realme teases a smartphone powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888

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Dec 1, 2020

A few hours from now, Qualcomm will be hosting the annual Snapdragon Summit 2020 to announce its next-generation flagship Snapdragon chipset for smartphones. The new silicon, which will be the successor to the Snapdragon 865, is expected to be based on a 5nm process. Now, ahead of its official unveiling, realme execs tease a new device powered by this chipset.

Qualcomm is the leading player in the global application processor market. All the Android smartphone OEMs use the American chipmaker’s Snapdragon 800 series chipset for their flagship devices.

The Sand Diego-based company usually announces its flagship processor in December at the Snapdragon Summit event, which takes place in Hawaii. But this year, due to the pandemic, the chipmaker will be organizing a virtual (online) event.

That said, according to an official press release by Qualcomm, executives from Sony ‘Mobile Communications Inc., OnePlus, and Xiaomi will be one of the many speakers. Sony’s Mitsuya Kishida and OnePlus’ Kyle Kiang are said to talk about mobile gaming. On the other hand, Xiaomi’s Lei Jun will share a ‘product update’, which is expected to be Mi 11 series.

But now, out of nowhere, realme China’s Xu Qi Chase and Madhav Sheth of realme India/Europe also tease a smartphone powered by Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 800 series chipset. Their social media posts read a cryptic message ‘8_ _’.

For those unaware, up until a few hours ago, the next-gen Qualcomm flagship chipset was thought to be called Snapdragon 875. But now, multiple people from the industry are teasing it to feature a different branding. Most of the teasers reveal it to be called Snapdragon 888. Anyway, we will know more about this SoC very soon.

As for realme, their first Snapdragon 888 smartphone should be an X series device or the rumored Ace series phone.

Samsung leads smartphone market in Gulf region in Q3 2020: Report

By

Sean

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Dec 1, 2020

Samsung Electronics has maintained its top spot in the smartphone market of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region in the the third quarter of this year, as per a new report from earlier today (1st December 2020).

Samsung accounted for 45 percent of the Gulf smartphone market in the period between July and September in terms of smartphones units. This is up from 40 percent from the previous quarter of this year. The news arrives from IDC (International Data Corp), a known analytics based research firm and was reported by YonhapNewsAgency. According to Akash Balachandran, a senior research analyst at IDC, “With its large portfolio of models in the entry-level and mid-range price bands, Samsung not only maintained its leading position but also captured share lost by Huawei.”

Apple arrived second in the region and had a market share of 15 percent in terms of units, which was down from 18 percent for the second quarter of this year. The drop was likely due to the delay of its iPhone 12 series launch. Chinese smartphone vendors also followed close behind the Cupertino based giant with Huawei accounting for 13 percent of the market share, and Xiaomi holding 12 percent of the Gulf smartphone market.

However, things change in terms of value, with Apple leading with a 46.3 percent market share, followed by Samsung with a 30.8 percent market share in Q3 2020. Notably, the overall GCC smartphone market also declined by 0.9 percent quarter on quarter, down to 4.16 million units. In terms of value, the market fell by 11.6 percent quarter on quarter to 1.16 billion US Dollars.

Out of the entire Gulf region, Saudi Arabia accounted for 52.6 percent of all smartphone shipments in the GCC region in the third quarter of 2020. The UAE (United Arab Emirates) arrived second with 24.1 percent of the total market. Ramazan Yavuz, a senior research manager at IDC added that, “Brands like Apple and Samsung will also post a strong performance in the upcoming quarters with newly released models in their portfolios. Chinese vendors, focused on driving penetration in the region, will continue their marketing investments, all of which will translate into a well-performing market in the short to mid-term.”

ZTE Axon 20 5G Extreme Edition with leather-back and 12GB RAM unveiled

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 1, 2020

In September, ZTE astonished smartphone enthusiasts by announcing the ZTE Axon 20 5G as the first-ever handset featuring the under-display camera technology. Recently, the company started teasing the arrival of its Extreme Edition. Today, the Chinese firm finally announced the ZTE Axon 20 5G Extreme Edition that features a leather back and more amount of RAM than its regular version.

The regular Axon 20 5G came with a glass back and 8 GB of RAM. The newly announced ZTE Axon 20 5G Extreme Edition features a long-lasting and wear-resistant leather back that gives it an extremely delicate and soft appeal. The Extreme Edition has arrived with 12 GB of RAM. The rest of its specs are identical to its regular version. The Chinese firm is yet to confirm the pricing of the new handset.

Editor’s Pick: ZTE Blade 20 Pro 5G arrives with a curved display, slim design, and 64MP quad-cameras

ZTE Axon 20 5G Extreme Edition specifications

The Axon 20 5G has a 6.92-inch OLED display that offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. It is loaded with MiFaovr based Android 10 OS. For capturing selfies, it has an under-screen camera of 32-megapixel. The rear-facing camera module has a 64-megapixel main shooter, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

The smartphone houses a 4,220mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging. It is fueled by the Snapdragon 765G chipset. The handset comes with LPPDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. It also features an in-screen fingerprint reader.

In related news, ZTE today confirmed the existence of the ZTE Axon 30 flagship phone. It revealed that the smartphone will be arriving with the industry’s most powerful and pioneering imaging functions. It could be one of the first Snapdragon 875 chipset powered smartphone to go official in China.

Sony confirms Android 11 rollout schedule for its Xperia smartphones

By

Jeet

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Dec 1, 2020

After a bit of delay, Google officially launched the latest Android 11 operating system a few months ago. Soon after that, many smartphone makers announced their schedule for the rollout of this new version.

Now, Sony has confirmed the Android 11 firmware rollout roadmap for its smartphones, reports Xperiablog. From what the company has revealed, the rollout for the update is set to start from this month and the first device to get it is the Sony Xperia 1 II — the company’s current flagship smartphone.

Along with the newer version of Android, the smartphone will also get support for slow-motion video recording in 4K HDR at 120 frames per second (fps). However, Xperia 1 II is the only smartphone to get the update this year.

Two other smartphones from the company — Xperia 5 II and Xperia 10 II will be getting the Android 11 update by the end of January 2021. A month after that, in February 2021, last year’s smartphones — Xperia 1 and Xperia 1 will get the latest update.

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple slapped with €10 million fine in Italy for misleading commercial practices

The company has not revealed information about any other smartphones from the brand getting the update. This could be because Sony has not planned to release the Android 11 update for any other devices.

Meanwhile, there are reports indicating that the Japanese company is working on the successor to the Xperia 1 II and Xperia 10 II smartphones which are now expected to get launched in the first quarter of 2021. It is also being claimed that Sony could bring back its Xperia Compact lineup next year.

Apple slapped with €10 million fine in Italy for misleading commercial practices

By

Sean

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Dec 1, 2020

The antitrust authority in Italy slapped a fine of 10 million euros (roughly 12 million US Dollars) on Apple earlier this week. The company is being fined for “aggressive and misleading” commercial practices for its iPhones.

According to an ET report, the regulators said in a statement that the Cupertino based giant had been advertising certain aspects regarding its iPhones that might not be true. The primary culprit here is the water resistance claims that the company offered. Apparently, the water resistance claim only held true in certain controlled environments, which was never clarified to its customer. In other words, real world scenarios for its water resistance did not hold up quite well, and that this false claim has been tracked down till the iPhone 8

Furthermore, the issue also extends towards its warranty service as well. Apple added a diclaimer that stated that its iPhones were not covered under warranty if they suffere damage from liquids. This essentially tricked the customers that believed that their phones were water resistant, but could not seek support in the case of the device getting damaged due to exposure to liquids, as stated by the antitrust body.

Unfortunately, Apple has declined to comment on the matter at the moment. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing more updates when more information is available regarding the matter, or when the company finally publicly addresses the hefty fine it faces in Italy.

vivo opens OriginOS beta registrations for X50, S7, NEX 3S, iQOO, and iQOO Neo3

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Dec 1, 2020

Last month, Chinese handset maker vivo unveiled OriginOS as the latest version of its mobile operating system. A day after the announcement, the company also revealed the list of eligible devices and their update timeline. Now, the company has begun to recruit beta testers for 5 smartphones.

According to the update schedule shared by vivo, a total of 33 vivo and iQOO-branded smartphones will be updated to OriginOS in China. This roadmap only tells about when these devices will be getting beta builds and therefore, the actual stable rollout for all the eligible phones may complete later than the suggested Q2 2021 time period.

That said, out of 33, 11 devices are scheduled to enter the beta program before January 31, 2020. Hence, as promised, vivo has now opened registrations for the first five handsets and they are as follows.

The beta recruitment for the above-mentioned phones will take place from December 1 to 10. However, though the company is providing 10 days time to register, only 200 seats are allocated for each smartphone. Lastly, the beta rollout will commence from December 15 (tentative date).

So that means the stable release for regular users may only happen in January 2021 at the earliest. And above all, this program is only limited to China and vivo is yet to officially announce OriginOS for global markets along with eligible devices and update plans.

Everything you need to know about vivo OriginOS

Apple faces IC shortages for iPhone 12 Pro, supply constraints to last till Q2 2021

By

Sean

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Dec 1, 2020

The Apple iPhone 12 series was recently launched and has been well received in the market. The 2020 iPhone from the company has seen great global sales which has even surpassed expectations. Although, despite a healthy demand, Apple is struggling with supply constraints, which was caused shortages of certain models due to the lack of critical components.

Apple iPhone 12 Featured — iPhone 12 series

According to a UDN report, the iPhone 12 series is still exceeding expectations in terms of sales. However, certain models like the iPhone 12 Pro are still in short supply. The primary reason for the lack of inventory is the shortage in some key ICs for the device. These components are crucial for the handset, which cannot be assembled due to supply constraints.

Unfortunately, it seems this issue will stay for a while as the report also believes that the issue will continue till next year. As per the report, the foundries are tightly packed with orders at the moment, and their capacity to make advances process wafers and the shortage of packaging and testing will continue forward till the second quarter of next year. The source added that the Cupertino based giant cannot keep up with the supply gap for the iPhone 12 Pro, which is larger than the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The key ICs Apple is lacking for the iPhone 12 series will also an impact on the company’s supply chain and its overall annual smartphone shipments for the year of 2020. Furthermore, with the demand for advanced process chips growing even more in recent months, Apple will find it difficult to stock up its inventory as the foundries are running at maximum capacities.

ZTE Axon 30 flagship smartphone to pack powerful camera capabilities

By

Jeet

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Dec 1, 2020

A few months ago, China-based ZTE launched Axon 20 — the world’s first smartphone featuring an under-display camera technology. Earlier this month, the company launched an upgraded version of the same, dubbed as Axon 20 Extreme Edition.

Now, the Chinese company is gearing up to launch its new flagship smartphone — ZTE Axon 30. Today, the brand has shared a video on Weibo in which Ni Fei, General Manager of ZTE’s Terminal Business Unit, reveals that the Axon 30 will come equipped with the industry’s most powerful and pioneering imaging functions.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus 9 series to reportedly include OnePlus 9E alongside the Standard and Pro models

To see how much the claim of the company’s executive for the upcoming flagship smartphone holds up, we will have to first see the device. Ni Fei has not yet revealed anything about the phone’s launch but given that he has teased the device, the launch is likely to happen in the coming weeks or months.

So far, nothing is known about this Axon 30 flagship smartphone but if the Axon 20 is anything to go by, then we are expecting some impressive features and technology from the company. Axon 20 isn’t a flagship-grade device and more of a mid-range offering but still features an under-display camera technology.

As for the company’s future plans, ZTE has already outlined what its roadmap includes for the next year. At a time when most companies are splitting their brands, ZTE has revealed that it will be bringing all three of its smartphone brands — ZTE, Nubia, and Red Magic under one umbrella. It is also significantly expanding its offline presence in China and has planned to construct over 5,000 retail stores in the country.

Apple tasks Foxconn to build test unit for upcoming foldable iPhone

By

Jeet

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Dec 1, 2020

Since the past few months, details about the upcoming foldable iPhone from Apple have been making rounds. Now, some more reports have surfaced online which indicates that the device could soon be ready for testing.

As per the report coming from China, Apple has asked its suppliers to send the required component samples for the foldable iPhone to Hon Hai Group in Mainland China, which is another name for Foxconn — the contract manufacturer for Apple iPhones.

The Chinese company has been tasked with making the foldable iPhone for testing. While Apple is gearing up to finalize the phone’s appearance and testing process, the smartphone isn’t expected to get launched before the second half of 2022.

It has also been reported that South Korean giant Samsung could be supplying foldable display panels while Nissei will be the supplier for the hinge. Apart from that, Foxconn will be responsible for assembling the first foldable iPhone.

EDITOR’S PICK: Google and Facebook face new antitrust lawsuits in the U.S.

Another report claims that Apple is deciding between OLED and MicroLED display panels for the foldable smartphone, which will also affect the method of production. While the MicroLED screen is better in terms of features, it remains to be seen if they have reached the stage where Apple could use it in commercial products.

Currently, companies like Samsung, Huawei, and Motorola have already launched their foldable smartphones in the market. While Apple is planning its first foldable phone, these brands are on their second and third-generation devices. Other Chinese companies that are working on a foldable device include the likes of Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo.

Recently, OPPO showcased its OPPO X 2021 Concept Smartphone that features a rollable extending display, which seems very interesting. However, it’s just a concept smartphone for now and the commercial viability is not yet known.

Google and Facebook could face new antitrust lawsuits in the United States

By

Jeet

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Dec 1, 2020

It seems that Big Tech’s issues with the antitrust authorities in the United States keep piling up. As per the new report coming from WSJ, federal and state antitrust authorities in the U.S. are preparing to file new lawsuits against two of the leading tech companies — Google and Facebook.

The report adds that both the companies are facing about four more cases which are expected to get filed by the end of January 2021. This comes just weeks after the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google.

As for these new legal troubles for the companies, officials in the agency are probing both Google and Facebook alleging that they abused their position in the industry to dominate the Search, Advertising, and Social Media sectors.

If the suits are to be filed, then it will be the first time Facebook faces an antitrust lawsuit in the United States. However, both companies have denied doing so and added that they operate in a highly competitive market and are offering most of their services for free that benefit consumer.

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple and Google join 6G industry group despite both only recently launching 5G phones

The Big Four, which includes Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook, have been under fire for their business practices. Earlier this year, the companies faced a congressional panel and all four are still under scrutiny from the antitrust officials.

While Apple is facing investigation over its use of App Store for possible anticompetitive practices while Amazon is under investigation from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to determine if the company unfairly uses its dominance in the eCommerce space against competitors and small traders.

Reports indicate that FTC is likely to file its case against Facebook this month while a coalition of state attorney general could file its own case against the social media giant in the coming days. It remains to be seen if both these cases are filed jointly.

Apple HomePod Mini officially launched in China for 749 yuan ($114)

By

Jeet

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Dec 1, 2020

Last month, Apple had introduced HomePod Mini, a comparatively cheaper version of its HomePod smart speaker. Today, the tech giant has officially launched it in the Chinese market and is now up for pre-orders.

In China, the Apple HomePod Mini is available in two color options — Space Grey and White. It is priced at 749 yuan, which roughly converts to $114, and will start shipping to customers from 11th December — the same day it will be available in retail stores.

As for the design, the product has a globe-like body but has a flat base to keep it steady when placed on the surface. The top part is also flat and features a screen. The body is wrapped around with a mesh fabric, similar to what we have seen on Google’s Nest and Amazon’s Echo lineup of smart speakers.

Coming to the technical part, the device packs a single unit driver and two passive radiators, and an acoustic waveguide at the bottom. It is powered by an Apple S5 chip that is claimed to provide “computational audio.”

EDITOR’S PICK: OPPO signs Dongyu Zhou as a new Brand Ambassador, likely for the upcoming Reno5 lineup

It comes with an Intercom feature, which is quite similar to the Google Assistant’s Broadcast feature. So, when two HomePod Mini are placed near each other, they will get connected and will automatically work in Stereo mode.

The same Intercom feature can also be used as a walky-talky, allowing users to send voice messages to the other HomePod speakers in the house and the user at the other end will be able to reply. As with all other smart speakers, this one too can be used to control smart home devices as it works as a hub or controller.

OPPO Reno5, Reno5 Pro, Reno5 Pro+ display design revealed

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 1, 2020

OPPO is expected to announce the Reno5 series in the coming month. Some rumors have claimed that the Reno5 series will go official on Dec. 10. Speculations are rife that the series includes three phones such as OPPO Reno5, Reno5 Pro, and Reno5 Pro+. A Chinese tipster has shared an image to give us an idea of the display design of the upcoming Reno5 smartphones.

In the image shown below, the tipster has used renders of the existing phones to show how the Reno5 series smartphones will appear. The one on the left is the Reno4 SE, whereas the one in the middle and on the right is the Reno4 Pro 5G. The image suggests that the Reno5 will look like the Reno4 SE from the front and the Reno5 Pro and Reno5 Pro+ will bear a resemblance with Reno4 Pro.

Editor’s Pick: OPPO signs Dongyu Zhou as a new Brand Ambassador

Recent reports have revealed that the Reno5 has a 6.43-inch OLED panel, whereas the Reno5 Pro and Reno5 Pro+ could be fitted with a 6.55-inch OLED panel. The Reno5 could be driven by the Snapdragon 765G chipset and the Pro model could be fuelled by the Dimensity 1000+ chipset. The Reno5 Pro+ is expected to arrive as a Snapdragon 865 powered flagship phone.

The Reno5 could be housing a 4,300mAh battery and the Reno5 Pro could be packed with a 4,350mAh battery. The Pro Plus model may come with a larger 4,500mAh battery. All three phones are expected to arrive with support for 65W fast charging.

The Reno5 is expected to arrive with a Sony IMX686 64-megapixel quad-camera system. The Pro model may have the same camera setup. The quad-camera setup of the Pro Plus edition may feature a Sony IMX7XX 50-megapixel main lens, a 16-megapixel ultrawide camera, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. All three phones may sport 32-megapixel front-facing cameras.

OPPO signs Dongyu Zhou as a new Brand Ambassador

By

Jeet

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Dec 1, 2020

Chinese smartphone brand OPPO has today announced that the company has signed Dongyu Zhou as a brand ambassador. While the company has not yet confirmed this, but given the timing of the announcement, it seems that she will be the brand ambassador for the upcoming OPPO Reno5 series smartphones.

Dongyu Zhou is a Chinese actress who has won the Golden Horse Best Actress Award as well as a Best Actress award from Hong Kong Film Awards. Earlier this year, Forbes ranked her 3rd in its China Celebrity 100 list.

As for her alliance with OPPO, it seems that the cooperation could be related to the upcoming device’s beautification features. It is being speculated that the company could launch a new technology for the camera and beautification features with the upcoming OPPO Reno5 series devices.

Based on the leaks so far, it seems that the Reno5 will come with a 32-megapixel front-facing snapper taking care of the selfie needs. On the backside, the device is expected to feature a quad-camera setup that includes a 50-megapixel sensor.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi fan spends over $100,000 to buy a full set of products from Mi Home

The device is expected to come with super-fast 65W Super Flash Charging technology. The phones in the series are said to have an AMOLED display and come with support for a 90Hz refresh rate. They will be running the Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own ColorOS 11 custom user interface.

As per the reports, the Reno5 will be powered by the Snapdragon 765G chipset, while the Reno5 Pro will pack MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ SoC. Lastly, the Reno5 Pro+ is said to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset.

While the company has not yet revealed the launch date for the Reno5 lineup, the leak of the key specifications, devices getting certified in China, and the announcement of the brand ambassador indicate that the launch is just days away.

Lenovo Lemon K12 to debut on December 9

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 1, 2020

It was recently confirmed that Lenovo will once again start selling Lemon branded phones in China. The Lemon brand will target entry-level and mid-range buyers in the home market. Today, the company took to confirm that it will be launching the Lemon K12 smartphone on Dec. 9 in China.

The launch poster released by the company only confirms only the Lemon 12 moniker. The company is yet to spill information on its specs. Lenovo had recently teased the design of an upcoming Lemon phone. The teasers revealed that it has a punch-hole display, a hardware key on the left edge, and a square-shaped camera module housing three cameras.

It is speculated that the upcoming Lemon phones could be a rebranded version of the Motorola phones that were recently made official in global markets. It is advisable to wait for further reports to know whether the Lenovo K12 is a brand-new phone for a rebadged Motorola handset.

Editor’s Pick: Motorola “Nio” flagship may sport an unusual 105Hz screen

A smartphone with model number XT2091-7 was spotted at TENAA with a few specs and images. The listing revealed it is the Moto G9 Power for China. However, reports surrounding suggest that it will be branded a Lenovo device. It is speculated that this device could be rebadged as the Lemon K12 Pro in China. A recent report had also revealed that the Moto E7 Plus could be also rebranded as a Lemon branded phone. The E7 Plus may go official as the Lenovo K12.

The Moto E7 Plus has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD HD+ screen and it is powered by a Snapdragon 460 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. It features an 8-megapixel front camera and a 48-megapixel (main) +2-megapixel (depth) triple camera setup. The 5,000mAh battery of the E7 Plus supports 10W charging. It is loaded with Android 10 OS and comes with 64 GB of built-in storage.

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Redmi Note 9T bags NBTC certification; Launch could be nearing

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 1, 2020

Last month, Redmi announced the Redmi Note 9 4G , Redmi Note 9 5G, and Redmi Note 9 Pro 5Gv in China. A variant of the Redmi Note 9 4G went official as the POCO M3 and there is speculation that its other variant could be heading to some markets as the Redmi 9T. There have been speculations that the Redmi Note 9 5G will be heading to markets outside of China as the Redmi Note 9T. The model number of the Note 9 5G is M2007J22C and its global variant has the M2007J22G model number. Today, the M2007J22G model number appeared with the Redmi Note 9T moniker at Thailand’s NBTC certification.

The NBTC listing only confirms the Redmi Note 9T moniker. It appears that the Redmi Note 9 5G will be rebranded as the Redmi Note 9T in Thailand, Malaysia, and some other markets. The specifications of the Note 9T are not mentioned in the NBTC listing. However, it is likely that the device could be packed with the same specs that are available on China’s Note 9 5G.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi M2007J17I listed as Mi 10i; Is it rebadged Mi 10T Lite or Redmi Note9 Pro 5G for India?

Redmi Note 9T specifications (Rumored)

The Redmi Note 9T could be equipped with a 6.53-inch IPS LCD FHD+ punch-hole display. The Dimensity 800U chipset could be powering the device with LPPDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. In China, the Redmi Note 9 5G is available with up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of storage. It is preinstalled with MIUI 12 based Android 10 OS and it has a microSD card slot for additional storage.

Redmi Note 9 5G All Colors Featured — Redmi Note 9 5G

The Redmi Note 9T could be sporting a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. Its rear shell could be fitted with a 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system. The device is could be backed by a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.

(via)

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G CAD renders emerge, could be the cheapest 5G phone from brand

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 1, 2020

In September, Samsung introduced the Galaxy A42 5G smartphone in the European markets. The Snapdragon 750G chipset powered handset is the most affordable 5G phone from the brand. Recent reports have revealed that the title will be soon taken over the Galaxy A32 5G. Ahead of its arrival, popular tipster OnLeaks has shared the CAD renders of the Galaxy A32 5G to reveal its design in full glory.

The tipster has revealed that the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G will be sporting a polycarbonate chassis. Most Samsung phones available in the market have curved edges and protruding cameras. However, the Galaxy A32 has a different appeal since it has a flat rear, and it does not feature a camera housing.

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Editor’s Pick: Samsung begins efforts to scale down the Galaxy Note series production; report

The vertically aligned triple cameras of the Galaxy A32 protrude from the plastic shell. The triple shooters are accompanied by an LED flash and an unknown sensor. The front side of the Galaxy A32 is fitted with a screen that measures around 6.5 inches. The selfie camera is housed inside the Infinity-V notch. The screen is surrounded by thick bezels and it has a large chin.

The Galaxy A32 5G measures around 164.2 x 76.1 x 9.1mm and its thickness increases by 1mm at the rear camera area. The handset is equipped with a side-facing fingerprint scanner, a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port, and an external speaker around the edges.

The leak has no information on the other specs of the Galaxy A32 5G. Rumors have it that the camera module could be housing a 48-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. While Samsung is mum on the arrival of the Galaxy A32, it appears that its launch date may not be far away.

A 60-foot “Gundam” robot is unveiled in Japan to help invigorate tourism hit by COVID-19

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 1, 2020

If we decide to brand Japan as the Robotics headquarters of the world, we won’t be wrong! The Asian nation leads the world in the field of robotics with highly competitive research, development, and applied technologies. The stride isn’t ending anytime soon as a 60-foot (18-meter) “Gundam” robot that is capable of walking and moving its arms has reportedly been unveiled in Japan on Monday.

The robot, which is expected to help efforts to invigorate the country’s tourism sector which has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, is modeled after a figure in “Mobile Suit Gundam,” a Japanese cartoon first launched in the late 1970s. The cartoon series is themed around the story of enormous battle robots piloted by humans. The series has given birth to several spin-offs as well as toys and has a worldwide following.

The huge robot will take the center stage on December 19 at the opening of the Gundam Factory, a tourist attraction located in the port city of Yokohama. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference that he hoped that the tourist attraction would lead to stimulating tourism demand and revitalizing local areas.

“Of course, we now have the coronavirus issue. I want people to tackle endeavors like this while making an effort to prevent the spread of infection,” he added.

Japan has consistently been at the forefront of deploying robots as part of our everyday life, especially during the present COVID 19 period. We have covered several stories of robots being deployed in Japan to perform duties ordinarily covered by humans like the deployment of robots in a professional Baseball game to act as cheerleaders in the absence of fans at the stadium. Much more recently, a shop in Japan rolled out a robot which helps enforce physical distancing and the use of facemasks inside the store. (via)

UP NEXT: Oppo X 2021 unveiled as the world’s first smartphone concept with an extending display

Poco F2 Pro Android 11 Global Stable update now rolling out to users

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 1, 2020

Earlier in June, Xiaomi had promised to push the Android 11-based MIUI 12 update to users of the Poco F2 Pro and even commenced the Android 11 beta update. It did tarry for quite a while but the company has finally fulfilled that promise as the Poco F2 Pro owners in Asia has now started receiving the new update. This is an indication that it will hit other regions soon.

The update ushers in the firmware version MIUI V12.2.1.0.RJKMIXM and the package has a file size of 2.8GB. The update changelog isn’t very elaborate as it equally brings just some camera templates, watermarks, and vlog features in addition to the “Stable MIUI based on Android 11”.

Here’s the official changelog;

System

Stable MIUI based on Android 11

Camera

New: 3 new AI watermarks
New: New templates for vlogs
New: Vlog can be now saved as drafts
Optimization: New vlog templates and presets will be available for downloading from the cloud from now on

Apart from the listed features, the new MIUI update also brings the latest MIUI 12 features such as Chat Bubble, new Power Menu, Internal Audio Recording, Smart Reply, and improved security and media controls. There are equally visual changes and updates, UI customizations, and plenty of new wallpapers.

The update is already rolling out via OTA to select users but you can sodeload it from the source link below if you can’t wait until it is pushed to your unit. However, if you decide to wait for the official OTA, you may likely not wait for too long. e expect Xiaomi to push to all F2 Pro owners globally latest in December. (source)

UP NEXT: Oppo X 2021 unveiled as the world’s first smartphone concept with an extending display

The INR 18,999 Jabra Elite 85t has customizable ANC and up to 25 hours of battery life

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 1, 2020

If you are in India and are looking for premium earbuds, then the Jabra Elite 85t should be on your list. The pair of TWS earbuds which launched in the US back in September has made its way to the Asian country. It brings with it customizable Active Noise Cancellation and a battery life that goes up to 25 hours.

The Jabra Elite 85t’s active noise cancellation feature can be customized, allowing the user to switch between up to 11 different levels. The lowest one is dubbed HearThrough a.k.a transparency mode, which allows environmental sounds to pass through. Each level is around 3db apart which is said to be the way the human ear best perceives differences in sound level.

Jabra uses dual-microphone technology for its digital active noise cancellation. Each earbud has a pair of microphones – one feedforward mic that cancels the noise from outside and one feedback mic that cancels the noise from inside the ear. The earbuds also feature 12mm drivers and support AAC and SBC codecs.

The earbuds feature three professional-grade microphones each for crystal clear calls. There is also a feature called sidetone that allows you to hear your own voice on calls. Other features are an IPX4 rating, customizable controls via the Sound+ app, and compatibility with both Google Assistant and Siri.

The Jabra Elite 85t lasts up to 7 hours on a single charge ( up to 30 hours with the case) with ANC turned off. When you turn on ANC, you get 5.5 hours with the earbuds and up to 25 hours with the case. The earbuds support fast charging, so a 15-minute charge will provide up to 1 hour of playback time. The case charges via a USB-C port and also supports Qi wireless charging.

The earbuds go on sale starting today on Amazon India for INR 18,999 (~$257) and they will be available in Titanium Black. The earbuds will come with three sizes of Jabra’s EarGels.

Xiaomi fan spends over $100K to buy a full set of products on Mi Home

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Dec 1, 2020

Xiaomi started out as a mobile phone manufacturer some ten years ago but the company has since grown beyond being a phone maker into an ecosystem with its product catalogue spreading from smart TV, smart home products, PCs, e-scooters, surveillance camera and several others. If we are to add the ecological chain companies, then the products are even more dazzling and overwhelming.

Although most of the products are not easy to come by outside China, they are readily available in the brand’s home country. That must have been the driving force behind the action of a fan of the Mi brand who recently walked into a store and purchased the full set of Mi products on display. The video showing the transaction slip was posted on Douyin and indeed, that is one long slip. The receipt shows that the fan purchased a total of 690,000 yuan (~$104,880). It was noticed that the buyer did not use coupons and red envelopes to purchase products.

It is common to see buyers picking up a set of Apple products but for Xiaomi, this is an uncommon feat. Xiaomi even has a wider array of products than Apple and so, a fan who walks into any Mi store will have a tough choice deciding the ones he would like to have. A lover of the Mi brand products would prefer to have all the products on display and that is perhaps what played out here. (via)

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