Huawei seems to have begun development for EMUI 11

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May 1, 2020

ARM has recently announced that it will be providing various silicon startups with zero cost access to its most widely used chip designs. The known semiconductor based company is offering this to advance innovation among chip startups that are facing the high barrier of entry through costs.

While the generous move from ARM is a great positive for the industry, it is also a method for the company to better compete with its rival RISC-V. The latter is an open sourced architecture that has become increasingly more popular in recent times and has begun affecting the market ARM had a hold on. In other words, a relatively new player in the chip design industry.

The ARM Flexible Access for Startups will be grant nascent firms access to the company’s intellectual property portfolio, tools, training, and more. Furthermore, ARM will offer full support in early experimentation, design, and even help in prototype silicons. Previously, ARM’s customers had to pay license fees or royalty for using designs that used by them on their own chips.

According to ARM, the new program could potentially lower risks and accelarate the time to market by 6 to even 12 months. The company is also partnering up with Silicon Catalyst, who is a specialist in silicon startups, to offer members free access to all of ARM’s IPs, design tools, and other prototypes. Again, this move is likely a response to RISC-V, which is growing it’s open royalty free support regarding chip architecture.

(Via)

Meizu 17 series confirmed to feature a 90Hz display across the lineup

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May 1, 2020

Earlier today (1st May 2020), it was officially confirmed that the latest flagship series, the Meizu 17, will arrive with 90Hz high refresh rate display panels across the lineup. In other words, the fast and smoother display will be a standard across the premium flagship series.

The Meizu 17 and Meizu 17 Pro will feature a Samsung AMOLED display, with an expected FHD+ resolution and a punch hole camera on the front. The news regarding the refresh rate being standard was shared on Weibo, the Chinese microblogging website, which also hinted at its advantages in mobile gaming. The faster refresh rate is not only limited to a smoother UI, but also to an overall enjoyable gameplay experience as well.

The Meizu 17 series is the Chinese company’s flagship and will arrive with top notch specs. This includes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC alongside LPDDR5 memory. It will also support 5G networking (SA and NSA Dual mode 5G) and feature unique camera module on the rear. The series will arrive on 8th May 2020 and will likely be revealed through a live stream online. So stay tuned.

Huawei patents an 8-inch budget MatePad tablet with Dual Speakers

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May 1, 2020

The tablet market had been on a steady decline so far. However, the trend recently shifted towards a healthier growth thanks in large due to the demand brought by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Now, a Huawei design patent has been spotted online for an 8 inch MatePad with dual speakers, which is possible to capitalize in the unexpectedly well performing market.

Huawei had filed a new design patent with the CNIPA back in 2019. This was finally published earlier this month and reveal 15 colored renders of the yet to be announced tablet. Looking at the images, the device may be the Huawei MatePad T, which is an affordable tablet under the 5G tablet the Chinese tech giant had launched previously. Although this is still unconfirmed.

However, the MatePad T was spotted receiving a WiFi certification in early April 2020. This certification revealed that 6 models are in the making, with the differences likely being in the memory and networking versions. In other words, WiFi only models, 4G LTE support and even 5G enabled MatePad T models being launched. Furthermore, the tablet is expected to run Android 10 out of the box with EMUI 10 custom skin, and again without the official Google services support.

Unfortunately, finer details like internal specifications are currently unknown regarding the MatePad tab. Although, recently launched Kirin 810 or 820 SoC might be planned for the device. The tablet is meant to be a budget option so it might go for the former, with a single camera on the rear, and front, according to the design patent. A notable inclusion is the dual speaker system, with one speaker grill at the bottom, and one on the top. More information or official teasers from the company should arrive soon, so stay tuned.

Realme X50 Pro 5G can now capture videos at 4K 60FPS after April Patch update

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May 1, 2020

Realme has recently rolled out a new software update for its flagship smartphone, the X50 Pro 5G. The new update brings 4K 60FPS video recording to the premium device through the April patch software update.

The new software update brings the camera upgrade alongside the new Android security patch level. As of right now, the Realme X50 Pro 5G now runs the April 2020 security patch version and features a new charging icon as well, amongst other small changes. Furthermore, the update also brought Vivid Mode to the Screen Color Mode, for the display, alongside optimizations for better network stability.

For a detailed changelog, you can check the list down below:

Security
- Android security patch: April 2020
Desktop
- Changed the charging icon
Settings
- Added Vivid Mode to Screen Color Mode
Camera
- Added function of recording 60FPS 4K videos
- Optimized the quality of photos
Optimization
- Optimized the screen redness at the low brightness in some scenes
- Optimized network stability
Known issue fixed
- Fixed screen rounded corner problem

The update carried the version number RMX2076PU_11_A.19 and is currently rolling out in India in a staggered manner. In other words, it will only be available to a few Realme X50 Pro 5G users before being more widely available soon after. This is done to ensure no major bugs affect the smartphone, with the stable build being launch a few days after the initial one. Although for those that do not wish to wait, can choose to download and install it manually through here.

US Republicans plan to introduce a bill banning government officials from using Huawei and ZTE products

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May 1, 2020

The Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley had recently announced their plans on introducing a new bill, which will ban US government employees from using products made by Chinese companies that are deemed as security threats. This includes telecom and electronics product makers like Huawei and ZTE in particular.

The political leaders are seeking to pass the Countering Chinese Attempts at Snooping Act, which will essentially prohibit federal officials from conducting any official business through the use of technology from companies that are deemed as a risk. The State Department will be responsible for judgment regarding whether or not a company is under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The bill will have the State Department creating a list of companies that are backed by the Chinese government, which could pose a threat to national security, especially in regards to espionage and data leaks. The Republican Senators also particularly pointed out Huawei and ZTE platforms as major risks alongside Tencent in regards to other media based platforms.

According to Ted Cruz, “Companies like Tencent and Huawei are espionage operations for the Chinese Communist Party, masquerading as telecom companies for the 21st century.” The Senator further added that “these are just some of the measures we will have to take as the United States reevaluates its relationship with China and the CCP.” Josh Hawley also called the Tencent group as a “glorified surveillance arm” for the Chinese government.

(Via)

OnePlus Gallery v3.11.2 update integrates Google Lens button

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May 1, 2020

OxygenOS is one of the most loved Android skins in the market right now. With design close to stock Android, the software also features additional useful features that are not found on AOSP. Also, the first party OnePlus apps are much better than competitors’ with minimal design and rich favourable features. The OnePlus Gallery is one such app and with v3.11.2, which is currently rolling out to users, the app integrates Google Lens functionality.

Google Lens is one of the best tools out there. It can help identify objects, text, and can even translate from images. It is a byproduct of Google’s image search functionality, which was introduced years ago. The tool is available as a separate app as well as it is in-built in Google App, Google Photos, and Google Assistant, which some consider (including me) as the best gallery app one can ask for.

But not all people use Google Photos and most of them prefer offline gallery app like their phone’s default solution. The OnePlus Gallery is such an app for OnePlus smartphones, which the brand regularly updates it with new features and bug fixes.

The latest update to this app brings Google Lens button, which nobody ever thought would be added. But now, it is here and does the job as expected. Clicking on the button will send the image to Google Lens activity as part of an intent to the Google App. For the unware, although Google Lens is available as an individual app, it depends on Google App similar to Google Podcasts and Google Assistant.

OnePlus users can experience this new feature by updating the OnePlus Gallery app from the Google Play Store. Last but not least, here’s the official changelog provided by the company.

OnePlus Gallery v3.11.2 Official Changelog

Integrate the identification function of Google Lens
Fixed some issues
Optimize the performance

(Via)

Google Stadia adds support for OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro

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May 1, 2020

Google Stadia is the search giant’s cloud gaming service that debuted in November of 2019. Although the company is adding more games and features, the service’s availability and supported devices are still limited. Thankfully, the list is growing as the recently launched OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are now compatible with the service according to the latest blog post by the Stadia team.

Google Stadia has been out for the public for about five months now. But it is still only compatible with a handful of Android smartphones. However, users can access it on any TV using Chromecast Ultra and any computer or laptop via Google Chrome browser. Additionally, it also supports almost all the popular gamepads available in the market.

But it is restricted to certain regions just like few Android smartphones. When Stadia launched last year, initially it was only compatible with Google’s Pixel lineup of smartphones (excluding the OG Pixel and Pixel XL). Later on, the service became compatible with handsets from OEMs like Samsung, Asus, and Razer. Now, OnePlus becomes the new member of this elite squad with its OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro.

Anyway, here’s the complete list of Android smartphones compatible with Google Stadia as of May 1, 2020.

OEM	Model
Google	Pixel 2
	Pixel 2 XL
	Pixel 3
	Pixel 3 XL
	Pixel 3A
	Pixel 3A XL
	Pixel 4
	Pixel 4 XL
Samsung	Galaxy S8
	Galaxy S8 Plus
	Galaxy S8 Active
	Galaxy Note 8
	Galaxy S9
	Galaxy S9 Plus
	Galaxy Note 9
	Galaxy S10
	Galaxy S10 Plus
	Galaxy Note 10
	Galaxy Note 10 Plus
	Galaxy S20
	Galaxy S20 Plus
	Galaxy S20 Ultra
Asus	ROG Phone
Asus	ROG Phone II
Razer	Razer Phone
Razer	Razer Phone 2
OnePlus	OnePlus 8
OnePlus	OnePlus 8 Pro

(Source 1, 2)

Canalys: Smartphone shipments fall in China, down by 18% from 2019

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May 1, 2020

According to a new report from the known analytical agency Canalys, China’s smartphone market suffered a sizeable blow in the first quarter of 2020. The primary reason for this is undoubtedly the Coronavirus pandemic that had devastated the country during its initial outbreak.

In the Canalys report, the Chinese smartphone market only saw 73 million units being shipped in Q1 of 2020. This is a notable decline of 18 percent during the same period back in 2019. While the smartphone market, in general, was seeing stagnation, the viral outbreak seemed to have had a severe negative impact on the industry globally. However, the top five OEMs all reported on seeing better than expected results during this time.

In China, Huawei leads the smartphone market, with financial reports revealing an impressive performance for the first quarter. The Chinese tech giant was also the only vendor that actually saw a growth in shipments during this time of crisis (we had previously reported on this as through a report regarding the Chinese market by Counterpoint Research). Oppo and Vivo took up the second and third place, with shipment falling by 26 percent and 19 percent respectively.

An important factor that prevented the overall smartphone market in China from declining was also linked to government actions. The electronic product and its vendors were listed by the government as essential items, which basically allowed them to continue production and regain its footings. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for other major markets that are seeing complete shutdown, like India.

According to Canalys analyst, Mo Jia, “The vendors with the greatest financial resources, supply chain control and negotiating power with the channel are recovering fastest, while smaller vendors have been brought down. The coronavirus crisis has pushed the market toward the top five, which now account for nearly 95% of the total market.” Interestingly, Huawei with its 5G offerings had best leveraged the market to its favor and managed to pull ahead of its competitors.

Xiaomi India MD teased a 108MP camera smartphone that may launch soon

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May 1, 2020

Manu Kumar Jain, the Managing Director of Xiaomi India, has again teased a smartphone with a 108 megapixel camera. The senior official shared the information through his official Twitter handle and may be suggestive of an imminent launch of a new handset.

😍 😍😍😍😍 😍😍😍😍
😍 😍 😍 😍 😍
😍 😍 😍 😍 😍
😍 😍 😍 😍😍😍😍
😍 😍 😍 😍 😍
😍 😍 😍 😍 😍
😍 😍😍😍😍 😍😍😍😍#Xiaomi ❤️️ #108MP #Mi10

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 30, 2020

At the moment, the Indian government has employed a strict lockdown policy across the country. Many companies, especially ones related to production have since been closed. So, it isn’t unlikely to believe that once the lockdown ends, Xiaomi would take the initiative to launch a new smartphone.

Earlier this year, the Chinese tech giant launched the Mi 10 series, which featured Samsung’s 108 megapixel ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor. The sensor had an f/1.69 aperture alongside four axis OIS (optical image stabilization). Hence, it is probable that the company might launch an entirely new smartphone with the Samsung sensor or may consider bringing back its flagship lineup to the Indian market.

Unfortunately, finer details are currently unknown. However, it seems that Xiaomi is working on the pricing of the smartphone with the 108 megapixel camera. According to a previous tweet by Manu, the company is working on setting a ‘different pricing’ for upcoming smartphones due to various external aspects like depreciating Rupee value, higher GST, direct import, and more. So stay tuned, as more information is expected to arrive soon.

Meizu 17 series confirmed to feature stereo speakers for better multimedia experience

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May 1, 2020

Ahead of launching its next-generation Meizu 17 series smartphones in China on 8th May, the company has been revealing some key features of the upcoming devices through teaser posters.

In the latest poster, the company has confirmed that the Meizu 17 smartphone will feature third-generation dual ultra-linear stereo speakers. Compared to the traditional speakers, these ultra-dynamic speakers greatly improves mid-low frequency and can provide more thumping bass for better sound quality.

Recently, the company had revealed that the Meizu 17 Pro smartphone will come equipped with a 3D depth sensor. While the company has not revealed information about the 3D depth sensor, it is believed to be a LiDAR scanner used by Apple in iPad Pro.

Prior to that, the company had released official renders of the Meizu 17 Pro, confirming that the device will come with a ceramic body. The phone will also come with Super wireless mCharge technology and is expected to support 40W fast charging.

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer has also confirmed that the Meizu 17 will feature 90Hz refresh rate display and will come powered by the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 octa-core processor with support for 5G connectivity. The company has also confirmed UFS 3.1 internal storage and thus, we expect the phone to have LPDRR5 RAM.

The smartphone features a quad-camera setup where the primary sensor will be a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 sensor. There are reports which claims that the pricing for the series could start at 3,999 yuan which is approximately $564.

Meizu will be launching three smartphones in this lineup — Meizu 17, Meizu 17 Pro, and Meizu 17T. All three smartphones are already up for pre-orders in the Chinese market through the company’s own online store, JD.com, Tmall and Suning. To know for sure what the devices pack, as well as their pricing and availability details, we’ll have to wait for a few more days for the official launch event on 8th May.

Oppo reveals ColorOS 7 Stable Update Timeline for A9, A11, K3, K5, and R15

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May 1, 2020

In April, Oppo updated 17 of its smartphones to stable ColorOS 7 build in China. The list included all the premium and mid-premium devices. Now, the company has shared an update timeline for its mid-range and budget smartphones. These handsets will be receiving the OTA by the end of May.

The below-listed models are the third batch of handsets to receive stable ColorOS 7 stable update in China.

Device	Update Date
Oppo A11	May 15
Oppo A11x	May 15
Oppo K5	May 20
Oppo R15	May 28
Oppo A9
Oppo A9x
Oppo K3	May 29
Oppo R15 Dream Mirror Edition	May 30

For the unware, Oppo already has a new version of its mobile software called ColorOS 7.1. This incremental version is only available on the company’s latest flagship smartphones – Find X2 and Find X2 Pro as well as the newly launched Oppo Ace 2. The brand is yet to reveal which devices will get this update

ColorOS 7 was announced way back in November 2019 but only now the company is rolling out stable updates to its devices. The new software update, apart from bringing new features, also bumps up the underlying Android to version 10.

The Chinese smartphone maker has also started seeding out stable updates globally. To learn more about ColorOS 7, do check out our launch coverage.

Smartphone sales in China fall by 22% in Q1 2020; only Huawei registers growth

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May 1, 2020

According to the data released by Counterpoint Research, smartphone sales in the Chinese market registered a decline of 22 percent Year-on-Year and 24 percent Quarter-on-Quarter for the Q1 2020.

The report attributes such massive fall in the market to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reveals that the top five leading brands in the market accounted for 93 percent of the market share, up by 6 percent compared to the last year.

As per the report, the month of February along registered a decline of 35 percent YoY in smartphone shipments in China. However, it adds that the online sales grew to 50 percent, up around 20 percent compared to last year.

Huawei, the Chinese giant, continues to lead the market with a market share of 40 percent and remains the only company on the list that achieved positive Year-on-Year growth despite the coronavirus outbreak.

While Huawei registered 6 percent growth, the report shows that Apple show a minor decline of 1 percent while other brands on the list — Vivo, OPPO, and Xiaomi registered decline of 27 percent, 30 percent and 35 percent respectively.

The Counterpoint report also adds that within just six months after commercialisation of 5G in China, the penetration of 5G smartphone sales jumped to over 15 percent in Q1 2020 while the sale of 5G smartphones grew by nearly 120 percent QoQ.

Huawei also lead the 5G wave in the Q1 2020 in China, followed by Vivo, OPPO, and Xiaomi. The growth of 5G devices in China is also due to the fact that many manufacturers launched sub-$400 5G smartphones in the market. Further, it adds that by the end of this year, the 5G smartphone shipments could account for 40 percent of the market in China.

Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite will not be rebranded as Mi CC10 in China, confirms Xiaomi executive

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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May 1, 2020

Yesterday, Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite smartphone for the European markets. It is unclear which other markets outside of China will be receiving the handset. The Chinese manufacturer recently unleashed the Xiaomi Mi 10 Youth Edition 5G phone with 50x periscope zoom lens in China. As far MI Note 10 Lite is concerned, China won’t be receiving it.

In the below shown screengrab, Zang Zhiyuan who is the General Manager of Xiaomi’s Marketing Department in China can be seen talking to Mi fans. He confirmed that the company will not be launching the Mi Note 10 Lite in the home market.

In March, a list of Xiaomi phones that are lined up for Q3 launch had surfaced online. It revealed that the company is planning to Mi CC10 and Mi CC10 Pro. When Zhiyuan was asked whether the Mi Note 10 Lite will be arriving in China as Mi CC10, he refuted the claim.

This is in line with Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun’s statement from November last year. He had said that all Xiaomi phones for China above 2,000 Yuan (~$283) pricing will come with support for 5G connectivity. The MI Note 10 Lite that debuted in Europe yesterday is a 4G phone that is priced at 349 euros (~$382).

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Mi Smart Standing Fan 1C lands in Europe for €39.99

Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite specifications

The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite has a full HD+ 6.47-inch AMOLED display with waterdrop notch. It is powered by Snapdragon 730G and its 5,260mAh battery comes with 30W rapid charging support. The MIUI 11 based Android 10 OS comes preloaded on the Mi Note 10 Lite.

There is a 16-megapixel front camera on the Mi Note 10 Lite. The back panel has of the device has a quad camera setup. It has a Sony IMX686 64-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel depth sensor and a 2-megapixel macro lens.

The Mi Note 10 Lite comes in two models such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. They are priced at 349 euros and 399 euros (~$437), respectively. Midnight Black, Glacier White and Nebula Purple are the three color variants of the smartphone.

(via)

Xiaomi Mi Smart Standing Fan 1C lands in Europe for €39.99

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May 1, 2020

At the global Redmi 9 series launch, Xiaomi also unveiled an IoT product for Europe called Mi Smart Standing Fan 1C alongside Mi Note 10 Lite. As the name suggests, it is a fan with smart connectivity features. For the unware, it was leaked to launch in the region a few days back along with a number of other ecosystem products.

The design of this product goes in line with other smart home products from the company. It is simple and elegant with a classic white paint job. The fan features seven custom build-blades to provide strong yet smooth airflow to the users.

It comes with three different airflow speed settings and two modes namely ‘Sleep’ and ‘Standard’. Users can even adjust the height like most conventional fans available in the market.

Another interesting feature of the new Xiaomi fan is its 37.2dB(A) low noise level apart from smart features. It can be paired with Mi Home app to control it remotely. On top of that, it is also compatible with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. That means users can also control it with their voice.

Xiaomi is yet to reveal the price and availability of Mi Smart Standing Fan 1C for different European regions. However, it has suggested the average retail price to be €39.99.

POCO F2 Pro European pricing gets leaked ahead of the phone’s launch

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May 1, 2020

Xiaomi’s Redmi K30 smartphone was recently launched in the Indian market as POCO X2. Thus, it was being rumored that the Redmi K30 Pro could get launched as the POCO F2 smartphone. However, the brand’s general manager denied the reports.

Soon after C Manmohan, General Manager of the POCO brand said that the POCO F2 won’t be the rebranded version of Redmi K30 Pro, it was reported that the Redmi K30 Pro will get launched as the POCO F2 Pro. Ahed of the launch, the upcoming smartphone’s pricing details have leaked online.

Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro aka POCO F2 Pro — Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro

It seems that the POCO F2 Pro will not be limited to the Indian market and will also get launched in the European market as the phone’s pricing has been leaked online. As per the report, the smartphone is expected to start at €649 in Portugal.

While the base model with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage is reportedly priced at €649, the top-end model with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage is said to be priced at €749. However, the report adds that the pricing in other European regions will be lower than the pricing in Portugal because of the ‘private copy fee’ in the country.

Since the POCO F2 Pro will be a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro, the device will feature a pop-up front-facing camera for a notch-less display design and a circular quad-camera module on the back. The phone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 octa-core chipset.

It will feature a 6.67-inch Full HD+ display with 2400 x 1080 pixels screen resolution, a 20MP front-facing snapper, a quad-camera setup on the back that consists of a 64MP primary sensor, a 13MP super wide-angle lens, a 5MP telephoto lens and a 2MP depth sensor. The phone will be powered by a 4,700mAh battery with 33W fast charging.

Now, it remains to be the seen what the company has planned for the POCO F2, which will be act as the successor to the POCO F1. While not much information is available about the upcoming POCO F2 series, we expect the company to launch these devices as early as next month. It will also be interesting to see how Xiaomi positions the POCO brand and Redmi K-series given that both fall within the same price segment.

Samsung Galaxy A21s Bluetooth SIG certified; Launch could be nearing

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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May 1, 2020

Recent leaks have revealed that Samsung is working on the Galaxy A21s smartphone. The moniker suggests that it is an updated version of the Galaxy A21 phone that was unveiled last month. The handset has today appeared at the database of Bluetooth SIG certification to confirm its moniker and its variants.

As it can be seen below, the model number variants such as SM-A217F, SM-A217M, SM-A217F_DSN, SM-A217F_DS, SM-A217M_DS and SM-A217N are all associated with Galaxy A21s. The Bluetooth SIG certification of Galaxy A21s that the device supports Bluetooth 5.0. The model numbers belong to the country variants of the Galaxy A21s.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung’s unannounced full-screen smartphone spotted in an advertisement

Samsung Galaxy A21s specifications

Indian tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore had recently leaked the alleged specifications of the Galaxy A21s smartphone. The leak revealed that the Galaxy A21s could be coming with a 6.55-inch IPS LCD panel that produces HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels resolution. Probably, it may feature the same punch-hole screen that is available on the Galaxy A21 phone.

The leak did not reveal the name of the processor that fuels the Galaxy A21s. Recently, the Galaxy A21s variant with model number SM-A217F was spotted on Geekbench benchmarking platform with never before heard Exynos 850 chipset. The smartphone is expected to come with 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native storage. It may come with a 5,000mAh battery.

For photography, it may house a 13-megapixel front camera and a 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera setup. Other expected features of the phone include Android 10 OS, microSD slot, microUSB, NFC, dual-SIM, fingerprint reader and 3.5mm audio jack.

Xiaomi is recording private web and phone usage of its users: Report

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May 1, 2020

Xiaomi is among the top-selling smartphone companies in the world and is the leading brand in the world’s second largest smartphone market — India. The rise of Xiaomi smartphones is attributed to cheaper pricing with top-of-the-line specifications. However, it seems that the users have to pay a hefty price when it comes to privacy.

According to the latest report published by Forbes, Xiaomi smartphones are found that the company is recording data of what the user is doing with the devices and the data are then sent to remove servers hosted by Alibaba, which are ostensibly rented by Xiaomi.

It found that Xiaomi’s default browser records all the websites visited, including search queries even from privacy-focused search engines, and every item viewed on its news feed. It reports that the tracking happens even when the user is in the private mode.

Xiaomi Logo

Further, the report adds that the Xiaomi device records what folders users open and to which screens they swipes, including the status bar and the settings page. All of the data are then being packaged and sent to remote servers in Singapore and Russia, while the web domains they hosted were registered in Beijing.

The report from Forbes reveal that the company wasn’t just collected web browser data but also data about the phone, including unique numbers for identifying the specific device and Android version.

However, Xiaomi denies that there’s a problem with privacy. The company claims that data is encrypted when transferred to protect user privacy. But it just takes a few seconds to decode the base64 encryption and to change the garbled data into readable information.

In its response, the Chinese smartphone maker says that “privacy and security is of top concern” for them and adds that it “strictly follows and is fully compliant with local laws and regulations on user data privacy matters.” The spokesperson for the company also confirms that it was collecting browsing data, claiming the information was anonymised so wasn’t tied to any identity.

Xiaomi’s spokesperson also denied that browsing data was being recorded under incognito mode. However, two security researcher found in their independent tests that their web habits were sent off to remote servers regardless of what mode the browser was set to. When Forbes sent a video proof of the claim to Xiaomi, the company continued denying it.

Upon further digging, Forbes found that to better understand its users’ behaviour, Xiaomi is using services of a behavioural analytics company called Sensors Analytics which has tools that help its clients in “exploring the hidden stories behind the indicators in exploring the key behaviors of different businesses.” Xiaomi’s spokesperson also confirmed the company’s relationship with Sensors Analytics.