Apple announces Self Service Repair with customer access to parts, tools, and manuals

In an unexpected announcement, Apple is making it easier to get original parts to repair your own iPhone. The iPhone maker is announcing “Self Service Repair” in which knowledgeable customers can complete their own repairs with access to original parts and tools. This is not a typical move for Apple. Making its original parts and tools available to anyone is a big deal, especially for Apple. To start, Apple will focus on more common repairs from frequently serviced modules- this includes screen repairs, battery replacements, and camera modules for both iPhone 13 and iPhone 13...

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Tidal announces new free tier, drops HiFi tier down to $10

Tidal today is announcing major changes to its platform, with addition of new pricing tiers as well as payment options for artists. Starting with the tiers, the company now has a free tier. Users will be able to try the service at no cost with the downsides being the audio quality limited to 160kbps AAC and ad interruptions. The previous $10 Premium plan has been renamed to HiFi and instead of 320kbps AAC now offers CD-quality lossless* 1411kbps FLAC (more on this later). The rest of the plan remains the same as before. The previous $20 HiFi plan has been renamed to HiFi...

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Fortnite shuts down its servers in China

Fortnite's mobile game in China has been available since 2018 and never actually exited the beta stage in the region due to strict government regulations. And now the developers officially announced that they are shutting down the Chinese Fortnite servers. Although the official statement of the developers doesn't point at a specific reason why, it's probably safe to assume that it's because the Chinese government continues to tighten the restrictions on the gaming sector. The recently imposed limitation of children playing games is just one example. Anyone below the age of 18 can't...

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Google runs out of Bose 700 headphones for Pixel 6 pre-orders, moves to new Bose QC45

Google had a pre-order promo for its Pixel 6 and 6 Pro buyers in Europe that included Bose's wireless noise-cancelling 700 headphones free of charge. Yet the company may have underestimated the interest in its latest phone as it has ran out of cans. So Google has reportedly started approaching some participants in the promotion to change from the €275 Bose 700 to the €350 Bose Quiet Comfort 45 along with €75 credit in Google's online store. Presumably, those applying for the promotion now will get the Bose QC45 as standard. The promotion is limited to Europe and is available up to...

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Microsoft downgrades Windows 10 to annual updates

In a blog post from yesterday, Microsoft talked about the new November 2021 update for Windows 10 and the future of the OS. The good news is that the company isn't abandoning Windows 10, but the bad news is it will reduce the frequency of major updates pushed to the OS. Microsoft is switching from two updates per year to one so after this November update, the next one will come in Fall 2022. The tech giant is also doing this to be in line with Windows 11 cadence. Looking ahead, Microsoft says that the older OS will get support until October 14 2025, which means that users should...

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Moto Edge S30 with Snapdragon 888+ runs AnTuTu

Earlier today two Motorola flagships were spotted at TENAA – the top of the line Moto Edge 30 Ultra (expected to be among the first with a Snapdragon 8 gen 1 chipset) and the Moto Edge S30 (which will be equipped with the Snapdragon 888+ instead). Both are expected next month. Motorola is already teasing the Snapdragon 888+ phone (XT2175-2), which seems to be ready to go – to prove it, it ran AnTuTu and posted a score of 858,000 or so. This makes it one of the more performant phones with the 888+ chipset. Moto Edge S30 (XT2175-2) with Snapdragon 888+ runs AnTuTu Additional specs...

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Oppo Reno 7 live photo reveals new camera design

The Oppo Reno 7 appeared last month in renders, revealing a new design for the camera island. Today we see a live photo, confirming their authenticity. The lack of visible fingerprints and what appears to be a protruding power key suggest an AMOLED screen with the sensor placed underneath. According to previous leaks, the panel will be 6.5” in diagonal, manufactured by BOE, and will have 90Hz refresh are. The Reno 7 will be powered by a Dimensity 920 chipset and apparently will have a slightly upgraded 4,500 mAh battery. The Reno series is bringing a new lineup every 5-6 months, so...

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Google Pixel 6 review

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Infinix Smart 5 Pro announced with Android 11 (Go Edition) and 6,000 mAh battery

The latest entry-level phone from Infinix is here with the Smart 5 Pro. It’s an Android 11 (Go Edition) device running Infinix’s XOS 7.6 on top. You get a 6.52" TFT LCD with HD+ resolution and a waterdrop notch for the 8MP selfie cam. The back houses a dual-cam setup with a 13MP main shooter. There’s an unnamed octa-core chipset at the helm aided by 2GB RAM and 32GB storage which is expandable via microSD. The battery comes in at 6,000mAh and charges over microUSB at 10W speeds. Infinix Smart 5 Pro comes in black, blue, copper and green colors. It retails for PKR 14,499 ($83) in...

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Huawei Watch GT Runner, MateBook E, MateStation X and VR Glass 6DoF announced

Huawei held a big conference in China today where it announced a slew of new devices. There’s the new smartwatch dubbed Huawei Watch GT Runner, the Windows 2-in-1 convertible MateBook E, the MateStation X desktop PC and VR Glass 6DoF glasses. Huawei Watch GT Runner Following the Watch GT 3 series announcement in October, Huawei is bringing a sports-oriented smartwatch dubbed Watch GT Runner. As the name suggests it’s a sportier version of the Watch GT 3 with a reinforced polymer fiber construction weighing in at 38.5 grams compared to the Watch GT 3 Pro’s 63 grams. Watch GT...

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DIZO sold 100k units of DIZO Watch 2 within 40 days from the first sale

The DIZO Watch 2 launched in September in India saw 50,000 units moved in 15 days from its first sale, and today, DIZO announced yet another milestone as it sold 100,000 units of the DIZO Watch 2 within 40 days from the first sale, making it the "fastest-selling product in the smartwatch history" in India. 100k consumers bought #DIZOWatch2 in merely 40 days after it hit the market - the fastest-selling product in the smartwatch history, and the number is still soaring🚀To thank everyone, we have a surprise. Do you want to take a guess what it could be? #DIZO #realmeTechLife...

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Motorola Moto G Power (2022) announced with 50MP camera and Helio G37

This year's Motorola Moto G Power was released back in January so the 2022 version of the handset comes a bit early. Or not - even though it's announced today, Motorola clarifies that the device won't start shipping until early 2022 in the US, while Canada will get it "in the coming months". The new version comes with a couple of improvements and a new SoC. Moto G Power (2022) The new Moto G Power (2022) is built around a slightly smaller 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel with the same 720 x 1600px resolution but the refresh has been bumped up to 90Hz. The Snapdragon 662 has been swapped for...

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Samsung opens One UI 4.0 beta for Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold2

Samsung released the final version of One UI 4.0 based on Android 12 for the Galaxy S21 family while the beta version of the software is already available to its current Z Fli3 and Fold3 foldables and last year's Galaxy S20 and Note20 series. Now, the tech giant is kickstarting the beta program for Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold2 owners. The distribution of the software hasn't started yet but Samsung is already recruiting via the Samsung Members forum. Owners in China, Germany, India, UK, and the US can participate and should receive the update in the following weeks. If you are...

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Trendforce: Smartphone market to grow in 2022, 47.5% of devices to have 5G

The calendar year is nearing its end, and analysts are already posting their predictions for the market performance in 2022. According to Trendforce, the industry will continue its rebound as the global economy returns to normal with the pandemic situation slowly getting under control. Demand from emerging markets and the usual device replacement cycle will bring sales in 2022 to 1.39 billion, which will be a 3.8% yearly growth. Of them, 660 million will be 5G-enabled which is 47.5% of all devices. Brand 2022 Forecast(in million units) Market share Yearly...

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Huawei announces Collector’s Edition Mate X2

Huawei capped off a big announcement event in China earlier today where we saw the debut of the brand’s new smartwatch lineup, Windows 2-in1 tablet, VR glasses and desktop PC. There was a new phone on stage too – a Collector’s Edition Mate X2. The new bit here is the leather back which comes in red, black and white colors. Huawei is also using a nano-crystalline enforced glass material on the outer screen which should be more durable. The Collector's Edition Mate X2 comes in a single 12GB RAM and 512GB storage configuration and retails for CNY 19,699 ($3,090). First sales in China are...

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Kuo: Apple iPhone 14 and VR headset to get Wi-Fi 6E in 2022

The latest report from renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo outlines the use of Wi-Fi 6E in the Apple iPhone 14 series and the upcoming Apple VR headset. According to Kuo, the iPhone 14 series and Apple VR will help push more competitors towards Wi-Fi 6E adoption in 2022. Wi-Fi 6E enables higher-speed 6GHz connection that will be essential for the user experience of Apple's VR headset. Currently, not many devices support Wi-Fi 6E. It was expected that the iPhone 13 series would adopt the faster standard, but those rumors were refuted. In the Android world things are a bit better -...

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IDC: India's wearables market nearly doubles in Q3 with record-setting 23.8 million shipments

Despite the increasing shipping costs and other difficulties caused by the pandemic, India’s wearables market is booming - IDC reports that shipments for the July-September period nearly doubled (up 93.8%) compared to the same period last year for a total of 23.8 million units. This was a record quarter for the wearables market. That growth was driven by two of the three major categories of wearables. Earwear remains the largest category with 18.7 million shipped and a great 77.9% year-over-year growth. Earwear includes wireless over-ear headphones, neckbands and TWS headset – the latter...

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ZTE unveils Axon 30 Ultra Aerospace Edition with 18GB RAM and 1TB storage

The first smartphones with 16GB of RAM arrived in early 2020, followed a year later by the first phones with 18GB of RAM. Will we see the first 20GB phone before 2021 is over? Maybe, but we’re not there yet. ZTE announced a limited edition of its current flagship dubbed the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra Aerospace Edition. This model will be promoted by actress Haocun Liu from the movie One Second. Besides the movie tie in, this device also celebrates the success of China’s space agency, which successfully sent an orbiter and lander to Mars (Tianwen-1) and three taikonauts to the Chinese space station...

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vivo S12 Pro appears in a live shot, passes 3C certification

It seems vivo is gearing to release its S12 series soon. The successor to this year’s vivo S10 series will likely come in three variants once again and we now have a live look at the Pro variant. It features a curved screen with a notch at the top though we don’t have the exact size details. Tipster Arsenal mentions the phone will feature a 50MP selfie cam which looks to be joined by a second auxiliary module. vivo S12 Pro (image: Weibo) According to another Chinese tipster vivo S12 will bear the V2162A model number while the S12 Pro is V2163A. The Pro variant has already passed 3C...

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Motorola teases a Snapdragon 888 Plus-powered smartphone

Reliable tipster Digital Chat Station recently revealed that Motorola is planning to launch two flagships next month - one powered by the Snapdragon 888+ SoC and the other having the next-gen Snapdragon 8-series chip at the helm, rumored to be called the Snapdragon 898 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. While Motorola hasn't divulged much about either of these flagships yet, its Serbian branch posted a short clip teasing a Snapdragon 888 Plus-powered smartphone. The video doesn't tell us much about the smartphone other than giving us a glimpse of its rear cameras and the side frame. However, the...

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vivo V23e 5G is coming on November 23 with a 44MP selfie camera

Last week vivo unveiled the vivo V23e, and the company will follow it up with a 5G variant next week - on November 23. We don't have the vivo V23e 5G's full specs yet, but the company's Thai branch has set up a promo page on its website revealing the smartphone's design and color options. The V23e 5G looks similar to its 4G counterpart and has the same color options. However, unlike the V23e, which comes with a 50MP selfie camera, the V23e 5G will feature a 44MP selfie shooter. vivo has confirmed that the triple camera system on the phone's glass back will consist of primary, ultrawide,...

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Google releases surprising update for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro

An unexpected mid-month update is now arriving to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The only known change is currently a single digit in the build number. Google went from SD1A.210817.036 to SD1A.210817.037 and both builds are on the November patch. A couple of users on the comment section of the Droid-Life story report that the update comes in at 14.56MB and those on Verizon, Fi, T-Mobile, and unlocked devices are seeing the OTA notification. Others say the update is taking upwards of over an hour to completely install. At least a couple of commenters claimed that the fingerprint scanner is...

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Tecno tries to mock Samsung for some reason

Smartphone companies and their marketing departments try to plug a joke into their social media feed from time to time. Usually, they are funny innocent bits, but sometimes we spot a joke that is so convoluting, it is making us literally scratch our head in confusion. Tecno, a maker popular with its affordable devices in developing markets. For some reason, the Twitter account asked its users to “try something new” and not to “repeat the samesong”, obviously as a nod towards Samsung. It appears to be part of the marketing strategy for the new Phantom X, urging consumers to buy the phone...

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