The Huawei Mate X was first announced in February with a release planned for later. It has been over 8 months and it is yet to go on sale as the release date has been shifted forward twice now. Between the period it was first announced and now, Huawei has redesigned the foldable phone in order to improve durability. An early unboxing video has now revealed one of the new changes in the design.
The Mate X has an outward folding design which means you fold the screen backwards to use it in phone mode or forward to use it in tablet mode. The advantage this design has is that there is no need for a second screen when the device is folded, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Fold which has a second display outside due to its inward folding design. The disadvantage is that the screen is always exposed.
Based on the unboxing video, the Mate X now has a button that needs to be pushed to release the display when you want to switch to tablet mode. Apparently, when folded to phone mode, the folded part of the screen gets locked down. So to release the screen and switch back to tablet mode you have to push the red button.
The Huawei Mate X is expected to go on sale later this month in China. The phone’s flexible display measures 8-inches with a resolution of 2480 x 2200 when folded out. When folded, one side measures 6.6-inches with a resolution of 2480 x 1148 while the other side is 6.38-inches with a 2480 x 892 resolution. The phone has triple rear cameras, a Kirin 990 processor, and 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
Earlier this year, Xiaomi launched the Black Shark 2 gaming centric smartphone which was soon followed by its beefed up variant, the Black Shark 2 Pro. Now, the company has shared a teaser on Weibo which reveals that it will soon launch another colour variant of the Black Shark 2 Pro which has Orange accents and high-lights.
As the teaser exhibits, the upcoming variant of the Black Shark 2 Pro will go on sale from the 18th of October starting 10 AM. In terms of RAM and ROM, this variant will have 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB of UFS 3.0 storage, which is also offered with existing variants. The Black Shark 2 Pro with Orange accents will retail for 2999 Yuan ($ 423).
Except for the new colour scheme, the innards of this variant remain the same as previously launched variants. To recall, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro features a 6.39-inch Super AMOLED display that has offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by a 4,000mAh battery which is capable of fast charging with 27W of maximum power.
The Black Shark 2 Pro runs Black Shark OS which is built on top of Android 9 Pie. The uniquely designed rear panel houses a vertically aligned dual camera setup which consists of an f/1.8 aperture 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. For clicking selfies, it has a front camera of 20-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture.
Under the hood, the device features the latest and greatest offering from Qualcomm which is the Snapdrgaon 855+. The SoC is manufactured using 7 nm fabrication process and it consists of an Octa Core CPU alongside the Adreno 640 GPU. There is no microSD card slot or 3.5mm audio jack on the handset.
On the 15th of October, Huawei’s sub-brand, Honor announced a pair of wireless earphones in its home country, China which is called the Honor xSport PRO. As the “xSport” name suggests, the wireless earphones have a rugged design with a braided cable and Aluminum earbuds which are safeguarded via soft silicone sleeve.
Honor xSport PRO Design and Features
The Honor xSport Pro have a neckband style design, therefore, when not in use the earbuds can be removed from the ears and allowed to rest around the chest region. Like most other neckband style headphones, they also have a magnetic back which can be used to keep the earbuds together when in the rest position.
The earmuffs/earbuds are made out of Aluminium and their shape resembles Apple’s AirPods that sit in the outer ear. However, Honor xSport PRO earbuds are covered with soft silicone sleeves which would make them fit snugly preventing them from falling out unintentionally while working out or performing rigorous physical activities.
The Honor xSport PRO weighs 25 grams which evenly distributed in its two halves. Its right side houses the microphone pinhole, volume rockers, play pause button and thoughtfully designed USB C male charging port which joins the two halves of the wireless earphones. On the other hand, the left side is free from any ports or openings and it is assumed to accommodate the 120 mAh battery that powers the device.
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The previously mentioned USB C port can be used to charge its inbuilt battery by plugging it into the charging port of any smartphone with type of connector or a PD (Power Delivery) type charger. According to the company website, the Honor xSport PRO takes about 70 minutes to charge and they can offer a battery backup of 12 hours on medium volume.
The Honor xSport PRO is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 technology and it offers a working range of 10 metres. Lastly, the pair of wireless earphones is IP55 rated which makes it both dust and water-resistant.
Honor xSport PRO Price, Colours are Availability
The Honor xSport PRO wireless earphones are offered in two gradient colour options which include Enchanting Red (Red/Black) and Seagull Ash (Silver/Black). The latest audio accessory from Honor is currently available for pre-order on VMall and these users can purchase it on the 22nd of October at a price of 399 Yuan.
To wrap things up, the Honor xSport PRO seems like a worthy pair of budget wireless earphones. Its only shortfalling we feel is the 70 min long charging time. Having said that, most offerings in this range do not support fast charging, therefore, Honor just might get away with it without many consumers complaining about the absence of this feature.
Oppo A9 2020, which was launched in India last month, has now received a price cut of ₹1,000 in the Indian market. With this price cut, the phone will now be available for purchase for a price of ₹15,990 (~$224) instead of ₹16,990 (~$238).
The smartphone comes with a 6.5-inch waterdrop Sunlight Screen which offers a screen resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels and has a screen-to-body ratio of 89 percent. There is also a Blue Shield that filters harmful blue light and protects users from eye fatigue.
Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset and packs 4GB or 8GB RAM and both the variants pack 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage. It also comes with a dedicated microSD card slot for expanding the storage capacity up to 256GB.
In the camera department, it comes with a quad-camera setup on the back which consists of a 48-megapixel f/1.8 primary camera, an 8-megapixel f/2.25 aperture with 119-degree ultrawide angle camera, and two 2-megapixel cameras with f/2.4 aperture.
On the front side, it features a 16-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture with AI beautification. The phone has electronic image stabilization and an Ultra Night Mode 2.0 that also works with ultrawide angle photos.
Features on the Oppo A9 2020 include stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos. The smartphone runs Android 9 Pie-based ColorOS 6.0.1 with features such as Game Boost 2.0 for smoother and more responsive gaming, HyperBoost, Game Space, Game Assistant, and a Riding Mode that mutes all notifications, declines calls and automatically texts back callers.
The device also comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The smartphone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery which also supports reverse charging. The company has not mentioned fast charging support, which is a bit disappointing.
In the last couple of years, we have observed all sorts of technology companies beginning to invest significant sums of money in research and development. While it is hard to learn about new breakthroughs before they are seen with newly launched products, it is possible to anticipate future offerings of a company by the patents they have been granted.
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On the 15th of October, the State Intellectual Property Office of China has published a list that reveals the number of patents awarded to different companies in September 2019. The top three companies in the lists include Oppo, Huawei and State Grid which provides a fair indication into how successful these companies have been in the development of new technologies.
Speaking of numbers, Oppo, Huawei and the Grid Company were awarded 266, 264 and 210 patents, in respective order, last month. Whereas, in the month of August the Grid Company was awarded 336 patents which were followed by Huawei and Oppo that secured 331 and 316 patents respectively.
Moreover, in the G06 category which deals with “calculation and counting” related intelectuall properties, Oppo once again came out on top with 101 invention patents, Tencent, the developer of PUBG was awared 85 invention patents and Alibaba Holdings group was awared 81 invention patents.
Another category list that has been revealed by the same document is “H04” which deals with “Electronic Communication Technology”. The most number of patents in this category was awarded to Huawei which include 188 patents while Oppo came in at second in this list with 138 patents.
This high number of patents secured by Huawei and Oppo reflects that the Chinese companies have been investing heavily been in R&D. Even if we had not seen this list, the developments made by these companies could not be avoided. For example, Oppo has recently launched the Reno Ace which supports 65W fast charging. On the other hand, it is hard to miss the expertise of Huawei in the field of 5G. Notably, it was one of the few companies that have successfully developed a 5G modem, namely the Balong 5000.
To wrap things up, these patents suggest that a whole lot of technologies might soon be making their way in consumer devices.
After globally unveiling the OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro smartphones, OnePlus kept a dedicated launch event in China to announce the OnePlus 7T series in China. The OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro come with attractive 90Hz displays and are equipped with topnotch specs. The OnePlus 7T series have been introduced in China with a starting price of 2,999 Yuan (~$424).
OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro Price and Release Date in China
The OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro will be available for purchase staring from Oct. 22 at 10:00 AM (local time) through OnePlus China online store and JD.com. The same platforms will be selling the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition from Nov. 5 at 10:00 AM (local time). The OnePlus 7T series is now up for pre-orders in China.
The pricing and color variants of the OnePlus 7T series for China are as follows:
OnePlus 7T
8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – 2,999 Yuan (~$424)
8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage – 3,199 Yuan (~$452)
Color Variants: Glacier Blue and Frosted Silver
OnePlus 7T Pro
8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage – 4,599 Yuan (~$649)
Color: Haze Blue only
The Chinese manufacturer also introduced OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 Olive Green edition in China with a price tag of 599 Yuan (~$85).
OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro Specifications
The OnePlus 7T that features a flat 6.55-inch display with waterdrop notch. The Fluid AMOLED display supports full HD+ resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio. The OnePlus 7T Pro features 6.67-inch Fluid AMOLED curved display with notch-less design. It supports quad HD+ resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro phones offer smoother viewing experience as they support 90Hz refresh rate. Also, their displays are equipped with in-display fingerprint scanner. The front and rear sides of the OnePlus 7T are protected by Gorilla Glass panels. The OnePlus 7T Pro has Gorilla Glass 6 protecting the screen and Gorilla Glass 5 on the rear.
The Snapdragon 855+ chipset with 2.96GHz octa-core processor power the OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro smartphones. The HydrogenOS flavored Android 10 OS comes preloaded on the Chinese edition of the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro phones. These phones lack support for external storage.
The rear side of the OnePlus 7T features a round-shaped camera housing that includes a Sony IMX586 48-megapixel primary lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens. The front notch has a 16-megapixel selfie shooter. The rear side of the OnePlus 7T Pro has a vertical triple camera system that features a main 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens and a 16-megapixel ultrawide sensor. The smartphone comes with a pop-up selfie snapper of 16-megapixel.
The OnePlus 7T has a 3,800mAh battery that is equipped with 30W Warp Charge 30T fast charging technology. The OnePlus 7T Pro is packed with a 4,085mAh battery that carries support for 30W Warp Charge rapid charging technology.
The Chinese manufacturer has also announced OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition in China. The smartphone features a papaya orange accent edges on its rear shell. The rear design is inspired carbon TPT material found on McLaren’s Speedtail. It has 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of native storage. The rest of its specifications are same as the OnePlus 7T Pro smartphone.
The first generation of the Apple iPhone SE introduced back in 2016 was designed on the frame of the iPhone 5s using the specifications of the iPhone 6s. The handset is no longer available for purchase as it has been discontinued. Rumors are rife that the successor phone dubbed as the iPhone SE 2 will debut in March 2020. Ming-Chi Kuo from TF Securities analyst has claimed that the smartphone will be priced at $399.
Kuo had earlier announced Apple’s intentions of revealing a mid-cycle handset in March. The device promised to follow in the footsteps of the iPhone SE, delivering better hardware at a lower price. Kuo believes the SE 2 will arrest Apple’s faltering sales in 2020. He estimates suppliers selling anywhere between 2 and 4 million devices every month with a total of 30 million devices sold at the end of 2020.
It is hardly surprising that Apple has decided to use an older chassis for the iPhone SE 2. The device is expected to feature the A13 chipset with 3GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of internal storage. The handset misses out on an extra 1GB of RAM and 256GB of storage found on the iPhone 11. Rumors suggest that the iPhone SE 2 is based on the ergonomics of the iPhone 8, suggesting a curvier design than the original iPhone SE. Kuo has further revealed that it will be available in Silver, Red and Space Gray color variants.
The 64GB variant of the iPhone 8 currently sells for $449. Even though the SE 2 is based on the same platform, it replaces 3D Touch Screen with Haptic Touch while utilizing numerous older components. Apple should be able to hack $50 off the price tag, effectively selling the SE 2 for $399. The real goal behind the iPhone SE seriesis to introduce buyers to the Apple Ecosystem. With Tim Cook increasing the prices of premium devices each year, it is crucial for Apple to attract new customers with an affordable device. Where the 2-year old iPhone 8 fails, the iPhone SE 2 should work wonders!
OPPO had unveiled the OPPO A11x last month in China. The smartphone had arrived as the rebranded version of the OPPO A9 (2020) that had gone official in India in the same month. Now, the OPPO A11 has gone official in China as it now for reservations with a pricing of 1,499 Yuan (~$212) on the OPPOShop.cn official online store of the company. The newly unveiled OPPO A11 is the rebadged version of the OPPO A5 (2020) that was announced in India last month along with the OPPO A9 (2020).
OPPO A11 Specifications and Features
The OPPO A11 is an inferior edition of the OPPO A11x. Like the OPPO A11x, the A11 comes with a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display with waterdrop notch. It offers 720 x 1600 pixels HD+ resolution. The Snapdragon 665 chipset that includes 2.0GHz octa-core processor is present under the hood of the smartphone with 4 GB of RAM. It offers users with a massive internal storage of 128 GB. For more storage, it has a front camera of 8-megapixel.
The quad camera system available on the backside of the phone has a 12-megapixel primary lens with f/1.8 aperture, an 8-megapixel superwide lens with 119-degree field-of-view, a 2-megapixel mono lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The quad cameras come with features like EIS, Ultra Night Mode 2.0 and 30fps 4K video recording. It has a front-mounted camera of 8-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture.
The ColorOS 6 based Android 9 Pie OS runs on the OPPO A11. For accelerated graphics performance, it comes with Game Boost 2.0 support. It is backed by a massive 5,000mAh battery that lacks support for rapid charging. The handset also features Dolby Atmos powered stereo speakers. The other features of the smartphone include rear-facing fingerprint reader, dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, GPS, microUSB and 3.5mm audio jack.
OPPO A11 Price and Release Date
The OPPO A11 has debuted in China in three color variants such as Stream Purple, Cloud White and Lake Green. The purple variant is not listed on the purchase page of the smartphone on the official online store. Priced at 1,499 Yuan (~$212), the OPPO A11 will go on sale on Oct. 17 at 10 AM (local time) in China.
While several companies have been working towards bringing 5G connectivity to smartphones, Qualcomm has developed a unique solution which will expand the reach of 5G to a variety of other devices including TVs and PCs. On the 14th of October, Qualcomm sent out a press release which reveals that its new solution combines 5G and Wi-Fi 6 to provide Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) home gateways.
In simpler words, routers co-developed with Qualcomm will accept a 5G SIM card they will be capable of supporting high-speed data transfer which is observed with 5G compatible smartphones. As of now, more than 30 OEMs have partnered with Qualcomm to develop 5G compatible FWA home gateways, some of which include Nokia, LG, Samsung Electronics, ZTE and Netgear.
Regardless of the maker, all routers co-developed with Qualcomm will incorporate the Snapdragon X55 5G modem and RF system (radio frequency) developed by the American company. Since the previously mentioned OEMs have a global reach, it would be fair to assume that Snapdragon X55-powered 5G FWAs will be commercially available by next year in the U.S., Asia and Europe.
Not only are these products suitable for urban areas but their implementation makes perfect sense in rural or remote areas where ISPs have still not set up wired broadband infrastructure due to harsh terrain or a limited number of potential customers. Therefore, the reach of high-speed internet can be done rapidly and economically with this technology.
Besides, these FWA home gateways could allow telecommunication companies to unify their broadband infrastructure. Lastly, this solution will compete DSL, passive optical networking (PON) providers, and cable broadband (DOCSIS).
What are your thoughts on the possibilities of this technology and its impact on the adoption of 5G? Let us know in the comments below.
Lenovo’s K-Series of smartphones comprise mid-rangers including the Vibe K4 Note, and the K5 Note. Earlier this year, the Chinese multinational technology company added the K6 Note smartphone to the popular line.
The base version of the Lenovo K6 Note with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage space has gone up for sale bearing reduced price tag on Giztop. Available in silver, as well as gold color options, the global edition of the K6 Note usually retails for $149 but can be yours for just $79.
The irresistible Lenovo K6 Note sports a 5.5-inch display with an FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It packs a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Octa Core 1.4GHz processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage for you to save your favorite multimedia content.
On the photography front, the Lenovo K6 Note houses a 16MP camera at the back and an 8MP front shooter with beauty mode. The phone features Dolby Atmos sound for a superior music listening experience.
The Lenovo K6 Note Global Edition runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system and is backed by a 4000mAh battery that has an Ultra Power Saving mode for keeping the phone powered on for a longer duration between charges.
Furthermore, the dual-SIM (Nano+Nano) smartphone can be used as a mobile hotspot so that you can share your 4G data connection with your friends and family members using compatible wireless devices. It supports over 20 languages including English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Russian, Arabic, and more.
You can follow this link to check out more details about the Lenovo K6 Note Global Edition and place your order.
OnePlus recently launched its latest T-lineup smartphones, a successor to its flagship smartphones launched earlier this year. The highlight of the OnePlus 7T series smartphones remains the 90Hz refresh rate display.
Now, the company has revealed a list of games that are compatible with this 90Hz refresh rate. This comes just hours after the official launch of the flagship smartphones in the company’s home market China.
The company has confirmed that “Peace Elite”, “Ace Warrior”, “Fort Frontline”, “QQ Speeding”, “Crossing the FireWire”, “Quantum Special Attack”, “New Swordsman” and seven other games come with support for 90Hz refresh rate display.
Coming to the specifications of the OnePlus 7T, it features a 6.55-inch display which is slightly bigger than that of the OnePlus 7. It is a 90Hz Fluid AMOLED Display with HDR10+ (YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix), a 2400 x 1080 resolution, and 3D Corning Gorilla Glass on top.
Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus processor inside the phone and is paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.0 2-lane storage. It has triple rear cameras – a 48MP f/1.6 Sony IMX586 with OIS and EIS and a 7P lens paired with a 12MP f/2.2 telephoto lens and a 117° 16MP f/2.2 ultrawide angle lens.
OnePlus says the 7T is a phone for vlogging and with the phone’s 16MP selfie camera with EIS. It has an in-display fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, a vibration motor with an advanced haptic engine, and stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos.
The smartphone runs Android 10 out-of-the-box with OxygenOS 10 and is powered by a 3,800mAh battery and brings a new fast-charging technology called Warp Charge 30T which is 23% faster than Warp Charge 30.
Honor has been consistently expanding its Honor 20 lineup. In May, it had launched the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro flagship smartphones. Then came the Honor 20S smartphone in September. It borrowed most of its specs from Honor 20. However, instead of Kirin 980 chipset, quad cameras and 22.5W fast charging found on Honor 20, the Honor 20S came with Kirin 810 SoC, triple cameras and 20W rapid charging. Now the company is gearing up to launch the Honor 20 Lite smartphone. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has confirmed that the handset will go official on Oct. 22.
Honor 20 Lite Reservations Begin
Honor has appointed Chinese actor Bai Jingting as the Product Design Officer for the Honor 20 Lite. The smartphone is now up for reservations through Vmall. The pricing of the smartphone will be confirmed on Oct. 22 through its unveil event. The below shown poster reveals that the handset will come in dark green and light blue-red gradient colors.
Honor 20 Lite Specifications and Features
The entire specifications of the Honor 20 Lite (Youth Edition) are known through its TENAA listing. The smartphone measures 157.2 x 73.2 x 7.65mm and it weighs 172.5 grams. It houses a 6.3-inch OLED display with waterdrop notch. The full HD+ resolution supporting display is embedded with an in-display fingerprint reader. The handset will offer a tall aspect ratio of 20:9.
Rumors surrounding the smartphone have claimed that it will be powered by Kirin 810 chipset. However, a reliable tipster has revealed that it will be featuring the older Kirin 710 SoC. It features up to 8 GB of RAM and it provides user with up to 256 GB of native storage. There is a microSD card slot on the device for expanding its storage.
The rear shell of the Honor 20 Lite has a triple camera system that includes the 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 lens as the primary shooter, it is coupled with an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front notch houses a selfie camera of 16-megapixel.
The Honor 20 Lite boots to Android 9 Pie OS that is customized with EMUI 9.1. It is backed by a 4,000mAh battery. Its 3C listing has revealed that it could be arriving with support for 20W rapid charging on the device.
Xiaomi recently launched its MIUI 11 custom user interface for Mi as well as Redmi smartphones. Now, the core functions of this new user interface will also be making its way to the JoyUI for the Black Shark smartphones.
For those who are unaware, Black Share is a maker of gaming smartphones which is backed by Xiaomi. The company has so far launched four devices — Black Shark, Black Shark Helo, Black Shark 2, and Black Shark 2 Pro.
While it has been confirmed that the some of the core features of the MIUI 11 will make it to the JoyUI, it remains to be seen which are those features given that the company has not revealed the list.
MIUI 11 carries slogan “efficiency innovation” and it seems that those “efficient” tools will be integrated in the JoyUI. For instance, MIUI 11 comes with support for cross-platform high-speed file transfer and is faster and more convenient to transfer photos, files and apps with other phones.
Here’s a list of features that the latest Android skin from Xiaomi brings to the table:
New Icons and smoother animations: With the latest MIUI 11, Xiaomi has tweaked the look of the icons found in the UI and they now have a minimalist yet appealing look. The company has also tweaked the animations which are slower in comparison to MIUI 10 but they now provide for a rich and immersive experience.
Ultra Power Saving Mode: As the name suggests, this mode is meant for prolonging battery life when running out of charge. According to the company, while in this mode, a device can provide a battery backup of upto 24 hours with just 5% of battery. When this mode is turned on, the device turns off the Wi-Fi module, hides non-essential apps, turns the display colour to black/white whilst restricting background processes.
Kids Mode: This mode is meant for parents who want to create a safe digital environment for their kids. While in kids mode, the device will only be able to run applications that are whitelisted by their parent or guardian. Besides, it also has an education space which Xiaomi claims is an intuitive manner to teach young kids.
Casting to external display: This feature will allow smartphones running on MIUI 11 to wirelessly cast onscreen content which includes games, videos, documents and other applications to TV, given the TV also supports this functionality. Xiaomi has thoughtfully designed this feature so users can even hide personal items to keep all sensitive things private. Moreover, the device can continue to cast even when its display has been turned off.
Digital Wellbeing: With this feature, device owners will be able to check how much time they spend on each application and if needed they can cut down the usage time in order to maintain a healthy mental and physical well-being.
Earthquake alerts: With the help of data provided by regional offices, devices running MIUI 11 can notify its owner in case of an ongoing earthquake or after one takes place. Moreover, it will also provide additional details like nearby relief centres and places to avail medical service in case of a mishap.
Android 10: While it is not necessary for every device running MIUI 11 to run on the latest Android 10, as the same skin could even be built on older versions of Android like Oreo or Pie. Having said that, devices launched in recent past will get MIUI 11 based on Android 10.
Realme announced its true flagship phone for the year, the Realme X2 Pro in China a few minutes ago. The phone comes with the latest Snapdragon 855 Plus flagship-grade processor and takes on the likes of the Redmi K20 Pro that has been the segment leader for the past few months. At the same event, Realme also confirmed that it will be the first brand to release a smartphone with Qualcomm’s new 5G integrated chipset.
Realme X2 Pro Master
A few weeks back, Realme revealed that it was working on a 5G integrated Qualcomm Snapdragon 700 series smartphone. But today’s announcement confirms that it will be the first brand to carry this 5G chipset. The company also gave out a few interesting figures about its progress so far.
Realme’s CMO Xu Qi announced that it has over 17 million global users today. It is present in more than 20 countries across the world and the latest Realme X2 Pro launch will mark its entry into four more Western Europe namely Spain, UK, France, and Italy. The company also confirmed that its first Realme store will open in Hangzhou, China, in November 2019.
In an earlier conversation, Realme’s CEO Madhav Seth confirmed that its upcoming Snapdragon 700 series smartphone will feature Qualcomm’s AI Engine and Qualcomm Elite Gaming features. The company aims to release the handset by the end of 2019. Apart from Realme, Qualcomm’s 5G integrated Snapdragon 600, 700, and 800 series chipsets will make it all the major brands like OPPO, Redmi, Vivo, LG, Nokia, and even Motorola.
Realme has finally taken off covers from its flagship phone – the Realme X2 Pro. The handset features the latest Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform. It also comes with some other exciting features like 90Hz refresh rate display, USB 3.0 storage, 64-megapixel quad cameras and 50W fast charging. Moreover, it has arrived with an attractive starting price of 2,599 Yuan (~$367).
Realme X2 Pro Specifications and Features
The Realme X2 Pro has Gorilla Glass 5 panels on its front and rear. The dimensions of the handset are 161 x 75.7 x 8.7mm and it weighs 199 grams. The handset features a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with waterdrop notch. It offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and carries support for 90Hz refresh rate that promises smoother experience while scrolling and playing games. The display offers up to 1000nits brightness and comes with DCI-P3 color gamut support Also, under the display is a fingerprint scanner that can unlock the device in just 0.23 seconds. The smartphone promises a screen-to-body ratio of 91.7 percent.
Realme X2 Pro Luna
The Snapdragon 855+ chipset that includes 2.96GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 640 graphics is present under the hood of the Realme X2 Pro. For heat dissipation, it features vapor chamber liquid cooling, superconducting carbon fiber multi-layer scheme, multi-layer graphite sheet and other heat-dissipating materials.
The Android 9 Pie OS that is overlaid with custom version of ColorOS 6.1 for Realme is present on the device. The tactile linear motor present inside the device assists in 4D in-game vibrations.
The Realme X2 Pro’s SD855+ chipset is assisted by up to 8 GB of RAM. It comes with up to 256 GB of UFS 3.0 storage. The handset lacks support for external storage. Realme’s first flagship draws power from a 4,000mAh battery. It is coupled with 50W SuperVOOC Flash Charging technology. The company claims that it takes only 10 minutes for the phone to gain 40 percent power from scratch. The device can be fully charged in 35 minutes with the new rapid charging technology. The smartphone also supports other charging technologies such as USB-PD and Qualcomm’s 18W rapid charging.
Realme X2 Pro Poseidon
The Realme X2 Pro has a vertical camera module in the upper half of its back panel. It includes four sensors such as Samsung GW1 64-megapixel lens with f/1.8 aperture, a telephoto lens of 13-megapixel with support for up to 20x hybrid zoom, a ultrawide lens of 8-megapixel with 115-degree field-of-view and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The smartphone offers camera features such as super night scene mode, EIS, 4K videos recording at 30fps and slow-motion videos at 960fps. A horizontally placed Realme logo can be seen alongside the quad camera system of the phone. For snapping selfies, the Realme X2 Pro is equipped with an AI driven 16-megapixel selfie shooter that has support for super night scene along with 4-in-1 pixel merging technology.
The Realme X2 Pro comes with all the essential connectivity features such as dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, dual frequency GPS, NFC and the good old 3.5mm audio jack. The handset is also equipped with stereo dual speakers coupled with Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res audio technologies.
Realme X2 Pro Price and Release Date
The pricing of the different variants of the Realme X2 Pro are:
12 GB RAM + 256 GB USF 3.0 storage – 3,199 Yuan (~$452)
Color Variants: Luna (White) and Poseidon (Blue)
The pre-orders of the Realme X2 Pro that begins today will continue until Oct. 17. The first sale of the phone will be held on Oct. 18 at 10:00 AM (local time). The company will be offering 100 Yuan discount for buyers who purchase the Realme X2 Pro through the first sale.
Realme X2 Pro Master Edition Specs, Price and Availability
Realme X2 Pro Master Edition Red Brick
The Realme X2 Pro Master Edition crafted by Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa was also unveiled at the event. It comes in multiple colors and features a signature of the designer on the rear. The Master Edition has 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage and it carries a price tag of 3,199 Yuan (~$452). The rest of the specifications of the Master Edition is same as its regular version.
Realme X2 Pro Master Edition Cement
Red Brick and Cement (Dark Gray) are the two color editions of the Realme X2 Pro Master Edition smartphone. It will be available for purchase on Nov. 11 in China. The first 100 units of the Master Edition will be available with 100 Yuan discount (~$14)
The Realme X2 Pro is also coming to India. The company is expected to hold a dedicated a launch event for it and the Realme XT 730G gaming-centric phone in December this year.
What’s your opinion on the Realme X2 Pro? Sounds like a good rival for OnePlus 7T, right? Share us your views by posting your comments below.
On Aug. 28, Redmi had held a launch event in China to announce the Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphones. At the event, the Chinese firm had also announced a limited edition Redmi Note 8 Pro World of Warcraft Edition smartphone. However, the company had not revealed the pricing and availability of the device. Today, the Chinese firm has confirmed that its sale will begin tomorrow at 10 AM (local time) through Xiaomi Mall in China. It will be available for 1,899 Yuan (~$268).
The Redmi Note 8 Pro World of Warcraft Edition has 8 GB of RAM and an inbuilt storage of 128 GB. The handset is priced at 1,899 Yuan (~$268). The Chinese firm will be selling only 5,000 units of the smartphone. Horde and Alliance are the two variants of the Redmi Note 8 Pro World of Warcraft Edition smartphone.
The Horde model comes in a black and red box and inside is the Electro-optic Ash edition of the Redmi Note 8 Pro. It also features a black and red colored case along with World of Warcraft cards. On the other side, the Alliance model has a white and blue box that features a Fritillaria White version of the smartphone, a black-blue colored case and WoW cards.
The Redmi Note 8 Pro World of Warcraft Edition smartphone has the same specs as its regular version. Apart from special packaging, it comes with a customized MIUI that features custom wallpapers, themes (sync online) and icon packs.
The Redmi Note 8 Pro has a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display with waterdrop notch. It produces full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The MediaTek Helio G90T chipset at the helm of the device. The MIUI 10 based Android 9 Pie OS runs on the Redmi Note 8 Pro.
The rear side of the smartphone has a quad camera system that includes a 64-megapixel Samsung GW1 primary lens, an ultrawide sensor of 13-megapixel, a 2-megapixel dedicated macro camera and a 2-megapixel depth senor. The front notch of the smartphone has the 20-megapixel selfie snapper. It is packed with a 4,500mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging through USB-C. A fingerprint scanner is also available on the rear side of the phone.
Ever since the US started its clampdown on Huawei‘s infrastructures in its territory, shunning its 5G infrastructure, efforts have been made to get allies to also do the same. The US is said to have contacted several countries such as Germany, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Norway, the UK and Denmark in order to get them to shun using Huawei’s hardware for 5G. Germany is one ally whose body language shows isn’t looking to heed the US advise.
According to a Reuters report, Germany has finalised rules for the build-out of 5G mobile networks and it doesn’t include snubbing China’s Huawei Technologies. This is in total disregard of the position of the United States. The rulebook dubbed security catalogue will be released later this week.
“We are not taking a pre-emptive decision to ban any actor or any company,” German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told a news conference in Berlin on Monday.
German carriers are all clients to Huawei and have warned that banning the Chinese vendor would add years of delays and billions of dollars in costs of launching 5G networks. Besides, Huawei has repeatedly denied the allegations by Washington, which has seen the company placed on the US entity list.
The Google Home Mini will be getting a successor tomorrow at the Made by Google event. The new Google Assistant speaker will launch as the Nest Mini. Pictures of the device have surfaced and they show Google is keeping the design of its predecessor with the exception of a nifty feature on the back.
The source of the pictures is the German tech blog, Winfuture.de. The pictures are promo images and they show that the Google Nest Mini looks just like the 2017 Google Home Mini. It still has that donut design and it comes in anthracite, coral, rock candy (light gray) and sky blue.
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The Nest Mini may pass for the Home Mini but that is only when you place them face up. If you turn them upside down, then you should see a distinguishing feature. Google has put a hole at the bottom of the Nest Mini to make it easy to hang on walls rather than sitting on a flat surface. They have also included a 1.5 meter-long cable that should suffice when you mount the speaker on the wall.
Winfuture.de reports that the Nest Mini supports dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, and built-in Chromecast support. However, they add that the speaker may be more powerful as it has a 15W plug, unlike the Home Mini which has a 9W power plug.
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The Nest Mini should have the same launch price tag as the Home Mini. We expect Google to slash the price of the Home Mini if they don’t outrightly stop production.
The Honor 9X launched back in China in July. It is now set to arrive in Europe, but when it does it will be different from the one sold in China. The release dates for the launch in two European countries have been revealed.
The Honor 9X will make its first stop in Russia where it will be unveiled on Thursday, October 17. The official Honor Russia website has put up a nice teaser poster that shows the Honor 9X and its predecessors such as the Honor 8X, Honor 7X, Honor 6X, and Honor 5X.
Exactly a week after its launch in Russia, the Honor 9X train will head to Amsterdam, Netherlands. The poster says there will be two events on the day which is October 24. The first is HiHonor Ecommerce Business event while the second is the launch of the Honor 9X.
The phone will launch in Europe with a key difference in spec as well as design. The European Honor 9X will have a Kirin 710F processor rather than the new and more powerful Kirin 810 processor. While that is definitely disappointing, the reason this is happening is none other than the US ban.
It has been reported that the Kirin 810 board just like the Kirin 990 board can’t get licensed by Google. For this reason, Honor is using the Kirin 710F in the European version of the Honor 9X.
With respect to design, the European version will come with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and not a rear-mounted one. Other than the differences in design and processor, the rest of the specs are the same.
Google always brings forth mesmerizing changes to the latest Android versions. In a similar story, Google launched the new Android version – Android 10 this year with lots of new features, functions and improved User Interface. These new features always bribe the users using old Android iteration to get the new features including apps, wallpapers, and ringtones.
Google already rolled out Android 10 on Pixel devices, and several OEMs like OnePlus, Essential and others are rolling out the new update on their respective devices. However, some devices will remain on Android 9 and other versions. The users of these devices can still enjoy some features from Android 10 without rooting the device. They can easily install native Android 10 apps including its launcher, gallery, etc.
The third-party developers on XDA and other communities have ported the Android 10 launcher for various Android devices. We listed below the most popular Android 10 launcher port. Some features may not work properly but the look and feel will surely match the original Android 10 launcher application.
Advantages of Android 10 Launcher (Pixel)
Dark Mode support
Notification dots
Google Feed
Gestures
Different Icon shapes
Swipe Up Drawer
Android 10 Launcher aka Pixel Launcher Q brings the clutter-free and minimal look. The swipe-based launcher also carries some refinements over the Android 9 based launcher. As in the previous versions, the Google Feed tab is just a swipe away from the home screen.
Steps to Install Android 10 Launcher on any Android phone
Download the Android 10 Launcher ported APK from here.
Before installing, enable Unknown Sources option from the device Settings menu > Security > Additional settings > Privacy.
Now, Install Modded Android 10 launcher.
Upon installation, make it the default launcher for your device.
Enjoy Android 10 Launcher on any Android smartphone.
We hope you have successfully installed the launcher by following the above guide. Some features have snapped due to modding the APK for older Android versions. Moreover, full functionality needs Magisk based root access. The QuickSwitch Magisk Module can be used to port all the features on all old Android versions.
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