Xiaomi launches the Roidmi NEX 2 & NEX 2 Pro Handheld Vacuum Cleaners

By

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Apr 1, 2020

Xiaomi Youpin has launched two new handheld vacuum cleaners manufactured by eco-chain partner Roidmi. The two models- Roidmi Nex 2 and Nex 2 Pro both come with a display and other impressive features which place them ahead of the first-gen Roidmi NEX handheld vacuum cleaner.

The Roidmi Nex 2 Pro is definitely the sleekest model of the duo but both seem to have the same capability. The models feature a display but while the Roidmi Nex 2 has an LED screen, the Nex 2 Pro features an OLED display. This seems to be the major difference between the two. The display shows the cleaning status in real-time. The Nex 2 Pro also has a grey paint job whereas the Nex 2 comes in white.

In terms of the features, both models have a total power rating of 435W as well as the same vacuum power of 26500pa. The bot equally presents with a massive 2500mAh/72Wh battery which can withstand several cleaning rounds. The vacuum cleaners feature a magnetic wireless charging system and can charge fully in just 2.5 hours. In addition, the models are equipped with a 0.55L dust storage compartment an uses a HEPA filter system. Recall that Roidmi equally announced te F8 Pro handheld vacuum cleaner recently which is an upgrade of the Roidmi F8. The Roidmi Nex 2 carries a 2099 yuan ($295) price tag while the Nex 2 Pro is priced at 2,499 yuan (~$352). They are available presently on Xiaomi Youpin for interested buyers in China. If you are interested in this product outside China, you’ll have to look at third-party retailers like GearBest, ALiExpress and others.

(source)

WhatsApp to get Expiring messages and Multi-device login

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 1, 2020

WhatsApp is pretty slow when incorporating new features compared to Telegram but like they – better late than never. The messaging app which is used by millions across the world will be getting some pretty useful features according to details found in the latest beta version.

One of the features coming to WhatsApp is Expiring Messages. This is one feature that is long overdue and one I personally loved in Google’s now dead Allo messaging app. However, WhatsApp seems to be taking a different approach.

Expiring Messages will be available in both group chats and private chats and based on screenshots provided by WABetaInfo. Users will be able to set messages to delete after 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month. Apparently, there used to be an option for 1 hour before in previous versions but it has now been removed. Hopefully, it is added back to the final release.

Another feature that was discovered in WhatsApp Beta v2.20.110 is support for multiple device login. You know how you can’t have WhatsApp active on two devices, that should change soon.

With the new feature, users will be able to log in to the same WhatsApp account on multiple devices at the same time. This is different from the way WhatsApp works on desktop or in your browser. When you log in on a new device, you (on your current device) and your contacts get a notification with a change of your security code.

Both Multiple-Device Login and Expiring Messages will be available for iOS and Android when it launches, though the former may get it first.

(Source, Via)

New Xiaomi phone certified by EEC, could it be the POCO F2?

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 1, 2020

A new Xiaomi smartphone has just been certified by the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). The phone is thought to be the much-anticipated POCO F2 flagship. The phone clears EEC with model number M2004J11G which is similar to the model numbers of some Xiaomi models that have previously been certified by the EEC. For comparison, the Poco F1 had the model number M1805E10A, the Redmi K20 Pro came with the model number M1903F11C while the Redmi K30 Pro had the model number M2001J11C.

The certified phone was listed on March 31 and is clearly indicated to be a Xiaomi phone under the Poco brand which is now an independent brand. It is interesting that the phone is listed as a Poco brand and not Pocophone. Recall that the first model was launched as Pocophone F1 in the global market. The company may have finally decided to stick with a shorter Poco branding.

The Poco F2 was expected to have launched in 2019 after the F1 was introduced with a surprise flagship lineup but that didn’t happen. Just when we thought the brand was going to launch the F2, the Poco X2 was unveiled as a rebranded Redmi K30. Xiaomi has already confirmed the Redmi K30 Pro won’t be launched as the Poco F2. Thus, the F2 will come with a design that is yet to leak, perhaps.

For now, we don’t have any other detail on the specifications or design of the F2 but we expect more details to emerge soon.

(via1, via2)

Microsoft patents a foldable device with three screens

By

Sean

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Apr 1, 2020

A recent Microsoft patent has revealed that the company is looking into developing a new Surface product. The patent depicts a peculiar device that resembles the Surface Duo but with three displays on a single hinge mechanism. This may be a new product the Microsoft Surface team is currently working on.

According to the patent, the new Microsoft device features two separate screens brought together with a single hinge mechanism in the middle. This also makes it quite similar to the Surface Duo and Neo. Apart from the twin primary displays, the patent also reveals a much smaller third display which looks like a status bar on the edge of the device.

Looking at the patent, the third screen has been labeled as Control Logic and might be an area for a few particular functionalities. This edge screen may have limited capabilities but could display, the time, notifications, show connected device and a lot more. Rather, Microsoft says users can also choose to have additional information being displayed through the smaller screen. An example of this could be missed calls and other important notifications being shown even if the primary displays aren’t active.

In the patent, a small description has also been found in the documents. It states that traditional smartphones have only one screen to display all the relevant information and notifications to users. So, Microsoft aims to address the issue with its newly patented idea for finding a new way to displays information, calls or even messages.

(Via)

Buy Amazfit PowerBuds for Just $129.99 from Giztop

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 1, 2020

Amazfit PowerBuds is one of the most powerful earbuds in the market. These Powerbuds are available in three appealing color options including white, black, as well as yellow for just $129.99 on Giztop.

Touted as truly wireless earbuds, the Amazfit PowerBuds can monitor heart rate while you are performing sports along with the PPG heart rate sensor. It also provides you with feedback on your status of the exercise routine and there is a voice reminder that helps you to get rid of any kind of risk such as high heart rate.

This voice reminder ensures that your fitness routine is not only efficient and effective but also safe for your health. Another feature of the smart earbuds is its magnetic split earrings that ensure the earbuds to be more stable and worn firmly without worrying about dropping it while you are in your sports routine or even rushing towards the subway.

When you are not using the earbuds, the ear hooks can be removed directly and put back into the charging box for quick storage along with charging it immediately. The most important factor one might look forward to while purchasing an earbud is its battery life and Amazfit PowerBuds will never disappoint you in this department as it can be charged for eight hours straight.

With the help of the magnetic charging box, you can further extend the battery life up to 16 hours and that makes the total battery life to 24 hours. The battery of the earbuds is 55 mAh while the charging case is 450 mAh. Amazfit PowerBuds can be used as a professional headset during sports.

It is enabled with high-end composite diaphragms and high-sensitivity magnets. The ENC double broadcasting noise reduction technology that is adopted by the earbuds is effective enough to suppress all other disturbing sounds around you. You can follow this link to place your order.

The Gizmochina Coupons is a community that finds, reports and evaluates deals and coupons of Chinese products from online shops. Please visit it here to find more coupons to save money on mobiles and smart gadgets.

Amazfit PowerBuds

First 5G Services go Live in Hong Kong via China Mobile, Hutchison, and HKT

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Apr 1, 2020

Hong Kong citizens and visitors finally have access to high-speed 5G networks in the city as the services go official today. It has become the first region outside mainland China to have this blessing. China Mobile, Hutchison, and HKT are the only telecom operators to offer 5G services in the region.

The 5G networks were commercially launched in China on 1st November 2019. The three primary telecom operators – China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom launched their 5G services on the same day. Similarly, China Mobile, Hutchison, and HKT have become the first three telcos to deploy 5G services in Hong Kong.

The first phase of China Mobile’s 5G coverage in Hong Kong includes almost the whole territory along with hotspots at public places like business centers and shopping malls. The telco has also enabled 5G roaming services in mainland China and Korea. Further, it expects to roll out roaming services in a number of Asian and European countries by the end of 2020.

Unfortunately, we do not have information regarding the services provided by the other two telcos namely HKT and Hutchison. However, you can still check our coverage on HKT’s 5G launch announcement to know more.

Alleged OPPO Find X2 Neo live shots revealed through FCC certification

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 1, 2020

OPPO had launched the OPPO Reno3 Pro 5G phone driven by Snapdragon 765G in China in December 2019. Recent reports have claimed that there will be a global version of the Chinese Reno3 Pro 5G. A recent leak had claimed that it may debut in international markets as OPPO Find X2 Neo. Images of a handset (model number CPH2009) that match exactly with China’s Reno3 Pro 5G has appeared at the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. It suggests that the Find X2 Neo has just passed FCC approval.

The images of the OPPO CPH2009 phone reveals that it has a curved display. A punch-hole can be seen at its top-left corner. The gradient blue colored glass rear has a vertical camera setup. It lacks a 3.5mm audio jack.

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Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi and OPPO hikes pricing in India as increased GST rate takes effect

OPPO Find X2 Neo specifications (Rumored)

The Find X2 Neo has a 6.5-inch full HD+ AMOLED screen that support 90Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 765G fuels the phone with up 12 GB of RAM. The device may offer users with up to 256 GB of built-in storage.

The ColorOS 7 flavored Android 10 will be available on the Find X2 Neo. It has a front camera of 32-mgeapixel. The back panel features a 48-megapixel quad camera setup. The phone houses a 4,025mah battery that is coupled with 30W fast charging.

In related news, OPPO launched the Reno3 Vitality Edition in China last month. The same phone may debut in global market as Find X2 Lite.

(source|via)

Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic gets Bluetooth Certification; should launch as Redmi AirDots 2

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 1, 2020

Xiaomi’s TWS lineup is messy and that is because one product can go by multiple names. For example, the Mi AirDots Lite, the Redmi AirDots, and the Mi True Wireless Earphones Basic are practically the same product. Now, a successor seems to be on the way.

The Bluetooth SIG has certified a pair of TWS from Xiaomi called the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic. Going by the info in the first paragraph above, this should be the successor of the Mi AirDots Lite and should also be the successor of the Redmi AirDots.

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic has model number TWSEJ04WM and will connect via Bluetooth 5.0. We have no idea what it will look like, so we can’t say if it will keep the design of its predecessor.

While the design is important for comfort, the features are equally important. The Redmi AirDots, which I own, is terrible when it comes to calls as there is no noise-canceling microphone. Hopefully, this is fixed with the new iteration. We also would not mind it having a USB Type-C port and better battery life.

What features do you want to see in the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic? Let us know in the comment box.

(Source)

Huawei P40 series Chinese pricing leaked, 30% lower than global price

By

Sean

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Apr 1, 2020

On 26th March 2020, Huawei had announced its latest flagship series, the Huawei P40, P40 Pro and P40 Pro+. Both smartphones arrived with top notch specs and pricing, with the top models crossing the $1,000 mark. But now, the pricing details for the Chinese launch have been leaked, which reveals pricing nearly 30 percent lower than its foreign launch in certain cases.

According to a new report, the Huawei P40 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage will sell for 4,488 Yuan (roughly 632 US Dollars). This is lower than the European pricing of 799 Euros (roughly 6,195 Yuan). Similarly, the Huawei P40 Pro 8GB + 128GB will sell for 5,788 Yuan (roughly 815 US Dollars) while the 8GB + 256GB variant will be sold for 6,288 Yuan (roughly 885 US Dollars).

Again, these prices are noticeably lower than the foreign launch that had the Huawei P40 Pro priced at 999 EUR for the 256GB models (roughly 7,745). Finally, the most pricey higher end model, Huawei P40 Pro, is reportedly priced at 7,988 Yuan (roughly 1,125 US Dollars), which is again lower than the 1,399 EUR price tag in Europe (roughly 10,845 Yuan).

This makes the Huawei P40 series about 30 percent lower in price when compared to the global launch variant. Notably, it is about 200-300 Yuan higher than the last year’s Huawei P30 series, although that is expected since the newer version feature 5G networking with the general pricing logic also being considered. Unfortunately, this has yet to be confirmed by Huawei. So, it is unclear if this is the official pricing from the Chinese tech giant. Thus, take this report with a grain of salt for now.

Realme increases smartphone pricing in India due to GST hike

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 1, 2020

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has caused supply shortage, fluctuating Indian Rupee value and the hike of GST rate that goes into effect from today has caused smartphone OEMs to increase the cost of their handsets. Xiaomi, Vivo, Samsung and OPPO have increased the rates of their smartphones. Realme too joins the bandwagon as it has released a list of revised pricing for the base model of its smartphones.

The Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro will soon carry new starting prices of Rs. 13,999 (~$183) and Rs. 17,999 (~$235). These phones were made official in India at the beginning of this month as the successors for the Realme 5 Pro and Realme X phones from last year. At launch, they were priced at Rs. 12,999 (~$170) and Rs. 16,999 (~$222).

The Realme X2 Pro carried a starting price of Rs. 27,999 (~$367). It will be soon available for Rs. 29,999 (~$393). The Realme X2 Pro Master Edition’s price has been increased to Rs. 36,999 (~$484) from its regular price of Rs. 34,999 (~$456). The Realme X2 will soon sell for Rs. 17,999 instead of its usual price of Rs. 16,999.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi, Redmi phones prices increased in India; Checkout the entire list with revised pricing

The Realme 5 Pro, Realme 5s and Realme 5i will start at respective price tags of Rs. 13,999, Rs. 10,999 (~$144) and Rs. 9,999 (~$131). These phones have been selling for Rs. 12,999 (~$170), Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 8,999 (~$118), respectively. The Realme C3 now starts at Rs. 7,499 (~$98) instead of its regular cost of Rs. 6,999 (~$91).

GST hike has increased Realme XT’s price to Rs. 16,999 from its regular price of Rs. 15,999 (~$209). The Realme X and Realme X Master Edition previously sold for 16,999 and Rs. 19,999. They will soon sell for Rs. 17,999 and Rs. 20,999 (~$275).

OnePlus 8 Pro may be priced less than $1000, Features SD865, LPDDR5 and UFS 3.0 memory

By

Sean

-

Apr 1, 2020

OnePlus has finally announced the launch date of the OnePlus 8 series, after months of teasers. The latest flagship series will be announced on 14th April 2020 and the device will feature 120Hz and 5G networking. However, the details didn’t end there as Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus, also revealed a few more interesting information regarding the upcoming launch.

According to a community post by the senior executive, the OnePlus 8 series will feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC alongside LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.0 storage. This updated hardware enables “fast and smooth” performance and will give the series a 20 percent bump in CPU and a 25 percent jump in GPU performance. The new LPDDR5 RAM will allow for high transfer speeds reaching up to 6,400Mbps on bandwidth as high as 51.2 GB/s, all the while running on lower power consumption compared to the previous generation.

Similarly, the display is also top notch with a 2K+ display and a high pixel density of 512ppi and 120Hz refresh rate. Keeping all of this in mind, one would probably assume that the price of the OnePlus 8 series will also be just as high as the specs. But a report suggests otherwise, as according to Business Insider, the OnePlus 8 series will not exceed the $1000 mark in the US.

This makes the OnePlus 8 Pro one of the cheapest premium grade flagship which has the above mentioned specifications alongside 5G networking. Although the company has yet to officially reveal the pricing, it is a possibility that OnePlus still stands by its original philosophy of a “flagship killer” but with a lower cost overall. So stay tuned for the coming launch event and pricing details as well.

(Via)

Xiaomi, Redmi phones prices increased in India; Checkout the entire list with revised pricing

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 1, 2020

Starting from today, smartphone will be selling at increased pricing in India. The reason behind the price hike is the increase in the GST rate from 12 percent to 18 percent. Xiaomi India has confirmed the revised pricing of its Mi and Redmi branded phones. The below mentioned phones will be available with new pricing on the official online store, e-commerce sites and retail stores soon.

Redmi Note 9 series

The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max models like 4+64, 6+128 and 8+128 launched for Rs. 14,999 (~$197) Rs. 16,999 (~$222) and Rs. 18,999 (~$249) price tags. Their new prices are Rs. 16,499 (~$216), Rs. 17,999 (~$236) and Rs. 19,999 (~$262). The Redmi Note 9 Pro variants such as 4+64 and 6+128 debuted for Rs. 12,999 (~$170) and Rs. 15,999 (~$209). They will now sell for Rs. 13,999 (~$183) and Rs. 16,999.

Redmi K20 series

The vanilla Redmi K20 editions like 6+64 and 6+128 were selling for Rs. 19,999 and Rs. 22,999 (~$301). They will now sell for Rs. 21,999 (~$288) and RS. 24,999 (~$327). The Redmi K20 Pro editions like 6+128 and 8+256 were priced at Rs. 24,999 and Rs. 27,999 (~$366). Their new prices are Rs. 26,999 (~$353) and Rs. 29,999 (~$393).

Editor’s Pick: POCO X2 price in India increased due to GST hike

Redmi Note 8 series

The Redmi Note 8 Pro 6+64, 6+128 and 8+128 debuted for Rs. 14,999, Rs. 15,999 and Rs. 17,999. These will be available for Rs. 15,999, Rs. 16,999 and Rs. 18,999, respectively. The Redmi Note 8 models such as 4+64 and 6+128 have been available for Rs. 10,499 and Rs. 12,999. Their new prices are Rs. 10,999 (~$144) and Rs. 13,999.

Redmi 8 series

The Redmi 8A Dual 2+32 and 3+32 will be available for Rs. 6,999 (~$91) and Rs. 7,999 (~$105) instead of its regular price tags of Rs. 6,499 (~$85) and Rs. 6,999. The Redmi 8A variants like 2+32 and 2+32 previously sold for Rs. 6,199 (~$81) and 6,499. They will now be available for Rs. 6,699 and Rs. 6,999. The Redmi 8 4+64 edition will carry new price tag of Rs 8,999 (~$118) instead of its Rs. 7,999 (~$105) pricing.

Redmi Note 7 Pro, Redmi 7 and Redmi Go

There is no change in the pricing of Redmi Note 7 Pro. Hence, its 4+64, 6+64 and 6+128 variants will continue to cost Rs. 10,999, Rs. 12,999 and Rs. 13,999.

The Redmi 7A editions like 2+16 and 2+32 previously sold for Rs 5,999 and Rs. 6,199. Their increased price tags are Rs. 6,499 and Rs. 6,699 (~87). The Redmi Go will now sell for Rs. 4,999 (~$65) instead of its regular price of Rs. 4,499 (~$59).

Xiaomi Mi A3

The Xiaomi Mi A3 editions like 4+64 and 6+128 sold for Rs. 11,999 and Rs. 14,999. The pricing of its 6 GB RAM edition hasn’t changed, but the base model’s cost has increased to Rs. 12,999.

Nubia in trouble after failing to deliver on the promised 5G accessory for Red Magic 3

By

Sean

-

Apr 1, 2020

2019 saw the breakout of many new technological advancements and trends in the smartphone industry. A crucial one was the new 5G networking bandwidth now being capable in certain smartphones. While 2019 is touted to be the year 5G broke out, 2020 will be the year dominated by it. Nubia was one such company that would launch a 5G smartphone in 2020. But before this, it had also promised to bring 5G to the Red Magic 3.

For those unaware, Nubia had previously stated that the Red Magic 3, the flagship device from 2019, would soon support 5G network support. This is not something that a simple software update could ever bring, but a dedicated supplementing hardware. In other words, a separate hardware accessory was to be launched, which will bring the newer and faster bandwidth on the handset.

However, as of right now, this dedicated 5G accessory from Nubia has yet to be released. Recently, the company launched the Red Magic 5G, the first 5G enabled smartphone. This has made many Red Magic 3 users believe that the 5G accessory has been canceled and will not be launch, and many are criticizing Nubia for false advertisements that mislead its customers.

On 27th March 2020, this became confirmed as the official customer support from Nubia stated that there are currently no plans for an actual launch due to “restricted technical conditions.” Apparently, this product which was specifically advertised alongside the launch of the Red Magic 3 has all but disappeared on official channels as well. It is likely that development constrictions and the move to a proper 5G enabled handset shifted focus.

However, this might bring trouble to the Chinese smartphone maker, since it did technically advertise one thing that it failed to deliver on. Whether or not legal recourse is taken, remains to be seen. Although we will have to wait and see. So stay tuned for more updates.

(Via)

POCO X2 price in India increased due to GST hike

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Apr 1, 2020

The POCO brand that took a sabbatical last year came back as independent entity this year. It introduced the POCO X2 phone with an attractive starting price of Rs. 15,999 (~$210). Today, the company took to Twitter to confirm that has increased the pricing of POCO X2 due to couple of reasons like GST hike and failing Rupee. With the price revision, the POCO X2 is now available with a starting price of Rs. 16,999 (~$223).

POCO India said that its business has been affected due to multiple factors. There has been a significant in the GST rate in India. It has now increased to 18 percent from 12 percent. The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted its supply chain and the falling Rupee value against US dollar have also caused the company to increase the pricing of POCO X2.

The POCO X2 variants such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB had debuted with price tags of Rs. 15,999 (~$210), Rs. 16,999 (~$223) and Rs. 19,999 (~$262). The new pricing of these models are Rs. 16,999 (~$223), Rs. 17,999 (~$236) and Rs. 20,999 (~$275).

Editor’s Pick: POCO GM reveals the Redmi K30 Pro won’t launch as POCO F2 in India

POCO X2 specifications

The POCO X2 arrived as the rebranded version of the Redmi K30 4G that debuted in China last year. It features a 6.67-inch IPS LCD display that offers full HD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The dual punch-hole on its screen features a 20-megapixel main lens and a depth sensor of 2-megapixel.

The back panel of the phone has a quad camera setup. It includes a Sony IMX686 64-megapixel main lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 5-megapixel macro shooter and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. It has a side-facing fingerprint reader. The POCO X2 is powered by Snapdragon 730G processor and comes with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. It is loaded with Android 10 OS and MIUI 11.

(source)

Qualcomm doesn’t have a product to compete with Kirin 820: Honor President

By

Sean

-

Apr 1, 2020

Honor had held a press conference on the evening of 31st March 2020. While the focus of the conference was the Honor 30S, the President of Honor, Zhao Ming (or George Zhao) also accepted an interview after the event.

In the interview, the senior executive from the Huawei subsidiary answered various questions regarding the new products and the company’s current direction and plans for the year 2020. One such question was regarding the new proprietary chipset the Kirin 820 5G SoC, which is housed in the Honor 30S. The chipset is notable because it is a great balance between powerful performance and pricing, according to the President.

Honor Kirin 820 5G featured — Kirin 820 5G SoC

The Kirin 820 SoC utilizes much of the same architecture as the company’s current flagship processor, the Kirin 990. It is built on a similar 7nm process technology and features a built in 5G modem, which is impressive considering it will be found in a smartphone priced between 2000 to 2500 Yuan (roughly 281 to 352 US Dollars). So, it can be assumed that it fills in the gap between high end and mid range smartphones.

In regards to one of its primary rivals, Qualcomm, George Zhao stated that Kirin 820 is a mid to high end SoC with an integrated 5G modem. This is different from Qualcomm’s current flagship the Snapdragon 865 SoC which features a discrete 5G modem. In simpler terms, the latter is capable of noticeably better performance, but the key difference here is pricing as the Qualcomm chipset is primarily found in premium grade flagships which are generally expensive.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Soc — Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC

Thus, in this regard, Qualcomm has no immediate and direct competitor to the Kirin 820 SoC, since the Snapdragon 865 is a flagship processor while the SD700G series have yet to catch up. During the interview, George Zhao also placed an emphasis on competition, stating that rivalry and innovation is what drives the industry forward in advancement.

(Via)

Motorola Razr India release delayed to April 15

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Apr 1, 2020

Motorola had announced the Motorola Razr 2019 clamshell phone with foldable screen in November last year. Soon after the launch, the Lenovo-owned company had started with the registrations of the device in India. While the Razr 2019 has been made available for purchase in other markets, its sales were scheduled to begin on April 2. The Chinese firm has now confirmed that the market release of the Motorola Razr in India has been postponed to April 15 due to COVID-19 lockdown in the country.

The Motorola Razr was introduced in India on March 16 and it was scheduled to go on sale in the country tomorrow. The nation-wide lockdown in India has resulted in the launch of some smartphones such as Vivo V19 and Realme Narzo 10 series. Motorola confirmed that the sales of the Razr 2019 will begin on April 15 which is the first day after the 21-day lockdown in the country.

The Motorola Razr will be available in black color in India. The gold edition of the device is expected to hit the Indian markets later. It carries a price tag of Rs. 1,24,999 ($1,642).

Editor’s Pick: Motorola Edge+ leaked press renders reveal its extremely curved screen, confirms 108MP camera

Motorola Razr specifications

The Motorola Razr features an inner screen of 6.2 inches. Dubbed as Flex View display, the p-OLED screen supports 21:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 876 x 2142 pixels. There is a 2.7-inch outer screen that can be used for checking notifications. It has a front camera of 16-megapixel and a selfie snapper of 5-megapixel.

The Snapdragon 710 chipset fuels the Motorola Razr along with 6 GB of RAM. The internal storage of the device is 128 GB. There is a microSD card slot onboard for additional storage.

The Razr is backed by 2,510mAh battery that is coupled with 15W fast charging. The connectivity features available on the device re e-SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and USB-C.

Meizu’s April Fool Pranks involve a Meizu 16T with Solar Panel and Aicy Voice Assitant leaking Meizu 17’s release date

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

-

Apr 1, 2020

On April Fool’s Day, Meizu used its existing Meizu 16T and the upcoming Meizu 17 to prank its fans. For the first prank, the smartphone maker announced a new variant of the 16T, whereas, for the second prank it used its virtual voice assistant Aicy to tease the forthcoming 17.

Meizu’s official Weibo account announced a new variant of Meizu 16T earlier today. This version of the device comes in ‘Daylight Orange’ colour with support for solar charging. Thus, the company says the user need not to worry about the battery on this phone as long as there is sunlight.

As expected, this new version of Meizu 16T is merely an April Fool’s Day prank pulled out by the company. Although this one was a prank, solar-powered smartphones can be a reality. Last year, Xiaomi even patented a smartphone design with a solar panel. But we don’t think it will make it to the public soon as the solar charging tech on mobile phones is still not efficient.

Coming to the second prank, the Weibo account of Flyme OS teased its Aicy AI voice assistant to have evolved enough to leak devices itself and urges the users to ask ‘When Meizu 17 will be released?’ As it is another prank by the brand, the answers to this question by the virtual assistant are sarcastic and do not reveal anything about the company’s next flagship phone.

There have been multiple rumors and leaks of Meizu 17 over the past few weeks. It is expected to be the company’s first 5G smartphone featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.0 storage, 6.5-inches 90Hz OLED display, 64MP + 20MP + 12MP triple camera setup, 4,5000 mAh battery, 30W fast charging, and a 3999 Yuan ($564) starting price.

Xiaomi Wearable Shipments exceed 100M in 6 years: Mi Band 5 launch could be near

By

Sean

-

Apr 1, 2020

According to a new report from the IDC, the global wearable smart product lineup from Xiaomi has exceeded 100 million units in sales between the period of 2014 to 2019. It is a significant milestone achieved by the company in just 6 years, and is also teasing an upcoming launch.

The IDC report, known analytics, and research firm, showcases the Chinese tech giant’s popularity and success in the wearables industry. Xiaomi is known for offering various IoT products as well, with a notable one being its Mi Band series. The series has been popular not just in China, and may have just been teased in a Weibo post, a Chinese microblogging website, that also celebrated the 100 million unit shipments.

In the online post, the company also mentioned a new product. Although we are not sure what it exactly is but will likely be in the wearables category. According to Xiaomi, 3rd April 2020 is the date where a press conference will announce the new product on a live stream online. It may be the Mi Band 5, which is the latest in the entire series. However, we will have to wait and see what exactly the company has in store for us.

Although its specifications are unknown at the moment, a typical Mi Band arrives with a few useful health tracking features and more. Thus, we can expect more of the same around this time as well, but with improvements around the battery life, and a few new inclusions are also likely. So stay tuned for more coverage and for the 3rd April 2020 live stream reveal.

OnePlus Bullets Z TWS, 30W wireless charger debuting soon, claims report

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Apr 1, 2020

On April 14, OnePlus will be announcing the OnePlus 8 series of flagship phones in India. The Chinese manufacturer is expected to announce some other devices alongside the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro at the upcoming unveil event. A fresh report on 91mobiles that cites information from tipster Ishan Agarwal reveals that the company will be soon announcing OnePlus Warp 30W Wireless Charger and OnePlus Bullets Z TWS in India. While there is no word on the launch time of the truly wireless earphones from OnePlus, the new leak reveals that the 30W fast wireless charger may debut with OnePlus 8 phones on April 14.

Nothing is known on the specs of the OnePlus Bullets Z TWS. However, it is speculated that it could be a premium product. It may bear resemblance Bullets Wireless earbuds and it could be equipped with features like noise cancellation and Bluetooth 5.0. The charging case of the device may carry support for rapid charging through USB-C.

The OnePlus 8 Pro is expected to break cover as the company’s first phone with wireless charging capabilities. While many companies have already launched phones with wireless charging, OnePlus delayed on adding the feature on its smartphones mainly because the wireless charging tech wasn’t as fast as wired charging.

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Rumors have revealed that the OnePlus 8 Pro will support 30W fast wireless charging. While the new leak reveals the arrival of the OnePlus Warp 30W Wireless Charger alongside the OnePlus 8 phones, there is no information on its design. Also, there is no confirmation on whether the OnePlus 8 will be also equipped with wireless charging technology.

Smartphones in India are now selling at a higher price due to hike in GST. OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi are some of the companies have revealed the revised pricing of their existing phones. The GST hike and the inclusion of new features like IP68 certification, SD865, LPDDR5 RAM and 120Hz refresh rate display suggests that OnePlus 8 series may carry expensive pricing.

(source)

Xiaomi smartphone sales take a hit from Coronavirus, but demand expected to pick up

By

Sean

-

Apr 1, 2020

Xiaomi, the popular smartphone manufacturer, has stated that it expects a short term fall in its smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2020. The primary reason for this is the recent Coronavirus pandemic that has affected the world but is also expecting the demand to soon pick up.

According to Lei Jun, Founder and CEO of Xiaomi, “While the entire world is still under the dark shadows of COVID-19, we have maintained our keen focus on efficiency to tide over this economic ‘black swan’ with everyone.” In other words, despite having to also shut down its factory and production lines temporarily, the company is almost back up to its full capacity.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Global Version — Xiaomi Mi 10

For those unaware, the Chinese government had initially taken steps to curb the further spreading of the viral outbreak. This was mainly done by shutting down manufacturing sites and other places with a large number of workers. As of right now, Xiaomi has indicated that 80 to 90 percent of its production capacity in China has been revitalized, according to senior executives in a conference call.

Wang Xiang, the President of Xiaomi, also mentioned that “production was affected, but the pace of recovery has exceeded expectations.” Wang said that the effects of the COVID-19 have been lesser on the Chinese tech giant over its other rivals in major smartphone markets like India, Europe, and the US. Just last week, Xiaomi opened more than 1,800 retail stores in China, with 80 percent of its suppliers also have resumed operations.

Xiaomi is among many OEMs that had to suspend its production in India, after the local government issued a 21 day countrywide lockdown. Analysts are expecting smartphone shipments to fall during this time by about 50 percent, in comparison to Q1 of 2019. However, the overall Indian smartphone market may see a 4.2 percent decline this year in the worst case scenario.

(Via)

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