Vivo has launched the Vivo Z5i smartphone in China. It joins the other Z5-series phones such as Vivo Z5 and Vivo Z5x. Even though the Vivo Z5i has debuted as a new phone, it is not really an entirely new device. In fact, it is a rebranded version of the Vivo U3 that had recently gone official in China. Both phones have the same V1941A/T model number. Compared to the Vivo U3, the Vivo Z5i offers more amount of RAM and storage.
Vivo Z5i Specifications and Features
The Vivo Z5i measures 162.15 x 76.47 x 8.89mm and it weighs 193 grams. The device is fitted with a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display. The waterdrop notch enabled screen offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The phone promises a screen-to-body ratio of 90.3 percent.
Vivo Z5i
The Snapdragon 675 mobile platform is present under the hood of the Vivo Z5i. It is assisted by 8 GB of RAM. For storage, it has an internal space of 128 GB and a microSD card slot. The Android 9 Pie OS that comes preinstalled on the device is skinned with FunTouch OS 9.2 UI. There is Multi-Turbo technology onboard for optimized performance. The phone is equipped with Game Cube 7.0 for enhanced visual experience while gaming. The smartphone also features Jovi AI voice assistant, Jovi Smart Screen, Jovi homepage and smart desktop. The device is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W dual-engine fast charging through microUSB 2.0.
The Vivo Z5i has a triple camera system. It has a primary lens of 16-megapixel with f/1.78 aperture, a 120-degree 8-megapixel ultrawide lens and 2-megapixel macro lens with 4cm focal length. For capturing selfies, it has an f/2.0 aperture 16-megapixel front-facing camera. The other features of the Vivo Z5i are rear-positioned fingerprint reader, face unlock, 4G VoLTE, dual-SIM support, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS and 3.5mm audio jack.
Vivo Z5i Pricing and Availability
The Vivo Z5i has landed in China with a pricing of 1,798 Yuan. Its color variants are Glazed Black and Jade Blue. The sales of the smartphone will begin on Nov. 28. It is now available for pre-orders.
In comparison, the Vivo U3 variants such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage are respectively priced at in China. Its color variants are Agate Black, Spar Blue and Jade Blue.
True Wireless earbuds are rapidly turning into a trend these days and it is spreading like wildfire. At the moment, most of the top Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Meizu, Huawei and Vivo, Razer,360 have at least a TWS earbud under their names. OPPO will join the trend soon but the market is largely dominated by Apple, so says the latest market data for Q3 2019 released by Counterpoint Research.
The data shows that the global market size for true wireless headsets reached 33 million units raking in USD 4.1 billion in revenue in Q3 2019. This figure represents a 22% QoQ growth, according to the findings of Counterpoint Research’s Hearables Market Tracker. The US accounted for the largest chunk of the market at 31%, with over 10 million units sold. This is the first time in a single quarter such massive sales would be recorded and is another testament to the growth of the segment. The world’s second-largest market China also saw some improvements with a 44% QoQ growth in Q3.
In terms of specific brands, Apple maintained its supersonic leadership of the market even though market shares fell from 53% in the previous quarter to 45%. Apple continued its leadership by growing sales of the second-generation AirPods. Xiaomi beat Samsung to clinch the second spot. Xiaomi’s rise from the fourth place is attributed to a rise in sales volume mainly from the Chinese market where the Redmi Airdots has seen massive patronage as a great budget product with a price point around $20. Samsung slipped to third place with a 6% share.
JBL and Beats completed the top 5 hearables brands, ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. The market share of their new premium models, such as the JBL TUNE 120 released in July, and Beats Powerbeats Pro in May, have increased significantly, boosted by favorable market reviews of sound quality and design by consumers. Amoi, a new Chinese brand, is also striking. Its F9 product has gained popularity, mainly from the Chinese domestic market. Amoi attained the global sixth position, surpassing QCY, the former leader in the low-end market.
Since new powerful models, such as Apple’s AirPods Pro, Amazon Echo Buds, Microsoft Surface Earbuds, and Jabra Elite 75t have recently been released, consumer interest is increasing. Given the recent growth momentum and the effect of year-end promotions, such as Singles’ Day, Black Friday and Christmas, the Q4 market is expected to show further high growth. Thus, Counterpoint Research expects the annual market to reach 120 million units in 2019.
Oppo’sColorOS 7 has been officially launched in India. It is the latest build of the company’s custom Android OS skin. The new update brings many features to Oppo smartphones like Riding Mode, DocVault and, localized feature for the Indian subcontinent.
ColorOS 7 Compatible Devices & Rollout
ColorOS 7 had initially debuted in China a week prior and is based on the company’s Infinite Design concept that aims to simplify the user interface. Currently, Oppo is planning on bringing the latest build to about 20 smartphone models which include Oppo Reno, Oppo Reno 10x Zoom, Oppo Reno 2, Oppo Find, Oppo F, Oppo K and Oppo A series. The update is being rolled out in a staggered manner, meaning that certain users will receive the update as a trial version starting today. Furthermore, the new update is also set to reach all the compatible models in Chinese, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle Eastern regions.
OPPO Reno Ace Gundam Edition
Notably, ColorOS 7 will also include certain Realme smartphones. The beta program for the new ColorOS update will begin on Wednesday (27th November 2019) for Realme X2 Pro. Oppo has already started the rollout of ColorOS 7 in China for many of the aforementioned models alongside Oppo Reno Barcelona Custom Edition, Oppo Reno Ace, and Oppo Reno Ace Gundam Edition. These devices are a few of the first handsets to be updated.
ColorOS 7 Features
As mentioned previously, ColorOS 7 is based on Oppo’s Infinite Design concept that has its core philosophy in lightweight visuals for a clean and user-friendly interface. The new update also brings about additional privacy-related features such as the Personal Information Protection option that allows users to protect their personal data from third-party apps and software. Other security options include Payment Protection and File Protection as a major addition alongside a Private Safe to transfer photos, videos, audio and other documents to a “secure zone” in the storage folder.
ColorOS 7 arrives with a new Smart Sidebar that holds favorite apps and tools at the side of the screen. The new software build is also preloaded with a new Soloop video editing app. In terms of Localized functions, Indian users also get Smart Riding and Riding Mode features. These new features have been developed in Oppo’s R&D (Research and Development) centre in Hyderabad, India. The team of 280 members focuses on localizing features and assisting the global team in creating more globalized features.
Oppo Reno 2
The new software update also arrives with performance boosts as well. The CachPreload function is claimed to make apps open faster than the previous iterations of ColorOS. oMem is a feature that adapts to user habits to shift and allocate system resources appropriately while the oSense adds a new scheduling mechanism that prioritizes front end and user-related threads. The proprietary feature is touted to boost RAM utilization by up to a sizeable 40 percent and increase overall system response by 30 percent.
According to Oppo shared data, the company has over 300 million global users spanning 140 countries with at least 80 different languages. A total of 6 research centres conceptualize and design ColorOS updates. The company also stated that India is one of its key markets.
Huawei’s subsidiary, Honor, unveiled its latest lineup of products this afternoon (on 26th November 2019). The company revealed the Honor V30 series along with its newest entry to its true wireless in-ear headphones, dubbed Honor Flypods 3.
Design
Honor’s Flypods 3 features an in-ear design with two separate earpieces for a truly wireless experience. The conference showcased its elegant white body form factor alongside its casing which houses and charges the earphones. Similar to Apple Airpods, the Flypods 3 also have an elongated stem attached to the main body but feature silicone earbuds that cover its region of audio output.
Honor Flypods (Image Via CNMO)
Specs & Features
On the inside, the Flypods 3 feature a 10mm dynamic coil unit which translates to more depth in bass, a polymer composite diaphragm for a richer and clearer listening experience and the “Golden Ear” tuning via three-frequency equalization. The earphones also feature 3 unique microphones, one for receiving calls, one inside the earbuds to pick up in-ear sounds and the last one outside for directional pickup of ambient noise.
The Honor Flypods 3 is capable of dual noise cancellation via its elongated region that houses its microphone that records the ambient sound of the users surrounding to send cancellation waves in-ear. It also records sounds trapped in-ears via the secondary mic to send out a second wave of noise-canceling waves to reduce any residual sounds. Furthermore, users do not have to remove one earpiece to listen to the outside world as it provides a mechanism on the side that allows for sounds to go through from the outside if the user chooses to do so. This enables the earphones to deliver an overall better audio experience while listening to music or watching a video in outdoor environments.
Active Noise Cancellation
Price & Availability
The Honor Flypods 3 is priced at 799 Yuan or roughly $113 US Dollars. They are yet to be put up for sale and the timing and availability will be announced later.
Today, at a launch event in China, along with the Honor V30 series smartphones, the company has also launched its next-generation of Honor MagicBook.
The new Honor MagicBook comes with 14-inch display having 4.8mm micro-bezel design on three sides, which is about 0.4mm narrower than the previous generation model. This helps in offering a full-screen and immersive field-of-vision experience.
Under the hood, the device is powered by AMD‘s Ryzen 7 3700U processor along with Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics card. The device comes equipped with DDR4 dual-channel memory and it uses PCIe NVMe SSD for storage.
The company has also focused on heat dissipation and for higher-density fan blades, the number of fan blades have increased by 49 percent and the air volume and heat dissipation capacity increased by 38 percent.
As for the battery life, the new Honor MagicBook comes packed with a 56Wh large battery which the company says can provide 1080P video playback for 9.5 hours, web browsing for 9.4 hours, and daily office hours for 10 hours. Further, it also comes with a fast charger which the company claims can charge 46 percent in just 30 minutes.
Along with the 14-inch model, the company has also launched Honor MagicBook 15 which comes with a 15.6-inch display that comes with a screen-to-body ratio of 87 percent. Apart from that, most of the specifications remains the same as the 14-inch model.
Touted as the market leader in aerial photography systems and easy-to-fly drones, Chinese technology company DJI launched the Europe Winter Holiday Sale on November 22nd.
As part of the recently kicked off sale, DJI is giving its loyal users a chance to take advantage of exclusive coupons. Based on availability, these coupons help you get 20 percent off on DJI Care Refresh (Ronin-S), 20 percent off on DJI Care Refresh (Osmo Pocket) and more. Note that the coupons are only valid if you purchase the specified products with the corresponding DJI service.
Products and Discounts
Europe (excluding the U.K.)
Osmo Pocket was 359EUR, now 309 EUR (with Extension bar for Osmo Pocket worth 75 EUR as a free bonus).
Osmo Action, was 379 EUR, now 279 EUR.
Mavic 2 Pro, was 1499 EUR, now 1349 EUR.
Ronin-SC, was 359 EUR, now 319 EUR.
United Kingdom
Osmo Pocket, was 329 GBP, now 279 GBP.
Osmo Action, was 329 GBP, now 249 GBP.
Mavic 2 Pro, was 1349 GBP, now 1199 GBP.
Ronin-SC, was 325 GBP, now 285 GBP.
It is worth noting that these end-of-the-year offers will be valid until December 29th, 23:59 (UTC +1), and will apply only to those orders whose payments were processed during the activity period. The product’s delivery time is likely to be affected by the volume of the order.
You will get the mentioned gifts along with your product. Note that the gifts are subject to availability and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. DJI can cancel or withdraw gifts, if necessary.
The 20% OFF DJI Care Refresh coupons will be valid on November 22nd, 29th and December 26th at 09:00 (GMT + 1), and are based on availability. You can use the coupon specifically for the products mentioned in the description of each coupon.
It is also worth noting that if you order several products in a single order, only the most expensive product will be eligible for the discount. Moreover, you can use each coupon only once. You can apply one coupon per order.
The above-mentioned coupons are valid exclusively for the DJI online store and cannot be exchanged for cash or in conjunction with any other coupon or special offer. The coupon is applied only to the total value o the selected item and does not cover the delivery charges and taxes.
To make the best out of the DJI Winter Holiday Sale, which is effective in the Europe region, all you need to do is to follow this link without wasting time.
Samsung was the first mainstream smartphone maker to utilize Qualcomm’s 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor inside the Galaxy S10. However, after the recent issue concerning the less secure fingerprint sensors inside the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 models, Samsung could be hesitant to use Qualcomm ultrasonic fingerprint sensors in its 2020 models.
The news comes via KoreaTimes which reports that there’s a growing concern among smartphone manufacturers and customers about the security of Qualcomm’s Ultrasonic fingerprint sensors. The report further adds that industry officials had doubts about this technology even before it made it to the market as it ‘exhibited a greater probability of errors’. So the recent issue with Samsung’s devices further spoiled the sensor’s reputation in the market.
According to the industry official, it looks like Qualcomm’s ultrasonic technology has its limits and developers have to be extra careful in designing software for its sensors. On the other hand, the optical sensor based in-display sensors seem to be doing well, with a lot of manufacturers adopting this technology over ultrasonic sensors.
OnePlus 7T uses an optical in-screen fingerprint
The two technologies differ in the way they read a user’s fingerprint. Optical in-display sensors use optical (light-based) scanners to authenticate the user’s fingerprint while Qualcomm’s sensors use ultrasonic waves.
Given the issues associated with Qualcomm’s ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensors, it is possible that Samsung ditches it in favor of the traditional optical scanners for its next-generation Galaxy flagships. To recall, Samsung phones like Galaxy S10 and Note 10 were both blacklisted by a number of international banks back when the fingerprint security issue was revealed. Given how smartphones are increasingly being used to make financial transactions, manufacturers like Samsung wouldn’t want to take any risks in terms of security.
Note that Samsung is yet to comment on this matter.
Along with the major tech giants, Facebook is also working on dark mode for its Android App as reported by several users. It has become a necessity for the users to turn their displays black during the night time to resist unnecessary exposure from blue light.
Some users on Reddit have shared the Facebook dark mode screenshots dated a couple of months ago. Similarly, screenshots depicting the dark mode are even shared on Twitter profiles of the users named Nagesh Bande and Lock. Surprisingly, the dark mode is spotted only on Android phones.
According to the posted screenshots, Facebook will darken the whole UI with greyish color rather than pure dark. The text color changes to a light greyish color to match the contrast. However, any screenshot hasn’t confirmed, but we hope there will be an AMOLED optimized mode with a pure black background.
However, Facebook has not confirmed anything officially about the dark mode, but we expect the feature to roll out very soon.
Apart from the dark mode, the social media giant is also testing the Favorite’s feature like Instagram’s Close Friends. While talking to TechCrunch, a reverse engineer confirms the new feature development. The user can manually add ten friends to the favorite list and then can individually send status updates and other stories. The feature is developed by the Messenger team and is expected to be out for public use very soon.
Other manufacturers like Google, Microsoft, and others have already started rolling out dark mode support for their respective services and products. Facebook-owned WhatsApp is also in the process of bringing it on Android as well as the Web app.
Today’s Honor event was packed with new product launches. Alongside the Honor V30 and Honor V30 Pro, it also announced the Honor Smart Body Scale 2.
Honor Smart Body Scale 2
The Honor Smart Body Scale 2 comes with a slightly refreshed design. It is still covered in tempered glass and is only available in white. There are also anti-slip pads under the scale.
The new smart scale can measure up to 14 different body parameters and can also be used to determine your DEXA value (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry/Bone Density) using the fat mass measurement.
The Honor Smart Body Scale 2 can measure body weight, BMI, visceral fat, BMR, muscle mass, bone mass, body water percentage, body fat percentage, body age, body type, fat-free weight, physical score, bone mineral density, and even heart rate. Honor says it can store the data of up to 50 different users.
The scale connects via Bluetooth 4.2 and 2.4GHz WiFi. It has a CSU18M91 chip and is powered by three No.7 Alkaline batteries.
The Honor Smart Body Scale 2 has a price tag of ¥99 (~$14) and is already available for purchase on Vmall.
Redmi will be launching the Redmi K30 5G phone on Dec. 10. Speculations surrounding the K30 series have claimed that it will include three devices such as Redmi K30 (4G), Redmi K30 5G and Redmi K30 Pro 5G. It is speculated that Redmi won’t be announcing the Redmi K30 Pro on Dec. 10. The K30 Pro could be unveiled in early 2020. Hence, there is a possibility that the Dec. 10 launch event will be used to announce 4G and 5G editions of the Redmi K30. A tipster from India has shared the leaked specs of the Redmi K30 4G phone today.
Redmi K30 Specifications (Rumored)
According to the leak, the Redmi K30 will be equipped with a 6.6-inch IPS LCD display with dual punch-hole design. The display of the phone will support 120Hz refresh rate as it was in seen in the leaked shots of the Redmi K30. It will be fueled by Snapdragon 730G processor which is the same SoC that fueled the predecessor Redmi K20 phone.
The pill-shaped punch-hole of the Redmi K30 has a 32-megapixel primary lens that is accompanied by a ToF sensor for 3D face recognition. The rear shell of the phone h a quad camera setup that includes a 60-megapixel Sony IMX686 primary shooter, an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor, a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 2-megapixel sensor.
The Redmi K30 will include a massive 5,000mAh battery that supports 27W fast charging. The MIUI 11 based Android 10 OS will come preloaded on the device. Other features of the phone include 64GB of internal storage for starting variant, 3.5mm audio jack, IR blaster and NFC.
The frame is basically the same, that is, the hole positions are on the upper right and the upper left, which is almost a mirror image. Which one do you think looks better? pic.twitter.com/rxtu7VH6Js
The Redmi K30 could be priced under 2,000 Yuan (~$284) in China. The Redmi K30 5G edition could be featuring the upcoming Snapdragon 735 5G chipset and the device could be priced at around 2,500 Yuan (~$355). The Redmi K30 Pro could be driven by the Dimensity 1000 5G chipset that was announced earlier today, and it may be costing 3,000+ Yuan (~$426). As usual, readers are recommended to digest the leaked information with a grain of salt.
MediaTek announced the Dimensity 1000 5G flagship processor today. This is its first flagship processor since the failure of the 2017 Helio X30. This new chip will slug it out with other flagship processors such as the Kirin 990 5G, Exynos 990 and Snapdragon 865 processors.
Shortly after the announcement, an AnTuTu benchmark result of the new chipset surfaced on the web and its score blows the competition out of the water. The result was posted on Weibo by a user that goes by the name Hilarious Digital.
The benchmark result shows the unknown device powered by the new MediaTek chip scored a total of 511,683 points on the benchmark app. When compared to AnTuTu’s list of the top-performing devices for October 2019, no phone comes close. The Snapdragon 855 Plus-powered Vivo NEX 3 5G which tops the list has a score of 482,917. The newly announced Honor V30 Pro 5G’s AnTuTu score of 476,480 also doesn’t come close. The Red Magic 3S does come pretty close with its score of 510,496.
The breakdown of the score shows a CPU score of 161266, a GPU score of 196097, and a memory score of 84463.
The test device with the chipset benchmarked is currently unknown but there are speculations it may be the Redmi K30 Pro 5G. No, not the Redmi K30 5G. The K30 5G scheduled for launch next month will have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 735 5G chipset but the Pro variant which is a flagship phone may be the one to debut with MediaTek’s new processor.
It makes sense this way as Redmi can have a flagship phone available by the beginning of the year rather than waiting for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 processor which likely won’t be available until late February to early March for the early adopters. The Snapdragon 865 will also likely have supply issues since a lot of manufacturers are lined up to use it.
If the Redmi K30 Pro 5G launches in January, buyers not interested in waiting for the Snapdragon 865-powered phones can pick up the Redmi flagship.
Redmi General Manager, Lu Weibing, made a post on Weibo after the processor was announced congratulating MediaTek. The post also mentioned that both companies will work together on 5G phones. The last part of the post says “Redmi 2020, 5G pioneer!”. We want to believe this is a hint that the Redmi phone with the Dimensity 1000 processor arrives next year and it will be the first device powered by it.
Today, Huawei’s sub-brand Honor held an unveil event in China to announce the Honor V30 (Vera 30) series of flagship phones. At the same event, it also announced the Honor MagicBook 15, Honor Magic Watch 2, Honor Flypods 2 and Honor Hunter Gaming Router. The Honor V30 and Honor V30 Pro are the first phones to arrive with support for 5G connectivity. The smartphone manages to impress with its topnotch features such as dual punch-hole display, Kirin 990 chipset, fast wireless charging support, dual front-facing cameras and 40-megapixel triple rear cameras.
Honor V30 5G and Honor V30 Pro 5G
Honor V30 5G and Honor V30 Pro 5G Specifications
The Honor V30 Pro 5G comes with a 6.57-inch IPS LCD display that offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixel along with a tall aspect ratio of 20:9. The display has an elliptical cutout at the top-left corner for its dual front-facing cameras. The fingerprint sensor of the phone can be found on the right edge embedded in the power button. The Honor V30 features the same dual punch-hole display and also comes with a side-facing fingerprint reader. Both phones offer 91.46 percent screen-to-body ratio.
The Honor V30 Pro is driven by the 7nm Kirin 990 5G which is integrated with a 5G modem. The SoC brings support for SA (Standalone) and NSA (Non-Standalone) dual-mode 5G. The company claimed that the AI capabilities of the Kirin 990 AI is ahead of Apple A13 chipset. The V30 Pro houses a 4,100mAh battery that supports 40W fast charging. It is the first Honor phone to arrive with wireless charging. The device supports 27W superfast wireless charging and 7.5W reverse wireless charging.
Honor V30 Pro
The Honor V30 has Kirin 990 chipset onboard along with Balong 5000 5G modem for 5G connectivity. It features a slightly larger 4,200mAh battery which also supports 40W rapid charging. It lacks support for wireless charging. The Honor V30 series is designed for high-end gaming. Users can connect single or dual-handed gamepad to the V30 / V30 Pro for immersive gaming experience.
The Honor V30 and V30 Pro feature Matrix Camera technology for systemic imaging technology framework through software and hardware collaboration. The Honor V30 Pro is equipped with a laser autofocus and LED flash enabled triple camera system on its back. It includes the customized Sony IMX600 RYYB 40-megapixel sensor with f/1.8 aperture as main lens, an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor with f/2.4 aperture and a 12-megapixel cine lens with f/2.2 aperture with 109-degree field-of-view. The latter can be used to capture 16:9 aspect ratio videos with vibrant colors through AI HDR+. The V30 Pro supports 5-axis OIS, EIS, 3x optical zoom, 5x hybrid zoom, 30x digital zoom, 4K video shooting at 30fps and 720p video shooting at 960fps.
The triple camera setup of the Honor V30 features a customized Sony IMX600 RYYB 40-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens and an 8-megapixel superwide lens. It comes with support for laser autofocus, LED flash, 4-axis OIS, EIS 3x optical zoom, 5x hybrid zoom, 30x digital zoom, 4K video shooting at 30fps and 720p video shooting at 960fps.
The Honor V30 series feature 32-megapixel + 8-megapixel dual front-facing cameras for capturing 105-degree wider selfie shots. The V30 and V30 Pro supports AI portrait semantic segmentation for shooting optimized selfie shots. Super night scene mode ensures brighter selfies can be captured even in dim-light conditions. The front cameras can shooting full HD videos, but there is no support for image stabilization.
The Honor V30 and V30 Pro are equipped with dual-band GPS and NFC. The usual connectivity features such as Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C are also available on these devices. The new V30 phones can be paired with Honor Smart Screen Pro for video calls. It can be also linked with Honor smartwatches and fitness bands. Lastly, these phones are loaded with Magic UI 3.0 based Android 10 OS. The Honor V30 5G measures 162.7 × 75.8 x 8.9mm and weighs 213 grams. The Honor V30 Pro has 162.7 × 75.8 x 8.8mm and it weighs 206g.
Honor V30 5G and Honor V30 Pro 5G Pricing and Availability
Here is the pricing of the different variants of the Honor V30 and V30 Pro:
The first sale of the Honor V30 will be held on Dec. 5 in China. The Honor V30 Pro 5G will be available for purchase for the first time on Dec. 12. Color variants of the Honor V30 series include options such as Charm Starfish Blue, Dawn Orange, Magic Night Star River and Icelandic Fantasy.
What’s your opinion on the Honor V30 5G and Honor V30 Pro 5G smartphones? Share us your views by posting your comments below.
Samsung, the leading smartphone brand in the world, is now also the top manufacturer for smartphone displays. The South Korean tech giant is well known for its AMOLED displays which have helped it reclaim the number one spot in the smartphone display market in Q3 2019.
Stats Via IHS Markit
According to a new report from IHS Markit, Samsung accounted for about 29 percent of total smartphone display shipments in the third quarter of this year. In comparison, in Q2 2019 it only had a 21.3 percent market share. The sizeable jump in sales numbers has propelled Samsung to the top spot again beating out BOE displays for the first time since Q4 of 2018.
Samsung’s active matrix organic light emitting displays (or AMOLED) is becoming increasingly more popular with other smartphone manufacturers. David Hseih, Senior Director from IHS Markit also stated that more and more companies are quickly adopting the AMOLED technology for their mid to even high-end smartphone offerings. Many major brands including Apple, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and even Xiaomi have used AMOLED technology in their high-end models in 2019. Being the most seasoned and well-known supplier of AMOLED displays, the company has seen AMOLED shipments totaling 146 million units in Q3, up from 93 million from Q2 2019.
Galaxy Note 8 Featuring A Super AMOLED Display
Notably, this also marked the first time AMOLED shipments had surpassed LTPS TFT LCD shipments (144 million). Hence, it implies the AMOLED demand in the market will only further increase and Samsung will be well utilizing this opportunity. Furthermore, other Chinese companies like BOE, Visionox, ChinaStar, Tianma, and EverDislpay will also seek to gain with their AMOLED offerings but will be nowhere near the South Korean veteran.
The U.S. Ambassador to Germany called comments by officials in Berlin who compared the threat of U.S. and Chinese espionage an “insult” to American troops stationed in the country. This is the latest in a slew of issues that have emerged as the result of Huawei’s involvement in the development of Germay’s 5G networks.
This comes as a result of German Minister Peter Altmaier, one of Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel’s few allies on her 5G approach, comparing concerns over potential spying by the Chinese government to previous phone-tapping by the “unreliable” US government.
Over the weekend, Altmaier commented on concerns that Huawei would be subject to China’s laws that could require the company to hand over data from its communications networks to Chinese intelligence agencies. “The US also requires its companies to provide certain information needed to fight terrorism,” he said.
The volley by U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell, a Trump loyalist who has stoked trans-Atlantic tensions with pointed comments on German-U.S. divisions, is likely to compound controversy over the participation of China’s Huawei Technologies Co. in Germany’s fifth-generation mobile technology.
Considering Altmaier’s statement, Grenell could now declare a victory of sorts. And yet, Grenell’s meddling could actually achieve the opposite of its desired effect, namely mistrust and opposition. The US is increasingly wielding its market power not only against its opponents, but against its friends as well.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel meeting U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell
Merkel has been fending off pressure from the United States, her own party and the German parliament to ban Huawei as a candidate to for building Germany’s 5G infrastructure. The German government is concerned that banning Huawei could result in retribution from the Chinese government against the lucrative German car industry.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has cast doubt on whether Chinese telecom equipment vendor Huawei Technologies could participate in the development and construction of the country’s 5G data network.
Maas told reporters in Berlin that Huawei was a company dependent on the Chinese state due to its national security laws, which meant Huawei was obliged to pass on information to the government there. Germany therefore wants to add a test of trustworthiness to the 5G security catalogue that so far had mainly envisaged an evaluation of technical criteria, Maas said.
MediaTek has bet big on 5G and slowly but steadily we are seeing the fruits of its investment in the new generation network technology. Today, MediaTek has announced the Dimensity 1000 5G, its brand new high-end smartphone chipset that will take on the likes of Snapdragon 855 and Kirin 990 5G. In case you are wondering, this is the same MediaTek MT6885Z 5G chipset revealed a few months back. AnTuTu confirms Dimensity 1000 is the MT6889. Today, the Taiwanese chipmaker has revealed its official name and specifications.
MediaTek has made it clear that they mean business with the Dimensity 1000 5G chipset. The processor features four high-end Cortex-A77 based BIG cores clocked at 2.6GHz and four Cortex-A55 power-efficient cores clocked at 2.0GHz. Interestingly, this is a dual cluster arrangement instead of the tri-cluster arrangements that we’ve been seeing on high-end processors like Kirin 990, Snapdragon 855 and even Exynos 990. The new MediaTek chip comes with the new Mali-G77 MP9 GPU, which is the same one found on the Exynos 990 with a couple of cores less.
5G is one of the biggest highlights of the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 chipset. It comes with an integrated Helio M70 5G modem that saves space and is efficient at the same time. It is the world’s fastest throughput SoC with 4.7Gbps downlink and 2.5Gbps uplink speeds and supports both standalone and non-standalone networks (Sa/NSA). It also comes with multi-mode support so it supports all networks from 5G to 2G. Note that the Dimensity 1000 5G is a sub-6GHz chip and does not support the mmWave 5G networks that are used on a wide scale in countries like the U.S.
The new MediaTek 5G chip is also the world’s first SoC to support dual 5G SIMs. So you can use two 5G SIM cards in a phone powered by this processor. Existing 5G chipsets only support 5G in one SIM card slot.
MediaTek Dimensity 1000 5G is also AI heavy, all thanks to its 5-core APU. This includes two heavy cores, three medium cores, and one light core. MediaTek claims that this design improves the efficiency of AI-related tasks. For example, simple tasks like facial recognition might use just the light core while power-hungry AI apps such as the camera can use the heavy cores. In terms of performance figures, the new chip boasts of 4.5 TOPS (trillion operations per second).
The MediaTek Dimensity 1000 5G chipset summary
MediaTek’s new 5G chip comes with a capable 5-core ISP as well. It supports single cameras up to 80MP and dual camera setups featuring a 32MP and 16MP sensors. Another big highlight of this new chip is its support for HDR video. In fact, the Dimensity 1000 5G is the world’s first SoC to support multi-frame HDR video. It is also the first chip to support Google AV1 format up to 4K resolution at 60fps. The chip supports QHD+ displays with a 90Hz refresh rate and FHD+ displays with up to 120Hz refresh rate. The Dimensity 1000 5G supports Wi-Fi 6, BL 5.1, and Voice over New Radio (VoNR).
The first smartphones with Dimensity 1000 5G chipset will launch in Q1 2020 in markets like China & other Asian countries. US & EU will get the new chip powered devices in the second half of 2020.
Most of the Xiaomi phones that have released this year have “M19XXXXX” model numbers. New Xiaomi phones with M2001J2E/ M2001J2C and M2001J1E / M2001J1C model numbers have appeared on the database of 3C certification authority of China. It is too early to ascertain whether it is a Xiaomi or Redmi phone, but it can be speculated that these could be phones arriving in early 2020 as they have “M20XXXXX” model numbers.
The 3C certification of the M2001J2E/C Xiaomi phone has revealed that it is a 5G-ready device. The 3C listing reveals that the phone could be shipped with MDY-11-EF charger that carries support for 30W rapid charging. The already available Mi CC9 Pro ships with the same charger and carries support for 30W charging for its massive 5,260mAh battery.
The M2001J1E/C seems to be a higher edition of the M2001J2E/C device. It also supports 5G connectivity. The MDY-11-EB charger that has been spotted in its 3C listing states that it offers 66W fast charging. Hence, it appears that it will be arriving as the fastest charging capabilities seen on a smartphone. The Snapdragon 855+ SoC powered OPPO Reno Ace flagship phone that was made official in October came with 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Flash Charge technology. The rapid charging tech on the Reno Ace can completely charge its 4,000mAh battery in just 40 minutes. At present, there is information available on the battery capacities and other specs of the M2001J2E/C and M2001J1E/C phones.
It is being speculated that the M2001J2E/C and M2001J1E/C could be Xiaomi Mi 10 series of flagship phones that may include devices like Mi 10 and M10 Pro. Xiaomi was expected to update its Mi MIX series in the second half of 2019. However, instead of launching a new Mi MIX series flagship phone, the company introduced the Mi MIX Alpha concept phone. Hence, there is a possibility that the M2001J2E/C and M2001J1E/C could be Xiaomi MI MIX 4 variants. Probably, the newly spotted M2001J2E/C and M2001J1E/C phones could be fueled by the Snapdragon 865 5G chipset that is expected to go official next week.
Apart from aforementioned devices, the 3C database includes few more unidentified Xiaomi phones. The M2001G7AE 5G phone with 30W charging support could be the Redmi K30 that is scheduled to go official on Dec. 10. The M1912G7BE/C was spotted with a 27W charger. The said device does not support 5G connectivity. The M1911U2E 5G phone had received certification from national Radio Authority (NRA) of China. However, no details on it are available yet.
Earlier this year, Samsung launched the Galaxy Fold. Despite the device not having a steady initial launch, the company has relaunched the device which was one of the first of its kind successfully. Smartphones with folding displays have been a popular trend of 2019 with many companies like Huawei and Motorola also having foldable device offerings. Now, a new report suggests that Samsung is also working on a new Galaxy tab with a foldable display.
The recent Samsung patents reveal a Samsung Galaxy Tab featuring clamshell based folding display. In other words, the device, unlike the Galaxy Fold, will bend from the top to the bottom (vertically) rather than from either side (horizontally) similar to Motorola Razr 2019. Notably, the patents also reveal a full body screen on the front which may suggest that the Korean tech giant might be implementing an in-display front camera.
The design from the patents and renders also showcase the key functional aspect of the tab. With this device, Samsung may develop a Galaxy Tab with portability in mind as the device after being folded will be easier to carry and might be able to fit in pockets as well. Furthermore, the designs also show that the device could be used in the form of a mini laptop by resting its bottom half on a surface and using the upper portion as the main screen. The folding mechanic might lead to the inclusion of some interesting multitasking mechanics. Since the Galaxy Fold received acclaim for being a phone capable of tablet functionality, the aforementioned capability of turning into a mini laptop might be more appealing to the business-related markets as well.
Renders Via LetsGoDigital
The design patents for the upcoming device were applied for by Samsung Electronics and in the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the World Intellectual Office database. Unfortunately, we don’t know if Samsung plans to bring this design into reality.
Xiaomi‘s latest smartwatch is targeted squarely at children, and it’s a pretty decent option for kids. The Mi Rabbit Children’s Watch 2S is available today, and it’s purchasable from Xiaomi Mall at the price of 199 yuan, or about $29. It’s not a bad price for such a device, especially considering the features available here.
Mi Rabbit Children’s Watch 2S is equipped with a 1.3-inch colour touch dislay with a resolution of 240×240. It has a round and soft appearance designed for children, and it fits comfortably on the hand. It’s also IPX8 waterproof, so you don’t need to worry about spills or water damage in any way.
MiTu Children’s Watch 2S supports AI real-time positioning, and can accurately pinpoint the user’s location, regardless of whether they’re indoors in large shopping malls, at high-speed rail stations or even on airfields. The built-in 600mAh battery paired with the watch’s low power chip means it can achieve up to 7 days of standby on a single charge.
The watch also has a built in AI assistant called a XiaoAI classmate. It features AI question answering, chatting, playing music, encyclopedic questioning, essentially things that most AI assistants can do. It also features the ability to stay silent during classes, which can be enabled through the MiTu app. This leaves it with only time checking and SOS messages. Overall, it’s a relatively solid watch for children, especially with the inexpensive price.
This afternoon, MediaTek will host a 5G solution release and global partner conference in Shenzhen to officially unveil their commercial-grade 5G chip solution. Taiwanese news outlet “Business Times” revealed that while MediaTek’s 5G chips are fully primed to go on sale, prices have risen by 20%. Despite this, it seems companies are still willing to pay the extra premium for these chipsets.
The Industrial and Commercial Times believes that the reason for this compliance is that other companies simply aren’t pumping out enough 5G chips for the market. Qualcomm’s reliance on Samsung’s 7nm process for chipsets means that the yield rate isn’t going to be that high, and that’s a problem when companies are pushing for 5G as soon as possible.
According to the market, the yield of Qualcomm Snapdragon 7250 chipsets built on Samsung’s 7nm process is less than 30%. On top of that, Samsung also sells 5G chips to other companies, like Vivo. The 5G chipset market is heating up, and MediaTek seems all set to be a big player this time around. We’re looking forward to how things will turn out.
Huawei is scheduled to launch the Huawei Nova 6 at an event in China on Dec. 5. Apart from the 4G and 5G variants of the Nova 6, the company is also expected to unveil the Nova 6 SE. This is not the first time the Nova 6 SE has been mentioned in public. Popular tipster Evan Blass had mentioned about the existence of the device earlier in November. Initial renders of the Nova 6 SE surfaced over the past weekend, revealing quite a few features of the smartphone.
Android Headlines shared a couple of images of the Nova 6 SE yesterday. Although the green filter makes it impossible to identify the actual color variant, a quad-camera setup at the rear is prominent. The Nova 6 SE also gets a punch-hole display, instead of the Nova 6’s dual selfie camera setup. While initial rumors suggested that the rear camera layout would be vertically-aligned, the new images revealed a square layout, with an LED flash housed below the unit.
Huawei Nova 6 SE Specifications and Features (Rumored)
The Huawei Nova 6 SE is expected to flaunt Sony’s new 60-megapixel IMX686 sensor at the rear along with a 16-megapixel sensor and two 2-megapixel sensors. The smartphone could be similar to the Huawei Nova 5z that debuted last month. The Nova 6 SE is likely to draw power from the Kirin 810 SoC that debuted in the Huawei Nova 5 back in June this year.
Powering the smartphone could be a 4,800mAh battery with 40W Huawei Supercharge. The smartphone flaunts a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for additional security along with the volume rocker on the right edge. The Nova 6 SE will likely retain an IPS LCD display considering its mid-range placement. There is no official confirmation on a launch date or price at the moment.
In related news, the Huawei Nova 6 is rumored to flaunt a 6.44-inch display along with the Kirin 990 SoC. The pill-shaped cutout on its screen will be equipped with 32-megapixel dual selfie snappers with 105-degree field-of-view. The rear-facing camera setup of the phone may feature the forthcoming Sony IMX686 lens. The smartphone may draw power from a 4,000mAh battery and may arrive with 40W fast charging charging technology support.
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