Exclusive: the Honor 50 series is coming next month with a dual ring camera design

The Honor V40 launched in China this January and the natural follow-up to that would have been a global Honor 40 model. However, we have received some exclusive insider information that says this will not be the case. No, the company will jump straight to Honor 50 series, which is set to be unveiled in May. Below is a teaser image that hasn’t been shared officially yet, note the circular camera design (with another circle partially visible below). The Honor 50 series will be unveiled next month We also received design sketches showing the back of the phone. The camera island will...

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Android 12 to auto-hibernate apps you don’t use

On Android 11, a feature was introduced called ‘auto revoke permissions’ that can automatically revert app permissions granted to an app if the app has not been used for an extended period. Thanks to the folks over at XDA-Developers, a new expansion of this feature has been discovered on a leaked build of Android 12. Android 11's Unused Apps page If you don’t use an app for a period of two months, it will automatically revoke any permissions granted. Now, with a new auto-hibernate feature (which XDA managed to enable), in addition to revoking permissions granted to an app, the...

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 certified by 3C with 4,275 mAh battery

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy foldable device appears to be inching nearer to its release date. The latest news comes from China, where the alleged Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 received its 3C certification. The certification details that the upcoming ZFold device will have a dual-battery system, totaling 4,275 mAh of battery capacity. This battery system consists of two individual battery cells (2,215 mAh + 2,060 mAh). The dual cell system distributes the batteries’ weight across both halves of the foldable phone. Looking at these numbers, the Z Fold3’s battery capacity is lower than the Z...

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iQOO 7 series confirmed to feature BMW M branding in India

In anticipation of iQOO’s upcoming 7 Legend smartphone, the brand has confirmed that its top-performing device will feature BMW’s M Motorsport branding “that represents the true spirit of track racing. The iQOO 7 Legend will feature BMW’s tri-color racing stripes, engraved with the tagline: “Fascination Meets Innovation”. The Chinese variant of the iQOO 7 announced back in January features the same branding that we can expect from the upcoming 7 Legend heading to India next week. The following image has the same BMW M branding that was confirmed in today’s announcement from...

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip2 to have an IP rating for water and dust resistance

Samsung's upcoming 2021 foldable smartphones are expected to launch within a few months, and a new report today claims these will be the first such devices to have an official IP rating for water and dust resistance. We're talking about the Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Galaxy Z Flip2 (or Flip3, as it has sometimes been rumored that Samsung would skip the number "2" in order to match the Flip generation with the Fold's). So far it's unknown exactly what specific IP rating the duo will get, but there will be one - at least if this rumor, seemingly based on "whispers from people in the...

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MediaTek first to relase a 4nm chipset, already has orders from OEMs

According to two separate sources, MediaTek is going to be the first chip maker to release a 4nm chipset. Production is supposed to start either at the end of this year (Q4 2021) or at the beginning of 2022. In fact, some major OEMs have already taken orders for MediaTek's high-end SoC. We are talking Oppo, Xiaomi, Samsung, and vivo. The downside is that MediaTek has secured the 4nm order from TSMC at a big cost - around $80 per unit compared to the current high-end 5nm chipsets that cost between $30 and $35. A famous Chinese tipster claims that MediaTek's hardware will be able to...

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Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra 5G in for review

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra may be the ultimate smartphone. Looking at it from all angles, we can't really see a flaw or shortcoming. Better yet, it's hard to see one phone matching the Mi 11 Ultra spec for spec, well, except maybe that other Ultra. But first thing's first - let's do an unboxing. Xiaomi ship the Mi 11 Ultra with a potent 67W charger that can top the phone up in under 40 minutes, a USB cable, 3.5mm to USB-C dongle and a case. The back of the phone is where things get really interesting. As far as camera islands go, this one is the daddy! It's huge and is able to topple...

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Samsung patents a Armor Frame for smartphones ahead of new foldables release

Samsung has filed a patent in South Korea, the USA and in Europe for the name Armor Frame. It's intended for use in for smartphones but other than that, the description doesn't reveal much. Some rumors point to a frame made of either carbon or titanium - materials lighter and stronger than standard aluminum and more importantly, ones that don't lose rigidness over time. The timing of the Armor Frame patent seems to be in line with Samsung's plans to release its Galaxy Z Flip2 and Galaxy Z Fold3. They would surely benefit from the extra rigidness and lower weight. Then again,...

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Sony Alpha engineers explain how developed the Xperia 1 III camera

While Huawei and OnePlus had to look for outside help with their cameras (Leica and Hasselblad, respectively), Sony already has an excellent camera division in house – the engineers that build its Alpha cameras. They worked on the Mark II flagships last year and as well as the new Xperia 1 III and 5 III. Sony pulled in optical, software and image quality engineers from the Alpha team and tasked them with developing a similar experience aimed at professionals. The video below shows three of them explaining how the Xperia camera was designed and the reasoning behind some of the...

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Samsung to offer new Galaxy Z Flip in eight different colors

Samsung is already working on its next foldable smartphone, and we have some more info about the clamshell device with the supposed name Galaxy Z Flip 3. According to sources from the Netherlands, the phone will come in Gray, White, Dark Blue, and Pink variants. These four options complement the previously leaked quartet of colors - Purple, Green, Black, Beige. Samsung might have eight colors in the pipeline, but it's unlikely we'll see all of them in the same markets. The Korean company usually reserves some of the options for special occasions, and not all markets get the same...

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Samsung Galaxy A22 pictured in case renders a month or two before its official unveiling

Accessory makers are not a patient bunch, one of them posted images of a transparent case for the still unofficial Samsung Galaxy A22. The design is very, very similar to that of the Galaxy M62/F62, down to the pinstripe pattern and gradient on the back. Samsung Galaxy A22 (case renders) There are differences, of course. For starters, we see a quad camera, but where is the LED flash? Even the Galaxy A12 has one. By the way, last month The Elec posted details about A22’s camera – it will be equipped with a 48MP main module, 8MP ultrawide and two 2MP helpers. The selfie camera...

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Samsung Galaxy M12 comes to the UK

Last month, Samsung launched its Galaxy M12 handset in India and now the phone has made its way to the UK. It will retail for £159 starting April 30 and will be exclusive to Amazon UK at launch. The big selling point of the M12 is its 5,000 mAh battery which is actually lower than the Indian version’s 6,000 mAh cell. You also get a 6.5-inch PLS LCD with a 90Hz refresh rate and 720 x 1600 pixel resolution. The device is still powered by the Exynos 850 SoC paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The camera setup includes a 48MP primary shooter alongside a 5MP ultrawide snapper and two...

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Caviar launches custom iPhone 12 Pro (Max) phones celebrating Gagarin, Armstrong, Musk and Bezos

Last week the world celebrated the 60th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight, performed by Yuri Gagarin on April 12 1961. Caviar is marking the occasion with the launch of its “Space Conquerors” line of customized iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max phones. These not only celebrate the past but also look to the future as well with nods to Elon Musk’s SpaceX (and his ambition to go to Mars) and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. The iPhone 12 Pro (Max) Gagarin is made out of aviation-grade titanium and has a 3D miniature of the Vostok-K rocket that brought the cosmonaut to orbit. Only 12 units will...

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Kuo predicts expanded mmWave support for iPhone 13, leaked screen protector appears with smaller notch

The iPhone 13 rumor mill is starting to get more and more specific with each passing week and we now have more details regarding 5G connectivity. Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple to sell mmWave supporting iPhones in more regions including Canada, Japan, Australia, and major European markets. With last year’s iPhone 12 series, Apple only sold mmWave iPhones in the US which accounts for 30-35% of all iPhone 12 shipments while this year the number is expected to increase to 50-65% in total. The big visual change seen on mmWave handsets is the antenna cutout below the power button. You can see the...

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Samsung Galaxy M32 spotted with 6,000 mAh battery

Samsung’s Galaxy M-line has brought in several phones with ample battery capacities and it seems another one is on its way. A new listing on the DEKRA certification agency details an upcoming Samsung Galaxy phone believed to be the Galaxy M32. The listing shows a battery with a rated capacity of 5,830 mAh which should translate to a typical value of 6,000 mAh. Samsung Galaxy M32 battery listing The battery bears the EB-BM325ABN model number which gives out its ties to the Galaxy M32. Not much else is known about the device though according to speculation, we’re in for a similarly...

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Report: Samsung considered bringing back the 3D ToF sensor for the Galaxy S22, decided not to

Korean publication ET News reports that the 3D Time of Flight (ToF) sensor will not be making a comeback next year with the Galaxy S22 series. ToF sensors were featured on recent high profile releases like the Galaxy S10 5G and S20 Ultra. However, the company swapped in a simple Laser AF system for the Galaxy Note20 Ultra launch and found that the change didn’t negatively impact user experience. So, ToF was out and Laser AF was in for the Galaxy S21 Ultra launch as well, which will carry over to next year’s S22 series. According to insiders, Samsung thought about bringing the ToF sensor...

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OxygenOS 11.0.0.2 hotfix rolling out for the OnePlus 7 and 7T series

OnePlus started rolling out the Android 11 update back in late March, but pretty quickly it became apparent that there were issues with the new firmware, so the rollout was halted. Now, nearly a month later, the company has a hotfix that resolves the “unforeseen bugs” in the original release (the bugs themselves are never explicitly listed). OnePlus 7 and 7T series receiving the OxygenOS 11.0.0.2 11.0.0.2 Here’s OxygenOS 11.0.0.2 for the OnePlus 7, 7 Pro, 7T and 7T Pro. This update has been rolling out over the weekend, but it goes in stages and only a limited number of users have...

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Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, vivo, ZTE to launch phones with under-display cameras this year

A number of phone makers have smartphones in the pipeline with next-generation under-display cameras. Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, vivo, ZTE and Meizu are all expected to show phones with new under-display cameras in the second half of the year. According to popular insider Ice universe Samsung's and Oppo's devices to use an under-display camera will be foldables, while Xiaomi's will be the Mi Mix 4. We've already heard that vivo's NEX 5 is expected to bring an improved under-display camera in the second half of the year. ZTE first showed a mass market under-display camera solution in the...

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Sony Xperia 10 III gets an exclusive Yellow color for Docomo Japan

Sony ushered in its new Xperia lineup last week and now it has been revealed the midrange Xperia 10 III is getting an exclusive yellow color for Docomo's online shop. The Japanese carrier usually teams up with Sony on limited edition colorways. Reservations for the exclusive Xperia 10 III are already underway while the date of the first sale is still not finalized. Docomo mentions a “mid-June 2021 or later” lauch which fall in line with Sony’s promise to bring the Xperia III lineup later this summer. Make sure to check out our Hot Take on the new Xperia lineup where we delve deeper...

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Redmi gaming phone to have Dimensity 1200, big battery and 67W charging

Redmi is expected to launch its own gaming branch as early as this month. According to sources from China, the first phone will come with a Samsung E4 AMOLED screen with 144Hz refresh rate. On the inside, the phone is said to be powered by Dimensity 1200 chipset and will have a lovely price tag. The new phone will also excel with a large 5,000 mAh battery and 67W fast charging. What should further boost the phone's gaming pedigree, is some sort of shoulder keys that the Redmi team will borrow from the Black Shark division, also a Xiaomi brand. The selling price is said to...

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