You thought this past week was busy with smartphone launches? Think again. Because next week is going to be even busier. A total of 7 brands have confirmed to release phones next week. Of these, four companies will announce new products. Whereas, the remaining three will debut their already official handsets in one of the important markets – India.

Next week, we will witness the launch of 5 brand-new smartphones. Out of this, two of them will be the first high-end gaming smartphones of 2022. On the other hand, the remaining three will be important budget/mid-range smartphones. Let’s go through them one by one.

Upcoming Smartphones Next Week

Redmi K50 Gaming Edition

The most anticipated smartphone of next week is Redmi K50 Gaming Edition. It will be the brand’s first phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC.

The launch event for the handset is scheduled to kickstart from 6 PM CST on February 16. Interested readers can watch the live stream on Mi.com China, Weibo, and leading Chinese social as well as video streaming platforms.

The device is expected to arrive with features such as a 6,67-inch 120Hz OLED display, 64MP + 13MP + 2MP triple camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, JBL-tuned dual stereo speakers, magnetic shoulder keys, x-axis linear vibrations motor, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, 4,700mAh battery, and 120W fast charging.

realme 9 Pro Series

The realme 9 Pro series is set to launch on February 16 in multiple markets, including India and Europe. The event live stream is planned to start from 1:30 PM IST. It can be watched on the brand’s official YouTube channel. The company may also stream the conference on its official Twitter and Facebook profile/page.

The lineup will include two devices, namely realme 9 Pro and realme 9 Pro+. They will feature the same color-changing rear design but will differ in terms of specs.

According to leaks and teasers, the Pro+ will offer all the bells and whistles like an OIS-enabled 50MP Sony IMX766 primary camera, 6.43-inch FHD+ 90Hz AMOLED display, and an in-screen fingerprint sensor with support for heart rate monitoring. While the Pro will come with a 6.59-inch 120Hz display (LCD) and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset.

REDMAGIC 7 Series

The REDMAGIC 7 series will launch on February 17 in China. The event is scheduled to start at 3 PM CST. It will be live-streamed on Weibo and other popular Chinese social as well as video streaming platforms.

The family is expected to include two models, such as REDMAGIC 7 and REDMAGIC 7 Pro. There could be a special variant with an under-display camera.

Leaks, certifications, and teasers have revealed features like a 6.8-inch FHD+ 165Hz OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, VC liquid cooling system, dual cooling fans, 64MP triple camera setup, Android 12, 4,500mAh battery, and 165W fast charging.

OnePlus Nord CE 2

OnePlus has confirmed to launch the OnePlus Nord CE 2 in multiple markets on February 17. The event will be live-streamed on the company’s official  YouTube channel from 7 PM IST. The brand may also stream the conference on its official social media handles.

As far as the device is concerned, it will be the successor of the OnePlus Nord CE from last year. It will be accompanied by the OnePlus TV Y1S series. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite may also debut alongside it.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 is said to sport a 6.43-inch FHD+ 90Hz AMOLED display, MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC, LPDDR4x RAM, UFS 2.2 storage, 64MP (wide) + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) triple camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, MicroSD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, in-screen fingerprint sensor, OxygenOS 11.3 based on Android 11, 4,500mAh battery, and 65W fast charging.

POCO M4 Pro 5G

The POCO M4 Pro 5G is finally heading to India on February 15. The launch event will begin at 12 PM and can be streamed on the official YouTube channel of POCO India.

This handset went official in early November in multiple international markets. It is nothing but a rebranded Redmi Note 11 5G sold in China. The phone also goes by the name of Redmi Note 11T 5G in India.

Its specifications include a 6.6-inch FHD+ 90Hz display (LCD), MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset, 50MP (wide) + 8MP (ultra-wide) dual camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual stereo speakers, Android 11-based MIUI 12.5, 5,000mAh battery, and 33W fast charging.

ASUS ROG Phone 5S Series

Six months post its initial release, the ASUS ROG Phone 5S series is set to launch in India on February 15. The family includes two devices, namely ROG Phone 5S and ROG Phone 5S Pro.

The duo will be similar to their predecessors ROG Phone 5 and ROG Phone 5 Pro, except for the chip. They are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ SoC instead of Snapdragon 888.

Their specs consist of a 6.78-inch FHD+ 144Hz AMOLED display, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, 64MP (wide) + 13MP (ultra-wide) + 5MP (macro) triple camera setup, 24MP selfie camera, dual stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, 2 x USB Type-C ports, in-screen fingerprint sensor, ultrasonic shoulder triggers, Android 11-based ROG UI, 6,000mAh battery, and 65W fast charging.

Infinix ZERO 5G

Infinix ZERO 5G went official earlier this week in Nigeria. Up next, the brand’s first 5G smartphone is on the way to India. It will land in the country on February 14.

The handset has a design similar to the premium OPPO Find X 3 series. However, it is a  mid-range 5G smartphone.

It offers specifications like a 6.78-inch 120Hz display (LCD), MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, 48MP + 13MP  + 2MP triple camera setup, 16MP selfie camera, Android 11, 5,000mAh battery, and 33W fast charging.

RELATED:

• Upcoming Smartphones in February 2022: Samsung, Oppo, Redmi, Black Shark & more
• Throwback Tech Thursday: Revisiting the HTC One (M7) – The BoomBox Metal Phone
• Opinion: OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite could be Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G’s true competitor
• Here’s why Redmi Note 11S does not ‘Set the Bar’ in India

The post Upcoming Smartphones: Redmi K50 Gaming, Realme 9 Pro, OnePlus Nord CE 2, and more appeared first on Gizmochina.

Asus unveiled the ROG Phone 5 series in March 2021. The lineup was soon followed by the ROG Phone 5S series in August. However, the newest family of gaming smartphones from the Taiwanese PC maker did not make its way to many markets. Six months after its announcement, the handsets are now scheduled to debut in India.

Asus has confirmed to launch the ASUS ROG Phone 5S series in India on February 15. Flipkart will be the official online retailer of the devices like the previous generation of ROG Phones and ZenFones.

The ROG Phone 5S family consists of only two models, namely ROG Phone 5S and ROG Phone 5S Pro. For the unaware, the ROG Phone 5 has three models, such as ROG Phone 5, ROG Phone 5 Pro, and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. 

As far as specifications are concerned, the newer smartphone duo is identical to each other. They only differ in terms of rear design (dot-matrix RGB LED vs ROG Vision PMOLED display) and two additional touch sensors on the Pro.

Other than that, they have the same 6.78-inch FHD+ 144Hz AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ chipset, up to 18GB LPDDR5 RAM, up to 512GB UFS 3.1 storage, 64MP + 13MP + 5MP triple camera setup, 24MP selfie camera, dual stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, 2 x USB Type-C ports,5G connectivity, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, in-screen fingerprint sensor, ultrasonic shoulder triggers, Android 11-based ROG UI, 6,000mAh battery, and 65W fast charging.

How much do you think ASUS will charge for the ROG Phone 5S series in India? For context, the ROG Phone 5 series starts at ₹49,999 ($667). Let us know your guesses in the comment section below.

RELATED:

• ASUS ExpertBook B3 Detachable is a 2-in-1 tablet with Snapdragon 7C Gen 2 SoC, Windows 11 Pro
• ASUS ROG Magic 16 2022 gaming laptop goes on sale in China for 9,999 yuan ($1,573)
• Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip OLED laptop with 360° rotatable screen launched in India
• ASUS ROG Fusion II 500 & Fusion II 300 gaming headsets unveiled in India

The post ASUS ROG Phone 5S series India launch date revealed appeared first on Gizmochina.

After entering the second half of the year, Qualcomm updated its top chipset, the Snapdragon 888 Plus with upgraded performance. ROG, as one of the top gaming brands, naturally was quick to bring this new chip to its gaming phone lineup. 

ASUS officially released the ROG 5s series in August, which was also the first gaming phone featuring the new 888 Plus chipset in the second half of 2021. 

In July, we made a video about our pick of best gaming phones released in the first half of 2021. In that video, the ROG Phone 5 won the title with its stable performance and excellent gaming features. And now we are wondering whether the upgraded series has any significant improvements. So this time we bought in the top version of the ROG 5s series, the ROG 5s Pro, which comes with 18GB Ram and 512GB ROM. 

I guess that is enough of an introduction, let’s check out the phone now.

ASUS ROG Phone 5S Pro Review: Unboxing

The package of the ROG Phone 5s Pro still continues ROG phone’s unique hexagonal column shape.

When you open the box, there is the same AR comic for users to scan with the ROG Phone, when setting up the phone for the first time. And under this, the Phone is on the right side, and ROG attaches the aero-active cooler fan on the other side. Considering the high price and the thermal issue of the 888 platform, the included accessory seems to be reasonable and obviously necessary for heavy gamers with the ROG 5s Pro series. At the same time, it’s also a very useful operational accessory for gaming.

About its performance, we will talk it in detail in our performance test later. Let’s equip the fan accessory first.

ASUS ROG Phone 5S Pro Review: Design & Display

Looking back at the phone. When compared to the standard version of the ROG 5 and ROG 5s, the Pro model still has some premium features over its design. But, to be honest, there are not many surprises over the design of the ROG 5S Pro since it still utilizes the same design as its predecessor, the ROG 5 Pro. 

The most impressive detail of the 5S Pro’s design is the ROG Vision, a small display that shows a neon light effect. But the location of the window display is slightly different from the 5 Pro, which is closer to the central area of the back. It looks pretty cool, as it reminded me of the game Cyberpunk 2077. Apart from that, for now, it’s pretty useless as we couldn’t find more interesting customized content for the phone and also because it’s not useful when you are using the phone or playing games. Apart from this, from the design point of view, there’s almost no difference from its predecessor in the ROG 5S Pro.

For example, the new Asus ROG Phone Pro still follows the off-screen button design of its predecessor, including two shoulder buttons which could split into two-slide buttons respectively and two back slide buttons. 

The display still uses a 6.79-inch Samsung AMOLED E4 panel with a 144Hz refresh rate, and the sampling rate is boosted up to 360Hz. It’s worth noting that the display is still the AMOLED display with the highest refresh rate. You don’t need to worry about the performance of the E4 display, which is almost the best display that you can have in the gaming phone market. The peak brightness for the full screen can reach up to 775 nits, while in the 20% window of the display, the figure even can go up to 1050, which made it look stunning when playing HDR content. 

For audio, the ROG 5s Pro features dual symmetrical speakers to deliver stereo sounds, and it also reserves the 3.5mm earphone jack. 

ASUS ROG Phone 5S Pro Review: Performance & Gaming

Before testing its performance, we were quite sure that the ROG Phone 5s Pro has the best performance on the Android platform, not just because of the upgraded 888 Plus chipset, but also because of its amazing 18GB LPDDR5 Ram. To be honest, there’s almost no scenario that requires such high configuration on the Android platform. But that’s not what the brand ROG would consider. After all, it’s one of the few brands that keeps seeking the ultimate in performance. 

What we are really curious about is that how much improvement it brings compared to its predecessor. First, let’s look at the benchmark results. 

Well, from the benchmarks, there’s almost no gap between the ROG 5 and the ROG 5s Pro. Even the results of the Lenovo Legion 2 Pro powered by the 888 chipset can compare to the ROG 5s Pro. So we cannot draw the conclusion about the actual improvement of the 888 Plus if based on these benchmark results. 

So let’s move to actual gaming. Well, the tests didn’t reveal any significant information about the improvement either. Because in the games like Genshin Impact and Nimian Legends, which are also the heaviest games that we can find on the Android platform, the ROG 5s didn’t achieve better frame rate results than the ROG 5. In fact, it’s slightly lower than the ROG 5 model. But it doesn’t mean that the 5s Pro got downgraded in actual gaming, since we didn’t run the games multiple times to reduce the errors. But we are still confident to say that the improvement is really unperceivable. Both of them are still the most powerful beasts in the gaming market. 

And their thermal performance is also close to each other. Under X gaming mode, both of them fully released the performance of the chipsets. And consequently, their surface temperature could go up to around 55℃. And to be honest, the ROG 5s Pro under the X gaming mode is the hottest model that we’ve tested in 2021. I couldn’t even hold it in the last 10 minutes. And this made us realize why ROG was so generous to include the cooling fan right inside the box. After attaching the cooler, the heating situation got much better, with an acceptable holding temperature, that reduced by around 8 degrees. So if you’re not going to attach the cooling fan while gaming, our suggestion is, not to turn on the X mode. It won’t make a difference in most games.

For the gaming operations, the ROG 5s Pro feels almost the same as its predecessor. When you attach the cooling fan to the phone, you are able to have a more complicated combo operation with 8 fingers. But it’s really a challenge to get used to those slide buttons. 

As for software support, to retain almost all the gaming features from the ROG 5 series, ROG has made them more detailed. For example, the brand not just provided with all the information about how the phone is performing, but you are also allowed to access more specific control over performance. There are several preset performance modes for users, and gamers can modify all the sub-options.

ASUS ROG Phone 5S Pro Review: Cameras

Another big surprise of the ROG 5s Pro came from the cameras. It’s the first time that we like the cameras on a gaming phone so much. No matter from its SONY IMX686 64MP main camera or the super wide-angle lens with 13MP resolution, we really saw its potential that even compared to some flagship killers. Especially for the main camera, the images are sharp and bright with a true color presentation. 

While for the wide-angle camera, It’s probably the widest viewing angle that I’ve ever seen on a smartphone. 

Main Camera

1 of 10

UltraWide Camera

1 of 9

Macro Camera

ASUS ROG Phone 5S Pro: Battery & Charging

As for battery and charging, it’s obvious that ROG tried to support your long gaming sessions with a 6000mAh battery. However, in our power-consumption test, the 6000mAh battery didn’t show significant advantage in gaming battery life. Especially under X mode, the power dropped quickly with heavy games. And with the included 67W charger, it took around 50mins to finish our charging test. 

ASUS ROG Phone 5S Pro Review: Verdict

So that’s all about the new ROG gaming phone. Well, probably most of you would be a bit disappointed, just like me, after seeing very little real-life performance upgrades. But we also believe that most gamers who have already bought the ROG 5 series wouldn’t really care about the upgraded version. However, no doubt, the ROG 5s Pro is still the best gaming phone that we would recommend if you are looking for a new model in the market. 

So what do you think about the top version of the ROG 5s series?

RELATED: 

• Hohem iSteady V2 AI Smartphone Gimbal Review: Top-notch Face Tracking
• ZTE Axon 30 5G Review: The Budget Under-display camera phone
• Xiaomi MIX 4 Hands on Review: Beautiful Color, High Quality Workmanship

The post ASUS ROG Phone 5S Pro Review: Snapdragon 888+ doesn’t give it an edge appeared first on Gizmochina.

Last week we saw no less than six new phones get announced across various markets. However, phone launches were not the only exciting news. Here is a roundup of the top stories from the third week of August:

ROG Phone 5s series – New processor, same shell

ASUS announced new gaming smartphones under its ROG brand. The new ROG Phone 5s and ROG Phone 5s Pro don’t change much from their predecessors announced earlier this year. The main upgrade is the Snapdragon 888+ processor. The RAM has also been bumped up to 18GB.

Motorola Edge 20 series Indian launch

Motorola’s Edge 20 series made its stop in India last week. The Lenovo-owned company announced the Motorola Edge 20 and the Motorola Edge 20 Fusion. The former is one of the lightest and thinnest phones in its class. Both phones have a 108MP primary camera and a high refresh rate display. Motorola India has also confirmed that the Edge 20 Pro will launch later.

Galaxy A52s 5G – yet another phone with only a performance upgrade

Samsung’s Galaxy A-series added two new members last week. While the Galaxy A03s will appeal to those on a constricted budget, the Galaxy A52s 5G is for those with more money to spare but not enough for a flagship. The A52s 5G doesn’t offer much over the Galaxy A52 5G announced back in March but you do get a more powerful processor and new colors to choose from.

iQOO 8 series – a head-turning balance of power and style

The launch of the iQOO 8 series was one of the major highlights of last week. The new smartphones from Vivo’s iQOO come with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 888+ processor, fast wired and wireless charging, Samsung’s brand new E5 display, and a custom version of OriginOS developed for the sub-brand.

These new phones are not just beasts under the hood, but also feature impressive designs. Alongside custom editions that wear the BMW Motorsport colors, the standard model also has a photochromic version that can switch from silver to bright orange!

Pixel 5A 5G – same but better in some ways

Google announced a new Pixel phone, but while it is not the one we are all looking forward to which is the Pixel 6, the new Pixel 5a 5G has been getting a lot of attention since it launched. The mid-range phone takes over from the Pixel 4a 5G as the flagbearer of the Pixel a line. While some key specs have been carried over from last year’s mode, the Pixel 5a 5G brings a significantly bigger battery, an IP67 rating, and a price tag that is $50 cheaper than that of the Pixel 4a 5G. The Pixel 5a 5G will be exclusive to Japan and the U.S.A. but Google did launch a Pixel for the Indian market in form of the Pixel Buds A.

Realme Book Slim – an impressive first attempt

Realme made its entry into the computer market with the launch of the Realme Book Slim, a premium ultrabook with a competitive price tag. The 14-inch notebook which is powered by Intel’s 11th Gen processor also has a 2K display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, a fingerprint scanner, and a model with a Thunderbolt 4 port.

Redmi 10 – significant upgrades for a budget phone

The Redmi 10 launched last week and it comes with some of the biggest upgrades Redmi’s numbered series has seen. From an upgraded display with a higher refresh rate to a more powerful chipset to a huge upgrade in the camera department, the Redmi 10 is proof that you can get a pretty good phone even when on a tight budget.

OPPO announces new camera technology for smartphones

OPPO pumps millions of dollars into research and development every year. Last week, it showed us some of the results from its labs. The Chinese manufacturer announced a 5-axis OIS sensor and an OPPO RGBW sensor that can capture up to 60% more light.

No charger for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro but faster charging

The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro won’t be coming with chargers included in the box. However, it has been reported that they will have support for a faster charging technology than their predecessor.

OnePlus 9 RT and OxygenOS 12 – coming next quarter

OnePlus won’t be launching a T-version of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro according to a leaker. However, new details surfaced last week revealing that the OnePlus 9R will be the one getting the T-treatment.

The OnePlus 9 RT is coming later this year and it will be the first Oneplus phone to run OxyegnOS 12 out of the box.

RELATED:

• Next Week in Tech: Vivo Y33s, Galaxy M32 5G, Xiaomi Smarter Living 2022, and more
• Realme Book Slim vs RedmiBook 15 e-Learning vs RedmiBook 15 Pro vs Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition
• Should you Buy the Motorola Edge 20 or OnePlus Nord 2 for ₹29,999 (~$404)?

The post Top stories from last week: New ROG phones, iQOO 8 series, Pixel 5a 5G, Realme Book, OnePlus 9 RT is coming, and more appeared first on Gizmochina.

The ROG Phone 5s series was announced on Monday in Taiwan. The two new phones, which are powered by the Snapdragon 888 Plus processor and come with up to 18GB of RAM, have now made their way to China. Here are the details on their prices and availability:

ROG Phone 5s

The ROG Phone 5s will be available in five configurations, unlike in Taiwan, where it is available in only two:

• 8GB RAM + 256GB = ¥3999 (~$617)
• 12GB RAM +128GB = ¥4299 (~$663)
• 12GB RAM + 256GB = ¥4699 (~$725)
• 16GB RAM + 256GB = ¥4999 (~$770)
• 18GB RAM + 512GB = ¥5899 (~$910)

ROG Phone 5s Pro

The ROG Phone 5s Pro will be available in only one configuration:

• 18GB RAM + 512GB = ¥8499 (~$1310)

ASUS has revealed that the ROG Phone 5s series will be available for purchase starting August 24 at 10:00 AM.

The ROG Phone 5s has a 6.78-inch Samsung E4 AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, 360HZ touch sampling rate, and a 24ms touch response rate. It also has DC Dimming, HDR10+, SGS eye protection, and Gorilla Glass Victus.

The Snapdragon 888+ processor draws juice from a dual-cell 6000mAh battery. There is support for 65W fast wired charging too, so you can recharge and get back to gaming in the shortest possible time.

For cameras, there is a 64MP Sony IMX686 f/1.8 primary sensor, a 13MP 125° ultrawide angle sensor, and a 5M macro camera. A 24MP camera is in front for video calls and selfies. The phone can record in 8K and also record time-lapse videos in 4K UHD.

ASUS has equipped the phone with dual front-facing 7-magnet speakers. There is also an audio jack, and four microphones with ASUS noise reduction technology. There is Wi-Fi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, an in-display fingerprint scanner, ultrasonic AirTriggers, and dual-SIM support. It runs ROG UI 5.0 based on Android 11 out of the box and is available in Aurora White and Phantom Black.

The ROG Phone 5s Pro has practically the same specs as the standard version but with the addition of a PMOLED screen and two touch sensors on the back of the device. It also comes in a single color – Phantom Black. Both phones will ship with a 65W adapter and a protective case.

RELATED:

• ASUS aims to double its smartphone shipments this year to 1 million units
• Asus now pushing the Android 11 update to the ROG Phone 3 in Taiwan
• Black Shark 5 with Snapdragon 888+ to launch soon

The post ROG Phone 5s lands in China in more configurations, Pro model tags along appeared first on Gizmochina.