expand its presence in the region with new launches and grow to be one of the top 5 brands in the region, according to Chung Hsiang-wei, chief commercial officer of Realme Taiwan. To achieve this, the company plans on launched 5G enabled devices priced below 10,000 Taiwanese Dollars (roughly 355 US Dollars) in the second quarter of 2021, as per a DigiTimes report.

Despite multi lens and high pixel camera smartphones becoming common throughout the market, the senior executive believes that any device with 3 to 4 cameras would be sufficient for most photo apps. Furthermore, Realme is also planning on growing its connected devices or IoT portfolio as well, for personal, household, and traveling applications. This includes products like wearables, small size displays, health care gadgets, and other smart household devices.

Although the company is relatively young by the standards of other established players in the industry, it has quickly grown its presence in the market. While it aims to be within the top 5 brands in the Taiwanese region, it has already achieved this in other markets like India, which is the second largest smartphone market in the world. As of the third quarter of 2020, it held a 15 percent market share in the region, even beating its previous parent company Oppo and is even one of top brands for wearables in the same region.

Galaxy Tab M62 could be the first tablet in the Galaxy M series

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Dec 11, 2020

Earlier in November, a report exposed that Samsung is working on Galaxy M62. Going by its name, the device was thought to be a mid-range smartphone back then. But now, another report reveals it to be a tablet instead.

The Galaxy M series is Samsung’s online-exclusive device lineup with limited offline availability. So far, all the devices in this series have been entry-level, budget, and mid-range smartphones. Hence, the Galaxy M62 with model number SM-M625F was also expected to be a handset.

But it turns out that it will be the first-ever tablet in the Galaxy M series. According to the source of 91Mobiles, this device will go official as Galaxy Tab M62. But unfortunately, nothing else is known about this product except for the fact that it will be compact in size and will be available in a 256GB storage variant.

Currently, Samsung has two series of tablets. The premium and mid-tier models release with Galaxy Tab S branding. On the other hand, the budget models come with Galaxy Tab A branding.

Since the Galax M series’ placement is similar to the Galaxy A series, we can expect the Galaxy Tab M62 to be a budget tablet. Therefore, we think it could be the spiritual successor to the Galaxy J Max, the only tablet in the Galaxy J series that was launched in 2016.

But a benchmark listing says otherwise. Last week, a device going by the name of Galaxy F62 was spotted on Geekbench with Exynos 9825 and Android 11. For those unware, this is the same chipset that powers the last year’s Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10+.

Further, since Galaxy M and Galaxy F series are idenntical except for their retailer exclusivity. Hence. this Galaxy F62 could be the Galaxy M62. If that is the case, then this device will be a mid-range tablet.

Samsung to shift its employees from Display to its Semiconductor unit

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Dec 11, 2020

Samsung Electronics is planning on transferring hundreds of its employees from its display unit to its Semiconductor business. The news arrives as the company aims to exit the LCD (liquid crystal display) business.

According to TheElec report, the South Korean tech giant is taking applications from its employees for the transfer and is also in the process of sorting through these applications to decide who to shift. As per the report, it is being estimated that hundreds of employees will be moved. Previously, Samsung Display had already transferred about 200 staff to the semiconductor unit back in August 2020.

For those unaware, the company is also planning to exit the LCD market completely by March of next year. While the initial plan was to quit the LCD business in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic caused the company to delay its plans to 2021. This also arrived as Samsung witnessed a boom in the demand for LCD display panels, with it having to extend the deadline to meet customer demands.

Furthermore, Samsung Display is also set to focus on the development of quantum dot (QD) displays. The company plans on investing 13.1 trillion Won (roughly 12 billion US Dollars). A spokesperson from the company’s display unit also confirmed this transfer, although, the official had yet to comment on the matter or offer any specifics either.

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