Vivo unveiled the camera-centric Vivo X50 series at the beginning of this month in China. One of the major attractions of the series is the Vivo X50 Pro phone that comes with a gimbal optical image stabilization technology for its main camera. A new poster released by the Chinese firm with ‘coming soon’ text suggests that the X50 series will make its global debut in the coming month.
The Vivo X50 series is likely to arrive in multiple markets like India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The series includes three devices such as Vivo X50, Vivo X50 Pro, and Vivo X50 Pro+. It remains to be seen whether all three devices are made available in the aforementioned markets.
The Vivo X50 trio features a Full HD+ 6.56-inch S-AMOLED display with a punch-hole design. The X50 has a flat display panel, whereas the screens of the other two models have curved edges. The X50 and X50 Pro support 90Hz refresh rate whereas the Pro model comes with 120Hz refresh rate support. The Snapdragon 765G SoC with up to 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM powers the X50 and X50 Pro models. These phones offer users with up to 256 GB of built-in storage. The Snapdragon 865 SoC powers the X50 Pro+ with up to 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of native storage.
The Vivo X50 trio have 4,315mAh batteries. The X50 and X50 Pro support 33W fast charging whereas the X50 Pro+ is equipped with 44W rapid charging. They are loaded with FunTouch OS 10 based Android 10 OS. The three phones feature 32-megapixel front-facing cameras.
The Vivo X50 has a 48-megapixel (with OIS) + 13-megapixel (portrait) + 8-megapixel (ultrawide) + 5-megapixel (macro) quad camera system. The Vivo X50 Pro has 48-megapixel (with gimbal OIS) + 8-megapixel (periscope telephoto lens with OIS) + 13-megapixel (portrait) + 8-megapixel (ultrawide) quad camera unit. The Vivo X50 Pro is equipped with a 50-megapixel (with OIS) + 8-megapixel (periscope telephoto lens with OIS) + 13-megapixel (portrait) + 8-megapixel (ultrawide) quad camera system.
Samsung is rumored to introduce the Galaxy Fold 2 foldable phone on Aug. 5v along with other products like Galaxy Note 20 series and Galaxy Z Flip 5G. Recent reports have claimed that as compared to the original Galaxy Fold, its successor edition will be arriving with improved displays. Also, the Galaxy Fold 2 is expected to adopt a punch-hole design for inner and outer screens. A reliable tipster from China has shared two renders that showcase the punch-hole design of the Galaxy Fold 2’s inner screen.
Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 inner screen render
Recent reports have revealed that the Galaxy Fold 2 will be featuring a 7.7-inch flexible display. With punch-hole design in tow and a larger screen compared to the original Fold, the Galaxy Fold 2 will offer a higher screen-to-body ratio. The Galaxy Fold had a 7.3-inch inner screen with a notch at the corner for housing the camera.
The original Fold came with a 4.6-inch cover display. Its successor edition is speculated to be equipped with a larger 6.23-inch cover screen with comparatively slimmer bezels. It will offer a resolution 819 x 2267 pixels resolution and support the traditional 60Hz refresh rate. Like the inner screen, the cover display of the Galaxy Fold 2 is also said to have a punch-hole design.
The Galaxy Note 20 series and Galaxy Z Flip 5G are speculated to be equipped with Snapdragon 865 mobile platform that is yet to be announced. There is a possibility that the Galaxy Fold 2 may also come equipped with it. The device may come with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB / 512 GB storage options.
A recent report had revealed that the Samsung Galaxy M41 is canceled and the next M series phone that is debut after the Galaxy M31 will be called Galaxy M51. A previous report had claimed that the Galaxy M51 will break cover by the end of June. According to a fresh report on MySmartPrice, the Galaxy M51 launch has been postponed to September.
The publication claims that its source has revealed that the arrival of the Galaxy M51 has been delayed once again due to production problems at the factories of Samsung. The report has no new information on the specifications of the phone.
The Samsung Galaxy M51 was recently spotted on the Geekbench benchmarking platform with Snapdragon 675 SoC and 8 GB of RAM. However, it is being speculated that the phone could be equipped with Snapdragon 730 mobile platform. The One UI 2.0 based Android 10 OS will come preinstalled on the Galaxy M51.
The Galaxy M51 is expected to arrive with an AMOLED display with a punch-hole design. It is likely to feature an in-screen fingerprint reader. The handset may feature a primary camera of 64-megapixel on its back. The phone offer users with a big internal storage of 128 GB. The other specs of the phone are under wraps.
In related news, Samsung is said to announce the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Fold 2, and Galaxy Note 20 series on Aug. 5. Apart from these devices, the South Korean company is also gearing up to launch the Galaxy Tab S7 series and Galaxy Watch 3 in the coming month.
Sony recently announced that it would be launching two new Truly Wireless headphones for the Indian market. What made the announcement special is that the earbuds will be the first TWS headphones that Sony would be launching in India. Indeed, the Japanese tech giant has launched the WF-SP800N and WF-XB700 TWS headphones.
Sony’s headphones may not have the coolest of names but what they ack in an attractive name is usually made up for in the specs table. The WF-XB700 features 12mm drivers and Sony’s EXTRA BASS technology that creates precise, punchy bass rhythms while maintaining vocal clarity, perfect for those who love the EDM or Hip-hop genre.
The headphone comes with an ergonomic Tri-hold structure designed to provide for a comfortable fit. The headset also comes with an IPX4 water resistance rating, making it suitable for use under wet conditions. It offers 9-hour long battery life and it can be extended up to 18-hour with the charging case.
On the other hand, the WF-SP800N comes with a noise-cancelling design which blocks out all forms of ambient sounds. The headphone comes with an IP55 water and sweat resistance rating. The WF-SP800N also comes with Sony’s proprietary EXTRA BASS for a deep, punchy sound. The headphones also offer long battery life and stable Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
The earbuds have soft-cushioned arc supporter and three-dimensional curved design that ensure a secure, comfortable fit. It equally features an intuitive touch control settings to play, stop, or skip through tracks and adjust the volume. Also, there is a Quick Attention function whereby all you need do is to place your finger over the earbud in order to turn down the volume and allow ambient sound in. You can also customise the settings to your preferences using the Sony Headphones Connect app. The battery can last up to 18 hours without noise-cancelling function turned on and with the charging box, Sony says that can be extended up to 26 hours on a single charge. With noise-cancelling, it bests 9 hours and 13 hours with the charging box. These estimates will be dependent on the volume level.
As for the prices, the Sony WF-XB700 is priced at Rs. 9900 and is already available across online and offline channels. It comes in Black and Blue colors. On the other hand, the Sony WF-SP800N is priced at Rs. 18,990 and will be available from June 26th across online and offline channels. It comes in Black, Blue and White colors.
Xiaomi has launched the Ningmei CR100 Mini Desktop CPU with a compact design and affordable price tag. The product is already available on the Youpin website for 1499 yuan (~$211) but there is a 100 yuan discount bundled with a wireless keyboard and mouse set, mouse pad, and 16GB U-disk for those who order before June 30.
The mini desktop PC comes with a compact design with a dimension of 192 x 188 x 54mm and weighing just 760 grams. The product provides a simple, more convenient and collaboration capabilities for the mobile office.
The desktop CPU is equipped with a Quad-core Intel J4105 processor paired with 8GB of DDR4 memory. There is also 256GB solid-state hard drive onboard which can meet the daily needs of ordinary users, processing multi-task files or applications without hassle. The computer also has built-in two-channel speakers as such you don’t need to use external speakers.
It is also equipped with an omnidirectional heat dissipation system and adopts an omnidirectional four-sided vacuum heat dissipation structure to achieve better heat dissipation. The CPU also comes with an array of interfaces which includes USB 3.0 ports, a network interface, VGA interface, HDMI interface, headphone and microphone jacks. At the rear, there are two USB 3.0 interfaces, SD card interface, headphone microphone interface, and a Type-C interface
The battle of entry-level began. This year the main smartphone manufacturers focused on upper-midrange phones and increased the prices of flagship phones, but they did not stop releasing entry-level devices. The latest is the Oppo A11k, just launched in the Indian market. But is it the best entry-level in terms of value for money or there are better handsets? Actually, it has several rivals in the Indian market: we believe that among the most interesting deals there are Realme C3 and Redmi 8A Dual, despite the price hikes caused by the pandemic. This comparison will help you to understand which entry-level should be the best for your needs.
Dual 13 + 2 MP f/1.2, and f/2.4
5 MP f/2.4 front camera
Triple 12 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4
5 MP f/2.4 front camera
Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4
8 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY
4230 mAh
5000 mAh, battery charging 10W
5000 mAh, fast charging 18W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Dual SIM slot
Dual SIM slot, reverse charging, splash resistant
Dual SIM slot, splash resistant, reverse charging
Design
If you want the most futuristic and elegant design, just do not go for entry-level phones like these ones. But Oppo A11k, Realme C3, and Redmi 8A Dual remain devices with modern aesthetics, including a display with narrow bezels and a waterdrop notch. Unfortunately, they have a cheap polycarbonate body. But with the Realme C3 and Redmi 8A Dual, you get some kind of protection against water. They are not waterproof, but you will not have problems if you use them while it is raining. Redmi 8A Dual even comes with the Gorilla Glass 5 protection for the display, so it is very sturdy.
Display
Unfortunately, with each of these devices, you get a display below the average. But we are still talking about sufficient panels, with enough definition and decent overall quality. In each case, you get an IPS display with an HD+ resolution. The Realme C3 looks like the one with the highest peak brightness, and it also comes with a wider display diagonal (6.5 inches). On the other hand, with the Oppo A11k and the Redmi 8A Dual, you get a more compact body thanks to smaller displays.
Specs & Software
The highest performance level is provided by the Realme C3 not only because it has a great Helio G70 with high CPU and GPU performance (but it is still an entry-level chipset), but also because it is the only to come with up to 4 GB of RAM. The RAM is paired with up to 64 GB of internal storage (eMMC, unfortunately). Right after, we got the Redmi 8A Dual which offers the great stability of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 439 chipset and up to 3 GB of RAM. Oppo A11k has a lower-end Helio P22 chipset and just 2 GB of RAM. Note that Realme C3 is the only to run Android 10 out of the box. The Realme C3 is definitely the winner of the hardware and software comparison.
Camera
The brighter focal aperture of the main sensor found on the Realme C3 makes this device the most interesting camera phone of the trio. It should allow shooting better photos than Oppo A11k and Redmi 8A Dual in most of the conditions. But the Redmi 8A Dual actually comes with a better front camera which consists of a single 8 MP sensor. Again, the Oppo A11k is the most disappointing, but not by a high margin.
Battery
With its huge 5000 mAh battery and its smaller display (smaller than Realme C3), Redmi 8A Dual is able to provide an overall longer battery life. Realme C3 takes the silver medal, while Oppo A11k can not compete with its two rivals because it comes with a much smaller (but still very satisfying) battery. Redmi 8A Dual also wins the charger comparison since it provides faster charging speeds (18W fast charging) and it even supports reverse charging. Both Oppo A11k and Realme C3 charge at 10W.
Price
Oppo A11k is priced Rs.8,990/$118 in India, the Realme C3 price in India has been set at Rs. 8,999, and Redmi 8A Dual is priced Rs.6,499/$85. At the end of the day, I believe Realme C3 is a more valid device since it comes with better hardware, cameras, and Android 10 out of the box. But Redmi 8A Dual is more compact and more affordable while still providing similar specifications. In regards to Oppo A11k, you should wait for its price to drop before considering it.
Activision’s Call of Duty: Mobile garners over 250 million downloads in just 265 days across both Android and iOS. It broke the previous record of 236 million downloads held by PUBG Mobile. Also, it generated more revenue than any other ‘Battle Royale’ mobile game in the same period.
Developed in partnership with Tencent’s Timi Studios, Call of Duty: Mobile launched for Android and iOS on October 1st, 2019. Since then, the mobile title accumulated over 250 million downloads compared to 237 million downloads by PUBG Mobile and 78 million downloads by Fortnite Mobile (only iOS at launch).
CoD: Mobile is most popular in the United States accounting for 18% of total installs (45 million downloads). The second and third top countries are India and Brazil respectively.
Further, Call of Duty: Mobile also witnessed the highest revenue generation than the other two games in terms of global users spending in the duration of the first 265 days. It generated $327 million, which is 78% more than PUBG Mobile and 83% higher than that of Fortnite Mobile.
Its best performing month was its launch month October 2019 with $55 million, closely followed by May 2020 with $53 million. Again, the US ranks first in terms of spending covering about 41% ($134 million) of the total revenue. Whereas, Japan ranks second, followed by Brazil in the third spot.
Motorola has a couple of phones in the pipeline such as the Motorola One Fusion and the Motorola Edge Lite. There is a chance that one or both of these devices may be unveiled at an event scheduled for July 7.
The Lenovo-owned company has sent out invites for an event on July 7 that begins at 3 PM CET. The invite doesn’t say which product will be unveiled but the Motorola Edge Lite and the Motorola One Fusion are speculated to be announced.
The Edge Lite is reported to have a 6.7-inch FHD+ screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 765 processor, up to 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. It should also come with dual front-facing cameras, a 48MP quad-camera setup on the rear, and a 4800mAh battery. Other expected features are NFC, a dedicated Google Assistant button, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and Android 10 pre-installed.
The Motorola One Fusion, on the other hand, will be a 4G device with a 6.5-inch HD+ display, a Snapdragon 710 processor, up to 6GB of RAM, up to 128GB of storage, and Android 10 pre-installed. It has also been reported that the phone packs a 5000mAh battery, 48MP quad rear cameras, and an 8MP selfie camera.
U.S -based phone maker BLU has announced a new smartphone that ticks almost all the boxes when you talk about a cool entry-level smartphone that is worth buying. Blu G90 comes with a full-screen design tailored after the 18:9 aspect ratio and is powered by one of the formidable entry-level chipsets around presently – the MediaTek Helio A25.
BLU G90 features a 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen with HD+ resolution and a waterdrop notch that houses a 13MP selfie camera. At the rear aspect, the device packs a triple camera setup comprising a 16MP primary camera alongside an 8MP ultrawide sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. The phone also sports a rear-mounted capacitive fingerprint reader.
As stated earlier, the phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio A25 chipset paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage which can be expanded via the microSD slot. The G90 runs on the latest Android 10 OS. Keeping the lights on is a 4,000 mAh battery with support for 10W fast charging. The phone actually ships with a 10W charging adapter as well as a free rugged TPU case, glass screen protector. You also get a braided USB-C cable and wired earphones in the box.
The BLU G90 is presently on sale on Amazon for just $99. The original price is $150 but there is presently a limited time discount. It is available in black, magenta, white and blue colors.
BLU G80
Blu also introduced a new G80 smartphone which shares most of its specs with the G90. The few differences include an Helio P23 chipset on the G80 as well as a 13MP primary camera instead of 16MP. The BLU G80 comes in 3GB+64GB option only and is priced at $140.
Realme recently disclosed on Facebook that the Realme C11 will be announced in Malaysia on June 30 which is just a few days away. Ahead of the official launch, the C11 has been spotted on GeekBench database.
The Realme C11 will sport a 6.5-inch display with a waterdrop notch. The processor is paired with 2GB of RAM. The device will also have 32GB of storage and three SIM slots whereby one will be a microSD card. We expect the company to include other memory variants.
For photography, the Realme C11 is said to pack an AI dual camera setup at the rear. The main sensor will be a 13MP sensor but the second sensor wasn’t disclosed. The camera is also said to bring support for Super Nightscape mode.
The Realme 2 Pro is receiving a new update that brings Android 10 stable to the device. The update also brings Realme UI to the mid-range phone.
Realme says the update is rolling out in stages, so not everyone will get it today. Once there are no critical bugs, a wider rollout will begin.
The manufacturer has also listed some common issues folks may experience after updating such as longer boot time after the update is done installing and slight hanging and faster battery depletion. Realme says the device should return to normal after 3 days of usage. Another suggestion is to leave the phone for 5 hours after being fully charged.
The update arrives as version RMX1801EX_11.F.07 and users have to be on version C.31 to receive the update. Some of the new features the update brings are listed below:
New UI design
New live and artistic wallpapers
Navigation gestures
Support for animated wallpapers for the lockscreen
Focus mode
Floating window for screen recording
Optimized Game Space
Random MAC address generator
Optimized camera UI
Realme share support now extended to OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi
POCO X2 just like other phones in India received a price hike in April due to the new 18% GST. On May 31st, its price was once again bumped but only for the base and mid variant. Now, the high-end 8GB + 256B also gets its second price hike making it ₹1,500 costlier than its launch price.
POCO X2 launched in India as a rebranded Redmi K30 4G in February 2020. It is the brand’s second smartphone as well as its first with 120Hz refresh rate display. Since its debut in the country, it has been one of the best contenders in the sub-₹20,000 price segment.
The handset launched in three storage configurations in India for a starting price of ₹15,999 for the base 6GB + 64GB variant. Whereas, the mid 6GB + 128GB and high-end 8GB + 256GB were introduced for ₹16,999 and ₹19,999 respectively.
But now, after two price hikes of ₹1,000 and ₹500, the POCO X2 costs ₹17,499, ₹18,499, and ₹21,499 in India for all the three variants.
Even after the increment of price, the POCO X2 still remains one of the best phones in its segment competing with the likes of Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, Realme 6 Pro, Realme X2, and others.
Samsung is reportedly planning to reintroduce removable battery on its entry-level line-up. The Samsung Galaxy A01 Core is said to be the first model that would be donning a removable battery. The upcoming device has ow been certified on multiple platforms.
First, the device stopped by at the Google Play Console where the key specs and an image of the model were listed. The Galaxy A01 Core also received Bluetooth SIG certification which shows it will come with Bluetooth 5.0.
The budget model also got listed at the website of the Wi-Fi Alliance. It hits with two names; SM-A013F and SM-A013F_DS (as in Dual SIM), revealing the company is preparing for multiple market launches. The Galaxy A01 Core will have Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and the certification also confirmed once again the Android 10 OS
The Samsung Galaxy A01 Core will feature an HD+ display with 1480x720p resolution. The phone will be powered by a MediaTek MT6739WW chipset which should be an entry-level SoC. The chipset has four Cortex-A53cores with the CPU running at 1.5GHz. The processor is paired with 1GB of RAM.
The Samsung smartphone will run the latest Android 10 but it is likely to be based on the Android Go platform.
In terms of the design, the phone looks like other entry-level models from Samsung. No attempt is made to trim the bezels as there are still thick bezels at the top and bottom. But it is not large enough to hold a physical button so that is lacking. The power button and volume rockers are on the right side of the phone.
Launched with a starting price of $199, the Oculus Go is an affordable standalone VR headset with a Snapdragon 821 processor, a 2560 x 1440 resolution, spatial audio, and a controller. The VR headset is sold in China as the Mi VR Standalone, the result of a partnership between Xiaomi and Oculus.
Facebook says the Oculus Go will continue to receive bug fixes and security updates through 2022. However, there will be no new apps published for the headset after December 18 and developers have until December 4 to submit new apps and app updates.
If you want to purchase a standalone VR headset now, the Oculus Quest is your best bet, though its starting price of $399 is double that of the Oculus Go. It has also been reported that a new Oculus Quest with a 90Hz refresh rate will launch by the end of the year. Hopefully, when that launches, the price of the current model will drop.
Realme first launched the entry-level C3 in India in February this year. The smartphone later made an entry into Europe but in Vietnam, the C3 has just been launched as Realme C3i.
The C3i bears the same design and specifications with the C3. To recall, it packs a 6.5-inch HD+ IPS display with a waterdrop notch which houses a 5MP selfie camera. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G70 chipset paired with 2GB of RAM alongside 32GB of expandable storage.
The C3i packs a dual-camera setup at the rear made up of a 12MP main shooter and a 2MP depth of field sensor. The smartphone runs on Android 10-based Realme UI and crams a 5,000 mAh battery under the hood with a 10W charger.
As for the price, the Realme C3i adopts a price tag of VND 2,590,000 ($111) in Vietnam. It comes in blue and red colours and will go on sale on July 3.
Huawei P10 series launched in early 2017 with EMUI 5.1 based on Android Nougat. Both the handsets in the series – P10 and P10 Plus were later updated to EMUI 8.1 (Android Oreo) and EMUI 9.1 (Android Pie). As the devices had already received two major updates, they did not make it for the Android 10-based EMUI10/10.1 update. But still, the company is currently seeding out a huge update with May 2020 security patch and a couple of useful features.
The Huawei P10 series from 2017 was removed from the company’s monthly and quarterly update eligible devices list. Even though, the Chinese telecom giant is rolling out a huge 4.05GB OTA update to these handsets.
Unfortunately, as expected, the update does not bring the latest EMUI 10.1 but it does bring two new features that might come in handy. Additionally, it also increases the security level patch to May 2020, which fixes 2 critical, 22 high and 2 Medium levels of CVEs.
Official Changelog
Smart Charge: Adds the Smart Charge mode, reducing battery ageing by adapting and preventing the battery from being continuously charged when full. (This feature is enabled by default.)
Huawei Assistant: Adds Huawei Assistant to the home screen, providing smart reminders personalized news, and other content relevant to you.
Security: Integrates Android security patches released in May 2020 for improved system security.
The ‘Smart Charge’ feature mentioned in the changelog was recently introduced rolled out to older Huawei and Honor premium devices. So it is nice of Huawei to bring it to its 3-year old flagship smartphone.
The second feature – Huawei Assistant is similar to ‘App Vault’ on MIUI, which can be accessed from the left side of the homescreen. But it isn’t as useful as the former one since most users prefer other services for reminders and news.
Having said that, like any other OTA update, it is being rolled out in batches and hence it will take time to reach every unit.
The Redmi 10X 5G is one of two Dimensity 820 5G-powered phones announced by Redmi last month. The other is the Redmi 10X Pro 5G. Today, Redmi has announced a new colorway for the non-pro model.
The Redmi 10X 5G was originally announced in three color variants – Gold, Blue, and Gradient Purple. Starting tomorrow, folks will be able to pick it up in white. This variant will sell for ¥1799 which is the price of the 6GB RAM + 128GB version. It means folks will not be able to purchase the base model with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage in this color.
The Redmi 10X 5G has a 6.57-inch FHD+ AMOLED 60Hz display. It is powered by the Dimensity 820 processor and comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It also has a dedicated MicroSD card slot for adding extra storage.
There is a 48MP + 8MP + 2MP triple camera setup on the back of the phone while the waterdrop notch is home to a 16MP sensor. The phone also has NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, an IR blaster, and an audio jack. There is a 4520mAh battery inside with support for 22.5W fast charging. Redmi ships it with MIUI 11 based on Android 10.
The Redmi 10X Pro 5G is also supposed to get a white variant according to official posters but it is yet to go on sale.
Last week, WhatsApp launched its payment service in Brazil but it has been now suspended by the government. Similarly, the instant messaging app introduced animated stickers in a recent beta version but that too got removed in the next version of the application.
WhatsApp Animated Stickers
WhatsApp has been lately adding some interesting features in its app. Recently, the company rolled out WhatsApp Beta v2.20.194.7 for Android. This version of the app brought animated stickers feature, which is found on other messaging services like Telegram.
Unfortunately, it was soon removed in the next beta version of the app – v2.20.194.9. The current implementation is half-baked as per Android Police. This could be the reason why the company got rid of it for the time being in the new version.
Anyway, we hope WhatsApp releases it in the stable channel for everyone in the near future
WhatsApp Payment Service Suspension in Brazil
In other news, the Brazilian Central Bank suspends WhatsApp payment service within days from its rollout in the country. The company launched it in partnership with fintech Nubank, state-controlled lender Banco do Brasil SA, Visa, Mastercard and lender Sicredi.
Reuters reports that WhatsApp launched its payment services in Brazil without requesting authorization from the Central Bank. Hence, Visa and Mastercard had to suspend their operations with the Facebook-owned messaging app.
If they haven’t complied with the order, the world’s two largest financial services company would have been subjected to fines and administrative sanctions. Before the suspension of services, the Central Bank issued a regulation saying “it could require market participants to receive previous approval to operate in payments”.
The Central Bank of Brazil is expected to launch its own instant payment system called Pix in November with more than 980 participants. A WhatsApp spokesperson said they are committed to working with the Central Bank to integrate systems once Pix becomes available.
Additionally, Brazil’s antitrust watchdog, Cade, blocked WhatsApp’s partnership with the country’s largest payment processor Cielo.
Samsung has recently announced a new drone based service for 5G networking configurations and optimization. The South Korean tech giant shared a video earlier this week which demonstrated a drone performing tasks that would improve tower climber safety and enable efficient network maintenance.
The new service will allow an engineer to remotely control a drone equipped with a camera. These drones will then be used to capture photos and videos of antennas on rooftops or base station towers. The footage will be viewed via a smartphone and the process will utilize a deep learning, artificial intelligence solution to verify the rotation and tilt of the antennas.
This will allow the engineers on the ground to determine whether or not, the installation process was done correctly. Samsung will start trials for the service at its headquarters in Suwon. The new automated solution seeks to offer operators a more efficient method to monitor and maintain signal sites. Its application will also improve employee safety and optimize network performance, according to the company.
A global rollout of this new service will be launched later this year with continued updates regarding the solution. In other words, Samsung plans on adding features in the future that will allow the engineers on the ground to remotely adjust antenna tilts from their smartphones, preventing the need for a person’s physical presence in such locations. This method has even been touted as more cost effective and convenient, but only time will tell of its viability.
A new report has revealed that the latest Apple iOS 14 is suffering from a possibly dangerous flaw. Apparently, users can circumvent the wireless chargers warning when detecting liquids in the latest OS.
iOS 14
For those unaware, most wireless chargers have an in built feature that notifies and stops wireless charging in the event of a foreign metallic or liquid being present on the charger to prevent any possible damage. However, the warning indicator that informs the users to stop wireless charging and states “Charging Not Available” or “Liquid Detected in Lightning Connector,” can be ignored.
This occurs since the Cupertino based giant has added an “Emergency Override” option that allows users to continue the charging process despite the possible damages. Furthermore, users can just simply dismiss warning notifications and proceed to charge their iPhones. The liquid protection was first introduced back with iOS 10 and has been a part of the operating system since then.
Although, the latest version seemingly ignores all possible warnings. Notably, this bug isn’t strictly restricted to just iOS 14. A few users have also stated that they faced this issue in iOS 13 as well, namely v13.5.1. These users aced the same issue in the older version of the software but in slightly different regard. Although, they were still able to ignore the warning and still proceed to charge their iPhones, including ones which were dropped in lakes, or were drenched in rain.
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