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Meizu 17th render leak shows quad-camera setup with sensors arranged horizontally

By
Jeet
-

Smartphone maker Meizu is getting ready to launch its next-gen Meizu 17th smartphone in China and ahead of the launch, information related to the device keeps surfacing online.

Now, a new render of the upcoming smartphone has surfaced online, which shows that the Meizu 17th will come with a quad-camera setup on the back. However, the interesting part is arrangement of camera sensors.

Meizu 17th New Render Leak

It shows that the sensors will be arranged horizontally. This is surprising given that the earlier reports have claimed that the phone will have “Oreo” camera, which means that the sensors will be arranged on a circular camera module. It was also said to come with a triple-camera setup on the back having 100MP + 20MP + 20MP camera sensors.

Prior to this, a leaked render of the phone showcased its front panel, which also contradicted earlier leaks. The render revealed a punch-hole cutout on top of the display for the front-facing camera while earlier leaks indicated a full-screen notch-less screen.

EDITOR’S PICK: Vivo Apex 2020 is finally here, features a unique Camera, 60W Wireless fast charging and Curved display

This newly leaked render further increases the confusion as it shows that the smartphone carries a punch-hole cutout on top of the display but instead of having it in the centre position, it in in the top-right corner.

There are reports suggesting that the upcoming Meizu 17th will be featuring an OLED display with 2206 x 1080 pixels Full HD+ screen resolution but the screen size is not yet known. Under the hood, the device will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 octa-core flagship chipset, and will be running Flyme OS 8 user interface, on top of Android 10.

The Meizu 17th smartphone is expected to get launched in the Chinese market soon and thus, we expect to know more about the device in the coming days or weeks.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi reveals that the Redmi K30 smartphones have crossed the sales milestone of 1 million units in China

(Via)

Redmi K30 sale exceeds 1 million units in China, reveals Xiaomi

By
Jeet
-

Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi is currently gearing up to launch its flagship Redmi K30 Pro smartphone in its home country China in the coming days. As the name itself confirms, the device is the upgraded or Pro variant of the Redmi K30 smartphone that was launched a couple of months ago.

Now, the company has officially confirmed that the sale of Redmi K30 models have crossed the mark of one million units in China. This is quite impressive given that it’s less than three months since the device has been available for purchase. The sales number includes both the models — Redmi K30 4G and Redmi K30 5G.

Redmi K30 China Sales Figure

The Redmi K30 5G features a 6.67-inch IPS LCD display and comes with an elliptical punch-hole on the screen at the top-right corner for housing the dual selfie camera. Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC.

In the camera department, it has a quad-camera setup on the back, consisting of Sony IMX686 64-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, a 2-megapixel depth assist lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front side, it comes with a 20-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor.

EDITOR’S PICK: Vivo Apex 2020 Hand on Images showcase the Waterfall curved display and new Camera module

The smartphone is running the latest Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own MIUI 11 on top. The phone, which has side-mounted fingerprint sensor, is powered by a 4,500mAh battery along with 30W fast charging support.

On the other hand, the Redmi 4G comes with identical set of specifications, with few changes. It comes powered by the Snapdragon 730 chipset and the 5MP lens in the quad-camera setup has been replaced by a 2MP sensor. Also, it lacks dual-frequency GPS and has support for 27W fast charging technology.

The pricing for the 4G variant starts at 1,599 Yuan (~$227) and goes up to 2,199 Yuan (~$312) while the pricing for the 5G variant starts at 1,999 Yuan (~$284) and the top-end variant costs 2,899 Yuan (~$412).

UP NEXT: Vivo Z6 5G with SD765G, 48MP quad cameras, 5,000mAh battery for 44W fast charging launched for 2,298 Yuan

 

iQOO 3 5G goes on sale in China; pricing starts at 3598 yuan ($514)

By
Jeet
-

A few days ago, Vivo’s iQOO sub-brand, which started operations last year, launched its latest flagship smartphone — iQOO 3 5G. The phone was launched in China as well as in India, marking the brand’s debut in the Indian market.

Today, the iQOO 3 5G officially went on sale in China. The smartphone comes in four variants based on the memory configuration. The base model packs 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage and costs 3,598 yuan, which is roughly $514.

The 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model costs 3,798 yuan ($543) while the 12GB RAM and 128GB storage model is priced at 3,998 yuan, which is approximately $572. The top-end variant of the smartphone packs 12GB RAM and has 256GB of internal storage and is priced at 4,398 yuan, which roughly converts to $629.

iQOO 3 5G Sale China

As for 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.

EDITOR’S PICK: Vivo Apex 2020 is finally here, features a unique Camera, 60W Wireless fast charging and Curved display

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.

iQOO 3 Quantum Silver

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.

UP NEXT: IDC forecasts a 2.3 percent decline in 2020 Global mobile phone shipments due to COVID-19

 

Vivo NEX 3S 5G with a waterfall display and Snapdragon 865 coming soon

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Vivo left us in awe when it unveiled the APEX 2020 phone last week. The concept phone boasts features such as 60W superfast wireless charging, an under-display selfie camera, a 48MP gimbal camera, and a waterfall display with a 120° curve radius. While the APEX 2020 may not launch as a commercial device soon, Vivo has a new phone in the pipeline that will be available for purchase. A leak from China says this phone will launch as the Vivo NEX 3S 5G.

The info was revealed on Weibo yesterday by Digital Chat Station. The Chinese leaker stated that the Vivo NEX 3S 5G will launch soon. The phone will be the first Snapdragon 865 flagship with a waterfall display and will have support for 55W fast charging just like that of the iQOO 3 5G.

Vivo NEX 3S 5G

The device actually already appeared on TENAA back in January but was erroneously referred to as an orange variant of the NEX 3 5G.

The Vivo NEX 3S 5G (Vivo V1950A) will have a 6.89-inch 1080 x 2256 AMOLED display. The Snapdragon 865 processor will be paired with 8GB of RAM and be available in 128GB and 256GB variants.

There will be three cameras on the back of the phone – a 64MP primary sensor paired with a 13MP telephoto camera and a 13MP ultrawide angle camera. Just like the NEX 3, this also has a motorized pop-up selfie camera with a 16MP sensor.

TENAA says the phone has an in-display fingerprint scanner, runs Android 10, and packs a 4250mAh battery. It has support for SA and NSA 5G bands 41, 78, and 79.

The Vivo NEX 3S 5G will come in a single color which is stated as golden on the TENAA listing but which looks more like Sunset Red. The phone will weigh 219.5 grams and measure 167.44 x 76.14 x 9.4 millimeters.

There is no launch date yet but we expect it to arrive this month.

UP NEXT: The Vivo Z6 is a mid-range 5G phone with a Snapdragon 765G processor and a starting price under $350

 

(Sources: 1, 2)

Poll of The Week: Realme 6 (Helio G90) or Realme 6 Pro (Snapdragon 720G)?

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Later this week, Realme will announce the Realme 6 series. The two phones in the series are the Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro, and from what we already know, both phones pack some pretty interesting features including displays with a 90Hz refresh rate and four rear cameras each.

However, both phones will differ with respect to the processor inside them. The Realme 6 will have a MediaTek Helio G90 processor whilethe Realme 6 Pro will have a Snapdragon 720G chipset made by Qualcomm. The two processors are actually quite similar and are both designed for gaming, so they should be able to handle any modern mobile game thrown at them.

Snapdragon 720G

Helio G90 Series

Snapdragon 720G – 8nm octa-core processor (2x Kryo 465 based on Arm’s Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.3GHz + 6x Kryo 260 based on Arm’s Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.8GHz).

Helio G90 – 12nm octa-core processor (2x Cortex A76 clocked at 2.0GHz  + 6x Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0GHz).

As you can see from above, the two processors have the same type of cores and core arrangement, differing only with respect to node size and clockspeed. Of course, they also have different GPUs.

So for this week’s poll, we want to know which of the two devices you will choose (considering only the chipset). Is it the Realme 6 with its Helio G90 chipset or the Realme 6 Pro with its Snapdragon 720G SoC? Do take the poll and let us know why you prefer one over the other.

[yop_poll id=27]

 

UP NEXT: UNISOC’s Tiger T7520 5G processor is the world’s first 6nm EUV processor

 

Huawei P40 Lite vs Samsung Galaxy A51 vs Xiaomi Mi 9T: Specs Comparison

By
Michele Ingelido
-

About a month before the official launch of the flagships from the P40 series, Huawei officially announced the affordable variant of the new lineup: Huawei P40 Lite. It is not a completely new device since it is just a rebranded version of the device known in China as the Huawei Nova 6 SE. The difference is that the Huawei P40 Lite is for the global market. For this specs comparison, we chose one of the latest devices launched in the global market: Samsung Galaxy A51. We also included one of the most popular mid-rangers in the European market: Xiaomi Mi 9T. Does the Huawei P40 Lite represent a better option? This comparison will try to give you the final answer.

 

Huawei P40 Lite vs Samsung Galaxy A51 vs Xiaomi Mi 9T

Huawei Nova 6 SE Samsung Galaxy A51 Xiaomi Mi 9T
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 159.2 x 76.3 x 8.7 mm, 183 grams 158.5 x 73.6 x 7.9 mm, 172 grams 156.7 x 74.3 x 8.8 mm, 191 g
DISPLAY 6.4 inches, 1080 x 2310p (Full HD+), 398 ppi, LTPS IPS LCD 6.5 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 405 ppi, Super AMOLED  6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR Huawei Hisilicon Kirin 810, octa-core 2.27 GHz Samsung Exynos 9611, octa-core 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 730, octa-core 2.84 GHz
MEMORY 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – nano memory card slot 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE Android 10, EMUI Android 10, One UI  Android 9 Pie, MIUI
CONNECTIVITY  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA Quad 48 + 8 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.4, f/2.4 and f/2.4
16 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Quad 48 + 12 + 5 + 5 MP f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.4 and f/2.2
32 MP f/2.2 front camera		  Triple 48 + 13 + 8 MP, f/1.8, f/2.4 and f/2.4
20 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY 4200 mAh, fast charging 40W 4000 mAh, fast charging 15W  4000 mAh, fast charging 27W with Quick Charge 4.0
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Hybrid Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot

Design

Do you like punch-hole displays to get rid of bezels or do you prefer a notch-less and holeless display on a phone equipped with a pop-up selfie camera? If the first option is your choice, we believe you should go for the Samsung Galaxy A51, which provides a single punch-hole display and a higher screen-to-body ratio than Huawei P40 Lite. But if you do not hate the pop-up camera, Xiaomi Mi 9T has a more interesting design since it is built with more premium materials. Despite it is just a mid-ranger, it comes with a glass back and an aluminum frame just like flagship smartphones. Xiaomi Mi 9T is even more compact, but it is thicker and one of the reasons is the presence of a motorized pop-up camera.

 

Display

Huawei P40 Lite is not so trendy with its IPS display. On the other hand, Xiaomi Mi 9T looks very gorgeous with its AMOLED display boasting the HDR certification. It is a notch-less panel with brilliant colors and a great image quality, great for multimedia-addicted users. Samsung Galaxy A51 is another device with an amazing display. Just like the Xiaomi Mi 9T, it has a Full HD+ AMOLED panel with high contrast, brightness, and screen-to-body ratio. Unfortunately, it is not HDR-compliant, but it remains an awesome display for a mid-ranger.

 

Specs & Software

On the paper, the Kirin 810 found on the Huawei P40 Lite is the best chipset. It has great CPU and GPU performance, as well as a very low energy consumption since it is built with a 7 nm production process. And Huawei P40 Lite also offers a higher amount of RAM than Samsung Galaxy A51 and Xiaomi Mi 9T: up to 8 GB. Huawei P40 Lite has expandable internal storage, while Xiaomi Mi 9T does not. And unlike the Xiaomi Mi 9T, it has Android 10 out of the box, despite it does not come with Google services, replaced by Huawei Mobile Services. Samsung Galaxy A51 has inferior hardware to both Xiaomi Mi 9T and Huawei P40 Lite.

 

Camera

We still had no chance to test every camera department of these devices, but on the paper, Xiaomi Mi 9T looks more interesting. It is the only one to offer a telephoto lens, so it is the only with optical zoom, despite it has a triple camera instead of the quad-camera setup found on its rivals. Samsung Galaxy A51 looks to have a better front camera, but its rear cameras do not look promising.

 

Battery

With its 4200 mAh capacity (200 mAh more than Samsung Galaxy A51 and Xiaomi Mi 9T) and a very efficient chipset, Huawei P40 Lite should last more than its opponents with most of the usage patterns. It also charges a lot faster thanks to its 40W fast charging technology.

 

Price

You can get all of these devices for less than €300/$332 and for those prices, Huawei P40 Lite looks like a slightly better handset. But it lacks an AMOLED display and a really premium design, so keep that in mind. Further, I believe Xiaomi Mi 9T can offer a higher value for money due to a lower street price (less than €270/$299 in the 6/64 GB configuration).

 

Huawei P40 Lite vs Samsung Galaxy A51 vs Xiaomi Mi 9T: PROs and CONS

Huawei P40 Lite

PROs

  • Very fast charging
  • Biggest battery
  • More RAM
  • Good cameras

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

Samsung Galaxy A51

PROs

  • Nice AMOLED display
  • Micro SD dedicated slot
  • In-display fingerprint reader

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

Xiaomi Mi 9T

PROs

  • Very good price
  • Great hardware
  • Notch-less and holeless display
  • Telephoto sensor

CONS

  • No micro SD

 

OPPO Find X2 and X2 Pro: New leak reveals differences

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

OPPO will be launching the Find X2 series on March 6. Certifications have revealed that the lineup includes the Find X2 that has a model number of CPH2023 and the Find X2 Pro phone with CPH2025 model number. A leaked image that has surfaced on Weibo has revealed the differences between the two devices. The authenticity of the image could not be confirmed. Hence, readers are advised to digest the report with a grain of salt.

OPPO Find X2 vs Find X2 Pro

The OPPO Find X2 and X2 Pro are Snapdragon 865 mobile platform powered phones that are equipped with 10-bit 6.7-inch curved S-AMOLED punch-hole displays that support quad HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Their displays are embedded with fingerprint readers. Both phones are equipped with Sony IMX616 32-megapixel selfie cameras and the batteries of both phones are coupled with 65W Super Flash Charge 2.0. These devices are preinstalled with ColorOS 7.1 based Android 10 OS.

Shown below is a video that showcases the features of the Find X2 Pro. The leak reveals that the Find X2 Pro is equipped with 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256 GB of UFS 3.0 storage. Its triple camera setup includes a 13-megpaixel periscope telephoto lens, a 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 ultrawide lens and a 48-megapixel Sony IMX689 lens with omni-directional focus. It houses a 4,260mAh battery. The triple cameras come with dual OIS for telephoto and IMX689, Ultra Steady Video 2.0, 10x hybrid zoom and 60x digital zoom. Its other features include support for 10 5G bands, NFC, dual stereo speakers, X-axis linear otor and IP68 rating. Black and Orange are its two color variants.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei Enjoy 10e with 6.3-inch display, 5,000mAh battery and 128GB storage announced

The OPPO Find X2’s triple rear shooters include a 13-megapixel telephoto lens, a 12-megapixel Sony IMX708 movie lens and a 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 ultrawide sensor. It will support 5x hybrid zoom and 20x digital zoom. The phone has 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 256 GB of UFS 3.0 storage and 4,200mAh battery. It also features support for 4 5G bands, NFC, dual stereo speakers and Z-axis linear motor.

UP NEXT: Vivo Apex 2020 Hand on Images showcase the Waterfall curved display and new Camera module

 

 

(source 1, 2)

Microsoft Surface Duo may release ahead of schedule

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

In October 2019, Microsoft had couple of hardware devices such as Surface Laptop 3, Surface Pro 7, Surface Pro X and Android devices such as Surface Neo and Surface Duo. At the event, the company had claimed that the Surface Neo and Surface Duo will be available for purchase by the holiday shopping season. In February, the Surface Duo was spotted publicly which suggested that it may debut soon. A fresh report on Windows Central states that the Redmond based company may announce its release date at the spring event through which it may unveil the Surface Go 2 and Surface Book 3 devices.

The publication claims that the hardware and software for the Surface Duo have been finalized and the company is now optimizing the OS and in-box app experiences. The report states that the software will be read by April. Instead of the latest Snapdragon 865 processor, the Surface Duo is expected to be powered by last year’s Snapdragon 855. Hence, it won’t carry support for 5G connectivity.

Microsoft Surface Duo
Microsoft Surface Duo

Editor’s Pick: Microsoft launches Windows 10X for foldable notebooks, releases videos of Surface Duo and Neo

The Surface Duo may debut in limited quantities in summer mainly for developers and enthusiasts. The device could be available for purchase by spring alongside the Surface Go and Surface Book 3. Most flagship phones now come with 5G connectivity and even mid-range smartphones will come with 5G support by the end of the year. If the S8D855 powered Surface Duo with no 5G support arrives by the year end, it would be considered outdated. Hence, the company may release the Surface Duo soon.

Microsoft Surface Duo specifications

The Surface Duo is a foldable Android phone that comes with two separate 5.6-inch screens. The new report states that the SD855 driven device will come with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native storage. There is no word on the other specs of the device. Microsoft had previously confirmed that the Surface Pro will offer world camera experience. Also, it is expected to be available in higher RAM and storage options.

UP NEXT: COVID-19: Google and Microsoft speed up plans to move production out of China

 

(source)

Huawei Enjoy 10e with 6.3-inch display, 5,000mAh battery and 128GB storage announced

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Huawei unveiled the Enjoy 10e today as the fourth Enjoy series smartphones that includes other smartphones such as Enjoy 10, Enjoy 10S and Enjoy 10 Plus. The Enjoy 10e sports a waterdrop notch screen like the other phones in the lineup. It comes with a large internal storage and a behemoth battery. It has arrived in China with a starting price of 949 Yuan (~$135).

Huawei Enjoy 10e specifications and features

The Huawei Enjoy 10e has 159.07 x 74.08 x 9.04mm and it weighs 185 grams. The smartphone has a 6.3-inch IPS LCD panel that offers 720 x 1600 pixels HD+ resolution and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The phone delivers a screen-to-body ratio of 88.4 percent.

The Helio P35 octa-core processor that clocks at 2.3GHz powers the Enjoy 10e. The same processor powers other smartphones such as Honor 8A Play, Vivo Y3 and Xiaomi Mi Play. The phone comes with 4 GB of RAM and it offers users with up to 128 GB of native storage. A microSD card slot is available on the phone for additional storage.

Huawei Enjoy 10e
Huawei Enjoy 10e

Editor’s Pick: Huawei Nova 7 5G, Nova 7 SE 5G, and Nova 7 Pro 5G coming soon

The rear shell of the Huawei Enjoy 10e has a camera module at the top-left corner. It includes a main lens of a 13-megapixel main lens with f/1.8 aperture followed by an LED flash and an f/2.4 aperture 2-megapixel depth sensor. The dual cameras support PDAF and full HD video recording. On the front, it features an 8-megapixel selfie shooter with f/2.0 aperture. The front camera also supports 1080p video shooting.

The Enjoy 10e is backed by a 5,000mAh battery which supports only 10W charging. It comes with support for reverse charging. The Android 10 OS comes preloaded on the device along with EMUI 10. It has other features such as dual SIM support, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB OTG, microUSB and 3.5mm audio jack. It lacks a fingerprint reader.

Huawei Enjoy 10e price and release date

The Enjoy 10e is now up for pre-sales until March 5. The 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage editions of the Enjoy 10e are priced at 999 Yuan (~$143) and 1,199 Yuan (~$171), respectively. During the pre-sale period, buyers can enjoy 51 Yuan (~$7.2) discount which effectively brings down the pricing of the two models to 949 Yuan (~$135) and 1,149 Yuan (~$164). Magic Night Black, Pearl White and Emerald Green are the three color editions of the smartphone.

UP NEXT: Nokia and Ericsson may merge to take on Huawei and ZTE

 

 

Nokia C2 with UNISOC processor coming soon; will have 4G

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Last year, HMD Global revived the Nokia C-series with the Nokia C1. The C1 is an entry-level device targeted at those just who may be picking up their first smartphone. The Nokia C1 is pretty affordable and one of the ways it is able to keep its price down is due to it not having 4G support. Now, a report has surfaced that a Nokia C2 is coming soon and it will have 4G.

The news was first reported by NokiaPowerUser and they said the phone has model number TA-1204 with dual-SIM support. The phone has been certified in Thailand and Malaysia already and may have been one of the phones HMD Global would have unveiled at its pre-MWC 2020 event before it was canceled.

Nokia C1
The Nokia C1 will have a successor called the Nokia C2 and it will have 4G support

The Nokia C2 is said to have a UNISOC processor just like its predecessor but may not differ with respect to the rest of the specs and the design. Nevertheless, we expect it to come in new colors. Of course, we also expect it will be a bit more expensive than the C1 due to the addition of 4G support.

HMD Global pulled out of MWC 2020 even before the annual event was canceled and it is yet to announce a new date for its product launch. The event was expected to be for the launch of the Nokia 8.2, the Nokia 4.3, the Nokia 1.3, and a feature phone called the Nokia 400.

UP NEXT: Nokia TA-1212 is a feature phone; appears on TENAA

 

(Source)

Nokia and Ericsson may merge to take on Huawei and ZTE

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

The telecommunications industry might witness one of the biggest mergers of the decade in the near future if the rumors going around are true. According to a Bloomberg report, Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson may merge their businesses.

The report doesn’t mention its sources but says the competition is putting pressure on Nokia’s earnings, prompting it to put together a team of advisers to profer solutions. Some of the possible solutions include selling off some assets or merging. It was also reported that other options being considered include shifting investments and making adjustments to the balance sheet.

Nokia Logo

The merger is just an option and may not be the decision Nokia takes. However, if it does happen, it may make it easier for Nokia and Ericsson to take on China’s Huawei and ZTE as the 5G race heats up.

Nokia is currently having a difficult time. The value of its shares has dropped by one-third in the past year but news of the possible merger saw it rise by 3%. Bloomberg adds that even if a merger is the option they choose, it won’t be a walk in the park as a merger of that size will definitely face hurdles.

Nokia is also making some changes to its management. In early December 2019, it was reported that the chairman, Risto Siilasmaa will be replaced in April 2020 after 8 years heading the company. His replacement is Sari Baldauf, a former head of networks division.

Nokia has cut its outlook and also paused its dividend. It says it is making heavy investments in 5G technology so as to be able to catch up with competitors, this its earnings will be affected. The company says it doesn’t expect a major recovery in profit until 2021.

In late 2016, Nokia acquired Alcatel-Lucent. The acquisition took 19 months after it was first announced in April 2015 and provided the Finnish company with more opportunities outside and inside the telecoms industry.

UP NEXT: Nokia 9 PureView receives Rs. 15,000 (~$208) price cut in India

 

(Source)

Android 10 update finally arrives for Mi A3 and Redmi Note 8 Pro

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

After months of waiting, Xiaomi has begun rolling out the Android 10 update for the Mi A3 Android One phone and the MIUI-running Redmi Note 8 Pro.

The Mi A3 was originally expected to get the update weeks ago but a recent report said there was a delay due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Thankfully, the update is now available for owners of the phone and there is even a download link available thanks to XDA Developers for those who do not wish to wait for the OTA to arrive on their devices.

Mi A3 500 x 500

The update for the Mi A3 is 1.3GB in size and comes as version V11.0.7.0.QFQMIXM. You can manually download it from the first source link below. The changelog says system stability has been increased and system lag has reduced. However, Android 10 brings quite a number of interesting new features such as smart reply, Family Link for Digital Wellbeing, new gesture-based navigation, and of course, a system-wide Dark Mode.

The update for the Redmi Note 8 Pro is currently rolling out in the EEA, Russia, and Pakistan. It weighs in at 1.9GB and comes with February 2020’s security patch.

Redmi Note 8 Pro Android 10 update

If you own either of these two devices, do go on and check for the update under your phone settings if you have not received a notification for the OTA yet.

If you have updated, let us know what you think about Android 10 on the Mi A3 and Redmi Note 8 Pro.

UP NEXT: Mi 10 series and Redmi 9 rumored to launch in India in March

 

(Sources: 1, 2)

Carbon 1 Mark II is the world’s first carbon fiber phone

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Most phones are either made of polycarbonate (plastic), metal, or a mix of glass and metal. However, there are times manufacturers also experiment with other materials such as ceramic, as in the case of the Xiaomi Mi MIX). Now a company called Carbon Mobile has announced the world’s first phone made from carbon fiber. The phone is called the Carbon 1 Mark II and it is powered by MediaTek‘s Helio P90 chipset.

Carbon 1 Mark II

Carbon says the phone is made using what is called HyRECM Technology (Hybrid Radio Enabled Composite Materials). The carbon fibers are interwoven with “radio permitting” composites to create a continuous monocoque (an integration of the chassis and body) design. The result is a device that is thin and light.

The Carbon 1 Mark II weighs 125 grams and has a thickness of just 6.3 millimeters, making it one of the lightest and thinnest phones in recent times.

The phone has a 6.01-inch AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6 that measures 0.4 millimeters in thickness to help maintain the phone’s overall thin design.

There is a MediaTek Helio P90 processor powering the phone. The RAM is not stated but the phone has 128GB of internal storage. It also has two rear cameras whose specs were not mentioned.

Carbon 1 Mark II

The Carbon 1 Mark II has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that sits just below the textured power button. The volume control buttons are also on the same side. There is a 3050mAh battery under the hood and it charges via a USB Type-C port at the bottom. There is no mention of fast charging but we won’t be surprised if it supports at least 18W fast charging.

The Carbon 1 Mark II is available for pre-order now for €800 (~$882) for the main Edition. You have to make a downpayment of €250 (~$276) and a balance of €550 (~$606) fifteen days before delivery. Only 2000 units are available and the pre-order page says shipping will begin in June 2020.

There is a “Founder Edition” but you can only purchase that by invitation.

UP NEXT: MediaTek announces Helio P95 with APU 2.0, PowerVR GPU and more

 

(Source)

Realme 5 Pro and Realme X gets Realme UI update; brings Android 10

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Realme has made the switch from ColorOS to Realme UI, which is its own custom UI skin. Owners of eligible devices have complained that the update has been rolling out slowly. The CEO of Realme, Madhav Sheth, revealed that the reason why they are taking their time with rolling out the update is that they have to be careful not to brick devices since the update not only brings a change from one UI to another but also upgrades the phone(s) from Android 9 Pie to Android 10. The latest devices to get the new UI and a new version of Android are the Realme 5 Pro and Realme X.

Realme UI for Realme 5 Pro

The update comes as version RMX1971EX_11_C.01 for the Realme 5 Pro and RMX1901EX_11_C.01 for the Realme X. It changes the user interface, brings new features, and optimizes others. Below is the changelog (similar for both phones) detailing what’s new:

Visuals

  • Updated UI to Realme UI.
  • Brand new Real Design makes visuals more attractive and operation more efficient.

Homescreen

  • Added new live wallpapers.
  • Added artistic wallpapers.
  • Added option to open Global Search or the notification panel when swiping down on the homescreen.
  • Added option to customize the size, shape, and style of app icons on the homescreen.
  • Optimized the graphic design of password unlock to facilitate one-handed operation.
  • Support for animated wallpapers on the lockscreen.
  • Added a Simple Mode for the homescreen, featuring larger fonts, icons, and a clearer layout.

Smart Sidebar

  • Optimized user interface and improved one-handed operation.
  • Optimized Smart Sidebar: Replaced File Console with File Manager; removed OSIE Visual Effect and No Notification Alerts.
  • Drag an app out of Smart Sidebar to open it in Split-screen Mode.
  • Added two new features: “Assistive Ball Opacity” and “Hide Assistive Ball on Fullscreen App”.
  • Optimized the Floating Window feature for more apps.
  • Added Bubbles: A bubble is displayed when you open an app in a floating window from the Smart Sidebar. Tap the bubble to collapse or open the app.

Screenshot

  • Optimized 3-Finger Screenshot Gesture: Use 3 fingers to touch and hold the screen, and swipe to take a screenshot of the selected part of the screen (partial screen capture). Use 3 fingers to touch and hold the screen, and swipe your fingers outwards to capture a long screenshot.
  • Added screenshot settings: You can adjust the position of the screenshot preview floating window and set the screenshot sound.
  • Optimized screenshot preview floating window: After taking a screenshot, drag it up and release to share it, or drag it down and release to take a long screenshot.

Navigation Gestures 3.0

  • Optimized gestures: All gestures are supported in landscape mode.
EDITOR’S PICK: Realme Smartwatch confirmed by CEO, Realme TV, Band and More to arrive soon

 

System

  • Added Focus Mode: Minimizes outside distractions when you are learning or working.
  • Added whole new charging animation.
  • Optimized the Quick Settings user interface for easier one-handed operation.
  • Added pause feature for screen recording.
  • Added a floating window and settings for screen recording.
  • New sounds added for file deletion, calculator key touches, and compass pointer.
  • Optimized system built-in ringtones.
  • Added TalkBack floating prompts for Accessibility.
  • New management feature for recent tasks: You can view memory of recent tasks and locked apps.

https://www.gizmochina.com/product/realme-5-pro/

Security

  • Random MAC address Generator: When your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network, the system generates a random MAC address to avoid targeted ads and protect your privacy.

Camera

  • Optimized the Camera UI for a better user experience.
  • Optimized the Timer UI and sound.

Communications

  • Realme Share now supports sharing files with OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi devices.
  • Optimized the Contacts UI for a more efficient experience.

Realme says this is a staged rollout but a broader roll-out will begin after a few days once it has been determined that there are no critical bugs. Realme adds that a manual download link will be posted on the website soon.

UP NEXT: Realme 6 and 6 Pro smartphones confirmed to launch in India on March 5

 

(Sources: 1, 2)

Xiaomi is the number one player in the wearable market in India, Fossils second

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

The International Data Corporation (IDC) has released its Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker for the Indian market for the fourth quarter of 2019. The data shows that a total of 14.9 million wearable devices were shipped last year in India, representing a growth of 168.3 per cent year-over-year (YoY).

The report shows that basic wearables such as smart band and smartwatches without support for third-party apps dominated the wearables market with a 96.2 per cent category share and 177 per cent year-over-year growth in 2019. Over 5.3 million smart bands were shipped in Q4 2019, an increase of 52.6 % over the previous year’s figure.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi’s Aqara officially unveils its range of smart home products in the US

Xiaomi’s wearable devices still remain the number one product in the fitness band category with a market share of 48.%  and an annual growth of 54.7 % in 2019. Titan mounted a surprise push to emerge in the second spot with a market share of 14. 5 per cent as its shipments grew 24.1 per cent during the year. IDC says the top five smart band vendors had 86.6 per cent of the market in 2019.

For the smartwatch segment, it still experienced impressive growth with a total of 933,000 units of smartwatches shipped in 2019. IDC ranks Fossil as the number one smartwatch brand with a 30.3 per cent market share, followed by Apple with a 26.6 per cent market share. Overall, Huami was the second-largest brand in the overall watch category.

Despite the strong showing by the wearable segment, the entire market growth was led by the earwear category. IDC estimates that the earwear segment grew exponentially with 443.6 per cent during 2019. India based vendor BoAt Lifestyle was the leading brand with a 27.3% market share in this category in 2019. Apple was the leader in the truly wireless earbuds with a market share of 43. 1 per cent.

UP NEXT: Vivo Apex 2020 Hand on Images showcase the Waterfall curved display and new Camera module

 

(source)

 

Chinese brand selling the Apple Watch knock-off MoreFit ID205 watch for $19 in the US

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

If you’re looking for a good smartwatch, chances are that the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch or even the Amazfit range of smartwatches will be at the top of your list. But what if you are low on cash and want something cheap? A number of Chinese companies have got you covered in that regard. One of them is MoreFit which has an Apple Watch look-alike called MoreFit ID205.

Interestingly, the wearable device comes with several features such as fitness tracking, heart-rate monitoring and so on. The watch is on offer on Amazon for $18.89 applying promo code 3DZTXVB2 at checkout. There are just two available colors at the moment- Maroon and Pink. We can’t lay our hands on the actual name of the manufacturer of this watch, something common with Chinese sellers but the Amazon offer is sold by JanTechUS and you can only access the offer from this particular seller using the promo code.

MoreFit ID205
MoreFit ID205, Amazfit Bip and Apple Watch

The watch has a square shape display like the Amazfit Bip and Apple Watch series. It has also been marketed previously as BingoFit fitness. The Epic smartwatch equally packs several features like heart rate sensor, fitness tracker etc.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi’s Aqara officially unveils its range of smart home products in the US

As for the hardware configuration, the watch has a rectangular shape but is embedded with a 1.3-inch square display surrounded by a fair amount of plastic bezel. The touchscreen display is fairly bright and can be used easily outdoors. In addition, the watch is equipped with two buttons; one on the left side for selecting a fitness activity tracker and another at the right side which is the Back button.MoreFit ID205

For a $19 smartwatch, the ID205 is rich in features which include fitness tracking as well as notifications from apps and calls, music controls, breathing control, flashlight function and a companion app called VeryFitPro.

UP NEXT: Vivo Apex 2020 Hand on Images showcase the Waterfall curved display and new Camera module

 

(source)

 

Huawei Nova 7 5G, Nova 7 SE 5G, and Nova 7 Pro 5G coming soon

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

The Nova 7i already launched in Malaysia a few weeks ago. While it can be called the first Nova 7 smartphone, it is actually just a rebranded Nova 6 SE. Yesterday, it was reported the “real“ Nova 7 will be released in April, shortly after the launch of the Huawei P40 series whose launch date has been announced already. Today, a new leak has revealed that there will be three (for now) Nova 7 phones and all three will have 5G support.

The source of the info is Digital Chat Station and a post made on Weibo earlier today reveals the names of the three phones that make up the Nova 7 series. According to the post, there will be a Nova 7 5G, a Nova 7 SE 5G, and a Nova 7 Pro 5G.

Huawei Nova 7 5G series

The post mentions there will be a Kirin 990 5G processor under the hood and OLED displays with an in-display fingerprint scanner.

We are not sure if the above configuration is for all three smartphones but we are pretty sure the Nova 7 5G and Nova 7 Pro 5G will come with the Kirin 990 5G chipset.

However, the Nova 6 SE is a mid-range 4G device with a Kirin 810 processor but this leak says its successor will have 5G. Huawei doesn’t have a mid-range 5G chipset yet, so we are curious to know if it will announce a new mid-range processor with a 5G modem or it will launch the Nova 7 SE 5G as an even more affordable 5G flagship with a Kirin 990 chipset.

There is still a whole month of waiting if the rumor about an April launch is true, but we expect more details will surface within that period.

UP NEXT: Huawei Enjoy 10e set to debut on March 1 in China

 

(Source)

Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro confirmed to have 30W Flash Charge support

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Next week is going to be a pretty interesting one for Realme fans. The manufacturer has announced that it will unveil the Realme 6 series as well as its first fitness tracker, the Realme Band, on the 5th of March. There have been plenty of leaks related to the upcoming phones. However, Realme itself has also posted some of the devices’ features. The latest one confirms the phones’ fast charging technology.

The Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro will both have support for 30W Flash Charge. Realme says with this, owners will be able to charge the phones from empty to 40% in just 15 minutes.

30W Flash Charge is a big upgrade compared to the Realme 5 which only supports 10W charging. The Realme 5 Pro, on the other hand, supports VOOC 3.0 (20W). It is interesting to see Realme is giving both the standard version and the Pro model the same fast charging technology. However, both devices will differ in other areas.

The Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro will both have a display with a hole punch on the left but the standard version will come with a single front-facing camera while the Pro will have dual selfie cameras. The two displays have been confirmed to have a 90Hz refresh rate.

Realme is also differentiating both devices with respect to their chipsets. There Realme 6 will have an Helio G90 processor while the Realme 6 Pro will come with the Snapdragon 720G.

Realme says the two phones will have 64MP quad rear cameras but the other sensors may be different.

With 30W Flash Charge, Realme is sure ready to give Xiaomi/Redmi a run for their money. Will the Redmi Note 9 series be able to match? We’ll keep our fingers crossed.

UP NEXT: Realme to launch at least five more 5G smartphones this year

 

(Source)

Realme Band IP68 fitness tracker with heart-rate monitor and USB-A to debut on March 5

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

On March 5, Realme India will be launching the Realme 6 and Realme 6 Pro smartphones. The event will be held on the said at 12:30 PM. Apart from launching the Realme 6 series, the company will be also announcing the Realme Band fitness tracker at the same event. The landing page of the fitness band is now live on Realme India’s website. People who are interested in the Realme Band can take advantage of the “hate-to-wait sale” between 2PM and 4PM that will be carried out after the launch event.

Realme Band features

On the landing page of the Realme Band, the Chinese firm has only revealed its different features but not its specifications. The Realme Band has a large-sized curved color display and it comes in three color variants such as Yellow, Black and Olive Green. The big screen can be used to view notifications, calls, message and other notifications from the paired device.

It is equipped with a heart rate sensor and a sleep tracker. The fitness band offers 9 kinds of sports modes such as bike, run, walk, hiking, climbing, yoga, fitness, spinning and cricket. The last one is specially designed feature for the cricket fans in India.

Realme Band
Realme Band

Editor’s Pick: OPPO Find X2 Pro live shots appear; Specifications leaked through retailer listing

The Realme Band is an IP68 rated dustproof and water-resistant fitness tacker. There is a USB-A connector onboard that allows the smart band to charge conveniently through the regular USB-A port. There is no word on the pricing of the Realme Band.

The Realme Band will be arriving as a rival for the Mi Smart Band from Xiaomi that is priced at Rs. 2,299 (~$32). It remains to be seen whether Xiaomi announces a cheaper and feature Redmi fitness tacker to rival with the Realme Band.

In related news, the Realme 6 will come with a single punch-hole screen and Helio G90 processor and the Realme 6 Pro will be equipped with dual punch-hole display with Snapdragon 720G processor. Both phones will support 90Hz refresh rates. The Realme 6 Pro will come with some other features like 30W fast charging and 64-mgeapixel quad cameras. The Realme 6 and 6 Pro are rumored to arrive with respective starting prices of Rs. 9,999 (~$138) and Rs. 13,999 (~$194).

UP NEXT: Huawei P40 Pro hands-on images appear well ahead of launch

 

 

(source)

Samsung Galaxy A41 CAD renders reveal 48MP triple cameras, key details

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

In December, Samsung had lanched the Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71 smartphones. The South Korean company is now gearing up to launch new Galaxy A series smartphones including the Galaxy A41. So far, past reports have revealed few details on the specs of the smartphone. A fresh report on PriceBaba carries the CAD renders of the Galaxy A41 leaked by reputed tipster OnLeaks. The new renders and the 360-degree of the phone has revealed its entire design.

As it can be seen in the images, the Galaxy A41 smartphone sports an Infinity-U notch on its display. The handset appears to be fitted with a 6-inch or 6.1-inch screen. The side bezels of the phone appear slim, but the bottom bezel is a bit thick. The dimensions of the smartphone are 150 x 70 x 7.9mm. Its thickness increases to 8.9mm at the rear camera bump.

The back panel of the phone appears to be glossy polycarbonate material and it is decked with a rectangle camera module at the top-left corner. The camera module includes three sensors and an LED flash. According to OnLeaks, it includes a 48-megapixel main lens. It could be the Samsung GM1 sensor.

Editor’s Pick: [UPDATE: Image] Samsung Galaxy A11 specifications leaked; Likely to launch in March

The rear shell of the Galaxy A41 lacks a fingerprint reader. This suggests that the phone could be equipped with an in-display fingerprint reader. The predecessor Galaxy A40 had a traditional fingerprint scanner on its back. The right edge of the Galaxy A41 has a power key and a volume rocker. The SIM card tray is on the left side of the smartphone. The bottom edge of the smartphone has an external speaker, a USB-C port and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Samsung Galaxy A41 specifications (Rumored)

The Galaxy A41 that has a model number of SM-A415F was recently seen on Geekbench with specs like Helio P65 chipset, 4 GB of RAM and Android 10 OS. The phone may come to the market in 64 GB and 128 GB storage choices. The waterdrop notch of the phone could be housing a 25-megapixel selfie camera. It could be backed by a 3,500mAh battery that supports 15W fast charging. Some reports have claimed that the smartphone may go official along with the Galaxy A31 phone in March.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy A71 5G name revealed through Bluetooth SIG listing

 

(source)

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