It’s been a few weeks since Apple launched its new iPhone 12 series in the market and now reports about the next-generation smartphones from the tech giant, the iPhone 13 lineup, have already started surfacing online.
A report from DigiTimes (via sina) claims that Apple is now looking to cooperate with South Korean companies for the periscope lens as it is trying to strengthen the optical zoom performance on the upcoming iPhones.
While it has not been finalized yet but the report indicates that the partner companies for this could be Samsung. The South Korean giant has also used the periscope lens on its flagship smartphones, enabling a massive 100x zoom.
Currently, a few flagship smartphones in the market come with a periscope lens for better photography features, including the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, Huawei P40 Pro, Vivo X50 Pro+, OPPO Find X2 Pro, Huawei Mate40 Pro, and more.
As of now, there’s no indication that both companies have reached a deal for this periscope lens. Even if both Apple and Samsung partner for this, it remains to be seen if the iPhone 13 series gets the feature or not.
Another interesting point going in favor of Samsung is that the South Korean giant has acquired Corephotonis that developed zoom technology for smartphones. The Israeli company had sued Samsung and Apple for patent infringement on telephoto zoom tech but as it has now been acquired by Samsung, the South Korean company holds the patents and Apple will have to partner to get the technology for its products.
The EU (European Union) is trying to pass a new law that could help it prevent online platforms from becoming too large or strong enough to surpass their rivals, as per the bloc’s competition chief.
According to Margrethe Vestager, these competition law enforcement seem “backward looking,” and regulators are calling for investigations into past behavior, fines, and suspension of “illegal” behavior by major businesses. Rivals of major corporations also face various obstacles, with complains taking too long to spot and sanction an anti competitive behavior. This delay can cause the rival to face irreparable damage towards their own business operations, as per a FinancialTimesreport.
Furthermore, Brussels is set to publish proposals next week, which will allow ‘regulators to go after fast-growing companies,’ which are able to reach a kind of market dominance. Best examples of such cases include giants like Google and Facebook. While the goal is known, it is currently unsure what guidelines or step the EU will take to measure the company’s growth or take action.
EU’s executive vice-president in charge of the EU’s digital policy, Vestager stated that “It’s a way of introducing a forward-looking dynamic to complement what we do vigorously in enforcing competition law.” In other words, the larger corporations will be subject to a stricter list of obligations than their smaller rivals in terms of public listing. The new obligations may even have major firms be required to share data with their competitors or to the EU ‘gatekeepers’.
Vestager also added that she expects “a lot of pushback from this regulation when we table it because obviously it will restrict some market players and it will put on them new obligations.” She even stated that “this is not about the flag that you are flying” after Booking.com chief executive, Glenn Fogel, called the new regulations a “handcuff” on one of the “very, very, very few tech successes in Europe.”
Multiple reports have claimed that OPPO will be announcing the Reno5 series of smartphones in December. The alleged Reno5 5G and Reno5 Pro 5G smartphones have appeared in the database of TENAA with full specifications and images. Unlike predecessor models, the upcoming Reno5 series will have a third model with flagship specs. It is likely to break cover as the Reno5 Pro+ 5G. New rumors suggest that the Reno5 will break cover on Dec. 10. Also, a new leak (via) carrying the specs of the Reno5, Reno5 Pro, and Reno5 Pro+ have surfaced on Weibo to reveal their capabilities.
OPPO Reno5 series specifications (Unconfirmed)
The leak reveals that the Reno5 has a 6.43-inch AMOLED display, whereas the Reno5 Pro and Reno5 Pro+ are both fitted with 6.55-inch AMOLED panels with curved edges. All three phones support 1080p resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, and have a punch-hole placed at the top-left corner.
The Reno5 is powered by the Snapdragon 765G chipset, while the Reno5 Pro gets the Dimensity 1000+ SoC. The Snapdragon 865 fuels the Reno5 Pro+. All three phones are preloaded with ColorOS 11 based Android1 11 OS. These phones carry support for 65W fast charging. The leak has revealed that the Reno5, Reno5 Pro, and Pro+ are equipped with 4,300mAh, 4,350mAh, and 4,500mAh batteries.
The Reno5 series is fitted with 32-megapixel front-facing cameras. As per the leak, the Reno 5 has a quad-camera setup that includes a Sony IMX686 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a pair of 2-megapixel lens.
The Reno5 Pro is equipped with the same quad-camera available on the vanilla model. The quad-camera setup is led by a mysterious Sony IMX7XX 50-megapixel main lens, a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom support, and a 2-megapixel macro lens.
OPPO Reno5 series pricing (Unconfirmed)
The Reno5, Reno5 Pro, and Reno5 Pro+ are priced at 2,999 Yuan (~$455), 3,799 Yuan (~$576), and 4,499 Yuan (~$683). The color variants of the Reno5 series are Starry Dream, Aurora Blue, Moonlight Black, Star Wish Red, and Leather. After the Dec. 10 announcement, the Reno5 models will go on sale on Dec. 25. The leak states that the Reno5 Pro+ will not be available for purchase this year.
Since everything about the Reno5 series is currently under wraps, it is advisable to digest the above leak with a grain of salt.
Huami’s Amazfit had launched a new smartwatch named Amazfit Pop last month and now the company is gearing up to launch an upgraded variant of the same, dubbed as Amazfit Pop Pro, which is set to go official tomorrow, i.e. on 1st December.
Just a day ahead of the launch, the company has shared a new teaser poster which has revealed that the smartwatch will come with support for high-precision GPS as well as 24-hour heart rate monitoring.
It also supports blood oxygen level (SpO2) tracking. Apart from that, it has already been revealed that the device will offer a battery life of about nine days on a single charge. There are 60 different sports modes and support for water resistance.
Earlier, it was revealed that the device has a 1.43-inch OLED screen and is expected to come with support for NFC. It is also said that there will be Amazfit’s PAI algorithm that keeps the user active and motivated.
As for the pricing, the Amazfit Pop Pro is expected to be priced a bit higher than the Amazfit Pop’s price of 349 yuan (~$54). The device should be available in multiple color options and the teasers so far have confirmed two — Green and Light Pink.
We will know everything about the device, including its pricing and availability once it goes official tomorrow. Along with the Amazfit Pop Pro, Huami is also set to launch its GTS 2 Mini smartwatch in China tomorrow.
While Xiaomi is still working on MIUI 12, there have been rumors going around for its next major update, the MIUI 13. The company had even taken a survey earlier this year regarding features users wish to see in the new update. Now, a forum moderator has revealed that the MIUI 13 updates could arrive for smartphones by second quarter of 2021.
Back in October, The Chinese tech giant was expected to showcase the MIUI 13 platform during the Mi Developer Conference (MIDC), which was held between November 5 and November 7. However, there was no mention of the latest iteration of MIUI at the event. But now, the latest information regarding the next version of the custom skin arrives by a Mi Community super moderator who clearly stated that the MIUI 13 will be showcased in the second quarter of next year, as per a PiunikaWebreport.
Notably, the MIUI 12 update was revealed in the first quarter of 2020, so the timeline does seem to be around similar dates, albeit a bit delayed. Although, despite being launched nearly a year ago, there are still devices that have yet to receive the update to the latest custom skin from Xiaomi. So, we might see the update arrive around the time the moderator mentioned or even earlier.
Unfortunately, while the information was given out by a moderator, these members usually are not particularly close to the inner workings of the company. So, we can’t be completely sure as of yet if the company does actually plan on presenting the MIUI 13 in Q2 2021. Thus, it is advised to take this report with a pinch of salt for now and stay tuned for more updates.
India is making it harder for Chinese investors to invest money in its companies after the rising tensions at the India-China border. With India closing doors to Chinese venture capital firms, they are now shifting focus towards Indonesia.
The report adds that funds like Shunwei Capital from the founders of Xiaomi and BAce Capital backed by the Ant Group are now pivoting from India to Indonesia. Shunwei Capital, which runs funds worth $3 billion, is planning to close more deals in Indonesia and said that it is not making new investments in India for now.
Instead of making new investments in India, the fund says that it will focus on managing its existing portfolio of companies. On the other hand, the FT report adds that BAce Capital is also making the move but will not be much active as the market is less developed.
Chinese investors have powered India’s tech boom, investing heavily in some of the leading startups, including fin-tech platform Paytm, food delivery service provider Zomato, and the ed-tech giant Byju’s.
However, earlier this year, the Indian government revealed new rules targeted towards Chinese investors over concerns of opportunistic takeovers, which has now led to investors cutting off funding.
Apart from that, the Indian government has been banning Chinese applications in the country for months now, citing national security issues but without offering any proof of such claims. So far, India has banned more than 170 Chinese apps, including Aliexpres, PUBG Mobile, CamScanner, etc.
With investors facing several issues with the regulations in India, other startups in Southeast Asia will get benefits. Indonesia is ranked fourth in the world in terms of population and the country already has a few billion-dollar companies.
At a time when new startups and trying to raise millions of dollars for growth, several prominent companies and investors are now shifting focus towards Indonesia, including the likes of Google and Facebook. Just to put that into perspective, a report revealed that investments in Southeast Asia in H1 2020 grew by 55 percent compared to last year.
Many nations have been rushing to adopt 5G networking, which was also become the hallmark of a developed nation. Now, a new report has revealed that South Korea is making strides in this regard as it recorded nearly 10 million 5G users in the month of October 2020.
According to TheKoreaHeraldreport, the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT revealed that the number of 5G subscribers stood at 9.98 million as of the end of October. This marks a sizeable bump of 735,113 from the previous month. Furthermore, these 5G users also accounted for 14,2 percent of the nation’s entire mobile subscriptions, which were around 70.4 million units.
For those unaware, South Korea was one of the first to adopt 5G networking and had introduced the newer and faster bandwidth back in April 2019. Since then, the country has accounted for a large chunk of the overall global 5G userbase. Notably, the jump also arrives just as Apple launches its latest iPhone 12 lineup on October 30. The latest flagship from the Cupertino based giant is its first to support 5G networking, and is also expected to help boost the number of 5G handset users in the region.
Apple iPhone 12
At the moment, it is estimated that Apple has already sold over 600,000 iPhone 12 models in the South Korean market since its launch. The rise in 5G users have also led to a steady decline in 4G subscriptions as well. Currently, South Korea has 53.9 million 4G users, which is down from previous month by 397,118 users. Similar to South Korea, China is one of the few other countries that have commercially adopted 5G networking and is about the only one similar to South Korea in terms of coverage and availability.
Today, Motorola unveiled the Moto G 5G as its first 5G-ready phone for India. It is also the first phone to arrive in the country with Snapdragon 750G SoC. The phone offers users other exciting features such as a big-sized screen, a 48-megapixel triple camera system, a decent selfie camera, and a huge battery that is coupled with rapid charging technology.
Moto G 5G specifications and features
The Motorola Moto G 5G features an IP52 rated splash-resistant chassis that safeguards it from spills and splashes. The polycarbonate-bodied smartphone measures 166.1 x 76.1 x 9.9mm and it weighs 212 grams. The handset is fitted with a big display of 6.7 inches. The Max Vision screen is an IPS LTPS LCD panel that offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and HDR10 support. The Lenovo-owned firm claims that the phone offers a screen-to-body ratio of 85 percent. As far as display design is concerned, it has a small hole for the selfie camera at the top-center.
The Moto G 5G has a 16-megapixel front-facing with f/2.2 aperture. The rear side of the phone has a square-shaped camera housing. It comprises a 48-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture, an 8-megapixel superwide lens with 118-degree FOV, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and an LED flash. The rear cameras offer supports photography features such as Night Vision, shot optimization, portrait mode, HDR, cinemagraph, Google Lens, EIS, timelapse video, hyper-lapse video, slow-motion video shooting, and 30fps 4K video recording.
The 8nm Snapdragon 750G octa-core processor that works at 2.2GHz is present under the hood of the Moto G 5G. The phone comes with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage. There is a shared SIM slot on the device that can be used for adding a microSD card.
The Moto G 5G smartphone ships with a massive battery of 5,000mAh capacity that promises a 2-day battery life. It supports 20W TurboPower charging technology. The MyUX flavored Android 10 OS brings few customizations and mostly offers a stock Android-like experience. The other features available on the Moto G 5G are a dual SIM slot, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC, USB-C, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, a dedicated hardware key for summoning the Google Assistant, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Moto G 5G pricing and availability
The Moto G 5G has arrived in India with a price tag of Rs 20,999 (~$238). The handset can be bought in two colors like Frosted Silver and Volcanic Grey. It will be available for purchase through the Flipkart retailer site starting from Dec. 7. Customers with HDFC Bank credit and debit cards can Rs 1,000 instant discount.
The Motorola Moto G 5G has dethroned OnePlus Nord 5G to become the cheapest 5G phone in India. The Nord is currently available with a starting price of Rs 24,999 (~$337). What is your opinion on the Moto G 5G? Share your thoughts by posting your comments below.
Continuing to launch new products in its home market, Xiaomi has today launched its new device — Mi Human Sensor 2. While the retail price of the product is set at 59 yuan (~$9), it is currently available for 49 yuan (~$7) through a crowdfunding campaign which is set to kick off from 2nd December.
The new Mi Human Sensor 2 can be placed anywhere — rooms, corridors, etc. It tracks the movements of the user and triggers the actions set by the user. The device can be connected to other smart home devices and actions can be set up on the Mijia App.
Xiaomi claims that it can smartly track the movements regardless of conditions — either it is facing bright sunlight or is placed in the dark. It also provides information about light linkage and safety in different scenarios.
Since it can be connected with other smart home devices, it has a wide range of use cases. For instance, the user can set it up to turn the light ON during night time when it senses a motion. It can be configured to record a video through a smart camera during a break-in and push the video to the Mijia App.
The Mi Human Sensor 2 uses low-power technology and comes with a standard CR2450 battery, which the company claims can last for about a year. When the battery capacity gets low, it reminds users of the same. When connected with the Mijia App, the user can check the battery status, Bluetooth signal strength, product logs, and more.
Apple’s newly launched Mac devices powered by the company’s new ARM-based M1 chipset have been well received. Everyone, including Apple fanboys and skeptics, are surprised by the performance improvements offered by this new Apple Silicon-powered devices.
However, one of the drawbacks of the new devices is the ability to run the Windows operating system and even Apple’s official method to do so, using Bootcamp, isn’t possible at this time. This is because the Windows OS is built for x86 chipsets while the new Apple M1 is based on ARM.
But surprisingly, a developer named Alexander Graf has managed to successfully run virtualized Windows 10 on ARM on the new M1-powered MacBook. He used a modified version of QEMU, open-source virtualization and machine emulation software, to run an Insider Preview of Windows 10 ARM. He also utilized Apple’s own Hypervisor framework which is designed for virtualization purposes.
Alexander Graf is claiming snappy and smooth performance of the Windows operating system on his MacBook but other users who tried to replicate the same have reported some issues. There were issues related to connectivity, which now seems to have been fixed.
This is a really interesting development and we expect more such work to keep surfacing online until we get an official solution, either from Apple or Microsoft.
Another interesting outcome is performance. The benchmark result of the Windows 10 ARM running on the Apple M1-powered MacBooks indicates that it is performing better than Microsoft’s own Surface Pro X. Based on the scores, it seems that the M1 is about 60% to 85% faster than the fastest Windows on ARM devices available right now.
OPPO announced the Ace2 flagship phone in April this year. Its successor with the OPPO Ace3 moniker was expected to arrive in the second half of the year. It did not come true as the Ace-lineup was reported transferred to Realme. Probably, it appears that OPPO may have replaced the Ace3 with the upcoming Snapdragon 865 powered Reno5 Pro+ smartphone. A reliable tipster has claimed that the Realme is working on a flagship phone under the Ace branding.
According to the tipster, the Realme Ace flagship will be driven by the Snapdragon 875 chipset and it will have a thin chassis. The handset will carry support for superfast charging. Currently available mid-range and flagship phones are equipped with 65W fast charging technology.
At present, there is no information on the other specs of the device. In July, Realme announced its 125W UltraDart fast charging technology that can charge a 4,000mAh battery up to 33 percent in just 3 minutes. It remains to be seen whether the Realme Ace arrives with 125W UltraDart charging tech.
At the beginning of this year, Realme launched the Realme X50 5G and Realme X50 Pro 5G flagship phones. Hence, the Chinese manufacturer is expected to announce the Realme X60 series in Q1 2021. It remains to be seen whether the company launches the Realme Ace or Realme X60 Pro as its next flagship phone. The rumor mill is yet to be spill any details on the specs of the X60 Pro.
In related news, two Realme phones with model numbers RMX3061 and RMX3063 have been spotted at certification platforms. The FCC certification revealed that the device has a 5,000mAh battery and a square-shaped camera module housing a triple camera system. It is speculated that it could be the next C-series phone from the brand.
The Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro flagship phones went official in February this year. Rumors are rife that the Chinese brand may announce the Xiaomi Mi 11 and Mi 11 Pro in January 2021. Today, a reliable tipster from China also claimed that the Mi 11 lineup will be announced in January next year.
It is yet to be confirmed whether the successor to the Mi 10 series will be called Mi 11 or Mi 20. By launching the next Mi series flagship in early 2021, Xiaomi is expected to launch the first brand in China to launch Snapdragon 875 mobile platform powered smartphones. Tomorrow, Qualcomm is likely to announce the SD875 SoC. The machine-translation of the tipster’s latest Weibo post suggests that Xiaomi has sent the Mi 11 for network certification, which indicates that it may go official in January.
A recent report had revealed that the SD875 powered Xiaomi Mi 11 is equipped with a curved display and triple rear cameras. The triple shooters will have a 108-megapixel main camera and it will come with support for up to 30x zoom. The ultrawide lens of the phone will be able to capture macro shots.
There is no clear evidence on whether the Mi 11 Pro will have a quad camera setup. It was reported earlier this month that the 4-in-1 pixel binning technology will let its main camera capture 50-megapixel shots. A telephoto lens of 48-megapixel or 12-megpaixel is also expected to be available on the Mi 11 Pro.
ZTE has a new smartphone coming later this week. The phone will arrive as the ZTE Blade V2021 5G, and ahead of its release, registrations are already open on the Chinese retail store, Jingdong.
The ZTE Blade V2021 5G will be announced on Wednesday, December 2. A poster put up by the manufacturer as well as a Jingdong listing gives us an early look at the design of the phone.
The Blade V2021 has a display with a waterdrop notch. While the side bezels are slim, the chin and forehead are thicker. On the rear of the phone is a triple camera setup along with an LED flash in a rectangular housing. There is also a fingerprint scanner in the middle. The rear panel has a patterned finish and the JD listing says the back is made of plastic.
The listing includes the configuration of the rear cameras. The primary camera is a 48MP f/1.79 sensor while the sensor below it is an 8MP ultrawide angle camera with a 120° field of view. It also has a 2MP depth sensor.
The listing says the phone has an FM radio that works without the need to connect earphones. It also mentions DTS surround sound, and support for face unlock. When it launches, the phone will be available in Fantasy Blue, Space Gray, and Space Silver.
We are surprised the Blade V2021 5G is launching on Wednesday for two reasons. First is that ZTE announced the Blade V2020 5G just last month, on October 22 to be precise. This means there are practically just six weeks between both phones.
Second, is why it is having a launch on Wednesday since it has an event today for another phone, the Blade 20 Pro 5G. It also plans to announce an Extreme Edition of the Axon 20 5G which comes in gold later today.
Huami’s Amazfit Bip line of smartwatches is known to offer value for money for those looking for a smartwatch or fitness tracker that doesn’t break the bank. The series which boasts more than five models including its latest model, the Amazfit Bip U, is now getting worthy challengers and one of them is the new Redmi Watch.
Redmi Watch (l) and Amazfit Bip U (r)
The Redmi Watch is the first smartwatch from the Xiaomi subsidiary and its price and features put it as a direct competitor to the Amazfit Bip series, most especially the Bip U. If you are wondering which of these two watches you should purchase, this post should help you decide.
Amazfit Bip U
Redmi Watch
Display
1.43-inch screen with 2.5D glass and anti-fingerprint coating
Strap Colors: Elegant Black, Ivory, Ink Blue, Cherry Blossom, and Pine Needle Green
Design
The Amazfit Bip U and Redmi Watch can pass for similar watches. They both have a square face dial and a single button. Their dimensions and weight are also very similar. However, they are not identical. Not only are their buttons of different shapes and are placed in different positions, but the Bip U’s case has lugs while the Redmi Watch doesn’t.
Even though the Redmi Watch has the advantage with respect to the number of colors you can choose from, we are sure both watches will enjoy a plethora of third-party watch straps that owners can purchase to give their watch a unique look.
Display and Watch Faces
The Bip U and Redmi Watch have nearly the same screen size but the former is slightly bigger at 1.43-inches. The Redmi Watch does have higher pixels per inch value due to its higher resolution and smaller screen size.
Both screens are surrounded by thick bezels, which is not unexpected at this price point. They also each have a 2.5D glass covering their display. Huami says the Bip U has an anti-fingerprint coating but Redmi doesn’t say if its watch has.
When it comes to the number of watch faces you can choose from, the Redmi Watch wins with up to 120 in total. This means you can choose a different watch face every day for four months.
Sports Modes
The Bip U is the clear winner here as it can track up to 60 different sports and physical activities, leaving the Redmi Watch in the dust with its measly seven. Sure, you probably won’t use all of them but it should cover the basics. Sadly, we couldn’t get our hands on the complete list of supported sports modes for the Amazfit Bip U.
Blood Oxygen Level Detection
Blood oxygen level detection is a feature that has appeared on more watches announced this year. The sensor detects the level of oxygen in the blood which is a vital sign of how healthy an individual is. It is also one of the vitals that are checked for those that may have COVID-19. Being able to easily check it whenever and wherever you are is an advantage and one you have with the Amazfit Bip U. Do note that it is not a screening test for COVID-19.
NFC and AI Assistant
The Redmi Watch has NFC and allows users to use it to make payments. It also has a microphone and Xiaomi’s XiaoAI assistant, so users can use their watch to control compatible smart home devices.
The Amazfit Bip U doesn’t have NFC neither does it have an AI assistant. However, Huami is working on a Pro model that will have an AI assistant (most probably Amazon’s Alexa) and a microphone.
Both watches do not have a built-in GPS module which means if you want a watch that will track your position and outline your route when you go for an outdoor walk/run/cycling, then neither of these two are for you. However, if you have your phone with you and have your watch connected to it, the Amazfit Bip U will be able to use the GPS on your phone.
Redmi didn’t say if its smartwatch has connected GPS but unlike the Amazfit Bip U, it has a geomagnetic sensor which means it has an electronic compass that can come in handy when hiking and you need to find your way back.
The Amazfit Bip U has a women’s health feature that allows female users to track their cycle. The watch will record your menstrual and ovulation periods and also alert you before they arrive so you can plan ahead. Unfortunately, the Redmi Watch doesn’t have this feature.
Battery life
The two watches have the same battery capacity but the Amazfit Bip U has a longer battery life by two days. It is not a significant difference, so it won’t be a dealbreaker when it comes to choosing either of the two smartwatches.
Price
The Amazfit Bip U is the more expensive model no doubt. However, the Redmi Watch is expected to launch outside China as the Mi Watch Lite and when it does, there is a chance it will be more expensive. If Xiaomi keeps the price tag the same, then it most likely will drop some features such as NFC and the Chinese AI assistant.
Conclusion
The Amazfit Bip U is the logical choice here as it offers more features albeit at a higher price tag. However, it is not without its shortcomings, but if you can live with them, then you should pick it up.
The Redmi Watch is an excellent first attempt from Redmi but I won’t recommend it for buyers outside China as you won’t be able to use the XiaoAI assistant and the NFC features outside China. Nevertheless, you may want to wait for the launch of the global version but bear in mind that it may cost more.
Several affordable flagships debuted in the second half of 2020. One of the most interesting is the Redmi K30S packing flagship-class hardware and offered at an incredibly low price in China. But is it the flagship with the highest value for money? We think there is no better way to establish it than comparing it with the other cheap flagships. Realme is the main Xiaomi rival in this segment and this year it released two affordable flagships in the Chinese market: the Realme X7 Pro and the Realme X50 Pro 5G. Here is a comparison between their specifications and features.
Xiaomi Redmi K30S vs Realme X50 Pro vs Realme X7 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi K30S
Realme X50 Pro
Realme X7 Pro
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
165.1 x 76.4 x 9.3 mm, 216 g
159 x 74.2 x 8.9 mm, 209 g
160.8 x 75.1 x 8.5 mm, 184 g
DISPLAY
6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), IPS LCD
6.44 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
6.55 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
Triple 64 + 13 + 5 MP, f/1.9 + f/2.4 + f/2.4
20 MP f/2.2 front camera
Quad 64 + 12 + 8 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.5 + f/2.3 + f/2.4
Dual 32 + 8 MP f/2.5 and f/2.2 front camera
Quad 64 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.3, f/2.4 and f/2.4
32 MP f/2.5 front camera
BATTERY
5000 mAh, fast charging 33W
4200 mAh, fast charging 65W
4500 mAh, fast charging 65W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Design
The design I love the most belongs to the Realme X50 Pro 5G. Just like the top-tier flagships, it is made with premium materials including a glass back and an aluminum frame. It has a non-invasive camera module and a punch-hole display with narrow bezels and a high screen-to-body ratio. But the Redmi K30S is at the same level, with a glass sandwich and its aluminum frame, as well as a high screen-to-body ratio. I would go for the Realme X50 Pro just because it is thinner, lighter, and more compact.
Display
If you need the most impressive display, just discard the Redmi K30S. Instead, you should definitely go for the Realme X7 Pro. It features an AMOLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate, and it is one of the most affordable phones with this kind of display. Unfortunately, Redmi K30S lacks an OLED panel, but it has a high 144 Hz refresh rate. Realme X50 Pro remains a device with a great panel: it sports an AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certification. Realme X7 Pro and Realme X50 Pro feature an in-display fingerprint reader, while Redmi K30S has a side-mounted biometric sensor.
Hardware/Software
Realme X50 Pro 5G has the best hardware department as it is fueled by the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and UFS 3.0 native storage. Redmi K30S is powered by the Snapdragon 865 as well, but it packs just 8 GB of RAM. The RAM is paired with fast UFS 3.1 internal storage. Realme X7 Pro is powered by the Dimensity 1000+ chipset which is slightly inferior to the Snapdragon 865 (let’s say it is between the Snapdragon 855+ and the Snapdragon 865). Redmi K30S runs MIUI 12 out of the box, while Realme X7 Pro and X50 Pro 5G run Realme UI.
Camera
With the Realme X50 Pro, you can get the best camera experience. It features a 64 MP quad camera on the rear side including a 12 MP telephoto sensor, an 8 MP ultrawide camera, and a 2 MP depth sensor. Further, it sports a dual ultrawide front camera with 32 and 8 MP resolutions. The rear camera setup of the Redmi K30S is slightly more interesting than the Realme X7 Pro, but the X7 Pro has a better front camera.
Battery
With its huge 5000 mAh, Redmi K30S is the battery champion. But the 4500 mAh battery of the Realme X7 Pro is still great and it features 65W fast charging. The Realme X50 Pro 5G loses as its battery is even smaller.
Price
The Realme X50 Pro price is set at $516/€431, Realme X7 Pro starts at $380/€318, and Redmi K30S costs about $275/€330. Realme X50 Pro is the best device in this comparison, but it is more expensive. If you want to save money while still getting an OLED display and great performance, go for the Realme X7 Pro which also offers very fast charging. Otherwise, if you want a bigger battery and the Snapdragon 865, choose the Redmi K30S.
Smart TVs have become very popular and chances are that if you are purchasing a TV now, you are picking up a smart one that allows you to stream content from the internet. However, even with the popularity of smart TVs, there is another growing market – the streaming device market which includes streaming boxes/sticks/dongles.
In some households, you will find a smart TV, while in others, they have a regular TV connected to a streaming device. There are also people who own a smart TV but have it connected to a streaming device.
For this week’s poll, we want to know which category you belong to. Do you have your smart TV connected to a streaming device, use it on its own, or have a regular TV connected to a streaming device? Let us know in the comment box below and also share the reason behind your setup.
Often, using the phone while charging becomes a bit difficult due to the USB cable restriction. To resolve this issue and offer added convenience, the Fobase introduced Magfaster Magnetic charger through Kickstarter. It is designed to charge all smartphones wirelessly in a quick and secure manner. This charger has successfully managed to raise more than 200% of its goal within 24 hours.
The Magfaster Magnetic touch fast charging kit comes with a magnetic pad and four magnetic docks. Each dock is uniquely designed with a magnetic plate that offers a secure and strong connection to suit specific needs. The company claims that the unit offers 2 times the performance of the Magsafe wireless charger. Furthermore, its enhanced 4th generation wireless technology can quickly and conveniently power-up the devices in no time. This unit supports a capacity of 120W, meaning, it is compatible with fast charging adapters for authenticated smartphones.
Magfaster Magnetic touchpad also comes with built-in heat, circuit, and power leakage protection. These chipsets shut down when excessive heat is detected to protect the devices. Additionally, this unit is easy to use, and one simply needs to place the charger at the back of their phone for efficient charging. It works with almost every smartphone, including the ones that don’t support wireless charging.
The charging system includes 5 components:
Magnetic Touch Power Bank
This unit has two variants designed with 5000mAh and 10000mAh capacity to charges the smartphone without the need for outlets or cables.
Magnetic Touch Car Mount
It can be attached to the car mount where the strong magnetic grip ensures the phone stays put no matter how bumpy the drive may be.
Magnetic Touch Gaming Dock
This unit offers hands-on control and ensures the smartphone always stays fully charged. It prevents the cable from restricting the movement while playing games.
Magnetic Touch Desk Dock
This unit allows the work desk to be clutter-free as the smartphone can simply be placed on the dock to charge. It also prevents the need to plug in and unplug a charging cable.
Magnetic Touch Sticky Pads
This unit is supposed to be fixed on the back of a smartphone for efficient use. It is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones and comes with a USB connector along with a TYPE-C port to enable direct charging. These sticky pads have a buckle at the back that functions as a phone stand and offers a firm grip while using.
Firm Magnetic Grip
This unit ensures the phone is always attached securely to the power source as each dock is designed to fit different charging areas. It has a magnetic strength of 4200 Gauss.
The Magfaster Magnetic charger is sleek and offers practical use. To know more about this product, interested readers can visit Kickstarter by clicking here.
ZMI, a Xiaomi ecological chain company is gaining popularity for its wide range of charging solutions. The company’s products include superfast power banks, wired chargers, wireless chargers, as well as car chargers. The brand even launched its first TWS noise-canceling headphones in China. Right now, ZMI has launched yet another innovative charging solution – the ZMI Purple Rice Dual-mode Charger Power bank.
As the name suggests, the product is both a charging adapter and power bank and is equipped with both an 18W charger and a dual-port power bank. As a power bank, the ZMI Dual-purpose adapter packs a decent 5000mAh battery while the dpater adopts foldable pins.
Further, ZMI’s new dual-mode charger is equipped with two USB-A ports, both of which support multi-protocol 18W fast charging and can charge 2 smart devices at the same time. When used as a power bank, built-in 5000mAh power bank comes with a fast charging cable that can provide 12W fast charging. In addition, this product can also directly charge small current for Bluetooth headsets, wrist bands, smartwatches and other products.
In terms of design, ZMI’s new dual-mode charger adopts the classic design ZMI is known for. The casing is designed with highlight and matte stitching, and it is equipped with foldable pins.
The product is presently available on Xiaomi Youpin and is priced at 129 yuan (~$19).
There are multiple ways to unlock your phone these days. There is the fingerprint scanner, face unlock, PIN, password, and the good old pattern unlock. One other way albeit uncommon is voice unlock and the Galaxy S21 series may be bringing it back.
Yes, bringing it back because Samsung used to offer the feature for some of its phones with Bixby but the feature was later removed. It has now been reported that the Galaxy S21 series will bring back the feature when it arrives next year.
According to SamMobile, the feature will be added back to One UI 3.1 which will debut on the Galaxy S21 series. The previous version allows users to unlock their device by saying “Hi Bixby”, so there is a chance when it makes its return next year, users will be able to unlock their phone the same way.
While the official Samsung support page for when the feature was still supported says that it is perfectly safe to unlock your phone with the “Hi Bixby” voice command, there are still reservations about the feature considering more advanced biometric features such as Face ID and fingerprint unlock can be fooled. Nevertheless, the option to be able to unlock your phone with your voice can come in handy in situations where you can’t operate your phone with your hand or can’t unlock it with your face.
The Zepp Z premium smartwatch was announced a few weeks ago at an event that was live-streamed. The smartwatch is the most expensive model from the Huami-owned brand.
At the event, Huami announced that the Zepp Z will get an ECG version in the future, following approval from the regulatory bodies. The watch also got announced in China, but unlike the global variant which doesn’t have ECG, the one sold in China comes with an ECG sensor out of the box.
The Zepp Z with ECG is available for purchase on the official Zepp store on JD.com for ¥2699 (~$410) but a limited-time sale has it going for ¥2649 (~$403). The price tag is higher than that of the non-ECG version which sells for $349, nevertheless, the price gives us an idea of how much the ECG version will sell for when it is available in markets such as the US and Europe.
The product page for the smartwatch also confirms that China indeed has the ECG version. In the image below, it says users will be able to get quick access to the ECG function via the health button which can also be customized to quickly access the heart rate monitor, blood oxygen level detection, or stress level.
An ECG monitor is not the only difference between the Chinese version and the global version. Huami has also added NFC for payment support. The dimensions are also different as the Chinese (ECG version) measures 46.6 x 46.3 x 10.75 mm while the global version measures 45.9 x 45.9 x 10.75 mm. Save for these differences, the rest of the specs are the same.
The Zepp Z has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a 454 x 454 resolution. It supports 12 different sports modes, has GPS and GLONASS, is water-resistant up to 50 meters, packs a 340mAh battery, and works with both Android and iOS devices.
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