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Apple Watch reportedly saves the life of a 25-year-old man

By
Jed John Ikoba
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Apple Watch has been credited a few times for saving the life of its users after the device reportedly detected a potentially fatal incident. The smartwatch is again in the news for helping its user detect a medical condition.

25-year-old Zachary Zies has his Apple Watch to thank for saving his life on Thanksgiving weekend. The recent Ohio State University graduate Zies is said to have been suffering from a genetic disease called Friedreich’s Ataxia. The condition attacks some vital parts of the body including the spine, the brain, and the heart. These organs are no doubt essential to the normal functioning of the body and would result in problems with walking and talking.

The Apple Watch’s heart rate monitor on his Apple Watch detected a high resting heart rate for Zies said to be in the tune of 210 beats per minute. This is super high considering that the resting heart rate for a well-trained athlete is in the region of 40 per minute.

After the smartwatch alerted him of his unusual heart rate, Zies went to his Doctor and underwent a procedure known as an arterial ablation. The procedure destroys or scars tissue that is causing faulty heart rhythms which in Zies’ case was being caused by arterial flutter.

The young man hinted that he has recovered to a large extent and attributes this to the top-selling timepiece in the world. “The Apple Watch was pretty much telling me something is up, and you need to go in and get help to see what’s actually wrong,” he said.

The Watch saved the life of a 67-year-old man in Norway last year who fainted while home alone and suffered a hard fall in his bathroom. But as he was wearing his Apple Watch Series 4, first responders were automatically alerted. They are a few more examples of this wearable saving lives, from a man in the UK by promptly detecting low heart rate to saving two stranded Kayakers at sea with the Emergency SOS feature. (via)

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

 

 

[CyberMonday Deals] Apple Airpods, Galaxy Buds+, Sony Earbuds on sale in the UK, US and Europe

By
Simranpal Singh
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The exceptional discounts from the Black Friday week are now extended to CyberMonday. If you have missed favorite deals on Earbuds, then you have another chance to grab them at great discounts. Amazon is offering up to a 58% discount on earbuds listed below.

cyber mon deals headphones amazon uk and us

Must See: Black Friday Deals: Get Amazon Echo Devices at over 50% discount, starting from $9.99

However, some deals are applicable for UK and Europe while the others are for the US readers. The CyberMonday deals are available only for a limited time, and we hope you would be able to save a lot. Make sure to tap the respective Amazon link depending on your region. Let’s hop onto the sale extravaganza and enjoy the discounts.

CyberMonday Deals on Earbuds

 

  • Apple AirPods with Charging Case – 31% discount – $109 $159 – Amazon US /  £159.00  Amazon UK

  • Apple Airpods with Wireless Charging Case – 30% discount – $139 $199 – Amazon US /  £199.00  Amazon UK

  • Apple AirPods Pro – 20% discount – out of stock – Amazon US /  £249 Amazon UK

  • Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Plus – 33% discount – $99 $149 Amazon US /
  • Samsung Galaxy Buds Live – 24% discount – $129 $169 Amazon US /
  • Cheapest JBL Tune 120TWS – 60% discount – $39 $99 Amazon US /
  • Sony WF-XB700 Extra Bass – 48% discount – $68 $129 Amazon US /
  • Bose SoundLink Around Ear Wireless – 31% discount – $159 $229 Amazon US / Not Available – Amazon UK

  • Sony WF-1000XM3 Truely Wireless – 30% discount – $168 $229 Amazon US /

These headphones consisting of Earpods are available at massive discounts on the occasion of CyberMonday. You can check our Deals portal to grab discounts on useful products.

Related: Best Black Friday deals on SD Cards and other storage utilities

FAU-G Pre-registrations begin on Google Play Store in India; UI & Gameplay teased

By
Balaji S
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A made in India Game, FAU-G, has finally landed on Google’s Play Store. The developer Studio nCore Pvt. Ltd., has listed it for pre-registration under the ‘Action’ category of the Games. The listing also teases the UI, and the Gameplay we can expect.

FAU-G pre-registration
Credit: nCORE Games/Google

FAU-G pre-registrations on Google PlayStore is a mere push notification and doesn’t show any launch date. However, reports say that the launch could happen anytime now. The developer nCORE Games, on Twitter, shared the pre-registration link for Android meaning iOS users need to wait for a bit. Accordingly, on clicking the ‘pre-registration’ link, a pop-up appears with two options: Install when available, and Notify when available.

If you click the Install When available option, as usual, the Play Store says it will automatically install the game when it releases. Talking about the game, few teaser images show a slightly different UI to PUBG and suggests that the game will ride high on Indo-Chinese conflict a lot. Consequently, the description says an elite fighting group protects India’s territory at the Northern border.

Further, it adds that a special unit of FAU-G Commandos patrolling in dangerous borders come face-face with enemies on the Indian soil. This suggests that the Game will mostly be a ‘brawler’ type rather than Battle Royale. For the unware, brawler is a type of ‘Action Game’ where the characters fight a large number of enemies in unarmed combat or with melee weapons.

EDITOR’S PICK: PUBG MOBILE Indian version could allow users to retain old skins, in-app purchases & more

Additionally, the description says it will focus on the patriotic angle of the Indian soldiers that guard borders. As per the listing, FAU-G(Fearless And United Guards) is an Indian project that pays tributes to the country’s armed forces. All this, along with the earlier teaser strongly sends the notion that the game will focus more on conflicts like the Galwan Valley skirmish.

In case you don’t know, India banned 59 Chinese applications including TikTok, UC Browser back in June. While the govt. said the threat to privacy and security as a reason, it is believed that Gulwan valley border conflict with China was the reason. Then, it later went on to ban 118 more apps including PUBG back in September.

Days after this ban, the country’s popular actor like Akshay Kumar started promoting FAU-G as a Made in India game. Anyway, Contrary to beliefs, FAU-G will likely focus more on melee operations with patriotic sentiments and not Battle Royale. However, developers have reportedly hinted that Battle Royale might be added in the future.

UP NEXT: Huawei announces €30,000 prize pool for publishing Indie Games on its AppGallery

ZTE outlines plans for 2021: will unite its ZTE, Nubia and Red Magic brands

By
Habeeb Onawole
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ZTE had an event today in China during which it announced a new smartphone, the Blade 20 Pro 5G. However, that wasn’t the only major announcement. The Chinese giant also revealed its plans for the coming year and they are big.

Xu Ziyang, President of ZTE Corporation
Xu Ziyang, president of ZTE Corporation
Unification of brands

While other Chinese brands are spinning off their sub-brands into standalone businesses, ZTE is bringing its own back under a single umbrella. Xu Ziyang, the president of ZTE Corporation revealed at the event that it will unify its three mobile brands next year. These three brands are ZTE, Nubia, and Red Devil/Red Magic).

The ZTE brand is known for smartphones launched under the Blade and Axon series while Nubia launches phones under its own name such as the Nubia Z series. The Red Magic brand is the manufacturer’s gaming phone brand with phones such as the Red Magic 5G and Red Magic 5S.

With the announcement that it plans to unify all three brands, we may see future Nubia and Red Magic phones launch under the ZTE umbrella with ZTE’s logo/name inscribed on the phones.

Offline retail expansion

ZTE’s president also announced that they plan to expand their offline retail presence by constructing up to 5000 retail stores across China. A strong offline presence is important for any consumer technology company. Brands that started originally as online-only brands eventually had to create an offline presence. ZTE says they will also complete the first batch of their ZTE 5G experience centers next year.

NI Fei, Head of ZTE Mobile
NI Fei, Head of ZTE Mobile
1+2+N Strategy

The top executive also announced that they will fully focus on China next year and create a new brand image that focuses on technology, quality, and the younger generation. Ni Fei who is the head of ZTE Mobile and also the president of Nubia was at the event and he announced the company’s new “1+2+N” product strategy which will integrate phones, personal and family data, and a plethora of connected smart products that will also be linked to ZTE Cloud for a seamless 5G experience.

UP NEXT: ZTE Blade V2021 5G with 48MP triple rear cameras launching on December 2

 

Xiaomi crowdfunds MIIIW Wireless Silent Mouse for 49 yuan ($7)

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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Xiaomi runs a crowdfunding website called Youpin in China. The company sells all kinds of products on this platform. Most of the products sold on this website are from small Chinese startups that part of Xiaomi’s ecological chain. That said, the world’s third-largest smartphone maker has now put up new a product called ‘MIIIW Wireless Silent Mouse’ on Youpin.

MIIIW Wireless Silent Mouse Featured

The newly launched MIIIW Wireless Silent Mouse features a compact design with textures on the sides for grip. It comes in two colors namely White and Black with a red accent.

As the name suggests, the mouse sports four silent buttons that produce clicking sounds which fall around 30-40dB. The four buttons are nothing but the standard left, right, scroll wheel, and an additional key to change between different DPI modes.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi launches Mi Human (motion) Sensor 2; available through crowdfunding for 49 yuan ($7)

 

Talking about DPI, the latest MIIIW mouse supports 800 DPI, 1200 DPI, and 1600 DPI respectively.  In other words, it’s good enough for day to day activities and for some light gaming sessions.

There’s also a red LED indicator, which not only indicates the DPI mode selected but also when the 2 x AAA batteries that power the mouse are running low. Last but not least, this wireless mouse operates via 2.4GHz connectivity (USB dongle) and it is compatible with computers running Windows 10 and macOS 10.10 or newer.

The MIIIW Wireless Silent Mouse is priced at 49 yuan ($7) but it is currently being sold for 39 yuan ($6) for a limited time.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi launches new MIJIA refrigerator with a large 540L capacity, starts from 2999 Yuan ($456)

 

Sony denies claims of January 2021 launch for PlayStation 5 in India

By
Balaji S
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Sony’s PlayStation 5(PS5) is the talk of the town lately. The next-gen console went officially on sale in two phases: One on November 12(US, Japan), and on November 19(Europe). However, India is yet to get a pre-order and launch date. And it looks like we might have to wait a bit longer as Sony has denied claims of a January 2021 launch.

Sony PlayStation 5

According to The Mako Reactor, a Sony representative confirmed through email that Sony Interactive Entertainment hasn’t announced a date yet. The response comes at a time when rumors of a January 2021 launch are floating around everywhere. After rounds of November launch rumors, certain retail stores in India reportedly got verbal word from Sony that PS5 will be available by Jan 2021.

Apparently, some of its employees told retailers about a Jan 2021 launch informally but declined to confirm it via email. This is reportedly due to vent off the pressure that the company is facing ever since the launch. However, the Sony representative’s official response says otherwise. He further adds that Sony will share more information as and when available. And seeks everyone to look out for official channels’ news.

This suggests that Sony is not yet firm on the Indian launch. Sony’s PlayStation 5 is getting a lot of reception globally and the company is trying its best to maintain stocks. And, people in India are so eager that they are ready to buy it unofficially for as high as ₹90,000. Still, Sony has confirmed that these units would be devoid of warranty and recommends waiting for the official launch.

Coming back, according to Supply Chain sources, several complexities lie ahead for the Indian launch. And apparently, only about 12,000 to 15,000 units would be available initially. Before you relax, PS5’s Digital Edition units are likely to be in very short numbers too.

Back in October, when Sony India released the pricing of PS5, it got a great response. That is because the PS5 Digital Edition is priced(₹39,999) close to Xbox Series S(₹34,999) which is inferior to the former. Anyway, it looks like PS5 fans in India will have to be patient for a couple of more months.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi, OnePlus & Sony execs to share the spotlight at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro’s FCC certification reveals ‘Squircle’ Charging Case design

By
Balaji S
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Samsung is gearing up to launch the Galaxy S21 series of smartphones in January 2021. Alongside the flagships, it will likely unveil the new Galaxy Buds Truly Wireless Earbuds succeeding the Buds+. And a recent Indonesian certification confirmed that it will be called Galaxy Buds Pro. Now, it has passed FCC, SGS certifications.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus Earbuds Featured
Samsung Galaxy Buds+

As reported by Tizenhelp, Samsung‘s FCC listing follows the same SM-R190 model number. Along with this, the listing yet again confirms that the next wireless earbuds will indeed darn the “Buds Pro” moniker. Besides, the FCC listing also bottom images of the charging case.

Accordingly, the design reveals a squircle(square shape with rounded corners) shape similar to the Galaxy Buds Live. And it is different from the rectangular design of the Buds+. The cradle(case) has a model number EP-QR190 that also appeared on Korea’s NRRA certification. That said, the design of the earbuds is still a mystery but reports say it will adopt Buds+ “in-ear” design and not the bean-shape of Galaxy Buds Live.

Coming back, as per the report(MSP), the Buds Pro has also received SGS certification. It shows a similar model number SM-R190 but has it listed with a 58mAh battery. This is probably the capacity of each earbuds as the early 3C certification of China hinted at a 472mAh on the charging case. To compare, the Galaxy Buds Live’s charging case has a similar battery capacity but it’s earbuds have 60mAh each.

The Galaxy ‘Buds Pro’ from all these leaks looks to have a similar charging case like the Buds Live but will reportedly have an in-ear design like the older Buds TWS(Buds, Buds+) models. Anyway, we don’t have a lot of info on the earbuds but reports say that it will have ANC(Active Noise Cancellation), improved ‘Ambient Mode’. However, I’m pretty sure that we will be getting more details in the coming days.

UP NEXT: Samsung may not discontinue the Galaxy Note series in 2021

Galaxy Smart Tag may also launch alongside the Galaxy S21 series

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S21 series in mid-January. The three smartphones in the series have been leaking more in the past few days in the form of renders, certifications, benchmarks, and whatnot. These phones are also reported to be accompanied by Galaxy Buds Pro. Now, according to a newly spotted certification, one more product could be unveiled at the same event.

Samsung SmartThings Tracker
Samsung SmartThings Tracker

Earlier today, Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings), a popular Indian tech influencer tweeted that a product going by the name of ‘Galaxy Smart Tag’ has been certified by Indonesia’s Telecom bureau with model number EI-T5300. Going by the name, we can certainly assume this product to be some sort of tracker.

Anyway, this will be not the first tracker from Samsung. Because the company had already released a similar product called ‘SmartThings Tracker’ based on LTE two years back in September 2018. A few months back at the Galaxy Note20 series launch event, the tech giant also unveiled an app called ‘SmartThings Find’ to located Samsung products using Bluetooth and UWB.

That said, as per the timing of Galaxy Smart Tag’s certification, we can speculate it to be announced at the Galaxy S21 series event just like the Galaxy Buds Pro. Since Samsung’s future flagship smartphones are now expected to come with UWB just like the iPhones, the upcoming tracker may also have support for UWB.

Currently, Tile is the market leader in the trackers’ category. But that could change soon since apart from Samsung, Apple is also reported to launch its own tracker called ‘AirTags’. These two tech giants have a chance to take over this niche market, all thanks to their ecosystem.

UP NEXT: Samsung may not discontinue Galaxy Note series in 2021

 

Xiaomi launches new MIJIA refrigerator with a large 540L capacity, starts from 2999 Yuan ($456)

By
Sean
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Earlier today (30th November 2020), Xiaomi announced a new MIJIA refrigerator, which sports a large storage capacity of 540 liters. It will start pre bookings starting from 1st December 2020 at 12 am in China.

Xiaomi

The new MIJIA refrigerator arrives as one of the largest offering within the company’s refriegerator lineup and will be placed on top of the previously launched 160 liters, 170 liters, and 450 liters MIJIA Smart off-door refrigerator models. The newly launched refrigerator is priced at 3,699 Yuan (roughly 562 US Dollars), but will initially be available for a discounted price of 2,999 Yuan (roughly 456 US Dollars).

Editor’s Pick: Moto G 5G with 6.7-inch display, Snapdragon 750G, 5,000mAh battery and 48MP quad cameras launched in India

As per the official notes, the new large capacity MIJIA refrigerator features built in double row straight opening drawers, which can store a wide range of food items like meat, fruits, and vegetables, separately and prevent any leakage or spread of the different foods’ odor. The fridge also sports 8 built in door shelves, with the height of these shelves being adjustable. The total volume of the refrigerator is 540 liters, with the primary compartments being capable of storing up to 351 liters, while the freezer region can store up to 189 liters as well.

Xiaomi

Since it is a smart product under the MIJIA brand, it can also be paired with the MIJIA smart home app and can be controlled remotely as well. It sports a relatively minimalistic design and arrives in a Gray color variant. The left door also houses a small interactive display as well. Xiaomi has advertised the product as an energy efficient home appliance that offers top notch yet silent cooling. So for those interested, you can check out the new product by clicking this link here.

UP NEXT: Huawei HiSilicon’s new self developed 28nm OLED driver chip will begin mass production this year

 

New OnePlus 9 Pro renders showcase the design in detail

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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OnePlus is said to announce the OnePlus 9 series earlier than its predecessor in March 2021. Ahead of it, the designs of the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 pro have leaked in the form of 3D CAD renders. Now, LetsGoDigitial, a publication known for patents and trademarks-related coverage has partnered with Concept Creator (Jermaine Smit) for a new set of OnePlus 9 Pro renders based on leaks.OnePlus 9 Pro 3D CAD Render based on Leaks 02

The new renders of the OnePlus 9 Pro are based on the leak by @OnLeaks (Steve Hemmerstoffer). Unlike the original, these renders are more detailed and look as good as promotional renders released by the companies.

Talking about the design, OnePlus’s next flagship smartphone will look identical to the Galaxy S20 FE from the rear but with a quad-camera setup. It will include two large-sized sensors and two small sensors along with an LED flash and a secondary microphone on a rectangular bump at the top left corner.

EDITOR’S PICK: Pete Lau on leaked OnePlus 9 Pro: “No design is ever set in stone”

 

The latter two could be mostly for macro, depth, color filter, or monochrome. On the other hand, one of the two large sensors should be the primary wide camera and another one could be either an ultra-wide unit or telephoto camera.

Further, the back panel of the handset will also house the OnePlus logo at the center and ‘ONEPLUS’ branding at the bottom. As for buttons, the volume rockers will sit on the left side, whereas the power key and alert side will be located on the right side.

As for the front, the phone will sport a 6.7-inch curved display with a punch-hole on the top left side and an earpiece above the screen in the top bezel. Lastly, a USB Type-C port will be at the bottom side with a speaker grille on one end and a primary microphone on the other end.

The exact launch date of the OnePlus 9 Pro is still a mystery just like its specs. Anyway, we expect the latter to leak in the coming days.

UP NEXT: OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition’s wallpaper, icon packs available for download

 

Huawei HiSilicon’s new self developed 28nm OLED driver chip will begin mass production this year

By
Sean
-

While Chinese companies account for about half of the LCD market, the OLED panels and its driver chips are dominated by South Korean companies like Samsung. But now, Huawei has entered into OLED driver chip development with its new self developed OLED driver chip.

Huawei HiSilicon FHD Chip for Smart TVs

Notably, China’s driver ICs for displays account for less than 1 percent of the total market share. So, the Chinese tech giant entering into the field could significantly boost the presence of China in the market. For those unaware, a driver IC chip acts as the main control panel in a system, which manages the image quality being displayed by the screen and its energy efficiency as well. In other words, these driver chips are a core technology that are used in electronic gadgets like smartphones and TVs with a large screen.

Editor’s Pick: Moto G 5G with 6.7-inch display, Snapdragon 750G, 5,000mAh battery and 48MP quad cameras launched in India

Traditionally, driver chip technology is based around the ARM architecture, which is also subject to the US technology restriction against Huawei. So, the new chip arrives as a custom built chip made by the company. At the moment, the OLED driver chip market is dominated by South Korean companies like Samsung, which accounts for nearly 75 percent of market, and Magnachip accounting for about 20 percent, as per a MyDrivers report.

Huawei

With the growth in display technology demands, many companies have strengthened research into driver ICs; and it seems that Huawei has also joined seeking to expand its presence in the segment with its chip designing sub brand, HiSilicon. According to Huawei CEO, Yu Chengdong, the new chips are taped out, and will begin mass production within the year. These chips are expected to be equipped in both Huawei smartphones and TVs that will launch next year. Analysts believe that the chips might already be in mass production and could help reduce China’s reliance on foreign driver chips.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi launches Mi Human (motion) Sensor 2; available through crowdfunding for 49 yuan ($7)

 

UK bans installation of new Huawei 5G gear from September 2021

By
Sean
-

Telecom operators in the UK can no longer install any new 5G equipment made from Huawei after September 2021. The government announced the new rule earlier today (30th November 2020) as a means to remove gear from the Chinese tech giant from its 5G infrastructure.

5G

For those unaware, the UK has already ordered the removal of all Huawei telecommunications equipment from carriers and their systems by 2027. The reason for this rule was to remove the potential security risk from the nation’s networking infrastructure, as per the UK intelligence agencies. Notably, China has been against the decision has even criticized the UK government for following a similar path as the US.

Editor’s Pick: Moto G 5G with 6.7-inch display, Snapdragon 750G, 5,000mAh battery and 48MP quad cameras launched in India

The announcement today arrives just before a debate, which will be over new telecom laws in the parliament that will map the timeline for the removal of Chinese equipment from the infrastructure. According to Digital Minister, Oliver Dowden, “I am setting out a clear path for the complete removal of high risk vendors from our 5G networks. This will be done through new and unprecedented powers to identify and ban telecoms equipment which poses a threat to our national security.”

Huawei Logo MWC 2019

The British government also unveiled its strategy to diversify the 5G supply chain. This will have the chain consist of an initial 250 million pound investment. The trials will have the government collaborate with NEC, a Japanese firm, to establish new research facilities as well, as per a Reuters report. At the moment, the UK has already banned buying new Huawei 5G gear after the end of this year and is still working out the finer details.

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realme patents a smartphone design with unique oval-shaped camera bump

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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Chinese tech company realme currently holds the title of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone brand. The brand hit 50 million shipments a little over two years from its establishment. The company is successful because of its affordable value for money devices and a robust supply chain, thanks to its former parent and present sister brand OPPO. 

However, the design of realme smartphones has always been identical. Most of them feature the same vertically aligned camera placement on the top left side of the back panel. They only differ by color gradients and shades. But that may change soon as the company has now filed a patent design with unique camera placement.

realme Smartphone Design Patent Oval Camera Bump Punch-hole

This realme design patent was first shared by an unknown blogger on the internet (via ITHome). We tried to find this patent in the database but unfortunately, we could not get hold of it. Hence, the description of this design mentioned below is purely based on what we think from its appearance.

First and foremost, the design includes a punch-hole display. But weirdly, this camera hole lacks symmetry as it is not properly located at the top left corner. Also, there’s a huge chin at the bottom. All of these indicate this device to be a budget smartphone.

EDITOR’S PICK: OPPO patents the design of realme X50 Pro with its own branding

 

However, the rear side of the handset tells another story. The camera placement on this handset is unlike on any other realme smartphones that have released so far. Since we haven’t got access to the patent documents yet, we are confused so confused regarding it.

The oval-shaped bump includes four circular holes and a rectangular opening. The circular holes on the left-right side are smaller than the top-bottom openings. Hence, the former two or at least one of them could be for LED flash. 

Further, the rectangular cut could be either for periscope lens, laser auto-focus, or LED flash. We think it could be mostly for the latter two as the device seems to be a budget smartphone since it not only has a large chin on the front but a MicroUSB port at the bottom as well.

Realme Logo Featured

The charging/data transfer port is further flanked by speakers on the one side and microphone as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack on the other end. Last but not least, the design includes a power key on the right side and volume buttons on the left side along with a SIM card slot.

Having said that, we are not sure if realme will ever incorporate this design in a consumer-ready smartphone. But we hope that they do as it is refreshing like the design of the newly launched POCO M3.

UP NEXT: Realme Ace with Snapdragon 875 and superfast charging in works, reveals leak

 

Samsung may not discontinue Galaxy Note series in 2021

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra that is expected to break cover in January could be the first S-series phone from the brand to arrive with support for the S Pen stylus. Recent reports have also claimed that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 arriving in the second half of 2021 could be the first Fold series device to come with an S Pen. These reports have also suggested that Samsung may not launch the Galaxy Note series phones next year since the S Pen support will be available on the aforementioned devices. A contradictory article that appeared on the South Korean publication – ET News yesterday revealed Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note 21 next year.

Since the past few years, Samsung has been launching two versions of its S Pen-based Note series flagship. However, the new report that cites information from the industry source claims that Samsung will only launch one model of the Galaxy Note 21. It is still unclear whether the Galaxy Note 21 that is reportedly arriving next year will be the last Note series smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Editor’s Pick: Samsung to pioneer its own UD Camera tech on the Galaxy Z Fold 3

The new report corroborates with recent claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will have S Pen support. Speculations are rife that there will be a dedicated storage slot for the stylus on the Z Fold 3. It appears that the South Korean tech giant is aiming to migrate its Note users to the Z Fold range.

The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ may not support the S Pen stylus. While the S21 Ultra will reportedly come with stylus support, it is unlikely to feature a storage slot for it. Since Samsung is known for launching Note series handsets in the second half of the year, it is advisable to wait for further reports to know more about the Galaxy Note 21.

UP NEXT: Apple could partner with Samsung for upcoming iPhone’s periscope lens

 

Trump to add China’s SMIC and CNOOC to its blacklist: Report

By
Sean
-

The Trump administration is apparently planning on making another move against Chinese corporations. This time, the President seeks to add SMIC and CNOOC to its blacklist of alleged Chinese military companies.

According to a Reuters report, documents and sources have surfaced, which claim that Donald Trump is aiming to add to new companies to the blacklist over alleged ties with the Chinese government. Reportedly, the administration plans on cutting their access to US investors, which will likely raise the tensions between Beijing and Washington. This also arrives weeks before the President-elect Joe Biden takes office as the next president of the United States.

Trump

Previously, it was reported that the DOD (Department of Defense) was planning on designating four more Chinese firms as owned or controlled by the Chinese military. The new companies being added to the blacklist would bring the number of Chinese companies affected to 35 in total. For those unaware, SMIC is the top chipmaker in China while CNOOC is a known Chinese offshore oil and gas producer.

Editor’s Pick: Moto G 5G with 6.7-inch display, Snapdragon 750G, 5,000mAh battery and 48MP quad cameras launched in India

Furthermore, a recent executive order issued by the President Trump would prevent US investors from buying securities of the listed firms starting next year. While it is unclear when the administration will add both firms to the list, documents and three sources have pointed at SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp) and CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corp) being added soon to the Federal Register.

Trump

SMIC has since stated that it will continue “to engage constructively and openly with the U.S. government,” and even refuted the allegations and saying that its products and services were solely for civilian and commercial use rather than military. It further added that it “has no relationship with the Chinese military and does not manufacture for any military end-users or end-uses.” SMIC heavily relies on equipment from US suppliers, so facing scrutiny by the Trump administration might create significant obstacles in its operations.

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Apple could partner with Samsung for upcoming iPhone’s periscope lens

By
Jeet
-

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.

iPhone 12 Pro Max

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.

EDITOR’S PICK: EU seeks to prevent online platforms from growing too strong and dominating the market

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.

UP NEXT: OPPO Reno5 series massive leak reveals specifications and pricing; Likely to launch on December 10th

 

EU seeks to prevent online platforms from growing too strong and dominating the market

By
Sean
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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 FinancialTimes report.

EU

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.

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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’.

EU

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.”

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OPPO Reno5 series massive leak reveals specs and pricing; Likely to launch on December 10

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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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.

OPPO PDSM00, PDST00 Reno5 Pro TENAA
Alleged Reno5 Pro

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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.

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Amazfit Pop Pro to support high-precision GPS, 24-hour heart rate monitoring and more

By
Jeet
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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.

Amazfit Pop Pro Teaser

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.

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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.

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Xiaomi MIUI 13 update to arrive by Q2 2021, as per a forum moderator

By
Sean
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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.

Xiaomi

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 PiunikaWeb report.

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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.

Xiaomi

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.

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