Meizu delivers the promised camera stabilization update to Meizu 17/17 Pro

-

Jul 7, 2020

OnePlus‘ much-anticipated affordable Nord smartphone is expected to be unveiled on July 21 in a virtual launch event. Ahead of the launch, details of the smartphone have continued to make the rounds. The latest that we came across is a store listing for the OnePlus Nord with the specs and price in tow.

The device was listed by Romanian retailer evoMAG.ro and it carries a price tag of RON 2,300 (around €475/$535). The price looks doubtful especially when we take into account the fact that the company has hinted that the price will be under $500. Also, the product image is an inaccurate render with a single central selfie camera. Latest details show that the OnePlus Nord will feature an extended punch-hole design at the top left corner which will be able to take two camera sensors. The rear design isn’t also the correct representation of the Nord which will have a quad-camera setup.

Thus, it is safe to say this is just a listing for clout and can’t be relied upon to know the price of the Nord in Europe.

As a reminder, the OnePlus Nord is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor which will usher in 5G connectivity. The processor will be paired with 6GB of RAM and there will be 128GB of internal storage onboard. The phone will also pack a 4300mAh battery.

Just recently, popular tipster Ishan Argawal tweeted that the Nord will come with OIS. In addition, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei chipped in that the camera will be of “flagship-level”. According to Android Authority, citing an OnePlus insider, the Nord will feature a quad-camera setup at the rear aspect which will include a 48MP main sensor as against 64MP previously rumoured. Other sensors are an 8MP wide-angle lens, 5MP macro module, and a 2MP portrait lens. At the front, the selfie setup consists of a 32MP and 8MP twin camera layout.

There is hardly any doubt that the OnePlus Nord is an interesting product to watch out for.

(source)

OnePlus Nord’ 48MP quad-camera setup revealed

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jul 7, 2020

New details of the OnePlus Nord keep surfacing. The latest is the configuration of the rear cameras of the smartphone.

The news comes from Android Central, the same publication that revealed the info about the phone’s front-facing cameras about two weeks ago. Citing an insider at the company as the source, it has been reported that the OnePlus Nord will have a 48MP quad-camera setup on the back.

The 48MP camera is combined with an 8MP ultrawide angle camera, a 5MP macro camera, and a 2MP portrait (depth) camera. This configuration is similar to that of the just-announced Moto G 5G Plus. It will be interesting to see which phone has the better camera.

The source doesn’t mention the specific model of the main camera sensor. But seeing as OnePlus has been raving about the phone having a “flagship-level camera”, we presume it may be the Sony IMX586 present in the OnePlus 8.

Yesterday, it was officially confirmed the OnePlus Nord has optical image stabilization for shake-free photos. We expect it to also have a night mode and pro mode.

The OnePlus Nord will be announced on July 21. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 765G 5G processor, have an AMOLED display with a 90HZ refresh rate, and have support for 30W wired fast charge.

(Source)

Huawei exec reveals EMUI 11 will debut in Q3 2020

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

Huawei presently ranks as the number one smartphone maker globally after it beat Samsung to clinch the top spot consecutively in May and June. The popularity of the brand’s mobile phones also means that its custom ROM called EMUI is also popular due to the fact that it runs on millions of devices worldwide. The latest iteration is the EMUI 10.1 which just got released for some models. However, the company have revealed plans for its next major update.

According to Huawei’s Consumer Business Software Department president Dr. Wang Chenglu, EMUI 11 will arrive in the third quarter of this year. He stated this during a special event to mark the eight-year anniversary of the EMUI custom ROM.

The Huawei exec did not specify a date that it would be unveiled but there are speculations that the next-generation custom ROM will be released alongside the Mate 40 series. The flagship series should be the first to have the new EMUI 11 skin onboard.

Going down memory lane, Huawei first introduced EMUI in 2012 as Emotion UI 1.0 and it was based on Android 4.0. Subsequent years have seen new versions get released based on newer Android versions until the latest EMUI 10 released in August last year. The software chief also indicated that the company is making efforts to bring more app developers on board the Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) core as a viable alternative to Google’s offering.

(via)

Xiaomi-backed Moaan launches inkPad X eBook reader for 1,699 Yuan ($242)

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

Xiaomi is known for various products, thanks to the number of brands under its ecological chain. One such brand called Moaan has launched inkPad X, an eBook reader for 1,699 Yuan ($242).

The Moaan inkPad X features a 10-inch E Ink display with 1600 x 1200 resolution. It measures 237.1 x 172 x 7.4mm in dimensions and weighs 358g. It comes in a single color variant – Obsidian Black.

The eBook reader is powered by an ARM quad-core Cortex-A7 chip clocked at 1.8GHz paired with 2GB LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB eMMC storage. As for software, it runs a heavily-skinned Android 8.1 Oreo operating system.

Talking about the screen, it is covered by an anti-glare glass. Also, it supports 24 brightness levels of warm and cold temperatures. However, the brand hasn’t mentioned ppi anywhere in the product listing on Xiaomi Youpin or in the specification sheet on its official website.

The connectivity options on the device include USB Type-C, dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz) WiFi, and Bluetooth 5.0. It also features a speaker and a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) microphone.

Last but not least, the brand claims 45 days of standby time from its 3,800mAh battery, which charges at a maximum rate of 10W.

(Via)

HTC records a surge in revenue in June 2020, thanks to the Desire 20 Pro

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

Taiwanese mobile phone manufacturer HTC has continued to experience a downward spiral in its market share in the past two years and that has resulted in a reduction in the number of models the tech company churns out each month. However, the month of June 2020 seems to be a good one for the company as it recorded a substantial growth in its revenue occasioned by the Desire 20 Pro released mid-June.

HTC’s revenue jumped by 63.5% last month as it reached NT$649 million. This is said to be NT$250 million more than its revenue in May. This happens to be the company’s highest revenue recorded this year.

The Desire 20 Pro responsible for the surge in revenue was launched on June 16. The phone is a 4G phone equipped with a 6.5-inch punch-hole display. It is powered by a Snapdragon 665 processor paired with 6GB of RAM and there is 128GB of storage onboard. The phone also packs a quad-camera setup with a 48-megapixel main. It is priced at NT$ 8990 and is available in HTC’s home market.

HTC’s revenue is also expected to remain strong in the next few months as the new U20 5G is billed to go on pre-sale from July 1-31st and on sale in August. The phone which is the brand’s first 5G phone features a 6.8-inch punch-hole display with a quad-camera setup and rear-fingerprint sensor. It is powered by a Snapdragon 765G SoC with 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM. There is equally a huge 5000mAh and support for 18W fast charging. It is priced at 18990 NTD (about 4539).

(via)

The €349 Moto G 5G Plus has a 90Hz display, 48MP quad cameras and a 5000mAh battery

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jul 7, 2020

I remember the first-gen Moto G announced in 2013 – a pretty little phone with a single camera, 1GB of RAM, and 3G connectivity. I still miss it and it is one of my favorite Android smartphones. The Moto G line has evolved over the years and today marks another milestone for it as Motorola unveils the first model with support for 5G. Called the Moto G 5G Plus, the phone sticks to the series’ tradition of offering value for money.

Moto G 5G Plus Design

The Moto G 5G Plus has a double punch hole in its display for two selfie cameras. Unlike other phones we have seen that have a large pill-shaped hole for their dual front-facing cameras, the Moto G 5G Plus has two separate holes. The phone tries to keep the bezels slim but the chin is slightly thicker than the rest.

On the back of the phone is a squircle camera housing that is home to four camera sensors. There is a long LED flash designed like a Xenon flash flanking the setup on the right.

The Motorola batwing logo sits in the middle but it doesn’t double as a fingerprint scanner in this case. The Moto G 5G Plus comes with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that is buried under the power button.

The phone comes in Surfing Blue with a beautiful diamond-patterned finish on the back and a water-repellent design.

Moto G 5G Plus Specifications

The Moto G 5G Plus has a 6.7-inch CinemaVision FHD+ (1080 x 2520) display with a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10 support.

Powering the phone is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There is also a 6GB RAM version with 128GB of storage. The phone has a dedicated MicroSD card slot for storage expansion.

The Moto G 5G Plus has a 48MP f/1.7 1.6µm primary camera on the back. It also has a 5MP f/2.2 macro camera, an 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide angle lens, and a 2MP f/2.2 depth camera. Up in front is a 16MP f/2.0 main camera paired with an 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide angle camera for wide-angle selfies.

The camera app is packed with lots of features such as best shot, manual mode (for front and back cameras), sample color, live filter, night vision, portrait lighting, and Google Lens integration.

There is a 5000mAh battery under the hood that should last up to 2 days depending on usage. It supports 20W TurboPower fast charging via a USB Type-C port. The Moto G 5G Plus has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and also has support for Face Unlock. There is an audio jack at the bottom and the spec sheet says it has NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, dual SIM support (nano only), and a dedicated Google Assistant button.

Motorola ships it with My UX based on Android 10 with features such as Moto Display, Moto Actions, and Moto Gametime Moto Audio.

Moto G 5G Plus Price and Availability

The phone is priced at €349 for the 64GB version and €399 for the 128GB version. It will go on sale in Europe tomorrow and Motorola has promised it will be announced in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, the US will not be getting it. However, there will be another Motorola phone with a price tag under $500 launching there later this year.

AnTuTu Best Price Performance Phone ranking for June 2020

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

AnTuTu is best known for its benchmark app which is a good reference point for the performance of smartphones especially based on their processor power. The outfit equally evaluates the price points of the top-selling phones based on their prices and AnTuTu score to give a ranking of the best value for money models in the various pricing categories. Here is the ranking for June 2020 and the price used in the ranking is that with which the models are sold in China.

The categorization no includes a segment for phones selling above 4500 yuan and this is as a result of a rise in 5G phones in the market. However, do note that the ranking only takes into consideration the phone’s AnTuTu performance and price, and does not include factors such as mobile phone design, workmanship, and photography.

In the price range of 0-1499 yuan, the Redmi Note 8 Pro topped the list, followed by Honor 9X, Redmi K30 5G, Honor Play4T Pro, Redmi K30i 5G, Redmi 10X 4G, Redmi K30, Redmi Note 8, Vivo Y5s.

In the 1500-1999 yuan price segment, the Dimensity 800-powered Redmi 10X 5G tops the list, followed by Redmi K30 5G Speed Edition, Honor 20, Huawei Nova5z, Huawei Nova6 SE, and Honor 20S.

Going further, the Redmi K30 Pro topped the list of best-performing models in the 2000-2999 yuan price segment. It is followed by the iQOO Z1, iQOO Neo3, Honor V30, Meizu 16, OPPO Reno Ace, Honor 20 Pro, Huawei Nova6, Redmi 10X Pro 5G, Huawei Nova5 Pro.

In the price range of 3000-4499 yuan, the Black Shark Game Phone 3 emerged as the number one model the first, followed by Realme X50 Pro Player Edition, OPPO Ace2, iQOO 3, Meizu 17, Xiaomi Mi 10, Honor V30 Pro, OnePlus 8, Meizu 17 Pro, and Huawei Mate30.

Finally, in the above-4500 yuan segment, Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro ranked first in the list, followed by Vivo NEX 3S, OnePlus 8 Pro, Honor 30 Pro +, OPPO Find X2, Huawei Mate30 Pro, Vivo NEX 3, OPPO Find X2 Pro, Samsung S20 5G, and Huawei Mate30 Pro 5G. It is noteworthy that this list is made up entirely of 5G flagship phones and apart from Huawei’s models, all others are powered by the Snapdragon 865 chipset.

(source)

LG’s Tone Free TWS earbuds with a sterilizing case pricing & availability details out

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

Towards the end of June 2020, LG announced the Tone Free HBS-FN6 TWS earbuds with a sterilizing case in South Korea. However, the pricing and availability details were not shared by the company. The Korean giant has now released pre-order and pricing details for the product in its home market of South Korea.

The TONE Free HBS-FN6 wireless earphone will be open to pre-order from 10th to 16th July while it will go on sale from July 17. As for the pricing, the sleek earbuds bundled with its sterilizing carry case and a concept accessory case will be sold for 199,000 won (~$ 166). The accessory case comes in five colours such as mint, pistachio, lemon, strawberry, and raspberry. It will be available together with a Starbucks keyring to those who pre-order the earbuds.

The LG TONE free HBS-FN6 TWS earbuds are said to come with the “industry-first” UVnano case. The new self-sterilizing earbuds utilise a “canal-type” design which the company says has a more comfortable fit than the “semi-open” earlier model. The earbuds also promise “lifelike audio” quality powered by Meridian, noise isolation functionality, IPX4 water resistance, easy Google Assistant and Siri access, as well as six hours of battery life as standard and up to 18 hours of additional endurance from the case.

The charging case performs dual functions of charging the headphones and also sterilizing the earbuds by eliminating 99.9 percent of E. coli and S. aureus from the hypoallergenic silicone ear gel and inner mesh of the HBS-FN6 buds thus, preventing the risk of ear infections.

(source)

OnePlus Nord July 21 launch date confirmed; AR launch app now live

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jul 7, 2020

In a press release sent to us today, OnePlus has confirmed the launch date of the OnePlus Nord smartphone. The email also contains details of the AR launch, the special app made for it, and details about availability.

OnePlus Nord Launch Date

The OnePlus Nord will be announced on July 21 and the event will begin at 7:30 PM IST/4 PM CEST/3 PM BST/10 AM EST/7 AM PST. The launch will be a first of its kind as it will be done in AR. As a reminder, OnePlus was also the first phone company to have a VR launch (OnePlus 2 launch).

Talking about the AR launch, Paul Yu, the head of OnePlus Nord said “OnePlus Nord represents a new beginning for OnePlus, giving us an opportunity to share our technology with more people around the world. For this launch, we want everyone to sit back, relax, and experience our new phone for the first time right in the comfort of their living room,”.

Nord Launch App

For the event, OnePlus has created a special app called Nord Launch. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices and is already live on the Play Store and App Store.

We’ve installed the app here at Gizmochina on the Pixel 2 and OnePlus 7 Pro and it works well on both devices. While OnePlus doesn’t say, we believe it works only on Android devices with ARCore support and Apple devices with support for ARKit.

The app is pretty neat and straightforward. When you launch it, you are presented with the option to customize your avatar. Once you are done, you can share your avatar or enter into the main part of the app where it scans your space and proceeds to display the content.

OnePlus advises that your device is fully charged and that you use earphones and connect to a Wi-Fi network. Below are screenshots from the app:

OnePlus has also made physical AR invitations that will allow users to have a hands-on experience of the phone via AR right from their homes. Details on how to get the physical invites will be made available on the official OnePlus Nord Instagram account and on Amazon India.

OnePlus Nord Pre-order and Availability

The OnePlus Nord will be available for pre-order beginning next week, July 15, for an initial deposit fee of INR 499 (~$) on Amazon India. Those who pre-order will receive a surprise gift box that contains limited-edition merchandise from OnePlus. If you go ahead and complete your pre-order before August 31, you will get a second gift box that contains a pair of Bullets Wireless V1 and a phone cover.

MIUI Camera may soon add various modes for long exposure shots

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

Ever since Xiaomi announced MIUI 12 and started rolling out beta builds, it has been adding new features every other week. Recently, a feature called “AI Shutter” was unearthed in the MIUI Camera app code. Now, developers once again find several other new modes in the same app, which make use of long exposure shots.

The strings for different long exposure shots in MIUI Camera app were spotted by XDA Senior Member kacskrz and Telegram user @Deiki. According to them, users can select different modes for long exposure shots such as “Moving crowd”, “Light painting”, “Starry sky”, “Silky water”, “Star trails”, and “Neon Trails”.

Since long exposure shots require the phone to be kept steady, the strings also mention using a tripod. That said, it is not sure which Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO smartphones will have support for these modes. As of now, they are live on POCO F2 Pro aka Redmi K30 Pro according to a Telegram user called @hardziol who also shared the screenshot attached above to XDA Developers.

The revamped MIUI Camera is the only MIUI 12 system app to get the most number of new features after its reveal. It added support for multiplicity photography known as “Magic Clone” (debuted on Mi 10 Youth Edition), gestures to access additional options, Google’s Top Shot like feature called “AI Shutter” (yet to go live), and the new long exposure shot modes.

Oppo patents five new Find X2 designs with in-screen camera

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

The Oppo Find X2 series consists of three primary devices namely Find X2, Find X2 Pro, and Find X2 Pro Automobili Lamborghini Edition. Then, there’s Find X2 Neo and Find X2 Lite, which is basically a rebadged Reno3 Vitality Edition and Reno3 Youth Edition for international markets. Now, a set of design patents have emerged, which reveal a Find X2 series device with an in-screen (under display) camera.

Last year, Oppo showcased a prototype smartphone with a front camera underneath the display. Then, at the of 2019, the company had applied design patent for this particular smartphone pictured above at the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Office).

The documents for the same was released on July 7, which was unearthed by none other than LetsGoDigital, a publication well-known for patent-related findings.

Looking at the images, we can see that there are five different colors with subtle design differences. One of them has a unique LED flash module placement and even an Italian flag. Whereas, three models have Lamborghini’s signature taillights, which might act as a notification light. But all of them have artificial leather backs.

1 of 5

We can clearly say that this is another Lamborghini Edition Oppo smartphone but with different design and more importantly in-screen camera. It is worth noting that 65W SuperVOOC was introduced in the Find X Automobili Lamborghini Edition. Hence, it makes sense for the company to debut new tech on a limited edition and keep it premium for a particular period of time.

Anyway, as these are merely design patents, we cannot say for sure if it will ever make it to end consumers. But we do expect smartphones with an under-display camera soon as Visionox’s tech is ready for mass production.

Samsung confident in its 2020 TV sales target despite major impact from COVID-19

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

Samsung seems pretty positive regarding its TV sales target for this year. Apparently, the South Korean tech giant is still confident that it can hit its 45 million TV shipment mark by the end of 2020, despite the Coronavirus pandemic causing sales for the first half to fall by a sizeable 60 percent year on year.

The great deflation in expected sales figures occurred largely due to the COVID-19 outbreak which ravaged the world. After originating from China, the infection soon spread worldwide and has caused consumer spending to drop to an all time low in a very long time. This has affected various industries and economies, with a multinational corporation like Samsung being no exception.

In other words, Samsung has to ship 35 million TVs in just 6 months. Needless to say, the target is nothing short of overly ambitious at the moment. Back in 2019, Samsung had shipped over 41 million TVs. However, given the situation of this year, it doesn’t seem that the company would even come up getting closer to the figures from last year.

Notably, the Samsung target was also set back when the Tokyo Summer Olympics was still planned and where the company hoped to make major sales. Although, with the delay of the event, it doesn’t seem likely that it can rely on it any longer. Maybe Samsung has a very aggressive strategy in mind, but unfortunately, it seems like blind optimism at best. So stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

(Via)

Xiaomi crowdfunds 8H Smart Mattress, offers sleep aid features and adjustable softness

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

Earlier today (7th July 2020), Xiaomi announced the 8H Smart Mattress. It is a new smart product that is currently being crowdfunded and brings various smart features. The crowdfunding starts from 4,599 Yuan (roughly 654 US Dollars).

The newly unveiled 8H Smart Mattress can intelligently determine the softness or hardness and can adjust according to different postures and can also determine the partition between the left and right halves. Furthermore, it also features sleep aid mode, 5 algorithm support, XiaoAI smart voice assistant, and independent 6 zone airbag among other things.

Through its smart algorithm, the mattress’ inbuilt AI can automatically sense and map the human body data and calculate the airbag pressure which is suitable for the body. This process occurs in just 20 seconds and is subjective to different users. The 8H Smart Mattress is 26cm thick and covered with 3 cm thick Italian Schcott natural latex. The independent pocket springs combined with the independent 6 zone airbag helps provide support for the spine as well.

Additionally, the system in the mattress can adjust the air around one’s shoulder, waist, arms, lumbar region, and more. This allows it to offer the most amount of comfort. The 8H Smart Mattress from Xiaomi can also be used with the Mijia app and controlled wirelessly or touchless with the XiaoAI voice assistant. Through the app, users can also get a report regarding recent sleeping patterns.

Huawei patents a smartphone that resembles the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

Huawei is apparently working on a new foldable smartphone, but this one follows a different design that its Mate X series. According to a recently surfaced patent, the new foldable phone has a clamshell design, which resembles the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.

The patent was filed by Huawei with the Chinese patent authority CNIPA back in August 2019 that was finally granted earlier today (7th July 2020). The patents reveal a foldable flip phone designed handset with a vertically stacked camera module on the rear. A secondary display can also be found on the back, while the front has a notch display, which should house all the necessary sensors.

Looking at the images, it is clear that the phone bends inwards, from top to bottom rather than side to side. This design has been used by the Galaxy Z Flip previously, which had a rounded hinge mechanism as well. Industry sources believe that Huawei is currently working on a clamshell styled smartphone. The Chinese tech giant is expected to launch an aggressively priced foldable device later this year and has also purchased UTG (ultra thin glass) that is also used on the Galaxy Z Flip.

A new trademark application for a device called Mate V was recently spotted. It is unclear whether the trademark is for a smartphone or not, but it is similar to the existing lineup of Huawei smartphones. It might be for the clamshell handset, which might launch later this year. Unfortunately, it is still too soon to tell, so stay tuned for more updates.

(Via,Source)

Oppo helped the UK in deploying the first 5G Standalone Network

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

Oppo, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, has recently helped in deploying the first 5G Standalone (SA) Network in the UK. The company partnered up with Vodafone and Ericsson and offered networking slicing services.

The new service was built in Coventry University and was verified through 5G enabled smartphones from the Chinese tech giant. This included the Oppo Find X2 Pro and Redo3, in which the former was powered by a Qualcomm processor and the latter with a MediaTek‘s 5G chip. Oppo stated that the network slice switching software was co-developed with Qualcomm Technologies and lets users switch between two slices for different needs.

According to Oppo, one network slice enables access to high speed internet, while the other has been developed for campuses to share resources in school, with low latency and high definition for online learning. For those unaware, SA is an independent network that utilizes 5G base stations and core networks. On the other hand, 5G network slicing divides the core networks into multiple end to end networks, with each sliced network having independent resources.

Interestingly, Oppo is aggressively pushing into the networking field, with partnerships being announced across Europe on more than 40 major telecom carriers. It is also pushing forward for wider adoption of 5G networking and its supporting infrastructure.

(Via)

OnePlus Launcher v4.5.6 adds a quick toggle to switch between Google Discover & OnePlus Shelf

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

OnePlus launcher is the default home app on OnePlus smartphones. In the latest version, the brand has implemented a quick toggle on the left pane to switch between Google Discover and OnePlus Shelf.

Unlike most other launchers out there, the OnePlus launcher comes with OnePlus Shelf, which offers quick access to certain apps and functionalities. But with the launch of OnePlus 8 series, the brand replaced it with Google Discover.

However, the shelf returned again last month with a new way to access – a swipe-down gesture. But now, in OnePlus launcher v4.5.6, the brand has added a quick toggle to access it.

This quick toggle is not available for all users on OnePlus launcher v4.5.6 as it seems to be a server-side update. As you can see from the 9to5Google YouTube video embedded above, the toggle appears on the top right corner on the left side pane.

The implementation is neat as users can now change between Google Discover feed and the old OnePlus shelf with a simple tap.

The brand has a made good decision in this regard as though most users prefer Google Discover with recommended news and updates, there are certain users who make use of the OnePlus Shelf.

TikTok to stop services in Hong Kong due to new national security laws

By

-

Jul 7, 2020

The popular social media app, TikTok, is pulling its service out of Hong Kong. The news arrives after the region adopted new national security laws that grow the Mainland Chinese government’s powers.

According to a spokesperson, “In light of recent events, we’ve decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong.” For those unaware, Hong Kong has recently adopted China’s Draconian regulations which have often been criticized for its censorship standards. Thus, global tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Twitter have already stopped processing requests for users’ data from the local government.

TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is a Chinese firm that has been struggling to differentiate its extremely successful western application from its parent company and Douyin (the Chinese version of the social video app). It has faced various criticism regarding its handling of information, and we had even reported on a claim of its harvesting user data.

TikTok has always denied sharing any of its information with the Chinese government. Although now, the new security laws in Hong Kong might undermine this position as it would require companies to hand over various forms of data to the government. Notably, the US is considering a ban on TikTok and other Chinese applications, with India already banning the social media platform along with 58 other apps from China.

(Via,Source)

Poco M2 Pro launched as a rebranded Redmi Note 9 Pro with Faster Charging & Dual Tone design

By

Joel Joseph

-

Jul 7, 2020

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 9 Pro in India back in March 2020. Now, three months after the launch, the same model, with a faster charging has been re-launched in the SAME market with a different name – the Poco M2 Pro.

Initially, the Poco M2 Pro was expected to be a rebranded Redmi Note 9 Pro Global edition for India. But that’s not exactly the case here. The new Poco phone borrows the two-tone design as well as 33W fast charging from the global variant but keeps the 48MP quad-camera setup from the Indian variant.

The Poco M2 Pro is priced as follows:

4GB + 64GB – Rs. 13,999 ($187)
6GB + 64GB – Rs. 14,999 ($200)
6GB + 128GB – Rs. 16,999 ($227)

I’m not surprised that the Poco M2 Pro is even priced exactly the same as the Redmi Note 9 Pro (after GST hike). In short, you are getting a fancier design, faster charging, and a Z-axis vibration motor from the Note 9 Pro Max model (Poco is officially calling it the Z-Shocker Haptics) for the same price and with the Poco launcher on top (so no ads too).

This could also mean that Redmi may stop selling the Redmi Note 9 Pro in India soon simply because Poco offers much better value at the same price. But we haven’t got an official confirmation yet.

The Poco M2 Pro will be available in three colors: Out of the Blue, Green, and Greener, and Two-Tone Black.

Poco M2 Pro Specs

The Poco M2 Pro comes with the same specs as the Indian variant of the Redmi Note 9 Pro. So you get Snapdragon 720G processor on board with 4GB / 6GB RAM. You also get the same 48MP f/1.8 quad-camera setup with an 8MP 119º ultra-wide-angle camera, 5MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, you have a 16MP selfie camera sensor.

The M2 Pro is P2i dust and water-resistant. Up front, you get a 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The phone features a 5000mAh large battery with 33W fast charging.

Poco M2 Pro Specs overview:

6.67-inch FHD+ 2400 x 1080 display with a punch-hole
Snapdragon 720G
4GB or 6GB RAM
64GB or 128GB of storage
Dedicated MicroSD card slot
Dual SIM (2 x nano) Card slot
48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MP quad rear cameras
16MP selfie camera
Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
5020mAh battery
33W fast charging with 33W charger in the box
Audio Jack, IR Blaster, Bluetooth 5.0

Overall, the Poco M2 Pro is an excellent smartphone in its price segment.

However, it’s a bit frustrating for recent Redmi Note 9 Pro buyers in India to see Poco M2 Pro users getting better value for the same price. The Note 9 Pro went on sale today, just before the M2 Pro’s official launch and it goes back on sale on July 14 at 12PM – which is also when the Poco M2 Pro goes on sale for the first time on Flipkart!

So what are your thoughts on the Poco M2 Pro as a rebranded Redmi Note 9 Pro?

China warns of consequences if UK bans Huawei

By