Realme X50 5G smartphone has already been launched in China and now the company seems to be gearing up to launch a watered-down variant of the same device in its home market, dubbed as Realme X50 Youth Edition.
When launched, the X50 Youth Edition or the X50 Lite will be the third smartphone in the lineup after the launch of Realme X50 and X50 Pro. The upcoming Realme X50 Youth Edition has now been spotted on 3C certification website.
The listing shows that the device will come with model number RMX2052 and confirms that the smartphone will come with 5G connectivity support as well as 30W fast charging support. However, nothing much has been revealed about the phone through this listing.
Earlier, it was leaked that the smartphone will come with a 6.55-inch LCD Full HD+ display offering the regular 60Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the device could come powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
As for the camera department, rumors suggest that the Realme X50 Youth Edition could be equipped with a quad-camera setup on the back consisting of a 16-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor, a 2-megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel portrait sensor. On the front side, it will be featuring a 32-megapixel snapper.
We are expecting the smartphone to run the latest Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box with ColorOS 7.1 or Realme UI on top. The device is also tipped to pack 5,000mAh battery with 30W VOOC 4.0 fast charging support.
Since the X50 Youth Edition has already passed through certification process, we expect the device to get launched pretty soon. The company could make some kind of announcement regarding this phone or start teasing in the coming days or weeks.
Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765 SoCs in December 2019 at the company’s annual conference called Snapdragon Tech Summit. Now, as they are available on a variety of devices, the San Diego-based company has begun to share the source code of these mobile platforms on the Code Aurora Forum (CAF).
The Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765 are the mainstream chipsets from Qualcomm for the year 2020. These chipsets are capable of offering 5G connectivity to smartphones at the higher-end as well as those in the mid-tier. Just within a quarter, consumers now have various devices that are powered by the above-mentioned chips.
Apart from sharing modified kernels, AOSP framework, and other software tools to its partners (OEMs) as part of Board Support Package (BSP), Qualcomm also distributes certain source code for the community on its Code Aurora Forum (CAF).
Qualcomm publishes CAF releases for all of its chipsets publicly and updates them from time to time. These source code releases contain SoC-specific kernel changes and the AOSP framework for better optimization. Thus, custom ROM developers and users prefer CAF-based ROMs as they are theoretically better optimized and stable compared to AOSP-based ROMs
Now, as CAF sources are out for Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765, we can expect developers to build custom ROMs based on them in the coming days.
A couple of day back, Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus officially launched its latest OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro flagship smartphones. Yesterday, the both the devices were officially unveiled in the company’s home market.
Now, the company has officially released the advertisement of the OnePlus 8 Pro starring its brand ambassador Robert Downey Jr. Just to remind you, Robert Downey Jr. also did an ad for the last-generation flagships — OnePlus 7 Pro as well as OnePlus 7T.
The advertisement for the OnePlus 8 Pro shows off the new features that the company is offering — wireless charging, 5G connectivity support, water and dust resistance. It also highlights the new color options — Green.
The OnePlus 8 Pro features a 6.78-inch Fluid AMOLED display from Samsung, offering 3168 x 1440 pixels screen resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate and HDR10+ support.
Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor along with X55 model for the new-age 5G connectivity support. The device comes with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 internal storage.
As for the camera department, the company has introduced two high-resolution cameras on the Pro variant, one of which is the new IMX689 48MP Sony sensor while second 48MP lens is the IMX586 for ultra-wide-angle shots. It also comes with an 8MP telephoto sensor and a 5MP special color filter sensor.
On the front side, the device features a 16MP selfie punch-hole shooter with f/2.4 apertures respectively. The smartphone runs the latest Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box with the OxygenOS on top.
The device is powered by a 4,510mAh battery with 30W fast charging and 30W Warp Charge 30 Wireless. The company says that it can go from 3 percent to 55 percent in just 30 minutes of wireless charging.
Xiaomi has today officially launched a new product — Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P, making it yet another product in the company’s growing ecosystem of smart home products in the Indian market.
Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P, as the name indicates, is a 2-in-1 robovac that can vacuum and mop separately or at the same time. This is the same product that was launched in China last year in August. It is one of the few robovacs in the market which can both vacuum and mop at the same time.
The device, which is manufactured by Xiaomi in partnership with Viomi, comes with 12 different sensors for its smart functioning, including the LDS (laser distance sensor) & IF sensor. The rest of the sensors aid the device with extra functionality like preventing the vacuum falling down the stairs, collide against walls/obstacles/furniture, finding its way back to the dock, stopping when stuck, etc.
The robot vacuum from Xiaomi comes with a Japanese brushless motor that has adjustable air duct design and offers 2100Pa suction.Just like other smart home products from Xiaomi, users can also schedule this one for cleaning of specific rooms at a specified time using the Mi Home app.
As for the battery capacity, it is powered by a 3,200mAh battery and offers from 60 to 130 minutes of cleaning time, which can clean a room of around 180-square-meter. On low battery power, the device will automatically go back to the charging dock to recharge.
Xiaomi is launching the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P for a price tag of ₹17,999 in India, which roughly converts to $235. The crowdfunding campaign is now live in India for 30 days with a target of selling 10,000 units. If it’s successful, the company will start shipping the product from 15th September this year.
The iQOO Neo3 smartphone is scheduled to go official on April 23. The handset is currently up for reservations in China. Leaked screenshots and the AnTuTu listing of the phone that have surfaced in the recent days have revealed plenty of vital information of the iQOO Neo3. Today, the president of the iQOO brand Feng Yufei shared a new poster through the rear design of the Neo3 has been revealed. Also, the smartphone has received 3C certification in China.
The rear render of the iQOO Neo3 shows that its back panel could be made out of glass. There is a rectangle-shaped camera module at the top-left corner. It houses an LED flash and AI powered triple cameras. One of the lenses in the setup is an ultrawide shooter. Rumors are rife that is equipped with a 48-megapixel primary shooter.
The right edge of the device has a volume rocker which is followed by a side-facing fingerprint scanner. Apart from the black/purple color variant shown in the image, the handset is also expected to arrive in orange color.
Coming to the 3C certification of the iQOO Neo3 5G that has a model number of V1981A, it reveals that it may ship with a charger that can support for 44W rapid charger. The 3C listing has no other information on its specifications. The handset is speculated to arrive with a 4,500mAh battery.
Past repots have revealed that the iQOO Neo3 has a full HD+ resolution supporting IPS LCD panel with punch-hole design. It supports up to 144Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 865 mobile platform and it has UFS 3.1 storage. The phone is expected to arrive in China in at least two models such as 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. The handset is expected to rival with Redmi K30 Pro in China with an enticing starting price of 2,998 Yuan (~$423).
Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite as a lighter version for its Snapdragon 855 chipset powered Galaxy Tab S6 flagship tablet. Rival brand Huawei has now unveiled a new tablet called Huawei MatePad 10.4. It is lower version of the MatePad Pro 5G tablet that is driven by the Kirin 990 5G chipset. The MatePad 10.4 comes with an impressive large-sized display and it is fueled by the Kirin 810 chipset. The pre-orders for the new tablet from Huawei have started on Vmall.
Huawei MatePad 10.4 specifications
Based on previous reports, it can be said that the Huawei MatePad 10.4 is equipped with an IPS LCD panel that produces 1200 x 200 pixels resolution. The Kirin 810 chipset is present under the hood of the device. The tablet comes with up to 6 GB of RAM and built-in storage of up to 128 GB.
The Huawei MatePad 10.4 draws power from a 7,250mAh capacity battery and weighs 450 grams. The device is fitted with four speakers. Its front and rear sides are flanked with 8-megapixel cameras. It carries support for Bluetooth keyboard and M Pens stylus. The MatePad 10.4 comes preinstalled with EMUI 10.1 based Android 10 OS.
The MatePad 10.4 is now up for pre-orders in China with a nominal deposit amount of 100 Yuan (~$14). The Chinese firm will be launching it on April 23 and its first sale will be carried out on April 26.
The tablet will be available in Wi-Fi only editions such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. There is a 4G edition that comes with 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. The pricing of the MatePad 10.4 variants are currently under the wraps. It will be available in a single color of Fritillary White.
A mystery Redmi phone with model number M2003J15SC has appeared on TENAA. The TENAA listing of the phone currently carries minimum details such as dimensions, screen size and battery capacity. At the same time, a reliable tipster from China took to Weibo to share additional details of the same smartphone.
The TENAA appearance of the Redmi M2003J15SC 4G smartphone has revealed that its dimensions are 162.3 x 77.2 x 8.9mm. It is fitted with a 6.53-inch display and it houses a minimum rated battery of 4,920mAh capacity. The images of the smartphone are not yet available on TENAA.
Information leaked by the Chinese tipster reveals that the Redmi M2003J15SC has a 6.53-inch display which produces full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. The typical size of its battery is 5,000mAh capacity and it weighs 189 grams. The 3C appearance of the M2003J15SC smartphone had revealed that it may ship with a charger that supports up to 22.5W fast charging.
The Redmi M2003J15SC is fueled by 2.0GHz octa-core processor. The tipster has speculated that it could be featuring the Helio G80 chipset by MediaTek. He did not share any details on the RAM and storage capacities of the Redmi M2003J15SC smartphone.
For capturing selfies, the Redmi M2003J15SC possesses a front camera of 13-megapixel. It is unclear whether the phone is equipped with a dual or triple or quadruple camera setup on its back. What’s known is that the setup includes a primary shooter of 48-megapixel. There is no word on the pricing of the Redmi M2003J15SC smartphone.
Xiaomi had recently launched Redmi Note 9 series of smartphones in India. The new M2003J15SC phone does not belong to the Redmi Note 9 lineup. There is a possibility that it could be a Redmi 9 series device. It is recommended to wait for newer reports to appear to confirm on the identity of M2003J15SC.
The new affordable iPhone is finally official: it has the same design as the old iPhone 8, but it packs improved specifications in a very compact body. But if you need an affordable iPhone, the iPhone SE 2020 is not the only option out there among the last-generation Apple devices. There is another interesting option: the best-selling iPhone 11, which is the successor of the iPhone XR. It is more expensive than iPhone SE 2020, but it is currently available with very interesting street prices. Should you spend a bit more for the 11 or the iPhone SE 2020 is enough for all of your needs? This specs comparison will clear your ideas in regards.
Apple iPhone SE 2020 vs Apple iPhone 11
Apple iPhone SE 2020
Apple iPhone 11
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm,
148 grams
150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm,
194 grams
DISPLAY
4.7 inches, 750 x 1334p (Retina HD), Retina IPS LCD
Dual 12 + 12 MP f/1.8 + f/2.4
Dual 12 MP + SL 3D f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY
1821 mAh, fast charging 18W, wireless charging Qi
3110 mAh, Fast Charging 18W, wireless charging Qi
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
IP67 water resistant, eSIM
IP68 waterproof, eSIM
Design
iPhone SE 2020 is the most compact last-generation flagship in the whole mainstream smartphone market. But its design is outdated: as we mentioned above, the device has the same aesthetics as the iPhone 8 released back in 2017. There are thick bezels around the display and Touch ID came back, replacing Face ID. But the device is still made of premium materials, including a glass back and an aluminum frame. Further, it is a water resistant smartphone with the IP67 certification. The iPhone 11 has bigger dimensions, but its design is definitely more attractive. The reason is the presence of a borderless display with narrow bezels. iPhone 11 also comes with better protection against water: it has the IP68 certification (up to 2 meters deep for max 30 minutes).
Display
The size is the most important difference between the displays of iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 11. The iPhone SE 2020 has a display diagonal of just 4.7 inches, so it is not the most suitable device for advanced users and productivity. On the other hand, it is easier for one-handed use and it fits better in a pocket. If we talk about the quality of the display, besides having a wider 6.1-inch diagonal, iPhone 11 provides a more convincing image quality. It even comes with a more reactive touch thanks to a 120 Hz touch-sampling rate. But keep in mind that the differences between the image quality of these displays are not huge.
Specs & Software
Despite it is a way more affordable device than all the other last-generation iPhones, the iPhone SE 2020 has exactly the same chipset as the iPhone 11 lineup. This means that it is able to provide similar performances. The operating system is the same on both the devices (iOS 13 out of the box), and even the internal storage is the same: they both come in configurations with 64, 128 or 256 GB. There is only a single difference in the hardware department: iPhone 11 offers an additional gig of RAM. While iPhone SE 2020 has 3 GB of RAM, the iPhone 11 sports 4 GB of RAM for better multi tasking performances. But one single gig of RAM on iOS 13 is not a very noticeable difference in terms of overall performance.
Camera
On the rear side, the iPhone SE 2020 has just a single camera with a 12 MP resolution, but it is a great camera and it supports OIS. It is even able to calculate depth info by taking advantage of machine learning, without the need for a secondary depth sensor. The iPhone 11 adds a useful 12 MP ultrawide lens on the rear side, for a total of two cameras. And unlike the SE 2020 sporting a dual-LED flash, the 11 has a quad-LED flash. Besides a better rear camera department, the iPhone 11 also comes with a better front camera: a 12 MP sensor accompanied by an SL 3D sensor that enables Face ID.
iPhone 11 has a much bigger battery than iPhone SE 2020 (3110 mAh vs 1821 mAh) and it is able to provide a way longer battery life. The battery life of the iPhone 11 is very satisfying, it is not a battery phone but it can last more than one working day with most of the usage patterns. iPhone SE 2020 debuted yesterday, so we had no chance to test its battery life.
Price
iPhone 11 is priced $699 (€799 in Europe) in its base variant, while iPhone SE 2020 starts from just $399 (€499 in Europe). The iPhone 11 is a way better smartphone, but if you do not need above-average battery life, the most modern design, a wide display, and an ultrawide camera, there are no noticeable differences that justify the price difference between the two handsets. iPhone SE 2020 is a great alternative for the price, even though you can get better specifications with several Android phones in the same price range. But you would never get iOS nor that compact body.
Apple iPhone SE 2020 vs Apple iPhone 11: PRO and CONS
The Youpin crowdfunding platform has played host to yet another product from Xiaomi‘s ecological chain company Viomi. The Viomi Deodorizer and Sterilizer adopt a crowdfunding price of just 59 yuan (~$8).
The device is said to have the capability to actively release safe Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) sterilization gas. The vapour can effectively eliminate common bacteria in the refrigerator such as E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, etc. It is effective up to 99.999% against these microbes. Thus, it can help prolong the fresh storage cycle.
In case you don’t know what it is, Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is a safe disinfectant approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). The compound consists of one chlorine atom and two oxygen atoms. It is used for a variety of antimicrobial uses, including the disinfection of drinking water. It is a common material for food disinfection, sterilization in public environments, and preservation. It is safe for the elderly, children or pets at home.
Compared with disinfection liquid and disinfection powder, Viomi Deodorizer and Sterilizer has a wider range of uses. It can be placed in wardrobes, shoe cabinets, kitchen cabinets, refrigerators and other locations. It not only eliminates bacteria in the enclosed area but also eliminates musty and odour. It equally eliminates the various odours caused by the deterioration of ingredients, such as rotten eggs, rotten vegetables, fish odour, carrion, etc.
The machine adopts a stylish design and doesn’t require electricity. The product works with the Chlorine Oxide gel which brownish-yellow in colour and the gas is circulated via convection. However, as it is used, the gel changes colour to white over time. The white colour is an indication that the gel needs to be replaced. The lid can be closed when not in use in order to prolong the usage.
Xiaomi has launched the MIJIA Internet Dishwasher available in 4 sets and 8 sets models. The two models differ in size and prices with the four-set model retailing for 1,299 yuan (around $183) while the 8 set model has a price tag of 2,299 yuan (~$324).
The 8 sets Mijia Internet dishwasher is designed with 8 spray arms. It is equipped with a top spray structure which is unique to high-end models. The spray arms feature 28 outlet holes and 13 outlet angles. This design forms a 360-degree mesh waterway interlaced with each other, covering the dishes in the compartment from all directions.
The bigger model equally has a large liner of 500 (width) × 450 (deep) × 450 (height) mm, and can hold about 64 pieces of tableware. Each dish can be put into the dishwasher for pre-washing. At the end of the day, all the dishes used can then be washed at once. Thus, you only need to wash the dishes once a day, saving time, water and electricity.
Unlike the button panel design of traditional dishwashers, it uses a very simple OLED knob, which can easily control 9 washing modes, one turn and one press, and convenient operation. In the energy-saving washing mode, the single washing water consumption is as low as 9.3L, and the power consumption is as low as 0.75kW / h.
The second version is a portable, countertop dishwasher specially designed with washing and disinfection functions for maternal and child use scenarios. It comes with 6 kinds of refined washing modes, supports high-temperature sterilization at 75 ℃, with sterilization rate as high as 99.99%. It is equipped with a fan blower which dries the tableware, reducing the growth of bacteria.
The Mijia Internet Dishwasher 4 sets can be installed quickly and independently, no need to plan for where the dishwasher will be kept in the kitchen or water inlet in advance. It is equipped with a patented three-way valve, equipped with a variety of adapters of different sizes and shapes, and adapts to a variety of faucets. It can be installed directly on the tap in the home without affecting the use of daily tap water. The portable dishwasher can take 32 pieces of tableware at a time. It adopts top spray + down spray double-layer spray arm design. The 16 flushing ports spray at the same time and rotate alternately. There is no dead angle as it flushes from up, down, left and right, as well as front and back directions. With strong water pressure of 11000Pa, tableware cleaning is more thorough. It also supports voice control via the MIJIA app.
As for the availability, both models are available on Jingdong (JD.com).
Hisense TV today held a product launch conference in China where it released several smart TV models under four different series. The Chinese company unveiled a new L series of laser TVs, U series of super-quality TVs, models under the X series were also announced. The A series said to be made of AI TVs were also unveiled. In total Hisense unveiled over 30 products under the four different series, including more than 10 large-screen TVs above 75 inches.
Among the products, the Hisense A7F smart TV was unveiled as China’s first TV to support the new Wi-Fi 6 wireless network connectivity. The speed is said to be 2.7 times that of the previous generation Wi-Fi 5. This will no doubt deliver seamless video and audio streaming without any disruption or drop n sound quality.
In addition, the new Hisense A7F smart TV is equipped with a star-level camera that supports high-bandwidth six-channel video, AI fitness personal education, AR HD magic mirror and other functions.
The new X series equally comes with AI technology and comes with features such as multi-channel video calling, cloud fitness, and cloud karaoke, an industry first for the Hisense TV. The smart TV also features Tencent START cloud game service. Tencent Games and NVIDIA in December 2019 announced a collaboration to bring PC gaming in the cloud to China. NVIDIA’s GPU technology will power Tencent Games’ START cloud gaming service, which began testing earlier this year. START gives gamers access to AAA games on underpowered devices anytime, anywhere. The service currently supports popular games such as NBA2K Online 2, FIFA Online 4.
Eleven smart TV models were unveiled under the U series, all equipped with Hisense’s unique image quality chip and AI image quality adjustment technology. Among them, the flagship U9 of 75-inch and 85-inch features 8K HDR super-quality images.
The U8 series mainly features a zero-frame full-screen design with a screen ratio close to 99% and 4K HDR. It also features the self-developed Xinxin H3 image quality chips.
The U7 series is tailor-made for sports and gaming enthusiasts, equipped with 100-level zone light control technology, supports 4K HDR, 120Hz high refresh rate, and HDMI 2.1 interface. It also supports 4K 120Hz signal input, VRR professional game mode.
The largest smart TV is the 88-inch full-screen Hisense laser TV which pioneers the cellular bionic screen sound technology. The technology is said to be equivalent to collecting 100,000-level sound units in the 88-inch screen space, allowing the TV to display a stereo sound field without speakers.
The pricing and availability of the models are yet to be disclosed as at the time of reporting.
The OnePlus 8 series launched in China today. The Chinese company already announced the phones globally on Tuesday, April 14 before announcing them today in its home country. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a surprise product which we thought will be the OnePlus Z/OnePlus 8 Lite.
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The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are different from their foreign variants in terms of software and pricing.
It is known that the Chinese version of OnePlus phones runs HydrogenOS and that remains unchanged on the new variants. One of the new features you get is the OnePlus Car Voice Assistant that allows you to totally control the phone with just your voice, so you can focus on driving and be safe.
There is also no Google One or support for Stadia but OnePlus has partnered with Youku and Tencent for exclusive content that makes use of the 120Hz display.
OnePlus 8 Series Pricing and Availability
The OnePlus 8 will sell for ¥3999 (~$565) for the 8+128GB version and ¥4599 (~$650) for the 12+256GB version. The OnePlus 8 Pro will sell for ¥5399 (~$763) for the 8+128GB version while the 12+256GB version will go for ¥5999 (~$848).
The phones will go on sale tomorrow at 10 AM.
Accessories
OnePlus also announced the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z earphones in China. It will sell for ¥249 (~$35).
The OnePlus Warp Charge 30 Wireless Charger for the OnePlus 8 Pro is priced at ¥299 (~$42) which is about $28 less than what it sells for in the US.
The Limited Edition André cases are priced at ¥149 (~$21) per case while the new Sandstone cases are priced at ¥99 (~$14).
With 5G technology, autonomous vehicles are fast becoming a reality and Chinese firms are at the forefront. Two of China’s leading self-driving car firms Didi Chuxing and AutoX are reportedly set to launch their own autonomous ride-hailing pilot projects. According to a TecNode report, two sources familiar with the matter hinted that the pilot projects will commence in late May in the outskirts of Shanghai.
The projects run separately even though both firms were reported to have commenced their partnerships with the Shanghai government around the same time.
The race to be among the first to launch commercial autonomous ride-hailing cabs have been raging in China with Pony.ai and Baidu at the forefront. AutoX and Didi are aiming to become among the first to get the nod to commercialize its Robotaxi operations.
When contacted to confirm the news, a company representative told TechNode that Didi was actively testing robo-taxi in Shanghai and hopes to launch the pilot service as soon as possible.
On the other hand, AutoX announced Friday, the opening of what it claimed is Asia’s largest robotaxi operations centre in Shanghai. The centre sits in an area spanning 750 square meters and located in the northwestern Jiading district. The operation is expected to collect and process “petabytes” of driving data from road testing in Shanghai each week. In addition, the operation will also be deployed for performance training simulations in a virtual traffic environment. It will also house facilities to test hardware in climate conditions such as high-pressure water and high temperature.
AutoX claims that users “will soon be able to hail a ride” in its autonomous vehicles but the app is yet to be unveiled.
India initially announced a lockdown for 21 days from 25th March to 14th April to minimize the outbreak of coronavirus in the country. But on the last day of the lockdown, the Prime Minister announced the extension till May 3. However, several businesses were given relaxation to start operating after April 20 abiding safety rules. Amid this, smartphone makers like Xiaomi, Realme, and Vivo have started talks with their e-commerce partners to begin the sales in the country.
This is the second time Xiaomi and Realme have come forward to begin sales during the lockdown. Late last month they urged the government to classify smartphones as ‘essential commodity’. Because the government has only allowed e-commerce and retailers to sell only essential goods like groceries, health products, and such.
However, now as the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced an unclear relaxation of trades after April 20, Xiaomi, Realme, and Vivo have started discussions to begin sales of smartphones with their strategic online partners.
Realme’s CEO Madhav Sheth has already confirmed his brand will start selling smartphones and audio accessories from April 20 through Flipkart and Realme online store. Whereas, Xiaomi and Vivo are on the verge of finalizing their decision.
In addition to companies, executives from research firms like IDC and Counterpoint Research also agree with the idea of start selling smartphones online as they are essential and the companies could start making up the losses they incurred over the past few weeks. This could further help in increasing the demand from late May and June to the following quarters.
Last month, we wrote an explainer on the latest Wi-Fi standard called Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 AX). Just like Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 operates on two frequencies – 2.4GHz and 5GHz. However, some Wi-Fi 6 devices will be able to operate on a third spectrum (frequency) and will go by a different name.
image source: Android Authority
Wi-Fi 6 + 6GHz = Wi-Fi 6E
In January of this year, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced that Wi-Fi 6 devices that can operate on the third spectrum which is 6GHz will be called Wi-Fi 6E devices to distinguish them from those that can only operate on 2.4GHz and 5GHz.
What are the advantages of the 6GHz spectrum?
With Wi-Fi 6 operating on the same frequency as older Wi-Fi standards such as Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5, there is bound to be interference. However, with support for 6GHz which has wider channel sizes, there will be less interference and faster speeds.
The capacity of 6GHz is enormous and will be efficiently used by Wi-Fi 6 and newer versions of Wi-Fi – Wi-Fi Alliance
Image Source: Qualcomm
The press release by the Wi-Fi Alliance earlier this year said the 6GHz spectrum solves the Wi-Fi spectrum shortage problem by providing contiguous spectrum blocks for 14 additional 80MHz channels and 7 additional 160MHz channels. These additional channels are required by high-bandwidth applications that need faster data throughput such as HD-video streaming, AR, and VR.
Devices with support for Wi-Fi 6E will also be able to support more users at the same time even in very dense and congested areas thanks to the wider channels that 6GHz brings.
When will you be able to buy Wi-Fi 6E devices?
Wi-Fi 6E chipsets need to be made first. Broadcom already has one and says that the chipset will begin shipping to clients by late fall, 2020 which is in time for the holidays. Other manufacturers will most likely follow the same pattern.
Do note that you not only have to purchase a Wi-Fi 6E router, but your devices also have to support Wi-Fi 6E. So while routers may be available soon, devices such as phones and computers may take a bit more time.
Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) earlier today announced its quarterly earnings for the first quarter of 2020. The company posted revenue of about 3106 billion Taiwan dollars which is an improvement of 2.1% from last quarter. Compared to the same period last year (Q1 2019), the revenue increased by 42%.
Huawei;s Kirin chipsets are manufactured by TSMC
In the first quarter, TSMC’s advanced process contributed a lot to the company’s revenue. The new 7nm process contributed 35% of the Q1 revenue, the 16nm process contributed 19% of the revenue, and the 10nm contributed 0.5% of the Q1 revenue. Overall, the advanced process is said to have contributed 55% of the entire revenue and became an important growth point.
After the 7nm process, TSMC will also mass-produce the next-generation 5nm process. Previously, mass-production was billed to commence in the first half of this year but due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the mass production has been delayed. Mass production is now expected to commence in the second half of the year. Nevertheless, because TSMC’s 5nm process is the only one in mass production globally, it is expected to account for 10% of its annual revenue.
According to official data, compared to 7nm (first-generation DUV ), the new 5nm chip based on the Cortex A72 core can provide 1.8 times the logic density, 15% faster speed, and 30% lower power consumption. The SRAM process is also very excellent and it has a reduced area.
The 5nm process will be utilised mainly for the Apple A14 and Huawei Hisilicon Kirin 1020 chipsets. The A14 Bionic chipset is said to have a peak frequency of 3.1GHz .
As for the Kirin 1020, the specifications are yet to be confirmed. However, previous rumours tipped the SoC to feature an upgraded Cortex-A77 architecture, but there are also rumours that Huawei will skip the A77 generation and go directly to the future Cortex-A78 architecture, which is an intergenerational upgrade. What can be confirmed at present is that the Kirin 1020 will be featured on the Mate 40 series in the second half of the year.
The Chinese smartphone brand iQOO will be launching its Neo 3 smartphone on April 23. The firm has even teased some of the key specs of the device ahead of its release. A couple of days back, the starting price of this handset was also leaked via an advertisement. And now, the official Weibo account of AnTuTu Benchmark reveals the score of the handset.
Unsurprisingly, the forthcoming iQOO Neo 3 with model number V1981A scores a total score of 608801 points as it is powered by the high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chip paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. When we break down the total score, we get to see that the Neo 3 scores 182986 points for CPU, 223339 points for GPU, 104916 points for MEM (memory), and 97560 points for UX respectively.
AnTuTu says that the upcoming iQOO Neo 3 has officially become one of the top smartphones in UX ranking, thanks to its 144Hz refresh rate display. Because higher refresh rate displays play a key role in achieving higher points in the benchmark app’s current testing algorithm.
Anyway, the type of panel used on the Neo 3 is still unknown. But going by its starting price of 2998 Yuan ($425), it will certainly feature an LCD panel compared to 144Hz AMOLED display on the Nubia Red Magic 5G.
As for other specs, the device will Android 10 and is expected to pack a 4,500 mAh battery with support for 44W fast charging as per a leak from last week.
Yesterday, Apple took the industry by storm with the launch of the 2020 edition of the affordable iPhone SE. The new iPhone came with an impressive specs lineup which includes the A13 Bionic chipset that is on the flagship iPhone 11. That is definitely the best perk, coupled with storage options of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. The phone’s pricing starts at $399 which makes it an impressive offer.
As expected, Apple did not announce the RAM size and battery capacity of the new iPhone. However, details o the iPhone SE 2020 RAM and battery have been revealed by China Telecom. The carrier’s Tianyi 4G terminal database confirmed that the smartphone is equipped with 3GB of RAM and a 1,812mAh battery. It is noteworthy that this is the same battery capacity on the iPhone 8 which Apple has had to discontinue after the iPhone SE launch. The RAM is 1GB less than the iPhone 11 series.
The official data released by Apple showed that the iPhone SE 2020 battery can support 13 hours of video playback and 8 hours of online video streaming. The mobile phone supports 18W fast charging even though there is only a 5W charger inside the box. The 18W charger delivers up to 50% charge in about half an hour. The device also supports wireless charging.
It is well known that the smartphone market has seen slight stagnation in recent times. This also translates to the mobile chip industry as well, with the global cellular baseband processor also seeing a decline of 3 percent (year on year over 2018) in 2019. However, during the overall decline, 5G enabled chipset saw growth to 2 percent market share during this period.
Image Via Strategy Analytics
2019 was the year that 5G networking broke out into the market. In its nascent stages, the premium grade flagships were the only handsets that housed chipsets that supported the newer and faster bandwidth. Despite this, the market saw decent success and even managed to gain an overall market share of 2 percent. Furthermore, the growth was facilitated by early adopters, which includes Qualcomm with its 5G modems in its Snapdragon processors, Huawei with its HiSilicon Kirin flagship processors and even Intel.
Qualcomm held the most dominating position for 5G enabled chipsets, with 41 percent market share. HiSilicon came in second with a 16 percent market share while Intel came in third with 14 percent. The rest was made up of by various other brands, but these three are the major contributors by far. Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, it was expected that 5G would become more mainstream in 2020. And despite it all, the trends showcase that brands are still placing an emphasis on 5G over 4G, especially new and flagship models.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 with the X55 5G Modem
During this same period, 4G LTE baseband shipments have declined year on year for the first time. The only exceptions to this are Intel and Unisoc, while other players in the market all seeing a fall. Only time will tell now regarding just how far reaching the effects of COVID-19 actually is, and what it may mean for the market overall in 2020. So stay tuned.
Samsung becomes the next major company after Oppo, Xiaomi, TikTok, and OnePlus operating in India to contribute funds to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The South Korean conglomerate has pledged ₹20 crores collectively for PM CARES Fund as well as states of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The company says that it will be donating ₹15 crores to the PM CARES Fund and ₹5 crores to the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to this, Samsung employees across India are also contributing to the nation. The company says it will match the employee contribution and donate the total amount to PM CARES fund in the coming weeks.
Apart from the donation, Samsung has been also continuously helping local administration and community in Noida. So far the company has provided hospitals with thousands of Personal Preventive Equipment (PPE) kits such as surgeon gowns, face masks, gloves, preventive eye wears, hood caps, and shoe covers.
Samsung is even providing hospitals and other facilities with a large number of infra-red thermometers, public address systems, and air purifiers. The firm has also accelerated the deliveries of its digital X-ray and digital ultrasound machines that it provides to government hospitals under the Samsung Smart Healthcare citizenship program.
Additionally, it has been also helping local administration and police of Noida in providing food packed to the local communities on a daily basis.
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