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Xiaomi Mi Neckband Pro clears Bluetooth certification

Last year in July, Xiaomi launched an audio product called Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones. Now, more than a year later, a higher version of this product with the ‘Pro’ moniker has received Bluetooth certification. Hence, we think that it will be launching in the coming days.

Xiaomi Mi Neckband Bluetooth Earphones Featured

According to the Bluetooth SIG listing (via), the upcoming Xiaomi wireless earphones will be called ‘Mi Neckband Pro’. Going by its name, we expect to be an advanced model of the regular Mi Neckband.

Unfortunately, the listing does not reveal much about these earphones. Because it only mentions the support for Bluetooth 5.0 as well as SBC and AAC audio codecs. Further, as an added bonus, it will be also IPX4 certified for water-resistant.

Therefore, the reason behind the ‘Pro’ branding is a mystery for now. That said, normally, earphones with the Pro moniker come with ANC (Active Noise Cancellation). If it happens to have this feature, then these new pair of earphones from Xiaomi will compete with the realme Buds Wireless Pro.

Anyway, this is just speculation from our end and hence, consider it with a pinch of salt. Having said that, since the product has cleared certification, it could be announced soon. Moreover, we may learn everything about this product before its launch from leaks and teasers.

 

Nokia 5.4 appears at Google AR Core supported devices list, BIS and NBTC, launch seems near

HMD Global is reportedly working on the launch of the Nokia 5.4 mid-range phone. It appears that the launch date of the Nokia 5.4 may not be far away as it has been spotted in the list of Google AR Core supported devices. The handset has also bagged approval from Thailand’s NBTC authority and India’s BIS regulatory body.

Since the Nokia 5.4 is now mentioned in the list of Google AR Core supported devices, it will be optimized to support different AR apps. The listing confirms the moniker of the device. The Nokia TA-1325 phone that has been approved by the BIS and NBTC authorities could be the Nokia 5.4 smartphone. It appears that the TA-1328 phone that has been also approved by the BIS authority could be a variant of the TA-1325.

Nokia 5.4 specifications (Rumored)

A recent leak revealed the entire specs of the Nokia 5.4. As per the leak, the smartphone has a 6.39-inch HD+ LCD screen, Snapdragon 662, 4 GB of RAM, and a 4,000mAh battery. It has a front camera of 16-megapixel and a quad camera setup featuring a 48-megapixel main lens, a 5-megapixel superwide lens, a 2-megapixel macro shooter, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

The other rumored specs of the Nokia 5.4 include Android 10 OS, dual SIM support, microSD card slot, a rear-facing fingerprint reader, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The phone measures 160.97 x 75.99 x 8.7mm and it weighs 182 grams. It is likely to arrive in color variants such as Blue and Purple. The phone may hit the shelves in 64 GB and 128 GB storage versions.

 

(via 1, 2)

Narzo 30, Narzo 30 Pro tipped to launch in January 2021

The Realme Narzo 20 series was made official in September and fresh information reveals that the company is already prepping up its successor. According to popular leakster Mukul Sharma, the Narzo 30 series will go official in January 2021.

The tipster claimed that unless there is any last moment changes, the Realme Narzo 30 and Narzo 30 Pro will be announced in January 2021. The Narzo 20 series had three phones such as the Narzo 20A, Narzo 20, and Narzo 20 Pro.

The tipster claimed that the Narzo 30 series may include a third handset. Hence, there is a possibility that the Narzo 30A may also arrive with Narzo 30 and Narzo 30 Pro. The tipster did not share any information on the specifications of the Narzo 30 series.

Realme Narzo 20 Pro
Realme Narzo 20 Pro

A mysterious Realme phone with model number RMX3171 has received certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The BIS certification has no information on the specs of the device, but it mentions that it belongs to a new series. It is advisable to wait for further reports to know whether the RMX3171 model number belongs to the Realme Narzo 30 series.

Realme RMX3171 BIS

There are a few other Realme phones that have been spotted recently. Last month, the BIS and EEC authorities approved two mysterious Realme phones with RMX3063 and RMX3061 model numbers. The FCC listing of the RMX3063 phone revealed a few of its specs such as a 5,000mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.2, and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n.

Realme RMX3092 3C certified-

Earlier today, the Realme RMX3092 appeared at the 3C certification platform with a 65W rapid charger. The RMX3092 and another RMX3093 phone have appeared in TENAA’s database, but their specs and images have not appeared yet. Probably, they belong to the upcoming Realme X60 5G series for China.

 

Samsung records highest smartphone shipments in 3 years in Q3 2020

In the past few days, Counterpoint Research released its Q3 2020 reports on various smartphone markets, including global. Now, the company has published an infographic highlighting the major happenings in the smartphone world during the third quarter.

Global Smartphone Market Q3 2020 Shipments Counterpoint Research

According to the research firm, the Global Smartphone Market shipment declined 4% YoY in Q3 2020, however, it grew 32% QoQ. All in all, the entire market shipped 366 million units.

As for regional markets, the India Smartphone Market exceeded pre-COVID levels during this period. The market’s shipments reached 53 million units and therefore, it grew 9% YoY and 188% QoQ respectively.

 

Talking about brands, Samsung not only led the Global Smartphone Market but also three out of the five major regional markets namely Europe, LATAM (Latin America), and MEA (Middle East & Africa). On the other hand, Huawei ranked first in Asia, whereas Apple topped in North America.

The South Korean electronics giant achieved this feat by shipping 80.4 million units. In fact, this number was the company’s highest-ever shipments in the last 3 years. As a result, the firm witnessed 3% YoY and 48% QoQ growths respectively.

Further, Xiaomi made it to the top 5 charts in three regions. The smartphone maker also surpassed Apple for the first time to obtain the third spot in the Global Smartphone Market with a 13% share and 75% QoQ growth.

Regional Smartphone Market Q3 2020 Market Share Shipments Counterpoint Research

Then, realme, which grew 132% QoQ in Q3, reached its milestone of 50 million shipments. Hence, it took over the mantle of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone brand

Last but not least, Apple’s shipments declined 7% YoY in the third quarter of 2020. Because the company delayed the launch of the iPhone 12 series to Q4 this year.

 

Samsung arrives third in the feature phone market in Q3 2020

While the smartphone industry has completely eclipsed the once dominant feature phone market, these devices still exist and are still used widely across developing or under developed nations. Now, a new report has revealed that one of the world’s largest smartphone brand, Samsung, is also the third largest feature phone maker as well.

As per a Counterpoint Research report, the South Korean tech giant shipped over 7.4 million feature phones during the third quarter of 2020. The company shared the third spot with Tecno, with both brands having a 10 percent market share. India was one of the key markets for Samsung, as it held an 18 percent share in the region. iTel leads the feature phone market at the moment, with a 24 percent global market share followed by HMD Global, with a 14 percent market share.

Samsung

Notably, India’s Lava is the world’s fifth largest feature phone brand in the market. The global feature phone market saw 74 million units being shipped with the Middle East and Africa region being the largest market for such devices. Despite being such a large industry, the market is one a steady decline year on year, with shipments falling by 17 percent between July and September 2020, compared to the same period back in 2019. Similarly, feature phone shipments in North America declined by 75 percent year on year and by 50 percent quarter on quarter.

 

Samsung announces its new 110 inch Micro LED TV for enterprises

Samsung Electronics has just unveiled a new product that it is targeting towards businesses and other commercial enterprises. It is the new 110 inch Micro LED TV, which was announced earlier today (10th December 2020).

The massive new TV was announced during an online event that the company hosted using the Webinar system, which is an interactive video conference solution that is used to introduce new products. Arriving at its most notable aspect, its display features Micro LED technology, which is touted to be the next generation for displays. It is a true self luminous TV that eliminates structures such as backlights and color filters by using micro LEDs in micrometer (㎛) units, and the LED itself emits light and color.

Samsung

So, unlike a regular TV display, Micro LED panels RGB are the only ones that can emit light and color by itself. This allows one to experience natural colors and have a better viewing experience. The 110 inch Micro LED TV is similar to the South Korean tech giant’s previously launched, The Wall, which was also aimed at businesses and was one of the company’s first display that utilized Micro LED. A notable feature of the TV is its ‘Quad View (4Vue)’ function, which lets users divide the 110 inch display into four 50 inch screens.

Furthermore, the new Samsung TV features 4K resolution with more than 8 million micro LED elements in a size of just 3.3 square meters. Its MICRO AI Processor from the company’s semiconductor unit also helps the TV achieve best in class image quality even by micro LED standards. This processor is a dedicated chip that combines the  self-luminous characteristics and proprietary artificial intelligence algorithms, which is based on the quantum processor technology applied to QLED 8K TVs that helps offer a near perfect real world color reproduction.

Samsung

Arriving at the audio, the 110 inch Samsung Micro LED TV sports ‘Arena Sound’ that can offer a clear and immersive audio experience without the use of an external speaker. It supports 5.1 channel sound paired with OTS Pro technology (Object Tracking Sound), which moves the speaker along with the movement of the subject in front of the TV. It follows a minimalist ‘Monolithic design,’ with negligible bezels on every side of the TV, enabling a full display body on the front.

 

Huawei could soon launch HarmonyOS-powered smartwatch

It’s been a couple of months since Chinese giant Huawei launched its Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro smartwatch, which was launched in its home country in October. The company is also set to launch an upgraded variant with ECG support on 12th December.

Now, a new report coming from China (via Huawei Central) reveals that Huawei is now gearing up to launch a new smartwatch. The wearable device in question was reportedly set to launch by the end of this year but has now been delayed to 2021.

HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro Featured
Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro

EDITOR’S PICK: Major lawsuits in the United States seek to break up Facebook over anti-competitive practices

It has also been confirmed that it is not a variant of the Watch GT 2 Pro but will be a totally different device. However, at this point in time, not much is known about the smartwatch, but we expect to get more details in the coming weeks and months.

Recently, at the Huawei Developer Conference, the company officially announced HarmonyOS 2.0 SDK with a focus on Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It is also confirmed to power smartwatches and developers in China have already started making applications for this Huawei’s own operating system.

Given the development surrounding HarmonyOS and the company’s struggle with getting access to technologies made in the United States, it is likely that the upcoming smartwatch will come running HarmonyOS. In that case, there’s a high possibility that the device will be limited to the Chinese market, at least for the initial period.

 

Redmi 9 Power India launch date is December 17

After numerous leaks. Xiaomi has finally revealed that the Redmi 9 Power will be launching in India on December 17. This smartphone is expected to be a  tweaked version of the Redmi Note 9 4G with an additional camera. This very same phone is also set to go official as Redmi 9T in other markets.

Redmi 9 Power India Launch Date December 17

The upcoming Redmi 9 Power will be similar to the recently launched Redmi Note 9 4G inside out. It will be even available in those original four colors (Black, Blue, Orange, Green), as per the teaser page on Mi.com. 

As we mentioned in the beginning, the only major difference between the two will be the inclusion of an extra 2MP macro camera. Hence, this handset will arrive with a 48MP (wide) + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) quad-camera setup.

Further, it will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB/128GB internal storage. On the front, the device will flaunt a 6.53-inch IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels (FHD+) and a dew-drop notch housing an 8MP selfie camera.

That said, the main highlight of this product will be its huge 6,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging and reverse charging via USB Type-C. 

Last but not least. It will come with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack (Hi-Res Audio), microSD card slot, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth, GNSS (GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS), accelerometer, proximity, compass, and MIUI 12 based on Android 10.

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE One UI 3.0 update based on Android 11 is still months away

Samsung recently revealed its roadmap for the One UI 3.0 rollout based on the Android 11 operating system. Based on that, the company seems to have confirmed that the update for the Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition) isn’t coming anytime soon.

Based on the roadmap shared by the South Korean giant, the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 update for the Galaxy S20 FE is a few months away, at least in the European market. However, the company has started the rollout for other devices.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE Display

EDITOR’S PICK: Major lawsuits in the United States seek to break up Facebook over anti-competitive practices

Samsung has started seeding the new update to its Galaxy S20 flagship smartphones — Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. The devices next in line to get the update includes Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Note 10, and the Galaxy S10 lineup.

The roadmap also hints that the update for the company’s foldable smartphones should be rolled out next month. But, the original Galaxy Fold is set to receive the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 update in February and select Galaxy S20 FE models are also set to get the update around the same time.

Although Samsung is trying to improve its update rollout timing, the company definitely needs to work more on this as it’s a bit disappointing to see that a smartphone under the flagship lineup isn’t among the firsts to get the latest update.

 

Apple, Huawei, and Samsung lead the global Smartwatch market in Q3 2020

The global smartwatch market witnessed a growth of 6 percent in the third quarter of this year, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Major brands like Apple, Huawei, and Samsung led the industry in terms of shipments as per a new report.

According to a recently published Global Smartwatch Model Tracker from Counterpoint Research, Apple retained its top spot in the market with a 28 percent share. The Cupertino based giant saw a nominal rise of 2 percent in its market share over the same period from 2019. Its launch of its first mid tier wearable Apple Watch SE, which was priced under 300 US Dollars, helped the company garner a lot of attention during this quarter in the market.

Apple Watch Series 6

Similarly, Huawei also managed to remain second in terms of shipments with a 15 percent market share in 2020. This marks a growth of 5 percent over the third quarter from the previous year, which was accredited to the launch of new models that expanded its existing wearable portfolio. The South Korean tech giant, Samsung, took the third spot overtaking BBK in 2020 thanks to the successful launch of its Galaxy Watch 3 smartwatch.

According to Analyst Sujeong Lim, “In terms of sales, Apple’s position is even stronger. In the third quarter, it achieved $2.3 billion, nearly half of global smartwatch shipments and an 18% increase over the same period last year. Samsung had stagnated in H1 2020. Since it appeals to fewer premium consumers compared to Apple, demand from its base was weaker during the pandemic. But it rebounded in the third quarter with the launch of the Galaxy Watch 3. In terms of revenues, Samsung grew 59% YoY and is expecting good growth momentum now.”

Apple

Notably, China surpassed North America in terms of shipment after being behind for the past seven quarters to become the market leader. While the North American market showed significant growth after the launch of the Apple Watch Series 4, China managed to edge ahead with smartwatches aimed towards children. Despite being the second largest smartphone market, India only accounted for 4 percent of the total smartwatch market.

 

New Nokia phone to debut on December 15 in China

HMD Global is gearing up to launch a new phone in China. The launch date poster released by the brand reveals that the phone will be made official on Dec. 15. The handset will have a dedicated button that will give single-click access to the health code application. It appears that the company could be launching the Nokia TA-1335 phone that was recently certified by the TENAA authority of China. It is likely to arrive as a C-series phone. Probably, it may debut with the Nokia C1 Plus moniker.

Nokia December 15 launch date

Nokia C1 Plus specifications (Rumored)

The TENAA listing revealed that the Nokia TA-1335 measures 149.1 x 71.2 x 8.75mm and it weighs only 122 grams. The phone is expected to arrive in two colors such as Navy Blue and Champagne.

The handset has a 5.45-inch LCD screen that produces an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. It is fueled by an unknown 1.4GHz octa-core processor and 2 GB of RAM. It is equipped with large internal storage of 64 GB. It is preinstalled with Android 10 OS. This low-budget phone is likely to run on the lighter Go version of the operating system.

Nokia TA-1335 TENAA

The Nokia TA-1335 has a front-facing camera of 3-megapixel and it has a rear camera of 5-megapixel. On the connectivity front, the device supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, and LTE. It is backed by a 2,500mAh battery that is expected to support 5W charging.

The Nokia C3 that debuted in August this year has a dedicated button for accessing the health code app, but the images of the alleged Nokia C1 Plus that it does not have a dedicated hardware key for it. Hence, it appears that one of the volume buttons may double up as the button for accessing the app.

 

Major lawsuits in the US seek to break up Facebook over anti competitive practices

Facebook, like any other major tech company, is no stranger to facing multiple lawsuits at any given moment. However, the recent string of lawsuits from the US federal regulators and more than 45 state prosecutors appears to be a real threat as they seek to break up the company over anti competitive practices.

Facebook

According to a BBC report, the lawsuit being faced by the social media giant is accusing the company of taking illegal actions to buy up its rivals to stifle competition. Thus, the officials are also asking the court to consider breaking up the company, which also owns other major social media platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp as well. Facebook stated that the deals that are under scrutiny now were approved by the regulators years ago.

As per Jennifer Newstead, Facebook general counsel, “The government now wants a do-over, sending a chilling warning to American business that no sale is ever final.” She further added that the company has invested millions into both Instagram and Whatsapp and would “vigorously” fight any attempts to break the company apart. Facebook also said that “Antitrust laws exist to protect consumers and promote innovation, not to punish successful businesses,” however, the government’s arguments seems like “revisionist history.”

Facebook

At the moment, the lawsuits filed by the different states and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are targeting the company’s 2012 acquisition of Instagram and 2014 purchase of WhatsApp. The lawsuits accuses the company of following the method of “buy or bury” towards any potential rival. This effectively hurts competition as every major or popular platform falls under one major corporation. The officials even brought up the various acts of data collection, citing that users have lost control of their own data to support revenue streams from advertising.

 

Lenovo Tab M7 (2021) running Android 11 spotted on Geekbench

Lenovo’s upcoming tablet has been spotted on the benchmarking platform Geekbench, revealing some of the key specifications. The device, which carries a model number TB-7306F, is said to be called Lenovo Tab M7 (2021).

The Geekbench listing confirms that the device will be running the latest Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box. Further, it adds that the tablet will be powered by the MediaTek Helio A22 chipset.

Lenovo Tab M7 (2021) Geekbench

EDITOR’S PICK: Sony acquires anime streaming service Crunchyroll from AT&T and WarnerMedia for $1.175 billion

As for the memory configuration, there’s 2GB RAM but the storage capacity remains unknown. But given that it packs just 2GB RAM, the device is likely to have 32GB of internal storage, with support for expandable storage using a microSD card.

The product has managed to score 144 points in the single-core test while it scored 498 points in the multi-core test. We expect to get more details about the Lenovo Tab M7 (2021) in the coming weeks.

The upcoming tablet will be a successor to the Lenovo Tab M8 which was launched last year with a model number TB-7306F. It features an 8-inch IPS display, offering buyers an option to choose between HD and Full HD+ resolution. It also features a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing snapper. Offering 16GB and 32GB storage options, the device is powered by a 5,000mAh battery.

 

Sony acquires anime streaming service Crunchyroll for $1.175 billion

Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced that the company is acquiring Crunchyroll, an anime streaming service from AT&T and WarnerMedia. Crunchyroll will be a part of Sony’s Funimation. The company has also revealed that the transaction is worth $1.175 billion.

With this acquisition, Funimation will be adding 70 million free members and 3 million paid members of Crunchyroll to its platform. Sony now has significant power over anime content in the United States. Not just this, it also leads to the growth of the company’s influence over Japan’s anime industry.

Sony acquires Crunchyroll

Commenting about this development, Joanne Waage, General Manager of Crunchyroll, said in a statement: “We are excited to embark on this new journey. Crunchyroll has built a world-class brand with a passionate fan-base… These amazing fans have helped to propel anime into a global phenomenon. Combining the strength of the Crunchyroll brand and the expertise of our global team with Funimation is an exciting prospect and a win for the incredible art form of anime.”

Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra said “Through Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, we have a deep understanding of this global artform and are well-positioned to deliver outstanding content to audiences around the world. Together with Crunchyroll, we will create the best possible experience for fans and greater opportunity for creators, producers, and publishers in Japan and elsewhere.”

EDITOR’S PICK: Honor is reportedly very close to getting Qualcomm chipsets for its upcoming smartphones

For those who are unaware, AT&T has purchased Crunchyroll in 2018 as a part of Otter Media from Chernin Group for a sum of around $1 billion. However, the company is now focusing on building up HBO Max.

Sony has been strengthening its position in the anime industry for quite some time now. In 2015, it acquired anime streaming service Wakanim and in 2018, the company bought anime distributor Madman Anime as well as its streaming platform AnimeLab. After acquiring Funimation, it merged all the streaming services under a joint venture between Sony Pictures Television and its production studio Aniplex under the Funimation brand.

 

Honor is reportedly very close to getting Qualcomm chips for its smartphones

Huawei Technologies recently sold off its sub-brand Honor, clearing the way for the company to get access to a lot of components and technologies banned by the United States when it put sanctions on the Chinese giant.

With sanctions out of the way, Honor can now procure smartphone chipsets from Qualcomm. Now, as per the report, both the companies are in advanced talks and are quite close to reaching a deal.

Honor Logo

There’s no doubt that both the companies — Huawei and Honor will now compete against each other and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Earlier, Honor CEO Zhao Ming had communicated to the employees that Honor now aims to become the leading smartphone brand in the Chinese market.

Under Huawei, the Honor brand was making budget and mid-range smartphones while the high-end premium offerings were from Huawei under its P-series and Mate-series. But now, Honor will also launch premium devices, likely to be powered by the newly launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, if the deal goes through.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite with up to 9 days battery power launched for the global market

It’s not just the smartphone space where both the companies will be at loggerheads. Zhao Ming has confirmed that Honor will be launching devices other than smartphones but has not revealed much information about this.

Based on the company’s track record, it’s safe to assume that Zhao Ming is talking about launching devices like Smart TVs, Smartwatches, Fitness Bands, and Notebooks under the Honor brand, which the brand already has experience with.

Meanwhile, the brand is getting ready to launch its new V-series smartphones next month. As per the reports, the phones will be powered by MediaTek chipset which the company already has access to. This will mark the first major announcement from the company after splitting into an interdependent brand.

 

OPPO Reno5 Pro+ specifications leaked ahead of official announcement

OPPO will be launching the Reno5 series of smartphones today in China. Recent reports have revealed that apart from the Reno5 5G and Reno5 Pro 5G, the lineup will have a flagship phone called the Reno5 Pro+ 5G. Recent reports have revealed that the model number of the Reno5 Pro+ 5G is PDRM00 / PDRT00. While the specs of the Reno5 5G and Reno5 Pro 5G are already known, the exact details of the Reno5 Pro+ 5G have not appeared in recent reports. A fresh leak by Digital Chat Station has revealed all the important specs of the Reno5 Pro+ 5G.

OPPO Reno5 Pro+ 5G specifications

According to the tipster, the Reno5 Pro+ 5G will have a 6.55-inch AMOLED display that will produce a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 90Hz refresh rate. It will be a punch-hole screen with curved edges.

OPPO Reno5 Pro+ 5G leaked render
OPPO Reno5 Pro+ 5G leaked render

For selfies, it will possess a front camera of 32-megapixel. The back panel of the phone will have a quad-camera setup comprising of Sony IMX766 50-megapixel primary lens, a 16-megapixel ultrawide shooter, a 13-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens.

As it is already known, the phone will draw power from the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. It will be housing a 4,500mAh battery that will support 65W fast charging. The phone measures 159.9 x 72.5 x 7.99mm and it weighs 184 grams.

A recent leak had claimed that it will be the first mass-produced smartphone to arrive with the electrochromic rear. This innovative tech was first seen on the OnePlus Concept One phone that was announced in January this year. Speculations are rife that the Reno5 Pro+ 5G will go on sale in the coming year. Also, it may not launch in markets outside China.

 

Redmi K40 to ditch pop-up selfie camera, punch-hole display expected

Earlier this week, it was revealed by a tipster that Redmi will launch at least Snapdragon 888 powered flagship n 2021. One of them could be the Redmi K40 Pro that is expected to replace the Redmi K30 Pro in Q1 2021. A new leak reveals that the Redmi K40 Pro will not have a notch-less display and a pop-up selfie camera like the predecessor Redmi K20 Pro and K30 Pro phones.

Leakster Sudhanshu Ambhore has claimed that the Redmi K40 Pro’s display will have a selfie camera punch-hole at its upper-left corner. In the past few months, the rumor about Redmi K40 Pro sporting a punch-hole display has been doing rounds on social platforms.

Redmi K40 Pro display design leak

A leak from the past month claimed that the K40 Pro will feature a flat OLED panel and the size of its punch-hole could be 3.7mm. One of the shortcomings of the Redmi K30 Pro was that it only supported a 60Hz refresh rate. It was reported last month that the upcoming Redmi flagship will support a higher refresh rate. Hence, it is likely that the K40 Pro may come with 90Hz, 120Hz, or even 144Hz refresh rate support.

The Snapdragon 888 mobile platform will be at the helm of the device. Also, it is expected to offer a better fast charging experience than its predecessor. It is speculated that the company may announce the Redmi K40 by the end of 2021 or in the beginning of 2021. The phone may feature a 120Hz LCD panel, Dimensity 1000+ chipset, and a 4,500mAh battery.

 

Xiaomi Mi 10i with Snapdragon 750G spotted at Geekbench, India launch could be nearing

Recent reports have revealed that India may soon receive a new phone named the Xiaomi Mi 10i. While the moniker is new, it is believed to be a rebranded version of the Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G phone that debuted in China last month. The Xiaomi Mi 10i that has a model number of M2007J17I has appeared at the Geekbench benchmarking platform, which indicates that the company could be testing its performance before its official announcement.

The Xiaomi Mi 10i moniker is not explicitly mentioned in the Geekbench listing. It only has the model number M2007J17I and “gauguinpro” codename, which reveals that it is the Indian version of the Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G. The handset is most likely driven by the Snapdragon 750G chipset, which is mentioned with its base frequency of 1.80GHz.

The smartphone is running on Android 10 OS and its SoC is coupled with 8 GB of RAM. In the single-core and multi-core tests of Geekbench, the handset scored 652 and 2004 points, respectively. It was revealed in the previous week that the Xiaomi Mi 10i will land in India in storage models such as 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. It is expected to arrive in black, blue, orange/green gradient color. There is no word on its pricing and it is unclear whether the device will go official before the end of the year.

The Xiaomi Mi 10i is expected to house a 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD panel with 120Hz refresh rate support. The handset is likely to feature a 16-megapixel front camera and a 108-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel quad-camera system. It may house a 4,820mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.

 

Samsung to unveil new TVs at CES 2021 virtual event

Next year’s edition of CES will be a virtual event as the world is still battling with the coronavirus pandemic. The multi-day event will begin on January 11 and run until January 14. Samsung is among the manufacturers that will unveil new products and it has been reported that the focus will be on new TVs.

Samsung MicroLED TV
Samsung MicroLED TV, The Wall, was unveiled at CES 2020

Samsung’s own presentation is scheduled for January 12 and it will be held between 2:30 PM and 3:00 PM. The electronics giant is expected to announce new 8K OLED TVs and related devices. However, SamMobile reports that Samsung will not announce Quantum Dot OLED TVs as it has no plans to do so next year even though its display arm is the one making the panels.

We expect Samsung will also announce other exciting products aside from TVs. This year’s CES saw the Korean company announce a bunch of interesting products such as Ballie, a cute ball-like companion robot that can control smart appliances and provide personalized care; Samsung NEON which is a virtual avatar that can be customized to perform a variety of functions; and the Galaxy Chromebook.

We have already heard that the Galaxy Chromebook2 is in development, so there is a chance it will be announced at CES 2021. However, what we don’t expect to see is a smartphone, or specifically, the Galaxy S21 series. There are reports that the Galaxy S21 series will launch in mid-January but seeing as that is around the same time CES will be rounding off, it seems unlikely.

 

Mi 10T 5G and Mi 10T Pro 5G land in Indonesia; goes on sale Dec. 15

The Mi 10T 5G and Mi 10T Pro 5G have landed in Indonesia. The two flagship phones were announced earlier this week and are now available for pre-order.

Mi 10T Pro 5G

Prior to the launch, we had thought only the Mi 10T Pro 5G will be announced in the country but surprisingly, the standard version was also unveiled. Both phones are available in a single configuration.

The Mi 10T 5G comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and is available in Black and Silver for a price tag of IDR 5,999,000 (~$426). The Mi 10T Pro 5G comes in the same colors but has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It is priced at IDR 6,999,000 (~$497).

The two phones have a 6.67-inch FHD+ LCD display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a punch hole at the top left corner of the screen for a 20MP selfie camera. You get a Snapdragon 865 processor that draws power from a 5000mAh battery in both devices.

Where they differ is in the camera configuration. The Mi 10T Pro 5G has a 108MP + 13MP ultrawide angle camera + 5MP macro camera on the back while the Mi 10T 5G has a 64MP + 13MP ultrawide + 5MP macro camera.

Regardless of the model you purchase, you get stereo speakers, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, an IR blaster, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and support for 33W fast charging. Both phones run MIUI 12 based on Android 10 out of the box.

The two phones are available for pre-order on Jingdong Indonesia and on the Xiaomi Indonesia website from today up until December 14. The first 200 people who pre-order will get a free pair of Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic while the first 200 who purchase on December 15, the first day it goes on sale, will get a free Mi 10000mAh Power Bank 3.