Arm has replaced the CEO of its joint venture in China

By

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Jun 10, 2020

Arm Ltd, a known chip technology firm, has just announced that it is replacing the chief executive officer of its China joint venture. Allen Wu is stepping down and has been replaced as the CEO.

The SoftBank Group owned company has appointed Ken Phua and Phil Tang, through a decision from the company’s China board of directors. The new co-CEOs will work together to replace Allen Wu, that was heading the joint venture as chairman and CEO. For those unaware, the Shanghai based joint venture is between the British chip designer Arm Ltd and the Chinese private equity firm Hopu Investments.

In a statement, Joe Zeng, managing director of Hpu’s Arm Innovation fund, stated that he is “confident in Arm China’s progress, and we are glad to see Arm’s continuous commitment and support to the China market.” Arm China generates revenue by licensing chip architecture to Chinese companies, with SoftBank having a 51% stack in the company.

Huawei Kirin chips uses ARM architecture

Notably, back in 2019, the chip design maker had announced that it would continue to supply its chip designs to Huawei since it did not breach US rules. Despite saying this in October 2019, the disputes between the US and China trade relations are still strained. So, it also remains to be seen how the new leadership changes affect the Huawei and Arm relations.

(Via)

Huawei/Honor launched 15 5G smartphones in H1 2020, Enjoy 20 Plus & Honor 30 Youth (Lite) in works

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Jun 10, 2020

Though Huawei is going through bad times, the company (including Honor) has launched a total of 19 smartphones in the first half (H1) of 2020. According to a blogger, the Chinese smartphone maker will be soon launching two more handsets – Honor 30 Youth Edition (Lite) and Enjoy 20 Plus.

Most of the handsets released by both Huawei and Honor so far this year are 5G enabled. The Chinese telecom giant is playing an important role in pushing 5G adaptation in its home country despite global pandemic.

In fact, out of the 19 smartphones launched by the company, only 4 models are limited to 4G, whereas the remaining 15 are 5G ready, mostly powered by in-house Kirin 990 and Kirin 820.

However, the cheapest 5G smartphone by the company, the Enjoy Z features MediaTek Dimensitey 800 SoC underneath. This handset currently retails for 1,699 Yuan ($240) for the base 6GB + 64GB storage variant.

Here’s a table of all the smartphones released by Huawei and Honor in the first half (H1) of 2020.

4G Handsets	Huawei Enjoy 10e
	Honor Play 4T
	Honor Play 4T Pro
	Honor Play 9A
5G Handsets	Huawei Mate Xs
	Huawei P40
	Huawei P40 Pro
	Huawei P40 Pro Plus
	Huawei Nova 7
	Huawei Nova 7 Pro
	Huawei Nova 7 SE
	Huawei Enjoy Z
	Honor 30
	Honor 30 Pro
	Honor 30 Pro Plus
	Honor 30S
	Honor X10
	Honor Play 4
	Honor Play 4 Pro

In addition to the above-mentioned devices, Huawei is also readying to launch Enjoy 20 Plus, which is expected to go official around June 24. Also, its sub-brand will be releasing Honor 30 Lite aka Youth Edition in China.

Though nothing is known about these handsets as of now, we can expect the leaks to soon follow as we near to the date of their launch.

(Via)

OnePlus 8 Pro received 67 points in DxOMark audio score, slightly better than OP 7 Pro

By

Sean

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Jun 10, 2020

OnePlus‘ 2020 flagship model, the OnePlus 8 Pro, has just received its audio scores from the known testing firm, DxOMark. The premium handset scored 67 points overall, which is not a top performance but is still a strong contender within the ranks.

The OnePlus 8 Pro was launched earlier this year and is “powered by Dolby Atmos,” which promises to deliver immersive sound through its Dolby Atmos enhancement algorithms. This enhancement also extends to with or without headphones. With an overall audio score of 67, the flagship scored 68 points in Playback and 63 points in Recording.

In the playback tests, the OnePlus 8 Pro was found to have good dynamics for movies and music, but the performance withered during gaming. Its occlusions were well controlled with only a few artifacts. Unfortunately, its overall volume was found to be lacking, especially in contrast to last year’s OnePlus 7 Pro, which had scored 65 points back in 2019.

For recording, the flagship smartphone again saw little artifacts within the tests with good timbre performance. The background recordings were found to sound a bit unnatural but the wideness, localizability, and distance in the audio recording were found to be “satisfying,” during video recording through the rear cameras and even selfie recordings.

(Source)

Xiaomi enters Online Mutual Aid industry with a new Health Care platform in China

By

Sean

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Jun 10, 2020

Xiaomi, the popular smartphone brand, is now entering the online mutual aid industry in China. The relatively new industry has been growing fast in the region and the Chinese tech giant has launched a new crowdfunding health care platform within the market, which will rival other major tech brands as well.

The new platform is called Xiaomi Huzhu and is now open for preregistration in Mainland China. This new endeavor is headed by Xiaomi Finance, the company’s financial technology branch, and will offer the new platform through its app and the company’s official WeChat account, starting next Monday (15th June 2020). To explain the service in a simple term, members share the cost of a claim only when it has been verified. So for a 1000 Yuan claim, 1 Yuan will be shared by 1000 people.

Within the new service, customers can opt to join in with no upfront fee and claim up to 500,000 Yuan (roughly 70,000 US Dollars) for critical illnesses. The list of the illnesses includes 82 major diseases and 10 serious ailments specific to children. Members of the platform are also eligible to receive 24/7 medical checkup and consultation in real-time online.

At the moment, it is unknown as to how much revenue Xiaomi is pouring into the platform. Currently, its internet based services have generation 2.5 billion Yuan (roughly 353 million US Dollars) in the first quarter of 2020 (growing by 5.1 percent) and mainly consists of financial technology and gaming. Thus, it is unknown how the new service will contribute to the company’s overall internet services segment, although, the company is expected to reach a massive userbase of 450 million users by 2025.

(Via)

Nubia Red Magic 5G Transparent Edition features 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and costs 5,199 Yuan ($735)

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Jun 10, 2020

Nubia has announced a limited Red Magic 5G Transparent Edition for the Chinese market. The highlight of this variant is its transparent rear glass panel and 16GB RAM. The handset is priced at 5,199 yuan ($735) and will be available to purchase on June 14.

The new Nubia Red Magic 5G Transparent Edition features the same specifications as other variants of the device. But it comes with a distinct design and a whopping 16GB LPDDR5 as the high-end regular variant.

As the name suggests, the back of the phone features a transparent rear glass panel which showcases the fake internals just like the Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 9 Explorer Editions.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC seen inside the phone is a plastic prop but the layout is accurate. To see the actual internals, you might want to have a look at Zach Nelson’s (JerryRigEverything) teardown video on YouTube.

Having said that, though the rear is fake, it does look cool, especially the physical fan and the patterns.

Unfortunately, if you are interested in buying the Red Magic 5G Transparent Edition, it is not possible since this version of the handset is currently limited to China. The brand is yet to reveal if it will be ever made available outside its home country.

Anyway, you can still grab the new Hot Rod Red Edition of the phone, which has an Iron Man vibe to it.

Apple A16 chips are on schedule and will arrive in 2022 by TSMC’s 3nm process

By

Sean

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Jun 10, 2020

TSMC is on schedule with Apple A16 chips for its iPhone and iPads. These new chips will be manufactured on the world’s largest contract chipmaker’s 3nm process and should arrive by 2022.

TSMC is currently under the process of development to bring the processing nodes to even smaller levels. As per its roadmap, the research into 3nm fabrication is underway and mass production should be achieved within the next two years. Furthermore, the company has already started the construction of production lines and related facilities for the new 3nm processes.

According to a new report, the new 3nm process will undergo a trial risk production phase sometime in 2021, with mass production capacity being undertaken within the second half of 2022. Going by this timeline, the production phase will coincide closely with Apple’s 2022 iPhone series launch that also releases around the same time. Thus, we can expect to see the A16 chips for its new generation iPhone and iPads.

At the moment, TSMC’s 5nm process is already seeing full production and the company is already working to produce an improved version of the same. The contract chipmaker will be making other variants within the 5nm node, which includes an enhanced 5m node that is built on the existing 5nm Plus nodes. Notably, TSMC has also invested $12 billion in its new plant in Arizona, US, so we can expect to see Apple placing local orders, although that is still unconfirmed.

(Via)

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro 15 2020 set to launch in China on June 12

By

Jeet

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Jun 10, 2020

Xiaomi has today confirmed that the company will be launching the Mi Notebook Pro 15 2020 model in its home market China on 12th June. As the name indicates, the device will be the successor to the Mi Notebook Pro 15 launched last year.

The official poster of the upcoming laptop shared by Xiaomi reveals some details about the device. It shows that the laptop will have an aluminum build with a textured design. The bezels surrounding the display don’t appear narrow but the left and right edges are pretty narrow compared to the top and bottom edges.

The image also reveals that there are two USB Type-C ports on the right side of the device, along with a memory card slot. However, in terms of design, the upcoming laptop doesn’t seem to differ compared to its predecessor.

The company has not yet revealed any information about the features and specifications of this Mi Notebook Pro 15 2020 model. But given that the launch is just a couple of days from now, it’s not a long wait to know more about the device.

Interestingly, the launch of this new laptop in China is set just a day after the company is set to launch its first laptop in the Indian market. On June 11th, i.e. tomorrow, Xiaomi will launch its Mi Notebook in India, which is rumored to be the Mi Notebook Horizon Edition.

The company has confirmed that the upcoming laptop for the Indian market, is targeted towards power users and will come powered by the latest 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor. Thus, the pricing of the device won’t fall in the affordable category.

Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness tracker is now up for pre-sale in China

By

Jeet

-

Jun 10, 2020

Just a day ahead of the official launch of Mi Band 5 fitness tracker from Xiaomi, online retailer JD.com has started taking pre-orders for the same in China. However, the listing page doesn’t reveal any information about the upcoming device.

The Mi Band 5, successor to the Mi Band 4, is all set to get launched in China tomorrow, i.e. on 11th June at 02:00 PM local time. However, ahead of the launch, the company has shared some key details about the product.

Xiaomi has revealed that the device will come with seven major upgrades compared to the previous generation model — Dynamic Color Screen, a new Magnetic Charging, NFC UnionPay Flash Payment, Remote Control Camera, Professional Sensor Upgrade, 11 Professional Sports Modes, and a new Women Health Mode.

The company has confirmed that the fitness band will come with a 20 percent larger display, which is in line with the reports claiming that the Mi Band 5 will have a 1.2-inch screen, slightly larger than the 0.95-inch display in the predecessor.

In teaser posters shared online, Xiaomi has also detailed the new charging mechanism in the upcoming device — Magnetic Charging. Now, users won’t need to remove the wearable device from the strap to charge it, and instead, a magnetic charging pin can be attached at the back of the device for the charging process to start.

This time, Xiaomi is also set to bring support for Google Pay transactions in the global variants of the Mi Band 5, along with Amazon Alexa smart voice assistant support. The Chinese variant will have the company’s own XiaoAI Smart Voice Assistant.

The company has so far confirmed that the fitness tracker will come in four color options — Black, Green, Yellow, and Red. While the pricing is not yet known, it is being speculated to be priced around 175 yuan (~$25) in China. You can check out the JD.com listing and pre-book the device using this link.

Update: Mi band 5 accept pre-order on Giztop for $32.99: https://www.giztop.com/xiaomi-mi-band-5.html/

Lenovo Legion gaming smartphone to reportedly pack Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset

By

Jeet

-

Jun 10, 2020

As Lenovo is getting closer to the launch of its first gaming smartphone — Lenovo Legion, more details about the device keeps surfacing online. Now, a new report hints at the possible launch timeline and the chipset used in the upcoming device.

The report claims that the Lenovo Legion gaming smartphone could come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset. This is interesting given that many are expecting SD865+ chipset, some reports indicate that the company has no plans to release the Plus variant of the flagship processor this year.

Earlier, the company had confirmed that the Lenovo Legion will come with support for 90W fast charging technology, making it the world’s fastest charging technology in a smartphone. Currently, OPPO has the fastest phone charging tech, supporting 65W.

As for the smartphone’s specifications, it is rumored to come with a Full HD+ OLED display offering 144Hz refresh rate but the exact screen size is not yet known. Under the hood, the phone will be powered by either SD865+ or the SD865 SoC.

It will pack LPDDR5 RAM which we expect to go up to 12GB, coupled with UFS 3.0 internal storage. On the backside, the smartphone will come with a dual-camera setup that includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor and a 16-megapixel secondary sensor.

On the front side, the device will be equipped with a side-mounted pop-up mechanism for the 20-megapixel selfie camera. The phone will have an Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box with gaming-grade Legion UI on top.

The gaming phone will reportedly feature a 3D cooling tower structure with dual heat pipe partitions for long-lasting cooling. The 5G smartphone is said to be powered by a 5,050mAh battery and will come with a 45W charger in the box.

As for the launch, it is being reported that the Lenovo Legion gaming smartphone could get launched next month, i.e. in July 2020. However, there’s no such confirmation from the company yet but we expect Lenovo to confirm the launch date in the coming weeks.

Google shipped 7.2 million units of Pixel smartphones in 2019: IDC

By

Jeet

-

Jun 10, 2020

Google Pixel 4 series of flagship smartphones from the company was not a success but that has not stopped the company from growing its presence in the smartphone market. The Google Pixel series smartphones have reported its best performance yet in terms of sales in the year 2019.

According to the numbers released by IDC, Google managed to ship 7.2 million units of Pixel smartphones last year, i.e. in 2019. This represents a 52 percent year-on-year growth for Google in the market.

However, since the sale of Pixel 4 is low, it’s safe to assume that the sale of Pixel 3a could be the reason for the higher shipments of the series last year. In an earnings call this year, the company had said that Pixel 3a is selling well.

The company has reportedly seen strong performance for its smartphones in Western Europe, Japan, and the United States. The good performance in the U.S. was probably because of the company expanding its carrier partnerships.

The IDC report claims that with shipments of 7.2 million, Google has surpassed OnePlus but the company hasn’t yet managed to be in the Top 10 brands. It does not reveal how much is the gap between the shipments from Google and OnePlus.

To put the numbers in perspective, the 7.2 million units are nowhere near what the leading smartphone brands are achieving. OPPO for instance, which is the world’s fifth-largest smartphone company, is shipping 147 million units a year.

(Source)

Xiaomi launches Mi Electric Toothbrush T100 in India for ₹549 ($7)

By

Jeet

-

Jun 10, 2020

A few months ago, in February this year, Xiaomi launched the Mi Electric Toothbrush T300 in the Indian market. Now, the company is bringing yet another toothbrush in India in the form of Mi Electric Toothbrush T100.

The newly announced Mi Electric Toothbrush T100 is priced at ₹599 (about $8) but during the crowdfunding campaign, the product is available for ₹549 (~$7). While the company has set a goal of 2,500 units for crowdfunding, it has already surpassed that goal, with six more days to go.

Those who pre-ordered the product by participating in the campaign, the company will start the shipment process from 15th July. We expect it to be available for purchase to everyone soon after that.

The Mi Electric Toothbrush T100 comes with a flexible, thin-tipped, and ultra-soft bristles which are about 93 percent thinner than the normal nylon bristles. The company adds that the bristles effectively loosens and whisks plaque and debris from even the blind spots of the user’s teeth and gums.

It is powered by a custom high-frequency motor which Xioami says produces 18,000 vibrations per minute. It helps in the effective removal of bacteria, food particles, and stains with less effort.

There’s also Dual-Pro Brush Mode that matches the user’s preferred style and pace. The EquiClean Auto Timer goes off after 2 minutes pausing after every 30 seconds so that the user is reminded to switch sides.

It is IPX7 rated, indicating a waterproof design. Featuring an anti-slip Bump Strap Design, the new smart toothbrush from Xiaomi has a low noise of less than 60dB. As for the battery life, it provides up to 30 days of usage on a single charge. It can be recharged through a micro-USB port and there’s an LED indicator for the battery charging status.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ 5G Bluetooth SIG certified; Tab S7 may pack 7,760mAh battery

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jun 10, 2020

Recent reports have revealed that Samsung is working on the Galaxy Tab S6. It is speculated that the upcoming Galaxy Tab S7 series could be coming in two screen sizes and they are named as Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7+. The 5G version of the Galaxy Tab S7+ that has a model number of SM-T976B was approved by the Wi-Fi Alliance authority in May. The same model has received approval from the Bluetooth SIG certification platform. Moreover, the battery capacity of the Galaxy Tab S7 has seemingly appeared on the 3C authority of China.

The Bluetooth SIG certification of the SM-T976GB confirms that it will be debuting as Galaxy Tab S7+ 5G. It also reveals the support for Bluetooth 5.0 on the device. Based on the past reports, it can be said that its Wi-Fi only version has SM-T970 model number whereas its 4G variant has SM-T975. The 5G version of the Galaxy Tab S6 was only available in South Korea. It is being said that the Galaxy Tab S7+ 5G could be coming to markets like Europe and the U.S.

The Galaxy Tab S7+ is rumored to be equipped with a big display of 12.4 inches. The S-AMOLED screen could be integrated with a fingerprint reader. The Wi-Fi certification of the device revealed features like support for dual-band Wi-Fi and Android 10 OS. It could be coming with a 9,800mAh battery.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 unlikely to feature S Pen stylus

The SM-T870 and SM-T875 model numbers are rumored to be associated with Galaxy Tab S7. These could be Wi-Fi and 4G editions of the device. The Tab S7 is expected to come with a smaller battery. A 7,760mAh rated capacity battery (EB-BT875ABY model number) has been spotted at the database of China’s 3C authority.

The 3C listing does not clearly mention which Samsung device will feature the EB-BT875ABY battery. However, it appears that this battery could be present inside the Galaxy Tab S7 which is expected to arrive with an 11-inch display. The Tab S7 and Tab S7+ are both expected to come with S Pens stylus support.

(source|via 1, 2)

LG Velvet 4G with Snapdragon 845 and 6GB RAM could be coming soon

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jun 10, 2020

Last month, LG introduced the LG Velvet 5G smartphone. The Snapdragon 765 SoC powered 5G-ready mid-range phone comes with an impressive design. A Persian tech site Toranji revealed that LG is working on a 4G edition of the LG Velvet. The publication has revealed that the LG Velvet 4G is driven by the Snapdragon 845 mobile platform that powered many Android flagship phones in 2018. The handset that has LM-G910 model number has also surfaced on Geekbench benchmarking platform.

The Persian website claimed that the 4G version of the LG Velvet will be heading to the markets in the Middle East. The handset is expected to arrive with 20 percent cheaper pricing compared to its 5G variant. LG Iran is yet to confirm on the existence of the LG Velvet 4G. Since the device is also certified by Anatel, a wireless regulator from Brazil, the LG Velvet 4G could be also releasing in other markets. 5G networks are yet commercialized in Iran and Brazil.

Editor’s Pick: LG Dual Screen case technology used on the V50 ThinQ revealed

The above-shown snapshot of the LM-G910 handset with AIDA64 benchmarks running on it reveals that its SD845 SoC is coupled with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. The device supports Bluetooth 5.0. Below shown is screengrab of the Geekbench 5 listing of the LG-G910.

The Geekbench 5 appearance of the LG Velvet 4G once again confirms the presence of Snapdragon 845 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. The device is loaded with Android 10 OS. It scored 440 and 2090, respectively on the single-core and multi-core tests of Geekbench.

The 4G edition of the LG Velvet could be borrowing some of its specs from its 5G counterpart. The key specs of the LG Velvet (LM-G900 model number) include 6.8-inch P-OLED Full HD+ notch display, up to 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage, 16-megapixel selfie camera, 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 5-megapixel triple camera system and 4,300mAh battery with 25W fast charging support.

(source 1, 2)

Rumored Samsung Galaxy A01 variant with removable battery spotted on Geekbench

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jun 10, 2020

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A01 entry-level smartphone in December 2019. With a pricing of $110 is available as the most affordable Galaxy A-series smartphone. Rumors have it that the South Korean company is planning to launch a cheaper version of the Galaxy A01 smartphone. The device is expected to arrive with a removable battery and could be called Galaxy A01e. The unannounced handset has appeared on the Geekbench benchmarking platform with some of its key specs.

The alleged Samsung Galaxy A01e with model number SM-A013F has surfaced on Geekbench 4. The model number of the Galaxy A01 that debuted last year is SM-A015F. The Geekbench listing reveals that the purported Galaxy A01e is powered by MediaTek MT6739 quad-core chipset from 2017 that works 1.5GHz.

The SoC is coupled with 1 GB of RAM. The device is loaded with the latest Android 10 OS and is expected to feature the latest version of One UI skin from Samsung. In the single-core test, the device scored 542 points. It recorded a score of 1468 in the multi-core test. Apart from the news that it could be coming with a removable battery, nothing else is known about the device.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Note 20, Fold 2 and Watch 3 to debut on August 5

Samsung Galaxy A01 specifications

The Samsung Galaxy A01 has a 5.7-inch IPS LCD notch display that offers 720 x 1520 pixels HD+ resolution. The One UI 2.0 based Android 10 OS runs on the smartphone. The Snapdragon 439 SoC along with 2 GB of RAM powers the device. The phone comes in 16 GB and 32 GB storage versions and has a dedicated microSD card slot.

The plastic rear of the phone features a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup. It has a front camera of 5-megapixel. The device is backed by a 3,000mAh battery and it lacks a fingerprint reader.

(via 1, 2)

Nokia 9.3 PureView, Nokia 7.3 and Nokia 6.3 launch date reportedly postponed to Q4

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jun 10, 2020

Recent reports had claimed that HMD Global will hold a mega launch event in Q3 2020. Devices such as Nokia 9.3 PureView, Nokia 7.3, and Nokia 6.3 was expected to get unveiled through the event. However, a fresh report on Nokia Power User states that the event has been postponed to Q4.

The report states that the development work on the above-mentioned phones is on track. However, the COVID-19 outbreak may force the company to push the launch event to early Q4. The exact timing of the launch event will still depend on the COVID-19 situation across the world.

The publication further mentions that the Finnish firm is testing the prototypes of Nokia 9.3 PureView, Nokia 7.3, and Nokia 6.3, and the progress seems to be on track. Rumors surrounding the Nokia 7.3 have revealed that one of its prototypes carries support for 5G connectivity. Hence, the device is expected to arrive as the most affordable 5G-ready Nokia phone. It could be coming with a 64-megapixel or 48-megapixel quad-camera system.

Editor’s Pick: Official teaser for the Nokia 5310 points to imminent India launch

The Nokia 6.3 mid-ranger could be powered with Snapdragon 67X SoC. Contradictory reports have claimed that it could be featuring Snapdragon 730. The handset is expected to flaunt a quad-camera setup on its back.

The Nokia 9.3 PureView is expected to arrive with features that will allow it to rival with flagship phones from other brands. It is likely to 120Hz refresh rate supporting display and it could be powered by Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. Its improved penta-lens setup could feature a 108-megapixel camera with ZEISS optics.

(source)

Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 unlikely to feature S Pen stylus

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jun 10, 2020

Last year in August, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Fold foldable smartphone along with Galaxy Note 10 series. Rumors have it that the company will be holding an online-only Unpacked launch event on Aug. 5 to announce multiple devices including the Galaxy Note 20 series and Galaxy Fold 2. The original Galaxy Fold did not feature an S Pen stylus. As far as the Galaxy Fold 2 is concerned, some reports have claimed that it will come with a stylus while other reports have stated that the device will continue to lack stylus support. A fresh report on a South Korean publication The Elec states that the Galaxy Fold 2 is unlikely to feature an S Pen.

Samsung-Galaxy-Fold-2-Render--Benjanim Geskin — Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 render by Benjamin Geskin

The report states that it is due to the durability issues associated with the displays that Samsung decided to omit the inclusion of S Pen stylus on the Fold 2. It further mentions that the thickness of the Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) is less than a tenth of that of Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6 which is overlaid on the display of Galaxy Note 10. The thickness of the Note 10’s screen along with Gorilla Glass 6 layer is between 0.4mm to 1.2mm.

The durability of the UTG for Galaxy Fold 2 is said to be poor and it could be prone to scratches. The UTG used on the Galaxy Z Flip is 0.3mm only. The same UTG could be made available on the Galaxy Fold 2.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung to use UTG developed by Corning for its foldable phones next year

The original Samsung Galaxy Fold supported only a 60Hz refresh rate. Rumors surrounding the Galaxy Fold 2 have revealed that it could be coming with a larger 7.7-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate support. It is likely to come with a larger battery and better cameras. The Galaxy Fold came with 512 GB built-in storage. Speculations are rife that the Galaxy Fold 2’s base model will have 256 GB of native storage.

Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy Fold 2, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Galaxy Watch 3 on Aug. 5. These devices are expected to release in the market on Aug. 20.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Note 20, Fold 2 and Watch 3 to debut on August 5

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jun 10, 2020

A South Korean publication had recently reported that Samsung may hold the Unpacked unveil event on Aug. 5 to announce Galaxy Note 20 series and Galaxy Fold 2. Another South Korean publication has revealed the names of other devices that are expected to go official alongside the above-mentioned devices. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, Samsung will be holding an online event to announce its new devices.

According to The Korea Herald, Samsung will be launching Galaxy Z Flip 5G and Galaxy Watch 3 along with Galaxy Note 20 series and Galaxy Fold 2. Even reliable tipster Jon Prosser tweeted that the company would launch Galaxy Z Flip 5G on Aug. 5. The tipster believes that the Galaxy Note 20 series, Galaxy Fold 2, and Galaxy Z Flip 5G will be available for purchase from Aug. 20.

The South Korean publication has not revealed any information on the specs of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G. Samsung had launched Snapdragon 855 powered Galaxy Z Flip clamshell phone with foldable display earlier this year. The elegant device did not carry support for 5G connectivity. It is unclear which processor will be driving the Galaxy Z Flip 5G. Some rumors have claimed that the upcoming 5G edition will have a base storage of 256 GB and it may come in a new brown color.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung patents a new clamshell-like dual folding smartphone design

The Galaxy Note 20 is expected to come with a 6.4-inch flat S-AMOLED display whereas the Galaxy Note 20+ will have a curved 6.9-inch S-AMOLED screen. They are expected to come with respective batteries of 4,300mAh and 4,500mAh capacities. The Note 20 Plus is rumored to feature a 108-megapixel main shooter in its rear-mounted triple camera setup. The Galaxy Fold 2 is expected to come with a larger inner display of 7.7 inches.

The online Unpacked event is expected to be live-streamed across different platforms such as Samsung’s official site, Samsung Newsroom, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.

TSMC announces a new 4nm process, an enhanced version of the 5nm process

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jun 9, 2020

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has officially revealed the existence of a new 4nm manufacturing process which has remained unannounced before now. The manufacturing process falls between the 5nm and 3nm nodes that are already on the company’s roadmap.

TSMC Fab 6 — Source: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd

TSMC CEO Liu Deyin is reported to have announced at the company’s shareholders meeting, Tuesday, that the Taiwanese foundry will launch a 4nm process “N4”. The N4 process is an enhanced version of its most advanced 5nm process “N5P”, and is expected to enter mass production in 2023.

TSMC is obviously repeating the old routine of the 6nm process N6. It is an upgraded version of the strongest 7nm process N7+ . The advantage is that while performance and power consumption continue to be optimized, the design is compatible with each other. Customers can easily migrate and obtain it at a lower cost.

TSMC’s mobile chipset routine started at 16nm and it strictly adhered to the technical standards at that time but Samsung’s similar process was called 14nm. From the paper, TSMC’s 16nm process fell behind Samsung’s 14nm, so it strengthened and upgraded its 16nm node and that gave birth to the 12nm process. The rest, as they say, is history.

According to the plan, TSMC will mass-produce the first generation of 5nm in the fourth quarter of this year. The company has also completed the design framework of the 3nm process. The 3nm process is expected to enter trial production in the first half of 2021. The Taiwanese semiconductor giant is also accelerating the 2nm process.

(via)

Vivo X60s 5G powered by Snapdragon 765 appears on Geekbench

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jun 9, 2020

The Vivo X50 series launched last week in China. The trio includes the Vivo X50, the Vivo X50 Pro, and the flagship Vivo X50 Pro+. Now Vivo is set to announce a new phone called the Vivo X60s 5G.

The Vivo X60s 5G has model number V2006 according to its Bluetooth certificate. Ahead of its release, the device has been spotted on Geekbench and the benchmark result reveals some key specs.

Benchmarked as the “vivo vivo 2006”, the phone runs Android 10, has 8GB of RAM and is powered by a Qualcomm processor said to be the Snapdragon 765 5G Mobile Platform.

There is a lot we still do not know about the phone including its design. Its launch date is also unknown but we do not think Vivo will announce the X60s 5G in its home country seeing as the X50 series just launched.

(Sources: 1, 2 |Via)

OnePlus TV 32-inch & 43-inch models with their remotes are Bluetooth certified

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jun 9, 2020

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau earlier today confirmed that the company would launch the much-touted OnePlus TV on June 2. The smart TV has now reportedly been certified by Bluetooth SIG ahead of its launch.

The certification reveals the presence of two models – a 32-inch model and 43-inch variant. The remote controls for the two smart TVs were also certified. The 32-inch model comes with the model number 32HA0A00 while the 43-inch version has model number 43FA0A00 from which we infer the screen sizes.

Pete Lau also hinted that the smarter TV will come with an affordable pricing. This isn’t OnePlus’ first smart TV as the company took the veil off the OnePlus Q1 and Q1 Pro premium smart TVs last year in India. The Q1 is priced at INR69,900 while the Pro model carries a price tag of INR99,900. But Amazon India posted a landing page for the upcoming launch and subsequent sale, revealing prices will be starting from INR1X,999. There are rumours it could start at INR15,000 but if it goes higher, the highest it could get is INR19,999 (~$265).

There are speculations that OnePlus TV may share hardware with the Realme TV which also features a 32-inch and 43-inch model. This may be true since both companies are BBK subsidiaries.

(source)

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