Honor Hunter V700 Gaming Laptop’s first sale crossed 10,000 units, sold out in just 3 minutes

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Sep 28, 2020

On 23rd September 2020, BOE officially announced that it planned to acquire CEC Panda’s Nanjing-based Gen 8.5 fab and Chengdu-based Gen 8.6+ fab. This will effectively strengthen the company’s display technology portfolio.

According to a TrendForce report, BOE will acquire 80.8 percent of the Gen 8.5 fab and a 51 percent share in the Gen 8.6 fab. At the moment, the acquisition is said to be in the final stages. Notably, the company 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. As of 2021, it is expected that BOE will hold more than a quarter of the world’s large-sized panel capacity, coming in at 28 percent.

This acquisition will not only raise BOE’s global leading position but will also increase its influence. Through the new acquisitions, the company also gets access to the VA (Vertical Alignment) LCD technology and Oxide TFT technology, which will boost its business in LCD TV, Notebook PC, and LCD Monitor market. The Gen 8.6 fab will fill up BOE’s lacking 50 inch and 70 inch capacities as well, which would bolster its TV market.

BOE has already invested heavily in the IPS R&D, and with the added buyout of TN and VA technology, it has access to more supplementing technology for its LCD business. Additionally, analysts have also mentioned that the acquisition will likely cause a ripple in the display supply chain as well. Furthermore, if BOE upgrades the acquired fabs to produce additional curved VA or IPS panels, then the company can expect to see greater values in returns in the longer run.

TSMC to increase 3nm process monthly output to 100,000 wafers by 2023

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Sep 28, 2020

TSMC is currently manufacturing Apple’s A14 Bionic chipset based on the 5nm node. However, the company is set to move the 3nm node to mass production in a couple of years and is set to increase production capacity.

As per the reports coming from China, the monthly output for the 3nm node from TSMC is expected to reach 100,000 wafers in 2023. Prior to that, the Taiwanese company is set to increase its chip production capacity to 55,000 wafers by H2 2020.

EDITOR’S PICK: Court blocks Trump administration’s ban on TikTok in the US

Earlier, we had reported that TSMC had to delay the 3nm process’ trial production to 2021 and mass production to 2022. Although the exact date for the risk production and trial phase is unknown, the company will announce the timeline by the end of this year.

The upcoming 3nm process will bring a number of improvements over the new 5nm chips. It will feature a 15 percent greater transistor density, along with a performance increase of 10 to 15 percent, and even raise energy efficiency by 20 to even 25 percent.

As per the reports, the company is on schedule to manufacture Apple A16 chipset using the 3nm process, which is set to arrive in 2022. On the other hand, its rival Samsung Electronics is also working on a 3nm process and is expected to start mass production in a couple of years.

Court blocks Trump administration’s ban on TikTok in the United States

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Sep 28, 2020

Last week, TikTok had asked a Judge in the United States to block the order from the Trump administration from banning the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store and the company’s request has been accepted.

Judge Carl Nichols of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has temporarily blocked an order from the Trump administration that would have banned TikTok from being downloaded from U.S. app stores.

In a statement released to the media, the company said: “We’re pleased that the court agreed with our legal arguments and issued an injunction preventing the implementation of the TikTok app ban. We will continue defending our rights for the benefit of our community and employees. At the same time, we will also maintain our ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal, which the President gave his preliminary approval to last weekend, into an agreement.”

Unlike the recent block on the ban of WeChat in the United States, this order related to TikTok doesn’t block the broader ban on the app which is set to come into effect from 12th November in the U.S.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi Mi 8 SE & Redmi 9 receive MIUI 12 update in China

The U.S. Department of Commerce had announced earlier this month that TikTok would be removed from U.S. app stores on 20th September. However, it was delayed by a week to 27th September because of the on-going talks about the app’s acquisition.

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.

While Oracle will take 12.5 percent stake, Walmart will be taking a 7.5 percent stake as well as a seat on the board. Donald Trump has already approved the deal but it remains to be seen if the Chinese government has any say related to this development.

HTC maybe working on a foldable smartphone of its own

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Sep 28, 2020

While HTC has been relatively in the sidelines with its smartphones in recent times, the company’s CEO is expecting to make its smartphone division profitable by 2025. Now, a new patent suggests that the company might be working on a new foldable smartphone.

Back in late 2019, HTC had filed a patent with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) that finally got published in August 2020. According to a LetsGoDigital report, the patent on the WIPO database reveals a smartphone with an outward folding clamshell design. In other words, unlike the Moto Razr 2019, this device folds towards the back rather the into itself.

Notably, by having the display on the outside, it allows for the screen to cover both the rear and the front when folded. This is somewhat similar in design when compared to Huawei Mate X and Mate Xs that also have the display on the outside when folded. While this may look attractive, it also means that the flexible display has a higher chance of being damaged when being carried around. The patent documents also heavily focus on the hinge mechanism of the device rather than the device itself.

The documents regarding HTC’s first foldable smartphone is still in the early stages so it is also unknown whether the company is actually working on such a handset, or if it is just covering all bases. Regardless, HTC is planning on making a comeback in the smartphone market, so having an innovative high end product might serve to bring back attention to its branding again.

Samsung to have strong Q3 2020 earnings as smartphone sales recover

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Sep 28, 2020

Samsung Electronics was dethroned from its world’s leading smartphone brand as China-based Huawei surpassed it in the second quarter of this year. This was mainly because of lower-than-expected sales of the flagship Galaxy S20 lineup.

However, now it seems that the company is in a better position. As per the reports, analysts believe that the company could report strong earnings for the third quarter of this year, mainly because of solid semiconductor business and smartphone sales.

It is being estimated that the South Korean giant could post a 20.7 percent increase in sales and about a 27.6 percent increase in operating profit compared to the numbers shared by the company for the previous quarter.

The prices for memory chips have declined in the market by 10 percent to 15 percent and despite that, Samsung has managed to sail through without a big drop in sales. In fact, analysts estimate that the chip business of Samsung could post an operating profit of around 5 trillion won for the third quarter.

EDITOR’S PICK: Realme 7i likely to debut soon in India as moniker emerges on the official support page

Further, the company’s foundry business also reported growth in Q3 2020 as it managed to secure chipset manufacturing orders from Qualcomm and NVIDIA. Another department where the company registers growth is smartphones.

As per the reports, Samsung’s smartphone business is estimated to report about 4 trillion won in operating profit for the third quarter of the year, more than double compared to 1.95 trillion won in Q2 2020.

The company reportedly managed to ship 80 million units of smartphones in Q3 2020, which is about 50 percent more than the previous quarter. On the other hand, sales of tablets reached 10 million units, an increase of 45 percent.

iFLYTEK Smart Mouse M210 with voice input launched in China for 179 yuan ($23)

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Sep 28, 2020

iFLYTEK has today launched its new computer peripheral product in the market — Smart Mouse. The company has launched the iFLYTEK Smart Mouse M210 with some really interesting features.

In terms of design, the company says that the mouse has an ergonomic left-right symmetrical design, ensuring comfortable usage and a good grip for both left-handed and right-handed users.

The device has the “3+1” key system and has a dedicated voice key beside the scroll wheel. The button seems like an all-in-one multi-function button that can switch between dictation and translation modes.

To turn the voice recognition feature on, all you need to do is long-press the button and it will be triggered. The company claims that it supports voice input of around 400 words in just a minute and can replace manual typing on the keyboard.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei P Smart 2021 debuts with 6.67-inch display, Kirin 710A, 48MP quad cameras, and 22.5W fast charging

It is also said that the recognition accuracy is about 98 percent. There’s also support for 23 different dialects, covering mainstream dialects and a few regional dialects. Further, there’s support for 28 different languages.

As for the connectivity feature, it supports dual-mode wireless connection as well as Bluetooth Low Energy. The smart mouse is priced at 179 yuan which is roughly $23 and is available for purchase in China through JD.com. It comes in two color options — Black & Red, and White & Black.

Kioxia delays IPO as concerns rise amidst US-China tensions and Huawei ban

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Sep 28, 2020

Kioxia Holdings, the former Toshiba memory unit, and the world’s second largest NAND flash memory chipmaker has announced that it has postponed its initial public offerings plan amid US-China trade tensions.

According to Nobuo Hayasaka, Kioxia CEO and President, “While we received significant interest from many investors, the lead underwriters and Kioxia do not believe it is in the best interest of current or prospective shareholders to proceed with the IPO at this time of continued market volatility and ongoing concerns about a second wave of the pandemic.” In other words, the company is bracing for the impact of the US sanctions on Huawei alongside the ongoing pandemic.

As per a Nikkei report, the recent reinforcement of regulations against the Chinese tech giant, Huawei, had also affected the decision for the Japanese company. For those unaware, Huawei is a known client of Kioxia. Furthermore, the IPO itself had also garnered a lot of criticism from investors as the company was planned to list at a value of around 14 billion US Dollars, which would have been Japan’s largest IPO this year. However, the company was only actually offering just over 800 million US Dollars for the initial prospectus, which is nowhere near the funding it requires for its planned investments.

Kioxia has said that it would not give up on its IPO and would reschedule for the end of this year or the beginning of 2021. However, a source close to the matter stated that the “Huawei concerns will hardly be solved in the next three to four months.” 40 percent of all Kioxia sales are contributed by smartphone memory chips, and with the US sanctions taking effect from 15th September 2020, the company will lose a notable customer that made up just under 10 percent of its total sales.

Xiaomi Mi Air 2 Pro noise cancelling earphones leaked online; launch imminent

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Sep 28, 2020

Xiaomi launched its Mi Air 2 true wireless earphones in the market last year and now it seems that the company is gearing up to launch a Pro variant of the same. An alleged leaked image of the earphones has been circulating on Weibo, giving us an idea about what the product could look like.

EDITOR’S PICK: US-China trade tension leads to Chinese chipmaker SMIC facing exports ban

The leaked image indicates that the earphones are named Mi Air 2 Pro and will feature support for active noise cancellation. In terms of the design of the earphones, it has the same cylindrical design that we have seen before.

Earlier, it was leaked that the Mi Air 2 Pro could also come with support for wireless charging support. It is also expected to come with an auto-connect feature when the cover of the earphones is opened, but it could be limited to MIUI devices only.

It is also said that the earphones have already passed through all the necessary certification process. This means that the company is all set to launch them and it could go official in the coming weeks. As for the pricing, the upcoming TWS earphones could be priced around 500 yuan (~$73) to 600 yuan (~$88) in China.

US-China trade tensions has Chinese chipmaker SMIC face Export ban

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Sep 28, 2020

The US has imposed another ban on another Chinese firm. This time the export restrictions have targetted Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), China’s largest semiconductor foundry based company.

According to a Bloomberg report, the recent ban will deal another blow to China’s technology industry and are indicative of the rising friction over intellectual property and national security claims. Similar to the situation Huawei is in, US based firms will now require a license to export certain products to Chinese chipmaker. Apparently, the reason for the recent sanction is due to an “unacceptable risk,” as these products might be used for military purposes.

The risk of military use was reported by the Financial Times, which cited a letter from the US Commerce Department that was sent to the company. In an email statement, SMIC said that it had yet to receive any official notice of the sanctions and has no relations with the Chinese armed forces. It further added that it does not manufacture any military grade goods or products.

The new regulations imposed on SMIC marks the rise in trade tensions between the US and China. In recent times, the political frictions between the two superpowers have led to various clashes, with the Coronavirus pandemic only making matters worse. The Trump Administration has already reinforced various restrictions against Huawei, although, SMIC has yet to face a similar degree of treatment. However, that might soon change as the US might be planning on taking further actions and adding the semiconductor giant to the “Entity List” as well.

Realme CEO seemingly teases leather cases for Realme 7 Pro

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Sep 28, 2020

A recent leak revealed that Realme could be announcing multiple products in October. Apart from the mysterious Realme 7 Pro SE, the other products that are expected to get announced are the same devices that were teased by the company at the IFA 2020 tech trade exhibition that was held earlier this month. A new tweet by Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth carries an image that showcases multiple leather cases. Probably, the company is gearing up to announce new leather cases for the Realme 7 Pro. Some are speculating that the executive could be teasing the Realme 7 Pro SE smartphone with a leather back.

We are days away from the reveal!
However it was not an easy task, we came up with lots of designs that took days of hard work.

I can say that leather will be back in vogue and make your lives much cooler. Watch the upcoming #AskMadhav episode as we #LeapToNextGen.#realme7Pro pic.twitter.com/e9D5wJevoY

— Madhav Faster7 (@MadhavSheth1) September 27, 2020

Sheth’s tweet has a #Realme7Pro hashtag which indicates the cases have something to do with the Realme 7 Pro smartphone. It is advisable to wait for newer details to surface to know whether Sheth is really teasing the arrival of the Realme 7 Pro SE or just a leather case for the Realme 7 Pro.

Editor’s Pick: Realme Q series new phone likely to launch on October 13

As far as the Realme 7 Pro SE is concerned, the rumor mill is silent on the specifications of the smartphone. Probably, it may arrive as a weaker version of the Realme 7 Pro. Whether or not Realme 7 Pro SE is coming to India, the country is very likely to receive the Realme 7i since its name has popped up on the official support page.

The Realme 7i is expected to arrive in India in Fusion Blue and Fusion Green colors. It is likely to come in 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage versions. The device may carry a starting price of less than Rs 15,000 (~$204).

The Realme 7i has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD HD+ display that offers a 90Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 662 powers the device with LPPDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. It features a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel (ultrawide) + 2-megapixel (macro) + 2-megapixel (B&W) quad-camera setup and it a 16-megapixel front camera. The device houses a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE & Redmi 9 receive MIUI 12 update in China

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Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Sep 28, 2020

Ever since Xiaomi announced MIUI 12 in late April, it has been continuously seeding it out to a plethora of its smartphones in the form of beta and stable builds. The latest handsets to receive it in the form of stable release are the Chinese variants of Mi 8 SE and Redmi 9.

Xiaomi launched the Mi 8 SE in May of 2018 in China. The smartphone remained exclusive to the company’s home country. It debuted with MIUI 9.5 based on Android Oreo and was subsequently updated to MIUI 10 and MIUI 11.

The handset even received two Android updates – Android Pie and Android 10 respectively. That said, like any other Xiaomi device launched in 2018 (including POCO F1), the currently rolling out MIUI 12 is the last major update for this phone. It may only receive certain bug fixes and critical security patches if needed.

The MIUI 12 update for Mi 8 SE comes with build number V12.0.2.0.QEBCNXM. At the moment, it is being rolled out in batches in the form of ‘Stable Beta’ (limited to certain users and beta testers).

On the other hand, the MIUI 12 update is also being seeded out to limited Redmi 9 users in China with build number V12.0.4.0.QJCCNXM. This device is also known as Redmi 9 Prime in India.

Since international versions of Xiaomi phones have been receiving new updates nearly after a month from their initial releases in China, we expect global, European, Indonesian, and Indian variant of Redmi 9/Redmi 9 Prime to get the MIUI 12 update in mid to late October.

Last but not least, although POCO M2 (shiva) shares its design and internals with Redmi 9 (lancelot), it runs a different MIUI build. Hence, the update for it may come late as indicated by the brand executives in a recent AMA (Ask Me Anything) session.

Xiaomi Mi Band 5, Mi Watch Revolve pricing leaked for India ahead of tomorrow’s announcement

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Sep 28, 2020

Tomorrow, Xiaomi will be holding a launch event in India to announce a couple of new smart products. Rumors have that the Chinese firm will announce at least three new devices namely, Mi Band 5, Mi Watch Revolve, and Mi Smart AI Speaker. Reliable tipster Ishan Agarwal has shared the MRPs of the new wearable devices that are heading to India.

According to the tipster, the Mi Band 5 has an MRP of Rs 2,999 ($41), which indicates that may sell lower than this price. He has speculated that it could be priced at Rs 2,499 (~$34). The Mi Watch Revolve has an MRP of Rs 10,999 (~$149), claims the tipster. It could be selling for lower than Rs 9,999 (~$136). He did not share information on the pricing of the MI Smart AI Speaker.

Editor’s Pick: Poll of The Week: Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite or Xiaomi Mi TV Stick?

Xiaomi Mi Band 5 and Mi Watch Revolve specifications

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 has a 1.1-inch AMOLED color display and it has a 125mAh battery that promises up to 14 days of battery life. The device comes with support for magnetic charging. It comes with support for Bluetooth 5.0 and it has an optical heart rate sensor. There is a Mi Band 5 version with NFC in China. However, there is no confirmation whether India will be receiving the NFC variant.

Xiaomi Watch Color colorways — Xiaomi Mi Watch Color will launch as the Mi Watch Revolve in India

The Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve has a round-shaped 1.38-inch AMOLED display and it also comes with support for Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC connectivity. It also offers users up to 50ATM water resistance. The smartwatch has a 420mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy F41 confirmed to arrive with 64MP triple cameras

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Sep 28, 2020

Last week, Samsung India confirmed that it will be launching the Galaxy F41 smartphone at 5:30 PM IST on Oct. 8. The smartphone’s appearance has already been revealed through its microsite at Flipkart retailer site. The listing is now updated with a new image of the phone that confirms that it is equipped with a 64-megapixel triple camera system on its rear.

So far, the South Korean company has revealed that the Galaxy F41 will be arriving with an S-AMOLED display with Infinity-U notch, a 6,000mAh battery, a 64-megapixel triple camera setup, and a rear-facing fingerprint scanner. The company is expected to reveal some of its other specs and features through the Flipkart microsite in the upcoming days before launch. It is speculated that the Galaxy F41 as well as other F-series in the future will be exclusively available through Flipkart in India.

It is unclear whether the 64-megapixel primary camera of the Galaxy F41 is a Samsung or Sony lens. The Galaxy F41 is speculated to borrow many of its specs from the Galaxy M31 smartphone that debuted earlier this year. Rumors have it that the device could be priced around Rs 15,000 (~$203). The smartphone is rumored to arrive in color options such as black, blue, and green.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Wireless Charging Trio & 20000mAh PD Power bank launched in Korea

Samsung Galaxy M31 specifications

The Galaxy M31 has a 6.4-inch S-AMOLED display that offers 1080 x 2340 pixels full HD+ resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The One UI 2.1 based Android 10 OS runs on the device and it is equipped with Exynos 9611 SoC. The chipset is accompanied by 6 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of storage.

It has a 32-megapixel selfie camera and a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel macro shooter, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. The smartphone features a 6,000mAh battery that supports 15W charging.

Realme 7i likely to debut soon in India as moniker emerges on official support page

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Sep 28, 2020

On Sept. 3, Realme unveiled the Realme 7 and Realme 7 Pro smartphones in India. Later, the company announced the Realme 7i smartphone in Indonesia. Rumors have claimed that the Chinese firm may soon bring the Realme 7i handset in India. The Realme 7i moniker has appeared on the official page of Realme India’s website. This indicates that the smartphone will go official soon in the country.

There is a possibility that Realme India may announce the Realme 7i in October. The 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage editions of the Realme 7 are selling in India for Rs 14,999 (~$203) and Rs 16,999 (~$231) in India. The Realme 7i with weaker specs may arrive with a cheaper price tag. In Indonesia, the Realme 7i is available with a starting price of IDR 3,199,000 (~$215; ~Rs 15,800) for its sole 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage edition whereas the Realme 7 with 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage is priced at IDR 3,999,000 (~$267; ~Rs 19,200).

Realme 7i in Jade and Champagne colors — Realme 7i arrived in Polar Blue and Aurora Green colors in Indonesia

A recent leak revealed that Realme 7i will be landing in India in two variants like 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. It is expected to arrive in Fusion Green and Fusion Blue.

Editor’s Pick: Realme Q series new phone likely to launch on October 13

Realme 7i specifications

The Realme 7i features a 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen with top-left corner positioned punch-hole. It supports HD+ resolution, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and a 90Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 662 chipset along with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage fuels the device.

The Android 10 OS with Realme UI skin comes loaded on the Realme 7i. It has a front camera of 16-megapixel and it has a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel (ultrawide) + 2-megapixel (macro) + 2-megapixel (B&W) quadruple-camera setup on its back. The 5,000mAh battery of the Realme 7i supports 18W rapid charging.

(via)

Realme Q series new phone likely to launch on October 13

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Sep 28, 2020

Realme VP confirmed last week that a new smartphone with the latest Realme UI 2.0 in October. It is being speculated that this device could be a Realme series smartphone. A Chinese tipster with a decent track record has claimed that it will go official on Oct. 13.

Earlier this week, two Realme phones with model numbers RMX2173 and Realme RMX2117 were approved by the TENAA authority of China. Since the RMX2173 phone has specs similar to the Realme X7 that has a model number of RMX2176, it was speculated that the RMX2173 may break cover as the Realme X7 Lite. The reason behind it is that its specs are an exact match with the Realme X7v and the only major difference is that it has downgraded cameras. According to the Chinese tipster, the Realme RMX2173 will debut as a Realme Q series phone.

The first phone in the series was Realme Q and had debuted in September 2019 as rebranded Realme 5 Pro. While the rumor mill has dubbed the next Realme Q phone as the Realme Q2, the company is yet to officially confirm its moniker. Also, the October 13 launch date suggested by the tipster is also not yet confirmed by the firm.

Editor’s Pick: realme announces realme UI 2.0 Early Access Roadmap

Realme Q2 specifications (Rumored)

The alleged Realme Q2 measures 160.9 x 74.4 x 8.1mm and weighs 175 grams. The device is equipped with a 6.43-inch S-AMOLED punch-hole full HD+ display that offers a 20:9 aspect ratio. The screen is integrated with a fingerprint sensor. It has a dual-cell battery and it is rumored to arrive with support for 65W charging. The device draws power from a 2.4GHz octa-core and up to 6 GB of RAM.

The Android 10 OS flavored with Realme UI 2.0 is likely to come preloaded on the purported Realme Q2. It will offer users with up to 256 GB of storage. It has a front camera of 16-megapixel and its rear is fitted with 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel quadruple cameras.

Redmi 9A’s new 6GB RAM variant introduced in China

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