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Microsoft to launch Xbox Series X in China in 2021 after getting certified

By
Sean
-

Microsoft recently launched its latest generation of gaming console, the Xbox Series X. While the console is available in most regions across the globe, analysts believe that the new Xbox will only arrive in China next year.

Microsoft
Xbox Series X

According to a SCMP report, the Xbox Series X will only arrive in China by 2021 due to a recent decision by mainland regulators to grant the company a certification for an unnamed gaming console, as per the analysts. At the moment, Microsoft has already received China Compulsory, or 3C, from the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China. For those unaware, 3C is the official safety authorization for products that are imported, sold or used on the mainland.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung halts One UI 3.0 Beta update for Galaxy Z Fold2 after encountering a major bug

Analysts believe that these certifications are also indicative of an imminent launch of the Xbox Series X within the country. This would likely also include the arrival of the lower variant within the series, dubbed the Xbox Series S. China is the world’s largest video game market in the world, so the US tech giant would focus on the region despite it not being among the first launch countries.

Microsoft
Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X

Daniel Ahmad, senior analyst at game consultancy Niko Partners stated that “We currently expect the Xbox Series X to launch in the first half of 2021.” Although, Microsoft still needs to secure a separate certification from the Ministry of Culture before its flagship console is released in China. The market would also be a point of tension between the company and Sony, who also recently launched its latest game console, the PlayStation 5.

UP NEXT: Huawei lost most of its shares in Western Europe in Q3 but it’s to Xiaomi & OPPO’s gain – IDC

 

Nokia 2.4 launched in India, features a 6.4 inch display and 4,500mAh battery

By
Sean
-

Nokia 2.4 has finally been launched in India. The device arrives as an entry level budget handset that runs the latest stock Android 10 OS and is the latest launch from the HMD Global owned brand.

Nokia

Nokia 2.4 is an affordable device and its specifications reflect the same. It features a 6.5 inch HD+ display (720x1600px resolution) with a water drop notch in the front. The device sports a MediaTek Helio P22 SoC and is powered by a large 4,500mAh battery pack with a standard 5W charging support. For memory, it houses 3GB of RAM along with either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded via a microSD card slot.

Editor’s Pick: Apple and Xiaomi take a hit as India tightens import rules for electronics

Since the device runs Android One, it runs on the stock Android 10 OS and will likely soon receive the Android 11 update as well. On the rear, Nokia 2.4 is equipped with a dual camera setup, with a 13 megapixel primary sensor and a 2 megapixel depth lens for portrait shots. The selfie shooter is a 5 megapixel camera and the device sports the usual connectivity features like 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS, and micro USB port for charging. Nokia

The rear also sports a fingerprint sensor for security and even has a dedicated Google Assistant button with IPX2 Ingress resistance. It measures 165.85 x 76.30 x 8.69mm and weighs 189 grams. Arriving at the price and availability, the Nokia 2.4 will launch in India for 10,399 INR (roughly 140 US Dollars). and will be available in multiple color variants including, Dusk, Fjord, and Charcoal. It is currently available for pre booking across India, although, no official date for sale has been announced at the moment. So stay tuned for more updates.

UP NEXT: Huawei lost most of its shares in Western Europe in Q3 but it’s to Xiaomi & OPPO’s gain – IDC

 

Google to turn ART into Mainline module with Android 12 for quicker system updates

By
Jeet
-

Android is the most popular smartphone operating system out there, dominating the smartphone market worldwide. However, one of the major complaints about the OS is the slower rollout of updates.

To address those issues, Google had introduced Project Mainline and with the upcoming Android 12, Google is working on giving a big boost to the OS upgrades. It is being reported that the company is turning Android Runtime (ART) into a Mainline module, which could allow pushing updates to key system components through the Play Store.

EDITOR’S PICK: Google India is testing the Task Mate app that enables users to earn money by completing simple tasks on the phone

Android Runtime translates an Android app’s bytecode into native machine instructions. With the said change, if Google wanted to change how the OS translated code, it could just send the tweaks through Play Store instead of waiting for a newer version of Android update, thus helping users get functionality improvement or a security fix much quicker.

While this new change won’t fix most of the issues with the Android update rollout, it could make a big difference when it comes to addressing zero-day exploits with fixes much faster than the conventionally scheduled security patches.

Earlier, Google had outlined that it is making changes in the developer policies which will make it easier to use third-party app stores on Android 12. So far, details about how the company plans to achieve this haven’t been revealed.

UP NEXT: Samsung halts One UI 3.0 Beta update rollout for Galaxy Z Fold2 after encountering a major bug

 

ZTE Blade 20 Pro 5G teaser video reveals back panel design of the phone

By
Jeet
-

ZTE has confirmed that the company will be launching its latest smartphone — ZTE Blade 20 Pro 5G in its home country on 30th November. Ahead of the official launch, the company has revealed some of the features of the phone through teaser posters.

In the latest teaser, the company has shared a 360-degree video of the phone, shedding light on the phone’s back panel and confirming that the device will feature a quad-camera setup where the sensors will be placed inside a rectangular module in the top-left corner.

ZTE Blade 20 Pro 5G Teaser

ZTE Blade 20 Pro 5G Teaser

Also, “64” is written under the camera, which hints that the primary camera sensor on this quad-camera setup will be 64-megapixel. The images also reveal that the volume rocker keys and the power button are on the right side.

An earlier teaser of the phone from the company had confirmed that the device will feature a waterdrop display and thin bezels on the left and right side but a bit thicker bezels on the top and bottom of the screen.

EDITOR’S PICK: OPPO confirms having more than 370 million active monthly users worldwide for its ColorOS

The ZTE Blade 20 Pro 5G is expected to have a 6.52-inch HD+ IPS LCD display and come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset. It is also said to have a 20MP snapper housed inside the notch on top of the display.

The device will be packing 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It seems that the phone will have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The handset is powered by a 4,000mAh battery but the fast charging capability remains unknown.

For those who are unaware, the smartphone will be launching as the higher variant of the Blade 20 5G that was launched in China earlier this month.

UP NEXT: ZTE poses a national security risk to the United States, reaffirms FCC

 

Apple and Xiaomi take a hit as India tightens import rules for electronics

By
Sean
-

India recently tightening its control of quality clearances for electronic goods from China has affected smartphone brands. The new rule has slowed the new Apple iPhone models last month and even help up products from Chinese companies like Xiaomi.

Apple iPhone 12

According to a Reuters report, sources from within the industry has revealed the information. With the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) setting up new standards, the applications for the quality control agency, which used to be processed within 15 days, are now taking anywhere between this period and up to two or more months longer. This has severely delayed certain products arriving from overseas and disrupted companies’ schedules.

Editor’s Pcik: Huawei lost most of its shares in Western Europe in Q3 but it’s to Xiaomi & OPPO’s gain – IDC

BIS started delaying the approvals back in August 2020 for electronic devices that were made in China. This includes smartphones, smartwatches, and laptops, and likely arrives after the rising political tensions between India and China. For those unaware, a military clash back in June that left 20 Indian soldiers dead had caused an outrage and raised anti Chinese sentiments in India. Since then, the nation has tightened the rules for investments from China and have even banned hundreds of Chinese smartphone applications from Chinese companies like Tencent, Alibaba, and ByteDance.

Apple

It has banned an additional 43 more applications earlier this week as well. Apple India executives had called on BIS to speed up the approval process after the new iPhone 12 shipments were caught in the delays as well. The officials also assured that the Cupertino based giant will continue to expand its assembly operations in India, as per the sources. At the moment, it is still unclear how long the iPhone 12 application was actually delayed.

UP NEXT: Samsung halts One UI 3.0 Beta update for Galaxy Z Fold2 after encountering a major bug

 

Xiaomi India brings Black Friday deals for Redmi smartphones & Accessories

By
Simranpal Singh
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Major brands and retailers are offering astounding discounts on the occasion of Black Friday deals. Already smartphone manufacturers such as Apple, Realme, and others are offering magnanimous discounts on their products. The Chinese electronics manufacturer – Xiaomi has also jumped into the ongoing Black Friday Deals Extravaganza by offering some ecstatic deals on smartphones, wearables, and accessories. Meanwhile, you can also check our Black Friday Deals portal to save maximum this festive season. Here are the Xiaomi India Black Friday Deals:

black friday sale

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Xiaomi’s sub-brand, Redmi is here with massive discounts on most of its smartphones like Redmi 8A Dual, Redmi 9i, Redmi Note 8, and Note 9 series. Moreover, you can save a lot while buying accessories like Power Bank and Redmi Earbuds at attractive prices.

Xiaomi India Black Friday Discount Details

Smartphones

Redmi Note 9 Pro – The company is offering 4GB RAM +128GB variant for Rs 14,999 Rs 17,999. Grab Deal

Redmi 9 Prime – There’s a Rs 3000 discount on the actual retail price of the device. The effective price after the discount will be Rs 10,999 Rs 13,999 for 4GBR AM + 128GB storage. Grab Deal

Redmi Note 8 – Encasing a powerful camera and large display, Redmi Note 9 is available at a reduced price of Rs 11,499 Rs 12,999. Grab Deal

Redmi 9i – It is an affordable device packing large 128GB storage and 4GB RAM. The users can grab it for Rs 8,888 Rs 10,999. Grab Deal

Redmi 8A Dual – The device is a pure entry-level device available for a reduced price of Rs 6,999 Rs 9,999. Grab Deal

Accessories

Redmi Power Bank – Never get out of the battery power, always carry a power bank. Here’s a fine chance to get a good quality Redmi Power Bank for Rs 699 Rs 1999. Grab Deal

Redmi EarBuds 2C – Improve music listening experience with Redmi EarBuds 2C for Rs 1299. Grab Deal

There are discounts on almost every product from Xiaomi. You need to head over to Amazon, Flipkart to enjoy the discounts. The Xiaomi India Black Friday deals discounts will be applicable between November 26 – 29 via Mi.com, Flipkart, and Amazon.

Additionally, you can check our Black Friday Deals guides to save on new smartphones, smart TVs, and Apple products [US only].

Related: Realme Black Friday Offers are here: Get discounts on its Watch & Smartphones in Europe

OPPO’s ColorOS revealed to have over 370 million active monthly users

By
Jeet
-

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO has officially confirmed that currently there are more than 370 million active monthly users worldwide for its ColorOS mobile operating system, which is based on Android.

Almost all the smartphones from OPPO comes packed with the ColorOS, a customized skin layer on top of Google‘s Android operating system. The system has been translated into more than 72 languages and is being promoted and used in over 140 countries worldwide.

ColorOS Logo Featured

EDITOR’S PICK: The UK is planning to spend around $333 million to help telcos replace Huawei equipment

At the same time, OPPO has also revealed a timeline, showcasing major developments of the ColorOS over the years.

  • April 2013 — First version of ColorOS released on the internal testing forum.
  • May 2013 — Official ColorOS Weibo launched
  • March 2014 — ColorOS 2.0 officially began public testing.
  • March 2015 — ColorOS users exceeded 30 million.
  • March 2016 — ColorOS 3.0 released
  • March 2018 — ColorOS 5.0 officially released overseas.
  • December 2018 — Breeno smart assistant launched.
  • March 2019 — ColorOS 6 released.
  • September 2020 — ColorOS 11 was released.

Recently, the company surprised everyone by jumping from ColorOS 7 to ColorOS 11, which is based on Android 11. The company says that the new branding will help customers easily identify the version of Android its phones are running.

As OPPO had revealed during the announcement of the new OS, the OPPO Find X2 and Find X2 Pro smartphones have now started receiving the ColorOS 11 update, and more devices are expected to start getting the update soon.

UP NEXT: Huawei lost most of its shares in Western Europe in Q3 but it’s to Xiaomi & OPPO’s gain – IDC

 

Infinix Zero 8i India launch postponed to December 3rd

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Yesterday, Infinix India took to Twitter to confirm that it will be launching the Infinix Zero 8i phone on Dec. 2. The Chinese brand has deleted the tweet as it has postponed its launch to Dec. 3. The launch poster confirms that the device will be arriving with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage.

Infinix Zero 8i specifications and features

The Infinix Zero 8i features a big 6.85-inch IPS LCD panel with a dual punch-hole design. The screen offers a 90Hz refresh rate, a Full HD+ resolution, and a 20:9 aspect. For capturing selfies, the phone possesses a main selfie camera of 16-megapixel and an 8-mgeapixel ultrawide lens.

The backside of the Zero 8i has quad-camera setup arranged in a diamond-patterned housing. It has a primary camera of 48-megapixel, an ultrawide lens of 8-megapixel, a 2-megapixel lens, and an AI lens. The phone boots to XOS 7 based Android 10 OS.

The MediaTek Helio G90T chipset powers the device with 8 GB of RAM. The phone has a dedicated microSD card slot apart from its 128 GB internal storage. The handset daws power from a 4,500mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. The phone is fitted with a side-facing fingerprint reader.

Infinix Zero 8i price

The pricing of the Infinix Zero 8i for India is not known yet. It went official in Pakistan for PKR 34,999 (~$220; ~Rs 16,300) last month. In December, the Chinese firm is also going to launch its X1 series Android TV and SNOKOR soundbar. At present, there is no information available on the specs of Infinix’s first smart TV and soundbar for India.

Huawei P40 Pro’s Display has class leading motion control: DxOMark

By
Sean
-

DxOMark had recently unveiled a new ranking system for a different categories for smartphones. It is for the display, and now, the Huawei P40 Pro has also been reviewed and has received praises for its class leading motion control.

Huawei

For those unaware, DxOMark generally reviews cameras and audio from smartphones, but has now diversified to include a display review as well. After a rigorous testing phase, the company gave the Huawei P40 Pro a score of 85 points on its display. This is among upper half of all its rankings and even edges out on last year’s Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max. While the device did receive the a relatively high score, it failed to reach the top 3 in DxOMark’s display ranking.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei lost most of its shares in Western Europe in Q3 but it’s to Xiaomi & OPPO’s gain – IDC

DxOMark stated that the score was largely affected by its readability performance where it was found too dark to read in both indoor and outdoor conditions comfortably. Although, the flagship from the Chinese tech giant did receive praises for its good overall color performance. Furthermore, where the Huawei P40 Pro stood out exceptionally was the motion sub category, which it was labelled as class leading.

Huawei

The device was found to have excellent control of motion blur, and its video playback instantaneous. Another area where the smartphone struggled was with touch, and it also lost points for its obtrusive notch and poor handling of aliasing artifacts, which was particularly noticeable during gaming. In other words, the display was overall well received but had certain shortcomings that lowered its score. Despite this, it still managed to arrive in the top 5 spot of the DxOMark display rankings.

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UK plans spending $333 million to help telcos replace Huawei equipment

By
Jeet
-

Earlier this year, the United Kingdom banned Chinese giant Huawei from participated in its 5G infrastructure development and asked telecom companies to remove Huawei’s equipment by 2027.

Now, the U.K. has revealed that it will be spending around 250 million pounds (approximately $333 million) to replace Huawei’s equipment from the telecom infrastructure in the country. It seems that about 50 million pounds will be spent next year to help build “a secure and resilient 5G network.”

Huawei Logo MWC 2019

EDITOR’S PICK: Redmi Note 9 Series China– Expected Specifications, and Price ahead of November 26 launch

With Huawei out-of-the-picture, there will be just two suppliers to the phone carriers in the U.K. — Nokia and Ericsson. This duopoly could hurt security as well as boost prices in the market. So, the funds will also be used to start a task force, which is expected to reveal more information about the findings at the end of the year.

In July this year, Huawei was banned by the U.K. from taking part in its 5G infrastructure development. It is believed that this was a result of pressure from the United States, which had banned the company a year prior.

As more and more companies are banning the Chinese giant to work on their telecom network because of security concerns, companies like Nokia and Ericsson have benefited by getting major contracts from network carriers.

UP NEXT: OPPO Reno5 series global launch could be in December, key details emerge

 

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro with ECG support to launch in China on December 12

By
Jeet
-

Huawei has recently launched a few devices in the market and the company has planned another product which will reportedly go on sale from 12th December in China. The product is said to be a smartwatch — Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro with support for ECG.

With the addition of the ECG feature, the device will be an upgrade over the Watch GT 2 Pro which was launched last month in China. It is said that the wearable device could be priced around 2,688 yuan, which is roughly $409.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro ECG Support

Huawei has said that the Watch GT 2 Pro ECG is the company’s first wearable device that has obtained the National Medical Products Administration’s Class II medical device registration certificate. Also, users can also get professional ECG interpretation reports from the top three hospitals in the country.

We expect all the other specs and features on the smartwatch to remain the same as the model launched last month. The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro has a 1.39-inch 454 x 454 AMOLED display that is protected by scratch-resistant Sapphire Glass.

EDITOR’S PICK: Redmi Note 9 Series China: Expected Specifications, and Price ahead of November 24 launch

The watch can track more than 100 sport modes including golf, skiing, and snowboarding with detailed info. It also has 4GB of built-in storage. It has a built-in GPS with a route back feature in case the GPS signal is low and you need to return to your starting point.

It also comes with support for sleep tracking, 24-hour heart rate monitoring, as well as stress monitoring. A couple of weeks ago, it received a new update which introduced support for 24×7 blood oxygen monitoring (SpO2).

UP NEXT: Electronics sold in France, starting from January 2021, will carry a label mentioning repairability score

 

OPPO A53 5G price and specifications emerge, launch could be near

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Recently, an OPPO phone with model l number PECM30 / PECT30 was spotted at TENA with full spaces and images.  Last week, the PECM0 phone appeared at Geekbench to reveal that it is driven by Dimensity 720 chipset. Today, the PECT30 phone got listed as the OPPO A53 5G in the product library of China Telecom. The listing has revealed its specifications, price, and release date.

OPPO A53 5G Specifications

The OPPO A53 5G has a 6.53-inch LCD FHD+ display with a punch-hole design. It runs on Android 10 OS and ColorOS UI. The front camera information seems to be incorrect in the listing. It was revealed through its TENAA listing that it has a selfie camera of 8-megapixel.

The rear shell of the OPPO A53 5G has a square-shaped camera module that has a 16-megapixel main camera and a pair of 2-megapixel lenses. For security, the handset has a side-mounted fingerprint reader.

OPPO A53 5G render
OPPO A53 5G render

Editor’s Pick: OPPO Reno5 series global launch could be in December, key details emerge

The OPPO A53 5G has a rated battery of 3,945mAh and it is driven by the Dimensity 720 chipset, which is mentioned with its MT6853V model number in the listing. The handset has two variants such as 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. In terms of specs and design, it appears like a weaker version of the OPPO A72 5G.

 OPPO A53 5G price and availability

The listing states that the OPPO A53 5G will release in Chinese markets on Dec. 1. Its two variants are mentioned with respective price tags of 1,599 Yuan (~$243) and 1,799 Yuan (~$274). The handset will come in three colors Streamer Purple, Lake Green, and Secret Night Black. Readers are advised to take the report with a grain of salt.

UP NEXT: OPPO Reno5 Pro images and more specs now on TENAA

 

 

Khadas Tone 2 Pro DAC Will Soon Launch on HiFiGo

By
Greeva Agnihotri
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Khadas Technology Co., Ltd, known for making high-end single-board computers, has recently announced the launch of Tone 2 Pro, a successor of Tone Board Hi-Fi DAC through HiFiGo. The predecessor has been a huge success and is famous for the decent Hi-Fi audio quality it offers at a budgeted price of just $99. For its newest introduction, the company has incorporated feedback from its first-gen product and has enhanced it significantly. Tone 2 Pro DAC is all set to release on 16th December 2020 through Hifigo. Its pre-orders start from the same day; one can get an early bird discount and get this unit for $169.99 by registering on HiFiGo.Tones 2 ProTone 2 Pro is equipped with an ES9038Q2M DAC chip that is paired with 4 x OPA1612 operational amplifiers and three buffer amplifiers. It helps the users enjoy high-fidelity music with native DSD and high-bitrate PCM decoding support. Its 3-stage amplification pathway can drive a range of demanding audiophile-grade headphones with impedances of up to 150 ohms. OPA1612 offers decent audio quality and distortion properties. With THD+ noise below 0.00008% throughout the audio range (20Hz to 20kHz), this unit enables more accurate reproduction of an audio recording.Tones 2 Pro -2- In addition to this, Tone 2 Pro features a 4.4mm balanced headphone jack along with the standard 3.5mm single-end jack. With an aluminum enclosure incorporating a hybrid digital/analog volume control knob, this unit allows the user to rely entirely on analog signal attenuation for accurate sound reproduction. And for excellent power-noise isolation, Tone 2 Pro features 2 USB-C ports to connect a 5V linear power supply to the second USB-C port while having USB-C data on the first. It also has an industry-first balanced RCA line-out, RCA ports having three signal-pins instead of two.Tones 2 Pro -1- Tone 2 Pro’s latest addition to the file format support is MQA decoding. It’s XMOS XU216 processor allows bit-perfect, hardware-native, USB class II, asynchronous “unfolding” of MQA data for both web streaming and local high fidelity audio playback. This enables future-proof “original master quality” of audio reproduction that the user intends but at reasonable file sizes and streaming bandwidth requirements.Tones 2 Pro -3- Even after packing so many ports and versatile functions, Tone 2 Pro has managed to keep a sleek profile. Offering end-to-end features, this unit offers enhanced versatility. Tone 2 Pro will debut through HiFiGo on 16th December and will be up for pre-orders from the same day. To buy it at a discounted price of $169.99, interested users can register on Hifigo.

OPPO Reno5 series global launch could be in December, key details emerge

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

OPPO will be announcing the Reno5 series in China in the coming month. The lineup reportedly includes three handsets such as the Reno5, Reno5 Pro, and Reno5 Pro+. These monikers are not official yet. A tipster has claimed that the global launch of the Reno5 series is also nearing. He also shared key details of the global editions of the Reno5 models.

Leakster Chun has claimed that the Reno5 series will go official earlier than expected in December or January. The Reno5 will be available in 4G and 5G versions. The 4G model will have the Snapdragon 720G along with 1st generation SuperVOOC 50W, whereas the 5G edition will be driven by the Snapdragon 765G and it will support 2nd generation SuperVOOC 65W.

The leak further reveals that the Reno5 Pro and Reno5 Pro+ will not be available in the 4G version in the global markets. While the Chinese edition of the Reno5 Pro is expected to arrive with Dimensity 1000+, its global variant will have the Snapdragon 765G SoC.

OPPO PDSM00, PDST00 Reno5 Pro TENAA
Alleged Reno5 Pro a TENAA

Editor’s Pick: Huawei lost most of its shares in Western Europe in Q3 but it’s to Xiaomi & OPPO’s gain – IDC

The OPPO Reno5 Pro+ will be a flagship phone featuring the unannounced Snapdragon 870 (or 865 Ultra) chipset. It will borrow the Sony IMX689 48-megapixel sensor that was made available on the Find X2 and OnePlus 8 Pro. The Reno5 Pro+ will remain exclusive to the Chinese markets.

The tipster added that the reason why OPPO is aiming for an early global release is that it wants to increase the sales of the Reno5 series during the upcoming Lunar New Year in many Southeast Asian countries. It appears that Samsung had also applied the same strategy last year when it introduced the Galaxy A71 and Galaxy A51v phones in December.

According to the tipster, the Reno5 series is not a major upgrade over the Reno4 series since both have almost the same design language and specifications.  Instead of a dual selfie camera found on the Reno4, the Reno5 has a single camera hole for 44-megapixel selfie snapper. Also, the main rear camera on the Reno5 will be upgraded to 64-megapixel.

UP NEXT: OPPO A12, OPPO F17, and OPPO Reno3 Pro receive permanent price cuts in India

 

Google Nest Hub gets a $40 discount; now $49.99

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Although smart displays are not as popular as smart speakers, there a handful made by big-name manufacturers such as Google. The Nest Hub is one of two smart displays from Google and it has received a significant cut in price, making it a great choice for anyone who plans to pick up their very first smart display.

Google Nest Hub

The Nest Hub which originally launched as the Google Home Hub in 2018 can now be purchased from the official Google Store and on eBay for just $49.99, a discount of $40 off its current price and one-third of its launch price of $149.

The smart display has a 7-inch touchscreen that not only displays your routine but will also provide virtual answers to your Google Assistant queries, unlike a smart speaker which lacks a display. What’s more, it also has YouTube, so you can watch the steps to take for that new recipe you want to try out. It also has support for Netflix, a feature that wasn’t originally available at launch.

When not answering your questions or serving as a hub that allows you to control your other smart home devices, the Nest Hub can serve as a digital photo frame that shows the best of your memories from Google Photos.

At $49.99, the Nest Hub seems like a no-brainer. We will also recommend it over the Lenovo Smart Clock which is currently discounted to $34.99 but has a smaller 4-inch screen and doesn’t support Netflix.

You can grab the Nest Hub on the Google Store for $49.99 in Chalk, Charcoal, Aqua, and Sand. It is available on eBay for the same price but only in Chalk.

UP NEXT: DxOMark Speaker: Google Nest Audio smart speaker scores 112; Yamaha MusicCast 50 scores 136

 

Huawei lost most of its shares in Western Europe in Q3 but it’s to Xiaomi & OPPO’s gain – IDC

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

The latest market research data for the third quarter of 2020 (Q3) has been released by Europe. Of particular interest is the performance in Western Europe where the COVID-19 induced lockdown shut some of the most-virile economies. While the smartphone industry took a hit, this latest data suggests that some brands are already back on their feet.

Samsung retains its number one spot despite seeing its shipment drop from 11million units in Q3 2019 to 10.3 million in Q3 2020. This gives Samsung a cool 3.6% share of the market. Apple came in at second with 8.2 million shipments which represents a 28.5% share of the market.

While Xiaomi is in third space, it is surprising to note Huawwei’sslip to 4th spot with just 2.5 million shipments the entire quarter. This is a crazy 58.7% drop in the Chinese market leader’s YoY performance. Also, it is a clear indication of how US sanctions have hit the company. Huawei’s loss is Xiaomi’s gain, though, as the company shipped 3.7 million smartphones in Q3 2020. This represents a 151% YoY growth considering that the brand shipped just 1.5 million smartphones and controlled a 4.8% market share a year ago.

OPPO is yet another winner from Huawei’s woes as its shipment grew from 0.1 million in Q3 2019 to 0.9 million this year’s Q3. This represents a 566.2% Year-on-Year growth.

On the whole, a total of 28.8 million smartphones were shipped across Western Europe in the third quarter. The current quarter may also take a hit as a result of the second wave of lockdowns in Western European markets like the UK, Spain, and France. (source)

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

 

Vivo Y1s entry-level phone launched in India for Rs 7,990 (~$108)

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

The Vivo Y1s entry-level phone has gone officially discreetly in India. It is also listed on the official site of Vivo India. Some of the attractive features of the Y1s include a large-sized display, a big battery, and a decent processor. People who are interested in purchasing the Vivo Y1s can either purchase it as a standalone device or through a lock-in offer from Jio.

Vivo Y1s specifications and features

The Vivo Y1s has a 6.22-inch Hao FullView LCD panel that features a waterdrop notch and supports an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. The company claims that the Y1s offers a screen-to-body ratio of 88.5 percent.

Present under the hood of the Vivo Y1s is the Helio P35 chipset. The SoC is coupled with 2 GB of RAM. The handset has an internal storage of 32 GB and it has a microSD card slot for additional storage. The FunTouch OS 10.5 based Android 10 OS comes preinstalled on the device.

Vivo Y1s

Editor’s Pick: Vivo V21 series may launch in February in India

The Vivo Y1s has a front camera of 5-megapixel. The rear shell of the phone has a 13-megapixel lens with an LED flash. The handset is packed with a 4,030mAh battery. It comes with usual connectivity features like dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, microUSB, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Vivo Y1s price in India

The Vivo Y1s has arrived in India with a price tag of Rs 7,990 (~108) and it can be bought in colors like Aurora Blue and Olive Black. Purchasing the device through Jio’s lock-in offer will provide users with perks like Rs 4,550 (~$61) worth benefits through Rs 249 (~$3.37) or above recharge, 10 percent benefit of up to Rs 799 (~$11), a 90-day Shemaroo OTT subscription for Rs 99 (~$1), and a one-time screen replacement through OneAssist for Rs 149 (~$2). The latter will be available for six months after purchasing through Jio’s lock-in offer.

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Electronics sold in France, starting January 2021, will have a repairability score label

By
Habeeb Onawole
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Beginning January 2021, electronic devices including smartphones, tablets, TVs, and computers will now have a repairability score label. The label which will be compulsory for all devices sold in the European country is the result of a European Parliament vote for the Right to Repair.

According to iFixit, the vote requires the EU Commission to introduce a compulsory label that will “provide clear, visible and easy-to-understand information to consumers about the estimated lifetime and repairability of a product at the time of purchase.”.

France Repairability Index

France’s repairability index is expected to set an example for other European countries. The score on the label of an electronic, which will be rated out of 10, will take into consideration the ease of disassembly, price, and availability of spare parts, and access to repair information reports. This score will be similar to the one that iFixit has been awarding to devices for more than a decade.

The repairability score will not only force manufacturers to design products that can be easily repaired, but it will also increase competition as no manufacturer will want their product to have a low score, and it will also translate to an increase in the life span of the product.

Apparently, an EU survey carried out recently revealed that 77% of EU citizens would prefer to repair a device than replace it. With France at the forefront, other EU countries are expected to follow suit. The country also has plans to upgrade the repairability index to a durability index in 2024, so that consumers know that a product is not only easy to repair but also durable. Another goal is to extend the index to non-electronic products such as bikes and furniture.

There will also be a platform for consumers to provide feedback on the index. Citizens will be able to report false info which will lead to a sanction starting in 2022.

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Vivo V20 Pro 5G registrations begin in India

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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The Vivo V20 Pro 5G smartphone is expected to go official in the first week of December. A recent claimed that the company may announce it on Dec. 2. Ahead of the launch, the registrations of the Vivo V20 Pro 5G has begun.

There is a landing page of the Vivo V20 Pro 5G on Amazon India. It showcases the smartphone in Midnight Jazz and Sunset Melody colors. Some of the key features that are mentioned in the listing include 5G support, Snapdragon 765G SoC, and a 7.39mm slim body. There is a ‘Notify Me’ button on the page to stay updated on the arrival of the Vivo V20 Pro 5G.

The Vivo V20 Pro 5G landing page on Vivo India’s website mentions the capabilities of its front and rear cameras. The ‘Stay Notified’ button can be hit to know more about its launch.

The Vivo V20 Pro 5G pre-orders have reportedly started in the offline markets in India. It is speculated that the handset will be landing in the country with a price tag of Rs 29,990 (~$406). The Chinese firm is expected to confirm its launch date soon.

Vivo V20 Pro 5G launch soon

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Vivo V20 Pro 5G specifications

The Vivo V20 Pro 5G has an AMOLED display of 6.44 inches. It supports 1080 x 2400 pixels Full HD+ resolution, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and it is integrated with a fingerprint scanner. The Snapdragon 765G chipset is coupled with 8 GB of LPPDR4x RAM.

The handset has an internal storage of 128 GB and it is preinstalled with FunTouch OS 10 based Android 11 OS. The device is backed by a 4,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging.

The wide notch on the phone’s display has a 44-megapixel main selfie snapper and an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens. The backside of the device features a triple camera system that includes a 64-megapixel main shooter, an 8-megapixel superwide lens, and a 2-megapixel mono sensor.

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Vivo V21 series may launch in February in India

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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Vivo is gearing up to launch the Vivo V20 Pro 5G smartphone in India. Speculations have it that the handset may go official on Dec. 2 in the country. While Vivo fans are waiting for the smartphone, a new report by 91mobiles claims that the company has already started working on the Vivo V21 series. The publication claims that the company may unleash the V21 lineup in February 2020.

The Vivo V20 series includes three phones such as the Vivo V20, Vivo V20 SE, and Vivo V20 Pro. It is unclear how many phones belong to the V21 series. Based on the Vivo V20 series, the publication has speculated that the lineup may include phones like the Vivo V21, Vivo V21 SE, and Vivo V21 Pro. At present, there is no information available on the specs of the Vivo V21 series.

To recall, the Vivo V20 went official in October in India and the sales of the Vivo V20 SE began in November. The V20 Pro 5G will go on sale in December in the country. Hence, the three phones of the Vivo V21 series may not go official at the same time.

Vivo V20 pro pre-order offers

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The Vivo V20 went official around five months after the launch of the Vivo V19. Hence, there is a possibility that the first V21 handsets may break cover by February. It may take a month or two more to launch other V21 series smartphones.

Those who are waiting for the Vivo V20 Pro 5G can pre-order it through offline stores. The handset is expected to arrive with a price tag of Rs 29,990. The key features of the phone include a 6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, Snapdragon 765G, 44-megapixel dual selfie cameras, 64-megapixel triple rear shooters, and a 4,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.

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