After iPhone 12 launch, pricing of Apple iPhone XR drops by 800 yuan ($119) in China

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Oct 14, 2020

Apple finally launched its next-generation iPhone 12 models which comes with an OLED display and 5G connectivity support. With the launch of this new lineup, the pricing of some of the older Apple iPhone models has reduced significantly.

For instance, the pricing of the Apple iPhone XR has been slashed by 800 yuan. The 64GB model now costs 3,999 yuan (~$593) instead of 4,799 yuan (~$712) while the 128GB model is priced at 4,499 yuan (~$667) instead of 5,299 yuan (~$786).

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple launches the iPhone 12 Pro & 12 Pro Max with 5G, improved cameras, and more!

On the other hand, the pricing of the iPhone 11 has been reduced by 700 yuan. The 64GB storage model is now available for 4,799 yuan (~$712) while the 128GB and 256GB models are priced at 5,299 yuan (~$786) and 6,099 yuan (~$905) respectively. The new pricing is now reflecting on the company’s official website.

Coming to the latest smartphones, Apple has launched four models this time — iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. All of these devices are powered by the latest A14 Bionic chipset, which is manufactured using the 5nm process.

The standard model starts at $799 while the Mini variant is priced at $699. On the other hand, the pricing of the Pro variant starts at $999 while the Pro Max starts at $1,099. As for availability, the iPhone 12 will start shipping from 23rd October while the other three models will be available from 13th November in the United States.

5G smartphone shipments in China have surpassed 100 million units in 2020

By

Sean

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Oct 14, 2020

A new report has revealed that the 5G smartphone shipments in China have surpassed 100 million units as of September 2020. This marks a major milestone in the 5G handset market as devices’ featuring the newer and faster bandwidth are becoming increasingly more popular.

As per the “September 2020 Domestic Mobile Phone Market Operation Analysis Report” from China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, the domestic market of 5G smartphones shipped 13.99 million units in the month alone. This includes 26 new models that were launched during the period, while the cumulative shipments from previous months reach a total of 108 million units with 167 new 5G handsets being launched earlier this year.

In September, the overall domestic smartphone market shipped 23.334 million units in total, out of which, 60 percent of the total shipments were accounted for by 5G enabled devices. In other words, the Chinese smartphone market is now being dominated by phones that arrive with the new generation of networking standards. From January to September, a market total of 226 million mobile phone units were shipped while 218 million units or 96.5 percent of them were smartphones. In this, 108 million units, or 47.7 percent of all smartphones arrived with 5G networking.

Notably, the month of September also saw a year on year 5G smartphone shipments increase of 29.6 percent over 2019. This accounted for 92.4 percent of all mobile phone shipments in the same period as well. However, the cumulative smartphone shipments in China declined by 22 percent. This is likely caused by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic as per a CNMO report.

Cornell researchers invent earphones that track facial expressions even with face mask

By

Jeet

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Oct 14, 2020

Researchers at Cornell University have invented an earphone that can continuously track full facial expressions, even when the face is covered by a mask. The ear-mounted device, named C-Face, works by observing the contour of the cheeks and then translates the expressions into emojis or speech commands.

Using the C-Face device, users can express emotions to online collaborators without holding cameras in front of their faces. This seems like a useful tool for communication, especially at a time when the world is engaged in remote work or learning because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Cheng Zhang, Assistant Professor of Information Science and Senior Author of this research has said that “this device is simpler, less obtrusive and more capable than any existing ear-mounted wearable technologies for tracking facial expressions.”

As the device works by detecting muscle movement, C-Face can capture facial expressions even when users are wearing masks. It can also be used to direct a computer system, such as a music player, just by using only facial cues.

EDITOR’S PICK: A Samsung Display design patent reveals a third possible foldable form factor for smartphones

Using the device, avatars in virtual reality environments can express how their users are actually feeling, and instructors can also get valuable information about student engagement during online lessons.

As for its working, once the images are captured, they are reconstructed using computer vision and a deep learning model. Then, a convolutional neural network – an AI model for classifying, detecting, and retrieving images, reconstructs the contours into expressions.

It translates the images of cheeks to 42 facial feature points, or landmarks, which represents the shapes and positions of the mouth, eyes, and eyebrows since those features are the most affected by changes in expression.

The researchers tested the C-Face device on nine participants and the average error of the reconstructed landmarks was under 0.8 mm. They also found that emoji recognition was more than 88 percent accurate and silent speech was nearly 85 percent accurate.

Gionee F8 Neo is an upcoming budget smartphone with UNISOC SC9863A & 2GB RAM

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Oct 14, 2020

Gionee is no longer a big name in the smartphone market but the brand under different ownership still continues to launch budget handsets in certain markets. The latest phone from the company is Gionee S12 Lite, which made its debut a few days back in Africa. At around the same time, a new device going by the name of Gionee F11VE was spotted on Google Play Console. Now, another smartphone called Gionee F8 Neo makes its appearance as well.

The newly spotted Gionee F8 Neo is nothing but another budget smartphone from the brand. In fact, it will be powered by the same UNISOC (formerly Spreadtrum) SC9863A chipset found inside the Gionee F11VE. This chip includes a 1.6GHz octa-core CPU consisting of 8 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores and 550MHz PowerVR GE8322 GPU.

However, unlike the F11VE (720 x 1560), the F8 Neo will flaunt a 720 x 1440 (HD+) display. But it will come with the same amount of RAM (2GB) and Android 10 operating system. Anyway, the difference in screen resolution makes us believe that these two are different devices and not the same phone with two different names.

Having said that, the render of the device on Google Play Console listing could be a generic placeholder. That’s because the device in render has curved front glass, which is uncommon for a budget smartphone powered by a UNISOC chipset.

It is not sure when Gionee will be officially launching the F8 Neo or even the F11VE for that matter.

Honor V40 series first teaser emerges, fuelling speculations of impending launch

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 14, 2020

In Juloy this year, it was reevealed that the Mate 40 series may feature a different chipset, likely one of MediaTek’s processors, in markets outside China. Later on, the specs sheet of the Honor V40 series was leaked showing that all models will be powered by the Dimensity 1000+ processor.

Right now, an official-looking teaser for the V40 series has appeared online suggesting that the model is in the works and that a launch may not be far off. The teaser poster was shared by Indian tipster Mukul Sharmal (@stufflistings) who posited that a launch may not be far off.

At this moment, absolutely nothing has been officially revealed about the Honor flagship but considering the shortage of the Kirin 9000 chipset, it is most likely that if Huawei’s Honor brand was to release the flagship series right after the Mate 40 series, the device will likely not use a Kirin chipset. This is as a result of shortages of the 5nm chip occasioned by the US ban placed on Huawei.

Turns out the Honor V40 series might not be too far from now.#huawei #honor #HonorV40 pic.twitter.com/1jkI36Dcof

— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) October 13, 2020

The Honor V series is expected to include the Honor V40, V40 Pro, and V40 Pro+. The series traditionally packs the latest version of the Kirin chipset and other top notch specs. The series also usually feature impressive cameras.

We await for official words on the launch by Honor.

Huawei plans on creating more jobs and raising investments in foreign markets

By

Sean

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Oct 14, 2020

Earlier this week, a Huawei executive stated that the company is going to continue to create more jobs in countries apart from its home nation and will raise its investments and workforce in overseas markets.

According to a ChinaDaily report, Yan Lida, Director of the board and senior vice president of Huawei said that the company has been investing in countries like Canada for more than a decade now, to help sustain its local economy through its employment efforts. At the moment, the Chinese tech giant is one of the largest corporate investors in the region and employs over 1,200 people. Furthermore, the company has even created over 5,000 indirect jobs as well.

So, the senior official mentioned that Huawei will continue to raise its investments and employment in the country. The statement was issued by Yan during a panel discussion on “Investment in Canada” at the Canada China Business Council’s 42nd Annual General Meeting Business Forum, which was held in Beijing, China. However, despite this, Yan also warned of potential risks in companies investing in Canada as the Chinese companies must now take proper safeguards due to the growing challenges in the global business environment.

Dace Murphy, consul general of Canada in Shanghai, said that Canada remains to be one of the important destinations of outbound investments for Chinese investors, even during the many challenges being faced during the Coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, Murphy stated that “It has been a difficult year for all of us as the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the global economy … China’s situation is different from others as it is recovering rapidly after the difficulties during the first few months of this year.”

ZTE announces partnership with Netflix for Hailstorm Set Top Box program

By

Jeet

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Oct 14, 2020

ZTE Corporation, one of the leading telecommunication equipment provider and a major player in enterprise and consumer technology, has today announced a partnership with Netflix, the leading online media streaming platform.

The partnership is for the Hailstorm, which is an Android TV-powered hybrid Set-Top Box (STB) device scaling program that enables Pay-TV operators and consumer electronics partners a low-cost and faster way to integrate Netflix on their devices.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei leaves the company; reported to be starting his own venture

As per the company, ZTE has been working with Netflix since last year for the set-top box projects around the world. Now, with this partnership over the Hailstorm program, the company will work to create a better TV content ecosystem.

The company adds that it is also looking forward to helping entertainment content consumers to get easy access to Netflix’s catalog of movies and TV shows.

ZTE further says that the company has deployed its set-top boxes in more than 120 45 countries around the world in a partnership with over 120 companies. It adds that the company is committed to high-quality product Research & Development and its application.

OPPO Smart TV new teaser poster hints at floating screen design

By

Jeet

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Oct 14, 2020

As we previously reported, smartphone maker OPPO is now all set to enter the Smart TV market. The company has already confirmed that it will be hosting a launch event on 19th October to unveil its first Smart TV in the market.

Now, ahead of the official launch, the company has shared a new teaser poster of its first Smart TV on Weibo. The new poster hints that it will come with floating screen design. The poster also has an image of the OPPO Smart TV from the top angle.

So far, OPPO has not revealed many details about the TV, but it is being reported that the product will come in two display sizes — 55-inch and 65-inch. It is also expected to have a Quantum Dot full-screen display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Recently, three models of the upcoming OPPO TV got listed on JD.com ahead of the launch — OPPO R1 55-inch, OPPO R1 65-inch, and OPPO S1 65-inch. However, the listing has not revealed more information about the models.

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple launches the iPhone 12 Pro & 12 Pro Max with 5G, improved cameras & more!

It has been confirmed that the OPPO Smart TV will come with a pop-up camera, enabling video calling on the device. The ultra-narrow display seems to have a silver-colored base. As per the reports, the TV could feature a 4K panel.

It remains to be seen what else the company has planned to offer with this Smart TV. We expect the company to share a few more details about the OPPO TV ahead of its official launch on 19th October.

Xiaomi crowdfunds the MIJIA Ear Thermometer priced at 169 yuan (~$25)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 14, 2020

Xiaomi has launched the MIJIA Ear Thermometer under crowdfunding on Xiaomi Mall. The digital thermometer carries a crowdfunding price tag of 169 yuan (~$25) but will officially retail for 199 yuan (~$29) after the exercise.

Rectal thermometers are presently the most accurate form of temperature measurement. However, researchers found temperature discrepancies of as much as 1 degree in either direction when ear thermometer readings were compared with rectal thermometer readings, t

The thermometer has selling points such as rapid temperature measurement, 0.1℃ high-precision sensor, large LED digital display, and dust-free storage box. It is especially suitable for temperature measurement in families with babies.

The Mijia ear thermometer has a built-in high-sensitivity imported temperature sensor, which accurately captures the infrared radiation energy emitted by the eardrum to read body temperature, showing a body temperature change of 0.1°C.

In terms of the design, the MIJIA Ear Thermometer is white and translucent, round and compact. There is one main button and a operation button to test, easy to get started. The display also has a high brightness and a large font displaying thge temperature, clear reading at night, avoid misreading.

The probe is designed to bend and support the inner wall of the ear canal. With a slightly swingable probe, it can adapt to the physiological bending of the ear canal more dexterously, ensuring that the center of the probe is kept at the center of the eardrum for accuratetemperature measurement and temperature capture is more accurate.

Before being inserted into the ear canal, the probe will be preheated to make it closer to the body temperature of the human body , so that it is comfortable to enter the ear and will not cool the ear canal. Even measuring a sleeping baby will not cause interference.

The crowdfunding exercise is open to persons in China and they can participate from the Xiaomi Mall app.

OnePlus 8T, OnePlus Bud Z and Bullets Wireless Z Bass Edition to launch today; What to expect?

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 14, 2020

OnePlus will be announcing the OnePlus 8T smartphone today in India and Europe. The event will begin at 7 PM IST. As it is known, the company will be only announcing the OnePlus 8T as there are no plans to launch the OnePlus 8T Pro handset. Ahead of the announcement, popular tipster Evan Blass has revealed what to expect from the OnePlus event.

OnePlus 8T specifications

While recent reports have revealed almost everything about the OnePlus 8T phone, the specs sheet corroborates all the leaks that have surfaced so far. The OnePlus 8T measures 160.7 x 74.1 x 8.4mm and it weighs 188 grams. The device has a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a punch-hole design. It supports 1080 x 2400 pixels full HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is integrated with a fingerprint scanner and it is protected by a 2.5D Gorilla Glass panel. The latest Android 11 OS along with the OxygenOS 11 will come preloaded on the phone.

OnePlus 8T Render Color Options — The OnePlus 8T in Silver and Aquamarine Green

The OnePlus 8T has a front camera of 16-megapixel. The rectangle-shaped camera housing has a Sony IMX586 48-megpaixel main camera, a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens with 123-degree field-of-view, a 5-megapixel macro shooter, and a 2-megapixel mono lens.

Editor’s Pick: OnePlus 8T Pop Up Event will be hosted within OnePlus World starting October 14

The Snapdragon 865 mobile platform will drive the OnePlus 8T. It will arrive with 8 GB / 12 GB of LPPDR4x RAM and 128 GB / 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It is backed by a 4,500mAh battery that supports Warp Charge 65 rapid charging technology. The phone offers other features like 5G connectivity, dual stereo speakers, NFC, and an X-axis motor.

1 of 3

Shown above are the leaked renders of the OnePlus Buds Z TWS earbuds that will carry a modest price tag and the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z Bass Edition.

Huawei Mate 40 series official poster reveals octagonal camera module

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 14, 2020

Huawei has released the first official poster of the Huawei Mate 40 series ahead of its Oct. 22 announcement. The poster reveals that it will be sporting a unique octagon-shaped camera housing. Interestingly, the rear design of the Mate 40 series seems to match with a design patent that was published by the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration) in September.

The silhouette of the Mate 40 series shows that it will be the first brand to feature an octagonal camera housing. It appears that the other rumored devices in the lineup such as the Mate 40 Pro, Mate 40 Pro+, and Mate 40 RS Porsche Design could also be sporting the same camera design. The poster also reveals a volume rocker and an orange-colored power button.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei tipped to launch the Mate 30 Pro E alongside the Mate 40 series on October 22

MyDrivers reported that some netizens overlapped the poster with a mirrored image, and it revealed a complete octagon camera housing. It is unclear how many cameras will be available on the vanilla Mate 40, but there are speculations that the Mate 40 Pro could be flaunting a penta-lens camera setup.

Last month, LetsGoDigital reported that a design patent for a full-screen smartphone equipped with an octagonal camera housing was filed with CNIPA on Sept. 11. The following render was shared by the publication on the basis of the schematics found in the patent filings. It appears that the Mate 40 series will sport the same design.

The design patent reveals that the phone is equipped with an edge-to-edge display with an under-screen selfie camera and it has an octagonal camera module, and it has as many as five cameras. Reports have claimed that the Mate 40 series are unlikely to feature an under-display selfie camera. Leaks have claimed that the Mate 40 series will have a curved edge display with a dual punch-hole design.

Apple launches the iPhone 12 Pro & 12 Pro Max with 5G, improved cameras & more!

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 14, 2020

The iPhone 12 and 12 mini were joined by the more premium iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max during Apple’s launch event held on Tuesday. The two Pro models come with several improvements over their predecessors in several aspects including a larger display, improved cameras and 5G connectivity.

The iPhone 12 Pro packs a 6.1-inch display while the 12 Pro Max packs a 6.7-inch screen. This a slight increase from the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch which the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max feature. Also, the design of the new iPhones also includes slimmer bezels which ensure the new models are not too big.

The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max also retain the OLED display and Apple left those waiting for a 120Hz refresh rate disappointed as the models both have support for 60H refresh rate only. The iPhones also retain the wide notch design with the Face ID embedded underneath. As a result, the models miss out on the under-screen fingerprint sensor.

As regards the display resolution, the iPhone 12 Pro features a resolution of 1,170 x 2,532 pixels while the Pro Max has a resolution of 1,284 x 2,778 pixel. The peak brightness remains at the impressive 1,200 nits. The Pro models equally come with the Ceramic Shield developed by Corning which has four times the drop resistance of previous the glass

The device features an updated design language with squared sides. The chassis is made from stainless steel. The Pro models come in a classic Pacific Blue as well as classics such as Gold, Gray and Silver.

The phones come with 5G support but there is a Smart Data mode which switches to 4G automatically to preserve battery. The devices will also ship without a charger and headset. But there is a USB-C to Lightning cable onboard. lets you connect the iPhone to your MacBook. Apple presented this as a move to reduce carbon emissions, a step on its path to become carbon neutral by 2030.

The Apple A14 Bionic equally fires up the iPhone 12 Pro duo. The phone comes with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage.

As for the pricing and availability, the iPhone 12 Pro starts at $1,000 and will be up on pre-order this Friday while the sales will commence next week. On the other hand, the iPhone 12 Pro Max will start at $1,100 for the base variant. The phone will be up for pre-order on November 6 while it will go on sale on November 13.

Leaked OPPO Enco X TWS earbuds case reveals partnership with Dynaudio

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 13, 2020

OPPO has a new pair of TWS earbuds on the way that has been reported will launch as the Enco X. This should be its flagship earbuds and it appears the Chinese manufacturer plans on making it offer the best sound reproduction.

An image of the case of the earbuds has been posted on the web and it shows that OPPO has partnered with Danish loudspeaker maker, Dynaudio. The case which comes in black and has a glossy finish also sports Dynaudio’s logo on the back.

The image was shared on Weibo by Digital Chat Station and according to him, Dynaudio tuned the earbuds and the audio quality should be really impressive. The post also says the Enco X should have a price tag similar to that of the AirPods Pro which costs $250.

OPPO has a launch event on October 19 and there is a high chance that the Enco X TWS earbuds will be unveiled on that day.

Round-faced OPPO Watch RX will launch as a League of Legends Limited Edition

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 13, 2020

The OPPO Watch is OPPO’s first smartwatch, and when it launched, not a few comments were made about its similarity to Apple’s own smartwatches. Last month, it was revealed that OPPO has patented a smartwatch with a round dial, and now OPPO itself has given us a first look at the wearable which will launch as the OPPO Watch RX.

When the OPPO Watch RX launches, we will be getting a League of Legends Limited Edition and not just a standard variant as the image above shows.

The OPPO Watch RX has a circular display surrounded by not the thinnest of bezels. The case seems to be made of metal and has a blue finish. On the right side of the dial, we can see a button but we are not sure if there is another one at the top. The watch also doesn’t have a crown.

The watch has a dual-color strap – the long strap is the same shade of blue as the case and has the name of the League of Legends character, Yasuo, written in white, while the short strap with the buckle is white. The strap does appear to be made of silicone or fluoroelastomer.

We are still in the dark about the specs of the OPPO Watch RX but we should know all about it when OPPO announces it on October 19. OPPO will also announce a League of Legends Special Edition of the OPPO Watch (pictured above) on that day.

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini debut with OLED displays and 5G support

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 13, 2020

Apple has finally taken the wraps off its 2020 iPhone models. The iPhone 12 series is made up of four different models – iPhone 12, 12 Mini, as well as the more premium iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Apple iPhone 12

The iPhone 12 sees a huge change from the iPhone 11 in that it features a Super XDR OLED as against the IPS LCD display on its predecessor.

The iPhone 12 sports a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2532×1170 pixel, 460 ppi and 1200 nits of peak brightness. The display supports on 60Hz refresh rate and in terms of the design, it retains the wide notch iPhones have been known for since the iPhone 12. Apple says the display is covered by what it calls Ceramic Shield, co-developed with Corning. The Ceramic Shield glass is touted as having “4 times better drop performance” and is “tougher than any smartphone glass”.

In terms of the design, the iPhone 12 presents with a thinner and more refined design. It is said to be 11% thinner, 16% lighter and 15% smaller in volume when compared to the iPhone 11.

In this era of 5G, Apple is making a shift to 5G smartphones with the iPhone 12 series. The iPhone 12 arrives with support for mmWave in the US as well as sub-6GHz 5G.

The phone is powered by Apple’s A14 Bionic chipset which has a six-core CPU made up of two powerful and four power-efficient cores. The processor comes with a total of 11.8 billion transistors which is about 40% more than the A13 Bionic from last year. It teams up with a quad-core GPU.

The photography aspect is one area where Apple iPhones have been renowned to perform well. The iPhone 12 features a new wide camera having a brighter aperture of f/1.6. The wide camera promises up to 27% better light capture. There is also an ultrawide shooter onboard. The sensors come with Apple’s new Smart HDR 3 with improved white balance, texture and saturation. In addition, the dual rear cameras and the selfie shooter are capable of shooting Night Mode images.

The iPhone 12 is also equipped with MagSafe which allows the company’s special new wireless charger to connect seamlessly onto the rear of the iPhone 12 and deliver up to 15W wireless charging.

Just as was revealed recently, the iPhone 12 will ship without the Earpods and charger. The retail box is also quite tiny as it uses fewer materials and holds just the iPhone and a USB-C to Lightning cable. The retail box is made entirely from biodegradable materials.

The iPhone 12 comes in an array of colours namely Blue, Green, Product Red, White and Black. The device starts at $799 and will be up for pre-orders from October 16 while it will start shipping on October 23.

Apple iPhone 12 mini

The iPhone 12 mini also joined the fray and it is fingered as having the potential to end up as the star product among the lot. The iPhone 12 mini moniker paints the picture of a diminutive model but it presents with a 5.4-inch Super XDR OLED screen with a resolution of 2340x1080pixel. The display also comes with 476 ppi and up to 1200 nits of brightness just like the other models in the lineup.

In addition to the display configuration which is similar to the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 mini also features the same chipset, camera system, wireless charging, IP68 rating and color options as the bigger iPhone 12.

The iPhone 12 and 12 mini will be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options. Sales of the iPhone 12 mini will commence on November 6 while it will start shipping on November 13.

Apple might miss the target for 2020 despite scaling up the production of its 5G iPhones: report

By

Balaji S

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Oct 13, 2020

Apple is reportedly ramping up the production to meet the demands for its newly announced iPhone 12 series. However, a report says that Apple might just have to let go of the target it fixed for 2020 due to various reasons.

A report by Nikkei Asia says that Apple’s assembling partners- Foxconn, and Pegatron are running at full capacity to meet the demands. The said factories are operating non-stop through the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Golden Week holiday season which comes after China’s National Day(October 1).

Further, the report says the iPhone 12 production, which began mid-September will ramp up in output substantially from early October. It goes without saying that there are unfulfilled demands in every sector due to COVID-19 and Smartphone industry is no excuse for it. And, if reports are true, Apple could bite the dust in its target for 2020. Accordingly, the report says that production volume for iPhone 12 will end-up somewhere between 73-74 million units in 2020.

And, this is reportedly less than the target of 80 million units. The reason is the obvious delays in production and other developments due to the outbreak of the virus. Having said that, the report says Apple will make up for the delay in early 2021. That is, if the sales are promising this year. It must be noted that the production of all 5G iPhones is reportedly happening in China. This is in contrast to its rivals like Google who have managed to move the production of its Pixel 5 series outside of China.

However, Apple could shift some of the 5G iPhones’ assembly to countries like India by next year. Besides, both Foxconn and Pegatron reportedly declined to comment on their client or operations. But Foxconn says that all overtime work arrangements are voluntary and comply with relevant laws and regulations in China. The report also points out the effects of iPhone’s sales due to ongoing Geopolitical tensions between China and the USA.

It says Apple’s 5G iPhone sales in China could be affected if the US pressures Apple to remove WeChat or TikTok from its App Store. Add to this, China has reportedly rolled out an “Unreliable Entity List” on its own. It is believed that Apple, Qualcomm, and Cisco systems are the potential targets of Beijing. However, Luke Lin, an analyst with Digitimes predicts that Apple’s sales will surpass 200 million units in 2021. And gain second place in the global market.

Up Next: Apple unveils HomePod Mini smart speaker for just $99

Beats Flex neckband-style earphones come in cool colors and cost $50

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 13, 2020

Beats has announced a new pair of earphones. The Beats Flex as it is called has a neckband style design and is the manufacturer’s “most affordable pair of premium wireless earphones”.

The Beats Flex has an in-ear design with magnetic earbuds that pause when you attach them together and resume playback when you take them apart. The flex-form cable is said to provide all-day comfort and is also durable.

Beats is still an Apple-owned company and the Beats Flex comes with an Apple W1 chip that makes it easy to pair seamlessly with Apple devices. There is support for wireless audio sharing too. Android users can also grab the Flex but they will miss out on the above-mentioned features.

The battery capacity isn’t stated but the Beats Flex will provide up to 12 hours of listening time on a single charge. There is fast charging too – a 10-minute charge will provide up to 1.5 hours of playback. Sure, that pales in comparison to the OnePlus Bullet Wireless Z‘s 10-minute charge for 10 hours of playback. The earphones charge via USB-C and come with a charging cable. There are also four pairs of eartips in the box.

The Beats Flex weighs 18.6 grams comes in five color variants – Beats Black, Yuzu Yellow, Flame Blue, and Smoke Gray. Some of these colors match some of the iPhones announced today, so if you are looking for affordable earphones to go with them, they are an option.

You can pick up the Beats Flex now in Black and Yellow. The blue and gray variants will be available this Winter.

Global PC shipments surged in Q3 2020 despite shortage in supplies: report

By

Balaji S

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Oct 13, 2020

Global PC shipments have soared up in Q3 2020 according to research firms Gartner, and IDC. The main reason tabled by both firms is the increased demand in PCs for home entertainment, distance learning as the world faced a second wave of COVID-19.

First, Garner says(via ZDNet) PC shipments for Q3 2020 is 71.4 million units. This is a 3.6% increase YoY from 2019. Lenovo remained at the top with 18.3 million units clocking an 8.3% YoY from 2019. Also, Lenovo reportedly faced a decline in desktop shipments but demand from China saved it. Apple occupied fourth place behind HP, and Dell despite having a higher YoY growth in Q3 of 7.3%.

That said, Garnet says its report doesn’t include Chromebook shipments but desktop and notebook PCs. However, a rough report says the demand was higher especially in countries like the US which lead to a 90% growth in Q3. Likewise, HP though trailed behind Lenovo globally dominated the US PC shipments with a 15.4% YoY growth compared to Lenovo’s 10.5%. Research Director at Gartner, Kitagawa says that Mobile PC demand surged in the US as business shifted from desktop to Mobile PCs whilst bringing some of the workers back to the office.

Editor’s Pick: India’s PC market declines 37.3% YoY during Q2 2020 with shipments of 2.1 million units

Furthermore, IDC(International Data Corporation) report says that Global PC shipments stand at 81.272 million units for Q3 2020. This is a 14.6% YoY growth from 2019. Report says Asia/Pacific(ApeJ) excluding Japan posted single-digit growth with shipments driven by inventory restocking and strong demand for Notebook PCs. The situation for Europe, Middle East, Africa(EMEA) remained the same. In the USA and Canada, traditional PCs clocked growth for Q3 as stay-at-home continued.

Once again, just like the previous report, Lenovo, and HP topped the charts with 19.272, and 18.690 million units respectively. Both of them almost clocked the same 11.2% YoY growth. Following them, Dell, Apple, Acer Group, and others completed this list. That said, as per IDC, both Lenovo, and HP dominated the global arena with a near 23.7%, and 23% market shares respectively. IDC’s Jitesh Ubrani says that if there was no shortage of components, the shipments would have soared even higher.

Up Next: Lenovo launches a new Enterprise Chromebook ThinkPad C13 Yoga for $579

Apple unveils HomePod Mini smart speaker for just $99

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 13, 2020

At today’s Apple event, the first product announced was the HomePod Mini smart speaker. The new speaker is not only packed with features but also costs a fraction of the cost of the HomePod that was announced in 2018.

The HomePod Mini has a globe-like design with a screen at the top and a flat base. There is a mesh fabric that wraps around the speaker and covers the single driver unit, two passive radiators, and an acoustic waveguide at the bottom.

The speaker is powered by an Apple S5 chip that provides “computational audio” which Apple explains adjusts how the music sounds almost 200 times per second.

Place two HomePod Mini speakers near each other and they will automatically work in stereo mode. Apple has also copied the Google Assistant’s “Broadcast feature“ but has dubbed it Intercom.

With Intercom, users will be able to send voice messages to other HomePod speakers in the house. Those at the other end will also be able to reply. Intercom messages will also display on other connected devices including iPhones, Apple Watch, and even play on AirPods.

As with all smart speakers, the HomePod Mini can also be used to control smart home devices. It works as a hub that controls lights and other smart home devices. The HomePod Mini supports streaming from multiple services including iHeart Radio and TuneIn.

Apple rounds it off with an amazing price of just $99, the same price as Google’s Nest Audio smart speaker. That is a quarter of the launch price of the 2018 HomePod speaker. The HomePod now sells for less, as low as $199 but we won’t be surprised to see folks pick up two HomePod Mini speakers instead of a single HomePod speaker.

The new speaker will be available for pre-order on November 6 and will go on sale on November 16.

Lenovo launches a new Enterprise Chromebook ThinkPad C13 Yoga for $579

By

Balaji S

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Oct 13, 2020

After launching a bunch of Chromebooks this year, Lenovo is back this time with an Enterprise Chromebook. The new Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga has Google Chrome Enterprise, AMD Ryzen 7 mobile CPU, Google’s Workspace, and more.

Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook Enterprise Edition Specifications

Lenovo says the chassis of the new Chromebook is stylish Abyss Blue color with aluminum chassis that is unique to ThinkPad lineup. It has 15.5mm thickness and weighs less than 1.5Kg(3.3 pounds). There is a 13.3-inch FHD+ display but Lenovo says a custom 4K display is available on user’s request. Under the hood, it is powered by AMD’s newly announced Ryzen™ 7 3700C Series mobile processor.

The new Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga has 2xUSB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, 2xUSB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1xHDMI 2.0, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0 for connectivity. Further it has a fingerprint sensor, and the webcam also has a privacy shutter for security. Lenovo also gives optional accessories like world-facing camera, garaged pen.

Enterprise Edition features

As mentioned above, Google’s Chrome OS runs the device and this laptop comes with an Enterprise Upgrade. Hence, we get access to the enterprise edition of Google Chrome and access to Google Workspace(Formerly GSuite)including Google Meet. Additionally, features like encrypted cloud profiles enhance seamless switch between smartphones and the Chromebook while accessing emails, etc. Other features of the business Chromebook includes remote working, HD webcam for video calls, stereo speakers and microphone.

Lenovo began its Chromebook segment for 2020 with Ideapad Duet and Ideapad Flex 5 at CES 2020. Later, it launched a Chromebook Duet which is a 2-in-1 tablet back in May. A month later, it quietly unveiled the Chromebook 3 with a smaller 11-inch screen for $229. Chromebooks generally are known for productivity and with the latest ones promised update cycle of 8 years, users won’t have to worry about their laptop becoming obsolete.

Pricing and Availability

The new Chromebook starts at $579 and will be available for pre-order very soon.

Up Next: Lenovo Tech World 2020 scheduled to begin October 28

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Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook Enterprise Edition Specifications

Enterprise Edition features

Pricing and Availability