Last year, Xiaomi had revealed that it is working on 100W fast charging technology and had also released a video showcasing the same. The company’s executive Lu Weibing had claimed that it can fully charge 4,000mAh battery in just 17 minutes.
He had also revealed that Redmi will be the first brand to mass-produce this next-generation fast charging technology. After that, we didn’t anything from the company about this 100W fast charging tech, until now.
Today, Lu Weibing revealed some more details about the 100W Super Charge Turbo technology and talks about the five difficult technical aspects. They are as follow:
Battery Capacity Loss: He said that with faster charging speed, the battery capacity loss is also greater. It is estimated that with 100W fast charging, the battery capacity loss is about 20 percent compared to a 30W PD fast charge. Thus, the 5,000mAh battery becomes 4,000mAh battery practically.
Technology Architecture: He has not revealed much about this aspect but has said that it requires ultra-high voltage charging scheme.
Performance: While working on this technology, the company planned about how to make 100W charging not only technically accessible, but also ensure long and sustainable charging time.
Security: It will be offering multiple security features in the device with support for 100W charging, such as motherboard, battery, overcharging, voltage, etc.
Multiple Charging Scenarios: The company has also considered capability with regards to multiple charging scenarios such as wired charging and wireless charging.
Apart from these, Lu Weibing has revealed that the company has reached the stage where it seems that the 100W fast charging technology could be mass produced in the near future. He said that it is in the early-stage of mass production but as not revealed much in terms of timeline.
In November last year, during the Xiaomi Developer Conference, it was confirmed that 100W Super Charge Turbo will be available in devices starting next year. At the moment, OPPO’s 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging is the fastest tech on a commercially available smartphone – OPPO Reno Ace.
If Xiaomi manages to achieve mass production of 100W Super Charge Turbo technology, it will be a huge leap in for the smartphone industry in terms of rapid charging technology. The company is yet to reveal how it was able to develop this technology.
American carmaker Jeep recently released a super bowl commercial aimed at promoting the Jeep Gladiator pickup truck. The video also revealed something spectacular, that is Jeep’s next electric vehicle. The vehicle which made a short cameo appearance is an extremely powerful Jeep e-bike. It is expected to hit the market packing one of the highest-torque electric bicycle motors on the market.
The YouTube ad was also shared by US-based electric bicycle distributor QuietKat. That is an indication that the company is likely working with Jeep on the new Jeep e-bike. QuietKat also uploaded more information about the e-bike onto its website.
The webpage contains just a few details of the e-Bike. The bike is touted to be the most capable off-road electric mountain bike around. The Jeep e-Bike features extra-wide 4.8-inch fat tires and will be capable of attaining a range of 40 miles (64 km) on a single charge. The Jeep e-bike is also said to feature a motor built by Chinese company Bafang and is known internally as the model M620 and externally as Bafang Ultra. The motor puts out at least 1,600 W of peak power with a standard 52V e-bike battery. And it pushes 160 Nm of torque which can push the bike up even steep mountains.
Further, the Jeep e-Bike is said to adopt a 4-piston Tektro Dorado hydraulic disc brakes as seen on the commercial. The battery is integrated between the RockShox rear suspension and inverted front suspension fork but the capacity is unknown.
The e-bike is scheduled to be showcased in June 2020 and you can sign up on the website to get updated when the launch draws near.
February is often considered as the most important month of the year for the mobile devices world. In February, Mobile World Congress kicks off and it brings a huge number of new smartphones to the public in just a few days. MWC 2020 will last from 24 to 27 February and a lot of companies will take part in the event, despite the Coronavirus outbreak. Even in other periods of the month, important brands will announce new exciting devices that will hit the shelves soon after. Below you can find the top upcoming smartphones in February 2020 in a selection based on rumors and official confirmations.
The best upcoming smartphones in February 2020
Galaxy Z Flip
Samsung Galaxy S20
Most of the eyes are on the upcoming Unpacked event which Samsung will old on February 11. At the event, the Korean giant will unveil its new flagship smartphones from the Samsung Galaxy S20 lineup. The new series will be composed of three variants: Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra. In each case, we are talking about flagship smartphones. They will have AMOLED displays up to 6.9 inches with a 120 Hz refresh rate. They will be powered by a Snapdragon 865 chipset (with the support to 5G connectivity) probably paired with up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of internal storage. The Ultra variant will come with a Penta-camera including a 108 MP main sensor, a 48 MP telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom, a 12 MP ultrawide sensor and a TOF 3D camera. The batteries will have capacities up to 5000 mAh.
Alongside the Samsung Galaxy S20 lineup, Samsung will also unveil its second foldable phone: the Galaxy Z Flip. Its specs sheet is inferior to the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, but it will be a very innovative phone since it will be able to fold in half and become very compact. Further, its internal foldable display will be able to stay unfolding in various angles. The phone will also include a small external display (1 inch) which will show the most important info such as date and time. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will be fueled by the Snapdragon 855+ chipset and it will probably not support 5G. The foldable smartphone will also come with a 12 MP dual camera and a 3300 mAh battery.
Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Xiaomi will unveil the new Mi 10 series online instead of holding a physical event. There will be two variants: Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro. The specifications will include a 120 Hz display and a Snapdragon 865 chipset paired with up to 16 GB of RAM: it seems that Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro will be the first device to feature such an amount of RAM alongside the Galaxy S20 Ultra. There will also be a quad camera including a 108 MP main sensor, a 16 MP camera, a 12 MP sensor and a fourth 5 MP lens. The Mi 10 Pro will also include a mammoth 5250 mAh battery with 66W fast wired charging.
POCO recently became an independent brand from Xiaomi and announced that it will launch a brand new device tomorrow: the successor of Pocophone F1. Its name will be Poco X2 and it will launch globally. But it is not a new device: it is just a rebranded version of the Redmi K30 (not even the 5G version). As you probably understood if you are smartphone-addicted, it will not be a flagship smartphone. Redmi K30 4G sports a 6.67-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution. It is fueled by the Snapdragon 730G chipset working together with 6 or 8 GB of RAM and 64 or 128 GB of internal storage. On the rear side, there is a 64 MP quad camera, while frontally you get a 20 + 2 MP dual camera including a depth sensor. The battery has a 4500 mAh capacity and supports 27W fast charging.
Vivo APEX 2020 is the new concept phone by Vivo and it is supposed to be unveiled at MWC 2020. Unfortunately, Vivo did not unveil any of its specifications but expect something very innovative since we are talking about a concept phone which may even not go commercial. Renders surfaced online recently showed a device with a full bezel-less display curved on all sides and one of the highest screen-to-body ratios ever seen.
Oppo Find X2 will be the main Oppo’s flagship of the first part of 2020 and it will be a smartphone without compromises. It is rumored to debut at MWC 2020 with an amazing display providing a Quad HD+ resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. It will be powered by the Snapdragon 865 SoC and it will support 5G. We expect the smartphone’s battery capacity to be more than 4,000 mAh, as well as 65W fast charging.
On February 4, Realme C3 will be official. It will not be a flagship: the device belongs to the entry-level series of Realme smartphones. Among the main specifications, there will be a MediaTek Helio G70 chipset and two memory options: 3/32 GB and 4/64 GB, with expandable storage. The display will have a 6.5-inch diagonal and an HD+ resolution, while on the back there will be a dual camera with a 12 MP main sensor and a 2 MP depth sensor. The battery will be one of the main highlights with its 5000 mAh capacity.
LG will attend MWC 2020 to unveil a new flagship: the LG V60 ThinQ. The device will support 5G connectivity and it will also come with a DualScreen accessory with an improved design. Unfortunately, there are not so many rumors about the LG V60 ThinQ, but we suppose to see a Snapdragon 865 chipset in its specs sheet. The company might also announce the LG G9 at MWC 2020, but there is not any confirmation about it.
Vivo’s sub-brand which targets gamers and power users will unveil two new iQOO smartphones this month. One of them will be called iQOO 3. According to the marketing director of iQOO India, these two smartphones will be unveiled in India in the second week of February. One of them will support 5G networks and it will be powered by the Snapdragon 865 chipset. We may also see a 55W fast charging technology called Vivo Super FlashCharge in the specs sheet. The 4G device might come with a Snapdragon 720G chipset.
Motorola will unveil at least four smartphones this month at MWC 2020. One of them will be a flagship and it will be called Motorola Edge+. Then there will be Motorola Moto G Stylus, the first company’s phone with a stylus, but do not expect an advanced pen like the one found on Samsung Galaxy Note devices. Moto G Stylus will be a mid-ranger powered by a Snapdragon 665 chipset and sporting 4 GB of RAM. The display will have a 6.36-inch diagonal and a Full HD+ resolution. Last but not least, Motorola will unveil Moto G8 and G8 Power. Both are affordable devices, with the latter focused on battery life.
Sony usually unveils new midrange smartphones at CES, but this year it did not happen. So we expect to see more devices from the Japanese giant at MWC 2020. One of them may be Sony Xperia 5 Plus, an advanced version of the compact Xperia 5. But there might also be an affordable Xperia 3. Among the smartphones announced by Sony at MWC 2020, there should be a mid-ranger powered by the Snapdragon 765 chipset.
The Motorola Razr (2019) is already shipping to owners and the Galaxy Flip Z will arrive later this month. Both phones are the only two foldable devices that fold vertically (along the horizontal axis) that consumers can and will be able to buy as the case may be.
There is another category of foldable phones with members like the Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X. These devices not only fold horizontally (along the vertical axis) but they unfold into tablets too unlike the Motorola Razr and Galaxy Flip Z that unfold into “tall” phones.
Since the arrival of both categories of foldable devices, consumers have been divided. Some like the Mate X/Galaxy Fold as they are able to unfold into a larger device while others prefer the Motorola Razr/Galaxy Flip Z for being able to fold into a smaller form factor.
For this week’s poll, we want to know which side of the divide you are. So please take the vote and also drop a comment regarding what you think about the devices and foldable phones in general.
The countdown to the POCO X2 launch is left with just hours as the device is billed to be officially unveiled in India on February 4. The event is highly anticipated by fans, mostly because the X2 will be the first phone the brand will be releasing after it split from Xiaomi. The device is equally the first model after the record-breaking POCO F1.
The discovery that the POCO X2 is practically a rebranded Redmi K30 has done little to change the level of interest fans still show the upcoming event. The launch event will kick off at 12 pm local time (6.30 AM GMT) and is expected to be streamed live on POCO’s official social media channels. The official social media channels of Poco are expected to host the live stream of the launch. Users can follow the launch event on POCO India’s account on YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook to see the live stream of the Poco X2 launch. Also, find the YouTube channel embedded in this post so you won’t have to search for it.
If Poco X2 turns out to be a rebranded version of the Redmi K30 4G, the phone will have the same specifications as the latter. We can expect the Poco X2 to be powered by the Snapdragon 730G processor paired with up to 8Gb of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. The device could sport a 6.67-inch Full HD+ display with 20:9 aspect ratio, and 120Hz refresh rate.
The Poco X2 could run MIUI 11 based on Android 10 out of the box and since it is a Poco phone, we can expect the Poco launcher to power the user interface. The Poco X2 could also sport a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and backed by a 4,500mAh battery with support for 27W fast charging. The phone could also sport a 64MP+8MP+2MP+2MP quad-rear camera setup and a 20MP+2MP dual front-facing cameras placed in a punch-hole display.
Taking a screenshot on Android devices has become a useful feature to save anything that has sprawled up on display. The users use it to keep important information without using any external app or tool. It has become a necessary part of smartphones. To make the feature more user-friendly and productive, few manufacturers have improved it by adding scrolling and editing options to the tool.
The scrolling screenshot can capture the whole webpage by automatically scrolling down to the bottom. The user can also limit the screenshot scroll by interfering through a tap. However, the scrolling screenshot is not available on all the devices, and only a few manufacturers inherit it in their respective smartphones. Samsung, OnePlus and Huawei offers native Scroll Capture tool, but on any other Android device, the user has to resist to third-party screenshot apps.
There are several apps in teh Play Store that can capture scrolling screenshots. We have concluded a list of some best apps to take scrolling screenshots. Here are some apps that let you take screenshots more effectively and accurately.
Best Apps to take scrolling screenshots
LongShot
The app supports auto-scroll for the Android 7.0+ and later version. It auto-captures screenshots after scrolling. The extensive support for floating buttons eases the process to take multiple screenshots. The inbuilt manual stitching tools helps to accurately stitch the long image.
It’s free and there won’t be any watermarks, but you will get in0app advertisements.
It is another long screenshot taking app with a better rating than the LongShot. It easily stitches multiple screenshots for a long one. The StitchCraft app take screenshots as usual and will together automatically. Additionally, the user can later select different images to stitch manually.
It flawlessly works with fixed background images. It is said to capture screenshots easily and rapidly. The app offers an elegant and easy-to-use user interface. The screenshots can be easily shared with friends.
The app is free to use but also carries some in-app advertisements. There’s also an ad-free Pro version for $1.
It is a free and easy-to-use tool to take a screenshot and longshot. It also has an inbuilt markup tool for editing and adding emojis. The Screen Master tool provides various smart features to take a screenshot. It offers to take a screenshot by shaking the device or by tapping the floating button.
The app does not require any root access. It offers high-quality and lossless screenshots in PNG format. The scrolling screenshot automatically captures the whole webpage. It allows user to save the screenshot to external SD card.
In Photo markup, the Screen Master offers Crop and rotate the image, Spotlight key info, Blur image, Magnify image, ability to add text, emoji and custom background. The inbuilt photo markup not only supports screenshots, but the user can import different photos from the gallery.
It is available for free but offers in-app purchases and advertisements.
As the name specifies, the app supports long screenshots for web pages only. It doesn’t support capture in Facebook, Twitter feed or any other third party app. The user can open anything in the browser to capture it as an image or save it as a PDF.
It even offers to save pages offline for reading the latest articles of your favourite restaurant. It is a perfect companion to keep any food recipes or any article, blog to save it and read it offline later.
The scrolling page button allows taking long screenshots without any issue simply. The user can quickly turn any webpage into PDF for reading offline. It is available for free but contains some advertisements.
It is a perfect app to capture messages in the message box. Stitch It! Allows the users to share the screenshots over WhatsApp, Email and other mediums. It is quite simple to take screenshots in four steps of Take > Crop > Edit and Share.
It automatically saves every image to the gallery. It is available in different supported languages. It is available for free but contains in-app purchases and ads.
Poco is back and it has split up with Xiaomi to operate independently in the Indian market. The brand is all set to release its first phone in over 1.5 years tomorrow, called the Poco X2. The X2 isn’t exactly the successor to the incredibly popular Poco F1 flagship that was announced in 2018. The Poco ‘X’ series will be placed below the ‘F’ series in India, aimed at the mid-range segment. Since we are all excited for the device launching tomorrow, let’s take a quick look at what we know about the Poco X2.
The K30 was first announced in December 2019 in China. While the K30 is no flagship, it’s still an impressive smartphone. So even if Poco’s first smartphone doesn’t directly succeed the flagship Poco F1, it will still be an incredibly value for money device.
And since the Poco X2 will be a rebadged Redmi K30 4G, we know almost everything about the device.
Poco X2 Design & Specification
Poco has confirmed a couple of features on the X2. First, the phone will feature a 120Hz high refresh rate. Traditionally, high refresh rates are reserved for smartphones that are placed in the upper mid-range segment, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see a mid-ranger get this particular feature.
Another feature confirmed by the teaser is the Sony IMX 686 sensor. This new 64MP sensor from Sony is expected to provide slightly higher resolution photos than the 48MP IMX 586 sensor found on a number of mid-rangers last year. In fact, the IMX686 could potentially be used in the upcoming Huawei P40 Pro camera flagship too!
The side fingerprint sensor was also confirmed by a recent teaser video. The image showed off the sides of the violet / purple colored Poco X2. If you recall, the Redmi K30 4G also had a violet colored variant. And the fingerprint sensor on the device is also placed on the side.
Poco X2’s fast charging speed was also confirmed in one of the teaser. The brand revealed that the phone can charge quickly from 0% to 40% in just 25 minutes. We can expect a large 4500mAh battery on board, the same capacity battery found on the Redmi K30. And in case you are wondering, yes, the K30 supported 27W fast charging too. Which means the Poco X2 should charge to 100% in just around 68 minutes.
The company has also confirmed liquid cooling on the X2, for extended gaming sessions. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the K30 features a 5mm copper tube liquid cooling that can bring the the temperature of the phone down by up to 7 degrees. The headphone jack is also confirmed at the bottom of the device.
Here are the expected Poco X2 Specs (based on Redmi K30 4G)
208 grams weight and 165.3 x 76.6 x 8.8mm dimensions
6.67-inch IPS LCD 2400 x 1080p display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5
120Hz screen refresh rate
Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G with Adreno 618
6GB/ 8GB RAM with 64GB /128GB ROM UFS 2.1
Quad cameras: 64MP f/1.9 primary camera with 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor, 2MP f/2.4 dedicated macro lens, and a 2MP f/2.4 dedicated depth sensor
Dual Selfie cameras: 20MP wide-angle shooter with a 2MP depth sensor
4500mAh battery with 27W fast charging
3.5mm headphone jack
Android 10 based MIUI 11
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
NFC, BL 5.0, Wi-Fi ac
Will there be any difference between the Poco X2 and the Chinese Redmi K30 4G?
This is the real question that’ll be answered tomorrow. As of now, all teasers show that the Poco X2 is identical to the Redmi K30 4G model.
Poco X2 Pricing & Availability (Expected)
We have no official word on pricing or availability of the Poco X2. Rumors are putting the starting price somewhere between Rs. 14,999 and Rs. 18,999. The Chinese Redmi K30 4G variant starts at 1599 yuan for its 6GB + 64GB model. This comes to around Rs. 16,000 in India. So, it’s possible that the Poco X2 launches around this price tag in India.
Honestly, I think the Poco X2 could launch at Rs. 16,999 to directly take on the Realme X2 that features similar specs including the exact same Snapdragon 730G chipset. The Realme X2 starts at Rs. 16999 for its 4GB RAM model. So, Poco’s X2 could undercut the Realme mid-ranger if it offers its 6GB RAM variant at this price.
As for availability, we can expect the phone to go on sale a week or two after the launch event tomorrow. However, we’ll have to see if the recent coronavirus outbreak has any effect on its supply.
BlackBerry Mobile is dead again. For the third time, but at the hands of its licensee, TCL. After a three-year partnership that began in 2016, we will not be seeing any new BlackBerry Mobile smartphones made by TCL anymore. The announcement was made via the official BlackBerry Mobiles Twitter account a short while ago.
The press release said beginning August 31, 2020, TCL Communication will no longer sell BlackBerry-branded mobile devices. It goes on to say that TCL Communications has no right to design, manufacture or sell any new Blackberry mobile devices. However, the company (TCL) will continue to provide support for the existing devices up until August 31, 2022.
TCL didn’t announce a new BlackBerry phone last year (not counting the BlackBerry KEY2 RED Edition) and neither did any of the other two licensees – Optiemus and BB Merah Putih of India and Indonesia respectively. Since no new products were announced, we could tell something was up. However, only the partnership with TCL Communications is ending as there is no news regarding the other two licensees.
TCL already announced its first branded smartphone last year and is set to announce three new models at MWC 2020. It also still manufactures Alcatel-branded devices and is very much still in the TV business.
Based on this new development, it is safe to say BlackBerry is dead again. Will it be resurrected one more time? Only time will tell.
In the wake of the Coronavirus epidemic, Xiaomi has launched a couple of products that could help citizens fight the scourge. We have seen a couple of new facemasks and a UV sterilizing lamp. The company has now launched a second UV sterilizing lamp under the Youpin crowdfunding platform. The device is dubbed Xiaoda Sterilization Lamp and comes with an affordable 79 yuan ($11) price tag. It has proven to be a popular product.
The data obtained from Youpin crowdfunding page shows that the lamp was able to rake in a massive 4,942,503 yuan in just four days. That figure has since gone up to over 6.6million yuan as at the time of filing this report. Also, over 84,000 persons have supported the crowdfunding effort. Let’s take a quick look at the features.
The device is portable with the size being like that of a Coca-cola can. It is shaped like a retro-styled microphone. and can be used in many scenes. It can remove viruses and odours from clothes in the bedroom closet, and also from the refrigerator. It can also sterilize the dead corners of the bathroom with no air circulation. In the living room, it reduces the risk of cross-infection if there are people inside.
The Xiaoda UV Sterilization lamp uses a wide range of ultraviolet light for disinfection and sterilization. Ultraviolet light is used very often in the medical field and is similar to the sunlight in terms of intensity. Compared to traditional fluorescent lamp sterilization, this small sterilization lamp uses dual disinfection of ultraviolet and ozone, which effectively kills 5 common bacteria in the air, and the sterilization rate reaches 99.9%.
For safety purpose, the device only comes on 30 seconds after it is switched on. This is to ensure the area s evacuated to avoid injury. The device is equipped with a 700 mAh large-capacity lithium battery and USB charging. It can be used 1-2 times on a single charge, reducing the trouble of frequent charging. It can fully disinfect a roo in 30 minutes, depending on the size.
The Xiaoda UV Sterilization Lamp is expected to start shipping in batches from February 20.
Xiaomi has taken to Weibo to announce a new product and it is the MIJIA All-in-One Electric Screwdriver. The product will be on sale on Xiaomi Home and Mi Mall from 10 AM on February 5. It comes with a retail price of 149 yuan ($22) but on crowdfunding, it is priced at 129 yuan ($21).
The MIJIA Electric screwdriver uses innovative, integrated screwless design. The body is made of high-quality engineering plastics coated using fine UV paint technology. The body also houses several contours that ensure it doesn’t slip off the hand easily. The head is also lightweight and durable. The narrowest grip of the fuselage is less than 30mm and it weighs just 185 grams.
In other respects, this screwdriver can be switched between electric mode and manual mode according to the needs. The built-in 1500mAh lithium battery can unscrew more than 180 screws when fully charged. It comes with S2 alloy steel bit and 50mm long bit, making it ideal for use in difficult places such as narrow spaces and deep holes. The device has a button which slides between L and R to determine the direction it spins.
It is no longer news that Realme is working on launching its own smart TV. The phone manufacturer plans to expand its product portfolio to include new products such as wearables, TVs, and audio products. Now, an executive of the company has revealed there will be an announcement related to the TV at MWC 2020.
Francis Wang, CMO of Realme Mobiles, responded to a fan asking about the Realme TV that we are going to hear “something exciting” about the TV at MWC. Based on the statement, we do not think the TV will be launched at MWC 2020 but will actually be an announcement about its features and launch. We may even get an official teaser.
Building a TV is a different ball game entirely and Realme will face stiff competition from brands that have been in the game for long such as Samsung, LG, TCL, etc., as well as fellow phone makers Xiaomi and OnePlus that also make TVs. Currently, Xiaomi is the market leader in the smart TV market in India and offers models across multiple categories.
Realme is also going to add fitness trackers (and possibly smartwatches) to its product portfolio. Madhav Sheth, the CEO of the company, already confirmed that the fitness band will launch this month.
This month is going to be a busy one for Realme starting this week with the launch of the Realme C3.
In 2019, Huawei launched the Mate X foldable smartphone. It was the first of its kind from the company and had a display that opened and closed outward, unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Fold which folded inward. Now, the Chinese tech giant has applied for a patent that reveals that it’s second foldable smartphone will feature an inward folding display, similar to Samsung.
The patent application was filed in the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and is reportedly for the Mate X2. The device is expected to be released in the third quarter of 2020. According to the illustrations that accompany the patent, a foldable smartphone can be observed which has a design similar to the Mate X but with its display bending inwards.
On the front, dual front facing cameras are present while the rear features a quad camera setup, for a total of six cameras. Based on the schematics, the Huawei Mate X2 will arrive with a pen/stylus and has slightly more pronounced curved edges, unlike the square design of the Mate X. This lead to a sidebar also being provided where the front facing cameras are present which will include a narrow screen that displays notifications and other information like date, time or even weather and battery data.
Unfortunately, the patent application does not reveal any finer details like specifications of the Huawei Mate X2. Although, the company’s latest 7nm Kirin 990 5G SoC is likely to be used since the handset would arrive just before its rumored 5nm Kirin 1020 processor. Currently, the Mate Xs, a refreshed Mate X variant, is slated to receive the Kirin 990 chipset as well. So, we might see the same or a special variant for the Mate X2, but that is unlikely.
In December, Vivo had launched the Vivo V17 smartphone in India. Soon after its launch, it was revealed that Vivo India is planning to bring the Vivo V19 and Vivo V19 Pro smartphones to India by the end of Q1 2020. Citing information revealed through retail sources, 91mobiles has today reported that the Chinese firm will begin the pre-orders of the Vivo V19 and Vivo V19 Pro smartphones in India by February end.
The Chinese manufacturer is expected to capitalize on the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 cricket tournament for marketing the Vivo V19 series. The IPL series will kick off in India on March 23. As mentioned above, the pre-booking of the Vivo V19 and V19 Pro will kick by the end of this month.
The exact pricing of the Vivo V19 and Vivo V19 Pro are not known yet. They are expected to cost between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 30,000. The Vivo V19 Pro will be arriving in the Indian market first whereas the Vivo V19 will be releasing some time later. The sales of the Vivo V19 and V19 Pro will be carried through online and offline channels in the country. The rumor mill is yet to spill information on the specifications of the Vivo V19 and V19 Pro smartphones. These phones will be arriving as successors of the Vivo V17 and Vivo V17 Pro.
The Vivo V17 smartphone that was unveiled in India in December 2019 sport a different rear camera design than the phone by the name that can be found in Southeast Asian markets. The rectangle-shaped camera module includes a main lens of 48-megapixel, an ultrawide lens of 8-megapixel, a bokeh lens of 2-megapixel and a macro shooter of 2-megapixel. The OLED punch-hole display of the phone is fitted with a 32-megapixel selfie shooter.
The Vivo V17 has a 6.44-inch display with in-screen fingerprint sensor. It supports full HD+ resolution and a tall aspect ratio of 20:9. The Snapdragon 675 mobile platform powered smartphone has 8 GB of RAM. The internal storage of the device is 128 GB and it has a microSD card slot for more storage. The V17 draws power from a 4,500mAh battery. It supports 18W fast charging through USB-C. The handset comes preloaded with Android 9 Pie OS that is overlaid with FunTouch OS 9.
In September 2019, the folks at XDA-Developers found evidence of four Xiaomi phones with a 108MP camera in development. Two of those devices have already been announced as the Mi Note 10 and the Mi MIX Alpha. The other two devices codenamed “umi” and “cmi” will launch as the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro respectively soon with the Snapdragon 865 powering them. A third device with a Snapdragon 865 processor has now been discovered but unlike the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro, it will not have a 108MP sensor. This device may as well be the Redmi K30 Pro.
The device is codenamed “Imi” and its build.prop which has been obtained by XDA Developers reveals a number of details. First, it confirms that it is a Redmi device but doesn’t specify which and also reveals it has a Snapdragon 865 processor powering it.
What further proves that “Imi” is the Redmi K30 Pro is the Geekbench result that was posted a few weeks ago. The motherboard says “Imi” which is the codename of the phone. The build ID from Geekbench’s raw data output also matches that of the build.prop and the raw data output of the CPU/GPU matches that of the Snapdragon 865.
A senior member of XDA that goes by kacskrz also discovered in the MIUI Gallery app “Imi” among the devices with support for 64MP camera. This means that the Redmi K30 Pro will have a 64MP sensor just as the non-pro model. There is a chance it is the same Sony IMX686 as the standard version but with a larger aperture size (larger than the F1.9 of the Redmi K30).
Since the phone will have a Snapdragon 865 processor, it is a 5G device as all phones powered by the chipset will have a Snapdragon X55 5G modem paired with it.
There is still no official info regarding the launch date of the Redmi K30 Pro but a leak from December said the phone will be unveiled in March 2020. That is just about a month after the launch of the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro.
Apple has become a prominent figure in the truly wireless earphones category in recent times. It seems unlikely that a smartphone brand is a major player in the hearables industry but the company’s AirPods are one of the most popular wireless earbuds out there. This has led to many people adoring the product but with a few critics ever so often as well. However, none went as far as a barista that denied serving coffee to a customer just because he wore Apple’s AirPods.
According to the customer himself, he was “at the coffee shop counter, and the cashier wouldn’t take my order until I took off my AirPod! And it was only in one ear!” In other words, the barista denied service due to just one AirPod piece being worn. Reportedly, when the customer retaliated the response was based more on the socio-moral lines.
It is generally assumed to be bad manners or being rude when someone is in a conversation with another person while wearing either headphones or earphones. Meaning, people take it as an unwelcoming sign or an implication of not giving the person in the front one’s complete attention. The response given by the barista went along the same lines.
Furthermore, the cashier at the coffee shop even asked the customer to go to other stores like Starbucks or Dunkin’ if they desire a lack of human interaction. Going on to even state that removing one’s AirPods helps in confirming whether or not the order is accurate, whilst also treating a cashier like a human being and not simply a brief service provider.
Apple AirPods Pro
It’s an odd topic we discussed today so let us know in the comments down below regarding this scenario. Is it rude to talk to someone with earbuds on or should we move on with the growing trends and embrace technology.
The prevailing Cornavirus epidemic in China has affected the way most companies run their businesses. Recently, Xiaomi announced the closure of its offline stores while continuing to take orders via its online channels. There are several other Chinese firms that have adopted this online work pattern in other to reduce person-to-person contacts. The health situation will also have an effect on new product launch events as it is unsafe to hold any public gathering at the moment. A report had emerged that Xiaomi and Blackshark may launch their products online. Honor is likely to adopt this pattern.
To this end, Guan Haitao Honor’s Honorary Deputy Minister of Marketing has revealed the pattern that the first conference for this year will take. The Honor official hinted in a Weibo post that the company’s first press conference will be held online.
Guan Haitao did not specifically disclose which new products will be unveiled at this online conference. However, an unknown Honor model with the model number “MOA-AL00” appeared in the website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (TENAA) a few years ago, with a waterdrop screen on the front, a matrix rear camera design and no fingerprint scanner on the rear panel. The device features a 6.3-inch display and a 4900mAh battery. The is no information yet as to when the first Honor conference for 2020 will hold. We’ll keep you updated when new details emerge.
Redmi is yet to launch a new product in India this year but something may be coming soon judging from a video teaser shared by the official twitter account.
The video was posted a few hours ago with the caption “The genesis of power begins here.” and the hashtag #MorePowerToRedmi. However, the video itself doesn’t reveal much about what to expect.
There have been several guesses since the video was posted. The account did say it is not a new phone, which rules out the Redmi 9 and Redmi Note 9. It also said it is not a computer, so it is not the RedmiBook. There are other guesses including power banks and faster-charging technology but the responses were vague. However, there is one product that didn’t show up in the comments and that is the Redmi Band.
It has been reported that Redmi is working on its first fitness tracker which is expected to launch as the Redmi Band. The fitness tracker will support payment, have a heart rate sensor, alarm function, and also display weather info.
It is possible the teaser is for the Redmi Band or a different product entirely. It may even be a new phone (Redmi 9A, Redmi 9, or Redmi Note 9) but decided to deny it just to mislead fans. Nevertheless, we will keep our eyes peeled for more info.
China has recently been hit by a dangerous epidemic caused by a new breed of Coronavirus. Infection is known to cause pneumonia and has even led to a few dozen deaths in the Southeast Asian country. During this time, many manufacturers have closed down production lines, factories and other areas with a larger workforce. However, a few Chinese chipmakers and Huawei have continued to keep their operations running.
These Chinese firms are continuing to manufacture parts and products despite the local government calling for work in certain cities and provinces to be stopped. Similarly, Huawei has resumed its own production of products that include home appliances, smartphones, and even network carrier equipment regardless of the ongoing outbreak.
As a 5G leader, Huawei is also helping out Wuhan to connect to 5G
The Coronavirus began spreading from the Wuhan region in China. A few isolated cases of infections have been found in a few foreign countries but are still under tight quarantine. Furthermore, the government plans to completely curb the infection before it reaches the capital, Beijing, which is why the order for halting production lines was called.
Notably, Huawei restarted its manufacturing line since the company obtained a special exemption that allows a few crucial industries to remain operational. Previously, the company had helped the Chinese Government in building a 5G network infrastructure for the special hospital that was built to combat the Coronavirus in the Wuhan district.
The domestic tech supply chain has been labeled as critical as well since certain chipmakers remain operating, even through the Chinese new year. This sector is also an area where China faces friction against the US, so it arrives as no surprise that companies like Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd (YMTC) are still running their manufacturing lines. YMTC is a state backed maker of flash memory chips in Wuhan.
Nubia’s Red Magic line of gaming smartphone is preparing to announce a new phone. The device, which is currently referred to as the Red Magic 5G, first appeared in the news in early December. In the following weeks, details about some of its features such as its display, cameras, and charging technology were posted on the web. Today, more details have surfaced.
A tweet posted by Digital Chat Station today has disclosed some of the Red Magic 5G’s key specifications. Some of them we already know while others are new.
According to the leaker, the phone will have a 6.65-inch OLED display with a 2340 x 1080 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. The refresh rate was originally confirmed by Nubia’s own president back in mid-January. Most phones with a high refresh rate either have a 90Hz or 120Hz screen, so this will be a first for the mobile industry. However, there is a chance more manufacturers will jump on this train. Redmi has even released a video showing the Redmi K30 5G’s display can be tweaked to support a 144Hz refresh rate but the Red Magic 5G will likely be the first phone to launch with the feature right out of the box.
Red Magic 5G:
6.65"2340*1080p 144Hz OLED display，64mp triple camera（maybe imx686），s865+12GB LPDDR5，55W Super Charge…
An image shared by Ni Fei, the CEO of Nubia, revealed the upcoming Red Magic 5G has triple rear cameras. Thanks to today’s leak, we now know the primary sensor is a 64MP sensor. Although unconfirmed, the sensor may be the Sony IMX686. Sadly, there is no info with respect to the other rear cameras and the front-facing camera.
With respect to the processor, it is no news that there will be a Snapdragon 865 chipset under the hood but now we know it will be paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM.
The battery capacity is also still unknown but it is stated that the Red Magic 5G will have support for 55W Super Charge. That should help users recharge their device really fast irrespective of the battery capacity.
The Red Magic 5G’s release date is still unknown but we expect it to arrive this quarter.
The Vivo truly wireless stereo (TWS) earphones are finally headed towards the Indian market, a report on 91mobiles claim. According to industry sources familiar with the development, the truly wireless earphones are currently undergoing intensive tests before the formal announcement. It is believed that its launch in India is imminent, and although Vivo India is yet to divulge official details, rumors suggest that the TWS will be unveiled alongside the Vivo V19 in March 2020.
Vivo announced the TWS earphones back in September 2019 in China. The earbuds went official alongside Vivo NEX 3 5G flagship smartphone. The key highlights of the TWS include the dual-core 32-bit processor based on a quad-core architecture along with high-definition audio decoding technology.
The Vivo TWS flaunts a 14.2mm driver that supports AAC and aptX high-definition audio decoding technology. The headset comes with Qualcomm QCC5126 chips that offer high-quality audio consistently. The earphones are IP54 water-resistant and flaunt touch-sensitive controls for adjusting the volume and playback speed. Vivo claims an average battery life of 4 hours on a single charge. It can last up to 24 hours when paired with the charging case.
The dual-channel transmission reduces power consumption up to 30% and latency up to 44% compared to standard transmission technology. The device also achieves a minimum latency of 180ms. Additional features include a dual microphone with noise reduction, not to be confused with noise cancelation. Also included in the list is Bone conduction, which can be used to interact with Jovi, Vivo’s AI assistant, and access features like fast payment, real-time translation, and WeChat broadcast.
Vivo TWS earphones price and availability
There is no word on the price and launch details of the TWS earphones. In China, it is available in two shades such as black and white. The device currently retails at RMB 999 (~$142) which roughly translates to Rs. 10,200.
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UP NEXT: Vivo threatens Samsung in India, jumps to second position in Q4 2019