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Nokia launches six new smart TVs in India, starting at Rs. 12999 (~$177)

Flipkart has teamed up with Nokia to launch six new smart TVs in India. Flipkart presently holds the right to launch non-smartphone products under the Nokia brand portfolio in India.  Nokia Smart TV

The smart TVs include a 32-inch HD, 43-inch Full HD, and 43-inch 4K model. Others include a 50-inch 4K model, a 55-inch 4K model, and a premium 65-inch 4K Ultra HD model. The smart TVs all come with cool features such as Micro Dimming and a MaxBrite Display for crisp detail with vibrant colors. The sound system is provided by Onkyo. The 32-inch HD, 43-inch HD, and 43-inch 4K models come with a 39W soundbar (24W Quatro X Speakers and 15W tweeters)

The 4K models come with 48W soundbars that boast 30W QuatroX speakers paired with 18W tweeters. The sound system is designed to deliver a 360-degree audio projection.

The smart TVs all run Android TV 9.0 and comes with support for Google Assistant, Chromecast in-built, and lets you download more apps via Google’s Android Play Store. There is also a dedicated Zee5 Hotkey on the remote in addition to Netflix. The 32-inch HD and 43-inch Full HD models are powered by a Quad-core Cortex A53 processor with Mali 470 MP4 GPU backed by 1.5GB RAM and 8GB storage. While the 4K models come with a Quad-core Cortex A55 processor, Mali 470 MP4 GPU paired with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage.

Pricing &  Availability

As for the pricing, the Nokia 32-inch HD TV is priced at Rs. 12,999 (~$177) while the 43-inch Full HD TV model comes in at Rs. 22,999 ($313). The Nokia 43-inch 4K TV is Rs. 28,999 (~$394), the 50-inch 4K model comes in at Rs. 33,999 (~$462), and the 55-inch 4K TV is priced at Rs. 39,999 (~$544). The Nokia 65-inch 4K TV is priced at Rs. 59,999 ($816). All models will be available from Flipkart starting October 15th.

 

 

 

Google VS Oracle, the long drawn Copyright battle has now reached the Supreme Court

The decade long legal battles between Oracle and Google over software rights has recently reached the Supreme Court. The battle in the court has major implications between two of the Silicon Valley giants.

Google

For those unaware, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case, which was first filed by Oracle back in 2010. At the moment, Oracle was seeking billions from Google over the user of its Java programming language in its Android mobile operating system. Since then, two separate jury trials ended with both rulings going in favor of Google, stating that the “software interface” has not unfairly used Java code.

However, an appeals court in 2018 disagreed with these rulings and stated that the software interface is entitled to copyright protection, which has led Google to seek out the top court in the US. Oracle had acquired the rights to Java back when it had also bought Sun Microsystems, which had supported Google’s use of Java for Android. The company then sought $9 billion in damages in the original complaint.

Google

On the other hand, Google and other Silicon Valley allies have said that extending copyright protection to bits of code, called application programming interfaces, or APIs would threaten innovation in the digital era, according to a Gadgets360 report. As per the search engine giant, Oracle’s win would “upend the longstanding expectation of software developers that they are free to use existing computer software interfaces to build new programs.”

 

TCL 10 Pro gets a new Forest Mist Green color variant

TCL 10 Pro was launched earlier this year alongside TCL 10 5G and TCL 10L. Months after its release, the smartphone now gets a new color variant called Forest Mist Green. This version of the handset is already on sale in the US on Amazon. Although the phone costs $449.99, buyers can get it for $379.99 by applying a mentioned coupon in the listing.

TCL 10 Pro Forest Mist Green Featured

TCL, a well-known Chinese TV manufacturer started launching smartphones with its own branding from late last year. This year, the company expanded its portfolio by releasing newer models as mentioned listed as well as others like TCL 10 Plus and TCL 10 SE.

Out of all the phones launched by the company, the TCL 10 Pro can be considered as its flagship smartphone, although it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage with support for microSD card up to 256GB.

 

Being a display producer, the firm has fitted a 6.47-inch curved AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels (FHD+), 398 ppi, dew-drop notch, 19:5:9 aspect ratio, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 93% screen-to-body ratio, a dedicated display engine, and real-time SDR to HDR conversion.

The back of the handset houses a quad-camera setup consisting of a 64MP (GW1) primary sensor, a 16MP (3P9) sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5MP (GC5035) sensor with a macro lens, and a 2MP (OV02K10) depth sensor. Whereas, on the front, it sports a 24MP (OV24B) selfie camera.

Other features of TCL 10 Pro include WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS (GLONASS, GALILEO), NFC, in-display fingerprint sensor, 3.5mm headphone jack, WCD9370 audio chipset, NXP TFA9890 audio amplifier, a programmable key, USB Type-C port, 4,500mAh battery, 18W fast charging (Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0), and Android 10.

 

(Via)

SK Hynix launches World’s First DDR5 DRAM, offers 1.8 times faster transfer rates

SK Hynix, the second largest memory chipmaker after Samsung, has just announced earlier today (6th October 2020) that it is the world’s first to release DDR5 DRAM (Double Data Rate dynamic random access memory) chips.

SK Hynix

The new DDR5 DRAM chips boast performance upgrades up to 1.8 times faster than the previous DDR4 generation of memory. The South Korean company said that it has completed various tests and has even provided partner companies with its samples for verification. One such partner includes Intel. DDR5 is the next generation of DRAM standard, which will have a broad application ranging from big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning technologies, and more.

According to SK Hynix, the new DDR5 DRAM supports a transfer rate of 4,800 to 5,600 Mbps, which is 1.8 times faster than the 3,200 Mbps offered by DDR4. Notably, the fastest transfer rate of 5,600 Mbps allows users to transmit about nine FHD movies with a size of 5GB each in just one second. Despite the higher transfer rates, the new DRAM chips are also more energy efficient with operating voltages being lowered from 1.2 volts to 1.1 volts, allowing for 20 percent less power consumption.SK Hynix

The new DDR5 chips are also loaded with error correcting code (ECC) that is capable of correcting DRAM cell’s 1-bit-level errors by itself. Furthermore, the new technology also has increased the reliability of the DDR5 application system by 20 times and allowed a reduction in power consumption and operating costs of data centers. For those unaware, the company had first announced its 16 gigabit DDR5 DRAM back in 2018.

 

Tesla approached by Bengaluru as a potential location for manufacturing

Karnataka, India has been the country’s IT Hub and is also known as the home to EV startups has pitched Bengaluru as a potential site to Tesla for its Gigafactory, which manufactures its electric cars and batteries, as per state officials.

Tesla Model S
Tesla Model S

According to an ET report, the known electric vehicles maker has already held preliminary talks with the state for a research and innovation unit in the city. For those unaware, Bengaluru is also home to local EV startups like Ola Mobility, Ather Energy, Mahindra Electric, and more. This move from the local government aims on bringing the world’s most valuable carmaker to the Indian market.

Gaurav Gupta, principal secretary of Karnataka’s commerce and industries department said, “We have offered them all support to set up a research and development center as well as the manufacturing unit.” He further added that Bengaluru has a favorable ecosystem for electric vehicles and Tesla can leverage on that.” At the moment, the talks are just in the early conceptual stages and it is going to be a long drawn process.

tesla logo

Gupta also said that “We have briefed them about how Bengaluru is home to promising EV startups and also component makers and the advantages we offer.” Unfortunately, Tesla has yet to respond to any queries regarding this matter at the moment. But the automobile giant having plans on setting up an R&D center in India would imply an entry into the Indian market, which its CEO, Elon Musk has shown great interest in.

 

Google Pixel 2 series to receive its last update in December

Back in September, the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL received the Android 11 updates, and have received a security update earlier this week as well. But now, it seems its patch cycles are coming to an end with the last update arriving in December 2020.

Google
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have officially reached the end of its three years’ worth of Android version update and security update as of 5th October 2020. Although, the company has promised another update this December, which will be the final patch that will be received by the flagship launches from 2017. Similar to the original Pixel, the Pixel 2 series will also skip the update in November but will receive the December patch, which will include the November update as well.

The most recent update on the device was the security patch, which brought in the October Security patch and also addressed other issues like boot locks, call notification being disabled, auto rotate icon in the wrong orientation, and swipe gestures not responding. The Pixel 2 series was launched back in 2017, with the smaller variant being made by HTC, while the larger version was made by LG.

Google

Under the hood, both variants were powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC along with 4GB of RAM and either 64 or 128GB of internal storage. The Google Pixel 2 devices were known for their photographic prowess, and “ushered in a new era for computational photography,” as per 9to5Google. These were flagship grade handsets and had lived up to their expectations.

 

OPPO Find X2 and Watch League of Legends Limited Edition to launch soon: Report

A new report has revealed that OPPO, the known smartphone manufacturer, is planning on launch a special edition for its Find X2 smartphone and its Watch lineup, which will be based around the popular MOBA title League of Legends.

Oppo

According to leaks from @数码闲聊站 and @科技喵 on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website, the company is gearing up for the launch of the OPPO Find X2 League of Legends S10 Limited Edition and two OPPO Watch League of Legends limited editions as well. The Chinese tech giant has yet to confirm the news, although, the official promotional image was also leaked prior to the launch, giving us a first look at the new special variants of the devices.

The Find X2 League of Legends S10 Limited Edition features a design overhaul with its rear panel featuring a distinctive from the popular competitive video game. The “S10” in the name stands for the 10th competitive season of the game, with the rear panel also sporting the World’s championship branding as well. Similarly, the Watches also adopt a new theme and wrist band variations for the special edition.

Oppo

As per the report, the company will be launching all three devices on 12th October 2020, which is also when the group stage ends for the first day. In other words, OPPO has partnered with League of Legends with this unique launch. Unfortunately, it is currently unknown if the differences within the special edition also affect the internal specs or are just limited to the aesthetics of the device, so stay tuned for more updates.

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE launched in India for ₹49,999 ($681)

As confirmed yesterday, Samsung officially launches Galaxy S20 FE in India. The smartphone will be available in a single 8GB + 128GB storage configuration priced at ₹49,999 ($681). Interested customers can pre-book the handset starting October 9.

They will be able to pick it up in either of the five colors namely Cloud Red, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy and Cloud White. The company is also offering benefits worth up to ₹8,000 as part of the launch offer – ₹4,000 Samsung e-store benefit and ₹4,000 cashback via HDFC cards or ₹3,000 upgrade bonus.

Galaxy S20 FE Cloud Mint Cloud Navy Cloud Lavender Cloud Red Cloud White

The Galaxy S20  FE is the most affordable Galaxy S series smartphone released this year. The company says that his handset is a direct result of the pandemic, however, it has confirmed to launch more Fan Edition (FE) phones in the future.

This device inherits all the loved features front its bigger siblings like 120Hz refresh rate, 15W wireless charging, 4.5W reverse wireless charging, IP68 dust & water resistance, 8K video recording, and Samsung DeX.

 

It sports a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED display on the front with a top-centered 32MP punch-hole selfie camera. The sides of this phone are made of metal but the rear panel is polycarbonate, just like the Galaxy Note20.

The vertically-aligned triple camera setup on the back of the handset includes a 12 MP primary sensor, an 8MP sensor with a 3x telephoto lens, and another 12MP sensor with a 123˚ ultra-wide lens.

Galaxy S20 FE Cloud Mint

Other features of the Galaxy S20 FE for India include Exynos 990, One UI 2.5 based on Android 10, dual-SIM, 4G, in-display fingerprint sensor (optical), WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO), NFC, Samsung Pay, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, stereo speakers, USB Type-C port, and microSD card slot.

 

Nvidia CEO expects the RTX 3080 and 3090 shortage to last until 2021

Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO, has just revealed some very bad news. If you were one of the people looking forward to upgrading to the company’s RTX 3000 series of graphics cards, you might have to wait till 2021.

Nvidia

According to a TheVerge report, the senior executive recently responded to questions regarding the GPU shortages and he stated that ” believe that demand will outstrip all of our supply through the year.” For those unaware, the company’s newly launched RTX 3080 and 3090 have had rough launches, with both cards selling out almost immediately after launch. Although, Huang believes the issue isn’t with the supply but demand of the GPU itself.

He further added that “Even if we knew about all the demand, I don’t think it’s possible to have ramped that fast. We’re ramping really really hard. Yields are great, the product’s shipping fantastically, it’s just getting sold out instantly.” The company has already apologized to the initial launch of the RTX 3080, which was one of the most chaotic released in Nvidia’s history. Furthermore, another more affordable card is also launching in the series, the RX 3070, which is the more affordable and will likely have the highest demand as well.

Nvidia

Since it was claimed that the card could rival previous gen’s top end $1,100 at a price of just $499, one would expect a huge demand. However, Nvidia has since apparently learned from its mistake and has shifted the launch date back to October 29, which is just a day after AMD‘s Big Navi reveal on 28th. So, we can expect the season to be quite a competitive one, with many notable launches.

 

Meizu Smartwatch Weibo account registered; product launching in Q4 2020

Most of the major smartphone manufacturers have entered the smartwatch segment and now Chinese maker Meizu is also all set to launch its own smartwatch. And going by the recent development, it seems that there will be more than one wearable device from Meizu.

Meizu has registered a new Weibo account named Meizu Smartwatch or “Flyme for Watch”, which has also been certified and validated on the platform. The company has also confirmed that the first product will be launched in the fourth quarter of this year.

Meizu Smartwatch Weibo

EDITOR’S PICK: Qualcomm Tech Summit set for December 1; Snapdragon 875 chipset expected to launch

Earlier, it was reported that the company had applied for trademarking two names in July this year — Meizu Watch and Flyme for Watch. Flyme is the company’s own custom skin for the Android smartphones used on the company’s mobile phones.

Additionally, a smartwatch was hinted by the company in the eighth-anniversary poster of the Flyme OS but nothing much is known about the same at this time. However, we expect to know more about this in the coming weeks, as the launch date nears.

Notably, the company has already entered the wearable devices market with the launch of a hybrid smartwatch called ‘Meizu Smart Watch Mix’ aka ‘Meizu Light Smartwatch’. But the said Meizu Watch will be the company’s first actual smartwatch.

 

Samsonite Konnect-i Backpack with Google Jacquard launched; price starts at $200

Google ATAP has been trying to offer Jacquard to more and more products and in line with that, the technology is now available in Samsonite Konnect-i Backback, pricing of which starts at $199.99.

This is quite an interesting price point for the backpack, and very affordable when compared to the first expansion of this Jacquard technology on a backpack that costs $895, making it unaffordable for most people.

For those who are unaware, Jacquard is a fabric-based input technology. Google describes that Jacquard “weaves new digital experiences into the things you love, wear, and use every day to give you the power to do more and be more.”

In this Samsonite Konnect-i Backback, the technology is embedded on the left shoulder strap. It comes with support for four gestures — brush down, brush up, double-tap, and cover. There’s also an indicator light that provides “custom alerts” to the users.

EDITOR’S PICK: TikTok and WeChat ban in the US breaks WTO rules, claims China

The company has launched two backpacks — Samsonite Konnect-i Slim and Samsonite Konnect-i Standard, costing $199.99 and $219.99 respectively. Both of them come with multiple storage pockets and a padded compartment for 15.6-inch laptops. It features a water repellent fabric, while the Jacquard Tag on the product is IP54 rated.

It comes with support for actions like playing or pausing the music, controlling audio, getting notified for calls or text, accept or decline calls, get turn-by-turn directions, or take a selfie. This can be configured through the Jacquard app.

Google has used this Jacquard technology on several products, including Trucker Jacket from Levi’s, Cit-e Backpack from Saint Lauren, Commuter Trucker Jacket from Levi’s, and Adidas GMR insole for shoes.

 

POCO C3 for Rs 7,499 (~$102) brings 6.53-inch display, Helio G35, 13MP triple cameras and 5,000mAh battery

POCO India has unveiled the POCO C3 smartphone in India. As recent reports had revealed, the POCO C3 has arrived as a rebranded version of the Redmi 9C with some aesthetic changes. With a starting price of Rs 7,499 (~$102), the POCO C3 offers users with a large-sized display, gaming-focused Helio G35 chipset, 13-megapixel triple rear cameras, and a 5,000mAh battery. The smartphone has arrived to rival with the existing Realme C-series smartphones such as Realme C11, Realme C12, and Realme C15.

POCO C3 specifications and features

The polycarbonate-bodied POCO C3 comes with a P2i nano-coating for splash-resistance. The smartphone flaunts an IPS LCD screen of 6.53 inches that produces an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The TUV Rheinland certified screen can effectively filter the harmful blue rays.

The POCO has a front-facing camera of 5-megapixel. The backside of the phone has a square-shaped camera module that is equipped with a 13-megapixel main lens with f/2.2 aperture, a 2-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture, a 2-megapixel depth assist lens with f/2.4 aperture, and an LED flash.

 

POCO C3
POCO C3

The MediaTek Helio G35 chipset drives the smartphone with 3 GB / 4 GB of LPPDR4x RAM. The phone comes in 32 GB and 64 GB storage choices and it has a dedicated slot for adding a microSD card. Like the other recently released POCO phones, this one also ships with POCO Launcher and MIUI 12 based Android 10 OS.

The POCO C3 is backed by a massive battery of 5,000mAh. Sadly, the phone comes with support for 10W charging only. The device comes with usual connectivity features like dual SIM slot, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, microUSB, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The POCO C3 does not have a fingerprint reader, while the Redmi 9C features it on its back.

POCO C3 price in India and release date

The POCO C3 will be up for buying from Oct. 16 through Flipkart in India. The 3GB RAM + 32 GB storage and 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage editions of the POCO C3 are priced at Rs 7,499 (~$102) and Rs 8,999 (~$125). The color variants of the smartphone are Lime Green, Arctic Blue, and Matte Black.

 

 

Amazfit Bip U entire specs revealed ahead of official launch

Last week, Huami launched Amazfit Neo retro-style smartwatch in India for an affordable price tag of ₹2,499. Now, within a few days from its release, Amazon India is teasing another Huami wearable called Amazfit Bip U revealing everything about it, including design and specifications.

Amazfit Bip U Featured

Huami (say Amazfit India) and Amazon India are yet to announce the launch date of the upcoming Amazfit Bip U. But the latter has shared the features and specs on a dedicated teaser page.

According to this page, the new Amazfit Bip U will sport a larger 1.43-inch TFT LCD panel with a resolution of 320 x 302 pixels, compared to the smaller 1.28-inch screen on Bip S and Bip S Lite. This panel is further protected by a 2.D glass with anti-fingerprint coating.

Like other budget Amazfit smartwatches, this one will also feature a polycarbonate body and a silicon rubber strap. It will be available in three colors (black, green, pink) and will weigh only 31g along with the strap. Also, the wearable will be water-resistant up to 5ATM pressure.

 

The Amazfit Bip U will run RTOS and will come equipped with Huami’s BioTracker 2™ PPG Biological Optical Sensor and 6-axis accelerometer to provide functions like RealBeats™ (24×7 heart rate monitoring), OxygenBeats™ (blood oxygen level monitoring), SomnusCare™ (sleep tracking), ExerSense™ (automatic exercise detection), and huami-PAI™ (PAI score), stress monitoring, and menstrual cycle monitoring.

Amazfit Bip U All Colors

The wearable will also include other common features like app notifications, clock, alarm, find my phone, music playback control, stopwatch, countdown, weather, and 50 default watch faces. 

All of the above-mentioned features are possible because of the 225mAh battery that runs this smartwatch. The company claims a maximum of 9-day battery life and 2-hour charging time (pogo-pin charging dock).

Last but not least, the Amazfit Bip U comes with Bluetooth 5.0 and can be paired with both Android and iOS devices via Zepp App (formerly Amazfit App).

 

Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Pro hands-on video leak reveals details ahead of launch

Xiaomi is gearing up to launch its latest truly wireless earphones in its home market China — Mi Air 2 Pro. Ahead of the launch, almost the entire specifications of the headsets have leaked online and now a hands-on video of the same has surfaced.

The leaked video hints that there’s no need for a smartphone to enable the noise cancellation mode of the Mi Air 2 Pro. Just pressing and holding the back of the earphones will enable the noise cancellation mode.

The report is also hinting that there will be three noise reduction modes on the device, which include Active Noise Cancellation, Passive Noise Cancellation, and Ambient Noise Cancellation.

Further, it adds that the infrared detection will automatically enable the transparent mode or ambient mode when only one earbud is worn. This means that the Active Noise Cancellation mode can be enabled only when both the earbuds are worn.

EDITOR’S PICK: TikTok and WeChat ban in the US breaks WTO rules, claims China

In terms of design, the earlier leak says that it will adopt Apple’s AirPods Pro design with an angled earpiece with silicone tips. It will reportedly weigh 6.5 grams and boast in-ear design with three microphones.

The highlighting feature is the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and additionally, the TWS earphones will also have hybrid digital noise reduction, similar to AirPods Pro from Apple. The Mi Air 2 Pro is likely to have a 12mm coil with an LCP composite diaphragm, along with the noise reduction intensity of 35dB.

The earphones reportedly support features like Wireless charging, wake-up, auto-connect, etc. As for the battery life, and is claimed to offer seven hours of usage on a single charge and 28 hours with the charging case.

 

TikTok and WeChat ban in the US breaks WTO rules, claims China

Ever since the Trump administration announced a ban on ByteDance-backed TikTok and Tencent’s WeChat apps in the United States, there has been an on-going legal battle that has so far prevented the ban to go into effect.

Now, China is claiming that the ban on these two apps by the United States is in violation of the World Trade Organization’s rules, reports Reuters. And it’s not just the US, China has also accused India of the same for banning TikTok and several other Chinese apps.

US CHina trade war featured

At the Council for Trade in Services meeting at the World Trade Organization, China took the floor to accuse the USA and India of taking measures that are “inconsistent with WTO rules, restrict cross-border trading services and violate the basic principles and objectives of the multilateral trading system.”

During the lengthy exchange at the council, China said that there was no evidence to support the claims by the United States and India regarding data collection and it added that TikTok’s data collection is standard practice by thousands of apps worldwide. It also described the failure of the U.S. for providing concrete evidence of the reasons for its measures a “clear abuse” of rules.

EDITOR’S PICK: Qualcomm Tech Summit set for December 1; Snapdragon 875 expected to launch

Last month, the Trump administrator ordered to ban the downloads of TikTok and WeChat in the United States and stop all the transactions with those two companies. It has also ordered ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US-based company by 14th November in order to avoid a ban in the US.

However, a U.S. judge has questioned the government’s claim of national security and has agreed to temporarily block the ban on the app. In order to avoid getting banned in the United States, ByteDance has agreed to set up a new entity called TikTok Global with 80 percent of the stake. The remaining stake will be acquired by Oracle and Walmart.

 

ASUS ROG Phone 3’s new 12GB+128GB variant announced in India

On July 22, ASUS announced the ROG Phone 3 gaming smartphone in India. The phone was made available in two variants such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. Today, the Taiwanese firm announced a new model of the ROG Phone 3 that features 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

The 12 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant has arrived with a price tag of Rs 52,999 (~$723). The new variant will be up for purchase through from Oct. 16 through Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale. The existing 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage variants are priced at Rs 49,999 (~$682) and Rs 57,999 (~$792), respectively.

ASUS ROG Phone 3 12GB RAM + 128GB storage variant

ASUS ROG Phone 3 specifications and features

The ASUS ROG Phone 3 sports a 6.59-inch IPS LCD panel that offers full HD+ resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The 144Hz screen is integrated with a fingerprint scanner and it comes with Gorilla Glass 6 protection.

The ROG Phone 3 is one of the few smartphones available in the market that ships with the advanced 3.1GHz Snapdragon 865+ mobile platform. The device comes with LPPDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The device is flanked with two USB-C ports and DTS X: stereo speakers with two dedicated amplifiers.

The ASUS gaming phone is backed by a massive 6,000mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging. For shooting selfies, the smartphone possesses a 24-megapixel front camera. Its rear is fitted with a triple camera system that includes a Sony IMX686 64-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 5-megapixel macro shooter. It lacks support for a 3.5mm audio jack and external storage.

 

 

 

BOE to reportedly lead CSOT in large-size LCD panel production capacity

China-based display manufacturer BOE Technology will lead China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) by more than 10pp in capacity share for large-size LCD panels, reports DigiTimes Research.

The development comes after the company outbid its rival to take over the control of two fabs — one 8.5G and another 8.6G from CEC-Panda LCD Technology.

BOE

As per the report, the difference in capacity is there even though CSOT has signed a deal to over the control of Samsung Display‘s 8.5G line in Suzhou, China. This is because the combined capacity of CEC-Panda’s two fabs is higher than that of Samsung’s fab.

The two fabs of CEC-Panda has a total production capacity of 12.71 million square meters for the LCD panels per year, which is higher than the capacity of 8.58 million square meters of Samsung Display’s plant in China.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 with under-display camera likely to offer a full-screen experience

Samsung Display sold its line to CSOT because the South Korean giant is withdrawing from the LCD panels segment. On the other hand, CEC-Panda was forced to sell its two plants because of the heavy losses.

These two Chinese companies are claimed to be the only two companies out of the world’s top six LCD panel suppliers to have witnessed growth in revenue in H1 2020. With the newly-added capacity, the companies are now expected to take up the leading spot for the supply of large-size LCD panels next year.

BOE Technology held a sizeable 21.1 percent of the global large-sized panel capacity in the market, which would be further boosted by the recent acquisitions. By the end of 2021, the company is expected to hold more than a quarter of the world’s large-sized panel capacity, coming in at 28 percent.

 

Huawei Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition with Dimensity 800U likely to debut soon

Recent reports have revealed that Huawei is working on a new edition of the Huawei Nova 7 SE smartphone. It is believed that the CDN-AN00 smartphone that received approval from the TENAA authority in August could be debuting in the Chinese markets as the Huawei Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition. Some reports have dubbed the device as Nova 7 SE Life. A Weibo user revealed that the Nova 7 SE has gone out of stock on Vmall. This could mean that the company is gearing up to launch Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition.

Huawei Nova 7 SE out of stock 1 Reports have revealed that the Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition will be equipped with a Dimensity 800U chipset instead of the Kirin 820 that fueled the Nova 7 SE. The rest of the specs of the Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition is likely to remain unchanged. The Weibo user has claimed that the Dimensity powered Nova 7 SE Life will be arriving with a cheaper price tag.

Huawei Nova 7 SE out of stock

Huawei Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition specifications (Rumored)

The TENAA listing of the Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition revealed that I will be sporting a punch-hole display of 6.5 inches. The screen will deliver a 20:9 aspect ratio and a full HD+ resolution. Its Dimensity 800U SoC could be accompanied by 8 GB of RAM. The phone may offer users with an internal storage of 128 GB.

Huawei Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition TENAA

The Android 10 OS with the latest EMUI skin will arrive preinstalled on the Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition. It has a 3,900mAh minimum rated battery. The 3C certification of the device has revealed that it may ship with a 40W rapid charger.

The Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition has a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. Its rear features a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel quadruple-camera setup. It is fitted with a side-facing fingerprint rear and it lacks support for external storage. It may arrive in multiple hues such as green, purple, silver, and black in China.

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 with under-display camera likely to offer full screen experience

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 that went official in September arrived as a significant upgrade over the original Galaxy Fold that debuted in 2019. The outer and inner displays of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 offer larger screen space. Fresh information shared by The Elec, a South Korean publication, (via Android Authority) reveals that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 arriving next year could be Samsung’s first phone to arrive with under-display camera technology. If this rumor turns out to be true, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will certainly offer users a full-screen experience.

Early rumors had claimed that the next Galaxy S series phone that is being referred to as the Galaxy S30 or S21 by the rumor mill could be the first Samsung device with under-display camera technology. However, the new report reveals that Samsung has encountered low production yields of the under-screen camera tech because of which the Galaxy S30 will not be arriving with the said technology.

Instead, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 arriving in the second half of 2021 is likely to feature the under-display camera technology. As far as the Galaxy S30 series is concerned, it is likely to continue to sport the punch-hole design like the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 series.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G Mystic Bronze
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G Mystic Bronze

The Galaxy Fold that arrived last year as the company’s first foldable phone came with thick bezels for the front display and a camera notch on its inner display. Samsung offers a higher screen real estate on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 as the front and inner displays both sport punch-hole design. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 coming in 2021 with no punch-hole thanks to the inclusion of under-display camera technology is expected to deliver an all-screen experience.

The ZTE Axon 20 5G that debuted last month is the first smartphone ever to arrive with under-display camera technology. The technology has been also available on phones like Vinsmart Vsmart Axis Pro that is available in Vietnam and the Rakuten BIG phone meant for the Japanese markets.