Realme Narzo 10 and Narzo 10A to be unveiled on March 26

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Mar 20, 2020

Realme confirmed yesterday that Narzo is the name of its upcoming smartphone series. Soon after its announcement, there were rumors that the first Narzo phones will be debut very soon. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has released an official confirmation that Narzo 10 and Narzo 10A phones will be made official on March 26.

The microsite for the upcoming Narzo lineup reveals that the series is aimed towards the youth of India. Also, it states that the Narzo phones are customized for Generation Z. The landing page of the Narzo 10 and 10A have revealed some of their key features.

Editor’s Pick: Realme X2 Pro scores a respectable 58 points in DxOMark Audio test: Exceptional Playback Volume

The smartphone that has a green colored rear with vertical stripes could be the Narzo 10 phones as it features quad cameras. The blue colored model with a large Realme branding on its back could be the Narzo 10A phone. The handset features three rear-facing cameras with f/1.8 aperture for the main lens. The absence of rear-mounted fingerprint scanners on these devices suggest that they could be equipped with in-screen fingerprint readers.

The Narzo 10 and Narzo 10A could be both sporting a 6.5-inch waterdrop notch screens. Both phones are expected to deliver a screen space of 89.8 percent. The Narzo 10 duo will be the first devices to draw power from a new gaming-centric processor.

The Realme Narzo 10 and Narzo 10A handsets are packed with 5,000mAh batteries that 39 hours of standby time. The upcoming Narzo phones will arrive with rapid charging technology. An image of the bottom edge of the Narzo 10 on the official landing page reveals that it has a 3.5mm headphone jack, two microphones, a USB port and a speaker grille.

There is no word on the pricing of the Narzo 10 and Narzo 10A phones. It is speculated that the new Narzo phones will be arriving to take on the likes of POCO and Redmi.

(source)

Apple limits online purchases as Global iPhone supply falls amidst Coronavirus outbreak

By

Sean

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Mar 20, 2020

Apple Inc, the popular smartphone manufacturer, will now restrict the number of purchases of iPhones in its online stores. This policy will extend to numerous countries including the US and China and will effectively limit a user to just two iPhone units per person.

This move arrives after the Cupertino based giant closed down all off its offline physical stores in China, due to the growing fear and implications of the Coronavirus outbreak. For those unaware, China was ground zero for the new strand of coronavirus. The infection has now grown into a global level threat and has been officially classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

So if one is trying to buy more than 2 units of Apple iPhones, a prompt will inform the user that will prevent customers from buying any more. Previously, the only time Apple had introduced such a policy was for the original iPhone, which was launched back in 2007, to prevent the resale of its groundbreaking smartphone back then. A few other countries on the list include Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore as well.

The purchase limit is also indicative of the impacts of the COVID-19. During its first major outbreaks in Mainland China. The Chinese government had shut down areas with high worker counts, such as factories and production lines. Thus, Apple was one of the many companies that suffered from this shutdown. Since then, operations have resumed but the damage has already been done, and global iPhone shipments are expected to fall due to limited supply.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, even wrote a letter warning its investors, informing them that the likelihood of the initial revenue projection being met is low. Its Q1 earnings will see a notable fall due to the coronavirus outbreak, but things should stabilize soon. Although the viral infection started in China, it is currently confirmed in upwards of 170 countries. Hence, its effects are more universal than a localized incident in Southeast Asia. So readers are advised to stay safe and exercise reasonable levels of precaution.

(Via)

HMD Connect is a global data roaming service targeted at frequent travellers

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 20, 2020

HMD Global, the company behind Nokia-branded smartphones has announced HMD Connect, a global data roaming service targeted at frequently travelling customers. The company also announced new smartphones such as Nokia 8.3, its first 5G smartphone, Nokia 5.3, and Nokia 1.3 in the same launch video stream.

The Finnish company HMD Global is known for its Nokia-branded smartphones and feature phones for years now. But this is the first time the company is launching a service. HMD Connect is a global data roaming service, which will work in more than 120 countries. The supported countries by the service are categorized into three zones based on the amount of roaming internet data users can purchase.

The HMD Connect service can be subscribed by paying €19.95, which comes with a SIM card and 1GB of international roaming internet data. Once the user exhausts that data, they can purchase additional data starting at €9.95 for 1GB, followed by €5 for every additional gigabyte. However, it is worth noting that the data plans are not the same in every region as Zone 3 countries are limited to only 250 MB plan. Further, the validity of all plans is only up to 14 days. And most importantly, this service only supports mobile internet (likely 4G) and cannot be used to make calls or send SMS.

All the above-mentioned things can be carried out easily on the company’s official HMD Connect Android app or website. Hit the source link for more details.

(Source)

Honor 30s confirmed to feature brand-new Kirin 820 5G chipset

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 20, 2020

Honor 30s leaked multiple times over the last week and yesterday the brand even announced the launch date as March 30. Now, Honor’s president has confirmed that the handset will be first to feature the brand new HiSilicon Kirin 820 SoC.

He said that Kirin 820 with 5G connectivity will perform extremely well and it will debut on Honor 30s. This statement is more than enough for us to anticipate the new chip. Because the only widely used mid-range 5G chip is Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, whereas MediaTek’s Dimentsity 1000 / L is only available on Oppo Reno 3 5G yet. With more mid-range 5G chips in the market, more people will get to use 5G networks in the regions where it is available.

The Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 820 5G chipset will likely be based on the company’s own Da Vinci architecture NPU built on the 7nm process. The silicon should use ARM Cortex-A76 CPU cores and G77 GPU. Further, the newer ISP and NPU present in it will have support for Kirin Gaming Plus technology.

As per previous leaks, the Honor 30s will feature a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a quad-camera setup, 40W charging support, and will come in White and Orange gradient color options.

Honor rumored to announce a new launch tomorrow, could be for its Play lineup

By

Sean

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Mar 20, 2020

A senior executive of Honor, a subsidiary of the Chinese tech giant Huawei, has just revealed certain news regarding a possible launch of a new series, probably in the Play lineup. The launch is also in line with another rumor which mentions an upcoming launch on 21st March 2020, so the conference being held tomorrow could be a possibility.

Earlier this, Guan Haitao, the Vice Minister of Honor’s Marketing, revealed the launch on the Chinese microblogging website, Weibo. In the post, the senior official talked about the company’s growing online and offline market, as work resumes after production lines had previously shut due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Near the end of the post, he goes on to mention that Honor will seek to launch a handset targeted towards the young and enthusiastic demographic; or in other words, the Play series from Honor.

Notably, a Weibo account by the name of @长安数码君 has also reported on a rumor that the Chinese smartphone manufacturer may launch new products on the 21st of March 2020. They are known for prior leaks and rumors that have been fairly accurate, so this may be in line with the post shared by the Honor official. Unfortunately, finer details regarding the smartphone in question, or the series, and even the launch event is currently unknown.

However, we can expect more news to arrive by tomorrow morning or later in the day, through teasers shared by the Honor themselves. The company is already gearing up for an important launch of the new Honor 30S, which is expected to launch by 31st March 2020. So stay tuned for more updates on either series and other product launches as well.

MIUI 12 announcement may happen next week, Alleged release timeline leaks as well

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 20, 2020

Xiaomi released MIUI 11 just a few months back and now reports have already started popping up regarding the next iteration of the company’s Android skin called MIUI 12. One of the latest leaks includes an alleged release timeline, whereas a new report suggests the development to begin as soon as next week.

According to a Mi Community post titled ‘MIUI 12 Official and Update Schedule’, which has been now taken down, the first private beta builds of MIUI 12 will be released in September, followed by public beta builds from October. Lastly, the stable release is expected to begin in December. However, it is important to note that this information was posted by a profile with a tag ‘Mi Influencer’. And therefore, it is highly recommended to digest this MIUI 12 release schedule with a pinch of salt.

On the other hand, the changelog of the latest MIUI in-test development build mentioned something big to be announced next week. Now, when users in China search on the official MIUI website to participate in the beta program, the ‘Not Found’ error dialog prompt mentions ‘MIUI 12’ suggesting the big announcement scheduled for next week is indeed to do something about MIUI 12. Hopefully, we will get more official information directly from Xiaomi itself, unlike the above-alleged update schedule.

As per previous rumors, the MIUI 12 is expected to bring features like more refined system-wide dark mode, new GUI, support for 16:9 aspect ratio displays, and more.

(Source 1, Source 2)

Buy VORKE Notebook 15 PRO Laptop for Just $619.99 from GeekBuying

By

Vinay Patel

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Mar 20, 2020

Last year, popular mini PC and Android TV box maker, VORKE launched its line of notebooks dubbed the VORKE Notebook 15, comprising notebooks designed for meeting your daily computing needs.

While you’d normally expect a top-end notebook to carry a steep price tag, the VORKE Notebook 15 PRO has gone up for pre-order carrying a lowered price through Gearbest. Equipped with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 256GB SSD storage space, the laptop usually retails for $805.99, but the Chinese e-tailer is giving you a chance to pre-order it for just $ 619.99.

This translates to a noteworthy 23 percent discount. Moreover, you can save more money by applying the 2% Off New User Coupon within 7 days after receiving it, provided this is your first order with GeekBuying. The coupon will be available under the ‘My Coupons’ section of your account, and it will be valid from March 20th, 2020 to March 27th, 2020.
Powered by the Intel Core i5-8250U processor that provides maximum high-efficiency power, the VORKE Notebook 15 Pro packs a highly competent NVIDIA GeForce MX150 GPU under the hood. It runs the latest genuine Windows 10 operating system with up to date software updates while drawing its juices from a 44Whr battery that delivers a longer battery life.

The VORKE Notebook 15 PRO sports a 15.6-inches display with a 1920×1080 pixel resolution for a superior viewing experience. In the optics department, the laptop houses a 2MP front camera for capturing photos and video calling with friends and family. Housed in a 19mm full metal body, the VORKE Notebook 15 PRO weighs in at only 1.96kg, making it a light and easy-to-carry laptop.

To know more about the VORKE Notebook 15 PRO Laptop and place your pre-order, all you need to do is to follow this link without wasting time. Note that the estimated shipping time of the laptop is 10 days.

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.

VORKE Notebook 15 PRO Laptop

Buy Xiaomi Redmi Airdots TWS Bluetooth Earphone for Just $20.59 from Gearbest

By

Vinay Patel

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Mar 20, 2020

Touted as one of China’s most reliable e-tailers, Gearbest comes up with amazing promotion sales from time to time. As part of its recently kicked-off Super Deals promo, the Chinese online store is now offering a wide range of products across multiple categories at unbeatable prices.

In addition to a myriad of other top-end products, the Gearbest Super Deals promo is giving you a chance to purchase the Xiaomi Redmi AirDots Wireless Earbuds for a considerably lowered price. Available with a black case, the earphone usually retails for $33.99, but you can now get your hands on it for just $20.59, which translates to a significant 39 percent discount.

The long-awaited wireless Bluetooth earbuds from Xiaomi was made available for the Chinese market bearing the Redmi AirDots moniker back in June 2019. Xiaomi also launched the Mi AirDots Youth Edition wireless Bluetooth earbuds in China last year.

The truly wireless headphones pack a built-in Realtek 8763 chip and use Bluetooth 5.0 for more stable and faster connectivity. Moreover, it adopts the TWS (true wireless stereo) technology to ensure audio is accurately distributed in both earbuds for a truly wireless experience.

Furthermore, the Redmi AirDots adopts a tangle-free design and comes with a charging box that can be used for storing and charging the set wirelessly. The TWS Bluetooth earphone uses 7.2mm audio drivers to generate high-quality stereo audio and deep bass.

Each earbud weighs in at only 4.1g, making them lighter than even a coin. It is housed in a round-shaped body to ensure it first inside your ear comfortably for a longer duration. The Redmi AirDots draws its juices from a 300mAh charging dock that offers 12 hours of power.

You can head straight to this link to check out more details about the Xiaomi Redmi Airdots TWS Bluetooth Earphone and place your order. With more than 10 pieces sold at the time of writing, the Super Deals promo is slated to end in just 1 day.

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.

Xiaomi Redmi AirDots

Redmi K30 Pro 5G camera setup has dual OIS for 64MP camera and 3x optical zoom telephoto lens

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 20, 2020

The Redmi K30 Pro 5G is expected to arrive with better camera capabilities than the vanilla Redmi K30 5G that had debuted in December 2019. The recently released official posters that showcase the rear side of the Redmi K30 Pro 5G reveals the presence of a round-shaped camera module with four cameras inside it. There is a “64MP” text imprinted at the center of the camera housing which indicates that it could be borrowing the Sony IMX686 64-megapixel lens that first debuted on the Redmi K30 series. Today, Redmi officially confirmed some of the key features of the Redmi K30 Pro 5G’ rear-facing cameras.

The Redmi K30 Pro 5G will be the first Redmi phone to arrive with optical image stabilization (OIS) capabilities. A reliable Chinese tipster had claimed few days back that the camera setup of the K30 Pro will be equipped with dual OIS.

Redmi has today confirmed that the Redmi K30 Pro 5G will have an OIS assisted primary lens of 64-megapixel. The 3x optical zoom supporting telephoto sensor of the K30 Pro 5G will be powered with OIS. However, the company did not confirm on the megapixel count of the telephoto lens. The presence of dual OIS will make it possible for K30 Pro users to capture stable long-distance shots and record jerk-free videos. Apart from the main 64-megapixel lens and telephoto shooter, the K30 Pro’s camera setup may include an ultrawide sensor and a macro lens.

Editor’s Pick: Redmi K30 Pro 5G’s notch-less display won’t support high refresh rate

The Redmi K30 Pro 5G will be arriving in some exciting colors. The Chinese firm has already revealed that the phone will be coming in green, white and purple. Today, the company shared another render of the phone which reveals it will be also available in gray color. All the color editions of the K30 Pro are equipped with a distinctive red colored power button. A report that was published earlier today revealed that the phone may arrive in China with a pricing of 3,299 Yuan (~$465).

(source)

Huawei donates 500,000 masks to Japan, Announces plan to send medical aid to Ireland too

By

Sudarshan Ravichandran

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Mar 20, 2020

Huawei Technologies has pledged to donate 500,000 masks to medical institutions in Japan. As per a report by Kyodo News, the firm has already contributed the first batch of 200,000 masks to two university hospitals in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Further, the remaining masks have been planned to be donated to other regions in the country. In other news, the company has also announced to send medical equipment to Ireland, the second European country to receive medial supplies fro them company after Italy.

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The telecom giant Huawei is not the only Chinese firm to donate medical supplies to foreign countries. Previously, Lenovo, Alibaba, Xiaomi, Oppo, and others have contributed so far for the greater good. Wang Jianfeng, chairman of Huawei Japan said that he hopes to help the Japanese people get through difficult times. It is worth noting that even Japan helped China when the coronavirus outbreak began two months back.

Apart from Japan, Huawei has sent relief aids to Italy and has now even announced to donate ‘personal protective equipment’ and ‘technological equipment’ to Ireland in a statement. David Kenny, the deputy chief executive of Huawei Ireland said that COVID-19 knows no border or nationality and everyone is in this together. He further said that Huawei is operating its business in Ireland for 15 years and thus it will do everything it can do to help as it is doing in other European countries. He added that the company’s donations will help the people working on the frontline as well as in the ICT department for video conferencing.

With that being said, the precise number of units and shipping methods are yet to be determined, however, Mr. Kenny assures that his company has teams in both China and Dublin working to bring the equipment as quickly as possible.

(Via, Source)

Official Cool OnePlus Explorer Backpack is now available for a Lowered Price of Just $95 on Giztop

By

Vinay Patel

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Mar 20, 2020

Crafted from the ground up, the OnePlus Explorer Backpack offers reliable durability, coupled with liters of space and an eye-catching aesthetic.

The company redefined the backpack design by using genuine CORDURA fabric, making it a great choice for the frequent traveler. It adopts a minimalist design and features several compartments that offer ample storage space.

On top of that, it is padded to ensure your fragile electronic items such as your laptop remains safe even when traveling. The Explorer Backpack has a deep, yet easy-to-reach water bottle compartment and another compartment at the bottom with breathable vents for you to carry your wet items.

The main compartment features a magnetic FIDLOCK fastener that can effortlessly be opened simply by pulling with one hand. The exceptionally strong Slate Black version of the Explorer Backpack is tear and scuff-resistant as it uses the CORDURA fabric. There is a Morandi Green version that is made using the same material.

To offer superior protection for your electronic items, this case features impact-resistant, shock-absorbing nylon exterior shell, coupled with soft, padded, water-resistant lining. Aside from that, the Explorer Backpack has a secure rain cover, which means, you can carry your headset with you even when its raining.

While the Official Cool OnePlus Explorer Backpack is a great choice for travel, it is perfect for daily use as well. While the backpack would normally set you back $109, popular Chinese e-tailer Giztop is offering it for a lowered price of just $95. 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.

Official Cool OnePlus Explorer Backpack

Redmi K30 Pro 5G spotted with 3,299 Yuan (~$465) pricing on official store on Chinese retailer

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 20, 2020

The upcoming Redmi K30 Pro 5G is said to arrive as the cheapest Snapdragon 865 mobile platform smartphone. The iQOO 3 5G phone with 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage has a price tag of 3,598 Yuan (~$507) whereas the Realme X50 Pro 5G with 8 GB of RAM and same amount of storage costs 3,599 Yuan (~$507). Currently, these are the cheapest SD865 powered phones in China. Xiaomi Product Director Wang Teng Thomas had earlier hinted that the Redmi K30 Pro 5G would be priced between 3,000 Yuan (~$423) and 3,599 Yuan (~$507). A screenshot of the Redmi K30 Pro 5G’s listing on Suning is now doing rounds on Weibo. It shows that the phone has a very affordable price tag of 3,299 Yuan (~$465).

The Redmi K30 Pro 5G is now up for reservations on the official Xiaomi store on Suning. The 3,299 Yuan pricing has been taken down. The configuration of the K30 Pro model that carried the said wasn’t mentioned. Rumors have it that the base model of the K30 Pro will be equipped with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi reveals the Redmi K30 Pro 5G full display details

The listing on Suning carries some of the official renders of the Redmi K30 Pro 5G. It also mentions some of the already known features of the smartphone. The listing states that the phone is powered by Snapdragon 865 mobile platform and LPDDR5 RAM.

A tech blogger ran a poll asking whether the Redmi K30 Pro 5G with 3,299 Yuan will be worth buying. Interestingly, Lu Weibing who is the General Manager of Redmi brand has liked the post which suggests that the phone may indeed carry the said pricing. It remains to be seen whether the base model or the second variant of the phone will be priced at 3,299 Yuan.

What could be the ideal pricing for the Redmi K30 Pro’s base model? Share us your thoughts by posting your comments below.

(source)

OPPO Find X2 Pro Lamborghini Edition up for reservation in China

By

Jeet

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Mar 20, 2020

Earlier this month, OPPO launched its flagship next-generation Find-series smartphones — OPPO Find X2 and Find X2 Pro. Along with that, the company also announced OPPO Find X2 Pro Lamborghini Edition.

Today, the company has announced that it has officially started taking reservations for the OPPO Find X2 Pro Lamborghini Edition and has also confirmed that the phone will go on sale in China from 24th March. The smartphone is priced at 12,999 yuan, which roughly converts to $1,876.

The Find X2 Pro Lamborghini Edition has an industry-first design that uses “heat-absorbing glass process” to create a three-dimensional ridged fuselage. It has four layers of superimposed technology giving it a carbon-fibre texture similar to the Lamborghini interior. There’s also a Lamborghini logo at the back which is crafted using a special process in order to give it a three-dimensional suspension effect.

Further, the device comes with several customised accessories inside the retail packaging box. The customised accessories include earbuds, protective case, car charger, USB cable and charging adapter, among others.

It features a 6.7-inch Quad HD+ display with 1080 x 3168 pixels screen resolution, 21:9 aspect ratio, and 120Hz refresh rate. It also comes with a dedicated custom chip under the screen for image processing for upscaling video content of any quality to 60fps or 120fps and it can also convert SDR to HDR.

The smartphone features an OIS assisted custom-made 48-megapixel Sony IMX689 primary camera sensor, a 120-degree 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 ultra-wide lens and an OIS enabled periscope zoom lens with support for 60x digital zoom, 10x hybrid zoom and 5x optical zoom. On the front side, it comes with a 32-megapixel Sony IMX616 sensor.

The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, coupled with 12GB of RAM and 512GB internal storage. It runs ColorOS 7.1 based Android 10 operating and is powered by a 4,260mAh battery with 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging technology that can fast charge the phone in just 38 minutes.

Samsung Galaxy S20 series goes on sale in China for the first time

By

Jeet

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Mar 20, 2020

Samsung unveiled its next-generation Galaxy S-series flagship smartphones last month in the form of Galaxy S20 5G, S20+ 5G, and S20 Ultra 5G. Soon after their global debut, the devices were launched in China, along with the Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone.

While the Samsung Galaxy S20 series flagship smartphone were up for pre-order in China from 6th March, the company has today officially started shipping the devices in the country, marking the sales going live.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Lineup — Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra

The Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G comes in two variants in China — 12GB RAM with 256GB storage and 16GB RAM with 512GB storage, costing 9,999 Yuan (~$1,427) and 11,199 Yuan (~$1,598) respectively.

On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G with 12GB of RAM and 128GB internal storage costs 7,999 Yuan (~$1,141) while the Galaxy S20 5G packing 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is priced at 6,999 Yuan (~$999).

As for the specifications, the Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra features 6.2-inch, 6.7-inch, and 6.9-inch displays respectively. The company is offering Infinity-O AMOLED display with a punch-hole cutout and Quad HD+ screen resolution.

Under the hood, all three devices are powered by the Qualcomm’s latest flagship mobile platform — Snapdragon 865. The smartphones come with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, one of the highest configurations in the market.

As for the cameras, the S20 and the Plus model feature 10-megapixel selfie cameras whereas the Ultra comes with a 40-megapixel front-facing camera. The S20 Ultra feature 108-megapixel quad camera setup while the Plus variant has a 64-megapixel quad camera setup and the standard model has a 48-megapixel triple camera system.

The 5G smartphones are running the latest Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own Samsung One UI 2.0 custom user interface on top. As for powering the devices, The S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra come powered by 4,000mAh, 4,500mAh, and 5,000mAh batteries respectively.

Unreleased Essential smartphones PH-2 and PH-3 shown off by former designer

By

Jeet

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Mar 20, 2020

Essential, a smartphone brand formed by Android founder Andy Rubin, shut the shop earlier this year just after launching one smartphone — Essential PH-1. With all the future plans of the company scrapped, its former designer has shared images of devices which could have been PH-2 and PH-3 smartphones.

Kevin Hoffman was working with Essential as a lead designer on the company’s sequel smartphones which never saw the light of day. He has shared images of the company’s new devices via design process and also reveals why they never got launched.

The design of the Essential PH-2 seems like a natural progress for the PH-1 with the company keeping the rear design same, having two cameras, magnetic pin attachments, and a fingerprint sensor. It also would have been IP68 rated in a move of the company listening to its users demand.

The phone was killed off in its second round of EVT testing. Hoffman says that Andy Rubin himself pulled the plug of this PH-2 smartphone in favor of Essential Home product line, which also never made its way to the market.

The Essential PH-3 smartphone is said to have been in works this year as well. Given that the product was designed with low build-of-material cost, the company was aiming for the budget segment with this phone.

The company would have used bead-blasted machined aluminium for the body, a 2.5D front glass, and an OLED display. The images also show a triple-camera setup on the back and the frame was flat as a “homage to the original PH1 Essential phone design language.”

The smartphone never made it to the market given that it was in the early stages of development when the company closed its doors last month. Although the company struggled with sales and controversies related to Andy Rubin‘s past, Essential has a very strong track record when it comes to Android updates.

(Source)

iQOO 3 Orange color variant is now officially up for pre-sale in China

By

Jeet

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Mar 20, 2020

A few weeks ago, Vivo’s sub-brand launched its next-generation flagship smartphone — iQOO 3 and the phone was made available for purchase in China. The device was available in Quantum Silver and Tornado Black color so far.

Now, the company has officially started pre-sale activities for the Orange color model of the iQOO 3 5G flagship smartphone in China through major online retailers in the country. The dazzling color option is said to have been inspired from speed.

Coming to the specifications, the iQOO 3 5G smartphone features a 6.44-inch HDR10+ complaint S-AMOLED display that offers Full HD+ screen resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and 20:9 aspect ratio, 800nits of full screen brightness and 100 percent P3 color gamut.

The device also has an under-display fingerprint sensor which the company claims can unlock the device in just 0.31 seconds. There’s carbon fiber VC liquid cooling technology onboard that can effectively reduce surface temperature by 3.5-degree Celsius and CPU temperature by 12-degree Celsius.

Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, along with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The device also has “Monster Touch” buttons that can be used to map gaming functions such as shoot, jump, fly, etc.

In the camera department, the smartphone features a quad-camera setup that consists of a 48-megapixel main shooter, a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 13-megapixel telephoto sensor and a 2-megapixel portrait lens. On the front side, the device features a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

For enhanced audio experience, the iQOO 3 is equipped with AK4377A Hi-Fi audio chipset and Hi-Res audio certification. The Android 10 OS is pre-loaded on the device along with iQOO UI 1.0 custom skin.

There’s also Multi-Turbo technology for boosting the phone’s performance while gaming. It also offers other gaming friendly features such as 180Hz touch response rate, 4D in-game vibrations, and Ultra Game Mode.

The iQOO 3 smartphone is fuelled by a 4,400mAh battery that supports 55W Super FlashCharge technology and the company says that it takes only 15 minutes the phone to reach 50 percent battery juice from scratch.

(Via)

OPPO Reno Ace 2 live shot reveals Oreo camera design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Mar 20, 2020

In October 2019, OPPO had unveiled the OPPO Reno Ace smartphone. The handset may soon get replaced by the successor model. While OPPO is still silent on its existence, a reputed tipster from China has shared a live shot of the Reno Ace 2. The leaked image shows that it will be sporting an Oreo camera design on its back.

As it can be seen, the alleged OPPO Reno Ace 2 can be seen flaunting a blue colored rear shell. It appears to be made out of glass. The circular camera module seems to be fitted with four cameras. The LED flash which isn’t visible in the image could be placed on the left side of the camera setup. The predecessor OPPO Reno Ace had featured a vertical camera setup on its back.

The left side of the phone has volume up and down buttons. A USB-C port is placed between two speaker grilles on the bottom side of the device. Its right edge could be having a power button.

The display design of the OPPO Reno Ace 2 is not known yet. Probably, the handset may graduate to punch-hole display from waterdrop notch screen that was made available on the original Reno Ace. The rumor mill is yet to spill the specifications of the Reno Ace 2.

Editor’s Pick: Oppo released its Anti-Gaming Addiction system, limits expenditure for minors

OPPO Reno Ace specifications

The OPPO Reno Ace had arrived with a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with in-screen fingerprint reader. The screen supported 90Hz refresh rate, full HD+ resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 855+ SoC fueled the device. The handset sported up to 8 GB of RAM and UFS 3.0 storage of up to 128 GB.

The quad camera setup placed on the rear side of the OPPO Reno Ace featured a 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 main lens, a 13-megapixel telephoto lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor. It had a front camera of 16-megapxiel. The phone was backed by a 4,000mAh battery. The 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 charger could completely charge the phone in around 30 minutes.

(source)

The Nokia 1.3 is the first Android Go phone to ship with Camera Go

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 19, 2020

The Nokia 1.3 is the third smartphone HMD Global unveiled today. It is an Android One Go phone and it comes with an app that is not available on any other Android Go phones.

The Nokia 1.3 has a design similar to that of the Nokia 2.3. It is a 3D nano-textured polycarbonate back while the front is covered in glass. The phone has a waterdrop notch in the display with pretty thick bezels which we won’t fault at this price point.

The screen of the phone is 5.71-inches and it is an HD+ panel. There is a Snapdragon 215 chipset (4x Cortex-A53 cores) inside the phone along with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage that can be expanded by up to an additional 400GB via a MicroSD card slot.

On the back is an 8MP camera with low-light enhancement while the selfie camera is a 5MP sensor. Talking about cameras, the phone comes with a new camera app called Camera Go. This is a new Android Go app and can be called the Android Go version of the camera app found in Pixel phones.

The Nokia 1.3 has a dedicated Google Assistant button, an audio jack, FM radio, Bluetooth 4.2, LTE, and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. There is a 3000mAh battery inside that is removable and said to last more than a day on a single charge. It charges via a MicroUSB port and ships with a 5W adapter. Android 10 (Go Edition) is pre-installed and it will get updated to Android 11 (Go Edition).

The phone will be available in April for €95 and you will be able to purchase it in Cyan, Charcoal, or Sand as well as single SIM or dual SIM models depending on the market.

The Nokia 5310 revives the famous XpressMusic series; costs just €39

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Mar 19, 2020

It has become a tradition for HMD Global to resurrect one legacy/classic Nokia phone each year. This year’s legacy device is the Nokia 5310 and it is the modern version of the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic that was announced back in 2007.

The Nokia 5310 looks more like the Nokia 5200 with its white + red design and keyboard more than the actual 2007 Nokia 5310. It has two large slits at the top and bottom for stereo front-facing speakers. There is a black version of the phone too but it keeps the red-accented sides where you have the playback buttons on the right and volume control buttons on the left.

The Nokia 5310 has a 2.4” QVGA display that sits above an alphanumeric keypad. There is a MediaTek MT6260A chipset inside the phone with 8MP of RAM and 16MB of storage. There is a MicroSD card slot for up to an additional 32GB of storage.

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The phone has Bluetooth 3.9, an audio jack, FM radio, and a VGA camera with flash on the rear. It also has a 1200mAh removable battery that charges via a MicroUSB port. The Nokia 5310 comes in single SIM and Dual SIM variants with varying standby time (22 days on the dual SIM version and 30 days on the single SIM variant)

HMD Global says the phone will sell for €39 and will be available this month.

Nokia 5.3 arrives with a bigger screen, bigger battery, and a more powerful chipset

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Mar 19, 2020

Just as there was no Nokia 8.2 last year, there also wasn’t a Nokia 5.2. The last Nokia 5 phone was released in 2018. Now the series is back and it packs a lot of upgrades but still manages to disappoint in some areas.

The Nokia 5.3 looks good with respect to its design. It also adopts the cookie camera setup but in a different way from that of the Nokia 8.3 5G as well as that of the Nokia 7.2 and Nokia 6.2. There is a waterdrop notch in the display for the selfie camera and the back is home to a fingerprint scanner. The Nokia 5.3 comes in Cyan, Sand, and Charcoal colorways.

With respect to specs, the phone has a 6.55-inch display. Sadly, it is not a 1080p panel but a 720p screen. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 665 chipset powers the Nokia 5.3 and it is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.

On the back are four cameras – a 13MP f/1.8 primary sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, a 5MP ultrawide angle camera, and a 2MP macro camera. The selfie camera is an 8MP sensor.

The Nokia 5.3 packs a 4000mAh battery capacity, the biggest in a Nokia 5 phone but disappointingly supports only 10W charging. Why does HMD Global keep cutting corners? There is also Bluetooth 4.2 instead of Bluetooth 5.0. You get an audio jack, FM radio, and a dedicated Google Assistant button on the side.

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The Nokia 5.3 will go on sale in April for €189 and will get upgrades to Android 11 and Android 12 along with 3 years of security updates.

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