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Mibro Air Smartwatch Review: A well designed affordable wearable by Xiaomi Ecosystem

By
Paco Zheng
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Mibro Air smartwatch

Mibro Air Smartwatch

Gizmochina’s Review team recently came across a fast-growing smart-wearable series, Mibro Air. It’s the latest cost-effective smartwatch designed and manufactured by Zhenshi Technology brand. What specifically caught our eyes was that the brand is a part of the forked Xiaomi ecosystem. With support from Xiaomi, the Mibro Air watch is launching this November at an affordable price range.

Before the official debut, we luckily got one unit from the brand for review. So let’s check out what’s special about this Mibro Air watch.

Design & Interface

The Mibro Air smartwatch comes with a metal body that feels much more premium than what we have seen on watches in the same price range. The compact metal body with a 42mm dial is extraordinarily smooth to touch but won’t get easily scratched. In addition, the metal body doesn’t lead to an uncomfortable weight. Including the band, the slim watch only weighs 40g with a maximum thickness of 9.2mm, which is one of the most lightweight metal smartwatches that we’ve reviewed. The compact watch has IP68 certification and can be exposed to daily rain, sweat, and frequent handwashing or shower splashes.

As for the display, the Mibro Air features a 1.28-inch round dial with TFT high-resolution (240 x 240 Pixels) color screen with a screen-to-body ratio of 95%. There are several default watch faces for selection. You can long-press the dial interface to switch between watch faces. In addition to default backgrounds, you are allowed to customize your own individual dial watch face with a selected picture as the background. All you need to do is to download their exclusive Mibro Fit App and upload the picture that you like to the watch.

Mibro Air smartwatch

Another detail about the interface that is worth mentioning is the rotating dial menu. Compared to most flipping menus found on other brands’ watches, the rotating menu is definitely a better design for round dials. All the options are displayed in perfect arrangement, and the rotating operation is also more intuitive than just flipping.

Meanwhile, when you rotate the turntable, there’s noticeable physical feedback from the inbuilt vibration motor.

Mibro Air smartwatch

Features & Mibro Fit App

As a smartwatch, fitness-centric features such as sports tracking is very important. The Mibro Air boasts up to 12 common sports modes: outdoor/indoor running, walking, football, badminton, tennis, cycling, hiking, basketball, elliptical machine, yoga, and free training. In real-life experience, most selected activities could be recorded effectively including steps, distance, and calories. In addition to these common sports data, another great feature on this affordable watch is heart rate sensing. It comes equipped with a heart rate sensor that helps measure the values in real time, alerting the user about any irregular exercise states. Unlike some smartwatches that are unable to accurately measure heart rate on users with dark skin, the company has claimed that they have developed a precise heart rate algorithm to fix the problem on the new watch.

Mibro Air smartwatch

Besides the features of sport-related recordings, the Mibro Air can also monitor the user’s sleep quality every night and provide an all-round report on the user’s phone app. Thanks to the ultra-lightweight design, there is no discomfort when you wear it while sleeping. And you can also set up alarms in vibrate mode.

All the features mentioned above can be configured in their exclusive Mibro Fit App. Once the user connects to the watch, all the real-time synchronization of health data can be clearly tracked on your phone at a glance. Or you can use the app to adjust the feature settings of the watch, such as lighting up when raising the wrist, turning on the sedentary reminder, and finding the watch through vibration.

In addition, when you turn on the camera function on the app, you can shake the watch to control the shutter of the phone camera. It effectively frees both your hands, which is a smarter way to click pictures remotely than other watches which requires you to use another finger to click a button on the watch.

Battery life

The Mibro Air uses a new Bluetooth low power-consuming chip, which offers a relatively long battery life. It comes with a 200mAh battery but guarantees up to 10 days of continuous use on a single charge or 25 days standby. The support of Bluetooth 5.0 offers real-time synchronization and a convenient connection with a phone. During daily use, we can easily receive notifications on the watch from apps, including phone calls, messages, WhatsApp, Messenger, Skype, Gmail, and more.

The Mibro Air is already up for pre-orders on its official store for a discounted price. In addition, to attract more early-bird buyers, the brand is offering another free dark green strap and another $3  coupon code this November. If you are interested in a cost-effective smartwatch, you can visit their official page for more pricing and discount details.

Buy one Mibro Air Smart Watch Here

Kickstarter Introduces Clean-Tech Air Purifier with UVC Technology

By
Greeva Agnihotri
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Breathing clean air has become a luxury these days, all thanks to the rising pollution, emissions, and current pandemic. To reduce the risk of transmission of germs through the air, Clean-Tech Air Purifier has recently been introduced by Kickstarter and has already managed to raise more than $160,000. This air purifier features medical-grade technology to offer reliable full-room filtration. After the recent lockdown, it might be the key to open many business and commercial spaces in a safe way.UVC Light

UVC light is a proven technology that offers better cleansing than chemicals and prevents damaging fabrics. This light is trusted to be safe by the FDA at 254nm and can effectively inactivate/destroy microorganisms at the molecular level. Additionally, Clean-Tech Air Purifier‘s no light leak design makes it even more safe to use. Filteration Process

Clean-Tech Air Purifier uses HEPA and UVC light technology for air purification that is also used by hospitals and airports. Its 2-stage air purification rethinks the fundamentals by focusing on maximum UVC exposure time rather than just collecting pollution and maximizing air volume.

In stage 1, the room is purified with a HEPA 10 air filter that removes large particles and allergens to optimize the UVC effectiveness. This stage is critical for cycling and purifying the air at scale.

For the next part, the air is passed onto the purifying chamber with a ReflectTech mirror coating. This finish increases the reflectiveness by up to 30% to magnify the light and slow down the airflow while exposing particles to maximum UV dosage. It also prevents the particles from adhering to the side of the chamber. Moreover, the coating also helps bounce and focus the UVC 254μm wavelength into the chamber. This whole process enables the Clean-Tech Air Purifier to sterilize the air completely.Design

Clean-Tech Air Purifier boasts a vertical chamber to slow down the air and increase dosage time. It ensures prolonged air exposure to UV-C light to enhance air cleansing. The 3-speed brushless fan ensures a quiet operation while the raised airflow inlet further adds to the versatility. This air purifier is safe for 24/7 use and can be placed in all kinds of personal and commercial spaces. Its sleek and elegant design blends well with most decors.

Clean-Tech Air Purifier is perfect for the current times, as it helps reduce the risk of germ-transmission in the shared environment and enables many businesses to open up in a safe way. This versatile unit is introduced by Kickstarter and serves as an ideal addition to ensure maximum safety. To know more about this product, interested users can click here.

realme is the world’s fastest smartphone brand to hit 50 million shipments

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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Chinese smartphone brand realme was established in August 2018. Since its early days, the company has broken so many records. Now, a little over two years from its inception, realme has become the world’s fastest brand to hit 50 million shipments in Q3 2020. Most interestingly, the firm achieved this feat amidst the global pandemic.

Global Smartphone Brands Shipments Q3 2020 YoY QoQ Growths Counterpoint Research
Smartphone Shipments YoY/QoQ Growth Q3 2020 – Counterpoint Research

According to research firm Counterpoint Research, realme grew a whopping 132% QoQ and 45% YoY in the third quarter of 2020. Not only that, the brand also hit 50 million shipments in the same period.

Similarly, the global smartphone market grew by 32% QoQ in Q3 2020, however, it declined by 4% YoY. Also, top OEMs like Huawei, Apple, OPPO, vivo, and LG registered YoY declines in the same quarter. However, as mentioned above, realme exceeded expectations despite global economic slowdown due to the pandemic.

realme Smartphone Shipments by Regions Q3 2020 Counterpoint Research
realme Shipments by Regions Q3 2020 – Counterpoint Research

That’s not all, realme grew 300% QoQ in the Indian smartphone market and 47% QoQ as well as 197% YoY in the SEA region. As a result, the company is also one of the top 5 largest smartphone brands in a number of countries like India, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, Russia, and Australia.

Whereas, in its home country China, realme came sixth in Q3 with a 90% QoQ growth. In China, the brand was popular in the last quarter because of its budget 5G smartphones. In fact, the company helped to bring down the price of 5G handsets to $150.

realme Key Target Markets Shipments Q3 2020 Counterpoint Research
realme’s Shipments in Key Target Markets Q3 2020 – Counterpoint Research

In the coming quarters, realme is expected to double down on its 1+4+N strategy by releasing a wide variety of connected products. The brand’s strategy is already doing well in India where it grew 45% QoQ in the TWS category gaining a 12% market share in Q3 2020.

The firm even ranked third in this segment with two of its most affordable models entering the top 5 list. It is also expected to enter top 5 in more European countries 

UP NEXT: Nokia is Counterpoint Research’s most-trusted brand in terms of software, security & durability

 

Get noticed with the glow-in-the-dark Powerbeats Bluetooth earphones

By
Habeeb Onawole
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The Beats Flex is a pretty nice and affordable pair of neckband earphones. However, if you want something that offers more style, and one that will surely get you noticed, particularly at night, then the glow-in-the-dark Powerbeats is for you.

The special pair of Powerbeats earphones was announced in partnership with Ambush, a Tokyo-based fashion design house. You can see Ambush’s logo along with Beats’ on the earbuds. Yoon Ahn, the co-founder of Ambush says she was inspired by how Tokyo glows at night time.

Glow-in-the-dark Powerbeats

The glowing earphones can come in handy when you are outdoors at night having fun, on a night run, or cycling.

Other than the fact that it glows in the dark, this has the same features as the standard Powerbeats that launched earlier this year. You can read our review to know if it is worth picking up.

Unlike the standard version which comes in Black, Red, and White and has a price tag of $150, the glow-in-the-dark variant will sell for $199.95 when it goes on sale starting today, November 18. It will be available for purchase on the Apple online store.

UP NEXT: Motorola launches Vervebuds 100 TWS, Ververap 105, and Verveloop 105 Bluetooth Earphones in India

 

OnePlus lists adopted ideas from IDEAS 2.0: FPS counter, true black dark mode, and more

By
Habeeb Onawole
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OnePlus announced the IDEAS program early this year as a way to get feedback from the community on OxygenOS and what new features and improvements can be implemented. IDEAS 2.0, the second edition was announced in September, and now OnePlus has released the list of features that will be implemented.

OnePlus IDEAS 2.0 recap

The list of adopted ideas was shared via a post on the official OnePlus Forums website. It includes a total of seven new features and also mentions several other ideas that were not adopted. Below are the adopted ideas:

  • Add an FPS counter option in Game Space
  • Separate volume for each app and allow dual media playback – allows users to adjust the volume of individual apps rather than automatically pausing playback on one app in favor of another
  • Lockscreen customization – the ability to customize shortcuts, clocks, and weather data.
  • Wireless file transfer from PC to OnePlus phone and vice versa – a more efficient and simpler way to transfer files between OnePlus phones and a PC.
  • Power Diet – a battery saving mode where only basic features such as calls and messages only work. May be similar to Samsung’s Ultra Power Saving Mode.
  • True Dark Mode – a dark mode with black rather than gray or the option to choose between black and gray
  • Partial Screenshot – users will be able to take a screenshot of a portion of the screen rather than the whole screen,

The above ideas are going to be implemented along with input from those who suggested them. However, there is no mention of how soon or when we will get to see these new features.

The ideas not adopted include Desktop Mode, hole punch notification alerts, notification ring, navigation bar customization (height, color, opacity), app badges with notification counts, and battery health among others.

UP NEXT: OnePlus 9 CAD render emerge to reveal curved back with triple cameras

 

POCO M3 key specifications leak reveals Snapdragon 662, 6,000mAh battery and more

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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Yesterday, POCO confirmed that it will be launching the POCO M3 smartphone on Nov. 24 in global markets. The event will be live-streamed at GMT+8 on the said date through its social media channels. Soon after the confirmation of the POCO M3 launch date, tipster Mukul Sharma shared some of its key specs.

POCO M3 key specifications (Rumored)

The POCO M3 that has a model number of M2010J19CG was recently spotted at the Geekbench benchmarking platform with the Snapdragon 662 mobile platform. The new leak by Sharma reiterates that the POCO M3 will be driven by the SD662 chipset. He also claimed that the device is backed by a massive battery of 6,000mAh capacity. The handset will arrive with support for 18W fast charging.

The POCO M3 is fitted with a 6.53-inch display with a waterdrop notch. The rear-facing triple camera system of the smartphone will be led by a 48-megapixel sensor. The leak has no information on the other cameras of the phone. The tipster also revealed that the device is equipped with stereo speakers.

Redmi-Note-10-4G-TENAA
Alleged Redmi 10’s images at TENAA

Editor’s Pick:  Here’s how you can keep the POCO X3 refresh rate locked on 120Hz

Rebranded Redmi 10?

The POCO M3 will be a rebranded version of the upcoming Redmi phone that a model number M2010J19SC. The handset surfaced at TENAA’s database in the previous week. The listing revealed that the phone measures 162.29 x 77.24 x 9.6mm and it weighs 198 grams. It has up to 6 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of storage. The phone runs on Android 10 OS and it has a microSD card slot for additional storage. A fingerprint scanner is available on the right edge of the device.

The final product name of the Redmi M2010J19SC. The rumor mill is calling it Redmi Note 10 4G or Redmi 10. The upcoming POCO M3 will be a rebadged version of this phone.

UP NEXT: POCO X3 vs Realme 7 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy M31 Prime: Specs Comparison

 

Amazon Pharmacy is an online store for ordering your prescription medication

By
Habeeb Onawole
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When Amazon acquired PillPack in 2018 for $753 million dollars, it was a sign the retail giant was entering into the pharmacy business. Two years later, Amazon Pharmacy, a digital drug store, has been announced, and its arrival has made a big splash.

Amazon Pharmacy

Amazon Pharmacy is a section on Amazon where buyers can purchase their medication. According to a report by Bloomberg, buyers will be able to pay using their health insurance while those with a Prime subscription who don’t use their insurance will get discounts on drugs on the site and at about 50,000 partner pharmacies

Following the unveiling on Tuesday, shares of health giants CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. fell 8.5% and 10.3% respectively. A number of other businesses involved in drug distribution and sales also saw their shares take a hit.

Prior to the announcement, folks who wanted to purchase prescription drugs were redirected to PillPack but now they can get their meds on the same site or app where they shop for home supplies and electronics. However, information on the site says PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy will still cater to users that require their medication to be sorted into packets by date and time.

Amazon Pharmacy is for customers that are 18 years and above and setting it up is straightforward. A profile will be created for the user and details including basic info, medications, allergies, and health conditions will have to be provided.

When done signing up, you can get your prescription by contacting your prescriber to send it to Amazon or asking Amazon to contact them (prescriber) on your behalf. The latter takes 2 to 4 days, so if it is urgent, Amazon advises you to get your medications from your local pharmacy.

Once Amazon gets your prescription, you can place your order and pay with or without insurance. Prime members who do not use insurance not only get discounts on orders but also get free 2-day delivery. Amazon says it also has pharmacists available 24/7 if you have questions about your medication. These pharmacists will also help you review your prescriptions.

UP NEXT: Amazon’s latest GameOn is a Twitch-like gaming platform for Android users

 

Xiaomi launches the MIJIA Air-conditioner with a DC inverter compressor

By
Jed John Ikoba
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As previously announced, Xiaomi officially launched the new season of energy-efficient air-conditioning series. The biggest selling point is the “temperature and humidity dual control” which it features. The AC comes in 1 HP, 1.5 HP, 2 HP and 3 HP models, and the price starts at 2099 yuan (~$320).

According to the official introduction, the new energy-efficient air conditioner can not only accurately control the temperature, but also intelligently moisturize. Xiaomi the temperature and humidity dual control function, using 0.5 fine temperature adjustment, with a 45% ~ 65% humidity control range, making humidity and temperature changes more comfortable.

However, the humidity control function is only suitable for warm and humid environments to reduce and maintain comfortable air humidity. Currently, humidification services cannot be provided for users in dry environments . If the room is too dry, the Mijia humidifier can be linked to supplement air moisture.

Xiaomi’s new first-class energy-efficient air conditioner meets the national new first-class energy efficiency standard. Under the same conditions, compared with the original first-class energy-efficient wall-mounted air conditioner, it saves about 91 degrees of electricity a year and saves 45.5 yuan.

In addition, Xiaomi’s new first-level energy-efficient air conditioner uses a DC inverter compressor and supports one-button energy-saving mode, which can intelligently reduce power consumption.

Xiaomi’s new first-class energy-efficient air conditioner also supports a self-cleaning mode , with hydrophilic aluminum foil fins, which automatically cleans up dirt, and uses an antibacterial and anti-mildew filter, which is refreshing and odorless.

Connecting to the Mijia App, it also supports smart reminders for filter blockage, voice control by XiaoAI smart speaker, and linkage with other Xiaomi IoT products.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi XiaoAI Speaker Art Battery Edition launched for 399 yuan ($59)

 

OnePlus to sell OnePlus Buds for $1 tomorrow; 7T discounted to $349

By
Habeeb Onawole
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It is raining deals all over. Motorola announced its holiday deals last week which you can grab right away and there are Google’s own deals which will go live later this week. Now it is the turn of OnePlus and it has a mouth-watering deal on its very first TWS earbuds, the OnePlus Buds as well as the OnePlus 7T from last year.

According to a tweet from the OnePlus USA account, the OnePlus Buds will be on sale tomorrow for just $1. That is an awesome deal considering the earbuds are currently priced at $59. OnePlus says the deal ends when the item goes out of stock.

There is no mention of how many units a buyer can purchase but we won’t be surprised if it is limited to just one. The earbuds are also available in white and gray only.

Alongside the OnePlus Buds, The OnePlus 7T has also received a Black Friday price cut. The 2019 flagship phone can be picked up for $349 right now, a significant cut from its launch price of $599. Unfortunately, only the T-Mobile version is available for purchase.

OnePlus 7T Black Friday Deal

It is important to state that the US variant of the phone has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Nevertheless, this is a good deal, and to make it even sweeter, OnePlus is including a free pair of Bullets Wireless Z earphones which sells for $29.95 separately.

UP NEXT: OnePlus Nord 2 is codenamed ‘Denniz’ and is reportedly in the works

 

Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite vs OPPO Reno4 Z vs Realme X50 5G: Specs Comparison

By
Michele Ingelido
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5G phones started to become very affordable in the second half of 2020, even in the European market. You actually have several choices if you want to get a 5G-ready phone in the old continent with a low budget. Xiaomi recently announced the Mi 10T Lite 5G with an incredibly affordable price tag, while OPPO launched the Reno4 Z 5G: the first European smartphone with a Dimensity chipset; it is very affordable as well. This is a comparison between cheap 5G phones in which we included the Realme X50 5G too because its street prices are actually very interesting.

Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G vs OPPO Reno4 Z 5G vs Realme X50 5G

Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G OPPO Reno4 Z 5G Realme X50 5G
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 165.4 x 76.8 x 9 mm, 214.5 g 163.8 x 75.5 x 8.1 mm, 184 g 163.8 x 75.8 x 8.9 mm, 202 grams
DISPLAY  6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), IPS LCD  6.57 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), LTPS IPS LCD 6.57 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 401 ppi, 20:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G, octa-core 2.2 GHz Mediatek Dimensity 800, octa-core 2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, octa-core 2.4 GHz
MEMORY  6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot  8 GB RAM, 128 GB 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE  Android 10, MIUI  Android 10, ColorOS Android 10, ColorOS
CONNECTIVITY  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS
CAMERA  Quad 64 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP, f/1.9 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 + f/2.4
16 MP f/2.5 front camera		 Quad 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP, f/1.7 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 + f/2.4
Dual 16 + 2 MP f/2.0 + f/2.4 front camera		 Quad 64 + 12 MP + 8 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/3.0, f/2.3 and f/2.4
Dual 16 + 8 MP f/2.0 and f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY  4820 mAh, fast charging 33W  4000 mAh, fast charging 18W 4200 mAh, Fast charging 30W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot, 5G Dual SIM slot, 5G Dual SIM slot, 5G

Design

You can not say that these three handsets are not beautiful phones. They are not the most premium devices out there, but their design is nice. The most beautiful one, at least according to my tastes, is the OPPO Reno4 Z 5G. It has a thinner design and it is even lighter than its rivals, as well as more compact. With the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite you get a glass back, but the overall design is not that great due to that big and rectangle-shaped camera module. The Realme X50 5G sits right in the middle with its minimal look, it has similar dimensions to the OPPO Reno4 Z 5G but it is thicker.

 

Display

The best display quality is provided by the OPPO Reno4 Z 5G, which sports a slightly better LTPS panel. But we are only talking about marginal differences: in each case, you get an LCD display and a high 120 Hz refresh rate, as well as a Full HD+ resolution. While you get a slightly better daily experience with the Reno4 Z 5G, the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite offers the HDR10 certification for better quality on streaming platforms: you do not get this technology with OPPO Reno4 Z 5G and Realme X50 5G. Further, the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite features stereo speakers. All of these phones are equipped with side-mounted fingerprint scanners.

 

Hardware/Software

Here, it is a hard fight between Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite and Realme X50 5G. The former sports a Snapdragon 750G chipset, while the latter has Snapdragon 765G. The Snapdragon 750G offers better CPU performance, while the 765G has a better GPU. But at the end of the day, Realme X50 5G wins because it offers up to 8 GB of RAM instead of 6 GB, despite the most advanced configuration of the Mi 10T Lite has UFS 2.2 native storage instead of UFS 2.1. However, note that Mi 10T LIte is the only one with expandable storage. Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite, OPPO Reno4 Z 5G, and Realme X50 5G run Android 10 out of the box.

 

Camera

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite is equipped with a more interesting camera department thanks to its 64 MP main sensor providing a high level of detail. But it loses when it comes to the front camera. OPPO Reno4 Z 5G and Realme X50 5G have very similar camera setups including a 48 MP quad camera and 16 MP dual front camera with a depth sensor.

 

Battery

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite has the biggest battery, hence the longest battery life. But with the Realme X50 5G you need less time for a full charge because the battery is smaller and it features 30W fast charging technology.

 

Price

The starting price of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite is €280, Realme X50 5G begins at €350 (but you can actually find it for about €300), and OPPO Reno 4 Z 5G costs €399 in the 8/128 GB configuration. The Mi 10T Lite has the highest value for money, it features the biggest battery, stereo speakers, and it has a pretty nice camera. But you should not underestimate the OPPO Reno4 Z 5G with its sleeker design and nice display.

 

 

 

Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G vs OPPO Reno4 Z 5G vs Realme X50 5G: PRO and CONS

Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G

PROS

  • Wider display
  • IR blaster
  • Stereo speakers
  • Bigger battery

CONS

  • Dimensions

 

OPPO Reno4 Z 5G

PROS

  • Dual front snapper
  • Thinner
  • Lighter
  • Great display

CONS

  • Smallest battery

 

Realme X50 5G

PROS

  • Great hardware
  • Dual front camera
  • Charges faster
  • FM radio

CONS

  • Nothing particular

Ulefone Armor 10 5G Rugged phone powered by Dimensity 800 SoC launched

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Rugged smartphones have been around for a while and are a popular choice for those who work in the fields. However, there are not so many 5G phones with rugged build around. Ulefone has launched what it touts to be the world’s first rugged 5G smartphone. The Ulefone Armor 10 5G continues the long line of the premium Armor series but emerges as the first 5G model in the lineup. Whether the phone is the first 5G rugged phone around, we are not sure about that. Doogee S96 Pro had earlier been launched and Blackview just launched the BL6000 Pro 5G on Indiegogo.   

Design-wise, the Armor 10 5G clearly resembles a rugged phone as it is wrapped on the back with a polycarbonate material that isn’t brittle and stylishly designed to get you confusing this one for a gaming phone. At the rear, there is a Quad camera setup stacked in a vertical pattern at the top left corner of the back panel. The main camera is a 64MP sensor. There is equally a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor onboard.

The Ulefone Armor 10 5G packs a 6.67-inch display with FHD+ resolution with a punch-hole which houses a 16MP sensor. It is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 800 5G chipset paired with 8GB of RAM. There is 128GB of internal storage on the device. Keeping the lights on is a massive 5,800mAH battery which can surely last for more than a day.

The rugged Armor 10 5G is resistant to water, dust can also take a hit. You can check out Ulefone’s promotional video detailing the features of the flagship phone from below.

Ulefone is yet to reveal the price of the device as it is billed to go on sale at the end of November. The phone is already officially listed on the company’s website at the moment.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi XiaoAI Speaker Art Battery Edition launched for 399 yuan ($59)

 

Huami announces Zepp Z flagship smartwatch with Amazon Alexa; ECG version to come later

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Huami announced the Zepp Z smartwatch today. The new smartwatch is its second smartwatch under the Zepp brand (third if you count the variants of the Zepp E as separate watches). The new smartwatch features a premium design and can be termed a high-end version of the Amazfit GTR 2.

Zepp Z

The Zepp Z features a titanium alloy frame. This is the same material used for the buttons and the clasp. Huami says that for the finish, the frame is polished 5 times longer than other smartwatches which cost 4 times more. Attached to the watch dial are 22mm leather straps, to complete its classic look.

The Zepp Z has a 1.39-inch AMOLED with a 454 x 454 resolution that draws power from a 340mAh battery. Users will be able to choose from up to 50 watch faces using the Zepp app. Don’t like any of the watch faces? You can also upload your own photo for use.

The watch packs a lot of sensors including a SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen saturation detection; a  24-hour heart rate monitor; a geomagnetic sensor; a gyroscope; a barometer; an accelerometer; and an ambient light sensor.

Zepp Z health key

There are three buttons on the watch. The top button is called the health button and can be customized to provide quick access to measure heart rate, SpO2 level, or stress level. Huami says an OTA update will activate this feature which makes us wonder if the button will be useless out of the box.

The Classic Crown is used for navigating the watch. Users can turn to scroll through the menu and press it down to select an option. A built-in linear motor provides haptic feedback, and it can be customized as deemed fit by the user.

Just like the Amazfir GTR 2 and Amazfit GTS 2, this new Zepp watch also has Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. Users will be able to call on the assistant using the built-in microphone to set reminders, ask questions about the weather, and control compatible smart home devices. The feature will not be available right out of the box but be made available via an OTA update. There is also an offline assistant that supports up to 58 voice commands.

The Zepp Z has GPS and GLONASS, is water-resistant up to 5ATM, and can track a total of 12 professional sports modes. There is the PAI health assessment system too.

The watch has a battery life of up to 15 days for typical usage but it goes up to 30 days in basic usage. It connects via Bluetooth 5.0 and works with devices running Android 5.0 and up and iOS 10.0 and above.

The Zepp Z will be sold for $349 and will go on sale later this month in the US and Europe. It will be available for purchase on the Zepp site and on Amazon. Huami says there will be an ECG version in the future once approval is gotten from the regulatory bodies.

UP NEXT: FCC certifies Amazfit GTS 2e and Amazfit GTR 2e smartwatches

 

Samsung Galaxy A12 spotted on Russia’s official support page; could launch soon

By
Balaji S
-

Earlier this year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A11, a budget smartphone with a punch-hole display. After a while, its successor, expected to darn the Galaxy A12 moniker, appeared on the Geekbench listing recently. Now, the same device has appeared on Samsung’s official support page.

Samsung Galaxy A11 Featured
Representative image: Galaxy A11

As reported by 91Mobiles, Samsung Russia’s official support page has listed a model number SM-A125F/DSN. Now, if we recall, an earlier report said that Samsung Galaxy A12 will have a model number SM-A125F. The new listing on Samsung’s support page is similar and corroborates the previous info. That said, apart from the model number, there is no info on the page.

Samsung Galaxy A12 Specifications(Expected)

However, thanks to early reports we know what features the device will likely bring to the table. As per a recent Geekbench listing, Galaxy A12 will sport the MediaTek’s Helio P35 SoC. This is a departure from the Qualcomm (Snapdragon 450 SoC) on the predecessor Galaxy A11. While the device tested on Geekbench had 3GB RAM, reports say that it will come with 32GB, and 64GB storage options. Hence, we can expect a higher 4GB variant as well.

Furthermore, reports say that the Galaxy A12 will be very similar to the predecessor. Thus, we can expect features like a punch-hole display at the front. At the back, the device is expected to retain the physical fingerprint sensor(capacitive) and come in Black, White, Blue, and Red colors.

That said, it will likely have other features like microSD card support, Android 10, triple rear cameras, NFC, and more. Precisely, if the device were to be similar to the Galaxy A11 as reports say, it could feature an HD+ display, 4,000mAh(or higher) battery with 15W fast charging. Let’s wait for concrete info to confirm the same but in any case, the listing suggests that the launch is very near.

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Samsung reportedly postpones One UI 3.0 Beta program for Galaxy S10, Z Flip 5G, & more

By
Balaji S
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Samsung has reportedly suspended the One UI 3.0 beta update after users reported persistent issues on the recent update for Galaxy Note 10 series. The list of devices whose update is postponed includes Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, Z Flip 5G, Z Fold 2, and more.

As reported by Tizenhelp(via Sammobile), a Beta Operation Manager has informed the new decision on Samsung’s South Korean community forums. As per the post, the manager says they are working to stabilize the errors since the One UI 3.0 beta update for Galaxy Note 10, Note 10+ rolled out. Further, he mentions that the postponement will last till the stabilization work is done to some extent. Henceforth, we can expect the update cycle to resume for Galaxy S10 models and beyond.

That said, as per the report, the prime issue is the battery drain on the Galaxy Note 10 series devices. Additionally, few other users also faced app crashes. Besides, the report also says Samsung rolled out the One UI 3.0 update for Galaxy Z Flip 5G yesterday. But quickly pulled it back and now the community page shows the UI update for the device as ‘coming soon’.  This is probably to avoid the above issues extending to other devices.

Samsung confirmed the OneUI 3.0 based on Android 11 back at the event on August 5. The beta program began after the initial developer build. And was already on course with Beta Program and a vision to bring it close to 90 devices. Anyway, the public final version will reportedly roll out before 2020 ends. We hope that Samsung finds a fix soon so that it can continue the earlier pace and stick to the plan.

UP NEXT: Samsung gambles with a $116 billion investment to catch up with TSMC by 2022

OPPO announces COVID-19 Computer Aided Detection Research Platform

By
Habeeb Onawole
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At the INNO DAY 2020 event held today, OPPO announced its Computer-Aided Detection Research Platform which will help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to OPPO, the platform is used to detect coronavirus cases and boasts an accuracy of 99.67%. There is no explanation for how the diagnosis is carried out but OPPO says the framework will be made open to health institutions so that they can develop faster and more effective screening tools that can assist in combating the pandemic.

OPPO COVID-19 Computer Aided Detection Research Platform

OPPO is not the only tech company that has developed ways to assist with the fight against COVID-19. Google and Apple partnered together to develop the Exposure Notifications System which helps with contact tracing. The app (for Android) or feature (iOS) will notify users who have been exposed to someone who has contracted COVID-19.

Users who opt-in for the service will have a random ID generated for their device. For security, the ID changes every 10-20 minutes. Using Bluetooth, your phone communicates with other devices and exchanges these IDs, and periodically checks to know if any of the IDs it has come in contact with is associated with that of a user that has tested positive. If there is a match, you get a notification and instructions on how to keep safe.

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OPPO 50W mini SuperVOOC charger will go on sale on December 12

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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Back in July, OPPO announced 125W flash charge technology. At the very same event, the Chinese smartphone maker also unveiled two new high-speed Gallium Nitride (GaN) chargers namely 50W mini SuperVOOC and 110W mini flash charger. Now, after four months, the company has finally revealed the availability of the former charger.

Oppo 50W mini SuperVOOC Charger

The OPPO 50W mini SuperVOOC charger is the smallest fast charger from the brand. It is also slimmer than any other 50W chargers available in the market with a mere 1.05cm thickness.

This charger not only supports SuperVOOC but also other charging protocols like 27W USB PD (Power Delivery) and 50W USB PD with PPS (Programmable Power Supply) to name a few.

Unfortunately, though OPPO has announced the availability of this charger, it is yet to release its entire specifications. Hence, we are still not sure of many things. Anyway, we expect the company to reveal more things about its mini fast charger, including the price before its first sale on December 12 in China.

As of now, we are only sure of the charger’s certain supported charging protocols, in addition to its dimensions and weight, which happens to be 82.2 x 39 x 10.05mm and 60g respectively. In a nutshell, it is small as a biscuit, as per the brand.

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

 

Renowned Watchmaker Citizen launches the CZ Smart model, its first smartwatch

By
Jed John Ikoba
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The smartwatch industry has continued to grow with Apple at the helm. Interestingly, among the top smartwatch manufacturers, none of the top watchmakers made the cut. but in recent times, we have seen a number of traditional watch manufacturers release smartwatches. In June this year, Hublot released the Big Bang E, its first full-production smartwatch. Timex also launched the Ironman R300 in February this year as its first smartwatch.Citizen CZ Smart

Japanese watch manufacturer Citizen, best known for its Eco-drive watches and cool atomic clock synchronized timepieces, has now joined the fray with its first smartwatch. The product is dubbed Citizen CZ Smart.

The CZ Smart is a full-on smartwatch replete with all the features you’ll find on the popular brands around. The smartwatch packs a 1.28-inch AMOLED display with 416 x 416  resolution. It is powered by the Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform and has 8GB of storage. The watch also packs an avalanche of sensors on board which includes a heart rate sensor, barometer, accelerometer, and gyroscope.

On the interface, the CZ Smart runs on Google Wear OS which affords users the opportunity to download several apps from the Play Store. The watch also comes with several features aimed at enhancing your health. It also comes with Call function as there is a built-in speaker for receiving calls directly on the watch. The watch has a 3ATM waterproof rating meaning it can be immersed in water of up to a depth of 30 meters.Citizen CZ Smart smartwatch

As for the price, the Citizen CZ Smart carries a hefty price tag of $395. It is presently available to pre-order but will start shipping from December 14. It comes in three options, a black chain strap, a black rubber strap and a blue rubber strap option. All three options carry the same price tag.

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Samsung gambles with a $116 billion investment to catch up TSMC by 2022

By
Balaji S
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Samsung is gearing up for a long-term plan with a gambling investment of $116 billion to outperform TSMC. A report by Bloomberg says the company is going all-in to try and mass produce 3nm chips by 2022.

The report says(via Sammobile) according to a senior executive at Samsung’s foundry division, the company is on course to mass-produce 3nm chips in 2022. Park Jae-hong, executive VP of foundry design, says that the company is already developing initial design tools with partners. If we look at the arch-rival TSMC, it is also expected to be ready for 3nm by H2 2022. Hence, one would think that it is going to be a neck-and-neck battle.

However, Samsung is going to jump TSMC by adopting the GAA(Gate-All-Around)tech before TSMC on the 3nm. The latter is continuing the FinFeT process before it can go into the GAA on 2nm process. This technology will reduce power consumption, regulate current flow, and manage the overall chip area well. That said, experts feel that Samsung needs to hit the right mark. It can do it by testing the yields successfully in the initial stages. Else, it is at the risk of tossing up the investment to nothing.

Despite having a successful memory chip, display business, Samsung lacks the market share in the foundry and logic-chip industry. It reportedly had only 18% of contracts last year whereas TSMC dominated with more than half as per TrendForce. To change this, Samsung’s semiconductor division plans to invest $26 billion this year compared to TSMC’s $17 billion.

Additionally, report says Lee Jae-Young, Samsung Chairman, visited ASML Holdings in the Netherlands to discuss the supply of EUV machines. For the unware, ASML is one of the world leaders in manufacturing chip-making equipment. Currently, Samsung and TSMC have established the EUV process as Intel recently announced its open for outsourcing chips. Hence, analysts feel that the difference between the two lies in techniques like cutting-edge fabrication and power efficiency.

Although TSMC has secured enough orders from giants like Apple, companies like NVIDIA, IBM Corp., Qualcomm are turning towards Samsung which is a good sign for the company. Anyway, Samsung has set up a dedicated EUV factory in Hwaseong while another one at Pyeongtaek is likely to be ready by H2 2021. Nevertheless, if Samsung succeeds in jumping TSMC in this mission, it can attract giants like Apple, AMD who are stuck with TSMC so far.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy M42 to arrive with a 6,000mAh battery, reveals 3C listing

Adobe Photoshop Beta for Apple Silicon-powered Mac released

By
Jed John Ikoba
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Earlier today, premium solutions provider Adobe announced the release of Photoshop Beta for Apple Silicon devices having Creative Cloud desktop version 5.3.1.470 or later. This is the very first Beta release of Photoshop that will be running on ‌Apple Silicon‌ hardware.

macbook pro 16 inch
Macbook Pro 16″

Apple recently unveiled the silicon M1 chipset recently which will signal the transition of the CPUs in Apple’s Macintosh line of computers from Intel’s x86-64 to one designed by Apple based on the ARM64 architecture. In terms of specs, the new M1 chip has a staggering 16 billion transistors, which is significantly higher than the 11.8 billion used in the iPhone 12’s A14 Bionic. The CPU core is also increased from six to an eight-core arrangement in order to boost the performance. Additionally, the M1 has four high-performance cores for heavy-duty work, compared to two on the iPhone 12, and four high-efficiency cores for low-priority tasks.

This Photoshop version for ‌Apple Silicon‌ offers many of the principal Photoshop features that provide invaluable assistance to millions of users every day in meeting their editing needs. Adobe will also be adding other great features in the coming weeks. Although the Beta software is not yet officially supported by Adobe, it would seem that something is in the offing in this regard and we will keep you on the loop as events unfold.

Adobe has stated that there are a number of limitations in the beta release and several features are absent, coupled with the likelihood of slow performance of the application. Also notable is that running Adobe Photoshop under Rosetta emulation does not have the support functionality of Adobe.

So if Photoshop is important to your workflow processes, the choice of running it on an ‌Apple Silicon‌ Mac may not be very viable presently, as it is still work in progress. 

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Microsoft Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2 launched in India

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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Microsoft initially debuted the Surface Book 3 and the Surface Go 2 in May. After six months, these two devices have finally landed in India. Strangely, the software giant launched these devices after the Diwali festive season. Anyway, the duo is mostly targeted at enterprise customers, and therefore, it may not affect its sales.

Microsoft Surface Book 3 India Pricing & Availability

The Microsoft Surface Book 3 comes in two sizes – 13-inch and 15-inch. However, all the variants of this product are only available for commercial customers. Hence, interested such customers will have to contact their local commercial resellers to buy them.

Surface Book 3

That said, here’s the list of Surface Book 3 variants and their price in India.

  • 13-inch
    • Intel Core i5-1035G7 8GB + 256GB   – ₹156,299
    • Intel Core i7-1065G7 16GB + 256GB – ₹195,899
    • Intel Core i7-1065G7 32GB + 512GB – ₹237,199
    • Intel Core i7-1065G7 32GB + 1TB     – ₹259,299
  • 15-inch
    • Intel Core i7-1065G7 16GB + 256GB – ₹220,399
    • Intel Core i7-1065G7 32GB + 512GB – ₹266,499
    • Intel Core i7-1065G7 32GB + 1TB     – ₹286,199
    • Intel Core i7-1065G7 32GB + 512GB + Nvidia Quadra RTX 3000 – ₹321,899
    • Intel Core i7-1065G7 32GB + 1TB + Nvidia Quadra RTX 3000      – ₹340,399

Microsoft Surface Book 3 Specifications

Microsoft Surface Go 2 India Pricing & Availability

Surface-Go-2 featured

 

On the other hand, Surface Go 2 can be purchased by any customer in India. Its variants and their price are as listed below.

  • Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y 4GB + 64GB   – ₹42,999
  • Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y 8GB + 128GB – ₹57,999
  • 8th Gen Intel Core m3 4GB + 64GB    – ₹47,599
  • 8th Gen Intel Core m3 8GB + 128GB  – ₹63,499

Microsoft Surface Go 2 Specifications

UP NEXT: Microsoft releases End of Service dates for Surface lineup

 

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