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OPPO Find X2 screenshots show 60Hz, 120Hz refresh rates with QHD+ and FHD+ support

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

The OPPO Find X2 launch event will be held on Feb. 22 Barcelona, Spain and the phone will be display at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020 tech exhibition that will be held between Feb. 24 and Feb. 27. The certification platforms like Thailand’s NBTC and Malaysia’s SIRIM have revealed that the Find X2 series has two phones such as Find X2 and Find X2 Pro. The differences between the two phones are not known yet. OPPO has confirmed that the Find X2 series will be arriving with topnotch specs. Recent reports have already spilled plenty of information on the series. Today, a Chinese leakster shared some screenshots of the alleged OPPO Find X2 smartphone. The new images reveal the supported screen resolutions and refresh rates.

The new screenshots show the automatic screen resolution and refresh rate settings that will be available on the Find X2 series. As it can be seen, the Find X2 will let users to seamlessly switch between two refresh rate options like 60Hz and 120Hz. When in 120Hz refresh rate mode, the phone will be able to support quad HD+ resolution of 3168 x 1440 pixels and full HD+ resolution of 2376 x 1080 pixels. Higher refresh rate displays are known for consuming more battery juice. With options to choose a lower resolution and refresh rate, the users of Find X2 series may not be plagued with battery life problems.

It is speculated that the OPPO Find X2 series will be equipped with a 6.5-inch display. A vacant spot at the top-left corners of the screenshot suggests that the phone will be equipped with a punch-hole display. Past reports have claimed that the Find X2 series will be featuring a punch-hole screen with curved edges. The screen is very likely to be integrated with a fingerprint reader. The below shown image seemingly shows that upcoming OPPO Find X2 on the left and the upcoming iQOO 3 on the right.

Allegegd iQOO 3
Allegegd iQOO 3 (right) with purported OPPO Find X2 (left)

Editor’s Pick: Chinese giants like Xiaomi, OPPO, & Vivo form an Alliance to take on Google’s Play Store

It is yet to be confirmed whether the Find X2 will be equipped with a triple camera or quad camera setup. OPPO has reportedly teamed up with Sony to build the 48-megapixel Sony IMX689 custom sensor for the Find X2 smartphone. This lens is said to be coupled with the yet to announced Sony IMX708 ultrawide lens and a 13-megapixel telephoto shooter. For shooting selfies, the Find X2 may possess a Sony IMX616 32-megapixel selfie camera.

The Snapdragon 865 mobile platform along with LPDDR5 RAM will be powering the Find X2 series. The SoC could be coupled with OPPO M1 co-processor and a 65W fast charger. The Find X2 models will be also equipped with other features like UFS 3.0 storage, Wi-Fi 6 and NFC support.

UP NEXT: OPPO Reno3 Pro blue variant appears in real skin ahead of India launch

 

 

(source)

Redmi K30 Pro launch nearing as Redmi K20 Pro sales to stop this month

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Xiaomi is expected to launch the Xiaomi Mi 10 series of flagship phones on Feb. 13 in China. The Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro will be driven by the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. Its independent sub-brand Redmi too is working on the Snapdragon 865 powered Redmi K30 Pro smartphone. It seems that the arrival of the Redmi K30 Pro is drawing close as Lu Weibing who is the General Manager of the Redmi brand confirmed that the company will be killing the sales of the Redmi K20 Pro this month.

The Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro had debuted in May last year in China as Redmi’s first high-end and flagship phones. The Redmi K20 came with an attractive glass rear, a notch-less screen and a pop-up selfie snapper. The K20 Pro sported an identical design. Weibing praised the K20 series by stating that it has won the German iF Design Award 2020. The K20 series gained the love of more than 5 million users across the world, added Redmi GM.

Weibing revealed that the company will stop the sales of the Redmi K20 Pro probably to pave way for its successor – the Redmi K30 Pro. A quick visit to the official page of the phone on Xiaomi China’s website revealed that the ‘Buy’ button is missing from the product page of the Redmi K20 Pro.

It now seems to be selling only the Redmi K20 Pro Premium Edition that features 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage with a price tag of 2,799 Yuan (~$400). This model was introduced in September 2019 with a price tag of 3,299 Yuan (~$472). It was unveiled in 128 GB and 256 GB storage versions, but these models are not available for purchase now. With Weibing claiming that the sales of Redmi K20 Pro ending this month, it appears that the Pro Premium Edition will also be axed soon in the home market.

Redmi K30 Pro specifications (Rumored)

The Redmi K30 Pro will be reportedly equipped with a flat display. Some leaks have claimed that it could be retaining the notch-less display and pop-up selfie camera design from the predecessor model. The Snapdragon 865 mobile platform powered phone will also feature the latest LPDDR5 RAM. On Geekbench, it was spotted with 8 GB of RAM and Android 10 OS in the past month.

Redmi K30 5G
Redmi K30 5G

For photography, it may borrow the Sony IMX686 lens from the Redmi K30 phone. It is speculated that the phone will be flaunting a round-shaped camera module for its quad camera setup. The 4,700mAh battery of the phone could be equipped with a 33W fast charger.

The Redmi K30 Pro is expected to launch in March. It could be priced between 3,000 Yuan (~$429) and 3,500 Yuan (~$499).

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 10 series base model will have 8GB RAM + 128GB storage

 

 

(source)

iQOO 3 full specifications appear through TENAA listing

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

In January, a Vivo phone with model number V1955A was approved by the 3C authority of China. It revealed that it is a 5G phone and it could be equipped with flagship specs. Moreover, it was also found that the phone could be shipping with a 55W rapid charger. The smartphone has been rumored to debut in Chinese markets as iQOO 3. However, the iQOO brand has been silent on its existence. It appears that its arrival may not be far away as it has surfaced on TENAA’s database with full specifications.

iQOO 3 specifications (Rumored)

The TENAA listing states that the iQOO V1955A measures 158.51 x 74.88 x 9.16mm and it weighs 214.5 grams. The phone is a bit hefty and is slightly on a thicker side. It may arrive in multiple color editions, but the listing reveals only the existence of a Black model. The images of the phone did not appear on TENAA at the time of writing this post.

The V1955A iQOO phone has a 6.44-inch AMOLED display. It offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a tall aspect ratio of 20:9. A recent leak had revealed that the phone will only sport 60Hz refresh rate despite possessing gaming capabilities. The phone is said to be fitted with the same screen that it is available on some other Vivo phones such as X30, X30 Pro, S5 and the Indian version of V17. That means the iQOO 3 will be equipped with a punch-hole display. Its front design was recently revealed through leaked images. The display of the iQOO 3 will be integrated with a fingerprint sensor like all the other predecessor iQOO phones.

Allegegd iQOO 3
Allegegd OPPO FInd X2 with purported iQOO 3

Editor’s Pick: iQOO to debut two phones in February second week in India

The rumored iQOO 3 is equipped with 2.84GHz octa-core processor. It could be the latest Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. China may receive the iQOO 3 in RAM variants like 6 GB, 8 GB and 12 GB. It could be coming in storage versions like 128 GB and 256 GB. The handset is unlikely to feature an external storage slot for additional memory.

The Android 10 OS is likely to come preloaded on the iQOO 3 smartphone. The phone has a minimum rated battery of 4,370mAh capacity. As leaks have revealed, its typical size could be 4,410mAh. As it is known, the phone may ship with a 55W fast charger.

The backside of the phone is rumored to be fitted with a vertical quad camera system at the top-left corner. It will have a primary lens of 64-megapixel. It is not known whether it features a Sony IMX686 or Samsung GW1 lens. There are two 13-megapixel sensors and a 2-megapixel lens in the quad camera setup of the smartphone. For shooting selfies, the handset is equipped with a 16-megapixel front camera.

UP NEXT: Those iQOO India social media accounts are fake

 

 

(source)

Realme C3 vs Redmi 8 vs Infinix Hot 8: Specs Comparison

By
Michele Ingelido
-

Realme just launched its latest entry-level smartphone in India. We are talking about Realme C3, a device packing amazing specifications and sold at an incredibly affordable price. In my personal opinion, on the paper, it is the most interesting last-generation smartphone available for less than €100. But it has a few important rivals in the Indian market which will not make it easy for Realme to dominate the entry-level segment with this device in the coming months. Among the most convincing ones, there are Redmi 8 and Infinix Hot 8. We chose them since they are the most suitable candidates for a specs comparison between the best smartphones in the entry-level niche.

Oppo Realme C3 vs Xiaomi Redmi 8 vs Infinix Hot 8

Infinix Hot 8 Oppo Realme C3 Xiaomi Redmi 8
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 165 x 76.3 x 8.7 mm, 179 grams 164.4 x 75 x 9 mm, 195 grams 156.5 x 75.4 x 9.4 mm, 188 grams
DISPLAY 6.52 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 269 ppi, IPS LCD 6.5 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD 6.22 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR MediaTek Helio A22, octa-core 2 GHz or MediaTek Helio P22 octa-core 1.8 GHz Mediatek Helio G70, octa-core 2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 439, octa-core 1.95 GHz
MEMORY 2 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot 2 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE Android 9 Pie, XOS Android 10, Realme UI Android 9 Pie, MIUI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA Triple 13 + 2 MP + QVGA f/1.8
8 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Dual 12 + 2 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4
5 MP f/2.4 front camera		 Dual 12 + 2 MP f/1.8
8 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY 5000 mAh 5000 mAh, battery charging 10W 5000 mAh, fast charging 18W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot, reverse charging Dual SIM slot

Design

When it comes to smartphone design, it is not everything about look. Materials and build quality often play a key role in the aesthetics. Infinix Hot 8 is the only device with a glass back and it provides more premium materials. Both Realme C3 and Redmi 8 are entirely made of plastic (except for the display, naturally), but they are both splash resistant. Infinix Hot 8 has the best materials, but Redmi 8 has the most compact design since it sports a smaller display. Note that Realme C3 does not have a fingerprint reader, we think it is the only big thing missing on this device.

 

Display

There are no big differences between the display quality of these devices, so we recommend you to focus on other specifications. All of them feature an IPS panel with a Full HD resolution. Realme C3 delivers a slightly higher brightness, but what really differs is the display size. Realme C3 and Infinix Hot 8 sport 6.5 and 6.52-inch displays respectively, while Redmi 8 is more compact with its 6.22-inch display.

 

Specs & Software

The most powerful handset here is the Realme C3 with its new MediaTek Helio G70 chipset. It is essentially a toned-down version of the Helio G90 and it provides very high CPU and GPU performance. Realme C3 is also the only device of this trio to ship with Android 10 out of the box, customized by the new Realme UI. The silver medal goes to Redmi 8 fueled by a Snapdragon 439 chipset. Infinity Hot 8 has two configurations with Helio A22 and Helio P22, both inferior to Helio G70 and Snapdragon 439.

 

Camera

Given that they are entry-level devices, none of these handsets is a camera phone. But they still deliver a decent photo quality, especially if compared to all the other devices with the same price tag. The most convincing is the Infinix Hot 8 since it provides an interesting photo quality even in low light conditions and it has a more powerful quad-LED flash on the back, as well as a front-facing LED flash. The cameras are one of its strongest points. Right after, we got the Redmi 8.

 

Battery

Infinix Hot 8, Realme C3 and Redmi 8 all feature a huge 5000 mAh battery and they are all battery life champions. All got a 12 nm chipset, so there will be no important difference when it comes to battery life. Redmi 8 has a faster charging technology (18W), while Realme C3 is the only to support reverse charging (wired and via a micro USB port).

 

Price

Realme C3 starts from just Rs. 6,999/€90/$99 in India, Redmi 8 has an Rs. 7,999/€102/$112 starting price and Infinix Hot 8 starts from Rs. 8,800/€112/$123. In our opinion, Realme C3 looks more interesting due to its amazing chipset, but some may prefer Infinix Hot 8 due to its more convincing cameras and a more premium design. Do not forget that, despite having interesting special features such as like reverse charging, Realme C3 does not feature a fingerprint scanner, unlike Redmi 8 and Infinix Hot 8.

 

Oppo Realme C3 vs Xiaomi Redmi 8 vs Infinix Hot 8: PROs and CONS

Xiaomi Redmi 8

PROs

  • More compact
  • Pretty nice cameras
  • Splash resistant
  • Faster charging

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

Oppo Realme C3

PROs

  • Amazing performance
  • Android 10 out of the box
  • Splash resistant
  • Reverse charging

CONS

  • No fingerprint reader

 

Infinix Hot 8

PROs

  • Best design
  • Great cameras
  • Wide display
  • Quad-LED flash
  • Front-facing LED flash

CONS

  • Lower-end chipset

Moto G8, G8 Power & G Stylus leaked renders flaunt the front & rear aspects

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Motorola‘s Moto G series is undoubtedly its most popular series. Little wonder the Lenovo-owned company recently rolled out the drums to celebrate the cumulative sales of over 100 million G-series units. The company is already working on three new G-series models – the Moto G8, Moto G8 Power and Moto G Stylus. Tipster Evan Blass (@evleaks) has released a picture containing the real renders of the three Moto G8 models.

EDITOR’S PICK: How to unlock the hidden game on Android 10?

The renders show the Moto G8 models will all pack a full-screen design with a punch-hole screen housing the front camera. The tipster says the renders are for the three models which means they will all have the same design, save for some few differences. The Moto G8 seems to have a slightly bigger chunk of bezel at the chin. All three models feature a punch-hole at the top left corner that houses the selfie shooter. At the rear, the models pack a quad camera setup. A fingerprint sensor seems to be embedded under the logo at the back.

As for the expected specs, the Moto G8 is tipped to come with a 6.39-inch display with support for 720 x 1560 pixels HD+ resolution. The G8 Power could be coming with a 6.36-inch display with support for 1080 x 2300 pixels full HD resolution. Both models are said to be powered by the Snapdragon 665 mobile platform.

On the other hand, the Moto G Stylus will have a 6.36-inch 2300 x 1080 display with a hole in the top left corner for the selfie camera. There will be a Snapdragon 665 processor inside and it will be paired with 64GB or 128GB of storage. The device is said to have a Stylus pen, hence the name.

The G8-series is expected to all run Android 10 out of the box. Motorola is yet to disclose when the models will be launched.

UP NEXT: First Samples from the 108MP Mi Mix Alpha is here & we are not impressed!

 

(source)

Xiaomi Mi 10 series’ base model will have 8GB RAM + 128GB storage

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Over the years, manufacturers have increased the RAM in their phones, especially flagships. A lot of flagship phones start at 8GB and go up to 12GB RAM. This year, we will even see phones launch with 16GB of RAM. Ahead of the launch of the Mi 10 series, CEO of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, has revealed that the Mi 10 will start at 8GB RAM.

This is important news as last year’s Mi 9 has a 6GB RAM base model with 64GB of storage. For this year’s Mi 10, the base model will have 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

In a Weibo post made today, the company executive said most users want to buy flagship phones with 8GB or more of RAM, based on the result of a poll he conducted that showed 94% of users want more memory. “Thus this year’s Mi 10 will not have a 6GB RAM + 128GB version but start at 8GB of LPDDR5 memory,” he said.

Xiaomi Mi 10 8GB RAM

Even if users were to request for 6GB RAM, it would not be possible as it has been reported that Micron cannot manufacture a 6GB LPDDR5 RAM.

Lei Jun memory poll

It has also been reported that Lei Jun’s response to a question asking if there will be an 8GB + 64GB version is “There will be no such configuration”.

Based on the above, the Mi 10 series are expected to be available in the following configurations:

  • 8GB RAM + 128GB
  • 8GB RAM + 256GB
  • 12GB RAM + 512GB
  • 16GB RAM + 512GB
UP NEXT: Xiaomi VP Chang Cheng confirms POCO will launch in China

 

(Source | Via: 1, 2)

Sony’s smartphone business upbeat with 1.3 million shipments in Q4 2019

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Things are definitely looking up for Japanese tech giant Sony.  It is a widely known news that Sony’s smartphone business has almost crumbled. But in recent time, after some reorganisation, the tech giant launched new models that deviated from the traditional design style Sony is known for. The organisation seems to have started yielding some results. Sony has released its financial report for the fourth quarter of 2019 (October-December 2019) showing some improvement in sales.

Sony shipped 1.3 million smartphones during the period. That may not look like a spectacular feat especially when it is compared to what Huawei or Samsung achieved during the same period. Samsung and Huawei shipped 68.8 million and 56.0 million smartphones respectively in Q4. However, when compared to the 600,000 units Sony managed to ship in Q3, the result is impressive.

EDITOR’S PICK: How to unlock hidden game on Android 10?

Away from the smartphone business, Sony says demand for image sensors has been strong during the quarter. The financial report shows the profit from sensor business went up by 62 percent to 75.2 billion yen (~$684 million). Sony had earlier hinted that demand for its image sensors ave been overwhelming.

The Japanese tech giant’s gaming business did not record the same impressive result like the mobile phone and image sensor business. Sales of PlayStation 4 console declined during the quarter under review. This resulted in a fall in profit from 27 percent to 53.5 billion yen (~$487 million) during the period. This may be as a result of expectations that the Tokyo-headquartered company will replace the 4-year-old console with the PlayStation 5 very soon. The new console is expected to be released later this year.

Overall, Sony saw a 20 percent decline in profits in Q4 2019. The company’s operating profits dropped to 300 billion yen (around $2.73 billion) from 377 billion yen (~$3.43 billion) a year earlier. This is due to the acquisition of music publisher EMI. If not for that, the profit would have been up by about six percent. Further, Sony expects its annual operating profit to increase by about five percent to 880 billion yen (~$8.1 billion). However, the firm is concerned that the spread of the coronavirus may impact its global supply chain. Sony’s image sensor business would be hit severely if its clients suspend their assembly plants in China for a prolonged period.

“We can’t deny the possibility of the virus threat expanding to a scale large enough to wipe out our latest upward earnings revision,” said Hiroki Totoki, Chief Financial Officer at Sony.

UP NEXT: First Samples from the 108MP Mi Mix Alpha is here & we are not impressed!

 

(source)

 

Leaked Galaxy Buds+ spec sheet reveals battery life gets a big boost

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

When Samsung unveils the Galaxy S20 series next week, it will also announce a new pair of wireless earbuds called the Galaxy Buds+. We already know what it looks like and some of its features but a new leak reveals the full specs of the earbuds as well as the features and price.

The source of the leak is Evan Blass (@evleaks) and the leak is a comparison sheet of the specs of the Galaxy Buds and the Galaxy Buds+.

Galaxy Buds+ Price

The first thing on the list is the price, buyers will be paying more for this year’s Galaxy Buds+. Samsung has put a $149 price tag on the earbuds, $20 more than last year’s model. However, if you will be pre-ordering the Galaxy S20 series, you would not have to pay for the earbuds as Samsung will include a free pair with all pre-orders.

Galaxy Buds+ Specs and Features

The Galaxy Buds+ measures 17.5 x 19.2 x 22.5 millimeters. These are the same dimensions as that of the Galaxy Buds. However, the new buds are slightly heavier at 6.3 grams as against the Galaxy Buds that is 5.6 grams.

As reported, the battery capacity and thus the battery life of the Galaxy Buds+ are better than that of its predecessor. The buds themselves now have a battery capacity of 85mAh which will provide up to 11 hours of play time. This is an increase of almost 100% from the Galaxy Buds’ 6-hour battery life. Talk time has increased by 2.5 hours to 7.5 hours.

Samsung Galaxy Buds+

The battery capacity of the case is 270mAh, 18mAh more than its predecessor’s. The play time of the Galaxy Buds+ combined with the case is now 22 hours while the talk time is 15 hours, which are significant improvements when compared to the 13 hours of play time and 11 hours of talk time of the Galaxy Buds.

There is also fast charge included. The spec sheet says a 3-minute charge will provide 60 minutes of play time.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip hands-on video posted on the web; to cost €1599 in Europe

 

The new earbuds will connect via Bluetooth 5 and will support multi-device connection, unlike last year’s model that can only be connected to one device at a time. The Galaxy Buds+ also has 2-way dynamic speakers (a woofer and tweeter). It also has an extra outer microphone which should help with canceling noise for clearer calls.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ will have noise isolation, ambient awareness, and support touch controls. It also has an IPX2 rating, so you don’t have to worry about sweat damaging it when you use it during workouts.

The spec sheet says the new earbuds will also work with iOS devices running iOS 10 and up while Android devices running Android 5.0 and up and with at least 1.5GB RAM are supported.

The Galaxy Buds+ will be available in black and white color variants like its predecessor but will swap the yellow and silver variants for blue and red.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy S20 series US price leaks; starts at $999

 

(Source)

Chinese Smartphone Shipments to drop significantly in Q1 2020 due to the epidemic: Digitimes

By
Joel Joseph
-

After Counterpoint predicted around a 30% decline in smartphone shipments in China in the first quarter of the year, Digitimes has also predicted a significant decline in shipments in the same period. According to the Taiwanese publication’s report, the market could see a drop of around 9% in the best-case scenario, assuming the epidemic is controlled by the end of February 2020.

xiaomi shipments stock phone

Digitimes notes that Chinese consumer demand has significantly weakened due to the coronavirus outbreak. Further, government measures to contain the epidemic is likely to affect the supply of smartphone and notebook component supply in the region. The report further adds that smartphone makers such as Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi are all sitting on high inventory levels. These companies were planning to sell off a significant chunk of its smartphone stock in the Chinese New Year period but failed to do so.

MediaTek, who is an important player in the Chinese smartphone market will also bear the brunt of the recent epidemic. Digitimes predicts that the chipmaker could see a sequential decline of nearly 15% in its revenues in the first quarter of the year.

Even if the outbreak is controlled by the end of February, its effects are likely to be felt in the second and third quarters of 2020. It remains to be seen whether smartphone makers revise their quarterly and yearly targets in the coming weeks.

UP NEXT: Chinese giants like Xiaomi, OPPO, & Vivo form an Alliance to take on Google’s Play Store

 

(Source)

Redmi K30 Pro likely to use LPDDR5 RAM, hints GM

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Chipmaker Micron Technology today announced that it has successfully commenced mass-production of the world’s first low-power LPDDR5 DRAM chip. Xiaomi‘s product director, Wang Teng Thomas later confirmed that the LPDDR5 DRAM will feature first on the Mi 10 flagship. The Redmi GM Lu Weibing has now equally confirmed that Redmi’s upcoming flagship will make use of the LPDDR5 DRAM.

The Xiaomi VP made this statement on Weibo but did not mention the flagship device that would feature the new memory. However, the flagship Redmi K30 Pro is expected to be the device on which the flash memory will be. Mr Weibing had earlier hinted in December last year that an LPDDR5 memory-packing Redmi device was coming in Q1 2020. Lu Weibing also clarified that LPDDR5 will become the standard for flagship mobile phones in this 5G era.

Micron’s LDDR5 make use of industry-leading packaging technology for its 12 GB RAM. The low-power DDR5 offers a transmission rate of up to 6.4Gbps. In terms of speed, it is twice as fast as LPDDR4 and 20 percent faster than LPDDR4x RAM. The data access speed has been upped by 50 percent on the LPDDR5.

Compared to the previous generation, it consumes 20 percent less power. According to Micron Technology, just because LPDDR5 is faster, the app processing and operation speed also becomes fast. Hence, devices equipped with LPDDR5 can help in extending the battery life by 5 to 10 percent.

UP NEXT: First Samples from the 108MP Mi Mix Alpha is here & we are not impressed!

 

HTC is shutting down its Official Community in China tomorrow

By
Joel Joseph
-

After HTC shut down its Elevate community program internationally last month, the Taiwanese smartphone maker has called it quits in China as well. In a community post earlier today, the company said that it will be shutting down its official Chinese community forum tomorrow. HTC has asked its customers to ask for support via its official service number on WeChat.

HTC China community closure

Today’s announcement doesn’t come as a surprise. Last year, HTC didn’t launch any of its smartphones in China. In fact, it closed down its flagship stores on two of China’s biggest online retailers, Jingdong and Tmall. Even in 2018, the company’s flagship U12+ model was suddenly pulled out from its official Chinese website and stores.

To recall, HTC’s Elevate community program which was shut down in January this year was a big blow to its fans and customers. It was an exclusive community featuring HTC enthusiasts who provided valuable feedback on its products. Notably, entry was on an invite-only basis.

HTC
Although the tagline ‘Quietly Brilliant’ was apt in its glory days, now the company seems to be ‘Quietly’ exiting markets

Once a leader of the smartphone industry and also the maker of the first-ever Android phone back in 2008, HTC has lost its charm over the past few years. The company CEO, Yves Maitres recently confirmed that the “company stopped innovating on smartphones”  which led to its downfall.

UP NEXT: HTC sues Meizu and Gionee over patent infringement, wins 6.5 million yuan in compensation

 

 

Chinese giants like Xiaomi, OPPO, & Vivo form an Alliance to take on Google’s Play Store

By
Joel Joseph
-

Google Play Store is the most popular app store for Android right now. But Chinese smartphone giants like Xiaomi, OPPO, & Vivo want to change this. They have formed an alliance that allows developers outside of China to upload their apps on all of their individual app stores simultaneously. This is a big move aimed at breaking Google’s dominance in the Android app store domain.

Global Developer Service Alliance GDSA
Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA) logo

Together, OPPO, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Huawei made up for a total of 40% of smartphone shipments in Q4 2019. So if they can come up with a unified platform granting access to all of their individual apps stores, they could possibly lure in a lot of new developers. According to Statista, the Google Play Store had nearly 3 million apps here back in December 2019. So the app store is already pretty crowded, making it immensely hard for new apps to stand out.

They are calling it the Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA). The official description of the alliance according to their website is as follows.

The Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA) is committed to providing one-stop services including content distribution, development support, marketing operation, brand promotion and traffic monetization to global developers . These services help developers improve their brand awareness, and obtain a large number of high-quality users and traffic monetization. Our services have covered nine countries and regions such as India, Indonesia, Russia, and Malaysia. GDSA is looking forward to working with extraordinary developers to move forward together and achieve win-win cooperation.

Global Developer Service Alliance GDSA members
Global Developer Service Alliance GDSA members list

 

READ MORE: Xiaomi continued dominance of Indian smartphone market in Q4 2019: Canalys

 

The alliance will act as a support system for global developers across different stages of app development and monetizing. Currently, it covers nine regions such as India, Indonesia, Russia, and Malaysia. Interestingly, the official website only lists Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo as the official alliance members of the GDSA. However, the report from Reuters mentioned Huawei too as a member of the alliance. All four companies are yet to confirm their membership.

Google’s dominance in this market allows it to collect as much as 30% commission on sales made on its app store. So this alliance could lure in developers by offering better incentives and charging less commission. Also, their apps will be available across all the participating member app stores, significantly increasing its exposure across users in the nine regions covered by this service.

While we are yet to confirm Huawei’s membership in the GDSA alliance, we know the company is desperately trying to create an alternative to the Play store. The company lost access to Google Play services and hence access to the app store after the US banned Google from selling its software services to the company. So joining this alliance could be the fastest way to create a viable Play Store alternative for its international users.

It’s also worth mentioning that Huawei is also investing heavily to bring developers on board its app store. The company has offered upwards of $1 billion to global developers to develop and publish apps on its own app store called the Huawei AppGallery.

UP NEXT: Huawei announces new manufacturing bases, promises ‘Made in Europe’ 5G

 

 

(Source)

Official Android Twitter account teases something exciting is coming at Samsung’s event

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

It is not every day that the official Android Twitter account teases the launch event of a partner company. To be honest, we can’t even remember the last time this happened. But in the early hours of today, the Android Twitter account posted a tweet about the upcoming Samsung Unpacked event. This is highly unusual and the hints at a possible new product or new software features co-developed with Samsung.

There are speculations as to what the tweet may be hinting at and the one that has got most people excited is a possible resurrection of Google Play Edition Devices.

For those who don’t remember, Google Play Edition phones were flagship devices from other manufacturers that ran stock Android rather than the custom UI of the manufacturer. This allowed for users to be able to purchase a phone they liked with respect to hardware but with stock Android running on it. Google sold these devices unlocked and also released updates for them even before the manufacturers and carriers did. Google later ended the program but you can say it is now alive as the Android One program.

We most probably won’t be getting a Google Play Edition Galaxy S20 phone seeing as Google itself now makes its own phones under the Pixel line and they are fighting for the same market as Samsung’s own devices. So the tweet is more likely to be for software features or a new product category entirely.

Samsung will announce the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, and Galaxy Flip Z at its unpacked event scheduled for February 11. It will also announce the Galaxy Buds+ wireless earbuds too.

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(Source)

OPPO Find X2 to launch on February 22 in Barcelona

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

The OPPO Find X was one of the defining smartphones of the last decade. Released in 2018, the phone had a slider design that allowed the front-facing and rear cameras to stay hidden. Eighteen months later, OPPO is set to announce a successor that will arrive as the Find X2.

OPPO has sent out invites for the launch of the Find X2 and it reveals the phone will be unveiled in Barcelona on February 22, 2020. The venue is Auditori Fòrum CCIB and the event will begin at 2:00 PM (CET).

OPPO Find X2 launch

Leaks have revealed the OPPO Find X2 will have a 6.5-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440) curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has also been reported that users will be able to switch between FHD+ and QHD+ at will to save battery. The display will have a punch hole at the top left corner for a single selfie camera and not an under-display camera as fans expect.

EDITOR’s PICK: OPPO smartwatch shines in full glory in official render

 

There will be a Snapdragon 865 processor under the hood paired with the Snapdragon X55 5G modem. There are also reports it will have an LPDDR5 RAM. The phone will also have a special chip called the OPPO M1 that is designed to reduce power consumption due to the high resolution and high refresh rate of the display.

With respect to cameras, the Find X2 will have a custom 48MP sensor called the Sony IMX689 with omnidirectional focusing and a 1/1.3 inch sensor size. It will also have a Sony IMX708 secondary sensor and a 13MP telephoto camera for optical zoom. Up in front, OPPO will put a 32MP selfie camera.

The OPPO Find X2 will also have 65W SuperVOOC fast charge and wireless fast charging. It will run Android 10 out of the box with OPPO’s ColorOS on top.

Other than the Find X2, OPPO is also expected to launch a Find X2 Pro. The pro version was certified by Thailand’s NBTC last month and also certified in Malaysia a few days ago but its specs remain unknown. We also look forward to the launch of an upper mid-range 5G phone powered by the Snapdragon 765G processor for the global markets

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(Source)

More specs of the Nokia 1.3 appear online ahead of the MWC launch

By
Jed John Ikoba
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HMD Global is expected to hold a launch event on February 23 and already, invites are out for the event which will hold at MWC 2020. The tech giant is expected to go official with the Nokia 1.3 during the event.nokia one plus

Before then, the key specs of the Nokia 1.3 has appeared online. The device is said to feature a 4000mAh battery and come in two colour variants – Charcoal and Cyan colour options. In addition, the budget phone is expected to come with microSD card support for storage expansion up to 128GB.

Further details have emerged that the Nokia 1.3 will feature a 6-inch display with a design similar to the Nokia 2.3 which was launched in India in December last year. If that turns out to be true, it means the device will sport a waterdrop notch and a slight chin at the bottom. The device is also said to feature a MediaTek process paired with 1GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage which can be expanded up to 128GB. The phone will run on Android Go.

For photography, the phone will have a single 8MP rear camera, and a 5MP front camera for selfies and video calling. The entry-level Nokia 1.3 is tipped to carry a price tag of EUR 79 (roughly Rs. 6,200).

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(source)

 

Huawei Singapore announces new colorways for FreeBuds 3 and Nova 5T; buyers get free gifts with each purchase

By
Habeeb Onawole
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Huawei Singapore has announced new color variants for the FreeBuds 3 wireless earbuds and the Nova 5T smartphone. The Freebuds 3 will now be available in Red while the Nova 5T will now be available in Crush Green.

Huawei Singapore Nova 5T

The Red Huawei FreeBuds 3 can be purchased for SG$238 (~$172) while the Crush Green Nova 5T will be priced at SG$498 (~$360). Both products will be available across the island at Huawei Concept Stores, select electronic stores, Lazada, and Shopee from February 10. There will also be a roadshow at VivoCity on that day.

New colorways are not the only thing Huawei has announced. There are also discounts on other products as well as free gifts when you purchase these items.

For example, If you purchase a Nova 5T, you get a free pair of Huawei FreeLace wireless earphones (read our review) worth SG$128 (~$92) while all purchases of the Freebuds 3 gets you a 15W wireless charger and silicone case worth SG$96 (~$70). Huawei says buyers will get free gifts while stocks last.

Huawei is also offering a special offer on the Mate 30. From now till March 1, 2020, buyers will be able to purchase the flagship at SG$798 (~$576) instead of SG$948 (~$685). They will also get a free phone case and a 27W SuperCharge Wireless Car Charger worth SG$146 (~$105) along with every purchase. You can grab this deal at the aforementioned stores and online platforms.

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Google Chrome tops both the mobile & desktop browser market share- Report

By
Jed John Ikoba
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Statistics firm Statcounter has released a report which shows the global browser usage both for mobile devices and desktop. The statistical data shows that the Google Chrome browser is the undisputed champion when it comes to the choice of browser for many.

According to the report, the Chrome browser commands a staggering 69.89% market share of the global desktop market share. Thee Chrome is closely followed by the Mozilla Firefox browser with 9.53%, Safari browser at number 3 with an 8.64% market share. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) and Edge browsers complete the top 5 with 4.71% and 3.7% respectively. The Opera desktop browser also joins the list as the 6th most popular desktop browser, courting a 2.49% market share.

For mobile browsers, Google’s Chrome mobile browser still leads the market with 60.26%. Apple’s Safari browser is ranked second with a 20.9% share of the market. At the third place is Samsung’s native browser which has a 6.83% market share. The UC browser is the fourth most popular mobile browser with 4.07% share while the Opera mobile browser completes the top 5 with 2.14%. Android’s native browser sees a 0.94% market share to rank at the sixth position. Other browsers on the list include the KaOS browser -0.65%, Mozilla Firefox mobile browser, QQ browser and others.

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(source)

 

Huawei Y7p with punch-hole display and 48MP AI triple cameras is official

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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Huawei has discreetly unveiled a new phone called Huawei Y7p in Thailand. The phone impresses with its punch-hole screen and it features an AI powered 48-megapixel triple camera system on its back. Also, it is backed by a large-sized battery.

Huawei Y7p specifications and features

The Huawei Y7p measures 159.81 x 76.13 x 8.13mm and it weighs 176 grams with the battery. The handset has a 6.39-inch punch-hole IPS LCD display that offers HD+ resolution of 720 x 1560 pixels. Huawei claims that the Y7p offers a screen space of 90.15 percent. The Kirin 710F octa-core processor is present under the hood of the device. The SoC is coupled with 4 GB of RAM.

Huawei Y7p
Huawei Y7p

The Huawei Y7p offer users with an internal storage of 64 GB. There is a microSD card slot onboard for more storage. The EMUI 9.1 based Android 9 Pie OS runs on the device. The handset draws power from a 4,000mAh battery. The big battery has no support for fast charging.

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The Huawei Y7p features a triple camera setup on its back. It has a main lens of 48-megapixel with f/1.8 aperture, an ultrawide lens of 8-megapixel with f/2.4 aperture and a 2-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture. The triple cameras are equipped with LED flash, handheld night mode and AI scene optimization. The phone sports a front camera of 8-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture. A fingerprint sensor is placed on the backside of the Huawei Y7p. The other features of the phone include dual SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, microUSB and 3.5mm audio jack.

Huawei Y7p price and release date

The official listing the Huawei Y7p has no details its pricing and availability. The handset comes in two color options in Thailand such as Aurora Blue and Midnight Black. It is speculated that the handset could be coming to some market as Huawei P40 Lite E.

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Samsung Galaxy S20 series sales may surpass 40 million shipments: Counterpoint

By
Sean
-

Samsung’s Unpacked event is right around the corner as the anticipation for its 2020 flagship series, the Galaxy S20 lineup grows. The smartphone will succeed the popular Galaxy S10 series and reportedly may see sales figures surpassing 40 million units.

According to Counterpoint, a research and analytics agency, Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series may surpass 40 million units in total shipments. The firm believes that the improvements to the South Korean giant’s upcoming flagship will make it highly attractive to potential buyers. The flagship series will arrive with various performance improvements alongside photography as a major area apart from other aspects as well.

samsung galaxy s20 series
Samsung Galaxy S20 series (Reported)

The large sum of Galaxy S20 series unit shipments is also reflective of the recovering and growing global smartphone market. In recent years, Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S series smartphone offerings have been popular in many regions. The latest iteration’s improvements in the photography side will seek to continue this pattern too.

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The base Samsung Galaxy S20 model will be equipped with a 12 megapixel primary camera alongside a 64 megapixel telephoto lens, 12 megapixel ultra wide lens and a ToF sensor as well. On the other hand, the Galaxy S20 Ultra model is stated to arrive with a massive 108 megapixel sensor along with a 48 megapixel telephoto lens for 10x zoom and 100x digital zoom. Furthermore, it is being speculated that the RAM offerings will be sizeable too, with up to 16GB being configurations being available.

Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra with 100x Hybrid Zoom

Unfortunately, we will have to wait for the Samsung Unpacked event for the official announcement to know for sure if the Galaxy S20 series is worth such a high market expectation. The event takes place on the 11th of February 2020, so stay tuned for launch updates and more.

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(Source)

Samsung Galaxy M31 leak reveals 6.4-inch display 6,000mAh battery and variants

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Samsung India had yesterday released the first teaser for the upcoming Galaxy M31 smartphone. It revealed that the phone will be sporting a 64-megapixel main lens on its back. Based on information sourced from retailers, 91mobiles has shared some vital information on the upcoming Galaxy M31 smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy M31 specifications (Rumored)

The new leak reveals that the Galaxy M31 will be housing a 6.4-inch S-AMOLED display with Infinity-U notch. It is likely to support full HD+ resolution. It is speculated that the Galaxy M31 will be sporting a 6,000mAh battery and it will be driven by the Exynos 9611. These specs are also available on the Galaxy M30s smartphone that was unveiled in the second half of 2019.

In terms of software, the Galaxy M31 is expected to come preinstalled with Android 10 OS and the latest One UI 2.0. The leak further states that the M31 will be arriving in two models such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. A microSD card slot will be available onboard for more storage.

Samsung Galaxy M31 Teaser

Editor’s Pick: Galaxy Z Flip moniker confirmed through official listing on Samsung’s site

The backside of the Galaxy M31 is expected to sport a rectangular camera module that will house four cameras in L-shaped arrangement along with an LED flash. As Samsung has confirmed, the Galaxy M31 will be coming with a main lens of 64-megapixel. It is most likely the Samsung GW1 sensor. The camera setup is expected to include an ultrawide shooter, a depth sensor and a macro lens. There is no word on the front camera of the Galaxy M31. Hopefully, the phone will come with at least 15W fast charging for its humungous battery.

Samsung is yet to confirm on the launch date of the Galaxy M31. Now that the company has started teasing on its arrival, it may launch soon in this month. The handset will be available for purchase through Amazon India.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy M30s is now selling with reduced price tags in India. The 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage editions of the Galaxy M30s were made official in September for Rs. 16,999 (~$239) and Rs. 13,999 (~$196). These models are now selling for Rs. 14,999 (~$210) and Rs. 12,999 (~$182). There is no word on the pricing of the Galaxy M31.

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(source)

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