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Canon Powershot Zoom is a mini telescopic camera with a 12.1 MP lens

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

With the recent advancements in smartphone camera technology, the popularity of digital cameras have continued to decline. However, the sales of portable sports cameras and special cameras have soared in recent years. Just recently in Japan Canon unveiled a telescopice camera dubbed the Powershot Zoom. The camera went on sale immediately after the launch through crowdfunding. The camera must have been an impressive one as the crowdfunding target was accomplished within 13 hours after it was launched.Canon Powershot Zoom

The Canon Powershot Zoom mini telescope camera is a little lighter than a cell phone weighing 145g and can be held in one hand due to its small size. It looks similar to the traditional monocular telescope. The eyepiece is an electronic viewfinder. On top and at the bottom of the camera are physical buttons to adjust the focus and start shooting. In Canon’s official promotional video, a scene of a football match is depicted. People in the audience can easily see the movements of the legs of distant players through Powershot Zoom.

It also supports real-time focus adjustment and taking of pictures while recording a video. It supports two optical focal lengths equivalent to 100mm and 400mm, and a digital focal length equivalent to 800mm. From the promotional video, it seems that Smooth zoom is not supported.

The camera has a built-in 12.1 megapixel 1/3 inch sensor. This sensor is very small compared to the current mobile phone lens. The lens size should be related to the size and cost of the body. In terms of shooting specifications, Powershot Zoom supports continuous shooting at 10 frames per second and video recording up to 1080p/30fps, as well as facial recognition.

The camera also comes with a waterproof, dustproof and drop-proof build making it suitable for use during outdoor sports.

At present, the price of this camera on the crowdfunding platform is 31460 yen (about 2030 yuan, ~$300). It is currently only available in the Japanese market.

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

 

Realme Narzo 20 Pro poses for the camera; shows off rear design

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

We are still a few days away from the launch of the Realme Narzo 20 series and there is little we do not know about the phones. The spec sheet for all three phones has already become public knowledge and now the Narzo 20 Pro has appeared in a photo ahead of the launch.

Realme invited a number of its fans to get an early look at the upcoming phones. Madhav Sheth, the CEO of the company posted photos of the lucky fans getting a hands-on experience of the phones and one of them shows the Realme Narzo 20 Pro.

The Narzo 20 Pro is shown in blue in the image. The back has light streaks shaped like a “V”. The back looks like it is made of glass but it might actually not be.

There are four cameras on the phone arranged vertically in a housing that is positioned on the left side of the phone. Unlike the Narzo 10 series that has Realme written at the bottom of the device, the Narzo 20 Pro has “Narzo designed by Realme” written on it.

Realme Narzo 20 Pro
The Realme Narzo 20 Pro in blue

The Narzo 20 Pro will have a 6.5-inch FHD+ display with a punch hole at the top left corner of the screen and a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone will be powered by the Helio G95 processor with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage.

There is a 16MP camera in front for selfies while the quad-camera setup on the back consists of a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide angle camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP B&W portrait camera. There is also a 4500mAh battery under the hood with support for 65W fast charging.

UP NEXT: Realme executive teases a new flagship smartphone series powered by Snapdragon 875

 

Samsung plans to expand the assembly of its own camera modules by 2021

By
Balaji S
-

Samsung is reportedly planning to expand its assembly of smartphone camera modules. If reports are true, the move will reduce the overall unit price but may escalate the tension among suppliers.

Samsung camera module

The latest report (source: TheElec) says that the company will expand the assembly of camera modules considerably next year by taking over most of the assembly process. As of 2020, the suppliers have apparently been assembling the triple/quad-camera modules entirely for Samsung.

Mixed reactions from suppliers

However, Samsung’s new move will help save the assembling cost shelled out to the supplier and improve sales from 2021 and beyond. That said, this plan seems to have triggered varied reactions among suppliers in South Korea. For instance, companies like Namuga and CoAsia, seem to focus more on front cameras and not multi-modules at the back. Hence, they see this as a great window of opportunity as it may result in increased camera orders from Samsung.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung S21 (S30) flagship to skip under-display camera technology

However, for Mcnex, this could be a big blow as it is at the risk of reduced profit. This is because the report says Mcnex has been assembling rear multi-camera modules for Samsung. Now that Samsung is planning to assemble them on its own, Mcnex could lose out on assembly orders and in-turn lose profit.

Further report adds that Samsung has been getting orders extensively from the above companies for its smartphones. The list only extends to Partron, Cammsys, Powerlogics for the upcoming Galaxy S20 FE.

What could be the motive behind this?

This move is however believed to be a strategy for increasing its overall sales. Companies like Mcnex and Powerlogics recorded 1 Trillion won in 2019 whereas Samsung’s own IT & Mobile division dropped to 9.3 Trillion won in 2019 compared to 10.2 Trillion won in 2018.

Samsung continues to diversify the camera module suppliers and look for alternative options to keep the price competitive. This corroborates with its own Electro-Mechanics division’s plans to enter the mid-range camera market a while ago.

That said, experts feel that Samsung may also run into issues like assembly defects, third-parties sending sub-par goods. Nevertheless, we will have to wait and see how this pans out in the future.

Up Next: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Price discounted by 9,000 INR ($122) for a week in India

Microsoft will only launch a revamped Surface Pro X and the budget Surface Laptop this year

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Microsoft is expected to announce new products next month but a recent report says we will only be getting two new products, one of which is just last year’s own with a new processor.

According to Windows Central, the Redmond-based tech giant will relaunch the Surface Pro X with a new Microsoft SQ2 processor. The new chipset is a more powerful and efficient processor than the Microsoft  SQ1 inside last year’s model. The new 2-in-1 may also have support for 5G, though we will advise you not to get your hopes high.

Surface Pro X
The Surface Pro X will get a refresh with a new processor

It has also been reported that the new Surface Pro X will come in Platinum, a colorway that is available for the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 3.

Alongside the Surface Pro X, Microsoft will also announce the budget Surface Laptop we reported a little over a week ago. The 12.5-inch laptop is codenamed “Sparti” and is expected to sell for under $600.

Sady, Microsoft will not be announcing the Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop 4, and Surface Studio 3 according to Zac Bowden of Windows Central. The three devices are said to have been pushed to 2021.

UP NEXT: Microsoft Surface Solo concept render showcases the smartphone design

 

Singapore will reward citizens who own an Apple Watch and meet activity goals with up to $280

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

The Singaporean Government and Apple Inc. have entered into a partnership that will see the former reward healthy citizens.

LumiHealth App

The partnership with the Singapore Health Promotion Board has resulted in the creation of a fitness app called LumiHealth. The app which was created with input from physicians and public health experts is part of a program called Smart Nation which was designed to use technology to benefit citizens and businesses.

The LumiHealth app works in conjunction with the Apple Watch, so if you don’t own an Apple Watch and iPhone, you miss out. There are tasks and weekly activity goals for exercises such as walking, swimming, and yoga that users can meet to earn rewards when completed. The rewards sum up to about S$380 (~US$280) over a two-year period. The app will also remind users to take health checks and also go for immunizations.

LumiHealth App

The press statement released by Apple says that the app was built with privacy at its core. While data from the watch will be shared with the LumiHealth app, Apple says the data will not be sold or used for marketing purposes. User data will be encrypted and they will be stored in a highly secure system that complies with Singapore’s data privacy and security laws.

The LumiHealth is said to be available for pre-order on the App Store already and the program will begin in late October.

UP NEXT: Apple Watch Series 6 launched alongside the cheaper $279 Watch SE

 

LG Q31 packing a 5.7-inch FullVision HD+ display, Helio P22 launched in Korea

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

South Korean tech giant LG has today unveiled a new smartphone in its home market. The model dubbed LG Q31 is similar to the K31 that was launched in the US recently in terms of the design and specs.

The Q31 is a budget smartphone which packs a 5.7-inch FullVision HD+ display. The screen has a waterdrop notch for the selfie shooter and a Panda King Glass screen protection. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio P22 octa-core processor backed by 2GB of RAM and there is 32GB of storage onboard.LG Q31

For photography, you get a dual-camera setup at the rear made up of a 13MP f/1.8 PDAF main camera that is paired with a 5MP ultrawide angle camera that has a 120° field of view. For selfies, the waterdrop notch holds a 5MP camera with features such as Gesture Shot, Auto Shot, and Gesture Interval Shot.

The Q31 packs a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor just underneath the ear cameras. There is also a 3000mAh non-removable battery under the hood. It comes with a 3.5mm audio jack and a micro-USB port at the bottom.LG Q31

other features onboard the smartphone includes a dedicated Google Assistant key, MicroSD card slot for expanding the storage by up to 2TB. The phone is also MIL-STD 810G certified and has an M3/TR hearing aid rating. It equally runs Android 10 out of the box with an overlay of LG UX 9.1.

The LG Q31 is priced at 2,09,000 won (~$178) and will go on sale in South Korea starting from September 25th. It comes in metallic silver colour only. We must point out that the phone is sold for a lower $149.99 price in the US.

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

 

OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G & Enco W51 launch dates announced for Middle East and Europe

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
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OPPO debuted the Reno4 series back in June in China. International variants of Reno4 and Reno4 Pro that launched in late July are totally different from the original models. Thankfully, the company has now officially announced to launch the OG Reno4 Pro 5G alongside Enco W51 in the Middle East and select European countries in the coming days.

OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G Launch Middle East Europe

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO will unveil the original Reno4 Pro first in UAE on September 22, followed by a separate launch for Europe on October 1. The handset will be accompanied by Enco W51, an affordable pair of truly wireless earphones with ANC (Automatic Noise Cancellation).

In case, you have forgotten, the OPPO Reno4 Pro was unveiled as a camera-centric 5G smartphone emphasizing on design. The device comes with a 48MP IMX586 primary sensor paired with a 12MP Sony IMX708 sensor with a 120° ultra-wide lens, and a 13MP sensor with a 5x optical zoom lens. 

Whereas, on the front, it flaunts a 32MP selfie camera nested in a punch-hole located a the top left side of its curved AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate.

Another highlight of this phone is support for 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging for its respectable 4,000mAh battery. Last not least, though it packs some flagship-level features, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage.

UP NEXT: OPPO Reno4 Pro Artist Limited Edition launches in China for 4,299 yuan ($619)

 

Ulefone Armor 8 5G will be the First Rugged 5G Smartphone, Launches in November

By
Balaji S
-

Ulefone has stated that the 5G version of the Armor 8 will launch in late November. The company claims that it will be the first rugged smartphone to have 5G connectivity. It has also shared a video showing real-time internet speeds compared with the likes of the iPhone 11.

Ulefone Armor 8 5G

 

Ulefone shared the availability and 5G prowess of the Armor 8 in a video. The video opens up to the two phones held side-by-side connected to the same network. A  simultaneous speed test on both the iPhone 11 and Armor 8 5G shows that the latter is able to pull download and upload speeds of around 450 and 114 Mbps respectively. However, the iPhone struggles to keep up and clocks a download speed of just 40Mbps.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TvDVKqWMEA[/embedyt]

The video continues to show that the device has better speeds in loading up online videos, app and video downloads, and render better fps in online gaming compared to the iPhone. The Armor 8 5G also seems to have low network latency of around 69ms compared to the 109ms on the iPhone when both the devices pull 30fps in Arena of Valor.

Editor’s Pick: Ulefone Armor 9E with quad-rear camera and Helio P90 SoC available for $329

Ulefone Armor 8 5G: Specifications

Back in August, Ulefone announced a 5G version of the Armor 8. Design-wise, the 5G version is similar to the Armor 8 4G with rigid construction, and promises to be a dust, drop, and water-resistant device. It has a 6.1-inch display with a water-drop styled notch. Powered by the Mediatek’s Dimensity 800 CPU, the device will come in 8GB RAM and 256GB storage option.

There is a 64MP triple-rear camera setup along with an LED flashlight. The Ulefone Armor 8 5G will be backed by a 5,080mAh battery and run Android 10 out of the box. There is no word on the pricing yet, but we can expect the company to slot it aggressively considering it packs a mid-range 5G CPU inside.

Up Next: Ulefone Note 8 and Armor 9e goes official for the price of $69.99 and $469.99 respectively

Garmin Forerunner 745 with GPS, NFC & several high-end features launched

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Garmin Forerunner series is branded as GPS running watches. That is because most models use the Global Positioning System (GPS) which offers a number of functions The brand has launched the Forerunner 745 smartwatch which is a mid-range offering compared to the Forerunner 945. The smartwatch delivers all the necessary tracking features and also features that help during your workout session.Garmin Forerunner 745

Apart from the fitness tracking sensors and other advanced features found onboard the more premium Garmin sports watches, the Forerunner 745 also brings along several basic smartwatch features like notification management, local music storage and playback. There is also NFC payment support onboard powered by Garmin Pay.Garmin Forerunner 745Garmin Forerunner 745

In terms of the build, the Forerunner 745 happens to be Garmin’s smallest and lightest full-featured running and triathlon smartwatch. It packs a 1.2-inch transflective MIP (Memory in Pixel) always-on display with a 240 x 240-pixel resolution. The watch has a dimension of 43.8 x 43.8 x 13.3 mm and weighs 47 grams.Garmin Forerunner 745

Furthermore, it comes pre-loaded with activity profiles for swimming, biking and running. The activity tracker can also track over 100 other activities. There are even advanced stats like swim pace and stroke as well as cycling balance and platform centre offset. In addition, the watch comes with a blood oxygen sensor for VO2 max data and a pulse oximeter for sleep tracking. The 5ATM waterproof build ensures it can be used under wet conditions. The Garmin Forerunner 745 only supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity as there is no cellular support.

The watch boasts of a decent battery which can last up to one week if used moderately. Even GPS usage will go up to 16 hours use while the use of GPS and music playback brings down the battery life to 6 hours between charges.

Garmin Forerunner 745 Pricing & Availability

In terms of the pricing, the Garmin Forerunner 745 is priced at $500 in the US (€490/£450 in the UK and Europe). The watch comes in black, white, red and green colours.

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

 

TOSHIBA launches L50, U50 & U79 series of smart TVs in India starting at ₹12,990 ($174)

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Last month, Hisense debuted its smart TVs in India. In the press release, the Indian COO of the group revealed that they will launch Toshiba television next month. As promised, the company has now released 7 Toshiba smart TV models in the country starting from ₹12,990 ($176) to ₹66,990 ($990). All of them will be on sale starting September 18 and as part of the inaugural offer, the company is offering 4 years of panel warranty on its 4K lineup. They can be purchased from Amazon India, Flipkart, Reliance Digital, and Tata Cliq.

TOSHIBA L5050 U5050 U7980 Featured

The Toshiba TV models are similar to Hisense televisions in terms of specifications. The only major difference between the offerings from the two brands is that the former runs VIDAA OS instead of Android TV. Further, instead of Google Assistant, the 4K models come with Alexa and the cheaper HD and FHD models lack voice assistant. But all of them do come with leading streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, and others.

The 7 Toshiba smart TVs launched by the Hisense Group in India are categorised into three series namely L50, U50 and U79 respectively.

TOSHIBA L50 Series

The brand has launched two variants under this series. The first model 32L5050 sports a 32-inch HD display, whereas the second model 43L5050 features a 43-inch FHD screen. Both of them uses ADS panel.

TOSHIBA L5050
TOSHIBA L5050

They are powered by CEVO Engine Premium, a proprietary graphic processor with enhancements like AMR+ Technology (Active Motion Resolution), Contrast Booster, Dynamic Mode, and Bright On.

Further, both the models come with DBX-TV sound technology and Dolby Audio, however, the 43-inch variant comes with 24W speakers compared to 20W speaker on the 32-inch version.

Other features include 2 x HDMI, 2 x USB, screen mirroring, and metal stand. Last but not least, they come with a standard one-year warranty (including panel) and are priced at ₹12,990 ($176) and ₹24,990 ($339) respectively.

TOSHIBA U50 Series

This series consists of three models namely 43U5050 (43-inch), 50U5050 (50-inch), and 55U5050 (55-inch) priced at ₹27,990 ($380), ₹32,990 ($448), and ₹36,990 ($502) respectively.  They come with a standard one-year warranty with an additional 4-year panel warranty if bought during the first four days of sale.

TOSHIBA U5050
TOSHIBA U5050

All the size variants in this series sport 4K panel but their type is unknown. Features of these TVs include CEVO 4K HDR Engine graphic processor, 4K Resolution+ for upscaling 1080p content into UHD, High Dynamic Range (HDR10, HLG & Dolby Vision), Ultra Dimming Technology, AMR+ Technology, Super Contrast Booster, Color Re-master, Dolby Atmos, and Alexa Built-in.

Apart from the above-mentioned features, they also come with bezel-less design, metal finish, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth, 3 x HDMI, 2 x USB, 30W speakers on the 50-inch/55-inch versions, and 24W speakers on the 43-inch model.

TOSHIBA U79 Series

This series is the premium of all the three and consists of two models  – 55U7980 (55-inch) and 65U7980 (65-inch) priced at ₹46,990 ($638) and ₹66,990 ($910) respectively. Customers buying them during the inaugural sale will be eligible for an additional 4-year panel warranty.

TOSHIBA U7980

Talking about features, these TV models incorporate all the features of the previous series, in addition to certain unique features like Full Array Local Dimming Technology, 700 nits brightness, wide color gamut, MEMC technology, and Color Re-master PRO.

Interestingly, they come with 24W speakers but feature 4 x HDMI and 2 x USB.

TOSHIBA U80 Series

Toshiba has also announced to launch U80 series of televisions with QLED panel later this year in India. Pricing and specifications of these models will be disclosed ahead of their sale.

UP NEXT: Toshiba officially steps away from the laptop business

 

WhatsApp Web might soon receive a fingerprint security feature

By
Sean
-

WhatsApp, the popular social media app, also offers browser support for its messaging service that allows one to use it on desktops. Now, the company might be looking to make it more secure by adding another layer of security via biometric scanning support.

WhatsApp Logo

According to a WABetaInfo report, WhatsApp has dedicated a team to work on making the entire browser service more secure. The Facebook owned messaging platform is apparently going to receive a security update that will bring fingerprint authentication for WhatsApp Web. As per the report, one would have to open WhatsApp on their smartphones and scan their fingerprint to initiate the web session of their PC.

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The report also featured a screenshot of the security feature in action. At the moment, WhatsApp Web only requires users to scan a QR code on their desktop/laptop screen to initiate the connection, with the smartphone being required to have a stable internet connection as well. This is rather straightforward and essentially lacks any direct form of security.

WhatsApp

Unfortunately, finer details regarding this security update is currently unknown. It is also unclear whether WhatsApp will be doing away with the QR code entirely in exchange for this feature’s addition. However, any addition or focus toward privacy is always a plus point for the consumer. So stay tuned for more updates, which should arrive soon.

UP NEXT: Realme 7i with 90Hz display, SD662, 64MP quad cameras, 5000mAh battery debuts for ~$214

 

Apple supply chain is joined by Chinese firms for new iPads and Watch

By
Sean
-

China based firms have joined the supply chain of Apple for the production of new iPads and Apple Watches, according to industry sources that are close to the matter.

Apple Watch Series 6 Aluminum
Apple Watch Series 6 Aluminum

As per a DigiTimes report, Luxshare Precision Industry is the secondary supplier of the new Apple Watch Series 6 while BYD is one of the suppliers for its new Wi-Fi iPad series. At the moment, Foxconn Technology Group and Compal Electronics are the primary suppliers for both the new Apple Watch and iPad generations.

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However, due to the Chinese manufacturer’s production quality, pricing, and cooperation, the Cupertino based giant is likely to shift more orders towards Luxshare and BYD. Furthermore, Compal is also expecting its non-PC products shipments to grow in the second half of this year, which is likely to be achieved through tablet shipments that have grown significantly due to the coronavirus pandemic that has shifted productivity to homes for both education and work.

Apple
iPad 8th generation (left) and iPad Air 4th generation (right)

The move from Apple arrives amidst the growing frictions between the US and China. The company is also seeking to grow the number of Chinese suppliers to satisfy the local demand in China while relying on Taiwanese manufacturers for various markets outside of China. Similarly, it also has its assembly partners to make its products in other regions like India and Vietnam.

UP NEXT: Realme 7i with 90Hz display, SD662, 64MP quad cameras, 5000mAh battery debuts for ~$214

 

Alleged Huawei Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition with full specifications appears at TENAA

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Rumors have it that Huawei is working on a new version of the Huawei Nova 7 SE smartphone that debuted in April in China. The Nova 7 SE was fueled by the Kirin 820, but its new edition is rumored to be equipped with the new Dimensity 800U chipset that went official last month. It is speculated that the Dimensity 800U powered smartphone may break cover as the Huawei Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition. The handset (model number CND-AN00) that is believed to be the Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition has emerged in the database of the TENAA telecom authority of China with its entire specifications.

Huawei Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition (Rumored)

The Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen that delivers 1080 x 2400 pixels Full HD+ resolution. It is driven by an octa-core processor that clocks at 2.4GHz, which could be the Dimensity 800U. The phone features 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in storage. The device lacks support for a microSD card slot.

Huawei Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition TENAA

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The Android 10 OS is preinstalled on the Huawei CND-AN00 smartphone. It has a 3,900mAh rated battery and its 3C certification has revealed that its retail package may include a 40W fast charger. It has a selfie camera of 16-megapixel and a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel quad-camera system.

The Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition features a side-facing fingerprint sensor. Its dimensions are 162.31 x 75 x 8.58mm and it weighs 189 grams. The device may debut in color options like green, purple, silver, and black in China.

The Huawei Nova 7 SE Vitality Edition moniker is not yet confirmed by Huawei. Hence, it is advisable to digest the moniker leak with a grain of salt.

UP NEXT: Huawei Mate 40 series with 5n Kirin 9000 5G SoC likely to debut in mid-October; UK launch confirmed

 

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 price discounted by 9,000 INR ($122) for a week in India

By
Sean
-

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 has just received a price cut in India. The latest flagship handset from the South Korean tech giant has had its price temporarily slashed by 9,000 INR (roughly 122 US Dollars) for just a week.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20

This means that the actual selling price of the device is now 68,999 INR (roughly 937 US Dollars) instead of 77,999 INR (roughly 1,060 US Dollars). A Gadgets360 report also noted that Samsung is also offering an additional 6,000 INR (roughly 82 US Dollars) cashback for those that have an HDFC bank card as well. The offer is currently live and one can avail of this deal for the company’s current gen flagship.

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The new temporary price is available on the company’s official Samsung.com website, physical stores, major e-commerce websites, and other retail stores as well. Customers will receive an instant 9,000 INR discount during checkout, while Amazon India offers a live coupon option for users to check, to avail the discount.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20

Keep in mind, this deal is only temporary and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20’s price will return to its original price from 23rd September 2020. The device is currently available in Mystic Bronze, Mystic Green, and Mystic Blue color variants and offers top notch specs worthy of being a 2020 premium grade flagship from the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Vice Chairman promises to not sell additional stocks after selling $1 billion shares

 

[UPDATE: Buyer Confirmed] Samsung Corning is selling its South Korean factory to a Chinese firm

By
Sean
-

Samsung Display‘s subsidiary firm, Samsung Corning Advanced Glass, is selling its factory in Gumi, South Korea to a Chinese company. The news arrives after the company held a board meeting last week regarding the matter, which was confirmed by a report from TheElec.

Samsung

At the moment, Samsung Corning has two factories in its home country, with one in Gumi and another factory at Asan. The Gumi facility has been producing target materials that are utilized to make thin films to coat displays and solar panels. The site also worked to manufacture coat liquid crystal displays, organic light emitting diode (OLED), and even touch screen panels in the display department.

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Samsung Corning Advanced Glass had first acquired the business from Samsung Corning Precision Materials back in 2014. However, a person close to the matter claimed that the South Korean tech giant plans on now focus solely on OLED displays. Since the Asan facility is already producing the glass for OLEDs, the company has decided to sell its Gumi factory.

The company is now clearly focusing on its OLED panel business. Previously, Samsung has previously sold off its LCD panel making plants. This is indicative of the company’s shift towards OLED panels and other relating technologies as well. MiniLEDs is one such area the company is working on.

Samsung

Update: The Chinese metal company Vital Materials has been confirmed to be the buyer of the Samsung Corning Advanced Glass factory in Gumi, South Korea. A recent report from TheElec confirmed the news, with Vital announcing that it has bought the ceramic target business of Samsung on its homepage. Vital also stated that the newly acquired business will provide highly “complementary geographic, product, and market mix.”

Olivier Bracher, Vital Thin Film Materials VP said that “The synergies created by the acquisition will form a stronger and more reliable partner for new and existing customers around the globe.” For those unaware, Vital is based in Guangzhou, China, and has its operations revolving around material technology with an emphasis on R&D, production, distribution, and recycling of rare strategic metals.

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Trump might not sign off on the Oracle TikTok deal

By
Sean
-

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump told reporters that he wasn’t ready to approve a proposal from ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok. This is in regard to recent news of Oracle becoming a technology provider for ByteDance’s popular short video sharing app.

Trump

For those unaware, Oracle was apparently interested in the acquisition of TikTok in the US, with ByteDance even submitting a proposal with the Treasury Department and is waiting for a response. However, Trump stated that the deal must be “100 percent as far as national security is concerned,” and that he would see the deal first before deciding on signing off on it, as per a CNBC report.

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Since the looming threat of the complete ban in the US, ByteDance has been looking for various companies to strike a deal for the popular social media platform. Although, the recent statement from the US President makes the situation a bit more difficult for the TikTok owners since political differences between Washington and Beijing might affect the outcome of the deal being signed off.

Trump

Trump had also said that the government had looked into accepting payment as a part of the transaction but he further added that “Amazingly I find that you’re not allowed to do that. I said, ‘What kind of a thing is this?’ If they’re willing to make big payments to the government, they’re not allowed because there’s no way of doing that from a — there’s no legal path to do that.” The US President is also against ByteDance holding a majority stake in TikTok during the acquisition. Thus, it remains the be seen how the situation plays out, so stay tuned.

UP NEXT: Huawei Mate 40 series with 5nm Kirin 9000 5G SoC likely to debut in mid-October; UK launch confirmed

 

Samsung Galaxy A52 leak reveals 64MP quad-camera setup

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

The Galaxy A51 has been the best-selling Samsung smartphone globally in 2020 since it launched earlier this year. It even got a 5G variant a few months back for certain regions. Since the device is now almost a year old, information has started pouring in regarding its successor, Galaxy A52.

This Galaxy A52 leak comes from GalaxyClub. The publication reveals this handset to retain quad-camera setup from its predecessor with an upgraded 64MP primary sensor. The other three sensors are expected to be same (ultra-wide, macro, depth) as the former model but their megapixel counts are unknown at the moment.

This is not the first time we are hearing about the Galaxy A52. That’s because the brandings of this phone along with other Galaxy Ax2 series devices were trademarked by Samsung at the beginning of 2020. However, this is the first time its features have been exposed.

That said, Galaxy A51 was officially announced by Samsung in December 2019 but it was made available for purchase only in January 2020. We can expect the South Korean giant to continue the same with the upcoming Galaxy A51.

Since the launch of this handset is still months away, we can look forward to more leaks regarding this device in the coming days like any other new phone debuting in the market.

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Xiaomi Vice Chairman promises to not sell additional stocks after selling $1 billion shares

By
Sean
-

Lin Bin, Xiaomi Vice Chairman and Executive Director, has pledged that he will not sell any additional shares of the company over the next five years. This move arrives after 1 billion US Dollars worth of shares were sold and is an effort to maintain the market confidence in the Chinese tech giant.

Xiaomi

According to a CaixinGlobal report, the company recently sold shares to cash in on the surging stock price of its share’s value. It reported sales of HK$7.89 billion (roughly 1.02 billion US Dollars) through 350 million Class B shares of the company. The senior official sold shares at HK$22.55 each or about 3 US Dollars, which was a 4.23 percent discount on the company’s Monday closing price.

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At the moment, Lin Bin holds about 2.4 billion shares or 9.64 percent of Xiaomi’s capital stock, which also makes him the second largest individual shareholder. In recent times, the company’s share prices have soared by almost 30 percent after it reported on an impressive growth in net profits year on year in its latest financial report.

Xiaomi

Back in August 2019, the senior executive had sold over 41 million Xiaomi shares for three days straight. This brought in HK$373 million, which had shaken the market confidence and saw the downfall of the company’s share value. So to avoid the same trend from recurring, Lin Bin promised not to sell any Xiaomi shares for a year.

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Sony Xperia 5 II unveiled, features Snapdragon 865 and 120Hz OLED display

By
Sean
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The Sony Xperia 5 II has just been launched by the company. It is a new compact flagship from Sony and features top notch specs like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC and a high refresh rate OLED panel.

Xperia 5 II

For those unaware, the new high end device is the spiritual successor to Sony’s Compact series. The Xperia 5 arrives as the compact version of the Xperia 1 2019 flagship, while the Xperia 5 II is the compact version of the Xperia 1 II, which was launched earlier this year. With smartphone sizes having become rather unwieldy and heavy for single handed use, the small form factor device will be a comfortable pick for many.

Sony

Xperia 5 II Specifications

Under the hood, the latest flagship from Sony features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G chipset. At the moment, the RAM and storage configuration is currently unknown. Although, we do know that the device is powered by a 4,000mAh battery pack. On the front, the smartphone sports a 6.1 inch FHD+ OLED display panel, which supports a 120Hz high refresh rate. This display has an aspect ratio of 21:9 and offers HDR support with Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

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Unfortunately, the Sony press release has left out a bunch of details regarding the newly unveiled device. Although, it is confirmed that the Xperia 5 II features a triple camera setup, comprising of a 12MP f/1.7 primary sensor, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra wide angle camera, and another 12MP f/2.4 telephoto lens. However, the specs of the selfie shooter are currently unknown. But, Sony has highlighted that the device will be capable of shooting 4K HDR videos at 120fps, which can also be played back at 5x slow motion at 24fps.

Sony

Pricing and Availability

The Sony Xperia 5 II will be available in an unlocked Black color variant in the US, with variants compatible for Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Cricket. Pre orders for the device will start from 29th September 2020 with a price tag of 950 US Dollars, with shipping starting from 4th December 2020. For those that order before 29th November 2020, they will receive a gaming bundle comprising of a gaming headset, a 10,000mAh power bank, and 21,600 Call of Duty Mobile points.

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Realme 7i with 90Hz display, SD662, 64MP quad cameras, 5000mAh battery debuts for ~$214

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

The Realme 7 and Realme 7 Pro smartphones were announced in India at the beginning of this month. Soon after its launch, Realme Indonesia started teasing the arrival of the all-new Realme 7i. Today, the Chinese firm held a launch event in Indonesia to announce Realme 7i and Realme 7 smartphones.

Realme 7i specifications and features

The Realme 7i measures 164.1 x 75.5 x 8.5-8.9mm and it weighs 188 grams. It has an IPS LCD punch-hole display that measures 6.5 inches. The screen supports 720 x 1600 pixels HD+ resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The phone promises a screen-to-body ratio of 90 percent. The display is shielded by Gorilla Glass panel and its rear is made from glossy polycarbonate material.

The Realme 7i has a Sony IMX471 16-megapixel front-facing snapper with f/2/1 aperture. It offers features like portrait mode, beauty mode, HDR, bokeh effect, UIS video stabilization, and 30fps 1080p video recording. The Realme 7 has a quad-camera system on its back. It has a 64-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture with PDAF, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor with 119-degree field-of-view and f/2.2 aperture, a 2-megapixel B&W lens with f/2.4 aperture, and a 2-megapixel macro lens with 4cm focal length with f/2.4 aperture. The rear cameras support super nightscape mode, portrait mode, HDR, AI scene recognition, AI scene beauty, cinema mode, UIS / UIS Max video stabilization, and 30fps 1080p video shooting.

Realme 7 (right) and Realme 7i (left)

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The 11nm Snapdragon 662 mobile platform powers the Realme 7i with 8 GB of LPPDR4x RAM and 128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. For additional storage, it has a microSD card slot. The Android 10 OS with Realme UI 1.0 skin comes preloaded on the Realme 7i. The 5,000mAh battery of the Realme 7i supports 18W fast charging. The other features available on the Realme 7i are dual SIM slot, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB-C, a 3.5mm headphone slot, and a rear-facing fingerprint sensor.

Realme 7 specifications and features

The Realme 7 has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD full HD+ punch-hole screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. It is driven by the Helio G95 chipset, 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM, 128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. It also houses a 5,000mAh battery with 30W Dart Charge support.

The Realme 7 has a front-facing camera of 16-megapixel. The backside of the phone has a Sony IMX682 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel (119-degree ultrawide) + 2-megapixel (depth) + 2-megapixel (macro) quad-camera system. It has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and carries support NFC among other connectivity features. The handset measures 162.3 x 75.4 x 9.4mm and it weighs 196.5 grams.

Realme 7i and Realme 7 pricing and availability

The Realme 7i and Realme 7 are priced at IDR 3,199,000 (~$214) and IDR 3,999,000 (~$268), respectively. The Realme 7 can be bought in color editions such as Misty Blue and Misty White in Indonesia. The Realme 7i is coming to the country in colors like Polar Blue and Aurora Green.

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