2020 Winners and Losers: Realme

Realme continues its meteoric rise, posting some amazing growth figures even though it's no longer a small startup. Its 2020 lineup was marked by insanely short model turnover in the constant battle to offer something just that little extra bit cheaper or flashier, as fast as possible. That lead to a number of excellent successful products, but also plenty of misfires and experiments gone wrong and everything in between. Winner: Realme 7 Pro Currently the most popular Realme phone in our database, the Realme 7 Pro has plenty going for it. Probably one of the best things about Realme’s...

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My top 5 phones of 2020 - George

I won't lie, it's been a tough year. Just to make myself clear I've enjoyed staying at home and not meeting people and all that, and it has given me the opportunity to reignite my past love for quiet indoor hobbies otherwise hampered by all the going to places (yeah, as if). No, I'm talking about finding a phone that would make me run to the store on launch day. Or maybe pre-order. Whichever is the more rushed and impulsive of the two. Perhaps I should just accept that I'm no longer a run-to-the-store kind of guy? Anyway, I do have a list of phones that I feel are worth saying a few...

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2020 Winners and Losers: Oppo

In 2020 Oppo had quite the upturns in multiple fields. It launched plenty of new phones, expanded its ecosystem of smart gadgets, and even had some cool concept devices to share with us. Here’s which devices were the real winners and which ones came short of the mark. Winner: Oppo Find X2 Pro We have to start with the new Find X phone, the first one since 2018, and a full-blown flagship with all the bells and whistles that make a smartphone great. The Oppo Find X2 Pro has pretty much everything you want from a flagship - AMOLED screen, top-notch chipset, great camera, ultra-fast...

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Upcoming Redmi Note 9T runs Geekbench, has some specs and images outed

It's hardly surprising that Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi is working on yet another mid-range smartphone. But it is. What's perhaps more surprising is that unlike the main Mi brand, Redmi doesn't seem capable of counting past 9, at least for the global market. Its next smartphone is going to be the Redmi Note 9T - see, no 10 in sight. This will be a new member of the already incredibly crowded and confusing Redmi Note 9 line - quick, off the top of your head, name the differences between the Redmi Note 9, Redmi Note 9S, Redmi Note 9 Pro, Redmi Note 9 4G, Redmi Note 9 5G, Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G, and...

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$40 OnePlus fitness band rumored for next year to take on Xiaomi

According to a new rumor from "insider sources", OnePlus is not just working on its first smartwatch, to be released in 2021, but also on a cheap fitness band to take on Xiaomi's incredibly successful Mi Band line. The smartwatch's development has already been confirmed by OnePlus CEO Pete Lau, who has mentioned that it should launch early next year. Neither him nor the company have so far teased a fitness band in any way, so do take this info with a pinch of salt. Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Still, it makes sense. The Mi Bands, across all generations, have continuously been the best selling...

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Tipster claims Samsung Galaxy S21 series will ship without charger and headset in UK

Dating back to October, reports circulating the web speculated that Samsung may follow in Apple’s footstep and remove the in-box charger and bundled earphones with its Galaxy S21 series. Well, those rumors have only been intensifying in the past month and now popular tipster Ishan Agarwal also voiced his belief that Samsung will indeed cut out the in-box accessories at least in the UK. The tweet has since been deleted so we only have a screenshot. Tweet The news comes after a certification listing in Brazil confirmed the S21 series will be sold without a charger and headphones. For...

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip gets Android 11 and One UI 3.0

Alongside today’s Galaxy Note10 series OneUI 3.0 update, Samsung is also pushing the Android 11-based firmware to Galaxy Z Flip owners in Europe and Nigeria. Just over a week after the Galaxy Z Flip 5G got its own One UI 3.0 update in Europe. Galaxy Z Flip One UI 3 update changelog The new update bears the F700FxXx3CTLx build number and comes in at just over 2GB in size. It packs the December 2020 security patch. Users are getting the same great additions with chat bubbles, one-time permissions and lock screen tweaks as well as the overhauled UI and much more. Check out all of...

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Google Search testing new "Short video" results from Instagram and TikTok

The latest beta feature in Google Search shows video results from social media platforms Instagram and TikTok. You will soon be able to watch video content from those two platforms directly from the Search app without the need to open the standalone Instagram or TikTok apps. Short video results in Google Search app on iOS The feature is already making its way to a limited number of mobile users and is only available for a handful of search items among which are some NFL teams. The new video content will be available in a separate “Short videos” carousel below your search query...

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Samsung One UI 3 mini review

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Poco M2 units in India are now receiving the stable version of MIUI 12

Poco phones in India are receiving the MIUI 12 stable update one by one. The latest to get it is the Poco M2, following M2 Pro’s update last week. The firmware – MIUI 12.0.1.0.QJRINXM – is a half gigabyte download. The new version brings a visual overhaul, sophisticated privacy controls, improved dark mode, new health app and more. You can find a more detailed breakdown here. Poco M2 units in India are now receiving the stable version of MIUI 12 This particular update also includes the December 1 security patch. The Android version remains at 10. The The M2 duo aside, the...

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Apple AirPods Pro 2 SiP leaks in two sizes

According to past rumors Apple is looking to change up the design of its AirPods Pro successor. The new versions will reportedly feature a more compact round design without the signature stems. Now, a new leak surrounding the next iteration of AirPods Pro is making rounds and it concerns their upgraded system in a package (SiP) enclosures. Alleged AirPods Pro 2 SiP enclosures We can see two sizes for the housing which iterates that Apple may release smaller and larger versions of its next AirPods Pro. The new leaks suggests the AirPods Pro 2 will still rely on Apple’s H1 chip...

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Realme UI 2.0 beta now available for the Realme 6 Pro and Narzo 20 Pro

Ever since its original unveiling back in September, Realme UI 2.0 has been eagerly-anticipated by many. While the company isn't quite ready with the final releases for most of its lineup, it has managed to technically stick to its update roadmap. Yesterday, we got word of an opt-in limited Realme UI 2.0 beta program for the Realme 7 and Realme X2 Pro. Now it turns out that the Realme 6 Pro and Narzo 20 Pro can also participate. Anyone interested in test-driving Realme UI 2.0 on these devices should head on over to one of the two source links for the official steps to do so. It is a...

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Apple patents a Mac keyboard with configurable keys that use tiny displays

A new patent has been granted to Apple by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The company has been toying with the idea of a new kind of keyboard to be used on its computers. This keyboard would feature configurable keys that contain tiny displays to label its function. Imagine a keyboard with “dynamic labels” that would change depending on what you are doing. This is already kind of like what Apple’s Touch Bar already does on its MacBook Pro models – instead, the entire keyboard would be able to show a different keyboard layout for another language, or perhaps it could show the keys’...

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Samsung announces HDR10+ Adaptive and Filmmaker mode for upcoming QLED TVs

As more and more movies premiere on streaming services instead of movie theaters (most of which are closed right now), a debate has started – can a TV really recreate the theater experience? Samsung has partnered with studios, filmmakers and other manufacturers to solve this problem. Upcoming Samsung QLED TVs will feature HDR10+ Adaptive and Filmmaker Mode, which will work hand in hand to show movies just as the director intended. HDR content is best viewed in a darkened room (just like a theater), but most viewers can’t or don’t want to turn off the lights and draw the curtains when...

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iQOO 7 appears on AnTuTu with key specs, scores over 752K points

The Snapdragon 888-powered iQOO 7 has appeared on AnTuTu with a score of 752,935 points, which is 17,496 more than what the chipset scored on a Qualcomm reference device with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB UFS 3.0 storage onboard. The iQOO 7, on the other hand, used the same amount of LPDDR5 RAM but has 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. However, it is worth noting that the unit that ran the benchmark test is a prototype and we can still see performance differences with the retail version. In addition to revealing the RAM and storage amount, AnTuTu also confirmed that iQOO 7 will pack a 120Hz...

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New Realme phone with Dimensity 720 5G pops up on Geekbench

A new affordable Realme smartphone has popped up on Geekbench. It has the model number RMX3092 and comes with Dimensity 720 chipset with 5G modem. The benchmark also reveals 8GB RAM and, somewhat disappointingly, Android 10. We are unsure as to what like the upcoming phone - it is the first one a number 3 after the code letters RMX, so it could be a member of a whole new line. Alleged Realme 8 on Geekbench The chipset and less-than-current Android version clearly indicate that it's not a flagship we have here, so another theory is that we are looking at the Realme 8. We expect...

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Honor V40 benchmark run shows Dimensity 1000+ chipset, 90Hz display

Honor is expected to launch its V40 series in January 2021, and one of its members has already gone through Game Bench. The listing revealed the phone with designation NWE-AN10 runs Android 10 and sports a Mali-G77 MC9 GPU. It was also able to reach 90fps suggesting it has the screen to match it. Honor V40 benchmarked at GameBench Leaksters already revealed the NWE-AN10 is an Honor V40 device, but we still don’t know whether it is the vanilla version or the Pro, or some third option. However, we do know the GPU is part of the Dimensity 1000+ chipset by Mediatek - a platform that is...

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Samsung seeds One UI 3.0 and Android 11 to Galaxy Note10

Following the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 update for the Galaxy Note20 and S20 series, Samsung is now rolling out a stable update for the Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ in Europe. German Note10 users can now update their phones to the latest firmware which bears the N97xFXXU6ETLL build number and also brings the December security patch. Software info after One UI 3 update on Galaxy Note10+ This update is actually coming a month ahead of schedule according to a previous One UI 3.0 rollout roadmap. The new update is currently seeding in Germany but is expected to make its way to more...

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vivo Y20 (2021) goes official with Helio P35 SoC, triple camera, and 5,000 mAh battery

vivo only announced the Y20 in August and today the company is already following it up with its 2021 model, dubbed vivo Y20 (2021). However, there aren't too many differences between the two models. The Y20 (2021) replaces the Snapdragon 460 SoC with a Helio P35 chipset, runs Funtouch OS 11 out of the box, and charges at up to 10W instead of 18W. The rest of the specs remain the same, meaning you get a 6.51" HD+ LCD, 5,000 mAh battery, and a side-mounted fingerprint reader. The vivo Y20 (2021) features a total of four cameras - an 8MP selfie shooter inside the notch and a 13MP...

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