Google launches VPN service for Android; coming to the US, and other countries soon

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Nov 2, 2020

Google is the place where we search all of our queries. And now, it could just make us anonymous and protected as well. It has announced a new VPN service for Android by Google One is coming to the US, and other countries soon.

In a blog post(via The Verge) Google says it is introducing a new VPN service for Android users who have the 2TB and higher Google One plans. It costs $99.99(USA)/₹6,500(India) a year or $9.99/₹650 a month. This service will reportedly encrypt and protect the entire online traffic irrespective of browser or app being used. However, it is built into the Google One App(Android-only as of now). And as said above, users need a Google One Membership.

VPN by Google One

For the unaware, Google One is a subscription service that gives more cloud storage. With every Gmail, users get 15GB of free color storage. But if you want to upgrade it, you need to subscribe to Google One. However, if you are in the US and already on a 2TB plan, you will get the VPN support through an update soon in the coming weeks on the Google One App. But if you are somewhere else, you might have to wait longer.

Additionally, Google is also rolling out Pro sessions by Google One with VPN support for 2TB plan users. This is basically a support service that schedules conversations. And connects you to a Google Expert to know more about the VPN service.

How to enable it? -That said, to enable the update, after getting it, open the Google One app and navigate to VPN on the Home section. On the next page, enable the VPN. Also, if you share your 2TB plan with family members(Max:5) they can enable the service at no extra charge.

Availability

The new VPN by Google One service is limited to Android as of now. But it will expand to iOS, macOS, and Windows, and other countries in the coming months. As said earlier, it will roll out to the USA in the coming weeks. And Pro sessions will also roll out to the USA, United Kingdom, and Canada in a few weeks.

OEMs ramp up IC parts orders in a bid to fill the vacuum created by Huawei’s slump

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 2, 2020

Just a couple of years back, Huawei was already setting its eyes on storming the US market and also edging Samsun out of the number one spot to become the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer. Both visions are presently out of the brand’s thoughts as it struggles to survive amidst the recent US ban that has made it impossible to get ICs for its smartphones.

Huawei’s market share is already expected to start taking a hit soon even though the brand still led the Chinese smartphone market in Q3 2020. Huawei’s market share is expected to be snatched away by Apple but the US smartphone vendor may not be the only beneficiary of Huawei’s slump.

According to a report by DigiTimes, sources from Taiwan-based IC suppliers have disclosed that other leading Android smartphone OEMs such as Samsung Electronics, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo have reportedly increased their purchases of IC parts. This is in a bid take over the smartphone market share relinquished by Huawei as a result of the US trade sanctions.

The sources hinted that Android phone makers have placed orders for LCD driver ICs in the quarter which exceeded the quarterly shipments of related chips shipped to Huawei previously. Further, some ambient light sensor suppliers also revealed that China’s handset vendors are building their inventories for such chips aggressively as they intensify efforts to expand their market share at the domestic and overseas markets to fill the vacuum created by Huawei’s ban.

Also, most IC suppliers believe that a great portion of current IC orders for handset applications involves double bookings by handset brands in light of tight capacity at foundry houses. However, these inventories could create problems for the OEMs if their market share fails to increase as expected.

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

50W Fast Wireless Charging Showdown: Mi 10 Ultra versus Mate 40 Pro

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 2, 2020

While wired charging has recorded a significant increase in charging speed for years, wireless charging has been playing catch up. However, thanks to Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Huawei, and OPPO, wireless charging is now incredibly fast too.

At the moment, if you want to experience the fastest wireless charging technology on a commercially-available device, your options are limited to the Mi 10 Ultra by Xiaomi and the Mate 40 Pro/Pro+/RS Porche Design by Huawei. These phones support 50W fast wireless charging, putting them way ahead of phones such as the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G that both support 15W wireless charging.

For those who are curious as to whose 50W fast wireless charging technology is faster between that of Xiaomi and Huawei, Chinese leaker, Digital Chat Station, has carried out a test to determine the result.

First, it is important to state that the two phones have similar battery capacities. The Mi 10 Ultra has a 4500mAh battery capacity that is split into two cells while the Mate 40 Pro has a 4400mAh battery capacity. We are not sure if they are two cells but a teardown has revealed that the phone has two cables connected to the battery.

Mate 40 Pro battery | Image via: seekdevice.com

Based on the images shared on his Weibo page, both devices were placed on their respective wireless chargers at the same time (4:05). After 5 minutes, the Mate 40 Ultra was at 17% while the Mi 10 Ultra was at 20%. After 15 minutes of charge. the difference is wider as the Mi 10 Ultra is 49% while the Mate 40 Pro is at 38%. A 30-minute charge sees the Huawei flagship at 68% while the Xiaomi flagship is at 85% battery level.

The Mi 10 Ultra is fully charged after 39 minutes, confirming the claim by Xiaomi that it takes 40 minutes to fully charge using wireless charging. The Mate 40 Pro takes 56 minutes to get to 100%.

As you can see, the Mi 10 Ultra comes out on top which means Xiaomi’s 50W fast wireless charging technology is faster. Nevertheless, those who pick up the Mate 40 Pro should be equally impressed with the wireless charging speed of their device.

Xiaomi Smart Door Lock Pro launching on November 4; Poster hints at facial recognition feature

By

Balaji S

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Nov 2, 2020

Xiaomi recently launched a new Automatic Smart Door Lock with a fingerprint sensor in China. Today, it’s official Smart Life Weibo account has shared a poster of a new Smart Door Lock Pro. And looks like it has front cameras.

The Poster on Weibo(via MyDrivers) reads Xiaomi Smart Door Lock Pro new product will debut on November 4(Translated). In the poster, you can see two camera sensors on the front side of the lock. Besides, these are probably a couple of camera sensors to recognize the face and enable authentication. However, the render shows only a portion of the lock. And hence, we can’t figure out the position and its accessibility just yet. Also, the poster has a slogan,” the front lock is not in place, one step is in place”(Google Translated).

This suggests non-contact authentication and further strengthens the Facial Recognition feature hint on the new Xiaomi Smart Door Lock Pro. At a time when social distancing is in place, touching objects is risky and hence, we feel facial recognition would be the best bet. And, facial recognition in Door lock also has other useful features. These include burglary and stranger detection, lock picking, triggering the alarm etc. That said, the new Door Lock Pro also has an electronic Bell option that is found on its other models.

Having said that, this is not the first Smart Door Lock with authentication from the company. Back in 2018, Xiaomi Mijia launched a Smart Door Lock with 3D fingerprint, NFC, and more. In 2020, it came up with a budget Smart Lock E that had close to six authentication methods.

It’s great to see Xiaomi evolving from one authentication method to the other and being relevant to the current trend. Anyway, let’s wait and see what other features does Xiaomi brings with the Facial Recognition Door Lock on Wednesday.

Xiaomi MIJIA Robot Vacuum-Mop 1T launched for 2,299 yuan ($344)

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Nov 2, 2020

Xiaomi’s MIJIA brand is known for its IoT products. The company only uses this branding in its home country. In global markets, the products under this brand launch under Mi branding. One of the most popular product categories by MIJIA is vacuum cleaners. Ahead of ‘Double Eleven’ (11.11) aka Single’s Day sale in China, Xiaomi has launched a new vacuum cleaner called MIJIA Robot Vacuum-Mop 1T.

As the name suggests, the newly announced Xiaomi MIJIA Robot Vacuum-Mop 1T is capable of sweeping and mopping the floor automatically.

The robot comes equipped with infrared, ToF, dual-gyro, optical, and cliff sensors. With the help of these sensors and 3D VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithms, it creates a map of the entire place and also avoids obstacles. Users can further edit the created map to further increase accuracy if needed.

By default, the vacuum cleaner will run across the map, however, users can set a particular area for cleaning as well. It uses a brushless motor with 3000Pa suction power and support for 4-speed modes as well as a 550ml dust box for sweeping. Whereas, for mopping, it comes with a 250ml water tank, which is enough to wet for 160m.

Users can also control the robot remotely and install updates using the MIJIA app. Further, the company claims it to run for 180 minutes in standard mode with a help of a 5,200mAh battery. And when almost out of juice, it navigates to the charging dock by itself to fill up.

Last but not least, the vacuum cleaner comes with model number STYTJ02ZHM, measures 353 x 350 x 81.5mm in dimensions, and weighs 3.7Kg.

The Xiaomi MIJIA Robot Vacuum-Mop 1T is priced at 2,299 yuan ($344) and is already up for pre-order in China for 100 yuan ($15). It will go on sale starting November 11. Customers who pre-ordered the product will be able to purchase it for only 1,999 yuan ($299).

Samsung Galaxy M02 launch could be nearing as it receives BIS certification

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 2, 2020

Samsung is reportedly working on the Galaxy M02 smartphone. The entry-level phone is expected to succeed the Galaxy M01 that went official in July in India. The Galaxy M02 has been recently spotted at Geekbench and Bluetooth SIG platforms. Fresh information reveals that the Bureau of India Standard (BIS) has also approved the phone. This indicates that the phone could be heading soon to India.

The Galaxy M02 had appeared with its model number SM-M025F at Bluetooth SIG and Geekbench. These listings had revealed that the phone is equipped with specs like the Snapdragon 450 chipset, 2 GB of RAM, Android 10 OS, and Bluetooth 4.2. The same phone appeared as SM-M025F/DS at BIS recently. The BIS listing has no other information on its specs.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra could already be in production: Report

Recent reports have revealed that Samsung is also working on the Galaxy A02 phone. The A02 has received certification from Bluetooth SIG and FCC authorities. Its model number is SM-A025F. A variant of the phone with model number SM-A025G is speculated to launch as the Galaxy A02s. The SM-A025G has been spotted with specs like Snapdragon 450 chipset, 3 GB of RAM, and Android 10 OS. There is a possibility that the devices may go official in this month or December.

Samsung Galaxy M01 and Galaxy A01 specifications

The Galaxy M01 arrived with specs like a 5.71-inch HD+ PLS TFT display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, Snapdragon 439 chipset, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual-camera setup, a 5-megpaixel selfie camera, and a 4,000mAh battery. On the other side, the Galaxy A01 came with 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB / 32 GB of storage, and a 3,000mAh battery. The rest of its specs were identical to the Galaxy M01.

(via)

Xiaomi launches MIJIA H900 Hair Dryer, offers different blowing modes

By

Sean

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Nov 2, 2020

Earlier today (2nd November 2020), Xiaomi launched the MIJIA H900 Hair Dryer. This new product will launch through Xiaomi Mall, JD.com, and Tmall, and will be available for purchase from 4th November 2020.

According to official notes, the new MIJIA hair dryer arrives with 12 different hair blowing modes through its 106,000rpm high speed motor. The new product is a part of the existing H series of hair dryers from the company and is positioned as one of the higher end variants in the lineup. Looking at the promotional image, the H900 sports a metallic design and has a much larger overall volume in comparison to the previously launched H100 and H300 series hair dryers.

Since it is a high end variant with a larger size, we can expect the price for the newer model to be higher as well. The aforementioned H100 and H300 were both priced below 200 Yuan (roughly 30 US Dollars), so we can expect the new H900 to arrive with a price tag close to around 300 Yuan (roughly 45 US Dollars). A notable feature in the MIJIA H900 Hair Dryer is its constant smart temperature control.

China smartphone market to rebound in Q4 2020, Huawei to lose market share to other brands: Report

By

Sean

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Nov 2, 2020

With the world slowly recovering from the initial impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak, various economies and industries are seeing a recovery. This also holds true for China’s smartphone market that is expected to rebound in the fourth quarter, although, this growth for smartphone makers is expected to eat away at the market share of the country’s current leader, Huawei.

According to a DigiTimes report, the fourth quarter is expected to rebound due in part to Apple’s launch of its latest flagship iPhone 12 series. Furthermore, the aggressive marketing strategy adopted by other local OEMs like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo is also expected to raise its market share, at the expense of the leftover market share of Huawei.

Back in the third quarter of 2020, smartphone sales in China fell by 25.2 percent and 26.2 percent subsequently. This was due to weak demands in the local market, during which time, Huawei also faced reinforced restrictions from US sanctions. Despite facing these issues, the Chinese tech giant still managed to lead the third quarter of 2020 in the region.

Notably, Huawei’s market share is also expected to be snatched away by the US smartphone vendor, Apple. We can expect the Chinese rankings for the final quarter of 2020 to shift a bit, although, it is still too early to tell. So stay tuned for more updates.

First iPhone 13 Prototype resembles iPhone 12 and doesn’t have in-display Touch ID: Tipster

By

Balaji S

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Nov 2, 2020

Apple recently launched the iPhone 12 series. However, the devices still miss out on USB-C, and Touch-ID which has become unavoidable these days. Now, a tipster claims that the next iPhone(Tentative: iPhone 13) will travel down the same path. And only have few improvements over the predecessor.

Tipster Jiorīku on Twitter says(via wccftech) early iPhone 13(tentative) prototypes have been made. And its design isn’t reportedly far away from the iPhone 12. He says the new prototype has designed very similar to the latter but with “few extra steps”. In fact, he mentions that the prototype doesn’t even include the in-display Touch ID that we all have been waiting for. This is disappointing considering Apple went back to Touch-ID on the recent iPad Air 4.

However, this contradicts earlier reports where Analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple will launch at least one model with in-display Touch-ID. That said, the iPhone 13 will adopt a similar design to the iPad Pro if Jiorīku is right. It could carry forward the boxy design with flatter edges, display sitting flush with the metal frame, and rounded corners. However, it could go down the same route of having a display with a wide notch for housing the Face-ID sensors and front camera.

As we already know, early reports of the iPhone 13 indicate that it will have a 120Hz refresh rate screen. Additionally, it will adopt the LTPO(Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) display designed by Apple. Under the hood, it is likely to be powered by the Apple A15 Bionic manufactured by TSMC using a 5nm node. And tipster Jon Prosser has already hinted that future iPhones will have a 1TB storage option.

Let’s wait and see if Apple decides to include both the Touch-ID and 120Hz which may reflect in the future updates of the iPhone 13 prototypes.

Realme X7 series launch in India may happen in December

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 2, 2020

At the beginning of September, Realme unveiled the Realme X7 5G and Realme X7 Pro 5G. Recently, it was officially teased that Realme be bringing its X7 series to India. Over the weekend, tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore shared a screenshot that revealed that the Realme X7 Pro 5G (RMX2121 model number) has been approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in India. Also, leakster Mukul Sharma has claimed that the Realme X7 series will be launching in December.

Last year in December, Realme launched the Realme X2 phone in India. Tipster Sharma has claimed that he has received leaked information that states that the Realme X7 will be launching in December just as the X2 phone was announced last year.

Jist got an intel from my source about the Realme X7 series. In all likelihood, the launch is in December, just like last year's December launch.#realme #realmex7 #realmex7pro

— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) October 30, 2020

In China, many 5G phones are powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity range of chipsets. The Realme X7 5G is driven by the Dimensity 800U chipset, whereas the Realme X7 Pro 5G has the Dimensity 1000+. It appears that Realme could become the first brand to launch Dimensity SoC powered phones in India by announcing the Realme X7 series.

Editor’s Pick: Realme C15 Qualcomm Edition with Snapdragon 460 processor launched in India

Realme X7 and Realme X7 Pro 5G specifications

The Realme X7 features a 6.4-inch AMOLED FHD+ display with a 60Hz refresh rate. On the other side, the Realme X7 Pro has a 6.5-inch AMOLED FHD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate support. Both have 32-megapixel selfie cameras and in-display fingerprint scanners. They are equipped with up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of storage.

The Realme X7 and X7 Pro have 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel quad rear cameras. The X7 has a 4,300mAH battery, while the Pro model has a 4,500mAh battery. Both phones support 65W fast charging.

ZTE Blade 20 5G specifications and pricing leaked; Launch seems imminent

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 2, 2020

The ZTE 8021N was approved by the TENAA telecom authority of China last week. The listing had revealed the entire specifications of the device along with its images. A fresh listing of a named ZTE Blade 20 5G has emerged in China Telecom’s product library. The listing confirms that the ZTE 8021N model number belongs to the Blade 20 5G.

ZTE Blade 20 5G pricing and release date (Rumored)

The release date of the Blade 20 5G is mentioned as Oct. 30. Since the date has already passed, it appears that it may go official in China very soon. The handset is listed with a pricing of 1,699 Yuan (~$254). When available, it can be bought in colors like Light Blue Mint and Jazz Gray color options.

Editor’s Pick: Yahoo teams up with ZTE to launch the $50 Yahoo Mobile ZTE Blade A3Y

ZTE Blade 20 5G specifications

The Blade 20 5G has a 6.52-inch display with a teardrop notch. Based on the TENAA listing of the device, it can be said that it could be equipped with an LCD panel with HD+ resolution support. The listing confirms that it is powered by the Dimensity 720 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. It has a native storage of 128 GB and it is preloaded with Android 10 OS.

The Blade 20 5G has an 8-megapixel camera on the front to take care of selfies. There is a 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system on the phone.

The battery capacity of the phone is not mentioned in the listing. A rear-positioned fingerprint scanner can be seen on the backside of the Blade 20 5G. In terms of appearance, it resembles the ZTE Blade A7s 2020 4G phone available in the European markets.

Honor of Kings records 100 million active daily users, Tencent plans expansion to new genres

By

Sean

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Nov 2, 2020

Tencent‘s Honor of Kings is one of the most popular titles in the mobile gaming industry and has even garnered a massive playbase as well. Now, the game has recorded a sizeable 100 million active daily users, just as the studio also plans on expanding the game into different genres.

For those unaware, Honor of Kings is Tencent’s flagship title in mobile games and is based around the popular MOBA genre in video games. It has seen immense success in China, with playerbase in other Southeast Asian regions as well. With its popularity soaring, the company has now decided to expand the title into other genres of games while also forming a partnership with the British luxury group, Burberry.

This move arrives as the popular game title celebrates its fifth year anniversary and is facing growing competition from the mobile version of League of Legends, arguably one of the most popular PC games within the MOBA genre. Notably, League of Legends: Wild Rift is made by a US game studio, Riot Games, which is also under Tencent Games. The new mobile version of LoL is currently being tested in the Asian region.

According to Li Min, Game Director and General Manager of Tencent’s Timi Studios, “We are going to expand how players can interact with the Honor of Kings world and create a multi-dimensional brand experience that drives engagement both inside the game and outside it. This could include anime, films, music, and even live action series.” In other words, we can soon expect to see the title in more forms of mass entertainment platforms in the near future.

Vivo S7e 5G specs sheet and renders leaked; Likely to be one of the cheapest 5G phones by brand

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 2, 2020

Earlier this year, Vivo announced the Vivo S7 5G selfie-centric smartphone that came with autofocus enabled 44-megapixel dual selfie camera setup. In other Asian markets, the phone has been rebranded as the Vivo V20 Pro 5G. Vivo is now rumored to launch the Vivo S7e 5G phone in China. Leaked information reveals that it will be a weaker sibling of the Vivo S7 5G.

Vivo S7e 5G Specifications

A tipster from China has revealed the key specifications and a render of the Vivo S7e. The leak reveals that the Vivo V2031EA smartphone that was spotted at TENAA last week will be breaking cover in the home market as the Vivo S7e 5G.

The Vivo S7e has a 6.44-inch AMOLED screen with a waterdrop notch. It offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The phone is expected to deliver a screen space of 90.1 percent. The handset houses a 4,100mAh battery.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo V20 SE launched in India for Rs 20,990 (~$282)

The Vivo S7e 5G has a selfie camera of 32-megapixel. The backside of the handset has a triple camera system that includes a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel secondary lens, and the third snapper of 2-megapixel. The leak reveals that the Vivo S7e 5G will be featuring that the Dimensity 720 chipset by MediaTek that includes a 2.4GHz octa-core processor. The phone measures 161 x 74.04 x 7.73mm and it weighs 171.3 grams.

The TENAA listing of the Vivo S7e 5G states that it has an in-screen fingerprint reader. It is loaded with Android 10 OS. There is no confirmation on the fast charging capabilities of the device. Also, the pricing of the phone is under wraps. It is likely to be one of the cheapest 5G phone from the brand. While Vivo is still mum on the existence of the Vivo S7e 5G, it is likely to debut at some point this month.

WhatsApp’s FAQ page explains how Disappearing Messages will work in the app

By

Balaji S

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Nov 2, 2020

WhatsApp recently rolled out a “mute forever” on its messaging platform. However, it is available for a long time on its rival messaging platforms like Telegram. Now, the company is finally working on another feature that is again quite old on the latter. A new FAQ page on WhatsApp provides details about the upcoming “Disappearing Messages” feature.

As stopped by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has opened a new FAQ support page for the feature. In it, it describes what’s coming and how to enable/disable it. It says the new messages sent after enabling the feature will be deleted after seven days. However, this negates the previous Expiring Messages feature in Beta that allowed users to customize the time. This started back in 2019, when we saw in a Beta version that users can delete the messages after an hr/a day/a week/a month/a year.

Prospects of Disappearing Messages

To compare, this is available as a self-destruct option for secret chats on Telegram. And users can customize the time interval as well. Still, this feature on WhatsApp looks like it will work across the board when it launches. Moving on, WhatsApp says the messages sent before enabling it won’t get affected. Although users get to control it on individual chats, only Admins can enable/disable it on Groups.

That said, the feature comes with a lot of conditions as well. If a recipient doesn’t open his WhatsApp for seven days he can still see the preview of messages in the notification window although it gets deleted inside the chat. Similarly, if you quote a disappearing message, the quote text might stay. Also, if you forward disappearing messages to a group/chat where the feature is off, it won’t vanish.

A few Disclaimers of the feature

For backups, every new backup will include the disappearing messages as well. And it will get deleted if the backup is restored after seven days. Having said that WhatsApp also has a disclaimer regarding the feature.

It says users can still take a screenshot, forward, copy & save content, or capture it with another camera to save the messages. And WABetaInfo says the “save to camera roll” will save the disappearing media to local device irrespective of the chats.

How to enable/disable it- Finally, the WhatsApp FAQ page also has steps to enable/disable it on Android/iOS/Web/Desktop/KaiOS. To enable/disable, Open WhatsApp. Go into an individual/group chat. Tap on the name. Now, you can toggle the feature on/off by selecting the Disappearing Messages option.

Currently, there is no ETA for this feature but we can expect it anytime soon after the multi-device support.

Xiaomi India set to launch a compact power bank on November 5

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Nov 2, 2020

Xiaomi is one of the popular power bank makers in the market. The company has been launching new models in the Mi Power Bank 3 series for more than a year. Just recently, it debuted Mi Power Bank 3 Pocket Edition in China. Now, it looks like either this or Mi Power Bank 3 Super Flash Charge Edition will launch in India on November 5.

Although Xiaomi had introduced Mi Power Bank 3 series last year in China, they debuted in India only a few weeks back. Now, the company is teasing to launch a third model on social media.

The tweet by Xiaomi India’s official Twitter handle reads ‘most powerful powerhouse ever’. Further, the company is calling this power bank ‘The Hidden Power House’. Above all, the teaser image compares the silhouette of this upcoming product with the already announced Mi Power Bank 3i 10,000mAh.

Since the image shows this power bank to be smaller and more compact than the already available models, we believe this could be either Mi Power Bank 3 Pocket Edition or Mi Power Bank 3 Super Flash Charge Edition. That’s because they are the only small-sized power banks sold by Xiaomi in its home country China.

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Further, since the company is calling it their most powerful powerhouse ever, it should be ideally the Super Charge Edition. But in India, Xiaomi has only launched 18W power banks. Hence, as the Pocket Edition supports 22.5 charging, it can be also said as the brand’s fastest charging power bank in the country.

Anyway, we will know everything about this compact power bank when it will go official on November 5.

Vivo V20 SE launched in India for Rs 20,990 (~$282)

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 2, 2020

The Vivo V20 SE was first made official in Malaysia in September. However, when the device was announced alongside the Vivo V20 phone in October, the Chinese brand only confirmed its key features. Today, Vivo officially confirmed the Vivo V20 SE price in India along with its availability.

Vivo V20 SE price in India

The Vivo V20 SE has debuted in India with a price tag of Rs 20,990 (~$282). The phone comes in two attractive colors such as Gravity Black and Aquamarine Green. It is scheduled to go on sale from tomorrow (Nov. 3) through Vivo India’s online store and popular e-commerce platforms.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo officially confirms that Origin OS will replace Funtouch OS

Vivo V20 SE specifications

The Vivo V20 SE features a 6.44-inch AMOLED display with support a full HD+ resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 665 mobile platform drives the device with 8 GB of RAM. For storage, the handset offers users a microSD card slot and large native storage of 128 GB.

The Vivo V20 SE’s rear-mounted camera system has an f/1.8 aperture 48-megapixel primary shooter, an 8-megapixel camera for superwide and macro shots, and a 2-megapixel sensor for adding depth effects. There is a front-facing camera of 32-megapixel for snapping top-notch selfies.

The Vivo V20 SE is powered by a 4,100mAh battery that supports 33W FlashCharge technology. It boots to FunTouch OS 11 flavored Android 10 OS. For security, the Vivo V20 SE has an in-display fingerprint scanner. The regular connectivity features like dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack can be also found on the Vivo V20 SE.

In related news, Vivo is expected to launch the Vivo V20 Pro 5G in India. It is expected to arrive as a rebranded version of the Vivo S7 5G that went official earlier n China.

US to “vigorously defend” executive order that seeks to ban TikTok

By

Sean

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Nov 2, 2020

The US Commerce Department recently stated that it would “vigorously defend” an executive order that seeks to ban all transactions made with the Chinese owned short video sharing platform, TikTok. This statement arrived after a federal judge halted the action.

According to a Reuters report, the commerce department stated that it intends to “comply with the injunction … but intends to vigorously defend the (executive order) and the Secretary’s implementation efforts from legal challenges.” Back in October, the US District Judge Wendy Beetlestone blocked the Commerce Department’s order that was set to take effect on 12th November 2020. This order would’ve effectively banned TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, from operating in the US

The Trump administration had also called out the social media application as a national security threat, with personal data being collected of over 100 million Americans that use the app. TikTok has strongly denied the allegations. Beetlestone’s noted that the “government’s own descriptions of the national security threat posed by the TikTok app are phrased in the hypothetical.”

Furthermore, another US District Judge Carl Nichols issued a preliminary injunction in a suit brought by ByteDance that also prevented the Commerce Department from ordering Apple and Google from removing the app from their respective app stores. At the moment, ByteDance is in talks for preliminary deals with Walmart and Oracle, either of which would oversee TikTok’s US operations. In other words, keep the app grounded within the US, which is something the US President himself approves of.

LG may launch a smartphone with rollable display within its Explorer Project

By

Sean

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Nov 2, 2020

In the Explorer Project, LG recently launched its first device, the LG Wing that arrived with an innovative and bold design. Now, the company might also be working on another new device within this project as a recent patent suggests that the South Korean tech giant is making another innovative smartphone with a rollable display.

According to a LetsGoDigital report, LG filed a new patent with the USPO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) back in August 2019, which was finally published in September 2020. The device in the patent is for a handset with a flexible display, which can be rolled up within its own housing. Looking at the images, the device seems to be like any other regular handset when in its compact form. However, it resembles a tablet when the display is completely unfurled.

Unlike a foldable device with a hinge in the middle, the rolling mechanism is on either side of the device. Meaning, one simply pulls out the rest of the display from the sides. When the device is unrolled, the frame also moves along with the display. This indicates that the bezel also acts as protection for the rollable display’s housing. The display from the LG smartphone with a pull out the rollable screen in an OLED panel with a metal housing.

Furthermore, since the rolling mechanism is housed on the sides, the company has also saved up on space and thickness. It has sufficient space for its internal components and is not very bulky, as per the design patents. Unfortunately, the specifications and the name of the device are currently unknown and we will have to wait for an official company announcement. So stay tuned as we will be providing more updates when additional information is available.

OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition launched for 3,999 yuan ($597)

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Nov 2, 2020

As expected, OnePlus has officially launched OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition in China. This version of the smartphone costs 3,999 yuan ($597) and comes in a single 12GB + 256GB storage configuration. It is already up for pre-order in the brand’s home country and will be available for purchase on November 11. There’s no word on international availability yet.

The OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition is exactly the vanilla OnePlus 8T in terms of specifications. It differs from the regular version in terms of design and software. In fact, it is the most customized limited edition OnePlus smartphone ever.

OnePlus has been making limited edition devices for a few years. Some of the notable ones are OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Editon, OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Limited Edition, and Oneplus 6T/7T Pro McLaren Limited Edition.

As their brandings suggest, all the OnePlus limited edition phones were limited to certain regions only. The same seems to be the case for the newly launched OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition. That’s because the company is yet to say anything about its availability in other markets apart from its home country.

Now, talking about the handset, this version of OnePlus 8T features a three-stage design. The top of the back panel resembles a window housing the camera array with the texts – ‘NETRUNNER EDITION’, ‘2077’, and ‘NEURAL CONNECTION STATUS: ACTIVE’. There’s also a barcode from the game.

Then, the mid-segment of the back panel is made of AG glass with the OnePlus logo embossed on it. The OPPO Reno4 Pro Artist Limited Edition uses a similar design. Finally, at the bottom, the panel sports a carbon-like design with Cyberpunk 2077 logo in yellow color.

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For software, the device ships with Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 operating system but with a special theme, AOD style, and camera filters designed after the game.

Lastly, the smartphone comes in a special box with the game’s map printed inside, a protective case with radium borders, Warp Charge 65 Power Adapter, USB cable, SIM card ejector, some stickers, and a badge.

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Note: Though the picture shows 6 badges, the retail unit will ship with any single random badge.

Samsung is the Most Popular Brand in Russia for the 10th year in a Row

By

Sean

-

Nov 2, 2020

Samsung Electronics has received the title for the most popular brand in Russia for the 10th year in a row. The South Korean tech giant is the most favored brand among Russian consumers and has consistently topped the charts for the past decade.

According to a BusinessKorea report, Samsung took the top spot in the 2020 Top 20 Brands list, which was recently announced by the Russian brand market research agency, Online Market Intelligence (OMI). In this list, the company accounted for 17.9 percent of the total votes. Although, this also marked a 0.6 percent fall in votes from the 18.5 percent from back in 2019.

The smartphone maker was closely followed by Adidas, which received 12.2 percent of the total votes. While Nike and Apple came in third and fourth with 11.7 percent and 9.7 percent respectively. These rankings have remained unchanged from the previous year’s list. Later down the list, other known brands are also featured like Bosh (5.8 percent), Sony (4.8 percent), Xiaomi (4.6 percent), and Coca Cola (4.6 percent), LG (4.1 percent), and Jara (3.1 percent).

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G China — Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Notably, Huawei was a new entry into this list and was in the 13th spot in 2020. Previously, we had reported on the Chinese tech giants like Xiaomi and Huawei breaking into the top 20 brands in Russia list. So, we can expect the companies to also have their presence grow in the region moving forward. Samsung had first been featured in the list in 2008 when OMI began and was ranked first for the first time in 2009. In 2010, the company lost its throne to Nokia, but retook the lead in 2011 and has yet to be toppled.

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