Realme 6s with 90Hz display, 48MP quad-camera setup launches in Europe for €199

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May 26, 2020

At the Realme X3 SuperZoom launch event for Europe, the brand also unveiled a new device in the Realme 6 series dubbed as Realme 6s. This new handset is nothing but a standard Realme 6 with a 48MP sensor instead of a 64MP unit.

Realme 6s Specifications

Since the Realme 6s is basically a Realme 6 with a different primary camera sensor, the specs are identical. That means it is powered by a MediaTek G90T SoC, which debuted in the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

On the front, the phone sports a 6.5-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) 90Hz LCD panel with a single punch-hole for a 16MP selfie camera at the top left corner. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and also supports 120Hz touch sampling rate.

The back of the device is made of polycarbonate that mimics glass an houses a quad-camera setup in a vertical array. The sensors on this handset include a 48 primary snapper, 8MP ultra-wide shooter, 2 macro camera, and a 2 MP depth sensor.

As for software, the phone runs Realme UI based on Android 10. Further, the device gets its juice from a 4,300 mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging via USB Type-C.

Othe features of the handset include LPDDR4X RAM, UFS 2.1 storage, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and multi-functional NFC.

Realme 6s Price and Availability

The Realme 6s comes only in a single 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM memory variant in Lunar White and Eclipse Black color options. It is priced at €199 and will be exclusively available at Carrefour and Realme online store from June 2 in Europe.

Realme X3 SuperZoom lands in Europe with 120Hz screen, 60X Super Zoom, SD855+ and more for €499

By

Habeeb Onawole

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May 26, 2020

A day after launching its first smart TV and smartwatch, a smartphone, and a bunch of other lifestyle products in China and India, Realme has made its way to Europe to announce a brand new phone called the Realme X3 SuperZoom.

The Realme X3 SuperZoom is an affordable flagship phone; yes, it is a flagship. With a price tag of €499, Realme has made some tradeoffs to arrive at the price. Even with the tradeoffs, it still offers a lot for its price.

Realme X3 SuperZoom Design

The design of the phone is not one we haven’t seen before. It has a double punch-hole in the top left corner of the screen and a bit of bezel at the bottom. The back is home to quad rear cameras arranged vertically in the same housing. The back is covered in 3D quad-curved glass with an anti-glare and anti-fingerprint finish.

Buyers will be able to pick up the phone in Arctic White and Glacier Blue.

Realme X3 SuperZoom Specifications

The Realme X3 SuperZoom has a 6.6-inch 2400 x 1080 screen with a 120Hz refresh rate for an ultrasmooth experience. The display is an LCD panel with a 90.5% screen-to-body ratio and it is covered with Gorilla Glass 5.

Apart from going with an LCD panel for the screen, another area where Realme has been able to cut the cost of production is by going with a Snapdragon 855+ processor rather than the more expensive, and of course, more-powerful Snapdragon 865.

The Snapdragon 855+ is a more than capable chipset and will handle anything you throw at it. You also get 12GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage. The official spec sheet says there is an 8GB RAM + 128GB version. However, its price tag wasn’t revealed.

Coming to cameras, the Realme X3 SuperZoom is a beast. It has four rear cameras that include a Samsung GW1 64MP f/1.8 primary camera, an 8MP periscope lens with 5X optical zoom and optical image stabilization, an 8MP f/2.3 ultrawide angle camera with a 119° field of view; and a 2MP 4CM macro camera.

The phone has a 60x SuperZoom mode that helps you get closer to objects. There is a starry mode too for taking long-exposure shots of the stars as well as UIS video stabilization, UIS Max Video Stabilization, Super Nightscape 4.0, and many more.

The front cameras are a 32MP Sony IMX616 sensor and it is paired with an 8MP ultrawide angle camera for ultrawide angle selfies.

The Realme X3 SuperZoom packs a 4200mAh battery with support for 30W Dart Charge via USB Type-C. It has liquid cooling to keep the phone from overheating when playing games. It runs Android 10 with Realme UI out of the box with features such as Game Space and Game Assistant. There is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, dual SIM support, Hi-res Audio, and Dolby Atmos. Sadly, there is no audio jack.

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Realme X3 SuperZoom Price and Availability

The Realme X3 SuperZoom is already available for pre-order starting today. The first sale is scheduled for June 2 at 10 AM.

Xiaomi, Alibaba and Baidu dominate the falling Smart Speaker market in China

By

Sean

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May 26, 2020

The Chinese smart speaker market has seen a drop in the first quarter of 2020. The reason is likely related to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, with sales mainly being dominated by the staple industry names like Xiaomi, Alibaba, and Baidu.

This news was revealed through a recent IDC report (a known analytics firm), which stated that 10.56 million smart speakers were shipped in China in Q1 2020. This marks a noticeable year on year decline of 14.7 percent over 2019. According to IDC, the primary reason for such a shipment shrink is mainly due to the Coronavirus outbreak in the region, which caused many offline physical stores to be shut down.

These stores have since opened up gradually, especially with restrictions being eased in late March and April. Within the trio, Alibaba claimed the top position in the market, securing 3.71 million Tmall Genie smart speakers during this period. This gave it a market share of 35.2 percent. Furthermore, the company is also planning on investing heavily in the development of artificial intelligence powered smart speakers to help it retain its current dominance.

Baidu arrived second with a market share of 30.9 percent and Xiaomi at the third spot with a close 30.4 percent market share. In other words, these three brands alone captured nearly 96 percent of the entire Chinese smart speaker market. The former has its success attributed to the touch screen speakers that it produces while the latter is another known brand with its various offerings ranging in price within this segment.

(Via)

Huawei Video and Vivendi’s Dailymotion partner up to offer international and local video content

By

Sean

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May 26, 2020

The popular video platform Dailymotion (from Vivendi) has announced a new partnership with Huawei Video. This collaboration between the two companies aims to bring international and local video content to European regions like France.

The Chinese tech giant has made this move as it seeks to expand its influence in the European nations. For those unaware, Dailymotion is a popular video sharing platform, which is similar to YouTube. Through the new partnership, Huawei Video will now have integrated video players from Dailymotion, within its application. This move has been made to improve Huawei’s existing application ecosystem.

After being banned from using Google services, Huawei had to develop its own alternatives for its vanilla Android smartphones. In this ecosystem, various popular applications like YouTube, WhatsApp, and more are missing. Thus, a partnership with the French firm will also have its reliance on US based firms reduced even further. Notably, the Chinese company had also recently built its first European manufacturing plant in France. So, it seems that Huawei plans on moving forward in the region regardless of the sanctions and pressures from the US Government.

(Via)

Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 may feature a long notification display and Water Resistance: Report

By

Sean

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May 26, 2020

A new patent that has recently surfaced has suggested that the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 may feature a secondary display on the outside and will even be water resistant. The patent has been published by WIPO from Samsung Electronics and was first reported by LetsGoDigital.

Looking at the patent images, the Samsung foldable smartphone depicted bears a resemblance to the original Galaxy Fold. This device also folds inwards and has a camera system on the outside. However, a notable new inclusion is undoubtedly the secondary long notification display on the rear. The narrow display is likely to have its own unique functionality that allows readers to access notifications without unfolding their Galaxy Fold 2.

The patent was listed as “ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING WATERPROOF STRUCTURE,” which also hints at its water resistant nature. According to the patent, the design structure of the device is made to be waterproof to protect its internal components. Although how the smartphone manages to achieve this feature is still unknown. Other details regarding the patented handset include a dual camera setup on the front and back alongside necessary sensors.

Foldable smartphones have generally been considered too expensive to mass produce, with OEMs generally facing losses even when sold in limited quantities. Thus, an addition of a secondary display and water resistance protection might make things more difficult. But, it may still be possible in the near future and Samsung is probably capable of developing such a smartphone.

(Via)

Redmi Earbuds S launches as a rebadged AirDots S in India for ₹1,799 ($24)

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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May 26, 2020

Xiaomi India officially announced the first Redmi-branded audio product in the county today. As expected, this new product called Redmi Earbuds S is a rebadged Redmi AirDots S that initially launched in China in the month of April.

The newly launched Redmi Earbuds S in India features Bluetooth 5.0 to connect with devices. Unlike the OG Redmi AirDots (review), both the earbuds connect to devices separately. For the unaware, the previous model used a master-slave connection. That means the right bud connects to the device, while the left bud connects to the right earbud.

The TWS also features a low-latency (122ms) gaming mode which can be enabled or disabled by triple pressing the physical button present on either bud. These buttons can be also used for options like play/pause music, wake up voice assistants, and attend/hang-up calls.

The buds are also IPX4 certified for water/sweat resistance. As for battery life, the brand claims 4 hours for buds and 12 hours for the charging case. That means a total of 16 hours of playback time.

Further, the charging case of the new Redmi TWS features a MicroUSB port and takes 1.5 hours to charge fully as per the company.

Last but not least, the Redmi Earbuds S is priced at ₹1,799 ($24) and will be available in only black color at Mi online store, Amazon India, Mi Homes, Mi Studios, and partner retail outlets.

Xiaomi RedmiBook 13, 14, and 16 launched, features AMD Ryzen 4000 series CPU

By

Sean

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May 26, 2020

Xiaomi had teased the launch of its latest RedmiBook series earlier this week. Now, the Chinese tech giant has finally launched the new generation of ultrabook laptops, the RedmiBook 13, 14, and 16 that feature AMD’s latest Ryzen 4000 series CPUs.

Specifications

The new RedmiBook lineup is the latest entry in the Chinese company’s thin and light laptop offerings and features powerful specifications. The entire series from the small 13 inch variant to the high end 16.1 inch variant feature AMD’s newest Ryzen 4000 series mobile processors. These chips are built on a 7nm fabrication process and are based on the company’s Zen 2 architecture. According to Xiaomi, these new processors will boost performance by up to 60 percent.

Users will be able to choose different variants that arrive with different Ryzen CPUs. In other words, people can opt for the more expensive Ryzen 7 4700U processor or the more budget friendly Ryzen 5 4500U processor on their laptops. The processors also arrive with an integrated GPU, Vega 7 for the high end chip, and Vega 6 for the mid range one. Both CPUs have a TDP of 15W, with the Ryzen 7 being an 8 core + 8 thread chip and the Ryzen 5 featuring 6 core + 6 threads.

Design and Battery

The lineup features a minimal aesthetic with a metallic finish. Apart from the screen sizes, the specifications of the display remain the same across the different models. The new RedmiBook series features a high screen to body ratio of 90.6 percent and a 100 percent sRGB wide color gamut, for a more vivid and accurate color display. The bezels around this display are quite negligible, coming in at just 3.26mm.

These laptops are all rounders with CPU modes catering to specific modes like office work, casual activities, and even gaming, with AMD’s RX Vega graphics. Furthermore, 16GB of RAM if offered on the high end model, and the battery is charged via a USB Type C charging port, which also supports quick charging as well. The 16 inch model has a 46Whr battery that lasts up to 12 hours and can charge up to 50 percent in just 38 minutes.

Pricing and Availability

All models will be available for purchase from 1st June 2020, however, an early first sale starting today will have users receive special limited time discounts. This event will only last till 31st May 2020.

RedmiBook 13:

Ryzen 5 + 8GB RAM + 512GB SSD is priced at 3,799 Yuan (roughly $532, and 3,599 Yuan or $504 during the first sale)
Ryzen 5 + 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD is priced at 3,999 Yuan (roughly $560, and 3,799 Yuan or $532 during the first sale)
Ryzen 7 + 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD is priced at 4,999 Yuan (roughly $700, and 4,399 Yuan or $616 during the first sale)

RedmiBook 14:

Ryzen 5 + 8GB RAM + 512GB SSD is priced at 3,799 Yuan (3,499 Yuan or $490 during the first sale)
Ryzen 5 + 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD is priced at 3,999 Yuan (3,699 Yuan or $518 during the first sale)
Ryzen 7 + 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD is priced at 4,499 Yuan (roughly $630, and 4,299 Yuan or $602 during the first sale)

RedmiBook 16:

Ryzen 5 + 8GB RAM + 512GB SSD is priced at 3,799 Yuan (3,599 Yuan during the first sale)
Ryzen 5 + 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD is priced at 3,999 Yuan (3,799 Yuan during the first sale)
Ryzen 7 + 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD is priced at 4,499 Yuan (4,299 Yuan during the first sale)

Android 10 stable update finally arrives for the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T

By

Habeeb Onawole

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May 26, 2020

Yay!!! Android 10 is here for the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T. After months of waiting, owners of the two phones are now getting a taste of Android 10.

It has been a pretty long wait for owners of the aforementioned devices. OnePlus announced in October that it will update the two phones to Android 10 in Q2 2020. Now, the update is here and brings lots of new features.

Android 10 brings a number of new features such as Smart Reply, Full Screen Gestures, and Dark Mode. Dark Mode is actually not a new feature for OnePlus phones as it has been available on OxygenOS for years now.

The update is 1.8GB in size for the OnePlus 5T. We have not been able to get our hands on the changelog for the OnePlus 5 as OnePlus is yet to officially announce the update is rolling out already Below is the complete changelog:

System

Upgraded to Android 10
Brand new UI design
Enhanced location permissions for privacy
New customization feature in the Settings allowing you to choose icon shapes to be displayed in the Quick Settings

Game Space

New Game Space feature now add all your favorite games in one place for easier access and better gaming experience

Message

Now possible to block spam by keywords for Message (Messages – Spam – Settings – Blocking settings)

Full-Screen Gestures

Removed back gesture from the bottom of the screen
Added back gesture on the left and right sides of the phone
Added a bottom navigation bar to allow switching left or right for recent apps

Camera

Electronic image stabilization currently under optimization and will be pushed in later stabler versions. Please stay tuned.

The update seems to have rolled out to just a few persons but we expect it to be available for more users in the coming days.

Android 10 is the last major OS upgrade for the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T. Both phones launched with Android 7.1.1 Nougat pre-installed back in 2017 and have already received two OS upgrades in the course of their lives.

(Source)

Redmi 10X 4G powered by MediaTek Helio G85 launched in China for 999 yuan ($140)

By

Jeet

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May 26, 2020

Along with the Redmi 10X and 10X Pro 5G smartphones, the company has also launched a 4G variant of the same. Instead of the Dimensity 820, the 4G model comes powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 chipset.

With this, the smartphone has also become the first device to come powered by the Helio G85 SoC which was unveiled by the company earlier this month. The device packs 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The smartphone comes with a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display with 2400 x 1080 pixels screen resolution and a punch-hole cutout in the top-left corner for housing a 13MP front-facing camera sensor for taking selfies.

As for the back camera, the device features an AI-powered quad-camera setup that consists of a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens.

It also comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for added protection. The Redmi 10X 4G is rated IP53, making it water and dust resistant. The phone retains the 3.5mm audio jack and also features an IR blaster.

Just like the other Redmi 10X series smartphones, this one too is running Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box along with the latest MIUI 12 custom user interface on top. The device is powered by a 5,020mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging.

The Redmi 10X 4G comes in two variants — 4GB RAM + 128GB storage for 999 yuan (approximately $140) while the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage model is priced at 1,199 yuan which roughly converts to $168. It comes in three color options — Blue, Green, and White and is now available for purchase in China.

Some Samsung smartphones have suddenly bricked in China

By

Sean

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May 26, 2020

In the recent past, a few Samsung users have had their smartphones completely bricked. These occurrences happened suddenly and people have already started going on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website, to share their incidents.

Earlier this week, a Weibo user shared his experience with his Galaxy smartphone bricking while he was just using it. The device apparently crashed suddenly with a black screen that sometimes also led to gibberish and garbled characters being displayed. The bricked smartphones also get stuck on infinite restart animations and are locked in the reboot sequence.

Images shared by Samsung users that are suffering from this issue have also revealed that people can occasionally get stuck in a mode similar to a PC’s Bios mode. Once this screen is displayed, the handset no longer responds and cannot be used anymore, essentially bricking them. From the various online reports, the affected handsets include, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S10, Galaxy A60, and even the latest flagship Galaxy S20 series.

Notably, an image depicted a Samsung demo smartphone in a physical store also being bricked. Thus, it seems that the entire Samsung lineup in China may be affected by this unusual bug. Chinese Samsung users have also theorized that it could’ve been caused by a server hack in the region, but that is still unconfirmed. As of right now, no official solution has been provided by the South Korean tech giant. Although a few interesting rumors are being circulated online.

According to one user, the issue may have been caused by the smartphone’s lock screens. Apparently, the lunar calendar for April hadn’t been calculated correctly by Samsung’s inbuilt systems, causing the devices to brick at certain moments. The timing of the malfunction is still random. Third party calendar applications are not affected by the bug and do not cause the crash. As of right now, Samsung has yet to give an official solution for the bricked phones.

(Via)

Redmi Smart TV X series with premium features announced for $280

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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May 26, 2020

At the Redmi 10X series launch event, the brand also announced the Redmi Smart TV X series. This new TV series from the company comes in three sizes and starts under 2,000 Yuan ($280) for the 50-inch model.

Redmi Smart TV X Series Specifications

The all-new Redmi Smart TV X series brings premium features at affordable price tags. It comes in three sizes namely 50”, 55”, and 65” respectively. But all of them have identical specifications.

All the three models in the series feature 4K panel with NTSC 85% wide color gamut. Further, they have a 97% screen to body ratio and metal frame to offer better build quality.

These TVs also come with MEMC (Motion Estimation Motion Compensation) technology with 60Hz intelligent compensation algorithm to provide smooth content playback.

For audio, the Redmi Smart TV X features 4 x 12.5W speakers with an 8-unit subwoofer system to offer immersive sound experience at home. It supports popular sound technologies like Dolby Audio and DTS-HD.

For memory, these TVs come with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. They also feature far-field built-in mics for voice control just like the recently launched Honor X1 Smart TV.

Redmi Smart TV X Series Price

As mentioned earlier, the Redmi Smart TV X Series has three size variants. But the brand has only revealed the price for two models, leaving the cheapest one under 2,000 Yuan a mystery for the time being.

Redmi Smart TV X65 – 3,299 Yuan ($462)
Redmi Smart TV X55 – 2,299 Yuan ($322)
Redmi Smart TV X50 – 1,x99 Yuan (≤ $280)

Redmi 10X and 10X Pro officially launched in China; pricing starts at 1,599 yuan ($224)

By

Jeet

-

May 26, 2020

As expected, after weeks of leaks, rumors, and teasers, Xiaomi-backed Redmi has today launched two new smartphones in the Chinese market — Redmi 10X and Redmi 10X Pro.

The Redmi 10X series come with a 6.57-inch Samsung AMOLED display offering Full HD+ screen resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, HDR10, DC Dimming, and 800 nit peak brightness. It also comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor for added security.

Under the hood, both the devices come powered by the newly announced MediaTek Dimensity 820 5G chipset. Wang Teng, Product Director of Redmi said that the company collaborated with MediaTek to optimize the performance on the chipset which has managed to score 415,672 points on the AnTuTu benchmark.

Both the smartphones come with support for 5G + 5G dual standby support. This means it supports simultaneous usage of 5G on both the SIM slot at the same time. They come packed with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.

As for the camera department, the 10X comes with a triple-camera setup that includes a 48MP primary snapper, an 8 MP wide-angle lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front side, it is equipped with a 16MP snapper for taking selfies.

Coming to the Pro variant, it features a quad-camera setup that consists of a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP zoom lens with 30X digital zoom support, an 8MP wide-angle lens, and a 5MP macro lens. On the front side, it is equipped with a 20MP snapper.

The smartphones are running the Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box along with the company’s latest MIUI 12 custom user interface on top. The Redmi 10X series is powered by a 4,520mAh battery but the standard model supports 22.5W fast charging whereas the Pro model comes with support for 33W fast charging.

Redmi 10X Series Pricing and Availability

Redmi 10X
- 6GB + 64GB: 1,599 yuan (~$224)
- 6GB + 128GB: 1,799 yuan (~$252)
- 8GB + 128GB: 2,099 yuan (~$294)
- 8GB + 256GB: 2,399 yuan (~$336)
- Colors: Blue, Violet, Gold
Redmi 10X Pro
- 8GB + 128GB: 2,399 yuan (~$336)
- 8GB + 256GB: 2,599 yuan (~$364)
- Colors: Blue, Violet, Gold
Availability
- Redmi 10X: Sale from 1st June
- Redmi 10X Pro: Sale from 5th June

Xiaomi Mi Band 5 features leaked, supports camera control and new activity trackers

By

Sean

-

May 26, 2020

A recent leak has revealed certain interesting features which the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Band 5 will arrive with. The popular smart wearables will be the latest entry in its Mi Band series and have been jointly developed by Huami and Xiaomi.

The Mi Band 5’s announcement is expected to be just around the corner. However, it seems a few of its features and faces have already been leaked. Looking at the images that have surfaced online, we can observe that certain practical functionalities are being added to the Mi Band 5 along with activity trackers. The wearables will reportedly support camera controls, which is likely in the form of taking images videos and more.

Leaked images also depict various activity tracking modes like running, cycling, skipping, swimming, and more. Furthermore, certain new modes include yoga and indoor cycling as well. In other words, a total of 11 different activity tracking modes will be available. The leak also reveals the new faces on the 1.2 inch display (an increase from last gen’s .095 inch).

These include new analog clock faces and a single button built into the display. Other leaked specs include NFC support for connectivity, Amazon Alexa smart voice assistant, and a confirmed overseas model for the global market. Unfortunately, these are still leaks so take these specs with a grain of salt. We will keep you updated on the Mi Band 5 launch, so stay tuned.

(Via)

Samsung announces mid-range Exynos 880 SoC with integrated 5G modem

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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May 26, 2020

Samsung has officially unwrapped its next mid-range SoC called Exynos 880 with integrated 5G modem. Vivo Y70s, the first phone with this chip is already official in China with a starting price tag of 1,998 Yuan ($280).

The new 8nm Exynos 880 is targeted at offering 5G connectivity at an affordable price. The modem in this SoC is capable of supporting sub-6GHz 5G with a maximum downlink and uplink of 2.55Gbps and 1.28Gbps respectively.

Further, it also supports E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity that combines 5G and 4G to offer boosted 3.55Gbps downlink and 1.38Gbps uplink. It is also capable of offering up to 1Gbps downlink on LTE.

As for processing, the Exynos 880 features an octa-core CPU which includes 2 x 2.0GHz Cortex-A77 cores and 6 x 1.8GHz Cortex-A55 cores. The graphics, on the other hand, are handled by Mali-G76 MP5 GPU. The SoC also features a dedicated NPU for on-device AI processing.

Talking about cameras, this chip can support a single camera up to 64MP or dual 20MP cameras. Also, it supports 4K video recording at 30fps with HEVC(H.265), H.264, VP9 encoding and decoding.

Other specs of the Exynos 880 include support for displays up to FHD+ (2520×1080 pixels) resolution, LPDDR4x memory, UFS 2.1 / eMMC 5.1 storage, Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 5 (802.11ac), FM Radio, and GNSS ( GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo).

We can expect the future mid-range Samsung Galaxy A series 5G handsets to feature the newly announced Exynos 880 SoC at their helm.

MediaTek has not promised chip supply to Huawei yet

By

Sean

-

May 26, 2020

After Huawei had its chip supply from TSMC cut off, the Chinese company had started looking into multiple alternatives. One such alternative was the known chipmaker MediaTek, which would supply the smartphone maker with 5G chips. But it seems the deal isn’t exactly set in stone as MediaTek has yet to promise chip supply to Huawei.

According to a new report, MediaTek hasn’t confirmed the increased chip supply order, keeping the current situation in mind. In view of the recent sanctions by the US Government and the related human resource investment the chipmaker would have to make for Huawei, it seems that the deal has not been confirmed. At the moment, MediaTek has declined to comment on this situation or the rumors.

A few sources close to the industry also pointed out that Huawei had already received 5G base stations and mobile processor 5nm chips from TSMC, even before the US sanctions had been proposed. In other words, the Chinese tech giant has a sufficient stock for now, which should also aid in development for the next two years. Thus, the short term business opportunities for others in the mobile chip business, like MediaTek, is relatively low.

Furthermore, the recent policies being enforced by the US may also hinder the supply of chip giants like Qualcomm and MediaTek, both of which are known suppliers of 5G enabled mobile processors. Notably, another major concern the industry faces is that while the new regulations do not impact the chipmakers directly, they may soon hinder their 5G operations if they function against the best interest of the US government.

(Via)

Honor sells 100,000 units of X10 5G in just 8 minutes

By

Jeet

-

May 26, 2020

A few days ago, Huawei-backed Honor launched the Honor X10 5G smartphone in China and today the smartphone went on sale for the first time. Now, hours after the sale, the company has announced that it sold over 100,000 units of the Honor X10 5G in the first sale within just eight minutes.

The Honor X10 5G has been launched in three variants — 6GB RAM + 64GB storage, 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 128GB storage. They are priced at 1,899 Yuan (~$266), 2,199 Yuan (~$308) and 2,399 Yuan (~$336) respectively. It comes in three color options — Probing Black, Racing Blue, and Lightspeed Silver.

The smartphone comes with a 6.63-inch IPS LCD display with notch-less design, 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, and 20:9 aspect ratio display. Under the hood, the device is powered by Kirin 820 5G SoC which supports nine 5G bands such as n41, n78, n79, n1, n77, n38, n80 and n84.

In the camera department, the phone has a Sony IMX600y 40-megapixel RYYB as a primary sensor, coupled with an 8-megapixel ultrawide shooter and a 2-megapixel depth assist lens. On the front side, it comes with a 16-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

The smartphone runs the latest Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own Magic UI 3.1 skin on top. The device is powered by a 4,300mAh battery that carries 22.5W fast charging support.

OPPO Reno4 series teased to have ultra-thin body and new touch experience

By

Jeet

-

May 26, 2020

After launching the OPPO Ace2 flagship smartphone in China, the company is now all set to launch yet another major offering in its home market — OPPO Reno4 series. The company had recently confirmed the same through a short video teaser.

Now, the company has officially shared renders of the upcoming Reno4 series smartphones which is expected to have at least two models — OPPO Reno4 and Reno4 Pro. In another teaser, the company has confirmed that the device will come with an ultra-thin body and a new touch experience.

From what the company has showcased so far, the phone has a curved glass back which has large-sized Reno Glow written. There’s volume rocker keys on the left side of the phone while the power button is on the right side.

Interestingly, none of the teaser images or video shared by the company showcases the front panel of the display. It seems that the company is holding up for the big reveal of the so-called “new touch experience” that it is teasing to offer with the Reno4 series.

The renders have confirmed that the smartphone will come with a triple-camera setup on the back, along with an LED flash and a Laser focus support. It has already been confirmed that the smartphones will come with 5G support.

While OPPO is yet to reveal the phone’s specifications, leaks have already surfaced online which claim that the Reno4 will come with a dual punch-hole cutout on its 6.43-inch 2.5D curved display for 32MP + 2MP sensors. On the other hand, the Pro variant will have a 6.55-inch display with 3D curved glass and a single front-facing camera of 32MP.

The standard variant of the phone is expected to have a 48-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and a 2-megapixel monochrome lens. On the other hand, the Pro variant is said to have OIS-enabled 48-megapixel camera, a 12-megapixel Night Scene video camera, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens.

Both the smartphones are expected to come powered Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G chipset and drive power from a 4,000mAh battery. The OPPO Reno4 Pro is said to have support for 65W fast charging technology. We are expecting up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage on the devices.

The OPPO Reno4 is expected to arrive in Crystal Diamond Blue, Dream Mirror Black and Purple Taro colors while the Pro model is expected to come in Crystal Diamond Blue, Crystal Diamond Red, Dream Mirror Black, and Titanium Black colors. We expect to get the launch date of the devices in the coming days.

Huawei MatePad Pro 5G to debut in China on May 27

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 26, 2020

A Chinese tipster had recently claimed that Huawei is planning to launch the MatePad Pro 5G flagship tablet in China this week. Today, the company released an official confirmation that the MatePad Pro 5G will go official in China on May 27. It is the same tablet that had launched in Europe in February this year.

The launch poster confirms that the Huawei MatePad Pro 5G will debut on China on May 27 at 8 PM (local time). The Chinese firm did not share any details on the variants and pricing of the tablet for the home market.

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Huawei MatePad Pro 5G specifications

The MatePad Pro 5G is blessed with a 10.8-inch IPS LCD punch-hole display that produces 1600 x 2560 pixels resolution and supports DCI-P3 color gamut. With slim bezels surrounding the screen, the tablet delivers a screen space of around 90 percent.

The Kirin 990 5G chipset powers the device along with 8 GB of RAM. It offers a big internal storage of 512 GB. The device is backed by a 7,250mA battery that supports 40W fast charging. The retail box package of the MatePad Pro 5G in Europe comes with a 20W fast charger. The tablet also supports 15W wireless charging and 7.5W reverse wireless charging.

The EMUI 10 based Android 10 comes preinstalled on the MatePad Pro 5G. a dedicated nano memory slot can be found on the device for additional storage. It has a front camera of 8-megapixel. There is a 13-megapixel shooter on its back. The slate is blessed with quad speakers for immersive audio experience.

The MatePad Pro 5G comes with M-Pencil stylus support. The latter can be charged wirelessly by simply attaching to the device. The company also offers a smart keyboard for the tablet.

Redmi 9 launch could be in June, bags Bluetooth SIG approval

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 26, 2020

The forthcoming Redmi 9 (M2004J19G model number) has been spotted at various places such as Xiaomi’s RF exposure page, Google Play Console, NBTC certification platform in Thailand, 3C database in China and at FCC regulatory body in the U.S. These listings suggest that the launch of the Redmi 9 could be around the corner. The Redmi 9 has popped up on the database of Bluetooth SIG. There is a possibility that the Chinese firm may announce it as early as next month.

The Redmi 9 Bluetooth SIG listing shows model numbers like M2004J19AG, M2004J19PI, M2004J19C and M2004J19I besides the M2004J19G. The Bluetooth certification confirms that the phone will arrive with Bluetooth 5.0 support and it will be loaded with MIUI 11. The FCC certification had revealed that it has Android 10 OS onboard.

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The FCC documents of the Redmi 9 had revealed that the phone could be arriving with a screen of around 6.6 inches and it could be backed by a 5,020mAh battery. It is a 4G handset that supports dual-band Wi-Fi. The 3C certification of the phone had revealed that it could be coming with a 10W charger. Hopefully, the company will announce a faster charger for the phone as the predecessor Redmi 8 had shipped with an 18W rapid charger.

Rumors have it that the Redmi 9 is fueled by Helio G70 and it could be equipped with up to 6 GB of RAM. The smartphone is expected to flaunt a quad-camera system on its rear.

Redmi fans are focused on today’s launch of the Redmi 10X series that includes Redmi 10X 4G, Redmi 10X 5G, and Redmi 10X Pro 5G. Hopefully, the rumor mill will spill more information on the Redmi 9 series at the beginning of the coming month.

(source)

RedmiBook 16 Ryzen Edition official image and key specs outed just before launch

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 26, 2020

Xiaomi‘s independent Redmi brand is set to unveil new RedmiBook models alongside the Redmi 10X 5G and Redmi smart TV X series later today (May 26). The new RedmiBook models will be powered AMD’s latest Ryzen 4000 series processors and will be available in three sizes; 13″, 14″ and 16″. The company has now shared some details and an image of the 16-inch variant.

The laptop actually features a 16.1-inch display screen with 16:10 aspect ratio. We don’t see so many laptops with such display size and it will be Xiaomi’s first 16-inch model when it launches. From the picture, the laptop will have an ultra-thin build which will also translate to a lighter weight. The display adopts the full-screen design that isn’t so common in laptop. The top and side bezels are trimmed to the extreme. You only see a considerably sized bezel at the bottom edge of the screen. The display has a 90% screen ratio while the bezels are just 3.26mm in size on three sides. The display also has 100% sRGB high color gamut.

The RedmiBook 16 will be available in two processor versions, a set powered the new AMD Ryzen 4000 series SoCs, a 7nm process chip with a powerful performance. The overall performance is said to have improved by 60% over the previous generation. The processors are the R5 4500U and R7 4700U processors. The laptops will also come with the Radeon RX Vega Graphics Card. For memory, there will be 16GB of memory and 512GB SSD on the standard variant.

Further, the Ryzen-powered RedmiBook 16 is touted to come with three performance modes which can be switched at will using the Function (Fn) + K keys. An earlier teaser reveals the modes to be ‘Full Speed’, ‘Balanced’, and ‘Quiet’ modes. Xiaomi also hinted that the three modes are targeted at gaming, office work, and normal tasks respectively. The ‘Full Speed’ mode is said to increase the performance by 34.5%.

Xiaomi also has revealed that the laptop will be equipped with a 65W mini power adapter as standard. The picture of the adapter shows it looks like that of a mobile phone in size and also has a USB-C output port which suggests the laptop will also be charged via a USB-C port. The charger can even be used to charge a smartphone. The laptop will also feature a smart sensor key which will allow users to unlock the laptop with their Mi Band in just 1.2 seconds.

We won’t have to wait for long to find out their prices.

(via)

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