Samsung dethroned by Intel for Top Semiconductor Market Position

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Jan 15, 2020

Details of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip clamshell foldable phone have been consistently surfacing since the past few weeks.. This is the second smartphone from the South Korean giant to feature a foldable display. The Galaxy Z Flip is expected to make a formal debut next month alongside the Galaxy S20. More news comes on the Galaxy Z Flip from XDA TV host and XDA Developer staff Max Weinbach, who revealed some credible information about the forthcoming Galaxy S20+ in the past few days..

According to the latest tweet from Max, the Galaxy Z Flip foldable clamshell phone sports a 3,300 mAh battery, which although insufficient by current standards, is much higher than its direct rival, the Moto Razr. The device is powered by Snapdragon 855. Unlike the fused plastic on top of the display panel on the Galaxy Fold, the Z Flip’s display uses ultra-thin glass panels. However, Samsung will offer a replaceable plastic sheet on top of the glass panel in case users want to replace the plastic layer after a while. This significantly reduces the cost of removing scratches from the display.

The Galaxy Z Flip was showcased behind close doors at the recently held Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020. The handset is codenamed Galaxy Bloom. The Galaxy Z Flip moniker was confirmed by popular leakster Ice Universe last week via Twitter. The Z Flip is expected to come with similar specifications as the Galaxy S10.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Renders by LetsGoDiigital

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Design

The leaked photos of the Galaxy Z Flip appeared on Weibo back in December 2019. The images revealed that the flip phone, flaunts an Infinity-O display with rounded corners and slim bezels on all sides. Unlike the Galaxy Fold, the Z Flip has a horizontally-mounted hinge that disappears when the display folds in half. When unfolded, the display does not showcase creasing but reveals a tall display ratio and a centrally-located punch-hole camera. The volume rocker can be found on the right edge.

The rear panel features a dual-camera setup mounted horizontally, complete with a single LED flash. Right next to the camera module lies a small secondary display showing the notifications. A USB Type-C port can be seen on the bottom edge. Although, an AUX port is not visible. There is no word on whether the Z Flip has an in-screen fingerprint scanner. A physical sensor was also not revealed in any of the images.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Note 10 Lite tipped to go on sale in India mid-February; reservation goes live Jan. 21

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Specifications and Features

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is expected to flaunt a 6.7-inch primary display along with a 1-inch secondary display on the exterior. The smartphone apparently is powered by the Snapdragon 855 SoC, instead of the more powerful Snapdragon 865, leading experts to believe it will not be a premium offering. The Z Flip is rumored to feature 8GB of RAM along with 256GB of native storage. It should run on the Android 10-based One UI 2.0.

In terms of optics, the Galaxy Z Flip is expected to flaunt a 10-megapixel selfie camera. While the specifications of the rear cameras are unknown. According to leaked information from the Chinese 3C certification, Samsung may offer a 15W fast charger with the Z Flip.

Samsung is scheduled to host the launch event of the new Galaxy S20 lineup on February 11. The Galaxy Z Flip is expected to be showcased at the event.

Huawei Mate Xs to launch in March 2020, with a better display and hinge

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Jan 15, 2020

Around this time last year, Huawei went on stage at MWC 2019 to unveil its first foldable smartphone, the Mate X. The unique handset went on sale later the same year and received a relatively positive reception. Now, a year has passed and reports suggest that the Chinese tech giant will launch a successor named Mate Xs which is expected to be launched in March 2020.

Huawei Mate Xs is more than just a tweaked version of the original Mate X. Reportedly, the foldable smartphone is easier to manufacture than its predecessor while still providing a similar if not greater experience. This also indicated that the company may sell the handset at a lower price in comparison to the previous entry.

The Mate X cost 16,999 Yuan or roughly 2,467 US Dollars. Thus, if the Mate Xs is priced lower than this, it might be able to appeal to a broader audience and a larger demographic. From a manufacturing point of view, the ease in production and economy of scales due to large demand is also beneficial to Huawei.

Previously, Yu Chengdong, the CEO of Huawei, stated that the Mate Xs will be available in February 2020 and will arrive with a better processor, improved display and an upgraded hinge mechanism. Hence, the upcoming foldable smartphone will be powered by HiSilicon’s Kirin 990 5G SoC.

Furthermore, the report also mentions that the company has made many adjustments to the design of the second entry in the series. The hinge is said to be more durable and the entire body is made more durable and portable with a smaller overall size. Notably, Huawei is also expected to release a second foldable smartphone in the second half of this year.

(Via)

Poco X2 Geekbench listing reveals 8 GB RAM, Android 10 OS; Rebranded Redmi K30 for India?

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Jan 15, 2020

At the end of December 2019, Xiaomi Pocophone Global Head Alvin Tse had released a tweet that hinted a new Poco handset will be arriving in the year 2020. The tweet was deleted immediately. Earlier this week, Xiaomi filed trademark application for the Poco F2 moniker. This hinted the arrival of the Poco F2 could be few months away. Interestingly, a new device named Poco X2 has appeared on Geekbench with some key specs. The name has been spotted for the first time. Last year, a fake Geekbench listing of the Poco F1 Lite had fooled many tech sites. There is no confirmation on the existence of a Poco X2 handset and it is advisable to wait for newer reports to know whether it really exists.

The Poco X2 Geekbench 5 listing shows that it is fueled by a Qualcomm processor that has a base frequency of 1.80GHz. The SoC is coupled of 8 GB of RAM. Instead of the name of the chipset, the listing has ‘phoenixin’ mentioned in the motherboard field.

The Poco X2 handset is loaded with Android 10 OS. On Geekbench 5’s single-core test scored 547 points. It recorded a score of 1767 in the multi-core test.

Editor’s Pick: Hands-on photos of the Redmi Note 8 Pro Twilight Orange variant show a frosted glass back

In November 2019, XDA Developers had carried a report that had revealed some of the key details of the Redmi K30 before its December launch. It had scoured through MIUI 11 code to find a phone codenamed as Phoenix to be equipped with features like a 120Hz screen, a side-facing fingerprint sensor and the Sony IMX686 sensor. The Phoenix debuted as Redmi K30.

The Redmi K20 Pro handset’s codename is Raphael and its Indian edition is codenamed as ‘raphaelin.’ The Redmi K30 is codenamed as Phoenix and the newly spotted Poco F2 has ‘in’ suffix in its ‘phoenixin’ codename. Hence, there is a possibility that Redmi K30 could be rebranded as Poco X2 in India. The Redmi K30 that has a model number of M191G7BI was spotted in the database of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).v The BIS approval suggests that the handset could be coming to India soon. However, instead of the Redmi K30 moniker, it could be called Poco X2.

Xiaomi India says Android 10 coming to Mi A3 next month

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Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 15, 2020

A few days ago, Xiaomi began rolling out the Android 10 update to the Mi A2, its Android One smartphone from 2018. We hoped the update would arrive shortly after for the Mi A3 but new info has revealed there is a bit more waiting to do.

The Official Xiaomi India Twitter account revealed in a tweet responding to a user’s inquiry about the Android 10 update for the Mi A3, that the update will be out in Mid-February. That is about a month away from now and is surely going to anger more users. However, on the brighter side, there is a timeframe now and Xiaomi best keeps to it or releases the update earlier than expected.

HMD Global has updated some of its devices to Android 10 but it still has quite a lot that are still on Android 9 Pie. Save for the Nokia 9 PureView, the rest of its phones released in 2019 are still running Android Pie. There is a time frame for when these devices will get the update but the roadmap doesn’t mention the Nokia 6.2 and Nokia 7.2.

Thanks for your excitement and patience. Glad to announce the update will be out in mid February for Mi A3.

— Mi India #108MP IS COMING! (@XiaomiIndia) January 14, 2020

Android 10 will bring a new navigation system, Dark Mode, new notification settings, Family Link in Digital Wellbeing, Smart Replies, and more.

Country Garden opens up Foodom, China’s first fully robot operated restaurant

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Jan 15, 2020

Chinese real estate giant Country Garden Holdings Co. Ltd. opened its first restaurant operated mainly by robots in Guangzhou over the weekend. The restaurant, named Foodom, located in Zhujiang New Town, mainly serves cuisine from Shunde, the hometown of founder Yang Guoqiang.

Robot waiters greet customers at the entrance. Using an AI system, they guide customers to their seats, recommend specials of the day and take orders. Food is delivered to the tables via a conveyor belt. The restaurant uses robots to cook, deliver food, take orders and guide customers.

It is said that the robots are “learning” their skills from the top 10 Shunde chefs, using a computer program to follow every detail such as temperature control, ingredients, and cooking time. The program is repeatedly fine-tuned to reach the precision level required. In the kitchen alone, there are 32 robots preparing and cooking food.

After trying the dishes, famous local chef Lin Chao gave the restaurant the thumbs up. While there is no doubt about the sophisticated technology being used at Foodom, cost may be a deciding factor when it comes to commercial viability.

SoftBank-backed Zume Pizza, which also employs a high degree of automation, has suffered a serious setback due to excessive money burning and lack of continued funding support. Zume shuttered its pizza business and pivoted into food-truck tech and services in November 2019. Then, in January 2020, the company laid off 400 employees to further cut costs.

Country Garden has reportedly spent around 200 million yuan (US$29 million) setting up the new restaurant. One can’t help but wonder how long it would take for it to break even. The top developer, which sold more than 770 billion yuan worth of properties last year, is not worried at all. The deep-pocketed Yang is said to be planning to open 1,000 such robotic restaurants across China within two years, hoping to drive down costs through economies of scale.

Hands-on photos of the Redmi Note 8 Pro Twilight Orange variant show a frosted glass back

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 15, 2020

W don’t see Xiaomi phones coming in red colours so often but once in a while, the tech giant tweaks things up with a Red flavoured version like the Phantom Red variant of the Redmi 8. Xiaomi recently introduced a Redmi Note 8 Pro Twilight Orange variant. We recently came across the first hands-on images of the new variant shared on Twitter by tipster @Sudhanshu1414.

The hands-on images reveal a vital design change on the Twilight orange variant. The device adopts a similar design with the other colour variants of the Redmi Note 8 Pro but the panel saw an upgrade. The Twilight Orange variant uses a frosted glass back instead of the smooth-textured glass panel used on the other four variants. The smartphone still retains an IP52 splash resistant body.

The Redmi Note 8 series was launched in China in August last year with the Redmi Note 8 Pro at the forefront. The Redmi Note 8 Pro came out as the world’s first to come with 64-megapixel primary camera sensor.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro Twilight Orange colour option comes in two variants — 6GB RAM + 128GB storage priced at 1,399 yuan (~$201) and 8GB RAM + 128GB storage priced at 1,599 yuan (~$230).

US tech companies like Qualcomm and Ford hope to bolster cooperation with China

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Jan 15, 2020

With CES 2020 having just concluded, many companies have come forward pushing prospects for future cooperation and exchanges with Chinese companies very soon. Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon claims he is “super excited” about Qualcomm’s business in China. The company hopes to continue their successful partnerships with Chinese companies like Xiaomi, OPPO, OnePlus and vivo.

“We are not backing down on our China cooperation. We’re increasing our cooperation in resources towards or partnerships in China in the 5G transition,” claimed Amon. This partnership, according to Amon, allows Chinese partners to not only grow in domestic consumption, but also expand outside China, making it very mutually beneficial for both parties involved.

qualcomm-snapdragon-865-5g-mobile-platform-hero-image-800x450 — Qualcomm Snapdragon 865

Josh Cross, founder and CEO of American power and tracking technology company Elios, told Xinhua the company’s cooperation with China dates back to 2015. Elios’ software design is done in the United States and the hardware part is done in China. Currently it is cooperating with three Chinese companies in GPS products, power, and sourcing, Cross said.

China has very good infrastructure, years of experience and high efficiency, he said. Elios also expects to cooperate with more Chinese partners in the near future. Ford Motor also plans to step up its business in China. The company’s new all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV, will be on show in the Chinese market in April this year, and be available in the Chinese market next year, according to the company.

“Ford plans to further enhance cooperation with China in the five years to come, explore local strategic partners for joint innovation,” she said. Some tech companies value China’s huge market, manufacturing and labor costs, while some others value China’s innovation technologies, and its geological location which can be considered as a logistics hub towards southeast Asian countries.

You can find more CES2020 coverage from here.

Realme X50 5G will launch in Russia soon

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Jan 15, 2020

Realme X50 5G has been confirmed for a launch in Russia. However, finer details like the date of launch and exact pricing have yet to be announced.

In 2019, MTS, the leading network provider in Russia launched its 5G coverage in certain cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg. Notably, the infrastructure and equipment used by the service provider for the faster and newer bandwidth are from Huawei. The Chinese tech giant is well known for its network and related technological supplements and has brought mmWave and sub-6GHz standards to the largest nation in the world.

Thus, Russia is now slowly emerging as another viable 5G smartphone market like the US and Canada. Hence, Chinese smartphone manufacturers like Realme can launch their 5G enabled smartphones. As of right now, China and South Korea are at the forefront of the networking advancement but other countries are expected to soon follow by the end of this year.

Realme X50 5G is a smartphone that features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G processor which houses a built-in X52 modem, which makes it capable of 5G networking. Keep in mind, it only supports sub-6GHz 5G so it is going to be limited by network provider/carrier support. In simpler terms, Realme X50 5G will support MTS but will not work with Tele2, since it launched a mmWave only network (in partnership with Ericsson) in Moscow.

For those interested, Realme X50 5G is a mid range smartphone that sports a quad camera setup on the rear. It is powered by a large 4,200mAh battery and offers RAM up to 12GB and internal storage up to 256GB. The premium end variant is priced at 2,999 Yuan which roughly translates to about 432 US Dollars.

(Via)

OnePlus 8 (IN2011) India variant receives BIS certification

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Jan 15, 2020

OnePlus 8 series of flagship phones will be made official in the second quarter of this year. India has been one of the major markets for OnePlus. Like the predecessor smartphones, the OnePlus 8 lineup which includes a new member called OnePlus 8 Lite is expected to receive good reception from the country. Well ahead of the launch, the Indian variant of the purported OnePlus 8 that has a model number of IN2011 has been approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in the country.

The BIS listing of the IN2011 has not revealed the actual name of the device. Also, it lacks any information on its specifications. A similar model number i.e. IN2010 was approved by the China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in the recent. It only confirmed the support for dual-mode 5G networks on the device. It is believed that the IN2023 OnePlus phone that was recently spotted on the Geekbench benchmarking platform could be the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Editor’s Pick: Exclusive: OnePlus 8 Pro screen protectors and renders corroborate punch-hole display design

OnePlus 8 specifications (Rumored)

It is speculated that OnePlus 8 will be arriving with a 6.4-inch S-AMOLED punch-hole display. It may support 120Hz refresh rate and full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. The handset will be equipped with an in-screen fingerprint reader. The Snapdragon 865 mobile platform may fuel the phone with 8 GB / 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM. It could be coming in 128 GB and 256 GB of UFS 3.0 storage options.

The OnePlus 8 may feature a front-facing camera of 32-megapixel. Its rear could be fitted with a triple camera setup with Sony IMX686 64-megapixel main lens, a 20-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom support. The handset could be backed by a 4,000mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging. Some leaks have claimed that it will carry support for fast wireless charging.

The OnePlus 8 may come in models like 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. These variants could be priced at 3,699 Yuan (~$537), 3,999 Yuan (~$580) and 4,299 Yuan (~$624), respectively. Readers are recommended to digest the specs and pricing leak with a grain of salt.

Xiaomi Airdots Basic TWS Earphone

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos arrives in India; plans $1 billion investment to digitise SMBs

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Jeet

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Jan 15, 2020

Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon has arrived in India, dressed in an Indian attire. He took to Twitter to reveal that he paid his regards at a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi and also shared a video of the same.

He is on a three-day visit to India where he will be attending a company event in New Delhi and also likely to meet senior government officials. As Jeff Bezos comes to India, thousands of small traders across 300 cities have planned protests, claiming that the company is distorting local retail market.

Ashok Kumar Gupta, India’s antitrust chief, has said that big e-commerce companies in India should not offer deep discounts which can potentially hurt and small-scale brick and mortar retailers in India.

Hundreds and thousands of small brick-and-mortar retailers, led by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), have planned a countrywide protest against the company. CAIT has also accused Amazon and Flipkart of violating India’s foreign investment rules but the companies have denied the allegations.

During the event, Jeff Bezos said that the company will use its global footprint to export $10 billion worth of ‘Make In India’ goods by 2025. He also stated that Amazon is going to invest $1 billion in digitising the small and medium businesses in India. Amazon has committed $5.5 billion in India investments and sees the country as a key growth market.

Buy Xiaomi Airdots Basic TWS Earphone for Just $15.69 from Banggood [Coupon]

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Vinay Patel

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Jan 15, 2020

Xiaomi unveiled its first truly wireless earphone dubbed the AirDots TWS earphone towards the end of 2018. Now, the Xiaomi Airdots Basic TWS earphone has gone up for sale carrying a lowered price tag through Banggood.

Aside from shedding light on the aforesaid discount, we will show how you can save more money while placing your Airdots Basic order via the Chinese e-tailer that has a reputation for offering the best bang for your buck. The Xiaomi Airdots Basic would normally set you back $39.99, but Banggood is offering it for a lowered price of just $31.71.

In addition to getting this 21 percent discount, you can avail of free shipping if your cart value exceeds $19.99. On top of that, you can take advantage of the $18 OFF New User Coupon for an extra discount if this is your first order with Banggood.

The rest of the Banggood users, on the other hand, can apply coupon code BGNAXMTWS for an extra $16.02 off at the time of checking out. As a result, the already reduced retail price of the Airdots Basic comes down to only $15.69, making this Xiaomi-branded TWS earphone an absolute bargain.

This ultra-lightweight wireless headset adopts the powerful Bluetooth core for stable and faster transmission. Moreover, it uses noise reduction technology for softer, clearer sound quality and unparalleled calling experience.

The ergonomic design of the Xiaomi Airdots Basic fits comfortably in your ears even for a longer duration. It is made using soft and comfortable silicone material to ensure it doesn’t fall off when you are working out. On top of that, it is anti-sweat, which means it serves as sportswear as well.

This easy-to-pair headphone can summon an AI assistant. Other features include a multi-function button, pause/play music, answer/reject incoming calls, and many more. You can check out more details about the Xiaomi Airdots Basic and grab the discount simply by visit this link.

The Gizmochina Coupons is a community that finds, reports and evaluates deals and coupons of Chinese products from online shops. Please visit it here to find more coupons to save money on mobiles and smart gadgets.

OnePlus CEO: Foldable smartphones are not good enough right now

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Jan 15, 2020

During CES 2020, Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus made his first official appearance in a podcast with The Verge to discuss many things. The main topic was the OnePlus Concept One McLaren Edition smartphone which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show but the discussion also strayed towards the emerging technological trends like 5G networking and foldable handsets.

In the interview, the senior executive claimed that OnePlus has looked into the technology behind foldable smartphones. However, he also mentioned that the positives “outweighed by the shortcomings or the disadvantages of the current state of the technology.” In other words, the company isn’t planning on releasing a foldable smartphone, at least not yet.

OnePlus Concept One McLaren Edition with disappearing rear cameras

Although, the statement does leave hope for the future as advancement in the display technology areas could lead OnePlus to also make a foldable smartphone. The interview also bears resemblance to a previous statement by the company regarding wireless charging, which was deemed unnecessary back then.

Notably, many examples of foldable smartphones were brought in to question when asked about their viability. Motorola’s Razor was a prominent one that Pete considered one of the better foldable smartphone models currently available but still doesn’t feature a “crisp” display. According to the CEO, foldable smartphones display lose out on display quality with the plastic OLED screen, which is a primary reason Pete Lau hasn’t dwelled into foldable handsets.

Lastly, OnePlus CEO also answered questions regarding camera technology, imaging algorithms and the increasing cost of the company’s smartphones. Pete stated that large investments are being made in the camera department while the company is also collaborating with industry leaders to brings software algorithms to rival Google and Apple.

By its extension, he even stated that the cost of a smartphone is raising as more features are being housed in a single unit. A camera lens is expensive while the number of sensors is increasing as well. Thus, OnePlus smartphones will also see a hike in price, but it was also mentioned that the company would still practice its traditional method of operations. Meaning, saving on marketing and other areas to lower the cost burden faced by the consumer.

Huawei P40 new render reveals design, dual punch-hole display and triple rear cameras

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Jan 15, 2020

The CAD renders of the upcoming Huawei P40 and Huawei P40 Pro first surfaced on 91mobiles back in December 2019. The renders revealed by reputed leakster Onleaks revealed quite a few key design elements of the P40 lineup. Today, the tipster has teamed up with the same publication once again to bring clearer renders of the Huawei P40. The new renders not only gives a good look at its design, but also reveals its key elements.

According to the latest render, the Huawei P40 flaunts a nearly bezel-less display with dual cameras on the front housed within a pill-shaped punch hole at the top-right corner. The volume and power buttons are located on the right edge.

At the rear, the Huawei P40 flaunts a triple-camera setup engineered by Leica, along with a dual-LED flash unit housed within a rectangular module towards the left. The camera module protrudes slightly from the rest of the rear panel. The rear design matches with the case renders of the Huawei P40 that were exclusively shared by GizmoChina today.

The render showcases a black color variant with the Huawei logo imprinted on the bottom left corner in line with the camera setup. The device also flaunts a USB Type-C connector on the bottom edge. Also, it lacks a 3.5mm audio jack.

Editor’s Pick: Exclusive: OnePlus 8 Pro screen protectors and renders corroborate punch-hole display design

Not much is known about the Huawei P40 Pro at the moment apart from what the company has revealed so far. The P40 Pro is slated to sport a quad-rear camera setup, along with a curved glass display. Additional details will be available within the next few months as Huawei is planning to launch the P40 lineup at an event in Paris in March 2020. The Huawei P40 range will replace last year’s Huawei P30 and Huawei P30 Pro flagships.

Huawei P40 Specifications and Features (Rumored)

The Huawei P40 is rumored to be powered by the Kirin 990 SoC and sports 5G connectivity. The triple camera layout is rumored to feature a primary sensor, along with a ToF sensor and an ultrawide lens. The Huawei P40 is expected to run on Android 10- based EMUI, but miss out on Google Services due to the US ban. The P40 could sport a display measuring between 6.1 and 6.2-inches.

The P40 Pro is likely to flaunt a periscope with a 10x optical zoom along with a telephoto sensor. The quad-camera setup on the P40 Pro could include a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 sensor, a 20-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 12-megapixel periscope, ToF sensor, and a macro lens.

Xiaomi may release a smartphone with 7 sensors on a pop up camera

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Jan 15, 2020

Smartphone manufacturers compete in an industry that has stiff competition. To stay relevant, each brand needs to innovate and improve their offerings. So, people quite often discover patents for future handsets that are either planned or in the works with special and unique features. Now, patents of Xiaomi, the Chinese tech giant, have surfaced online showcasing three unique new pop up camera designs.

The patents were found in the China National Property Administration (CNIPA) and were for the selfie camera of an unknown smartphone. It can be surmised that the patent is for a new pop up mechanism as the first features a dual front and rear facing camera setup. On the other hand, the rest of the patents detail dual, triple and even a penta camera setup.

Xiaomi patents new Pop Up Camera design with dua front and rear facing sensor (Image via ShotBytes)

The designs are strictly for the camera module as the rest of the smartphone design as seen in the patents remains the same, only the number of camera cut outs differentiate them. Notably, the patents reveal a unique pop up camera design where both the rear and front facing cameras are housed in the same mechanism, on either side. This is currently unheard of since these may sensors have never been crammed into such a small space.

Although it will be a technical marvel and other brands would soon seek to include the technology if it sees the light of day; but unfortunately, it is unknown is Xiaomi actually plans to follow through and develop this. As of right now, no official confirmation has been made but the interesting feature could be useful in future smartphones.

Many smartphone OEMs are shying away from the pop up camera mechanism. The same extends to buyers with doubts regarding durability. However, Chinese companies like Xiaomi seem to be taking a different route as suggested by such patents.

Realme 5i goes on sale today in India; Realme Buds Air open sale begins

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Jan 15, 2020

The recently unveiled Realme 5i smartphone has gone on sale for the first time in India through the company’s official website and Flipkart. Also, on open sale is the Realme Buds Air truly wireless earphones that are finally up for grabs. The Buds Air was launched last month alongside the Realme X2 and Realme’s payment service PaySa in India.

Realme 5i and Buds Air Price in India

The Realme 5i starts at Rs. 8,999 (~$127). The smartphone replaces the Realme 5, which the company has officially phased out. The Realme 5i is available in two color options namely Aqua Blue and Forest Green. As part of the launch offer, MobiKwik users are entitled to a 10% cashback (SuperCash). While Reliance Jio users are entitled to benefits worth Rs. 7,550 (~$106).

Meanwhile, the Realme Buds Air truly wireless earphones are priced at a comfortable Rs. 3,999 (~$57). It is available in three colors, namely white, black, and yellow. The Buds Air is on open sale on Flipkart and the official Realme India website.

Editor’s Pick: Realme UI with stock Android designs officially detailed with Roadmap

Realme 5i Specifications and Features

The Realme 5i flaunts a 6.52-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels, and a waterdrop notch housing the front camera. Powering the Realme 5i is a Snapdragon 665 SoC with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, further expandable via a microSD card.

The quad-camera setup on the rear consists of a 12-megapixel primary lens, paired with an 8- megapixel ultrawide sensor, and two 2-megapixel sensors for macro and depth effect. The smartphone sports an 8-megapixel selfie camera. Under the hood of the Realme 5i is a 5,000 mAh battery with 10W fast charging. The device runs on Android 9.0 Pie-based ColorOS 6.1.

Realme Buds Air Specifications and Features

The Realme Buds Air (Review) features a custom R1 chip with interesting features like Low Latency gaming mode. According to the company, this helps cut down audio latency delay in half. Further additions include 12mm audio drivers and an advanced multi-layer composite diaphragm. The list of features further includes Dynamic Bass Boost, Bluetooth v5.0 for improved connectivity and seamless audio quality.

The Realme Buds Air truly wireless earbuds feature background noise cancellation during calls and have an LED battery indicator. The Realme Buds Air offers three hours of continuous music playback on a single charge. When combined with the wireless charging case, the earbuds offer up to 17 hours of music playback. The device features instant auto-connect, touch controls, smart in-ear detection, and Google Assistant support with Google Fast Pair for seamless pairing. The charging case has a USB Type-C connector at the bottom that supports 10W fast charging.

Lu Weibing announces Redmi K30 5G and Xiaomi 5G sim card bundle

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Jan 15, 2020

Lu Weibing, Vice President of Xiaomi Group and President of Xiaomi in China, recently went to his personal Weibo to announce some fairly big news. The post reads “#Redmi K30 5GPioneer # Xiaomi Mobile customized 5G phone card is here!” announcing the launch of Xiaomi’s first foray into the realm of 5G providing, with their new Redmi K30 5G bundle.

From this point on, any users who purchase the Redmi K30 5G through Xiaomi Mall will receive a Xiaomi mobile customized sim card, not including phone charges. This card is a 5G customized card specially launched by Xiaomi Mobile for Mi Fans, and supports China Unicom 5G, 4G, 3G networks. Of course, consumers who want to try 5G first need to ensure that their location has 5G signal coverage.

The 5G exclusive custom card launched by Xiaomi Mobile includes three packages of 49 yuan, 69 yuan and 99 yuan. The packages are rated as such:-

The 49 yuan ($7) economic package includes 20GB of data and 50 minutes of voice;
The 69 yuan ($10) value package includes 30GB of data and 100 minutes of voice;
The 99 yuan ($15) package includes 40GB of data and a 200 minute of voice calls.

Xiaomi is clearly attempting to take an upper hand in the 5G race, and it’s a pretty smart move on their part. They’re the first company truly trying to take advantage of the mainstream market by offering a cheap 5G device to their customers, as well as a fairly affordable set of 5G plans to go with it. If this continues, we could see the Chinese giants take an early lead in the race for 5G dominance.

US grant record number of patents to Chinese firms in 2019

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Jan 15, 2020

The total number of patents granted by the United States to Chinese companies grew by a significant percentage in 2019. Thus, recording a notable growth among the prominent global economies.

According to the annual report released on Tuesday by IFI Claims, a New Havens-based patent firm, the US granted 34% additional patents to Chinese mainland companies last year. When you put this into perspective, the US granted 333,530 patents to Chinese mainland companies in 2019, a 15% increase from the previous year.

Among the hundred thousand patents filed, Chinese mainland companies filed for 16,900 patents, an increase from 12,599 back in 2018. Patents by US companies stood next in line at 15.95%, the second-fastest growth recorded this year. According to senior analyst Larry Cady of IFI Claims, Chinese companies have recorded the highest volume of patents filed in the past couple of years. The trend has primarily been in the technology sector where China has witnessed some major growth in the recent past.

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According to the same survey, US companies hold nearly 49% of the patents granted last year, closely followed by Japan and South Korea. The recent growth spurt saw China climb by 5% to the 4th spot, pushing Germany down to 5th for the first time. Two Chinese conglomerates made it to the list of top 15 companies last year. While Huawei gained six positions to enter the top 10, BOE Technologies climbed up the charts to reach position 13.

According to Cady, the Chinese companies are hopeful of the United States lifting the ban on conducting business with US enterprises. Hence, recording the spurt in filing a patent. Another prominent name in the Top 10 list of companies is CRISPR technologies. It is known for creating hybrid plants, vehicle dashboards, medicinal preparations in the field of cancer treatment, and 3D printing.

Xiaomi patents two new smartphones with wrap-around surround displays

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Jan 15, 2020

Xiaomi has patented two new and fairly peculiar smartphone concepts in China. These two patents feature designs that are familiar to what we’ve seen from other companies before, but they’re also slightly different in their own way. These two concepts revolve around the idea of displays that only wrap around the device ala the Mi MIX Alpha, instead of folding like the Galaxy Fold and Mate X.

The first design shows a phone that reminds us of the Huawei Mate X, and it’s the more practical of the two patented devices. The display wraps around the side of the device, leaving it sized like a normal sized device. Unlike the Huawei Mate X however, the device doesn’t unfold, allowing the device to be more contained. The camera strip on the patent is much more subtle when compared to the Mate X’s. We actually saw earlier patents for this device recently, so it’s good to see that it’s making rounds.

The second patented device on the other hand is VASTLY more bizarre than the previous device. Instead of forming a wider display, this device features a much longer display that folds over the top of the device. There’s also a small chin at the bottom probably for the sensors, and what appears to be a triple camera setup integrated into display, like some super huge hole punch selfie camera.

It seems a bit more unconventional than the previous device, but if Xiaomi can find a reasonable way to make it more interesting than we’re all for it. While it’s fully possible neither one of these devices will ever fully materialize, it’s certainly interesting to discuss and imagine what they’d be like if they were real. It’s also quite nice to see that Xiaomi are taking a different direction from other companies.

Huawei P40 Pro screen glass reveals notch-less quad-curved display

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Jan 15, 2020

The Huawei P40 series of flagship phones are expected to break cover in March. A screen protector leakv by leakster Teme that had surfaced yesterday had revealed that the upcoming Huawei P40 Pro will be equipped with a curved display. The same tipster has shared an image that compares the screen glass of the P40 Pro with the likes of the predecessor Huawei P30 Pro and the Honor Magic 2 slider phone.

The screen glasses for the P30 Pro (left), P40 Pro (middle) and Honor Magic 2 (right) can be seen in the below image. As it can be seen, the Huawei P30 Pro’s screen glass a cutout for its waterdrop notch screen. However, P40 Pro screen glass does not feature such a cutout. It is speculated that the P40 Pro will be sporting a punch-hole display design. Also, its screen will be curved on all four sides.

Editor’s Pick: Exclusive! Huawei P40 case renders leak to reveal the front and rear designs

In December, reputed tipster OnLeaks had shared the CAD renders of the Huawei P40 Pro. The renders had revealed that the corners of the phone where the display glass meets will have a unique design. The smartphone is expected to house a 6.5-inch OLED display and it is likely to support quad HD+ resolution. The display of the phone is rumored to offer a refresh rate of 120Hz, and it is expected to be equipped with an in-screen fingerprint reader. The device could be equipped with two front-facing cameras.

The Huawei P40 Pro is expected to feature as many as five cameras on its back. Tipster Teme has claimed that it could be equipped with a 52-megapixel 1/1.13” main lens that can churn out 13-megapixel images by using a quad-bayer filter. The sensor size is said to be 0.6micron which suggests that the 13-megapixel photos will have an effective large pixel size of 1.92micron. This tip contradicts previous claims that the Huawei P40 Pro would be a penta-lens setup that will include a Sony IMX686 64-megapixel lens, a 20-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom, a macro camera and a 3D ToF (Time of Flight) sensor.

The Huawei P40 and P40 Pro will be powered by the Kirin 990 5G chipset. It could be housing a mammoth battery of 5,500mAh capacity. It is advisable to digest the specs leak of the P40 series with a grain of salt.