HONOR Watch GS Pro to launch in India on October 8; HONOR CHOICE TWS will tag along

By

-

Sep 30, 2020

Earlier this month at IFA 2020, HONOR launched HONOR Watch GS Pro as its first-ever rugged smartwatch priced at €249.99. Now, this wearable is making its way to India on October 8. According to a separate report, it will be accompanied by HONOR CHOICE True Wireless Earbuds.

HONOR, the sub-brand of HUAWEI officially confirmed to debut HONOR Watch GS Pro in India on Twitter. The smartwatch will be an exclusive product launch on Flipkart as part of the eCommerce platform’s popular The Big Billion Days sale.

This wearable, after launching in Europe, was also made available in the brand’s home country China. That means India will be the third region to get it if the company does not launch it anywhere else before the scheduled date for India.

Some of the notable features of HONOR Watch GS Pro include 1.39-inch circular AMOLED display, MIL-STD-810G certification, HiSilicon Kirin A1 chipset, GPS, built-in speaker and mic for calls, 100+ workout modes, and up to 25-day battery life.

We expect it to sell around ₹20,000 ($271) making it the costliest HONOR smartwatch ever launched in India.

On the other hand, according to an exclusive leak by 91Mobiles, HONOR CHOICE True Wireless Earbuds will also launch alongside the above-mentioned smartwatch. The publication also mentions it to be priced under ₹5,000 ($68).

In case you are not aware of, HONOR CHOICE brand offers a plethora of devices from a number of HONOR ecological chain companies similar to Xiaomi. This TWS debuted in Europe for €34.99 in July. If this report happens to be true, then it will be the first CHOICE-branded product for India.

Samsung slashes Galaxy M01, Galaxy M11, and Galaxy M31s prices in India

By

Sean

-

Sep 30, 2020

Samsung has just slashed the prices of three of its affordable and mid range smartphones in India. This includes the Galaxy M01, Galaxy M11, and the Galaxy M31s, which are now available for slightly lowered prices in the region.

The price drop is the first for the Galaxy M11 since its launch, while this marks the second price slashing for the Galaxy M01. As of today (30th September 2020), the Samsung Galaxy M01 is now available for 7,999 INR (roughly $108) instead of the previous 8,999 INR (roughly $122) price tag. Similarly The 3GB + 32GB variant of the Galaxy M11 is now available for 10,499 INR (roughly $142), originally 10,999 INR (roughly $149), while 4GB + 64GB variant has its price dropped to 11,999 INR (roughly $162) from its previous 12,999 INR (roughly $176) price tag. Both smartphone models are available for purchase through Amazon.in and Samsung’s official Indian website.

Lastly, the Galaxy M31s, which was launched in India just 4 months ago, has also had its prices lowered down to 19,499 INR (roughly $264) for its 6GB + 128GB variant and 21,499 INR (roughly $291) from its original 20,499 INR (roughly $278) and 22,499 INR (roughly $305) price tag respectively. The Samsung Galaxy M series of smartphones from the company targets the budget to mid range segments of the market. So for those looking to buy an affordable new device, they might want to consider one of these handsets as well.

Future smartphones may use new 3D biometric authentication that maps finger veins with light and sound

By

Sean

-

Sep 30, 2020

Biometric authentication has been in practical and commercial use for years now, with it most commonly appearing in the form of fingerprint or facial features based scanning. Although now, a new method has been discovered that involves mapping the veins in one’s fingers using light and sound, which might even make its way to smartphones.

According to the research team leader Jun Xia, from University at Buffalo, “The 3D finger vein biometric authentication method we developed enables levels of specificity and anti-spoofing that were not possible before. Since no two people have exactly the same 3D vein pattern, faking a vein biometric authentication would require creating an exact 3D replica of a person’s finger veins, which is basically not possible.” In other words, it seems to be practically impossible for any hacker to fake a person’s veins and to pass through this new biometric authentication method.

This development also implies a myriad of possible applications in various consumer grade products as well, like smartphones that have been pushing boundaries with new biometric authentication techniques in recent generations. While the system is currently in development, with a few passing years a miniaturized version might be a possibility, bringing a new form of security to handsets that are practically foolproof. It may even be housed similarly to where current gen in display fingerprint scanners is mounted.

The technique essentially detects invisible features in 3D and can be used to offer better security to offer protection over personal data and other sensitive documents as well. Biometric authentication techniques based on finger veins aren’t exactly new, but these are generally based on 2D images. The new techniques add another layer of depth with 3D images that significantly increases security, making it a lot harder to fake and makes the possibility of a false positive less likely. So, if a smartphone with this feature launches, its security authentication would be one of the greatest amongst the current generation of smartphones.

The system uses a photoacoustic tomography, an imaging technique that combines light and sound, which was first reported by ScienceDaily. Light from a laser is first used to illuminate the finger, and when hitting this hits the veins, a sound is created which is then detected by an ultrasound detector that uses the information to reconstruct a 3D image of the veins. This solution may change the way OEMs approach security in smartphones in the future and might even be the next generation of the standards that are currently in place.

United States pressures Europe to ditch Huawei from new 5G networks

By

Jeet

-

Sep 30, 2020

After the United Kingdom ditched Huawei from its 5G infrastructure and ordered companies to get rid of Huawei hardware from their existing network by 2027, the United States has now renewed its efforts to pressure Europe to ditch Huawei.

Keith Krach, the undersecretary of state for economic affairs, has warned Germany and Italy that Huawei is “an arm of the CCP surveillance state and a tool for human rights abuse.” However, neither Keith Krach nor the United States has provided any evidence regarding their claims.

EDITOR’S PICK: Hu Houkun (Ken Hu) to serve as Huawei’s rotating Chairman for the next six months

He has also recommended Finland-based Nokia and Sweden-based Ericsson for the 5G infrastructure development in Europe, adding that these two were the only companies that European governments should choose. He said that the company’s involvement in European 5G mobile networks would put the NATO alliance at risk.

Germany and Italy are in the discussion about whether to allow the telecom giant to participate in building the nation’s 5G network. The development comes after the U.K. and France have banned Huawei, bowing down to the pressure from the U.S.

The United States has already put several sanctions on the Chinese giant, making it practically impossible for the world’s largest smartphone company to survive in the premium smartphone market. The U.S. is also attempting to shut it out from the 5G market by forcing suppliers to seek a license for doing business with Huawei.

MIJIA Braun Electric Shaver is now up for crowdfunding at 199 yuan ($29)

By

Jeet

-

Sep 30, 2020

A couple of days ago, Xiaomi had unveiled the new Mijia Braun Electric Shaver for its home market China. Today, the product is officially available for purchase through crowdfunding at a price of 199 yuan (~$29).

The crowdfunding campaign starts from today, i.e. 30th September while the company says that the shipment will begin from 14th October. Once the campaign gets over, the Mijia Braun Electric Shaver will be available at a retail price of 249 yuan (~$37).

EDITOR’S PICK: Hu Houkun (Ken Hu) to serve as Huawei’s rotating Chairman from October 2020 to March 2021

The company says that the newly launched electric shaver comes in a compact body, making it easier to carry around. Further, it adds that the knife net is made of high-quality German stainless steel and is inspired by dragonfly wings. The product is water-proof, making it easier to clean or rinse in water.

It features 899 different sizes of meshes that the company claims are carefully designed with reference to the pressure distribution during shaving for a more comfortable shave. As for the power, the Mijia Braun Electric Shaver has a motor that rotates 7200 times a minute and has independent floating double cutter heads that adapt to facial contours.

Coming to the battery life, the company adds that the device can offer up to 40 minutes of usage, which is equivalent to using it for 21 days when used for three minutes each day. There’s also support for Quick Charge technology so that the product can be fully charged in one hour. The company adds that charging it for five minutes provides enough power for a single shaving session.

[Update: Ghana, Nigeria] Infinix Hot 10 Lite makes its global debut in Kenya for Kshs 10,500 ($97)

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Sep 30, 2020

Update: September 30

The Infinix Hot 10 Lite also launches in Ghana and Nigeria for GHS 599 ($104) and NGN 45,400 ($118) respectively. We have also updated its complete specifications along with an official image.

Original Story: September 29

Last week, Infinix launched Hot 10 in Pakistan powered by MediaTek helio G70, a much better processor than Hot 9’s helio A25. Now, a week later, the company has debuted this handset in Kenya alongside Hot 10 Lite. The latter device will be selling in the country for a much affordable price tag of Kshs 10,500 ($97) than the former’s Kshs 14,000 ($129) asking price.

Infinix Hot 10 Lite All Colors Featured — Infinix Hot 10 Lite

Infinix Hot 10 Lite Specifications

The newly launched Infinix Hot 10 Lite is Kshs 3,500 ($32) cheaper than the standard model as it comes with toned-down specifications. In fact, differences between the two are too much that if you can afford the regular Hot 10, then it’s better to get it instead.

First and the foremost, the Hot 10 Lite is powered by a much less powerful MediaTek helio A20. It comes in two storage configurations – 2GB + 32GB and 3GB + 64GB respectively. The Kshs 10,500 ($97) price tag for the phone is for the base variant and the company is yet to reveal the same for the second version. It comes in a single 2GB + 32GB storage configuration with support for microSD card up to 256GB.

Further, this smartphone sports a 6.6-inch HD+ LCD panel and an 8MP selfie camera, both of which happen to be similar to the Hot 10. ~~However, we are not sure if the front-facing camera is either nested in a punch-hole or notch as the brand did not release renders for this handset.~~ The front-facing camera sits in a dew-drop notch.

Whereas, on the back, the device features a 13MP + 2MP + 2MP triple camera setup accompanied by an LED flash. ~~Although the company did not mention anything, we except the 2MP sensors to be depth and macro respectively.~~ The two 2MP sensors are merely gimmicky depth sensors but the rear panel of the phone does house a useful fingerprint sensor.

Other features of this smartphone include gravity sensor, light sensor, proximity sensor, 3.5mm headphone jack, 4G, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, GNSS (Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, GPS), Android 10 Go Edition, and a 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W charging.

(Via)

Micron has yet to receive license to sell to Huawei, may lead to fall in sales

By

Sean

-

Sep 30, 2020

Micron Technology has yet to regain a new license to continue selling to memory chips to Huawei Technologies. This may lead to the company’s sales to fall for the next two quarters, as per an executive.

According to a Reuters report, Micron had previously obtained the license to supply the Chinese tech giant with memory chips for its smartphones and servers from its factories outside of the United States. For those unaware, companies are required to gain a special license from the US government, after the smartphone maker was put in the “Entity List” by the US Commerce Department, and faced an export ban.

Recently, the US has further reinforced the restrictions on the company that bars it from using any US made tools or software, which came into effect as of 14th September 2020. In other words, this has caused a complete halt in shipments from Micron to Huawei. The latter accounted for about 600 million US Dollars out of the former’s 6.06 billion US Dollars in sales for the fiscal fourth quarter that ended on 3rd September 2020, meaning about 10 percent of its total sales.

According to Sumit Sadana, Micron Chief business officer, “The manufacturing equipment in those fabs are obviously from U.S.-based companies,” which is why the shipments have stopped altogether. The senior official also added that “As soon as we get the license, we would work with Huawei to determine how we can resurrect the business.” So, if a license isn’t acquired, Micron stands to lose out on a notable part of its business due to recent sanctions.

Vivo X50e 5G with Snapdragon 765G, 32MP selfie camera, 48MP quad cameras and 33W charging launched

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Sep 30, 2020

Vivo has unveiled a new smartphone named Vivo X50e in Taiwan. The new phone joins the X50 family that already includes a couple of devices such as Vivo X50, X50 5G, X50 Pro, X50 Pro+, and X50 Lite. The new phone features carry the most powerful Snapdragon 700-series chipset and it comes with 32MP front-facing camera and a 48-megapixel quad-camera system arranged in an impressive diamond-shaped design.

Vivo X50e specifications and features

The Vivo X50e has 162.05 x 74.97 x 8.88 – 8.96mm dimensions and it weighs 200 grams. The phone features a 6.44-inch S-AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch. The screen supports a full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and it is integrated with a fingerprint sensor.

The Vivo X50e has a front-facing camera of 32-megapixel and its rear camera setup comprises a 48-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 13-megapixel telephoto/portrait lens with 50mm focal length, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with 120-degree FOV, and a 2-megapixel macro shooter.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo V20 is the first phone to come with Android 11 preinstalled; Pricing for India teased

The Snapdragon 765G mobile platform along with 8 GB of RAM fuels the Vivo X50e. The phone comes with 128 GB of storage and it supports a microSD through the hybrid SIM slot. The handset is preinstalled with FunTouch OS 10 based Android 10 OS. The phone is backed by a 4,350mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The device comes with connectivity features such as USB-C, NFC, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Vivo X50e pricing and availability

The Vivo X50e comes in two colors like Water Mirror (gradient blue) and Night (black). The device has arrived in Taiwan with a price tag of NT$ 13,990 (~$483).

(via)

Hu Houkun (Ken Hu) to serve as Huawei’s rotating Chairman for the next six months

By

Jeet

-

Sep 30, 2020

Chinese giant Huawei has announced that Hu Houkun (aka Ken Hu) will serve as the company’s Chairman from 1st October to 31st March, as a part of the company’s rotating chairman system.

As per Huawei regulations, the rotating chairman is the highest position for a leader in the company and presides over the company’s board of directors and the board of standing committee.

Hu Houkun graduated from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. He joined Huawei in 1990 and over the years, he served in various capacities, including President of Latin America, President of Global Sales, President of Sales and Services, President of Strategy and Marketing, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Rotating CEO, and Director of the Human Resources Committee, among others. He is currently serving as Vice Chairman and Rotating Chairman of the company.

The rotating chairman system was developed from the rotating CEO system, which was originated by Huawei. Later on, several other Chinese companies implemented the rotating executive system, including Debon Logistics, Alibaba Entertainment, and JD.com.

EDITOR’S PICK: Foxconn denies reports about factory canceling holidays and running 24×7 for iPhone productions

Currently, Liang Hua is Huawei’s Chairman while Guo Ping, Xu Zhijun, Hu Houkun, and Meng Wanzhou are the Vice Chairman. Additionally, Guo Ping, Xu Zhijun, and Hu Houkun take turns as Chairman of the board throughout the year while Meng Wanzhou also serves as the company’s CFO.

Ren Zhengfei, founder and CEO of Huawei had said that the rotating executive system is better as it doesn’t link the company’s performance and success to one person. He added that each rotating executive strives to drive the company further.

Foxconn denies reports about factory cancelling holidays and running 24×7 for iPhone productions

By

Jeet

-

Sep 30, 2020

Apple has postponed the iPhone 12 launch event this year, which is said to be the result of production issues because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet the deadline, it was recently reported that Foxconn is running the operation 24 hours a day and has canceled workers’ holidays.

Not just that, it is also being reported that the company has introduced mandatory overtime with bonuses for longer-serving staff. However, the company has now responded and said that the news is fake and no such action has been taken.

Even though companies are trying to shift the majority of the production outside of China, they are still dependent on China when it comes to supply chain and production, which remains central to the country dispute anti-China sentiments because of its failure in containing the COVID-19 pandemic.

China was the first country to hit by COVID-19 but it managed to quickly recover, especially on the production side. With operations resumed, it will now play a major role in production and manufacturing globally.

EDITOR’S PICK: Motorola Razr 5G foldable smartphone to go on sale in the US from October 2nd

The report from SCMP cited the company’s employee Wang Guofeng who claimed that overtime work had increased since summer and most workers were allowed to take only four days off per month. Another employee added that the company production lines are running 24 hours a day with the introduction of new night shifts.

The same report also claims that employees have been asked to cancel their upcoming holidays around the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day to ensure timely delivery of the new iPhone 12 models.

While Apple has not yet confirmed the launch date for the upcoming smartphones, reports indicate that the company will announce four models — iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max on 13th October.

Vivo V20 is the first phone to come with Android 11 preinstalled; Pricing for India teased

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Sep 30, 2020

Google announced the Android 11 OS earlier this month and it was made available to Pixel devices on Sept. 8. Smartphone OEMs like OnePlus, Realme, OPPO, and Xiaomi have released beta versions of Android 11 OS for some of their smartphones. The Google Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5v that are scheduled to go office later were believed to come with preinstalled with Android 11 OS. However, a few hours before the announcement, Vivo has confirmed through a press release that the Vivo V20 is the first smartphone that comes with preinstalled.

The PR states that the newly unveiled V20 lineup will run on Android OS, which indicates that the Vivo V20, Vivo V20 Pro, and Vivo V20 SE are all equipped with the latest Android OS. However, the official product pages of the three phones show that the Vivo V20 Pro and Vivo V20 SE are still running on FunTouch OS 11 based Android 10 OS and the Vivo V20 has Android 11 with FunTouch OS 11 overlaid on it. The PR further states that Vivo plans to provide the V20 series with Android 11 in succession, which indicates that the V20 SE and V20 Pro could be soon treated with the Android 11 update.

According to XDA Developers, the Vivo V20 that has a model number of V2025 is the Device Catalog of the Google Play Console. The listing states that its SDK version is 30, which indicates its loaded with Android 11 OS. Moreover, an unboxing video by an Indonesian YouTuber also confirmed that the device is running on Android 11 OS. Considering that the phone will receive two OS upgrades, it appears that the Vivo V20 will be treated with Android 12 and Android 13 OS updates in the future.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo Watch is available for Purchase on Giztop in Brown & Orange straps

Meanwhile, Vivo India is teasing the arrival of the Vivo V20 series in India. A recent leak revealed that the company will make it official on Oct. 12. It is unclear whether the company will be announcing not three, but two V20 models.

The Vivo V20 series will be sold through Flipkart in India. A recent teaser released by the company reveals that the V20 devices will be priced between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 in the country.

Motorola Razr 5G to be available in the US from October 2

By

Jeet

-

Sep 30, 2020

Earlier this month, Motorola launched the refreshed version of its first foldable smartphone — Motorola Razr 5G, which as the name indicates, comes with support for 5G connectivity.

The company has now confirmed that the smartphone will be available for purchase in the United States from 2nd October. It comes in two color options — Polished Graphite and Blush Gold, for a price of $1,400.

However, as a part of the promotional offer, the device will be available for $1,200 in the initial days of sale. It will be up for purchase through Best Buy, B&H, Amazon, and Motorola as well as T-Mobile and AT&T.

The Motorola Razr 5G features a 6.2-inch pOLED display with a screen resolution of 876 × 2142 pixels and 373ppi pixel density. There’s also a 2.7-inch gOLED outer display with a screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels and 370ppi pixel density.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei Mate X2’s Wi-Fi certification is another proof that it could be launching soon

Under the hood, the device comes powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC, along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It features a 48MP rear camera and a 20MP selfie snapper.

The phone, which features a “water repellant design,” runs the Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box and is powered by a 2,800mAh battery that comes with support for 15W fast charging technology.

Redmi Note 10 5G with Snapdragon 750G could be launching soon in China

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Sep 30, 2020

Redmi is expected to announce the new Redmi Note 10 series in October. Rumors have it that the lineup will include three devices such as Redmi Note 10 4G, Redmi Note 10 5G, and Redmi Note 10 Pro 5G. A tipster claimed through Weibo today that an upcoming Redmi phone will be equipped with Snapdragon 750G SoC.

The Weibo post states that overseas editions of Snapdragon 750G and Snapdragon 865 powered smartphones with high refresh rate displays and big batteries will be soon coming to China as Redmi devices. It appears that the tipster is claiming that the Xiaomi Mi 10T series has a 144Hz refresh rate display, up to 5,000mAh batteries, and Snapdragon 750G / Snapdragon 865 SoC will be soon heading to China under Redmi branding.

Recent reports have claimed that the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G that is fueled by the Snapdragon 750G, could be coming to the home market as the Redmi Note 10 5G. There are speculations that the Redmi Note 10 Pro 5G could be equipped with the Dimensity 820 chipset.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite certified; Could be rebranded Redmi Watch

It is believed that the Xiaomi phone with model number M2010J19SC that recently received approval from China’s MIIT authority could be debuting as Redmi Note 10 4G. It is advisable to digest the leak related to the Redmi Note 10 series and wait for further reports for concrete details.

Some leaks have claimed that the Xiaomi Mi 10T series could be rebadged as Redmi K30T series in the home market. It is still unclear whether both Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro will debut in China as Redmi K30T and Redmi K30T Pro in the homeland.

Huawei Mate X2’s Wi-Fi certification is another proof that it could be launching soon

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Sep 30, 2020

Huawei is expected to announce the Huawei Mate 40 series of flagship phones in October. It is unclear whether the Chinese manufacturer will be also unleashing the Huawei Mate X2 foldable smartphone. There are some findings that suggest that the Mate X2 may also go official in the near future. The Huawei device that recently appeared in the database of the TENAA regulatory body of China is believed to the Mate X2. The device is said to be codenamed as Teton. Now the same device has bagged the vital Wi-Fi Alliance approval, which again hints that the device could be nearing its launch.

The Chinese tipster who shared the screengrab of the Wi-Fi certification of the Mate X2 carries TEX-NX9. The listing reveals that the device supports Wi-Fi 6 and it is preinstalled with Android 10 OS.

The tipster claimed that the Huawei Mate X2 is driven by the Kirin 9000 series flagship chipset and built-in HiSilicon Hi1105 chips for Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.

Editor’s Pick: Bluetooth SIG certifies Huawei HiCar Center Screen: an Hongmeng OS-powered head unit for cars

It was reported in August that the production of the Mate X2’s display will begin this month. The foldable phone is expected to sport an in-folding design like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 instead of the outward folding design seen on the predecessor Mate X models.

Huawei Mate X2 specifications (Rumored)

It is speculated that the Huawei Mate X2 will arrive with 8.3-inch CPI (Transparent Polymide) panels supplied by Samsung Display. It will support a resolution of 2280 x 2220 pixels. The screen may support a 120Hz refresh rate. It is speculated the vertical strip that houses its main cameras may feature an additional screen. The device could be equipped with a 40-megapixel + 40-megapixel (ultrawide) + 12-megapixel (telephoto) + ToF quad-camera system. The Mate X2 may offer users with camera features like OIS and 3x optical zoom.

The Huawei Mate X2 may come with 8 GB / 12 GB / 16 GB of RAM and 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB of built-in storage. It could be housing a 6,000mAh battery that could be coupled with 65W rapid charging.

Purported Realme Q2 appears at AnTuTu with 519K+ score

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Sep 30, 2020

Last year in September, Realme unveiled the Realme Q smartphone. The handset had arrived as a rebadged edition of the Realme 5 Pro that was made available in markets like India. Recent reports have claimed that the Realme RMX2173 that was approved by China’s TENAA telecom regulatory body recently will be debuting in the home market as a new Realme Q series. Since the official name of the device is under wraps, the rumor mill has been calling it the Realme Q2 smartphone. Speculations are rife that it may debut on Oct. 13. The device has now appeared on AnTuTu with a 519K+ average benchmarking score.

The purported Realme Q2 has scored an average score of 519,925 on AnTuTu. It is an average of the CPU, GPU, memory, and UX benchmarks test that was carried out on the device. At present, there is no information available on the chipset that fuels the device. Its TENAA listing had revealed that it is driven by an octa-core processor that works at 2.4GHz.

In terms of specs, the alleged Realme Q2 appears to be a downgraded version of the Realme X7 as it has identical measurements and specs. The only noticeable difference is that the purported Q2 has downgraded front and rear cameras. Soon after its appearance at TENAA, the rumor mill had speculated that it could be called Realme X7 Lite, but newer reports have claimed that it could be the next Realme Q series smartphone.

Editor’s Pick: Realme’s 125W UltraDart Charger may be heading first to Europe

Realme Q2 specifications (Rumored)

The Realme Q2 has a 6.43-inch S-AMOLED panel that produces full HD+ resolution and it has an in-screen fingerprint reader. The phone is loaded with Android 10 OS and it has a front camera of 16-megapixel.

The rear side of the device has a 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel quadruple-camera setup. The 2.4GHz octa-core SoC is coupled with 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM and it houses a dual-cell battery. The phone is expected to ship with a 65W fast charger. It may arrive in 128 GB and 256 GB storage choices in China.

Tecno Camon 16 S with Helio P22 chipset spotted on Google Play Console

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Sep 30, 2020

Earlier this month, Tecno announced three new smartphones under the Camon 16 series. The models are all powered by a MediaTek Helio G-series processors. The company may have got a new entry-level model in the works. An entry-level device will be added to the series soon and the device has now been spotted on Google Play Console.

The Tecno Camon 16 S will be powered by the MediaTek Helio P22, a 12nm chipset from 2018 with eight Cortex-A53 cores (2.0 + 1.5 GHz) and a PowerVR GE8320 GPU (650 MHz). In this phone, it is paired with 3GB of RAM and runs Android 10.

The display has 720 x 1,600 px resolution – that’s the maximum supported by the chipset. From the included image (which isn’t always 100% reliable), we see that the phone has a single punch hole camera in the upper left. Interestingly, there appears to be a front-facing LED flash in the top bezel (but again, these pics aren’t very reliable).

Still, the display is a far cry from Camon 16 Premiere’s 90 Hz display with 1080p resolution. The Premiere is pretty costly, however, it goes for KES 29,000 in Kenya (where it made its debut). That works out to $275 or so, depending on currency exchange rates.

There is no word yet on the pricing of the Camon 16 S but the similar Camon 15 Air (also powered by the Helio P22) goes for around KES 15,000 ($140).

OnePlus 8T with 12GB RAM and Android 11 appears on Geekbench

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Sep 30, 2020

On Oct. 14, OnePlus will take off covers from the OnePlus 8T smartphone. Yesterday, the OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed that the company will not be launching the OnePlus 8 Pro handset this year. The OnePlus 8T is confirmed to arrive with some improvements like 120Hz refresh rate supporting display and support for 65W fast charging. Two weeks before the launch, the OnePlus 8T has appeared on the Geekbench (via tipster Sudhanshu) benchmarking platform.

In the Geekbench listing, the OnePlus 8T Pro is labelled as KB2000. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform, which is mentioned with its 1.80GHz base frequency in the listing.

Editor’s Pick: OnePlus 8/8 Pro Android 11 kernel source code released before the rollout of stable update

The SoC is coupled with 12 GB of RAM and it appears that it could be one of the first non-Google phones to arrive with Android 11 OS. The smartphone will ship with the latest OxygeonOS 11 UI. In the single-core and multi-core tests of Geekbench, the handset scored 3843 and 11714, respectively.

OnePlus 8T specifications (Rumored)

The rumor mill has revealed that the OnePlus 8T will have an S-AMOLED display of 6.5 inches. It will carry support for 120Hz refresh rate, full HD+ resolution, and 20:9 aspect ratio. The SD865 powered phone may come in 8 GB / 12 GB RAM variants and 128 GB / 256 GB storage choices. It may sport a 16-megapixel front camera, and a quad-camera setup with an OIS-ready 48-megapixel main camera, a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel macro shooter, and a 2-megapixel monochrome lens. It may house a 4,500mAh battery. The device is likely to arrive in Aquamarine Green and Lunar Silver color editions.

OnePlus 8/8 Pro Android 11 kernel source code released before the rollout of stable update

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Sep 30, 2020

OnePlus was part of the Android 11 Beta program with the OnePlus 8 series. The company released four builds as part of this initiative, which was later followed by two OxygenOS 11 Open Beta builds. In other words, the brand is yet to release a stable build. But ahead of it, OnePlus has already uploaded the Android 11 kernel source code for OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro.

OnePlus is known for updating its smartphones to the latest version of Android quicker than most OEMs. Also, it’s mobile operating system OxygenOS is loved by users and media around the world, thanks to its resemblance to stock Android with extra features.

However, the Chinese smartphone maker shocked everyone by revamping its Android skin design with the release of OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11. Although it retains all the features and brings the most requested AOD option, it now looks more like Samsung’s One UI than stock Android.

That said, OnePlus is yet to reveal the Android 11 update timeline for its devices. Currently, as mentioned in the beginning, the update is available in the form of Open Beta for OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. Surprisingly, the company has now already released the Android 11 source code for this duo even before seeding out the stable update.

This means developers can now offer relatively bug less custom ROMs to power users of these two devices. Above all, the brand may release the OxygenOS 11 stable release for the OnePlus 8 series anytime now.

Further, the next in the line to taste Android 11 should be OnePlus Nord as the company had recently started recruiting testers for the Closed Beta program. Also, we cannot rule out the possibility of the OnePlus 7T series getting the update second.

(Via)

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold launching Sept 30 as the world’s first foldable notebook

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Sep 29, 2020

Lenovo has announced that it will release the long elusive ThinkPad X1 Fold on September 30. At CES 2019, Lenovo showcased what was claimed to be the “world’s first foldable PC.” The device showcased was merely a prototype but the Chinese giant is now set to release the product commercially, according to a teaser poster released recently.

Simply put, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is a full-featured notebook computer powered by an 11th-generation Core processor. The notebook packs a 13.3-inch touchscreen display with 2K resolution but it is only the size of a 16-open book.

The core secret of this design lies in Lenovo’s exclusive flexible technology, through which the screen foldable design is realized. The ThinkPad X1 Fold’s flexible OLED display screen is built by Lenovo and supplier LG in deep cooperation.

Lenovo and LG worked together to solve many technical problems in the four years it took to realise this technology. It deploys exclusive hinge technology and magnesium alloy-carbon fibre frame to realize a folding structure that is firm and flat after unfolding. The screen also feels like a traditional screen and meets durability test requirements.

We expect the pricing and availability details to be unveiled when it is officially released.

Bluetooth SIG certifies Huawei HiCar Center Screen: an Hongmeng OS-powered head unit for cars

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Sep 29, 2020

Huawei announced HiCar last year which is its own take on Android Auto. The feature is available on some vehicles already such as the Baojun RC-6. For those who want Huawei’s Hongmeng OS-powered HiCar for their vehicles, Huawei has an aftermarket solution on the way called Huawei HiCar Center Screen and it has received Bluetooth certification.

The Bluetooth SIG page reveals the name of the device is Huawei HiCar Center Screen. It also states the device is codenamed “Antelope“ and it has model number WB10.

The description says that the HiCar Center Screen is the world’s first Hongmeng “Center screen” and Huawei HiCar’s first after-mounted car product. The device connects users with supported Huawei and Honor phone to their cars and allows them to communicate with each other.

The description goes on to say owners will be able to seamlessly transfer HiCar supported apps on their phones on the center screen. These apps should include maps and music players.

The Center Screen connects via Bluetooth 5.0 and should be announced soon. Alongside the device, another product called the DDPAI Button was also certified. The description says that the DDPAI Button is an accessory of the HiCar Center Screen. The device, which connects via Bluetooth 5.0, acts as a remote and can be used to activate the voice assistant, answer or reject calls, and pause/play/switch tracks.

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Huawei announces EMUI 11: All Features & Updates

UP NEXT: EMUI 11 devices will be getting select Android 11 features and upgrade to HarmonyOS

Editor’s Pick: Vivo X50e 5G with Snapdragon 765G, 32MP selfie camera, 48MP quad cameras, and 33W charging launched

UP NEXT: Future smartphones may use new 3D biometric authentication that maps finger veins with light and sound

Editor’s Pick: Vivo X50e 5G with Snapdragon 765G, 32MP selfie camera, 48MP quad cameras and 33W charging launched

UP NEXT: Vivo V20 is the first phone to come with Android 11 preinstalled; Pricing for India teased

UP NEXT: Micron has yet to receive a license to sell to Huawei, may lead to fall in sales

UP NEXT: Vivo X50e 5G with Snapdragon 765G, 32MP selfie camera, 48MP quad cameras, and 33W charging launched

Update: September 30

Original Story: September 29

Infinix Hot 10 Lite Specifications

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

Editor’s Pick: Vivo V20 is the first phone to come with Android 11 preinstalled; Pricing for India teased

UP NEXT: Foxconn denies reports about factory cancelling holidays and running 24×7 for iPhone productions

Vivo X50e specifications and features

Editor’s Pick: Vivo V20 is the first phone to come with Android 11 preinstalled; Pricing for India teased

Vivo X50e pricing and availability

UP NEXT: TENAA: vivo V2034A is a budget smartphone with HD+ AMOLED display

UP NEXT: Huawei Mate X2’s Wi-Fi certification provides another proof that the phone could be launching soon

UP NEXT: Redmi Note 10 5G with Snapdragon 750G could be launching soon in China

Editor’s Pick: Vivo Watch is available for Purchase on Giztop in Brown & Orange straps

UP NEXT: TENAA: vivo V2034A is a budget smartphone with HD+ AMOLED display

UP NEXT: OnePlus 8/8 Pro Android 11 kernel source code released before the rollout of a stable update

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite certified; Could be rebranded Redmi Watch

UP NEXT: POCO M2 Pro & Redmi Note 9 Pro Max have started receiving MIUI 12 update in India

Editor’s Pick: Bluetooth SIG certifies Huawei HiCar Center Screen: an Hongmeng OS-powered head unit for cars

Huawei Mate X2 specifications (Rumored)

UP NEXT: Huawei is reportedly investing in local tech companies to strengthen the supply chain

Realme Q2 specifications (Rumored)

UP NEXT: realme will launch realme 7i, 55-inch SLED TV on October 7 in India, other AIoT products to tag along

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra beats Huawei P40 Pro in Camera Performance with a DxOMark score of 130

Editor’s Pick: OnePlus 8/8 Pro Android 11 kernel source code released before the rollout of stable update

OnePlus 8T specifications (Rumored)

UP NEXT: OnePlus starts recruiting testers for OnePlus Nord OxygenOS Closed Beta program

EDITOR’S PICK: Certain OnePlus Nord users are facing an automatic factory reset bug

UP NEXT: Pete Lau: OnePlus 8T will be the first non-pixel Smartphone to launch with Android 11

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra beats Huawei P40 Pro in Camera Performance with a DxOMark score of 130

UP NEXT: Huawei Smartphones to start getting HarmonyOS 2.0 beta update as early as January 2021