Realme came into existence in May of 2018 as a sub-brand of Oppo. A year later, it became an independent brand. Now, the company is gearing up to celebrate its anniversary by launching 8 new products on May 25. Ahead of it, it has been posting teasers to build up the hype. Today, the brand also revealed it has over 35 million users worldwide.
Being a new kid in the town, it is a massive achievement for Realme to acquire over 35 million users worldwide in a span of two years. The brand started in India with Realme 1, a device focussed on performance and design.
The handset did lack some of the features such as fingerprint sensor, which were present on devices from rival companies. But its affordable starting price of ₹8,990 made it popular among youth who prefer performance for gaming over anything else.
Soon, the brand started bombarding smartphones, which no one ever thought would happen. Ultimately, it became one of the first brands to launch the cheapest phones with a quad-camera setup, pop-up camera, in-display fingerprint sensor, and more.
According to rumours and teasers, the brand will be announcing its first gaming smartphone dubbed as ‘Blade Runner’ on May 25. It is also expected to unveil certain IoT products such as smart TV, smartwatch, and others.
We will know more about them in the coming days as we expect the brand to drop teasers daily leading up to the day of the launch.
Samsung has been reportedly working on a cheaper version of the Galaxy Fold smartphone and recently, more details about the smartphone were leaked online. While the device has been in the news as Galaxy Fold Lite, the actual naming of the phone has leaked online.
As per the industry insider Ross Young, the smartphone is named Samsung Galaxy Fold Special Edition. It seems that the company will launch this foldable smartphone to clear out the inventory of original Galaxy Fold before the company launches Galaxy Fold 2.
Samsung Galaxy Fold
It is said that the Galaxy Fold Special Edition will be priced at $1,099, making it the cheapest foldable smartphone not just from Samsung but any other manufacturer. He has also revealed that the smartphone will be launched in July and will have a limited stock of around 55,000 units.
Recently leaked specifications of the smartphone suggest that it will come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor but won’t have 5G support. The device is said to be be built with an aluminium frame and glass body and should come in Mirror Black and Mirror Purple color options.
Max Weinbach, who leaked the phone’s specs, mentions that these are not the final specifications and they could get changed by the time the device launches in the market. So, we’d advise you to take this information with a pinch of salt.
The usage of SD865 SoC will make the processor on the phone stronger than the one offered in Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip. Also, it doesn’t make sense for the phone to be a 4G-only device if it’s powered by SD865 as the chipset comes with built-in 5G modem.
Meanwhile, the company is also working on Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 smartphone as a successor to the Galaxy Fold. The device is rumoured to have 120Hz display, punch-hole cutout, S Pen support, triple rear cameras, and more.
Recently, the Vivo X50 Lite smartphone went official in Australia. The handset seems to belong to the X50 series which seemingly includes devices like Vivo X50 and Vivo X50 Pro. The Chinese firm is yet to confirm the existence of the Vivo X50 and X50 Pro phones. However, the Vivo X50 moniker for the first time during the “Go Fighting!” reality TV show in China last night. At the same time, a blurry image of the Vivo X50 retail package has surfaced on Weibo. Also, a reliable tipster from China has shared a render that seems to match with X50’s design shown in the retail box.
The screengrab from the reality show reveals the Vivo X50 moniker. It also reveals that the phone will possess professional imaging features like the predecessor Vivo X30 series. The Vivo X30 Pro came with a periscope zoom lens that supported 5x optical zoom and up to 60x digital zoom. Hence, there is a possibility that the Vivo X50 series may offer users with better digital zoom experience.
The second image is blurry, but it manages to reveal the design of the Vivo X50 phone. The retail box shows that the Vivo X50 carries support for 5G connectivity. The handset can be seen in the same light blue color as the predecessor X30 series. The back panel of the Vivo X50 has a rectangle-shaped camera module.
The image does not give a good view of the display. Its right side is not visible, but the left corner seems to have a punch-hole. Another image (shown above) of the Vivo X50’s promo also shows the presence of a round-shaped cutout at the top-left corner.
A reliable tipster from China shared a render of the smartphone without revealing its name. The design of the phone resembles the above-shown X50. Hence, it appears that the tipster has shared an image of the Vivo X50. The back panel has four cameras and the fourth unit seems to be a periscope zoom lens. Last year, Vivo had added a periscope lens on the X30 Pro model while the vanilla variant lacked it. It appears that this year, the vanilla X50 may also feature a periscope lens.
Recently, a couple of new Vivo phones such as Vivo V2005A, V2002A, and V2001A received approval from the 3C authority of China. The V2002A could be the upcoming Vivo Y70s smartphone powered the unannounced Exynos 880 5G chipset. The identities of the V2005A and V2001A are expected to come with 33W fast charging are not known yet. These could be Vivo X50 series smartphones.
Google Pixel 4a smartphone launch is around the corner and ahead of the official announcement from the company, more and more information about the device keeps surfacing online.
In the latest development, we have got indication about the smartphone’s performance as the benchmark results have been leaked online. Going by the benchmark results, it seems that the device is quite promising in terms of performance.
YouTuber Julio Lusson from the TecnoLike Plus has put the Google Pixel 4a to the test to determine how powerful the device is in various benchmark analyses. In the AnTuTu benchmark, the phone seems to have scored 268,971 points.
In the GeekBench testing, the device seems to have scored 2,544 points in the single-core test and 6,370 points in the multi-core test. In the video, the YouTuber is also showcasing the real-life performance of the phone through gameplays, video playback, and more.
The Google Pixel 4a features a 5.81-inch OLED Full HD+ display with a punch-hole cutout in the top-left corner for housing the front-facing snapper. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 chipset along with 6GB of RAM.
In terms of storage, the device will be offered in two options — 64GB and 128GB. The phone will also have Google Titan M security chip. It is running Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box and will be powered by a 3,080mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging technology.
The Google Pixel 4a is expected to be available in at least two color options — Just Black and Barely Blue and will reportedly start at $399. To know for sure about the smartphone, we’ll have to wait for the official launch event.
The Google Pixel 4a was expected to get launched on 22nd May but a recent report claimed that instead of getting the smartphone this month, we may have to wait till the first week of June to get our hands on the Pixel 4a. It reveals that the sale of the device could now start from 5th June.
It has been one year since the Trump administration put Chinese giant Huawei on Entity List through executive order citing national security risk, effectively banning the company from doing business with any of the US-based company without explicit permission.
This is the reason Huawei cannot using Google‘s apps and services in its new smartphones. And is seems that this will be the case for at least another year as Donald Trump, President of the United States, has extended the ban on Huawei till May 2021.
Although Huawei has been barred from doing business with the US-based companies, the U.S. Commerce Department has issued a series of temporary licenses allowing U.S. companies to keep doing business with the company. That license is about to expire this week and it is expected to get renewed.
Since getting banned from using Google’s Android as well as the company’s app and services, Huawei has launched several smartphones, including two flagship phones, without support for GMS. This has hit the company’s sales outside of the Chinese market.
However, the Chinese giant launched its own operating system named HarmonyOS and has developed its own Huawei Mobile Services meant as a replacement for Google Mobile Services. The company also plans to spend billions of dollars to incentivise developers to make apps for its ecosystem.
While the company is trailing in terms of smartphones sales in the Western market, it is performing quite well in its home market China. Huawei now seems to be working on reducing its reliance on third-party suppliers.
Earlier this week, Redmi announced the Redmi K30 5G Racing Edition in China. It is the world’s first phone to arrive with a Snapdragon 768 processor. The first sale of the smartphone was carried out today in the home market.
Redmi K30 5G Racing Edition price
The Redmi K30 5G Racing Edition comes with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. It carries a price tag of 1,999 Yuan (~$282). However, for the first sale, it was made available for 1,899 Yuan (~$267). The handset comes in colors like Mint, Blue, Purple, and White. There is no word on the availability of the smartphone outside of China.
The Redmi K30 5G that debuted in December featured the Snapdragon 765G mobile platform. The new SD768 that powers the Redmi K30 5G Racing Edition is an overclocked version of the SD765G that comes with faster CPU and GPU. The only difference between the Redmi K30 5G and the Racing Edition is the processor and the new Mint colorway. The other specs of the Racing Edition are identical with Redmi K30 5G.
The Redmi K30 5G Racing has a Full HD+ 6.67-inch IPS LCD panel with a pill-shaped cutout for 20-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual selfie camera setup. The back panel of the phone has a 64-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 5-megapixel + 2-megapixel quad-camera system.
The Redmi K30 5G Racing Edition is backed by a 4,500mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging. It has a side-mounted fingerprint reader and it comes pre-installed with MIUI 11 based Android 10 OS. Its other features include 5G support, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, GPS, USB-C, and 3.5mm audio jack.
iQOO’s next flagship phone i.e. the iQOO Z1 is all set to go official on May 19. Ahead of the launch, the company is confirming the key specs of the smartphone. Yesterday, the company revealed its rear design and color variants. Today, the Chinese firm released two new posters on Weibo to confirm the battery size and charging capabilities of the iQOO Z1.
The iQOO Z1 will be coming with a large battery of 4,500mAh capacity and it will carry support for 44W ultra-fast flash charge technology. The iQOO Neo3 smartphone that went official last month also featured the same-sized battery and the same fast charging technology.
The second poster once again confirms the presence of the all-new MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset inside the device. The new SoC that brings support for 144Hz is an enhanced version of the Dimensity 1000 chipset that was unveiled in November last year. The poster also reveals the bottom edge of the smartphone has a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C, a microphone, and a speaker grille.
The iQOO Z1 has a punch-hole display. It is an IPS LCD panel that supports Full HD+ resolution and a topnotch refresh rate of 144Hz. The handset is also fitted with a side-facing fingerprint reader. The back panel of the phone has a triple camera setup. There is no word on the configurations of the front and rear cameras of the iQOO Z1.
In comparison, the iQOO Neo3 came with a Full HD+ 6.57-inch IPS LCD display with up to 144Hz refresh rate support. The Snapdragon 865 mobile platform powered device came with a frontal shooter of 16-megapixel and a 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera setup. The iQOO Neo3 starts at 2,698 Yuan (~$380) in China. The iQOO Z1’s base model may feature 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage and it is likely to carry a price tag of 2,498 Yuan (~$352).
The Honor X10 smartphone will go official on May 20. The appearance of the handset was revealed through its appearance at the database of China’s TENAA certification platform last month. Today, the company rolled out a new poster to reveal the front and rear appearance of the handset. Also, the phone is now up for reservations on Vmall.
The new poster shows that the Honor X10 5G is equipped with a notch-less display. The company has already revealed that the X10 supports a high refresh rate of 90Hz and it will also offer users with 180Hz touch sampling rate.
The TENAA listing of the Honor X10 revealed that it has a 6.63-inch IPS LCD panel. The screen produces a
Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a tall aspect ratio of 20:9. The poster also gives a good look at the side-facing fingerprint reader.
The top edge of the phone houses a retractable camera. TENAA revealed that the phone possesses a 16-megapixel camera for capturing selfie shots. A 3.5mm headphone slot and a microphone can be also seen on the top edge of the smartphone.
The rear side of the Honor X10 seems to be made out of glass and has a distinctive pattern. The top-left corner has a rectangular housing that includes three cameras and an LED flash unit. The “Super Night Vision” text imprinted inside the camera housing suggests that the X10 will be good at capturing brighter shots in dim-light conditions. After all, the handset is speculated to be equipped with Sony IMX600y RYYB 40-megapixel main shooter. It will be accompanied by an 8-megapixel lens and a 2-megapixel sensor.
‘PASSION & SPEED, NO COMPROMISE’. This is the slogan for HP DRAM V6 memory, the latest performance monster for PC Platform. If we try to build a gaming PC, to choose the sweetest spot of memory cards is extremely important. In this article, we will bring a brief review of the HP DRAM V6 memory and give you some ideas about how to choose the right card for your gaming PC.
Performance factors
Though we have seen some powerful gaming PC memory series with great tested figures, I found the features of HP DRAM V6 DDR4 Memory quite interesting. But the best RAM kit for your money and system is not always the same as others. It depends on the platform you pick and the software or games you are going to run. To cover most situations, the HP V6 Memory series is available in blue, red, and black color versions.
Different colors represent different memory frequencies. The black one (DDR4 8GB) has the highest performance, which provides standard frequencies of 3200MHz / 3466MHz / 3600MHz and an overclocking frequency of 4000MHz. If your system is performance-oriented, the Black option is definitely one of the sweetest spots between value and speed.
On the other hand, the software environment also affects performance. There is no real difference between different-frequency memory when running specific games or software. For example, running Tomb Raider generally shows a significant 17% improvement of frame rates from a 4000MHz CARD as compared to a 2666MHz one on the same platform, while games like GTA V shows no obvious difference between them. In addition to this, processors you use can also lead to different results. With AMD’s Ryzen processors, the performance improvement of higher frequency is generally more significant.
Design-Aluminum Heatsink
The HP V6 Black supports a fantastic overclocking operation with one click, which is especially user friendly for players who never try overclocking. And the RGB-free card is covered with the aluminum heatsink, which can provide a great cooling efficiency when building a 16GB/32GB overclocking Kit.
Performance
In the AIDA64 Bandwidth test, the performance of the V6 black is impressive. The whole test includes memory read, write, copy, and latency, and provides a full range of hardware information. We tested its scores under 3 different frequencies, 2666MHz / 3600MHz / 4000MHz (overclocking).
From the results, we found that it is obvious that the increase in memory frequency has greatly impacted almost all the dimensions of performance. When the frequency was overclocked to 4000MHz, the read & write speeds peaked at 54322MB/s and 53128MB/s. As it came to the copy test, the result of 4000MHz and 3600MHz was relatively closer. So compared to 3600MHz state, overclocking to 4000MHz could have a significant improvement of around 3-10%. Not to mention its great improvement compared to the 2666MHz frequency.
Then we run a unzip test, the 4000MHz frequency still showed a better score than the other two frequencies. Compared to the score of 3600MHz, the 4000MHz-frequency performance improved by 5.6%, while compared to the score of 2666MHz, the overclocking performance improved by around 8.5%.
CPU Match
In addition, to overclock the memory frequency, another important decision you have to make is to choose the right platform. For example, on an INTEL chip, make sure to get a K-series CPU if you are going to fully boost the performance of overclocking memory. On the other hand, as you may meet frequency limitation on some AMD Ryzen processors and motherboards, make sure that the above hardware supports the high frequency of memory before you select a high-performance memory card.
Conclusion
The V6 series is definitely one of the best choices for those gamers and high-end users who pursue superb performance. And another reason why it worth the praise is stability. The heat sink guarantees stable performance even when turning on the overclocking option. And we believe that the HP V6 Black is able to perform better than the 4000MHz auto-overclocking. Some players who are interested in testing its limits can continue to explore its potential.
If you are one of them, you can find more information about the HP V6 Series here: Newegg
www.biwintech.com BIWIN Storage HP Business Partner
25 years R&D in storage and micro electronics
Obtained SSD products brand authorization from HP
An OnePlus exec recently hinted that the OnePlus 8 series will go on sale in India this month ending. OnePlus has now reportedly announced that the flagship models will go on sale specifically on May 29. According to Fonearena, the company announced this in a post on the Red Cable Club community. The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro will be sold on Amazon and across retail stores in India.
OnePlus unveiled the Oneplus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro in India a couple of weeks back with an Rs. 41,999 and Rs. 54,999 price tags respectively. The sales date were not announced at te launch due to the extended lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The prices of the OP8 and OP8 Pro are noticeably slightly lower than their prices in the US. That is because the models are manufactured in India.
OnePlus equally announced that it is launching the limited edition Pop Up Box for both OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro devices for the first time. The box includes the smartphone, a pair of Bullets Wireless Z (Black) earbuds, a Cyan Bumper Case and a Karbon Bumper Case for an extra Rs 1000. OnePlus will commence sales of the Pop-up Boxes exclusively for Red Cable Club members on May 28 starting at Rs. 45,999 (~$602). This is for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage version of the OnePlus 8. The OnePlus 8 Pro Pop-up Box will sell for Rs 60,999 (~$798) and is for the 12GB+256GB memory variant.
Here’s a reminder of the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro prices in India
OnePlus 8
6GB + 128GB (Glacial Green only) = INR 41,999 (~$549)
8GB + 128GB (Glacial Green and Onyx Black) = INR 44,999 (~$588)
Both the most affordable smartphones equipped with the best Qualcomm’s chipset (if we exclude gaming-centric phones) went global. We are obviously talking about the POCO F2 Pro and Realme X50 Pro 5G, launched in several European countries on the same day. If you are a global customer and you need a true flagship killer, they are most likely the best choices you can do. But should you actually go for the latest flagship killer by Xiaomi’s brand or for the Realme X50 Pro? This comparison will clear your ideas and highlight the differences between their specifications.
Xiaomi POCO F2 Pro vs Oppo Realme X50 Pro
Xiaomi POCO F2 Pro
Realme X50 Pro
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
163.3 x 75.4 x 8.9 mm, 219 grams
159 x 74.2 x 9.4 mm, 207 g
DISPLAY
6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 395 ppi, Super AMOLED
6.44 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
Quad 64 + 12 + 8 + 2 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.5 + f/2.3 + f/2.4
Dual 32 + 8 MP f/2.5 and f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY
4700 mAh, fast charging 30W
4200 mAh, fast charging 65W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Dual SIM slot, 5G
Design
In both cases, you get a premium design. Not the best out there, but still amazing aesthetics. POCO F2 Pro and Realme X50 Pro come with a glass back and an aluminum frame. The front panel of the POCO F2 Pro is holeless and notch-less thanks to the presence of a motorized pop-up camera, while Realme X50 Pro has a dual punch-hole display. On the other hand, the rear side of the Realme X50 Pro looks more minimalistic with its smaller and less invasive camera module. Which design do you prefer?
Display
Realme X50 Pro 5G is the winner of the display comparison for a simple reason: it has a higher refresh rate. The 6.44-inch panel supports a 90 Hz refresh rate, it is HDR10+ compliant and it comes with a Full HD+ resolution. The display of the POCO F2 Pro is HDR10+ as well, but it lacks a high refresh rate, unfortunately. So if you want the most impressive display, go for the Realme X50 Pro without thinking twice.
Specs & Software
If you choose to buy the most expensive version of the Realme X50 Pro 5G, you will get the best hardware. It features the Snapdragon 865 chipset, 12 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of UFS 3.0 internal storage. You can get UFS 3.1 storage with the POCO F2 Pro, but you also get max 8 GB of RAM, that is why Realme X50 Pro 5G is superior. However, we are talking about marginal differences with advanced usages since the POCO F2 Pro is fueled by Snapdragon 865 mobile platform as well. What really changes is the software since POCO F2 Pro comes with MIUI and Realme X50 Pro has Realme UI, different Android customization similar to OPPO’s ColorOS 7. Both are based on Android 10. Note that Realme X50 Pro 5G offers stereo speakers, you do not get them with the POCO F2 Pro. But POCO F2 Pro has a 3.5 mm audio jack, unlike Realme X50 Pro 5G.
Camera
The most impressive rear camera belongs to the Realme X50 Pro 5G because, unlike the POCO F2 Pro, it offers a 12 MP telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom. Realme X50 Pro 5G also wins the front camera comparison because it has an ultrawide dual front camera with 32 and 8 MP resolution, while POCO F2 Pro has a 20 MP single camera. On the other hand, POCO F2 Pro can record 8K videos, while Realme X50 Pro 5G can not.
The battery is the real strong point of the POCO F2 Pro if we compare it to the Realme X50 Pro 5G. The POCO F2 Pro has a bigger 4700 mAh battery, 500 mAh more than Realme X50 Pro 5G. So it is kinda sure that it will always last more on a single charge, especially if we consider that POCO F2 Pro has a standard refresh rate. But Realme X50 Pro 5G has a much faster charging technology: with a power of 65W, it goes from 0 to 100% in just 35 minutes, while POCO F2 Pro needs 63 minutes.
Price
POCO F2 Pro costs €499 globally in its 6/128 GB configuration (which roughly converts into $540), while Realme X50 Pro goes for €599 ($648) for the 8/128 GB configuration. While POCO F2 Pro is the most affordable Snapdragon 865-powered handset, I would actually spend €100 more to have a higher refresh rate, a telephoto sensor, an ultrawide front camera, stereo speakers, 2 more gigs of RAM inside, and a faster charging technology. I personally prefer these features to the bigger battery found on the POCO F2 Pro, the infrared port, and the audio jack. What would your choice be instead?
Xiaomi POCO F2 Pro vs Oppo Realme X50 Pro: PRO and CONS
Xiaomi‘s ecological chain company Ninebot (or Segway Ninebot if you like) has unveiled its latest e-scooter in China. The scooter dubbed Ninebot Electric Scooter Air T15 is scheduled for launch on May 18 but is already on pre-order on Jingdong for2999 yuan (~$422).
Design-wise, the Ninebot Electric Scooter Air T15 adopts a portable but futuristic-looking design right from the handlebar to the braking system. Talking of the handlebar, the Ninebot Air T15 utilises a two-beam metal design encased in a plastic housing. The plastic housing has a light strip that runs from the bottom to the top. At the top end of the structure lies the front light which teams up with the light strip to make the scooter visible to oncoming traffic at night. The light strip also adds some aesthetics to the scooter.
The handlebar itself has a digital LCD display at the middle which shows key parameters of the scooter like speed, battery level, and others. The bike also pairs with a smartphone via the Ninebot app to also give users access to their scooter’s data and controls.
The e-scooter uses puncture-proof hollow tires designed specifically for it. The front and back tires are of different sizes, while the back uses a 6-inch tire, the front tire is 7.5-inch in size. The benefit of this is that it elevates the handlebar a little and acts as a roller if the scooter needs to be conveyed from one point to another when folded. Yes, the Air T15 uses a foldable design which makes it easy transport. The e-scooter has a dimension of 1015 x 936 x 398mm when unfolded but in the folded state, it measures 223 x 1024 x 202mm.
The Air T15 control system is yet another innovative design. It uses “Step controls” embedded with the mudguard. To turn on the scooter, you depress the mud-guard. The braking system is also done by stepping on the mudguard. This comes with some safety concerns which Ninebot will likely answer during the official launch. The brake light uses a surround strip design which also improves visibility and aesthetics.
1 of 2
In terms of the key specifications, the e-scooter has a maximum carrying capacity of 100kg and can climb a 15-degree elevation. The scooter can travel at a speed of 20 km/h but has a range of just 12 km. Of course, the mileage can be extended depending on the usage. It packs a 4000mAh smart BMS battery with overheat, overcharge, under circuit protection. The battery can be fully charged in just 3.5 hours. The scooter has a net weight of about 10.5 kg which is pretty decent.
The Ninebot Air T15 also ships with a storage stand where it can be kept while charging. In addition, it comes with an IPX4 waterproof rating which makes it suitable for use in the rain of course as long as visibility is okay for the rider.
Huawei recently unveiled the P30 Pro New Edition in Germany and it is just a rebadged P30 Pro. The company only added a new colour option and tweaked the camera slightly. The good thing is the phone shipped with Google Mobile Services, something missing on recently Huawei phones due to the US ban.
The P30 Pro New Edition has now been launched in the United Kingdom. The product is scheduled to go on sale in the UK on June 3 and is priced at £700. The phone is available in 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage as standard. Huawei also bundles a free Watch GT 2e smartwatch with each order until June 30. The device will be available from official Huawei stores and select carriers.
The P30 Pro New Edition features a 6.47-inch curved OLED Full HD+ display as well as an in-screen fingerprint reader. The mobile phone is powered by a 7nm Kirin 980 SoCand runs Android 10-based EMUI 10.1. Apart from GMS, Huawei has also included its App Gallery, Huawei Music and Huawei Video in a bid to offer users an even wider array of apps and services.
Realme has been rumoured to launch a smart TV in India since last year. The TV was even tipped to launch in December 2019 but that obviously didn’t happen. The company has confirmed that it will indeed release a smart TV and a couple of specs of the TV models have appeared via certification websites. Right now, images of the Realme TV packaged and ready for shipping has emerged.
The packages which are clearly labelled Realme TV also shows that the TV will have a 43-inch display size. This detail is already confirmed thanks to the BIS certification listing. Apart from the 43-inch model, the TV earlier hopped on Bluetooth SIG for certification, showing that there will also be a 32-inch version.
There is still no word yet from Realme on when the smart TV will be launched. However, the TV was recently listed on Realme India’s official website alongside the Realme X3 and X3 Super Zoom edition. That could be another indication that the launch is very near.
The OPPO Find X2 series already launched in China and Europe but is yet to launch in India. That is about to change as OPPO India has shared an image that teases the device is coming soon.
The image was posted on Twitter by OPPO India earlier today. Also, Amazon India already has a promotional page live on its site. The page reveals some of the key specs and it says the device has 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The Find X2 Pro is the model with 512GB of storage, so there is a chance it is not just the Find X2 launching.
There is no date yet for the launch but we expect more details will surface in the coming days.
The OPPO Find X2 has a 120Hz Ultra Vision screen that measures 6.7-inches. The screen is curved and has a punch-hole at the corner for the selfie camera.
There is a Snapdragon 865 processor inside the phone along with a 5G modem. There is a 48MP triple rear camera on the back of the phone and a 32MP camera in front for selfies. It also has stereo speakers, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and a 4200mAh battery capacity with support for 65W fast charge.
The Find X2 launched in Europe for €999 which converts to about INR 81,485. While OPPO does have factories in India where its phones sold there are manufactured, we do not think local manufacturing can bring the price lower than INR 65,000 (~€800).
How much do you think the Find X2 will sell for India? Share your guesses in the comment box.
HMD Global is committed to rolling out Android 10 to its eligible devices. So far, more than 10 of its phones have been upgraded including its entry-level Nokia 1 Plus which got upgraded to Android 10 go. Today, it is the turn of the Nokia 3.1 Plus.
The Nokia 3.1 Plus was announced back in October 2018 with Android 8.1 Oreo pre-installed. It later got upgraded to Android 9 Pie last year. The Android 10 update is its second OS upgrade. Going by the manufacturer’s promise of three years of software support, the Nokia 3.1 Plus should be eligible for Android 11 when it is released.
Android 10 brings new features such as Smart Reply, new gesture-based navigation, dark mode, and more. The changelog says the update comes with April 2020’s security patch. However, it is a bit heavy at 1.24GB.
The update is expected to roll-out to 10% of devices today, 50% by May 16, and 100% by May 18. If you do not get it today, you should receive it on or before next Monday.
The Nokia 3.1 Plus has a 6.0-inch display with an HD+ resolution. It is powered by MediaTek’s Helio P22 processor and comes in 2GB and 3GB RAM variants with up to 32GB of storage. There is a dedicated MicroSD card slot if you wish to add more storage.
Other features include a 13MP + 5MP dual-camera setup on the back, an 8MP selfie camera, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, FM radio, and a 3500mAh battery with support for 10W wired charging.
The official Nokia Twitter account says the update is coming soon to the Nokia 5.1 Plus. So if you own this phone, you need to be patient.
Xiaomi has once again increased the price of its Redmi 8 series of smartphones in India. The handsets such as Redmi 8A Dual, Redmi 8, and Redmi Note 8 already received a price hike last month due to revised GST. Now, these phones got even costlier than their initial launch price.
Redmi 8A Dual Revised Price India May 2020
The Redmi 8A Dual launched in February 2020 in two configurations – 2GB + 32GB and 3GB + 32GB for ₹6,499 and ₹6,999 respectively. The price of both the variants was hiked to ₹6,999 and ₹7,999 last month.
The price of the base variant has been again increased by ₹300, which means it costs ₹7,299 now.
Device
Launch Price
GST Hike
New Hike
Total Hike
Redmi 8A Dual (2GB + 32GB)
₹6,499
₹6,999
₹7,299
₹800
Redmi 8A Dual (3GB + 32GB)
₹6,999
₹7,999
–
₹1000
Redmi 8 Revised Price India May 2020
The Redmi 8 launched in Inda ahead of Diwali festive season. The base 3GB + 32GB was soon discontinued but the higher 4GB + 64GB continued to retail at ₹7,999.
Its price was later hiked to ₹8,999 last month and now once again its price is bumped by ₹300. The Redmi 8 can be now yours for ₹9,299.
Device
Launch Price
GST Hike
New Hike
Total Hike
Redmi 8 (4GB + 64GB)
₹7,999
₹8,999
₹9,299
₹1,300
Redmi Note 8 Revised Price India May 2020
The Redmi Note 8 was announced alongside Redmi Note 8 Pro and MIUI 11 in India. It comes in three variants – an offline exclusive 3GB + 32GB and regular 4GB + 64GB and 6GB + 128GB versions.
The 4GB + 64GB variant was launched at ₹9,999 but the price was hiked to ₹10,999 last month. Now, its price has been once again incremented by ₹500. That means the Redmi Note 8 base variant will now start from ₹11,499.
The higher storage variant did not receive any price hike this time and hence will continue to sell for ₹13,999. There’s no information available about the 3GB + 32GB version.
Device
Launch Price
GST Hike
New Hike
Total Hike
Redmi Note 8 (4GB + 64GB)
₹9,999
₹10,999
₹11,499
₹1,500
Redmi Note 8 (6GB + 128GB)
₹12,999
₹13,999
–
₹1,000
The revised prices of the above-mentioned Redmi smartphones are already live on Mi Online Store, Flipkart, and Amazon India.
The Galaxy A21s is an upcoming mid-range phone from Samsung. The phone has been in the news lately but is yet to officially launch. A new leak has surfaced that includes the specs and official press renders of the device. The leak reveals that Samsung’s new device will also come with a brand new Exynos chipset.
The German tech blog Winfuture.de reports that the Galaxy A21s will come with a new chipset called the Exynos 850. The processor is said to have eight cores and a clockspeed of 2.0GHz but the full spec sheet is unknown. Samsung will pair the chipset with 3GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of expandable storage.
The Galaxy A21s will pack a 6.5-inch display with a 1600 x 720 resolution. The screen has a punch-hole at the top left corner for the selfie camera. The screen is a PLS TFT panel that is developed by Samsung. It has high brightness and great color rendering while being cheaper than IPS screens.
On the back of the phone is a quad-camera setup that includes a 48MP camera with an f/2.0 sensor and an 8MP ultrawide angle camera. The specs of the other two sensors weren’t mentioned but the selfie camera is a 13MP sensor. The phone will also be able to record in 1080p.
The Galaxy A21s will pack a 5000mAh battery with support for USB Type-C charging. Even with the big battery, the phone comes in at 191 grams and is 8.9 millimeters thick. It will run Android 10 out of the box with One UI on top.
The phone will be available in black, blue, and white and is expected to go on sale by the end of May with a starting price of €199 or €209.
Amazon updates its Fire HD 8 lineup of entry-level 8-inch tablets. The series now consists of three models namely ‘Regular’, ‘Plus’, and ‘Kids Edition’. All of them come with USB Type-C, better processor as well as more RAM and storage than the previous generation (2018 models).
Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) Specifications
According to Amazon, the new tablets are powered by a new 2.0GHz quad-core processor, which increases the performance by 30%. For the unaware, the last-gen models came with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor.
The internal storage also gets a bump as they now come in 32GB and 64GB variants. If that’s not enough, users can further expand the storage up to 1TB via microSD card. As for the RAM is concerned, the ‘Regular’ and ‘Kids Edition’ feature a 2GB module, whereas the ‘Plus’ model comes with 3GB RAM.
Further, the ‘Kids Edition’ ships with a colorful ‘kid-proof’ case as usual. It is also eligible for a 2-year extended replacement program and customers also get a year subscription of Amazon’ FreeTime service for parental controls as well as for managing content.
The ‘Plus’ version, on the other hand, is the only model in the series to support Qi wireless charging. It also ships with a faster 9W charger and comes with a free six months subscription of Kindle Unlimited service.
However, all three models sport a similar 8-inch 1280 x 800 display from the previous generation. But unlike the older models, they feature USB Type-C port instead of MicroUSB port.
Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) Pricing and Availability
The ‘Regular’ variant starts at $89.99 and also comes in a limited time two-pack bundle worth $159.99. Whereas, the ‘Plus’ model starts at $109.99. Amazon is also offering a bundle priced at $139.99, which includes Angreat ‘Made for Amazon Wireless Charging Dock’.
Last but not least, the ‘Kids Edition’ costs $139.99. All three models are already up for pre-order on Amazon and are expected to ship from June 3.
Update: OPPO has responded to the battery degradation claim by sharing results from its lab test and that of TUV Rheinland that show that the OPPO Ace2 retains a battery capacity of over 90% after 800 charge cycles. See bottom of the page for update.
Original story follows below:
Stupendously fast charging has become a key feature in phones these days. It is no longer unheard of to see a phone being able to charge from empty to full in under an hour. However, while fast charging is a great feature to have, a common question that comes up is the effect on the battery.
A tweet by Andrei F. (“andreif7) of AnandTech has revealed that OPPO‘s 40W VOOC fast charging technology degrades a phone’s battery to 70% in the same number of cycles it will take a 15W fast charger to degrade a battery to 90%. The tweet specifically said the info was confirmed to them
In reply to a question, he clarified that the conversation was from almost 1.5 years ago. OPPO’s current fastest wired charging technology is its SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charge technology which supports 65W fast charging. Does this mean the battery degrades even faster?
Oppo outright confirmed to us that their 40W degrades to 70% capacity in the same cycles 15W would to 90%. It's all a crock of shit marketing race seeking to have the bigger numbers.
The press release for SuperVOOC 2.0 does say there are safety measures built into the adapter, wire, and phone to ensure your phone is safe during charging but it doesn’t say anything (not surprising) about the long-term effects on the battery.
Based on this, can one say this is the reason why manufacturers such as Nokia, Apple, and Google have stuck to 18W fast charging? Maybe, maybe not.
We hope manufacturers will be more transparent with respect to the long-term effect of regularly charging your phone at the fastest charge possible when they announce new fast-charging technologies.
Update
OPPO’s response shows a table detailing the battery degradation over different charge cycles. The first table in the image shows the battery degradation test carried out in OPPO’s own laboratory while the second table shows TUV Rheinland’s own battery degradation test.
Table 1: Battery test carried out in OPPO’s Lab
As you can see, the results are close and the battery retains an average capacity of over 91% after 600 charge cycles. Even after 800 charge cycles which should be roughly two years of use, the capacity is still over 90%.
Table 2: Battery test carried out in TUV Rheinland’s Lab
Going by the above results, by the time the battery capacity drops to 80%, the phone should be well into its third year of use or even more. A lot of people begin to think of replacing their phones after 2 years of use.
Let us not also forget that some manufacturers offer battery replacement programs for some of their devices especially popular models which means a user can hold on to their phone for even longer.
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