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BOE loses the orders for Apple iPhone’s OLED panels to Samsung and LG yet again: Report

By
Balaji S
-

China’s BOE has once again managed to lose the display contract of the iPhone going into next year. And it will have to wait for another six to seven months to reinstate Apple’s confidence.

iPhone 12 featured

The report by TheElec says that BOE’s B7 line at Chengdu, Sichuan Province has failed Apple’s review program for OLED supply. This reminds us of an early incident at the B11 line which also failed due to less yield rates(20%). The report notes that the B7 is older than B11 and was used for supplying OLED displays to Huawei.

The fact that the plant was far away from meeting the Cupertino Giant’s demand sends an alarming message for BOE to revamp its quality control. This means it can apply for the proposal again only by H1 next year(2021). And even if it passes the test, it might be allowed to supply only for the refurbished iPhone 12 models.

Coming back, the B7 line was reportedly used to make an on-cell OLED display for supplying to Huawei Mate 40 series apart from main Samsung, and LG vendors. Unfortunately, this plant didn’t meet Apple’s standards for making the cut into the iPhone deal. The review process, which began in September, seems to have lasted only for a month.

EDITOR’S PICK: China will soon hold 70% of total LCD Panel production capacity in the world: Report

Do note that BOE has also failed Samsung’s testing for Galaxy S21 series before the orders went to its sister Samsung Display. Thus, the new failure yet again clears the air for Samsung Display and LG. They are likely to be the prime suppliers for the next iPhone, probably iPhone 13 series after the 12 series.

Talking about them, the next year’s iPhones, early reports indicate that it will have a 120Hz refresh rate screen. And two of the 4 models next year will reportedly adopt the LTPO(Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) display designed by Apple.

Here is where BOE is reportedly lagging behind rivals like Samsung Display and LG. Report says that Samsung, which already applied the LTPO tech on Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. And LG which already has the infrastructure, and equipment(at Paju factory) for it, are ready for the tough job.

UP NEXT: Pro variants of the Apple iPhone 13 series will get an upgrade in ultra-wide lens: Ming-Chi Kuo

Galaxy Xcover 5 could be Samsung’s first 5G rugged smartphone

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Samsung is one of the few companies producing rugged devices for field workers. The company sells both rugged tablets and smartphones called Galaxy Tab Active and Galaxy Xcover respectively. A newer model in the former product category was only announced in late September in the form of Galaxy Tab Active3. Now, as per new findings, the company could be working on Galaxy Xcover 5.

Samsung-Galaxy-Xcover-4s
Samsung Galaxy Xcover 4s

According to GalaxyClub (via SamMobile), Samsung could soon launch a mysterious smartphone with model number SM-G501B. This handset was even spotted on HTML5TEST running Android 11. Going by its model number, the publication believes it to be Galaxy Xcover 5.

This phone is said to come with 5G connectivity. Therefore, the Galaxy Xcover 5 could be Samsung’s first 5G rugged smartphone. Also, as of now, the publication has not found any evidence of a 4G-only variant. Hence, if it exists, it should bear the model number SM-G500F.

EDITOR’S PICK: Ulefone Armor 10 5G Rugged phone powered by Dimensity 800 SoC launched

 

Having said that, though no information is available about its specifications, we can speculate it to come with mid-range features like any other Galaxy Xcover device. Thus, it may feature a mid-range 5G chip like Exynos 880, Snapdragon 765, or Snapdragon 690 to name a few.

Samsung SM-G501B Galaxy Xcover 5 HTML5TEST
Samsung SM-G501B Galaxy Xcover 5 HTML5TEST

Further, it will probably feature an LCD panel as they have a longer lifespan than OLED displays. That’s because companies don’t buy rugged devices for their field workers every year. In fact, Samsung releases newer models after a long period of time.

Anyway, we expect to know more about this phone in the coming days ahead of its official announcement, which will mostly happen via a press release as companies usually don’t do launch events for this type of product.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy Xcover Pro rugged phone with barcode scanner launches in the US

 

Xiaomi launches ultra light Mijia Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Lite for 499 Yuan ($76)

By
Sean
-

Earlier today (19th November 2020), Xiaomi launched a new MIJIA product. It is the MIJIA Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Lite. The device is priced at 499 Yuan (roughly 76 US Dollars) and will be available from November 20.

The vacuum cleaner from MIJIA weighs just 1.2 kilograms and is built from light but durable materials. Despite it being light, it still manages to pack a compact motor and battery. Its light weight also helps in it being used to clean and remove dust from high places. The MIJIA Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Lite is equipped with a high speed brushless motor that has a suction power of up to 17kPa.This motor enables the product to output a continuous and strong suction power that can also be used in two different levels. It also sports a triple high efficiency filter as well.

Editor’s Pick: Apple A15 Bionic to use N5P 5nm+ process; future chips for iPhone and Mac to use 4nm process

Xiaomi

In a full charge, the vacuum cleaner’s battery life can run for up to 45 minutes. So, users would easily be able to cover an entire house of both medium to large sizes on a single charge. Furthermore, the device has an electric bristled floor brush on the front which works through an independent motor drive. This enables it to rotate at high speed, which can remove fine dust particles from in between floor tiles and other areas as well. The suction nozzle has a flat design that makes it convenient for the user to clean the dust and lint from different surfaces.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy S21 powered by SD875 appears on Geekbench scoring lower than Exynos 2100

 

Xiaomi India sold over 13 million devices during Diwali festive season

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

The Diwali festive season is the biggest shopping period in India. Brands usually launch new products a month ahead of the country’s popular festival of lights and promote them heavily with discounts, freebies, and other offers. This year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, companies continued their regular annual tradition. As a result, Xiaomi India sold over 13 million devices.

Xiaomi India Diwali Festive Season 2020 13 Million Devices

Xiaomi is India’s largest smartphone and smart TV brand, as per all the leading research firms except Counterpoint Research. Though the company’s immediate competitors are Samsung and vivo, the largest threat is realme, which is the fastest smartphone brand to hit 50 million shipments.

Hence, we feel like Xiaomi shared its achievement during Diwali sales just because realme did it yesterday. In case you have missed it, realme sold over 8.3 million devices, which is obviously way less than Xiaomi’s 13 million number. But the company seems to feel insecure and for good reason as realme has been a force to reckon with since its inception.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi surpasses Apple to become the world’s third biggest smartphone brand

 

Having said that, let us take a look at the sales figure shared by Xiaomi India in a press release.

According to Xiaomi Data Center, the company registered its highest-ever sales by selling over 13 million devices. Out of which, over 9 million were smartphones. Mi 10T Pro, Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, Redmi Note 9 Pro, Redmi 9 Prime, Redmi 9, and Redmi 9A were some of the best-selling models.

Further, the remaining 4 million units consisted of smart TVs, Mi Ecosystem products, and accessories. Out of this, 450K+ devices were smart TVs and other Home Entertainment products like Mi TV Stick and Mi Box 4K, which were among the top-selling streaming devices across Amazon India and Flipkart.

Xiaomi India Diwali Festive Season 2020 9 Million Smartphone Sales

Xiaomi says that the demand for 4K televisions was much more than last year and 50/55-inch TVs saw over 50% growth. That’s not all, the sales of Mi Air Purifiers increased by 100% and new products like Mi Watch Revolve and Mi Smart Speaker witnessed a great response from consumers.

Last but not least, Mi Bands continued to be among the best-selling products in the fitness category, and ‘Made in India’ Mi Power Banks hit 10 million sales during this period.

UP NEXT: IDC: China Smartphone Market shipped 49.7 million 5G handsets in Q3 2020; Xiaomi was the only brand to grow

 

realme 7 5G launches in Europe with Dimensity 800U, 48MP camera, & more

By
Balaji S
-

realme launched the realme 7 series of 4G devices in Europe back in October. Today, the company has brought yet another model in the 7 series but with next-gen 5G connectivity. Priced at £279($369.88), realme says the device is currently the most affordable 5G smartphone in the market.

Realme 7 5G Europe

realme 7 5G Europe Prices, Availability, Offers

The realme 7 5G sadly comes only in a single 6GB LPDDR4x RAM, 128GB UFS 2.1 storage variant. The device, which will be available in the Baltic Blue variant, is priced at £279. However, it will be sold at a discount rate of £229($303.59) on Amazon from November 27 to 30. This is on the occasion of Black Friday Deals on the e-commerce platform.

realme 7 5G Europe Specifications – Display, CPU, 5G

realme 7 5G features a 6.5-inch LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a screen-body ratio of 90.5% and a touch sampling rate of 180hz. Under the hood, it is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 800U 5G SoC. Realme says the upgraded CPU will give an improvement of 11% in performance and 28% in GPU. That said, it’s no slouch for gaming tasks too. Realme’s new “competition mode” helps improve touch response by 35%, game performance by 20%, along with Game Space, and Game assistant features.

Talking about the highlighting factor, 5G, Realme 7 supports dual-5G connectivity and supports multiple carrier aggregation. Precisely, it supports 12 main Global frequency bands like n1, n3, n7, n20, n41, and more. It also supports dual-channel Network acceleration wherein you can have improved speeds by combining both 5G & Wi-Fi.

Camera, Connectivity, Battery

For cameras, it has a 16MP selfie camera tucked inside the top-left punch-hole. It supports features like bokeh, AI beauty, HDR, Super Nightscape. On the back, you get a rounded-rectangle layout with a 48MP f/1.8 main lens, 8MP 119-degree FOV ultra-wide, two 2MP macro, and B&W lenses. The rear camera supports cinema mode(21:9 aspect ratio), Chroma boost, Tripod mode, and more.

Other features include a fingerprint sensor(on power button), face unlock, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res audio, 5,000mAh battery with 30W Dart charging, OTG Reverse wireless charging, Super Power Saving, USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS for navigation. The device runs Realme UI based on Android 10.

That said, apart from realme 7 5G, realme also launched Realme Watch S(£74.99), Realme Buds Air Pro(£79.99).

UP NEXT: Realme sold over 8.3 million devices in 30 days during the Festive Days promo

List of companies that could launch the Snapdragon 875 Smartphones early tipped

By
Balaji S
-

Qualcomm will likely unveil the Snapdragon 875 SoC in December first week. Ahead of the launch, key specifications of the flagship processor have already been leaked. Now, a tipster shares the first batch of upcoming devices with Snapdragon 875 in China.

Qualcomm Snapdragon Logo Featured

According to tipster Digital Chat Station(via sina tech), Honor won’t launch a Snapdragon 875 powered device even if it can. This is understandable considering it recently unhitched itself from Huawei. Additionally, the company already has a lot of challenges ahead of it like sales, software support, and other challenges.

Moving on, according to the tipster, the following companies will launch the first batch of Snapdragon 875 smartphones in China:

Companies likely to launch the Snapdragon 875 devices early

*incl.-including

That said, among these, we know a few devices that are already in the rumor mill recently. For instance, Xiaomi will likely darn the Snapdragon 875 SoC first on its flagship Mi 11. However, will the other brands announce it before the year 2020 ends? Well, we feel that Xiaomi, out of all will mostly be the frontrunner to announce a new flagship smartphone. But, there are chances that companies like Vivo, iQOO, Realme, OPPO will follow suit.

Accordingly, the tipster also says that those who miss the cut-off window will carry over their launches to January. Besides, OPPO’s Reno5 series that is recently in the news is expected to have Dimensity 1000+ SoC. However, it’s Find X3 series could very well feature the Qualcomm’s flagship SoC. OnePlus’ 9 series of devices aren’t expected to come out until Mid-March of next year.

In any case, if he is talking about the order of the launch in the list, Xiaomi will lead the pack with Vivo, and Oppo following it. Having said that, there is very little information about brands like Realme, iQOO, Black Shark, Redmi, Vivo who are used to launch flagships around February-May. Hence, it will be interesting to see if they jump-start giants like Samsung to grab a bite of the market share in 2021.

UP NEXT: Qualcomm announces its first esports tournament in India with a prize pool of 5,000,000 INR ($67,323)

OnePlus Nord N10 5G debuts in Singapore for S$449 ($333)

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

In late October, Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus launched OnePlus Nord N100 and OnePlus Nord N10 5G in Europe. The company even confirmed that these handsets will be hitting the US. But the brand did not say anything about Singapore, the region where the latter device has been now announced.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G Featured Image

Last week, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G was spotted on Singapore’s IMDA certification bureau. Now, the phone has officially launched in the region priced at S$449 ($333). The handset will be available at a discounted price tag of S$399 ($296) for customers pre-ordering it from the OnePlus Shopee Official Flagship Store from November 21 to 30.

The OnePlus Nord N10 5G is the cheapest 5G smartphone in Singapore, unlike in Europe. The device comes with modest specs and will be only receiving a single major update to OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus 8T lacks DC Dimming feature

 

It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 chipset paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage. On the front, the phone flaunts a 6.49-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) IPS LCD panel with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 16MP punch-hole selfie camera.

The body of the handset is made of plastic, compared to glass and metal build on OnePlus’ flagship smartphones. The back of the phone houses an L-shaped quad-camera setup consisting of a 64MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide unit, a 2MP macro shooter, and a 2MP monochrome sensor. The rear panel also includes a traditional capacitive fingerprint sensor.

Other features of this device include support for microSD Card, dual-SIM, SA/NSA 5G, dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, dual-band GNSS (A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, and USB Type-C 2.0.

Last but not least, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G runs OxygenOS 10.5 based on Android 10 and is backed by a 4,300mAh battery with support for Warp Charge 30T (30W) fast charging.

UP NEXT: Official: The OnePlus Nord N100 has a 90Hz refresh rate

 

(Via)

Honor to face new challenges by competing against its ex-parent company Huawei

By
Sean
-

After being spun off from Huawei, Honor is set to be a successful independent brand. However, the Chinese smartphone maker might face new challenges by competing against its ex-parent company.

Honor logo

Honor becoming independent could have the company see some positives as well, with its supply chain from Taiwan benefiting by sidestepping the US trade ban and also be a notable contender to other Chinese brands like Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and others, as per a source. According to the DigiTimes report, Huawei’s decision to retain its high end phone business and sell off its budget friendly handset business is similar to those from other Chinese tech giants like Xiaomi with Redmi and Oppo with Realme.

Editor’s Pick: Apple A15 Bionic to use N5P 5nm+ process; future chips for iPhone and Mac to use 4nm process

Although, the relations between Honor and Huawei might not be as ironed out as the relations between the other Chinese brands, said the source. Furthermore, the US government would also keep a close eye on the development of the situation regarding Honor, whose new management team is said to comprise of Huawei officials. Its initial product development, supply chain management, and even manufacturing will also reportedly rely on the ex-parent company.

Honor

But this might be good news for consumers as the now independent Honor brand could launch smartphones that offer high price to performance ratio. This would be similar to what Realme and Redmi did to tap into the premium grade flagship market segment. Although, it remains to be seen just how well the the company performs and whether it would be as successful as the other now independent subbrands.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy S21 powered by SD875 appears on Geekbench scoring lower than Exynos 2100

 

Redmi Note 9 5G series likely to debut on November 26

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Earlier today, Redmi confirmed that it sold 140 million units of the Redmi Note series across the world. One of the reasons why it was able to achieve such a milestone is that it offers flagship-grade features at an affordable price. Reports have claimed that the Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G will be the first phone to feature the Samsung HM2 108-megapixel lens. Hence, Redmi fans are eagerly waiting for the company to confirm the launch date of the Note 9 series. While the date is expected to be revealed tomorrow, a Chinese tipster (via) has shared an image that reveals that the Note 9 series will go official on Nov. 26 in China.

The poster reveals that the Redmi Note 9 series will break cover at 8 PM (local time) on Nov. 26. As far as pricing is concerned, the Redmi Note 9 5G is likely to be priced around 1,000 Yuan (~$151), whereas the Note 9 Pro 5G may cost around 1,500 Yuan ($228). There is a 4G model too, but it is not clear whether it will launch as Redmi 10 4G series or a Redmi Note series phone.

Redmi Note 9 5G launch date

Editor’s Pick:  Redmi K40 Pro likely to flaunt high refresh rate display and faster charging technology

Recent reports have revealed that the Redmi Note 9 5G will be heading to markets outside of China as the Redmi Note 9T. The Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G is believed to be a modified version of the MI 10T-Lite. The only major difference between the two phones could be the presence of a 108-megapixel lens on the Note 9 Pro 5G. While the Pro model is expected to arrive with a 120Hz refresh rate display and Snapdragon 750G chipset, the vanilla model is also expected to feature a high refresh rate display and Dimensity 800U SoC.

The alleged Redmi 10 4G is expected to break cover in the global markets as the POCO M3. POCO has recently confirmed that the Snapdragon 662 powered the M3 will be announced on Nov. 24.

UP NEXT: Redmi Note 9 Pro gets Android 11 update in India

 

Redmi Note 9T with Dimensity 800U clears SIRIM certification

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Redmi, the sub-brand of Xiaomi is all set to launch the Redmi Note 9 5G series in China. The brand is yet to announce the launch date but the devices have already leaked multiple times. One of them is also expected to launch in global markets as Redmi Note 9T. This handset has been spotted on the SIRIM certification bureau.

Redmi Note 9 5G Standard Edition M2007J22C TENAA

Xiaomi launched a plethora of 9th generation Redmi smartphones in the form of Redmi 9 and Redmi Note 9 series worldwide. However, the latter did not release in China as the country is pushing 5G handsets.

Hence, Redmi is set to launch a special Redmi Note 9 5G series consisting of Redmi Note 9 5G and Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G in the country. The former bears the model number M2007J22C. This very same device will be launching in international markets as Redmi Notre 9T with model number M2007J22G, as per FCC.

EDITOR’S PICK: Redmi Note series global sales exceed 140 million units

 

This phone has now cleared Malaysia’s SIRIM (Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia) certification as well, in addition to IMDA and EEC. Also, the IMEI number found in FCC documents has been registered with C-DOT CEIR IMEI verification as well. That means this smartphone will be launching in Asian markets, including India.

For those unaware, this handset’s predecessor Redmi Note 8T was only made available in European markets. The only major difference between it and the regular Redmi Note 8 is the presence of NFC.

On the other hand, the Redmi Note 9T is an overall different phone from the regular Redmi Note 9. The former not only includes 5G connectivity but also a different design and set of features.

According to TENAA, FCC, and 3C, the upcoming Redmi Note 9T will come with MediaTek Dimensity 800U, 6.53-inch IPS LCD FHD+ panel, 4GB/6GB/8GB RAM, 64GB/128GB/256GB internal storage, 48MP triple camera setup, 13MP punch-hole selfie camera, MIUI 12 based on Android 10, NFC, 5,000mAh battery, and 22.5W fast charging.

UP NEXT: Redmi K40 Pro likely to flaunt high refresh rate display and faster charging technology

 

Qualcomm announces its first esports tournament in India with a prize pool of 5,000,000 INR ($67,323)

By
Sean
-

Qualcomm Technologies is stepping into the realm of esports in India. The known chipmaker has just launched the Qualcomm Snapdragon Conquest Tournament that has a total prize pool of 5,000,000 INR (roughly 67,323 US Dollars).

Qualcomm

The tournament from the company is a part of its first esports initiative in the region, which has a notable mobile gaming community. For those unaware, India is one of the largest smartphone market in the world, with its mobile gaming industry rising as well. Furthermore, increased internet penetration has drove mobile gaming as a whole forward in the country. Now, Qualcomm aims to offer players the chance to win big with its new tournament for Garena Free Fire.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy S21 powered by SD875 appears on Geekbench scoring lower than Exynos 2100

Snapdragon Conquest is set to be a multi stage tournament centered around various events throughout the year. This would enable competitive gaming across different mobile game titles and is designed “to engage mobile gamers across all segments and levels of proficiency.” The tournament kicks off with Free Fire Open 2020, which has a price pool of 5,000,000 INR (or 50 Lakhs). Garena Free Fire is a popular title in the Battle Royale genre, similar to PUBG Mobile. Finer details regarding the tournament and more should be available soon. The company also plans on having live broadcasts and player livestreams as well on the side, which is to “provide aspiring gamers the opportunity to learn and increase their own proficiency.”

Qualcomm

According to Rajen Vagadia, Vice President, Qualcomm India stated that, “India is a mobile-first industry. The phenomenal rise of mobile gaming in India is driving not just the demand for better devices in the industry but also need for a richer ecosystem and more diverse opportunities for mobile gamers. The Snapdragon brand is known for delivering superior gaming experiences. Our work with the larger ecosystem of OEMs, game developers and publishers, is helping us learn and provide an upgraded gaming experience across multiple price tiers. We are really excited about the launch of Snapdragon Conquest, our new gaming program. With Snapdragon Conquest, we are creating a community that challenges the competitive skills of gamers, allowing us a deeper understanding of the gaming needs of all our users in India.”

UP NEXT: Apple A15 Bionic to use N5P 5nm+ process; future chips for iPhone and Mac to use 4nm process

 

ZTE Axon 20 5G Extreme Edition officially revealed, Launch expected soon

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

ZTE announced the ZTE Axon 20 5G smartphone in September. It arrived as the world’s first smartphone with an in-display selfie camera. Hence, the smartphone can offer a truly full-screen experience. Today, the company took to Weibo to confirm the arrival of the ZTE Axon 20 Extreme Edition.

The ZTE Axon 20 Extreme Edition can be seen sporting an orange-colored back panel. It has a large-sized Axon branding on it. The rear side of the phone also features a quad-camera system. Since the device is dubbed as Extreme Edition, it is likely to feature a different chipset.

ZTE Axon 20 5G Extreme Edition poster

The Axon 20 5G was fueled by the Snapdragon 765G. At present, there is no word on the specifications of the Axon 20 5G Extreme Edition. Hopefully, the Chinese brand will soon share more details on the Axon 20 5G Extreme Edition. While the front design of the phone is not shown, the Chinese text on the poster states that it also features an in-screen selfie camera.

Editor’s Pick: ZTE Blade A7s 2020 launched finally with 6.5-inch display, 16MP triple cameras and 4,000mAh battery

ZTE Axon 20 5G specifications and features

The Axon 20 5G has a 6.92-inch OELD display that produces a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. A fingerprint sensor is integrated under the display. It is preinstalled with Android 10 OS and MiFavor 10.5. The Snapdragon 765G SoC is assisted by 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM. The phone comes with up to 256 GB of native storage.

The Axon 20 5G has a 32-megapixel under-display camera. It has a quad-camera setup that includes a 64-megapixel primary lens with f/1.8 aperture, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor with 120-degree FOV, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. It is backed by a 4,220mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging. The handset is available in colors like black, gold, purple, and blue in the home market.

UP NEXT: ZTE Blade A51 live shots and key specs leaked through FCC certification

 

 

Apple Mac Mini teardown offers a look at the new M1 Chip on the smaller logic board

By
Sean
-

A teardown of the newly launched Apple Mac Mini offers a real world look at the company’s new custom made M1 chip. The new Apple Silicon is soldered onto a smaller logic board than its 2018 counterpart.

Apple

The teardown had just recently surfaced and was shared on Reddit. Looking at the images, the M1 is the silver chip as seen in the images. It is labeled with APL1102 and features a 8 core CPU and 8 core GPU along with a 16 core Neural Engine, I/O controllers, and more. Furthermore, the unified system memory is also visible on the right side of the chip, which takes up lesser space than a traditional RAM stick used in previous Mac mini models that helps in making the logic board smaller, as per the MacRumors report.

Editor’s Pick: Apple A15 Bionic to use N5P 5nm+ process; future chips for iPhone and Mac to use 4nm process

Although the smaller size also has its own issues. With the unified system memory, users can no longer consider upgrading their RAM, which was possible in the previous Mac mini. Thus, customers would have to make a more thought after choice between the 8GB and 16GB memory variants when buying the latest Apple Mac mini model. Similarly, the SSD storage is also soldered to the logic board, so internal storage is not upgradeable either.

Apple

So, it is advised that one should carefully choose the different memory and storage configuration based on their personal and professional workload. Apple is seemingly unifying its product portfolio even further, with the new chips being based on ARM that is a common architecture for smartphones. This move would also help them better optimize their new Macbooks and Mac mini lineups since they are behind both the hardware and software.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy S21 powered by SD875 appears on Geekbench scoring lower than Exynos 2100

 

These vivo and iQOO smartphones will get OriginOS update

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Yesterday, vivo announced its new Android skin called OriginOS. The latest mobile software by the company is totally different than its predecessor Funtouch OS. In other words, vivo overhauled its existing software with new design elements and features in such a way that one cannot believe that both were developed by the same company. That said, a day after the conference, the Chinese smartphone maker has revealed all the eligible devices along with update timeline.

vivo OriginOS Logo Featured

According to the official Weibo account of OriginOS, a total of 33 vivo and iQOO-branded smartphones will be updated to the new operating system. The announcement post also reveals that the new software will come pre-installed on the upcoming X series flagship smartphones.

Having said that, the company has divided the rollout into the following three batches.

  • Before January 31, 2021
  • Before the Chinese New Year (February 12, 2021)
  • Q2 2021

Also, just like OPPO ColorOS 11 update schedule, this one also only denotes the starting of the Open Beta rollout. That means the final stable build will take a little bit more time to reach the end-users.

That being said, here’s the official OriginOS update roadmap shared by vivo.

vivo OriginOS Open Beta Update Timeline

  • Before January 31, 2021

    • vivo X50
    • vivo X50 Pro
    • vivo X50 Pro+
    • vivo S7
    • vivo NEX 3S
    • iQOO 5
    • iQOO 5 Pro
    • iQOO 3
    • iQOO Neo3
    • iQOO
    • iQOO Pro 

  • Before the Chinese New Year (February 12, 2021)

    • vivo NEX 3
    • vivo NEX 3 5G
    • vivo X30
    • vivo X30 Pro
    • iQOO Neo
    • iQOO Neo855 Edition

  • Q2 2021

    • vivo X27
    • vivo X27 8GB + 128GB
    • vivo X27 Pro
    • vivo S6
    • vivo S5
    • vivo S1
    • vivo S1 Pro
    • vivo Z6
    • vivo Z5
    • vivo Z5x
    • vivo Z5i
    • vivo NEX S
    • vivo NEX Dual Display Edition
    • vivo NEX Screen Fingerprint Edition
    • iQOO Z1
    • iQOO Z1x

It is worth noting that this update schedule is limited to China. vivo is yet to officially announce OriginOS for international markets. Hence, we expect the company to drop the update roadmap for global markets at that event. 

Everything you need to know about vivo OriginOS

UP NEXT: OPPO ColorOS 11: All the features you need to know

 

Apple is aware of iPhone 12 display’s suffering from a Green tint issue

By
Sean
-

It is not uncommon for newly launched smartphones to suffer from a bug or an issue. This holds true for the new Apple iPhone 12 units as well, which suffer from a green tint issue on the displays.

Apple

iPhone 12 users have taken to online channels to report the display issue that plagues their devices. The display suffers from a greenish tint and also flickers at times. These complaints have grown in number since, with more and more units facing the issue. Posts can even be found on the Apple Support Communities page, although, a fix has yet to be announced for the problem.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy S21 powered by SD875 appears on Geekbench scoring lower than Exynos 2100

According to 9To5Mac report, an official Apple document that was originally sent to Apple Authorized Service Providers had recently surfaced. This document detailed that Apple advised technicians are not to service the units suffering from this issue. Rather, the document insists that the technician notify customers to keep their iPhone 12’s software up to date. In other words, the Cupertino based giant has basically stated that a fix will arrive in the form of an update sometime soon.

Apple

At the moment, it seems like the issue is currently affecting all four models of Apple’s 2020 iPhone lineup. Notably, the issue is apparently arises when the brightness is set to any limit below 90 percent. This issue is reportedly also present in the iOS 14.3 beta. So, it is advised to keep your iPhone 12 series updated or wait for an upcoming update. At least, this assures users that Apple is aware of the issue and can expect a fix to arrive soon. Unfortunately, an exact date or ETA is currently unavailable. So, stay tuned for more updates.

UP NEXT: Honor confirms security updates and after sales service for sold and on-sale products

 

Apple A15 Bionic to use N5P 5nm+ process; future chips for iPhone and Mac to use 4nm process

By
Jeet
-

Apple recently launched its all-new iPhone 12 lineup of smartphones, which are powered by the company’s A14 Bionic chipset. It is one of the first in the smartphone industry to be manufactured using the 5nm process.

Now, reports about the company’s upcoming Apple A15 Bionic chip are making rounds. It is believed that the technology giant is again partnering with manufacturer TSMC to push for ever smaller nodes for the upcoming processor.

According to the new report from TrendForce, the next-generation smartphone processor from Apple, which is expected to be named A15 Bionic, will be manufactured using the 5nm+ processor, which is being referred by the company as N5P.

TSMC says that the N5P node is the performance-enhanced version of the current 5nm process and is claimed by the Taiwanese company to deliver additional power efficiency and performance improvements.

This is in line with the previous report which also added that the company is planning to mass-produce the upcoming chipset in Q3 2021.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung Galaxy S21 powered by SD875 appears on Geekbench scoring lower than Exynos 2100

Reports about Apple’s chip doesn’t stop there. The next chipset that will come after the A15, the Apple A16, most likely in the year 2022, is said to be based on TSMC’s 4nm process, which the company is currently working on. This should offer more improvements for performance and power efficiency.

It seems that Apple wants to be the leading company when it comes to innovations and pushing the boundaries for performance and power efficiency. This shouldn’t be limited to just smartphone chips. Given that TSMC also manufactures Apple’s newly launched M1 chipset, the advancement in the process will extend to future Apple Silicon chips as well.

Apart from the 5nm process, manufacturers like TSMC and Samsung Electronics have already started working on the 3nm and 2nm process, which are expected to be ready for mass-production by 2025.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 11 leak reveals that the phone will arrive with a curved display, SD875, and 108MP triple cameras

 

Xiaomi Mi 11 to arrive with curved display, SD875, and 108MP triple cameras

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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Xiaomi is expected to announce the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Pro flagship phones in Q1 next year. Since the Galaxy S21 series are expected to launch in January, there are speculations that the Mi 11 series will also break cover in the same month. Recent reports have revealed key information on display and cameras of the Mi 11 Pro. XDA Developers’ Editor-in-Chief Mishaal Rahman has shared key specs of the MI 11 phone.

A mysterious phone codenamed as Venus was found in the code of MIUI beta. At that time, the device was speculated as a mid-range phone powered by a Qualcomm chipset. Fresh information reveals that it is the MI 11 smartphone and being a flagship device, it will be equipped with the Snapdragon 875 mobile platform.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro will be sporting a punch-hole display with curved edges. It is expected to support quad HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It is now known that the Mi 11 will sport a curved screen. Like the Pro model, it is likely to flaunt a punch-hole design. However, there is no word on whether it will support Full HD+ or Quad HD+ resolution.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi launches new Mijia Multifunctional Smart Electric Kettle, preserves heat for up to 12 hours

The Xiaomi Mi 11 will be equipped with a triple camera system led by a 108-megapixel lens. The camera setup will also include an ultrawide shooter that will be capable at shooting macro shots. The Mi 11 will support up to 30x zoom. The other details of the smartphone are under wraps.

It is unclear whether the Mi 11 Pro has a triple or quad camera setup. A recent leak revealed that the 4-in-1-pixel binning technology will let the main camera to captures shots at 50-megapixel. It is also expected to feature a 12-megapixel or 48-megapixel telephoto lens on its back.

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

 

Intense competition has Samsung suppliers diversify away from smartphones

By
Sean
-

Major smartphone brands have a list suppliers that enables them to procure the components required to build their products for the market. However, in recent times the increased competition in these supply chains might be driving them out. Now, a couple of Samsung suppliers are also looking to branch out to other ventures to reduce their reliance on smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE Display

As the smartphone market matures, the competition between the suppliers is increasing. This makes profitability difficult as well, and force these firms to also look for a new source of revenue, as per TheElec report. An example of this is Mcnex, which is looking to supply automobiles with camera modules. At the moment, it supplies cameras to Hyundai Motor Group. The company is currently reliant on smartphones that account for 90 percent of its sales, but is expecting an increase in demand from automobiles in the near future.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy S21 powered by SD875 appears on Geekbench scoring lower than Exynos 2100

Back in 2018, these automotive camera modules accounted for 15.1 percent of its sales. This dropped to 9.2 percent in 2019, but has since gone up to 10.6 percent in the third quarter of 2020. Similarly, Powerlogics, which is another camera module supplier, is also working with Hyundai to recycle batteries. Its reliance on smartphones is also 82.9 percent as of last year. Although, it is looking to increase its shipments of protective circuit for batteries.

Samsung

Other Samsung suppliers include DAP and Korea Cicuits, both of which supplied on motherboards for smartphones, that are now shifting towards the automobile industry as well. The former is supplying boards to Hyundai Mobis, which are then made for radar for Hyundai Motor Group. The list of suppliers looking to diversify away from smartphones continues and may soon have other notable suppliers make the shift as well.

UP NEXT: Honor confirms security updates and after sales service for sold and on-sale products

 

Canada’s opposition party urges PM Justin Trudeau to ban Huawei 5G

By
Jeet
-

Huawei has been facing a lot of issues after getting banned by the United States as the U.S. has pressured several other countries to do the same. Now, it seems that Canada could also join the list of countries that have banned Huawei from their 5G infrastructure.

Canada’s opposition parties passed a non-binding motion in the parliament which was put forward by the Conservatives. It is calling China a threat to the Candian interests and values and urges Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ban Huawei.

Huawei Logo MWC 2019

It is also urging the government to draft a plan to “combat China’s growing foreign operations” in Canada. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole said, “We call on the Liberal government to finally grow a spine and make a decision on Huawei’s involvement in Canada’s 5G network.”

The government has delayed deciding which companies can supply equipment for 5G networks. On the other hand, Canada’s allies in the intelligence-sharing Five Eye group, which includes the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand have banned Huawei. Trudeau says that the government awaits recommendations from intelligence agencies.

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple is settling the iPhone ‘batterygate’ investigations by paying a $113 million penalty

Canada has been stuck in the middle of the US-China trade war ever since it arrested Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on an arrest warrant from the United States. In retaliation, China arrested two Canadian citizens for alleged spying, who have been imprisoned ever since.

5G technology is now going mainstream and is said to be the next-big-thing. It offers data speeds up to 50 or 100 times faster than 4G networks. This means that it is a key element for the next generation of innovative technologies, from telemedicine to self-driving cars.

The United States banned Huawei last year claiming that it poses national security because of the company’s alleged ties with the Chinese Communist Party, without showing any proof. However, Huawei has denied all such allegations.

UP NEXT: As the company goes independent, Honor confirms security updates and after-sales service for sold and on-sale products

 

Here are the top 20 Worst Passwords used by people in 2020

By
Sean
-

With online privacy and data security becoming an increasing issue in recent times, various companies have taken multiple steps to secure their own systems. Now one would expect the general public to do the same, but it seems that a few have yet to realize just how terrible their passwords are.

Passwords

So, lets look into some of the worst offenders of this year. The original list was compiled by NordPass, which is a password manager, and was reported by GizModo. As per the company’s list, there are still millions people using highly insecure passwords like “123456” AND “password” for their various login credentials. The worst part is that some of these passwords in the top 20 are the usual suspects that appear frequently in this list every year.

Editor’s Pick: Honor confirms security updates and after-sales service for sold and on-sale products

Unfortunately, while the password might be easy to remember and convenient for the user, they take less than a minute to crack. This also holds true to the other numerical variations like, “000000” or “123123.” Furthermore, this also extends to any other simple alphabetical passwords that generally use adjacent letters on a QWERTY format keyboard like “qwertyuiop” or “asdfghjkl.”

Passwords

Here are the top 20 worst passwords of 2020:

  1. 123456
  2. 123456789
  3. picture1
  4. password
  5. 12345678
  6. 111111
  7. 123123
  8. 12345
  9. 1234567890
  10. senha
  11. 1234567
  12. qwerty
  13. abc123
  14. Million2
  15. 000000
  16. 1234
  17. iloveyou
  18. aaron431
  19. password1
  20. qqww1122

In this day and age, data breaches and cyberattacks are still a possible threat, more so for enterprises/businesses. But, this is also indicative of how a simple unique variation in passwords or making them complex goes a long way in online security for your various accounts. All of the aforementioned passwords were exposed more than 100,000 times. It is also advised to used 2 factory authentication with any service that offers it for added security.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy S21 powered by SD875 appears on Geekbench scoring lower than Exynos 2100

 

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