Advertisement

Microsoft confirms Xbox cloud gaming is coming to PCs and iOS next year; more countries too

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Microsoft’s cloud gaming service, xCloud is bundled with its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. With a price tag of $15, users will be able to stream from a library of games on their android phone or tablet wherever they are. The service is similar to Google’s Stadia.

Xbox Game Pass featured

 

The xCloud game streaming service is limited to just Android devices but Microsoft has announced that it will be coming to iOS and PCs next spring. An official statement published by the tech giant says that they plan to bring the service to more users next year. By expanding to PCs and iOS devices, they can add up to a billion devices to the service.

iOS users will be able to access the service via their mobile browser rather than an app, no thanks to Apple’s App Store restrictions. Instead of an app that acts as a catalog for what you want to stream, Apple wants Microsoft and other game streaming services to list each individual game as an app that users have to download before being able to stream it. Think of it as having to download an app for your favorite show or movie before you can stream it. So 10 shows or movies means 10 apps. Absurd, right?

So to avoid that, Microsoft will allow iOS users to access the service via the web browser just the way other game streaming services such as Stadia and GeForce Now provide their service on iOS.

EDITOR’S PICK: Tencent partners with TCL, Hisense, and others to bring its START Cloud gaming service to TVs

For PCs, the xCloud gaming service will be available via the Xbox app and browser. This means you will be able to jump into an Xbox game while you are at work or hanging out with friends as long as you have your PC with you and a great internet connection.

Game streaming eliminates the need for users to purchase expensive consoles. Users can practically play from anywhere, unlike a console which practically has you tethered to one spot – your home.

Microsoft says it is also expanding the service to new markets. The countries getting the service soon are Australia, Brazil, Japan, and Mexico. So if you live in any of these countries, you should be able to enjoy the service soon.

While Xbox’s head mentioned a few weeks ago that there are plans to bring Xbox games to smart TVs, the press statement didn’t say anything about it. Nevertheless, there are guides on the internet that tell you how you can sideload the Android app onto your Android TV. Do note that it may not turn out well as not only has the streaming service not been designed for TV’s yet, it is also currently capped at 720p resolution.

UP NEXT: Google Stadia now available in 8 more countries in Europe

 

Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite with up to 9 days battery power launched for the global market

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Xiaomi last month unveiled the Redmi Watch, the first smartwatch to be launched under the Redmi brand. The smartwatch was expected to make a second debut in some markets as Mi Watch Lite and yesterday, we exclusively revealed (with a possible price) that the watch would launch by December 10. Indeed, the Mi Watch Lite smartwatch has now gone official for the global market. The watch is presently listed on mi.com but the pricing and availability details are not listed.Mi Watch Lite

Design-wise, the Mi Watch Lite has a similar design and even specs with the Redmi Watch. That is, it features a square-shaped screen with a simple but elegant design. It weighs just 35g with the strap and 31g without the strap. The Mi Watch Lite comes in three different watch cases and five strap colours. The colors include Pink, Ivory, Black, Navy blue, and Olive.Mi Watch Lite

The minimalist design language includes a 2.5D curved glass panel, matte texture body, metal texture buttons, matching skin-friendly TPU material strap, manufactured using heat bending process in order for it to fit the curvature of the wrist. The watch also comes with a detachable buckle design.Mi Watch Lite

The Mi Watch Lite sports a 1.4-inch TFT color touchscreen with a pixel density of 323PPI. The watch also features more than 20 custom dials, including classic simplicity, cool IP, independent design, etc.Mi Watch Lite

In terms of functions, the lite edition supports heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and sedentary monitoring. It can record 24-hour heart rate changes, resting heart rate for the past 30 days, and also supports breathing training functions. The watch comes with 11 workout modes which include outdoor running, indoor running, outdoor cycling, indoor cycling, walking, swimming in the pool, and free activities.

Furthermore, there is a built-in high-precision six-axis sensor with a motion algorithm and supports 5 ATM (50 meters) water resistance. The watch also packs a decent 230mAh battery under the hood which is touted to deliver up to 9 days of battery life on a single charge. Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite

We’ll update this story when the pricing and availability details are released.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi patents a rollable smartphone design with a secondary display

 

MediaTek reveals its next-gen flagship processor will be unveiled in Q1 2021

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Qualcomm‘s next-generation Snapdragon 888 chipset was announced this month and is expected to feature on flagship models in January 2021. MediaTek is also expected to unveil its next-generation flagship SoC soon. The company’s CEO Rick Tsai has now disclosed that the next-gen MediaTek chip will be released in Q1 2021.MediaTek

MediaTek is Taiwan’s biggest semiconductor supplier used in smartphones. The company’s chief executive Rick Tsai disclosed this in a speech entitled “Accelerating the Digital Economy post the COVID-19 pandemic” at the IEEE Global Communications Conference in Taipei yesterday. He unveiled plans to launch its new flagship 5G chip by February.

Editor’s Pick: More than 20 million Gionee phones secretly implanted with Trojan Horses to make money

The announcement is an indication that the Taiwanese chipmaker is becoming more confident about the rollout of its new 5G chip designed for premium smartphones. Two months back, MediaTek gave a vague schedule, saying that new phones powered by its new Dimensity 5G chip would enter mass production early next year.

MediaTek expects replacement demand to take off next year as shipments of 5G handsets worldwide are expected to double from more than 200 million units this year. The growth momentum of 5G phones is projected to continue into 2023 with the 5G penetration rate expected to climb to about 60 percent from 49 percent in 2022. This year, the 5G smartphone penetration rate is expected to reach 18 percent, according to Tsai.

The CEO also disclosed that the company’s strategy is to build a comprehensive product portfolio for smartphones with different price points. He also confirmed plans by the chipmaker to roll out a new 5G processor for entry-level smartphones.

MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 1000 SoC as well as the Dimensity 800 chip have been utilized by a number of OEMs on their flagships.

UP NEXT: Exclusive: Xiaomi’s Mi Watch Lite to launch tomorrow; priced under $60

 

(source)

 

 

iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs Oppo Find X2 Pro: Specs Comparison

By
Michele Ingelido
-

Apple released the iPhone 12 Pro Max alongside the iPhone 12 Mini with amazing specifications. It is the most advanced iPhone you can actually get on the shelves but is it even the best phone in the whole market? There is no better way to understand it than comparing it with top-tier Android flagships. While waiting for the release of the Samsung Galaxy S21 which will happen in January 2021, we included the latest Samsung flagship in this comparison: the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. And given that it is considered by a lot of people as the best Android flagship of 2020, we also included the awesome OPPO Find X2 Pro. Let’s discover all the differences together.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs Oppo Find X2 Pro

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G Oppo Find X2 Pro
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm, 228 g 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm, 208 g 165.2 x 74.4 x 8.8 mm, 217 g
DISPLAY  6.7 inches, 1284 x 2778p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED 6.9 inches, 1440 x 3088p (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X 6.7 inches, 1440 x 3168p (Quad HD+), AMOLED
PROCESSOR Apple A14 Bionic, hexa-core Samsung Exynos 990, octa-core 2.73 GHz or
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, octa-core 3.1 GHz		 Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, octa-core 3.1 GHz
MEMORY 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – 6 GB RAM, 512 GB 12 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – micro SD slot 12 GB RAM, 512 GB
SOFTWARE  iOS 14 Android 10, One UI Android 10, ColorOS
CONNECTIVITY  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS
CAMERA  Triple 12 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.6 + f/2.2 + f/2.4
Dual 12 MP + SL 3D f/2.2 front camera		 Triple 108 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/3.0 + f/2.2
10 MP f/2.2 front camera		 Triple 48 + 13 + 48 MP, f/1.7 + f/3.0 + f/2.2
32 MP f/2.4 front camera
BATTERY  3687 mAh, fast charging 20W, fast wireless charging 15W 4500 mAh, fast charging 25W, Fast wireless charging 4260 mAh, fast charging 65W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES 5G, Dual SIM slot, IP68 waterproof, eSIM Hybrid Dual SIM slot, reverse wireless charging 9W, waterproof IP68, 5G, eSIM Dual SIM slot, 5G, IP68 waterproof

Design

I love the design of the OPPO Find X2 Pro and I consider it the best design of this trio. It comes with amazing materials: you can choose between a variant made of ceramic and a leather version (it is vegan leather) with an aluminum frame. The phone is also waterproof up to 1.5 meters deep thanks to the IP68 certification. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra still offers an awesome design with its high screen-to-body ratio and its stainless steel frame, and it is waterproof as well with the IP68 certification. But the best build quality is provided by the iPhone 12 Pro Max, coming with a stainless steel frame and Ceramic Shield. The Apple flagship is waterproof up to 6 meters deep!

 

Display

Here it is a very hard fight. The displays of these phones are more or less at the same level as they provide an astonishing image quality, close to perfection. Unfortunately, the iPhone 12 Pro Max lacks a high refresh rate, that is why I would not choose it. In 2020, the image quality is not everything: the smoothness counts too. Instead, I would go for the OPPO Find X2 Pro with its 10-bit color depth and 120 Hz refresh rate. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G is very similar, but it does not allow using 120 Hz with the max Quad HD+ resolution. On the other hand, it supports the S Pen for handwriting and drawing.

 

Hardware and Software

Each of these devices sports a flagship-class hardware department, but the most powerful is the iPhone 12 Pro Max: it is fueled by the new Apple A14 Bionic platform built at 5 nm with 5G support. The second place goes to the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G with a Snapdragon 865+ paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of native storage. But you should note that the European version is not powered by the Snapdragon 865+: instead, you get an Exynos 990 chipset which is actually inferior to the vanilla Snapdragon 865 found on the OPPO Find X2 Pro.

 

Camera

The best camera performance is offered by the iPhone 12 Pro Max, followed by the OPPO Find X2 Pro. The iPhone 12 Pro Max provides better video recording capabilities, while OPPO Find X2 Pro has higher zoom capabilities thanks to a periscope sensor with 5x optical zoom. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G is slightly less interesting, but it remains one of the best camera phones out there.

 

Battery

Despite it packs a smaller battery, the iPhone 12 Pro Max can actually provide a longer battery life. The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a bit disappointing despite its 4400 mAh battery, while the Oppo Find X2 Pro sits in the middle. The Find X2 Pro wins the fast charging comparison with its 65W power, but it lacks wireless charging.

 

Price

Oppo Find X2 Pro is priced at €1199 in the global market, while you need €10 less to get the iPhone 12 Pro Max ($1099/€1189). Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra costs $1299/€1299. If you are a productivity user, you may find the S Pen very useful, that is why Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra might be the best choice for you. But if you are not I believe OPPO Find X2 Pro is a better phone than Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The iPhone 12 Pro Max looks even better from several points of view (better hardware and camera, but it lacks a high refresh rate and very fast charging) if you can live with iOS.

 

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs Oppo Find X2 Pro: PRO and CONS

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

PROS

  • S Pen
  • Widest display
  • Micro SD slot
  • Ultrasonic fingerprint reader

CONS

  • Dimensions

 

OPPO Find X2 Pro

PROS

  • Awesome materials
  • Fastest wired charging
  • Great cameras
  • Amazing display

CONS

  • No wireless charging

 

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

PROS

  • Better water resistance
  • MagSafe connectors
  • Awesome build quality
  • Great performance

CONS

  • Price

Tipster says Samsung Galaxy S21’s ultrasonic fingerprint sensor will be two times faster

By
Balaji S
-

We are probably just four to five weeks away from the Galaxy S21 series launch. Samsung is expected to unveil three devices- Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G on January 14. Ahead of this, a lot of leaks, including official teasers are appearing online. And now, a tipster says the device will have an improved fingerprint sensor after two years.

Galaxy S21 Series Renders 02

Ice Universe, a popular tipster, says that Samsung has improved the Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S21. According to him, it will be the first upgrade since the Galaxy S10 from 2019. In case you don’t know, Samsung introduced the Qualcomm’s UltraSonic Fingerprint technology at the launch of the Galaxy S10 series.

Unlike optical scanners, an ultrasonic fingerprint uses a sound-wave to read your fingerprint. Back then, it was integrated within the display and once you touch the scanning area, the pressure of the finger will send an electric pulse. This pulse will nudge the ‘3D Sonic Sensor’ that reads and authenticates the entry. However, as promised, the fingerprint sensor didn’t live up to the expectations.

But it could change now as tipster says the fingerprint sensor on Galaxy S21 will be a 8×8=64mm. Apparently, this is 1.77 times higher than the previous generation. I think he is probably referring to the larger scanning area here but let’s wait for more details. That said, if Ice Universe’s statement is true, users just require a tap on the area as the unlocking speed is going to be doubled.

Anyway, considering fingerprint is a necessary feature, Samsung will mostly include the same fingerprint across models. However, we will have to wait and see the real-world testing to believe these early claims.

Samsung has also teased an event on December 15, where it’s expected to unveil the Exynos 2100 SoC that probably powers the Galaxy S21 series. Out of the three, Galaxy S21, and S21+ will have an identical design but different specs. That is a 6.2-inch FHD+ display and 4,000mAh battery on the former, and a 6.7-inch FHD+ display and 4,800mAh battery on the latter.

The S21 Ultra will have a QHD+ 120Hz display, 108MP main rear camera, 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 10MP 3x, 10MP 10x Telephoto lens, 5,000mAh  battery with S-Pen support. Reports also say that Galaxy S21 series is already up for blind pre-orders and hint a similar price tag as the predecessors.

UP NEXT: Samsung’s One UI 3.0(Android 11) update timeline for Europe revealed

Samsung seems to admit its flagship chip shortcomings in latest Exynos 2100 trailer

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Samsung‘s next-generation flagship Exynos processor which will be known as Exynos 2100 is expected to be officially unveiled on December 15 which is only a couple of days away. Ahed of the event, the company’s Exynos chip division released a tweet which is accompanied by an emotional video showing gratitude towards fans of the brand.Samsung

The video is said to be an appreciation to fans for their loyalty but beneath the surface, it seems to suggest the Exynos team acknowledge their shortcomings. The brand is apologizing to loyal fans who were left disappointed by the performance of the 2020 Exynos 990 chipset used on the Galaxy S20 series.

Editor’s Pick: On paper, Huawei’s FreeBuds Studio is better than the AirPods Max

For successive years, Samsung’s Exynos chipset has often lagged behind those from Qualcomm but things seem to have nosedived further in the last few years. The Exynos chip now lag far behind those from Qualcomm. This year was perhaps the worst as the Exynos 990 was noticeably behind the Snapdragon 865 in performance such that a Charge.org petition was initiated and gathered momentum in an attempt to stop Samsung from using Exynos chip on its flagship.

The Exynos 1080 was announced by Samsung last month. The chipset is a flagship-grade Systems-on-Chip (SoC) but it isn’t the best we can get from Samsung. The Exynos 1080 chip will be released onboard the Vivo X60 series.

For its 2021 flagship, Samsung will utilize the Exynos 2100 for the Galaxy S21 series in some markets. On the other hand, the company will also launch a Snapdragon 888-powered version in selected markets.

The Exynos 2100 is built using Samsung’s latest 5nm EUV process and is rumored to feature four Cortex-A55 CPU cores, three Cortex-A78 cores, a brand-new Cortex-X1 core, and a Mali-G78 graphics chip.

UP NEXT: Exclusive: Xiaomi’s Mi Watch Lite to launch tomorrow; priced under $60

 

realme Buds Air Pro Me tipped to launch soon

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Chinese company realme is the world’s fastest smartphone brand to hit 50 million units in shipments. But apart from handsets, the firm is also known for its wearable products, especially truly wireless earphones. Hence, to maintain its position, realme is all set to launch a new TWS.

realme Buds Air Pro Single Bud
realme Buds Air Pro

According to popular Indian tech influencer Mukul Sharma (stufflistings), realme will be soon releasing a new pair of truly wireless earphones. He revealed its name to be ‘realme Buds Air Pro Me’ in a cryptic tweet.

Apart from its name, the influencer did not reveal anything else about this upcoming TWS. Hence, its specifications and features are a mystery as of now.

Anyway, going by its branding, we expect it to be either a higher or toned-down version of the already available realme Buds Air Pro. If it is the former, then it may come with support for wireless charging.

But if it is the latter, we are not sure what it will be missing because if it happens to lack ANC, then there will be no significant difference between it and the regular realme Buds Air.

On the other hand, the realme Buds Air Pro Me could arrive with a different design but with the same set of features as the standard Pro model. For instance, it may feature a Galaxy Buds-like design without the stem.

Anyway, we expect to learn more about this product in the coming days before its official launch.

UP NEXT: Snapdragon 888-powered realme “Race” officially confirmed; specs and image leaked too

 

Samsung’s One UI 3.0(Android 11) update timeline for Europe revealed

By
Balaji S
-

Samsung began rolling out the One UI 3.0 stable update in Europe, USA a few days back. Later, it revealed the schedule for India yesterday. Now, Samsung Germany has published a schedule for the update rollout suggesting the same timeline for the entire Europe.

Samsung One UI Logo Featured

As reported by GalaxyClub.nl(via GSMArena) Samsung has posted the details on the Samsung Members App. The list includes a similar pattern where the company details a list of devices and their corresponding One UI 3.0 based on Android 11 rollout times. If we recall, a schedule for Egypt was the first to appear online before the rollout started for Galaxy S20 in Europe and the USA.

However, the list misses out on devices like Galaxy A40, A41, A42, and even the recently launched Galaxy S20 FE. Anyway, you can take a look at the entire schedule for Europe below. Considering the Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra have already started receiving it in Europe, let’s just skip through to January 2021:

UP NEXT: Samsung teases One UI 3.0 features on its website

One UI 3.0 Update Timeline

January 2021

  • Galaxy Note 20, Note 20 Ultra
  • Galaxy Note 10, Note 10+
  • Galaxy Z Flip 5G
  • Galaxy Z Fold2
  • Galaxy Z Fold
  • Galaxy S10 series(S10, S10+, S10e, S10 Lite)

February 2021

  • Galaxy S20 FE
  • Galaxy S20 FE 5G

March 2021

  • Galaxy A51
  • Galaxy Xcover Pro
  • Galaxy M31s

April 2021

  • Galaxy A40
  • Galaxy A71

May 2021

  • Galaxy A42
  • Galaxy A50
  • Galaxy A70
  • Galaxy A80
  • Galaxy Tab S6
  • Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

June 2021

  • Galaxy A21s
  • Galaxy A31
  • Galaxy A41
  • Galaxy Tab Active 3

July 2021

  • Galaxy A20e
  • Galaxy Tab S5e

August 2021

  • Galaxy A30s
  • Galaxy A20s
  • Galaxy Xcover 4s
  • Galaxy Tab Active Pro
  • Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2019)

September 2021

  • Galaxy A10
  • Galaxy Tab A8 (2019)

Anyway, the update corroborates the early rumor which said Samsung’s plans to expand the One UI 3.0 to about 90 devices. It must be noted that Galaxy S20 FE and Note 20 are seemingly getting the update only in January. Early reports said that the devices might get it early in December. Nevertheless, there is an early schedule and beware that Samsung might change it anytime.

UP NEXT: Samsung teases announcement for December 15; might be for the Exynos 2100

Grab Haylou Solar LS05 round smartwatch for discount price of $32.99

By
Simranpal Singh
-

The haylou Solar LS05 smartwatch gained a lot of traction when it was launched. The affordability and round display are its main selling point. It was retailing at the price of $38, but the recent flash sale on banggood has slashed its price to $32.99. There’s an additional discount for the users who order it from the official Banggood application. Only 5 days are remaining before the deal expires.

It is currently available only in Black color, and the retailer will ship it within 24 hours. The shipping is available across the globe.

Grab Now

Haylou Solar LS05 smartphone comprises a 1.38-inch round TFT display with the resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. It carries G-sensor, Heart Rate sensor for better heart rate monitoring. There;s a 340 mAh battery which allows the device to work flawlessly for 15 days. It takes around 2 hours to fully charge.

The smartwatch can efficiently measure Heart Rate, Step Count, Activities, Color Burn and much more. It even supports smartphone notification sync along with either utility features such as stopwatch, alarm, camera remote, calendar, sedentary reminder, etc.

Related: Haylou’s mysterious Wireless Earbuds hits FCC certification; could launch soon

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 on a limited-time sale for $26.99 via Gearbest

By
Simranpal Singh
-

In an exclsuive offer from Gearbest, the under can grab Xiaomi Mi Band 4 at a discount price of $26.99. Under the flash sale, the Mi Band 4 is actually retailing for $30.99. But the retailer is offering $1 discount if you shop from the app and additional $3 off while using Paypal at checkout. The total discount of $4 is enabling the users to grab it for $26.99

Must See: [Hot Deal] OnePlus smartphones getting an instant discount of upto Rs 3000 via HDFC cards

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 is available in four different colors of Red, Orange, Black and Blue. However, the Paypal discount is limited to first 1500 orders. So, we suggest you to avail the offer as soon as possible otherwise you will have to spend more for the same product.

Gearbest will ship it within a week if you order it today.

Grab Now

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 features

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 comes with 0.95-inch AMOLED display having 120 x 240 pixels resolution. It is 5ATM water resistant which can remain under water up to the depth of 50 meters. It uses Bluetooth 5.0 BLE for consistent and rapid connectivity. Its 135 mAh battery can last for 20 days on a single charge. THe fitness band hosts multiple features including Fitness tracjer, Sleep Tracker, Message and Call reminder, Alarm Clock, Spcial Media Notifications, Heart Rate Tracker, Activity Tracker and much more.

Related: Xiaomi Airdots 2 TWS Wireless Earphones available for $17.99 from Gearbest

Volocopter hints its air taxi services will go commercial in Singapore in 2023

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

A trailblazer in Urban Air Mobility (UAM), Volocopter has announced its plans to launch air taxi services in Singapore after two years of close collaboration with the city-state’s authorities. In a collaboration with the Economic Development Board of Singapore (EDB) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Volocopter has plans to make air taxi services a reality in Singapore within three years. This puts Singapore in pole position to be the first country in Asia to launch UAM services.Volocopter

In October 2019, Volocopter completed the historic air taxi demonstration flight across the Marina Bay area of the city, giving observers the unique opportunity of savoring the elegance and efficiency of UAM services. Before the launch of this service in Singapore, the company will obtain requisite regulatory clearance from CAAS and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. To this end, Volocopter will be conducting rigorous tests, flight trials, all statutory evaluations, and certifications before approval to commence commercial air taxi operations can be granted.

In order to shore up the commercial aspects of the air taxi services, the first route is expected to transcend over the southern waters, providing breath-taking views of the Marina Bay skyline and would most likely be a tourist delight. Follow-on connections could include cross-border flights, which will further strengthen regional connectivity and provide a better travel experience to the country’s economic centers.

Editor’s Pick: More than 20 million Gionee phones secretly implanted with Trojan Horses to make money

The Volocopter air taxis are carbon emission-free aircraft that take-off and land vertically. They are designed as an addition to urban mobility and are capable of carrying two passengers to their destinations in a seamless and quiet manner, thus offering an innovative dimension to the chaotic transportation systems that have characterized many cities.

The company Volocopter GmbH says (via) it is building what it termed the world’s first sustainable and scalable UAM business so as to bring affordable air taxi services to megacities worldwide. The company collaborates with its partners to build the necessary ecosystem that will berth urban air mobility in smart cities.Volocopter

Founded in 2011, Volocopter currently has about 200 staff and so far raised about €122 million in equity. The Volocopter was first unveiled at CES 2018. It uses four inertial movement units (IMUs) that constantly measure and determine its attitude and positioning during flight. The battery system is split into nine discrete packs and each one is powering a pair of rotors ensuring that the vehicle keeps flying if one or two battery packs fail.

Then there are GPS and navigation systems which are dual-redundant. For the worst situation, there’s a ballistic parachute that will deploy and ensure that the air taxi returns to the ground with its passengers intact.

UP NEXT: Exclusive: Xiaomi’s Mi Watch Lite to launch tomorrow; priced under $60

 

Samsung teases announcement for December 15; might be for the Exynos 2100

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 series has been in the news a lot lately. We already know what the phones will look like and have even got in a load of info on their specifications. One of the chipsets that will power the phones, the Snapdragon 888 has even been announced but Samsung is yet to unveil the other one which is its own flagship Exynos processor. There is a possibility the announcement will happen next week.

Earlier today, Samsung released a short animated video on YouTube with the title “Thank You”. The description for the video says that the video has been made for fans who have supported them through this tough year. The second paragraph then says “Please stay tuned until December 15th”.

We believe this is a teaser that there will be an announcement on the said date and the product that will be unveiled will be the Exynos 2100 processor.

A Galaxy S21 Plus test device powered by the new processor was seen on Geekbench in late September. The benchmark results show that the new flagship processor packs a punch. It is a 5nm chipset with eight CPU cores arranged in a 1+3+4 arrangement. The prime core is clocked at 2.91GHz, the three performance cores are clocked at 2.81GHz, and the efficiency cores are clocked at 2.21GHz.

The Exynos 2100 is highly anticipated based on the fact that it has been reported to be as powerful if not more than the Snapdragon 888. Last year’s Exynos 990 couldn’t match up to the Snapdragon 865, so there are high hopes for this new one.

The Galaxy S21 series sold in select markets will be powered by the Exynos 2100 chipset, other countries such as the US and China will get the Snapdragon 888 version.

UP NEXT: Evidence of Samsung not shipping the Galaxy S21 series with a charger surfaces

 

Xiaomi patents a rollable smartphone design with a secondary display

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Last month, OPPO X 2021 was unveiled as the world’s first rollable concept smartphone. On the other hand, LG has also confirmed to release such a device next year as part of its ‘Explorer Project’. Now, a Xiaomi smartphone design patent with a similar form factor has been published.

Xiaomi Rollable Smartphone Design Patent with Secondary Display 01

Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software filed this patent with the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) at the end of 2019. The patent titled ‘Terminal with flexible screen’ later got approved on October 29, 2020, and even got published in the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) database.

According to patent documents, this smartphone design includes a rollable flexible panel and a secondary normal display at the back. The rollable screen present in this phone can be extended by up to 200% in width. Therefore, the device can be also used as a tablet.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi and Redmi to launch two flagship models with Snapdragon 888 SoC each

 

Also, the documents say that these displays will be activated based on what side of the phone is facing the user like Microsoft Surface Duo. However, it also has an option to use both the screens at the same time.

Further, since the patent is all about the user experience and durability, the design sketches do not showcase anything else. Hence, LetsGoDigital, the publication that found this patent partnered with Concept Creator (Jermaine Smit) to create 3D renders.

Since the original sketches are barebone, the designer has added a vertically aligned triple camera setup along with an LED flash inspired by Mi Mix Alpha. Additionally, the renders also include the ‘Xiaomi’ branding.

Having said that, we think that there’s a probability of Xiaomi showcasing such a smartphone as a concept. But we are not sure if it will ever end up in consumer’s hands.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi aims to overtake Huawei and Apple next year with 240 million smartphone shipments

 

DXOMARK China picks best Smartphones and Smart Speaker in different categories

By
Balaji S
-

DXOMARK, a well-known publication for reviewing cameras, has picked China’s best smartphone, and speaker in different categories. Accordingly, companies like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Samsung bag the top spots.

Precisely, DXOMARK China, on Weibo, has picked(via) the best Smartphone in Display, Camera Zoom, and Overall camera category. Xiaomi’s Mi 10 Extreme Commemorative Edition, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, Huawei Mate 40 Pro top each of the categories. You can take a look at the list of best smartphone categories below:

  • Smartphone Camera: Huawei Mate 40 Pro.
  • Camera Zoom- Smartphone: Xiaomi Mi 10 Extreme Commemorative Edition.
  • Smartphone screen: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G.

First, Huawei’s Mate 40 bags the top spot in the overall camera category. If we recall, the device scored 136 points in the DXOMARK camera test. With this, it is currently the smartphone with the highest points in camera. It performs well in dynamic range, has faster AF(AutoFocus), white balance, and more.

Next, DXOMARK China’s pick for the best Camera Zoom in a smartphone is Xiaomi’s Mi 10 Extreme Commemorative Edition. The device bagged the top-ranking in Camera until Huawei’s Mate 40 Pro stole it away. Although its current score is 3 points short of Huawei overall, it scores a whopping 101 points on the Zoom category thanks to dual Telephoto lenses.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei P40 Pro’s Display has class-leading motion control: DxOMark

Finally, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G bags the smartphone with the best display. In fact, the company recently revealed a new Display testing category, and Note 20 Ultra is currently on top with 89 overall points. Except over saturation, the device’s display has good brightness, vibrant colors, smooth scrolling(120Hz refresh rate), and more.

Smart Speaker

Apart from Smartphones, DXOMARK China also revealed the best Smart Speaker. However, the category is for the Speaker priced under 1000 yuan($152.83). Anyway, Xiaomi‘s 2019 XiaoAI Speaker HD bags the award. Besides, the company, which has a new benchmark for Speakers, recently released a report where the XiaoAI speaker scores 109 overall points.

Xiaomi XiaoAi Speaker HD

That is, it reportedly performs well in crowded scenarios, outdoors, and indoors. Launched in early 2019, the speaker has a 104mm large-caliber woofer, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, support A2DP music playback, and more.

UP NEXT: The Galaxy A72 may actually have four rear cameras

Yandex rolls out robots that deliver restaurant meals in central Moscow

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

A driverless robot that is known as Yandex.Rover for delivering hot restaurant meals to customers in Moscow has started work today. This much was said by the operator and internet giant, Yandex.Yandex Rover

The Yandex.Eats app, one of many food and grocery delivery services in Moscow, is offering customers around the White Square business district the opportunity to have their meals delivered by the buggy-like robot instead of a human delivery.

The robot called the Yandex.Rover has been delivering groceries in some Moscow areas as part of a pilot program that started a few months back in autumn. It is now gradually expanding its area of operations in the Russian capital, Yandex has said in a statement.

The robot collects orders from restaurants and brings them to the customer who then unlocks the robot using their smartphone and lifts out the food.

Editor’s Pick: More than 20 million Gionee phones secretly implanted with Trojan Horses to make money

Three of these robots are now operating in the White Square area of the city. The size of the growing fleet of delivery robots stands at 20.

The advent of the Yandex delivery service, together with the alternative Delivery Club, as expected, implies the days of human delivery couriers in Moscow may be numbered, even though they have grown in numbers in recent years.

Over the summer, five Russian retail businesses unveiled a monument in the city to honour the tens of thousands of delivery couriers who had kept Moscow running at the height of the forced lockdown as a.result of the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged most parts of the world.

In the statement, Dmitry Polishchuk, CEO of Yandex’s Self-Driving division highlighted that the demand for delivery services has been on an upward trajectory which was exponentially accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic.

In November of 2019, Yandex disclosed that it had started testing autonomous delivery robots that had been deployed for commercial purposes in Innopolis, a sort of silicon valley district in the Tatarstan region. The world is presently experiencing an upsurge in the deployment of robots but no better place have we witnessed a widescale robotics usage than in Japan. From enforcing physical distancing and showing visitors around a store to cheerleading during a baseball game, to being deployed as a tourist attraction, it is no surprise that Japan is regarded as the robotics headquarters of the world.

UP NEXT: OnePlus Co Founder Carl Pei is working on launching an audio startup

 

(via)

 

A Xiaomi Executive says the company will have enough stocks of Mi 11

By
Balaji S
-

Xiaomi is gearing up to launch the Mi 11 flagship series in China. The company has already confirmed that it will be the first to come with Snapdragon 888 SoC. Xiaomi will not only announce the device later this month but reportedly make it available for purchase as well. And now, a Xiaomi executive says the stocks of the device will be sufficient.

Xiaomi Mi 11 render by Benjamin Geskin

In fact, Redmi Product Director and a Xiaomi Executive, Wang Teng on Weibo has responded(via) to a user regarding the stocks of Mi 11. Accordingly, he replies that the company has sufficient stocks of the Mi 11. He also hints that the sale will not be a one-time exclusive with a ‘many’ keyword.

Along with a Mi 11 launch in December, rumors said that the company would have minimum quantities for an early sale. However, Wang Teng’s reply suggests that the company will likely hold exclusive sales for a period of time. And it corroborates the early sale rumor as well.

Regarding the series, Xiaomi is likely to debut two devices- Mi 11, Mi 11 Pro. The devices will have a top-left punch-hole cutout for the selfie sensor. While the Mi 11 likely hosts a FHD+ display, the Pro variant will likely support QHD+ resolution. Both the display are expected to have a 120Hz refresh rate.

Under the hood, the Mi 11 series will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888  SoC, 4,780mAh and 4,970mAh batteries on Mi 11, 11 Pro respectively. For cameras, Mi 11 will have a horizontally stacked triple-cameras while the Mi 11 Pro is rumored to have a quad-camera setup. Additionally, The non-Pro is likely to support 55W charging and the Mi 11 Pro will probably support 100W.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi confirms the arrival of MIUI 12.5

The OPPO Find X3 Pro’s 65W fast charging will be 20% faster than the previous generation

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Yesterday, the specifications of OPPO’s Find X3 Pro flagship were revealed in a leak. The phone which is scheduled to arrive in the first quarter of 2021 will come with upgraded cameras and a high-quality display. However, it will come with 65W fast charging and not the 125W Flash Charge technology it announced back in July.

That news must have been disappointing for fans who have been looking forward to seeing the incredibly fast charging technology make its debut in the flagship Find X series. A Chinese leaker has now provided an explanation as to why OPPO is sticking to 65W fast charging.

OPPO Find X3 Pro 65W fast charging

According to a Weibo post by Digital Chat Station, the 125W fast charging technology has been tested in a prototype smartphone. And while it is really fast, charging the 4500mAh battery from empty to full in about 20 minutes, heat management has not yet been perfected. So OPPO will revert to 65W fast charging as it appears it may not fix the problem in time before the launch of the phone. Nevertheless, it is not all bad news.

EDITOR’S PICK: OPPO patents its own version of the Galaxy Z Flip but it lacks a cover screen

Apparently, OPPO has optimized the charging algorithm for the 65W fast charging to make it faster. The source says that the phone will be able to fully charge in about 32 minutes. The Find X2 Pro charges in 38 minutes but don’t forget it has a smaller 4260mAh battery compared to the Find X3 Pro’s rumored 4500mAh battery capacity. It has also been reported that the Find X3 Pro will also support 30W fast wireless charging.

Other reported features are a 6.7-inch curved OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, quad cameras with two 50MP sensors, a 13MP telephoto camera, and a 3MP macro camera. It will also have a new NFC module and run ColorOS 11 based on Android 11.

UP NEXT: Leak says OPPO Reno5 4G will come with a Snapdragon 720G processor

 

Infinix Smart HD 2021 smartphone and X1 Android TV India launch dates revealed

By
Balaji S
-

Infinix launched the Zero 8i in India on December 3. A day before the launch, Anish Kapoor, Infinix India CEO revealed via an interview that he plans to launch the Infinix Smart HD 2021, before 2020 ends. Now, a report by MySmartPrice shares the launch date of the Smart HD and its first Android TV.

Infinix Smart HD 2021

As per the report, Infinix has confirmed the launch of the device in a press briefing. Accordingly, the price of Infinix Smart HD 2021 will be announced on December 12. And it will launch via Flipkart on December 16 in the country.

To recall, Anish Kapoor in an earlier interview said that the company initially planned to launch the device in January 2021 but preponed it to December. Anyway, as per the company, the device will be media-centric and will be affordable price range. This suggests that the price could fall somewhere around ₹8-10K($108-135).

Infinix Smart HD 2021 Expected Specifications

Although the company has said that it will reveal the specs via Flipkart, thanks to an early listing we know what to expect. The Infinix Smart HD 2021 will come in three colors- Green, Blue, and Gray. It has V-shaped light patterns on the rear panel resembling Honor smartphones.

The device will likely sport a 6.1-inch IPS HD+ display with 500nits brightness. The resolution will henceforth be a 1400×720 pixels. Under the hood, it will have an SoC powered by 1.2GHz.

Other specs include an 8MP cameras on front & rear, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, microSD up to 256GB, rear fingerprint sensor, face unlock, 5,000mAh battery, DTS Audio, and more.

UP NEXT: Microsoft may bring Xbox games to smart TVs as early as next year

Infinix Smart TV

Apart from the smartphone, the company will reportedly launch its first Smart TV on December 14 in India. The report says that the TV will darn the Infinix X1 Android TV name. It will come in two sizes- 32-inch, and 43-inch variants.

Some of the key features of the TV include Bezel-less design, 400 nits brightness, HDR10 compatibility, 24W Box speakers, Dolby Audio, and more. The TV will also have Google’s Android TV certification.

UP NEXT: Lenovo resurrects the Lemon Series in China with Lemon K12, K12 Pro

Xiaomi crowdfunds the Berson A-Link Smart Door Lock with fingerprint lock & a modular design

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Smart door locks are increasingly becoming a trendy addition to the smart home ecosystem. Xiaomi has launched a new smart door lock under the Youpin crowdfunding platform. The product dubbed A-Link Smart Door Lock takes after the MIJIA Smart Door Lock in some aspects.Xiaomi Youpin A-Link Smart Door Lock

The product adopts a modular design with an upgradeable Berson rear clutch high-security smart lock and upgradeable smart hardware. Also, it can be connected to the MIJIA app and carries a crowdfunding price of 1999 yuan (~$305). The product is available on the Youpin website and is expected to be shipped on January 25, 2021.

The manufacturer puts the core components such as the motherboard and drives the motor inside the door, making it under the protection of the door, lock body, and shielding plate, which can prevent electromagnetic interference from the small black box Tesla coil.A-Link Smart Door Lock

Editor’s Pick: More than 20 million Gionee phones secretly implanted with Trojan Horses to make money

The motherboard adopts a modular plug-in design, which can be easily removed from the door for subsequent troubleshooting, replacement, and equipment upgrades. This design not only reduces the maintenance cost of subsequent equipment but can also cope with the continuous improvement of future cracking methods.A-Link Smart Door Lock

In addition, the Berson A-Link Smart Door Lock uses a precious metal superconducting slip ring fingerprint module with a lower failure rate. The device can also be connected to the Mijia app to support smart device linkage. It is powered by 4 AA batteries. According to statistics from the transit laboratory, it can be used continuously for 365 days if the lock is unlocked twice a day. There is also a Type-c interface that can be used for emergency power supply when it runs out of battery and there is no electricity.

UP NEXT: Video shows Nokia 8.1 running Android 11 internal beta

 

Lenovo resurrects the Lemon Series in China with Lemon K12, K12 Pro

By
Balaji S
-

Lenovo has finally launched the Lemon K12 series in China. As expected, the two devices, Lemon K12 and Lemon K12 Pro are rebadged versions of Moto G-series devices. Lenovo has priced them aggressively and is targeting the entry-level segment in the country.

Lenovo Lemon K12 series – Price, Availability

The pre-orders of the Lenovo Lemon K12 series have already begun in Jingdong(JD.com). And if the indication on JD.com is anything to go by, the devices are already sold out as of writing this article. You can take a look at their original pricing below:

However, Lenovo has announced a special “Double 12 Starting Price”. It says that the first launch price of the Lemon K12, K12 Pro will be 699 yuan($106.92), and 899 yuan$137.51) respectively. The first sale of both devices will be on December 12 and will be sold on Jingdong, T-mall in China.

Lenovo Lemon K12 Series Specifications

Lemon K12 Pro

The ‘Pro’ version of all is essentially a Moto G9 Power that recently launched in India. Accordingly, the model number(XT2091) on JD.com gives away the designation. The device has a textured finish to the back where the fingerprint sensor and squircle layout with triple-cameras are present. Lenovo says the texture is an anti-sweat, non-slip design. The colors are also a result of the Non-metal oxide phase deposition process. It has a thickness of 9.6mm, weighs 221g, and comes in Purple, and Dark Cyan colors.

Lemon K12 Pro

The device features a 6.8-inch IPS LCD HD+ display with a punch-hole design. Similar to the G9 Power, the punch-hole is on the top-left. Under the hood, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC. This is paired with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage.

For cameras, the triple rear setup includes a 64MP f/1.79 sensor. This has a 1.4μm pixel size. Lenovo says the device has around 18 Photo & video modes enhanced by AI to choose from. The other two sensors are just 2MP Macro, and Depth sensors. Upfront, there is a 16MP f/2.2 selfie shooter.

All this is backed up by a 6,000mAh battery with 20W charging. The company says that it’s enough for a 31-day standby, 24hrs video playback. Apparently, the device also supports 2.5W OTG reverse charging turning it into a mini power bank. Other features include a 3.5mm audio jack, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, BeiDou, Type-C Port, a dedicated key on the left, MicroSD slot (up to 512GB).

UP NEXT: Lenovo announces China-exclusive Legion R9000X/Y9000X 2021 thin & light gaming laptops

Lemon K12

Just like the model number(XT2081) on JD.com says, the Lemon K12 is a rebadged version of the Moto E7 Plus.  The device has a water-drop notch display at the front, and a squircle shaped dual-camera setup at the back. A fingerprint sensor also lies beneath the layout. The device comes in Gradient Blue, Gradient Gray colors. It has a thickness of 9.18mm, and weighs 200g.

The Lemon K12 features a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 SoC. This is again paired with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage. The device also has a 512GB of storage expansion via a MicroSD slot.

As for the optics, the rear setup has a 48MP f/1.7 main lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and an LED flash. Upfront, there is a single 8MP sensor for selfies. Just like the Pro, Lemon K12 also has a lot of modes but is limited to 14 including slow-mo, 360-degree panorama, and more.

Other features include a 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging & 2.5W OTG reverse charge, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BeiDou. Both the devices run Android-10 OS.

UP NEXT: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano notebook weighing only 907g goes official
1...3,1323,1333,134...5,166Page 3,133 of 5,166
Gizmochina
Gizmochina brings you the best of tech from China and around the globe!
© 2025 Gizmochina | All rights reserved | If you buy something via one of our affiliate links, Gizmochina may earn a commission.