In addition to the 21Face smart screen, Viomi also brought us a variety of new 5G IoT products. Xiaomi has long set its sight on creating a smart ecosystem of products but Viomi, an ecological chain company, seems to be doing a better job in the smart IoT category.
One of the products is a new series of smart water purifiers, with an increased Reverse Osmosis flux rate from 400-600gfd to 800-1000gfd across the board. The water purifiers launched this time have four series: Super, Quick, Easy and Fast. At the same time, Viomi also launched ROX equipped with a new generation of RO large-flux water purification technology, with a maximum RO flux rate of up to 1600gfd. Compared with the previous generation of RO technology, ROX only needs a small pump to achieve mass flux, and the water temperature has almost no effect on the water volume. At the same time, the quality of the effluent can be adjusted. The main filter element can be used for 8 years without replacement.
Viomi also upgraded its range of smart kitchen appliances. The company unveiled a new range hood with the addition of AI capabilities for air separation operations across the board. At the same time, it also launched the CoooK series of smart gas cooker.
In addition, Voimi’s InkRock smart home series was released. The series includes smart sockets, smart switches and various sensors. The entire system has been upgraded to Zigbee 3.0, which has stronger compatibility, better security and lower power consumption.
The finale is the new products from Viomi’s high-end appliance brand coKiing. The new products include large appliances such as washing machines, air conditioners, refrigerators, water heaters, and small appliances such as health pots. The coKiing series also reflects Yunmi’s high-end brand strategy. The main attraction is the Viomi coKiing AI dual-screen refrigerator which uses a large interactive display screen.
Just a few days are left for the Umidigi Fan Festival 2020 scheduled for May 26-28. The fans can get massive discounts on all Umidigi products using coupons. Surprisingly, a new Umidigi S5 Pro unboxing appears revealing its better performance, improved design, and vibrant display than the Samsung Galaxy A51. Similarly, Umidigi’s entry-level smartphone Umidigi A7 will rival the galaxy A11 in head to head comparison.
Umidigi S5 Pro was announced a few days ago and is slated to go live on May 26th at Umidigi Fan Festival 2020. It is the affordable yet powerful smartphone and competes against devices such as Galaxy A51. Before discussing the specifications of the smartphones, first, let’s see the video of S5 Pro unboxing.
Both the Umidigi S5 Pro and Samsung Galaxy A51 are affordable devices offering brilliant specifications. However, there are some differences between both the smartphones where Umidigi S5 Pro overtakes the Korean giant’s mid-range smartphone.
Design
As seen in the video, the Umidigi S5 Pro comes with a beautiful design, 4-sided 3D curved glass back for comfortable handling, and shining texture. It is much better than the plastic back of the Galaxy A51.
Display
Unlike the galaxy A51’s punch-hole display which bares the display view, the Umidigi features a full-view display. Thanks to the pop-up selfie camera module which comes handle to bring better viewing experience and even enhances the security. It’s quite a positive trade that the Umidigi S5 Pro possesses.
Performance
The smartphone from Umidigi also fares well in the performance category. Umidigi S5 Pro uses MediaTek Helio G90T chipset coupled with an octa-core processor and scored 290L points on ANTuTU. However, the Korean giant’s mid-ranger with Exynos 9611 ended at 175K AnTuTu score.
Being a$100 cheaper, the Umidgi is a sole winner as it also offers betterRAM as the A51 comes in 4GB RAM, where the S5 Pro houses a 6GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage. It even houses a bugger 4680 mAh battery supporting a faster-charging technology.
Cameras
In the camera department, both the smartphone houses a quad-camera module with 48-megapixel primary sensor. However, the S5 Pro has a bigger aperture along with a higher resolution than the Galaxy A51’s selfie shooter.
Connectivity
Umidigi S5 Pro offers compatibility with all major bands used across different technologies and networks globally. Whereas, the Umidigi S5 Pro support depends on the variant you own.
Pricing
Umidigi S5 Pro will be available for only $249 starting from May 26th. While the Galaxy A51 will be available for $399 for 4GB RAM + 128GB variant.
Umidigi S5 Pro fares well and offers better value-for-money than the galaxy A51 Pro. If you still have some conclusions then check our Specifications based comparison below.
After competing in the mid-range category, here’s Umidigi’s entry-level A7 Pro vs Galaxy A11. Umidigi A7 Pro will be available at $99.99 for the 4GB + 64GB model on May 26. It edges out the Galaxy A11 in our comparison.
Umidigi A7 Pro houses a 6.3-inch display featuring full HD+ display against galaxy A11’s 6.4-inch HD + display and 1560 x 720 pixels resolution. The A7 Pro features a quad-camera module with 16-megapixel primary camera, whereas the Galaxy A11 is available with a tripel-rear camera module with a 13-megapixel main camera. A 16-megapixel camera is present for selfies on A7 Pro and the Galaxy A11 hosts an 8-megapixel sensor.
The user will get 6GB RAM instead of 4GB on Galaxy A51 and features a 4150 mAh battery than Samsung’s 4000 mAh. You can see more differences in the comparison below:
In this pandemic era, Umidigi has sufficient stocks of Umidigi S5 Pro and A7 Pro for global sale scheduled at Umidigi Fan Festival 2020 on AliExpress from 26th May. Moreover, the interested users can enter the giveaway to grab Umidigi A7 Pro for free. You can head over to the official Umdigi Website for more information on the giveaway.
Adam Ferguson, former Marketing Director at OnePlus Europe, is now Head of Product Marketing at HMD Global, responsible for the product marketing strategy and implementation for the complete portfolio of Nokia phones. Through leading marketing positions at EE, Nestlé and Unilever, he brings a wealth of experience from the FMCG area. Ferguson will report directly to Stephen Tayler, Chief Marketing Officer.
Ferguson will be responsible for leading HMD Global’s overall product marketing strategy for the entire portfolio of Nokia smartphones and feature phones. Adam’s appointment immediately follows the appointment of Stephen Taylor as the company’s chief marketing officer as HMD Global continues to strengthen its leadership team following a number of new product announcements.
Adam Ferguson, Head of Product Marketing, said: “As a mobile phone enthusiast, I am delighted to be able to work at HMD Global. There are not many devices that captivate the audience and inspire as much confidence as Nokia smartphones. I look forward to living up to this legacy and helping to offer fans of the brand what they expect: the best quality design and the latest technology at an affordable price. ”
Stephen Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer at HMD Global, said: “I look forward to working closely with Adam in his new role and am confident that the team can learn a lot from his experience. He is a marketing professional with broad experience in the global blue-chip FMCG, telco and consumer tech business who will undoubtedly help steer our product marketing strategy in new and exciting directions. ”
Adam Ferguson joins the company at an exciting time after recently announcing the very first 5G smartphone from HMD Global: the Nokia 8.3 5G. With the highest number of 5G frequencies on a phone to date, this smartphone offers global coverage with faster connections, demonstrating HMD Global’s commitment to making its devices future-proof to meet the needs of its customers around the world.
The Nokia 5.1 Plus appears to be one of HMD Global’s most popular smartphones. Several owners have been asking when the Android 10 update will be made available to them and their request has been granted today.
The Nokia 5.1 Plus is the latest of HMD Global’s smartphone to get updated to Android 10. The update comes a week after the manufacturer announced the update for the Nokia 3.1 Plus.
The update is 1.32GB in size and comes with April 2020’s security patch. Below is the full changelog:
Dark Mode – take it easy on your eyes
Smart Reply – Save more time with recommended actions
Gesture Navigation – Get around with a swipe and a pull
Additional controls for privacy and location
Google Security Patch (2020-04)
The roll-out is gradual and is expected to roll-out to everyone by May 24th.
The Nokia 5.1 Plus was released in 2018 and it ran Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Counting the Android 10 update, the phone has received two OS upgrades. It should still be up for one more as HMD Global promises three years of software support which means it will get supported until next year.
The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL both came with a feature that allowed users to squeeze the device and carry out certain functions such as calling up the Google Assistant. The feature which was termed Active Edge has appeared on subsequent Pixel smartphones including the budget Pixel 3a but that will be changing with the upcoming Pixel 4a.
It has been reported by XDA-Developers that the upcoming Pixel 4a will be the first Pixel phone to not have the Active Edge feature. The info was confirmed by the site’s editor via an individual that has a pre-production unit. A screenshot of the Gesture Settings menu further confirms that the feature has been removed.
We do not know why Google has decided to remove the feature. However, there are speculations it may have become redundant since there are now more ways to call up the Google Assistant or that it has realized it is not a feature frequently used. If the upcoming Pixel 5 doesn’t have it too, then we can confirm it is as good as dead.
The Pixel 4a is expected to launch next month with a single rear camera, a Snapdragon 730 processor, and a rumored $349 price tag for the 128GB version.
Do you own a Pixel 2/2 XL and up? How often do you use Active Edge? Do let us know in the comment box below.
Xiaomi‘s ecological chain company Viomi today (Tuesday) held its 5G IoT new product launch. One of the products unveiled is dubbed 21Face interactive Smart screen.
The Viomi 21face smart screen comes in four sizes; 45-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch. The 75-inch version adopts a split design and has an 8K resolution of 7680×4320 pixels. The display also comes with a massive 120Hz refresh rate.
The smart TV is powered by a Quad-core processor integrated with dual-core GPU. The processor pairs with 8.5GB of RAM while there is 128GB of storage onboard. The TV packs a single powerful speaker with an output rating of 100 watts The speaker features HiFi-level passive filtering and Dolby Atmos support.
The 8K-supporting 75-inch version also brings support for 5G connectivity. This model is powered by a Qualcomm 5G chip. The TV is also equipped with AI camera and sensors at the top. The camera doesn’t use a pop-up design meaning it will remain open at all times. The sensors include two 3D interactive sensors, distance sensors and a 1080p HD camera. The 75″ model also supports multiple protocols such as Wifi 6, Zigbee, and Bluetooth.
In addition, the three models support AI somatosensory control meaning you can accomplish controls such as fast-forwarding and adjusting the volume without the use of the remote control. Viomi will also unveil 55-inch and 65-inch versions of the 21Face interactive smart screen that supports Wi-Fi6 network.
The product will be available for sale at offline stores and online via Jingdong, Tmall, Suning and Viomi website in China on June 18. The prices are yet to be announced.
OxygenOS is one of the best Android skins available in the market. But it still lacks some of the fundamentals like AOD (Always-on Display) and a proper Dark Mode. The former has been already confirmed by OnePlus and it even shared a rough timeline a few days back. Now, the brand has also confirmed to fix the latter by implementing Android 10 dark mode toggle in quick settings.
Image Source: XDA Developers
It’s not that OnePlus smartphones don’t have a dark mode. It is present but the feature is buried inside customization settings. Since it does not support scheduling, users have to go through the settings every time when they need to enable or disable dark mode.
Thankfully, the company has confirmed to improve it by introducing native Android 10 dark mode toggle in the quick settings. With this, users can easily switch between dark and light modes with a single tap.
The bran said this feature will be internally tested this month and will be added in OxygenOS Open Beta builds, followed by stable release.
OnePlus announced the new dark mode in its OxygenOS Monthly FAQ in which it also revealed certain other tweaks such as optimizations for the new redesigned recents menu, slightly lower low volume levels, fixes for OnePlus launcher, and more.
Yesterday, C Manmohan, the General Manager of POCO India tweeted out a poll to name the brand’s first TWS. Now, after 24 hours, the result is out as the poll has finally ended. According to it, POCO’s first-ever TWS will be called ‘POCO Pop Buds’.
Hey POCO fans, couple of weeks ago we asked you which product we should bring next and you chose TWS (Earbuds). We're happy to announce that we're a step closer in making it a reality & we want your help in choosing a name for it. Vote and let's know what we should call it.
Last month, POCO’s GM confirmed the launch of the brand’s first TWS or truly wireless earphones. After a month, he shared a poll on Twitter yesterday to crowdsource the name of their product.
Below-listed is the names included in the poll and the percentage of votes they have won.
POCO Move Buds – 23.9%
POCO Klip Buds – 5.8%
POCO Pop Buds – 42.4%
POCO Funkz – 27.9%
Having said that, although we have the name of POCO’s first TWS – POCO Pop Buds, we are not sure how the product will actually look in real life. Also, its specifications are a mystery as well.
On the other hand, there is a possibility of it being a rebranded Xiaomi or Redmi TWS just like the POCO X2 and POCO F2 Pro. Anyway, we will know about the product soon once the brand starts teasing it in the coming days.
On the other hand, Redmi India is also teasing an audio product launch. It could be the brand’s first Bluetooth speaker in the country or maybe a TWS such as Redmi AirDots S.
Realme has officially announced that the Realme X3 Superzoom will be launched in Europe on May 26. This was announced via a tweet on the Realme Europe official Twitter handle.
The Realme X3 Superzoom has been in the news for quite some time now with the moniker suggesting the presence of a periscope camera. In terms of the design, the Realme X3 SuperZoom looks like the X50. It packs a Quad camera setup at the rear stacked vertically at the top left corner of the rear panel. The first sensor is an 8-megapixel periscope lens said to be capable of 60x digital zoom and 5x optical zoom. The setup also includes a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 2-megapixel macro lens.
As for the specs, the Realme X3 SuperZoom is said to pack a Snapdragon 855+ chipset and is equipped with a periscope zoom lens. The smartphone sports a 6.6-inch FHD+ display that supports a 120Hz refresh rate. It also crams a 4200mAh battery under the hood with support for 30W Dart flash charge.
The phone is said to feature punch-hole design at the front which holds a 32-megapixel dual camera. There is also a side-mounted fingerprint sensor onboard. The X3 SuperZoom will be available in Arctic White and Glacier Blue.
Xiaomi’s independent Redmi brand is expected to officially unveil the Redmi 10X in China on May 26. Ahead of the launch, the device has now gone up for reservation on popular retail channel Jingdong (JD.com).
The Jingdong product page shows that the Redmi 10X will be available in two different editions; a standard edition and a pioneer edition. However, no other details including the price were revealed. The accompanying pictures give us an idea of the rear design, though. The phone will pack a quad-camera setup and will have well-chamfered edges. It also shows that the model will be available in four different colour options; white, purple, blue and gold.
As for the specs, earlier leaks show the Redmi 10X will feature a 6.57-inch OLED display with an FHD+ resolution. It will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 820 chipset which brings 5G support. For memory, it will house 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The device will be powered by a large 4,420mAh battery pack and also has an in-display fingerprint scanner on the front, where a 16-megapixel selfie shooter can also be found.
Late last month, Xiaomi officially unveiled MIUI 12 in China. The company has been even seeding out weekly beta builds for the eligible devices in the region. Now, as announced last week, the Chinese smartphone maker has finally launched MIUI 12 globally.
The MIUI 12 is a culmination of decade long existence of Xiaomi’s mobile software. It brings a refined design with dynamic animations, perfect rounded corners with G2 curvature, floating windows for multi-tasking, new Weather app, a ton of privacy features, Dark Mode 2.0, AOD+, a new MIUI camera app, and more.
What’s even more interesting is that it will be available for all the Xiaomi and Redmi devices launched globally from 2018. Additionally, there are also a couple of handsets from 2017.
Anyway, here’s the complete list of global Xiaomi smartphones that will be receiving MIUI 12 in the coming months.
MIUI 12 Global Supported / Eligible Devices
Round 1 (June)
Xiaomi Mi Series
Xiaomi Mi 9
Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro
Xiaomi Mi 9T
Redmi K series
Redmi K20 Pro
Redmi K20
Round 2 (Uncertain)
Xiaomi Mi Series
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 10
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE
Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 8
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Xiaomi Mi Mix Series
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
Xiaomi Mi Note Series
Xiaomi Mi Note 10
Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite
Xiaomi Mi Note 3
Xiaomi Mi Max Series
Xiaomi Mi Max 3
Redmi Note Series
Redmi Note 9 Pro Max
Redmi Note 9 Pro
Redmi Note 9S
Redmi Note 9
Redmi Note 8 Pro
Redmi Note 8T
Redmi Note 8
Redmi Note 7 Pro
Redmi Note 7
Redmi Note 7S
Redmi Note 6 Pro
Redmi Note 5 Pro
Redmi Note 5
Redmi Series
Redmi 8
Redmi 8A
Redmi 8A Dual
Redmi 7
Redmi 7A
Redmi 6 Pro
Redmi 6
Redmi 6A
Redmi Y Series
Redmi Y2
Redmi Y3
Redmi S Series
Redmi S2
POCO
POCO F2 Pro
POCO F1
POCOPHONE F1
POCO X2
The list is huge as some of the handsets are repeated since they are sold with a different name in some regions. Nevertheless, almost Xiaomi / Redmi smartphones from last two years are getting the update except for Mi Mix 3 5G, the company’s first 5G smartphone.
In fact, the Mi Mix 3 5G is still running MIUI 10 based on Android Pie and has neither received MIUI 11 nor Android 10. There’s even a petition by users on Change.org, however, Xiaomi is yet to issue an official statement.
After excelling in the smartphone market, Blackview is now bringing smartwatches carrying useful features at an affordable price. The users are now moving towards smartwatches for instant access to information, notifications, and other essential services. The smartwatch market is booming for the past couple of years due to the availability of jaw-dropping features. Blackview X1 smartwatch is a new smartwatch offering splendid features. It is the smartwatch for every occasion and can replace your traditional watch easily. The company is offering Blackview X1 smartwatch at the reduced price of $69.99 $39.99.
Blackview X1 is the fruitful upgrade over your traditional watch as it brings access to notifications, health stats, and normal time and date. It can easily track your daily exercise progress while moving and sitting. The smartwatch can help you accomplish your daily fitness goals easily, and can even record your day-to-day activity. There’s an efficient heart rate sensor for monitoring pulse, blood pressure 24*7. There are many other applications of the Blackview X1 smartwatch:
Motivates for Daily physical activity
The ability to track your fitness activity, even under rough and tough conditions like rain, storm, and snowfall. The smartwatch can easily distinguish different activities and provide you with accurate numbers of calorie count, steps count, and pulse rate. The users can even challenge their friends by using the inbuilt feature on the mobile application.
Seamless Smartphone integration
Blackview X1 has its dedicated Android and iOS app to keep track of different activities, and sync notifications. The smartwatch can facilitate the users who often found it laborious to pull out the smartphone from pocket or bag every time a notification beeps. The Smartwatch will ensure you don’t miss any important notification or call. Moe over, it can be your music or camera controller too.
Customization
Blackview X1 brings four different dials or watch faces. The different colored dials can be used with a different strap for a better look. It gives you the ample choice to choose between different UIs.
Blackview X1 is available at a 51% discount for $24.99 from May 15 and May 24 PST. Don’t miss the chance to grab it from here. You can know more about the watch by heading to the official website.
Blackview BV5500 Plus
Blackview recently unveiled Blackview BV5500 Plus which is a fully waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof smartphone. It is even certified with IP68/IP69K ratings and can remain submerged under 1.5m depth for half an hour. The MIL-STD-810G military-grade protection will help it survive the rough and tough conditions with ease. It is a perfect companion for the users working in manufacturing, farming, industrial, and hazardous outdoor environments.
Blackview BV5500 Plus is a perfect match if you’re looking for a rugged smartphone that can survive under extreme climate. More information about the device can be found on the official website.
Honor X10 series will be officially unveiled on May 20 in China. Ahead of it, the brand has been teasing it for about two weeks now. Additionally, the handset was also leaked through certifications and live images. Now, a new video leak gives us a final glimpse of the handset in different colors before it goes official tomorrow.
The device showcased in the video is definitely the standard Honor X10 since there’s no periscope camera. This handset already leaked in live images last Saturday.
But that picture showcased a different third color, orange to be precise. However, in the video posted on Weibo, the third color is a combination of white and light purple similar to the official renders shared by Honor.
Having said that, we are yet to see the Honor X10 Pro in real life picture or video. We only have a single render leak of this handset that came with a specs leak.
Talking about specifications of Honor X10, it will sport a 6.63-inch 60Hz LCD panel and will be powered by Kirin 820 5G chipset. The triple camera setup on the phone will include a 40MP RYYB primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide unit, and a 2MP macro camera.
As for selfies, the phone will feature a 16MP pop-up selfie camera. Last but not least, the handset will be backed by a 4,200 mAh battery with support for 22.5W fast charging.
According to a leak, the Honor X10 will start at 2,299 Yuan ($323) for the base 4GB + 128GB configuration and will go up to 3,199 Yuan ($450) for the 8GB + 256GB top-end variant.
It’s been quite some time since Cubot P40 rumours and leaks started popping out. To end all that cycle of all unconfirmed information, the company has finally unwrapped the Cubot P40. The device is officially announced today featuring a Quad-rear camera module, 4GB RAM + 128GB internal storage and full-HD display. Surprisingly, Cubot P40 will start retailing at the exceptional price of $89.99 featuring powerful specifications.
It is an excellent budget smartphone offering value-for-money. Cubot P40 is a one-in-all device which is globally made available at such a remarkable price. The interested users can grab the Cubot P40 at just $89.99 from June 6 via AliExpress brand activity.
Cubot P40 Specifications
Cubot P40 houses a beautiful 6.2-inch waterdrop display sporting HD+ resolution powering Incell technology. The narrow bezels paved a way for the 90.3% screen-to-body ratio.
There’s a Samsung S5K2T7 20-megapixel front camera sits inside the waterdrop notch display for beautiful selfies and video calling using inbuilt AI Beautify. A Quad-rear camera module featuring Sony IMX486 12-megapixel primary + 5-megapixel macro lens for 2cm close-ups + 2X 2-megapixel other sensors. The camera sensors equip AI scene recognition for high-quality images.
Cubot P40 comes with a 1.8-GHz quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 chipset based on 12nm process, 4GB RAM + 128GB internal storage. The power-efficient chipset can manage power-intensive tasks efficiently and maintains a smooth operating experience.
There’s a huge 4100 mAh detachable battery coupled with AI power management for longer standby times. It is effective enough to pull you through a day of extensive usage. The smartphone runs on stock Android 10 with features like system-wide dark mode, privacy control feature, and much more.
Cubot P40 incorporates NFC which allows the users to make contactless payments via Google Pay. Unlike the flagships, Cubot P40 features a 3.5mm audio jack and USB Type-C port for flawless connectivity. As leaked earlier, the smartphone comes in three colour options of Black, Green and Blue.
In connectivity, the Cubot P40 offers Wifi, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, OTG and GPS. There’s a Face ID, Proximity, Accelerometer, gyroscope, NFC, magnetic and light sensors on the board. The smartphone support Dual-SIM card and an SD card slot for expandable storage.
Cubot P40 Pricing and Availability
Cubot P40 will start retailing for the starting price of $89.99 on AliExpress from June 6. However, the shipments will commence within the next couple of weeks. The interested users can add the smartphone to cart for getting notified once it goes live.
The new smartphone offers impressive specifications at a compelling price. It is the best budget segment device, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic era when there’s a cash crunch throughout the globe.
Cubot is offering the Cubot P40 to 10 lucky trial users for a free trial via the ongoing giveaway. The interested users can head over to the official website to join the Cubot P40 giveaway.
The world’s largest smartphone manufacturer, Samsung, has had stiff competition with Huawei for the top spot in the global market. However, it seems like the US ban against the Chinese tech giant will benefit the South Korean vendor.
For those unaware, the US extended the ban on Huawei and its subsidiaries over various concerns data security. While the Chinese smartphone OEM has often denied any such accusations, it has had its operations troubled since the start of 2019 and even now. Recently, the US Commerce Department introduced new sanctions, which effectively cut off chip supply from TSMC to Huawei.
Back in 2019, Huawei had lost Google services support and now it has lost its major chip supplier as well. This could translate to an advantage for Samsung, as the market lost by Huawei could be more footing gained by the South Korean company. While this may not be applicable overall, especially in regions like China, Samsung can still gain market in European countries.
According to an analyst from NH Investment & Securities, “Last year, Huawei’s market share went down because it could not use Google Mobile Services on its products amid the U.S-China trade war, but this time, it might face a production problem. As Huawei sees damage, Samsung’s smartphone business can expand.”
Interestingly, Samsung is also a major supplier of smartphone components like image sensors, OLED displays, and, soon, 5G modems for budget and mid level smartphone entries. So, even if it gains market standing in certain regions, the company can still lose out on orders from Huawei, that featured Samsung OLED displays and camera technology.
Smartphone manufacturers have adopted numerous methods to achieve a full screen body on the front. One of the more popular ones was the popup selfie camera system, which had a raising mechanism that housed the image sensor. Now, a new report suggests that a new Sony Xperia device might also feature this technology, with its popup housing both a speaker and a camera system.
According to a recently published patent, Sony is considering adopting the retractable mechanism, which has been adopted by quite a few companies, especially from China. Looking at the patent details, we can observe that the company has not only offered a popup camera but a pop down speaker as well. The latter is lowered from the bottom chin of the smartphone and houses a front facing speaker.
The top also houses a speaker, but with a lone selfie camera near the right corner. Sony had applied for the patent back in 2018, which was finally granted earlier this month and published by the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). The patent images reveal a Sony smartphone with negligible bezels on every corner and a full screen body at the front. Just a narrow chin and notch are noticeable, which are the region which raises and lower.
This means that the Sony Xperia device will have a dual speaker system. These speakers also rise and fall according to the task being performed. The bottom and top portion are raised during a call, but only the top will rise for a selfie. In other words, these two mechanisms are completely independent and activate automatically. Unfortunately, this is just a patent and we have no way of currently knowing whether Sony is actually building such a smartphone or simply covering all bases.
Vivo has scheduled a launch event in China on 1st June to launch its latest Vivo X50 smartphone. The company is expected to launch three smartphone in this lineup, including X50, X50 Lite, and X50 Pro.
Recently, the company had showcased the camera module of the upcoming flagship smartphone which features a triple-camera setup and will come with some advanced features to improve the photography experience. Today, Vivo has shared a new teaser video on its Weibo account which highlights the low-light photography features.
Thanks to micro-gimbal technology, it has improved shutter level for longer exposure which results in capturing larger amount of incoming light, thus the output offers a better low-light capabilities for the camera.
Previously, the company had confirmed that the X50 Pro features an ultra-large primary camera sensor with a focal length of 16-135mm and supports 5x optical zoom as well as 10x digital zoom. The company is also expected to be capable of 360-degree movements and offer anti-shake technology.
The smartphone will also have a stable micro gimbal, similar to what we’ve seen on the Vivo APEX 2020 concept phone. It will allow the X50 to offer better stabilisation while shooting photos and videos than regular OIS systems.
Currently, nothing much about the phone’s specifications is know. However, with a couple of weeks to go for the official launch, we expect the company to start sharing features and key specs on social media while pricing and availability details will be revealed on 1st June.
Earlier today (19th May 2020), Realme officially announced the new Realme X50 Pro Player Edition. This version is equipped with certain gaming centric features like VC liquid cooling, a HyperBoost gaming mode, and even a new vibrating motor.
The Realme X50 Pro Player Edition is the fourth entry in the Chinese company’s flagship series and will arrive with top notch specs for the best gaming experience. According to the company’s official teasers, a few features have been revealed. It will house a new Tactile Engine, basically a new vibrating motor, which will likely to replicate the gaming console controllers vibrating motors.
Furthermore, a new VC liquid cooling chamber will also be featured under the hood. This will help in keeping temperatures under check, especially during gaming or other intensive tasks. Lastly, the Realme X50 Pro Player Edition will have HyperBoost technology, which is likely a gaming mode that enhances performance with Frame Boost and Touch Boost under it.
In terms of other specs, the Realme X50 Pro Player Edition will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC, similar to the X50 Pro 5G, alongside LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The device will be announced on 25th May 2020, so stay tuned as we will be covering the launch event.
Huawei is well-known for its smartphone photography for the past few years. Every year the company brings new innovations in this category. This year’s Huawei P40 series features the largest CMOS sensor on any phone. Now, a patent reveals the company to be working on liquid lens technology.
According to the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) portal, Huawei had filed a patent related to liquid lens camera module on December 25, 2019. The same has been approved on April 7, 2020.
As per the information available on portal, the patent includes a moving motor, camera placeholder, and electronic hardware to move the liquid lens.
As Huawei Central explains a stator is moved in the direction of the optical axis with the help of the motor. This stator is further connected with a liquid lens via spring. There’s also a limiter that Limits the connected spring in the direction of the optical axis when the altitude range changes.
This patented camera module for the liquid lens improves the stability and reliability of the motor under harsh conditions like impact or drop.
One might be wondering why Huawei has to implement such complex camera module into a smartphone. The answer is liquid lens offers faster autofocus and better stabilization. It takes less space than other lens and can eliminate the need for additional TOF sensor.
Since the patent has been only approved last week, we can expect this tech in Huawei P50 series in 2021 rather than Mate 40 series whose design might have been already finalized.
Xiaomi has today teased that the company will be launching a new audio product in the Indian market under its Redmi brand. Although Xiaomi has not revealed in the teaser which product is getting launched, it seems that the company is gearing up to launch Redmi AirDots in the Indian market.
Teasing the upcoming product, Redmi India tweeted: “#ListenToMi! #Redmi is going AUDIO! We’ve got some bass-dropping news coming your way soon! Can you guess what this is all about? RT and make some noise! #NoStringsAttached”.
The development comes just days after the company launched its first true wireless earbuds in the Indian market — Mi True Wireless Earphones 2, along with the Mi TV Box 4K and the company’s flagship Mi 10 smartphone.
The Redmi AirDots S TWS earphones launched in China last month carrying a price tag of 99 yuan, which is about $15. The earbuds were launched as a successor to the Redmi AirDots earphones.
If the company is indeed launching the same in India, we expect similar pricing in the country, if not lower. Since the company has teased this product, we expect the official announcement to happen in the coming days.
The Redmi AirDots S retains most of the design elements of the original Redmi AirDots. It comes with upgraded pairing method where as soon as you pair them to your phone for the first time, both earbuds are connected without the master-slave function.
For clearer calls, the Redmi true wireless earbuds use 7.2mm drivers and a DSP for smart noise reduction features. It supports Google Assistant, Siri, and XiaoAI voice assistants and comes with Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which Redmi claims delivers double the data transmission as compared to its predecessor.
It is also claimed to offer faster and more stable connectivity. There’s also a new low-latency game mode which can be enabled simply by pressing the button on the earbud three times. As for the battery, it lasts for 4 hours which can be extended to 12 hours using the carrying case.
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