Asus ROG Phone 5 appears on Geekbench with 16GB RAM

An Asus device bearing model designation I005DA and believed to be the ROG Phone 5 was spotted on Geekbench last December with 8GB RAM. Now its 16GB RAM variant popped up on the benchmark database, achieving 1,131 and 3,729 points in the single and multi-core tests, respectively, which is higher than what the 8GB RAM model scored. Like the 8GB RAM variant, the 16GB version also runs Android 11 and has a Snapdragon 888 SoC at the helm. Geekbench doesn't divulge any other specs of the ROG Phone 5, but TENAA revealed the smartphone will pack a dual-cell 6,000 mAh battery, a 6.78" AMOLED...

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It's official: Redmi K40 will be unveiled on February 25

We've been hearing about the Redmi K40 for a long time now, and today the company VP Lu Weibing finally confirmed that K40 will be unveiled on February 25. Machine translating Mr Lu's Weibo post from Chinese reveals the Redmi K40 will come with a brand new design, have a brand new positioning, and offer a brand new experience. Redmi K40 is coming on February 25 The post didn't reveal the design of the Redmi K40 or detail its specs, but the exec previously confirmed that the K40 series will come with a Snapdragon 888 SoC, feature the most expensive flat screen, and pack a battery...

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Apple’s iOS 14.5 beta lets you set third-party music apps as default player for Siri

Apple’s iOS 14.5 beta enabled users to unlock their iPhones with Face ID with a mask on (provided they are wearing an Apple Watch). Almost a week has passed and a number of users using the beta have discovered another change that arrived with the update. When users ask Siri to play a track, Siri will now ask you which app you want to play it on. In addition, you can Siri to always play queries to a third-party app that you set as the default. This was never possible on iOS before, and it was part of the reason that Apple Music competitors (like Spotify) were upset about Apple prioritizing...

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Xiaomi announces global MIUI 12.5 release time frame

Today was a big day for Xiaomi, with the company unveiling the Mi 11 for global markets. At the phone's Chinese launch back in December, MIUI 12.5 was also unveiled, along with China-specific update plans. Similarly, today we have an idea of what to expect regarding MIUI 12.5's rollout in international markets. The first batch of devices will get MIUI 12.5 globally in April or May. These phones are the Mi 11, Mi 10T, Mi 10T Pro, Mi 10, and Mi 10 Pro. Then, starting in June, the following handsets will join: Mi 10 Lite 5G, Mi 10T Lite, Mi Note 10 Pro, Mi Note 10, Mi Note 10 Lite, Redmi Note...

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Here's our first look at the Android 12 redesign

Google's Android 12 is coming this year - this fall, if the company sticks with its past release timing. Before that, we should see a few betas, the first of which, again going on what happened for past versions, should appear within a few weeks. While we patiently wait for all that, today a bunch of screenshots that are said to depict some aspects of Android 12 have been leaked, and - brace yourselves, a redesign is coming. New features too. These screenshots allegedly come from a document that Google made to summarize the changes in the new version. The looks here are certainly...

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Samsung Galaxy M30s starts getting One UI 3.0 based on Android 11

Samsung continues to keep its older entry level and mid-range fresh and now it's the Galaxy M30s's turn to receive One UI 3.0 based on Android 11. Kinda impressive seeing how some other manufacturers are struggling to deliver Android 11 to its flagship phones. The new release also brings Google's latest security patch for February. And, of course, all the Android 11 intrinsic features such as chat bubbles, prioritized notifications in the notification shade, and one-time permissions. Expect a revamped UI courtesy of One UI 3.0 too. As usual, the OTA update rollout will be staged so...

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Deal: Samsung discounts Galaxy S21 series and Z series in the US

Samsung is running a sale on all of its top smartphones in the US at the moment. The deals are live through Amazon and they include discounts on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, Galaxy S21+ 5G, Galaxy S21 5G as well as the Galaxy Z Flip 5G and the Galaxy Z Fold2 5G. The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is down $200 on all of its memory configurations so it's now starting at $999. The Galaxy S21+ 5G is also down by $200, making its starting price $799. The Galaxy S21 5G gets a $100 price cut, starting at $699. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G is down to $1,799, while the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, also discounted by...

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Tablet shipments grew in 2020, Apple still dominant

2020 was a good year for the tablet market, which saw a 13.6% increase in sales. A total of 164.1 million tablets were shipped, up from the 144.5 million in 2019. Apple was the market leader, as usual. It shipped 19 million iPads in Q4 and a total of 53.2 million for the year. Samsung was a distant second with 10.1 million Galaxy Tabs shipped in Q4, up nearly 45% from Q4 of 2019. Lenovo shipped more than twice as many tablets in Q4 of 2020 than in the same quarter of 2019. Despite its US ban difficulties, Huawei retained a good position in 2020, retaining the spot of third largest...

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CEO: half of Realme phones launched in India this year will have 5G connectivity

Carriers in India are ready to launch their 5G networks, though they are holding off until the government auctions off better spectrum. Realme is determined to have a 5G-capable phone in the hands of many before that even happens. “Realme aims to be the 5G populariser in India, in Europe and other global markets,” CEO Madhav Sheth told The Indian Experss. For the Indian market specifically, half of the new models unveiled in 2021 will be 5G-enabled. Also, all Realmes that cost INR 20,000 or higher will have 5G connectivity. The Realme X7 series (announced last week) starts at INR...

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Samsung Galaxy A52 5G passes through the FCC with 4,500 mAh battery and 15W charging

The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G has cleared yet another regulatory hurdle and now has the green light from the FCC. The lab tested two models, SM-A526B and A526DS, the only difference between them is that the “B” is a single-SIM model, while the “DS” is dual-SIM. Other than that, the devices are identical. This includes the 4,500 mAh battery (the same EB-BG781ABY power cell that was found in the Galaxy S20 FE, by the way). The charger is the EP-TA200, a pretty common 15W charger. This matches the info we saw from 3C. The Galaxy A52 5G has leaked extensively – we’ve seen renders and...

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Google Photos adds pinch-to-zoom for videos

For the last year or so, Google is making slow progress to improve the video-watching experience in its Photos app and the latest update brings a couple of cool features. The app will now allow you to pinch to zoom on videos as well as dobule-tap. Once you zoom on a video, you can trace and look at specific areas in the video for a closer look. A double-tap, on the other hand, will fill your phone's display with the video and double-tapping for a second time will zoom out. It's reported that the feature is available only for some users and the app version isn't a factor, meaning...

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HTC Wildfire E lite announced for Russia and South Africa

The latest HTC phone to go on sale in Russia and South Africa is the Wildfire E also known as Wildfire E1 lite in other regions. It’s an affordable Android 10 (Go Edition) powered handset with a 5.45-inch LCD, Helio A20 chipset and dual cameras. HTC Wildfire E lite The display comes with HD+ resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Helio A20 is paired with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage which is further expandable via microSD. There’s a main 8MP camera around the back joined by a VGA depth helper while the front comes with 5MP selfie shooter. The back is also where you find the...

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Xiaomi Mi TV Q1 75” announced

Alongside the global launch of its Mi 11 Android flagship, Xiaomi announced an aggressively priced 4K TV dubbed Mi TV Q1 75. It’s a 75-inch QLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR+ and 192-zone full array dynamic local dimming. Bezels are razor-thin and the casing and stand come with a metal finish. Tucked behind the panel are a set of 30W stereo speakers with Dolby Audio and DTS-HD support. I/O consists of three HMDI 2.1 ports, an Ethernet port and two USB ports. There’s also a built-in digital tuner for local TV station broadcasts. On the software side, we have Android TV 10 with...

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Samsung's 65W charger gets TUV SUD certification

Samsung's 65W USB Power Delivery charger has gotten another certification - this time with the German TUV SUD authority. The charger, model number EP-TA865, has already been certified in South Korea and was pictured. We know it supports Programmable Power Supply and can top up devices at up to 20V and 3.25A (making 65 Watts). But we don't know when this charger will become available to the general public, nor what device will be able to take advantage of its power. The Galaxy S21 series support up to 25W (with the EP-TA800 adapter) and Samsung has the 45W (EP-TA845) adapter that's...

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Xiaomi is #3 smartphone brand globally, Redmi Note series reaches 200 million units shipped

While the Mi 11 was the star attraction of today’s event, Xiaomi used to opportunity to report it’s progress so far. Last year the company grew to be the 3rd largest smartphone maker in the world (helped by Huawei’s demise, of course). It is now the #1 brand in 10 markets and in the Top 3 in 36 markets. Xiaomi is the fastest-growing brand in the high-end segment with an impressive 3,639% growth year on year in Q3 2020 (based on Canalys data for the $500+ segment). Between Q4 2019 and Q3 2020 Xiaomi invested $1.3 billion in research and development. And it’s paying off – 2,143...

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Xiaomi Mi 11 makes its global debut

Xiaomi has finally announced the Mi 11 for the global markets and as expected, there are few changes to the specs sheet compared to the Chinese variant. The company also hinted at new color variants coming soon. The most notable changes are the absence of a 12GB/256GB memory variant and the 55W GaN charger in the box. Although the Chinese users can still get the 65W GaN adapter for free if they wish. Other than that, we have an identical phone with the Snapdragon 888 running the show and a 10-bit 6.81-inch AMOLED panel with QHD+ resolution at 120Hz. The available memory variants are...

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Realme Race images appear in TENAA listing

Not too long ago we brought you an exclusive report on Realme’s upcoming Snapdragon 888 flagship smartphone codenamed Race. Since then we’ve learned it will be the first entry in Realme’s new series and now we have a listing for the device on Chinese regulatory body TENAA. Realme Race TENAA images The device bears the same RMX2202 model number and the attached images reveal a punch-hole display and a triple camera system around the back. Past rumors suggest a 64MP main cam alongside 13MP ultrawide and 13MP telephoto lenses. The design does reassemble the previously seen leak....

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Watch the Xiaomi Mi 11 global launch event here

Xiaomi announced the first Snapdragon 888-powered smartphone back in December, the Mi 11, but the phone was exclusive to the Chinese market until today. The company is hosting its global launch event for its Mi 11 smartphone and the event itself will kick off at 2PM UTC. While the specs sheet is already known, we are still waiting on availability dates and, of course, prices. Last week a report claimed that the base Mi 11 variant in Europe will ask €799. We will know if that is true soon in the next hour or so.

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Samsung Galaxy F62 coming in February 15 with Exynos 9825 SoC

After getting some vague info on the Samsung Galaxy F62 for some weeks now, the company has announced a release date and the chipset that will power-up the device. The teaser also reveals the device in full. The handset will make its official debut on February 15, and will be powered by the Exynos 9825 chipset based on the 7nm manufacturing node, as previously speculated. The teaser also reveals a centered punch-hole in the screen, quad-camera setup on the back in a square-shaped island and previous reports say it will house a massive 7,000 mAh battery. The teaser can be found on...

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Realme teases upcoming Narzo 30 series, the Narzo line has sold 3 million phones already

Realme’s budget brand for India, Narzo, was born in May of 2020 and a second generation quickly followed up in September. The pace hasn’t slowed down since and the Narzo 30 series is nearing launch. The company’s took to its forums to poll its fans about the box design of the new series, allowing them to pick between six variations. The team is planning a new identity for the brand and it starts with the box design. “All our decisions are made by fans and we are doing the same for narzo,” writes a community manager. Narzo 30 box design options Besides teasing the...

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OnePlus 9 Pro leaks in hands-on images

The latest OnePlus 9 leak comes from YouTuber Dave2D and gives us a good detailed look at the Pro model through a series of hands-on images. The overall design is quite similar to the non-Pro model which leaked back in December and was even auctioned off on eBay later that month. OnePlus 9 Pro hands-on (source Dave2D) The 9 Pro comes with four camera modules and Hasselblad branding on the camera island. This would be the first time in a while that the Swedish camera maker is partnering with a smartphone company and is an indication of OnePlus’ camera focused R&D...

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