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Redmi Note 9S users are facing a weird WiFi issue

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 9S as a rebranded Redmi Note 9 Pro Indian variant. It is one of the best budget smartphones in its price segment continuing the legacy of Redmi Note series. But lots of users are reporting a weird WiFi issue on this handset.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S

Multiple Redmi Note 9S users have shared a common WiFi bug on forums like Mi Community and XDA. According to them, the phone randomly disconnects from the internet on WiFi after 10-15 minutes from locking the screen.

Also, the data transmission won’t resume on WiFi even after unlocking the phone. The issue seems to be limited to the European variant of the handset as there are no reports from Indian users.

Some users claim the latest MIUI 11.0.8.0 Global Stable build partially fixes the bug as per Android Authority. The fix in question involves the phone logging out of the network every 10 minutes, followed by a login within a few seconds but this is not a perfect solution.

On a regular basis, all Android devices reconnect to a WiFi network every few hours to renew the IP address. But the Redmi Note 9S is doing the same procedure for every few minutes. This is absurd even when we think of it.

We hope Xiaomi fixes it properly via future OTA update as it seems like a software issue rather hardware as units running MIUI India build does not have the same problem.

 

Qualcomm will reportedly announce the Snapdragon 775G SoC on June 17

Qualcomm has reportedly announced that it will hold a new Snapdragon launch event on June 17. According to Tencent’s QQ news, the US chipmaker is expected to announce the Snapdragon 775G processor on that day.Snapdragon 775G

The Snapdragon 775G is expected as the newest addition to the Snapdragon 7 series mid-range SOCs. The chip will reportedly be shipped in small scale in mid-June and compared to the Snapdragon 765, the performance has reportedly been improved by 40% while the upgraded GPU is 50% better. It also features Vulkan support.

Although, we can’t vouch for the authenticity of this information the processor is likely the Qualcomm SM7350 which is rumoured to be the successor to the SD 765G. The details of the chipset are not known at this moment.

Recently, a rumour had emerged that Xiaomi is working on the Mi CC10, the successor to the Mi CC9. The rumour also tips the device to run on the unannounced Qualcomm Snapdragon 775G chipset. The phone is said to bear the internal codename “Gauguin and will be equipped with a 64MP main camera while the high-end version, possibly the CC10 Pro will have a 108MP camera. The phone is expected to be unveiled in July.

 

 

(source)

 

WhatsApp users in Brazil can now send and receive money

If you live in Brazil and use WhatsApp, there is good news. Starting today, you will be able to send and receive money securely right from within your chat with friends, family, and businesses.

The press release on WhatsApp’s blog says that the feature is powered by Facebook Pay. Users will be able to send money to loved ones and folks with WhatsApp business accounts. The feature should make it easier for small businesses to easily receive payments.

WhatsApp says the payment is secure and a six-digit PIN or fingerprint will be required before transactions can be completed.

At the moment, WhatsApp payment is supported by Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards from Banco de Brasil, Nubank, and Sicredi. WhatsApp also says it is working with Cielo, Brazil’s leading payments processor, and has built an open model to make it easy for more partners to join in the future.

WhatsApp Pay

The payment doesn’t attract a charge when you send or receive money save for businesses that will have to pay a processing fee to receive payments from their customers.

The service is already rolling out to users already and should arrive for everyone in the coming weeks.

WhatsApp first began receiving payments in India in 2018 but it was a test run. The service was supposed to roll out to more users but the company has been facing challenges with approvals.

WhatsApp is yet to announce which countries will be getting the feature next.

 

(Sources: 1, 2)

“Microsoft-certified” retailer lists Windows 11 for pre-order before taking it down

The latest version of Microsoft’s operating system is still Windows 10 and Microsoft intends to keep it that way for the foreseeable future. So anyone with that knowledge will have his/her alarms go off when they see a pre-order page for Windows 11.

Windows 11 pre-order page (1)

Mark Wyciślik-Wilson of betanews reports that he came across a Windows 11 pre-order page on a site called SoftwareKeep that says it is a Microsoft Certified Partner. Armed with the knowledge that Microsoft isn’t planning to release Windows 11, he began a live chat with a support agent called Emir.

The support agent claimed Windows 11 will be posted on Microsoft’s site on July 1 and released on July 29. When told that Microsoft has no plans to release Windows 11, he insisted he was “100 percent sure” it will be announced. He also added that he had contacted the content department and they had told him (Emir) that it was directly from Microsoft.

Windows 11 Pre-order page

Not too long after the chat with the support staff ended, Mark said he received an email from “Calvince from SoftwareKeep”. The mail was an apology for the misinformation for the product listing and gratitude to Mark for bringing it to their notice.

The mail claimed the product listing had been removed but Mark said the page was still accessible for hours after the mail. SoftwareKeep offered to send a thank-you gift to Mark but he said he declined to send his address as required. However, he did say that he contacted Microsoft to inform them that a certified partner listed a fake product for sale. Sadly, Microsoft is yet to reply.

 

(Source, Via)

Huawei Mate 40 series to feature 9P FreeForm camera module for improved camera performance

With the launch fo the Huawei Mate 40 series edging closer, more rumors and reports regarding the flagship lineup are surfacing. The latest one reveals information regarding the premium grade handset’s camera technology, which features a 9P FreeForm lens.

Huawei

According to Lin En-Ping, CEO of Largan Precision, the company has finished the development of FreeForm lens and 9P (nine plastic lens pieces) camera modules. Additionally, the shipments will for the former is expected to start from Q4 of 2020, with the latter being adopted by clients at the beginning of the final quarter as well.

For those unaware, Largan Precision is a Taiwan based supplier of camera lens modules, which are used in smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, and more. Notably, Largan Precision is being conservative about business operations in Q3 of 2020. Despite the period being a booming season, the Coronavirus pandemic has seen its clients cut orders. Thus, shipments for the third quarter are currently uncertain and the fact that US sanctions against Huawei are also affecting Largan doesn’t make things easier for the company.

We had previously reported on the known analysts Ming-Chi Kuo’s report regarding a FreeForm lens for the Mate 40 series back in April 2020. To explain the FreeForm camera technology, it is a digital lens that has its curvature generated and not molded. This improves the overall sharpness of the images and reduces noise in the shot and blurriness as well. In other words, pictures clicked with this lens should offer a more precise capture than conventional lenses.

Huawei Mate 40

Furthermore, the addition of the 9P lens will also help in improve camera performance. The 9P lens enables better light intake for the image sensor, which is especially useful during low light scenarios. FreeForm lens technology will also help reduce distortion in wide angle lenses, which is a inherit since wide angle lens has the fish eyed effect that is noticeable on the edges of an image.

 

(Via,Source)

OnePlus is working on a feature that will help users find public Charging Stations

OnePlus is apparently working on a new feature for its smartphones. The company is working on adding a new software function that will allow users to find public charging stations, that will allow for a quick battery charge when outside.

OnePlus

The new function was discovered by a senior member of XDADevelopers. A new string of functions was uncovered in the Settings app within Android 11 Beta 1 for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. The description for these strings indicates that the company is working on building a network of public Charging Stations to help its users get a quick charge when on the move.

These charging stations will be equipped with BLE beacons that will allow them to broadcast their location to nearby OnePlus smartphone users. These charging stations will support fast charging rates, with graphics assets that suggest the same also being discovered in the Settings app. Unfortunately, it is currently unknown when the company will announce this new Charging Station network.

OnePlus

Although, its deployment has already started. A Twitter user shared an image of the new Charging Stations that were found in the Bengaluru Airport, India. Looking at the image, the OnePlus brand logo can be spotted under which the Warp Charge designation is etched. The charging station also has two USB ports along with a standard universal charging plug.

[Update: Galaxy M51] Galaxy M41 will feature 6.67-inch FHD+ CSOT flexible OLED panel from TCL

Update: June 17

Galaxy M41 canceled; Samsung moving forward with the Galaxy M51.

Update: June 29

Galaxy M51 could become the first Samsung smartphone with non-Samsung Display OLED panel. This checks out as it was recently spotted on Geekbench. It was even reported to launch in September a few days back.

Original Story

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy M series phone includes the recently benchmarked Galaxy M51 and Galaxy M41 whose renders surfaced in March. According to The Elec, the latter will be the first Samsung phone to feature OLED panel from a different supplier than Samsung Display.

Samsung Display is the market leader as the supplier of OLED panels to smartphone OEMs. Last year, the sister company of Samsung Electronics accounted for 80% of small and medium-sized OLED panels market.

But the monopoly of Samsung Display may soon end as Chinese panel suppliers have begun to improve their quality over the past few years. In fact, Samsung Electronics itself had sent a Request for Quotation (RFQ) to BOE for Galaxy S21, however, those panels failed in tests.

Now, according to a new report, the forthcoming Galaxy M41 will use China’s TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) made OLED panel. The flexible screen will be of 6.67-inches with FHD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels) resolution and 19:5:9 aspect ratio.

The same panel is found in high-end smartphones like Xiaomi Mi 10 series and Motorola Edge series

The report further states that Samsung Electronics is also testing BOE OLED panel for Galaxy M41. If CSOT manages to supply panels for Samsung, future Galaxy M and Galaxy A series might feature displays made by these two Chinese companies rather than Samsung Display.

Both CSOT and BOE have already supplied LCD panels for Samsung’s budget smartphones earlier.

By using low-cost yet reliable OLED panels from Chinese suppliers, Samsung Electronics can aggressively price their budget smartphones in countries like India. On the other hand, companies like BOE and CSOT will attract more clients in the future increasing their market share.

 

(Source, Via)

HyperX Showdown announced, a new gaming event series featuring known celebrities and athletes

HyperX has just announced a new gaming event series. The HyperX Showdown is a series of online gaming events that will feature various celebrities from different fields of entertainment. This includes stars from the music, entertainment, and even sports and gaming industries.

HyperX

The event will be hosted across a period of eight weeks, during which time, popular online streamers will also be participating in the gaming event. In the event, well known games like Call of Duty: Warzone, NBA 2K, Fortnite, Madden, and more will be featured with the first event scheduled to start on the 16th of June 2020 at 3 pm ET. The first event will feature two known music stars, Afrojack and Nicky Romero, who will also be paired with two professional esports athletes from the London Royal Ravens playing Call of Duty: Warzone.

The event will be streamed on Twitch, a live streaming platform owned by Amazon, through HyperX’s official channel. This gaming series will be held entirely online, which is to be expected since the world is still facing a global pandemic at the moment.

You can also expect other known figures like Offset, Future, Young Thug and sports stars like Gordon Hayward (Boston Celtics), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Pittsburgh Steelers), Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur F.C.), Philip Forsberg (Nashville Predators), DeMarcus Cousins (NBA All Star), Mikal Bridges (Phoenix Suns), Onyeka Okongwu (2020 NBA Draft Prospect), Cole Anthony (2020 NBA Draft Prospect), and Joc Pederson (Los Angeles Dodgers).

HyperX
Popular games like Fornite will be one of the games featured in the event

More special guests are yet to be announced and the series will also be hosting a special HyperX Showdown episode, which will feature an all-female event and an NBA Rookie Challenge. By the end of the eight weeks of gaming events, the athlete who HyperX considers the best will be named as its brand ambassador. The online event will also be collaborating with Excel Sports Management that will procure talent and provide guidance.

 

Huawei Enjoy 20 Pro will debut on June 19

The Huawei Enjoy Z debuted last month in China as the company’s cheapest 5G-ready phone. Recent reports have revealed that Huawei will be launching a couple of Huawei Enjoy 20 series smartphones soon. It was reported earlier today that the Chinese firm may launch the Enjoy 20 phone in August. Speculations were rife that the company will launch the Huawei Enjoy 20 Pro in the coming week. However, the firm confirmed today that the Pro model will be made official on June 19.

The below-shown video confirms the launch date for the Enjoy 20 Pro smartphone. The other thing that can be deduced from the video is that its appearance is identical to the Enjoy Z. Also, rumor surrounding the specs of the Enjoy 20 Pro will not be different from the Enjoy Z. Hence, the Enjoy 20 Pro could be meant for the offline market in China.

The video reveals that the Enjoy 20 Pro has a teardrop notch. It is a 5G-ready phone with a triple camera setup on its back. It has a side-facing fingerprint reader. Dark blue and light blue are the two color variants of the smartphone.

Huawei Enjoy 20 Pro specifications (Unconfirmed)

The Enjoy 20 Pro is expected to come with an IPS LCD screen that delivers up to 90Hz refresh rate. It could be powered by Dimensity 800 5G chipset and a 4,000mAh battery that supports 22.5W fast charging.

The rear side of the Enjoy 20 Pro is said to be fitted with a 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera setup. It could be featuring a front camera of 16-megapixel. There is no word on the pricing of the Enjoy 20 Pro.

 

Huami unveils the Huangshan 2 chip, a self developed processor for its wearables

Earlier today (15th June 2020), Huami Technology, the known wearables maker, held its AI Innovation Conference in China. In the event, the company showcased a number of AI innovation technologies, and with it, the second generation of its self developed Huangshan processor.

The Huangshan 2 SoC arrives nearly two years after the first generation of the self developed chip from Huami. The chip will power the company’s upcoming smart wearables and was developed by the company’s chip research and development department. According to the company, the process was not an easy task and only a few domestic companies have achieved mass production of self developed chips to date.

Huami

The release of Huangshan 2 is a breakthrough from Huami and took over 450 days of hard work after the original Huagshan’s launch. The latest generation of the chipset features a new architecture, which was developed based on the RISC-V instruction set.

For those unaware, RISC-V is open sourced and has recently been gaining ground in the industry. Furthermore, the Huangshan 2 has managed to achieve higher efficiency than its predecessor, with lower power consumption and computing functions built specifically for its wearable gadgets. Notably, the chip also has an independent NPU neural network engine.

Huami

This allows it to also achieve higher artificial intelligence computing efficiency. An example of its capabilities includes a higher recognition rate of atrial fibrillation based on heart rate data, which 7 times better than the Huangshan 1. Additionally, its software algorithms on the market have also been improved by 26 times. The new chip will also support the Always On module that intelligently lowers power consumption.

Huami

The Huangshan 2 also introduces the new C2 Coprocessor. This processor works when the main chip is in sleep or even turned off, and experimental data shows a 50 percent reduction in power consumption overall. The original Huangshan chip was mass produced and commercialized last year to great success, so the newer Huangshan 2 chips bringing improvements will likely boost Huami’s wearables performance, especially related to functions regarding the user’s biodata. The chip is expected to be mass produced by Q4 2020 and should be seen in the market by 2021.

 

PUBG Mobile was the highest grossing ($226 million) mobile game in May 2020

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic-led lockdowns have affected various businesses. But some like the gaming industry profited by a high margin compared to last year. As people around the world are stuck at home, they either turn towards streaming or gaming, especially mobile gaming to kill time. This has helped PUBG Mobile to become the highest-grossing mobile game in May with more than $226 million in user spending.

PUBG Mobile Official Poster

PUBG Mobile aka Peacekeeper Elite (China) by Tencent is currently one of the popular mobile titles ever since its release in 2018. It is a free-to-play battle royale game with in-app purchases.

According to the latest report by Sensor Tower, PUBG Mobile’s revenue exceeded $226 million in May, making it the highest-grossing mobile game of the month. The revenue generated was 41% YoY increase.

Also, it is interesting to see that most in-app purchases came from China (53%), USA (10.2%), Saudi Arabia (5.5%), and not much from India where the game is immensely popular.

The second highest-grossing mobile title in the same period was Honor of Kings, another game by Tencent. It earned $204.5 million for the company, a 42% YoY growth. Most of its revenue came from China (95%), followed by Thailand (2.2%) where it is known as Garena Realm of Valor.

Niantic’s Pokémon GO also recorded its highest revenue of $82.2 million since September 2019. The developer recently added new content in the game to encourage playing at home.

 

(Via)

Xiaomi Youpin launches Morfun Pocket Hot Water Dispenser, boils water in just 4 seconds

Earlier today (15th June 2020), the Xiaomi Youpin platform launched a new water heater dispenser. The Morfun Pocket Hot Water Dispenser is priced at 199 Yuan (roughly 28 US Dollars) and offers the functions of a conventional water heater but in a portable form factor.

Xiaomi

The primary selling point of the Morfun Pocket Hot Water Dispenser is its portability. Its body size is 117x62x190mm, making it a pocket water heater that allows it to be carried in a bag, suitcase, and more. Another notable aspect regarding the product is its heating technology, which uses the new non-thermal bile boiling technology. This method allows for the water to be boiled within the container in just 4 seconds.

Furthermore, the top of the gadget also sports touch screen enabled display, which allows users to control or adjust the water temperature in real time. The Morfun Pocket Hot Water Dispenser has 5 temperature settings that include 45°C, 60°C, 85°C, and 100°C. So, users can choose the amount of water and its temperature at the same time. The water dispensing option includes 120ml, 250ml, 360ml and 500ml.

Xiaomi

The actual price of the device on the Xiaomi Youpin platform is 299 Yuan, but it is currently being offered at a discounted price of 199 Yuan thanks to a coupon that is valid from 15h June to 18th June 2020. For those interested, you can click here to check out the product.

 

Tecno Spark Power 2 to debut on June 17 with Rs. 9,999 (~$131) pricing

Chinese brand Tecno is gearing up to launch a new smartphone called Tecno Spark Power 2. The microsite for the smartphone is now active on the e-commerce platform Flipkart. The moniker suggests that it will be arriving as the successor for the Tecno Spark Power from 2019. The specifications of the upcoming smartphone are not known yet. However, the microsite has revealed some of the key specs of the device, and its set to debut on June 17.

The microsite for the Spark Power 2 describes it as the “best battery smartphone.” By charging it once, it can last for up to 4 days and 10 minutes of charging will it deliver 3 hours of battery. There is a possibility that the handset could be coming with a large-sized battery with rapid charging capabilities. The predecessor handset had housed a 6,000mAh battery. Hence, it is likely that the Spark Power 2 could be also come with the same-sized battery, if not larger.

Tecno Spark Power 2 launch date and price

The bottom edge of the Tecno Spark Power 2 features of a 3.5mm audio jack, a microUSB port, and an external speaker grille. Spark Power 2 is expected to arrive in at least two color variants such as black and blue. The handset is equipped with a waterdrop notch display and it features a quad camera setup on its back. Lastly, the phone has stereo speakers.

The app listing for the smartphone reveals that it costs Rs. 9,999 (~$131) in India. The handset will debut on June 17 at 12 PM (local time).

In related news, Tecno unveiled the Tecno Spark 5 phone last month in India with a price tag of Rs. 7,999 (~$105). It has a 6.6-inch HD+ punch-hole display, His 5.1 based Android 10 OS, Helio A22 chipset, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of built-in storage, 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel + AI lens quad-camera setup, 8-megapixel front camera and a 5,000mAh battery.

 

(source)

Huawei surpassed Samsung as the World’s Largest Smartphone Maker in April 2020

Huawei’s global smartphone shipments may have declined after the US ban. But to everyone’s surprise, the company has managed to achieve a feat that was considered impossible with the ban in effect. Huawei became the world’s largest smartphone maker surpassing Samsung for the first time in the month of April 2020, according to Counterpoint Research.

Huawei P40 Pro+
Huawei P40 Pro+ is the company’s most powerful camera smartphone yet

Neil Shah, the VP of Research at Counterpoint confirmed to us in a mail that Huawei was the world’s number one smartphone maker with a 19% market share for a short period of time. The South Korean conglomerate had a market share of just 17% in the same period. 

Huawei’s success could be attributed to the patriotic Chinese consumers who have given preference to the company’s products ever since the ban was imposed by the US government. In China, the company has been doing exceptionally well in the past few quarters. On the other hand, the lockdown in April, forced by the pandemic, severely affected sales of Samsung in markets like India, the USA, Latin America, and parts of Europe. 

Due to strict lockdowns, certain countries witnessed almost zero demand for smartphones. However, the Chinese economy started to recover by March 2020 and this meant that Huawei’s most important smartphone market was once again open for business.

It’s is worth adding that Huawei is piggybacking on its home country, whereas its market share in other regions is declining at a higher rate due to lack of new launches and GMS (Google Mobile Services).

Huawei’s short-lived success is not guaranteed to continue for months to come as the economy around the globe is starting to recover. Consequently, Samsung’s shipments are expected to recover too.

 

Canadian Intelligence: The arrest of Huawei Founder’s daughter will cause global Shock Waves

A new court document has revealed that the Canadian intelligence agency has given a warning regarding possible global “shock waves” caused by the arrest of the daughter of Huawei founder and CEO, Ren Zhengfei.

Huawei

For those unaware, the founder’s daughter was arrested and detained in Vancouver with a request pending for a US extradition. The arrest for Meng Wanzhou was made in December 2018 with the involvement of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). This soured the diplomatic relations between Ottawa and Beijing. Meng is also the chief financial officer for Huawei in China.

The CSIS report that revealed the shock waves were recently disclosed in the court documents and were a part of Meng’s extradition proceedings. In the report, the CSIS advised the US FBI of plans to arrest her when she landed at Vancouver International Airport. The report stated that “the arrest is likely to send shockwaves around the world. The planned event will be of great consequence internationally and bilaterally.”

While commercially successful and a dominant player in 5G, or fifth-generation networking technology, Huawei has faced political headwinds and allegations that its equipment includes so-called backdoors that the U.S. government perceives as a national security. U.S. authorities are also seeking the extradition of Huaweis Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, to stand trial in the U.S. on fraud charges. Meng is currently under house arrest in Canada, though Huawei maintains the U.S. case against her is purely political. Despite the U.S. campaign against the company, Huawei is determined to lead the global charge toward adopting 5G wireless networks. It has hired experts from foreign rivals, and invested heavily in R&D to patent key technologies to boost Chinese influence. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Lawyers from Huawei have used the documents as proof that authorities from both countries have conspired against Meng; who is held for bank fraud and misleading HSBC. The charges were put on Meng after false statements regarding Huawei’s relationship with a company based in Iran. This was a notable issue since HSBC would be under risk for fines and penalties for breaking US sanctions around Tehran.

 

(Via)

Upcoming OnePlus Pods TWS earphones expected to launch next month

OnePlus is reportedly working on its pair of true wireless earphones. Recently, it was reported that the TWS earphones could get launched in the month of July, along with the OnePlus Z or OnePlus Nord upper mid-range smartphone.

Now, more information about the TWS earphones has surfaced online. The Android 11 Beta on the OnePlus 8 smartphone reveals that the upcoming true-wireless earbuds from the company are called OnePlus Pods. This is contradictory to the previous report which suggested that it could get launched as OnePlus Buds.

OnePlus Pods

The development hints that the earphones will have some kind of native integration with the OxygenOS, which is a custom user interface from OnePlus based on Android. There will be a companion app for the earphones with the package name “package.oneplus.twspods.”

As per the report, the OnePlus Pods will come with support for functions like double-tap actions, OTA updates, “Find My” for locating earbuds, among others. However, we expect more details to emerge online in the coming weeks.

If this name turns out to be true, then the company will be ditching the Bullets branding for its audio products. So far, every earphone launched by OnePlus has a Bullets branding.

Expectations are high with the OnePlus Pods given that the company is one of the last major ones to launched its own true wireless earphones since everyone else have already launched it, including the likes of Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Honor, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meizu, Xiaomi, Redmi, Realme, and others.

Apart from the mid-range smartphone and these new TWS earphones, the company is also set to launch its affordable Smart TV lineup in the Indian market on 2nd July. OnePlus has also confirmed that the pricing for the same will start under ₹20,000, about $263.

(Source)

ASUS ROG Phone 3 gaming smartphone passes through EEC certification

ASUS ROG Phone 3, the next-generation gaming smartphone from the company is expected to make its debut sometime in this quarter. While nothing is officially revealed at this time, the phone has now appeared on the EEC certification portal.

The listing reveals that the smartphone carries model number ZS661KS and will be available worldwide. The development comes just days after the device appeared on the Geekbench benchmarking platform.

ASUS ROG Phone 3 Certification

ASUS ROG Phone 3 Certification

There are two variants of the upcoming ROG gaming smartphone — 8GB RAM and 12GB RAM. While the 8GB RAM model scored 902 points in the single-core test, the device managed to score 3074 points in the multi-core test.

On the other hand, the 12GB RAM model scored 910 points in the single-core test and 3,229 points in the multi-core test. Both the devices are powered by Snapdragon 865 processor and run Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box.

Prior to this, the upcoming ROG Phone 3 was also spotted at the database of the Wi-Fi Alliance. The listing for the device had revealed support for features like Wi-Fi 802.11ax, Wi-Fi Direct, and Miracast.

Xu Xuanyue, co-CEO of ASUS had said that the company is planning to launch the ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 by the end of Q2 2020 or at the beginning of Q3 2020. However, the exact launch date remains unknown.

The ASUS ROG Phone 3, as the name itself indicates, will be the successor to the ROG Phone 2 and will mark the third-generation of gaming smartphones from the Taiwanese company. Since its predecessor was launched in July, we expect the company to carry the tradition and launch the ROG Phone 3 in July this year.

Before the phone gets official, we expect the company to reveal key specs and features of the smartphone through teasers on social media. By that time, more leaks about the device will also surface online, giving us a more clear look at the phone.

 

Huawei invests in the semiconductor startup Vertilite through its subsidiary

Huawei subsidiary, Hubble, has recently invested in a semiconductor startup named Vertilite. Hubble is an investment based company while the startup specializes in developing VCSEL chips (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser).

Huawei

For those unaware, Huawei had lost its chip supply from TSMC, after the US government enforced new sanctions. Since then, the company has been working on finding alternatives while also urging Chinese semiconductor firms to step up. Previously, Hubble had also invested two local semiconductor companies in China, which was a clear move to boost its self reliance and local source its products over US made parts.

Thus, Vertilite might be another addition to this strategy of incentivizing local semiconductor manufacturers. Unfortunately, the exact investment amount and the shareholding ratio is currently unknown. Although, a sizeable investment has been hinted. Vertilite specializes in developing high powered and high speed VSCEL chips within the range of 650nm to 1000nm. These chips have a wide variety of application, which includes optical sensing in biomedical fields, industrial fields, automotive and consumer products.

Huawei

Its products even have applications in 3D, perception based technology, augmented reality, and high speed optical communication as well. The semiconductor company even has subsidiaries in the US and Taiwan, with various laboratory members from known institutions like Stanford University. While Vertilite won’t exactly be a direct alternative to TSMC in terms of mobile chip supply for Huawei, the company does show promise in various other fields that the smartphone vendor could venture into in the future. Rather, a long term investment might also push Vertilite into making smartphone processors, but that is just a speculation.

 

(Via)

Samsung Galaxy A21s launch date for India is June 17

Multiple reports have claimed that Samsung will unveil the Galaxy A21s phone in India at some point in this month. It is an updated version of the Galaxy A21 phone that went official earlier this year but did not arrive in India. Samsung India released a tweet today to confirm that the Galaxy A21s will debut in the country on June 17.

The launch date tweet released by the company showcases the Galaxy A21s. The phone will offer users with a long-lasting battery and it features a punch-hole display. The specifications of the smartphone are known since it had debuted in Europe last month with a pricing of 200 euros (~$255).

Rumors have it that the Galaxy A21s will be costing under Rs. 20,000 (~$263) for its 4 GB RAM storage version. Its base model featuring 6 GB RAM could be priced around Rs. 15,000 (~$197).

Galaxy A21s Featured

Samsung Galaxy A21s specifications

The Samsung Galaxy A21s has a 6.5-inch PLS TFT LCD panel with Infinity-O design. It offers HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. It has a front-facing camera of 13-megapixel.

The backside of the phone features a quad camera setup. It includes a 48-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

The Exynos 850 chipset is present under the hood of the Galaxy A21s. The One UI 2.0 based Android 10 OS. The smartphone is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that supports 15W rapid charging.

 

 

OnePlus 8 Pro first India sale set for today; price starts at ₹54,999 ($724)

Two months after launching the OnePus 8 series in the Indian market, the company is now finally all set to sell the OnePlus 8 Pro in India for the first time. The sale will take place at 12:00 PM IST through Amazon and the official OnePlus website.

The smartphone was originally set to go on sale in India from 29th May. But, the sale got delayed when the company temporarily halted the production of devices in its factory for “unforeseen circumstances.”

oneplus 8 pro

The company has said that the device will be available in a limited quantity because of the “huge demand”. It’s noteworthy that while OnePlus 8 Pro will be going on sale in India for the first time today, the OnePlus 8 went on sale in India a couple of times.

As for the pricing, the OnePlus 8 Pro 8GB RAM model comes in Glacial Green and Onyx Black and costs ₹54,999, which is about $724. The top-end variant in the lineup, the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage option, comes in Glacial Green, Onyx Black, and Ultramarine Blue colors for a price of ₹59,999 which roughly converts to $790.

Those who purchase the device in this sale will get a ₹3,000 instant discount on using SBI cards. The company is also offering no-cost EMI options, and Jio benefits of up to ₹6,000.

The OnePlus 8 Pro features a 6.78-inch QHD+ Fluid AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC along with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.0 storage.

In the camera department, the quad-camera setup includes a 48-megapixel primary Sony IMX689 sensor, an 8-megapixel secondary sensor with a telephoto lens, a 48-megapixel tertiary sensor with a wide-angle lens, and a 5-megapixel “Color Filter” camera sensor.

oneplus 8 pro

It also comes with a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471 selfie camera sensor at the front. The phone runs Android 10 with OxygenOS on top and is powered by a 4,510mAh battery with support for Warp Charge 30T and Warp Charge 30 wireless charging.

Demand for the OnePlus 8 Pro has been high even though the smartphone carries a price tag of $899. Since the company cannot keep up with the demand, the phone was listed on sites like eBay and Swappa in the USA for a massive premium of up to $300.