Apple sues Geep Canada for reselling 100,000 devices that were given for recycling

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Oct 2, 2020

In recent times, Apple has placed an increasing focus on the recyclability of its products. Now, the company is suing a company that was hired to scrap its devices after it allegedly resold about 100,000 iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.

The Cupertino based giant has plans on bringing its entire recycling process in house, however, it continues to rely on other parties for now. Geep Canada is the recycler the company had hired to scrap its products that Apple has now filed a lawsuit against. According to an AppleInsider report, Geep has not denied these allegations, although, it has filed a counter suit against the iPhone maker, citing that the 100,000 devices were resold by three “rogue” employees without their knowledge.

Apple responded to the matter by pointing out that the three employees in question are in fact senior management in the firm. While the case only got publicly revealed recently, the lawsuit was originally filed back in January 2020. The company first discovered these thefts at the end of 2017 or the start of 2018. After this, it stopped its partnership with Geep altogether. In September 2019, Geep Canada merged with another firm to form Quantum Lifecycle Partners.

The lawsuit states that Apple shipped 531,966 iPhones to Geep Canada for recycling between January 2015 and December 2017, alongside 5,673 iPads, and 19,277 Apple Watches. However, during an audit, it was reportedly discovered that some of its devices were being stored away from those of other firms. These devices were stored away from security cameras’ vision and had the serial number of devices that were shipped to Geep. Approximately 18 percent of 103,845 of these devices were found to be active on carrier networks.

The company is now seeking full recovery of profits made from the resale of these devices, along with $31 million Canadian (roughly $22.7 million US). Quantum Lifecycle Partners stated that “the lawsuit is between Geep and Apple and we have no knowledge regarding the details.” The filing also stated that, “At least 11,766 pounds of Apple devices left Geep’s premises without being destroyed – a fact that GEEP itself confirmed.” At the moment, Geep is currently looking for the three employees to pay damages and costs.

China could be working on an antitrust investigation into Google

By

Jeet

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Oct 2, 2020

China is gearing up to launch an antitrust probe into Google based on the allegations that the company has leveraged the dominance of its Android mobile operating system to stifle competition, reports Reuters.

The Chinese government has also added that the practice could cause “extreme damage” to Huawei and other Chinese companies. It is said that the case was proposed by Huawei last year and has been submitted by the top market regulator to the State Council’s antitrust committee for review.

A decision on proceeding with the formal investigation could come sometime this month. The investigation, if it goes ahead, could affect China’s relationship with the United States, which has already deteriorated by the U.S. government targeting Chinese companies.

The development comes at a time when the Trump administrator has targeted several Chinese companies. It has put sanctions on Huawei, effectively banning the company and restricting it in several ways, making it difficult to keep doing business.

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple’s foldable iPhone could feature a self-healing display

Apart from Huawei, the United States government is also targeting other companies, including ByteDance-owned TikTok, Tencent’s WeChat, and the country’s one of the largest chipset maker SMIC.

China is also planning a major revamp of its antitrust laws and the newly proposed amendments include a dramatic increase in maximum fines and expanded criteria for judging a company’s control of a market.

On the other hand, the United States is also reportedly planning to launch an antitrust probe against Google. The Department of Justice could look into Google’s Android dominance, along with its large share of digital advertising and search engine businesses.

Apple’s foldable iPhone to reportedly come with self-healing screen

By

Jeet

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Oct 2, 2020

Samsung and Huawei are the two major smartphone brands that have already launched their foldable smartphones. Now, Apple also seems to set to join the list as the company is working on its own foldable iPhone.

Now, as per the latest report from AppleInsider based on a new patent application filed by Apple, the upcoming foldable iPhone could come with a self-healing display that could fix the normal wear and tear by itself, including scratches and dents.

The patent application, named “Electronic Devices With Flexible Display Cover Layers” suggests methods for minimizing damage and doing something when the damage occurs. It hints at mixing rigid and flexible areas for a display and utilizing “self-healing.” However, the company has not mentioned how the process will work.

If the previous reports are to be believed, then the foldable iPhone is designed in such a way that when opened, it has a single continuous display and doesn’t appear to have two separate display panels, even though that is the case.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus 8T dimension and camera sensors tipped ahead of its official launch on October 14

Going by the development, there’s a possibility that the self-healing display feature won’t be included in the first generation of foldable iPhones given that the company has already placed a large order with Samsung Display for providing samples for at least one year.

Samsung has been a key supplier of OLED display panels to Apple iPhones for many years. With Samsung Display being a leader in the foldable display market, it is now hoping to dominate the market by increasing its production capacity to 10 million units a year.

Reports indicate that the foldable iPhone could get launched as soon as next year. Meanwhile, the company is currently gearing up to launch its 5G-powered iPhone 12 models in the coming weeks.

Segway’s First Smart eBike – Segway eMoped C80 raises $150,000 in less than 12 hours

By

Greeva Agnihotri

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Oct 2, 2020

The company, Segway, gained recognition for launching an innovative hoverboard that took the market by storm. Taking things a step further, the company is now launching a smart eBike- Segway eMoped C80 that is funded by Indigogo. The company has introduced a RideyGo! Intelligent System for the eMoped with features like Airlock System, NFC tag, Smart Seat Detection, and Auto-Lock Mode.

The campaign raised more than $150,000 in 12 hours post-launch and has got over $274,000 from backers in two days.

Smart Locking System

The Segway eMoped can be started with an AirLock system that can be connected via the Segway-Ninebot app. A simple swipe on the NFC tag can also lock and unlock the vehicle.

Equipped with various sensors under the seat, this Segway eMoped automatically locks itself within 3 seconds of the user leaving it. The eMoped C80 features a Smart Seat Detection that allows the user to unlock the vehicle easily. Furthermore, to ensure the biker’s safety, the eMoped remains locked in case of improper seating or no movement, even if the throttle is twisted. The smart vehicle assistant automatically locks the eMoped C80 with an Auto-Lock mode within 3 seconds of the rider stepping down. The lock timer, however, can be customized according to individual preferences with the Segway-Ninebot app.

Smooth rides

The Auto Cruise feature on the Segway-Ninebot app and the multi-functional button on the right side of the bike allows the rider to select the desired speed for a smooth and carefree ride. Featuring a front disc and rear drum brakes, this Segway eMoped ensures the rider’s safety during sudden halts. Furthermore, the front suspension fork and the middle-segmented spring suspension ensures a comfortable ride on uneven roads. With an 1152-Wh lithium-ion battery, this eMoped can efficiently run up to 52.8 miles range on a single charge. The battery weighs just 13.2 lbs and is detachable for convenient use.

Smart Security System

The smart security system of this Segway eMoped detects irregular movements like pushing, moving, or vehicle-accessing to trigger the alarm. The 4 types of alarms that help safeguard the vehicle include visual, auditory, and motion sensor alarm, and a phone notification system. The security system alerts the user with flashing lights, loud sounds, an auto-wheel lock, and a phone notification. Enhanced with a GPS and LBS, the rider can easily track and get notified about the latest travel status from their phone.

The versatile eMoped is perfect for short-distance rides and grocery runs. One can pre-order the Segway eMoped C80 on Indiegogo.

The Pixel 5 drops the Pixel Neural Core and Active Edge

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 1, 2020

The Pixel 5 is very different from the Pixel 4 that was announced last year. The design is not the only area but there are also key changes under the hood. Some of which we know includes the choice of a Snapdragon 700 series processor over a Snapdragon 800 series chipset; and the return of the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Now, it has been confirmed that the Pixel Neural Core chipset is gone and so also is Active Edge.

Starting with Active Edge, Google first removed it from the Pixel 4a which came as a surprise as the Pixel 3a from last year has it. However, we didn’t expect that it would not be present on the Pixel 5 too (the Pixel 4a 5G doesn’t have it too). Active Edge allowed users to squeeze the sides of their Pixel phones to wake up the Google Assistant and can also be used to silence alarms, timers, and calls. With all of the phones Google launched this year not having it, it is safe to say Active Edge is dead and buried.

For the Pixel Neural Core, Google confirmed to Android Police that the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 (and Pixel 4a too) do not have the chip which helped with imaging, machine learning, and also powered Face Unlock on the Pixel 4 series.

While the new phones do not have Face Unlock, the neural core chip still has other functions it can perform such as helping with imaging. However, Android Police said that the Pixel hardware team informed them during a Q&A session that they were able to get a similar camera performance with the Snapdragon 765G inside the Pixel 5, thus making the need for the chip redundant.

Which feature will you miss the most in the new Pixel phones? Let us know in the comment box.

Logitech’s UE Fits TWS earbuds mold into the shape of your ears

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 1, 2020

UE or Ultimate Ears is a Logitech-owned company known for its audio products. The company has announced a new pair of TWS earbuds called the UE Fits which have a cool trick for a perfect fit.

The design of the UE Fits are unique, so they can’t be called AirPods clones. The stem on each earbud is flat and extends upwards and downwards in equal length, giving it a shape similar to a large pill.

The trick of the UE Fits is the ability to mold into the shape of your ears for a perfect fit. UE says it uses a patented Lightform Technology that causes the tips to “conform to the natural shape of your ears” in just 60 seconds. Once complete, the earbuds have a perfect seal that blocks outside noise. This design eliminates the need for silicone earbuds of different sizes that manufacturers ship with their earbuds.

The earbuds have 10mm drivers and support SBC, AAC, and Apt-X codecs. They also have a battery life of 8 hours on a single charge which goes up to 20 hours with the charging case that charges via a USB-C port. The spec sheet says a 10-minute charge will provide up to 60 minutes of listening time.

Other features are Bluetooth 5.0; support for Siri and Google Assistant; dual microphones for crystal clear calls; and an IPX3 rating, so you can wear them when you exercise. The app which you use to begin the molding process also has an equalizer so you can tune the earbuds to your preference.

The UE Fits come in Cloud, Dawn, and Eclipse with a price tag of $249 but can be pre-ordered now for $199.

WhatsApp Beta for Android v2.20.201.10 adds Always Mute, new Storage Usage UI & Media Guidelines

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Oct 1, 2020

WhatsApp is known for its simplicity. But lately, the beta version of the app is being updated with new features inspired from other platforms. Last week, we saw the company implementing a feature called “Expiring Media”, followed by “Catalogue Shortcut” and revamped call button for business chats. Now, this week, the company has added an “Always Mute” option, new “Storage Usage” UI, and “Media Guidelines” in the build v2.20.201.10 for Android, according to WABetaInfo.

Always Mute

Sometimes we don’t need notifications from certain conversations. Hence, WhatsApp offers an option called “Mute”. The longest duration available at the moment in the stable builds is 1 year. But in the latest beta version, the company has finally added an “Always” option.

We are not sure when this option will hit the stable channel as it is still not live for all the beta users.

Storage Usage UI

The latest WhatsApp beta also brings a new “Storage Usage” UI with more details than the previous view. At the top, this page houses a modern bar with usage information. Below that, there’s an option to clean up unnecessary files along with two rows of all the received files with support for sorting.

Then, there’s a list of conversations with their sizes mentioned at the right side. This section also includes a search bar at the top so that users can easily search for the chats they want.

Media Guidelines

Last but not least, WhatsApp for Android Beta v2.20.201.10 also adds “Media Guidelines” just like on Instagram to help users align stickers and texts while editing images, videos, and GIFs.

OnePlus 8T dimension and camera sensors tipped ahead of October 14 launch

By

Balaji S

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Oct 1, 2020

OnePlus 8T is due for launch on October 14. Apart from the official teasers, leaks keep pouring in for the device to reveal more features. And now, the latest leaks by tipsters reveals camera sensors and dimensions of the 8T. If reports are true, the device will be slightly taller and thicker than its predecessor, and OnePlus 8.

The new Leaks come from tipsters Steve(@Onleaks) and Yogesh(@heyitsyogesh) on Twitter. According to Steve, OnePlus 8T will have a rough dimension of 162.8×75.5×8.4mm. This means the thickness of the device would be around 8.4mm. Also, Steve says that the thickness will increase to 9.3mm when you add the rear-camera bump into the equation. That’s almost an mm increase in thickness and you can imagine how the bump would look like.

Having said that, the Oneplus 8T seems a bit thicker than OnePlus 8‘s 8.0mm and its predecessor, the OnePlus 7T‘s 8.13mm. In fact, if reports are true, its thickness is quite similar to the OnePlus 8 Pro. This is understandable considering its battery will most likely be 4,500mAh battery and similar to the 8 Pro.

Moving on, another leak by Yogesh suggests that the Oneplus 8T will have a 48MP Sony’s IMX 586 primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture including OIS, EIS similar to the 7T. It will reportedly have a 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide with 116˚ FOV(Field of View) sensor. However, it looks like 8T will ditch the Telephoto lens found on the 7T and instead have 5MP f/2.4 macro and 2MP f/2.4 depth sensors to complete the setup.

That said, the company is yet to officially confirm these specifications. Besides, the device is said to retain the 16MP Sony’s IMX 471 from the 7T for selfies. It will be interesting to see how OnePlus defends the image quality with optimization considering the main sensors are pretty much the same. By now, we are familiar with the possible Specifications of the OnePlus 8T. It will have a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 865 SoC, 4,500mAh battery with 65W charging, RAM up to 12GB, and 128/256GB storage.

Up Next: September security update arrives for the OnePlus 7 series and OnePlus Nord

September security update arrives for the OnePlus 7 series and OnePlus Nord

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 1, 2020

OnePlus is rolling out new updates to the OnePlus 7 series and OnePlus Nord. The new update brings optimizations, bug fixes, and the September 2020 security patch to the three devices.

The OnePlus Nord update will arrive as OxygenOS 10.5.8 for India, Global, and EU variants of the phone. However, only the first two regions will get the update now. The EU will follow later according to OnePlus. Below is the full changelog:

System

Newly added “Hide silent notifications in status bar” feature to filter unimportant notifications, making the app notification management easier( Route: Settings>Apps & Notifications> Notifications> Advanced> Hide silent notifications in the status bar )
Optimized the expanded screenshot user experience for some scenes
Fixed known issues and improved system stability
Updated Android security patch to 2020.09

Camera

Optimized image stabilization performance.

Display

Improved general display calibration.

Network

Optimize network stability.

The update for the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro come as OxygenOS 10.3.5 and is rolling out as a staged update to both the Indian and Global versions. OnePlus says the update for the EU will arrive soon. Below is the changelog:

System

Newly added user assistance feature to help user master usage skills quickly (Route: Settings>OnePlus Tips&Support).
Optimized power consumption of the system and improve user experience (OP7 Pro Only).
Fixed the flashback issue with some third-party apps.
Fixed known issues and improved system stability.
Updated Android Security Patch to 2020.09.

OnePlus says using VPNs to get the update may not work as the rollout is not based on regions. A few users will get it today and a wider rollout should follow over the next few days.

Telegram’s new update adds Comment sections for Channels, Anonymous Admins, and more

By

Balaji S

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Oct 1, 2020

Cloud-based messaging service Telegram has brought a bucket load of features through a new update. The updates include features like categorized search filters, comment sections for channels, anonymous admins, and more.

Telegram trough a blog explains the new features landing in the app via the latest update. It says the latest update will focus on helping the admins manage the content shared whilst maintaining civility and safety of the interaction.

Search Filters

Search Filters now has six categories- Chats, Media, Links, File, Video, and Voice messages. Users can enter a search term pertaining to a particular time, person, group/channel, bot. And, the filter will segregate the message accordingly. For instance, we can search “Joel + 15th August”. This will display a particular message on that day by the person.

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Editor’s Pick: Telegram adds video editor, two-step verification, cache management tool, and more

Comments for Channels and Anonymous admins for Groups

Next, Telegram has brought a new comment section inside the Channels. A comment button will appear on the messages posted on the Channels. Users can post GIF, voice messages, stickers, and more as a comment to that post. Also, Telegram says that admins can control the comments of the channel to maintain the courtesy. That said, the feature will be available only to Channels which have a separate discussion group linked within. This is because users will be redirected to that group to see and reply to those comments.

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Additionally, Telegram introduces a new feature called Anonymous Group admins. The feature is already available for Channels and now will turn even admins to anonymous in Groups while sending messages. Also, the messages they send will now be under the Group name tag.

Animated pop-ups and new emojis

The update also includes animated pop-ups. This feature is limited to Android and shows revamped animations when users delete messages, save media, change notification, etc. In addition to new animated emojis, the update brings features like long-press on profile picture to view closer, and do the same on account switcher to preview chat lists.

Up Next: India to launch its own app store to rival Google and Apple

Gionee F11VE spotted on Google Play Console with UNISOC SC9863A & HD+ display

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Oct 1, 2020

Recently, Gionee S12 Lite, a budget smartphone was announced for Nigeria. It will be launching in the country on October 5. Now, another Gionee-branded budget handset called F11VE has been sported on Google Play Console. Going by the specifications, it should be even cheaper than the S12 Lite.

The Gionee F11VE listing on Google Play Console was first spotted by user @smartvenkat95 on Twitter. As usual, the listing also includes a front render of this upcoming phone.

According to it, this forthcoming Gionee device will be powered by 1.6GH UNISOC SC9863A (formerly Spreadtrum) octa-core processor with PowerVR GE8322 GPU clocked at 550MHz. Further, the amount of RAM in this phone will be 2GB.

On the front, it will sport an HD+ (720 x 1560 pixels) with a dew-drop notch. Last but not least, it will run Android 10 out of the box.

Apart from the above-mentioned specs, nothing else is known about this mysterious Gionee handset. It is not known in which region this device will debut first.

As per the render and features, it is definitely an entry-level smartphone with a large chin below its screen, which should be an LCD panel. Also, we cannot rule out the possibility of it shipping with Android 10 Go Edition.

Microsoft announces Surface Laptop Go and a more powerful Surface Pro X

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 1, 2020

In what can be termed a surprise launch, Microsoft has announced new products today. The main announcements include the new Surface Laptop Go and a refreshed Surface Pro X. There are also a number of new accessories.

Surface Laptop Go

The Surface Laptop Go joins the Surface Laptop family as a more affordable option for those who want to pick up a Microsoft computer. the new notebook PC has a 12.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen display with a 3:2 aspect ratio. Microsoft has even given the screen rounded corners. It also it is its lightest Surface Laptop with a weight of 1.110 kg. The top is aluminum and the base is a polycarbonate composite resin system with glass fiber.

The notebook is powered by Intel’s 10th-gen Core i5-1035G1 processor and comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. For ports, the Surface Laptop Go has 1 x USB-C port, 1 x USB-A port, a Surface Connect port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The Surface Laptop Go has a 13-hour battery life, a fingerprint scanner built into the power button, a 720p HD camera, Omnisionic Speakers with Dolby Audio, Dual far-field Studio Mics, Bluetooth 5.0, and Wi-Fi 6. The notebook measures 278.18 x 205.67 x 15.69 millimeters.

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Below are the configurations and price tags of the Surface Laptop Go:

4GB RAM + 64GB (eMMC) = $549 (no fingerprint scanner and available only in Platinum)
8GB RAM + 128GB (SSD) = $699 (available in Platinum, Ice Blue, and Sandstone)
8GB RAM + 256GB (SSD) = $899 (available in Platinum, Ice Blue, and Sandstone)

The laptop is available for pre-order now on the Microsoft Store and it will go on sale on October 13.

Surface Pro X

The new Surface Pro X comes with a new processor, the Microsoft SQ2, with an Adreno 690 GPU. It has 16GB of RAM and comes with 256GB or 512GB of SSD storage. The rest of the specs remain unchanged from last year. The SQ1 will still be in production and serves as the base model of the Surface Pro X with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage.

Microsoft also announced a new Platinum color variant for the notebook but it is limited only to the SQ2 version.

Below are the prices for the Surface Pro X:

8GB RAM + 128GB + SQ1 = $999.99
8GB RAM + 256GB + SQ1 = $1299.99
16GB RAM + 256GB + SQ2 = $1499.99
16GB RAM + 512GB + SQ2 = $1799.99

You can pre-order it today on the Mirosoft Store ahead of when it goes on sale on October 13.

Microsoft also announced a new keyboard called the Designer Keyboard with a price tag of $69.99. There is also a number pad that is $24.99, a $49.99 ergonomic mouse, and a 69.99 4K display adapter.

Mi 10T series orders in Italy include some really amazing gifts

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 1, 2020

Xiaomi is trying to outdo itself in Europe with the free gifts that are included with orders of its new flagship phones, the Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro. Both phones already offer incredible value for their price tags but these gifts make them more tempting to buy.

We reported yesterday that Xiaomi was shipping pre-orders of the phones in Germany with a vacuum cleaner. Right now, if you purchase the 128GB version of the Mi 10T Pro in Italy, your order will ship with a Mi Band 5, Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic, and a 20000mAh Redmi 18 Fast Charge Power Bank. Those three items have a combined value of €105 which means you are technically paying €495 for the phone instead of €599.90.

If you order the 128GB version of the Mi 10T, you get the same set of free gifts which means you are actually paying €395 for the phone.

While the above may sound like great deals, the best deal is no longer available. For just 1 hour, Xiaomi Italy sold the 256GB version of the Mi 10T Pro with a free Mi Electric Scooter Essential.

The other bundles are still on sale, so hurry and check them out before they go out of stock. Xiaomi says orders will begin shipping October 15.

Infinix Hot 10 to debut on October 4 in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 1, 2020

Infinix has started teasing the arrival of the Infinix Hot 10 smartphone in India. The Hot 10 is scheduled to go official on Oct. 4 and it will be available for purchase through Flipkart. The microsite of the Hot 10 on the retailer site has revealed some of its key specs.

It can be seen on the Flipkart page that the Infinix Hot 10 is powered by the Helio G70 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. The phone will offer users with an internal storage of 128 GB. The phone is fitted with a punch-hole display and its rear features a rectangle-shaped camera housing for its quad cameras. A fingerprint reader is also available on the backside of the smartphone.

The entire specifications of the Infinix Hot 10 are already known since it was recently announced in Pakistan. The device had gone official with a price tag of PKR 20,999 (~Rs 9,280; ~$127). The handset had arrived in four color variants such as Obsidian Black, Amber Red Ocean Wave, and Moonlight Jade.

Infinix Hot 10 All Colors Featured — Infinix Hot 10

Editor’s Pick: Infinix Note 7 with 6.95-inch display, Helio G70, 48MP quad cameras launched for Rs 11,499 (~$156) in India

Infinix Hot 10 specifications and features

The Infinix Hot 10 features a 6.78-inch IPS LCD HD+ display with a 20.5:9 aspect ratio. The phone is preinstalled with XOS 7.0 based Android 10 OS. It has a front camera of 8-megapixel and its rear camera setup includes a 16-megapixel main camera, 2-megapixel portrait lens, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, an AI sensor, and a quad-LED flash. The phone houses a 5,200mAh battery.

In related news, the Infinix Hot 10 Lite went official in South African markets recently. The phone features a 6.6-inch HD+ LCD screen, Helio A20, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, an 8-megapixel front camera, a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system, and a 5,000mAh battery. It is unclear whether the Hot 10 Lite will be also arriving in India.

Alleged Redmi K30 series phone receives 3C certification in China

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 1, 2020

Yesterday, Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi Mi 10T series of smartphones in global markets. Today, Xiaomi’s Global VP and Managing Director for India hinted that the Mi 10T series will be debuting in India. There have been speculations that the Xiaomi Mi 10T could be rebranded as the Redmi K30 series in China. A new device with model number M2007J3SC has received approval from the 3C authority of China. The model number reveals that it is a Chinese variant of the Xiaomi Mi 10T series that has an M2007J3SG model number.

The 3C listing states that the M2007J3SC is a 5G phone that will possibly come with support for 33W fast charging support. According to the tipster, the said phone is equipped with a 64-megapixel main camera. In one of his previous Weibo posts, the tipster had claimed that it could be a suitable rival for the iQOO Neo3 5G. Some reports have claimed that the device could be arriving in the market as the Redmi K30T.

Editor’s Pick: Entire specification of Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Pro Truly Wireless Earbuds leaked online

Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro specifications

The Xiaomi Mi 10T has a 6.67-inch IPS LCD with a punch-hole design. It offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It runs on MIUI 12 based Android 10 OS. The device is driven by the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. It has a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.

The Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro have 20-megapixel selfie cameras. The rear side of the Mi 10T has a 64-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 5-megapixel macro shooter. Both phones have side-facing fingerprint readers.

The Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro feature up to 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The Mi 10T Pro’s triple camera includes a 108-megapixel lens with OIS instead of the 64-megapixel camera.

OnePlus teases the launch of a new audio product; likely Buds Z

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 1, 2020

OnePlus has teased the launch of a new audio product. A teaser was posted on Twitter today along with a link that leads to the OnePlus 8T launch event page, thus hinting at the product launching on October 14 too.

The teaser shows a silicone earbud which means the product is a pair of earphones. It has been reported that OnePlus plans to announce a new pair of TWS earbuds that will launch as the OnePlus Buds Z. This tweet most likely teases the design.

A whole new world of sound. Coming soon.

— OnePlus (@oneplus) October 1, 2020

The OnePlus Buds earbuds have a semi-open design but it appears the Buds Z will have a closed design thanks to the silicone tips. We expect it to have a more affordable price tag than its sibling. However, a lower price tag may translate into fewer features available.

OnePlus has scheduled October 14 for the launch of its new smartphone, the OnePlus 8T. Along with the phone, it is also expected to announce a number of other products. While we strongly believe the OnePlus Buds Z will launch on that day, we also presume a power bank will also be announced. Last month, the Bureau of Indian Standards certified a OnePlus Power Bank. The power bank which should have fast charging has been teased for months now.

Entire specification of Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Pro Truly Wireless Earbuds leaked online

By

Balaji S

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Oct 1, 2020

Xiaomi is already on the bandwagon of launching Truly Wireless Earbuds in the markets. It has a plethora of options like Air Dots, Air Dots 2 in the budget-range. And slightly premium ones like Mi Air 2 which is almost a year old. Now, a complete specification of the alleged ‘Pro’ version of the Air 2 has leaked online.

The latest leak comes from a blogger named DSP-Charles. He has shared the supposed features of Air 2 Pro and compared it with Apple’s AirPods Pro. In terms of design, the earlier leak says that it will adopt Apple’s AirPods Pro design with an angled earpiece with silicone tips. The new leak, however, shows it could even outsmart Apple in certain features.

Starting with the weight, each earbud on Xiaomi Air 2 Pro will reportedly weigh 6.5 grams and boast in-ear design with three microphones. The highlighting feature is the ANC(Active Noise Cancellation). Additionally, the Air 2 Pro will reportedly have hybrid digital noise reduction like the Apple as well.

Mi Air 2 Pro Specifications(unconfirmed)

Moving on, the earbuds will likely have a 12mm coil with an LCP composite diaphragm(English-translated) and noise reduction intensity of 35dB. The spec sheet says the Mi Air 2 Pro will support LHDC and AAC audio codecs.

In terms of latency, the spec sheet says the new TWS from Xiaomi will have audio delay as low as 100ms. This is less compared to AirPods Pro’s 160ms. Besides, it reportedly has other features like Wireless charging, wake-up, auto-connect, Transparency mode(ambient sounds) as well. Apart from this, the battery life on Mi Air 2 is mentioned as 7hrs on each bud and 28hrs with charging case when ANC is OFF. When ANC is ON, the battery life is mentioned as 5hrs and 20hrs respectively.

If we recall, Apple launched the Pro version back in October 2019 for $249 but made available a bit later in China for RMB 1,999(~$294). Besides, the trimmed down AirPods launched at $159. On the contrary, the Mi Air 2 launched for just $58 bucks. The new Pro version is expected to launch somewhere around 600 yuan($73). If the reports are true, this will be an instant hit whenever it launches.

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OPPO A93 is a rebranded F17 Pro for Vietnam priced at VND 7,490,000 ($324)

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Oct 1, 2020

Earlier in September, OPPO F17 Pro made its initial debut in India. A few days later, this very same phone was rebadged to OPPO Reno4 Lite and OPPO Reno4 F with some minor changes. Now, once again the company has rebranded it into OPPO A93 for Vietnam for VND 7,490,000 ($324) before launching this handset in Malaysia on October 6.

OPPO A93 Specifications

The OPPO A93 flaunts a 6.43-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED display with 409 ppi, 96% NTSC color gamut, 60Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, 90.67% screen-to-body ratio, and a peak brightness of 800 nits.

This panel also includes a dual punch-hole cutout at the top left corner for a 16MP IMX471 selfie camera and a 2MP GC02M1B depth sensor. A fingerprint sensor also resides underneath this screen.

Under the hood, the device features a MediaTek helio P95 paired with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage. It also comes with a microSD card slot so that users can expand the storage if required.

Further, the smartphone draws power from a 4,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging (Quick Charge 3.0) compared to 4,015mAh battery and 30W VOOC 4.0 fast charging found in the original OPPO F17 Pro.

On the back, it sports a quad-camera setup consisting of a 48MP GM1ST primary sensor (wide), an 8MP Hynix Hi846 secondary sensor with an ultra-wide lens, and two 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1B monochrome sensors accompanied by an LED flash.

Other features of this phone include dual-SIM, 4G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, GNSS (GPS, Beido, Glonass, GALILEO, QZSS), USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, and ColorOS 7.2 based on Android 10.

Last but not least, the OPPO A93 measures 160.14 x 73.77 x 7.48mm in dimensions, weighs only 164g, and comes in two colors namely Black and Magical White respectively.

(Source / Via)

LG Velvet 5G India launch could be held this month

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Oct 1, 2020

LG announced the LG Velvet 5G smartphone with an attractive design in May. Fresh information shared by the tipster Mukul Sharma reveals that LG may soon the LG Velvet smartphone in India.

The leakster claimed that the LG Velvet will go official in India this month. He even mentioned that the phone may go official on Oct. 4. He added that the Oct. 4 unveiling could be an internal launch for the LG employees. The South Korean company may soon hold a public launch at some point this month.

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LG Velvet 5G specifications and features

The LG Velvet 5G has a 6.8-inch P-OLED panel that offers a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. It boots to LG UX 9 based Android 10 OS. The Snapdragon 765G chipset is the driving force of the smartphone. The phone comes with 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The device has a microSD card slot for additional storage.

The LG Velvet 5G has a 16-megapixel camera on the front and it has a triple camera system that includes a 48-megapixel main lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide shooter, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor on its back. The Velvet 5G has other specs such as an under-display fingerprint scanner, a 4,300mAh battery with 25W fast charging support, and stereo speakers.

In July, LG announced the LG Velvet with LTE support. The only noticeable differences that can be found on the LTE model are the inclusion of the Snapdragon 845 chipset and 15W charging.

India to launch its own app store to rival Google and Apple

By

Sean

-

Oct 1, 2020

India is planning on launching its very own app store that will act as an alternative to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. This move arrives to boost the country’s self reliance.

The current Modi government might seek to ramp up its Mobile Seva App Store as reported by the local news agencies. An ETNow report quoted the government stating that “Android has a 97% market share in India. So, we should intervene and handhold Indian startups.” Furthermore, the government is also considering making the app store mandatory for Android phones to arrive with this app pre-installed.

#ETNOWExclusive | #Aatmanirbhar App Store Coming Soon? Sources tell ET NOW that Modi-govt is planning to launch its own App Store as an alternative to #Google & #Apple's app stores! @NayantaraRai with exclusive details!@PMOIndia @rsprasad @_DigitalIndia @GooglePlay @AppStore pic.twitter.com/eYoNVsdcC3

— ET NOW (@ETNOWlive) October 1, 2020

Notably, the news also arrived after numerous technology entrepreneurs joined hands to petition to the government for support regarding an overarching Indian digital app ecosystem to rival major tech giants like Google and Apple. In a meeting earlier this week, the ways to establish a large scale platform that hosts local apps was also discussed to break the monopoly in the current market.

This group includes various founders, like Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Yashish Dahiya of Policybazaar, and Murugavel Janakiraman of Matrimony.com, which are a few major online platforms in the country. They will also be seeking the country’s banking regulator as well, including the finance ministry to seek redressal for Google’s recent move that aims to raise the commission on purchase made on its app store.

Murugavel Janakiraman stated that “If India has net neutrality, why can’t we have app neutrality. A body monitored by the government can ensure app neutrality, fairness, and openness.” While other notable figures also cited government support to help grow the indigenous brands and startups. It remains to be seen how Apple and Google respond to this news.

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