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

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Oct 29, 2020

AMD is buying its rival semiconductor company Xilinx. This transaction ill be an all stock deal worth 35 billion US Dollars, which was announced earlier this week by both companies.

Previously, we had reported on the chipmaker planning on buying Xilinx, with both firms then being in “talks” for the acquisition. The former will likely leverage the latter’s field programmable gate array (or FPGA) to increase its competence in offerings within the data centers and machine learning fields. After the deal, Xilinx stockholders will receive 1.7234 shares of AMD stock for each Xilinx share they held previously. This translates to about 143 US Dollars per share of Xilinx stocks.

Furthermore, AMD stockholders will now own about 74 percent of the combined company, with Xilinx stockholders owning about 26 percent. At the moment, the deal now faces approval from different authorities in the UK, the US, European Union, and China, as well as shareholders from both companies. The approval process is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

According to TheElec report, Lisa Su, AMD CEO, will lead the combined company while Xilinx CEO will join as the President and be responsible for the Xilinx business and strategic growth initiatives. Similarly, at least two other Xilinx directors will also join the AMD board. Su added that “Our acquisition of Xilinx marks the next leg in our journey to establish AMD as the industry’s high performance computing leader and partner of choice for the largest and most important technology companies in the world.”

AMD announces Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs, features USB-C for “modern VR experience”

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Oct 29, 2020

AMD has just announced its latest Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards. The new lineup is the company’s Big Navi GPUs that are based on the new RDNA 2 architecture and arrive at very competitive prices in comparison to its rival, Nvidia.

The new Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards are the Team Red equivalent of Team Green’s RTX 3000 series GPUs in the current generation of PC gaming. AMD unveiled the Radeon RX 6800, RX 6800 XT, and the 6900 XT. The first two GPUs will be launched in November while the high end flagship card will launch in December. Notably, the new cards also feature a new USB Type C port to “power head-mounted displays with just one cable for a modern VR experience.”

Each of the new cards features ‘Infinity Cash,’ which is a 128MB of memory directly on the GPU die. This combined with the 16GB GDDR6 VRAM increases “effective bandwidth” by up to 3.25 times compared to the same amount of memory without the cache. Furthermore, for owners of the Radeon 6000 series GPU and Rzyen 5000 series CPUs, AMD has also unveiled Smart Access Memory.

This feature essentially allows the CPU to access more of the GPUs memory, which results in a slight boost in performance. While it is not groundbreaking, it is still a step in the right direction for the company that is finally leveraging the fact that it is the only company that makes both high end GPUs and CPUs.

One of the major inclusions in the latest generation of GPUs from AMD is also the addition of hardware accelerated ray-tracing support that is based on the DirectX 12 Ultimate implementation. Another focus of the company this time around was VR support, with its new cards featuring a USB-C port for VR in particular. The new RX 6000 GPUs support the VirtualLink standard, which was designed to provide a VR headset with data and power through a single port.

Looking into the specs of the cards:

Radeon RX 6800

Compute Units: 60
Game Clock: 1.82GHz
Boost Clock: 2.11GHz
Memory: 16GB GDDR6
Price and Availability: $579 – 18th November 2020

Radeon RX 6800 XT

Compute Units: 72
Game Clock: 2.02GHz
Boost Clock: 2.25GHz
Memory: 16GB GDDR6
Price and Availability: $649 – 18th November 2020

Radeon RX 6900 XT

Compute Units: 80
Game Clock: 2.02GHz
Boost Clock: 2.25GHz
Memory: 16GB GDDR6
Price and Availability: $999 – 8th December 2020

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 may arrive with a sliding keyboard

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Oct 29, 2020

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 arrived as the successor to the company’s original Galaxy Fold with numerous improvements in design and functionality. Now, a new patent from the South Korean tech giant reveals that the next gen Galaxy Z Fold 3 may go even further and add a sliding keyboard as well.

In 2018, Samsung Display had filed a display patent with the KIPO (Korean Intellectual Property Office). This documentation was published back in July 2020 and arrives with eight product sketches alongside a brief description. According to a LetsGoDigital report, the design patent in question is for a double foldable smartphone, which is impressively thin even when it is folded. 3D product renders of the sketches from LetsGoDigital also allows us to better analyze the device.

Looking at these renders, it is clear that the Samsung device folds in two different places through two hinges. This essentially makes 3 different parts of the device, which can act as a tablet when completely unfurled and would be narrow when folded. These different display might have an additional functionality as well when folded, like displaying notifications from messaging apps or other social media applications. Since the device will have the display face outward even when folded, Samsung would likely use its UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) layer for added protection.

Arriving at the most interesting aspect regarding the device, a unique sliding keyboard mechanism is also present under the display. This keyboard slides right within one of the displays that are at the corner and features a full QWERT format. The inclusion of the keyboard may serve various purposes like a mini laptop mode for typing, and could even be useful for other productive endeavors. And since it is housed on a sliding mechanism, it can be used when folded or unfolded as well. Unfortunately, finer details regarding this device are currently unknown, and we only have a design patent to go on. So stay tuned for more updates of what might just be the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Motorola Kiev will launch as Moto G 5G with Snapdragon 690 & OLED display

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Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Oct 29, 2020

Back in September, a Motorola smartphone codenamed ‘kiev’ leaked in full glory revealing its primary specifications and model numbers. Now, more than a month later, the same source has confirmed it to launch as ‘Motorola Moto G 5G’. It is expected to debut alongside the Moto G9 Power as a watered-down version of Moto G 5G Plus.

The Moto G 5G aka Motorola Kiev is a compelling device. It is an upcoming budget 5G smartphone powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. This chipset is found inside the recently launched OnePlus Nord N10 5G.

What’s more interesting is unlike the OnePlus handset which has a 90Hz LCD panel, this phone will come equipped with an FHD OLED display but only with a 60Hz refresh rate. However, the size of its screen is still a mystery just like whether it will have a notch or punch-hole.

That said, it will sport a triple camera setup consisting of a 48MP Samsung GM1 primary sensor, an 8MP Samsung S5K4H7 sensor with a telephoto lens, and a 2MP OmniVision OV02B10 depth sensor. For selfies, the device will make use of a 16MP OmniVision OV16A1Q sensor.

Last but not least, the Motorola Moto G 5G will feature a microSD card slot, NFC for contactless payments, Android 10 operating system, and will be available in two variants – XT2113-2 & XT2113-3.

Samsung to launch the Flip digital flipchart in Europe in 2021

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Oct 29, 2020

Samsung Electronics is gearing up to launch the Flip in Europe in 2021. The device is a 60 inch interactive digital flipchart, which is being aimed at the educational sectors in the region.

The South Korean tech giant’s Visual Display business plans to ship around tens of thousands of Samsung Flip devices in Europe next year, as per TheElec report. The large shipment numbers also imply that Chemtronics, which produces the flipcharts, would benefit from the expanded sales plans as well. Samsung Flip supports touch and resembles a kiosk in the manner of design. Although, it supports useful features like file sharing from smartphones and other devices.

Additionally, it also supports the typical connectivity options like Wi-Fi, NFC, HDMI, and USB ports. Furthermore, the data on the chart can also be shared via email or be stored on cloud storage. The digital flipchart arrives alongside a Passive Pen, which acts as a marker for whiteboards. Once this pen is taken out, the Samsung Flip activates for use. Interestingly, the Flip also allows users to erase texts on the display through their hands, with drawings on the chart also being automatically saved every other minute to save accidental erases as well.

The company has so far unveiled a 55 inch and 65 inch model back in 2018. But now, Chemtronics is the exclusive OEM that will produce the 60 inch model for the European market. As per analysts, sales are expected to jump by 20 percent this year, which is projected to grow even further as Samsung will likely expand its OEMs for the Flip next year to account for increased shipments.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook 14 with 10th gen Core i3 and built-in webcam launching soon in India

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Oct 29, 2020

A few months back, Xiaomi announced the Mi Notebook 14 and Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition laptops in India. The former is powered by the 10^th generation Core i5 processor, whereas the latter is driven by the Core i7 processor from the same generation. Today, Xiaomi’s Global VP and Managing Director for India division, Manu Kumar Jain released a tweet to confirm that the company is gearing to launch a new Mi Notebook 13 powered by the 10^th gen Intel Core i3 processor.

The image shared by Jain shows that the Core i3 edition of the Mi Notebook 14 has 256 GB of SSD storage. It also features a built-in webcam. Due to the slim bezels available on the existing MI Notebook 14 and Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition, these devices could not feature a built-in webcam. To compensate, an HD webcam is made available in the retail package of these devices.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi purchases ~$79 million site in Shenzhen for its new global headquarters

The Mi Notebook 14 Core i3 edition is a light and sleek device that weighs only 1.5kg. The pricing of the laptop is yet to be disclosed. Currently, the Mi Notebook 14 Horizon models such as 8 GB RAM + 512 GB NVMe SSD storage and 8 GB RAM + 512 GB SSD storage are priced at Rs 59,999 (~$810) and Rs 51,999 (~$702).

The Mi Notebook 14 variant such as 8 GB RAM + 256 GB SSD storage and 8 GB RAM + 512 GB SSD storage are priced at Rs 41,999 (~$567) and Rs 43,999 (~$594). Both variants have UHD graphics. There is a 512 GB SSD storage variant with Nvidia MX250 GPU that is priced at Rs 48,999 (~$662).

The upcoming Mi Notebook 14 with Core i3 could be also available in multiple variants. Probably, it could be coming with a starting price of around Rs 34,999 (~$473).

OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition teased by Pete Lau

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Oct 29, 2020

The OnePlus 8T has just been launched recently. It is the latest flagship handset from the company and it was said to arrive in a special Limited Edition Cyberpunk 2077 variant. Now, OnePlus CEO and Founder, Pete Lau, has teased the device, by sharing an image that offers us a first look at the device in question.

In a new post shared on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website, the senior executive shared an image of the OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition. Previously, when the company had first announced the new handset variant, it had refrained from revealing any information or the design of the device. However, Pete Lau has finally shared an image, which reveals a small part of the device.

Looking at the image, we can observe that a grayish-black is the primary color scheme for the special edition OnePlus 8T. Furthermore, the rear panel also sports the Cyberpunk 2077 branding, which is etched from the iconic yellow color. For those unaware, Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest game from renowned game studio CD Projekt Red and is currently one of the most anticipated video games of this year.

Unfortunately, the upcoming game title was recently delayed by 21 days, although, the smartphone maker will not be facing any delays, as per company officials. Thus, we can expect the OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition to launch on 4th November 2020. So, stay tuned for more updates, and its official launch.

Apple faces antitrust complaint over privacy changes in iPhone

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Oct 29, 2020

Apple has been involved in a few controversies because of its policies and now the company is facing yet another antitrust complaint about recently made changes in the privacy policy on iPhones.

As per the report coming from WSJ, advertising companies and publishers have filed a complaint with Competition Authority in France, claiming that Apple’s changes in the privacy policy are anticompetitive.

From early 2021, Apple‘s operating software will require apps to get opt-in permission from the users to collect an advertising identifier. For those who are unaware, this unique identifier helps companies deliver targeted ads and check campaign performances.

The complaint argues that in such a case, very few users will agree to this and as a result, businesses won’t be able to offer personalized ads. It adds that the language will drive-away users and the advertising identifier will become useless for most ecosystems.

EDITOR’S PICK: USA allows companies to supply chips to Huawei as long as it’s not for 5G business

While apps will need to get permission from the users, Apple’s own apps won’t have to show prompt or get user permission. Apple is offering personalized ads in the App Store and on Apple News based on where users go and what users do in Apple’s apps. To opt-out of the default Apple tracking, users need to do that manually by finding the relevant options in the Settings app.

The Cupertino-based tech giant had planned to introduce this new change in policy in September this year but decided to delay it to next year after criticism from high-profile companies like Facebook and others.

iPhone 12 is expected to beat Galaxy S20+ 5G as the best-selling 5G smartphone in H2 2020

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Oct 29, 2020

Android OEMs have been launching 5G smartphones for a while now. But Apple introduced its first 5G handsets in the form of the iPhone 12 series only a few days back. Even though the standard iPhone 12 is expected to become the world’s best-selling 5G smartphone in terms of revenue in the second half (H2) of 2020 beating the Galaxy S20+ 5G.

Strategy Analytics, one of the leading analytical firms has released a report on top-selling 5G smartphones in terms of revenue for the first half (H1) of 2020. Unsurprisingly, Samsung leads the chart with three devices, followed by Huawei.

As you can see from the picture, first place is occupied by the Galaxy S20+ 5G while the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G and Galaxy S20 5G have acquired second and third positions respectively. Whereas, the fourth and fifth places are captured by HUAWEI P40 Pro and HUAWEI Mate30 5G.

According to the report, the Galaxy S20+ 5G was popular in Western Europe, South Korea, North America, other regions. On the other hand, the two Huawei smartphones were widely popular in the company’s home country China.

Though the list does not include a single iPhone right now since the iPhone 11 series sold in H1 2020 is limited to 4G, the chart for H2 2020 is expected to be led by the regular iPhone 12. And possibly, other iPhone 12 models could also make it to the list.

Samsung expects profit decline in Q4 2020 due to lower server chip demand

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Oct 29, 2020

Samsung recently revealed its financial report for the third quarter of this year (Q3 2020). The company announced that for the duration of July-September, it’s profit grew by 59 percent to 12.35 trillion won or $11 billion.

It’s noteworthy that this is the South Korean giant’s highest quarterly smartphone profit in years. But the company has also added that it is expecting a decline in its profit in the next quarter, i.e. in Q4 2020.

The reason started by Samsung for expecting a decline in profit next quarter is the weak demand for server chips and increasing competition in the smartphone market. Although the market amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the South Korea-based company is still wary of the disruption caused and rising tensions because of the US-China trade war.

EDITOR’S PICK: USA allows companies to supply chips to Huawei as long as it’s not for 5G business

Reuters reports that in an earnings call, Ben Suh, Samsung’s executive vice president of investor relations, said that “Global demand is forecast to increase year on year, but uncertainties are unlikely to ease given the possibility of additional waves of the pandemic.”

However, Samsung is expecting a rise in demand for mobile chips as China-based customers have increased their orders after the United States government imposed more restrictions on Huawei.

Samsung has announced that the company’s profit in the chipset business rose 82 percent to 5.54 trillion won compared to last year. The company’s revenue increased by 8 percent to 66.96 trillion won while the net profit rose 49 percent to 9.36 trillion won.

Upcoming Micromax phones’ rear design reminds of Honor 9X series

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Oct 29, 2020

Micromax will make a comeback on Nov. 3 in India to rival Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Vivo, and Realme. The brand is expected to announce two phones named Micromax In 1 and In 1A at 12PM on the said date. Ahead of the launch, Micromax released a tweet to showcase the rear design of its upcoming In-series phones.

India’s style makes heads turn. We’ve designed our new smartphones to do just that. #INMobiles unveiling on 3rd Nov, 12 noon. Are you #INForIndia? #MicromaxIsBack pic.twitter.com/LkMt3FGzjF

— Micromax India (@Micromax__India) October 28, 2020

As can be seen in the tweet, the upcoming Micromax phones will be sporting an attractive “X” shaped pattern on the rear. The glossy back panel can be seen flaunting a gradient finish. The rear appearance of the phone bears an uncanny resemblance to the Honor 9X from last year.

The “In” branding can be seen towards the bottom of the upcoming In-series phones. Take a look at the Honor 9X’s Emerald Green edition to see how closely the new In-series smartphones resemble it.

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

Micromax revealed that the new phones are designed in-house. It also confirmed that it has partnered with MediaTek to design and develop its smartphones at the R&D center placed in Bangalore, India. It is known that Micromax’s upcoming phones will be driven by the Helio G35 and Helio G85 chipsets. These phones will be running on stock Android OS and they are going to be priced between Rs 7,000 (~$95) and Rs 15,000 (~$203).

There is no information on the specs of the Helio G85 powered Micromax phones. The Helio G35 powered phone will be sporting a 6.5-inch HD+ display and a 5,000mAh battery. The base edition of the phone has 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of built-in storage, and a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual-camera system. The higher version of the phone will have 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, and a 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera setup.

Apple supplier Unimicron Technology’s plant catches fire in Taiwan

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Oct 29, 2020

A plant owned by Unimicron Technology, which makes printed circuit boards (PCBs) caught fire on Wednesday in which one person has suffered minor injuries while two others have been rescued by the firefights.

As per the report coming from Taiwanese media, after an emergency call, Taoyuan City Fire Department sent 67 firefighters, 19 fire engines, and three ambulances to the site to battle the fire and support rescue efforts.

EDITOR’S PICK: USA is allowing companies to supply chips to Huawei as long as it’s not for 5G business

While the cause for the fire is being investigated by the fire department, firefighter squad chief Lai Chih-Chung has said that the preliminary findings indicate that the fire might have started in the central air-conditioner room which is located on the first floor of the building.

The company has said that it is still evaluating its losses from the incident. While Unimicron has not revealed many details yet, it is being said in the market that the fire could disrupt the company’s supply chain.

Unimicron Technology is also a supplier for Apple and is reportedly one of the major suppliers for the substrate-like PCB for iPhone 12 models. Currently, it is not known how if this fire will affect supply for the iPhone, for which Apple is reportedly increasing production because of market demand.

US allows companies to supply chips to Huawei as long as it’s not for 5G business

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Oct 29, 2020

In a major relief to the Chinese tech giant Huawei, the United States is now allowing more and more chipset makers to supply components to the China-based company as long as they are not used for the 5G business.

A new report coming from Financial Times indicates that this could offer a potential lifeline to Huawei as the sanctions imposed against the companies were more and less threatening the survival of the giant.

The smartphone business of Huawei, which is the most hit area for the company, now has a chance to make recovery. The report indicates that the application for a license to supply components to Huawei gets approved if the company demonstrates that the technology does not support 5G.

One of the executives of an Asian semiconductor company has said to FT that chips for mobile devices are not a problem and added that the company is optimistic to get a license to continue doing business with Huawei.

In an apparent US-China trade war, the United States put Huawei on Entity List in May last year, effectively banning the company from doing business with US-based companies or companies dealing with American technology, without a special license from the U.S.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei leads Chinese smartphone market in Q3 2020 with 36% market share, reveals CINNO Research

A couple of months, the restrictions were tightened as the United States banned the supply of chipset and technology to Huawei. While it stopped the supply of chips to Huawei, the ban has also been proven damaging for the overall semiconductor industry as suppliers anticipate loss of billions of dollars.

However, in recent times, more and more companies are getting a license to deal with the Chinese giant. Samsung Display recently got a green signal to provide OLED panels to Huawei and prior to that, Intel had confirmed that it received approval to supply chips.

It is being said that Japan-based Sony and China-owned OmniVision, which has its headquarters in California, have also received approval to supply CMOS image sensors that are used in smartphone cameras.

As per the report, more than 300 companies, including the likes of Samsung Electronics, Qualcomm, MediaTek, among others have applied for a license to do business with Huawei and they are expected to get approval in the coming weeks or months.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2 will reportedly launch in Spring 2021

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Oct 29, 2020

Samsung has already launched a couple of foldable smartphones in the market, a new category that the company entered last year with Samsung Galaxy Fold. Now, the company is reportedly gearing up for a new foldable device — Galaxy Z Flip 2.

The smartphone in question was recently reported to have been delayed by the company until late 2021. However, the latest report indicates the company could launch the phone sometime during Spring in 2021 but no specific timeline is known.

The Z Flip 2 will not be launched with the S21, but it will be launched in the spring. I am impressed with the upgrades it will get.

— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) October 28, 2020

This confirms that the device won’t be launched along with the next-generation S-series flagship lineup — Samsung Galaxy S21, which is now expected to launch in January 2021, earlier than its usual release in February or March.

For those who are unaware, the original Galaxy Flip was launched in February earlier this year and then in the month of August, the South Korean giant introduced a 5G compatible variant of the same.

EDITOR’S PICK: Morgan Stanley claims that the recent decline in air quality in Chinese cities is due to iPhone 12 production

As of now, not much is known about this upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2 smartphone but we expect the device to have 4G and 5G connectivity support given that 5G is now become mainstream, at least for the devices if not for the network carriers.

The report also indicates that the smartphone will come with several interesting upgrades compared to the original model but there’s no information about what these upgrades are. However, we expect to get more information about the device in the coming months.

A few days ago, it was reported that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2 will feature a larger outer display, a new UTG display, upgraded hinges, and a bigger capacity battery. But do note that these are just rumors and leaks so take the information with a pinch of salt.

Honor Band 6 to launch on November 3 with full-screen design

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Oct 29, 2020

In July 2019, Honor announced the Honor Band 5. The company was expected to launch its successor i.e. the Honor Band 6 by mid-2020, but its arrival was delayed for reasons best known to itself. Today, Honor took to Weibo to confirm that the Honor Band 6 will be debuting in China on Nov. 3. A tipster had recently claimed the device will be arriving with a full-screen display. The teaser released by Honor today reveals that its upcoming fitness tracker will indeed offer a full-screen experience.

The machine translation of the Chinese text placed below the silhouette of the Honor Band 6 reads, “open the era of full-screen bracelets.” There is no information available on the specifications of the Band 6. With the launch date drawing near, the company is expected to reveal some of its key features in the next few days.

Last year, the Honor Band 5 was made official alongside the Honor 9X series of smartphones. It is unclear whether the Huawei sub-brand has plans to announce any other device alongside the Band 6 on Nov. 3. There is a possibility that the device could be rebranded as the Huawei Band 6 in some markets.

Editor’s Pick: [Update: Render] Huawei Nova 8 SE full specs leaked; Nova 8 series and Honor V40 tipped to launch in November

Honor Band 5 specifications

The Honor Band 5 came with a 0.95-inch touchscreen AMOLED display with 2.5D curved glass. It featured a 50ATM water-resistant chassis and it houses a 100mAh battery. The fitness tracker came with a heart rate sensor, 6-axis accelerometer, and a gyro sensor. For connectivity, it came with support for Bluetooth 4.2.

OPPO K7x to debut on November 4 in China, design teased

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