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

By

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung is the top phone vendor in Europe in Q3 2020, Xiaomi is third: Canalys

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 specifications and features

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.

Huawei Mate 40 series repair charges announced, Get a case immediately

By

Sean

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Nov 9, 2020

The Huawei Mate 40 series was recently announced and is positioned as the company’s current flagship lineup. Now, the Chinese tech giant has revealed the repair charges for the premium grade handset, which carries a price tag just as hefty as the smartphones.

Looking at the prices, we can observe that the display and motherboard are by far one of the most expensive components of the device. For example, the motherboard for the Mate 40 RS Porsche Edition costs about 6,699 Yuan (roughly 1,020 US Dollars). Even the most affordable motherboard replacement costs about 3,199 Yuan (roughly 483 US Dollars) for the Mate 40 Pro.

Furthermore, the selfie shooter costs 418 Yuan (roughly 63 US Dollars) for repairs across the entire lineup. However, the rear camera setup costs vary between different variants, like the Mate 40 Pro (940 Yuan or 143 US Dollars) and Mate 40 Pro+ (1185 Yuan or 180 US Dollars). The battery is another aspect that remains the same between the Pro series and the RS Porsche Edition, costing just 196 Yuan (roughly 30 US Dollars).

The prices for some of the components seem especially high, especially the Mate 40 RS Porsche Edition as its motherboard costs nearly half of its total 11,999 Yuan (roughly 1,814 US Dollars) price tag. So if you own a Mate 40 device, do be careful and consider grabbing a good case for your smartphone or you might end up shelving out a lot of money on repairs.

Redmi Note 9 Series tipped to start around 1000 yuan($151) in China

By

Balaji S

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Nov 9, 2020

Xiaomi is gearing up to launch the Redmi Note 9 series of Smartphones in China. A Standard and High spec variant of the 5G devices are likely to break cover. Ahead of this, the pricing of the smartphones have now been tipped.

Redmi Note 9 Series China — CC: TENAA Top: Redmi Note 9 Standard Edition Bottom: Redmi Note 9 High Edition

According to a post on Weibo(via Twitter), the Standard variant of the Redmi Note 9 5G will cost about 1000 yuan($151). And a higher version with a 108MP camera sensor will be around 1500 yuan($227). This pricing corroborates with an internal document leak that earlier said that Xiaomi will launch a 999 yuan 5G device towards the end of 2020.

Anyway, the report says the entire Note 9 series will support 5G connectivity which is obvious by now. Coincidentally, Redmi’s GM Lu Weibing has already teased its arrival. So, if the report is true, we might see the devices hitting the shelves as early as mid-November.

Besides, the Redmi Note 9 Series is expected to get a Standard, and a High Edition. That said, Xiaomi might just call it the Redmi Note 9, and Note 9 Pro 5G but we will have to wait for the confirmation. Anyway, the TENAA listings of the Redmi Note 9 series reveals key specifications of the device. Both the devices share similar features like a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, micro-SD card, and will likely run MIUI 12 based on Android 10.

Redmi Note 9 Series China Specifications

According to the listings, Redmi Note 9 Standard Edition will feature a MediaTek Dimensity 800U 5G SoC. It will likely have 4/6/8GB RAM and 64/128/256GB storage. For cameras, it will have a 48MP rear sensor and a 13MP selfie shooter. Plus, it will have a 6.53-inch LCD FHD+ display with a top-left punch-hole unlike the High Edition(centered punch-hole). Other Specifications include SA/NSA 5G, 5,000mAh battery with 22.5W charging support.

The High Edition(likely Redmi Note 9 Pro) of the 5G series will have Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC. It is likely to be a rebrand of Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G. Accordingly, the TENAA listing says that it will feature a 6.67-inch FHD+ LCD display. If it’s indeed a rebrand, we can expect the display to have a 120Hz refresh rate. It will boast 6/8/12GB RAM and 64/128/256GB storage.

Additionally, it will have a 4,720mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. Other specifications expected are 108MP Samsung HM2 rear sensor, 16MP front camera, and more.

Realme RMX2194 with Snapdragon 460 spotted at Geekbench

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 9, 2020

A new Realme phone with model number RMX2194 has surfaced on the Geekbench benchmarking platform. The handset seems to be a C-series smartphone. Also, the listing suggests that it could be powered by a Qualcomm chipset.

The Geekbench 5 appearance of the Realme RMX2194 reveals that it is powered by an octa-core processor by Qualcomm chipset. The base frequency of 1.80GHz and ‘bengal’ codename mentioned in the listing suggests that the device is powered by the Snapdragon 460 chipset.

Currently, Realme is selling two Qualcomm powered C-series smartphones such as the Realme C17 and the recently announced Realme C15 Qualcomm Edition (RMX2195 model number). The RMX2194 model number suggests that it could be a country of the Realme C15 Qualcomm Edition. It is advisable to wait for further reports to know the identity of the Realme RMX2194.

The Realme RMX2194’s Geekbench listing has further revealed that it has 4 GB of RAM and Android 10 OS. On the benchmarking platform, the RMX2194 has scored 254 and 1171 points in the single-core and multi-core tests, respectively.

Editor’s Pick: Upcoming Smartphones in November 2020: Huawei, Redmi, Realme, Vivo, and more!

Realme C15 Qualcomm Edition specifications

The Realme C15 Qualcomm Edition has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display that offers an HD+ resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It is loaded with Android 10 OS and Realme UI 1.0. The Snapdragon 460 SoC powers the device with 3 GB / 4 GB of RAM. The phone comes with 32 GB / 64 GB / 128 GB storage and a microSD card slot.

The Realme C15 Qualcomm Edition has a front camera of 8-megapixel. Its rear is fitted with a 13-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel quad-camera system. It houses a 6,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. It has a rear-mounted fingerprint reader.

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 prototype’s live images leaked

By

Sean

-

Nov 9, 2020

An engineering sample of a Microsoft Surface Pro 8 unit was recently spotted on via eBay. Since then, the device has been purchased by Redditor Unreliable_noob, who has even posted images of the yet to be released device.

According to an MSPowerUser report, the prototype device was barely distinguishable from the company’s previously launched Surface Pro 7. Although, the similarities were mostly in design as the internals received a refresh, with the new Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, along with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 also lacks a Thunderbolt 3 port but houses a larger 50,030mWh battery in comparison to the 45,000mWh on the Surface Pro 7.

While the device is still a prototype engineering sample and the company would likely still makes tweaks in its design and other aspects, it seems highly unlikely that the upcoming generation of Surface Pro will tablet will feature a new bezel less design on the front. However, since this is just a prototype one should take the specs and design with a pinch of salt for now, and wait for more officially announced details that should arrive soon. So stay tuned for more updates.

Huawei patents a complex hinge design for crease-free foldable smartphones

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Nov 9, 2020

Recently, Huawei patented two foldable smartphone designs similar to the Galaxy Z Fold2 and Galaxy Z Flip. Now, another patent by the Chinese telecom giant imagines a complex hinge structure for foldable devices with the clamshell form factor.

This newly spotted foldable smartphone hinge design patent was filed by Huawei Technologies with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) on April 16, 2019. However, it got approved and published only on October 22, 2020. That means this patent is older than the other two foldable designs by the company.

That said, this particular patent was first unearthed by WindowsUnited. We later confirmed it via Incopat and found its number to be WO2020210987A1.

The document for this patent goes into detail about a complex hinge design. In a nutshell, this design is meant to avoid creases, which is one of the many cons of current-gen foldable handsets. It achieves this by using a modular design.

With this hinge design, the OLED panel contracts and expands when the phone is shut and opened like on the Motorola razr and razr 5G. In other words, the screen is not completely folded when the device is closed. If implemented, this hinge design can provide a crease-free foldable smartphone experience.

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Having said that, Huawei’s diagrams showcase this hinge in a clamshell form factor. Hence, we don’t think the same hinge design can be implemented in foldables that unfold into a tablet.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro has limited supply in China due to high demand

By

Jeet

-

Nov 9, 2020

Apple recently launched its much-awaited iPhone 12 series smartphones and now all four models are available for purchase. The demand for the newly launched devices is high and it seems that the company could struggle to meet the demand.

In China, it seems that the iPhone 12 Pro is the best-selling device among all the four models launched. And because of this, some of the sellers are selling the smartphone at an increased price, up to 1,000 yuan more than the original price.

EDITOR’S PICK: China Smartphone Market shipped 49.7 million 5G handsets in Q3 2020; Xiaomi was the only brand to grow

Apple’s own website in China is showing a wait time of around three to four weeks for the shipments of iPhone 12 Pro while other phones, including iPhone 12 and 12 Mini have a waiting period of just five to seven days.

Recently, it was reported that because of the increased demand, the company has increased production orders by 2 million. However, the company is also reportedly struggling to source power chips for the iPhones, and failure to procure the chips could impact the sales for this year or at least this quarter.

An estimate released by Cinda Securities projects that the demand for the iPhone 12 series will likely reach 80-85 million units. It is also estimated that Apple will likely ship around 230-240 million units of the iPhone 12 models in 2021. If this happens, the iPhone 12 series will emerge as the US company’s best-selling phones ever. Currently, that record is held by the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus with an estimated shipment of 224 million units.

Vivo S7e 5G pricing confirmed ahead of Double Eleven sales

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Nov 9, 2020

On Nov. 4, Vivo announced the Vivo S7e 5G smartphone in China. Since then, the handset has been available on pre-orders. While the entire specs of the phone were revealed, the company did not confirm its price tag. Today, the Chinese brand revealing the pricing of the device.

Vivo S7e 5G price

The Vivo S7e 6G has arrived in China with a price tag of 2,398 Yuan (~$363) and is aimed towards the upcoming Double Eleven (Nov. 11 – Singles’ Day) sales. The handset has arrived in colors like Phantom Blue, Mirror Black, and Silver Moon. It is unclear whether the device will be made available in other markets.

Vivo S7e 5G specifications and features

The Vivo S7e 5G has a 6.44-inch AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch. It delivers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The phone promises a screen space of 90.1 percent. A fingerprint sensor is integrated with the display of the Vivo S7e 5G. The FunTouch OS 10.5 based Android 10 OS comes preinstalled on the device.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo’s new OriginOS confirmed to launch on November 18

The Dimensity 720 chipset is present under the hood of the Vivo S7e 5G. The SoC is coupled with 8 GB of LPPDR4x RAM. The phone ships with a native storage of 128 GB and it has a microSD card slot for additional storage. There is a 4,100mAh battery present inside the Vivo S7e 5G. It carries support for 33W fast charging technology.

The Vivo S7e 5G has a front-facing camera of 32-megapixel. A vertical triple camera unit that comprises of a 64-megapixel main lens with f/1.89 aperture, a 120-degree 8-megapixel ultrawide shooter with capabilities to capture macro shots with f/2.2 aperture, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture is available on the backside of the Vivo S7e 5G.

Alleged OPPO Reno5 images appear, could be coming with 65W fast charging

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Nov 9, 2020

Recent reports have claimed that OPPO could be launching the OPPO Reno5 series in China soon. Today, a Chinese tipster revealed that the charging capabilities and color variants of the Reno5.

According to the tipster, the OPPO Reno5 will be drawing power from a dual-cell battery and it will carry support for 65W rapid charging. The device will be available in four colors such as Starry Dream, Aurora Blue, Moonlight Black, and Star Wish Red. The leak also claims there will be a leather edition of the device.

OPPO Reno5系列依旧是标配65W超级闪充，同定位线下竞品中充电速度最快的，隔壁两家新品依旧是单电芯。
外观也还可以，星河入梦、极光蓝、月夜黑、星愿红四款常规配色，还有一个皮革版本。

— Digital Chat Station (@StationChat) November 9, 2020

OPPO Reno5 specifications (Rumored)

In the previous week, the TENAA telecom authority of China approved an OPPO phone with model number PEGM00 / PEGT00. It is speculated that this device could be breaking cover as the Reno5. Last week, GizmoChina carried a report on its specs that had emerged at TENAA. At that time, the images of the device did not appear in the TENAA listing.

The PEGM00 / PEGT00 OPPO smartphone has 159.1 x 73.4 x 7.9mm dimensions and 172 grams. It is fitted with a 6.43-inch OLED screen with a single punch-hole design. It delivers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It will support a 60Hz refresh rate and a 180Hz touch sampling rate.

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The alleged OPPO Reno5 is powered by a 2.4GHz octa-core processor. There are speculations that the device could be driven by the Snapdragon 765G chipset. This means that Reno5 could be a third-generation phone to feature the Snapdragon 765G which also powers the Reno4 and Reno3 Pro 5G. It could be coming with a 4,300mAh battery.

The handset has a 32-megapixel front-facing camera and a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel quad-camera system. The handset is loaded with ColorOS 11 based Android 11 OS. Lastly, it also features an in-screen fingerprint sensor.

Huawei to reportedly launch its new desktop computer later this month

By

Jeet

-

Nov 9, 2020

Chinese giant Huawei, which is currently working on strategies to keep its business afloat, is gearing up to launch a new device in the market by the end of this year. The product is expected to be a desktop computer.

As per the report, the upcoming desktop computer from Huawei will be powered by the company’s own Kunpeng 920 chipset, along with a graphics processor from AMD which the leak reveals could be Radeon R7 430.

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It is said that the device will feature a 23.8-inch display and could be aimed at business use. While the exact product is not yet known, it could be the same computer that was previously leaked.

Previous leaks indicate that the device could pack 8GB DDR4-2666 RAM and 256GB SSD storage. It is also expected to have an optical drive, keyboard, mouse, 180W power supply, and the company’s own Kylin operating system

The Huawei HiSilicon Kunpeng 920 chipset is manufactured using a 7nm process and is based on the ARM architecture that was launched back in 2019. It offers high performance and is generally aimed at workstation builds or larger server-based applications.

The Chinese giant, which already has its presence in the laptop category with its Huawei as well as Honor-branded devices, is looking to enter the desktop PC and monitor category for some time now. It will be interesting to see Huawei compete against the likes of HP and Dell in this space.

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