Upcoming Google Pixelbook to feature up to 16GB of RAM, launches in 2021: Report

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Aug 31, 2020

After concerns over the data collection practices of TikTok and the U.S. government’s threat to ban the short video social media app in the country if it doesn’t sell the business to an American company, everything was seemingly falling in line for the U.S. But that is no longer the case.

As per the latest report, the Chinese government has imposed new restrictions on the export of artificial intelligence technologies which will now require ByteDance to seek the approval of the Chinese government for selling TikTok’s U.S. operations.

China’s Ministry of Commerce has added AI-backed technologies such as speech and text recognition, and those that analyze data for personalized content recommendations have been added to the list of export-control products. It adds that the government permits will be required for overseas transfers to “safeguard national economic security.”

It seems that the new rule is aimed at delaying the sale of TikTok to the U.S.-based company. In a statement, ByteDance has said that the company was aware of the new restrictions and would “strictly comply with” the Chinese regulations on technology exports.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung Display sells off its Suzhou LCD plant to TCL Technology

Recently, Walmart confirmed that it has partnered with Microsoft in an attempt to purchase TikTok in the United States. It was confirmed just hours after TikTok CEO Kevin Mayers announced his resignation.

It was being speculated that the resignation could be because of the acquisition deal getting finalized. In his resignation letter, he said that he expects “a resolution very soon,” hinting that the official acquisition-related announcement could be made within days.

To acquire TikTok’s U.S. business from ByteDance, Microsoft and Oracle are the leading contenders. However, it is reported that Centricus Asset Management Ltd. and Triller Inc. have also made a last-minute pitch to buy TikTok’s operations in several countries for about $20 billion.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE’s pricing for Canada leaked

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Aug 31, 2020

The arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is drawing since recent reports have revealed almost everything about it. The Galaxy S20 FE is arriving as the successor for the Galaxy S10 Lite phone. Judging from the leaks, it appears that the Fan Edition phone may go official as early as next month. DealNTech has comes across a couple of listings that have revealed the pricing of the Galaxy S20 FE for Canada.

As can be seen in the screengrab, the Galaxy S20 FE has mentioned with CAD 1,148.65 pricing for Canada. The pricing roughly equates to $876. The listing even reveals that the Galaxy S20 FE could be coming to Canada in colors like Navy, Lavender, Sky Green, Red, White, and Orange.

The Galaxy S20 FE for Canada supports 5G connectivity and it has 128 GB of internal storage. Past reports have revealed that depending on the market, the Galaxy S20 FE will be available in 4G and 5G flavors.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Display sells off its Suzhou LCD plant to TCL Technology

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE specifications (Rumored)

The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition has a 6.5-inch S-AMOLED display with a punch-hole design. It supports Full HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 865 mobile platform may power the device with 6 GB of RAM. It may come with 128 GB of built-in storage and a microSD card slot. The Indian edition of the Galaxy S20 FE may feature Exynos 990 SoC.

The Galaxy S20 FE has a 4,500mAh battery and IP68 rated chassis. The smartphone will boot to One UI 2.5 based Android 10 OS. IT may come with a 32-megapixel selfie camera and a Sony IMX555 12-megapixel (main)+ 12-megapixel (ultrawide) + 12-megapixel (telephoto) triple camera system.

Samsung Display sells off its Suzhou LCD plant to TCL Technology

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Aug 31, 2020

Samsung Display, an arm of South Korea-based Samsung Electronics which makes display panel for various devices, has sold off its LCD production line located in Suzhou, China to TCL Technology.

The move is in line with the company’s plan to stop the production of LCD panels by the end of this year. The South Korean company is now shifting its focus towards the production of LED panels and the next-generation QD panels.

Samsung Display has announced that the company has signed an agreement to sell its entire stake in Suzhou production line to TCL Huaxing, a subsidiary of TCL Technology, in a deal worth around $1.08 billion.

It handed over around 60 percent stake in a fab in charge of front-end processes and a 100 percent stake in a back-end module production line at the Suzhou plant to TCL Huaxing. Following this deal, Samsung Display has also acquired a 12.33 percent stake in TCL Huaxing for $739 million.

EDITOR’S PICK: Render of Samsung Wireless Charger that can charge three devices at a go leak online

The plant can handle production of 160,000 sheets per month and is currently processing 120,000 sheets of glass per month. It is currently used for producing 32-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch panels for mainstream products in the market.

With this acquisition, TCL Technology now has three 8.5th-generation lines and two 11th- generation lines for the LCD panel production. It seems that the company is seeking to expand its market share in the display segment without spending much money on setting up its own production facilities.

Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro could be coming to India with around Rs. 35,000 (~$476) pricing

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Aug 31, 2020

Last week, it was revealed that Xiaomi is gearing up to introduce Xiaomi Mi 10T and Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro smartphones in global markets including India. The images and key specs of the Mi 10T series have also appeared. Both phones are expected to replace the Xiaomi Mi 9T and Mi 9T Pro phones from last year. Reliable tipster Ishan Agarwal has claimed that a new Xiaomi phone with flagship specs is rumored to be heading to India with a price tag of around Rs. 35,000. He did not reveal the name of the device but speculated that it could be the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro smartphone.

The tipster revealed that Xiaomi’s next flagship phone for India has a 108-megapixel main camera, Snapdragon 865 mobile platform, and a display with high refresh rate support. The device is expected to be priced around Rs. 35,000 (~$476).

Editor’s Pick: Redmi K30 5G variants revealed ahead of rumored India launch

The aforementioned specs match with the rumored specs of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro. It is speculated that the Mi 10T Pro is equipped with an OLED panel that supports a 144Hz refresh rate and it has a 10-megapixel triple camera system. The phone may draw power from a 5,000mAh battery and it is likely to carry support for rapid charging.

The leaked shots of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro revealed that it has a punch-hole display and a side-mounted fingerprint reader. The rear side of the phone has a Vivo X50-like camera module that features a rectangle-shaped camera module that includes a large-sized main lens followed by two horizontally arranged two cameras.

While the Mi 10T Pro is expected to come with a 108-megapixel triple camera system, the Mi 10T may come with 64-megapixel triple rear cameras. At present, there is no official word on the existence of the Mi 10T series.

Xiaomi vertical wireless charging socket is now on sale in China for 129 yuan ($19)

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Aug 31, 2020

Last month, Xiaomi started crowdfunding a vertical wireless charging socket on Xiaomi Mall, for a price of 109 yuan (~$16). By the end of the crowdfunding campaign, around 35,000 people backed the product.

Now, the product is available for purchase on Xiaomi Mall, Xiaomi Youpin, and other retail channels of the company, carrying a price tag of 129 yuan, which roughly converts to $19.

The Xiaomi Vertical Wireless Charging Socket uses dual-coil wireless charging so that the devices can be charged however they are placed — vertically or horizontally. The maximum wireless charging speed is 10W.

It is designed in such a way that the socket can also be used as a mobile stand with a 20-degree viewing angle. Being a charging socket, it comes equipped with three USB ports and a single port output is 18W.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei shifts focus towards cloud computing business which still has access to U.S. chips

The device also comes with a new standard combination jack and the two sets of standard combination hacks can fulfill the power needs of two desktop plugs, says the company. There is also a green-colored indicator to show the charging status.

The product also has a wireless charging stand with a non-slip silicone cushion. It is designed in such a way that when a device is docked, it offers a 20-degree viewing angle and can be used for several functions, including music playing, chatting, browsing, etc.

Huawei shifts focus towards cloud computing business with U.S. chip access

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Aug 31, 2020

The United States recently tightened sanctions against Huawei and its subsidiaries, banning the company from getting its hands on chipsets for smartphones or any of the other hardware products from the company.

However, a new report from FT claims that despite the sanctions, the Chinese giant still has access to U.S. chipsets for the cloud business, and thus, the company will now be shifting its focus towards that.

For those who are unaware, Huawei has a cloud computing business that sells computing power and storage solutions to companies. It also gives access to artificial intelligence and the report adds that this division is growing rapidly.

Huawei is putting the cloud computing business in line with the smartphones and telecom equipment business. On top of that, it is said that the Chinese government will increasingly support the company through public cloud contracts.

EDITOR’S PICK: There will be no HarmonyOS smartphones in 2020, confirms Huawei Chief Executive Officer

A few months ago, the Trump administration tightened restrictions on Huawei and its subsidiaries, banning the company from procuring chipsets that are made in the U.S. or use American technologies. With this, TSMC, the contract manufacturer for Huawei, stopped taking new orders and will completely stop the business from 15th September.

The Chinese giant is all set to launch its Mate40 flagship smartphone series in the coming days and along with it, the company will also launch the Kirin 9000 SoC, which is said to be the last flagship chipset from the brand.

However, it is being reported that Huawei is planning on manufacturing its own chipsets. It is said that the Chinese tech giant will be announcing its plan on creating its own semiconductor chips without requiring any US equipment or components.

Xiaomi MIJIA high-end Washing Machine and Dryer to launch on September 1

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Aug 31, 2020

Xiaomi has taken to Weibo to announced that the company will be launching its new Smart Home Appliance on 1st September, i.e. tomorrow. The Chinese company is all set to launch a high-end Washing Machine & Dryer.

Making the announcement, the company said that the new MIJIA high-end washer and dryer will be quieter, more stable, and more surging. It adds that the user experience will be better and worth looking forward to.

Prior to this, in April this year, the company had launched the MIJIA Internet Washing Machine and Dryer 1C for a price of 2099 yuan (~$295) and is now on sale in China. It is an upgrade over the MIJIA Internet Washing Machine and Dryer Pro launched last year.

It comes with 10kg capacity and a display that is made from tempered glass. It also has support for XiaoAI smart voice assistant. The model has a compact build, with a door diameter of 468mm and comes with a cycle power of 0.873 kWh.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi’s quarterly infographics detail the tech giant’s surging growth driven by an impressive product lineup

The washing machine supports up to 22 different washing modes, including smart air washing. The appliance can be controlled through the MIJIA app with options to select washing and drying modes and make custom adjustments.

There are also reports indicating that Xiaomi is planning to launch a wide range of smart home products in the Indian market this year, including a smart refrigerator and a washing machine. The report indicates Q4 2020 as the launch timeframe but the exact month or date is not yet known.

Redmi K30 Ultra Bluetooth SIG certified; Could be there an international variant?

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Aug 31, 2020

Earlier this month, Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra and Redmi K30 Ultra smartphones in China. Soon after the launch, a Xiaomi spokesperson said that Xiaomi currently has no plans to launch the Mi 10 Ultra and Redmi K30 Ultra outside China. Leakster Mukul Sharma has spotted a couple of Redmi phones including Redmi K30 Ultra that are currently available only in China in the list of Google supported devices. At the same time, the Redmi K30 Ultra has received approval from the Bluetooth SIG authority. The listings do not really reveal that they are heading to global markets, but there are slim chances that some of these devices may debut outside China.

Redmi 10X, Redmi 10X Pro, Mi 10 Ultra, and Redmi K30 Ultra appear on the Google Supported Devices list. Global launch imminent?#Redmi10X #Redmi10XPro #Mi10Ultra #RedmiK30Ultra pic.twitter.com/WXbTw96ApH

— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) August 30, 2020

The Redmi 10X with M2004J7AC model number, Redmi 10X Pro with M2004J7BC model number, Redmi K30 Ultra with M2006J10C model number, and Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra with M2007J1SC cane now be seen in Google supported devices list. The global variants of Xiaomi phones are supposed to have a letter ‘G’ at the end of the model numbers. However, the handsets that have appeared in the list of Google supported devices have letter ‘C’ at the end of their model numbers suggest that they are Chinese variants.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi to launch Mi Watch Revolve and Mi Band 5 in India soon

Meanwhile, the Bluetooth SIG body has also approved the Chinese variant of the Redmi K30 Ultra. At present, it is difficult to say now whether the Redmi K30 Ultra and other phones mentioned in this post are heading to global markets. The above listings show that the company is currently testing the Chinese variants, which suggests that it may test the international variants later.

After the launch of Mi 10 Ultra and Redmi K30 Ultra, Daniel D, the Senior Product Marketing Manager and Global Spokesperson for Xiaomi did not entirely deny their global launch. He had tweeted, “For the moment, we don’t have plans for official global channels, but stay tuned for future news!” Since the global launch is not entirely ruled out, it is advisable to wait for further reports to see whether Redmi K30 Ultra or other phones will be released in markets outside China.

Realme V3 may launch tomorrow as the cheapest 5G phone from the brand

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Aug 31, 2020

Realme will be launching the Realme X7 series of smartphones in China tomorrow. The lineup has Realme X7 and Realme X7 Pro smartphones. A recent leak had claimed that a more powerful Realme X7 Pro with flagship specs like Snapdragon 865 will also debut tomorrow. However, the Chinese firm has not revealed any details on it yet, which suggests that it is unlikely to launch tomorrow. Interestingly, a Chinese tipster has claimed that the company will launch three phones tomorrow and all of them will be powered by MediaTek’s 5G chipsets. Hence, it appears that the company may launch the Realme V3 phone as its cheapest 5G phone.

The tipster also mentioned that one of the Realme phones with 5G support debuting tomorrow is priced at 1,000 Yuan (~$146). China’s TENAA telecom authority recently approved three new phones with model numbers RMX2176, RMX2121, and RMX2200 / RMX2201.

The RMX2176 model number belongs to the Realme X7 and the Realme X7 Pro’s model number is RMX2121. Hence, the third phone i.e. RMX2200 / RMX2201 which has weaker specs compared to the other two phones could be debuting as the most affordable 5G phone from the brand tomorrow. Rumors have it that it could be a V-series phone and it may debut as Realme V3.

Editor’s Pick: Realme aims to sell 100 million units of smartphones annually by expanding into more markets

Realme RMX2200 / RMX2201 Specifications

The Realme RMX2200 / RMX2201 phone has a 6.52-inch IPS LCD panel with HD+ resolution support. The device has a rated battery of 4,890mAh capacity. The 3C listing of the phone had revealed that it may ship with an 18W fast charger. The 2.0GHz octa-core processor that fuels it could be the Dimensity 720 5G chipset.

The smartphone could be coming RAM variants like 4GB, 6GB, and 8 GB and storage choices like 64 GB and 128 GB. The phone is loaded with Android 10 OS and it has a rear-positioned fingerprint sensor. It has a front camera of 8-megapixel and a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple rear cameras.

Redmi K30 5G variants revealed ahead of rumored India launch

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Aug 31, 2020

In December 2019, Redmi announced the Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G smartphone in China and it went on sale in the beginning of this year. It debuted as the brand’s first 5G-ready smartphone. The handset has recently received approval from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in India. It suggested that the India launch of the Redmi K30 5G may not be far away. Pricebaba’s new report that has exclusive information from tipster Ishan Agarwal has revealed the variants and color options of the Redmi K30 5G for India.

According to the report, the Redmi K30 5G for India will be available in two color variants such as Frost White and Mist Purple. As far as RAM and storage versions are concerned, the smartphone could be arriving in options such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. In China, the Redmi K30 5G came in 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. India may not receive the 256 GB storage variant.

Editor’s Pick: Redmi 9A Indian launch set for September 2; first sale on September 4

Redmi K30 5G specifications and features

The Redmi K30 5G has a 6.67-inch IPS LCD display with dual punch-hole design. The screen supports FHD+ resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, and 120Hz refresh rate. It has a 20-megapixel main selfie camera that is assisted by a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

The rear panel of the Redmi K30 5G features a Sony IMX686 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth assist lens. The Android 10 OS with MIUI runs on the device.

The Snapdragon 765G SoC fuels the device. It has a 4,500mAh battery with 30W fast charging support. In China, the phone arrived with a starting price of 1,999 Yuan (~$291; ~Rs. 21,350) At present, there is no word on the launch date of the Redmi K30 5G for India.

Huawei Enjoy 20, Enjoy 20 Plus launch event to be held on September 3

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Aug 31, 2020

Recent reports have revealed a lot about the upcoming Huawei Enjoy 20 and Enjoy 20 Plus smartphones. These are expected to break cover as the most affordable 5G phones from the brand. Today, the company took to Weibo to confirm that the new Enjoy 20 series phones will be debuting in China on Sept. 3.

The poster released by the company today showcases two Enjoy 20 series handsets. The one with the circular camera module is the Enjoy 20 Plus 5G, whereas the one that has a square-shaped camera setup is the Enjoy 20. Past reports have revealed the specifications and live shots of the Enjoy 20 and Enjoy 20 Plus 5G phones. It is speculated that the new Enjoy 20 series may debut with 1,000 Yuan (~$146) pricing.

Editor’s Pick: Honor may launch a smartwatch similar to the Huawei Watch Fit

Huawei Enjoy 20 5G specifications (Rumored)

The Enjoy 20 5G has already appeared in TENAA’s database with full specs. The listing revealed that it has a waterdrop notch display of 6.5 inches that offers Full HD+ resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio. The handset has a 5,000mAh battery and it may come with 4 GB / 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB / 128 GB of internal storage. It has an 8-megapixel front camera and a 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system.

The Enjoy 20 Plus 5G has a 6.63-inch IPS LCD panel with a 20:9 aspect ratio and FHD+ resolution support. It has a pop-up selfie camera of 16-megapixel and its rear has a 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system. It has a 4,200mAh battery with 40W fast charging support. The phone may come with 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB / 128 GB of native storage.

The Enjoy 20 5G and Enjoy 20 Plus 5G smartphones will be powered by Dimensity chipsets by MediaTek. One of them or both are rumored to be equipped with Dimensity 720 SoC. Both phones run on Android 10 OS and are equipped with side-facing fingerprint readers. The pricing of the Enjoy 20 5G is not known, but the China Telecom product library listing of the Enjoy 20 Plus revealed that it may start at 1,899 Yuan (~$277).

Redmi 9A Indian launch set for September 2; first sale on September 4

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Aug 30, 2020

The Redmi family is about to get bigger in India. Just a week after launching the Redmi 9, Redmi India is set to announce the entry-level Redmi 9A.

The manufacturer has set Wednesday, September 2, as the launch date for the smartphone and has also announced that it will go on sale on Friday, September 4. Redmi India is also going to announce a new pair of wired earphones on the same day. So if you will be picking up the device when it launches, you may also want to grab a pair of new earphones as there won’t be one in the box.

The Redmi 9A will have a 6.53-inch HD+ display which is bigger than that of its predecessor but it will keep the waterdrop notch. There is an Helio G25 processor under the hood powering the device. While the international variant has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, there is a chance the Indian version will have a different configuration.

The phone will have a single 13MP camera on its back and a 5MP selfie camera. Just like the Redmi 8A, it will have a 5000mAh battery capacity, but disappointingly, there is no 18W charging this time around and the USB-C port has been swapped for a MicroUSB one. The Redmi 9A will run MIUI 12 based on Android 10 out of the box.

The Redmi 9A launched in Europe for €99 (~INR 8,625) but it should be cheaper in India since the Redmi 9 which has better specs is priced at INR 8,999 (~€103) for the base model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

Poll of The Week: Do you still use memory cards?

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Aug 30, 2020

In recent times phone storage has become really affordable and manufacturers have become so generous such that even budget phones like the Redmi 9 (Indian version) come with 128GB of storage. Notwithstanding, a lot of manufacturers still include the option for storage expansion even on variants with more storage than buyers will need.

For this week’s poll, we want to know if you still use memory cards, that is if your device supports it. Do you still pop in a MicroSD card (or NM card as the case may be) irrespective of the storage capacity of your device or is external storage now a thing of the past? Do take the poll and also post a comment about what you think of external storage.

[yop_poll id=”51″]

Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Pro receives Bluetooth certification

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Aug 30, 2020

A few days ago, we reported that the Wireless Power Consortium has certified a new pair of TWS earbuds from Xiaomi called the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Pro. Today, the earphones have been certified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG).

The Bluetooth SIG website has published the certificate of the earbuds and it confirms it will indeed launch as the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Pro. The model number, TWSEJ09WM, also matches the one on the site of the Wireless Power Consortium. The only new info is that the TWS earbuds have Bluetooth 5.0.

There is a possibility the earbuds are close to launching seeing as they have received two certifications already.

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Pro will support wireless charging and also have active noise cancelation. We also know that it will come in black and will have a closed-ear design with silicone tips to keep the sound in. There is also an infrared sensor on each earbud for wear detection and the smooth surface of the outer part of the earbuds point at support for touch controls.

Xiaomi also has another pair of wireless earbuds with noise cancelation on the way. The official name is Mi Active Noise Cancelling Earphones and it has model number LYXQEJ05WM. Other features of the TWS earbuds include Bluetooth 5.0, IPX4 waterproof rating, and support for SBC and AAC audio codecs.

Redmi India teases new wired earphones; to launch on September 2

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