Just over a week ago, a Reuters report claimed that Apple is targeting 2024 to start the production of its first electric passenger car which has been in development for a while now under the name Project Titan. Ever since the report came out, the industry has been abuzz with speculations and whether Apple’s entry into the automobile sector will catalyze a major industrial shift. However, it appears that we might have to a bit longer for the debut of Apple’s car. As per TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – who has a stellar track record with predictions related to Apple’s business – the car will be launched in 2025–2027 at the earliest.
Market volatility and quality issues might even delay it until 2028
“We predicted in a previous report that Apple will launch Apple Car in 2023–2025 […] However, our latest survey indicates that the current development schedule of Apple Car is not clear, and if development starts this year and everything goes well, it will be launched in 2025–2027 at the earliest,” Kuo was quoted as saying in a research note accessed by Macrumors. “Due to changes in the EV/self-driving market and Apple’s high-quality standards, we would not be surprised if Apple Car’s launch schedule is postponed to 2028 or later.”
However, the road ahead might not be as easy for Apple as one would expect from a company with such deep pockets and resources. Kuo notes that the domain of self-driving / electric cars is not just about hardware, as big data / AI is also a big piece of the puzzle here. Kuo notes that by the time Apple’s car is ready for prime time, older players in the segment will have acquired more expertise in the field of AI, ML and improved their self-driving as well as battery technology as a whole, thereby possibly offering a more polished product at a cheaper price.
Filling this gap huge is something that Apple will be a major challenge for Apple. The TFI Securities analyst also raised a cautionary alarm for investors who might be a bit too keen on Apple’s car ambitions and reaping its benefits. Kuo mentions that Apple’s record with a new business (or product) has not always met with an overwhelming success (or at least initially), and there are a ton of supply and production challenges in the notoriously volatile automobile industry which Apple has to tackle early on.
The smartphone industry is on a recovery path at the moment following a major disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which also forced companies to lower their forecasts and record a sharp decline in shipment figures. Among the smartphone markers hit big time by the crisis this year is Samsung, whose worldwide mobile phone shipments fell below the 300 million mark for the first time in nine years.
As per a report by Korea-based ETNews, the company is expected to ship a total of 270 million phones this year. By the end of Q3 2020, the chaebol had shipped 189.4 million devices, a number that includes both feature phones as well as smartphones. However, the company expects to bounce back next year and is targeting over 300 million phone shipments in 2021 as demand spikes with the market on a recovery route. Samsung is also expected to benefit from the trade restrictions imposed on HUAWEI by the US government.
Samsung aims to touch the 300 million mark again in 2021
The report adds that Samsung has set a shipment target of 307 million units in 2021, out of which, 287 million will be smartphones while the rest will feature phones. The shipment goal is still said to be a tad conservative, as the company is bracing for any potential uncertainties in 2021 as well. Additionally, the profits are also expected to erode slightly as the demand for flagships wanes, and it further is compounded by the fact that a majority of smartphone sales is driven by the budget Galaxy-M and Galaxy-A devices.
Big push to 5G and foldable smartphones in 2021
Out of the 287 million smartphones Samsung aims to ship next year, 49.8 million will reportedly be flagships that include the Galaxy S21 family as well foldables. Notably, Samsung aims to roll approximately 6 million foldable smartphones off its production line next year. Half of that number will be the rumored affordable foldable device that the company hopes will help democratize foldable smartphones.
Samsung also plans to give a major push to 5G-ready smartphones next year. Out of the 270 million smartphones Samsung aims to ship next year, 237 million units will reportedly fall under the budget Galaxy-A and Galaxy-M family, the latter of which is targeted at the Indian market.
Yet another Galaxy S21 series leak has surfaced online, and it is a massive one. After leaked renders and hands-on video appeared, we now have a detailed look at the internals and some of the camera capabilities of Samsung’s upcoming flagship family. Winfuture has shared a detailed breakdown of the vanilla Galaxy S21 as well as the Galaxy S21+, and there is a lot to grasp here, both good and bad.
A less pixel-dense display this year
Let’s start with the display. The Galaxy S21 rocks a flat 6.2-inch panel, while the Galaxy S21+ comes armed with a 6.7-inch panel, both with the Dynamic 2X AMOLED technology and a hole-punch at the top. The rest of the attributes are identical, which include a 120Hz refresh rate, FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 1,300 nits peak brightness, and Gorilla Glass 7on top. The display resolution is a downgrade though, as the Galaxy S20 series had a more pixel-dense QHD+ panel with curved edges.
In typical Samsung fashion, the Galaxy S21 family will be offered in two chipset variants. The European and Asian markets will get the model powered by the in-house Exynos 2100 SoC that is based on the 5nm process, while buyers in the US will get the Snapdragon 888 version. We already know the details of Qualcomm’s latest chip, but not much about the Exynos 2100 is out in the open.
As per the latest leak, the octa-core Exynos 2100 will rely on a 2.9 GHz prime core for the most demanding tasks, three performance cores clocked slightly lower at 2.8 GHz, and four efficiency cores running at 2.4GHz for less intensive tasks. Both the Galaxy S21 series offerings will come equipped with 8 gigs of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of onboard storage. Unfortunately, there is no scope for storage expansion via a microSD card.
In the imaging department, both the devices share identical camera hardware, and not much has changed when compared to their Galaxy S20 series counterparts either. The two Galaxy S21 series devices feature an optically-stabilized 12MP primary camera, a 12MP ultra-wide angle shooter, and a 64MP telephoto snapper with 3X zoom and OIS.
Galaxy S21 camera hardware is almost identical to that on Galaxy S20
On the front, both the Galaxy S21 as well as its plus-sized sibling offer a single 10MP camera, which is again identical to the one we saw on the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+. As for camera capabilities, the two flagships can capture 8K videos at a maximum frame rate of 30 FPS, 4K at up to 60 FPS and slo-mo HD videos at 960 FPS.
Galaxy S21 gets the juice from a 4,000mAh battery, while the Galaxy S21+ packs a larger 4,800mAh Li-ion unit inside. Both the phones support wireless charging as well as Wireless PowerShare to juice up other devices. However, there are a few differences between the two phones.
Plastic build for Galaxy S21, glass on Galaxy S21+
The Galaxy S21 opts for a plastic build, but will be offered in a wider color palette – Grey, Pink, Purple, and White. The Galaxy S21+, on the other hand, will reportedly be made out of glass and metal, but the color options are slightly limited here as buyers will only be able to choose between Black, Purple, and Silver trims. However, Samsung might add more color options and a few special edition shades down the road.
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Display
6.2-inch Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X FHD + (2400 x 1080 pixels) 120Hz refresh rate 1300 nit peak brightness 421 PPI pixel density Gorilla Glass 7
6.7-inch Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X FHD + (2400 x 1080 pixels) 120Hz refresh rate 1300 nit peak brightness 394 PPI pixel density Gorilla Glass 7
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Exynos 2100
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Exynos 2100
RAM
8GB
8GB
Storage
128GB / 256GB
128GB / 256GB
Rear Camera
12MP primary camera (f/1.8, 1/1.76-inch, 1.8µm, OIS) 12MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.2, 120°, 1/2.55-inch, 1.4µm) 64MP telephoto camera (f/2.0, 1/1.76-inch, 0.8µm, OIS) 3x hybrid optical zoom
12MP primary camera (f/1.8, 1/1.76-inch, 1.8µm, OIS) 12MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.2, 120°, 1/2.55-inch, 1.4µm) 64MP telephoto camera (f/2.0, 1/1.76-inch, 0.8µm, OIS) 3x hybrid optical zoom
Video Capture
4K at 30/60 FPS 8K at 30 FPS FHD at 30/60/120 FPS Slo-mo HD at 960 FPS
4K at 30/60 FPS 8K at 30 FPS FHD at 30/60/120 FPS Slo-mo HD at 960 FPS
Amazfit GTS 2 mini debuted last week as a scaled-down version of the Amazfit GTS 2, which was also launched recently. The new smartwatch packs a slew of features for a wearable priced at INR 6,999. However, it is not just the size that’s different from the GTS 2. The Amazfit GTS 2 mini is a minimalistic wearable that’s so lightweight you’d barely notice it on your wrist even if you sleep while wearing it. I wore it almost 24×7 for a few days and here’s an Amazfit GTS 2 mini hands-on preview.
Classy design
The Amazfit GTS 2 mini sports a rectangular dial that doesn’t set it apart from the various wearables available out there. It has rounded corners with a metallic frame with chamfered edges and a single button on the right edge, which is also a fake crown. On the top lies an OLED display that is seamlessly integrated with the black bezels surrounding it. It is curved at the edges, which screams a premium build but the watch is made out of plastic. The wearable looks classy from the top. Turn it over, and you’ll get a glossy plastic back, which feels cheap. But you are going to be looking at the watch from the front most of the time so I’ll settle with the word ‘classy’ for defining the overall looks of the smartwatch.
That weight!
We received the Saga Green colorway, and I loved it as it stood out in my collection of mostly Black wearables. It looks fashionable and stylish. The silicone straps aren’t bright or flashy, but subtly sea-green in color, which goes along very well with the silver edges of the watch. It is also available in Pink Flamingo and Black color options. At 19.5 grams, it is so lightweight that you’d forget about it lying on your wrist even for extended periods of time.
Gorgeous display
The Amazfit GTS 2 mini features a smaller 1.55-inch AMOLED display with 354 x 306 resolution as compared to the 1.65-inch on the GTS 2. It has over 30 Always-on display patterns and over 50 watch faces. It supports a peak brightness of 450 nits.
All these numbers translate to very good legibility even in direct sunlight. The AMOLED display has its perks. For instance, the battery life doesn’t take a significant hit even with the use of Always-on Display (AOD). Speaking of AOD, it is easily visible without lighting up the entire watch face in indoor conditions. However, when outdoors, you might like to raise your wrist and turn on the display to view it to your liking.
The display quality of the Amazfit GTS 2 mini is like its elder sibling, excellent. However, it feels like the software isn’t built for its size. Several parts of notifications get cut, and you are unable to view all the contents.
A slew of features
The Amazfit GTS 2 mini hands-on preview would be incomplete without the mention of the range of features. It runs Amazfit’s custom UI and isn’t a WearOS smartwatch. Hence, you cannot reply to notifications nor do you have third-party apps support. That said, I didn’t feel the urge to install any apps as I wasn’t missing out on anything.
Although, the Amazfit UI is slightly slow to trigger on the display when you raise your wrist. The raise to wake feature worked 9 out of 10 times. In day-to-day use, the UI is responsive, and I didn’t experience any major stutters or lags.
The budget wearable sports a PPG optical sensor for heart-rate monitoring. While it isn’t continuous, you can set the interval of your HR measurements to as low as 1 minute via the app. The lower the interval, the more battery it consumes. It can also issue warnings such as an elevated heart rate alert if needed. Further, there’s Blood Oxygen Saturation measurement, powered by Huami self-developed oxygen data AI engine. You also get support for the PAI health assessment system and Blood-oxygen saturation (SpO2) measurement.
I do not generally like wearing something on my wrist while sleeping, but I can wear the GTS 2 mini 24x7 including sleep cycles, thanks to its light weight.
You can also track the quality of your sleep with the Amazfit GTS 2 mini. It can analyze sleep stages from light to deep and REM stages during the night and naps during the day. The feature is very close to accurate, including nap tracking, but the details on the awake time between sleep cycles could be worked upon. The smartwatch also offers female cycle tracking to follow the length of menstrual cycles, identify fertile days, and give women insights into their cycle. Furthermore, the GTS 2 mini can help you keep an eye on your stress levels and take action.
Additional features include compass, timer, stopwatch, music controls, camera shutter, and more. There’s the ability to view notifications and incoming calls from your phone. Notably, the notifications are non-actionable, and you can’t store music on your watch or answer calls from the device, unlike the GTS 2. Moreover, you can’t even swipe to clear the notification.
As for the accuracy of workouts and step tracking, the Amazfit GTS 2 mini gives close to accurate results. It can track your steps, distance walked, and calories burnt. There are up to 70 sports modes including running, cycling, swimming, treadmill, as well as walking, which can be tracked courtesy of GPS and GLONASS.
You can pair the Amazfit GTS 2 mini to an Android phone as well as your iPhone since the Zepp app is available on both platforms. Moreover, the smartwatch is advertised to come with Amazon Alexa virtual assistant built-in, but it isn’t present currently. On being asked, the company said it will roll out the feature to the device soon.
Battery optimized to last long
I’ve been wearing the Amazfit GTS 2 mini for almost a week now. Meanwhile, the battery life is down to 30 percent. My use case includes AOD on and HR monitoring set at 5 minutes intervals. Amazfit says its 220mAh can last up to 14 days on a single charge on typical usage, and it is not wrong. The charging mechanism is pretty simple too. It attaches to the charging pin magnetically, and the charging cable can be plugged into a 10W adaptor. The wearable takes about 1.5 hours for a full charge.
Amazfit GTS 2 mini hands-on preview: Conclusion
The Amazfit GTS 2 mini is a fashionable fitness wearable that offers a range of features. It is backed up by an app that shows meaningful data. You have the option to customize the watch face to your liking, and it lasts long too. At INR 6,999 the smartwatch seems like a decent offering. It is minimalistic but efficient at what it does. If you care about the missing features like picking up calls on the smartwatch, we’d recommend you to wait for our Amazfit GTS 2 and GTR 2 reviews before making a purchase decision.
Have you been seeing an error while trying to sign in to your iCloud or simply stuck on the load screen during a new device setup? You’re not alone. But worry no more, as the problem has now been solved. In the past 24 hours, multiple users complained about sign-in issues when setting up a new Apple device. For some users, they were unable to set up a new device such as an iPhone or iPad, while others were stuck trying to link accessories such as their Apple Watch. Apple later told some of the affected users that the iCloud system was experiencing high capacity and that the iCloud Account & Sign-in server was experiencing an issue.
Go ahead and set up the new iPhone you got as a Christmas present
Well, it appears that the problem has now been resolved after an outage that has been going on for over a day. Apple’s official System Status support page now says that the iCloud Account and Sign In issue has been resolved. A few hours ago from the time of writing this, it showed that the issue still persisted. We’ve also come across some users tweeting that the iCloud sign-in and activation issue has now vanished on their end as well.
The issue apparently started early on Christmas day when there was apparently a device activation surge that appears to have overloaded the servers. Aside from being unable to set up new devices, some users also reported that they were unable to access their data stored on the cloud service. Checking a few forums revealed that some users came across a “Verification Failed” error message. A few affected users appear to have been stuck on the setup page, while others were simply unable to access it at all.
Thankfully, the issue has now been fixed. I just verified the same on my iPad and can confirm that the iCloud system is working just fine at the moment. The experience was frustrating for many users, especially those who got an iPhone, iPad, or an Apple Watch as a festive gift, but were unable to set it up because of a failed activation process.
Remember when Apple announced that the iPhone 12 series won’t come with a charging brick in the retail package? Yeah, I do too. What followed was a storm of criticism over Apple’s ‘green move’ to ditch the charger, and rivals quickly jumped at the opportunity to roast Apple. Among them was Xioami, which quickly tweeted a short video that focused on the charger being a part of its smartphone package. Well, it appears that Xiaomi might have to take its sarcastic act back. And very soon!
Apple did it first, Samsung followed. Now, it's Xiaomi's turn!
Xiaomi’s co-founder and CEO Lei Jun has now confirmed via a Weibo post that the retail package of its next flagship – the Mi 11 series – won’t include a charger. Jun went on to explain that Xiaomi’s decision was its response to the ‘call of technology and environmental protection.’ Now, the Xiaomi chief also shared an image of the Mi 11’s retail package, and going by how slim it is, it becomes quite apparent that it lacks a core accessory (Read: charging brick) that takes its own sweet space.
In a previous post, Jun mentioned that the company will be announcing a major decision regarding the upcoming Mi 11 flagship, alongside an image showing multiple charging bricks in an open box resembling a gadgets trash bin. The message was loud and clear, but Jun’s latest post just confirmed it. And it is quite likely that the new ‘no-charger policy’ might trickle down to the budget phones as well.
Now, Xiaomi was among the first brands to take a jab at Apple with a cheeky unboxing video saying that the company didn’t leave anything out of the box with its latest flagship – the Mi 10T Pro (Review). However, it appears that the company might have to launch a pretty convincing marketing campaign to make the audience understand Xiaomi’s commitment towards the environment, which actually means convincing them to spend extra cash on a charging brick.
MediaTek appears to have reached a major business milestone in the third quarter of a year that witnessed the smartphone industry going through some major turmoil. As per data shared by Counterpoint Research, MediaTek eclipsed chief rival Qualcomm to become the world’s largest smartphone chip vendor in Q3 2020. As smartphone sales returned on a growth trajectory, MediaTek’s market share went up courtesy of the increase in demand for devices falling in $100-$250 price bracket in regions such as India and China.
MediaTek had a market share of 31% in Q3 2020
MediaTek commanded a market share of 31% last quarter, recording a growth of 5% on a YoY basis. Qualcomm’s market share, on the other hand, shrunk from 31% in Q3 2019 to 29% in the same quarter this year. “MediaTek’s strong market share gain in Q3 2020 happened due to three reasons – strong performance in the mid-end smartphone price segment ($100-$250) and emerging markets like LATAM and MEA, the US ban on Huawei and finally wins in leading OEMs like Samsung, Xiaomi and Honor,”noted Research Director Dale Gai.
The increasing adoption of 5G chipsets proved to be a silver lining for Qualcomm, as it emerged as the largest 5G chipset vendor in Q3 this year. Qualcomm led the 5G chipset market with a share of 39% and is expected to regain the top chipset vendor crown in the next quarter propelled by the sale of 5G smartphones. Counterpoint’s report mentions that out of all smartphones sold in Q3 2020, 17% were 5G enabled. And this growth streak will likely continue in the next quarter as well as one-third of all phones sold in Q4 2020 will be 5G-ready, predicts the research firm.
However, MediaTek will be on Qualcomm’s tail in the 5G smartphone market as well. The company’s Dimensity line of 5G-enabled chipsets will likely dominate the market of low-end and budget 5G smartphones, while Qualcomm is expected to remain the market leader when it comes to upper mid-range and flagship Android smartphones in the upcoming quarters.
The best Christmas gifts are the practical ones, especially if they make your life easier or teach you something new. If you’re doing last-minute Christmas shopping for a practical gift that anyone can benefit from, you’re in luck!
We’ve rounded up seven deals on apps and software, and they’re on for a limited time! Use promo code MERRY15 to save 15% off the sale price on these great, practical gifts.
Knowing multiple languages will make you a valuable asset in the coming years, and Mondly makes learning a new language accessible. It uses speech recognition tech to give you positive feedback when you speak clearly and correctly, plus its lessons feature a cast of native speaking voice actors to guide you along the way.
XSplit VCam is an easy way to blur, replace, or remove your background while using your webcam. You can use VCam to create an immersive backdrop while streaming, or insert a blank background for polished interviews and presentations.
Learning how to budget can be hard, but it’s a vital life skill that leads to financial independence. Tosh Finance Medici Plan, budgeting is made simple by monitoring your expenses and income as well as graphs that illustrate your progress. With a 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store and 4.5 out of 5 on the Google Play Store, Toshl is one of the most popular apps in this list.
12min is a digital library with hundreds of bestselling books that have been synthesized into summaries you can read in under 12 minutes. This lets you identify key takeaways without having to read through a mountain of pages, which is perfect if you lead a busy lifestyle.
Learning new skills can be tough if you’re constantly on the move, but Knowable makes learning quick and convenient thanks to its vast library of expert-led audio courses. You can choose from courses on self-improvement, productivity, marketing, and even food and drink. Plus, new courses are added each week, so you’ll never run out of skills to learn.
Accessing an unsecured Wi-Fi connection without proper protection is like letting thieves through your front door. IPVanish can help by encrypting your connection and directing your traffic to one of its private servers, making it impossible for hackers, identity thieves, government agencies, and even your own ISP to track your behavior.
Leadership doesn’t always come naturally, but it can certainly be learned, so why not learn from the best the business world has to offer? With Methods of Leadership, you get access to hundreds of premium courses from 101 of the world’s greatest business thinkers, including CEOs, professors, authors, and more.
It seems that the latest M1 Macs aren’t as perfect as we had initially thought. It seems that these powerful devices have been presenting compatibility issues when connected to ultrawide or super ultrawide monitors. Luckily Apple has already acknowledged this problem, and it seems that we would soon get a fix with the newest version of macOS BigSur.
The guys over at Macworld found a brief support document that explains the reason for the problem, as the latest M1 Macs apparently can’t recognize the native resolution of these large monitors.
“If the supported resolution isn’t available on an ultrawide or super-ultrawide external display connected to your Mac with Apple M1 chip “If you connect an ultrawide or super-ultrawide monitor to your Mac with Apple M1 chip, some resolutions supported by your display may not be available. “Apple is aware of this issue and resolution is planned for a future macOS update. “To see the additional resolutions for your external display, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Displays, then press and hold the Option key while you click Scaled.”
Now, this support page suggests that you may be able to find a temporary solution for your M1 Mac by switching between additional resolution in the Apple menu, but that doesn’t mean that users will indeed fix the issue. However, there’s another fix that was provided by Twitter user Imtiaaz. He explains that he found his way around this issue by installing SwichResX, which gave him the proper resolutions for his device.
For now, we can only wait until Apple sends the new macOS BigSur update to solve this problem. At least we can be sure that it will arrive before the rumored launch of a new 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro. These new M1 Macs could launch in the second or third quarter of 2021 with a new mini-LED display, which would help extend the M1 Mac’s battery life even further.
We start today’s deals with the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 processor, which is selling for $1,219.92 with $79 savings with you go for the 256GB version with 8GB RAM. However, you can get up to $100 savings when you get the 512GB storage version, which is up for grabs for $1,399. If you want the larger 16-inch MacBook Pro, you can get it for $2,099, and you will get 512GB storage and 16GB RAM with a $300 discount, but you get an Intel Core i7 processor under the hood.
We continue with some of the best deals available for the holiday season. Samsung is giving up to $1,000 off on its flagships when you trade-in an eligible device. You can find the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series starting at $450, the Samsung Galaxy S20 series at $415 if you go for the Galaxy S20 FE. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip starts at $500 in its LTE-only version, while the 5G variant sells for $650. Finally, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is up for grabs for $1,000.
We then head over to Microsoft, where we find the Surface Laptop 3 starting at $800 with up to $300, depending on the configuration you choose. The Surface laptop Go is also on sale, and you can get up to $150 savings. You can get one starting from $550.
Now we have a nice selection of gaming accessories from Razer. For example, the Razer Turret wireless mechanical gaming keyboard and mouse combo for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X & S is currently selling for $200 with $50 savings. If you’re only looking for a keyboard, the Razer Ornata is selling for $70 with $30 savings, the Razer BlackWidow Elite is getting a 50 percent discount, which leaves it at $85. The Razer Viper Ultralight gaming mouse is also 50 percent off, meaning you can get one for $40, and you may want to get an extended gaming mouse pad, as the Razer Goliathus with customizable Chroma RGB lighting is selling for $50.
Moving on to other interesting deals, we find the Apple Watch SE selling for just $250 in its 44mm, GPS-only version, which means $59 savings for you. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are getting a $30.99 discount, leaving them at $139.
OnePlus is rumored to launch its next-gen smartphone lineup – the OnePlus 9 trio – at some point in March next year. So far, we’ve seen leaked renders and live images of a OnePlus 9 pre-production unit, and some of its key specifications have been leaked as well. Now, a fresh leak has shed some light on the OnePlus 9’s charging attributes, and it appears that the upcoming OnePlus smartphone will offer some major upgrades in this department.
65W wired fast charging, 30W wireless charging
As per a 91Mobiles report, the OnePlus 9 will get wireless charging support – finally! To recall, OnePlus 8T as well as the OnePlus 8, both missed out on wireless charging as the feature was reserved for their more powerful ‘Pro’ sibling. Additionally, leaked images of the device suggest that thenext OnePlus flagship killer will also support reverse charging, which means it can be used to juice other devices as well.
Now that we’re talking about charging other devices, the OnePlus 9 itself will reportedly derive juice from a 4,500mAh battery. As for the charging wattage, it will offer 65W wired fast charging, while wireless charging maxes out at 30W – which is still quite impressive. And if the OnePlus 8T is anything to go by, the 65W charging technology will fill the 4,500mAh battery from 0-100% in just about 40 minutes.
A 4,500mAh battery will keep the lights on
As per older leaks, the upcoming OnePlus phone will rock a flat 6.55-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 SoC will keep things running, and it will be accompanied by 8 gigs of RAM. There’s a single selfie camera on the front, housed inside a circular hole-punch drilled in the top-left corner.
Rumors about the camera hardware are somewhat conflicting though. Some reports say the OnePlus 9 will feature two 48MP snappers at the back. However, another report claims that the device will come equipped with Leica-branded camera hardware that includes a 50MP main snapper, a 20MP wide-angle shooter, and a 12MP telephoto camera.
Apple’s new Macs powered by the in-house silicon M1 silicon has been well-received so far, with a lot of praise being directed towards the performance and battery life jump they bring to the table. however, it appears that the M1 Macs are having trouble recognizing certain resolutions when connected with ultra-wide and super ultra-wide monitors. Apple is aware of the problem and has promised to roll out an fix via a macOS update.
A third-party app called SwitchResX helps get rid of the issue.
“If you connect an ultrawide or super-ultrawide monitor to your Mac with Apple M1 chip, some resolutions supported by your display may not be available,” Apple says in a support document spotted by the folks over at Macrumors. In case you are connecting your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or the new Mac Mini powered by the M1 chip, try pressing and holding the press Option key while you click Scaledin the Displays section of System Preferences. Apple recommends this trick, and it actually appears to have worked for a few users plagued by the issue.
As per a few user complaints that we’ve so far come across on Reddit, ultrawide monitors with resolutions such as 5120×1440 pixels work fine when connected to an Intel-powered MacBook, but the maximum resolution they can achieve when connected to an M1 Mac is 3840×1080 pixels. A third-party workaround appears to be working for some users though. For those experiencing resolution scaling issues when connecting their M1 Mac with an ultrawide monitor, an app called SwitchResX apparently solves the issue.
The aforementioned third-party app trick has worked for many M1 Mac users plagued by the problem, but a native fix via a macOS update is the best way to go. In case you’re seeing the issue, make sure that the connectivity standard is right. Apple has specified that the HDMI 2.0 interface on the M1 Mac Mini only supports 4K resolution, while the Thunderbolt port goes up to 6K, both at a peak refresh rate of 60Hz.
Alright. The final bit of information regarding Samsung’s upcoming true wireless earbuds – the Galaxy Buds Pro – has finally been revealed via yet another leak. As per tipster WalkingCat (@h0x0d), the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro will cost $199. Now, that is not cheap for a pair of true wireless earbuds, but considering the features they bring to the table, the upcoming Samsung wearable might well justify that price tag.
Samsung is undercutting rivals from Apple, Sony and Bose
If you take a look at the key rivals – the Apple AirPods Pro cost $249, the Sony XF-1000XM3 made their debut at $230, while Bose’s noise-cancelling QueitComfort Earbuds are priced at $280. However, the Galaxy Buds Pro are going to be slightly costlier than the bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live, which also offer Active Noise Cancellation. Compared to their predecessor – the Galaxy Buds+ – Samsung is charging a premium of roughly $50 for its next-gen true wireless earbuds.
Talking about the features, the most important one is – of course – ANC, with the Galaxy Buds Pro said to offer a better noise isolation experience than the Galaxy Buds Live due to their in-ear design. Users will be able to control the level of noise cancellation, and there will be an ambient mode as well that can be enabled when users want to be aware of their surroundings. The upcoming Samsung earbuds will come with an IPX7 dust and water resistance rating.
ANC, Spatial Audio and 28 hours of battery life
Another major selling point of the Galaxy Buds Pro will be spatial audio. This feature will reportedly rely on head-tracking to offer an immersive listening experience. Spatial audio is said to mimic the multi-directional sound experience you get in theaters. Apple offers a similar feature with its AirPods Pro and the freshly launched AirPods Max headphones too. So far, leaks have shown the Galaxy Buds Pro in purple, black and silver color options.
Audio output will be handled by 11m drivers and 6.5mm tweeters with coaxial dual speakers. Other leaked features include special gyro sensors, Dolby Atmos support, and SoundAlive to name a few. Each earbud comes equipped with a 61mAh battery, while the charging case has a 472mAh unit inside The upcoming Samsung earbuds will reportedly last up to 28 hours on a single charge. Samsung will unveil its next-generation noise-canceling earbuds at the next Unpacked in January event where the company will also lift the covers from the Galaxy S21 family.
Samsung seems to be working on the successor of its high-end Chrome OS laptop, the Galaxy Chromebook. The Galaxy Chromebook 2 first surfaced online earlier this month. Recently, its design details were leaked online, which revealed that the device would not get a major overhaul in terms of design, but would come with improvements under the hood. Now, pricing of the upcoming laptop has also surface online, and it is much lower than expected.
A Twitter user with the handle @_h0x0d_has claimed that the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 could be launched for a price of $699. This is much lower than the original Galaxy Chromebook’s price of $999, which was also suggested to be the price of the upcoming model. Plus, Samsung is also reportedly addressing battery issues as the upcoming device is rumored to offer 12+ hours of battery life. The tipster also suggests that the Galaxy Chromebook 2 will be 178% louder than the predecessor. Plus, it will go on sale through Best Buy and Samsung.com in February next year.
In the leaked images, the new model seems very similar to its predecessor, which is not a bad thing since that device was very well received. The Galaxy Chromebook 2 is tipped to be powered by the 10th generation Intel Core i5 processor, which is a generation old. Alongside the processor, it could come equipped with up to 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM and up to 1 TB of SSD storage. On the front could lie a 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED display. There could be a QLED model as well. All of this is likely to be housed in a lightweight body.
That said, we have no information on the launch date of the device. Although, Samsung is planning to host an Unpacked event on January 14, where it is tipped to launch the Galaxy S21 series and Galaxy Buds. The original Galaxy Chromebook was also unveiled in January. Hence, we expect the successor to launch at Samsung’s ‘First Look’ event on January 6.
Xiaomi Mi 11 series is launching on December 28 as the first smartphone lineup to to launch with the latest Snapdragon 888 chipset under the hood. The company usually launches its flagship smartphones in the month of February but the Mi 11 is launching earlier than expected. While we have been hearing specs and price leaks, a new details reveal tips that the Mi 11 will come with camera improvements in the software department.
Xiaomi has revealed on Weibo that the Mi 11 will come with support for computational photography, which is an image capture and processing technique that use digital computation instead of optical processes. It will use artificial intelligence to break the physical limitations of optics. Plus, it will use computing power to create a new visual image and make use of deep learning to surpass the details visible to the human eyes. The technology is expected to offer bright and detailed photos with better color accuracy even in challenging environments like the Night Sight and Night Mode features of Google and Apple, respectively.
Xiaomi Mi 11 is expected to cost CNY4,500 or $687/€565 for the 8GB/128GB option. Furthermore, the 8GB/256GB option is tipped to be priced at cost CNY4,800 ($735/€600), whereas the 12/256 GB variant could sell for CNY5,200 ($800/€650).
Xiaomi Mi 11 rumored specifications
The Mi 11 is claimed to come with a four-curved screen design. The next flagship series is said to come equipped with S-AMOLED panels that offer a 120Hz refresh rate and Quad HD+ resolution. It will be a significant boost from the Full HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate found on the Mi 10 Pro. These are said to come equipped with a 20MP selfie shooter. While the Mi 11 could pack a 4,780mAh battery, the Mi 11 Pro might come equipped with a 4,500mAh capacity. The former might support 50W wired charging and 30W wireless charging. On the other hand, the Mi 11 Pro is said to support 120W wired charging and 80W wireless charging.
Mi 11 leaked images via Weibo
Moreover, the Mi 11 Pro camera might just be a slight update rather than a major overhaul. The Mi 10 Pro already features a quad rear camera setup with a primary 108MP sensor of f/1.33 aperture that supports OIS. Alongside the Snapdragon 888 SoC, these smartphones could be paired with LPPDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. On the optics front, the Mi 11 might sport a triple rear camera setup of 108MP + 13MP ultrawide + 5MP macro, while the Mi 11 Pro is said to feature a 48MP (OmniVision OV48C) primary camera + 20MP ultrawide + 12MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom. The Mi 11 duo could have dual speakers, an x-axis linear motor, an IR blaster, and NFC.
