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Samsung was the leading streaming device brand in Q1 2020; Tizen was also the top streaming platform

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Streaming has become the most popular way to consume content. Smart TVs and streaming devices play an important role in the rising popularity of OTT platforms. A recent report on TV and video streaming devices across 27 major countries by Strategy Analytics reveals that Samsung not only leads in streaming device market share in these regions but its operating system Tizen, a gateway to streaming services also top the chart.

Strategy Analytics Global TV Streaming Devices and Platforms Q1 2020

Though this report was published on September 2, it is worth noting that it is for Q1 2020.

Streaming Devices

According to Strategy Analytics, Samsung was the leading streaming device brand in the first quarter of 2020 in 27 major countries with 14% of devices in use. Whereas, second and third positions were held by Sony and LG with 12% and 8% market share respectively.

Further, Hisense, TCL, and Amazon tied at fourth position with 5% market share each, followed by Nintendo and Microsoft at fifth position with 4%.

Interestingly, in sixth place with 3%, there were a total of seven brands such as Skyworth, Google, Vizio, Sharp, Roku, Philips, and Xiaomi. Also, with 2% in seventh place, there were four brands like Apple, Changhong, Panasonic, and Konka.

Whereas, the ninth position was captured by Haier, Toshiba, and Insignia with a 1% share. The remaining 9% was held by others category, which includes brands with negligible market share.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung to raise smartphone shipments to 300 million units in 2021, as Huawei shipments decline

 

Streaming Platforms

Talking about streaming platforms, once again, Samsung lead in these 27 markets with 11% share with its Tizen OS. But the second position was held by platforms of both LG and Sony namely WebOS and Sony Playstation with 7% share each.

Roku TV OS and Fire OS tied at third position with 5% market share, followed by Android TV and Microsoft Xbox in the fourth place with 4% share.

Google Chromecast came at fifth position with 3% share while Apple tvOS and Firefox OS clashed with each other in the sixth place with 2% market share. The remaining 49% was occupied by platforms in the others category.

Takeaways

One thing is obvious from this report that the leading streaming device manufacturers also top the chart in streaming platforms if they have any. Also, a plethora of TV manufacturers gained some share in the devices category. Most of them use Android TV but still, Google’s streaming platform only accounted for 4%.

Anyway, this report only includes data from 27 major countries. Even though, the number of active devices in these regions is an astonishing figure at 1.14 billion.

UP NEXT: Samsung to maintain Global Smartphone Market lead in 2020: Report

 

Samsung to raise smartphone shipments to 300 million units in 2021, as Huawei shipments decline

By
Sean
-

Samsung is expected to increase its smartphone shipments to 300 million units in 2021, according to an ETNews report. The company plans on raising the shipments as its rival, Huawei, faces stiff regulations by the US, and as the overall smartphone market declines.

Samsung

Notably, the South Korean tech giant’s Galaxy S20 series did not perform as well as planned, with the Coronavirus pandemic making matters even worse for the first half of this year. The company saw sluggish sales at the start of the year and is apparently looking to recover sales in the latter half of this year. According to an industry insider, Samsung is planning on promoting a plan to raise its smartphone shipments to the 300 million units mark.

UP NEXT: Mi TV 4A 32/43 Horizon Edition launch in India for ₹13,499 ($184) and ₹22,999 ($313) respectively

In 2020, it is expected that the company will ship a total of 260 million units, so an increase of 15 percent over this year is expected in 2021. Furthermore, it is also motivated by Huawei’s current situation with the recent US sanctions. In other words, Samsung is clearly seeking to capture some of Huawei’s market share. The source stated that “Samsung Electronics expects that Huawei’s smartphone shipments will decrease by 70 percent next year from this year due to US sanctions.”

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G Mystic Bronze
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G Mystic Bronze

Other reports have revealed that despite the sluggish performance in 2020, Samsung is still expected to maintain its lead in the global smartphone market this year. The company will still hold a strong 21 percent market share in 2020, with Apple and Huawei arriving second and third respectively.

UP NEXT: Vivo unveils new and improved RGBW camera sensor, launches in smartphones in 2021

 

Vivo unveils new and improved RGBW camera sensor, launches in smartphones in 2021

By
Sean
-

Earlier today (7th September 2020), Vivo announced its new RGBW sensor in its media conference. The new arrangement features an increased sensitivity and will ship in smartphones next year.

The new RGBW sensor features improved sensitivity while avoiding color cast problems. The increase in sensitivity measures in at 160 percent as well. Notably, this is not the first time a unique array sensor is being used, with the Huawei P30 featuring a 13 megapixel RYYB sensor back in 2019. The new sensor aims at improving the photographic experience and raises image quality.

Editor’s Pick: Mi TV 4A 32/43 Horizon Edition launch in India for ₹13,499 ($184) and ₹22,999 ($313) respectively

For those unaware, traditional camera sensors use an RGGB array sensor. Although the P30 featured an RYYB sensor. In other words, they lack the green filter but are able to have more light reach the sensor. The RGBW is now Vivo’s launching a different arrangement as well, with the company offering noticeable benefits with this variant. Although, only real world tests would show results after the company launches devices with this sensor.

Vivo

The new sensor also helps increase the amount of light that enters the sensor. Previously, the RGBW sensors were short lived due to a certain lack of colors in images. However, Vivo has managed to circumvent this issue through the use of its advanced algorithms to make up for and even improve colors. The Chinese tech giant expects the technology to make an appearance on smartphones by the second half of 2021.

UP NEXT: Rollme Hero Pro Is World’s First Smartwatch to pack Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chip

 

Samsung patents a Galaxy smartphone with a transparent display

By
Sean
-

In recent times, smartphone manufacturers are pushing the boundaries of futuristic designs. While a few years ago foldable devices seemed like science fiction, the technology has led to designs becoming increasingly more innovative. Now, Samsung has patented a new handset, one with a futuristic transparent display.

Samsung

The South Korean tech giant filed the patent with the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) and the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office), according to a LetsGoDigital report. This was published on 27th August 2020 and describes the technology that is needed to make a transparent smartphone. Alternatively, the technology can even be used in other electronic gadgets as well, including TVs, monitors, laptops, and gaming consoles.

Editor’s Pick: Mi TV 4A 32/43 Horizon Edition launch in India for ₹13,499 ($184) and ₹22,999 ($313) respectively

The patent is based more around the technical aspect, going to great lengths to detail the different layers and components required to achieve transparency. The device seen in the patent has narrow bezels and a large transparent screen. An OLED panel is apparently used, since this type of display is equipped with a transparent luminous panel which lets light shine through.

Samsung

Unfortunately, finer details regarding the unnamed Samsung Galaxy device is currently unknown. Furthermore, it is also unclear if the South Korean tech giant is actually working on such a device, or just filed the patent to cover all bases for future a possible release in the far future and this does offer us a glimpse of what smartphones could look like in after a few years.

UP NEXT: OPPO TV 55-inch & 65-inch spotted on 3C while their remote controls pass through Bluetooth SIG

 

OPPO A32 could be rebranded as OPPO A53 in China

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Recently, an OPPO phone with model number PDVM00 was approved by the TENAA authority of China. The specs of the phone are an exact match with the OPPO A53 that went official recently in markets like Indonesia and India. However, some tipsters from China have claimed that the PDVM00 phone will be launching as OPPO A32. Hence, it appears that the OPPO A53 will be rebranded as OPPO A32 in China.

According to a tipster, OPPO A32 for China is the next entry-level phone featuring a 90Hz LCD panel. He also hinted at a high-end version of the device with a 60Hz OLED panel.

Another tipster has claimed there could be a 5G version of the OPPO A32. This variant could be equipped with Dimensity 720 5G chipset. It remains to be seen whether the rumored high-end version of the OPPO A32 arrives with an OLED screen, D720, and 5G support.

Editor’s Pick: OPPO TV 55-inch & 65-inch spotted on 3C while their remote controls pass through Bluetooth SIG

OPPO A32 Specifications (Rumored)

The OPPO A32 has a 6.5-inch punch-hole display that supports HD+ resolution. It is said to be powered by the Snapdragon 460 chipset. The device has a 4,890mAh rated battery.

The OPPO A32 may arrive in 4 GB, 6GB, and 8 GB RAM variants in China and it could be available in storage choices like 64 GB and 128 GB. There is a microSD card slot onboard for additional storage.

OPPO PDVM00 TENAA

It has a front-facing camera of 8-megapixel. The backside of the phone features a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system.

In Indonesia, the OPPO A53 arrived with pricing of IDR 2,499,000 (~$169). As can be seen in the above screenshot, the tipster has speculated the OPPO A32 could be priced at 999 Yuan (~$146), whereas its 5G version could be costing 1,399 Yuan (~$205).

UP NEXT: OPPO PECM10, PECT10 full specifications, images emerge on TENAA

 

 

LG Wing dual screen smartphone confirmed, launches September 14

By
Sean
-

Recently, we had reported on an upcoming LG Device with the “Wing” branding. It was for a dual screen flagship smartphone with a rather unique design. Now, the company has finally confirmed the device’s name as LG Wing, which will be launching soon.

LG

According to a TheElec report, the South Korean tech giant has finalized the name as LG Wing earlier today (7th September 2020). Furthermore, the company will also be choosing about 300 consumers to review the product for free for up to four weeks. The device will be launching on 14th September 2020, which was what we had previously reported on as being a possible date for the launch.

Editor’s Pick: Mi TV 4A 32/43 Horizon Edition launch in India for ₹13,499 ($184) and ₹22,999 ($313) respectively

Unfortunately, not a lot about the device is currently known. We will have to wait for the launch event to obtain finer details like specifications of the device, although, rumors have pointed at the smartphone arriving with a Snapdragon 700 series chip (likely the SD765G). The unique device is garnering a lot of anticipation due to its unique design and dual display mechanism.

LG Explorer Project
LG Explorer Project

Unlike LG’s own past offerings, this dual display has the display on a top swivel to a 90 degree angle, and also offer the utility of another display behind it. This is something which was seen a while ago during the time of flip phones where a few devices could have their screens rotate up to reveal a keypad. So stay tuned for more, which should arrive soon and we will be providing more updates.

UP NEXT: OPPO TV 55-inch & 65-inch spotted on 3C while their remote controls pass through Bluetooth SIG

 

Mi TV 4A 32/43 Horizon Edition launched in India for ₹13,499 ($184) and ₹22,999 ($313) respectively

By
Sudarshan Ravichandran
-

Xiaomi India launches Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition in 32-inch and 43-inch versions. The former features an HD panel, whereas the latter comes equipped with an FHD display. These new televisions are the successors to the company’s popular models – Mi TV 4A pro 32 and 43 in the country. The only major difference between the new Mi TVs and their predecessors is slimmer bezels.

Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 43 Horizon Edition
Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 43 Horizon Edition

Mi TV 4A 32/43 Horizon Edition Specifications

Apart from their display and lack of S/PDIF port on the smaller variant, both the newly introduced Mi TVs for India features exact same specs.

Talking about their screens first, the smaller model sports an HD (1366 x 768 pixels) panel with 93% screen-to-body ratio, compared to  FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) display with 95% screen-to-body ration on the larger model. According to the company, both the panels have a 178° viewing angle.

Other than that, they are powered by the same Amlogic Cortex A53 quad-core processor with Mali-450 MP3 GPU paired with 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage. They run Android TV Pie and ship with Xiaomi’s own PathchWall content aggregation launcher. These TVs support all the leading streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and more.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi Mi TV LUX OLED Transparent Edition is the cheapest transparent TV at 49,999 yuan ($7,195)

 

They also come with Chromecast Built-in, Google Assistant, and Google Data Saver. These televisions are also Xiaomi’s first Mi TVs in India to launch with Mi Quick Wake. This self-developed feature ensures quick booting of TVs (under 5 seconds). The company has been testing this feature on its older models for a few months now.

Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 32 Horizon Edition
Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 32 Horizon Edition

Despite the difference in their size, both feature the same 20W speakers (2 x 10W) with support for DTS-HD. Also, they come with Xiaomi’s proprietary Vivid Picture Engine, which is not a dedicated chip but display settings ensured to offer accurate colors and deeper contrasts.

For connectivity and ports, the new TV comes with single-band (2.4GHz) WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, 3 x HDMI (one of them supports ARC), 2 x USB, 1 x Ethernet, AV, Antenna, and  3.5mm headphone jack.

Mi TV 4A 32/43 Horizon Edition Pricing and Availability

The Mi TV 4A 32 Horizon Edition is priced at ₹13,499 ($184) and will be available for purchase from Mi online store, Mi Home retail stores, and Flipkart. On the other hand, the Mi TV 4A 43 Horizon Edition costs ₹22,999 ($313) and will be available on Mi online store, Mi Home retail stores, and Amazon.

The first sale for the 32-inch variant is scheduled for September 11 at 12 PM, followed by September 14 at 6 PM for the 43-inch version.

Both of them will be soon made available in other partner retail outlets in the coming days.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi is looking forward to boost Mi TV production in India

 

Samsung to maintain Global Smartphone Market lead in 2020: Report

By
Sean
-

Samsung is expected to maintain its position as the lead in the global smartphone market, as per a PulseNews report. The company will likely strengthen its global efforts even further next year and will capitalize on the situation surrounding its rival, Huawei.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G Mystic Bronze
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G Mystic Bronze

According to Strategy Analytics, the global smartphone shipments are expected to fall by about 11 percent to 1.26 billion units this year. This revised figure arrives after the original projection of 15.6 percent. The analytics based firm further stated that the new estimation reflects a faster recovery rate in various markets including, the US, Europe, and India, amid a new market growth on the back of growing trends like work from home and learning at home.

Editor’s Pick: HUAWEI Y9a announced with MediaTek helio G80, 64MP quad-camera, and 40W fast charging

Furthermore, the economic recovery in 2021 and more widened adoption of 5G networking and foldable smartphones will lead to overall market growth of 9 percent in 2021, with a 2019 level of shipments (1.41 billion units) being reached again by 2022. In the rankings, Samsung is expected to maintain its lead with 265 million units being shipped or 21 percent market share, followed by Apple with 192 million units shipped and a market share of 15.3 percent.

Samsung

Similarly, Huawei rounds up the third spot with both Samsung and Apple gaining 0.1 percent and 1.3 percent of the market share respectively as the Chinese tech giant loses chunks of its market share next year, when its chip inventory runs out. The South Korean tech giant and Cupertino based giant could also soon replace Huawei in the premium flagship market in China as per the report.

UP NEXT: Realme 7, 7i launch on September 17 confirmed; Realme 7i full specifications and renders leaked

 

Huawei is making constant changes in its products due to US Ban: Founder

By
Sean
-

Ren Zhengfei, the Founder of Huawei Technologies recently stated that the company has had to make multiple tweaks to various aspects of its product offerings, to cope with the increasing pressure from the US and its restrictions.

Zhengfei Ren, Huawei founder and CEO

According to the senior official when addressing new employees, “We have had to modify thousands of electronic boards, replace parts, and algorithms to cope with … (the ban) from the US.” As per the South China Morning Post report, the US is cracking down hard on the Chinese tech giant. After losing its chip supply from TSMC, the Trump administration made supplying even more difficult for the company by reinforcing laws that regulate Huawei from receiving supplies from any company that uses American technology.

Editor’s Pick: HUAWEI Y9a announced with MediaTek helio G80, 64MP quad-camera, and 40W fast charging

This has greatly affected the company’s supply chain. Thus, in the Ren Zhengfei stated that Huawei makes constant changes to multiple parts and components in their products while also tweaking its algorithms as well, to better evolve against the US sanctions that seek to remove technology originating from the US. The founder even acknowledged the company’s dire situations at the moment.

huawei

He said that Huawei’s 90,000 members of the research and development team wouldn’t need to be so large if the company had access to “high-quality resources like Western companies.” While Huawei has recovered from the initial chip supply blow, the recent regulations have plunged the company back into survival mode to best endure its current situation.

UP NEXT: Realme 7, 7i launch on September 17 confirmed; Realme 7i full specifications and renders leaked

 

Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra will remotely control car thousands of miles away using 5G

By
Jeet
-

Xiaomi recently launched the Mi 10 Ultra flagship smartphone to commemorate the company’s 10-year anniversary. While the phone is quite powerful, the company is all set to demonstrate how it can be used to remotely control a car.

The company has shared a teaser poster and video on Weibo which reveals that Xiaomi is set to demonstrate how it can use Mi 10 Ultra smartphone to remotely control a car that is thousands of miles away, using 5G connectivity. It is not yet known which model of the car was used by Xiaomi for the demonstrations.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra Remote Car Control using 5G

The Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra comes with a 6.67-inch Full HD+ display that offers 2340 x 1080 pixels screen resolution, along with a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, support for HDR10+, a peak brightness of 1120 nits, and up to 1.07 billion colors. The display is TÜV Rheinland certification and is protected by Gorilla Glass 5.

The smartphone also features an in-display fingerprint scanner. Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor — the same chipset that is powering the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro smartphones launched earlier this year.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra Review – 120W Charging, 120X Zoom, & 120Hz Display equals 120% Flagship experience

It packs up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and offers 512GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. It has a quad-camera setup that includes a 48MP primary sensor, 48 MP ultra-telephoto lens, a 12MP telephoto sensor, and a 20MP ultrawide sensor. On the front, there’s a 20MP snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

The device is running the company’s own MIUI 12 which is based on Android. It is powered by a 4,500mAh battery — which has a combination of two 2250mAh butterfly-designed graphene-based lithium-ion batteries. The phone supports 120W wired fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging.

UP NEXT: Realme 7, 7i launch on September 17 confirmed; Realme 7i full specifications and renders leaked

 

Huawei FreeBuds Pro TWS earphones teased ahead of launch this week

By
Jeet
-

A few days ago, Huawei confirmed that the company will be hosting a launch event on 10th September in China where it will launch a few of its products. At the same event, the company is set to debut its FreeBuds Pro TWS earphones.

Today, Huawei has released a new teaser video for the upcoming FreeBuds Pro headset. It reveals that the product features dynamic noise reduction technology. The teaser also indicates that the TWS earphones look similar to the letter “P.”

The company has already launched a few models in the series and now it seems that Huawei has ditched the number-based naming for the “Pro” suffix. Some of the details related to the true wireless earphones have been leaked online.

It is said that the upcoming TWS earphones from Huawei are similar in design to Apple AirPods Pro with silicone tips. It will be powered by the company’s in-house HiSilicon Kirin A1 chipset, which powers most of Huawei’s wearable devices.

EDITOR’S PICK: After Huawei, China’s largest chipset maker SMIC could get blacklisted by the United States

They are expected to feature Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and ANC (Active Noise Cancellation). While the size of drivers remains unknown, it is said that each bud will feature a total of three microphones and a 52.5mAh battery.

As for the pricing, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro will start at €150 in Europe and will be available for purchase from early October. However, it seems like the product will first go on sale in the company’s home market China.

UP NEXT: Honor Watch GS Pro and Honor Watch ES are now up for pre-booking in China; launching on 16th September

 

Honor Watch GS Pro and Honor Watch ES are now up for pre-booking in China

By
Jeet
-

At the IFA 2020 in Berlin a few days ago, Huawei sub-brand Honor had announced two new wearable devices — Honor Watch GS Pro and Honor Watch ES. Now, both of them have been listed on JD.com and are available for pre-booking.

While both the smartwatches have been listed online in China, pricing details for the Chinese market still remains unknown. The company will be officially launching both the devices in China through a launch event on 16th September.

Honor Watch GS Pro

HONOR Watch GS Pro Colors Charcoal Black Marl White and Camo Blue

The Honor Watch GS Pro is the company’s first rugged smartwatch. It comes with MIL-STD-810G certification and features a massive 790mAh battery that is claimed to offer a maximum 25-day battery life.

The device supports over 100 workout modes including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and others. It comes with a circular AMOLED display, measuring 1.39-inch with a screen resolution of 454 x 454 pixels and 326ppi pixel density.

There’s also an optical heart rate sensor, SpO2 sensor, accelerometer, gyro, barometer, compass, and ambient light sensor along with built-in GPS. It is powered by the Kirin A1 SoC and runs LiteOS.

As for the build, the casing is made of stainless steel and reinforced polycarbonate. It comes in three colors namely Charcoal Black, Marl White, and Camo Blue. It is priced at €249.99 for the EU nations and £249.99 in the UK.

EDITOR’S PICK: Exclusive – We’ve got POCO X3’s camera specs and other details

Honor Watch ES

With the Honor Wach ES, the company is targeting fashionable consumers. The device comes with a 1.64-inch rectangular AMOLED display with 456 x 280 pixels screen resolution, 326ppi pixel density, and 70% screen-to-body ratio.

This one is also powered by HiSilicon Kirin A1 and runs the company’s own LiteOS. There’s support for 95 workout modes and 12 animated workout courses. It also packs an optical heart-rate sensor, SpO2 sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, and ambient light sensor.

It is water-resistant up to 5ATM pressures and offers basic smartwatch features such as app notifications, alerts for calls & messages, sleep tracking, stress-level tracking, menstrual cycle tracking, and more.

The company claims that the Honor Watch ES could offer a 10-day battery life. It comes in three colors – Meteorite Black, Coral Pink, and Icelandic White. It costs €99.99 in the European market and £99.99 in the UK.

UP NEXT: Apple could announce its iPhone 12 launch event in the coming days

 

Apple could announce its iPhone 12 launch event in the coming days

By
Jeet
-

Apple usually launches its new iPhone series in the initial weeks of September, however, the company is behind schedule this year, most likely because of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company has already confirmed that the iPhone 12 models launching this year will be “available a few weeks later.” Now, as per the report from Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple could be making an announcement of its upcoming launch event this week.

Previously, it was reported by Jon Prosser that Apple has scheduled a press release for 8th September at 9:00 PM ET. Prior to that, he had said that the company will be launching a new iPad and Apple Watch models in the week of 7th September.

However, the new report from Mark Gurman claims that Apple won’t be announcing any hardware product but instead, it will just reveal the launch date through the press release. To know for sure, we’ll have to wait for a few more hours.

Given that the company holds the launch event roughly two weeks after sending out the invites, Apple could be hosting the iPhone 12 launch event on 22nd September if it sends out invites on 8th September.

EDITOR’S PICK: HongMeng OS-powered high-end tablets could come this year while the first smartphone is set to arriving next year

Although the phones could get announced in the coming weeks, it seems that the date of availability has been pushed. It is being reported 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.

At the launch event, along with the four iPhone 12 models, the tech giant is also expected to announce a few more products, including Apple Watch Series 6, a new iPad, new Apple TV, smaller HomePod, AirTags, and over-ear headphones.

UP NEXT: Realme 7, 7i launch on September 17 confirmed; Realme 7i full specifications and renders leaked

 

China’s largest chipset maker SMIC could get blacklisted by the United States

By
Jeet
-

The Trump administration in the United States has started a US-China trade war and has been adding sanctions on Huawei. Now, as per the report, the United States is planning to ban China’s largest semiconductor manufacturer SMIC.

SMIC relies on American chipmaking equipment. If the company gets added to the Entity List, that could make it more difficult to obtain the components needed to develop its capabilities and hurt the production of chipsets.

SMIC Logo

The ban on SMIC could badly hurt Huawei given that the company is manufacturing budget HiSilicon Kirin chipsets. As of now, SMIC is the only option left for Huawei given that it has been banned from using chipsets or its related technology by any American company.

The US Department of Defence is considering whether the chipmaker aids China’s military and defense apparatus. It alleges that SMIC worked with a large Chinese defense company and that university researchers linked to the military have tailored their work to fit SMIC’s technology. However, the company has denied those accusations.

EDITOR’S PICK: Rollme Hero Pro Is World’s First Smartwatch to pack Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chip

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), based in Shanghai, was founded in 20000. It recently raised around $7.8 billion in a secondary listing on the Star Market in July, making it the biggest public offering in China in a decade. For this, the company withdrew its listing from the New York Stock Exchange.

Although the company ranks among the top five semiconductor manufacturers in the world, it is far behind its competitors in terms of technology. While the likes of TSMC and Samsung have started manufacturing 5nm chipsets, SMIC is still using the 14nm process for manufacturing smartphone chips.

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Realme 7, 7i launch on September 17 confirmed; Realme 7i full specifications and renders leaked

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Last week, Realme launched the Realme 7 and Realme 7 Pro smartphones in India. Today, the Chinese firm confirmed that it will be announcing the Realme 7 and the all-new Realme 7i smartphone on Sept. 17 in Indonesia. There is a possibility that the Realme 7 that went official in India could be the same device that will go official on Sept. 17 in Indonesia. As far as Realme 7i, the posters released by the company have revealed a few pieces of information on its design and main specs. The Gadgetfight.id Instagram account has shared a snapshot of a promo material of the Realme 7i. The image has revealed the entire specs of the device.

Realme 7i launch date

Realme 7i specifications (Rumored)

The Realme 7i has a punch-hole LCD panel that produces an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. Like the Realme 7, the Realme 7i supports a 90Hz refresh rate. The leaked shot reveals that the phone will be available in green and light blue colors. The backside of the phone has a rectangle-shaped camera housing and a fingerprint scanner.

The 11nm Snapdragon 662 mobile platform that clocks at 2.0GHz is present under the hood of the Realme 7i. The SoC is coupled with 8 GB of RAM. The phone will offer internal storage of 128 GB.

Realme 7i leaked specs

Editor’s Pick:  Realme announces Smart TV 55, Buds Air Pro and Buds Wireless P at IFA 2020

It has a front camera of 16-megapixel. Its rear camera setup features a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel lens which could be a superwide sensor and a pair of 2-megapixel lenses which could be a macro shooter and a depth sensor. For capturing selfie shots, the handset possesses a 16-megapixel front camera.

The Realme 7i has a 5,000mAh battery and it will come with support for 18W charging. In comparison, the Realme 7 is equipped with 30W fast charging technology. At present, there is no word on its pricing.

UP NEXT: Realme 7, 7 Pro with Helio G95, SD720G, 90Hz display, 64MP quad cameras, and 65W charging launched in India

 

(via)

[Update] Exclusive: We’ve got POCO X3’s camera specs and other details

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

UPDATE: It turns out our source got the camera specs wrong today. We apologize for the mix-up. The fact that the same source also had the phone with him made us believe he was 100% correct. But sadly, for some reason, our source mixed up the specs.
Anyway, we have updated this story with the correct camera specs now.
Our review team has also got hold of the Poco X3 NFC and our hands-on article will be live very soon. So stay tuned.

Original story continues…

The global launch of the POCO X3 NFC smartphone will be held at 8 PM (GMT+8) today. It will be the first-ever smartphone to feature the recently unveiled Snapdragon 732G processor. Several details of the phone have appeared through its FCC certification, Geekbench listing, and other leaks. Today, we at GizmoChina bring you an exclusive shot of the protective sleeve designed for the POCO X3 NFC. The main specifications of the smartphone are mentioned on the sleeve. Moreover, we also obtained exclusive information on the cameras of the POCO X3 NFC.

It is mentioned on the POCO X3 NFC’s protective sleeve that it is driven by a 2.3GHz SD732G chipset. The smartphone has a 6.67-inch DotDisplay that produces Full HD+ resolution. We can confirm that the POCO X3 NFC has an LCD panel like the predecessor POCO X2 smartphone. The screen supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate.

Poco X3 NFC Specs

The rear side of the POCO X3 NFC features an AI-powered 64-megapixel quad camera. For selfies, the handset has a 20-megapixel camera housed inside the top-center positioned punch-hole on the screen. The handset has a 5,160mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The handset retains the side-facing fingerprint sensor.

None of the POCO X3 leaks have revealed the exact details of its rear cameras. However, a few hours ahead of the launch, GizmoChina has acquired exclusive information on the camera configurations of the POCO X3 NFC. Our source has confirmed that it will be retaining the Sony IMX686 64-megapixel main camera that was made available on the POCO X2.

Editor’s Pick: POCO M2 confirmed to feature FHD+ display, 6GB RAM, quad-camera, and fingerprint sensor

The quad-camera system of the predecessor, the Poco X2, comprised of a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide shooter, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. But we have learned from our source that the POCO X3’s rear camera setup has an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro lens apart from the main Sony IM686 camera. The leaked renders of the phone that have appeared in the recent past have revealed that the company has adopted a different design from the rear cameras system as compared to the POCO X2.

POCO X3 renders
POCO X3 NFC

The POCO X3 NFC will come preinstalled with MIUI 12 based Android 10 OS. Like the POCO X2, the successor model is expected to arrive with up 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of internal storage. Just like the X2, the new Poco X3 NFC will also be priced very aggressively.

 

UP NEXT: POCO phone with 48MP dual cameras in development

 

 

POCO phone with 48MP dual cameras in development

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

The POCO X3 NFC launches later today, and while the phone will feature a rear design we have not seen on any phone till date, it won’t be the only POCO phone to have such a look.

Apparently, the manufacturer has another phone in development with a similar rear design but this unnamed phone has two rear cameras, unlike the POCO X3 that packs four sensors. The info comes from  Digital Chat Station.

The Chinese leaker revealed on Weibo that he came across two prototype POCO phones. One of the phones is the POCO X3 which has 64MP quad rear cameras and a Qualcomm processor inside it while the other phone has 48MP dual-cameras. Both devices have a similar rear design as shown in the render.

POCO phone with dual camera

While the name of the phone is not known, it should be more affordable than any of the manufacturer’s current offering. The render, while not official, shows the phone doesn’t have a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. It also appears to have a centered hole in its screen just like that of the POCO X3.

Other than the POCO X3 NFC launch today, there is also the POCO M2 launch scheduled for tomorrow, September 8 in India. With two phones in the first week of the month, we shouldn’t expect this dual-camera phone until much later or the end of September at the earliest. Nevertheless, more details should surface before it launches.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi to launch a Mi 10 series 5G smartphone priced under €300

 

HongMeng OS high-end tablets coming this year? First phone arriving next year

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Huawei’s Developer Conference will begin on September 10 and we expect big announcements from the manufacturer with a focus on software. While we are still a few days away from the event, some interesting details have surfaced in a new leak.

According to the leaker Teme (@RODENT950) who is known for his Huawei-related leaks, folks will be able to “try HongMeng OS high-end tablets this year”. Based on the phrasing, it appears users will just be able to run and test the new operating system on these select tablets and not that they will actually run it out of the box.

The tweet also revealed that the design for this year’s (high-end) tablets, which are most likely the successors to the MatePad Pro and MatePad Pro 5G, will ditch the punch-hole design of the last generation but will still boast ultra-narrow bezels.

In another tweet, the leaker stated that HongMengOS 3.0 is “mobile-ready” and the first phone powered by the operating system will be announced in the second half of next year.

Huawei has confirmed it will announce HarmonyOS 2.0 (HongMengOS 2.0) at its developer conference this week. So it means that next year’s version will be 3.0 and will be the mobile-ready version that will appear in phones. The time frame is the second half of next year and our guess is that it will be announced at or after the 2021 Huawei Developer Conference.

We are excited to see what new features HongMengOS 2.0 will bring as they should provide hints as to what to expect when version 3.0 arrives next year.

UP NEXT: Huawei Chairman: Continued investment in HiSilicon can help Kirin chips in this crisis

 

Realme X7 Pro vs Redmi K30 Ultra vs ZTE Axon 20 5G: Specs Comparison

By
Michele Ingelido
-

Realme X7 Pro went official as one of the most affordable flagship killers of 2020. The handset packs one of the most powerful chipsets of the year but it is not made by Qualcomm: we are talking about the Dimensity 1000+ which allowed Realme to set a very affordable price for this handset. But the Realme X7 Pro is not the only phone with this SoC launched this year: there is Redmi K30 Ultra as well, in the same price range. That is why we decided to make a comparison between them and, for those who still do not trust MediaTek’s new flagship chipsets, we also brought the latest device launched with a Qualcomm SoC in the same price range: the ZTE Axon 20 5G.

Realme X7 Pro vs Xiaomi Redmi K30 Ultra vs ZTE Axon 20 5G

Realme X7 Pro Xiaomi Redmi K30 Ultra ZTE Axon 20 5G
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 160.8 x 75.1 x 8.5 mm, 184 g 163.3 x 75.4 x 9.1 mm, 213 grams 172.1 x 77.9 x 8 mm, 198 g
DISPLAY  6.55 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED 6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 395 ppi, AMOLED  6.92 inches, 1080 x 2460p (Full HD+), OLED
PROCESSOR MediaTek Dimensity 1000+, octa-core 2.6 GHz MediaTek Dimensity 1000+, octa-core 2.6 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, octa-core 2.4 GHz
MEMORY  6 GB RAM, 128 GB –  8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB  6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 512 GB  6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE  Android 10, Realme UI Android 10, MIUI  Android 10, Mi Favor
CONNECTIVITY  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS
CAMERA  Quad 64 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP  camera, f/1.8 + f/2.3 + f/2.4 + f/2.4
32 MP f/2.5 front camera		 Quad 64 + 13 + 5 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.4, f/2.2 and f/2.4
20 MP front camera		  Quad 64 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP  camera, f/1.8 + f/2.2 + f/2.4 + f/2.4
32 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY  4500 mAh, fast charging 65W 4500 mAh, fast charging 33W  4220 mAh, fast charging 30W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot, 5G Dual SIM slot, 5G Dual SIM slot, 5G, in-display camera

Design

ZTE Axon 20 5G is a very innovative device and it is the first smartphone to offer a full-screen experience while still including a selfie camera on the front panel. Indeed, the ZTE Axon 20 5G is the first phone with an under-display camera: a technology which is still not perfect on this device, but it provides a full-screen display while keeping a very thin body. The handset is also built with premium materials, including a glass back and an aluminum frame. The Redmi K30 Ultra has a full-screen display too, but it sports a motorized pop-up camera. The Realme X7 Pro has a punch-hole design.

 

Display

On the paper, the most convincing display belongs to the Redmi K30 Ultra which is equipped with an AMOLED panel sporting a 120 Hz refresh rate and the HDR10+ certification. Right after, we got the Realme X7 Pro which has a 120 Hz AMOLED display as well. but the ZTE Axon 20 5G offers an important advantage besides the under-display front camera: it has one of the widest panels ever seen on a phone, with a 6.92-inch diagonal. All of the devices feature a Full HD+ resolution.

 

Specs & Software

Realme X7 Pro and Redmi K30 Ultra are both equipped with the flagship-class Dimensity 1000+ chipset: in order to give you an idea, AnTuTu places this SoC in the middle between Snapdragon 855+ and Snapdragon 865. You probably understood that it is a more powerful chipset than the Snapdragon 765G found on the ZTE Axon 20 5G. And, obviously, it supports 5G networks. Redmi K30 Ultra and Realme X7 Pro feature up to 8 GB of RAM, but the former has up to 512 GB of native storage, while Realme X7 Pro stops at 256 GB. With the ZTE Axon 20 5G you get max 256 GB, but it is the only one with a micro SD slot. Android 10 is installed out of the box and customized by custom UIs.

 

Camera

The Redmi K30 Ultra looks like the device with the best rear camera capabilities because it has better secondary sensors on the rear side. We are talking about a 13 MP ultrawide lens and a 5 MP telephoto macro sensor. But when it comes to the front camera, ZTE Axon 20 5G (and Realme X7 Pro) are definitely better. Realme X7 Pro and ZTE Axon 20 5G have a very similar rear camera department, with just the ultrawide sensor being slightly different.

 

Battery

Realme X7 Pro and Redmi K30 Ultra have a bigger 4500 mAh battery than the ZTE Axon 20 5G. Given that they have the same chipset and the same refresh rate, it is hard to understand which one will last more on a single charge without testing them thoroughly. But note that Realme X7 Pro has a faster charging technology with a 65W power.

 

Price

Realme X7 Pro and ZTE Axon 20 5G are both priced about €270/$320 in China, while Redmi K30 Ultra starts from €329/$389. The differences between Realme X7 Pro and Redmi K30 Ultra are so marginal that it is not worth spending €50/$70 more for the Redmi K30 Ultra. The Redmi K30 Ultra has the best secondary rear cameras and HDR10+, but Realme X7 Pro has faster charging and a better front camera, as well as a sleeker design, imho. With those price tags, unless the design is your main concern, I think there is actually no reason to go for the ZTE Axon 20 5G.

 

 

Realme X7 Pro vs Xiaomi Redmi K30 Ultra vs ZTE Axon 20 5G: PRO and CONS

Realme X7 Pro

PROS

  • 120 Hz AMOLED display
  • Stereo speakers
  • Very fast charging
  • More compact

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

ZTE Axon 20 5G

PROS

  • Great materials
  • Under-display front camera
  • Very wide display
  • Micro SD slot

CONS

  • Inferior hardware

 

Xiaomi Redmi K30 Ultra

PROS

  • AMOLED 120 Hz display
  • Good rear cameras
  • Nice materials
  • Stereo speakers

CONS

  • Inferior front camera

Huawei’s CEO says the challenges facing the tech giant will help forge “heroes”

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Huawei’s founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei has stated that the challenges facing the embattled Chinese company will help forge “heroes,” an indication that the company may be down but definitely not out. Huawei store logo official

The tech mogul stated this while addressing strategy experts and new recruits at an internal forum Thursday. The Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. CEO and founder said that while the firm was operating in unprecedented and troubling times, talented staff were being cultivated across the board.

The company’s R&D system alone comprises 90,000 employees, far more than one would see in a “Western” tech company, he said, which may be able to function at a high level with fewer people and more resources, but without Huawei’s tribulations would raise fewer “heroes”.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Commerce further tightened rules restricting the sale of microchips and other technology to Huawei, which effectively banned any company, anywhere in the world, from supplying it with chips unless approved by the U.S.

Regarding the latest round of U.S. hostility towards the Chinese tech company, which the Trump administration has said is based on unspecified security threats and Huawei’s alleged links with the Chinese military, Ren said, “It takes one U.S. government directive, and we have to change thousands of circuit boards, parts, and algorithms. Once we’ve made the changes, we have to do it all again… We end up making changes to our circuit boards on repeat.”

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

 

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