Realme XT 730G & TWS earbuds will launch on December 17 in India

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Dec 6, 2019

Realme has started sending out invites to India media confirming that the Realme XT 730G model and its new TWS earbuds will launch on December 17.

Realme XT 730G India Launch Set for December 17, Alongside Realme's AirPods-Like Truly Wireless Earbuds — source: NDTV Gadgets

TWS earbuds are the big craze among smartphone makers these days. Earlier today, Realme executives, including India CEO Madhav Sheth, gave us a glimpse of the yellow color model of the Realme earbuds. Other company executives like Francis Wang and Sree Hari have further confirmed that the earbuds will come in at least two more color options including white and black.

The media invite shows that the upcoming Realme earbuds will look like the Apple AirPods with a long-stem design. The invite also reveals that the charging case will be compact with a green charging light. It also confirms that the much-awaited Realme XT 730G variant is launching at the same event.

Given how Realme XT 730G is expected to be a rebranded Realme X2 from China, we can expect the phone to feature a 64-megapixel Samsung GW1 sensor with f/1.8 aperture primary shooter with an 8-megapixel superwide lens with 119-degree field-of-view and f/2.25 aperture, a 2-megapixel macro lens with 4cm focal length and a 2-megapixel portrait lens for adding depth effects to images. The battery on the XT 730G should be the same as the 4000mAh capacity one on the X2.

As for the pricing, the Realme X2 was pretty affordable in China start at 1,599 Yuan (~$224). So expect the India pricing to be slightly higher than this figure.

Given that Realme has started to send out media invites, we can expect official teasers in the coming days.

(Source)

New Vivo X30 feature teased on Weibo, advanced screen casting

By

Airyl Jaszly

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Dec 6, 2019

Just earlier today, Vivo confirmed that their upcoming Vivo X30 will go official in China on 16th December. Then we got Geekbench listings for the device appearing online early. Now the company itself is sharing features online.

A Vivo product manager went to Weibo teasing a brand new feature of the upcoming Vivo X30. The poster apparently couldn’t help but spoil one of the features before launch. The video posted shows us what can essentially be boiled down to as advanced screencasting between devices.

All content on the first device is being broadcasted to the second device, but there’s more. Unlike with normal screen casting, there’s the ability to hand over complete control of the interface to the other device. This makes things like video watching and gaming easier.

The Vivo X30 is one of the more exciting phones coming from Vivo’s lineup. This will not only be the Chinese device maker’s first dual-mode 5G smartphone but also the first 5G smartphone in the company’s X-lineup of devices, as well as the first Vivo device running on an Exynos chipset. We’re looking forward to how it turns out.

(Source)

Redmi K30 now has its Macro Shot samples shared online

By

Sean

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Dec 6, 2019

Earlier today (6th December 2019), Redmi‘s official Weibo account revealed certain cropped sample shots taken from the Redmi K30‘s 64MP primary camera. It has been captured by Sony’s new IMX686 sensor, which is also the first 64MP sensor from the company. Now, the company has again posted sample shots but this time for the full-sized macro shots from its dedicated macro lens.

The Xiaomi subsidiary went on the Chinese microblogging website to share the initial sample shots to showcase its photographic capabilities with the new Sony sensor. And later in the day, have also released full-sized macro shots from one of Redmi K30’s other sensors in its quad-camera setup.

The Redmi K30 series of smartphones are capable of capturing macro shots up to 2 centimeters. In the image samples shared, the device managed to reveal microcosms with its macro shots which showcased multiple different settings. These include artistic depictions of adventure, playing basketball, and more.

According to the official sources, the Redmi K30 is equipped with a standalone super macro lens with a minimum focusing distance of 2 centimeters. Notably, the 2 centimeters focusing distance is nearly double the focusing distance of most smartphones’ macro lenses that are currently available in the market. The images shared carried a lot of details in the macro shots and paired with the Redmi’s filters could offer some serious fun with experimentation.

Redmi’s K30 series is the successor of the Redmi K20 series and brings about improvements in various areas, with photography definitely being one of them. The successor is also equipped with Sony’s latest IMX686 64MP sensor and a 20 MP dual selfie camera on the front. The device is expected to be officially unveiled on 10th December 2019 and till then we can expect the company to provide more teasers as well.

(Via)

Xiaomi Smartmi Smart heater crowdfunded for 799 yuan ($113)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 6, 2019

Xiaomi has launched the Smartmi Smart Heater under crowdfunding at Xiaomi Youpin. The device comes with a price tag of 799 yuan ($113).

The Smartmi Smart Heater has 90° super wide-angle air supply and 2000W rapid heating capacity. At the same time, it supports smart remote control making it easy to control the level of warmth you prefer. The device comes in white with a minimalist design.

The Smart heater uses high-efficiency PTC ceramic heating element. It can be heated quickly when the airflow passes through. The temperature of the heating element can reach the state of the continuous output of warm air in just 10 seconds after it is turned on. The 90° wide-angle dynamic air supply can effectively increase the air supply area, and the comfortable warm air can continue to enter the surrounding environment, taking care of every corner of the room.

The heater supports two modes of warm air and hot air, and four-speed adjustment to meet the needs of different environments and different weather conditions. The unique oblique fan impeller ensures sufficient air supply and comfortable wind feeling. It also effectively reduces the friction caused by wind resistance and cutting airflow. The fan design also reduces the operating noise to 35.6dB (A), whether it is used for daily work or night sleep.

There are control buttons on the body in addition to a 2.4GHz wireless remote control, which can easily be used to switch gears without having to align, making daily control more convenient. In terms of smart control, the Smartmi smart heater supports AI voice control and can also be controlled via the MIJIA app. It can also be paired with the Smartmi Humidifier and MIJIA Air Purifier to control the temperature, humidity and cleanliness of the air Comfortable.

The entire components of the Smartmi smart heater are made from RoHS-certified environmentally friendly materials. It does not produce unpleasant odours during daily use, and has higher heat resistance and greatly improved safety performance. Coupled with the dual safety protection of built-in dumping power failure and overheating protection, whether it is used at night or when using a mobile phone to turn on the heater in advance before going home, you will not worry about safety. It is also portable and won’t take up too much space.

The product is expected to start shipping in China on December 8.

(source)

Samsung’s Galaxy S11 & Fold 2020 to feature 108MP camera with 5x Optical Zoom: Report

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 6, 2019

Samsung is likely to make an aggressive push in 2020 with an overhaul of its flagship camera setup. The upcoming Galaxy S11, as well as the Galaxy Fold 2020 clamshell model, is said to feature a large 108MP camera sensor at the back along with a 5x optical zoom setup.

Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones have so far featured decent cameras but they have been far from revolutionary. As compared to Huawei’s periscope cameras or even OPPO’s 10X hybrid zoom tech, this year’s Galaxy smartphones have stuck to a traditional camera setup. But according to a new Bloomberg report, Samsung is going to make some big changes in its flagship camera setup next year.

The report states that the Galaxy S11 and the Galaxy Fold 2020 will feature a large 108MP camera sensor, probably the ISOCELL BRIGHT HMX Samsung sensor at the back. The primary sensor will be further supported by a 5x optical zoom setup on both these devices. In addition to these two sensors, the Galaxy S11 is expected to get two more sensors, including an ultrawide-angle lens and a time-of-flight sensor for depth detection. Both the devices are expected to be launched in February 2020.

2020 will be an important year for Samsung to extend its lead in the smartphone industry. Apple’s upcoming iPhones are expected to feature some revolutionary changes and Samsung’s aggressive camera setup overhaul is likely in response to the changes in the new iPhone cameras.

Huawei Mate 30 Pro featured 01 — Huawei Mate 30 Pro is one of the best smartphones in the market today but does not come with Google apps

Next year would also be a good time to leave Huawei behind in the international smartphone market. The Chinese smartphone maker has been chasing Samsung for the past couple of years, waiting to grab the top spot. But without access to Google apps, Huawei’s incredible international growth will definitely be stunted in the coming months. This will likely create a vacuum in the international markets, particularly Europe, and Samsung can conveniently take advantage of this situation with the new Galaxy models in the coming quarters.

(Source)

Huawei almost ended its smartphone business eight years ago: Richard Yu

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 6, 2019

Earlier today, Huawei released the third episode of a documentary titled “Who is Huawei”. The video is over 4 hours long and saw several of the company’s executives interviewed. Richard You, CEO of Huawei’s consumer business was one of those interviewed and he shed light on the early days of the smartphone business.

According to Mr Yu, Huawei had entered the smartphone sector with just low-end OEM products eight years ago an almost exited the market. At that time, the mobile phones business was not very big as it is today and Huawei was faced with the challenge of poor customer experience. He took credit for the decision to move to the mid- and high-end segment. In his words, “I made an important decision. We want to make mid- to high-end products and promote Huawei’s own brand. It was a very bold decision.”

Since then the brand has waxed stronger and stronger, presently ranked as one of the top 3 largest brands in terms of shipment volume. Huawei’s consumer business disclosed last year that it shipped over 200 million smartphones in 2018. According to Huawei, that was a giant leap from 3 million units annual shipments in 2010 to 200 million 8 years after. The company has no plans to stop as it keeps investing in R&D which has played a key role in the quality of its products and subsequently in the popularity of the brand.

(source)

Redmi Note 8 Pro gets a solid price cut of 200 Yuan ($28) in China

By

Sean

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Dec 6, 2019

Earlier today (6th December 2019), Lu Weibing, Founder and CEO of Xiaomi Group, announced that the Redmi Note 8 Pro will be on sale today with a maximum price cut of up to 200 Yuan for every available configuration.

The original price of Redmi Note 8 Pro’s base variant, with 6GB RAM alongside 64GB of internal storage, was 1,399 Yuan (or roughly $198) but is now available for 1,299 Yuan (or roughly $184). On the other hand, the original price for the 6GB + 128GB variant was 1,599 (or roughly $227) but now sells for 1,399 (or roughly $198); while the 8GB + 128GB was originally priced at 1,799 (or roughly $255) but is now available for 1,599 Yuan (or roughly $227).

The Redmi Note series has always been one of the company’s most popular lineup. It is a perfect example of the Xiaomi subsidiary’s policy of high performance offered at an aggressive price. The Redmi Note 8 Pro is equipped with a 6.53-inch Full HD display alongside a 64MP primary sensor in quad camera setup. Under the hood, the handset sports MediaTek’s Helio G90T gaming chipset, which has been specially optimized for mobile gaming and is powered by a large 4,500mAh battery.

Mediatek Redmi Note 8 Helio G90T confirmation — Mediatek Helio G90T (Found in the Redmi Note 8 Pro)

As of 2nd December 2019, Redmi announced that the Note 8 series has exceeded 10 million units sale for three consecutive months, with about 11 units being sold daily. This shows just how successful the device has been globally, especially in India and China.

(Via)

Samsung ‘The Wall’ TV Launched in India for a Staggering Price of Rs. 3.5 Crores ($490,000)

By

Sean

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Dec 6, 2019

Samsung has just launched the ultimate TV for those that love watching movies or sports on very big screens. The South Korean tech giant has just launched it’s ‘The Wall’ lineup of TV. It arrives in 146-inch, 219-inch, and 292-inch models and will set users back for a massive Rs. 3.5 crores, Rs. 12 crores, excluding taxes.

Reportedly, Samsung is targetting the ultra-high net worth individuals with this product. The company is hoping to sell at least 25 to 30 units of the massive display by 2020 while generating 12 million USD in revenue (roughly 85 crores INR or 84,403,200 CNY). According to Puneet Sethi (Vice President, Consumer Electronics Enterprise Business, Samsung India), The Wall display has great potential in the Indian subcontinent which is home to approximately 140 billionaires and over 950 multi-millionaires.

Samsung The Wall — The Wall (Image Courtesy: Samsung)

Samsung aims to sell 25-30 models in the first year which is also projected to rise to 100 units by 2021 and 200 by 2022. Sethi also stated that the added revenue in the arriving years could bring in a revenue of 65 to 70 million USD by 2022.

Specifications and Features

Samsung’s ‘The Wall’ display arrives in three different sizes starting from 146-inch, 219-inch, and 292-inch. Notably, it is the company’s first modular MicroLED display which has been introduced in India. One of the reasons for the staggering price is the technology behind the display itself. According to Samsung, The Wall optimizes picture quality scene by scene, regardless of the original source resolution. It achieves this thanks to the Quantum Processor Flex enabled with AI picture quality engine.

In other words, Quantum Processor Flex is a machine learning program that enhances the video being displayed on the screen. It does this by analyzing millions of image data to automatically calibrate the original low-resolution image according to the display. The Wall can also be connected to any operating system through a physical HDMI input.

When the screen is not in use, The Wall goes into ambient mode displaying a variety of curated art from paintings, photographs, video art to customizable pictures with digital frames. It features a 0.8mm pixel pitch technology for immersive viewing and with a depth of 30mm, it is slim, bezel-less and blends seamlessly into its surroundings.

The 146-inch model supports 4K UHD definition, while the 219-inch arrives in 6K and the 292-inch supports 8K resolutions. The Wall features AI upscaling for varying resolutions, Quantum HDR technology, peak brightness of 2,000 and a 120Hz refresh rate. All of this translates to a rich visual experience meant for home cinema and gaming as well. Lastly, The Wall also arrives in a professional version that is made for high-end businesses and retails spaces and is called The Wall Pro

(Via)

Apple buys first-ever batch of carbon-free aluminum

By

Airyl Jaszly

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Dec 6, 2019

Apple has bought its first ever commercial batch of carbon-free aluminum for use in its products. This joint venture between two of the world’s biggest aluminum suppliers is the first big decision in helping move the iPhone maker closer to its greenhouse-gas reduction goal that they’ve been trying to achieve as of late.

Elysis, a joint venture between Rio Tinto Group and Alcoa Corp. backed by the Cupertino company, uses new technology that emits pure oxygen when producing aluminum. Apple has said in an environment report that 80% of its emissions from an iPhone 8 came during the production phase. The metal is also used in iPads, Macs and Apple watches.

“For more than 130 years, aluminum — a material common to so many products consumers use daily — has been produced the same way,” Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives at Apple, said in an emailed statement.

Apple uses aluminum housings for many of its electronics, including iPhones, Apple Watches and Mac computers. Last year the company introduced Mac models that use recycled aluminum. The Alcoa-Rio joint venture wants to commercialize a technology by 2024 that uses a ceramic anode to make aluminum and emits only oxygen, eliminating direct greenhouse gas emissions from the smelting process.

Elysis also plans to manufacture the carbon-free aluminum at a CA$50 million research facility under construction in Saguenay, Quebec, which is slated to open in the second half of 2020, according to the report.

Samsung may lose Huawei, one of its biggest clients, in the next 5 years

By

Sean

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Dec 6, 2019

Samsung and Huawei are both competitors in the field of consumer-related products. But regardless of this, both companies are business partners as well with the latter representing a huge source of revenue for the former. This is especially true in the semiconductor business where Samsung particularly specializes in. But according to a new report, the South Korean tech giant might soon lose the revenue stream from Huawei in the arriving couple of years.

Notably, Samsung’s top five biggest clients at the end of Q4 2019 were companies like Apple, Best Buy, Deutsche Telekom, Verizon, and Huawei. Each of these companies also represents different areas where Samsung specializes in, like smartphones, semiconductors, displays, 5G networking and more.

Historically, Huawei has relied on Samsung’s semiconductor business for DRAM and NAND flash memories for its smartphones. However, this may come to an end due to the new Chinese Government initiative to encourage local industries and minimize reliance on imported components in the next 5 years. This marks a major shift in China’s manufacturing field by the year 2025.

China Manufacturing 2025 is favorable to companies like Huawei, helping them become more self-sufficient in the next couple of years. This will also help in reducing its reliance on Samsung, who may suffer a huge blow in the wake of this market shift, particularly in the semiconductor segment. Meaning, the South Korean company will lose a large source of revenue which would take time to recover from.

Huawei has seen great success in the Chinese smartphone market (which is the largest market for handsets) which has also led to Samsung enjoying a healthy source of revenue in recent years. But if Huawei adopts local alternatives, Samsung might be in trouble. Fortunately, Samsung also has Intel as one of its clients in the semiconductor field which has become an important client recently with the production of 14nm CPU chipsets being manufactured in Samsung’s facilities.

(Via)

Redmi K30 5G will use the world’s first Sony IMX686 64MP camera sensor

By

Jeet

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Dec 6, 2019

Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi is all set to launch the Redmi K30 smartphone in China on 10th December. Today, in a post teasing the phone’s features, the company has confirmed that the smartphone will come with Sony IMX686 64-megapixel camera sensor.

Thanks to the next-gen Sony IMX686 camera sensor, it can offer a 64 MP ultra clear picture quality, has f/1.7 aperture larger lens and offer super high resolution photos of 9248 x 6944 pixels.

Along with the 64 MP primary camera sensor, the Redmi K30 series phones will also come with an ultra-wide-angle lens, a macro lens, among others. On the front side, the device will come with a punch-hole display for housing two camera sensors.

It has been confirmed that the smartphone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G octa-core processor, enabling the 5G connectivity support on the device. Under the hood, the device will be backed by a 4,500mAh battery and will come with support for 30W fast charging technology.

The smartphone is expected to debut in 4G and 5G flavors. While the Redmi K30 5G will be featuring the Snapdragon 765G chipset, the Redmi K30 4G LTE phone is reportedly arriving with Snapdragon 730 SoC. Probably, the Chinese firm will be launching the Redmi K30 Pro phone in the coming year.

Since Xiaomi Mi 10 is expected to launch as Xiaomi’s first phone with the new Snapdragon 865, there is a possibility that the Redmi K30 Pro could be equipped with the 7nm MediaTek D1000 5G SoC that was made official last month.

As for the display, the Redmi K30 (non 5G edition) is rumored to arrive with 6.6-inch IPS LCD Full HD+ display that supports 120GHz refresh rate. It could come with up to 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of native storage.

Coming to the quad camera setup on the back, it will have a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 + 8-megapixel (telephoto) + 13-megapixel (ultra-wide) and 2-megapixel quad camera setup. On the front side, it comes with 20-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual front-facing cameras.

Redmi K30 series has its 64 MP camera samples revealed

By

Sean

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Dec 6, 2019

Earlier today, Redmi went on Weibo, the Chinese microblogging website, to reveal certain camera samples of its upcoming smartphone, Redmi K30 series. These samples were shot from a new 64MP primary sensor on the rear and were uploaded to showcase the photographic capabilities of the device.

Notably, Redmi released these camera samples in an interesting way. The Xiaomi subsidiary posted just 2 percent of the original camera sample. In other words, the company uploaded cropped camera samples of the Redmi K30 to showcase its ability to capture details. The sensor used on the device is a Sony 64MP IMX686 which was revealed back in November 2019.

The IMX686 sensor should not be confused with Sony’s IMX586 48MP sensor which was seen in smartphones like the Redmi Note 7 Pro or Note 8 series. The former is the successor to the latter and was revealed via a video. Since then, it was unclear which smartphone will debut with the sensor but now the Redmi K30 series is confirmed to be equipped with it. Additionally, it is also the first 64MP camera sensor from Sony.

Although Redmi didn’t reveal full-sized camera samples, it teased the Redmi K30 series photographic prowess with just 2 percent. In the samples, images of various items like a racing bike and a skateboard can be observed to be heavily cropped in but still retain finer details. The company even posted a zoomed-in image sample of Wang Yibo’s face to showcase details on eyes as well.

Lastly, the Weibo post also mentioned that for the original camera samples to be revealed, the post must be reposted over 8,500 times. Hence, we might see more from the Redmi K30 series if Weibo users are curious enough. The Redmi K30 will be unveiled on 10th December 2019 and will be the successor to the Redmi K20 series.

(Source)

Launching Apple’s 5G iPhone is Qualcomm’s current top priority

By

Airyl Jaszly

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Dec 6, 2019

Qualcomm launched its flagship Snapdragon 865 SoC for Android smartphones earlier this month, but the chipmaker also shed some light on their relationship with Apple and the upcoming 5G iPhone. According to PCMag, Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon states that “Priority number one of this relationship with Apple is how to launch their phone as fast as we can. That’s the priority.”

That decision was apparently made to make sure the smartphones hit the market on time, and the truce between the two companies came after Apple had already started development on it next iPhone. Amon explained that Apple and Qualcomm are currently working to get as much done as possible, as quickly as possible:

“We have a multi-year agreement with Apple. It’s not one, it’s not two, it’s multi-year for our Snapdragon modem. We’re setting no expectations on front end, especially because we engaged it very late,” Amon said.

“We re-engaged probably later than both of us would like, and I think we’ve been working together to try to get as much as possible done, and take as much possible advantage of what they’ve done before so that we can actually launch a phone on schedule with 5G,” Amon said.

This could be translated to suggest that it wants to ensure Apple has a 5G iPhone ready for its next generation of devices. Since it’s the usual time of year for an iPhone launch, that means it’ll probably be in September 2020.

While it’s been a big drive for Qualcomm, and while it seems the development was begun pretty late in the day – considering we’re less than a year away from launch – Amon doesn’t appear concerned. He stated “we’re very happy with the progress we’re making, and I expect that they’re going to have a great device”.

(Source)

Redmi K30 5G showcased in Blue-Purple gradient in official renders

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 6, 2019

A few days ago, Redmi hinted that the Redmi K30 5G will come in a number of color options like purple, blue, red, and white. Today, the company has released a couple of high resolution renders of the Redmi K30 in the blue gradient version.

Xiaomi’s recent blue color shades have all been gradient tones. So it’s not surprising to see the new Redmi K30 5G follow the same trend. This model starts off with a light blue shade on top and changes to purple at the bottom. Just like the previously released Redmi models, this variant should slightly change shades depending upon the angle of light.

The Redmi K30 5G will come with the Snapdragon 765G processor with a large 4500mAh battery and 30W fast charging. The phone is confirmed to feature a 6.67-inch display with a second-generation punch hole camera that’s 4.38mm in size. The punch hole camera will house dual camera sensors but we still don’t know their specifications.

The Redmi K30 5G will have AG frosted glass covering the back, similar to what we have seen on some smartphones such as the OnePlus 7T. Redmi GM, Lu Weibing, said that even with the large screen size, users can still have a firm grip on the phone when held.

Apart from the 5G version, we should also see a 4G variant of the Redmi K30 featuring the Snapdragon 730G processor. Its display will also be a 6.67-inch LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1080 x 2400 resolution.

You can read all about the Redmi K30 and its variant in our rumor roundup article here.

Vivo X30 appears on Geekbench ahead of official launch

By

Airyl Jaszly

-

Dec 6, 2019

Just earlier today, Vivo confirmed that their upcoming Vivo X30 will go official in China on 16th December. This will not only be the Chinese device maker’s first dual-mode 5G smartphone but also the first 5G smartphone in the company’s X-lineup of devices. It is already confirmed that the phone will come powered by the Samsung Exynos 980 SoC.

Ahead of its official launch, the Vivo X30 has been spotted on Geekbench, scoring 3,095 points in the single-core test and 7,379 in the multi-core test. As per the listing, the handset carries the model number Vivo V1938CT, and it ships with Android 9 Pie OS topped with JoviOS, a new custom Android skin by the company.

This gives us a pretty good indication of what to expect from the device’s Exynos 980 SoC in terms of performance. It’s scores very well in both the single core and multi-core tests. We don’t know much about the GPU performance, but since it comes with the Mali-G76 MP5 GPU, it should handle graphically intensive tasks like gaming and editing just fine.

The Exynos 980 SoC was unveiled in early September and is the world’s first mid-range chipset with an integrated 5G modem. It supports dual-mode 5G and promises download speeds of up to 2.55Gbps. And, with 4G and 5G downlinks combined, it can reach speeds of up to 3.55Gbps. It’s built on the 8nm FinFET process and consists of two Cortex-A77 cores clocked at 2.2GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores running at 1.8GHz.

(Source)

Master Lu ranks the smoothest smartphones of November 2019

By

Airyl Jaszly

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Dec 6, 2019

Master Lu, the benchmarking platform the smartphones, has released a report for the smoothest smartphones of November 2019. This list is exclusive to devices that launched in the month of November, so there won’t be any Huawei Mate 30 Pros or Samsung Galaxy Note 10s here.

Scoring first place on the list is the Honor V30 Pro, with a score of 171.57 points. In addition to the powerful Kirin 990 flagship chip, the V30 Pro also features a PC-grade liquid cooling system and an 8mm large PC-grade heat pipe to dissipate heat. Nearly 60% fast cooling essentially ensures that the phone runs smoothly even when under pressure.

Right after that we’ve got the slightly lower specced Honor V30, which is pretty unsurprising considering it also comes equipped with the Kirin 990 chipset. The Honor V30 followed closely with a score of 170.52 points, leaving a sizable gap of 10 points between it and the third place, overall a very strong showing from Honor.

In third place we’ve surprisingly got Samsung‘s new foldable device, the Galaxy Fold, with a score of 159. The Galaxy Fold features the Snapdragon 855 SoC which consists of an Octa-core CPU and Andreno 640 GPU. In terms of storage, it has 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. The device runs on 2 batteries with a total capacity of 4,380mAh.

After that we’ve got the Lenovo Z6 Pro 5G just BARELY being beaten out by the Galaxy Fold, a very impressive result from Lenovo. Following that we have the Samsung W20 5G, Xiaomi CC9 Pro, Vivo S5 and Vivo Z5i. Honor showing up the competition on the Master Lu list is fantastic for them, and we’re looking forward to seeing more from them in the future.

(Source)

Apple to reportedly get rid of charging port in future iPhone models

By

Jeet

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Dec 6, 2019

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has now shared new information regarding the upcoming Apple iPhone. He now says that the iPhones getting launched in the year 2021 will come without a charging port at all.

Yes, you read that right. He claims that there will be no charging port in the future iPhones. While there are reports claiming that iPhone could get rid of the Lightning port and could adopt USB Type-C port, this report says that there won’t be any charging port at all.

iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max — Apple iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max

Instead, the company will be adopting the wireless charging as the only way to charge the iPhones going forward. It seems that the charging port will be dropped on the high-end device and would be a more of a gradual sunsetting across the line, starting with the premium models.

Even if Apple indeed ends up doing what the report states, it won’t be the first company to drop ports. Meizu has already launched a smartphone named Meizu Zero — the world’s first non-porous smartphone. It features a 3D unibody ceramic build with no physical buttons or ports on its edges.

Further, Kuo predicts that Apple will introduce four iPhones in 2020 — 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and a 6.7-inch OLED models. He also says that all four of these iPhones will also feature 5G connectivity and other than screen sizes, camera technology will also be a differentiating factor.

He says that the 5.4-inch OLED iPhone will feature a dual-camera setup on the back. The lower-end 6.1-inch iPhone will feature a similar dual-camera system. The higher-end 6.1-inch model and the 6.7-inch model will include triple-lens camera setups as well as time-of-flight 3D sensing technology.

In terms of design for the 2020 OLED iPhone, Kuo says the form factor will be “similar to the iPhone 4.” It is also being reported that the fifth iPhone model will also get launched in 2020 — Apple iPhone SE 2 with a screen size of either 5.5-inches or 6.1-inches.

(Via)

Xiaomi Mi Watch eSIM service is being activated in select cities by China Telecom

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 6, 2019

Xiaomi Mi Watch was announced last month in China with a large battery and eSIM support. However, at the time of launch, the company mentioned that users will have to wait for a few weeks to get access to eSIM services from Chinese telecom carriers. Now, it looks like at least one of the carriers, namely China Telecom, has started testing eSIM services in the country, activating calling and data services for the new Xiaomi smartwatch.

China Telecom is reportedly testing its eSIM service in 7 pilot cities in China. They are as follows:

Shanghai
Guangzhou
Nanjing
Chengdu
Shenzhen
Wuhan
Hangzhou

There are two types of eSIM services available on China Telecom right now: Dual terminal eSIM and independent eSIM. In dual terminal eSIM service, you can share your existing mobile number with the eSIM, essentially sharing a single number on two devices. So when you get a call on your smartphone, your Xiaomi Mi Watch with the eSIM will also receive the call. You can accept the call either on your watch or on your phone. In the case of the independent eSIM service, you have a separate phone number for your eSIM. So your contacts can directly call on your Mi Watch using this independent number. The pricing naturally differs according to the eSIM service you select.

If you recall, Motorola had delayed its plans to release the Motorola Razr clamshell foldable in China because the carriers didn’t yet support eSIM service. However, with China Telecom piloting its service in the major cities in China, we may see the wide-scale launch of the eSIM service in the coming weeks. This should further pave the way for the Razr launch in China.

(Via)

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson spotted using Huawei smartphone

By

Jeet

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Dec 6, 2019

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has sparked national security concerns after he was spotted taking selfie with a Huawei smartphone.

This comes at a time when the Chinese giant Huawei is at the centre of the argument whether using Huawei’s hardware is safe to use. This is because of the close relations of the company with China’s government.

Such concerns have also led to questions about allowing Huawei, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment maker, to help build the UK’s internet infrastructure. Now, the person who endorsed such concerns is himself spotted using smartphone of the very same company.

Reports say that Boris Johnson used Huawei P20 smartphone for taking a selfie alongside ITV’s This Morning presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. However, a Conservative spokesman subsequently denied the phone was the Prime Minister’s.

As mentioned earlier, the use of the phone comes amidst heated debate around the company and allegations of its close links to the Chinese state. Critics have argued that Huawei’s telecoms equipment could be used to spy on people in the West, the claim which Huawei has always denied.

United States, which has put Huawei on the “Entity List”, previously suggested that future co-operation with other members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partnership – the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – could be jeopardised if the Chinese company was given a role in the UK’s 5G infrastructure.

Boris Johnson had earlier said he would not compromise Britain’s national security over whether to give the telecoms firm a role in building the UK’s 5G network. He said: “On Huawei and 5G, I don’t want this country to be unnecessarily hostile to investment from overseas. On the other hand, we cannot prejudice our vital national security interests, nor can we prejudice our ability to co-operate with other Five Eyes security partners, and that will be how – that will be the key criterion that informs our decision about Huawei.”

The Chinese giant Huawei also remains the subject of a Government review into whether it should be allowed into “non-essential” parts of UK 5G infrastructure. That decision for the same is expected after the General Election.

(Source)

Vivo X30 confirmed to launch on December 16

By

Jeet

-

Dec 6, 2019

Vivo has been teasing a lot about its upcoming 5G smartphone — Vivo X30, which the company had recently confirmed. Now, we have the official launch date of the smartphone in question.

The company has today confirmed that the Vivo X30 will go official in China on 16th December. The company is expected to launch two devices — Vivo X30 and Vivo X30 Pro, with support for SA and NSA 5G modes.

This will not only be the Chinese device maker’s first dual-mode 5G smartphone but also the first 5G smartphone in the company’s X-lineup of devices. It is already confirmed that the phone will come powered by the Samsung Exynos 980 SoC.

Samsung’s Exynos 980 comes with integrated 5G baseband and is the world’s first integrated chipset with 5G modem. It is using Cortex A77 architecture, which is also touted as the world’s first.

The company has said that the dual-mode 5G AI chipset has been jointly created by Vivo and Samsung. The Chinese company has reportedly made several optimizations to ensure optimal 5G experience on the Exynos 980.

It has proposed a preferred solution for international roaming, a 5G scene power consumption solution, and a game delay solution to ensure smooth operation in 5G environments for the chipset.

The smartphone features a quad camera setup on the back at top-left corner. The quad camera setup includes three cameras placed vertically besides a periscope lens and an LED flash. The Chinese manufacturer has confirmed that the Vivo X30 series will be coming with support for 60x super zoom.

It will feature a punch-hole display with a cut-out positioned at the top-right corner of the screen. The display will come integrated with an in-screen fingerprint reader. It remains to be seen whether the Vivo X30 features the exact same 6.44-inch display that is available on the Vivo S5.

The Vivo X30 series smartphones are said to be the first phones to come pre-loaded with the all new JoviOS that will replace the usual FunTouch OS user interface from the company. The smartphone is also expected to come with support for 33W fast charging.

Recently, the company also revealed that the phone will come in two gradient color variants — Red and Aurora. To know for sure about the upcoming smartphone’s memory variants, pricing, as well as availability details, we’ll have a wait for a few more days for the official launch event.

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