Houseparty, the video chat social application has become quite popular and has seen massive growth amid the coronavirus lockdown across several countries. The app is one of the top choices when it comes to being connected with the loved ones as social distancing and government lockdown came into effect.
A report from app store analyst App Annie suggests that Houseparty has hit the record numbers in the month of March 2020. Now, the company has itself revealed that the app has seen over 50 million sign-ups last month, which is claimed to be 70 times above normal in some markets.
During the past 30 days, Houseparty has reportedly seen 17.2 million new installs across iOS and Android platforms. A different third-party estimate from Sensor Tower reports 28 million installs. The numbers don’t include the company’s app on Mac and Chrome.
Thanks to the surge in popularity and usage, Houseparty became the leading Social app in 82 countries, including the U.S. App Store. It was also the third leading Social app on the U.S. Google Play store. The app grew to become the No. 1 Overall app in 16 countries.
According to the company, the average time in conversation per user remained at more than 60 minutes and the average session times sometimes reached as high as more than 80 minutes. Since the app is designed for social hangouts, it has attracted younger users.
While Houseparty doesn’t reveal its metrics publicly, the company seems to be sharing the data about its popularity to distract people from the recent controversy. The app was recently accused of a data breach through social media posts from users claiming that user data was being used to access other accounts, like Netflix and Spotify.
The company denied the breach and even suggested that the social media posts were a part of a “paid commercial campaign” aimed at harming its business. Later, the company announced a $1 million reward for any evidence that proved it. So far, nothing yet has come of that and some of the accusations posted have also disappeared.
After much anticipation, the OnePlus 8 series was finally launched. The company announced the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, which were both released simultaneously in a limited launch. However, just in a matter of mere minutes, the OnePlus 8 lineup sold out completely.
The latest flagship series from the Chinese company arrives with prices, which are higher than anything OnePlus has ever asked for prior to this. In other words, the OnePlus 8 series is one of the most expensive devices the company has launched. Despite this, when the handsets were officially launched yesterday, in a limited manner, they were sold out in just minutes after being available.
The first limited release of the series started at noon (ET) and was sold out in just ten minutes. Notably, this includes every color and memory variant of the series. In other words, OnePlus 8 series sold out not just its base variants, but the high priced premium variants as well, including the different color models. One of the reasons why the company saw such a quick sell out was due to the devices being unlocked versions, which were offered.
So, if people still wish to purchase the smartphone, they will have to wait a while till 29th April 2020. This is when the OnePlus 8 series will be launched widely and be available in the T-Mobile, Verizon versions and on the OnePlus official online store. The device is sold out is an indicator of the brand’s growing recognition and popularity in the industry and market. It made a bold step by raising prices after each passing generation, but also added specs to back the price.
Last month, along with the launch of Red Magic 5G gaming smartphone, Nubia also announced a bunch of accessories, including the a 65W GaN charger. Now, the product has been listed online and will be available for purchase from 17th April.
Although the Nubia 65W GaN charger carries a price tag of 169 yuan ( approximately $24), it seems that it will be available for purchase at a price of 139 yuan tomorrow, which roughly converts to $20.
This new GaN charge from Nubia has a foldable plug design and has two USB Type-C ports at the top of the charger along with a USB Type-A port. It has 65W Type-C single port output, 30W Type-C single port output and 24W USB-A single port output.
Reports indicate that it uses third-generation of leading-edge semiconductor materials. It is also said to have a smaller charger volume and better performance in thermal conductivity as well as high temperature resistance.
The Nubia 65W Gallium Nitride Charger also supports SCP/FCP, Quick Charge 3.0, Power Delivery 3.0, AFC and other fast charging protocols. Further, it also supports smart switching of large and small currents, and is equipped with a 90-degree foldable plug.
Last week, chipset maker MediaTek found itself at the centre of a controversy related to the benchmark cheating. A report alleged that MediaTek purportedly allowed OEMs to enable a “sports mode” in benchmark apps.
The so-called “sports mode” on the devices is believed to ramp up things like the memory controller and scheduler in order to facilitate faster performance.
In its defence, the company said that this was a common industry practice and that its “key competitor” was also guilty of this practice. While MediaTek didn’t directly name its arch rival Qualcomm, the “key competitor” part clearly hints at Qualcomm.
The US-based Qualcomm has now issued a statement to Android Authority regarding this controversy. In the statement, the company denies whitelisting such benchmarking apps hack. It says: “Whitelisting refers to the technique of using the app name to determine whether to put the device into performance enhancement mode. The action of whitelisting a benchmark app is generally considered by the industry as cheating since it defeats the purpose of a benchmark, which is to reflect user experience for day to day use. Qualcomm does not whitelist.”
There’s a possibility that MediaTek could be referring to other chipset makers — Huawei and Samsung. However, both of them mostly make chipsets for their own smartphones and Samsung occasionally sells its chips to others. Thus, the only major direct competitor to MediaTek remains Qualcomm.
The controversy comes at a time when Taiwan-based MediaTek is making a comeback into the market with some great chipsets such as MediaTek Helio G-series and the new Dimensity 1000 flagship processor.
The OPPO A92s is an upcoming smartphone from OPPO. The Chinese firm is silent on the existence of the OPPO A92s smartphone that is expected to arrive with some impressive features 120Hz refresh rate display, dual front-facing cameras, quad rear cameras and large-sized battery. Recent reports have revealed plenty of information on its specs and appearance. The pricing of the device has also leaked. Hence, it appears that its launch may not be far away. Fresh set of renders of the OPPO A92s have surfaced today to showcase its design and color variants.
The OPPO A92s can be seen in black, white and pink color editions in the new renders. The new images of the phone give a good look at the design of the smartphone from all angles. The screen of the A92s is surrounded by slim bezels and it features a slightly thick chin. A pill-shaped cutout for the dual selfie cameras is available at the top-left corner of the display.
The volume up and down buttons are placed on the left side of the OPPO A92s. Its right spine has a fingerprint sensor embedded under the power button. The bottom edge of the device has a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port and an external speaker. A square-shaped camera module resides at the top-left corner of the rear shell of OPPO A92s.
Past reports have revealed that the OPPO A92s is equipped with a 6.53-inch full HD+ and 120Hz refresh rate supporting IPS LCD panel. The display punch-hole is the home for its 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual selfie camera system. The A92s has a 48-megapixel (main) + 8-mgeapixel (ultrawide) + 2-megapixel (depth) + 2-megapixel (macro) quad camera setup.
The Dimensity 800 5G SoC powers the device with up to 12 GB of RAM. It has up to 256 GB of internal storage. The phone houses a 4,000mAh battery. The 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage edition of the phone is expected to cost 2,499 Yuan (~$353).
Recently, Nubia confirmed that the company will be launching a new smartphone in the Chinese market on 21st April, dubbed as Nubia Play. So far, the company has not shared anything related to the device apart from the fact that it will have 5G support.
Now, the company has officially started taking pre-orders for the Nubia Play smartphone in China through online marketplace JD.com. The images of the upcoming smartphone on the e-commerce platform hints at two major features.
The teaser images shows that the Nubia Play will feature a curved screen and on the back side, the device will have a hexagonal camera module placed in the top-center position. Based on the size of the camera module, it could come with dual camera sensors or triple camera sensors.
The company has also revealed the retail packaging box of the Nubia Play 5G smartphone which comes in blue color with graffiti-like illustration and the word “BE YOURSELF” in a bold on the edge of the front side cover.
Recently, a Nubia smartphone with model number NX651J was spotted on 3C certification website which could be the upcoming Nubia Play 5G smartphone. The listing shows that the phone could have 30W fast charging support and is compatible with Quick Charge, PD, PPS and other charging protocols.
This will also mark the first device getting launch after the company unveiled its new logo, which has ditched the red dot design and has adopted a typography-based modern and bright red-colored branding.
Interestingly, the company had also launched a smartphone series named Nubia M2 Play back in 2017. So, this could a part of that lineup and the company may have decided to ditch the ‘M2’ branding. Or it could be a totally new smartphone lineup from the company and based on the naming, there’s a possibility that it’s a budget gaming device.
Apple recently launched its much-awaited budget iPhone in the form of a new iPhone SE. It features a design of iPhone 8 but has the powerful A13 Bionic chipset that is powering the iPhone 11 series devices.
The new Apple iPhone SE that will be sold in China has one major difference compared to the variant available in the United States or even Hong Kong. The difference is the lack of eSIM support in the Chinese version.
While the new iPhone SE comes with support for two SIMs nano SIM + eSIM, the Chinese version lists only nano SIM support on the company’s official website.
The Apple iPhone SE 2020 features a 4.7-inch Retina HD display and comes with support for Dolby Vision and HDR10 playback and also has Haptic Touch for Quick Actions that previews messages, rearranging apps, and more.
However, the highlight of the device is the same Apple A13 Bionic powering the phone, which is also inside the iPhone 11 series, and is touted to be the fastest mobile processor in the world. The phone comes in three models based on the storage capacity — 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB.
As for the camera department, the rear camera is a 12MP f/1.8 camera sensor which Apple says is the best single-camera system ever in an iPhone. With A13’s ISP and Neural Engine, the new iPhone SE can take portrait mode images with six different portrait lighting effects. The phone can also record 4K videos at 60fps.
On the front side, the device comes equipped with a 7MP snapper. While the company has not revealed the battery capacity, it has said that the phone comes with support for 18W fast charing as well as wireless charging. It adds that the 18W charger can charge the smartphone from empty to 50 percent in about half an hour.
TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) has bestowed the Huawei P40 series with the ‘Best Photo Smartphone’ award. It is worth noting that TIPA World Awards are based on innovation and is not judged by the performance of the product.
The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) is a body consisting of print and media publications associated with the photo/imaging field. It gives away awards annually to the most innovative products under different categories such as cameras, lenses, accessories, services, and tech & design.
The association recently published the winners of the 2020 edition of its Word Awards. In which, the Huawei P40 series as a whole has won the Best Photo Smartphone award. Surprisingly, the P series lineup has been winning this award since the TIPA World Awards was first introduced in 2017.
The first smartphone to win this award was Huawei P10 / P10 Plus in 2017, followed by P20 Pro and P30 Pro in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Since the award is honored based on innovation, we can understand why Huawei P series has been winning it for years.
For instance, this year’s one of the three winners, the Huawei P40 Pro Plus features the largest-ever smartphone camera sensor, a 50MP RYYB sensor of 1/1.28-inch size with omnidirectional phase detection autofocus. This primary camera is further paired with a 40MP f/1.8 ultra-wide cine lens, an 8MP f/2.4 telescope camera with OIS and up to 10x optical zoom, another 8MP f.2.4 telescope camera with OIS but up to 3x optical zoom, and a TOF depth sensor.
Apple has finally launched the highly anticipated iPhone SE 2020 smartphone. The handset has arrived with an enticing start price of $399. The first-generation iPhone SE from 2016 that came with a 4-inch display had carried the same price tag. The second-generation borrows comes with a larger 4.7-inch display and the latest Apple A13 Bionic chipset. It borrows its design from the iPhone 8 from 2017. The iPhone SE 2020 has been introduced as a successor to the iPhone 8. The Cupertino company has discontinued the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus after the introduction of the iPhone SE 2020.
A visit to the Apple.com reveals that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are no longer listed. While the iPhone 8 is now discontinued, the iPhone 8 Plus will be available through select retailers in different regions. So, the iPhone lineup of the company includes four smartphones such as iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone SE 2020.
The iPhone SE 2020 comes in 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB storage choices. They are priced at $399, $449 and $549. The smartphone can be bought in colors like black, white and red. On April 17, the first batch of 40 plus markets will carry out the pre-orders of the iPhone SE. Its shipments will begin on April 24. Some of the markets that are included in the first batch are the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Russia, the UAW, Hong Kong, China and India.
The iPhone SE 2020 has a 4.7-inch IPS LCD Retina HD display. The capacitive home button on the chin of the device is integrated with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. The Apple A13 fuels the device. It carries support for 18W fast charging and wireless charging. It has a front camera of 7-megapixel and a rear shooter of 12-megapixel. Lastly, the iPhone SE 2020 comes with an IP67 certified chassis.
After floating around the rumor mill for quite some time, the OnePlus 8 series comprising the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro smartphones was launched in an online event hosted by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer on Apr. 14.
The company revealed the full specifications and announced the pricing and availability for the United States, U.K., and Europe. OnePlus posted a teaser for the India prices for the OnePlus 8 series smartphones.
Both the OnePlus 8 Pro, as well as the OnePlus 8 smartphones have gone up for pre-order through one of China’s most popular e-tailers, Giztop. So without wasting a lot of time, let’s dive straight into the details.
OnePlus 8 Pro
The OnePlus 8 Pro comes in two variants including 8GB RAM+128GB ROM and 12GB RAM+256GB ROM. Equipped with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage, this model will set you back $899, while the slightly larger variant that ships with 12GB of RAM and offers 256GB of onboard storage is up for grabs for $999.
Both variants are available in three color options including black, green, and blue. You can visit this link to place your pre-order, but note that the estimated delivery of the phone is set for the end of April. The OnePlus 8 Pro offers the following features:
Just like its Pro sibling, the OnePlus 8 is up for pre-order in two variants including one that comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB native storage, and the other that offers 12GB of RAM, coupled with a hefty 256GB of internal storage space. While the 8GB RAM model retails for $699, the slightly 12GB RAM alternative carries a $799 price tag.
Both variants are available in black, green and Interstellar Glow color options. You can visit this link to place your pre-order, and the estimated delivery is set for the end of this month. Here are some of the top-end features the OnePlus 8 offers:
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Motorola Edge and Edge+ smartphones are scheduled to go official on April 22. The Edge+ will be the company’s first flagship phone after the Moto Z2 Force from 2017. The Edge will be an upper mid-range phone. Both smartphones are expected to arrive with support for 5G connectivity. Ahead of the launch event, Pricebaba has published a report that carries a live shot of the Motorola Edge smartphone.
The live shot showcases the rear design of the Motorola Edge smartphone. The rear shell of the device seems to be made out glass. A vertical camera module housing three cameras and a laser autofocus unit can be seen at the top-left corner of the Edge’s back. An LED flash can be seen besides the first sensor. The logo of the company is also available on the backside of the device. The more advanced Motorola Edge+ is also expected to sport an identical rear design like the vanilla model.
Along side the camera setup is an inscription reveals the camera configurations of the Motorola Edge. The setup includes a primary sensor of 64-megapixel, an ultrawide sensor of 16-megapixel and a telephoto lens of 8-megapixel.
Past reports have revealed that the Motorola Edge has a 6.67-inch punch-hole display with extremely curved edges. The full HD+ OLED display supports 90Hz refresh rate and is integrated with a fingerprint reader. The handset has a 25-megapixel selfie camera.
The Snapdragon 765 chipset powers the Motorola Edge with 6 GB of RAM. The handset houses a 4,500mAh battery that is coupled fast charging technology. Its other rumored features are dual speakers, NFC, 3.5mm audio jack and USB-C. There is no information available on its pricing.
A Chinese tipster had revealed at the beginning of this month that the Huawei Nova 7 series of smartphones will debut on April 23. However, Huawei remained mum on the arrival of the Nova 7 lineup. Today, the confirmed released a post on Weibo to confirm that it will be announcing the Nova 7 phones on April 23.
The poster released by the company which confirms the Huawei Nova 7 launch date showcases the vertical camera setup placed at the upper-left corner of its rear. The setup can include as many as four cameras along with an LED flash. The company did not reveal any information on the specs of the Nova 7 models.
Rumors surrounding the Huawei Nova 7 series have revealed that it comprises of three 5G-ready devices such as Nova 7 SE, Nova 7 and Nova 7 Pro. It is speculated that three phones could be powered by Kirin 820 5G, Kirin 985 5G and Kirin 990 5G. They are expected to be priced between 2,000 Yuan (~$282) and 4,000 Yuan (~$565) in the home market.
A leaked poster of Huawei Nova 7 series that is now being circulated on Weibo has revealed the key specs and design of the Nova 7 smartphone. It revealed that the smartphone draws power from the new Kirin 985 chipset. After the Honor 30 phone that was unveiled yesterday, the Nova 7 will be the second phone to arrive with the new 7nm chipset that clocks at 2.58GHz.
The Nova 7 sports a curved display with a dual punch-hole at the upper-left corner that will most likely accommodate two front-facing cameras. The rear-facing quad camera system of the Nova 7 includes a periscope zoom lens that supports up to 50x digital zoom. The handset can be seen in three colors like red, purple and gradient white. It is expected to arrive with 40W fast charging support.
The mainstream Chinese manufacturers OnePlus, Oppo and Xiaomi stopped focusing on affordable smartphones only and started releasing top-tier flagships which have nothing to envy to the most expensive devices released by Samsung, Huawei, and Apple. This is a specs comparison between the most advanced top-tier flagships from those manufacturers: OnePlus 8 Pro, Oppo Find X2 Pro, and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro. Their prices are higher than ever: is the value of these handsets high as well? Are they worth the money asked? Let’s discover it together through an in-depth comparison.
OnePlus 8 Pro vs Oppo Find X2 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
OnePlus 8 Pro
Oppo Find X2 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
165.3 x 74.4 x 8.5 mm, 199 g
165.2 x 74.4 x 8.8 mm, 200/208 g
162.6 x 74.8 x 9 mm, 208 g
DISPLAY
6.78 inches, 1440 x 3168p (Quad HD+), Fluid AMOLED
6.7 inches, 1440 x 3168p (Quad HD+), AMOLED
6.67 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
With OnePlus 8 Pro, Oppo Find X2 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro nothing was left to the case, including the design. All of them are very elegant and futuristic devices with premium materials, high screen-to-body ratio, and a punch-hole design. The winner is Oppo Find X2 Pro because it offers unique materials. It is available in two versions: one with a ceramic back and one made of vegan leather. OnePlus 8 and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro come with a glass back and an aluminum frame like most of the flagships out there. OnePlus 8 Pro and Oppo Find X2 Pro are waterproof with the IP68 certification, while Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro does not offer any kind of certification against water.
Display
OnePlus 8 Pro and Oppo Find X2 Pro have superior displays to Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro and most of the smartphones in the market. Both come with a 10 bit panel sporting a Quad HD+ resolution, the AMOLED technology, and a 120 Hz refresh rate. They are HDR-compliant too. On the paper, we are talking about very similar displays and it is currently hard to tell which one is the best. OnePlus 8 Pro has a slightly bigger panel with its 6.78-inch diagonal. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro has a lower 90 Hz refresh rate and even a lower Full HD+ resolution, so it can not compete with its rivals.
Hardware/Software
With Oppo Find X2 Pro, OnePlus 8 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro you get the same processor (Snapdragon 855 with 5G connectivity thanks to the Snapdragon X55 modem) and the same amount of RAM: up to 12 GB, as well as Android 10 out of the box, but customized by different user interfaces. In each case, there is LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.0 internal storage, but only with Oppo Find X2 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro you can get up to 512 GB of storage, while OnePlus 8 Pro stops at 256 GB.
Camera
A lot of people still would not expect it from Chinese smartphones, but Oppo Find X2 Pro, OnePlus 8 Pro, and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro are top camera phones. And they are more or less at the same level in terms of photo quality. We still did not test each of these devices, but Oppo Find X2 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro look superior to the OnePlus 8 Pro. They have better zoom capabilities (Oppo Find X2 Pro has the best sensor with optical zoom) and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro can even record 8K videos.
Battery
OnePlus 8 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro are equipped with bigger batteries than Oppo Find X2 Pro and, unlike the Find X2 Pro, they support wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. Oppo Find X2 Pro lacks wireless charging, but it has the fastest wired charging technology and still a great battery life. According to the company, the Find X2 Pro charges from 0 to 100 percent in just 38 minutes.
Price
Oppo Find X2 Pro (12/256 GB) has a global listing price of €1200/$1308, Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro (8/256 GB) starts at €999/$1090, and OnePlus 8 Pro (8/128 GB) has a starting price of €919/$1002. Given the inferior display and the absence of certified protection against dust and water, I would not go for the Xiaomi Mi 10. My favorite one is the Oppo Find X2 Pro due to its materials and very fast charging technology, as well as its amazing rear cameras. But some may prefer the OnePlus 8 Pro because it offers a bigger battery and wireless charging while still providing an amazing display quality and a waterproof body.
Blackview’s popular rugged smartphone Blackview BV9600 recently received a better and upgraded version – Blackview BV9600E. The new smartphone packs a few new changes upon the BV9600’s tough design and powerful hardware. Apart from all the updates, the ongoing discount of 20% on the newer version is another reason to grab the device.
Before detailing the new discount offer, let’s take a look at the specifications of Blackview BV9600E. It is a true rugged smartphone and engrosses most of the hardware specifications from its predecessor. The smartphone features IP68, IP69K and MIL-STD-810G ratings offering dust, drop and water protection. Moreover, the device can sustain for half an hour under the 1.5m depth. It is designed to work under extreme weather conditions or temperatures.
It comes powered with MediaTek Helio P70 processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The Blackview BV9600E sports a 6.21-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution of 2248 x 1080 pixels having an aspect ratio of 19:9. There’s a 5580 mAh battery that can sustain for a few days and can be very useful while on outings where there’s no power supply.
Blackview BV9600E also houses a Samsung 16-megapixel dual rear camera setup for high-quality and detail-oriented pictures. There’s an 8-megapixel selfie camera on the front side. The smartphone also features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, multifunctional NFC with Google Pay integration.
It usually retails for the price of $249.99, but due to the ongoing sale, its price has dropped to $199 on AliExpress store and Blackview’s official store. The interested users can grab the device at such a discounted price from April 13 to April 22, 2020. To know more about the device, head over to their official website.
The iPhone SE was announced in 2016. It had a 4.0-inch display, an A9 chipset, and of course a front-mounted fingerprint scanner buried under the home button. Four years later, Apple has announced a new model, still called the iPhone SE by the way, but with a bigger display and the same A13 Bionic chipset inside the iPhone 11 series.
iPhone SE 2020 Design
With respect to design, the new iPhone SE or iPhone SE 2020 to avoid confusion, can best be described as a mix of the 2016 iPhone SE and the iPhone XR or a 2020 edition of the iPhone 8. It keeps the huge bezels and a sapphire crystal-covered home button with Touch ID while the back is covered in glass and adorned with a single camera. Apple has announced the phone in three colors – Black, White, and (PRODUCT)RED.
iPhone SE 2020 specifications
The iPhone SE 2020 has a 4.7-inch Retina HD display. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 playback and also has Haptic Touch for Quick Actions (previewing messages, rearranging apps and more).
What is amazing about this phone is its processor. This is the same A13 Bionic inside the iPhone 11 which is the fastest mobile processor in the world. Trust Apple to not reveal the RAM. Nevertheless, the phone comes in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB versions.
The rear camera is a 12MP f/1.8 camera which Apple says is the best single-camera system ever in an iPhone. Thanks to the A13’s ISP and Neural Engine, the iPhone SE 2020 can take portrait mode images with six different portrait lighting effects. It can also take portrait photos with the 7MP selfie camera. The phone can also record 4K videos at 60fps.
The iPhone SE 2020’s battery capacity wasn’t revealed but it supports 18W fast charging (ships with a 5W charger though) and also supports wireless charging. With an 18W charger, you can charge it from empty to 50% in about half an hour.
Other features include Wi-Fi 6, Dual SIM (1 nano +eSIM) and an IP67 water and dust resistance rating.
iPhone SE 2020 price and availability
The iPhone SE 2020 starts at $399 for the base model, goes up to $449 for the 128GB version, and $549 for the 256GB version. It will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, April 17 before going on sale on April 24. Apple has included a free one-year subscription for Apple TV+. They will also send a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the (PRODUCT) RED version to the Global Fund created for COVID-19.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently released data for patent filings in 2019 which shows that Huawei was the top patent filer in the corporate category. Huawei has also at different times bragged about its huge R&D investment. The Chinese tech giant has once again filed a new patent for extendable smartphone design. The patent was filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and was discovered in WIPO’s global design database.
The sketches which have been rendered by LetsGoDigital shows the phone will adopt a foldable panel just like the Mate X and Mate Xs. However, instead of an in-folding design, the new patented model has a pull-out display design.
Huawei exhibited two different design styles which are described and illustrated by several images. The first model (Model A) has a significantly smaller pull-out display than the Model B. It features a bezel-less design and the flexible screen can be extended from the right side to the rear with a simple swipe of the finger. There is a vertical trim at the back which houses a triple camera setup. There is no indication of a front camera. You may have to just turn the phone over to take self-portraits with the main camera. The extension increases the display area by 30% on the model A.
For the second model, Huawei implements a different type of sliding system. This change sees the triple camera setup located on the left rear side instead of the right side. The flexible display also extends from the left. The extended part will be a lot thinner on the right side considering that the left side houses the rear sensors. With this design, the display area may be increased up to 50% on the second design. However, in terms of practicality, the first design looks better.
We must point out that this isn’t the first of such extendable design that has been patented. Samsung, LG, Xiaomi and even TCL have at different times filed patents for retractable phone design. TCL even showcased a prototype of the first extendable smartphone in the world. Just like foldable design, smartphones with sliding flexible displays may meet with us in the next few years.
The OnePlus 8 series launched globally yesterday. The launch event, which was done online, saw the manufacturer announce the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z. However, one device that was missing from the lineup is the much-anticipated OnePlus Z a.k.a. OnePlus 8 Lite. A teaser by OnePlus China on Weibo hints at the phone launching tomorrow.
The teaser is an image of a white box with a question mark on top and a caption that roughly translates to “If there will be a “mysterious new product“ at the launch event tomorrow, what do you think it will be?”.
The box is clearly a retail package for a phone and it is quite smaller than the retail box for the new OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. We believe it is the retail box for the OnePlus Z/OnePlus 8 Lite.
It makes sense that OnePlus is launching this phone in China (first) rather than globally. The phone is expected to come with a MediaTek Dimensity 1000 processor, and unlike the rest of the world, Chinese phone buyers are more receptive to phones powered by MediaTek processors.
The OnePlus Z is rumored to have a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a centered punch-hole. It has also been reported to have 48MP triple rear cameras, a 4000mAh battery capacity, and support for 30W Warp Charge.
Do you think the mysterious product is the OnePlus Z?
Motorola announced the Motorola Razr (2019) foldable phone in India on March 16 and the clamshell model was billed to go on sale on April 2. The release was later shifted to April 15 (today) due to the COVID 19 lockdown instituted by the Indian government. Sadly, the Motorola Razr (2019) won’t be released today as the company has once again shifted the release date to May 6.
India is still in lockdown until May 3 after the recent extension and that is what prompted the shift, a statement released by the company revealed. Clutching a retail price of Rs. 124,999 (around $1632), we doubt if there are very many persons who would be disappointed by the announcement.
Motorola first unveiled the Razr (2019) last year as a re-imagined version of the classic Motorola Razr of yore. The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 710 midrange chipset but what makes it tickle is the foldable OELD screen which it packs. The device features a 6.2-inch pOLED display with a 21:9 aspect ratio and resolution of 2142 x 876 pixels. There is also a secondary 2.7-inch cover screen upfront with 800 x 600 pixels resolution. The foldable phone comes in a sole 6GB RAM and 128GB storage option.
DJI, the world’s popular drone maker has scheduled an event for April 27 to unveil a new product. According to the teaser and release timeline, the upcoming release could be DJI Mavic Air 2, the successor to the original launched back in early 2018.
The DJI Mavic Air was the world’s first pocket-sized portable drone to be able to capture 4K videos. It was and still well-received for its compactibility by the users as well as media. Hence, a successor with improvements was never out of a question for the company.
Also, the image leak and FCC listing from a few weeks back suggest the DJI Mavic Air 2 to debut soon. In addition to those, the new teaser video posted by DJI’s official Twitter account also implies the same.
The drone in the teaser video resembles the original DJI Mavic Pro with rounded shape unlike any other recent drones from the company. We also get to see new green-coloured lights in a diamond pattern for battery indication. For comparison, the other drones from the company come with linearly aligned LED indicators.
According to leaks, the DJI Mavic Air 2 will have a 3,500 mAh battery, which is much better than its predecessor’s 2,375 mAh unit. In fact, battery life was one of the problems in the first version. Thankfully, the company will be fixing it in the second iteration slated to launch on April 27.
The Nokia 8 Sirocco flagship phone was a follow-up to the Nokia 8, arriving six months later with generally better specs overall. Today, the phone has begun receiving its last major OS upgrade in the form of Android 10.
HMD Global has begun rolling out the Android 10 update to the 2018 flagship that ran Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box when it launched. The update is 1.38GB in size and also comes with April 2020’s security patch. Below is the full changelog:
Dark Mode – Take it easy on your eyes
Smart reply – Save more time with recommended actions
Gesture Navigation – Get around with a swipe and a pull
Of course, the update will take time to reach everyone, so if you have not gotten it yet, you will have to wait a few days. HMD Global says it expects all countries in the first wave to have received it by April 20.
The Nokia 8 Sirocco is still up for 1 more year of security updates before it reaches its end of life.
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