Apple iPhone 12 Pro may soon be made in India and Brazil, iPhone 12 mini battery capacity revealed: Report

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Oct 19, 2020

The Huawei Mate 40 series is all set to go official on Oct. 22. After launching the Mate 40 series, the company will shift its focus to the Nova 8 series. A reliable tipster from China has claimed that the Nova 8 will be announced in November.

Apart from claiming that the Nova 8 series is coming next month, the tipster did not share new information on the specifications of the expected devices. Past reports have revealed that the Nova 8 family will include three handsets such as the Nova 8 SE, Nova 8, and Nova 8 Pro. It is speculated that the HJC-AN00 / TN00 and JSC-AN00 / TN00 model numbers are associated with the Nova 8 models.

The alleged Nova 8 Pro had recently appeared in leaked shots to reveal that its screen features curved edges and a pill-shaped cutout for its dual selfie snappers. It is speculated that the Nova 8 Pro has an OLED panel that offers a 120Hz refresh rate. The device could be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset and it may arrive in China with a price tag of 3,999 Yuan (~$598).

Editor’s Pick: Leak reveals Huawei Mate 40 Pro’s press renders and key specs; packs 50MP Leica triple cameras

The Nova 8 could be featuring the Dimensity 820 chipset. Its screen may support a 90Hz refresh rate and it could be hitting the Chinese markets with 3,299 Yuan (~$493) pricing. The Nova 8 SE could be driven by the Dimensity 800 chipset and 8 GB of RAM. It may come with an internal storage of 128 GB and it could be priced at 2,799 Yuan (~$419).

In related news, Huawei recently unveiled the Nova 7 SE 5G Vitality Edition. In terms of specs and design, it is the same Nova 7 SE phone that debuted earlier in China. While the older model featured the Kirin 820 chipset, the new model comes with Dimensity 800U SoC.

Apple iPhone 12 and 12 Pro pre-orders surpass iPhone 11 launch: Kuo

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Oct 19, 2020

Known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has estimated that the newly launched Apple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro have brought in anywhere between 7 to 9 million units in pre orders in total over the weekend. These numbers will rise further when the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Mini begin sales as well.

Earlier today (19th October 2020), the Kuo stated that the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro alone has already surpassed the launch performance of the entire iPhone 11 lineup in 2019. The Cupertino based giant is estimated to have sold between 10 to 12 million iPhone 11 series units during the launch weekend, although, the iPhone 12 series have reached an estimated 1.7 to 2 million units in just 24 hours. This is a sizeable increase from 500,000 to 800,000 on the iPhone 11 last year.

Ming-Chi Kuo stated that “The iPhone 12 Pro pre-order beat our expectation because of Apple core fans’ initial preference for high-end models, the strong demand in the Chinese market, and the coming peak season demand in the U.S. and Europe.” Furthermore, the analyst does not expect the iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 12 Mini to also perform this well, but these launches would also supplement the pre orders for the to “supercycle” heights.

As per an AppleInsider report, Kuo expects both the Apple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro to account for anywhere between 30 to 35 percent of the total iPhone 12 series shipments in the fourth quarter of this year. Similarly, the iPhone 12 Mini and the high end iPhone 12 Pro Max is estimated to account for 10 to 15 percent and 15 to 20 percent of the iPhone 12 series shipments respectively.

HTC Desire 20+ with Snapdragon 720G, 48MP quad cameras and 5,000mAh battery launched in Taiwan

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Oct 19, 2020

In June, HTC unveiled the Desire 20 Pro and its first 5G phone named HTC U20 5G in Taiwan. The Desire 20 Pro was made official in Europe in August this year. Today, the Taiwanese firm announced a new handset called the HTC Desire 20 Plus in the home market. The handset offers key specs like Snapdragon 720G, 48-megapixel quad cameras, and a 5,000mAh battery.

HTC Desire 20+ specifications

The HTC Desire 20+ weighs 203 grams and it measures 164.9 x 75.7 x 9mm. The phone houses a 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen that produces an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 720G mobile platform is present at the helm of the device along with 6 GB of RAM. It has an internal storage of 128 GB and a microSD card slot for additional storage.

The Desire 20+ has a front-facing camera of 16-megapixel with an f/2.0 aperture that supports HDR and full HD video recording. It has an impressive textured rear and a unique camera housing. The camera module includes a 48-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture, a 5-megapixel ultrawide lens with 115-degree field-of-view, a 2-megapixel macro lens with 40cm focal length, and a 5-megpaixel depth sensor. The quad cameras are coupled with features like dual-LED flash, HDR, AI scene detection, time-lapse photography, and 4K video shooting. A fingerprint scanner can be also found on the backside of the phone.

Editor’s Pick: HTC maybe working on a foldable smartphone of its own

The Android 10 OS comes preinstalled on the HTC Desire 20+. It is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that is enabled with Quick Charge 4.0 rapid charging technology. It comes with other features like dual SIM support, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

HTC Desire 20+ pricing and availability

The HTC Desire 20+ is priced at TWD 8,490 (~$295) in Taiwan. Dawn Orange and Twilight Black are its two color editions. There is no word on which other markets will be receiving the Desire 20+.

Xiaomi fixes Arunachal weather not being displayed, calls it a Glitch

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Oct 19, 2020

Recently, Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi, was caught up in a controversial situation after it was found by users that the company’s smartphones were not displaying weather for Arunachal Pradesh, India. The Chinese brand has since called this issue a “technical error” and that it has been fixed.

For those unaware, the tensions between India and China have been rising, with recent military clashes on the Indo-Chinese borders also raising friction between both governments while cultivating anti Chinese sentiments in India. This issue becomes even further supplemented by the fact that there is a border dispute regarding Arunachal on the map, which has made it a contentious matter

Thus, when users started sharing the news of Xiaomi smartphones not showing Arunachal Pradesh’s weather details, the company faced immense criticism online. In other words, Xiaomi was caught in the crossfire, although it has fixed the issue since it was first discovered, according to the Times of India report.

Xiaomi’s official spokesperson has clarified that it was indeed a glitch. “There was a technical issue in our weather app that we had identified. The same has been fixed.”

As per an official statement from the company, “At Mi India, we take great pride in the love and trust that our fans and consumers across the country have bestowed on us. We would like to clarify that the weather app on our devices uses data from multiple third-party data sources and we understand that for many locations, the weather-related data is not available on the current app. This is a technical error on our application.”

Huawei Mate 40 to feature a distortion free Ultra Wide angle camera

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Oct 19, 2020

Huawei has just teased its upcoming flagship smartphones series earlier today (19th October 2020). The Mate 40 series’ launch is just around the corner and the new promotional teaser video hints at an ultra wide angle lens with no distortion being found in the new smartphone.

In the video, the company shared the line “Horizontal, as it should be” and “One in a straight line, all in one shot,” which hints at its camera module. The video itself has the camera lenses focus on a plate of food, which starts with a closeup and then seamlessly transitions to a wide angle shot. The video also emphasizes on the distortion effect that is observable on most ultra wide angle lenses, with the company hinting that this might not be an issue on the upcoming Mate 40 series.

While many OEMs are looking towards better anti distortion algorithms, Huawei might have found a way to eliminate the issue entirely. Although, it is still too early to know for sure. Previously, we had reported on a press render leak that showcased a triple camera setup on the Mate 40 Pro. In this leak, the ultra wide angle lens was a 20 megapixel sensor f/1.8 aperture.

Unfortunately, we do not have much to go on from just a single teaser video. Although, we can expect the Chinese tech giant to place a heavy emphasis on its upcoming flagship’s cameras. So stay tuned for more updates and the launch event, which we will be covering.

Samsung patents three foldable smartphone designs with cutout for inner cameras

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Oct 19, 2020

Samsung Electronics is ahead of any other company in terms of foldable smartphones. To stay ahead of the competition, the South Korean tech behemoth has been patenting foldable devices in various sizes and forms. Just last week, a patent filed by the firm’s sister company Samsung Display was unearthed by LetsGoDigital. Now, the publication has spotted another patent filed by Samsung Electronics.

Foldable smartphones are said to be the next big thing in consumer electronics. They are already here but are out of reach for most people. Thankfully, they are expected to get cheaper in the coming years as the tech matures. In the meantime, companies like Samsung will continue to patent new designs.

The newly spotted foldable design patent was filed by Samsung Electronics with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in April. It got approved and published on October 15 titled ‘Foldable electronic device including a plurality of camera modules’.

The patent includes three different designs – two with an outward folding screen like the HUAWEI Mate Xs and one with an inward folding screen like the Galaxy Z Fold2.

However, all three of them have a cutout on the front display so that the cameras present inside can be used even when the phone is closed. Hence, the title includes the term plurality of camera modules.

Anyway, we don’t see Samsung ever implementing this design in a commercial product. The current-gen devices have already moved on to punch-holes. The notch on the original Galaxy Fold offers a less immersive experience and has app compatibility issues.

Since these newly patented designs also have to make a similar compromise with the display like on the company’s first commercially available foldable smartphone, we don’t think Samsung will ever implement them.

OnePlus 8T sales broke 100 million Yuan in just 1 minute and 200 million Yuan in 10 minutes

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Oct 19, 2020

Earlier today (19th October 2020), the OnePlus 8T officially went on sale in China. It is the latest flagship smartphone from the Chinese brand, with the company seeing sales crossing 100 million Yuan (roughly 14 million US Dollars) in just the first minute and 200 million yuan (roughly 28 million US Dollars) within the next 10 minutes.

The newest handset from OnePlus has already seen great success in the company’s home country. OnePlus even shared an official promotional image that commemorated this great first sale. For those unaware, the Oneplus 8T is the current flagship from the company, which features top notch specifications like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC along with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage.

Under the hood, a large 4,500mAh battery pack runs the device that supports 65W fast charging, 5G networking, and even offers a 120Hz refresh rate on its display. Looking at the numbers, the device starts from 3,399 Yuan (roughly 500 US Dollars) in China. So, anywhere between 28,000 to 30,000 units were sold in just the first minute of the sale, and around 60,000 units within the next 10 minutes, which are some really impressive numbers.

Jio Phone with 5G support and around Rs 2,500 (~$34) pricing in works for India

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Oct 19, 2020

Reliance Jio stormed into the highly competitive telecom market in September 2016 by announcing very affordable 4G plans. In September this year, Jio’s head Mukesh Ambani revealed that the company is gearing up to launch a world-class 5G service in the country. A fresh report by India’s Economic Times states that Reliance Jio is planning to launch a 5G-enabled Jio Phone priced around Rs 2,500 (~$34) in India.

Reliance Jio’s company official said, “Jio wants to bring the device for less than Rs 5,000. When we scale up the sales, it can be priced in the range of Rs 2,500 (~$34) – Rs 3,000 (~$41).” Currently, the OnePlus Nord that is priced at Rs 24,999 is the cheapest 5G smartphone in India. While various companies have been launching flagship and upper-midrange phones with 5G support in India, it is yet to become a 5G-ready country.

In 2016, Jio sold the 4G-ready Jio Phone for free in India through an offer that required them to pay a refundable deposit of Rs 1,500. Probably, the company may adopt the same strategy for its entry-level 5G phone.

Editor’s Pick: Cheapest Snapdragon 865 Smartphones that you can buy in India in October 2020

The government of India is yet to allocate spectrum to telecom service providers for carrying field trials of 5G networks. Meanwhile, Reliance Jio is working on its own 5G equipment and it is currently waiting for allocation of 5G spectrum from the Department of Telecom. While the commercialization of the 5G networks, Reliance Jio aims to turn the existing 200 to 300 million 2G users into 5G subscribers.

The first Jio Phone with 5G support is expected to debut next year. There are reports that the end of the year may see the arrival of a new 4G Android phone from the brand that could be priced around Rs 4,000 ($54). Last month, Reliance Jio announced that Google invested Rs 33,737 crore for a 7.7 percent stake in Jio Platforms so that both companies can build a new version of Android OS for low-priced smartphones.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro system UI screenshots leak confirms key specifications

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Oct 19, 2020

Huawei has already confirmed that the company will be launching its next-generation Mate-series flagship smartphones — Huawei Mate 40 lineup on 22nd October. Now, as the launch date nears, more and more details about the phones keep surfacing online.

In the latest development, a few images of the upcoming Mate 40 Pro smartphone’s user interface have leaked online. The photos confirm some of the phone’s specifications and features that have been previously leaked or rumored.

The leaked screenshots confirm that the Mate 40 pro will come powered by the company’s own Kirin 9000 SoC. The company’s executive has already confirmed this and it could also be Huawei’s last flagship chipset, at least for the time being due to new sanctions imposed on the company by the United States.

It is also confirmed that the device will be running the EMUI 11 custom user interface, which is based on the Android 10 operating system but without the support for Google Mobile Services. Instead, the device will likely have Huawei Mobile Service. It’s noteworthy that Android 11 has already been launched but since Google started uploading the open-source code last month, Huawei didn’t get enough time to upgrade the software.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi announces 80W wireless charging technology that fully charges 4000mAh battery in 19 minutes

As for other details, the leaked images confirm 2772 x 1344 pixels screen resolution, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of internal storage. The leaked render image of the phone also showcases a circular camera setup on the back and a dual punch-hole cutout on the front.

A recent leak indicates a 50MP triple camera system on the back, along with 20MP ultra-wide lens, and a 12MP telephoto zoom camera. It will have 5x optical zoom and support for 8K video recording. On the front, there will be a 13MP primary sensor and a 3D sensor.

The phone supports Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and Wi-Fi 6 in terms of connectivity. It reportedly packs a 4,400mAh battery with support for 65W fast wired charging via a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port that can fully charge the device in under one hour.

iQOO U1x renders, specifications listed at retailer site, reservations begin

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Oct 19, 2020

In July, iQOO announced the iQOO U1 smartphone in China. It appears that the company is now gearing up to introduce a weaker sibling of the phone named iQOO U1x phone. The upcoming iQOO U1x is now listed at Chinese retailer platforms like JD.com and Tmall with key specifications and renders.

iQOO U1x specifications and renders

The iQOO U1x listings have only a few pieces of information on its specifications. It reveals that it is a Snapdragon 662 mobile platform powered 4G smartphone that houses a 5,000mAh battery. The phone is listed in variants such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage.

The iQOO U1x is available for reservations, but its pricing is yet to be revealed. Its pre-sale is scheduled to start on Oct. 21, and it will be announced on Nov. 1. The smartphone will be available in two color editions such as Light Black and Morning Forest. The renders of the phone reveal that it has a waterdrop notch display and a side-facing fingerprint scanner. The rear side of the device features a vertical camera system.

Editor’s Pick: AnTuTu September 2020: Redmi and iQOO dominate the budget and flagship category of value for money devices

Recently, the TENAA certification platform of China had approved two Vivo phones with model numbers V2031A and V2034A. The V2031A 5G phone recently debuted as the Vivo Y73s 5G. It seems the Vivo V2034A could be the iQOO U1x phone.

The V2034A TENAA listing states that it measures 164.41 × 76.32 × 8.4mm and it weighs 171.3 grams. It houses a 6.52-inch HD+ AMOLED screen and it runs on Android 10 OS. It has a 13-megapixel+ 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system and a selfie camera of 8-megapixel. The phone is equipped with support for fast charging.

Meizu UR Live Special Edition earphones launched in China for 1,299 yuan ($194)

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Oct 19, 2020

Meizu has today launched its latest headphones in China, dubbed as Meizu UR Live Special Edition headphones. The product comes in a black-colored semi-transparent design and is priced at 1,299 yuan, which is roughly $194.

The company claims that the earphones are made to offer a distinctive sound experience that is on-par with leading acoustic devices. It also adds that the product has gone through fine manufacturing as well as a rigorous tuning process.

Although the earphones are smaller in size, it does not lack behind in terms of performance, as per the company’s claims. Meizu adds that the wired earphone enhances the low-frequency output through two customized subwoofers.

The earphones are designed with a dual-channel independent conductive structure — bass double-moving iron and medium-high pitch iron. The company claims that these independent sound pipes further enhances the experience.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi announces 80W wireless charging technology that fully charges 4000mAh battery in 19 minutes

To ensure better, comfortable, and natural fit, Meizu claims that it collected tens of thousands of earmold samples and then formulated a common model through rigorous calculations and modeling optimization. It has OFC oxygen-free silver-plated wire while the connectors and panels are of carbon, gold, and silver foil.

The company adds that the Meizu UR Live earphones have been optimized in a way that it offers accurate reproduction of vocals and detailed presentation of instrumental sounds. It also claims to offer impressive output, regardless of the genre of music.

LG may not launch Snapdragon 875 flagship 1H 2021

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Oct 19, 2020

The successor to the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform will be made official on Dec. 1 through the Tech Summit event by Qualcomm. The official name of the upcoming chip is yet to be declared. Going by the names of the previous generations, it is likely that the SD865 will be replaced by the Snapdragon 875 mobile platform. Samsung and Xiaomi could be one of the first companies to launch SD875 powered flagship phones in Q1 next year. In the past years, LG has also been one of the first brands to launch flagship phones featuring the newest Snapdragon flagship chip. According to a tipster that cites information from a South Korean website, LG will not be releasing a Snapdragon 875 mobile platform powered phone in the first half of 2021.

The site states that LG is missing from the list of companies that have placed orders for the SD875 chipset. Instead of the SD875, the South Korean company has placed a mass order for the upcoming Snapdragon 775 upper mid-range SoC.

The reason behind it could be the change that the company has brought in its mobile business. Previously, the company released a G series flagship handset in the first half of the year, and a V-series flagship phone in the second half.

Editor’s Pick: Apple iPhone 12 OLED display panels are supplied by Samsung and LG

This year, LG did not launch a G-series smartphone. Instead of it, it announced the LG V60 ThinQ in February and the all-new upper mid-range phone called the LG VELVET in May. It recently introduced the experimental LG Wing flagship and it appears that it is no other flagship phones planned for this year.

The LG VELVET featured the Snapdragon 765G chipset. Hence, it appears that the Snapdragon 775 could be powering the VELVET’s successor. Like this year, the new VELVET phone may debut in Q2 next year.

OnePlus 8T goes on sale in China; pricing starts at 3,399 yuan ($507)

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Oct 19, 2020

A few days ago, OnePlus launched its latest flagship smartphone in its home country China — OnePlus 8T. After making the device available for pre-order from 15th October, the company has now officially started selling the phone in China.

The pricing for the base model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage is kept at 3,399 yuan (~$507) while the top-end variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage is available for 3,699 yuan, which is about $552.

It’s noteworthy that the pricing of the OnePlus 8T in China is cheaper than in other regions. The smartphone is available in two color options — Aquamarine Green, and Lunar Silver. Apart from the official store, the device is also available for purchase through JD Home, Jingdong, T-Mall, Huantai Mall, and more.

Coming to the specifications, the device features a 6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED 120Hz display and supports in-display fingerprint unlocking. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, along with Adreno 650 GPU.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei confirms exit from the company, pens an emotional “Thank you” note

In the camera department, there’s a quad-camera setup that consists of a 48MP + 16MP + 5MP + 2MP sensors. On the front side, the smartphone packs a Sony IMX471 16MP camera sensor for taking selfies and video calling.

The device is running the latest Android 11 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own OxygenOS 11 custom user interface on top. It is powered by a 4,500mAh battery that has support for Warp Charge 65 fast charging technology.

Apple reveals iPhone 12 out of warranty screen replacement cost

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Oct 19, 2020

A few days ago, Apple officially took the wraps off its iPhone 12 series smartphones and entered the new 5G era as all the four models launched by the company come with support for 5G communication.

While the smartphones from the tech giant come with a limited one-year warranty, it does not cover accidental damages. And the most likely part of the phone to get damaged is the display or screen. So, the company has now officially revealed the screen replacement cost of the newly launched iPhone 12 models.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi announces 80W wireless charging technology that fully charges 4000mAh battery in 19 minutes

Apple has confirmed that the screen repair for the iPhone 12 will cost $279 in the United States, which is the same cost applicable for the iPhone 12 Pro as well. In China, the company will be charging 2,149 yuan, which is about $321.

So far, the company has not revealed the screen replacement or repair cost for the iPhone 12 Mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max variants.

However, if you have purchased the AppleCare+ protection plan, then it covers the screen repair cost and you’ll just have to pay the service fee which is $29 in the USA. The pricing for the AppleCare+ starts at $149 for the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini models while for the Pro models, it increases by $50. All one-time AppleCare+ plan offers coverage for two years.

Xiaomi announces 80W wireless charging technology that fully charges 4000mAh battery in 19 minutes

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