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Poco splits from Xiaomi to become an independent brand

By
Jeet
-

Last year, in January, Xiaomi split its Redmi brand of budget smartphones to make it independent and since then, the brand has launched several smartphones as well as had expanded its presence to other product categories as well.

Now, Chinese phone maker Xiaomi is repeating the same with its sub-brand Poco. Manu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi India MD and Global Vice President has today announced that Poco will now be an independent brand.

Xiaomi POCO

Given that the announcement comes from Xiaomi India Managing Director Manu Kumar Jain, it seems that the brand will be focusing on the Indian market only, at least for the initial time. This can be further confirmed through the brand’s online presence as the new Twitter handle is @IndiaPOCO while the website is now poco.in.

Manu Jain made this announcement through a tweet in which he said: “Excited to share: #POCO will now be an independent brand! What started as a sub-brand within Xiaomi, has grown into its own identity. POCO F1 was an incredibly popular phone. We feel the time is right to let POCO operate on its own. Join me in wishing @IndiaPOCO all the best.”

Xiaomi’s POCO brand garnered a very strong fan following ever since the launch of its first smartphone — the Pocophone F1 back in August 2018. The major reason behind the popularity of the phone was its unique segment in the industry — top-of-the-line specifications at very aggressive price point, similar to how OnePlus started operations.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei executive says $150 5G phones will launch by the end of this year

However, after Poco F1, the company didn’t launch another other smartphones. There were several reports and rumors about Xiaomi working on the next Poco smartphone, but nothing was materialised. Then, rumors started that the company is shutting down Poco unit as it had launched the Redmi K20 lineup in India, which was placed in the similar segment as the Poco lineup.

The announcement about Poco becoming an independent brand comes just days after there are reports about Poco F2 smartphone coming soon. A few days ago, the company’s trademark filing for the Poco F2 surfaced online and recently, a new Xioami smartphone named Poco X2 was also spotted on Geekbench.

While we are not sure what smartphone from the Poco brand is coming, but with the rise in rumors and leaks related to a new Poco smartphone and the company’s announcement regarding the brand, we expect that the next-generation Poco smartphone isn’t far from getting official. What do you think?

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 10 launch poster leaked; Reveals February 11 date and Mi MIX Alpha like rear camera design

 

Slides reveal that Android generates 60% less revenue for developers than iOS

By
Airyl Jaszly
-

Google has always been surprisingly quiet when it comes to user and revenue numbers for Android. Google hasn’t even updated its own dashboard of how many devices are on each version of Android since May, so for months we haven’t had any Android OS adoption figures. So this recent bit of news revealing revenue numbers for Android, Apple’s iOS and other operating systems is pretty interesting.

These numbers were revealed at Huawei Developer Day in a slide from Francisco Jeronimo, Associate VP at IDC. He shared an image showing the revenue distribution among different platforms and Apple has generated 50% of the revenue. Google Play on the other hand manages much smaller 27%, while China wracks a surprisingly large 20% of revenue. No wonder Google’s never released this data before.

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple products may get Smarter as the company buys an Edge Computing Startup for $200 million

  • App Store [$33bn] (50%)
  • Google Play [$18bn] (27%)
  • China [$13bn] (20%)
  • Other [$2bn] (3%)

In terms of their install bases, Apple is believed to have around 1 billion users, while Google has said there are more than 2.5 billion Android users. Despite this numerical advantage, each iOS user generates $33 for developers and each Android user only $13.2. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that apps and games tend to still come first to iOS, despite its much smaller user base.

Between this little bit of news, Huawei fighting back to reassert itself in the mobile phone market with the full release of HMS Core 4.0 to the world and the rise of other operating systems like Kai OS, it’s going to be interesting to see how things shape up in the future. We doubt anything will have a significant effect on Apple’s dominance, but everything else could change very soon.

UP NEXT: Huawei launches HMS Core 4.0 globally with a slew of new services in tow

(Source)

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip price leak suggests that it may cost between ~$860 and ~$1300

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

On Feb. 11, Samsung will be announcing the Galaxy S20 series of flagship phones. The South Korean tech giant is also likely to use the same platform to announce the Galaxy Z Flip phone. It will be a second smartphone after the Motorola Razr 2019 to arrive with a clamshell form factor along with a foldable screen. The Razr may have disappointed with its hefty price tag of $1,500 and mid-range specs. The pricing information that has surfaced on a South Korean publication suggests that the Galaxy Z Flip may kill the Motorola Razr. The Galaxy Z Flip is said to be packed with better internals and a cheaper price than Razr.

Citing information from industry source, the South Korean INews24 publication has reported that the Galaxy Z Flip will be priced between 1 million won (~$863) and 1.5 million won (~$1,295). The pricing is significantly lower than the $1,500 price tag of the Motorola Razr that is driven by the outdated Snapdragon 710 chipset. The Galaxy Z Flip is expected to feature the Snapdragon 855 mobile platform that powered many flagship devices last year.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Renders

Editor’s Pick: Huawei P40 Pro PE renders reveal penta-lens camera setup ahead of March 26 launch

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip specifications (Rumored)

So far, the rumor mill has revealed that the Galaxy Z Flip (codenamed as Bloom) will be equipped with a 6.7-inch tall aspect ratio display that can be folded and unfolded vertically. It will be an Infinity-O punch-hole that may feature a selfie snapper of 10-megapixel. It will be the first foldable phone to feature an ultra-thin glass (UTG) display. A protective plastic film will be placed on it to prevent it from scratches.

The SD855 powered Galaxy Z Flip clamshell phone is rumored to be equipped with a 1-inch secondary screen alongside its dual camera setup. It could be housing a 3,300mAh battery which is larger than the 2,510mAh battery present inside the Motorola Razr. The Galaxy Z Flip is expected to arrive with support for 15W fast charging. The clamshell phone is expected to release in the market soon after its announcement

Samsung is reportedly aiming to sell 6 million foldable phones in this year. This could include the sales of the existing Galaxy Fold, the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip and a future foldable phone arriving later this year. Rival brand Huawei has reportedly planned to launch two to four foldable phones including clamshell models this year.

UP NEXT: Samsung dethroned by Intel for Top Semiconductor Market Position

 

 

 

 

(source)

Huawei executive says $150 5G phones will launch by the end of this year

By
Jeet
-

5G smartphones are going mainstream and this year, all the major smartphone makers are expected to have a couple of 5G phones in their portfolios. While there are already several 5G devices in the market, almost every one of them is in the premium segment.

Smartphone makers are currently working on bringing down the cost of 5G phones and thanks to the new chipsets from Qualcomm and MediaTek, some of the manufacturers have managed to launch mid-range 5G smartphones.

However, Chinese giant Huawei’s President for 5G product line, Yang Chaobin believes that 5G smartphones priced around $150 are expected to get launched by the end of 2020 or in early 2021.

Yang Chaobin, Huawei
Yang Chaobin, President, Huawei 5G Product Line
EDITOR’S PICK: Qualcomm slashing Snapdragon 765 prices will affect MediaTek 5G chips orders: Ming Chi Kuo

Huawei, along with its sub-brand Honor, has launched a number of 5G smartphones in 2019, including Mate 30 5G series, Mate 20 X 5G, Mate X 5G, Nova 6 5G, Honor V30 series, among others. The company recently announced that its total worldwide 5G smartphone shipments have exceeded the mark of 6.9 million units.

According to a research agency in China, an estimated five million 5G capable smartphones were sold in December 2019 alone and the figures are expected to rise further. It is expected that more than 20 percent of the smartphones under the 2000 Yuan (roughly $290) will be 5G-enabled this year. By 2021, the same statistics are expected to be applicable across the globe.

While several companies have launched 5G smartphones in the market, most of them are exclusive to the Chinese market only, which includes the likes of Xiaomi, Vivo, and Huawei. This is also because China has already started offering commercial 5G services, the only country to do so apart from South Korea and United States.

As per the report, local OEMs in China are expected to sell over 150 million 5G smartphone units in 2020 while the global smartphone market sees a marginal market rise of 0.7 percent overall.

UP NEXT: Telecom equipment giant Huawei collaborates with Airtel and Vodafone to start 5G trials in India

(Via)

Facebook cancels its plans to sell ads on WhatsApp

By
Sean
-

WhatsApp the popular online messaging app that is owned by Facebook is reportedly ending its plans of selling ads on the application. This arrives after the application had been free to download but with plans to monetize it in the future, i.e with ads.

WhatsApp is one of the most popular applications that are currently in circulation across the globe. Initially, the online messenger followed a paid entry system for its services which later turned into a yearly subscription based package. However, the entire idea of paying for the service changed when Facebook acquired it back in 2014. Soon after this, the app reached an impressive milestone and crossed the 1 billion download milestone.

WhatsApp
An early look at the proposed business model and ad generation on WhatsApp stories

But, despite its large userbase and downloads, WhatsApp was apparently not generating any revenue for the parent company. Thus, in 2018, WhatsApp Vice President, Chris Daniels, unveiled the plans from Facebook to sell ads on WhatsApp stories. It was a move to monetize the service which is identical to the ads that are currently seen on Facebook and its other subsidiary, Instagram. Notably, the founders of WhatsApp (such as Brian Acton) were strictly against this method of monetization and even went on to resign from the company.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 10 launch poster leaked; Reveals February 11 date and Mi MIX Alpha like rear camera design

Arriving at the present, a report has suggested that Facebook appears to be going back on its plans of selling ads on WhatsApp. Sources close to the social media giant have stated that Facebook just disbanded a team that was going to work on optimizing methods of integrating ads on WhatsApp. Furthermore, the work the team had done so far was also deleted from WhatsApp’s codings, according to the source.

WhatsApp Catalog Manager
WhatsApp Catalog Manager

Facebook still has plans on introducing ads on the messaging platform sometime in the future, but it is currently prioritizing the generation of revenue from businesses, not customers. The company will do this by allowing firms to reach out to potential customers on WhatsApp. The messaging service has even provided tools that allow businesses to automatically respond to customers and service related queries.

UP NEXT: Realme opens up registration for Realme UI’s “early adopter” program on the Realme X2

 

(Source, Via)

Xiaomi Wear app is now officially available on the Apple App Store

By
Jeet
-

After much anticipation, Xiaomi Wear mobile application has now officially launched on the Apple App Store. However, as per the official report, the app currently supports only one wearable device — Xiaomi Watch Color.

The Xiaomi Wear application can be used to manage various smart wearable devices from the Chinese company as well as check statistics related to several sport activities, sleep patterns, changing sport modes, among others.

Xiaomi Wear iOS App

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei launches HMS Core 4.0 globally with a slew of new services in tow

Ren Tian, the person in-charge of software for the Xiaomi wearable devices had revealed earlier this month that the company had submitted the first version of the Xiaomi Wear app to the Apple App Store in October 2019 but the company had not approved it.

On the other hand, the Xiaomi Wear application for Android platform has been updated to version 1.1.12. It comes with several bug fixes to improve performance and the company has also added support for Xiaomi Watch Color, which was recently launched.

The launch of this application from the company on Apple App Store comes on the same day when Xiaomi has started rolling out its second over-the-air (OTA) update for the Mi Watch with several new features. The first OTA update was rolled out on 3rd December, just weeks after the official launch of the smartwatch.

You can check out the Xiaomi Wear app on the App Store from here.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi Watch gets a new over-the-air update that brings several new features

 

Huawei launches HMS Core 4.0 globally with a slew of new services in tow

By
Airyl Jaszly
-

After a rocky 2019 for Huawei – what with the US handing a Google ban, which hasn’t been resolved despite new US-China trade talks in 2020 – the Chinese company is fighting back to reassert itself in the mobile phone market with the full release of HMS Core 4.0 to the world. Huawei hopes that this move will assist global developers in making content for their Play Store contender, AppGallery.

HMS Core is a collection of tools that will help prospective app developers produce apps for the Huawei ecosystem. It includes a complete set of open HMS Apps and HMS Core, HMS Capabilities, HMS Connect, as well IDE tools for development and testing. The launch of HMS Core 4.0 is an important milestone for Huawei in building a global ecosystem for themselves.

EDITOR’S PICK: UK’s PM Boris Johnson throw shade at the US; asks Huawei’s critics to suggest alternatives

Here’s a list of new services that are now integrated with HMS Core 4.0:-

  • Machine learning services
  • Text awareness services
  • Unified services 
  • Code scanning services
  • Short-range communication services
  • Panoramic services, security detection services
  • Dynamic tag manager services
  • Online fast authentication service
  • Location services
  • Fast application services
  • Digital rights services
  • Sports health services
  • User identification services

Developers have long been waiting for these features to finally be incorporated into the HMS Core, and now that they’re finally here we can expect to see a lot more development come out for it. The audience is already there, given how Huawei’s AppGallery already has over 400m monthly users – most of which are in China, of course. It’s still a pretty good incentive.

Huawei has come out with guns blazing when it comes to their HMS Core. According to them, over 1.3 million developers have been signed up so far and over 50,000 apps have been integrated with the HMS Core. The App Gallery also laid claim to 180 billion downloads last year, not a bad number all things considered. With HMS Core 4.0, we can only expect these numbers to go up soon.

The figures are, however, unlikely to trouble Apple and Google, both of which number the content of their respective stores in the millions. For its part, Huawei pointed to the saturation of apps in stores (citing the Google Play Store in particular), and highlighted the difficulty and expense in getting noticed. “We make the alternative market interesting,” a representative said.

The company also presented a new strategy for its consumer devices business over the next few years as it looks to offer a “seamless AI experience”. This new “1+8+N” approach keeps the smartphone (1) at the centre, with related Huawei smart devices such as wearables, tablets and PCs (8) bridging to the wider world of connected products such as televisions, appliances and even cars (N).

UP NEXT: Huawei P40 Pro PE renders reveal penta-lens camera setup ahead of March 26 launch

(Source)

Xiaomi Mi Watch new OTA update brings several new features

By
Jeet
-

As we reported yesterday, Xiaomi has now started rolling out second over-the-air (OTA) update for the Mi Watch in China. The company has also announced new features that have been introduced with this update.

Xiaomi says that it has added algorithmic body energy function and pressure detection feature which is powered by Firstbeat. Along with that, it has also added breathing training function to get relaxed, new dial designs, and fully-featured XiaoAI with functions like one-step voice taxi, among others.

The company had recently revealed that the new OTA rollout for the smartwatch will begin on 17th January and every user will get it by 22nd January.

Xiaomi smartwatch

The Xiaomi Mi Watch comes with a square touchscreen display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It features a 1.78-inch AMOLED curved display with 326 PPI pixel density and the back of the watch is made out of ceramic.

It has a crown on the right that can be used to navigate through the watch UI. Apart from the crown, there’s a multi-purpose button as well as a microphone on the right side. On the left side, you have another microphone hole along with a speaker vent.

The device comes powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 4G chipset featuring four Cortex A7 cores clocked at 1.2GHz. The watch features one of the biggest batteries ever seen on a smartwatch featuring 570mAh in capacity which the company claims can last up to 36 hours or up to two days on a single charge.

EDITOR’S PICK: Google Pixel 4a with SD730, Pixel 4a XL 5G with SD765G could be in works; Codenames revealed

Xiaomi Mi Smartwatch

The wearable devices comes loaded with features such as NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi (n), GPS, an independent vibration motor, and a pretty large speaker. It also supports eSIM, which ensures you can connect to the internet via cellular network as well as make and receive calls independently.

Xiaomi has adopted Google’s WearOS platform for its new smartwatch. However, like its smartphones, the WearOS running on the Xiaomi watch will be customized with its own MIUI for Watch skin. It comes integrated with the company’s own XiaoAI smart assistant.

In a related news, the company has also launched a new application named Xiaomi Wear on the Apple App Store. However, the app currently supports only one wearable device from the company — Xiaomi Watch Color.

You can check out our review of the Xiaomi Mi Watch here.

Xiaomi Watch OTA Update Changelog

UP NEXT: OPPO F15 launched with 6.4-inch display, in-screen fingerprint reader, VOOC 3.0 and 48MP quad cameras for Rs. 19,990 (~$282)

 

Xiaomi Mi 10 launch poster leaked; Reveals February 11 date and Mi MIX Alpha like rear camera design

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Xiaomi is expected to launch to the Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro early in February. Some reports have claimed that the Mi 10 series may go official before Samsung unveils its Galaxy S20 series of flagship phones on Feb. 11. While Samsung has confirmed the launch date, Xiaomi is yet to reveal the unveil date for the Mi 10 series. A leaked poster which could be fake has appeared on Weibo, it states that the Mi 10 series will go official on Feb. 11. The poster also showcases the rear design of the phone.

The leaked poster states that the launch event of the Xiaomi Mi 10 will be held at Beijing on Feb. 11. The poster showcases the rear design of the white and black color variants of the Mi 10 / Mi 10 Pro handset. On the Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha concept phone that features a wraparound display, there is a strip on the rear that houses the camera sensors. The poster shows that the rear design of the Mi 10 is inspired from the Mi MIX Alpha as it features a strip that four camera sensors.

Xiaomi Mi 10 February 11 launch date

A closer look at the camera strip reveals the presence of an LED flash after two lenses which is followed by a third 108-megapixel sensor, a module probably for laser autofocus and a fourth lens. The rear shell of the device curves towards the edges. A volume rocker and a power key can be seen on the right side of the device. The authenticity of the leaked poster could not be confirmed. Hence, it is advisable to take the report with a grain of salt.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei P40 Pro PE renders reveal penta-lens camera setup ahead of March 26 launch

Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro specifications (Rumored)

The Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro specs that have surfaced so far are not very clear. Past reports have revealed that the Mi 10 will be equipped with a 90Hz refresh rate screen. It could be housing a 4,800mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging. The quad camera setup of the phone may include a Sony IMX686 64-megapixel main lens, a 20-megapixel ultrawide shooter, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. The 5G-ready Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro will be fueled by the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform.

The Xiaomi MI 10 Pro is expected to flaunt a 120Hz refresh rate display. It could be coming with a 4,500mAh battery supports 66W fast charging, The phone is also rumored to come with fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging support. The quad camera setup of Mi 10 Pro may include a 108-megapixel main lens, a 20-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor.

The Mi 10 series could be priced between 3,500 Yuan (~$509 and 5,000 Yuan (~$727). The Mi 10 Pro has been spotted on TENAA, but no specs have been revealed yet. Hopefully, the listing will be updated over the weekend with all the important details.

UP NEXT: Google Pixel 4a with SD730, Pixel 4a XL 5G with SD765G could be in works; Codenames revealed

 

 

 

 

 

Graphene battery that recharges blazingly fast is already in the market

By
Jeet
-

The smartphone industry has been making a lot of progress in terms of technological enhancements since past few years and the one of the most crucial area of advancement is for the battery technology.

We have heard about smartphone companies planning to adopt graphene batteries but none of the companies have actually used in its their devices so far. But it seems that the situation could change really soon.

Real Graphene Power Bank
Real Graphene Power Bank

Real Graphene, a US-based company is working on graphene-enhanced battery cells which the company says is almost ready for mainstream commercial use. As for the benefits of the graphene battery, it is claimed to get charged really fast.

As per Samuel Gong, CEO of Real Graphene, while the regular phone batteries take about 90 minutes, sometimes a little quicker, to recharge, the Real Graphene cell is much faster, with a full charge of a 3,000mAh cell taking about 20 minutes using a 60W charging.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei P40 Pro PE renders reveal penta-lens camera setup ahead of March 26 launch

He also adds that while most phone batteries can manage between 300 and 500 charge cycles, Real Graphene’s batteries can last about 1500 cycles for the same capacity, and because the cell generates much less heat it runs much cooler, it’s safer too.

The company says that it provides a complete battery solution to its clients, including battery and the special chipset that’s required for charging. It believes that since the Real Graphene battery still uses lithium, the enhanced version would be a simple swap for manufacturers.

While the company is yet to sign deal with smartphone manufacturers to power smartphones with graphene-based batteries, it has started selling Real Graphene power banks which can be purchased through Amazon.

UP NEXT: Realme opens up registration for Realme UI’s “early adopter” program on the Realme X2

(Source)

Google Pixel 4a with SD730, Pixel 4a XL 5G with SD765G could be in works; Codenames revealed

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Last year, Google had introduced the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL smartphones with budget-friendly pricing before announcing the Pixel 4 series of flagship phones in October. The search engine giant is expected to debut with Google Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a XL with weaker specs than the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL along with affordable price tags this year. A previous report had claimed that the Pixel 4a XL does not exist, but a report from 9to5Google had revealed that it exists. XDA Developers received a tip on the codenames of Pixel devices for 2020. Scouring through the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) of Pixel 4’s firmware and newest version of Google apps revealed 3 codenames such as sunfish, redfin and bramble of new smartphones along with their respective processors. These codenames seem to belong to the upcoming Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a XL 5G.

Google Pixel 4a – Sunfish codename

The sunfish codename found in the AOSP repository is based on sm7150 which is the codename of the Snapdragon 730 mobile platform. It is the same processor that powers smartphones such as Redmi K30 and Realme X2. The publication has claimed that Sunfish has Android 10 and Android 11 based two development branches. The same codename along with the codenames of other Pixel devices was seen in a string in the Google app. This device is believed to be the Pixel 4a smartphone and it lacks support for 5G connectivity. Popular tipster has already shared the leaked CAD renders of the Pixel 4a smartphone in the previous month.

Pixel 4a

Editor’s Pick: Huawei P40 Pro PE renders reveal penta-lens camera setup ahead of March 26 launch

Redfin and Bramble – Purported Google Pixel 4a XL

The Redfin codenamed device is being developed on the sm7250 and Android 10. The sm7250 is the codename of the Snapdragon 765 mobile platform. Since the SoC is integrated with 5G modem, it will be a 5G smartphone. The phone is being by manufacturer by FIH Mobile ODM, a subsidiary of Foxconn.

The Bramble codename was initially thought to be a Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. However, since it is running on Linux kernel version 4.19, it is not a SD865 device. As SD765 should be also based on Linux kernel vision 4.19, it could be based on sm7250 like the Redfin smartphone. There is no evidence on whether it is an ODM device. Like the Redfin, it is also being developed on Android and Android 11. There is a possibility that the Redfin or Bramble could end up as a 5G enabled Pixel 4a smartphone. Among Redfin and Bramble, one of them could be a commercial device whereas the other one could be a development board.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy S20 (SM-G981U) Geekbench listing spotted

 

 

 

(source)

Huawei P40 Pro PE renders reveal penta-lens camera setup ahead of March 26 launch

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

Samsung’s Galaxy S20 will be the entry-level smartphone in the S20 series. The lineup includes Galaxy S20+ and the advanced Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. So far, the rumor mill has claimed that the rival Huawei P40 series includes two device such as Huawei P40 and P40 Pro. A fresh leak has revealed that there is another model called Huawei P40 Pro PE. Leaked renders of the P40 Pro PE show that it is decked with a penta-lens camera system on its back. Reputed tipster Evan Blass has claimed that the Huawei P40 series will be made official on March 26.

Huawei P40 Pro PE renders

The Huawei P40 Pro PE (Premium Edition?) renders reveal that it has a pill-shaped cutout at the top-left corner of the screen. Like the P40 Pro the smartphone could be equipped with quad curved display. The bottom edge of the device has a USB-C port, a microphone, an external speaker and a SIM card slot. A volume rocker and a power key are present on the right edge of the device.

Huawei P40 Pro PE render
Huawei P40 Pro PE

The rectangle-shaped camera module on the backside of the Huawei P40 Pro PE includes as many as five cameras. The camera bump on the device is quite pronounced. The squarish lens in the camera setup is the periscope lens that is expected to bring support for 10x optical zoom. The exact configurations of the five cameras of the P40 Pro PE are not known yet. A tweet from popular tipster Evan Blass suggests that the P40 Pro PE could be flaunting a ceramic rear.

There is no word on the specifications of the Huawei P40 Pro PE. It could be powered with Kirin 990 5G and may feature highest amount of RAM and largest storage space in the P40 series. The following tweet from leakster Teme the penta-lens camera system of the P40 Pro PE with the triple camera setup of the Huawei P40 and quad cameras of the P40 Pro.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei collaborates with Airtel and Vodafone to start 5G trials in India

Huawei P40 Pro renders

An exclusive leak from Android Headlines reveals the design of the Huawei P40 Pro from all angles. The design of the P40 Pro is almost identical with P40. The only major difference between the two devices in terms of design is that the P40 Pro has an extra camera on its rear, and it features a curved display.

Huawei P40 Pro new renders
Huawei P40 Pro

The rear camera setup of the device is rumored to include a 52-megapixel main lens, a 40-megapixel cine lens, a periscope zoom shooter and a 3D ToF (Time of Flight) sensor. The Huawei P40 has triple rear cameras and it seems to lack a 3D ToF sensor. And, instead of a periscope lens, it could be housing an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

Huawei P40 new renders
Huawei P40

The Huawei P40 Pro is expected to come in five colors like Black, Blush Gold, Silver Frost, Deep Sea Blue, and Ice White with a gradient finish. The Huawei P40 is also speculated to come in same color options Hopefully, more details on the P40 series will surface before the March 26 unveil event that will be held in Paris.

UP NEXT: UK’s PM Boris Johnson throw shade at the US; asks Huawei’s critics to suggest alternatives

 

 

 

 

(source 1, 2, 3)

Realme opens up registration for Realme UI’s “early adopter” program on the Realme X2

By
Airyl Jaszly
-

Here’s some news for the Realme community. The Realme X2’s “early adopter” UI program registrations have opened for the limited batch of 500 people. You can only register if you have a Chinese variant of the Realme X2 and the early adopter realme UI will obviously be very buggy. In case you’re thinking of signing up, backup your personal data before updating.

So now, how exactly does this update work? Well, once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an update for the device to test out unfinished software. At least he first batch will be essentially untested software, and making it highly risky to use on a daily basis. For users who want to experience a relatively stable experience are recommended to wait for the second batch which will come with a bunch of fixes.

EDITOR’S PICK: OPPO F15 launched with 6.4-inch display, in-screen fingerprint reader, VOOC 3.0 and 48MP quad cameras for Rs. 19,990 (~$282)

The information we have shows that the first batch is limited to 500 people, and the system push time is before the Chinese Spring Festival. Then once that’s out of the way, the second batch of registration deadline is February 1, while the update itself takes place between February 7-8. In addition, the official version of realme UI will be launched in February 2020.

With realme UI, users are able to design the icons and can choose their transparency as well. The sizes of the icons are also customizable and are personalized, even for the actual image in the icon. Alongside the fresh look, the UI brings 11 new background wallpapers for the home screen of Realme smartphones. Notably, the wallpapers are based on “natural elements” and will users can always find a match with a particular color scheme.

The Android 10 based Realme UI also brings performance improvements as well. It arrives with new power saving features and a lot more. A new Focus Mode helps disconnect from the outside world and even plays relaxing music to help improve concentration.

UP NEXT: Lava Z71 launched in India with Android 9 Pie, fingerprint sensor, priced at Rs 6,299 ($88)

(Source)

Noise Shots XO TWS earbuds brings wireless charging and more for ₹5,499 (~$77)

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

If you reside in India and are in search of a new pair of wireless earbuds, then the Realme Buds Air is most likely one of those you are considering. However, while it may tick all of your boxes in terms of features such as support for wireless charging and USB-C charging, you may actually not like the design. If you prefer earbuds that look nothing like Apple’s AirPods, then you may want to check out the new Noise Shots XO.

Noise Shots XO

The Noise Shots XO is a new pair of wireless earbuds from a company called Noise. This is not their first TWS earbuds but it is their first to support wireless charging and USB-C charging. Noise also makes smartwatches and action cameras.

The earbuds have a metallic paint job and come in a circular case with a swiveling lid. There are three color variants – Metallic White, Rose Gold, and Space Grey.

[envira-gallery id=”301146″]

The Noise Shots XO connects via Bluetooth 5.0. It has support for voice assistants and also has an IPX7 rating making them safe for use for exercising and in the rain. There is support for Qualcomm’s aptX for HD audio and CVC 8.0 with wind noise cancellation for clearer calls. The earbuds will provide up to 6 hours of playback on a single charge but that goes up to 36 hours when you include the charging case. The earbuds takes 2 hours to charge.

The Noise Shots XO support touch controls. You can adjust the volume by tapping and then holding, call up the voice assistant by tapping thrice, answer or end calls by tapping once, and tapping twice to change tracks.

Noise Shots XO charging

You can pick up a unit on Amazon India or on Flipkart for ₹5,499 (~$77).

UP NEXT: Mi True Wireless Earphones Lite certified by Bluetooth SIG

 

(Via)

Oppo F15 vs Samsung Galaxy A51 vs Redmi Note 8 Pro: Specs Comparison

By
Michele Ingelido
-

Oppo F15 just debuted in the Indian market with midrange specifications at a pretty affordable price. It is hard to find weak points in its specifications, it is a very well-balanced device. In order to highlight its pros and cons, we compared it to the devices released from the concurrence with a similar price tag. Samsung Galaxy A51 is the one released by the world’s first smartphone brand, while Redmi Note 8 Pro is the device that we define as the best-buy of the category. In this specs comparison, you can learn about all the differences between these three interesting smartphones.

 

Oppo F15 vs Samsung Galaxy A51 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro Samsung Galaxy A51 Oppo F15
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 161.3 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm, 199 grams 158.5 x 73.6 x 7.9 mm, 172 grams 160.2 x 73.3 x 7.9 mm, 172 grams
DISPLAY 6.53 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 395 ppi, LTPS IPS LCD 6.5 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 405 ppi, Super AMOLED 6.4 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 408 ppi, AMOLED
PROCESSOR Mediatek Helio G90T, octa-core Samsung Exynos 9611, octa-core 2.3 GHz MediaTek Helio P70, octa-core 2.1 GHz
MEMORY  6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE Android 9 Pie, MIUI Android 10, One UI Android 9 Pie, ColorOS
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA Quad 64 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.2, f/2.4 and f/2.4
20 MP front camera		 Quad 48 + 12 + 5 + 5 MP f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.4 and f/2.2
32 MP f/2.2 front camera		 Quad 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.3, f/2.4 and f/2.4
16 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY 4500 mAh, fast charging 18W with Quick Charge 4+ 4000 mAh, fast charging 15W 4025 mAh, fast charging 20W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Hybrid Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot

Design

Due to a more elegant look, a more compact body and a thinner profile, Oppo F15 and Samsung Galaxy A51 are more attractive than Redmi Note 8 Pro, at least according to my opinion. Samsung Galaxy A51 has a more beautiful front panel since it sports a punch-hole display and it does not need a notch in order to boast very narrow bezels. On the other hand, I like the rear side of the Oppo F15 because it sports a smaller camera module and a more minimalistic look, while the Samsung Galaxy A51 has a bigger iPhone 11-like camera module.

 

Display

A lot of people would opt either for the Oppo F15 or the Samsung Galaxy A51 due to their AMOLED display including an in-display fingerprint reader. But Redmi Note 8 Pro does not have a bad display. Despite it is an IPS panel, we are talking about an HDR screen with very high brightness. Our recommendation is not to focus on the display while making a choice between these three handsets. You would better mind about the rest of their specifications as you will find big surprises.

 

Specs & Software

Not everyone is familiar with MediaTek chipsets and not everyone likes them, but we have to face the truth: the Helio G90T found on the Redmi Note 8 Pro is not only the most powerful chipset of this comparison, but it is also one of the best midrange processors for mobile devices. It is meant specifically for gamers and power users. Redmi Note 8 Pro even comes with up to 8 GB of RAM and a fast UFS 2.1 internal storage. The silver medal goes to the Oppo F15: it is fueled by an Helio P70 chipset paired with up to 8 GB of RAM and UFS 2.1 internal storage. But Samsung Galaxy A51 is the only with Android 10 out of the box.

 

Camera

We still had no chance to test the cameras of the Oppo F15 and Samsung Galaxy A51 since they are still not available to purchase. The data we have is not enough to fully evaluate those cameras, but we can tell you that according to the specs on the paper, these devices are all midrange camera phones. So expect great photos, but not amazing shots like top-end camera phones. We can tell you the same about the front cameras.

 

Battery

Besides providing better performance, Redmi Note 8 Pro should also offer a much longer battery life thanks to its 4500 mAh battery. But Oppo F15 has a faster charging technology with a 20W power bringing the battery to 50 percent in just 30 minutes.

 

Price

Oppo F15 debuted in India with a price tag of about $262, Samsung Galaxy A51 should cost about €240/$267, and Redmi Note 8 Pro costs about €203/$226. At the end of the day, despite being a more affordable handset, Redmi Note 8 Pro looks more convincing. But there are still a few doubts and they regard the camera departments and the battery life of Oppo F15 and Samsung Galaxy A51.

 

Oppo F15 vs Samsung Galaxy A51 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: PROs and CONS

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

PROs

  • Higher performance
  • Affordable
  • Big battery
  • Liquid cooling

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

Samsung Galaxy A51

PROs

  • Nice cameras
  • Micro SD dedicated slot
  • AMOLED display
  • More interesting design

CONS

  • Lower performance

 

Oppo F15

PROs

  • AMOLED display
  • Micro SD dedicated slot
  • Faster charging

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

Xiaomi showcases the Mi Mix Alpha Concept smartphone in India

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Looks like Xiaomi plans to unleash the full arsenal of its flagship Mi line products this year. The Chinese tech giant recently held a media round-table where it teased the products that will possibly be launched this year. The tech giant equally announced the return of its Mi sub-brand to the Indian market and shared some details about the Mi-banded products that we may see in the year. The most interesting part is the unveiling of the premium Mi MIX Alpha.

The Mi Mix Alpha was only showcased at the event and details of the launch, availability and official pricing wasn’t revealed. That means the tech giant isn’t planning to launch it in India soon, obviously due to the mass production difficulty.  Xiaomi did provide a rough estimate regarding the possible pricing of the MIX Alpha at about Rs 2.5 lakh. Thus, the Chinese company likely has plans to release the Mix Alpha in India in the future.

The Xiaomi Mix Alpha utilises a flexible OLED with a plastic finish to create a unique 4D surround display. It offers an impressive 180.6 percent screen-to-body ratio. This new display also features a brand new display acoustic technology to get rid of the earpiece. The technology also works as an ultrasonic proximity sensor for the smartphone. If there is any confusion, the display does curve and wrap around the sides to continue on the back.

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

The back houses a uniquely designed triple-camera setup aligned vertically. The device holds the record as the world’s first smartphone to feature a 100MP+ resolution camera sensor. This is made possible by using the Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX 108MP camera sensor at the back of the device. The 108MP primary sensor on the Mi Mix Alpha is ultra-large with a 1/1.33″ sensor. The second sensor is a 12MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom and the third, a 20MP ultra-wide-angle camera lens with 117° FOV. This setup also supports 1.5cm macro photography. Other features of the setup include a four-axis OIS, Laser focus, and a flicker sensor. There is no selfie camera but you can flip the rear camera and use the rear display as a viewfinder for selfies.

Xiaomi is yet to disclose when the MIX Alpha will be launched in China or anywhere else.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi India says Android 10 coming to Mi A3 next month

 

(source)

 

 

Lava Z71 launched in India with Android 9 Pie, fingerprint sensor, priced at Rs 6,299 ($88)

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Lava has launched an entry-level smartphone for the Indin market. The device dubbed Lava Z71 comes with an affordable price tag of Rs 6,299 (around $88). The phone will be available to buy from Flipkart and comes in two colour variants – Steel Blue and Ruby Red.Lava Z71

As for the specifications, the Lava Z71 comes with a 5.7-inch HD+ dot notch display with 19:9 aspect ratio. At the back, the device comes with a mirror finish design. It packs a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and dual camera setup. The main camera is a 13-megapixel sensor assisted by a 2-megapixel depth sensor and LED flash.

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

For selfies, there is a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with support for soft flash. The device ships with Android 9 Pie OS. The phone’s camera app supports a professional mode as well as an AI studio mode.

The Lava Z71 is powered by a MediaTekHelio A22 chipset paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage which can be expanded by up to 256GB using a microSD card. The handset sports a 3,200mAh AI battery, which the company claims can last for one and a half-day on a single charge. The latest entry-level phone from Lava supports dual SIM with 4G as well as VoLTE support.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro (M2001J2E) appears on TENAA and EEC; Early February launch tipped

 

(source)

 

Huawei P40 and Huawei P40 Pro camera configuration revealed

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

This week renders of the Huawei P40 and Huawei P40 Pro were posted on the web. The images revealed not only the design of the two phones but also the color variants that will be announced. Now we have the camera configuration for the two phones.

Huawei-P40-Pro-leaked-render
Huawei P40 Pro

According to @RODENT950, the Huawei P40’s three rear cameras are a 40MP Cine (ultrawide) camera with a 1/1.5” sensor size, a 52MP main camera with a 1/1.3” sensor size, and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.

The Huawei P40 Pro will also have a 40MP Cine (ultrawide) camera with a 1/1.5” sensor size and will pair it with a 52MP main camera with a 1/1.3” sensor size. Rather than a telephoto camera, Huawei is going with a periscope zoom lens like that of the Huawei P30 Pro. This will offer more optical zoom, at least 5x, and of course more digital zoom. The P40 Pro will also have a 3D ToF camera.

It is interesting to see that both the standard and Pro models will have the same Cine camera but probably have different aperture sizes. And if it is the same sensor as that of the Mate 30 Pro, it should also have auto-focus.

However, one of the drawbacks of the Cine camera of the Mate 30 Pro is its field of view which is not as wide as that of the ultrawide angle camera of some other phones. Huawei sure must have listened to feedback regarding its last flagship as a follow-up tweet by the leaker says the cine camera will be getting a wider field of view.

The camera configuration of the front cameras are still unknown. Both phones will have dual front-facing cameras housed in a pill-shaped punch hole at the top left corner of the display. If Huawei decides to tow the same line it did with the Nova 6 5G, then the front cameras should be a primary sensor and a secondary ultrawide camera for wide-angle selfies.

Huawei is expected to announce the two phones in March at an event in Paris. Both devices will come with the Kirin 990 processor with support for 5G. There will also be a P40 Lite but a leak from last year revealed it will be a re-branded Nova 6 SE.

UP NEXT: Huawei offers £20 million to developers to create apps and services

 

(Sources: 1, 2)

Meizu’s 2020 New Year Gift Box actually teases the Meizu 17

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Meizu released its 2020 New Year Gift Box today and shared photos of the contents. While the contents are items that will reside on your desk, they actually tease what is to come this year.

For starters, the clock in the box actually has only two figures – “1” and “7”. This shouldn’t be a surprise since the Meizu 17 is the name of its flagship set to launch this year.

Meizu 17 teaser

Another thing to note is the choice of the material. All the contents of the box are made of concrete. Of course we won’t be getting a phone made out of concrete but there is a possibility the Meizu 17 will have a gray color variant similar to that of concrete.

The Meizu 17 should have a Snapdragon 865 processor along with the Snapdragon X55 5G modem. A render of the phone that surfaced last November showed the selfie camera will be hidden between the icons on the right of the status bar, making it less-distracting compared to other phones with a punch-hole display.

The manufacturer plans to announce five high-end 5G phones so we expect there will be a Meizu 17 Pro, and possibly, a successor to the Meizu 16T too. Our guess is as good as yours with respect to the other two devices.

Meizu says it plans to do things differently this year with its products and lineup. We look forward to their announcements and we hope it gets things right with respect to support for global users.

UP NEXT: TCL to hold global conference on February 22 at MWC 2020

 

UK’s PM Boris Johnson throw shade at the US; asks Huawei’s critics to suggest alternatives

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

US government has been mounting pressure on its UK counterpart not to use Huawei‘s 5G technology. That advice seems to have done little to dissuade the UK government from giving Huawei a thought. That has prompted the recent outburst by US official branding any decision to go for Huawei’s 5G technology as madness.

As a response, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reported to have requested that opponents of Huawei should suggest alternatives to the Chinese technology giant. “The British public deserves to have access to the best possible technology,” Johnson said in an interview with the BBC. “Now, if people oppose one brand or another, then they have to tell us what’s the alternative, right?”

Johnson noted that on the other hand, “I don’t want, as the U.K. prime minister, to put in any infrastructure that is going to prejudice our national security or our ability to cooperate with Five Eyes intelligence partners,” which include the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

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

Apart from the UK, the U.S. has been trying to persuade all its European allies to avoid using Huawei equipment in superfast next-generation telecom networks, over concerns China’s authorities can compel the company to spy on user data. Huawei has repeatedly denied the existence of such a possibility.

The British government is expected to make a final decision on Huawei’s role in “non-core” parts of the network, such as antennas. Multiple British media reports said the U.S. delegation told British officials that using Huawei would be “madness” and presented them with a technical file of new security risks.

Huawei said it’s confident the U.K. government will make its decision “based upon evidence, as opposed to unsubstantiated allegations.” Victor Zhang, vice president of Huaweiaadded; “Huawei has worked with the UK’s telecoms companies for 15 years, and looks forward to supplying the best technologies that help companies like BT and Vodafone fulfil the government’s commitment to make gigabit broadband available to all.”

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro (M2001J2E) appears on TENAA and EEC; Early February launch tipped

 

 

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