Last week, Vivo announced the Vivo V20 smartphone in India. The smartphone is now available for purchase with a price tag of Rs 24,990 (~$340). At the event, the company also announced the Vivo V20 SE smartphone, but its pricing and availability for India is yet to be confirmed. Fresh information reveals that the Chinese firm will be announcing the Vivo V20 Pro 5G phone in November.
As it can be seen in the tweet below, Jerome Chen who is the CEO of Vivo India has revealed that the Vivo V20 Pro 5G will be announced in India by November end. Chen did not confirm the exact launch date. The Vivo V20 Pro 5G has already launched in Southeast Asian markets like Thailand and now it is also heading to India. The handset is a rebranded version of the Vivo S7 5G that debuted in China a few months back.
The Vivo V20 Pro 5G has a 6.44-inch AMOLED display that supports a full HD= resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 765G mobile platform is at the helm of the Vivo V20 Pro 5G. It comes with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in storage.
The big notch on the screen of the Vivo V20 Pro 5G has a 44-megapixel main selfie camera with autofocus support and an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens. The backside of the phone has a triple camera setup that comprises of a 64-megapixel main camera with f/1.89 aperture, an 8-megapixel multifunctional camera that can be used for superwide, macro, and bokeh shots, and a 2-megapixel mono lens.
The Vivo V20 Pro 5G is loaded with FunTouch OS 10 based Android 10 OS. It houses a 4,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. It is also equipped with an in-display fingerprint reader. The phone comes in colors like Midnight, Sunset Melody, and Moonlight Sonata. The handset is available in Thailand with a price tag of THB 14,999 (~$480).
Huawei has silently unveiled a new phone named the Huawei Y7a in Asian and Latin American markets. The major highlights of the Huawei Y7a include a large-sized punch-hole display, a 48-megapixel quad-camera setup, and a big battery with fast charging support.
Huawei Y7a
Huawei Y7a specifications and features
The Huawei Y7a measures 165.5.65 x 76.88 x 9.26mm and it weighs 206 grams. The phone houses an IPS LCD screen of 6.67 inches that produces a tall aspect ratio of 20:9 and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. The handset is loaded with EMUI 10.1 skinned Android 10 OS and Huawei’s AppGallery. It does not come with Google’s apps and services.
The Kirin 710A chipset is at the helm of the Huawei Y7a. In Latin America, the Chinese firm is selling the 4 GB RAM + 64 GB ROM edition of the smartphone. In other regions, the phone comes with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in storage. There is a microSD card slot on the device for more storage.
The Huawei Y7a has a front-facing camera of 8-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture. The rectangle-shaped camera module placed on the backside of the phone features a 48-megapixel primary shooter with f/1.8 aperture, a 120-degree 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with f/2.4 aperture, a 2-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture, and a 2-megapixel macro shooter with f/2.4 aperture.
The Huawei Y7a has a 5,000mAh battery that comes with 22.5W fast charging support. The other specs of the phone include dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The phone also features a side-facing fingerprint reader.
The Huawei Y7A comes in colors like Crush Green, Blush Gold, and Midnight Black. The 128 GB variant that is available in Malaysia is priced at RM 799 (~$193).
When living busy lives, often eliminating noise or avoiding the boisterous environment for a moment of peace becomes a challenge. To resolve the issue, many companies have come up with an Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) mode that helps diminish the surround sound. ELEPHONE is one of them and has recently launched Elepods X, a wireless earpiece that offers this function in a decent price range.
Since the introduction of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), the whole game of listening to music, podcast, or calling has changed, thanks to the immersive experience it renders. This feature helps to damp out environmental noise to give the user an immersive experience.
Elepods X uses an inward-facing microphone that identifies the noise that seeps into the user’s ear to produce a dignified sound wave that quells the noise. This can be done to a maximum limit of up to 30db of environmental sounds. When the surrounding noise is hushed out, the user can enjoy listening to their music like never before.
After looking at the design, the Elepods X is definitely inspired by Apple AirPods. The new Elephone earbuds have a similar mesh microphone design on the stem as the Apple AirPods Pro.
Featuring 9mm drivers, this pair delivers a crisp sound quality and boasts synchronous transmission technology that delivers sound to both ears at the same time, restricting latency. This feature offers a strong anti-interference and a more stable connection in each ear. Furthermore, Elepods X is enhanced with two microphones and an AI algorithm that enables the user to make HD calls. It collects and strengthens the human voice, allowing the other person to hear more clearly.
This pair is compatible with Bluetooth 5.0 to provide a stable and strong connection. Each earbud has a 50mAH capacity that can offer up to 6-7 hours (official figure) of uninterrupted playtime. Its case boasts a 550mAh battery that can allow 30 hours of seamless use.
With an IPX5 rating and an ABS plastic body, the Elepods X can easily withstand water damage and resist accidental bumps and drops. The silicone ear tips offer an ergonomic fit and prevent causing discomfort when used for prolonged periods. It features a sleek design and comes in two color variants- White and Black.
The versatile form of Elepods X makes them an ideal addition to one’s accessories. All the interested readers can buy them by clicking here. And for all curious people who want to know more about these Elepods X, click on the link below.
Last week, Xiaomi-backed smart wearable devices maker Huami had teased through a video teaser on Weibo that the company will be launching a new smartwatch in China named Amazfit Pop for the “Double 11” sale season.
Today, the company has officially announced the Amazfit Pop in the Chinese market, revealing all details of the product, including the device’s specifications, features, pricing, and availability.
The Amazfit Pop features a 1.43-inch HD color display, offering a screen resolution of 320 x 302 pixels and a pixel density of 305ppi. The company is also pre-loading 50 different watch faces and supports making custom watch faces using photos.
The smartwatch, which is waterproof up to 50 meters, comes with support for 60 sports modes. It also tracks various things for users, including distance traveled, speed, heart rate, calories, etc. It has support for 24×7 heart rate monitoring and comes with SpO2 blood oxygen detection.
As per the company, the device can also inform users about the impact of the exercise and alert users if the exercise is putting too much strain on the heart. It also supports all the basic features such as notifications, alerts, weather, music control, alarm, etc.
It also comes with support for sleep monitoring, stress monitoring, breathing training, physiological cycle management, and PAI health assessment system. The device also comes with NFC so that users can use it for bus travel as well as Alipay offline payments among others. As for the battery life, it could last up to nine days on a single charge.
The Huami Amazfit Pop is priced at 349 yuan (approximately $52) and is now up for pre-order in China through various online retailers. The company will start shipping the device from 1st November. The company is currently offering 50 yuan (~$8) discount to those who pre-order the device.
Xiaomi Air 2 Pro wireless earphones are the latest introduction by Xiaomi in the audio category. The Mi Air 2 Pro TWS earbuds are the predecessors of Xiaomi Air 2 and are enhanced with a host of features like active noise cancellation (ANC), long-lasting battery life, decent sound quality, and more. These bad boys are already up for sale at Giztop, where the website is offering $20 off, bringing down its price to $109, with a referral code.
The active noise cancellation mode diminishes the surround sound up to 35dB to let the user get immersed in the world of music. 3-mic hybrid form of digital noise reduction recognizes the sound and cancels it before it reaches the user’s ears. This design also helps in increasing the quality of calls. Additionally, the Xiaomi Air 2 Pro is enhanced with a transparent mode that enables ambient sounds to filter in to let runners or commuters stay alert while still listening to their favorite song.
Featuring 12mm drivers with an LCP composite diaphragm, this pair offers a good sound quality. It supports aptX adaptive and LHDC V3 audio codecs to provide versatility. The grammy master tuning allows the user to hear studio-quality music. Xiaomi Air 2 Pro has a latency of 100ms to offer an uninterrupted and smooth listening experience. Latency is the time it takes for audio data to convert into an analog audio signal and stream it through the headphones.
These wireless earbuds offer up to 7 hours of playback with ANC mode and 28 hours with the charging case. Wireless charging can power up the unit in approximately one hour. This pair supports Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and has an operating distance of up to 10 meters.
A versatile addition to one’s accessories, the Mi Air 2 Pro can be brought at a discounted price at Giztop. By using the code “A2P20”, one can enjoy $20 off in this pair.
A few days ago, Nokia launched its two 4G feature phones in China — Nokia 215 and Nokia 225. While the Nokia 215 was made available for pre-order the same day, the Nokia 225 went up for pre-orders a couple of days ago, on 17th October.
Now, the Nokia 225 4G feature phone is officially available for purchase in China. The device is priced at 349 yuan, which approximately converts to $52. It comes in three color options — Black, Blue, and Sand Gold.
As the name indicates, the phone is a successor to the Nokia 220 4G which has been one of the top-selling feature phones from Nokia. The phone has a compact body, making it quite comfortable to hold as it weighs 90 grams and measures 124.7mm x 51mm x 13.7mm.
It comes with a 2.4-inch screen and under the hood, the device is powered by a UNISOC processor. It has memory card support that can help users expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 32GB.
There’s also a 3-megapixel camera sensor placed on the phone’s back panel. Additionally, the phone also comes with a flashlight. It supports features like quick dialing, voice recorder, external radio, etc.
The highlight of the phone is that it comes with support for 4G connectivity. The 4G support isn’t limited to a single SIM but the phone can be connected to a 4G network on both the SIM cards simultaneously.
Most recently, Nokia launched these two feature phones — Nokia 225 and Nokia 215 in the Indian market, for a price of Rs 3,499 (~$54) and Rs 2,949 (~$40) and will go on sale online from 23rd October and through offline channels from 6th November.
A couple of weeks ago, Xiaomi had announced its two new premium Smart TV models in the Chinese market under its LUX TV lineup — Mi TV LUX Ultra 82-inch 8K 5G and Mi TV LUX 82-inch 4K.
Today, the Xiaomi Mi TV LUX Ultra 82-inch 8K 5G is officially available for purchase in China, carrying a price tag of 49,999 yuan, which roughly converts to $7,489. On the other hand, the 4K variant of the same is up for pre-order for a price of 9,999 yuan, which is about $1,498, and will start shipping next month.
The Mi TV LUX Pro 82-inch 8K 5G is the most-advanced television coming from Xiaomi after the company launched Mi TV LUX OLED Transparent Edition. That’s because it is the company’s first TV with an 82-inch 8K mini LED panel and 5G connectivity.
As per the company, the smart TV offers a whopping 2,000 nits of brightness, 4,00,000:1 contrast ratio, and 10.7 billion colors. Xiaomi also added that the display panel on this Xiaomi television comes with 960 local dimming zones and each of these zones can display 4,096 levels of light and shade, and it covers 98% of the P3 wide color gamut.
The device supports video playback/input of up to 8K (7680 × 4320 pixels resolution) at 60Hz and features SR image enhancement technology to upscale 1080p, 2K, and 4K content to 8K. Further, it also comes with support for all the popular HDR standards such as Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG, 120Hz MEMC, Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM), and noise reduction algorithm.
To enable high-quality streaming, the TV comes built-in with a 5G modem. It is powered by a quad-core NOVATEK chipset along with 4GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. In the software department, it runs MIUI for TV operating system. It comes with 60W dual soundbars, powered by Doby Atmos, DTS-HD, and Mi Stereo Sound. There are four far-field microphones that enable XiaoAI 3.0 voice assistant.
For content, the company has also partnered with video streaming service provider iQiyi. The TV is future-proof as the next-gen gaming consoles – Sony PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Xbox Series X are also supported with 8K gaming.
At the end of September, OPPO announced the OPPO A33 smartphone in Indonesia. A poster shared by a YouTuber reveals that the OPPO A33 is now official in India. The key features of the OPPO A33 include a 90Hz refresh rate display, Snapdragon 460 chipset, 13-megapixel triple shooters, and slim design.
OPPO A33 specifications and features
The OPPO A33 has a 6.5-inch punch-hole screen with 90Hz refresh rate support. The IPS LCD panel produces an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 460 mobile platform is the driving force of the smartphone. It comes with 3 GB of LPPDR4x RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. For more storage, the device is equipped with a microSD card slot.
The Android 10 OS overlaid with ColorOS 7.2 comes preinstalled on the OPPO A33. It has a front-facing camera of 8-megapixel. The backside of the phone has a rectangle camera module that includes a 13-megapixel primary shooter, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.
The OPPO A33 has a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W charging. It comes with other features such as Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB-C, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a rear-positioned fingerprint sensor. The phone measures 163.9 x 75.1 x 8.4mm and it weighs 186 grams.
The OPPO A33 bears a lot of resemblance with the OPPO A53 in terms of specs and design. The A53 has a 16-megapixel front camera, 4 GB / 6 GB of RA,M and 64 GB / 128 GB of storage. The rest of the specs of the A53 are identical to the A33. At present, the OPPO A33 is still not listed on the official website of OPPO India or any of the leading online retailers.
OPPO A33 price in India
The OPPO A33 is priced at Rs 11,990 (~$163). In comparison, the 4 GB and 6 GB RAM editions of the A33 are priced at Rs 12,990 (~$176) and Rs 15,490 (~$211).
The Nokia 2V was introduced last year as a rebranded Nokia 2.1 for Verizon. The U.S Carrier has now partnered with Nokia to unveil a successor dubbed Nokia 2 V Tella. The smartphone is presently on sale on Walmart.com and offline on Walmart stores. It carries a decent price tag of $89 for prepaid customers but the full retail price is $168.
The Nokia 2 V Tella features a 5.45-inch display with an HD+ resolution of 720p+. The display utilises the 18:9 aspect ratio and providing the interface is the Android 10 operating system. This is stock Android and not the Go edition which was utilised on last year’s Nokia 2 V. There is equally a dedicated Google Assistant button on the side of the phone.
The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 chipset. The chip is a 12nm SoC consisting of four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz. It also bundles a PowerVR GE8320 GPU. The processor is paired with 2GB of RAM and there is 16GB storage with the option of expansion via the microSD card slot.
For photography, the smartphone features a dual-camera setup at the rear made up of an 8MP main sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. The depth of field sensor can be deployed to achieve customizable bokeh effects, whereby you can choose between Classic, Star, Heart, Butterfly, Flake and Water Drop. In addition, the camera snaps photos before and after you press the shutter so that you get to pick the best one. It equally comes with a cool Portrait mode that works even in the dark.
Under the hood, the Nokia 2V Tella crams a decent 3,000mAh battery, which HMD says is enough to last 2 days of general use. It charges over USB-C and while 10W charging is supported, you only get a 5W adapter in the box. An “AI-assisted Adaptive Battery” keeps an eye on what apps you use the most and allots a bigger share of the battery to them.
In terms of connectivity, the Tella features LTE Cat. 6, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 and has a built-in GPS for positioning. There’s also a 3.5 mm headphone jack plus FM radio receiver.
The TicWatch Pro 3 was announced by Mobvoi last month as the first Snapdragon Wear 4100-powered smartwatch. The smartwatch was made available in a GPS (non-LTE) version only. There are indications that Mobvoi is gearing up to introduce an LTE version pretty soon.
The LTE version of the TicWatch Pro 3, has been spotted on Google Play Console Device Catalog. The device appears under the codename ‘rover’ and seems to pack exactly the same specifications as the GPS version. However, there is the noted presence of eSIM functionality, making it compatible with specific cellular networks. We doubt if this compatibility will be for all cellular network without the need for a second contract.
The use of eSIM has been introduced in the past for smartwatches by a few manufacturers such as Huawei and Apple. The addition of a SIM slot seems to make the watches too heavy and bulky as the weight and height have to increase to accommodate the extra components. However, eSIM is definitely the future of wearables and that’s the route Mobvoi has chosen. In this case, there is no indication if including an LTE chip will mean missing out on GPS. We expect both to be available on the Ticwatch Pro 3.
Mobvoi-TicWatch-Pro-3-LTE
As a reminder, the TicWatch Pro 3 adopts a similar design style as its predecessor. It has the rugged look for which Mobvoi’s smartwatches are known. In addition, the watch has a dimension of 45.1 x 45.1 x 12.6mm.
In terms of core configuration, TicWatch Pro 3 will use the Wear 4100 processor as stated earlier. The new Snapdragon Wear 4100 utilises a more efficient and smaller 12nm processor compared to 28nm used by its predecessor. Qualcomm says this makes for a “significantly faster new processor.”
It also brings 25% improvement in the battery life and there is equally a faster LPDDR3 memory. The processor features quad-core A53 processors clocked at 1.7GHz for 85% faster performance and the graphics is powered by the Adreno 504 GPU which is 2.5x faster. There is support for up to 16-megapixel cameras while a lower-power 4G LTE modem is also onboard.
The smartwatch has received several accolades for its reduced profile and improved responsiveness compared to almost every other Google-powered watch.
OPPO has made its foray into the smart TV market with the launch of the OPPO TV R1 and OPPO TV S1 TVs in China. The latter is a premium TV with a 4K QLED display and a price tag that converts to over $1000.
A review of the OPPO TV S1 has been uploaded on YouTube and it reveals that the TV ships with a similar remote to the one OnePlus shipped with its Q series. We are talking about the rechargeable remote (RC-001A) that eventually got replaced with the Netflix Remote (RC-002A).
Image source: Vincent Zhong (YouTube)
The OPPO TV S1′ remote pictured above looks almost like the OnePlus RC-001A remote but differs with respect to the function of the buttons. The OnePlus button is the Home button while the Google Assistant button is the microphone button on OPPO’s remote. OPPO has also replaced the Prime Video button with the Input Source button, the overflow button with the power button, while the Home button on the OnePlus Remote is the overflow button on the OPPO remote. OPPO’s remote also has the manufacturer’s logo at the bottom.
We are not too surprised at the occurrence since both OPPO and OnePlus are sister companies. However, this remote wasn’t well-received, so it is disappointing that OPPO decided to launch its own smart TV with the same remote more than a year after OnePlus launched its TV.
Huami Corporation, which predominantly makes smart wearable devices, has extended its partnership with Xiaomi for three more years. An extension of a strategic partnership agreement means the company will continue to develop Smart wearables for Xiaomi at least until 2023.
The latest move, as reported by PR Newswire, can be found on the company’s website containing official news & releases. Also, the news clearly states an extension of 3-years for the Strategic cooperation agreement with Xiaomi. We all know that Huami is a public company and a prime-partner of Xiaomi. The latter backs the former to strengthen its broad ecosystem and be in the mix. The company also makes Xiaomi’s smart products like Smart bands.
Besides, with the new extension of the agreement, Huami will continue to get the most-preferred-partner status from Xiaomi. Now, in business terms, this means Huami gets to be a star vendor of making Xiaomi’s wearable products for the next three years. Also, under the agreement, the two parties will work on the R&D of AI-chips and algorithms of wearable devices. That said, the new announcement comes almost two months after the change of CFO at Huami. Mr. Leon Cheng Deng is the new CFO of Huami, effective October 1, 2020, and replaces Mr. David Cui who left for personal reasons.
Coming back, Huami has reportedly shipped 42.3 million units of smart wearable devices in 2019 globally. Out of this, products manufactured for Xiaomi alone accounts for nearly 26% of shipments. While early reports from the company repudiated an exclusive deal with Xiaomi, the records from last year would have given a clear picture of how important both are for each other. Headquartered in Hefei, China, the company has never considered Xiaomi as a rival for its own products.
Samsung is the frontrunner when it comes to foldable displays. It made a commercially viable Galaxy Fold last year. And from there on, it has never looked back. Now, a new patent reveals that Samsung wants to incorporate a foldable display on a smartphone that has a pop-up speaker with a resonance chamber.
Credit: LetsGoDigital
The team at LetsGoDigital was quick to spot it. Samsung has filed the patent with the WIPO(World Intellectual Property Organization). The 35-page document, applied back in February this year, has been published on October 15, 2020. The schematics show a boxy design with rounded corners resembling the recently launched iPhone 12 series. The report says that of the front and rear panels, few components like Speaker, microphone. And front camera are stuck to the rear end of the front panel.
Apparently, they move with the panel and the flexible display. Hence, a top portion of the display moves up and folds inward probably by a mechanism inside. This creates a virtual resonance chamber for the speaker inside. A 3D design by Giuseppe Spinelli below shows a better idea of how the device would look like. Further, the report says that the document mentions a plastic polymer display. This suggests Colorless polyimide film(CPI) found on OG Galaxy Fold. However, we can’t rule out the possibility of UTG as well.
Moving on, the schematics show the speaker units placed close to the sides. Accordingly, there are vents on three sides of the top portion. This pops-up as the display bents intently to create the desired sound effect. Now, this is not the first time we hear about the resonance chamber on Smartphones. Previously, LG launched the LG G7ThinQ in 2018 and it had a Boombox like sound effect. The speaker on LG G7ThinQ cleverly uses the inside of the Smartphone as a resonance chamber to get a loud, rumbling bass effect.
That said, Samsung’s approach is totally different, with a flexible display, pop-up speaker, a lifting mechanism, a cooling fan, etc. Further, if the report is true, the display will also support S-Pen. Samsung has been working on a foldable display that supports S-Pen for a while and looks like that might soon become true. All in all, this design classifies as a solid entrant of a flagship smartphone with a foldable display, pop-up speaker, S-Pen support, and more.
Do note that this is not a foldable smartphone but just has a foldable display. Hence, Samsung may debut the design anywhere like the S or the Note series in the future.
Xiaomi is the only Android OEM to provide weekly beta software builds for its smartphones. These builds allow users to experience new features before they are released to the general public. Currently, the beta program is limited to China as Xiaomi shut down the global beta program last year.
Now, Redmi K20 and Redmi K30 4G also join this list. These two smartphones received their first Android 11-based MIUI 12 weekly beta build today. Their upcoming builds will be also based on the latest version of Android.
Normally, it means that these two handsets (including POCO X2 which is a rebranded Redmi K30 4G) should be receiving Android 11 stable update very soon. However, it is not the case this year as Xiaomi has become slower in rolling out the Android 11 update compared to Anroid 10.
The flagship Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro are yet to receive any stable build. Same goes for Redmi K30 Pro whose predecessor Redmi K20 Pro was one of the first phones to receive Android 10 stable update in 2019.
Hece, even though the above mentioned devices are continuously receiving MIUI 12 weekly beta builds based on Android 11, we cannot guarantee if they will receive the stable update sooner.
Xiaomi files a lot of foldable design patents but none see the light of the day. Right from the time it’s first foldable smartphone prototype hit the radar of leaks, Xiaomi’s camp has remained dormant so far. Now, a new patent reveals that Xiaomi is trying out yet another design of Samsung, this time a generation older with a twist.
Credits: LetsGoDigital/Xiaomi
The new patent find is once again by LetsGoDigital. Xiaomi Mobile Software Co. Ltd. has applied it earlier this year(Jan 2) on CNIPA. CNIPA stands for China National Intellectual Property Administration). The patent has been published today(October 20). From the looks, and the description on the CNIPA website, it is definitely a foldable smartphone.
Surprisingly, the design looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy’s foldable device with an inward folding design. Also, the front cover has a secondary screen and a triple rear camera setup. Both these resemble the First generation Galaxy Fold from 2019. Also, the vertical hinge resembles a lot like the Fold but with a flatter design. That said, we notice the difference on the inside. The bigger screen is edge-to-edge and doesn’t have a cutout at the top-right corner like the “Fold”.
However, there is a vertical stripe on the right side of the big screen. It is probably for the camera sensors with a flashlight/face-id scanner. This strip resembles one of the earlier patents from Xiaomi. The interesting thing about this design is that the big display lies well inside the frame surrounding it. This makes it fold and lay flush unlike the small hole left on Galaxy Fold. So, you can imagine the uniformity, and to put it into perspective, it should lay flat if you put it upside down on a surface.
Having said that, there is no other info regarding this, and considering it’s a patent, we are left to stare at just 3D schematics. Samsung is currently the leader of foldable smartphones and its latest Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a reference point for many. Accordingly, companies like Xiaomi and Huawei have been following their footsteps by patenting similar designs. While Huawei has come out with Mate X, and Mate Xs, Xiaomi’s design hasn’t gone past the testing and is yet to get a breakthrough.
Apple‘s decision to leave out the charging adapter from the iPhone 12 retail box continues to be a controversial topic. We have seen several memes surrounding it, one we find hilarious suggest by 2030 Apple will ship only a retail box, leaving pout the smartphone because we already have one. Several OEMs have also capitalized on the issue to troll Apple, including Samsung, and Xiaomi Spain.
We unboxed the #Mi10TLite – Atlantic Blue variant 😎 You'll get all the essentials, just with less plastic waste. Starting in Europe, we've committed to reducing plastic packaging by about 60%. 🌏 pic.twitter.com/ai1yq3YR92
Away from jokes and trolling, Xiaomi has committed to reducing the plastic it uses on its packaging by up to 60% and this will start in Europe. The firm seems to have swung into action in this regard as the Mi 10T Lite looks to be the first phone that it will be implemented on.
The retail box of today contains less plastic than a couple of years back as manufacturers try to reduce the cost of production. Xiaomi’s posture which is aimed at conserving the planet but you will still find all the accessories the Chinese tech giant usually ships with its smartphones such as the charger, USB-C cable and even the TPU case. The Mi 10 Lite which was launched earlier this year in Europe featured these accessories inside the retail box.
Overall, this can’t be said to be a drastic commitment towards environmental conservation compared to Apple’s stance. After all, the retail boxes are most times useless the moment we unbox the smartphone Moreover, the retail boxes are mostly made from carton. Thus, this could be another attempt at grabbing some publicity riding on the shoulders of Apple’s controversial decision.
Recall that when Apple removed the 3.5mm audio jack from the iPhones, it generated this kind of controversy but subsequently, other OEMs also followed suit by dishing the headphone jack in favour of a USB-C port. Some fans are yet to get around with that decision and it will be even more difficult to remove the adapter for companies like Xiaomi whose flagships have up to 100W wired and 80W wireless charging support. Apple’s 20W USB Power Delivery adapters are pretty easy to come by than the 100W adapters.
Dual-SIM Dual-5G support is a feature that is common in a lot of Chinese phones especially those powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 1000/1000+ processors. The feature allows users to use 5G networks on both SIMs at the same time. However, phones powered by Snapdragon chipsets don’t have support for Dual-SIM Dual-5G as only one SIM will be connected to 5G while the second SIM is connected to a 4G, 3G, or 2G network.
The Nokia 8.3 5G is one such phone without support for Dual-SIM Dual-5G but it has been reported that it will get support with a future update. The info comes from an official response to an inquiry made by a buyer on Amazon.
The buyer asked if the phone supports using 5G + 4G networks (dual SIM) at the same time when one SIM is on 5G or if the second SIM is disabled. The response provided by Nokia was that a software update will allow users to run both (SIMs) on 5G.
The answer doesn’t necessarily answer the question. However, NokiaPowerUser reports that HMD Global released an update for the phone recently that allows users to set SIM 1 to 5G while SIM 2 can be set to 4G, 3G, or 2G networks. Prior to the release of the update, if you had two SIM cards inside the device, both support 4G, 3G, or 2G. Yeah, really weird, right?. So to answer the buyer’s question, you can use one SIM for 5G while the other uses 4G, 3G, or 2G.
Going back to dissect Nokia’s response, we want to believe they mean that users will be able to use 5G on both SIMs and not just on one SIM 1. However, they most likely will not be able to connect to a 5G network on both SIMs at the same. This is because no Snapdragon processor offers that feature at the moment. Qualcomm says it is still working on it and we believe when it does happen, it will arrive with future processors.
How often do you see an Apple product get wrecked with many reports of defects on them? A new report on Reddit has shockingly revealed multiple instances of overheating issues on Apple Watch SE South Korea. And, some of them also experienced wrist burns.
First reported by Apple Insider(via PhoneArena), a post on Reddit says there are six instances of the issue(Oct 10-Oct 19) in total so far. The model in question is the Apple Watch SE 40mm variant, both GPS and Cellular models in Silver, and Space Gray. One of the instances brings the Nike Edition in the mix as well. All of them seem to have issues in a similar region.
The report says the common occurrence of the issue is above the display connectors, between the Taptic Engine and the digital crown. Although there are no teardown videos of the Watch SE yet, the post speculates that Apple re-uses designs of older models. And, this probably made them say that the area is far from the battery.
In one of the instances, the watch was hot to the touch just hrs after purchasing it. The other two instances says that the watch got so hot that it turned the wrist red and burnt before taking it off. For one of these wrist burn issues, Apple HQ will reportedly respond in a few days. However, a few others got a refund from the Apple store.
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Wrist burn Credits: Reddit
spot on Display Credit: Reddit
Other defects spotted include overheating, power-on, yellow tint, no power signals. And a portion of the display getting burnt when leaving the watch on the charger overnight. That said, Appleinsider report says the issue seems to be localized. And not widespread, by referring to other regions including its own collated Apple service data.
This means it could just be a batch of bad products sent to South Korea. And not the issue of Whole Watch SE. Nevertheless, Let’s wait and see if we get more reports, and how Apple responds to the issue.
Xiaomi Mi Bands are not the only affordable fitness trackers in the market. Huawei and Honor also sell similar products in almost all the countries where these two brands have their presence. However, they are not as feature-rich as Xiaomi’s offerings.
But credit where credit’s due, Huawei regularly updates its as well as Honor’s fitness trackers to offer software features present in competitors. Currently, the company is finally rolling out the weather forecast option to HUAWEI Band 4 and HONOR Band 5i.
The HUAWEI Band 4 and HONOR band 5i are the latest fitness trackers from the brands. Like their smartphones, these two wearable have also been receiving regular firmware updates with new features as well as bug fixes.
These two fitness trackers are now receiving a new firmware update with different build versions. Nevertheless, their changelog is identical, which means the update brings the same set of changes for them.
As per HuaweiCentral, the new update for HUAWEI Band 4 comes with firmware version 1.0.2.112, whereas the one for HONOR Band 5i carries version 1.0.5.100. As always, the update is being pushed through the HUAWEI Health app.
As mentioned in the beginning, the new update finally brings the 6-day weather forecast feature and also adds new watch faces in the Watch Face Store in the companion app.
In order to receive the latest update, make sure to have the latest version of the HUAWEI Health app installed from Google Play Store, HUAWEI AppGalerry, or Apple App Store depending upon the smartphone you own.
I remember my Motorola Moto G (1st Gen) smartphone, which was released back in late 2013, didn’t come with a charger in the box. All that was in the box was the phone, charging/data cable, and the usual documents manufacturers ship with phones. Motorola’s decision to not ship the phone with a charger was to keep the price low.
Apple’s new iPhone 12 series ships with a data/charging cable only
Fast forward to 2020, and Apple’s new iPhone 12 lineup will not be coming with a charger and a pair of wired earphones. Apple’s reasons – customers already have these accessories, and the removal reduces e-waste and emissions. Apple’s decision to not include these accessories is not limited to the new iPhones but will also extend to new units of older models that it sells.
Apple is shipping the new iPhones with a USB-C to Lightning cable which means that you need to have an adapter with a USB-C port. The thing is that Apple switched to the new cable just last year, starting with the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max (the iPhone 11 has a USB-A to lightning cable). While it did include a power adapter with a USB-C cable for the iPhone 11 Pro models, those who own previous iPhone models including the iPhone 11 have a USB-A power adapter.
New iPhones will ship with a USB-C to Lightning Cable
What this means is that if these older iPhone users are picking up the new iPhone 12 series or models like the iPhone 11 that originally shipped with a different cable (now shipping with the USB-C to lightning cable), they will not be able to charge their new phones with the tens of USB-A adapters that Apple claims they have laying around their homes. The solution is to go out and buy a USB-C adapter from a third-party manufacturer or Apple’s own $20 charger. A typical case of Apple creating a problem and profiting from it!
USB-C chargers aren’t actually as common as Apple thinks. Last year’s Galaxy S10 series ships with a USB-A adapter and the same applies to OnePlus’s 2019 flagships and even its OnePlus 8 series. This is the case for a lot of phones released even in the past year.
If Apple sells 50 million iPhone 12 units, you can expect more than half of the buyers are going to purchase a USB-C adapter Apple didn’t include in the box. And a large percentage of these users will even buy their charger from Apple. If you are picking up the $39 MagSafe Charger, you will still have to grab a USB-C power adapter as it has a USB-C end and doesn’t come with an adapter.
So Apple is not reducing e-wastes and greenhouse gases with this decision to not include accessories in the box, as these chargers will still have to be made by them and third-party manufacturers to meet customers’ demand.
Give buyers the chance to choose if they want accessories or not
I am of the opinion that buyers should be able to decide if they want accessories or not when purchasing a phone. If a buyer is purchasing a new phone, the option to add accessories or not should be made available at checkout just as they would choose the configuration or color they want.
Buyers who do not want accessories should get a discount at checkout or store credit equivalent to the cost of the bundled accessories. This store credit can be used to purchase other accessories they actually need such as cases or even a wireless charger as the case may be.
Apple and other manufacturers can also create a way for buyers to donate some of the money saved to non-profit organizations protecting the planet. If buyers see they can actively contribute to making the world a better place, they will be inclined to skip on accessories they do not need.
Manufacturers can also use the data from buyers’ purchase behavior to then decide if accessories should be permanently removed depending on the region or if it should still be an option.
The option to ask for accessories is not new. In the US, Samsung doesn’t include its USB-C AKG earbuds in the box of the Galaxy Note 20 series but it does so in Europe. Samsung USA revealed that the decision was made due to the declining usage of wired earphones. While the SamMobile post says that American buyers can request for the AKG Earbuds when they purchase the phone, some of the comments in the post revealed they got a $30 promo code to use on the Samsung Store.
Apple’s intentions seem to be good but it could have been better implemented. We hope other manufacturers that plan to take a similar decision iron out the kinks before adopting.
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