How to install TWRP and root ROG Phone 2?

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Jan 24, 2020

A couple of days back, an OPPO model identified as OPPO PCLM50 was certified by China’s TENAA with the key specs of the device listed on the agency’s website. The OPPO PCLM50 has now been spotted on GeekBench database.

The Geekbench listing shows the OPPO PCLM50 will be powered by a processor that has a base frequency of 1.80GHz suspected to be the Snapdragon 765G 5G processor. The processor teams up with 8 GB of RAM while the Android 10 OS will provide the interface. The smartphone scored 625 in the single-core test and reached a score of 1949 in the multi-core test.

As a reminder, TENAA also shows the OPPO PCLM50 has a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. The phone will have only the 8GB RAM variant and will be available with 128GB or 256GB of non-expandable storage.

The device comes with four cameras at the rear. The main camera is a 48MP sensor that is paired with an 8MP sensor that most likely has an ultrawide lens and two 2MP cameras. We cannot say if one of the 2MP sensors is a depth-capturing camera while the other is a macro camera. You also get a 32MP selfie camera.

The OPPO PCLM50 has a 3,935mAh battery just as the Reno3 series, so its rated capacity should be 4,000mAh. The phone will ship with Android 10 out of the box with ColorOS7 on top. TENAA says it measures 160.3 x 74.3 x 7.96 mm and weighs 180 grams. The device will be available in White, Black, and Yellow colours.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite vs Huawei P30 Pro vs Realme X2 Pro: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 24, 2020

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite just landed in the Indian market and it catalyzed a lot of attention since it is the first Lite variant from the S series. Until the launch of this device, the only option to get a Galaxy S series device for fewer bucks was the compact S10e. But is the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite the best alternative for that price? Let’s discover it together by comparing it with other popular handsets in the market. After comparing it with OnePlus 7T and ROG Phone II, we chose to write a specs comparison between Galaxy S10 Lite, Huawei P30 Pro and the flagship killer Realme X2 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite vs Huawei P30 Pro vs Oppo Realme X2 Pro

	Huawei P30 Pro	Oppo Realme X2 Pro	Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	158 x 73.4 x 8.4 mm, 192 grams	161 x 75.7 x 8.7 mm, 199 grams	162.5 x 75.6 x 8.1 mm, 186 g
DISPLAY	6.47 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 398 ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, OLED	6.5 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, 20:9 ratio, Super AMOLED	6.7 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Huawei Hisilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+, octa-core 2.96 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz
MEMORY	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 512 GB – nano memory card slot	12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie, EMUI	Android 9 Pie, Color OS	Android 10, One UI
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ad, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	Quad 40 + 8 + 20 MP + TOF f/1.6, f/3.4 and f/2.2 32 MP f/2.0 front camera	Quad 64 + 13 + 8 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.5, f/2.2 and f/2.4 16 MP f/2.0 front camera	Triple 48 + 12 + 5 MP, f/2.0, f/2.2 and f/2.4 32 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY	4200 mAh Fast charging 40W and fast wireless charging 15W	4000 mAh, Fast Charging 50W with Super VOOC Flash Charge	4500 mAh, fast charging
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot, reverse wireless charging, IP68 waterproof	Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Design

Do you want a compact and impressive design or the most futuristic one? If your answer is the first, then go for the Huawei P30 Pro without thinking twice. With its curved edges around the display and compact dimensions, it is a very elegant and versatile handset. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite offers a more futuristic punch-hole display. The design is not the strongest point of the Realme X2 Pro. Besides having an amazing design, Huawei P30 Pro is also the one with the most interesting build quality since it is the only waterproof phone of the trio, with the IP68 certification.

Display

Despite Samsung produces the best and most popular displays for mobile devices, Realme X2 Pro has the most advanced display here. It is the only to be HDR10+ certified and it provides an impressive image quality. Further, it is the only to boast a high 90 Hz refresh rate, perfect for gaming since it provides a smoother viewing experience. The second place goes to the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite coming with a new Super AMOLED Plus panel delivering very realistic colors and HDR, as well as a wide 6.7-inch diagonal. However, this does not mean that Huawei P30 Pro has a bad display.

Hardware/Software

The most stunning hardware is provided by the Realme X2 Pro, fueled by the amazing Snapdragon 855+ by Qualcomm built at 7 nm with a max frequency of 2.96 GHz. The SoC is paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of fast UFS 3.0 native storage. Realme X2 Pro is the only not featuring expandable internal storage and the only which still runs Android 9 Pie, but it is the fastest and most performing device here. Right after, we got the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite with a Snapdragon 855 chipset and 8 GB of RAM in its most expensive variant, as well as UFS 2.1 internal storage.

Camera

Huawei P30 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite have the most advanced cameras. It is still too early to pick up a winner, but we believe that Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will deliver a better video quality, while Huawei P30 Pro may provide more interesting photos. Realme X2 Pro si just a midrange camera phone (despite its higher 64 MP resolution), so we do not recommend it if the camera is among your main concerns.

Battery

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite has a bigger 4500 mAh and it lasts more on a single charge in most of the scenarios. But unlike the Huawei P30 Pro, it does not feature wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. Realme X2 Pro supports wired charging only just like the Galaxy S10 Lite, but it has the fastest charging technology: it goes from 0 to 100 percent in just 35 minutes.

Price

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite costs Rs. 39,999 in India and €649 globally, Realme X2 Pro starts from Rs. 29,999 in Inda and €399 globally, and Huawei P30 Pro costs about Rs. 50,000 in India and about €600 globally thanks to online street prices. Overall, Realme X2 Pro provides better performances and displays, while Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and Huawei P30 Pro have better cameras and batteries. Given that the P30 Pro also comes with special features such as wireless charging and water resistance, it is a more complete device. But if we exclude cameras, Realme X2 Pro has the highest value for money. Which one would you pick?

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite launched packing an SD855 SoC, centralized punch-hole

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite vs Huawei P30 Pro vs Oppo Realme X2 Pro: PRO and CONS

Huawei P30 Pro

PROS

Waterproof
Amazing cameras
Reverse wireless charging
Fast wireless charging

CONS

Inferior hardware

Realme X2 Pro

PROS

Best hardware
Fastest charging
Amazing display
Good price

CONS

Inferior cameras

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite

PROS

Nice cameras
Longer battery life
Android 10
Micro SD slot

CONS

Price

Japan’s NTT Docomo targets 6G launch by 2030

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Jan 24, 2020

A recent report by Nikkei indicated that Japan has begun planning a comprehensive strategy for “post-5G” (6G) technology that achieves communication speeds 10 times faster than 5G by 2030. Japan’s largest carrier NTT Docomo has now begun drawing up a strategy to be a leader in 6G technology towards achieving the 2030 commercial launch plan.

The mobile operator Friday released a white paper outlining its views on 5G evolution and 6G communications technology, noting mobile communication systems typically evolve into the next generation over a period of about ten years.

The report touches on related technical concepts and the expected diverse use cases of evolving 5G and new 6G communication technologies, along with the components of the technology and performance targets.

Docomo, which started its 5G research in 2010, said in a statement it will promote cooperation among government, industry and academia, along with diverse stakeholders. It said it would continue to research and develop its technology to enable the further evolution of mobile communications. Areas of focus include pioneering new frequency bands including terahertz frequencies and developing ultra-low energy and ultra-low-cost communications.

Japan’s earlier statement also detailed that the country will invest $2.03 billion in the research and development of 6G. It’s expected to provide a speed 10 times faster than what the world will witness in terms of 5G technology, which sounds freaking ridiculous.

(via)

How Chinese Tech Companies Are Coming Forward to Fight The China Virus!

By

Joel Joseph

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Jan 24, 2020

The world’s most populous country is currently battling to contain a lethal coronavirus similar to the SARs epidemic that originated in China in 2002. China has already reported 830 cases of the coronavirus and 26 deaths so far. The government has placed 13 cities under effective lockdown with transport restrictions, putting nearly 41 million under virtual quarantine. The city of Wuhan, the place where the coronavirus originated, is in a state of severe lockdown with all major flights and transport vehicles going in and out of the city suspended for the foreseeable future. While things are tense in China right now, tech companies from different parts of China are coming in to offer help.

Companies like Xiaomi, Meizu, WeChat, Douyin (Chinese TikTok), and even Baidu have all taken efforts to educate and help combat the new virus in China.

So let’s take a quick look at how tech companies in China are helping to fight the spread of the lethal coronavirus.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi is shipping out N95 masks, medical masks, and thermometers worth 300K yuan (~$43.2K) to Wuhan’s epidemic control and prevention headquarters. The first batch was shipped out from various centers last night and will arrive in Wuhan tonight. The company added on its Weibo platform that they are monitoring the epidemic’s status and will continue to allocate supplies to help out the city in this time of crisis.

Meizu

Another smartphone maker has come forward to offer support to the city of Wuhan. Meizu announced that it has donated 300K yuan (~43.2K) to fight the outbreak of the coronavirus in the city.

Huawei

While we haven’t heard of any donation from Huawei yet, the company has postponed its HDC.Cloud 2020 developer conference from Feb 11-12 to March 27-28. This event was expected to take place in Shenzhen, China, which is over 1000 km away from the city of Wuhan. So this was more of a precautionary measure from Huawei to eliminate a potential opportunity for the spread of the virus.

E-commerce websites

China’s biggest online retailers like Jd.com, Taobao, Suning have all announced that they would freeze the prices of essential medical items such as masks and disinfectants on their platforms. Ever since the news about the outbreak of the virus, the prices for these essential items had shot up. However, the retailers have agreed to intervene and provide these medical supplies at reasonable rates. Moreover, Jd.com has also announced that it will donate 1 million masks and 60,000 medical supplies to Wuhan, in batches.

Travel

China’s aviation regulator has announced passengers can get free refunds for flight tickets booked before Jan. 24, 2020, across all airlines and ticket sales agencies in China. Multiple airlines like Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, and Qantas Airways are offering free cancellations for tickets booked to or from mainland China till the end of February. You can read more about airline refund announcements from this Reuters article.

Entertainment

China’s TikTok – Douyin has a dedicated page that informs users about the coronavirus and its current status. The app also added a special ‘Jiayou video effect‘ to offer support to the medical staff and patients fighting the virus in Wuhan.

Online movie ticketing platforms like Taopiaopiao and Maoyan are offering unconditional refunds for tickets booked between January 22 and the first week of February in the city of Wuhan.

Moreover, six potential blockbuster hit movies, which were scheduled to release in theaters this weekend, have been postponed. In fact, in a surprising move, one of the most anticipated movies in China this year, ‘Lost in Russia’ or ‘Awkward Mother’ (Chinese translation), is now premiering online for FREE! The film will be made available to watch at midnight today in China via the movie studio’s in-house streaming platform.

Food Delivery

Popular food delivery apps like Meituan Dianping and Ele.me in China have promised to continue operations as usual during this period. To combat the spread of the coronavirus, they have announced precautionary measures such as masks and body temperature monitoring of its delivery drivers. These platforms have also reportedly stopped delivering to hospitals.

Other Apps

China’s most popular messaging app, WeChat, has a special ‘Fever Clinic’ Map that shows you where you can go for a check-up in over 14 cities in China. Some popular cities like Shanghai and Chengdu have over 100 listed clinics on the platform.

Baidu has a dedicated anti-pneumonia page on its app that is updated with relevant coronavirus related news in real-time. The Baidu Maps app also shows you ‘Fever Clinics’ (similar to WeChat). But one of the best features of the Baidu Maps is the thermal heat map giving you a view of the busy streets in your area, in real-time. It’s an excellent way to identify crowded streets to avoid them.

In a country like China, that’s obsessed with apps and social media; it’s good to see tech companies coming forward to educate people to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pneumonia. With over 830 cases reported so far, it remains to be seen whether China can contain this new coronavirus before it becomes as widespread as the SARs epidemic.

LG may kill G-series; V-lineup and new series to rival with Galaxy flagships

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Jan 24, 2020

At the end of the previous year, a South Korean publication had revealed that LG will be launching a new 5G smartphone and LG V60 ThinQ 5G at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020 tech trade show in February. Since the LG G8 series did not arrive with 5G support last year, it is speculated that the rumored 5G phone arriving along with V60 ThinQ 5G could be the LG G9 series. Renders of the LG G9 had surfaced at the beginning of the year. Fresh information coming from David Ruddock of Android Police reveals that the South Korean company is planning to overhaul its smartphone strategy. It may result in the axing of G-series and arrival of a new series later this year.

According to Ruddock, LG’s V-series phone arriving in 2021 will be bundled with a large display of 10 inches or higher so that it can be used as a tablet or laptop. It is not clear whether the phone will connect to the larger display through a dock or wirelessly. The device could be accompanied by a keyboard accessory.

He added that starting from this year, the V-series will be rivaling with the Galaxy S series lineup from Samsung. The G series may be effectively phased out and the South Korean company will have a new series arriving later this year. The new series could be aimed to rival with Samsung Galaxy Note series, 2020 iPhones and the next generation Pixel series smartphones. The company be also prepping some foldable phones to take on Samsung’s foldable smartphones.

Editor’s Pick: LG patents a new smartphone design with wrap-around display

As far as upcoming LG flagship phones are concerned, the leaked CAD renders of the LG G9 revealed that it will be arriving with a waterdrop notch display and horizontal quad cameras on its back. It seems that the LG G9 won’t carry support for palm recognition and hand gestures that were added on the LG G8 series. It will be equipped with the good old 3.5mm audio jack. The upcoming LG V60 ThinQ is expected to arrive with an improved Dual Screen accessory. The latter could be coming with “free stop hinge” technology that will make it possible to stop and hold the second screen at desired angle.

Galaxy Fold successor may sport 8-inch display, SD865, 108MP camera and S Pen

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Jan 24, 2020

Samsung aims to sell 6 million foldable phones in 2020. In order to achieve it, the company will begin with the sales of Galaxy Z Flip clamshell foldable phone. The handset is expected to debut on Feb. 11, and it could be arriving as the first Snapdragon 855+ phone from Samsung. In order to achieve its goal of selling 6 million foldable smartphones, it should be launching a new foldable phone with flagship specs. Probably, this device could be arriving as the successor of the Galaxy Fold that debuted last year. Max Weinbach from XDA Developers has shared speculated specs of the true successor for the Galaxy Fold that is likely to launch in Q2 this year.

Plenty of details of the upcoming Galaxy S20 series and Galaxy Z Flip are known. A good share of leaked information was shared by Weinbach. Based on the information that have appeared on South Korean sites and Bloomberg, he has shared key specs of the next generation Galaxy Fold tablet.

The successor of the Galaxy Fold could be a 5G device powered by the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. The device could be equipped with an 8-inch display with ultra-thin glass which will be first seen on the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone. The alleged Galaxy Fold 2 could be coming with a 108-megapixel main lens. It could be accompanied by a S Pen stylus. It remains to be seen whether it ends up as a non-Note series phone to arrive with S Pen.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip to feature SD855+, dual 12MP cameras, wireless charging support

In related news, Samsung is said to be working on a tri-folding Z series phone. The design of the device was recently seen in a leak photo that surfaced on Weibo. The leaked image revealed that it could be equipped with dual hinges so that it can be folded and unfolded in zigzag manner. If the device truly exists, Samsung may pack it with premium specs. The South Korean firm is currently focused on the Galaxy S20 series and Galaxy Z Flip. Hence, it is likely that more details on the next foldable phone could be revealed after the market release of the S20 and Z Flip. Until then, readers are advised to digest the specs leak of the Galaxy Fold’s successor with a grain of salt.

Huawei ranked among the Top 10 Most-Valuable Global brands; Amazon tops!

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Jan 24, 2020

British brand financial consulting company BrandFinance has released its 2020 500 Most Valuable Global Brands. The list contains what the company says is the most valuable brands in the world as of January 2020. As expected, US companies dominate the first six spots while Chinese firms occupy the next 3 spots. The top 10 is completed by a South Korean company which is Samsung.

US e-commerce giant Amazon emerged as the most valuable brand globally with a brand value exceeding US $220.7 billion. This is said to be an increase of 17.5% over last year. These increases are due to Amazon’s expansion in cloud computing, streaming media, consumer electronics and logistics.

Tech giant Google came in second with an estimated brand value of more than US $159.7 billion. This represents a year-on-year increase of 11.9%. In third place is yet another tech company Apple with a brand value of more than US $140.5 billion. However, Apple’s value saw a year-on-year decline of 8.5%.

At the 4th to 10th places are Microsoft (US $117 billion), Samsung (US $94.4 billion), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China [ICBC] (US $80.7 billion), Facebook (US $77.9 billion), Wal-Mart (US $ 77.5 billion), China Ping An (US $69 billion) and finally, Huawei with an estimated brand value of $ 65 billion.

Also worthy of note is that in terms of industry classification, technology companies have the highest value in the top 500 with a total of 46 companies with a value of more than US $986.5 billion. By region, U.S. companies have the highest value with 205 companies valued at more than US $320.4 billion. China comes second with 70 companies in the top 500 and a cumulative share of 18.9% and total brand value of US $133.4 billion.

Rakuten Mini is a cheap Palm phone-like compact smartphone

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Jan 24, 2020

In this era of large-screen mobile phones, it is pretty difficult to see smartphones with a small display screen. When a reference is made to small screen phones, the TCL-backed Palm phone readily comes to mind. What you may not know is that the Palm phone has got a companion in Japan dubbed Rakuten Mini.

As the name implies, the phone is manufactured by Japanese telecommunications giant Rakuten. The Mini features a portable build consisting of a 3.6-inch screen with an HD resolution of 720 × 1280 pixels. The display size is slightly larger than that of the Palm phone but then, you get the traditional bezels which means the display area may even be smaller. The phone has a dimension of 53.4 × 106.2 × 8.6mm, weighing in at just 79g.

On the specs table, the phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor paired with 3GB of RAM. There is 32GB of storage onboard but no indication if it is expandable. The phone gets its power from a 1,250mAh battery.

On the camera aspect, the Rakuten Mini features a single 16MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera for selfies. It is worth mentioning that Rakuten Mini does not have a SIM card slot, but is equipped with eSIM.

As for the price, the phone is on sale in Japan for 21,800 yen (about 1,300 yuan, $187). It comes in white, red and black colour options.

Xiaomi Mi A3 and Redmi Note 8 Pro officially receives TWRP support

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Jan 24, 2020

TWRP is now officially available for Xiaomi Mi A3 and Redmi Note 8 Pro. This is great news for enthusiasts and individuals that like to flash custom ROMs on their smartphones.

For those unaware, TWRP, enables one to replace the stock recovery for a custom recovery to allow smartphone enthusiasts to use custom ROMs and skins on their smartphones. Needless to say, an official support for the same makes it a bit easier and accessible for people looking forward to completely customize their handsets. The reason TWRP is so popular is due to the massive library of smartphones it supports which now also includes Xiaomi Mi A3 and Redmi Note 8 Pro.

Xiaomi Mi A3

The mid range Android One smartphone from the Chinese smartphone maker has had an unofficial port TWRP for a while now. However, official builds are always safer and much more reliable, so it comes as great news for those who waited. Notably, since Xiaomi Mi A3 uses the A/B partition system which doesn’t work well with standard flashing methods, users interested in flashing their devices are advised to read the instructions carefully.

Unlike a regular method of flashing recovery with fastboot flash recovery twrp.img command, one has to use the fastboot boot twrp.img command line. After this, navigate to the Advanced>Install Recovery Ramdisk option, and then select the TWRP recovery image stored on your device’s storage to manually flash it.

Click here to download the official TWRP for Xiaomi Mi A3

Redmi Note 8 Pro

Xiaomi’s subsidiary Redmi has also received the official TWRP support; but it is known to be a bit more difficult to flash and mod, unlike other Snapdragon powered Redmi smartphones. This device is prone to hard brick on users so user caution is advised when flashing the Redmi Note 8 Pro. Users must follow the the exact instructions properly to avoid any complications in the process. Go ahead with the process only if you are sure you can handle it and, or are well versed with the method.

Click here to download the official TWRP for Redmi Note 8 Pro

(Via)

OPPO Find X2 juicy leak reveals Sony IMX689, IMX708 sensors, topnotch display and M1 co-processor

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Jan 24, 2020

The OPPO Find X2 flagship phone will be made official in the first quarter of 2020. In December, OPPO had claimed that the Find X2 will be equipped with the latest image sensor from Sony. Today, a tipster from China shared some more information on the camera capabilities of the OPPO Find X2. Some details on the display and processor of the device have been also revealed.

According to the tipster, the OPPO has jointly developed the Sony IMX689 for the OPPO Find X2. The IMX689 is said to be the world’s first all-pixel omnidirectional focusing technology. It is a 48-megapixel lens with a sensor size of 1/1.3 inches. It is larger than the 1/1.75 sensor size of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro’s Sony IMX600 lens.

The Sony IMX689 48-megapixel is expected to serve as the main lens in the triple camera setup of the Find X2. It will be accompanied by a Sony IMX708 and a 13-megapixel telephoto sensor with 5x hybrid optical zooms support. The Sony IMX708 that will premiere on the Find X2 is the said to be the strongest superwide lens. At the front, the Find X2 will be fitted with a Sony IMX616 32-megapixel selfie camera.

Editor’s Pick: Future OPPO Reno phone likely to feature selfie camera in narrow top bezel, reveals patent filing

The OPPO Find X2 will be coming with an ultra-clear scree with support for quad HD+ resolution of 1440 x 3168 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz. Previous reports have claimed that the Find X2 will be fitted with a 6.5-inch display. The curvature of the phone’s screen will be 80 degrees which is somewhat les than the 88-degree waterfall screen.

The leak further reveals that the Find X2 will be integrated with a MEMC chip that are found on high-end TVs. The iPhone 11 Pro Max offers an absolute color accuracy of 0.9 JNCD (Just Noticeable Color Difference). The upcoming find X2 is expected to offer an absolute color accuracy of 0.8. The display of the Find X2 will offer a color depth of 10bits and a color reproduction of 1.07 billion colors. Also, the automatic brightness adjustment on Find X2 can reach 4,096 levels.

The Find X2 will be the world premiere of the self-developed OPPO M1 co-processor which is power consumption controlling chip. It can effectively reduce power consumed by high refresh rate and resolution supporting screen and Snapdragon 865 mobile platform which drives the phone.

Past reports have revealed that the Find X2 will be equipped with dual-mode 5G support, LPDDR5 RAM and USB 3.0 storage. The device could be coming with 50W wireless charging.

Apple says that EU regulations for common smartphone charger will harm consumers

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Jan 24, 2020

Earlier this month, the European Union announced that it wished to create a new law that could force smartphone manufacturers to adopt a single common smartphone charging standard. The EU believes it will benefit the consumers and environment but Apple has taken a stance against it.

According to the Cupertino based giant, the move to standardize smartphone chargers will stunt innovation in the industry and could leave to force conformity and also create a lot of e-waste and ultimately harm consumers. Notably, this move from Apple is clearly to protect its best interest as the company stands to suffer the most losses if the law is passed.

A large part of Apple’s revenue is generated from its accessories that the company sells from various online and offline assets. These accessories, especially chargers, arrive with the proprietary lightning port, which means that it belongs to Apple. This means that the company can even charge third party manufacturers that make accessories for Apple products.

One of the main arguments Apple stated was the “forced conformity” which could affect industry innovation. The tech giant also claimed that the move could also potentially harm the European economy. A study showed results in Apple’s favor as the law would cost consumers 1.5 billion Euros over a mere 13 million Euros in the form of environmental benefits.

The study also claims that nearly 49 percent of EU households utilize different types of chargers out of which only 0.4 percent ever face any significant issues. Apple stated that the law is obsolete as the industry is already shifting towards USB Type C ports via chargers or cable connectors. For example, the iPhone 11 Pro uses USB C but still requires a lightning cable adapter.

(Via)

Realme X2 Pro to get WiFi Calling support, roadmap for other phones revealed

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Jan 24, 2020

Madhav Sheth, CEO of Realme, revealed the roadmap for the highly anticipated new update which will bring the Wi-Fi calling feature for Realme smartphones starting with Realme X2 Pro. The information was revealed on YouTube under the AskMadhav’s latest episode on Realme India’s official channel.

According to the senior executive, Realme X2 Pro will be the first smartphone to receive the new VoWiFi feature and will receive it later this month. The video talks about the feature and also reveals about the roadmap for the inclusion of the feature in other smartphones as well. A few old phones like the Realme U1 and Realme 1 will also be receiving the new update before the end of the first quarter of 2020.

Furthermore, the rollout of the new update begins this month and in will first include the Realme X2 Pro. Following this, Reame X2, Realme XT, Realme X, Realme 5 Pro, Realme 3 Pro, Realme 5, Realme 5s, and Realme 5i will also receive the update with the new feature in February 2020. In March 2020, the rest of the company’s smartphone offerings will receive the same update, includes the Realme 3, Realme 3i, Realme 2 Pro, Realme U1, Realme 1, Realme C2, Realme 2, and Realme C1.

For those unaware, the VoWiFi feature lets users make calls over Wi-Fi, these are not internet data calls but regular ones. Notably, this feature does not require a separate app and can be used by any compatible smartphone; although it depends on whether the users’ telecom operator provides this service.

Airtel was the first to introduce this feature in December 2019 but was only available in the Delhi NCR region in India. However, the feature is now more widely available and includes numerous South Indian regions as well. Additionally, Jio is also launching the VoWiFi service nationwide and will support about 150 different smartphone models.

POCO’s first teaser contained a clue that the POCO X2 may be the brand’s first phone

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Jan 24, 2020

POCO India released its first tweet of the year 2020 on January 21. The tweet comes at the same time Xiaomi announced POCO is now an independent brand. The tweet contained a teaser video which offers us a look into “Season 2”. There wasn’t any clear cut definition of what Season 2 entails but the video has been discovered to hold a clue as to the first smartphone which would likely be launched under the independent brand.

The opening frame contains the name POCO X2 among the binary-like text. You’ll have to look closely to be able to make that out because the characters of the name are scattered about. You can check out the tweet below and a screenshot above.

#POCOIsHere and it'll give chills to others. IYKWWM 😉
Season 2 is live now! Brace yourself for the impact. pic.twitter.com/wJPWgDgwCn

— POCO India (@IndiaPOCO) January 21, 2020

There were rumours recently that the brand will launch the Pocophone F2 and F2 Lite alongside a third unnamed device. The F2 is expected to be a successor of last year’s Poco F1. On its part, the Poco X2 has appeared on Geekbench revealing it will come with 8GB of RAM and ANdroid 10 OS. The device equally comes with a Qualcomm processor that has a base frequency of 1.80GHz. The GeekBenchlist also contains a clue that suggests the PocoX2 will be a rebadged Redmi K30.

#POCOIsHere #POCOX2 #PocoF2
Guys, many of you watched the official video of the second season of #POCO. But, did you pay attention to this easter egg?? 😉

POCO X2🤔 That sounds good, like Realme X2, or OPPO Find X2 pic.twitter.com/HpsRNzZX5G

— Xiaomishka (@xiaomishka) January 22, 2020

Poco has already hinted at a launch event next month and we expect the Poco X2 to be the product to make a debut.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip to feature SD855+, dual 12MP cameras, wireless charging support

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Jan 24, 2020

Leaked information on the Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone are surfacing in installments. It is expected debut as the first clamshell phone from Samsung with foldable display on Feb. 11. Max Weinbach from XDA Developers had recently shared the key specifications of the device and its pricing. Earlier today, he shared some more information on the specs of the Z Flip.

According to Wienbach, the Galaxy Z Flip will be equipped with a Dynamic AMOLED display with an ultra-thin glass cover. He added that the latter can develop crease in the middle which was seen in its leaked images that had appeared in December.

The rear shell of the device has a horizontal dual camera setup. The tipster has revealed that it has a wide-angle lens of 12-megapixel and an ultrawide sensor of 12-megapixel. Apart from the rumored 15W wired charging, the device is also expected to come with support for wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite launched in India for Rs. 39,999 (~$560); Specifications and price

The secondary display that is placed alongside the dual camera setup can be used for checking charging speeds and battery information. The small screen can also serve as a viewfinder for using rear cameras for capturing better selfie shots. The size of the secondary screen could 1 inch. Lastly, the side of the device is fitted with a capacitive fingerprint reader.

Previous reports have revealed that the Galaxy Z Flip will have a 6.7-inch display with Infinity-O design. It will support full HD+ resolution and it may offer an aspect ratio of 21:9. It could be coming with a 10-megapixel front camera which is available on the Galaxy S10 series and Galaxy Note 10 lineup. Unlike previous leaks that claimed that the Galaxy Z Flip has a SD855 chip, fresh information reveals that Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform could be powering the device.

The Galaxy Z Flip may come with a battery of around 3,300mAh capacity. The One UI 2.0 based Android 10 OS will be preinstalled on the device. It could be coming with a native storage of 256 GB. A recent report from South Korea had claimed that it could be priced between $860 and $1300. In Europe, it could be costing around 1,400 euros.

Huawei to soon face stricter restrictions from the US Government

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Jan 24, 2020

Huawei, the smartphone manufacturer, has been facing complications with the US Government. It first started out as data security accusations that affected the Chinese tech giant’s operations in the western nation and soon even saw it being banned from accessing various US based technological components and software as well. The restrictions had seemed to ease up by a bit at the end of 2019 but are now expected to become even more strict in 2020

Ren Zhenfei, Co-Founder of Huawei group has previously stated that he expects US to take severe actions against the Chinese OEM in 2020, which has now turned out to be true. Since, US Commerce department’s Secretary, Wilbur Ross, revealed that plans are underway to step up the trade ban against Huawei. This will further prevent trade relations with more firms that are based in the US.

Reportedly, companies from the US can export products and components to Huawei only if 75 percent of the end product is sourced and made in foreign lands. However, the US Commerce Department is hinting that it would raise this number to 90 percent, which means Huawei can only source 10 percent of its product from US based corporations. The restrictions do not end there since more actions are expected to soon follow as reports suggest that the US Government is considering a separate regulation for the Chinese OEM altogether.

The founder of Huwaei has stated that the company is better equipped than last year to survive further attacks from the US Government. But we will have to wait and see how the situation pans out for the company and what impacts the US-China trade deals bring to the deteriorating trade relations between the East and West.

(Source,Via)

Samsung Galaxy M21 Geekbench appearance reveals Exynos 9611 and 4GB RAM

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Jan 24, 2020

The forthcoming Samsung Galaxy M21 has been spotted on Geekbench. It reveals that the device is powered by a more potent processor than the SoC that drove the Galaxy M20 back in January 2019. It appears that the phone may go official soon in India.

The Samsung Galaxy M21 scored a total of 348 points at the Geekbench single-core test. The device recorded 1265 points in the multi-core test. The M21 is powered by a 1.74Ghz Exynos 9611 SoC along with 4GB of RAM. Samsung currently uses the same chipset in the Galaxy M30s from last year and reportedly plans to use it to power the upcoming Galaxy M31. The predecessor Galaxy M20 was fueled by the Exynos 7904 chipset.

Judging by the Geekbench listing, it is possible that Samsung might be testing the M21’s performance internally. Since the M20 was launched around this time of the year back in 2019, it is quite possible that Samsung might try to unveil the M21 within a similar timeframe this year.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra press renders and prices leak

Samsung Galaxy M21 Specifications (Rumored)

There is limited information on the Galaxy M21 as of this moment. Some of the basic specifications include a dual-camera setup, complete with a 24-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. This is a vast improvement over the Galaxy M20’s dual-camera setup featuring a 13-megapixel lens along with a 5-megapixel sensor.

According to an earlier report on Sammobile, the Galaxy M21 is likely to sport 64GB and 128GB of native storage, a major improvement over the 32GB and 64GB storage option on the M20. The device reportedly runs on Android 10 out-of-the-box. The Samsung Galaxy M21 might be available in a bunch of color options, including blue, green, and black.

(via)

How to install TWRP and Root Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite /Mi CC9?

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Simranpal Singh

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Jan 24, 2020

Xiaomi’s affordability and competitive specifications are the prime reasons behind its accent in global markets. The Chinese giant has launched multiple variants of the same smartphone in different countries to match the local taste. The diversification of smartphones is making Xiaomi grab more sales. Similarly, Xiaomi launched the Mi CC9 as the Mi 9 Lite in the countries outside China. We have prepared a guide to install TWRP and root Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite and Mi CC9.

Must See: Realme X2 vs Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite vs Oppo Reno2 Z: Specs Comparison

Android’s ability to customize the features is due to its open-source nature. The third-party developers often love to play with devices that often get huge sales and the OEM supports the development by timely releasing Kernel source code.

Rooting Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite or installing TWRP is just the beginning to get additional features. There are a lot of other advantages of rooting a smartphone. The users can easily install the custom ROMs based on the latest Android version. There are different MODs, frameworks, and zips that can easily customize your smartphone.

Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite Specifications

The Xiaomi Mi 9 smartphone features a 6.39-inch Super AMOLED display featuring 1080 x 2340 pixels and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The display presents 403 PPI of pixel density, 600 nits max brightness and envelops a Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The smartphone is powered with Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset packing an octa-core processor and Adreno 616 GPU.

Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite comes packed in two different versions of 6 GB + 64 GB and 128 GB + 6 GB. In optics, the smartphone embeds a triple rear camera module consisting of a 48-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. A single 32-megapixel shooter is present on the front for selfies and video calling.

Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite aka Mi CC9 features a Wifi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, Radio, USB 2.0, and Infrared Port. An under-display fingerprint is packed along with the device. There’s a 4030 mAh battery with 18W fast charging technology. Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite is available in Pearl White, Aurora Blue, and Onyx Grey. The pricing starts at $233.

Note: GizmoChina.com is not responsible for any damage to data or devices. The users are proceeding on their own will.

We will move forward step-by-step:

Unlock Bootloader
Install TWRP
Root Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite

Unlock Mi 9 Lite Bootloader

It is a very simple and straightforward process to unlock the bootloader of the Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite. It is quite an easy process, the user needs to take care of these prerequisites before proceeding for the steps below.

Prerequisites:

Download and Extract ADB and Fastboot Tools on your PC.
Download Xiaomi USB Drivers on your PC.
Make a complete backup of your data on eternal media.
Ensure 60%+ battery to prevent a sudden shutdown.
Download Mi Unlock Tool.

Steps to Unlock Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite Bootloader

Enable Developer Option by heading to Settings > About Phone > and tap MIUI Version 7 times.
Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlock by Heading to Settings > Developer Option > and Enable OEM Unlock and USB Debugging.
Now again go to Settings> Mi account > Mi Cloud and Enable Sync and Find Device.
Install and Open Mi Unlock Tool after downloading and extracting it.
Press ‘Agree’ on the disclaimer page that will appear.
Login in with the same Mi Account that you have used on your smartphones. Otherwise, you can sign up for a new account and use it on a smartphone and for the next steps here.
Connect your smartphone with a PC via a USB cable.
Open CMD or Power Shell in the extracted ADB and Fastboot Folder by pressing Shift+ Right Click.
Now, type the below command to boot into the bootloader mode:
```
adb reboot bootloader
```
The device will show Connected in Mi Unlock Tool.
Now, click on ‘Unlock’, and the process to unlock will start automatically. Once the process gets completed, the device will be rebooted.
Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite is unlocked!

You have successfully rooted your smartphone.

Install TWRP on Mi 9 Lite

TWRP – Team Win Recovery Project is a GUI based custom recovery used to root, and install custom MODs, ROMs, and Kernels.

Prerequisites:

Download TWRP Recovery for Xiaomi Mi CC9/Mi 9 Lite.
+
Additional Downloads like ADB and Fastboot, Xiaomi USB Drivers as listed above.

Steps to install TWRP on Mi 9 Lite

Upon successfully unlocking the bootloader of Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite, follow the steps below to install TWRP on Mi 9 Lite.

Make sure to set-up ADB and Fastboot tools after downloading from the links above on your PC.
Enable Developer Settings, USB Debugging and OEM Unlock (Follow Step 1 & 2 for enabling this in the above guide.)
Open CMD or ADB Terminal by pressing Shift + Right Click on ADB and Fastboot extracted folder.
```
adb reboot bootloader
```

Optional: Execute the following command to flash stock vbmeta.

fastboot --disable-verity --disable-verification flash vbmeta vbmeta.img

Place the download TWRP recovery into the same ADB and Fastboot Folder. Then, execute the following command to flash TWRP on Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite:
```
fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
```
After a successful flash, type the command to reboot the device:
```
fastboot reboot
```

Note: The device might not automatically replace the custom recovery during the first boot. The user needs to press the proper key combination to enter the TWRP Mode. After successfully executing ‘fastboot reboot’ command, press and hold the proper key combination to enter the TWRP Mode.

This way, you have successfully installed TWRP on Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite and Mi CC9. The users can now root the Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite by installing Magisk and SuperSU.

Root Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite

For most of the users, the ultimate goal is to root Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite. The users can download SuperSU or Magisk Manager to root the device. We are going with the Magisk manager to get root access.

Download Magisk manager File on your smartphone.
Boot into the recovery, after taking the recommended backup of your stock ROM.
Tap Install, and then browse ‘magisk.zip’ file you downloaded, and swipe to confirm the flash.
After a few seconds, you can successfully reboot the device from the TWRP manager.
Enjoy!

We hope you have successfully rooted Mi 9 Lite by following our guide. If you have any problems, then let us know via the comments below.

Related: Honor 20 Lite vs Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite vs Realme X2: Specs Comparison

Apple to be supplied with Broadcom components worth $15 Billion

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