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Qualcomm Exec joins SiFive to help establish RISC-V as an alternative to Nvidia-Arm

SiFive has just appointed a former Qualcomm executive, Patrick Little, as the new CEO. The senior official has been hired to help establish the company’s RISC-V based processors as an alternative to Arm, which is being acquired by Nvidia for a 40 billion US Dollars deal.

For those unaware, SiFive is a chip designer that makes processors that can be customized for any purpose the customer requires it for. This has it make chips to meet low end to even some high end computing requirements. The processors used by the company are based on RISC-V, which is a free and open architecture that has been growing in popularity since its creation a decade ago.

Qualcomm

The people behind the architecture were inspired by the philosophy of “hardware freedom” to offer alternatives to royalty-based processors that are licensed for a fee by a single company. According to an VentureBeat interview with Patrick Little, the senior executive said that “It’s just very clear that the world is moving away from generic processors to workload-focused and optimized solutions,” and that, “The industry is transforming away from general-purpose computing to something domain-focused. With the news this week, it’s now accelerating, and the magnitude has really picked up. Now there are many companies saying it’s time to look at open versus closed solutions.”

Notably, despite Nvidia acquiring Arm, the former has pledged to still continue to offer the latter’s open licensing strategy. Although, the free and open nature of RISC-V is already a great deal for many. But the challenge still remains of growing its ecosystem of software, tools, and testing to make it a viable alternative to Arm. At the moment, the ARM architecture is found on about 95 percent of the smartphone market, with the industry shipping more than 22 billion chips a year.

Qualcomm

Furthermore, SiFive is also planning on unveiling its first RISC-V based PC in October 2020, alongside new RISC-V chips. While this architecture isn’t as matured as others like the x86 and ARM, it has made great progress in recent years. SiFive will be targetting developers and professionals with this PC and not the commercial market. The ide ais to offer RISC-V based systems so that developers can make code software that was meant for RISC-V powered devices. The company plans to introduce new processors as well, which will be optimized for “high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and computer vision applications.”

 

Fitbit Charge 4 has a defect that affects a small number of units

Recently, a few owners of the Fitbit Charge 4 that had been complaining about an issue regarding their wearables. Reports have surfaced that the fitness tracker has a crucial flaw, where the device sometimes does not sit well on the wrist as it is supposed to.

Fitbit

According to an AndroidCentral report, One user said on the Fitbit community forums that “the band does not fit snuggly, as with all other Fitbits I have owned. Is this normal? There is a noticeable gap between the band and the device.” Following this, the number of Charge 4 users that have faced the same issue has grown. Others also said that the gap caused dust or other small particles to get in the way, with a few saying that the gap sometimes has the device get yanked off it gets caught in something.

A Fitbit representative has since confirmed the issue and stated that “We are aware that a band-connection issue is affecting a small number of Charge 4 users. We take customer satisfaction very seriously and the quality of our products is one of our top priorities. We encourage any customers experiencing difficulties with their device to contact Customer Support for assistance.”

Fitbit
Image via AndroidCentral

The company has recently unveiled a few new products, which include the Inspire 2 the Versa 3, and even the Sense Health Watch. So, let’s hope that those devices do not face the same issues that affect the Charge 4 and that the company does take notes of the issues so that it does not extend to its newer product launches as well.

 

realme UI 2.0 (Android 11) will be officially unveiled on September 21

Earlier this month, Google released Android 11 stable update for eligible Pixel smartphones and uploaded the source code to AOSP. A few days later, OPPO held an event to officially unveil ColorOS 11 based on the latest version of Android. Now, the company’s sister brand realme has scheduled an event for September 21 in India at which it will be announcing realme UI 2.0 alongside narzo 20 series of smartphones.

realme UI 2.0 Android 11 Logo Featured

Recently, realme sent out physical press invites to media and influencers confirming the launch date of narzo 20, narzo 20A, and narzo 20 Pro to be September 21. Now, today, the company has officially announced it to the public on its social media handles and community. Additionally, it also revealed that realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 will be also debuting at the same event.

Anyway, we don’t have to wait until the launch day to know everything about these phones and realme UI 2.0. These handsets, for instance, have leaked extensively in the past few days revealing everything about them. The only thing that is unknown is their price.

On the other hand, the brand has already rolled out realme UI 2.0 beta update to its flagship smartphone realme X50 Pro. As expected, it is nothing but a tweaked version of ColorOS 11 just like the original realme UI and ColorOS 7.

That said, the launch event is still exciting for existing users of realme as the company is expected to announce realme UI 2.0 eligible devices and update timeline.

 

US government seeks security protocol data from Epic Games and Riot Games with Tencent ties

The United States is taking its trade war with China a step further. After banning several Chinese companies and forcing TikTok to sell its business to an American company, it is now issuing notices to companies that have ties with China-based Tencent Holdings.

As per the report from Bloomberg, the U.S. Treasury’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) has asked gaming companies including Riot Games and Epic Games, to provide information on security protocols.

Tencent Logo

CFIUS investigates foreign acquisitions of American businesses for national security risks. It has the authority to examine full acquisitions as well as non-controlling investments and provide recommendations to block or unwind deals.

This new development is likely because of the company’s deep ties with Tencent Holdings. Riot Games, which has developed Valorant and League of Legends, is a fully-owned subsidiary of Tencent while the Chinese giant holds about 40 percent take in Epic Games.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei may have some hope as AMD gets a license to sell products to companies in the Entity List

Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order which prohibits transactions with the popular instant messaging app WeChat and social platform TikTok. The ban is set to take effect 45 days from the date of order (7th August).

Epic Games has been in the news for a couple of weeks after it sued Apple and Google for removing its game Fortnite from the App Store and Play Store. It all began after the gaming firm introduced its own in-app payments system on Fortnite which skirted the 30 percent fee that Apple charges for each transaction.

 

Huawei patents smartphone with in display selfie shooter and periscopic zoom lens

Earlier this month, we had reported on a Huawei patent regarding a smartphone with a penta camera setup on the back. Now, we have another patent that has surfaced, this time with an under screen selfie shooter and a periscopic zoom lens.

Huawei

The new patent was filed with the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration), which was approved and published earlier today (18th September 2020). According to a LetsGoDigital report, the patent carries 24 product images. Looking at these design sketches, the device has a curved edge display on both sides and minimal bezels. Under the display, a selfie shoot is housed, with the rear having a quad camera setup.

The rear camera module is housed in a very unique manner with 3 different variants of the device being patented. One has the rear camera module housed in the middle of the back panel, while the other two have it placed either at the top right or top left, respectively. The four cameras are housed in a cross shaped manner with the LED flash being in the middle. The sensor at the bottom is square shapped, indicating that its a periscopic zoom lens. The company’s branding can also be observed on the bottom.

Huawei

Unfortunately, finer details regarding this Huawei smartphone or even its name is currently unknown. Furthermore, it is also unclear if the Chinese tech giant is actually working on such a handset or whether it is just covering all bases. We might see these designs make an appearance in a Huawei smartphone in the near future, although, only an official company announcement will confirm it.

 

Apple iPhone 12 pricing could be higher than expected because of increased BOM cost

Apple has delayed the launch of its next-generation iPhone by a few weeks, likely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It usually launches new iPhones in the initial weeks of September but this time, instead of smartphones, it launched the new Apple Watch Series 6 and new iPads.

But, the company is expected to launch the iPhone 12 models in the coming weeks. And as the launch nears, more and more information related to anticipated next-gen Apple iPhone models keeps surfacing online.

iPhone 12 2020

The latest report regarding the pricing of iPhone 12 models contradicts previous reports. Earlier, it was said that the new iPhone will have the same starting price as the previous-generation model — $699 for the base model.

Now, a report coming from China claims that keeping the price of 5G-compatible iPhone 12 the same as last year’s model seems impossible. This is because of the increased Bill of Material cost, which has reportedly increased by $50 this year.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei may have some hope as AMD gets license to sell products to companies in the Entity List

This time, the company won’t be including a charger or wired earphones in the box and it is said that Apple will be selling the 20W charger separately. This is likely to save some cost but it remains to be seen if that saving is passed on to the customers.

Recently, it was revealed that the iPhone 12 cost somewhere between $699 to $749 while the iPhone 12 Max could be $799-849. The Pro and Pro Max models are expected to be priced around $1,100 to $1,200. To know for sure, we will have to wait for the official announcement from the company.

 

Huawei may have some hope as AMD gets license to sell products to companies in the Entity List

Huawei is currently struggling to keep its smartphone business afloat as the Chinese giant has been heavily restricted by the sanctions from the United States from procuring or manufacturing necessary components.

But it seems that there is some hope for the company. Forrest Norrod, Senior Vice President at AMD has confirmed that the company has been granted a license to sell its products to some of the companies in the US Entity List.

AMD Logo

The licenses secured by the company ensures that there won’t be a significant impact on the business at this time because of the China-focused restrictions from the US. He also added that the company is complying with all the rules and regulations.

However, it’s noteworthy that Forrest Norrod hasn’t revealed the names of the companies for which AMD has been granted licenses to carry on doing business. So, we are not sure if the Chinese giant Huawei is in it.

EDITOR’S PICK: TSMC reportedly books its entire 5nm chip production capacity for the Apple A14 chipset

Even if there’s no license for Huawei right now, his statement shed light on the fact that the United States is giving out licenses to companies for doing business with those firms that are in the Entity List. So, sooner or later, licenses can be granted to companies for doing business with Huawei.

Many companies have started lobbying with the United States government to reconsider some of the restrictions placed on Huawei, arguing that it impacts American businesses, both in terms of innovation and finance.

 

Apple to open its online store in India on September 23

In late August, Bloomberg broke out the news that Apple will be launching its online store in India before Diwali. Now, almost a month later, the American tech giant has made an official announcement regarding the same. In a press release, the company has revealed that its online store will go live in India on September 23.

Apple Online Store India September 23 2020

Apple has been operating in India for more than 20 years but its official online store will only open in the country next week. With its launch, customers will have access to a number of perks, some of which were previously unavailable when buying Apple products in the region.

For instance, customers in India will now able to trade-in their old eligible phones for iPhones. Students can avail special discounts while buying macs and iPads. That’s not all, customers can build custom macs and also order AirPods with a personalized engraving of emoji or text in English, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu. Even iPads and Apple Pencils can be bought with engravings but the text for them is limited to English.

Further, Apple Specialists will be available for customers to help them make purchases through advice and guidance in English and Hindi languages. Customers can also buy Apple Care+ plan for their new products to extend their warranty, technical support and accidental damage cover to up to two years.

In October, customers will be also able to attend free online Today at Apple sessions led by local Creative Pros. These sessions are said to be focussed on photography and music. Last but not least, customers in India will be able to enjoy special offers, EMIs, multiple transaction options including UPI, and contactless delivery.

 

Apple patents Micro-LED display for a new fitness band and other products

Apple is expected to make a move to Mini-LED displays for its high-end iPad as well as MacBook models. As per the reports, Apple could start adopting this new display technology sometime later this year.

Now, the tech giant has been granted a new patent for Micro-LED display (via Patently Apple) which the company is planning to use for future MacBook, iPads, and a Fitness Band. Earlier this year, Apple was granted a patent for Fitness Band but there’s no confirmation if the company is actually planning to enter that segment.

Apple Micro LED Fitness Band

It seems that the company will first adopt the Mini-LED display and will gradually move towards using Micro-LED display panels on its products. Currently, it is facing some issues and thus, its adoption in the near future seems unlikely.

Recently, it was reported that Apple could be using the MicroLED Display panel for the seventh-generation Apple Watch. Cupertino-based Apple is reportedly investing around $330 million in a Taiwan-based company for Micro LED factory that will manufacture displays for future iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and other devices.

EDITOR’S PICK: TSMC reportedly books its entire 5nm chip production capacity for Apple A14 Chipset

Manufacturers are trying to now adopt Micro LED screens instead of LCD or OLED panels as the new technology promises to be more energy-efficient and the panel is also thinner. It is said that the power consumption of the Micro LED screen is one-tenth compared to LCD.

Micro LED also supports a higher brightness, higher dynamic range, and wider color gamut. It also offers a faster update rate and a wider viewing angle. Given that the technology is still in the development phase, we could see devices with Mini LED display first, which falls between traditional LED and Micro LED technology.

 

TSMC reportedly books its entire 5nm chip production capacity for Apple

TSMC, the world’s largest chipset manufacturer, had started mass-production of 5nm chips for the past few months. Now, it is being reported that the company’s facility for the production of 5nm chips has been fully booked by Apple.

According to the latest report coming from China, the Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company will be making chips for the iPhone 12, iPad Air, 5G iPad Pro, and the upcoming MacBook.

TSMC

It seems like TSMC is giving preferential treatment to Apple given that almost one-fifth of the company’s total revenue comes from the Cupertino-based tech giant. The company reportedly started mass-production of 5nm chipset from March this year and will continue making chipsets for only for Apple this year.

As per the reports, Apple had ordered components for up to 80 million iPhone 12 units but the actual number manufactured this year may end up being 74 million at most. The remaining units would be deferred to next year.

EDITOR’S PICK: Singapore will reward citizens who own an Apple Watch and meet activity goals with up to $280

This move from TSMC could be the reason behind Samsung having started mass-production of Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 flagship chipset. If Qualcomm wants to stick to its usual schedule of launching new Snapdragon-series flagship SoC in December, then it has to start mass-production and Samsung is the only other manufacturer having technology for making chips on 5nm node.

Apart from SD875, Samsung is also reportedly working on the production of its own Exynos 992 SoC, which could power the company’s upcoming flagship smartphones. It is also reportedly designing custom chipset for Google.

Huawei is also expected to soon launch its Kirin 9000 SoC, which is based on a 5nm chipset. The company had reportedly ordered 15 million units to TSMC but only 8.8 million units are available and now with the new sanctions, the Chinese giant won’t be able to procure more units of this chipset.

 

Oppo launching new smartphones in South Africa soon, likely to be the A53 and A72

Oppo celebrates its 16 years anniversary today and at present, the company operates in more than 40 countries and regions. Looks like the company is showing no signs of slowing down as it is gearing up for the launch of new smartphones in South Africa. The list of devices likely to launch includes two A series of smartphones and Enco W11 earbuds.

Oppo A72

A report (via MyBroadband) redirects us to the official South African website of Oppo. While the exact list of devices that are launching is not officially known yet, the report says the two smartphones could be Oppo A53 and Oppo A72. If we recall, Oppo launched the A72 back in April and the budget A53 smartphone was recently unveiled in India.

Apart from this, the website has also listed Oppo’s budget Enco W11 Truly Wireless Earbuds suggesting an imminent launch. In fact, the earbuds launched at just $33 recently in India. However, it is not known if the Enco W11 will launch alongside the smartphones or at a later date, yet. The earbuds feature 8mm drivers with AAC format support, Bluetooth 5.0, touch controls, IP55-rating, and up to 20hrs battery life.

Editor’s Pick: Oppo Enco W11, W31, and M31 price cut permanently by ₹500($7) in India

Oppo A53 Specifications

Being a budget device, the Oppo A53 features a 6.5-inch HD+ 90Hz display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 SoC. Further, it has a rectangular layout with 13MP main, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensors on the back.

There is a 16MP selfie shooter up front. Paired up to 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, the device is backed up by a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.

Oppo A72 Specifications

Oppo A72 has slightly bumped up specs with a 6.5-inch FHD+ display with a resolution of 2400×1080 pixels. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC, paired with 4GB RAM and up to 128GB storage.

The rear rectangular setup has quad-cameras with a 48MP main lens, an 8MP ultra-wide, and two 2MP sensors while the selfie shooter is a 16MP sensor. Other features include 4G LTE, 3.5mm audio jack, WiFi, Bluetooth, 5,000mAh battery and runs Android 10 out of the box.

The pricing is not known yet, but it could be around the same $200-$250 as the other regions.

 

UP NEXT: Oppo Reno4 Pro 5G & Enco W51 launch dates announced for the Middle East and Europe

OnePlus Fridays initiative brings attractive offers for the Red Cable Club members

After launching the Red Cable Prive, OnePlus is back with the ‘OnePlus Fridays’ initiative. In addition to rewards, OnePlus says this initiative will exclusively allow users to purchase products like OnePlus Nord and Buds starting today (Friday).

OnePlus’s Red Cable Club exceeded two million members recently. Following this, the brand has been announcing a lot of exciting offers for the users. On the occasion of Red Cable Day, the company announces the new ‘OnePlus Fridays’ initiative.

Editor’s Pick: OnePlus is working on OnePlus Buds Z and 8K 960fps video recording

Starting today, the initiative will run every Friday and users can avail a host of offers on flagships like OnePlus 7T. Further, Red Cable users can exclusively purchase OnePlus Nord and OnePlus Buds including the Blue and Grey colors.

OnePlus Fridays offers

OnePlus says it will run a special sale for this which will also include bank offers. The offers for OnePlus Fridays Initiative are listed below:

  • Rs.8,000 instant cashback for ICICI Credit card and ICICI Credit/Debit cards for EMI transactions.
  • Complimentary OnePlus 8 André limited edition protective case on purchase of OnePlus 8 5G.
  • Complimentary protective case on purchase of OnePlus 7T Pro.
  • Special lucky draw wherein five lucky winners stand a chance to win the OnePlus Buds.

Additionally, there are exciting offers for the Red Cable Club day which includes:

  • 50% discount on the OnePlus 8 André limited edition protective case for the OnePlus 8 5G on Red Cable Privé.
  • 5% discount on all OnePlus accessories at the OnePlus Experience Stores.
  • Free service and up to 15% discount on spares at any OnePlus Exclusive Service Centre.

However, as mentioned above, the offers are exclusive to Red Cable Club members. Hence, you will have to signup/login to the OnePlus’ website to know more.

 

Up Next: OnePlus Nord N10 5G is the affordable OnePlus phone for the US

 

Alleged Apple AirPower Mini wireless charger appears in a leaked video

Apple officially announced the cancellation of the much-anticipated AirPower wireless charger early last year. 18 months after the cancellation, there are feelers that the company is yet to fully collapse all prospect of Apple-branded wireless charging solutions. The US company is reportedly working on a couple of updated wireless chargers and one of them has allegedly been spotted on video for the first time.Apple AirPower Mini

According to 9to5Mac, a short video was sent in purported to be the Apple Wireless charger. The charger is noticeably smaller than existing wireless charging solutions from rival companies.

There are speculations that the leaked product could be a development unit meant for third-party accessory makers or a prototype of the commercial version. If it is a prototype, then that means the AirPower Mini will have a small build. Rumours also have it that Apple was planning to equip the next-gen iPhone 12 lineup which should launch in October with an internal ring of magnets beneath the rear panel.

The rumours also revealed that the design will also be put into consideration on the iPhone 12 cases in order to perfectly align the flagship devices with the upcoming wireless charger.

While Apple is yet to reveal anything bout the wireless charger, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had hinted in the early part of this year that Apple was working on a “smaller wireless charging mat” tentatively dubbed AirPower Mini. We can’t say for sure if the product will be unveiled alongside the iPhone 12 series. However, we won’t wait for too long as the flagships are expected to go official in October.

 

ASUS ROG Magic 14-ACRNM Limited Edition with AMD Ryzen 9, 32GB RAM Official

ASUS’ Republic of Gamers (ROM) brand recently announced that it has cooperated with the world’s top fashion brand ACRONYM to launch the ROG Magic 14-ACRNM Limited Edition gamebook. The product has now gone on pre-sale across different channels with a hefty price tag of 19,999 yuan (~$2956).ASUS ROG Magic 14-ACRNM Limited Edition

ACRONYM was founded in 1994 by Errolson Hugh and Michaela Sachenbacher as an independent design agency, with a focus on the fusing of style and technology in functional apparel. The Munich-based brand is known for its highly-innovative and versatile designs that often utilize a monochromatic palette

The ROG Magic 14-ACRNM limited edition brings a different feeling to ROG gaming computers, giving the ROG Magic 14 a new design language and injecting trendy cultural symbols

The gaming PC is equipped with ROG’s first and exclusive cherry blossom pink light display matrix screen (AniMe Matrix™). The A-side is made by CNC milling process, adding 6536 precise perforations and 1215 mini LEDs to reproduce the classic 8 bit in players’ minds. Pixel wind provides gamers and creators with a brand new platform to display custom animations, text and even rhythm with music becoming synonymous with retro and individual technology products.

In addition, ROG Magic 14-ACRNM Limited Edition challenges the design limit, strengthens some unique visual features, innovates in custom materials, etching, mechanical processing, and specially developed spray paint and two completely original fonts, and Upgrade the light display matrix screen to unique cherry pink.

Of course, this kind of extreme pursuit is not only in the body of ROG Magic 14-ACRNM limited edition, but every link the user touches has been re-customized.

For example, the exclusively designed corrugated paper box, the air column bag packaging that can be reused as a computer bag, the special design of the adapter and manual. Even the USB flash drive that comes with it meets the premise of “multi-function” and can be hung on your body as an accessory.

In terms of hardware, ROG Magic 14-ACRNM Limited Edition is equipped with AMD’s latest Ryzen 9 4900HS processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q ray-tracing graphics card, which has the most powerful performance among 14-inch notebooks.

Currently, the ROG Magic 14-ACRNM limited edition is on pre-sale simultaneously on ROG official flagship store on Jingdong, Tmall flagship store and ASUS Mall.

 

Apple has sold over half a billion iPads since the first model released in 2010

The iPad is the most popular tablet right now. With new models in form of the iPad Air 2020 and 8th-gen iPad announced a few days ago, Apple should cement its lead and maybe even grow its share of the tablet market.

iPad sales
Apple has sold half a billion iPads since 2010

At the Apple event on Tuesday, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, revealed that they have sold 500 million iPads since the first model was released in 2010. Why is this news important? It is because Apple announced back in 2018 that it will no longer reveal the unit sales for its devices anymore. Prior to the announcement, Apple used to disclose the number of sales in its quarterly earnings report.

Apple’s current iPad lineup includes the 8th gen iPad which starts at $329, the iPad mini with a starting price of $399, the new iPad Air that starts at $599, and the top of the line iPad Pro with a starting price of $799.

Last year, Apple announced iPadOS, a mobile operating system designed for its tablets. Before the announcement, the iPad lineup ran iOS just like the iPhones. The new operating system takes advantage of the large screen of the iPads with new multitasking features, a desktop version of Safari, and also allows the tablet to double as a second display for Apple’s iMacs and MacBooks.

 

Realme Narzo 20 Rumor Roundup: All we know about the upcoming Series

Earlier this year Realme launched a new smartphone lineup in India targeted to young people: the Narzo series. A few months after, the Chinese giant is already going to announce the second generation of the lineup (as confirmed earlier this month): it will be called the Narzo 20 series. Just a few days are separating us from the official launch of the new phones, but we do not have to wait for the launch date in order to have a satisfying idea about the new smartphones. Thanks to several leaks surfaced in the last period, we are able to provide a rumor roundup with the most important specs and features of the Realme Narzo 20 series.

 

Realme Narzo 20 Series Rumor Roundup

Narzo 20 series

Design

Realme Narzo 20 Pro

The Realme Narzo 20 series will be composed of three phones: Narzo 20, Narzo 20 Pro, and Narzo 20A. Realme invited a number of its fans to get an early look at the upcoming lineup. Madhav Sheth, the CEO of the company posted photos of the lucky fans getting a hands-on experience of the phones: one of the photos published shows the Narzo 20 Pro. The photo shows the blue color variant with light streaks shaped like a “V” on the rear side.

Something similar to what we have seen with the Realme 6 Pro, but with a different shape. It looks like the back is made of glass, but we had no chance to verify it. On the upper left corner, there is a rectangular camera module containing a quad rear camera and a LED flash. At the bottom of the device, the Narzo 20 Pro has “Narzo designed by Realme” written on it. The photo also shows the rear side of another handset from the Narzo 20 series: the device comes with a traditional semaphore-shaped camera module including a triple camera; we suppose it is the Narzo 20A.

Near the cameras, you can also see a rear-mounted fingerprint reader, which is not present on the Narzo 20 Pro. According to a teaser image, the third and last variant of the Narzo 20 series (it should be the vanilla Narzo 20) will have a square-shaped camera module and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Realme Narzo 20 Pro is tipped to measure 162.3 x 75.4 x 9.4mm and it is expected to weigh 191 grams. Narzo 20 and 20A will come in the color variants Victory Blue and Glory Silver, while Narzo 20 Pro will have Black Ninja and White Knight color variants.

 

Display

According to the latest rumors, the Realme Narzo 20 will have a 6.5-inch display with an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels, an 88.7% screen to body ratio, and the Gorilla Glass protection. The Realme Narzo 20A is supposed to come with a 6.5-inch HD+ display sporting an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels, an 89.8% screen to body ratio, and Corning Gorilla Glass. Realme Narzo 20 Pro will naturally be the most interesting handset, with a 6.5-inch display supporting a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a refresh rate of 90 Hz. The smartphone promises a screen to body ratio of 90.5 percent.

 

Specs & Software

The Realme Narzo 20A is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 665 mobile platform paired with 3 or 4 GB of RAM and a 32 or 64 GB of internal storage depending on the variant, with the support for storage expansion via a micro SD card slot. There will be a 3/32 GB configuration and a 4/64 GB configuration. Realme Narzo 20 should come with the MediaTek Helio G85 SoC paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 or 128 GB of native storage. As per the Realme Narzo 20 Pro, it should have a MediaTek Helio G95 chipset paired with 6 or 8 GB of RAM and 64 or 128 GB of internal UFS 2.1 storage depending on the chosen configuration. All the phones will run Android 10 out of the box, customized by Realme UI.

 

Camera

The camera departments of the Realme Narzo 20 series will not go beyond the midrange segment. The Realme Narzo 20A is rumored to sport a triple camera setup including a 12 MP f/1.8 main camera with HDR and Chroma Boost, a 2 MP f/2.4 monochromatic lens, and a 2 MP f/2.4 retro lens. On the front panel, there should be an 8 MP snapper for selfies. The Realme Narzo 20 is supposed to have a triple camera as well, including a 48 MP main sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and 6P lens, an 8 MP ultrawide angle camera with a 119° field of view, and a 2 MP macro camera. The rear side of the Realme Narzo 20 Pro should feature a quad-camera system including the main camera with a 48 MP resolution and f/1.8 aperture, an 8 MP ultrawide camera with f/2.3 aperture, and a pair of 2 MP sensors for macro and monochromatic shots with f/2.4 focal apertures. The Realme Narzo 20 Pro will come with a single punch hole in the display housing a 16 MP front camera with f/2.1 aperture.

 

Battery

Narzo 20

The Realme Narzo 20 series will be composed of battery phones. The vanilla Narzo 20 is tipped to pack a huge 6000 mAh battery with the support of 18W fast charging. The Realme Narzo 20 Pro is backed by a 4500 mAh battery, and it carries support for 65W fast charging. There is still no info about the battery of the Narzo 20A, but we expect it to be at least 5000 mAh. So, you will get either a huge battery or one of the fastest charging technologies out there.

 

Realme Narzo 20 series: Launch, price, and availability

The Realme Narzo 20 series is expected to be a series of smartphones exclusive for the Indian market. Realme Narzo 20, 20A, and 20 Pro will be officially unveiled on September 21 at 12:30 pm IST in India, as officially confirmed by the company. There is no word on the pricing of the Realme Narzo 20 series yet. On the official event which will be held on September 21, we also expect new official info about the Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 which is actually in beta testing on the X50 Pro 5G.

 

The 2021 Cadillac XT4 has face unlock!

It is quite unusual for us to covers cars on this site. However, you should find this car, the 2021 Cadillac XT4, pretty interesting, as it has a feature that is usually found in smartphones than in automobiles.

Cadillac XT4 2021

Car manufacturers are always playing with new ways for users to unlock their cars but Cadillac takes things to another level with its 2021 XT4 SUV. Just like several phones including the iPhone X and Mate 30 Pro, the Cadillac SUV supports face unlock. Yes, you read that right.

Cadillac has built cameras into the frame of the driver’s door. There are three cameras in total – 2 infrared cameras and an RGB camera. The carmaker says the system identifies up to 106 different facial features and will unlock the vehicle in 2 seconds.

The Cadillac XT4 can store up to 8 different users, one of which is the administrator that can add and delete users. The face unlock system will also work in the dark which is no surprise since it has infrared cameras. Cadillac is assuring users it will work both indoors and outdoors too.

Don’t want to use face unlock? No problem. The XT4 also has a fingerprint scanner or you can decide to unlock the vehicle with a PIN.

The Face Unlock feature seems to be exclusive to the Chinese model of the vehicle as there is no mention of it on the American page.

 

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro will run HongmengOS in China

The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro was announced in Europe last week. The new smartwatch has a revamped design and boasts new features including support for wireless charging. Huawei is expected to launch the watch in its home country soon, however, it has been reported that it will differ from the international variant in a major way.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro

Huawei’s smartwatches run a custom operating system called LiteOS. This is the same operating system on the Watch GT 2 Pro. Zhang Wei, the president of Huawei’s smart wear and sports health product line has revealed that the Chinese version of the watch will not run LiteOS but Hongmeng OS, making it the first wearable to run the operating system.

The info was revealed at the just concluded Huawei Developer Conference 2020 by the company executive. Based on this info, the Chinese variant of the Watch GT 2 Pro should offer a different user experience but the specs should remain the same.

The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro has a 1.39-inch 454 x 454 AMOLED display with sapphire glass protection, a titanium body, and a ceramic case. It has 4GB of storage and a battery life that should last up to 2 weeks.

The watch has a 24-hour heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, and can detect oxygen saturation. There is automatic workout detection for up to six workout modes including rowing, indoor and outdoor running, and walking. The total number of workout modes is over 100 with up to 17 professional modes such as golf, skiing, and snowboarding modes.

The Huawei Watch GT 2 is priced at €329 for the Sport Edition while the Classic Edition is €349. We expect it to have cheaper price tags in its home country.

 

Xiaomi Youpin crowdfunds the Move It Smart Thin Waist Hula Hoop

A hula hoop used to be toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck for fun.  They have been used by children and adults since at least 500 BCE but that has changed in recent times. According to the results of a small 2015 study, those looking to lose inches around your waist and hips, hooping may be the right type of exercise for you — especially if you use a weighted hula hoop.Move It Smart Hula Hoop

Xiaomi has launched the Move It Smart Thin Waist Hula Hoop on the Youpin crowdfunding platform. The product carries an original price of 199 yuan (~$29) and a crowdfunding price of only 129 yuan (~$19).

The Move It Smart Thin Waist Hula Hoop uses a soft and highly elastic rubber foam outer layer. The inner structure is hard and not soft, and the natural orchid fragrance is added to make the circle more pleasant at the same time. It features a removable loop design with free splicing and adjustable diameter to suit the size of the user.Move It Smart Thin Waist Hula Hoop

According to reports, the Hula Hoop has a built-in six-axis smart sensor module. When used in conjunction with video teaching courses on the Move It app, it can sense movements in real-time and give feedback to the movement standard during the user’s jump operation, and can also calculate calories. The product supports functions such as smart counting, somatosensory recognition, and Bluetooth connection.Move It Smart Thin Waist Hula Hoop

What’s interesting is that when this smart hula hoop is connected to a mobile phone, it can be used as a sports game whereby the player score points when he follows the direction on the phone while using the hoop.

 

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max will be the first iPhone with 6GB RAM: AnTuTu

Just like the reports stated, instead of unveiling iPhone 12 series, Apple launched iPad 8th Generation, iPad Air 4th Generation, Apple Watch Series 6, and Apple Watch SE at the Time Flies event on September 15. Anyway, the iPhone 12 devices will certainly launch in the coming days, mostly next month but the availability of the 4 models in the series will be different.  Ahead of it, the higher-end iPhone 12 Pro Max passes through AnTuTu Benchmark revealing storage configuration and performance.

Apple Logo Featured

The AnTuTu Benchmark score of Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max was shared by AnTuTu itself on Weibo. The variant that was tested has 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. Since the amount of RAM remains the same on all the storage variants of any particular iPhone model, the only question is how many storage options will it be available in.

As per AnTuTu, 128GB could be the base variant for iPhone 12 Pro Max compared to 64GB on its predecessor. Above all, it will be the first iPhone with 6GB RAM as the model that came before it only has 4GB RAM.

 

Interestingly, although A14 Bionic powering it is the world’s first 5nm processor, there’s no major performance difference between A13 Bionic. Its overall score is 5,72,333 points, which is even less than Android smartphones equipped with 7nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 865/865+.

AnTuTu even shared an image comparing the test results of both iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The latter scored 5,24,436 points, which is only fewer by 47,897points. In other words, the upcoming iPhone will be merely ~9% more powerful than its forerunner despite a bump from 7nm to 5nm. That’s bizarre considering the performance claims by Apple.

Also, for some reason, the UX score of the iPhone 12 Pro Max running iOS 14.1 is lower than the iPhone 11 Pro Max. This suggests the device that was tested could be a prototype and not a production unit.

Anyway, benchmark scores don’t matter in everyday usage as good as the device performs well. The biggest takeaway from this is the presence of 6GB RAM as iPhones have always had a small amount of RAM (compared to Android smartphones) since the beginning. The extra 2GB could really come handy in multitasking.