Nokia 7.3 rumored to launch on September 22; Nokia 9.3 will arrive later

-

Sep 14, 2020

OnePlus has just announced the Red Cable Privé. It is an all new dedicated members only platform to reward the OnePlus Community. The Red Cable Privé provides its members with valuable opportunity to earn a series of rewards and exclusive benefits and is being launched to celebrate the brand reaching two million Red Cable Club members in India.

For those unaware, the Red Cable Club functions similarly and offers members rewards via their various brand partners. This includes offers from companies like Nike, Victorinox, Starbucks, Cure.fit, Zomato, Gaana, Uber, and Apollo Pharmacy. Thus, the Red Cable Privé stands as an extension to these benefits and more. As a part of the Red Cable Privé, members can get access to:

Privé Life: This provides members access to limited edition lifestyle merchandise from OnePlus. It also includes the “first co-branded merchandise for Red Cable Privé offering the all-new OnePlus x Victorinox Swiss Knife ‘Never Settle’ edition.”
Privé Tokens: The tokens from the Privé club helps members avail discount vouchers from OnePlus and its partner brands.
Privé Gift Cards: As the name suggests, the company is offering gift cards for its partner brands for a range of lifestyle products, food and beverages, and even healthcare.

According to Vikas Agarwal, General Manager, OnePlus India, “We constantly seek opportunities to provide our community with new, rewarding experiences. This fundamental thought is what led to the making of Red Cable Club for our Indian community. As we further build on the Red Cable Club initiative with Red Cable Privé, we are positive that our community members will truly enjoy the series of unique offers that we have provided for them and their loved ones.”

Notably, the company is also offering new activities for its Red Cable Club members to stand a change to win bonus RedCoins. These can be used to participate in “Coin your Fortune” lucky draw that will be held on 14th to 15th September 2020, with a chance of winning up to 99,999 RedCoins. Members can also win recently launched devices like the OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus Nord, OnePlus Buds, or OnePlus Bullets Wireless.

Xiaomi Mi 10T to sport LCD screen with MEMC support

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

Since the rumor mill has revealed a lot of information on the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro, Xiaomi is expected to soon announce it in global markets. Past reports have claimed that these models are codenamed as Apollo and Apollo Pro. Initial rumors had claimed that these phones are equipped with OLED panels. However, it is now being said that both phones have LCD screens. Also, a Chinese tipster has claimed that the Apollo phone (Mi 10T) will have native support for MEMC technology.

The MEMC tech will upscale the lower frame rate content to match with the 144Hz refresh rate of the Mi 10T’s 6.67-inch LCD panel. He added that the diameter of the Mi 10T’s punch-hole camera cutout is of 3.8mm only. The images of the Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro that have surfaced in the recent past have revealed how small the selfie camera cutouts are.

Editor’s Pick: All you need to know about MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation)

Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro specifications

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is expected to come with a 6.67-inch LCD screen that offers 1080 x 2340 pixels and a 144Hz refresh rate. It will be fueled by 8 GB of RAM and it may come in storage options such as 128 GB and 256 GB.

The Mi 10T Pro has a 5,000mAh battery with fast charging support. It has a 108-megapixel (main) + 20-megapixel (ultrawide) + 8-megapixel triple camera system. It has a side-facing fingerprint reader. The MIUI 12 based Android 10 OS will come pre-installed on the Mi 10T Pro. It could be priced at 640 euros / 680 euros in Europe.

Xiaomi Mi 10T specifications

The Mi 10T could be borrowing most of its specs from the Pro. The handset may come with 6 GB of RAM and it may sport a 64-megapixel triple camera system. It could be fueled by a new 5G-ready Snapdragon 7-series chipset. The handset could be priced at 550 euros.

Amazon partners with Amitabh Bachchan for a new celebrity voice experience

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

Indian acting legend, Amitabh Bachchan, has partnered up with Amazon to bring a new celebrity voice experience for its userbase in India. The Bollywood veteran star will have his voice recorded for interactions with Alexa.

Indian customers will be able to get the actor’s iconic baritone voice on Alexa by buying the Amitabh Bachchan voice experience. Although, this feature will be available sometime 2021. According to the actor himself, “Technology has always given me an opportunity to adapt to new forms. Be it in movies, TV shows, podcasts, and now, I am excited to create this voice experience in partnership with Amazon and Alexa. With voice technology, we are building something to engage more effectively with my audience and well-wishers.”

Amazon will be adding iconic dialogues from Amitabh Bachchan’s famous movies like Shehenshah. Furthermore, the voice experience will also include other features like jokers, the current weather, shayaris, motivational quotes, advice, and more. After its launch next year, customers will also be able to invoke the voice experience by interacting with Alexa. They will be greeted by the superstar’s voice which will respond to some of the most popular requests.

“Mr Bachchan’s voice is truly memorable for any Indian who has grown-up with Bollywood. This combination delivers a perfect pitch to further delight and simplify the lives of our customers. We are excited to see how our customers will respond when they use Alexa and hear his voice,” said Puneesh Kumar, Country Leader for Alexa, Amazon India.

vivo V2031A is an unknown budget 5G smartphone with OLED display & triple camera

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Sep 14, 2020

Chinese smartphone maker vivo is all set to launch a new budget 5G smartphone with model number V2031A. This handset has been listed on TENAA with its images as well as primary specifications. The marketing name of this device is unknown at the moment.

Talking about the design first, the images in the TENAA database showcase the vivo V2031A in blue color. Though it looks like to have a glass sandwich design with a metal frame, there’s a possibility for it to feature a plastic frame/back with glossy finish.

Further, the rear panel houses a vertically-aligned triple camera setup and vivo logo at the bottom. Although the front of the phone is not visible clearly, it should mostly feature a dew-drop notch going by a gray-colored spot at the top center.

Coming to the specifications, it has been listed with a 6.44-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED display. According to Digital Chat Station, a well-known Chinese tipster on Weibo, the 60Hz screen on this handset will be supplied by Samsung Display.

Talking about cameras, the primary setup on the back of this smartphone will include a 48MP main sensor, a secondary 8MP sensor (probably ultra-wide), and a 2MP sensor (could be either depth or macro). Whereas, on the front, the device will feature a 16MP selfie camera.

1 of 4

Then, the phone will be powered by a 2.0GHz octa-core 5G processor paired with 6GB/8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It will run Android 10 backed by a 4,020mAh battery with support for 18W charging. Being a budget handset, it will also come with a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Last but not least, this upcoming unknown vivo smartphone will measure 161 x 74.04 x 7.73mm in dimensions and weigh 171.3g.

Wacom tablet sales rise by 100% in Q2 2020 due to Coronavirus pandemic

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

Wacom is witnessing a record high sales after entering the South Korean market. The company’s tablet sales have risen by 100 percent in the second quarter of 2020, which was due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Wacom Korea announced earlier this month that its tablet sales for the second quarter grew by 100 percent year on year. The primary reason of the surge was the increase in demand for tablets for online lectures/classes and the increasing popularity of Webtoons or other Korean multimedia entertainment. This led to a growth of high end tablet products in the region.

Furthermore, online lectures have become the norm along with work from home during this time of crisis. Thus, while various economies and industries have been suffering from the impacts of COVID-19, Wacom saw an earnings growth. At the moment, electronic gadgets with a big screen have become an essential commodity for online education and other professional areas as well.

One of the more popular tablets sizes in South Korea can vary from 13 inch to 32 inch displays, which are also in demand for professional content creators or others in the creative fields. Notably, gaming was also a notable reason for the hike in demand during this period. Although, Wacom is pushing to primarily support the professional market at the moment.

POCO X3 India pricing tipped ahead of September 22 rumored launch

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

The POCO brand resurrected this year with the announcement of the POCO X2 smartphone back in February. Last week, the company unveiled the POCO X3 NFC as the successor to the POCO X2 phone. The handset debuted in the global markets, but it is yet to launch in India. Rumors have claimed that the company may announce the POCO X3 in this month in India. A new leak claims that the company will announce the POCO X3 in India on Sept. 22. The leak has also tipped the pricing of the device.

The POCO X3 NFC for the global market has a 5,160mAh battery. The leak claims that the model heading to India could pack a bigger battery. The POCO X3 NFC variants such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage are priced at 229 euros (~$271) and 269 euros (~#19) in Europe.

Recently, POCO India General Manager C. Manmohan had hinted that the smartphone would be priced around Rs 20,000 (~$273) + taxes. However, the new claims that the POCO X3 could be priced at Rs 18,999 (~$258) or Rs 19,999 (~$272). Lastly, the leak states that the POCO X3 will break cover on Sept. 22 in India.

Editor’s Pick: POCO X3 shipment exceeds 100,000 units in just 3 days

POCO X3 specifications

The POCO X3 NFC features a 6.67-inch IPS LCD screen with a punch-hole design. It offers Full HD+ resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, and 120Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 732G chipset fuels the phone with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage.

It has a 64-megapixel (Sony IMX682) + 13-megapixel (ultrawide) + 2-megapixel (macro) + 2-megapixel (depth) quad-camera system. It has a front camera of 20-megapixel. The device houses a 5,160mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.

NVIDIA to acquire Arm Holdings for $40 billion from SoftBank

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

NVIDIA will be buying Arm Holdings from the SoftBank Group as per a recent announcement. The known graphics card maker will be acquiring the chip designer for a deal worth 40 billion US Dollars, which was announced by both companies on Sunday (13th September 2020).

The deal will have NVIDIA paying 12 billion US Dollars in cash, which includes 2 billion US Dollars payable at signing, and giving out 21.5 billion US Dollars worth of NVIDIA’s stock to SoftBank. For those unaware, SoftBank acquired Arm back in 2016 for 31.4 billion US Dollars. Arm is a known chip designer with its architecture being one of the most popular designs used in most smartphone chips from companies like Qualcomm, Apple, and even certain Intel chips.

NVIDIA stated that it will “continue Arm’s open-licensing model and customer neutrality.” SoftBank had initially acquired the chip designer for the internet of things based applications in terms of connectivity. However, with the group’s finances falling in recent years, the company had to sell Arm Holdings. Recently, SoftBank had lost investment in companies like WeWork and Uber, which caused its share values to fall as well.

On the other hand, NVIDIA is looking forward to a boom in the industry, especially with its upcoming RTX 3000 series graphics card that was recently announced. With the coronavirus pandemic, the PC market saw a surge that even boosted the PC gaming market. The company is currently projecting a 46 percent growth in revenue for the third quarter, as per its recent financial report.

Tecno Spark Power 2 Air launched with 7-inch display, 6,000mAh battery, Helio A22 for Rs 8,499

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

Chinese brand Tecno has unveiled a new phone called Tecno Spark Power 2 Air mid-range phone in India. The device has arrived a lower edition of the Tecno Spark Power 2 that debuted in June with a pricing of Rs. 9,999 (~$136). Some of the major highlights of the Spark Power 2 Air are a 7-inch display, a 6,000mAh battery, Helio A22 chipset, and 13-megapixel quad cameras.

Tecno Spark Power 2 Air specifications and features

The Spark Power 2 Air has a polycarbonate body that has 174.9 x 79.6 x 9.2mm dimensions and it weighs 217.2 grams. The 7-inch IPS LCD panel of the Spark Power 2 Air produces 720 x 1,640 pixels, 20.5:9 aspect ratio, and 480nit brightness.

The entry-level Helio A22 chipset and 3 GB of RAM. The phone features an internal storage of 32 GB and it has a microSD card slot for additional storage. The HiOS 61 based Android 10 OS comes preinstalled on the device. The back panel of the smartphone has a fingerprint sensor.

Editor’s Pick: Tecno Camon 16, 16 Pro and Camon 16 Premier unveiled

The Spark Power 2 Air has a front-facing camera of 8-megapixel. The quad-LED flash assisted quad-camera setup on the backside of the phone has a 13-megapixel main lens with, a 2-megapixel macro lens with a 4cm focal length, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and an AI lens. The phone houses a 6,000mAh battery.

Tecno Spark Power 2 Air pricing and availability

The Tecno Spark Power 2 Air has arrived in India with a pricing of Rs 8,499 (~$116). Its first sales will take place at 12 PM on Sept. 20 through Flipkart and it can be bought in colors like Ice Jadeite and Cosmic Shine.

HP patents a foldable smartphone, features a clamshell design

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

In recent times, foldable smartphones have become increasingly more popular. More and more OEMs are launching their own iterations of the new breed of smartphones and it seems like HP is planning on launching one of its own as well.

According to a LetsGoDigital report, the American brand is also looking to launch a foldable smartphone, with a clamshell design. Hewlett Packard is a known maker of laptops, tablets, printers, and other electronic gadgets. However, the last smartphone the company ever released was the HP Elite X3 back in 2016. This was a Windows smartphone that had easy connectivity to external monitors, keyboards for a full desktop experience. So it arrives as a surprise that the company is diving back into the smartphone market.

The company filed a patent with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office), which was approved last month. The patent describes a smartphone with a flexible display that bends vertically in a clamshell format, similar to the Motorola Razr 2019. LetsGoDigital also provided 3D renders based on the patent sketches to help in better visualizing the device from HP.

Notably, the patent also details the folding structure and the technology behind it. HP placed an emphasis on the hinge and the layer on top of the OLED panel. Unfortunately, it is known if the company is actually working on such a device or whether it is just covering all bases. We will have to wait for an official announcement to know for sure.

Oracle reportedly chosen as “technology partner” by TikTok as Microsoft’s bid gets rejected

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

For the acquisition of TikTok’s US business, Microsoft was the front-runner but then other major companies started talks for the acquisition but the closest competition was from the software giant Oracle.

Now, Microsoft officials and other people involved in the negotiations have revealed that TikTok has rejected the company’s acquisition offer and instead, Oracle has been chosen to be the technology partner.

In a statement, Microsoft said: “ByteDance let us know today they would not be selling TikTok’s U.S. operations to Microsoft. We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok’s users while protecting national security interests.”

It is not yet clear what does it mean to become a “technology partner” for TikTok. It also remains to be seen if Oracle would take a majority stake in the ownership of the social media app, which seems unlikely.

EDITOR’S PICK: Under Display Cameras: How & Why it will Reshape our Visual Experience in the Future

However, China’s state broadcaster CGTN has reported that ByteDance will not sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to Microsoft or Oracle. It is being said that the company has decided not to sell or transfer the source code behind its popular video app.

The development comes just days before the deadline for the acquisition deal times out. US President Donald Trump gave around 45 days from 6th August for TikTok to sell its business to an American company or get banned in the region.

Recently, the Chinese government revised its export rules that could block the transfer or sale of ByteDance’s artificial intelligence technologies. Now, the state-owned media in China is refuting the rumors about Oracle securing the deal. To know for sure, we will have to wait for an official announcement from the company.

Xiaomi under display cameras made by TCL CSOT to arrive in 2021: Report

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

The smartphone market is an extremely volatile industry, with changes and innovation making the market dynamic. Recent trends have had OEMs launch foldable smartphones while pop up cameras or punch hole selfie shooters had become popular as well. Now, a new report suggests that Xiaomi might be one of the first to launch a smartphone with an under display camera.

According to a new report from ChinaStarMarket, the Chinese tech giant will be launching its third generation of the under display selfie camera in 2021. The new sensors will be manufactured by CSOT (China Star Optoelectronics), a subsidiary of TCL. These new sensors will be found on the next generation of smartphones from Xiaomi, which will likely be its flagships from 2021.

Unfortunately, this is just an unconfirmed report at the moment so take it with a pinch of salt. For those unaware, the company has teased the technology in the past but it has yet to make a commercial appearance. Many smartphone manufacturers are rushing to be the first to offer an under screen camera in their handsets, and Xiaomi might be one of the first in this regard.

Xiaomi Under Screen Camera Technology — Xiaomi shows third generation Under Screen Camera Technology

Xiaomi has built its reputation on innovation and offering the latest technology for its products at competitive prices. So, it won’t be far fetched to assume that we might just see an under screen camera from the company next year.

ZTE launches Far-field 4K AI Soundbar STB 3000 & ZXV10 B836CT/B866V2-H STB set-top boxes

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Sep 14, 2020

At the online Exhibitor Showcase of International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2020, ZTE launched three products. The first one is ZTE Far-field 4K AI Soundbar STB 3000, whereas the other two products are ZTE ZXV10 B836CT and ZTE ZXV10 B866V2-H STBs (set-top boxes). According to the telecommunication giant, its STBs have been deployed in more than 120 cities in over 45 countries.

ZTE Far-field 4K AI Soundbar STB 3000

As the name suggests, this set-top box features a built-in 4-mic array to pick up users’ voice from a distance. These microphones also help in noise reduction. Thus, users can operate this new ZTE STB hands-free by only using voice commands.

Just like most TV boxes, this one too runs Google Android TV platform with access to apps and OTT (Over The Top) services. It supports up to 4K resolution and HDR content as well. For connectivity, it comes with WiFi and Bluetooth.

This ZTE hybrid soundbar cum STB looks more like the former than the latter with a minimalistic design.

ZTE ZXV10 B836CT/B866V2-H STB

These two set-top boxes are powered by a quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor and run Android TV just like the above-mentioned product. They also support AV1 codec and come with CAS/DRM digital encryption system to protect operators’ content copyrights.

1 of 2

Though these STBs sport common features, they are meant for different purposes. The B836CT is targeted at the cable/DTT hybrid market while the B866V2-H is aimed at the IPTV/OTT market.

Last but not least, these two set-top boxes have also won iF Design Award 2019 in Germany.

Realme C17 is launching on September 21 with 90Hz display, SD460 and 13MP quad cameras

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

Recent reports have revealed that Realme is planning to unveil the Realme C17 smartphone. Today, Realme Bangladesh officially revealed through its Facebook account that the Realme C17 will be debuting at 12 PM on Sept. 21 (local time). A reliable tipster has shared screenshots that reveal the key specs and features of the Realme C17.

Realme C17 specifications

The Realme C17 sports a 90Hz refresh rate supporting an IPS LCD panel of 6.5 inches. The screen offers an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels and 600nits of maximum brightness. The phone boasts a screen-to-body ratio of 90 percent. The backside of the phone has a fingerprint sensor.

The 11nm Snapdragon 460 chipset that clocks at 1.8GHz fuels the Realme C17. The SoC is coupled with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The smartphone is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that promises up to 34 days of standby time, 35.7 hours of phone calls, 18.6 hours of video playback, 12.3 hours of PUBG gaming, and 83.4 hours of music playback. The massive battery will support 18W fast charging through USB-C.

Editor’s Pick: Realme Narzo 20, 20A, and Narzo 20 Pro to launch on September 21 in India

The 8-megapixel AI selfie camera of the phone will have support for AI beauty and portrait mode. The rear-facing quad-camera system will have an f/1.8 aperture 13-megapixel primary shooter, a 119-degree 8-megapixel superwide lens, a 2-megapixel macro shooter with 4cm focus distance, and a 2-megapixel B&W portrait lens.

The Realme C17 will come loaded with the Realme UI based Android 10 OS. Like the other C-series phone, it will also have a microSD card slot for more storage.

Realme C17 pricing

The Realme C17 will be priced higher than the Realme C15 phone, but there is no confirmation on it yet. What is known is that the device will come in two colors like Navy Blue and Lake Green.

Huami and Tesla partners to launch a new smartwatch on September 15

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

Huami Technology, the company backed by Xiaomi and known for making smartwatches, seems to have partnered with Tesla for its new product that will be announced tomorrow in China, i.e. on 15th September.

So far, nothing has been confirmed by Huami or Tesla that which device will get launched and what features should we expect. However, it is being speculated that the smartwatch will have support for controlling certain aspects of Tesla cars.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus Buds earphones seized by the US Customs department as “counterfeit AirPods”

Recently, the Amzfit GTR and Amazfit GTS smartwatches from the company received an update, enabling them to be used as car keys for Xiaopeng P7/Xpeng P7, touted as the Chinese rival to the Tesla Model 3. So, the upcoming product could have the same feature, with support for cars from Tesla.

Huami CEO Huang Wang has been teasing about this launch event on Weibo and from the teasers, it seems that the company could be launching an upgraded variant of the Amazift GTR smartwatch. To know for sure, we will have to wait for a few more hours for the official announcement from the company.

Last month, an FCC filing revealed that Tesla Motors is working on the development of a new smartwatch with Xplora Technologies, which is a Norwegian company that sells smartwatches for kids.

Pinduoduo opens Apple iPhone 12 appointment, claims sale from September 16

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

Apple has already confirmed that the company will be holding a launch event on 15th September. At the event, the company is not expected to launch the next-generation iPhone 12 models and instead new Apple Watch and iPad are expected.

However, a report from China reveals that Pinduoduo hints at the early arrival of next-gen Apple smartphones. The company has opened appointments for the Apple iPhone 12 in China and claims that the sale will start from 16th September.

Do note that we couldn’t verify that this claim by Pinduoduo is correct, so take it with a pinch of salt. Also, it’s highly unlikely that the new iPhone 12 models go official later this week in China.

EDITOR’S PICK: 20,000 OnePlus Buds seized by the US Customs department as “counterfeit AirPods”

Apple has already confirmed that the iPhone 12 models launching this year will be “available a few weeks later.” There are several reports which claim that the new iPhones will go on sale from October.

Previous reports hint that pre-booking will start around mid-October and shipments of the base model beginning a week after that. But not all the models will go on sale together. As per the report, the iPhone 12 will be available for purchase in October itself, while other models in the lineup, including the iPhone 12 Pro, will go on sale in November.

As per the reports, the company will be launching the Apple Watch Series 6, a new iPad, new Apple TV, smaller HomePod, AirTags, and over-ear headphones at its launch event on 15th September. To know if anything else is coming, we’ll have to wait for the official launch event to take place.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro alleged hands on video reveals rear panel with LiDAR sensor

By

-

Sep 14, 2020

An alleged hands on video for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro has recently surfaced online. The video showcases the rear panel of the device which also reveals the LiDAR sensor placement on the 6.1 inch model.

According to a 9to5Mac report, a YouTuber named EverythingApplePro showcased an alleged rear panel of the iPhone 12 Pro. In the video, it can be observed that the upcoming flagship features a finish similar to the iPhone 11 Pro, with steel edges and matte glass. This is in line with all the recent rumors. On the rear, triple camera setup can be observed, with an arrangement similar to the camera module of the previous generation.

Notably, this camera module houses the ultra wide angle lens, which is also likely related to the LiDAR scanner. For those unaware, the iPhone 12 will reportedly feature a LiDAR scanner. However, it was said to only arrive in the 6.7 inch model. But now, the hands on video reveals that both the 6.1 inch and 6.7 inch iPhone 12 Pro models would ship with the new sensor.

Here it is! Official iPhone 12 Pro chassis leak. Confirms mostly same camera with new LiDAR placement, flat sides, magnet cutouts & smart connector-like 5G antenna? This seems to confirm the 6.1 Pro model will get LiDAR too. October can't come soon enough. pic.twitter.com/YifSX7SWxh

— EverythingApplePro (@EveryApplePro) September 11, 2020

Additional changes that have been observed in the video include a readjusted SIM tray and a new cutout on the right side of the device, which is likely for the 5G antenna. 9to5Mac also stated that a previous report had claimed that two models of the new iPhone will feature the LiDAR scanner, which is probably the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Unfortunately, this is still an unconfirmed report so take it with a pinch of salt, and stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

2,000 OnePlus Buds seized by US Customs as “counterfeit AirPods”

By