Google pledges to make Plastic-free Packaging for all of its products by 2025

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Oct 27, 2020

After the success of using recycled materials as planned on its products, Google is taking yet another leap. This time, it says the amount of recycled materials will increase, and come with plastic-free packaging by 2025.

Google explains its new sustainable development goals in a blog post(via XDADevelopers). It says, it has hit the target of using recycled materials on all of google products by 2022, two years earlier. As per Google, Pixel 5 is made of 100% recycled aluminum. The company says the mined aluminum in the enclosure lowers waste, and carbon footprint by 35% compared to Virgin aluminum. Furthermore, Nest products like the Nest Audio and Nest Thermostat have 70% including acoustic fabric and 75% recycled plastics respectively but doesn’t mention Chromecast with Google TV.

As a part of the new plan, all of Google’s hardware products will have 50% recycled plastics by 2025. It adds that this goal is well beyond the industry standards. And to achieve this, it’s going to use recycled materials to the maximum possible limits. Google also feels that waste generated after manufacturing should be sustainable. And hence, it is perpetrating to achieve UL 2799 Zero Waste to Landfill Certification at all final assembly sites by 2022.

The certification indicates that a company is effectively recycling a vast majority of waste from the operations. However, the most highlight of all is the packaging. The company is planning to ship its products to&fro safely whilst maintaining 100% carbon neutral packaging. Simply put, by 2025, it’s plans to make the entire packaging plastic-free and 100% recyclable.

That said, it’s going to be a long road for Google as it tackles the Logistics issues through a lot of hard work. Apart from planning to partner with suppliers, Google has reportedly invested in bringing sustainability to all of its products including operations. And its communities.

Nokia tops Counterpoint’s trust ranking for software, security updates & build quality

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 27, 2020

Counterpoint Research today released a ranking report on smartphone manufacturers’ software, security updates and build quality. The report shows that HMD Global’s Nokia mobile phones are among the best on the list with updated operating systems and security updates, and mobile phones with durability exceeding the industry average (currently all of Nokia’s 20 compliant models are Android 10).

Nokia is closely followed by OnePlus, Samsung, Realme, Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, Lenovo, LG and Vivo.

Counterpoint analysts say HMD’s mobile phone product line has the highest-ranking compared to other competing brands, partly because all of its mobile phones receive security patches every month. OnePlus equally has a near-perfect score as 90% of all its supported devices get security patches every month.

Furthermore, for Samsung and Huawei, the proportions are 22% and 29% respectively, which means that most of their phones are on the quarterly patch plan. Realme and Xiaomi also performed relatively better in this regard. Two-thirds of all Realme and Xiaomi mobile phones are updated with monthly security patches.

Regarding quality, the report noted that HMD Global’s testing procedures are stricter than the industry average. Commenting on build quality results, Counterpoint Research’s Associate Director, Tarun Pathak stated, “The build quality pillar was evaluated on several criteria including product robustness, force measurement, drop and impact, fatigue, wear and scratch, thermal tests, moisture and liquid tests, and others which included both qualitative and quantitative observations. We found that Nokia phones undergo tougher tests than the industry average. We, therefore, concluded that when considered alongside the faster software and security updates the strong build quality means Nokia phones will last the test of time which is increasingly important at a time when global device replacement cycles are getting longer, now approaching 30 months.”

You can download the full report from here.

Amazfit GTS 2 and Amazfit GTR 2 global version launches with Amazon Alexa built-in

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 27, 2020

Huami had a global event today during which it announced the global versions of the Amazfit GTR 2 and Amazfit GTS 2 smartwatches. Unfortunately, the Amazfit Smart Scale was not unveiled at the event.

The Amazfit GTR 2 and Amazfit GTS 2 were first announced last month in China, however, their global versions come with slightly different features. Since we already covered the specs of the two watches when they launched in China, we will only list the new features of the global version as well as price and availability details.

Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant

The Amazfit GTR 2 and Amazfit GTS 2 swap the XiaoAI assistant on the Chinese models for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. The voice assistant works offline too and there are more than 65 offline voice commands. Huami says the Alexa voice assistant will be available in 15 languages.

Built-in Storage

The Chinese version also has built-in storage but the global version comes with 3GB of storage space, unlike the Chinese version that has 4GB. Huami says users will be able to store up to 600 songs on the smartwatch

Price and Availability

The Amazfit GTS 2 and Amazfit GTR 2 will sell for $179 in the US and £159 in the UK. The GTR 2 will go on sale in the US and UK on October 30 while the GTS 2 will go on sale on November 1 in the US. The Amazfit GTS 2 will be available in the UK on November 15. Pre-order starts today in the US for both watches.

The watches will also be sold in Spain, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Russia, Italy, Indonesia, and Singapore.

Buyers will be able to get the Amazfit GTR 2 in Obisidian Black while the Amazfit GTS 2 will be available in Midnight Black, Desert Gold, and Urban Grey.

Xiaomi crowdfunds 17Pin Star Travel Mug Electric Kettle for 79 yuan ($12)

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Oct 27, 2020

Xiaomi is known for crowdfunding a wide variety of products on its dedicated crowdfunding platform called Youpin in China. Other than gadgets and accessories, the company also crowdfunds everyday products. One such product called 17Pin Star Travel Mug is now up for crowdfunding for only 79 yuan ($12).

The 17Pin Star Travel Mug is a portable electric kettle that looks more like a bottle than a kettle. It comes in two colors – White & Beige.

The product can hold 400ml of water. It measures 95 x 95 x 221mm in dimensions and weighs 550g. The internal wall of the kettle features 304 stainless steel, whereas its outer body is made of polypropylene, which is commonly known as PP.

The company claims that it can boil water within 6 minutes. That’s because the product operates at 400W. Further, similar products in the market come with a single-body design with a separate cord. Whereas, this one features a dual-body design with a detachable base + cord.

This design makes it safer than other comparable products. Also, it allows hiding the cord inside the base while traveling. Whereas, with most products from other brands, users will have to carry the cord separately.

17Pin Star Travel Mug 02 - Xiaomi Crowdfunding

17Pin Star Travel Mug 03 - Xiaomi Crowdfunding

As far as its usage is concerned, the 17Pin Star Travel Mug can be carried almost everywhere whether it’s work or travel. Users can not only drink warm water out of it but also use that water to make tea, coffee, or even instant noodles.

F(x)tec Pro 1-X is XDA’s first-ever Smartphone priced at $899; runs LineageOS out of the box

By

Balaji S

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Oct 27, 2020

Famous software development community XDA has partnered with London-based F(x)tec to make its first-ever smartphone, the Pro 1-X. The retail price of the device is $899 and it is already up for crowdfunding on the Indiegogo website.

XDA says the F(x)tec Pro 1-X is the World’s first device to run Lineage OS out of the box. For the unware, Lineage OS is a custom ROM based on Android. It is an open-source software and is a successor to the ever-popular CyanogenMod. The device also has variants running Ubuntu Touch, and Android. And the team is apparently working to include more options in the future.

Talking about the Pro 1-X, the device is a slightly modified version of the F(x)tec Pro 1 from 2019. It has a physical Qwerty Keyboard at the back with 66-keys and pops-out using a slider mechanism. The XDA version hasn’t changed the looks much but adds an XDA logo at the back and gets a new Discovery Blue Color.

Pro 1-X Specifications

The Pro 1-X features a 5.99-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 1080p resolution. It has curved edges with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Under the hood, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC powers the device. However, XDA has increased the memory variants to 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage.

At the back, there is a 12MP main lens and a 5MP secondary sensor along with an LED flash. And up front, there is an 8MP selfie shooter. The device has other features like Dual-SIM, dedicated camera shutter, USB-C, HDMI-out, side-mount fingerprint sensor, 3,200mAh battery, and more. The keyboard also has other layouts like QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Scandinavian versions.

As mentioned above, the device comes with either LineageOS 16.0, Ubuntu Touch, or Android out of the box. However, the 16.0 version of LineageOS can be upgraded to the latest LineageOS 17.1. XDA says, the popularity, along with the option of customizations, controlling data, and privacy more made it choose the LineageOS.

That said, this is not the only device to come out with Custom ROM out of the box. Previously, devices like Oppo N1, OnePlus One, and Micromax and Wileyfox devices have launched with CyanogenMod.

Price, and Availability

The retail price of F(x)tech Pro 1-X is $899(₹66,290). However, limited stocks for the XDA community will be available at 29% off which is $639(₹47,118). There is also a pre-early bird offer of $599(₹44,169).

As mentioned earlier, the device is up for crowdfunding that will run for 46 more days and discounts work only with this link.

Google introduces gesture controls and other new features for the YouTube app

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 27, 2020

Google has announced the roll out of a series of features for the YouTube app both for they Android and iOS versions. The features come in a major update and brings several functions, a simplified user interface (UI) and gesture control. Here is a summary of all the new features hitting the Youtube app.

Google is introducing the Video Chapters feature for the first time and it will help users navigate videos seamlessly. Already, it is possible to skip to a particular section of a video or replay a specific portion of a video and more. The new feature introduces a new list view that can be found when the chapter title is tapped or clicked in the player. This action allows you to see a complete list of all chapters included in the video that is playing, each with a preview thumbnail of what you’ll find in that chapter. This makes it easy to find the section that is relevant to you.

Google has moved the caption button to a more prominent location on the mobile video player. The autoplay toggle button is also moved to a prominent position that makes it easier to turn on or off while you’re watching. Google says it will be testing this on the desktop version soon. Google also re-arranged the buttons on the app to further simplify its look while also increasing the responsiveness of the controls.

One of the important features announced is the inclusion of gestures “to make YouTube more efficient and work for you”.This is similar to the gestures you find on Android 10 just that the actions may differ. Here, you double-tap to the left or right of a video to fast forward or rewind 10 seconds. To enter and exit full-screen mode, all you need to do is swipe up to enter full screen and down to exit.

Other stunning features include new suggested actions which prompt you to rotate your phone or play a video in VR when we think you can have a better experience. There is also bedtime reminders which are aimed at enhancing our digital wellbeing.

Vivo V20 SE spotted with Rs 20,990 (~$285) pricing before launch in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 27, 2020

Earlier in this month, Vivo announced the Vivo V20 smartphone in India with a price tag of Rs 24,990 (~$339). At the unveiling event, the company also unveiled the Vivo V20 SE mid-range phone by announcing only its key specs. However, it did not confirm its pricing and availability. Ahead of the official announcement, the pricing of the Vivo V20 SE has appeared on online retailer platforms.

According to MySmartPrice, the Vivo V20 SE smartphone was found listed on Croma and Reliance Digital retailer platforms. The Croma listing of the phone could not be found at the time of writing this post. It appears that the listing has been taken. The publication revealed that the Vivo V20 SE was listed with a pricing of Rs 20,990 (~$285) for the 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage edition. Also, the phone was listed in Gravity Black color.

Vivo V20 SE Reliance Digital listing — Screenshot of the Vivo V20 SE’s listing at Reliance Digital

The Vivo V20 SE is listed with the same pricing and color at Reliance Digital. However, it is not yet available for purchase. Vivo had previously confirmed that the handset will be also available in Aquamarine Green color in India.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo V20 Pro 5G India launch in November end, reveals Vivo India CEO

Vivo V20 SE specifications

The Vivo V20 SE has a 6.44-inch AMOLED display that offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 665 mobile platform powers the device with 8 GB of RAM. It has 128 GB of storage and a microSD card slot. It is preinstalled with Android 10 OS and FunTouch OS 11 UI.

The Vivo V20 SE has a front-facing camera of 32-megapixel. The triple camera setup on its back has a 48-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel secondary lens, and a 2-megapixel sensor. It has a 4,100mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. For security, it has an in-screen fingerprint reader.

Flipkart’s Big Diwali Sale will bring back the LG G8X Smartphone on stock for ₹24,990($339)

By

Balaji S

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Oct 27, 2020

After a big round of sales, e-commerce giant Flipkart is back with yet another “Big Diwali Sale” in India. The new sale will run from October 29 till November 4. Of all the categories, Smartphones get the best attention, and by no doubt, LG’s G8X was a great hit during the last sales. If you are someone, who missed your chance earlier, you get one more chance to grab one of the Cheapest Snapdragon 855 SoC smartphones.

The LG G8X will go on sale once again during the Big Diwali Sale of Flipkart on November 3, at 12 PM IST. However, the device is now priced at ₹24,990($339) for 6GB RAM, 128GB storage. This is a bit disappointing considering the device was available at the lowest ₹19,990($271) on early BBD sales(Oct 16-21).

However, even at this price, it is one of the best value for money smartphones you can get right now. Originally, the device was listed at ₹54,990 ($746) before all these sales began. In fact, it is one of the cheapest smartphones with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC right now. The other notable ones are Realme X3(SD 855+), and Redmi K20 Pro but the latter is currently sold out on Flipkart. Also, on top of the ₹24,990 list price, you get a 10% instant discount on Axis Bank Credit, Debit, and EMI transactions.

Additionally, do note that the listing on the Flipkart offer page redirects to the G8X product page. It mentions that this LG G8X unit won’t come with Charger inside the box. That said, you will get the second screen with Cover, Cable, earphones, with the device. It will be interesting to see if LG can pull-off the same crowd it did with the earlier sale. As per LG’s official statement, it nearly sold 1.75 Lakh units of G8X in just 12 hours during the BBD sale.

The LG G8X actually launched as the G8X ThinQ in India at a price tag of ₹49,999($678). However, LG lists it currently at ₹54,999($746) on its official website. It features a 6.4-inch FullVision OLED screen. The additional screen is also an OLED screen and a 2.1-inch monochrome display for notifications. Other features include a 13+12MP rear camera, 32MP front camera, 4,000mAh battery, IP68 rating, NFC. And a 3.5-mm audio jack with a HI-FI Quad-DAC.

Vivo Watch to get a new orange fluoroelastomer strap on November 1

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 27, 2020

The Vivo Watch launched last month as Vivo’s very first smartwatch. The watch comes in two sizes – 42mm and 46mm – and each is available in two colorways, bringing the total options buyers can choose from to four. Today, Vivo has announced that the watch will be getting a new strap next month.

The new strap is called Rally Orange and it is a fluoroelastomer strap. Unfortunately, Vivo didn’t say if it is going to be available for the 42mm or 46mm version or if it will be available for both sizes.

The Orange Rally strap brings the number of fluoroelastomer straps you can purchase for the Vivo Watch to four. The other colors are gray, black, and brown. However, none of these straps are available for the 42mm version. There is a chance this new orange strap will be for the 46mm version since the 42mm version already has an orange leather strap.

Vivo sells extra straps for ¥169 (~$25) regardless of if it is leather or fluoroelastomer, so this new Orange Rally strap should have the same price tag.

The Vivo Watch has an AMOLED display, SPO2 monitor, NFC, heart rate monitor, and can track up to 11 different sports. It is also water-resistant up to 50 meters and comes with Vivo’s Jovi AI Assistant built-in. It is priced at ¥1299 (~$194) for both the 42mm and 46mm version.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro Hands On: Space Ring Camera in Mystic Silver makes it Unique

By

Paco Zheng

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Oct 27, 2020

Huawei announced its most powerful flagship of 2020, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro at an official event last week. The flagship builds on the excellent hardware of its predecessor but brings new upgrades like a 5nm Kirin 9000 5G processor and a unique circular camera housing at the back that sets it apart from the competition. We have got the Mystic Silver color variant of the phone and here’s our initial impression and hands on with the Huawei Mate 40 Pro.

The new Mate series phone, just like its predecessors, screams of quality. The phone retains the steep 88 degree curved display of its predecessor while bringing in a new and unique color scheme, Mystic Silver. Its a really cool color option for the Mate 40 Pro as the colors shift at different angles. The circular space ring camera setup completes the unique design of the device. The phone is wider than the P40 series and has a larger display too. However, it weighs 212 grams which is almost the same as the P40 Pro.

The 88-degree Horizon Display looks premium as it feels as if the display extends to the back. The 6.76-inch FHD+ 2772 x 1344 pixel display with 90Hz refresh rate looks excellent, but we feel that the Mate 30 Pro has a slightly better screen quality. One disadvantage of the curved screen is that the information on the edges are often not visible.

It’s worth adding that the in display fingerprint sensor position has been moved up a bit, which makes it easier to use the scanner than the previous models. The Mate 40 Pro also has dual speakers at the back (unlike the single speakers on the P40 series) so the sound output is sufficiently loud. The physical volume buttons make a comeback in this new model but you can still double tap on either display edges to pop up the volume slider.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei goofs up with the €899 Mate 40’s lack of wireless charging and low IP rating

We’ll talk about the Huawei Mate 40 Pro’s camera quality in our review that’s coming up soon. However, in our initial hands-on, we can say that the phone captures images similar to the P40 Pro+ but with slightly better colors. There’s no doubt that the phone has one of the best camera setups in the market in 2020 but we’ll reveal our findings in detail in our review.

Overall, the software, hardware, and design are all top notch on the Huawei Mate 40 Pro. With Kirin 9000 5G on board, everything on the phone including the animations are very smooth and fluid.

You can check out more images of the Huawei Mate 40 Pro down below.

1 of 6

WHERE TO BUY

Huawei Mate 40 Pro: GIZTOP

** We may earn a commission when you buy using one of our links

Ninebot Self-balancing Scooter Mecha Kit M1 launched for 1399 yuan ($208)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 27, 2020

Ninebot has unveiled a new product will be put up on crowdfunding from November 1st to November 30th on Taobao. The product is dubbed Ninebot Self-balancing Scooter Mecha Kit M1. The kit carries a price tag of 1399 yuan ($208) but with the self-balancing scooter, the price is 2498 yuan ($372).

This is the second product Ninebot is spinning from its self-balancing scooter, the first being the Gokart. The product is themed after Mecha, a genre of Japanese manga and anime that heavily features or focuses on mechanical innovation. Robots, cyborgs, androids, and space stations, for example, all fall under the wide umbrella of mecha; however, robots are usually the primary focus.

The Ninebot Self-balancing Scooter Mecha M1 Kit adopts a unique handle control design which requires a forward push to move forward and a backward pull to move backwards. When turning, the left and right handles control each side wheel separately, which can realize in-situ rotation and flexible tail swing.

The kit is integrated with the self-balancing scooter which propels it. It is also equipped with a water bomb launcher, which supports burst and strafing. The official said this function is suitable for people over 14 years of age.

The kit adopts a buckle with screw quick release design which can be assembled in five minutes. It can also be connected to the Ninebot app and experience remote control gameplay.

Redmi Note 9S is receiving MIUI 12 update worldwide

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Oct 27, 2020

MIUI 12 is the latest version of Xiaomi’s Android skin. It marks the 10th anniversary of the company’s existence. The Chinese smartphone maker unveiled it in late April and since then, it has been updating its devices to the newest version of its mobile operating system. The Redmi Note 9S is the latest device to get this update worldwide.

The rollout of the MIUI 12 update is happening globally in a staged manner for a plethora of devices. Unfortunately, the Redmi Note 9S, despite being a smartphone announced in March 2020 has begun to receive the update only now. Anyway, better late than never.

For those unaware, this handset is sold as Redmi Note 9 Pro in India. This particular version of the device has already started receiving MIUI 12 update in September. But the other variants of the smartphone namely Global, EEA, Turkey, and Russia have begun to get the update recently.

The update for the Global and EEA versions of the Redmi Note 9S is still in the stable beta phase. That means the final stable build may change for these variants depending on the build’s stability. On the other hand, Xiaomi is seeding the final stable build to the remaining three versions.

Having said that, here are the build numbers of the MIUI 12 update for all the variants of Redmi Note 9S.

India – V12.0.1.0.QJWINXM
Global – V12.0.1.0.QJWMIXM
EEA – V12.0.1.0.QJWEUXM
Turkey – V12.0.1.0.QJWTRXM
Russia – V12.0.1.0.QJWRUXM

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE gets a huge ₹9,000 discount as a part of Special Festive offer in India

By

Balaji S

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Oct 27, 2020

After the Festive sale, Indian users are blessed with yet another round of offers from smartphone companies. A few days back, Xiaomi announced a huge offer on its Mi 10 flagship. Now, the South Korean giant has come up with a huge discount for its latest Galaxy S20 FE.

First off, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE now starts at ₹44,999 for the base 128GB variant and sold on Amazon, partner stores, and Samsung’s website. The new price is due to the instant ₹5,000 cut on its original price which is ₹49,999. Additionally, both the websites get a flat ₹4,000 off on using HDFC bank cards which makes it a total of ₹9,000 discount. Anyway, let’s take a look at the offers separately as follows:

New Prices(without bank offer)

8GB/128GB- ₹44,999.
8GB/256GB- ₹48,999.

Amazon Offers

Get instant ₹4,000 off on using HDFC Credit and Debit cards, Credit Card EMI, and Debit Card EMI. Offer valid till October 31, 23:59 IST.
5% cashback with Amazon Pay ICICI Credit Card for Prime-members, and 3% for non-Prime members.
Get up to ₹16,400 off on exchange.
Free YouTube Premium for four months.
Samsung Shop benefits worth ₹4,000.

Samsung website’s offers

₹4000 instant cashback on HDFC Bank Credit Cards and Debit Card EMI only.
Get a Samsung Shop eVoucher worth ₹4,000.
Get ₹3000 off on Samsung Shop App as a part of the 20K advantage program. Go to Samsung Shop and register to get a coupon. Apply coupon at checkout.
50% off on Samsung Care+ Accidental and Liquid damage.
5% cashback up to ₹1,000 on Ola Money Postpaid+
Get up to ₹3,000 extra on exchange.
Free YouTube Premium for four months.

Simply put, if you don’t count the exchange, you can get the new Galaxy S20 FE starting at ₹40,999 on Amazon and ₹37,999 on Samsung’s website. The special festive offer will run till November 17. However, at the time of writing this, we couldn’t find the 256GB variant listing on the Amazon website. This is probably because the device is in pre-order from October 17 on Samsung’s website and starts shipping only from tomorrow(October 28).

Samsung teams up with Stanford engineers to create a 10,000 PPI OLED screen tech

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 27, 2020

Korean tech giant Samsung has teamed up with engineers from Stanford University to create a display which is touted to be the highest pixel density display in the world. The display which will soon be officially showcased is said to present with an unprecedented 10,000 PPI.

The display utilises a technology that leverages on ultra-thin solar panels which in turn gave birth to a never-be-seen architecture in terms of OLED displays. While the practical application may be a long time from becoming a reality, Samsung says, in theory, the display could be used for smart TVs as well as VR headsets and smartphone displays. The display will be particularly useful for VR headsets as it will reportedly eliminate the so-called screen door effect which can be seen in almost all VR headsets that are currently available to buy. The screen door effect appears as a gap between individual pixels which is noticeable because our eyes are just centimetres away from the screen. Presently, there are no screens dense enough to eliminate the gap.

The new OLED display technology depends on films to emit white light. It features a silver layer coupled with one that’s made of reflective metal changing the reflective properties and enabling specific colors to resonate. This results in a high-density display without a resultant adverse loss of brightness.

One challenge this tech may encounter when discussions centre of the practicability is the large number of pixels that have to be driven. If Samsung succeeds in bringing the display to consumer, computing power may pose some issues due to the pixels that have to be driven. We await further details from the term to see how they hope to make this commercial.

Xiaomi Mi Wireless Casting Adapter launched, features 5G WiFi band, 60Hz transmission and more

By

Sean

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Oct 27, 2020

Earlier today (27th October 2020), Xiaomi has just launched a new product. It is the Mi Wireless Casting Adapter, which is priced at 299 Yuan (roughly 45 US Dollars) and will go on sale starting from 11th November 2020.

As per official notes, the Xiaomi Mi Wireless Casting Adapter features built-in support for 5G Wi-Fi frequency band that allows high-speed transmit. It is also compatible with a variety of HDMI interface display devices, which includes TVs, projectors, monitors, and other similar devices. Furthermore, Mi Wireless Casting Adapter can connect to multiple computers at the same time as well, and supports multiple devices to allow for quick screen switching.

Furthermore, the Mi Wireless Casting Adapter from the company arrives with an HDMI interface and also supports full HD resolution and 60Hz image transmission. The device arrives in white, which also covers the whole body of both pairs. The one with the USB connector would connect to devices like laptops that one would want to project and connect it to other gadgets like TVs, that have an HDMI cable.

US Appeals Court rejects WeChat app ban request from Justice Department

By

Sean

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Oct 27, 2020

Earlier this week, a US appeals court rejected a request Justice Department that will allow the government to immediately ban the WeChat app from Apple and Google’s respective app stores for download in the US.

According to a Reuters report, the three judge panel for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stated in a brief order, the government had not demonstrated how it would “suffer an imminent, irreparable injury during the pendency of this appeal, which is being expedited.” Similarly, a US judge rejected the Justice Department’s request to reverse her decision on preventing the WeChat app ban that was sought by the Commerce Department in response to a lawsuit from WeChat users, earlier this month.

WeChat users have stated that the ruling will prevent an “unprecedented shutdown of a major platform for communications relied on by millions of people in the United States.” Previously, the Commerce Department had ordered the ban to take effect by 20th September 2020, barring other US transactions with the popular Chinese messaging and multipurpose application. This would’ve effectively made the app unusable.

At the moment, Tencent and the Commerce Department have yet to comment on the matter, while the appeals court date has been placed for January 2021. The Justice Department has argued that the Chinese app is a threat to US national security, which is similar to the allegations on the tech giant, Huawei.

Report: Galaxy S21 series may ship without charger & earphones

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Oct 27, 2020

Apple announced at the ‘Hi, Speed’ event that it will no longer ship iPhones with bundled chargers and earphones. The newly unveiled iPhone 12 series as well as the new retail packages of iPhone 11, iPhone XR, and iPhone SE 2020 don’t include them. Following the footsteps of the Cupertino-based tech giant, Samsung may also ditch the two commonly included accessories with new phones starting with the Galaxy S21 series.

Samsung is reported to launch the Galaxy S21 series earlier than in previous years. The three devices in the series – Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra may debut in January itself. Hence, they have begun to leak in the form of 3D CAD renders and also started receiving certifications.

Now, according to Korean media (via SamMobile), Samsung is also considering to remove the bundled charger and earphones from the retail boxes of the Galaxy S21 series. Everyone knew that this would happen as Android smartphone makers have been long following the footsteps of Apple in certain trends like the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack and inclusion of notch to name a couple.

However, nobody thought that this would happen so soon as Samsung and companies like Xiaomi and OnePlus just recently mocked Apple for this move.

That said, though Apple claims this decision is for a better environment, iPhones still come with a lightning port and the company includes a lightning to USB Type-C cable inside the box. Thus, iPhone buyers need to buy a power adaptor separately anyway.

Additionally, the removal of earphones is reported to boost the sales of AirPods. Whereas, by not including power adapters, Apple is pushing users to buy its new MagSafe charger.

Galaxy S21 Ultra 3D CAD Render by @OnLeaks

On the other hand, Samsung has been using USB Type-C on its flagship as well as budget smartphones for years. Therefore, most users would not have to spend a dime for chargers, however, they will have to if they need to charge their phones at a faster rate.

It is worth mentioning that Samsung has been testing this for a while now. Some of its high-end smartphones come with a 25W charger although they support 45W fast charging. Also, the company is not including AKG earphones with certain flagship models anymore.

Having said that, some insiders suggest that Samsung may only ditch earphones with the Galaxy S21 series and will ship the phones with a charger, unlike Apple. Whatever it is, we will know Samsung’s final decision in a few months from now.

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

By

Balaji S

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Oct 27, 2020

After acquiring two major LCD fabs, giants like CSOT, BOE is ready to take a leap into the LCD panel market. A report from Digitimes says China will soon outrun everyone else in the Global LCD panel production capacity.

Digitimes’ report says China will soon hold 70% of Global LCD panels production capacity. This is a huge 10% jump from the current 60% says the report citing industry sources. The report adds that China’s BOE Technology and China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) were the frontrunners in 2020. Companies like Innolux, Chongqing HKC, Samsung Display, LG Display. And AU Optronics (AUO) are behind them on the list.

Furthermore, the production of LCD will reportedly take the center stage more in China next year. This is after the acquisition of new fabs by BOE, and CSOT. If we recall, BOE acquired two fabs– 8.5G, and 8.6G from CEC-Panda LCD Technology as the latter suffered heavy loss. The move, which is to strengthen its already dominant LCD technology portfolio, will likely make it hold 28% of the World’s Large-sized panel capacity.

On the other hand, CSOT bought an 8.5 fab from Samsung Display as the company is withdrawing its LCD segment from China as a whole. That said, BOE has a combined production capacity of 12.71 million SqKms compared to CSOT’s 8.58 million Sqkms. Having said that, both of them were the only ones out of six sitting in Top two for the LCD-panel supplier’s list and witnessing growth in H1 2020.

Accordingly, the TV market also witnesses a boom in Global TV shipments with an improvement of 12% YoY inQ3 2020 from 2019. For North America(NA), the growth rate is about 20% YoY between January-August 2020. Demand for edutainment systems across the globe during the pandemic is the main reason for the fight back. Samsung tops the overall shipment of TVs globally and LG, TCL, HiSense, and Xiaomi complete the list.

Among them, TCL has the most interesting growth of 29% QoQ. And a whopping 57% YoY increase, shipping 7.33 million units totally in NA.

Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite key features and renders revealed through FCC certification

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Oct 27, 2020

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) had approved a wearable device with model number REDMITW01 in September. Soon, a variant of the same device with model number REDMIWT02 was certified by the UL (Demko) authority. The listing revealed that the model number belongs to the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite smartphone. Today, the Mi Watch Lite received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) through which some of its key details have emerged.

The FCC documents of the Mi Watch Lite has images of the retail package of the Mi Watch Lite. An image of the smartwatch can be seen on the front side of the package and its key features are mentioned on its back.

The FCC images reveal that the Mi Watch Lite will be sporting a 1.4-inch squad-shaped touchscreen display. The smartwatch is equipped with an auto-brightness feature for the display. It is fueled by a 230mAh battery that supports 5W charging.

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The Mi Watch Lite has plenty of fitness modes and it carries support for swimming stroke recognition. It is also capable at 24-hour rate tracking. It also features a built-in standalone GPS. It comes with support for Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.

Xiaomi is yet to confirm on the existence of the Mi Watch Lite. As mentioned above, the device could be rebranded as Redmi Watch in certain markets like China. Redmi is expected to hold a launch event for announcing the new Redmi Note phones in the home market in November or December. The company may announce the Redmi Watch at the same event.

(via)

Doogee S96 Pro with infrared night vision, rugged build launched

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Oct 27, 2020

Renowned rugged phone manufacturer Doogee has gained popularity for its lineup of rugged phones. The company has just unveiled a successor to last year’s Doogee S95 Pro and it is dubbed S96 Pro. The smartphone keeps up with its predecessor , coming with a waterproof and rugged build. It is also equipped with an infrared night vision capability for the rear cameras.

The Doogee S96 Pro is specially designed to allow it withstand high temperature and even when it falls down, you need not worry about damaging it because when dropped from a height of 1.8m on a concrete floor there will be no damage due to its ruggedness.

Another wonderful feature of the rugged smartphone is its infrared night vision capability of the rear camera setup that allows users take a picture at any time of the night and not be worried about clarity. The phone packs a quad-camera setup which includes a 48MP f/1.8 main camera sensor, a 20MP snapper with a Sony IMX350 ultra light-sensitive sensor. There is also an 8MP ultrawide sensor that gives it 130-degree field-of-view in addition to a 2 MP macro camera which brings the target closer by up to 4cm. The cameras are surrounded by four infrared lights and four LED lights that allow night vision.

The Doogee S96 Pro has a 6.22-inch LCD display with an HD+ resolution of 720×1520 pixel. The screen has a waterdrop notch that houses a selfie camera of 16 MP. This device comes with a triple card slot that can accommodate two SIM cards and a microSD. It is powered by a MediaTek Helio G90 chipset paired with 8GB RAM and there is 128GB of expandable storage onboard. In addition to its unique build includes a face and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device. It runs on Android 10 out of the box.

You can also achieve your task easily without interruption due to the long-lasting 6,350 mAh battery and fast wired charging of 24W support and wireless charging of 10W. That means you really don’t need to bother about frequent charging of your device.

As for ruggedness, the Doogee S96 Pro smartphone has IP68, IP69K and MIL-STD 810G

rating. With this waterproof quality, you don’t need to bother about your phone getting wet

because it can be used even underwater as deep as 5m without fear and even stay up to 30 minutes in a depth of 1.5m.

Lastly, Doogee S96 Pro also comes in various colours such as Army Green, Mineral Black

and Fire Orange. This rugged smartphone is will retail for $299.99 and is presently available on AliExpress. It will also be sold on Amazon but you might need to wait till December.

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