Leaked Nokia 8000 4G poster reveals it is not a slider phone

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Nov 9, 2020

The Nokia 8000 4G is a new feature phone HMD Global is expected to launch soon alongside a remake of the Nokia 6300 which will also have support for 4G. The Finnish company is yet to announce the two phones but a leaked poster has given us an early look at the Nokia 8000 4G, and unfortunately, it doesn’t have the slider design of the older Nokia 8000 series.

The source of the leak is Winfuture.de and the image shows that the Nokia 8000 4G has a candy bar design with an alphanumeric keyboard. However, unlike HMD Global’s recent feature phones such as the Nokia 225 4G, the Nokia 8000 4G looks much more premium.

The poster describes it as a “Premium Glass-like Design” which gives it a glossy look. The phone in the image is black but there is a chance that there will be other color variants at launch. Other features mentioned on the poster are a “hardwearing 3D curved keymat“, WhatsApp and Facebook (pre-installed), and support for 4G and Wi-Fi hotspot.

The source reports that the Nokia 8000 4G will have a 2.8-inch LCD QVGA display with a 320 x 240 resolution. The phone will be powered by a Snapdragon 210 quad-core processor with 512MB RAM and 4GB of storage. There is a MicroSD card that allows users to add up to an additional 128GB of storage.

Users will also get a 2MP camera on the back, support for dual SIM (nano), and a replaceable 1500mAh battery that charges via a micro-USB port. The Nokia 8000 4G will run KaiOS out of the box.

Samsung might be planning to snatch Huawei’s Market Share with an early Galaxy S21 launch : Report

By

Balaji S

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Nov 9, 2020

Huawei is having the worst nightmare of its life. It’s facing a heavy deterrent from the US for selling its 5G equipment elsewhere outside of China. The company, which recently got its semiconductor chips blocked, might just have its market share swallowed by Samsung. The latter is reportedly eyeing an early release of the new S series in 2021 to seize Huawei’s market share.

According to Reuters’ sources, Samsung will launch the next Galaxy S21 series Flagship a month earlier in 2021. With this, it might be planning to bank on the US ban on Huawei and grab its market share. And in turn, thwart Apple from gaining any more grounds. In fact, the report says that Samsung is preparing to launch the new Galaxy S21 early as late-January 2021.

This way it is likely to jump the launch by more than a month compared to 2020 when the Galaxy S20 series debuted in 2019. Plus, this corroborates with the earlier report that has speculated January 14 as the announcement date.

Besides, a source for Reuters says that Huawei’s stockpiles will run out by early next year. This is understandable considering the company has not launched a lot of devices outside of China in 2020. And it’s recent Huawei Mate 40 series is already facing shortage in some regions in its home country.

Can Samsung succeed by jumping the gun?

To take advantage of this, and stiffen the competition to Apple, Samsung is reportedly on course for the launch next year. Samsung has had a roller coaster of a year in 2020. To recall, it temporarily lost the lead to Huawei back in Q2 2020. But quickly grabbed it back in Q3 with a 2.9% YoY growth amongst an intense pandemic situation.

Similarly, the company recorded less than a 59% YoY shipment decline in the US compared to Apple. That is the latter reportedly sold 15% iPhone 11 there which is the world’s best selling smartphone in H1 2020. But it has risen back to fame in the US and Europe.

Thus, the company will be keenly looking to attack early rather than playing the defense this time considering 2021 will be a revival year. That said, industry officials from South Korea hope that the US President-elect Joe Biden will ease some restrictions. This could happen albeit the country looks to show a sturdy attitude against China.

This uncertainty, adds fuel to the fire as it already faces tough competition from Xiaomi and Oppo. All this could have made Samsung to take an early jump with Galaxy S21 series.

OPPO Reno4 Mo Salah Edition launched in Egypt for EGP 6,590 (~$420)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 9, 2020

In March this year, OPPO signed up Egyptian and Liverpool football star Mohammed Salah as a brand ambassador. The collaboration first featured with the Reno3 Pro and the football star has even featured on several promotional ads. Right now, the company has launched the Reno4 Mo Salah edition in Egypt. The edition is a way of showing appreciation to the football star for his loyal support.

The Oppo Reno4 Mo Salah Edition comes with several customizations but in terms of the core design, it is the same as the Reno4. It features a 6.4-inch OLED screen with FHD+ resolution. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset with 4G capabilities. It also features VOOC 4.0 Flash Charge at 30W.

The main difference between this model and the regular version is in the paint job. The Reno4 Mo Salah Editionis painted in Dark Grey and Red. There are also some awesome design accents as well as the footballer’s photo and autograph on the back panel. Further, the phone’s rim transitions between red and dark grey/black and some might say this is an homage to the Egyptian black-white-red flag.

The software side also sees some customization in form of an exclusive theme for ColorOS 7.2 with a Mo Salah wallpaper, red icons with a slight redesign. OPPO even included Mo Salah’s face on the Contacts app.

As for the pricing and availability, the Reno4 Mo Salah Edition is presently available on the Oppo Egypt website. It comes in 8GB RAM + 128GB storage version priced at EGP 6,590 (~$420).

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

OnePlus Nord users can now sideload OnePlus Messages & OnePlus Contacts apps

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Nov 9, 2020

OnePlus Nord is probably the most hyped smartphone of 2020 though it is just another mid-range 5G smartphone. That said, despite running OxygenOS 10 based on Android 10, it comes with Google’s own suite of apps for dialer, contacts, and messages. But now, interested users can install OnePlus’ first-party apps if they want to.

The OnePlus Nord is the brand’s first-ever mid-range smartphone in years. But it isn’t the most affordable OnePlus handset as the company announced two more phones even cheaper than the Nord going by the names of OnePlus Nord N10 5G and OnePlus Nord N100.

Anyway, the other two phones are yet to hit the shelves. Hence, there’s nothing known about their software except for the fact that they run OxygenOS 10. On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord has been on sale in a number of countries for a while now.

Turns out some users don’t like the Google suite of apps. According to PiunikaWeb (via XDA Developers), with feedback from these users, OnePlus has finally updated the OnePlus Messages and OnePlus Contacts to support the OnePlus Nord.

Hence, if you are one of those users, you can download and install the latest version of these two OnePlus first-party applications on your Nord. Since these apps are not part of system apps on Nord, you cannot get it from the Play Store.

Therefore, you will have to download the APKs from APKMirror, a reputed website handled by Android Police. Further, for the OnePlus Messages to work, you will have to set it as the default messaging app. As for OnePlus Contacts, it currently buggy as it requires OnePlus Phone apps to work properly, which is yet to add support for the OnePlus Nord.

Download OnePlus Messages

Download OnePlus Contacts

HMD Global announces Nokia 8 V 5G UW; a Nokia 8.3 5G for Verizon

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 9, 2020

HMD Global had a launch event today in the US. The pre-recorded announcement was for the US-exclusive Nokia 8 V 5G UW, a smartphone designed to take advantage of Verizon’s mmWave 5G network.

The Nokia 8 V 5G UW (this is a mouthful) has a massive 6.81-inch FHD+ display with a hole punch at the top left corner and Gorilla Glass protection. It is powered by the Snapdragon 765G processor and comes with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage.

The phone packs four cameras on the back – a 64MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultrawide angle camera, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. Nokia says it uses PureView imaging system and ZEISS optics for both the rear cameras and 24MP front-facing camera.

The Nokia 8 V 5G UW also has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a dedicated Google Assistant button that is also programmable, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, an audio jack, OZO audio, and a 4500mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. It runs Android 10 out of the box but is said to be Android 11 ready.

Does the spec sheet sound familiar? Yes, it does, as this is just the Nokia 8.3 5G with support for Verizon’s mmWave bands n61 and n260. This is a big deal for HMD global as it is the first Nokia flagship on Verizon Postpaid in more than six years.

The phone comes in a single color variant – Meteor Gray – and is priced at $699. However, it is not stated if that is the price of the 6GB RAM or 8GB RAM version. The Nokia 8.3 5G with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage is also priced at $699.

Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite certified by Thailand’s NBTC, Asian launch imminent?

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 9, 2020

Xiaomi first launched the Mi 10T Lite and Mi 10T Lite Pro in Europe on September 30. The models were recently put up for sale in the UK. The Mi 10T Lite is also expected to be launched in India soon. Apparently, India isn’t the only market the models are expected to launch. The Mi 10T Lite has been certified by NBTC in Thailand. The certification is an indication that the model will hit other Asian markets as well.

Mi 10T Lite has now been approved by the NBTC certification.#Xiaomi #Mi10TLite pic.twitter.com/i1bK56G5OP

— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) November 9, 2020

Xiaomi is expected to launch the Redmi Note 9 High-end version as a rebadged Mi 10T Lite in China going by recent leaks. Outside China, we now expect the Mi 10T Lite in other markets.

as a reminder, the Mi 10T Lite features a 6.67-inch LCD with an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz which can also be reduced down to 30Hz. The display comes with an FHD+ resolution of 1080p+, an aspect ratio of 20:9 and is covered with a layer of Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5.

The display is HDR10-certified and has 450 nits of brightness and equally promises 84% NTSC colour coverage. The phone is also armed with dual speakers and a Hi-Res Audio certification.

For photography, the Mi 10T Lite packs a Quad-camera setup at the rear comprising a 64MP main camera with a 1/1.7-inch sensor. There is also an 8MP ultrawide camera as well as a 2MP macro cam and 2MP depth sensor. At the front, the phone packs a 16MP selfie camera is inside a centrally placed punch hole.

As stated earlier, the Mi 10T Lite is the first phone to be powered by the new Snapdragon 750G chipset. The chipset is built on the 8nm silicon wafer and has a built-in 5G modem. It offers sub-6 connectivity along with a slight performance boost over the S730G (+20% CPU performance, +10% GPU). The processor is paired with 6GB of RAM while there is the option of 64GB storage and 128GB storage.

Under the hood, there is a 4,820mAh battery with 33W fast charger.

Xiaomi launches the MIJIA Supercharged Steam Garment Ironing Machine

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 9, 2020

Xiaomi has officially launched a new innovative product under crowdfunding on Xiaomi Mall which would go on sale during the 11.11 shopping festival. The product dubbed MIJIA Pressurized Steam Garment Ironing Machine will retail for 499 yuan (~$75) which is pretty affordable.

The MIJIA Pressurized Steam Garment Ironing Machine uses a pump pressure of up to 500kPa to generate high-pressure steam to avoid the sudden increase and decrease of the steam. The strong penetrating power reaches the depth of the fibre due to the large steam volume of 42g/min that can quickly soften the fibre and smoothen deep wrinkles.

The entire machine has a high power of 2200W which enables the iron to quickly atomize the moisture into full steam. The steam iron has an average temperature is 135°C. Xiaomi claims the iron is easy to use without any professional skills.

For ease of use, the MIJIA Steam Iron Machine is equipped with an integrated adjustable ironing board, 0-90° stepless adjustment, making it easy to flat iron long clothes without squatting, and diagonally iron pants without clips.

It is also equipped with a 2L water tank which makes it possible to continuously use it for more than 40 minutes at a stretch when filled with water. It can iron 18 tops or 15 pants, continuously full steam, and has a built-in water shortage protection function. In addition, the water inlet is equipped with a water temperature detection sensor and an intelligent dynamic water inlet speed, which can achieve high-temperature stability of steam regardless of winter or summer.

When you leave the sensing area when using it, the garment steamer will automatically pause the steam output. When the handle sensing area is held again, the steam output resumes. Also, after a pause of more than 30 minutes, the garment steamer will automatically shut down.

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

Amazfit GTS 2 Mini spotted at the FCC; looks like the Amazfit Bip

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 9, 2020

Huami recently took the wraps off the global version of the Amazfit GTR 2 and Amazfit GTS 2 smartwatches. So far, the Chinese manufacturer has launched nothing less than 6 smartwatches this year but it doesn’t seem to be done yet. A listing on the FCC website has revealed there is a new smartwatch coming called the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini.

The original Amzaift GTS didn’t have a mini version or lite version but the Amazfit GTR had a lite version that didn’t have built-in GPS. It seems this year, Huami is taking a different path by launching a more affordable version of the square-face GTS 2.

The FCC documents reveal the model number of the watch is A2018 and the included diagrams of the upcoming smartwatch show the watch’s design is similar to that of the Amazfit Bip. The watch has thick bezels around the display and a single button on the left side of the frame. The frame itself has rounded corners and is attached to straps that are most likely 20mm in size.

There is still a lot we do not know about the watch but we believe more details will surface in the coming weeks. There is also no news yet as to when the watch will be announced but we believe it will launch this year.

realme X7 series might be the only Dimensity-Powered devices for India this year

By

Balaji S

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Nov 9, 2020

realme CEO Madhav Sheth has already hinted at the arrival of the realme X7 series smartphones to India. Following it, the X7 Pro 5G has hit India’s BIS certification along with others like NBTC, NCC hinting at a Global launch. Now, Anku Jain, MD, MediaTek India, hints that the X7 series might be the only Dimensity SoC Powered devices for India in 2020.

Realme X7 and Realme X7 Pro — Realme X7 (left) and Realme X7 Pro (right)

Anku Jain has given an exclusive interview to TechRadar. In that, he has brushed upon topics like MediaTek’s evolution, Dimensity SoCs, the future of 5G in India, and more. Regarding Dimensity SoCs, he says that the company is getting very good traction in China. This is evident with its staggering 61.2% YoY surge in September revenue report.

However, the Dimensity SoCs haven’t managed to break the barriers elsewhere. The company only recently announced the MediaTek Dimensity 1000C 5G SoC in the United States. Besides, Anku Jain notes that the company requires OEM partners’ support for Dimensity SoCs to flourish in countries like India. The reason for the delay of Dimensity SoCs is reportedly due to the delay in 5G rollout, perception of the companies, and their outlook on the market.

That said, regarding the Dimensity partnerships, he says the company is working with a lot of partners. And expects to see few phones before 2020 ends. In fact, when asked about the realme X7 Pro topic, he has hinted at a few things here. He expects the company’s existing 4G partners like Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo. And realme to launch the devices soon.

However, when asked if we would see other brands bring Dimensity SoCs this year, he hints that it might happen only in 2021. This suggests that the realme X7 series, if they launch as expected in December, will be the only smartphones in India with Dimensity SoC this year. Accordingly, realme X7 5G features Dimensity 800U SoC while the X7 Pro 5G has Dimensity 1000+. Anyway, it looks like realme is going to pull the trigger for the wave of Dimensity-powered devices in India.

Samsung is now the US’ largest smartphone brand after 3 years

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Nov 9, 2020

Various research firms have been releasing their reports on key smartphone markets in the past few days. Earlier today, Strategy Analytics published a report on the US Smartphone Market for Q3 2020. According to that., Samsung beat its archrival Apple for the first time in three years to become the country’s largest smartphone maker.

As per the report, Samsung captured the first position in the US Smartphone Market in the third quarter of 2020 with a 33.7% share. Whereas, Apple came second with a 30.2% market share, followed by LG in the third place with a 14.7% share.

The report says that Samsung’s market share grew 6.7% YoY. The company achieved this feat with the help of its budget and mid-range devices, in addition to flagship models like Galaxy Note20 and Galaxy Z Fold2.

Above all, Apple’s delayed iPhone 12 series launch further helped the South Korean tech giant to become the US’s largest smartphone brand after 3 years. Samsung was in this position back in Q2 2017.

That’s not all, Samsung was also the world’s largest smartphone brand in the last quarter. That said, the company’s market share may drop in this quarter in the US as the iPhone 12 series is expected to sell exceptionally well despite the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Galaxy S21 Ultra could be the first Samsung device to support 120Hz at QHD+ resolution

By

Balaji S

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Nov 9, 2020

Samsung is gearing up to be the frontrunner of launching Flagship Smartphones in 2021. The company’s next S series of flagships, touted to be the Galaxy S21 series will have three smartphones. Amongst them, the Galaxy S21 Ultra(Tentative) is now tipped to sport a 120Hz refresh rate screen.

The new tip comes from a well-known Ice Universe who says(via Sammobile) that Galaxy S21 Ultra will have a display up to 2K resolution. For the unware, 2K is between 1080p and 4K. Depending on the size of the display panel, it can be up to 1440×3088 pixels. Plus, the tweet reads, “2K+120Hz”. This could mean that the display will support 120Hz at 2K resolution. If this is true, then it will be the first of its kind for a Samsung device.

First-ever Samsung to sport 120Hz at 2K?

This is because Samsung’s flagships ~~or any other devices~~, albeit having a 120Hz refresh rate screen, don’t support it on the highest resolution. In fact, if you select 120Hz as a refresh rate on Samsung, you are basically downscaled and locked to FHD+(1080p) resolution. And its latest flagships like Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is no exception to this. The best Samsung has done so far, is having an “Adaptive Mode” on devices like the Note 20 Ultra.

This basically toggles(60Hz or 120Hz) the refresh rate based on what you do. This is probably to help the panel, and battery last longer. However, with Galaxy S21 Ultra, it looks like Samsung is going to break the barriers. If the tip is true, the next flagship could have an option to lock the 120Hz at 2K resolution ~~which is a first in any phone~~.

Galaxy S21 Ultra: Specifications(Expected)

The Galaxy S21 series, as a whole, will reportedly enter production by mid-December. However, a tip says that the part production of Galaxy S21 Ultra like DVT/PVT might have already begun. Anyway, the device(SM-G998U), which has already got NFC certification, will likely sport a 6.8-inch display with a centered punch-hole.

Besides, leaked specifications of the device say the display will be dynamic AMOLED. For cameras, we can expect a new 108MP 0.8µm HM3 primary sensor, laser autofocus, and no ToF sensor inside the quad/Penta camera setup. Other expected specifications include a 40MP selfie shooter, Qualcomm Snapdragon 875/Exynos 2100 SoC based on regions, 5,000mAh battery with 60W charging, Android 11, and more. It is expected to launch on January 14 and open for sale by January 29.

Panasonic builds vacuum to rescue earbuds like AirPods from Train Tracks

By

Sean

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Nov 9, 2020

With technology becoming more compact and expensive, replacing lost items like an expensive TWS earbuds could be quite the financial burden for some. Luckily, Panasonic has built a new vacuum device that is designed to rescue such small gadgets from train tracks in Japan.

The known consumer grade electronics maker has developed a new device with the help of Japan’s JR East rail group to recover small cordless devices like AirPods, as per an Engadget report. Usually, the rail authorities utilize a mechanical grabber to recover lost objects or other things that might have fallen on train tracks. But unfortunately, this only works well with items like shoes or other relatively large products. Small gadgets like truly wireless earbuds are too small to be picked up, as they can even get stuck in between gravel.

This is where the new Panasonic vacuum comes in handy, as it features finger sized tubes that can pick the earbuds up through suction. After picking them up, the suction also holds the device in place long enough to be recovered by the authorities. Apparently, the need for such a device was required since JR East had reported over 950 incidents of earbuds being dropped in 78 stations between the period of July and September 2020 alone.

Thus, the new gadget arrives to reduce the “burdensome” task, as per workers. The issue isn’t limited to only Japan as other nations like the US are also dealing with a similar issue, especially in regions like New York. It has become quite a big issue and “It happens all the time,” according to officials. This has also led to commuters making risky and dangerous situations like jumping off the platform and onto the tracks.

Latest OnePlus 8/8 Pro Open Beta update wipes user data

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Nov 9, 2020

In late October, OnePlus released OxygenOS 11 Beta 3 for OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. Turns out the company mistakenly pushed OxygenOS 11.0.1.1 stable update to open beta users. This resulted in a factory reset for many users as changing the build channel wipes the entire phone. Anyway, the company quickly responded with a workaround on Saturday (November 7).

In case you are not aware, OnePlus has three OxygenOS release channels namely Closed Beta, Open Beta, and Stable. The brand releases two builds per month in the first channel and a single build in the other two channels.

Users can switch between Open Beta and Stable channel by downloading and installing the appropriate update file from OnePlus community. But this process wipes the entire phone.

Further, new OnePlus smartphones ship with “Automatic system updates” turned on in Developer options. Because of these two reasons, as the company wrongly pushed OxygenOS 11.0.1.1 stable build in the Open Beta channel, the units that got the update downloaded and installed it automatically.

Normally, once the update gets installed, users are prompted to reboot the phone. So when the affected users rebooted their device, they were surprised to see their phone booting with the setup screen.

These users quickly reported the issue on OnePlus Community and Oneplus released an APK as a workaround. In case you are using OnePlus 8 or OnePlus 8 Pro running the Open Beta build and the latest update got installed automatically, then you need to download this APK, launch the app, and select “KEEP DATA”.

Once done, you can now reboot the phone without losing the data. As per OxygenUpdater (via Aamir Siddiqui of XDA), this application blocks the system from completing the entire installation process of the update.

That said, the company has now suspended the build from the OTA server. Anyway, if you happen to install it by mistake, make sure to follow the above steps to avoid losing your data.

China tech industry relieved by Biden’s win, but are still cautious

By

Sean

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Nov 9, 2020

The tech industry in China has breathed a sigh of relief as Joe Biden won the US Presidency. This arrives as the previous President, Donald Trump, had been targetting the Chinese industry as a part of the US-China trade wards and political disputes.

According to a Reuters report, analysts have stated that the Chinese tech industry is hoping that Joe Biden would be more welcoming of a more constructive relationship and would de-escalate the rivalry between both nations. The four year long Trump term had been a major obstacle for numerous Chinese companies and had taught the importance of self reliance as well. Although, despite Biden winning, the nation still plans on focusing on its domestic tech capabilities, as per executives and analysts.

Fang Xingdong, director of the Consortium of Internet and Society at the Communication University of Zhejiang, stated that “When Biden takes office, tech companies in China might be relieved. At least, the United States is supposed to re-advocate openness, re-respect fair competition, and re-advocate innovation. However, in the high-tech field, competition and game theory will not end, and China and the U.S. will compete with each other with true innovation capabilities in the next decade.”

The position the new US President takes on the trade tensions between both nations remains to be seen. Furthermore, the impact of the new leadership on Huawei, ByteDance’s TikTok, or even WeChat is still unknown as well. So we will have to wait and see how Joe Biden handles the alleged security risk that these companies pose to the United States.

Apple supplier Pegatron put on probation over student workers

By

Sean

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Nov 9, 2020

Earlier today (9th November 2020), Apple announced that it has put its Taiwanese supplier, Pegatron, on probation after the company was found violating its supplier code for employing student workers and asking them to work overtime and on night shifts.

According to a Reuters report, Pegatron had wrongly classified its student workers and even provided false paperwork to disguise its violations. This led to a breach in contract on multiple counts as well, as students were even working on cases that were not related to majors. For those unaware, the supplier is one of the handful of firms that the Cupertino based giant employs from Taiwan, which also dominates its supply chain.

An Apple spokesperson stated in a conference that “Several weeks ago, we discovered Pegatron – one of Apple’s suppliers in China – violated Apple’s Supplier Code of Conduct in its administration of a student work study programme.” It was further added that “Apple has placed Pegatron on probation and Pegatron will not receive any new business from Apple until they complete all of the corrective actions required.”

At the moment, the terms of the probation are unknown. Furthermore, an investigation from Apple has not found any evidence of forced or contracted labor of underaged individuals. Pegatron has since fired its executives that were directly involved with the oversight of the program and the minors have also been taken off production lines, and have also received “proper compensation.”

Chinese company patents a smartphone with an Octa camera setup

By

Sean

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Nov 9, 2020

Smartphone manufacturers are constantly raising the bar and level of innovation with each passing year. A few years back smartphones only had a single camera. But in recent times, a triple and quad camera setup is all but common, especially in flagship models. Now, a Chinese company might be pushing the bar even higher as it patents a smartphone with 8 cameras on the rear.

According to a LetsGoDigital report, a Chinese brand called Lens Technology recently filed a patent with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) for a device with an octa camera setup. For those unaware, Lens Technology is a brand not known for smartphones, but rather it supplies to other OEMs like Apple, Samsung, and Huawei. The company has also supplied the display for the Apple Watch.

Looking at the patent, the device in question looks quite futuristic, with a full body screen on the front, which also houses what appears to be a physical button, while no notch can be observed from the patented images. Arriving at its most notable aspect, the rear features a total of eight camera sensors, with two sensors on each corner of the smartphone. Furthermore, each of these pairs also houses an LED flash in between.

As its name suggests, Lens Technology also makes camera modules and lenses apart from just cover glass for touch displays. So, we might see a device with 8 cameras in the near future. Although, it would most likely be through another OEM that the company has partnered with. Unfortunately, it is still too early to confirm anything at the moment, so stay tuned for more updates.

Micromax IN Note 1, IN 1b pre-orders start from tomorrow in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Nov 9, 2020

At the beginning of this month, Micromax announced its comeback to the Indian smartphone market by announcing the Micromax IN Note 1 and IN 1b phones. Both phones arrived with aggressively price tags and impressive specs. The IN Note 1 and IN 1b smartphones will be available for purchase later this month. Starting from tomorrow, Flipkart will be carrying out the pre-orders of both smartphones.

Flipkart will begin with the pre-orders of the Micromax IN Note 1 and IN 1B at 12 PM on Nov. 10. The IN Note 1 comes in two models such as 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 4GB RAM + 128GB storage. They are priced at Rs 10,999 (~$148) and Rs 12,499 (~$169), respectively. On the other side, the IN 1b variants like 2 GB RAM + 32 GB storage and 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage. They are priced at Rs 6,999 (~$94) and Rs 7,999 (~$108), respectively.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo to double its local sourcing in India by 2021

Micromax IN Note 1 and IN 1b specifications and features

The Micromax IN Note 1 has specs like a 6.67-inch IPS LCD FHD+ punch-hole display that offers a 21:9 aspect ratio. It has a 16-megapixel front camera and a 48-megapixel + 5-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel quad camera system. The Helio G85 chipset and a 5,000mAh battery powers the IN Note 1. It comes with support for 18W fast charging through USB-C.

The Micromax IN 1b is packed with specs such as a 6.52-inch IPS LCD HD+ display and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It has a front camera of 8-megapixel and a 12-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual-camera system. The Helio G35 SoC drives the device with a 5,000mAh battery.

The Micromax IN Note 1 and IN 1b comes loaded with a stock version of Android 10 OS. They are also equipped with a dedicated button for accessing Google Assistant. They also feature a rear-facing fingerprint scanner.

Vivo to double its local sourcing in India by 2021

By

Sean

-

Nov 9, 2020

Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Vivo, is set to increase its local sourcing to about 40 percent for its production capacity in India by next year. The move will be a significant jump from its current sourcing that amounts to about 15 percent.

According to Nipun Marya, Director-Brand Strategy, Vivo India, “continuing our commitment to Make in India, Vivo will manufacture all the V20 SE devices at the Greater Noida facility that employs nearly 10,000. The company has an annual capacity to manufacture nearly 33 million mobile phones. All the phones sold in India are made in India.” At the moment, Vivo accounts for 28 percent of the market share by sales volumes in India, which also makes it the largest brand in the country in mainline retail.

Thus, the move to increase local sourcing would only seem more logical and beneficial for the company in the longer run. The senior executive further added that the state of Tamil Nadu, which accounts for 7 percent of overall smartphone sales in India, is one of its key markets in the region and also contributes about 8 percent of the company’s total revenue.

The announcement arrived with the launch of the Vivo V20 SE in the state, where the company has over 4,000 retailers and 25 exclusive stores. Vivo is expecting to grow further in the market and is already “receiving great response from customers for our customer-centric innovations in design and camera.”

OxygenOS 11.0.1.1 for OnePlus 8/8 Pro brings Canvas feature & October 2020 security patch

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Nov 9, 2020

At the end of October, OnePlus rolled out OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 3 for OnePlus 8 and Oneplus 8 Pro. Now, the duo is receiving a new update in the stable channel with build number OxygenOS 11.0.1.1. Unfortunately, though the update has been released in November, it comes with October 2020 security patch.

The new stable update for the OnePlus 8 series brings the Canvas feature that was introduced in the beta channel in late September. That’s not all, it also changes the quick settings to three lines. Other than these two additions, the latest system update brings a number of optimizations and fix for Bluetooth mute issues.

These optimizations are for frame stability algorithm, adaptive brightness algorithm, background process management, 5G connectivity, and WiFi connection.

That said, the new update comes with the following build numbers for all the regions.

OnePlus 8
- IN – 11.0.1.1.IN21DA
- EU – 11.0.1.1.IN21BA
- NA – 11.0.1.1.IN21AA
OnePlus 8 Pro
- IN – 11.0.1.1.IN11DA
- EU – 11.0.1.1.IN11BA
- NA – 11.0.1.1.IN11AA

OnePlus 8/8 Pro OxygenOS 11.0.1.1 Official Changelog

System
- Optimized the frame stability algorithm to make the experience smoother
- Optimized adaptive brightness algorithm, making 8,192 levels of automatic brightness adjustment more comfortable
- Optimized background process management mechanism to improve standby-by performance
- The quick setting has been adjusted to three lines
- Updated Android Security Patch to 2020.10
- Improved system stability
Ambient display
- Newly added Canvas feature that can automatically draw a wireframe picture based on a lock screen photo on your phone（Path：Settings-Customization-Wallpaper-Canvas-Choose photo preview and it can be generated automatically
Network
- Optimized the intelligent 5G function to extend battery endurance capacity
- Optimized Wi-Fi connection to improve stability of connectivity
Bluetooth
- Optimized Wi-Fi connection to reduce transfer delay
- Fixed the low probability issue that it was muted after connecting to Bluetooth

The first update for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro after the Android 11 update is currently being pushed in batches. It should reach every user in the coming days.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 price in India slashed massively to Rs 45,000 (~$608) in offline markets

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Nov 9, 2020

The Galaxy Note 20 series of stylus-totting flagship phones by Samsung was made official in August in various markets including India. The Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra arrived as successors to the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ phones from last year. Fresh information shared by 91mobiles reveals that Samsung has significantly slashed the price of the Note 10 in the offline markets in India.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 price in India slashed

The Galaxy Note 10 was made official with a price tag of Rs 69,999 (~$945) for its sole 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage trim. It is currently available on Samsung India’s website with a discounted price of Rs 57,100 (~$771). On Amazon India, it is currently listed for Rs 73,600 (~$994).

In offline markets, the Galaxy Note 10 has been available for Rs 72,695 (~$982). The publication reported that Note 10 has received a heft price cut of Rs 27,695 (~$374). Hence, the smartphone is now available at an irresistible price of Rs 45,000 (~$608) in the offline markets in India. The publication claims only the Aura Red, but also its other color variants are available with the revised pricing.

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The Galaxy Note 10 has a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED display that produces a 19:9 aspect ratio and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels. The Exynos 9825 chipset is present under the hood of the device. It has a 10-megapixel front camera and a 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel (telephoto) + 16-megapixel (ultrawide) triple camera system. The phone comes with a 3,500mAh battery that supports 25W fast charging, 12W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.

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