Again, Apple Watch comes to the rescue of a owner with an undetected heart condition

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Jan 29, 2020

Realme has teased its upcoming fitness band in India for a while now and recently the company announced that it will finally be launching the product in February 2020. Now, the Realme Fitness Band has been spotted in the wild.

Previously, Realme had only teased its fitness band and had just revealed it’s signature yellow colored strap. According to the source, the company’s fitness band was spotted in the Spanish Visa office in New Delhi, India, and was worn by Madhav Sheth, the CEO of Realme India. In the image captured, the Realme fitness band can be seen with a similar yellow strap that had been teased before.

Looking at the image, the upcoming Realme fitness band features a curved display. Reportedly, it was first spotted with its display turned off, making it unknown whether it will be a colored AMOLED panel or utilize another display technology. Furthermore, the fitness band rival alternatives like Honor Band series or Mi Band series from Chinese tech giants like Huawei and Xiaomi, respectively, in the budget segment of wearables.

The design of the Realme fitness band resembles the Honor Band and Fitbit Inspire while the strap doesn’t wrap around the display, unlike the Mi Band series. Rather, the strap attaches to the display body. Unfortunately, finer details regarding the specs and features of the Realme fitness band are still unknown, including the software and user interface as well.

Universities in the US are installing location tracking apps on students’ smartphones

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Jan 29, 2020

Colleges in the US are reportedly testing a method of location tracking in the form of an app that is mandatory to be installed in students’ smartphones. This arrives at a time where digital privacy is a major concern globally and is already seeing backlash.

The report pointed out the University of Missouri, where students “won’t be given a choice” and are required to install SpotterEDU app. This app works via Apple’s iBeacons to broadcast a Bluetooth signal which helps in determining whether a student is actually in a room. According to a different source, however, the app is said to only be compulsory for athletes and it is “completely optional” for students. Although the fact of its mere existence is more questionable to many.

SpotterEDU is currently being tested in a number of different educational bodies including 40 schools as well, according to the founder Rick Carter, also a former college basketball coach which explains its target audience being athletes. Even though US universities’ have stated that it does not include GPS tracking other reports suggest that students can willingly offer GPS coordinates if they choose to do so.

Similarly, another firm called Degree Analytics, which is a startup, uses Wi-FI signals instead of Bluetooth and is already employed in 19 schools. Another example is FanMaker that provides “loyalty points” to students that stay longer to watch college sports games at the stadium, implemented in 40 schools. This all has led to a stream of criticism and has seen people draw similarities to a digital authoritarian rule that may occur in the future.

The last line is probably a bit of a stretch but it has concerned individuals from digital privacy fields that have also run case studies against Chinese educational bodies that feature a similar tracking method. As of right now, the systems in place do not sound too pervasive and are technically unavoidable but it does seem to suggest that tracking students is a common thing now. What its future ramifications are, that remains to be seen.

(Via)

Redmi’s GM Lu Weibing says Under Display Camera is far from mass production

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 29, 2020

OPPO R&D team had first detailed the development of the under-screen camera technology last year. The OPPO Find X2 was expected to pioneer the Camera-Under-Panel (CUP) technology but earlier this month when Shen Yiren was teasing the Find X2, he stated that he would consider mass production. The statement fueled speculations that the under-screen camera may likely not feature on the Find X2. Redmi’s GM Lu Weibing has also added his voice to the discussion about under-screen camera technology.

Weibing released an epistle on Weibo which explains why the technology may not come now. He categorically stated that Camera-Under-Panel (CUP) is far from mass production. The post was preceded by an opinion poll which he conducted to find out what features fans cared about the most. The options were screen form with particular reference to camera under the screen. Others options are optical zoom, Super-fast charge such as 100W and linear motor. As at the time of filing this report, over 25,000 persons have responded. The screen form(Camera-Under-Panel (CUP)) option is by far the most popular with 15000 persons voting for it.

However, Weibing was quick to release an essay defusing expectations in that regard. He stated that with the current technical capabilities, he could not find an effective solution that combines display effects and camera effects. There is still a long way to go to achieve mass production.

The Redmi GM threw more light on the benefits of CUP, stating that its application on mobile phones can achieve the real full-screen effect without sacrificing space, but there are still many difficulties currently that hamper the implementation of the technology. Simply put, it is the contradiction between the screen’s PPI and transmittance.

The current screen PPI is about 400 and the light transmittance in a camera is very low. Putting a camera lens under such screen will seriously affect the photo effect. If the PPI around the camera area is lowered and the transmittance is increased, there will be a large gap between the PPI in the camera zome and the PPI of the entire screen. This will cause phenomena such as colour patches in the display area.

Thus, with the current technical capabilities, it is impossible to find an effective solution that takes into account both display effects and camera effects. Xiaomi had first released a CUP-based technology demo in 2019 but it is still far from achieving mass production.

Indian Railways will use Facial Recognition technology despite Privacy Concerns being raised

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Jan 29, 2020

Railway stations in major cities will soon use facial recognition technology to assist in identifying criminals in India by the end of 2020. This move has been heavily criticized by digital rights campaigners that claim it is a significant breach in privacy in the absence of relevant laws.

The new facial recognition system will be installed in key railways stations and is being tested in India’s tech hub, Bengaluru. This system will have to scan approximately 500,000 commuters every day and will utilize artificial intelligence which will match scanned faces against the police database of criminals. A senior Indian Railway official has stated that the move will make the railways a “virtual fortress without a physical, brick and mortar boundary wall, we will be able to make the whole system more secure.”

The Indian Railways is one of the biggest railways networks in the world which spans across the entire nation and connects major cities to distant corners of the country, carrying about 23 million people or the entire population of Taiwan in a single day. However, despite its significance in transportation, it is also been known to have been used by human traffickers to lure millions of females and children. These criminals con people with attractive offers of jobs, but are then sold into slavery or bonded labor to pay of debt.

The idea behind the inclusion of the facial recognition technology to catch criminals is sound but could potentially carry a lot of risks as well. This has caused supporters and detractors of the new technology. On one hand, the system can be used to great effect and vastly improve security while others say it comes at a notable loss of privacy and perpetual surveillance.

India is currently preparing to implement a nationwide facial recognition system, one of the largest in the world, which is already utilized in certain airports. However, as India advances in the technical field its laws have yet to catch up with modern laws concerning digital privacy. This has even led to a backlash from human rights group. In 2017, the Indian Supreme Court ruled that individual privacy is a fundamental right but the latest data protection bill which was introduced in parliament gives the Government the power to ask electronics based firms to hand over users’ data.

Indian Railways to start testing new Facial Recognition system in Bengaluru, Karnataka

The Indian Railway’s facial recognition software will store a person’s face in the system for up to 30 days and will only be accessible to the Railway Protection force under an authorized person. According to Raman Jit Singh Chima, Access Now Director (an Asian digital rights group) the new system has been labeled “dangerous” since it did not reveal which third parties were involved and how data was handled or accessed.

Similar to railway stations, there are plans for including similar technology onboard trains as well, with security cameras being installed in 1,200 out of 58,000 carriages. The senior railway official also claimed that this was the only method through which a country like India with such a large population can be monitored and “policing has to be tech-based.”

(Source,Via)

Realme C3 will launch on February 6; poster provides first look

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 29, 2020

Realme’s C series is its line of budget phones that can be called the direct competitor to the Redmi *A series. Earlier today, Realme’s CEO, Madhav Sheth, teased a new model for the series that would be launching soon. Shortly after, invites have been sent out for the launch of the Realme C3 scheduled for February 6.

The invite confirms the name of the new model is the Realme C3 but that should not be news for anyone unless you have been living under a rock. The Realme C3 and a second model called the Realme C3s were certified weeks ago in Singapore and Thailand.

The invite also reveals the design of the phone. As you can see in the image, Realme is keeping the waterdrop notch this time around. However, the lower bezel appears to be thicker though the display is still curved at the corners.

On the back, the Realme C3 will have dual cameras but they are now arranged vertically, unlike its predecessor’s cameras that are arranged horizontally. Unfortunately, the rest of the phone’s rear is blocked and we can’t confirm if the phone has a fingerprint scanner or not. At least we know blue is one of the color variants that the phone will be available in.

The specs of the Realme C3 are currently unknown but we expect it to have a more powerful processor, better cameras, and run Android 10 with Realme UI out of the box.

The event will begin at 12:30 PM (IST) and will be live-streamed.

Harvard’s Chemistry Department Head arrested for lying about working with China

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Jan 29, 2020

Charles Lieber, the head of Harvard’s Chemistry Department, has been arrested after the was found to have lied to the authorities regarding his involvement with China’s program to recruit foreign researchers.

The investigation against Lieber has uncovered an affidavit that contained his contract with the program, Thousand Talents, which offered him a monthly salary of $50,000 and annual living expenses of more than $150,000 over the course of three years. Furthermore, he had also been offered upwards of $1.5 million by the Chinese GOvernment and the Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) to conduct research at the university and setting up a lab.

Charles Leiber is a prominent figure in the scientific community and is one of the biggest names that the US authorities have ever arrested for stealing research for foreign nations. Till date, most cases of arrests have generally been in cases against scientist that are collaborating with China. Now, China’s Thousand Talents program which aims to acquire leading scientists that “can enhance China’s high-tech industries and emerging disciplines” has recently come under US authorities attention.

Leiber is also a renowned professor at Harvard and a leader in nanoscience and nanotechnology related research. Allegedly, he signed an agreement with WUT to conduct research and development of nano-wired lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. This agreement was taken on Harvard University’s behalf which is out of Lieber’s authority. In other words, he undertook a deal in Harvard’s name and worked for a Chinese organization.

US CHina trade war featured — Source: Wikimedia

The affidavit also claims that Lieber misrepresented his work to Harvard and had lied to the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health, which also fund Lieber’s research group at Harvard. This funding requires full disclosure regarding foreign collaborations that Lieber did not follow through on. Currently, Lieber is under paid administrative leave but is not allowed on campus grounds, for now.

“The charges brought by the U.S. government against Professor Lieber are extremely serious. Harvard is cooperating with federal authorities, including the National Institutes of Health, and is conducting its own review of the alleged misconduct,” according to a statement by Harvard. The implications of Lieber’s actions are severe as the tensions between the US and China are at an all-time high. The investigation is still underway to root out more violations and acts of misconduct.

Samsung Galaxy A51 launched in India, Exynos 9611 & Quad-cameras at Rs. 23,999 ($337)

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Jan 29, 2020

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy A51 mid-range smartphone in India today. The phone succeeds the Exynos 9611-powered A50s model that was announced back in September 2019. The Galaxy A51 is priced at Rs. 23,999 ($337) in India.

The Galaxy A51 was announced globally by Samsung earlier this month. So, let’s first focus on the pricing and availability of the device in India.

Galaxy A51 Pricing & Availability in India

Samsung is offering the A51 in two variants in India, 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage that starts at Rs. 23,999 ($337) and 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM that costs Rs. 25,999 ($365). There will be four color options available in the country: Blue, Pink, Prism White, and Prism Black.

The phone will go on sale from January 31 across various online and offline stores.

Galaxy A51 Specification

The Galaxy A51 doesn’t bring any significant changes as compared to its predecessor. So you get the same Exynos 9611 mid-range processor as the A50s model. There’s a 6.5-inch FHD+ Infinity-O Super AMOLED display on the front with an in-display fingerprint sensor.

But the biggest difference is in the camera department. The Galaxy A51 comes with a quad-camera setup at the back featuring a 48MP f/2.0 ISOCELL GM2 primary sensor paired with a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5MP dedicated macro lens, and a 5MP f/2.2 depth sensor. Up front, you have the same 32MP f/2.2 selfie camera as the A50s.

A 4000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging powers the device. Note that the phone has a dual SIM card slot with a microSD card slot for expanding storage. It will run Android 10 based OneUI 2.0 right out of the box.

Honestly, the Galaxy A51’s asking price seems to be a bit too high for the Indian market. It will have a hard time taking on mid-rangers from Chinese brands like Redmi and Realme in India.

China’s top delivery firm offers contact-free meal delivery across China to combat Coronavirus

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 29, 2020

Meituan Takeaway a meal delivery company in China has announced the commencement of “contactless delivery” in 184 cities across China. The service is expected to cover the entire country this week and is in a bid to reduce person-to-person contact which will help contain the rampaging Coronavirus. The company was the first to pilot “contactless delivery” service in Wuhan where the virus was first detected.

At present, Meituan takeaway users can choose “contactless delivery” in two ways, one is to add the request as a comment directly on the meal order page. The other way is to communicate directly with the rider via phone or a message on the app to request the use of contactless meal delivery service. For example, on the order page, through the “contact rider” or “call rider” button, get in touch with the rider and negotiate the location where the meal will be dropped.

At the same time, during the distribution process, the rider will also call the user in advance to confirm whether to choose the service and will further determine the location of the meal after being approved.

Commercial contactless delivery service cannot be utilised in hospitals due to the unsafe environment. However, the company is offering bulk food delivery for hospitals and even dropped a contact number for hospitals that need the service to call.

The Coronavirus was first discovered in Wuhan China and the outbreak has killed 132 people in China with close to 6,000 infected persons.

(source)

Sony Xperia flagship smartphone to allegedly come with 4,400mAh battery

By

Jeet

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Jan 29, 2020

Sony is reportedly gearing up to launch its new flagship smartphone — Sony Xperia 2. Now, ahead of the launch, battery capacity of the device has been leaked online, which will allegedly be 4,400mAh.

However, do note that are multiple reports related the smartphone’s name and thus, the phone could also go official as the Xperia 0, Xperia 1.1, or Xperia 5. The leak about the 4,400mAh battery comes as the image of the phone’s battery surfaces online through Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.

Sony Xperia 1 or 5 Plus Render — Sony Xperia 5 Plus Render

If this report turns out to be true, then the battery capacity on the Xperia 2 will be a significant as well as a much-needed upgrade over its predecessor Xperia 1 which packs 3,300mAh battery. Although that was pretty low in terms of battery capacity, it wasn’t much of an issue because of the company’s battery management.

Apart from the battery capacity, it is said that the Sony Xperia 2 will come with a 4K resolution display, offering 21:9 aspect ratio — same as the Xperia 1. As for the display size, the phone will reportedly come with a 6.6-inch panel, larger than the predecessor.

Further, the smartphone is also said to be capable of the latest 5G communication. This could explain the larger capacity battery as the next generation of cellular connectivity consumes more power than 4G LTE.

The Sony Xperia 2 will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC along with Snapdragon X55 modem. It will come packed with up to 12GB of RAM and will be running Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box.

As for the camera setup, the device is said to have a 64-megapixels or 48-megapixels primary sensor along with a 12-megapixels ultra-wide-angle camera, a 12-megapixels telephoto unit, and a Time Of Flight sensor. On the front side, the smartphone will be equipped with an 8-megapixel snapper.

The phone will reportedly have an IP68 rating too and will also feature NFC connectivity. Rumors also indicate a side-mounted fingerprint sensor along with a headphone jack. Some reports indicate that the phone will cost around $900.

This is what we know so far about Sony’s upcoming flagship smartphone. We expect to know more about the device as the launch near. The company has also scheduled a launch event at MWC 2020 and the phone could go official there.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro has been confirmed in MIUI 11 codes, supports 66W fast charging

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Jan 29, 2020

Xiaomi‘s flagship smartphone for this year is just around the corner. The Mi 10 will be the successor to the Xiaomi Mi 9 from last year and will be a premium grade smartphone. Now, a new report has revealed the existence of a Mi 10 Pro variant alongside the standard Mi 10 version.

Reportedly, Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro was discovered via the MIUI 11 codes which have also revealed that one of the smartphones in the Mi 10 series will support 66W fast wired charging capabilities. According to the source, MIUI 11 v20.1.6 build from 16th January 2020 for the Redmi K30 5G contained codenames for two devices alongside the marketing names.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Snapdragon 865 SoC — Xiaomi Mi 10 will arrive with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC

The Xiaomi Mi 10 has been designated with the codename M2001J2C while the Mi 10 Pro has been assigned M2001J1C. This has also confirmed the Mi 10 series will support 66W fast wired charging, which will likely be featured on the higher variant, the Mi 10 Pro. Although Xiaomi has teased 100W fast charging in the past, it seems there is still time before a commercial appearance as of right now.

Previously, a smartphone with the M2001J1C codename had been spotted in China’s CCC certification portal last year in November 2019, which is now believed to be the Mi 10 Pro. This listing had revealed its 66W fast wired charging capabilities. Notably, another smartphone codenamed M2001J1E also supports 66W fast charging and judging by the previous two flagship Xiaomi smartphone, it could be an Explorer Edition of the Mi 10 series. However, this is just speculation at best.

Xiaomi launched the Mi 9 on the same day as Samsung’s Galaxy S10 series but its doubtful if that would be repeated again. The viral outbreak plaguing the Wuhan region in China has been a cause for alarm and may lead to some unexpected delays as well. So stay tuned for more updates regarding the Mi 10 launch and more.

OPPO Find X2 Pro certified alongside the Find X2 by Thailand’s NBTC

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 29, 2020

For several reasons, OPPO Find series has often been very popular even when there was a long hiatus before the company released the Find X in 2018. The Find X was an impressive flagship model which featured an innovative slider mechanism and a bezel-less design. OPPO didn’t release a successor in 2019 but is already prepping up a successor which would be known as Find X2. The OPPO Find X2 has now been certified and it came with a surprise- there is a Find X2 Pro in the works! The Find X2 Pro also got certified.

The models were certified by Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). While the Find X2 appears with the model number OPPO CPH2023, the Find X2 Pro is listed as OPPO-CPH2025. The listing mentions nothing about the specifications of both model but before now, we had seen some leaks of the Find X2.

The OPPO Find X2 is expected to pack a Snapdragon 865 chipset as well as Sony’s latest IMX689 and IMX708 image sensors. The Find X2 was earlier confirmed to pack a WQHD (1440p) display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The tweet further adds that the OPPO Find X2 will include support for 65-watt SuperVOOC fast charging which will be able to charge up the device to full in just 35 minutes. We expect the Find X2 Pro to feature a more premium hardware configuration but both would likely have the same design

At this moment, we don’t know more than these details of the Find X2 and there is no information what makes the Find X2 Pro distinct. However, we expect more details to surface as the launch inches closer.

(via)

Realme C3 series will launch very soon in India

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Jan 29, 2020

For the past two years, Realme C-series smartphones have offered competitive specs in the budget segment. Now, Realme CEO Madhav Sheth has confirmed that an update to the lineup is in the cards. He is likely teasing the new Realme C3 series and we’ll get more details tomorrow.

With 10.2 million users globally & more than 7.5 Lakh users rating 5/5 on Flipkart, the #realmeCSeries has been highly successful in disrupting the entry level segment.

Will be bringing more to this series tomorrow.
RT & reply to guess. pic.twitter.com/ZmFuGf9suJ

— Madhav 's Lifestyle (@MadhavSheth1) January 29, 2020

The Realme C-series has over 10.2 million users globally. The Realme C2s was the latest model launched in this series in Thailand but the C3 series will be the real successor to last year’s C2 lineup. We expect two models in the series, the Realme C3 and the C3s.

The C3s model has already passed several certification websites like Thailand’s NBTC and US’ FCC under the model number RMX2020. The two models will likely differ only in terms of its RAM and storage.

FCC’s certification featured a schematic of the device giving us a glimpse of its back design. The Realme C3(s) will come with a vertically arranged rear camera setup, placed on the top left corner. There will be a fingerprint center at the back as well. Notably, the Realme C3 model had already passed Singapore’s certification agency back in December, alongside the Realme 5i which was recently announced in India.

There are rumors that the Realme C3 series will be officially announced on February 6, but we’ll have to wait for an official confirmation of the same.

Samsung rolls out Android 10 OS update for the Galaxy S9

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Jan 29, 2020

Samsung has just released the Android 10 OS updates for its 2018 flagship series, the Galaxy S9. The major systems update is being rolled out to both the Galaxy S9 and S9+ and is currently available in Germany and in the US.

As of right now, the update is available only for users running Android 9 Pie. Unfortunately, the final build for Android 10 OS based One UI 2.0 has not been rolled out for beta testers, yet, but is expected to be released soon. For countries outside of Germany and the US, Samsung had initially unveiled the roadmap which pointed to early February 2020. So it should be rolled out in the next couple of weeks.

Notably, Samsung had previously mentioned that the update for the German region would arrive by March 2020, but it has been released now. So, we can expect the update to arrive a bit earlier in other regions as well since the South Korean tech giant is ahead of the curve. The Android 10 update for the Galaxy S9 series is between 1.8 to 1.9GB in size and users can check for the update by going to Settings>Software update menu.

The new update brings the latest Android version alongside the January 2020 security patch. The One UI 2.0 is Samsung’s custom skin running over the OS and brings tons of new features that the company claimed arrives from feedback collected from Samsung and Google as well.

(Via)

Samsung will launch the World’s First 5G tablet, the Galaxy Tab S6 tomorrow in S. Korea

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Jan 29, 2020

Samsung has officially announced that it will launch the world’s first 5G tablet, the Galaxy Tab S6 in South Korea tomorrow. The company is marketing the tablet as an entertainment hub with support for the new-age 5G network and features such as AKG audio and Dolby Atmos quad-speakers.

The Galaxy Tab S6 5G will come with similar specs as the LTE version which includes a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display, and a 5.7mm thick body weighing 420 grams. The 5G tablet will be available in at least one Mountain Gray color along with an S-Pen. What’s interesting is that the official press renders of the Galaxy Tab S6 5G reveal a slightly different bottom design as compared to the LTE version. While the USB-C port is common, the speaker grill design is different on the 5G version. Check out the image down below to see the difference.

The Galaxy Tab S6 5G will be available in just one 128GB ROM variant in mountain gray color at launch. It will be priced at 999,000 won ($848).

Samsung is making a Reusable Packaging Box to reduce pollution during product distribution

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Jan 29, 2020

Samsung Electronics, a known brand in the tech industry, is developing a reusable packaging box. This is likely a move to reduce the waste generated from packaging during the sale of electronics products.

The South Korean tech giant applied for a patent under the title ‘reusable packaging box,’ which features a packaging that combines an inner cushion and an outer protective layer. Generally, a large electronic product like a refrigerator ais shipped in a large cardboard box with styrofoam on the inside to act as shock absorbing material. However, once the product is installed, it is unlikely that it is kept for future use and is typically disposed of immediately.

This creates additional waste and has been known to pollute the environment in the long run, especially styrofoam since its a non-biodegradable material. To tackle this, the new reusable packaging box has been designed with a focus of being used multiple times rather than simply disposing it after one use. Furthermore, the integrated cushion material and outer cover simplify the packaging process while also reduces the number of waste products.

Samsung has been influenced by many factors, one of which includes an upcoming Government regulation on waste in its home country, South Korea. Environmental protection and reduction in pollution caused by large corporations, especially within the electronics industry, has been a big debate for decades. If implemented, the new reusable packaging box could reduce disposable products and reduce its impact on the environment.

Notably, the development of the reusable packaging box from Samsung will have a great impact in terms of cost and environmental protection. This is due to packaging waste being a major polluting concern and the company has a big role since it is one of the biggest sellers in the industry. The new method of packaging is also a part of Samsung’s cyclical economy based around sourcing its supplies for its products from used and recyclable materials to fully optimize and reduce wastage during assembly.

(Via)

Alibaba patents a new dual-folding clamshell smartphone design

By

Jeet

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Jan 29, 2020

Alibaba, one of the world’s leading eCommerce platform, seems to be eyeing to enter the products market. The Chinese giant has developed a new design for a foldable smartphone and has also filed for its patent.

The foldable smartphone from Alibaba has a clamshell design and unlike the clamshell foldable smartphones that we’ve seen so far from the likes of Samsung and Motorola, this one from Alibaba can be folded twice.

Further, the smartphone from Alibaba also has a secondary display on the upper part of the back panel which covers about one-third of the total area. However, unlike the front screen, the display panel on the back side isn’t flexible. When the phone is folded, the back screen will remain usable as a front display.

Since the foldable screen is on the inside, it remains well-protected and when the phone is folded, the secondary screen on the back can be used for making calls and notifications, among other things. There were two physical buttons on the right which will serve as ON/OFF switch and for controlling volume.

The development of Alibaba patenting a foldable smartphone design is quite interesting given that the eCommerce giant doesn’t make products of its own. Even if the phone is to make its debut commercially in the market, the company could resold or license the patent to other smartphone manufacturers.

Huawei P40 series could be cheaper at launch to make up for the lack of GApps

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Jan 29, 2020

Over the past couple of years, Huawei’s P series has transformed into the ultimate camera flagship, rivaling the likes of the Galaxy Note series and the iPhone flagship models.

This year’s Huawei P40 lineup is extremely important for the brand for two reasons. First, it has big shoes to fill, after the P30 Pro turned out to be an extremely popular camera flagship. Secondly, this year, the Huawei P40 will launch without Google services. So, Huawei will have to convince users to purchase the P40 even without Google apps on board. And it looks like one way to do this is by making the series cheaper this year.

Huawei-P40-Pro-leaked-render — Huawei P40 Pro
Source: 91Mobiles

According to @RODENT950 (Teme), the Huawei P40 series will be cheaper at launch. He says that the P40 series models will range between 3599 yuan ($519) to 6599 yuan ($951) in China. The P40 is expected to start around €599 in Europe while the P40 Pro should start at around €799. There should be a premium edition too this year which is expected to start at €1000.

Because I buy these phones largely from China so I bet 3599Y-6599Y (470€ – 870€ ~ 599€- 999€ )

— Teme (特米) (@RODENT950) January 27, 2020

The Huawei P30 Pro turned out to be one of the best camera flagships of 2019. And according to recent rumors and leaks, the Huawei P40 Pro and Pro PE (Premium Edition) will be able to carry its legacy.

Making the entire lineup cheaper is actually a pretty smart way to make up for the lack of Google services. Huawei has been aggressively working on developing Google app replacements over the past one year. In this regard, the P40 series will come with the company’s own Huawei Mobile services (HMS).

The lack of Google services would also translate into cheaper cost price of the smartphone. Google revealed last year that it was charging up to $40 for preloading GAPPs on Android smartphones in Europe. So, these savings could be directly transferred to the customers via cheaper launch prices.

Huawei P40 Pro Mint Green — Huawei P40 Pro could also come in a Mint Green shade

Now the real question is – if the P40 Pro turns out to be the best camera smartphone of the year, would people consider it without Google Apps, even if it’s significantly cheaper than premium flagships?

OPPO PCLM50 to launch as Reno3 5G Power Edition, launches next month

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 29, 2020

Come next month, OPPO’s Reno3 series will get a new member, a new leak has revealed. The new phone will join the Reno 3 5G and the Reno3 Pro 5G OPPO announced last month.

About a week ago, a new phone with model number PCLM50 was seen on TENAA’s database with nearly similar specs as the Reno3 5G but a different processor and a different primary rear camera.

According to Digital Chat Station, the OPPO PCLM50 will launch as the “Reno3 5G Power Edition” (this is a loose translation of the phrase. He adds that the phone will come in nice colors and should launch next month.

The TENAA listing says the phone has a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 resolution. It is powered by a 2.4GHz processor which is most definitely the Snapdragon 765G. It will have 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of expandable storage.

The Reno 3 5G Power Edition will have four rear cameras in a 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP configuration. It will also have a 32MP selfie camera. There is a fingerprint scanner under the display and a 3935mAh (4025mAh) battery under the hood.

TENAA says it will be available in white, black, and yellow, and it will run Android 10 out of the box.

While there is no info with respect to its price, we presume the Reno3 Pro 5G Power Edition may have the same price tag as the standard Reno3 Pro when it launches.