Xiaomi Watch Pro with a circular dial is coming too

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Nov 4, 2019

On the 5th of November, Xiaomi will hold a launch event in China where it will lift covers from the Mi CC9 Pro, Mi TV 5 and it’s first WearOS powered smartwatch which is simply called the Mi Watch. The company has been sharing teasers of the smartwatch for weeks based upon which we have formed this article. If you are interested in its features or you are planning to buy one, continue reading.

Design, Display and Build

To begin with, the design of the Mi Watch is heavily inspired by the immensely popular Apple Watch. It features a curved sapphire glass which protects the square-shaped touchscreen display and sports a side-mounted crown which can be used to navigate through the UI.

The body/housing of the Mi Watch is made out of polished stainless steel which gives it a premium overall look. Apart from the crown, its right side features a microphone pinhole and a rectangular-shaped multi-purpose button. In comparison, the left side fo the smartwatch harbours the loudspeaker vent and a secondary microphone pinhole.

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The rear of the smart wearable seems to be made out of plastic and it makes room for the charging dock and what seems like an HRM (heart rate monitor).

Moving ahead, the Xiaomi Mi Watch will come with a high-quality fluoro rubber strap which can easily be swapped accrediting to its quick-release mechanism. It has already been confirmed that these rubber straps will be offered in four colour options which include Blue, White, Grey, and Black.

Chipset, Battery and Connectivity Options

Under the hood, the Mi Watch will be kitted with the Snapdragon 3100 chipset revealed a previously shared official teaser. The chipset consists of a 4x ARM Cortex A7, 32 bit Quad-core CPU which is clocked at 1.2 GHz and Adreno 304 GPU.

While Xiaomi is yet to reveal the exact battery capacity of the upcoming smartwatch, it is said to have “pretty large” battery.

The company had already confirmed the Mi Watch will support NFC, the chipset’s spec sheet reveals it is equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 and low power 802.11n Wi-Fi and GPS which are presumed to make their way on the upcoming wearable.

Key Features

Now that we have discussed the design and hardware aspects of Xiaomi’s upcoming wearable, let’s see what kind of features it will bring to the table.

Staple to almost every smartwatch out there, the Mi Watch will have have a built-in fitness tracker/activity tracker which can be used to track things like sleep, calories burned, different sports activity modes and the number of steps taken.

It will be able to display notifications from user’s smartphones which include text messages, emails, calendar alerts and app alerts. The smartwatch is also expected to support alarm clock functionality.

Xiaomi has already confirmed that the Mi Watch with built-in NFC will be capable of supporting AliPay. Likewise, in other countries, this might support Google Pay which is a globally accepted mode of digital payment.

It is also reported to support WeChat and we are excited to see how will its text input function work. Whether it will have an onscreen keyboard, will accept voice to text translation or both, is yet to be confirmed.

Xiaomi has also confirmed that the Mi Watch can store & play music independently which sounds like a praiseworthy feature. Therefore, users can leave their smartphone behind when going for a hike or while working out in a gym.

The smartwatch will supposedly be compatible with both Android OS and iOS, similar to what has been observed with Xiaomi’s previously launched wearables including the Mi Band 4. The device will run on a forked version of MIUI and it will also be capable of remotely controlling smart home appliances like Air Purifier, smart bulb or IoT devices.

Similar to the Apple Watch, it will also support e-sim which will allow it to make and receive phone calls and have access to the internet. Last but not the least, a senior Xiaomi official had shared a short clip of the Mi Watch which revealed that the device will also be capable of playing live TV via supported Apps.

Expected Price

The official price of Xiaomi’s latest wearable will only be unveiled at its official launch event which is scheduled for the 5th of November i.e tomorrow. However, a recently uploaded listing on Xiaomi’s TaoBao store suggests that it will carry a price tag of 1499 Yuan ($ 213).

What do you think should be the right price for the Mi Watch? Let us know in the comments below.

LG G Pad 5 10.1 officially unveiled in South Korea; Specifications and price

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Nov 4, 2019

LG revealed its latest tablet called the G Pad 5 10.1 (model number LM-T600L) in South Korea on Nov. 3. The device is officially listed on the company’s website. Early renders of the tablet leaked online last week, revealing most of its design elements. The successor of the LG G Pad 4 that arrived in 2017 has a big-sized screen, gargantuan battery with fast charging capabilities and a fingerprint scanner.

LG G Pad 5 10.1 Specifications and Features

The LG G Pad 5 10.1 flaunts a 10.1-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and a 178-degree viewing angle. The display has a dedicated blue light filter that helps reduce eye strain. There is a black and white mode that helps when reading e-books or surfing the web.

Powering the tablet is a 2.34Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 821 SoC with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal UFS 2.0 storage. The memory is expandable up to 512GB via a MicroSD card.

Editor’s Pick: LG W30 Pro now available for purchase in India for Rs. 12,490 (~$176)

The rear camera is an 8-megapixel unit that supports autofocus, while the front camera is a 5-megapixel unit. The tablet draws power from an 8,200 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0. It runs on Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box. Connectivity options include SIM card, Bluetooth v4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/g/b/n/ac, USB Type-C port, 3.5mm AUX port and GPS. The power button, volume rocker and a fingerprint scanner can be found on the edge of the device.

In terms of ergonomics, the LG G Pad 5 10.1 measures 247.2 x 150.7 x 8mm and weighs a mammoth 498g. The outer shell is composed of metal, which gives the G Pad 5 a much premium, almost iPad-like feel. The device has an overall clean look, with the LG logo neatly placed on the lower center of the rear panel while the single camera is placed on the upper left corner. The camera is placed at the same level as the body, which might make it prone to scratches. LG is yet to clarify whether they have used any sort of protection on the lens.

LG G Pad 5 10.1 Price and Availability

The LG G Pad 5 10.1 is available only in silver hue. The tablet is priced at 4,40,000 won (~$380) There is no information on a tentative global release date or when LG plans to sell the device in South Korea.

Huawei releases a revised EMUI 10 update schedule; includes Stable ROM push

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Nov 4, 2019

Most Huawei fans are anxiously waiting for news about the Android Q-based EMUI 10 update. The new custom Android skin first found its way pre-installed on the Mate 30 series that was announced recently. Huawei had released an update schedule which revealed a total of 33 models would get the update between October and November this year. While the company has started releasing the open beta update for some models, a revised schedule has been released showing some of the models won’t get an update until next year.

The updated schedule shows the P30 series will get the Stable ROM update mid-November while the Mate 20 series including the Mate 20 X (4G) will get the update mid/late November. The Mate 10 open beta will start rolling out in late November, while that of the P20 series will begin in late October.

Also for Honor models, the Honor 20, Honor 20 Pro, V20 and Honor Magic 2 are scheduled to get the Stable ROM late-November. Recall that the beta testing commenced in late October. The open beta update for other Honor models will begin rolling out also this November and some in December. The Honor models will get the Android-10 version of Magic UI 3.0.

Shocker! Xiaomi Mi Note 10 launching on November 6 in Spain!

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Nov 4, 2019

Xiaomi‘s Mi Note series was ranked among the smartphones that buyers are likely to retain for a longer period in a recent chart released in China. Xiaomi hasn’t released a lot of ’em Note series models, the last being the Mi Note 3 released way back in 2017. Apart from the Note 3, there is the Mi Note 2, as well as the Mi Note and Note Pro. As you may be aware already, the company is set to launch the Mi Note 10. A recent official teaser tipped the device to launch on November 14 in Poland.

Xiaomi has now officially revealed via its Twitter handle that the Mi Note 10 will make its maiden debut in Europe on November 6, just two days from today! The event will hold in Madrid, Spain and is scheduled to commence by 11.30 am GMT +1.

Welcome to the new era of smartphone cameras!

Join our event to reveal the world's first 108MP Penta camera.

Live stream available, stay tuned!#DareToDiscover with #MiNote10 pic.twitter.com/BiUXHH4Xdp

— Xiaomi #First108MPPentaCam (@Xiaomi) November 3, 2019

The tweet teases the Mi Note 10 to be the “World’s first” 108MP Penta camera phone. The Mi CC9 Pro already launched with Samsung’s 108MP sensor in a Penta-lens arrangement. To recall, the penta-lens camera system of the Mi CC9 Pro has an OIS enabled 108-megapixel primary lens, a 20-megapixel ultrawide lens with 117-degree field-of-view, an OIS assisted periscope 12-megapixel telephoto lens with support for 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom and 50x hybrid zoom, 2-megapixel a macro lens and a portrait lens.

The Note 10 is expected to pack a 6.47-inch curved OLED display with full HD+ resolution support. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 730G chipset and up to 8 GB of RAM. The device may also have a 5,260mAh battery crammed under its hood, with support for 30W fast charging. The phone is also expected to utilise an in-display fingerprint sensor among others.

Oukitel Y1000 is the new sports rugged smartphone with waterdrop display

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Dimitris Economou

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Nov 4, 2019

Outdoor sports are becoming more and more popular nowadays since people are making a shift towards a healthier life. Thus, the need for rugged smartphones has increased as they are durable to withstand accidental drops and even rain. But most of the time rugged phones are bulky and heavy and that makes them unsuitable for intense activity. For that reason, Oukitel is about to release the Oukitel Y1000, the thinnest sports rugged smartphone.

According to the company, it retains the IP68 certification that makes it waterproof, dust-proof, and drop-resistance. At the same time, it sports a trendy design and a super-thin unibody craft that is a combination of TPU and PC+GF materials. Featuring a thin body of 11.2mm and 212g weight, it is well below the average of 16mm and 300g+ of a usual rugged phone. So, no more feeling like you are holding a brick!

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As for the rest of the specs, the Y1000 comes with a 6.088″ waterdrop display with HD+ resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Asahi glass is used to protect the display panel while the body is covered with TPU material which is stretchy and resistant to falls and bumps. It comes in 6 back cover colors: Black, Puce, Light Blue, Violet, Pink, and Red. It is a 3G smartphone featuring a 4-core MT6580p SoC combined with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage but the Y1000 Pro with 4G support will arrive soon. The waterdrop notch hosts the 5MP front camera while the rear camera is a dual one with 8MP/2MP sensors. Judging from the specs, the 3600mAh built-in battery should easily last a whole day.

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The Y1000 will officially hit the market on November 11th on the Official Oukitel Store at just $99.99 instead of the $129.99 official retail price. If you want to learn all the details about it, visit the official product page.

Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Rumour Roundup: All You need to know

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Nov 4, 2019

Chinese smartphone maker, Xiaomi is about to launch its latest photography centric smartphone, the Mi CC9 Pro which will be unveiled on the 5th of November. Ahead of its official announcement, the company has already shared a bunch of teasers. Correspondingly, here is a summary of what we already know about the phone.

Design and Display

Going by the official teasers, the front of the Mi CC9 Pro will sport an edge-to-edge curved AMOLED display that features a waterdrop notch up top. The rear of the smartphone is made out glass which houses the company branding and a vertically aligned Penta camera setup. While the company is yet to publicise the size of the display, according to the previously discovered TENAA listing, the Mi CC9 Pro will have a 6.47-inch display with Full HD+ resolution.

Chipset and Connectivity options

Under the hood, the Mi CC9 Pro will have the Snapdragon 730G chipset which is also found on devices like the Realme X2 and Oppo K5. The chipset is manufactured using 8 nm fabrication process and its consists of an Octa-Core Kryo 470 CPU which is clocked at 2.2 GHz in addition to Adreno 618 GPU.

In terms of connectivity, the chipset has Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Dual 4G LTE support, GPS which are destined to make their way to the CC9 Pro. Talking about ports, the smartphone is already confirmed to have bottom-mounted 3.5 mm audio jack and USB Type C port which can be used for both charging and data syncing. It is also presumed to have an IR blaster which is a staple on almost every modern handset from Xiaomi.

Camera

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As previously mentioned, the Mi CC9 Pro is expected to excel in the camera department. While we are not sure, how the end result will be, we know almost every specification about Mi CC9 Pro’s camera and without a doubt, it seems impressive. The front of the smartphone will feature a 32 MP selfie camera which will be housed in the waterdrop notch which is present on top of the display.

Its penta rear camera setup is comprised of the following sensors (top to bottom):

5 MP, supports 5x optical zoom and 50X hybrid zoom
12MP portrait sensor, 1.4µ size pixel, 50 mm
108MP primary sensor, f/1.7 aperture, OIS support
20MP ultra-wide sensor, 117 degree Field-Of-View
2 MP macro, Can capture from as close as 1.5 cm

Apart from the hardware details, the Mi CC9 Pro is confirmed to have a vlog-enhance function which can automatically trim a long video by eliminating unnecessary bits and making is appealing.

Another highlighting feature of the rear camera setup is quad LED flash which is divided in 2 pairs of 2 LED.

Battery and Other Features

The Mi CC9 Pro is confirmed to accommodate a massive 5260 mAh battery which will support 30 W fast charging. Noteworthy, Xiaomi claims that its 30W charging technology has been thoroughly optimised and is surprisingly faster than 40W high-speed chargers of other companies, namely Huawei.

Apart from being the world’s smartphone with 108 MP camera, it will also be the world’s first handset with an ultra-thin optical in-display fingerprint scanner. The Mi CC9 Pro will also have multi-function NFC which can replace all money and travel cards that make use of this technology. The smartphone is confirmed to have a 1CC large loudspeaker which Xiaomi claims can produce upto 2x loud sound output, in comparison to any other smartphone it has previously launched.

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Another interesting feature of the Mi CC9 Pro will be the “Breathing light” display. With this feature, the sides of its AMOLED display will blink whenever the device receives a notification.

The upcoming smartphone is already confirmed to be offered in Green and White colour options. However, the company is also expected to offer the Mi CC9 Pro in other colour variants which include Black, Red and Blue.

All in all, the upcoming Mi CC9 Pro seems like a worthy mid-range smartphone that can disrupt the segment if Xiaomi manages to price it aggressively. We assume the device can be priced somewhere between Yuan 2299 ($ 327) and Yuan 3000 ($ 427) in China. However, as observed with the standard Mi CC9, its price will be bumped up considerably higher when it launches in Europe.

What do you think is the most exciting feature of Xiaomi’s upcoming smartphone? Do let us know in the comments below.

Ulefone reveals its offers for the Aliexpress 11.11 Shopping Festival

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Dimitris Economou

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Nov 4, 2019

The 11.11 (a.k.a. Double 11) Shopping Festival can be considered the “Black Friday” of China and with just 1 week remaining, manufacturers are beginning to reveal their offers for the festival. Ulefone is once again participating and has prepared many discounts for their fans, including all Ulefone phones, up to 31% off. What’s more, they will offer some extra promotions and discount coupons for the shopping festival.

For starters there are two giveaway events: the buyer who pays the highest amount on Ulefone Aliexpress Store during the 11.11 shopping festival can get a free Ulefone Armor X3. Also, if you make your purchases during the first two hours on November 11th and 12th, then you may be among the lucky 5 that will get a free Ulefone Note 7.

In addition, $10 coupons will be available on the 1st day of the festival which you can use to get an even larger discount (amount limits apply). What’s more, the company’s annual flagship –Ulefone Armor 7– will make its debut in the market on Aliexpress with a price tag of $369.99 and it would be a perfect time to grab one. If you have already decided which phone you want, you can add it to your cart now and check out on 11.11 when the discount will be valid. Visit the Ulefone Store on Aliexpress to see all the offers.

Xiaomi shares official renders of its upcoming smartwatch — Mi Watch

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Jeet

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Nov 4, 2019

Xiaomi is one of the leading brands when it comes to wearable devices, thanks to the company’s Mi Band fitness trackers. Now, the company is all set to launch its first smartwatch — Mi Watch at a launch event on 5th November in China.

Today, just a day ahead of the official launch of the Mi Watch, the company has now shared a few more renders of the device. It shows the product from almost all angles, giving us a better look at its design.

As already known from the earlier released render, the Mi Watch comes with square-shaped dial and a single crown on the right side along with a single button. The design looks quite similar to the Apple Watch.

The Xiaomi Mi Watch will be running a customized version of Google’s Android Wear operating system out-of-the-box which could be named “Mi Wear” OS. It is confirmed to come powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 processor. It will also come with support for eSIM, NFC, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth.

A couple of days ago, the company confirmed that the upcoming Mi Watch can independently play music and the user will have an option to even download the music files to its storage. The Mi Watch will also, unsurprisingly, come with a heart rate sensor and smart home controls.

Apart from the Mi Band fitness tracker, it has a line of smartwatches under Amazfit branding but none of them are running Android Wear OS. The upcoming smartwatch will be the first to come with company’s own branding.

‘Don’t trust HR, they have no honesty”: Huawei team member writes in an Open letter

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Nov 4, 2019

Hu Ling, a member of the human resources team at Huawei’s elite 2012 Lab research unit posted a disgruntled open letter last week which was soon deleted. The letter criticised company’s overtime policy and higlighted that executives are covering up the extra work they have doing following the US ban.

According to a screenshot seen by Bloomberg News, the open letter shared by Hu Ling included the following statement which shows dissatisfaction and distrust developing within the Chinese corporation:

Take my advice brothers: Don’t trust HR, they have no honesty

In addition, the letter questioned the efficiency of engineers that are working overtime sessions. Huawei has confirmed the authenticity of the open letter, however, they declined to comment any further on the matter.

Huawei is known for its gruelling work culture aka “wolf culture” which they claim has helped them reach where they currently are. However, this philoshphy kicked into high gear after the Chinese corportation was designated to a blacklist by the U.S Commerce Department.

Since then, teams of engineers at Huawei started having 24 hour work days in shifts, in order to find alternatives to U.S based suppliers and their offerings which are valuable to the Chinese corporation.

Besides, in the month of July, Huawei started rewarding employee who could increase revenue despite the ban. Notably, overtime is not uncommon in Chinese tech companies but this harsh work culture is seeing a downward trend as promises of “big payoff” are fading slowly.

Some employees of Huawei were resentful of the overtime work culture, but some were speaking up in its support. One employee wrote on the forum “The real force that takes down the company isn’t from outside but from within” which expressed regret that a company’s internal issues are being exposed to outsiders.

Lastly, Hu Ling’s post ended on a postive and encouging note for engineers who are still pulling of longer than usual work hours:

The era when engineers get full respect will come.

Samsung Galaxy A51 has quad cameras, reveals internal images

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Nov 4, 2019

Recent reports have claimed that Samsung is working on the Galaxy A51, and the device is reportedly under production at the company’s assembly line in Greater Noida, UP, according to a post on 91mobiles from last week. Earlier today, the same publication shared three images of the A51’s chassis leaked that were leaked from the production facility.

The leaked images have revealed some of the smartphone’s interior components. The leaked images clearly reveal hardware elements like a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-C socket on the bottom edge. The device also has a dedicated microSD card slot apart from the provision for dual-SIM on the SIM card tray. However, the highlight of the Samsung Galaxy A51 is the L-shaped quad-camera setup at the rear with a dedicated flash module.

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Editor’s Pick: The Galaxy S11 tipped to feature Samsung’s 108MP camera sensor

Samsung Galaxy A51 Specifications and Features (Rumored)

According to the Geekbench listing that was spotted in the previous month, the Galaxy A51 (model number SM-A515F) scored 323 points in the single-core tests and 1,185 points in the multi-core tests. The smartphone is powered by a 10nm FinFet Exynos 9611 chipset with onboard Mali G72 MP3 GPU. The device will be available with 4GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of native storage. The memory is further expandable with a MicroSD card.

The quad-camera setup on the Galaxy A51 consists of a 32-megapixel primary lens, a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 2X optical zoom and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. The front camera is housed within the waterdrop notch on the display. Details regarding the battery capacity or connectivity options are non-existent for the time being. The smartphone is rumored to run on Android 10 out-of-the-box. Unfortunately, that is all the information currently available about the product.

Samsung Galaxy A51 Price and Availability (Rumored)

According to current reports, the Samsung Galaxy A51 will be available in three color variants, namely blue, black and silver. The device is expected to be priced just above the Rs. 20,000 (~$283) mark, and is rumored to launch in India by the first quarter of 2020.

Xiaomi’s QIN AI Assistant Pro with 22.5:9 aspect ratio, Pixel 2-like design launched

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Nov 4, 2019

In July this year, Xiaomi crowdfunded the QIN Multi-parent AI Assistant 2 smartphone under the Youpin platform and the device turned out to be a highly sought-after device just like the brand’s feature phone that was first launched in 2018. The QIN brand has added a new smartphone to its kitty and it is dubbed Qin AI Assistant Pro. The new model is a slightly upgraded version of the first smartphone iteration.

The Qin Multi-parent AI Assistant Pro basically retains the minimalist and attractive design of its predecessor. The device packs a 5.05-inch full-screen display with no physical button at the front and a resolution of 576×1440 pixels. The device presents with a tall aspect ratio of 22.5:9, making it smaller than most smartphones around. The body is made of polycarbonate material just like the Pixel phones. In fact, the smartphone bears semblance with the Pixel 2 white variant with the red accent on the power button and prominent bezel on the chin. The red button is actually a XiaoAI voice assistant button.

For photography, the Qin AI Assistant Pro smartphone features a single 8-megapixel camera situated at the top left corner of the back panel. There is still no front camera.

The QIN AI Assistant Pro is powered by an Octa-core processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. This is slightly higher than the 1GB RAM and Quad-core SOC on the Qin Multi-parent AI Assistant 2. The device also comes with support for AI assistant, with a dedicated red trigger button just above the power button. The device packs a 2100mAh battery and with a USB-C port, that means you get fast charging onboard.

There is no word yet on the pricing and availability but it won’t far from the price of the Qin 2 which presently retails for 599 yuan (~$85) on Jingdong (JD.com).

Samsung is Shutting Down its custom CPU Core division

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Nov 4, 2019

In an unexpected turn of events, the South Korean electronics giant, Samsung is shutting down its custom CPU Core division. Therefore we will not be seeing any future in-house developed cores like the Moongoose M4 found in Exynos 9820, Samsung’s current flagship silicon. According to a WARN letter filed with the Texas Workforce Commission, Samsung is shutting down the CPU project at its Samsung Austin Research Center that will result in 290 employees being laid off.

A WARN letter aka Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification is a mandated notice that employers must provide to state governments in the event of major layoffs. The previously mentioned layoffs will be effective from the 31st of December and the affected employees do not have any bumping rights. The WARN letter does not specify how many of the layoffs would be in Austin and how many in California.

Michele Glaze, a spokeswoman for Samsung Austin told that company’s Austin manufacturing facility, which employs about 3,000 people, will remain unaffected by the layoffs. While talking to an American-Statesman she made the following statement.

We have treated all employees with respect. They all have been given appropriate packages and advanced notice. These things are very tough. People always wonder, ‘Did they treat them right?’ And we did. It’s unfortunate that they are losing their jobs, but it is based upon the fact that we’re always assessing our business.

Even though Samsung’s Exynos range of chipsets offer praiseworthy performance they usually come second to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon family in performance benchmarks. In plain language, current offerings from Qualcomm provide better performance with lower power consumption which is vital to prolonging battery backup in smartphones.

Patrick Moorhead, an industry analyst said that Samsung has licensed some intellectual property from Arm Holdings which could be put to use in upcoming chips from the South Korean company.

Noteworthy, while Samsung will no longer develop its own custom core’s, it will continue to manufacture chips under the Exynos brand which will be comprised of CPU cores that are developed by ARM. Accordingly, it is possible that the upcoming Exynos 9830 will be comprised of four Cortex-A77 cores high-performance cores in addition to four high-efficiency cores.

Apparently, it is a well thought out decision from Samsung, who is the world’s biggest producer of smartphone screens, semiconductors and mobile phones. According to the company, it has invested $17 billion in its Austin campus until now which first started operations in the year 1977.

TCL 100X6C Smart TV has 100-inch display; priced at 79,999 Yuan ($11,385)

By

Jeet

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Nov 4, 2019

TCL has launched a new TV in the Chinese market — TCL 100X6C, which comes with 100-inch display and carries a whooping price tag of 79,999 Yuan that roughly converts to $11,385. However, this is not the largest screen-size TV to be available in the market as Sharp has already exhibited a 120-inch production model of its TV that has a model number UDE2019.

With a price tag of 79,999 Yuan (~$11,385), this TCL television is the cheapest one when it comes to TVs with over 90-inch screen. With the launch of this new TV, TCL has now joined a list of major TV manufactures with a large sized display.

Samsung QA98Q900RBJXXZ comes with 98-inch panel for a price of 499,888 Yuan which roughly converts to $71,138 while Sony‘s 98-inch TV with model number KD-98Z9G is priced at 529,999 Yuan (~$75,423). As mentioned above, Sharp has already showcased its 120-inch television which is priced at 1,500,000 Yuan that is roughly $213,462.

While TCL’s is the cheapest TV among the ones mentioned above, it must be noted that almost all of them come with 8K resolution (7680 x 4320 pixels) support while the TCL’s TV comes with 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) support.

It seems that the TCL 100X6C comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage as well as 120Hz refresh rate, 2.1 stereo audio, Dolby DTS sound, among others. Overall, this TCL television seems to be a great value-for-money offering.

The Galaxy S11 tipped to feature Samsung’s 108MP camera sensor

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Nov 4, 2019

Samsung‘s next flagship smartphone is expected to be the Galaxy S11 series which should launch in the first quarter of 2019. The Galaxy S11 has featured in a couple of leaks which shows the device would likely take a detour from its predecessor in launching with several cutting-edge technologies and refreshed design.

The Galaxy S11 was recently rumoured to come with a triple camera setup at the front. A new rumour shared by Ice Universe on Weibo has emerged that the Galaxy S11 will use Samsung’s record-breaking 108MP sensor. Recall that Samsung had announced the world’s first mobile camera sensor that goes beyond 100MP in August this year. The Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX is a 108MP sensor for smartphones developed in collaboration with Xiaomi. The sensor was first utilised on the Mi CC9 Pro but if this rumour turns out to be true, the Galaxy S11 will be the first flagship to use the sensor. Well, that is if the Mi Mix Alpha isn’t released before then since it also packs the 108MP sensor.

The ISOCELL Bright HMX is still a 0.8um image sensor as its 64MP offering but increases the sensor size to a staggering 1/1.33″, a first for a smartphone camera. This helps it churn out large 12032 x 9024-pixel resolution photos, comparable to high-end DSLRs. The large sensor size helps the sensor to absorb more light in low-lit conditions. Further, Smart-ISO helps the sensor intelligently select the right ISO to match the needs of the environment. The HMX sensor is using Samsung’s Tetracell and ISOCELL Plus technologies, so it will be able to generate bright, big-pixel 27MP images. The sensor also supports 6K (6016 x 3384 pixels) video recording at 30 fps.

While the launch of the Galaxy S11 lineup is still a couple of months away, we expect to get more details as time goes on. Already, the device is detailed to run on One UI 2.1 which will be based on Android 10. It is also said to have a faster fingerprint scanner, improved camera setup which includes 5X optical zoom sensor and 108 MP primary sensor. The device is also expected to be powered by an Exynos 9825 and Snapdragon 865.

AnTuTu’s top 10 lists for best performing flagship and midrange phones released

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Nov 4, 2019

AnTuTu benchmarking platform is known for releasing the list of best performing smartphones each month. Now, it has released the list of top 10 best performing flagship and mid-range phones. The flagship list is led by the Vivo NEX 3 5G whereas the Honor 9X Pro is ruling the mid-range list.

In the above shown list of top 10 best performing Android flagship phones, the Snapdragon 855+ powered Vivo NEX 3 5G with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage can be seen leading the chart with 482,917 points. The second place goes to Vivo iQOO Po 5G’s 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage that has scored 481,997. Next comes the 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage edition of the OnePlus 7T that scored 481,784.

The OnePlus 7T Pro’s 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage variant is on fourth with 480,902 points. The ASUS ROG Phone 2 with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage is placed on fifth with 477,596 points. The remaining phones that have made to the list are Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G, Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro, Realme X2 Pro, Meizu 16s Pro and Redmi K20 Pro Exclusive Edition. As it can be seen, all the top 10 phones are powered by Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo Y19 arrives with triple cameras and Helio P65 inside

Shown below is the list of top 10 best performing mid-range phones. The 7nm Kirin 810 chipset powered Honor 9X Pro’s 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage is at the pole position with 299,194 points. The Honor 9X’s 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage follows next with 291,690 points. The 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage edition of the Honor 20S is third with 290,936 points. These two phones are also powered by Kirin 810.

The Helio G90T fueled Redmi Note 8 Pro’s 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant is on the fourth position with 281,580 points. The Snapdragon 730 SoC powered Realme X2 with 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage is on the fifth position with 256,713. The other phones that have made it to the top 10 list of best performing mid-range phones are OPPO Reno 2, Redmi K20, Xiaomi Mi 9 SE, Realme Q and Vivo X27.

Microsoft introduces all-in-one Office beta app for Android

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Simranpal Singh

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Nov 4, 2019

Microsoft has introduced a new all-in-one Office beta app, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and other tools. It is another attempt by Microsoft to bring the professional editing tools in a single package on the Android platform. Microsoft already hosts separate apps on Android for its office tools such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, etc.

The new Microsoft Office beta will let the users create, edit, and share different documents on the cloud or your Android smartphone. Multiple users are allowed to collaborate on a single project like Google Docs. Moreover, the Sticky Notes integration helps the users to dwell notes without using Sticky Notes App. The inbuilt conversion feature will efficiently convert photos, Word, Excel, photoshop, or Powerpoint file to PDFs. Another excellent feature is to sign the document and convert the file to the desired format.

The Office beta app consists of some powerful features like converting a document picture into an editable Word file on a single tap, transforming the table picture into a spreadsheet file, and allowing the powerpoint to create presentations by selecting photos from the phone automatically. It can even let you create a scanned image by enhancing the digital photos of whiteboards.

Microsoft Office beta even enhances the file sharing between your phone and computer or nearby mobile devices. The inbuilt capability to scan QR codes for opening files and links quickly is another striking feature.

It is not the first time that Microsoft tested an all-in-one Office app on the mobile platform. They tried on Windows Phone with the Office Hub app. It comprised of all the Office tools, including Excel, Word, powerpoint, and OneNote support.

The new app is currently in the beta stage, and for sure, it will have some bugs and issues.

Update: It appears Microsoft has pulled down the app from the Play Store. We have attached the source link of the app from the third-party website below.

(source, via)

Vivo S5 to come with punch-hole display

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Nov 4, 2019

Vivo has recently confirmed that it will be launching the Vivo S5 smartphone on Nov. 14. Last month, the smartphone was seen in the hands of S-series brand ambassador Cai Xukun. It revealed that the Vivo S5 has quad cameras arranged inside a diamond-shaped module on its rear. Today, a couple of images have appeared to reveal the front and rear design of the phone.

The first image is a snapshot of an endorsement program for the phone. It clearly shows a punch-hole present at the upper-right corner of the device. A reliable tipster has also claimed that the phone will be equipped with a punch-hole display.

The other images are renders of the smartphone that reveal its front and rear design. In the promo video that had appeared in the previous month, the Vivo S5’s front was not revealed. However, its rear had featured a diamond-shaped module that housed four cameras and below it was an LED flash.

However, these new renders show the phone without a punch-hole display. The screen is notch-less, and its rear has a diamond-shaped camera housing that comprises of three camera sensors and an LED flash. There is no confirmation on the authenticity of these images, but they have given birth to new rumors that there could be two editions of the phone. There could be a model with a punch-hole display and four rear cameras, and the other variant may have a notch-less display and triple cameras.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo Y19 arrives with triple cameras and Helio P65 inside

Earlier this year, Vivo had launched the Vivo S1 and Vivo S1 Pro smartphones in China. Probably, the company could be planning to launch Vivo S5 and Vivo S5 Pro smartphones. As of this writing, there is no official confirmation on the existence of Vivo S5 Pro.

Currently, there are no details available on the specifications of the Vivo S5. The Chinese firm is expected to share more details before the Nov. 14 launch date.

In related news, Vivo is gearing up to launch the Vivo Y5s smartphone in China. The smartphone may release in the home market will be a rebranded version of the Vivo Y19 smartphone. It features a 6.53-inch IPS LCD full HD+ display with waterdrop notch, Helio P65 processor, 4 GB / 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of native storage, Android 9 Pie OS, 16-megapixel selfie camera, 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system and 18W dual-engine fast charging supported 5,000mAh battery.

Commerce Department will soon allow US companies to restore relations with Huawei

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