Acer has announced its latest Chromebook, dubbed as the Chromebook Spin 713, which is a part of the Intel Project Athena program. Compared to the previous generation Spin 13 Chromebook, the new premium device has a better look, feel, and design.
It comes with a sturdy aluminum chassis which the company claims can survive drops from up to 48 inches and withstand up to 132 pounds of force. The hinge supports 360-degree rotation and the device weighs 3.02 pounds.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 comes powered by the latest 10th generation Intel processors, packed with up to 16GB (DDR4) RAM and 256GB SSD. As for the display, it features a 13.5-inch screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio and 2256 x 1504 pixels resolution. The screen comes with a coating of Gorilla Glass on top.
The keyboard on the device reportedly has good travel and decent spacing. It also comes with a pair of USB Type-C ports, an HDMI port, a USB port, and a microSD-card reader. The device supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 as connectivity options.
As for battery life, the company says that it will last for up to 10 hours on a single charge. Acer has also announced the business-oriented Enterprise Spin 713, which comes with Google’s Chrome Enterprise security solution.
The company has also announced Acer Spin 311 Chromebook which comes with an 11.6-inch display and is designed for casual users and students. Under the hood, it is powered by MediaTek‘s MT8183 octa-core processor.
The screen of the device as well as the trackpad is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass. It is promised to offer around 14 hours of battery life on a single charge. So far, Acer has not released the full specs sheet of the Spin 311 but it should be released soon.
Coming to the pricing of the devices, the Chromebook Spin 713 starts at $629 and will be available for purchase in North America from next month. On the other hand, the Enterprise Chromebook Spin 713 will be available from August for a starting price of $1,099. The budget Chromebook Spin 311 starts at $259 and will be up for sale from July.
Today, the Motorola One Fusion+ will go on sale in the Indian market for the first time. It will be available for purchase at 12:00 PM local time through the online marketplace Flipkart. The device will be offered in two color options — Moonlight White and Twilight Blue, for a price of ₹16,999 (~$224).
As for the specifications, the smartphone comes with a 6.5-inch Full HD+ 19.5:9 ‘Total Vision’ display, offering 2340 x 1080 pixels screen resolution. Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G SoC, coupled with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage.
In the camera department, it features a quad-camera setup that consists of a 64-megapixel primary camera, a 118-degree 8-megapixel ultrawide shooter, a 5-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.
On the front side, there’s a 16-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling, housed inside a pop-up mechanism. The phone comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor as well as a dedicated Google Assistant button.
The device runs the Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box and is powered by a 5,000mAh battery that has support for 15W TurboPower fast charging technology.
The Xiaomi Redmi 9 handset has gone official in China today. In the past few days, the handset debuted in markets like Spain and Malaysia. The smartphone is coming to India since it is one of the major markets for Xiaomi. Recently, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) had certified two model numbers that belong to the Redmi 9 phone. Interestingly, the TUV certification of Redmi 9 model numbers reveal that one variant may debut as a POCO device.
As can be seen in the screenshot taken from the BIS site, the Indian authority recently approved two model numbers such as M2004J19I and M2004J19PI. These Redmi 9 model numbers along with M2004J19AG (Europe variant), M2004J19C (China variant), and M2004J19G (global) were spotted at Bluetooth SIG body in May.
The BIS listing suggests that M2004J19I and M2004J19PI are heading to India. The above-mentioned model numbers have also surfaced on TUV Rheinland certification. The listing reveals that M2004J19G, M2004J19I, M2004J19C, and M2004J19AG are Redmi branded devices whereas the M2004J19PI is POCO phone.
The exact product name of the M2004J19PI is not known. However, it is likely to be a Redmi 9 variant with POCO branding. Hence, it is likely to debut as the cheapest POCO smartphone. It could be a POCO M2 series.
POCO is gearing up to launch its next phone in India. It is believed that a variant of the Redmi Note 9 series could be breaking cover in India as POCO M2 Pro. The M2004J19PI may end up as POCO M2. Since these details aren’t officially confirmed, readers are advised to digest the report with a grain of salt.
OPPO had launched the OPPO A9 2020 smartphone in the Indian market in September last year. Just a month after the launch, the device received a price cut of ₹1,000 which brought down the price from ₹16,990 to ₹15,990 (~$211).
Now, the device has received yet another price cut in the Indian market, and this time the price slash is of ₹3,000 for the base model. With this, the 4GB RAM variant of OPPO A9 2020 now starts at ₹12,990 (~$172).
The pricing of the other variant which packs 8GB RAM and 128GB storage remains the same. However, Amazon.in has listed the device at ₹18,490 (~$245) instead of ₹18,990, which is ₹500 less than the original price.
The OPPO A9 2020 comes in two color options — Marine Green and Space Purple. A couple of months after the launch, the Chinese company started offering a third color option in India — Gradient White. Later, the Vanilla Mint color option was introduced in India.
As for the specifications, the smartphone features a 6.5-inch waterdrop Sunlight Screen which offers a screen resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels and has a screen-to-body ratio of 89 percent. There’s a Blue Shield for filtering blue light and protecting from eye fatigue.
Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset and packs 4GB or 8GB RAM, and both the variants pack 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage. It also comes with a dedicated microSD card slot for expanding the storage capacity up to 256GB.
In the camera department, it comes with a quad-camera setup on the back which consists of a 48-megapixel f/1.8 primary camera, an 8-megapixel f/2.25 aperture with 119-degree ultrawide angle camera, and two 2-megapixel cameras with f/2.4 aperture.
On the front side, it features a 16-megapixel camera with an f/2.0 aperture and AI beautification. The phone has electronic image stabilization and an Ultra Night Mode 2.0 that also works with ultrawide angle photos.
The OPPO A9 2020 features stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos. The smartphone runs Android 9 Pie-based ColorOS 6.0.1 with features such as Game Boost 2.0 for smoother and more responsive gaming, HyperBoost, Game Space, Game Assistant, and a Riding Mode.
The device also comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The smartphone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery which also supports reverse charging. At the time of devices with fast charging speed, this one supports just 10W charging.
Last week, Huawei unveiled the Enjoy 20 Pro smartphone in China. The 5G-ready phone is the first phone in the Enjoy 20 series to go official. As scheduled, the Enjoy 20 Pro went on sale for the first time in China today. The handset landed in the country with a starting price of 1,999 Yuan.
Huawei Enjoy 20 Pro 5G pricing
The Huawei Enjoy 20 Pro is available in China in two models such as 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. They are priced at 1,999 Yuan (~$283) and 2,299 Yuan (~$325), respectively. The phone comes in three colorways like Magic Night Black, Dark Blue, and Galaxy Silver. There is no word on the global availability of the device.
The Enjoy 20 Pro has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD waterdrop notch screen that offers 90Hz refresh rate and Full HD+ resolution. The EMUI 10.1 based Android 10 OS runs on the phone.
The Dimensity 800 5G brings 5G capabilities on the Enjoy 20 Pro. It has LPDDR4x RAM, UFS 2.1 storage, and a nano memory card slot for more storage. The device features a side-facing fingerprint sensor.
The Enjoy 20 Pro has a front camera of 16-megapixel. Its rear has a triple camera unit that includes a 48-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. There is a 4,000mAh battery inside the device that supports 22.5W fast charging.
In terms of specs, the Enjoy 20 Pro is almost identical to the Enjoy Z phone that debuted in May. Also, it is believed that the upcoming Honor 30 Lite 5G is a rebranded version of the Enjoy 20 Pro.
According to past reports, Samsung will be launching the Galaxy Z Flip 5G flip phone with a foldable screen in August alongside the Galaxy Note 20 series and Galaxy Fold 2. As the name goes, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G will be a 5G-ready version of the original Galaxy Z Flip 5G that went official in February this year. Samsung is yet to confirm the existence of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G. The moniker of the device and its models have received approval from the Bluetooth SIG authority which indicates its launch is not far away.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5G variants such as SM-F707U, SM-F707W, SM-F707U1, SM-F7070, SM-F707N, and SM-F707B have been certified by the Bluetooth SIG body. The Bluetooth SIG listing only confirms that the Galaxy Z Flip 5G supports Bluetooth 5.0.
The Samsung SM-F707B model has been previously spotted at the Geekbench benchmarking platform. The listing revealed that the device is loaded with Android 10 OS and it has Snapdragon 865 SoC and 8 GB of RAM.
Like the original Galaxy Z Flip, its upcoming 5G edition will also feature a dual-party battery with a rated capacity of 3,300mAh. The flip phone is expected to support 15W fast charging. The other thing that is known about the device is that it could be arriving in brown color. There is no word on the pricing of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G.
Recently, a Xiaomi model bearing the model number M2006J10C was certified by China’s 3C with a 33W charger. The model is expected to likely launch as Redmi K40 in Chana. The M2006J10C has now received radio certification in China from the Chinese State Radio Regulation Committee (SRRC).
The Chinese wireless regulator certified the phone for usage on 5G networks. Not surprising, perhaps as the K30 phones are already 5G-enabled thanks to their Snapdragon 865 and 765G chipsets.
The smartphone could launch as the Mi CC10, which as the name indicates, will be the successor to the Mi CC9 launched last year. However, there’s nothing known about this and we’ll have to wait for more information to surface online.
While nothing much is known about the Redmi K40, the Mi CC10 has been rumoured earlier and is said to have been codenamed CAS. It reportedly features a 108-megapixel primary sensor which will be Samsung HM2 — an improved version of the Samsung HM1 sensor.
The handset is expected to come with support for 120x digital zoom and 12x optical zoom. Under the hood, the phone could come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 775G chipset with 5G support.
As you can see, you get 64GB ROM for just ¥799, so there’s no 32GB ROM model.
The Redmi 9 is up for pre-sale starting today (¥100 deposit) and will go on sale on June 29 eve.
Xiaomi’s Redmi has unveiled the Redmi 9 in China via its official Weibo page. The device is being promoted in China with the slogan which translates to “Defining the new standard for entry-level machines in 2020”. Indeed, Redmi seems to have saved the best for the last as the model comes with some unique features that weren’t available on the global variant. The price will be announced later today (June 24) and will officially go on pre-salesame day.
First, the Redmi 9 China version will run on the latest MIUI 12 custom ROM based on Android 10. The global variant was released on Android Pie-based MIUI 11 but we expect a major update to be pushed to the model in the near future.
Secondly, the Chinese edition of the Redmi 9 comes in just 4GB + 64GB and a superb 6GB + 128GB variant. For reference, the global version hits in just 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB variants. In addition, the phone comes with dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi whereas the global variant comes with single-band (2.4 GHz) WiFi.
Apart from these three differences which are quite significant especially for a budget phone, the rest of the specs is the same with those of the global variant. As a reminder, the Redmi 9 packs a 6.53-inch FHD+ IPS LCD panel with 19:5:9 aspect ratio, 394 PPI, 70% NTSC color gamut, and 400 nits brightness. The display holds a waterdrop notch and also features by a layer of Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
The phone is powered by MediaTek Helio G80 SoC while for photography, there is a Quad-camera setup at the rear comprising a 13MP (primary) + 8MP (118° ultra-wide) + 5MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) setup. Selfies are taken care of by an 8MP camera.
Other features include a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual SIM, 4G connectivity, VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, wireless FM radio, dedicated microSD card slot, multifunctional NFC, IR blaster, 3.5mm headphone jack, and USB Type-C. It crams a huge 5,020 mAh battery under the hood with 18W fast charging.
Elephone W6 Smartwatch with a metallic body and 1.54-inch display is available at a reduced price of $39, which is $10 off from the actual retail price. The useful and stylish smartwatch has become super affordable with the latest discount from GeekBuying.
The Elephone W6 smartwatch is 8.9mm slim and has an all-metal design. It is packs a rubber strap and has a 7H tempered glass lens, that makes you comfortable to use smartwatch in differnt environments. The smartwatch has a real continuous heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, blood oxygen monitor, and sleep monitor.
Elephone W6 smartwatch can easily control smartphone camera remotely using wrist gestures. The Zone 2 Sport Mode enables the smartwatch to distinguish and record different activities. Other features like Weather forecast, sedentary reminder, sleep monitoring and notification management are also part of the package.
It has Bluetooth 5.0 that has a transmission speed up to 2Mbps. Elephone W6 smartwatch is powered by a 200 mAh battery which can keep the smartwatch running for 5 days, and remains on standby for 20 days. The watch is compatible with devices running iOS 8.0 or above versions, and Android 4.4 or above versions. The smartwatch is waterproof and has an IP67 rating. The Elephone W6 smartwatch comes in six colour options i.e. Rose gold, Silver white, Silver green, Obsidian Black, Navy blue, and Sky blue. The smartwatch weighs 40 grams.
You can grab the useful Elephone W6 smartwatch at the price of $29 from Geekbuying. You can know more about the device by heading to the official website.
Hey, Alexa, what time is it? Alexa, turn on the light. Alexa, play Boy with Luv by BTS. These are just a few of the retinues of commands Amazon’s Alexa smart assistant processes daily in millions of homes around the world. Well, in one US home the use of the command has left the couple’s eleven-month-old baby confusing her name for “Alexa”.
A video shared by the New York Post shows how 11-month-old Emily wouldn’t respond when her mom called her real name while pushing her in a stroller. But as soon as she called “Alexa”, she snapped to attention, turning her head towards her mother’s gaze. “No, your name’s Emily, not Alexa,” her mom retorts.
The thing is, Emily’s parents had acquired an Amazon Echo smart speaker and usual calls “Alexa” to awaken the smart assistant since she was five months old. Like the quote by Haim Ginott; “Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.”
Smart home assistants are all the buzz right now, with Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Xiaomi and others with significant stakes in the market. While the current assistants available offer a wide range of capabilities such as answer queries and commands, provide answers, play music, etc. This has made them useful for smart home applications and is a regular in many homes. You may want to exercise some care when waking up the voice assistant in front of an impressionable child. Else, a child might just go thinking his/her name is Ok Google or Hey Siri. Changing such an impression is sure going to be a tough nut.
UPDATE: We couldn’t embed New York Times’ video on this post so you can check out the video from the source link or from the YouTube channel below.
Mobvoi is known for its smartwatches that are released under the TicWatch line. Today, the manufacturer has announced a new model called the TicWatch C2+.
The TicWatch C2+ is not entirely a new watch. Actually, it is the 2018 TicWatch C2 with more RAM. Yeah, that is all. So rather than 512MB of RAM, you get 1GB of RAM with the rest of the specs unchanged. With more RAM, the watch should run smoother and faster.
The TicWatch C2+ is available in three colors – Onyx, Platinum, and Rose Gold and comes in two sizes – 18mm and 20mm. The AMOLED display is 1.3-inches in size with a 360 x 360 resolution and new watch faces. There is Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor inside the watch that draws juice from a 400mAh battery.
Other features include GPS, 4GB of storage, an IP68 rating, heart rate monitoring, and NFC with support for Google Pay. The watch runs Wear OS.
The TicWatch C2+ is priced at $209.99 on the official website and is already available for purchase. It comes with a genuine leather strap and an extra silicone strap in the box.
If you think $209.99 is a lot to pay for more RAM and an extra strap, you can pick up the original TicWatch C2 which is currently sold for $149.99 on the official website. You can also get 80% off the TicPods Free ($26.00 rather than $129.99) if you decide to buy it alongside the watch.
When considering popular mobile shooter games available presently, Fortnite, PUBG and Call of Duty are among the top three most popular ones. EA’s Apex Legends is as popular as the trio but the issue is that it is not available on mobile. That may change soon as EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson is reported to have disclosed during a conference call that the company has deliberated on having the popular battle royale game get a soft launch by the end of the year.
The Apex Legends is a popular game which was meant to give EA an entry point into the lucrative battle royale gaming market. However, the popularity of the game has diminished for a while now, perhaps due to the unavailability of a mobile version. The fortunes of the game may experience some change when it becomes available to the billions of mobile gamers worldwide.
The game may not become available to gamers worldwide this year, though, as a soft launch means only some markets will get the new game on mobile. The company did not reveal the region that’s will become available by the year’s end but we expect the rollout to be expanded by the early part of 2021.
The mobile game scene has turned out to be a very lucrative one. The industry has also experienced some upsurge due to the COVID 19 lockdown and other restrictions. Data released by Sensor Tower showed that Tencent’s PUBG emerged as the top-grossing mobile game in May 2020 with an estimated revenue of $226 million USD. It is no surprise EA is planning to get on board with its own battle royale game which shares the same plot with the PUBG Mobile. That is, you jump from an aircraft, search for weapons and other loot and try to remain the last one standing.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick is finally here to compete against the Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire Stick. The Xiaomi Mi TV stick first appeared on EEC and later became available on Gearbest and Aliexpress. However, the official launch is still awaited from the Xiaomi side. In the meantime, you can grab the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick 2GB RAM and 4K HDR variant for $39. You need to use the coupon code on checkout to get $10 off instantly.
XIaomi was recently spotted on Gearbest and Aliexpress in two different variants – 2K HDR and 4K HDR. The 4K HDR was priced around $133 on a third-party retailer’s website and the 2K variant is available for $49.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick features Amlogic S905 quad-core processor coupled with 3GB RAM and 8GB internal storage. It supports dual-band WiFi to support speeds higher than 60Mbps. The device houses a standard HDMI 2.0 interface for easy connectivity across multiple devices.
The Mi TV Stick runs on Android 9 and supports dedicated Bluetooth voice remote control. It can output 4K HDR content with support for Dolby and DTS HD sound decoding. It is highly portable with support for simple plug and play interface.
Unlike Amazon Fire Stick TV, Xiaomi Mi TV supports Google Assitant with all its services like quick search, voice control, and detects other Mi smart home devices.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Technical Specifications:
Resolution: 2K
Audio decoder: DOLBY, DTS
Audio format: MP3, AAC, Flac, OGG
Photo Format: JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, TIF
Contents: Google Play, Netflix, YouTube, Prime video, etc.
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.2
Power Consumption: 5W
WiFi: 2.4GHz and 5GHz dual-band WiFI
Power SUpply: USB 2.0 Port
In order to grab the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick for $39 use Coupon Code MTV10 on the checkout page. You can head over to the Giztop product listing to get it for the reduced price.
Advancement in safety measures adopted in the manufacture of smartphones has greatly reduced the incidence of exploding phones. But there are pockets of cases here and there, most traced to defective batteries. The most prominent of such was the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7. One of such rare cases has been reported in India where a Realme XT model exploded just 24 hours after purchase.
According to 91mobiles, the user claims the explosion occurred while the smartphone was left to charge overnight using the official adaptor in the retail box. However, Realme India has stated that the explosion was as a result of an “external force” which was applied to the unit and thus puncture the battery. Thus, this resulted in the battery going up in flames.
However, the owner of the Realme XT unit, Roshan Singh insists the model went up in flame while charging. He accused Realme’s service centre of inaction, claiming that when he shared the images of the burnt unit with them, a representative the brand concluded that an external force was applied by him on the unit by merely examining the unit.No physical examination or investigation was carried out. Upon further complaint on Twitter, Realme assured him that action will be taken on the incident but that promise has not been kept till now.
In an official statement released to 91mobiles, the company stated: “For us, one of the key pillars is product quality. Every smartphone manufactured by Realme goes through a number of stringent quality and durability checks as customer safety is of utmost importance for us. As per our investigation, we have learnt that the smartphone was damaged due to external force. The user’s smartphone battery caught fire as the smartphone was punctured from outside.”
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Sadly, we have seen similar scenarios play out in the recent past but with Xiaomi models. Two of the cases involved the Redmi Note 7 Pro, the third was a Redmi Note 7S unit while the fourth was a Redmi Note 6 Pro. In all the reported cases, Xiaomi refused accepting liability claiming they were caused by previous damage to the phones. We never really did get to find out if Xiaomi ended up replacing the units. Roshan Singh may likely suffer the same fate but fair enough, the unit’s back panel looks like what may have shattered before the battery went up in flames. This falls in line with the claim by the company.
Honor had an online event today in Europe where it unveiled a couple of new products. Among the products announced are the Honor 9A smartphone, a new MagicBook, and a pair of TWS earbuds.
Honor 9A
The Honor 9A is a budget smartphone that was first announced in China back in March. The phone has now made its way to Europe albeit with different specs.
For the European Honor 9A, the phone has a 6.3-inch HD+ (1600 x 720) display with a waterdrop notch. There is an Helio P22 processor inside along with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.
Unlike the Chinese version with dual rear cameras, the Honor 9A that will be sold in Europe has three rear cameras. The main sensor is a 13MP camera and you also get a 5MP ultrawide angle camera and a 2MP macro camera. The selfie camera is an 8MP sensor.
The Honor 9A has a dedicated MicroSD card slot, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, and an audio jack. It also has an FM radio with a built-in antenna, Huawei Histen 6.0, and a Smart PA audio system. There is a 5000mAh battery inside but the phone only supports 5W charging. It also supports reverse charging. The phone runs Magic UI 3.1 based on Android 10 out of the box and with HMS.
The phone is available in Midnight Black and Phantom Blue. It will go on sale on July 1 for €149.9.
MagicBook 14
The Honor MagicBook 14 has also made its way to Europe. The MagicBook 14 has a pretty gorgeous design with its aluminum chassis and blue accent that goes around the lid. The bezels around the display are slim but not the slimmest we have seen. It weighs 1.38 kilograms and is 15.9 millimeters thick.
The notebook comes with a 14-inch 1080p display as expected. There is an AMD Ryzen 3500U inside along with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 256GB of PCIe SSD storage.
For ports, you get two USB-A ports (1x USB 3.0 and 1x USB 2.0), a USB-C port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. It also has a backlit keyboard.
Honor says it comes with a cooling fan with 49% more blades for more efficient cooling. There is a 56Wh battery inside that should last up to 10 hours. The MagicBook 14 charges via a USB-C port and supports 65W fast charging (65W charger included). This allows you to charge it from empty to 46% in just 30 minutes.
Other features of the notebook are a fingerprint scanner (buried under the power button), a retractable webcam hidden between the keys, and support for Magic-link 2.0 which allows users to mirror their Honor phones on their PC and seamlessly transfer files between both devices.
The MagicBook 14 comes with Windows 10 Home out of the box and a 1-month free subscription of Office 365. The notebook is priced at €599 (€649 with a 12-month Office 365 subscription) and comes in Space Gray and Mystic Silver. It is already available for purchase in France and will begin shipping between July 6 and July 10.
CHOICE TWS Earbuds
Honor also announced a new line of products called CHOICE today. The CHOICE line will have IoT and lifestyle products such as TWS earbuds, humidifiers, smart vacuum cleaners, smart kettles, smart toothbrushes, and smart lamps. The first of these products announced today is the CHOICE TWS Earbuds.
The earbuds have 7mm drivers and boast a battery life of 24 hours. It comes in white and has a design similar to that of the FlyPods 3 but with a much shorter stem. Honor has not revealed details about pricing and availability.
In the first week of June, Xiaomi rolled out Android 10 update for Redmi 7A in China. A few days later, Redmi Note 7 Pro was treated with a similar update and yesterday, Redmi 7 started getting it as well. And now, Redmi Note 7, the brand’s first 48MP camera smartphone is also being blessed with Android 10 stable update in China.
Xiaomi is known for supporting most of its devices for three MIUI versions. But the same cannot be said for the underlying Android as it gets updated merely one time or two in case of flagships and some mid-rangers.
Since the beginning, the Chinese smartphone maker has a habit of updating the Android version of its smartphones slower than other OEMs. It got worse this year as most of its budget devices launched in early 2019 are still running Android Pie.
Thankfully, those devices begin to get the update from this month. That being said, the Android 10 update for Redmi Note 7 in China comes with build number V11.0.2.0.QFGCNXM. The global versions may have a different build when the brand starts seeding out there.
It is worth noting that the whole Redmi 7/Redmi Note 7 series has now received Android 10 update in China. But the company is yet to deliver it in other regions. These handsets will be now receiving MIUI 12 stable update in the coming weeks.
Having said that, we hope that the brand soon starts rolling out the Android 10 update to Redmi 8 series and Redmi Note 8 next. For the unaware, the Redmi Note 8 Pro has already received the update in all the regions.
Realme C11 has kept the rumour mills buzzing in recent times right after the company confirmed it will be launched as the first Helio G35-powered model. The specs of the model were recently leaked, confirming it is indeed an entry-level model. On the heels of that leak, Realme has confirmed the C11 will be launched in Malaysia on June 30. The company disclosed this in a poster released on the Realme India Facebook page. The post also hinted that the launch will be an online event. The poster equally reiterates that the Realme C11 will be the first model to pack the MediaTek Helio G35 which is still unannounced. However, the processor is said to be an Octa-Core SoC manufactured uses 12nm process, similar to other G series SoC, but this is clocked up to 2.3 GHz, and adopts the Cortex A53 cores.
As a reminder, 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.
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. Unfortunately, the phone won’t have a fingerprint sensor.
At WWDC, Apple unveiled the next-generation iOS operating system for the iPhones — iOS 14, which comes with several improved features and significant changes. Here’s the list of major features coming with the newer version.
Home screen and Widgets
The first major change that you’ll notice in the iOS 14 is the redesigned home screen. For the first time ever, it now supports widgets which can be dragged from the Today screen to the home screen. Also, the widgets can be pinned to the home screen in different sizes.
Swiping right from the home screen is a new App Library where every application on the device has bene organized neatly into the folder system. You can also remove apps from the home screen but keep them in the App Library.
There’s also a new Smart Stack feature that intelligently stacks widgets based on time, location, and activity. Through the widgets gallery, you will now be able to choose widgets from the app as well as customize them.
Compact Calling Screen
Till now, whenever you receive a call, it covered the full screen on the phone. But now, with the new iOS 14, the incoming phone calls appear as a notification on the top instead of taking over the entire screen.
New Siri Interface
Similar to the new compact calling screen, the Siri interface has also been redesigned. Instead of taking over the whole display area, the new interface just opens up a Siri blob at the bottom of the screen when triggered. The output result is then displayed on top of the screen as rich notifications.
App Clips
Apple has also added a new App Clips support to iOS 14. This enables users to take advantage of some app features without the need to download the full application. So, you will be able to do things like purchase coffee, make restaurant reservations, etc. just by scanning a code without downloading the app.
The company added that the App Clips work through Apple-designed App Clip codes, NFC tags, or QR codes, and can also be shared in Messages or from Safari.
Picture-In-Picture
This picture-in-picture mode, which was already available on the iPad, is now finally making its way to the iPhone with iOS 14. With this feature, the FaceTime video call can continue in a small floating window, allowing you to keep using your phone at the same time. You can also drag the box anywhere on the screen.
Messages
The Messages application has received several major improvements. The company has now added support for pinning nine conversations at the top of the app. It also comes with support for new in-line replies so that you can reply to a specific message in a conversation instead of a general message.
Further, it now has support for mentions, allowing you to mention a user and then send a message so that only that person will get notified. The group chat name, as well as the photo, can now be customized.
It also comes with new Memoji option that includes additional hairstyles, face coverings, age, headwear, and more Memoji stickers. With the revamped facial and muscle structure, the feature has now become more expressive.
Apple has been making some solid improvements in Maps. The company said that it will start rolling out new map data to more countries this year. Further, the company is adding cycling directions that can take into account elevation changes, bike lanes, and stairs.
It will also show location of known speed cameras and red light cameras. The Maps is now being updated to provide specialized electric vehicle routes. It also enables you to keep track of things like current charge status, and show compatible chargers on route.
Translate App
The company is adding a new first-party application with the iOS 14 — Translate. Similar to the Google Translate app, you can choose two languages and hit the mic button. The app will then listen to your voice and provide text as well as voice translations. The app works offline and allows you to download more languages.
Car Keys
The Digital car keys feature allows you to unlock and start your car with the iPhone or even Apple Watch. With the new update, the company is adding support for U1 chip, which will be able to unlock cars without the need to take your iPhone out of the pocket. Also, the car keys can be shared through Messages.
Updated Privacy Protections
The newly updated privacy protections in the iOS 14 now require developers to get permission before accessing devices on local network. Apple has also introduced new options for limiting access to select photos or providing apps with only approximate location data. Further, apps need to get permission before tracking across websites. There’s a new icon that shows on the home screen when the app is using camera or mic.
Apart from these, there are few more new features added with the iOS 14 that include password monitoring, built-in Safari translation, support for third-party products, and accessories in Find My app, among others.
iOS 14 Release Date
Apple has not revealed the exact date for the rollout of this new iOS 14 update but has said that it will be available later this year. Typically, the new iOS rollout begins in September, just in time for the new iPhone launch. However, it remains to be seen if Apple sticks to the same timeline.
Before releasing the public version, Apple is set to start offering a public beta test version from July this year.
Xiaomi just recently launched the new Mi Band 5 model in China. And we have been using the smartband for the past few days. While it’s not a huge upgrade as compared to its predecessor, there are still some important features that give it a slight advantage over the Mi Band 4. So if you are planning to buy the Xiaomi Mi Band 5, make sure to read our review first.
Also, we are giving away the Mi Band 5 to one of our lucky YouTuber subscribers. You can participate in the giveaway from the link at the end of the article or from the review video that you see below.
What’s the difference between Mi band 5 and the Mi band 4?
There are only a few differences in their hardware and design.
The most remarkable difference is that the Mi Band 5 features a slightly larger AMOLED display, up from 0.95 inches to 1.1 inches. That’s not much of a difference but the screen now has smaller bezels and a larger area to display more information. While the size difference is hard to perceive on a day to day basis, when we directly compare it with Mi Band 4, you can see the additional line of information available due to its larger screen size.
Another upgraded feature is the display brightness, which can reach up to 450 nits and allows you to view the display clearly under direct sunlight. But it still doesn’t have auto-brightness-adjustment, so you’ll have to max up the brightness manually. This could be a pain because the brightness setting is hidden deep inside the settings menu. But in most cases, you’d be happy with a set brightness level.
There are more than 100 new themed dials to choose from as claimed, including 54 famous IP themes such as Spongebob Squarepants, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Ali the Fox. But so far, some special themes have not been found in the watch face store. It seems that some of them are only available in Chinese version.
Mi Band 5 vs Mi Band 4 watch faceMi Band 5 themes
Another wonderful improvement is in its charging method. The Mi band 5 brings an all-new magnetic charging dock. If you had the Mi band 4, you’d how annoying it was to charge it, even if it was once every few weeks. That’s why I’m so grateful for the new charging method, even though we only charge it once every couple of weeks. But pay attention here, Xiaomi did not improve the charging speed, which is understandable as we don’t need to charge it frequently.
So that’s all the design difference between the Mi band 5 and 4. To be honest, they look almost identical. Since the size of the new body is the same as the Mi band 4 (only the bezels were reduced to increase its display size), we were able to replace the original strap with the Mi Band 4’s strap.
Mi Band 5 gets into Mi Band 4’s strap!
You can also check our out Mi Band 5 hands-on for some additional pictures of the device.
Mi Band 5 Review: Fitness Tracking Gets New Modes & PAI scores
Mi Band 5 Sports Modes
As one of the best cheap fitness trackers, Mi band series has been doing an excellent job in offering various health tracking features. In addition to Mi band 4’s six sports modes, the Mi band 5 supports several new exercise options, offering a total of 11 sports modes. We haven’t tested all the sport modes, but it should be a step up from what you get with the Mi band 4. And for swimming mode, the Mi band 5 also supports 5ATM waterproof as the Mi band 4 did. So, you can wear it even when taking a shower or while swimming.
Besides the sport modes tracking, the Mi band 5 supports some other important health tracking, including improved sleep tracking, blood oxygen tracking, smarter heart rate monitoring, stress test, PAI scoring system, and menstrual cycle tracking for women’s health.
Mi Band 5 vs Mi Band 4 Sleep Tracking
To see if the sleep tracking is improved on the Mi Band 5, our colleague tracked his sleep wearing the two bands at the same time. Well, there was a slight difference in sleep tracking but it’s hard to say which one is more accurate. One detail worth mentioning is that he said he woke up to take a phone call at around 8:20 am. Only the Mi band 4 recorded it down while we couldn’t see it in the Mi band 5’s timeline.
And the heart rate monitoring can be activated all day with different frequencies. But it could increase the power consumption of the band. And it also features a heart rate alert. Simply put, it can warn users about abnormal heart rate issues through vibration and notification.
The new stress test and PAI scoring system can help users understand their physical state through tracking. Giving a numerical figure to your physical activity is a good way to see if you are moving towards your goal of becoming fit. The Mi Band 5 showed that I basically stayed at a relaxed state but had a poor fitness. Although it’s hard to say if the PAI score is accurate, at least it’s informational and will motivate users to be fit.
Mi Band 5 Review: New Remote Camera Shutter
Besides working as an excellent health tracker, the Mi band 5 also reserves a lot of practical features as a helpful assistant. The smart band comes with features such as Idle alert, notification and call reminder, music control, weather reports, phone finder, and so on. We’ve introduced a lot about these features in the Mi Band 4 Review, so there’s nothing really new here. In addition to the above list, the Mi Band 5 has also added a remote camera control feature via Bluetooth. It can act as your phone’s camera shutter, but it’s still not capable of controlling video shooting. It’s nothing really special but for some, it’ll make shooting photos much more convenient, especially when you are traveling alone or need to take group shots.
Mi Band 5 Remote Shutter
Mi Band 5 Review: Same Battery Life As Its Predecessor
As for its battery, there is no remarkable improvement. The Mi band 5 can last for around 15 days without turning on some features like all-time heart rate monitoring.
After wearing it for five days, it consumed 36% of power, which is an acceptable result. But as mentioned at the start of this Mi Band 5 review, the magnetic charging makes it way easier to charge the device every couple of weeks.
So that’s everything about the Mi Band 5. It’s an excellent smart wearable with practical and useful features. And more importantly, it’s really hard to find a better choice at such a price tag.
As mentioned at the start of the review, we are giving away one unit of the Mi Band 5 to one of our YouTube subscribers! Just follow the steps in the gleam widget below to participate in it.
Chinese OEMs are raining budget 5G handsets every other week. iQOO Z1x is said to be the next mid-range 5G smartphone as per recent leaks. Now, a new leak reveals the device to come with a massive 5,000 mAh battery.
iQOO Z1 5G launched in mid-May as the world’s first smartphone powered by MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ (Plus). It was later followed by the leaks of a lite variant of this phone called iQOO Z1x starting early June.
So far, there’s no much information about this upcoming device except for some tidbits. The first-ever leak claimed it to launch with Snapdragon 765G underneath. Then, 3C certification revealed it to ship with 33W fast charger just like most other Vivo and iQOO smartphones.
Yesterday, another leak reportedly claimed the iQOO Z1x to feature 120HZ refresh rate display, a little lower than iQOO Z1’s 144Hz panel.
Now, a new spy shot of the smartphone (V2012A) running the Ampere app reveals its battery capacity to be 5000mAh battery, which will be really useful for that high refresh rate screen and 5G connectivity.
Unfortunately, nothing else is known about this upcoming budget 5G handset except for the above-mentioned few specifics.
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