The OnePlus Nord CE 2 is the next affordable OnePlus phone that we're expecting to see, as OnePlus has confirmed that this successor to the OnePlus Nord CE is on the way and landing on February 17.

We have a good idea of what to expect from it too, with OnePlus having shared a few details and even official renders, while leaked specs have filled in many of the gaps, and you'll find all of that below.

OnePlus has promised to share more ahead of the announcement date too, and as soon as we hear more we'll update this article, so check back soon if you want to stay in the loop.

• Best OnePlus phones of 2022: these are the top new and older OnePlus handsets

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The successor to the OnePlus Nord CE
• When is it out? February 17
• How much will it cost? Possibly around £275 / $375 / AU$520

OnePlus Nord CE 2 release date and price 

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G will be unveiled on February 17, as OnePlus has confirmed as much. The launch event kicks off at 8:30am ET / 5:30am PT / 1:30pm GMT, or 12:30am AEDT on February 18.

The phone has also been spotted on India’s BIS certification platform, which is something that typically happens quite close to launch.

However, while it's reportedly landing in the UK and India, it probably won't hit the US according to current reports, but that's no surprise as the original OnePlus Nord CE didn't either. Australia isn't on the cards either, as OnePlus doesn't have a presence there.

As for price, the only leak there points to it ranging between Rs 24,000 and Rs 28,000 in India. That converts to between £235 / $320 / AU$445 and £275 / $375 / AU$520. However, even if this leak is accurate conversions won't be, and again we're not expecting to actually see the Nord CE 2 in the US or Australia.

For reference, the original OnePlus Nord CE started at £299 / Rs 24,999 (around $420, AU$550), so we might see a similar price again.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 design and display

OnePlus itself has shown the back of the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G in images shared exclusively with TechRadar. The phone is shown in a Bahama Blue shade, though the  company has confirmed that there will also be a Gray Mirror option.

You can see these images below, complete with a camera module that has rounded corners and curves seamlessly out from the back, similar to the Oppo Find X3 Pro.

Prior to that, OnePlus shared a partial image of the Nord CE 2 5G, which you can see below, though this mostly just shows us the camera block.

But thanks to leaks and rumors, we have a fair bit of information about the OnePlus Nord CE 2. The phone - which is apparently codenamed 'Ivan' -  will possibly have a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate.

Elsewhere we've heard from another source that it will have a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen, and that it will look like the phone shown in the render below - which from the back matches the official renders that we've now seen above.

We've also seen other unofficial renders showing the possible design, which you can see one of below. These include a flat display with slim bezels, a punch-hole camera in the top left corner, and a triple-lens camera on the back.

That said, the camera block here is now known to be slightly wrong, so we'd take the rest of this with a pinch of salt too.

There's no visible fingerprint scanner, suggesting it's probably built into the screen. There's also no alert slider here, and the source additionally claims that the back is glass while the frame is plastic.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 specs and features

OnePlus itself has revealed that the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has 65W wired charging, a 3.5mm headphone port, 5G support, and a microSD card slot, with support for cards of up to 1TB. Since then, the company has revealed a few more details, saying that the battery is 4,500mAh and the phone has a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset.

Beyond that we're in leak territory, and leaker Yogesh Brar has shared various possible OnePlus Nord CE 2 specs, including that it apparently has a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset, between 6GB and 12GB of RAM, a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage, stereo speakers, and that it will run OxygenOS 12 overlaid on top of Android 12.

The camera meanwhile apparently includes a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide snapper, and a 2MP macro one, while around the front there's said to be a 16MP camera.

Finally, they claim things that have since been confirmed, namely that the OnePlus Nord CE 2 has a 4,500mAh battery with 65W charging. 

More recently we've heard similar but slightly different specs from leaker Ishan Agarwal, who points to a dual-lens 64MP+8MP rear camera, a 16MP selfie camera, and Android 11 with two software updates. This source also lists details that have since been confirmed, which bodes well for the accuracy of the rest of it.

The main disagreement here seems just to be whether there are two or three rear cameras. Official images of the phone clearly show three sensors, but one is tiny and might be a laser autofocus or something.

What we want to see 

Below we've listed three things that we really want from the OnePlus Nord CE 2, to make it the best budget OnePlus possible.

1. A slick, bug-free user experience

With the Nord CE 2, we want the slick software experience that OnePlus devices from the past have been known for, but the company has struggled a bit with software updates recently.

As a result of bugs, it had to pause the rollout of OxygenOS 12 to its flagship devices, so we hope that the version of the software found on the OnePlus Nord CE 2 is bug free, and that any software updates are too.

2. Better camera performance

The first-gen Nord CE had quite a few issues including an average camera, and it didn’t even have IP certification to protect the phone from dust and water. However, these are among the top features that many users want in their phones.

Some phones in a similar price range have got excellent camera performance, and this is what we hope for from the Nord CE 2 as well.

3. An affordable price

Last but not the least, many affordable phones still have fairly high-end builds, but with the original Nord CE, OnePlus cut corners with the materials used.

We’d love to see an all-glass premium-looking OnePlus Nord CE 2 at an affordable price, and it could be the perfect device to remind users of the truly affordable flagships that OnePlus used to offer.

• Check out the 10 best upcoming phones

Open radio technologies are expected to account for as much as 15% of the Radio Access Network (RAN) market by 2026, according to a new report from Dell’Oro Group.

The pace of adoption has impressed analysts who believe Open RAN will not just play an important role in the deployment of 5G, but also future generations such as 6G.

While the report notes healthy traction in multiple regions, it says that Asia-Pacific has dominated the initial phase of development and will continue to play a leading role over the next five years.

Open RAN adoption

“The Open RAN movement has come a long way in just a few years, surprising both proponents and skeptics,” said Stefan Pongratz, Vice President and analyst with the Dell’Oro Group.

“While challenging comparisons will weigh a bit on the market over the short-term, it is unlikely that these divergences between the greenfields and the brownfields will leave lasting imprints on the long-term prospects.”

RAN describes technology such as antennas that transmit data between end user devices such as smartphones and the cell site. It is a market that has bene traditionally dominated by a few major players who offer highly integrated cell sites comprising radio, hardware, and software.

This approach has made it difficult for operators to mix and match innovations and has proved to be a significant barrier to entry for smaller vendors.

OpenRAN is a vendor-neutral approach with standardised designs that allow a variety of firms to supply hardware and software.

Several major telecom groups and governments have thrown their weight behind OpenRAN, believing it can increase innovation, reduce costs and reduce dependency on the ‘big three’ of Ericsson, Huawei, and Nokia.

Major industry initiatives are underway to commercialise and test Open RAN technologies, with interoperability a key priority for leading operators.

Vodafone recently switched on the first OpenRAN mobile site in the UK that will carry live customer 5G traffic in Bath and plans to deploy 2,700 in Wales and the South West of England by 2027. Meanwhile, Telefonica is targeting 800 sites in four markets, including the UK, by 2022 and BT is trialling Open RAN in Hull.  

• If you want to benefit from EE's rollout, then take a peek at the best EE mobile deals

We now know everything about the new Redmi Note 11 series, because following on from launches in China and India last year, the new line of cheap Xiaomi phones has been re-unveiled for global audiences.

These new mobiles have some tweaks over the Asian versions, but we also now know their price and release dates too, thanks to information provided at the event which concluded recently.

In total, four new phones were unveiled: the Note 11, Note 11S, Note 11 Pro and Note 11 Pro 5G, all with slightly different specs, particularly in the screen size, camera and processor departments. 

If you're interested in the new mobiles, you can follow our live blog of the launch below, but we're actually still posting new entries. That's because the event only wrapped up recently, and we've got more thoughts, opinions and analyses on the phones that you might be interested in.

You can also watch the launch back yourself using the YouTube video below.

• These are the best Xiaomi phones so far

Welcome to our Redmi Note 11 live blog - if this is the only post you can see, it's because we've only just kicked off this page. Stay tuned for more very soon.

You might be thinking “didn’t the Redmi Note 11 series already launch?” and you’d be right - sort-of. We saw the mobile phones debut in China, and you can find out everything you need to know about those versions of the phones here. 

However, when Redmi phones launch in different regions there are often slight changes, particularly in the processor, charging and camera departments. So the phones we see debut today could actually be different mobiles in a few ways.

The names will likely be the same though, so we’ll probably see a Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro - perhaps there will also be a Redmi Note 11 5G or Note 11T based on the company’s past performance.

We’ve also seen the Redmi Note 11T, which launched in India last year. That was basically the same phone as the Chinese Note 11, but with a different name.

Redmi often releases T versions of its phones a little after launch, sometimes with tweaked specs to the original version, and sometimes as completely different mobiles.

Honestly, Redmi phone naming can be quite confusing, especially when you look at global markets where the same titles are used on different mobiles.

Could we see more tech unveiled at the Redmi Note 11 launch today?

Well, if there’s more up Xiaomi’s sleeves, we haven’t heard about it. We sometimes see wearables or wireless headphones launched at this kind of event, and Redmi does make those kinds of devices. But so far, we haven’t heard anything.

Xiaomi is also prone to show off some random flashy smart home gadgets at its launches like air purifiers, smart TVs, streaming sticks and the like, but it mainly sells these products in Asia, so we’re not confident anything like that will show up.

We often see Xiaomi's CyberDog (pictured) show up at these events though, not to go on sale but just as a fun extra, so maybe the metal mutt will show up later too.

So expect just the Redmi phones, but if anything else appears we’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Interested in what else is happening in smartphone news today, outside Xiaomi?

Well, it's been a very OnePlus-heavy day. Firstly, a rumor suggests a OnePlus 10 Ultra is on the way, which will arrive later in the year if it's actually real at all.

Secondly, we've heard more about the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, which sounds like it could be launching very soon, maybe even February 11 according to this new leak.

There's now an hour until the Redmi Note 11 launch kicks off.

A teaser on Twitter gives us some idea of what to expect, in somewhat broken English. It says "smooth every scroll" then "color every frame" then "immersed in every moment". 

Presumably, these things refer to the display, so we expect a high refresh rate, a wide color gamut and... well, we don't really know how to interpret the last phrase.

The slogan for this launch is 'Rise to the challenge' but this sounds like a motivational phase more than a tease for the phones - Chinese brands like picking out random catchphrases like this.

It sounds like the first few months of 2022 could end up being very busy for Xiaomi. Kicking off the proceedings is the Redmi Note 11 launch, but we’re expecting a lot more in the coming months.

The company’s latest flagship, the Xiaomi 12, debuted in China in December last year alongside the Xiaomi 12 Pro. The company generally unveils its tech in its home country first, as this Redmi Note 11 launch shows, and we’re expecting the top-end phones to launch globally in February or March.

Black Shark, a gaming phone brand owned by Xiaomi, also tends to debut its yearly phone in the first few months of the year, so March or April could bring the Black Shark 5.

Finally, we haven’t heard much from the Poco sub brand recently, but it maintains a slow and steady stream of budget mobiles, so we could see the next of those coming soon too.

The Redmi Note 11 live stream has begun - sort-of. The placeholder saying 'X minutes until the live stream starts' has gone, and the video has a time counter on it now, which means it's technically begun.

However we're still just seeing text which says 'the event will start shortly' so it's not exactly exciting. Chat is popping off, though.

Half an hour left - better get your drink and snacks ready.

Judging by this Tweet, we might hear about MIUI updates today too. MIUI is Xiaomi's fork of Android, and it's the software the company's phones run. 

We've previously found MIUI to be quite buggy, and it's often full of bloatware too, especially on the budget Redmi phones. However we've heard that Xiaomi is looking to revitalize its divisive software, so maybe we'll hear about that today.

On the live stream, we're currently seeing a looping video that's just promotional video for older Xiaomi phones - but the event proper is due to kick off very soon.

Oh - the Redmi Note 10 trailers have stopped, and we're back to the old 'the event will start shortly'.

This time it's accompanied by a timer, counting down from 5 minutes.

And it's begun.

Like most tech launches, we're starting with the company just explaining how popular its phones are.

The presenter is explaining how popular Redmi phones are, giving an example of how the company talked to a fan who visited ten different stores to pick up the Redmi Note 10.

That doesn't exactly say good things about Xiaomi's global supply though...

First, we're looking at the Redmi Note 11 Pro and Note 11 Pro 5G - it sounds like these are two different phones - which the company is referring to as its '108MP powerhouse'. Did anyone tell the company that the Redmi Note 10 Pro also had a 108MP camera?

Xiaomi first run us through the colors of the phones: Polar White, Atlantic Blue (which has a textured effect that looks like how refracted water does when it bounces on other surfaces) and Star Blue which is a light blue and violet gradient.

Here's that Atlantic Blue.

We've also heard other design features - there's a glass back, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, 3.5mm headphone jack. You can see the camera bump yourself in this image.

We've already smashed straight into photography, but at the moment they're just sharing photo samples. These were taken on Redmi phones, but were obviously edited in software afterwards to make them look good.

They're explaining the benefits of 108MP, particularly in the detail and low-light department.

We're reading between the lines quite a bit here, but it sounds like the 108MP sensor used is a better one than we saw in previous Xiaomi phones.

We've also heard the other cameras: there's an ultra-wide and macro camera. We hope the latter is like the one we saw in the Xiaomi Mi 11, as it was a telemacro which was great for close-up shots, but they didn't say.

Xiaomi has moved straight onto video, and they're not wasting any time with this launch. As tech fans, we appreciate how Xiaomi seems to value our time, and isn't spending ages discussing every small point about the phone. As someone having to live blog this launch, our hands hurt.

Thankfully a video of someone skateboarding down a hill is giving us time to write this post out - apparently it was shot on the Note 11 Pro 5G.

It sounds like some Mi 11 videography modes are coming to the Redmi series.

Here's a summary of the Redmi Note 11 Pro camera modes.

We've already moved onto display. Apparently the phones will get AMOLED screens, which is surprising, as that's the display tech top-end phones use, and we generally see LCD or OLED in budget mobiles.

There's also a 120Hz refresh rate - this means the display updates 120 times per second, making motion look smoother than on other phones with 60Hz or 90Hz screens.

Here are those screen features, as it's easier to screenshot than to write it all out, thanks to Xiaomi's fast event speed.

Oh, and apparently the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G has 5G connectivity, which is an absolute shocker given that name.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is getting the Snapdragon 695 chipset. That's a bit of a surprise, as it's more of a budget processor than the 732G used by the Redmi Note 10 Pro, and the phone might not be too powerful as a result.

The non-5G version gets the MediaTek Helio G96, which also won't be too fast.

There's expandable storage on both though, with a micro SD card slot which supports up to 1TB storage.

Oh, and apparently RAM and storage go up to 8GB and 128GB respectively, though we expect there will be different configurations you can pick.

Oh crickey, we're on to battery already. My poor hands...

The Redmi Note 11 Pro is confirmed to have a 5,000mAh battery and 67W fast charging, two pretty impressive specs for mid-range or low-end phones.

Xiaomi says you can get an entire day of battery life from just 15 minutes of charging, a claim we're dubious of, and we're definitely going to test out that claim when we get our hands on the phone.

Also, Xiaomi is using Samsung's phone charging speeds to compare. That's a clever example, but not the best as a point of comparison, as Samsung uses painfully slow charging speeds for its mobiles.

Oh, and Xiaomi has confirmed that the phones will come with a 67W charger in the box.

So that's the Redmi Note 11 Pro and 11 Pro 5G. We're moving onto the price now.

The 5G phone will start for $329, for 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. Just note that the company doesn't sell its phones in the US, so presumably it's using US Dollars as a point of comparison.

The phone goes up to $349 for 128GB storage and $379 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The phone will go on sale at some point in February, though a pre-order deal was mentioned that's only live on February 15 and 16, so presumably it'll be available at some point after that.

The 4G version starts at $299 for 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, with the same bigger variants as the 5G one at $329 and $349 respectively. It'll also be along at some point in February.

And now we've moved onto the Redmi Note 11 and Note 11S - the former is the '90Hz AMOLED Pioneer' and the latter is the '108MP Expert' apparently.

The Note 11 and Note 11S look the same - there's the 6.43-inch screen, side fingerprint scanner, 3.5mm headphone jack, flat edges and rectangular camera bump. They also look the same as the Pro models.

The phones come in blue, black, white and blue.

Cameras!

The Note 11S comes with a 108MP camera, like the Pro and Pro 5G, as well as an ultra-wide and macro camera. 

The Note 11 'just' has a 50MP camera, joined by an ultra-wide, macro and... another camera, though while a fourth camera was confirmed, we weren't told what it actually was.

Display! (we've given up with images because it takes too much time, and Xiaomi is going so quickly).

Both phones have FHD+ AMOLED displays, broken up by punch-holes for the front cameras at the top-center. The the Note 11 and Note 11S both have 90Hz refresh rates and 1000 nits max brightness.

The Note 11S has the same Helio G96 processor as the Pro 4G, while the Note 11 has the Snapdragon 680, another Snapdragon 600-series chipset like the Pro 5G.

We're not sure about either of these chipsets, and it sounds like they might not be the fastest budget phones in the whole world, but we'll need to test that out before saying it for sure.

Battery!

So it sounds like all the Note 11 phones will have a 5,000mAh battery. But the Note 11 and Note 11S get 33W charging (with in-box chargers) unlike the 67W of the Pro versions.

According to Xiaomi, this will power the battery to full in just 58 minutes, something we'll have to test out.

Xiaomi has also detailed Memory Extension mode, which lets you turn free storage space into RAM temporarily to give you extra processing power - we've seen a few phones which do this.

There's also dual stereo speakers.

Here's that roundup. Now onto prices...

...if our keyboard hasn't caught fire before we announce them.

The Note 11S starts at $249 for 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, and goes up to $279 for 6GB/128GB and $299 for 8GB/128GB. Apparently it'll go on sale 'starting January', which doesn't exactly give Xiaomi much time to release the phone.

The standard Note 11 costs just $179 for a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage model, and goes up to $199 for 4GB RAM and 128GB storage, and $229 for 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Those are some pretty low prices, though we'll need to hear regional pricing in places the phones will actually go on sale.

The phones will go on sale in January like the Note 11S.

So those are the four phones, and Xiaomi has confirmed those are the only smartphones launching today - but it's already barreled on to software, and its MIUI Android fork.

Apparently MIUI 13, the new version of MIUI, has four key focuses.

The first is 'Liquid Storage', which is an algorithm that optimizes storage space by reducing fragmentation. A good idea is like, when you play Tetris, you know how gaps can form in your grid? Defragmentation lets you fill these in to automatically remove lines and optimize storage. That's a bit of a mixed metaphor, hope it makes sense.

RAM optimization is another new focus, which smartly optimizes what your phone's RAM is doing at any one time. 

Third is focused algorithms, which improves speeds and performance by... doing something? We couldn't catch it.

Next is Smart Balance, which automatically finds the correct mix between performance power and battery life depending on what task you're doing, which should improve your phone's battery life.

We've also heard a design change for MIUI - a side bar is being added, which lets you easily access your most-used apps by swiping in from the side.

Oh, apparently all four new Redmi phones will get MIUI 13 pre-installed.

We're looking at Xiaomi's wider tech products now.

Apparently the brand has sold 16 million air purifiers so far, and it's announcing a new one now, called the Smart Air Purifier 4 Pro (or Pro 4?) which... purifies the air around you, we guess. 

Not all Xiaomi's smart home tech comes to all regions, so you'll have to see if this goes on sale where you are.

It sounds like the air purifier was the only smart-home product Xiaomi had today. So no TVs or CyberDogs or anything.

The event is likely wrapping up soon then, unless Xiaomi has a 'one more thing' - it wouldn't be the first time the company has used this Apple-like presentation for a final exciting product.

Nope, it sounds like that's it. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 launch is officially over.

That doesn't mean you should close this tab, though, because we've got more to come. 

For the rest of the day (or until we clock off from work, at least) we're going to be sharing analysis, opinions, things you might have missed and other important bits of information.

I might also cede the live blog to another member of the TechRadar team, for some perspective from a writer who doesn't cover every move Xiaomi makes. Maybe.

Firstly, here's everything you need to know about the Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro 5G, the two handsets that are coming to the UK, as we won't be seeing the 11S or 11 Pro here. 

Now we're going to quickly pop out for lunch but expect more analysis in less than an hour.

Now that the event is over, we're going to be moving on to analysis.

One of the interesting points we've noticed is that there's only one 5G phone in the new Redmi Note 11 range, in the 11 Pro 5G, compared to three 4G-only devices.

Given how insistent telecoms companies are on the prevalence and importance of 5G, it's curious that Xiaomi isn't going all-in on the new form of connectivty.

The timing is something to point out, as just hours before the Note 11 launch began, rival company Realme announced that it was going 'all in 5G [sic]' for its Realme 9 Pro series, which will likely rival the Redmi Note 11 series closely in terms of price and specs.

So other companies are clearly embracing 5G more than Redmi.

We now know everything about the new Redmi Note 11 series, because following on from launches in China and India last year, the new line of cheap Xiaomi phones has been re-unveiled for global audiences.

These new mobiles have some tweaks over the Asian versions, but we also now know their price and release dates too, thanks to information provided at the event which concluded recently.

In total, four new phones were unveiled: the Note 11, Note 11S, Note 11 Pro and Note 11 Pro 5G, all with slightly different specs, particularly in the screen size, camera and processor departments. 

If you're interested in the new mobiles, you can follow our live blog of the launch below, but we're actually still posting new entries. That's because the event only wrapped up recently, and we've got more thoughts, opinions and analyses on the phones that you might be interested in.

You can also watch the launch back yourself using the YouTube video below.

• These are the best Xiaomi phones so far

Welcome to our Redmi Note 11 live blog - if this is the only post you can see, it's because we've only just kicked off this page. Stay tuned for more very soon.

You might be thinking “didn’t the Redmi Note 11 series already launch?” and you’d be right - sort-of. We saw the mobile phones debut in China, and you can find out everything you need to know about those versions of the phones here. 

However, when Redmi phones launch in different regions there are often slight changes, particularly in the processor, charging and camera departments. So the phones we see debut today could actually be different mobiles in a few ways.

The names will likely be the same though, so we’ll probably see a Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro - perhaps there will also be a Redmi Note 11 5G or Note 11T based on the company’s past performance.

We’ve also seen the Redmi Note 11T, which launched in India last year. That was basically the same phone as the Chinese Note 11, but with a different name.

Redmi often releases T versions of its phones a little after launch, sometimes with tweaked specs to the original version, and sometimes as completely different mobiles.

Honestly, Redmi phone naming can be quite confusing, especially when you look at global markets where the same titles are used on different mobiles.

Could we see more tech unveiled at the Redmi Note 11 launch today?

Well, if there’s more up Xiaomi’s sleeves, we haven’t heard about it. We sometimes see wearables or wireless headphones launched at this kind of event, and Redmi does make those kinds of devices. But so far, we haven’t heard anything.

Xiaomi is also prone to show off some random flashy smart home gadgets at its launches like air purifiers, smart TVs, streaming sticks and the like, but it mainly sells these products in Asia, so we’re not confident anything like that will show up.

We often see Xiaomi's CyberDog (pictured) show up at these events though, not to go on sale but just as a fun extra, so maybe the metal mutt will show up later too.

So expect just the Redmi phones, but if anything else appears we’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Interested in what else is happening in smartphone news today, outside Xiaomi?

Well, it's been a very OnePlus-heavy day. Firstly, a rumor suggests a OnePlus 10 Ultra is on the way, which will arrive later in the year if it's actually real at all.

Secondly, we've heard more about the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, which sounds like it could be launching very soon, maybe even February 11 according to this new leak.

There's now an hour until the Redmi Note 11 launch kicks off.

A teaser on Twitter gives us some idea of what to expect, in somewhat broken English. It says "smooth every scroll" then "color every frame" then "immersed in every moment". 

Presumably, these things refer to the display, so we expect a high refresh rate, a wide color gamut and... well, we don't really know how to interpret the last phrase.

The slogan for this launch is 'Rise to the challenge' but this sounds like a motivational phase more than a tease for the phones - Chinese brands like picking out random catchphrases like this.

It sounds like the first few months of 2022 could end up being very busy for Xiaomi. Kicking off the proceedings is the Redmi Note 11 launch, but we’re expecting a lot more in the coming months.

The company’s latest flagship, the Xiaomi 12, debuted in China in December last year alongside the Xiaomi 12 Pro. The company generally unveils its tech in its home country first, as this Redmi Note 11 launch shows, and we’re expecting the top-end phones to launch globally in February or March.

Black Shark, a gaming phone brand owned by Xiaomi, also tends to debut its yearly phone in the first few months of the year, so March or April could bring the Black Shark 5.

Finally, we haven’t heard much from the Poco sub brand recently, but it maintains a slow and steady stream of budget mobiles, so we could see the next of those coming soon too.

The Redmi Note 11 live stream has begun - sort-of. The placeholder saying 'X minutes until the live stream starts' has gone, and the video has a time counter on it now, which means it's technically begun.

However we're still just seeing text which says 'the event will start shortly' so it's not exactly exciting. Chat is popping off, though.

Half an hour left - better get your drink and snacks ready.

Judging by this Tweet, we might hear about MIUI updates today too. MIUI is Xiaomi's fork of Android, and it's the software the company's phones run. 

We've previously found MIUI to be quite buggy, and it's often full of bloatware too, especially on the budget Redmi phones. However we've heard that Xiaomi is looking to revitalize its divisive software, so maybe we'll hear about that today.

On the live stream, we're currently seeing a looping video that's just promotional video for older Xiaomi phones - but the event proper is due to kick off very soon.

Oh - the Redmi Note 10 trailers have stopped, and we're back to the old 'the event will start shortly'.

This time it's accompanied by a timer, counting down from 5 minutes.

And it's begun.

Like most tech launches, we're starting with the company just explaining how popular its phones are.

The presenter is explaining how popular Redmi phones are, giving an example of how the company talked to a fan who visited ten different stores to pick up the Redmi Note 10.

That doesn't exactly say good things about Xiaomi's global supply though...

First, we're looking at the Redmi Note 11 Pro and Note 11 Pro 5G - it sounds like these are two different phones - which the company is referring to as its '108MP powerhouse'. Did anyone tell the company that the Redmi Note 10 Pro also had a 108MP camera?

Xiaomi first run us through the colors of the phones: Polar White, Atlantic Blue (which has a textured effect that looks like how refracted water does when it bounces on other surfaces) and Star Blue which is a light blue and violet gradient.

Here's that Atlantic Blue.

We've also heard other design features - there's a glass back, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, 3.5mm headphone jack. You can see the camera bump yourself in this image.

We've already smashed straight into photography, but at the moment they're just sharing photo samples. These were taken on Redmi phones, but were obviously edited in software afterwards to make them look good.

They're explaining the benefits of 108MP, particularly in the detail and low-light department.

We're reading between the lines quite a bit here, but it sounds like the 108MP sensor used is a better one than we saw in previous Xiaomi phones.

We've also heard the other cameras: there's an ultra-wide and macro camera. We hope the latter is like the one we saw in the Xiaomi Mi 11, as it was a telemacro which was great for close-up shots, but they didn't say.

Xiaomi has moved straight onto video, and they're not wasting any time with this launch. As tech fans, we appreciate how Xiaomi seems to value our time, and isn't spending ages discussing every small point about the phone. As someone having to live blog this launch, our hands hurt.

Thankfully a video of someone skateboarding down a hill is giving us time to write this post out - apparently it was shot on the Note 11 Pro 5G.

It sounds like some Mi 11 videography modes are coming to the Redmi series.

Here's a summary of the Redmi Note 11 Pro camera modes.

We've already moved onto display. Apparently the phones will get AMOLED screens, which is surprising, as that's the display tech top-end phones use, and we generally see LCD or OLED in budget mobiles.

There's also a 120Hz refresh rate - this means the display updates 120 times per second, making motion look smoother than on other phones with 60Hz or 90Hz screens.

Here are those screen features, as it's easier to screenshot than to write it all out, thanks to Xiaomi's fast event speed.

Oh, and apparently the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G has 5G connectivity, which is an absolute shocker given that name.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is getting the Snapdragon 695 chipset. That's a bit of a surprise, as it's more of a budget processor than the 732G used by the Redmi Note 10 Pro, and the phone might not be too powerful as a result.

The non-5G version gets the MediaTek Helio G96, which also won't be too fast.

There's expandable storage on both though, with a micro SD card slot which supports up to 1TB storage.

Oh, and apparently RAM and storage go up to 8GB and 128GB respectively, though we expect there will be different configurations you can pick.

Oh crickey, we're on to battery already. My poor hands...

The Redmi Note 11 Pro is confirmed to have a 5,000mAh battery and 67W fast charging, two pretty impressive specs for mid-range or low-end phones.

Xiaomi says you can get an entire day of battery life from just 15 minutes of charging, a claim we're dubious of, and we're definitely going to test out that claim when we get our hands on the phone.

Also, Xiaomi is using Samsung's phone charging speeds to compare. That's a clever example, but not the best as a point of comparison, as Samsung uses painfully slow charging speeds for its mobiles.

Oh, and Xiaomi has confirmed that the phones will come with a 67W charger in the box.

So that's the Redmi Note 11 Pro and 11 Pro 5G. We're moving onto the price now.

The 5G phone will start for $329, for 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. Just note that the company doesn't sell its phones in the US, so presumably it's using US Dollars as a point of comparison.

The phone goes up to $349 for 128GB storage and $379 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The phone will go on sale at some point in February, though a pre-order deal was mentioned that's only live on February 15 and 16, so presumably it'll be available at some point after that.

The 4G version starts at $299 for 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, with the same bigger variants as the 5G one at $329 and $349 respectively. It'll also be along at some point in February.

And now we've moved onto the Redmi Note 11 and Note 11S - the former is the '90Hz AMOLED Pioneer' and the latter is the '108MP Expert' apparently.

The Note 11 and Note 11S look the same - there's the 6.43-inch screen, side fingerprint scanner, 3.5mm headphone jack, flat edges and rectangular camera bump. They also look the same as the Pro models.

The phones come in blue, black, white and blue.

Cameras!

The Note 11S comes with a 108MP camera, like the Pro and Pro 5G, as well as an ultra-wide and macro camera. 

The Note 11 'just' has a 50MP camera, joined by an ultra-wide, macro and... another camera, though while a fourth camera was confirmed, we weren't told what it actually was.

Display! (we've given up with images because it takes too much time, and Xiaomi is going so quickly).

Both phones have FHD+ AMOLED displays, broken up by punch-holes for the front cameras at the top-center. The the Note 11 and Note 11S both have 90Hz refresh rates and 1000 nits max brightness.

The Note 11S has the same Helio G96 processor as the Pro 4G, while the Note 11 has the Snapdragon 680, another Snapdragon 600-series chipset like the Pro 5G.

We're not sure about either of these chipsets, and it sounds like they might not be the fastest budget phones in the whole world, but we'll need to test that out before saying it for sure.

Battery!

So it sounds like all the Note 11 phones will have a 5,000mAh battery. But the Note 11 and Note 11S get 33W charging (with in-box chargers) unlike the 67W of the Pro versions.

According to Xiaomi, this will power the battery to full in just 58 minutes, something we'll have to test out.

Xiaomi has also detailed Memory Extension mode, which lets you turn free storage space into RAM temporarily to give you extra processing power - we've seen a few phones which do this.

There's also dual stereo speakers.

Here's that roundup. Now onto prices...

...if our keyboard hasn't caught fire before we announce them.

The Note 11S starts at $249 for 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, and goes up to $279 for 6GB/128GB and $299 for 8GB/128GB. Apparently it'll go on sale 'starting January', which doesn't exactly give Xiaomi much time to release the phone.

The standard Note 11 costs just $179 for a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage model, and goes up to $199 for 4GB RAM and 128GB storage, and $229 for 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Those are some pretty low prices, though we'll need to hear regional pricing in places the phones will actually go on sale.

The phones will go on sale in January like the Note 11S.

So those are the four phones, and Xiaomi has confirmed those are the only smartphones launching today - but it's already barreled on to software, and its MIUI Android fork.

Apparently MIUI 13, the new version of MIUI, has four key focuses.

The first is 'Liquid Storage', which is an algorithm that optimizes storage space by reducing fragmentation. A good idea is like, when you play Tetris, you know how gaps can form in your grid? Defragmentation lets you fill these in to automatically remove lines and optimize storage. That's a bit of a mixed metaphor, hope it makes sense.

RAM optimization is another new focus, which smartly optimizes what your phone's RAM is doing at any one time. 

Third is focused algorithms, which improves speeds and performance by... doing something? We couldn't catch it.

Next is Smart Balance, which automatically finds the correct mix between performance power and battery life depending on what task you're doing, which should improve your phone's battery life.

We've also heard a design change for MIUI - a side bar is being added, which lets you easily access your most-used apps by swiping in from the side.

Oh, apparently all four new Redmi phones will get MIUI 13 pre-installed.

We're looking at Xiaomi's wider tech products now.

Apparently the brand has sold 16 million air purifiers so far, and it's announcing a new one now, called the Smart Air Purifier 4 Pro (or Pro 4?) which... purifies the air around you, we guess. 

Not all Xiaomi's smart home tech comes to all regions, so you'll have to see if this goes on sale where you are.

It sounds like the air purifier was the only smart-home product Xiaomi had today. So no TVs or CyberDogs or anything.

The event is likely wrapping up soon then, unless Xiaomi has a 'one more thing' - it wouldn't be the first time the company has used this Apple-like presentation for a final exciting product.

Nope, it sounds like that's it. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 launch is officially over.

That doesn't mean you should close this tab, though, because we've got more to come. 

For the rest of the day (or until we clock off from work, at least) we're going to be sharing analysis, opinions, things you might have missed and other important bits of information.

I might also cede the live blog to another member of the TechRadar team, for some perspective from a writer who doesn't cover every move Xiaomi makes. Maybe.

Firstly, here's everything you need to know about the Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro 5G, the two handsets that are coming to the UK, as we won't be seeing the 11S or 11 Pro here. 

Now we're going to quickly pop out for lunch but expect more analysis in less than an hour.

Now that the event is over, we're going to be moving on to analysis.

One of the interesting points we've noticed is that there's only one 5G phone in the new Redmi Note 11 range, in the 11 Pro 5G, compared to three 4G-only devices.

Given how insistent telecoms companies are on the prevalence and importance of 5G, it's curious that Xiaomi isn't going all-in on the new form of connectivty.

The timing is something to point out, as just hours before the Note 11 launch began, rival company Realme announced that it was going 'all in 5G [sic]' for its Realme 9 Pro series, which will likely rival the Redmi Note 11 series closely in terms of price and specs.

So other companies are clearly embracing 5G more than Redmi.

The Redmi Note 11 series has been launched, and these are Xiaomi's new cheap phones for the beginning of 2022, which you'll be able to buy very soon.

The Note 11 line was launched in China and India in late 2021, but it's just seen a global launch, so now we know European and international availability. The newly-released handsets are actually slightly different to their same-name counterparts in those other regions too.

Xiaomi has actually debuted four new phones, but this article is just about the new Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro 5G, because they're the ones that have availability confirmed for the UK - the two others, the Redmi Note 11S and Note 11 Pro (note the lack of '5G' in the title) won't be on sale in as many regions.

The beginning of the year is a busy period for Xiaomi, and as well as its new Redmi Note phones, we're expecting its new flagship, the Xiaomi 12, very soon. This could also be joined by the Xiaomi 12 Ultra, and maybe a Lite version.

We know lots of details about the Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro 5G, and before we get our hands on the devices to review, here's everything you need to know.

• These are the best Xiaomi phones

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next generation of affordable Redmi phones
• When is it out? Starting February 24
• How much will it cost? Starts at $179 (around £130, AU$250)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 price and release date

Xiaomi shared both a release date and price for its upcoming Redmi Note 11 phones, so we've already got a good picture of their availability.

In the UK, the Redmi Note 11 will go on sale on February 24, while the Pro 5G will hit store shelves later in the year - we don't have an exact date for this. International release dates will likely be similar.

Next, prices, and before we get into them, we need to point something out. We've been provided the cost in US dollars, but Xiaomi doesn't actually sell its phones in the US - these are just a reference point. We've provided comparison conversions below, but take these with a grain of salt for now.

So the Redmi Note 11 looks to be supremely affordable, and when we get onto the specs you'll understand why. The Note 11 Pro 5G is a fair step up from that, but it still won't exactly set you back much.

Design and display

Both the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 phones look basically the same, with similar-looking camera bumps and fairly plain designs, but the Pro 5G is a bigger mobile.

That device has a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1200 nits max brightness, which is a size step up from the 6.43-inch panel on the Note 11. The latter also has a FHD+ resolution but only a 90Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits highest brightness.

Weighing just 179g, the Note 11 is 23g lighter than its Pro 5G sibling, which is likely thanks to the smaller screen. Both have an IP53 rating against splashes and dust.

Unlike many cheap phones you'll find on the market nowadays, both the Redmi phones have 3.5mm headphone jacks, which might please people who like their wired audio.

Both phones have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, which is something the last few generations of Redmi handset have used. There's also a microSD card slot, for people who use these, which can store up to 1TB of data.

You can pick up the Redmi Note 11 in gray, blue or a violet and cyan gradient design, and the Pro has the first two options but its third version is white. Saying that, the exact regional availability of these shades might mean only one or two are available in certain countries.

Cameras and battery life

The Redmi Note 11 packs a 50MP main camera, joined by an 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro and 2MP depth-sensing array.

We've yet to be convinced by the numerous 2MP cameras that phone companies pack into their mobiles, but we've generally been impressed by 50MP snappers we've tested in mobiles, so we'll have to test the phone out to judge it.

There's also a 13MP selfie camera embedded in a 'punch-hole' cut-out in the screen.

Onto the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, and this is seemingly a downgrade from its predecessor. There's a 108MP main snapper, like in the Note 10 Pro, though this has a bigger sensor than before, so it should be better for low-light settings.

There's an 8MP ultra-wide snapper, like on the Note 10 equivalent, but while that device had a 5MP macro snapper which borrowed the Xiaomi Mi 11's fantastic telemacro lens, that's gone here in favor of a standard 2MP macro snapper. Oh, and there's no 2MP depth-sensor here like on the Note 11 or Note 10 Pro, but we're not losing any sleep about that absence.

Finally, there's a 16MP front camera, with the same placement as the Note 11's.

Both mobiles have 5,000mAh batteries, but because of the Pro 5G's bigger screen and 5G connectivity, we imagine it'll drain power quicker, and therefore have worse battery life.

That should be no problem though, because it has 67W wired powering, which is impressively fast for a budget phone. According to Xiaomi, just 15 minutes of charging will power the phone up to 50%, which is nice and fast.

The standard Note 11 powers at 33W, which is pretty much standard for a budget phone, though we've seen some with much slower charging speeds. Expect a roughly hour-long charging time.

Performance and specs

It's the internals which show the Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro 5G's biggest changes from their other-region equivalents.

We've already run you through the various sizing configurations in the price section, but for the Redmi Note 11, that's paired with the Snapdragon 680 chipset. Since that's a low-end processor, we're a little dubious about how fast this mobile could actually be.

The Note 11 Pro 5G gets the Snapdragon 695, which is a new chipset we haven't tested before, but the Snapdragon 600-series processors are rarely very powerful. It's a curious downgrade as the Note 10 Pro got the Snapdragon 732G, which is, based on the numerical name, more powerful.

As the phone's name suggests, the Note 11 Pro 5G can connect to 5G networks in regions that offer them, which is a step up over the Note 10 Pro which was only 4G. Curiously the Note 11 is 4G-only, despite the fact that the lowest-end member of the line launched in the UK last year was the Note 10 5G - so if you want the budget model, you're actually losing 5G this year.

Software-wise, you're looking at Android 12 with Xiaomi's MIUI 13 laid over the top - this brings some stability and user interface tweaks over previous versions of this Android fork, most notably a side-bar with your most-used apps that you can easily summon by swiping in from the edge of the display.

In a media briefing, Xiaomi also made sure to highlight a new feature of its Game Turbo mode, which is basically an optimization mode that runs alongside games to minimize notifications and ensure a game gets as much processing power as possible. The new feature is a voice-changing mode, so if you're talking to strangers online, you can mask your identity somewhat.

• What are Xiaomi phones? Our guide to the brand

The Redmi Note 11 series has been launched, and these are Xiaomi's new cheap phones for the beginning of 2022, which you'll be able to buy very soon.

The Note 11 line was launched in China and India in late 2021, but it's just seen a global launch, so now we know European and international availability. The newly-released handsets are actually slightly different to their same-name counterparts in those other regions too.

Xiaomi has actually debuted four new phones, but this article is just about the new Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro 5G, because they're the ones that have availability confirmed for the UK - the two others, the Redmi Note 11S and Note 11 Pro (note the lack of '5G' in the title) won't be on sale in as many regions.

The beginning of the year is a busy period for Xiaomi, and as well as its new Redmi Note phones, we're expecting its new flagship, the Xiaomi 12, very soon. This could also be joined by the Xiaomi 12 Ultra, and maybe a Lite version.

We know lots of details about the Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro 5G, and before we get our hands on the devices to review, here's everything you need to know.

• These are the best Xiaomi phones

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next generation of affordable Redmi phones
• When is it out? Starting February 24
• How much will it cost? Starts at $179 (around £130, AU$250)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 price and release date

Xiaomi shared both a release date and price for its upcoming Redmi Note 11 phones, so we've already got a good picture of their availability.

In the UK, the Redmi Note 11 will go on sale on February 24, while the Pro 5G will hit store shelves later in the year - we don't have an exact date for this. International release dates will likely be similar.

Next, prices, and before we get into them, we need to point something out. We've been provided the cost in US dollars, but Xiaomi doesn't actually sell its phones in the US - these are just a reference point. We've provided comparison conversions below, but take these with a grain of salt for now.

So the Redmi Note 11 looks to be supremely affordable, and when we get onto the specs you'll understand why. The Note 11 Pro 5G is a fair step up from that, but it still won't exactly set you back much.

Design and display

Both the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 phones look basically the same, with similar-looking camera bumps and fairly plain designs, but the Pro 5G is a bigger mobile.

That device has a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1200 nits max brightness, which is a size step up from the 6.43-inch panel on the Note 11. The latter also has a FHD+ resolution but only a 90Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits highest brightness.

Weighing just 179g, the Note 11 is 23g lighter than its Pro 5G sibling, which is likely thanks to the smaller screen. Both have an IP53 rating against splashes and dust.

Unlike many cheap phones you'll find on the market nowadays, both the Redmi phones have 3.5mm headphone jacks, which might please people who like their wired audio.

Both phones have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, which is something the last few generations of Redmi handset have used. There's also a microSD card slot, for people who use these, which can store up to 1TB of data.

You can pick up the Redmi Note 11 in gray, blue or a violet and cyan gradient design, and the Pro has the first two options but its third version is white. Saying that, the exact regional availability of these shades might mean only one or two are available in certain countries.

Cameras and battery life

The Redmi Note 11 packs a 50MP main camera, joined by an 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro and 2MP depth-sensing array.

We've yet to be convinced by the numerous 2MP cameras that phone companies pack into their mobiles, but we've generally been impressed by 50MP snappers we've tested in mobiles, so we'll have to test the phone out to judge it.

There's also a 13MP selfie camera embedded in a 'punch-hole' cut-out in the screen.

Onto the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, and this is seemingly a downgrade from its predecessor. There's a 108MP main snapper, like in the Note 10 Pro, though this has a bigger sensor than before, so it should be better for low-light settings.

There's an 8MP ultra-wide snapper, like on the Note 10 equivalent, but while that device had a 5MP macro snapper which borrowed the Xiaomi Mi 11's fantastic telemacro lens, that's gone here in favor of a standard 2MP macro snapper. Oh, and there's no 2MP depth-sensor here like on the Note 11 or Note 10 Pro, but we're not losing any sleep about that absence.

Finally, there's a 16MP front camera, with the same placement as the Note 11's.

Both mobiles have 5,000mAh batteries, but because of the Pro 5G's bigger screen and 5G connectivity, we imagine it'll drain power quicker, and therefore have worse battery life.

That should be no problem though, because it has 67W wired powering, which is impressively fast for a budget phone. According to Xiaomi, just 15 minutes of charging will power the phone up to 50%, which is nice and fast.

The standard Note 11 powers at 33W, which is pretty much standard for a budget phone, though we've seen some with much slower charging speeds. Expect a roughly hour-long charging time.

Performance and specs

It's the internals which show the Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro 5G's biggest changes from their other-region equivalents.

We've already run you through the various sizing configurations in the price section, but for the Redmi Note 11, that's paired with the Snapdragon 680 chipset. Since that's a low-end processor, we're a little dubious about how fast this mobile could actually be.

The Note 11 Pro 5G gets the Snapdragon 695, which is a new chipset we haven't tested before, but the Snapdragon 600-series processors are rarely very powerful. It's a curious downgrade as the Note 10 Pro got the Snapdragon 732G, which is, based on the numerical name, more powerful.

As the phone's name suggests, the Note 11 Pro 5G can connect to 5G networks in regions that offer them, which is a step up over the Note 10 Pro which was only 4G. Curiously the Note 11 is 4G-only, despite the fact that the lowest-end member of the line launched in the UK last year was the Note 10 5G - so if you want the budget model, you're actually losing 5G this year.

Software-wise, you're looking at Android 12 with Xiaomi's MIUI 13 laid over the top - this brings some stability and user interface tweaks over previous versions of this Android fork, most notably a side-bar with your most-used apps that you can easily summon by swiping in from the edge of the display.

In a media briefing, Xiaomi also made sure to highlight a new feature of its Game Turbo mode, which is basically an optimization mode that runs alongside games to minimize notifications and ensure a game gets as much processing power as possible. The new feature is a voice-changing mode, so if you're talking to strangers online, you can mask your identity somewhat.

• What are Xiaomi phones? Our guide to the brand

The upcoming Realme 9 series of smartphones have leaked multiple times over the past month, but now we've had the phone's existence confirmed by the brand itself, and it's set to release at least two devices.

Realme has confirmed the existence of both the Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro Plus smartphones, but there's currently no word on a standard Realme 9. The Pro Plus series will be new for 2022, as in previous iterations the Pro model has been the top-end handset.

The brand will be including 5G connectivity on both of these handsets, and each will run on the MediaTek Dimensity 950 5G processor. This is the first smartphone revealed to feature that new chipset.

We've been told these new smartphones will be launching "in the coming days", but we've yet to hear exactly when that'll be and what information we'll get for each of the handsets.

We would still expect a standard Realme 9 model, but this heavily suggests it won't be launching at the same time as its Pro siblings. It's also unclear if that phone will come with 5G connectivity or the same MediaTek chipset.

Earlier in January, a report from @OnLeaks and Smartprix provided images of the upcoming phone as well as some specs. Those included a 6.59-inch 120Hz display with an in-display fingerprint scanner, 128GB of storage, and a rear camera with 64MP, 8MP and 2MP elements.

Weirdly, this leak also said the smartphone would launch with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G processor inside. We now know that isn't the case, so take this leak with a big pinch of salt as it may mean the rest of the information is inaccurate too.

Analysis: Goodbye, Dare to Leap

If the leaked images of the Realme 9 Pro are correct, we won't get the bold branding that we saw on the Realme 8 series. Those smartphones came with a "Dare to Leap" slogan emblazoned along the rear of the device.

It was a bold design decision, and it's likely to have put some potential buyers off investing in that series of Realme devices. 

The leaked images of the Realme 9 Pro don't show this, but that doesn't mean it won't make a return. It may be exclusive to the upcoming Realme 9 Pro Plus (we've only seen imagery of the Realme 9 Pro), or it may be that these images are inaccurate.

We'll have to wait for more official details from Realme before we'll know any of these details for sure.

• The very best Realme phones

BT says a trial of Open RAN in Hull will allow it to see how the technology can aid its 5G network and will promote the development of interoperable radio technologies.

The company has been less active in the field than some of its rivals to date, with the likes of Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 benefiting from Europe-wide initiatives.

However, BT says it is committed to investing in any technology that will improve the customer experience on its EE 5G network – including open network architectures.

BT OpenRAN

OpenRAN differs have traditional approaches to Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment in that it comprises vendor-neutral equipment with standardised designs. This lowers the barriers to entry and allows a variety of firms to supply hardware and software rather than just a select few who offer highly integrated cell designs.

Because Open RAN is more software driven, operators can mix and match multiple technologies and roll out new services more quickly. This drives innovation, lowers cost, and reduces the threat of vendor-lock in.

There are various industry initiatives to develop the Open RAN ecosystem and ensure that these innovations are both commercially-mature and interoperable. In Hull, BT will work with its network partner Nokia to see how its RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) can work in a network environment.

The company will also open a dedicated Open RAN facility at its Adstral Park R&D facility in Suffolk for the industry to test open innovations and optimise them for use in a live network.

“Our Open RAN trial with Nokia is one of many investments we are making to boost the performance of our market-leading 4G and 5G EE network and deliver an even better service to our customers,” said Neil McRae, Chief Architect, BT.

“Our high performance, high efficiency radio access equipment, provided by the major global vendors, has enabled us to roll-out 4G and now 5G at scale, with the confidence that our customers will get the best network experience possible.”

Vodafone recently switched on the first OpenRAN mobile site in the UK that will carry live customer 5G traffic in Bath and plans to deploy 2,700 in Wales and the South West of England by 2027. Telefonica is targeting 800 sites in four markets, including the UK, by 2022.

• If you want to benefit from EE's rollout, then take a peek at the best EE mobile deals

The OnePlus 10 Pro is official, and that name suggests a standard OnePlus 10 could also be along before too long, but a rumor suggests a brand-new member could join the OnePlus 10 line.

As per the title of this article, a rumor has suggested a OnePlus 10 Ultra could be in the works, joining the rapidly-growing tradition of Ultra smartphones. This comes from a rather unproven leaker and journalist called Yogesh Brar, who Tweeted about the recent Oppo and OnePlus merger.

Apparently, the two sister brands are busy sharing technology, with the Oppo Find X5 series likely to borrow the Hasselblad camera branding that OnePlus phones use, and OnePlus gearing up to use Oppo's MariSilicon X processing unit which enhances AI in photography.

Brar continues that "there are rumours of an Ultra flagship from OnePlus in the EVT phase right now." EVT stands for Engineering Validation Tests, and that means engineers are carrying out tests on various prototypes to make sure they work well and are up to standards.

That could mean this OnePlus 10 Ultra could be out later in the year, depending on the results of these tests, so we could see it come alongside the eventual OnePlus 10T or even earlier.

Take this with a pinch of salt, though, as just because a product is being tested doesn't mean it'll ever see the light of day. Moreover, Brar isn't exactly a proven source yet, and the tweet is worded in a way that suggests the leaker is providing new information, but you could interpret it to mean they're just passing on existing information.

Analysis: Ultra smartphones are becoming the next Pro

In recent years, we've seen a rise in the ultra-phone market, of mobiles that are so full of flashy features and top-end hardware that they sit above even 'Pro' phones.

Even in the last year we've seen the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, and you could also consider the Pro Plus version of various Huawei mobiles, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, part of this trend. Rumors also point to an Ultra version of the Motorola Edge 30 being on the way, as well as the next-gen upgrades on all the aforementioned phones.

Now it seems OnePlus is joining the party, and if it does Oppo likely won't be far behind.

That's a huge number of companies pumping out super-top-end phones, with really high prices - clearly, there's a market for this kind of mobile, or many brands wouldn't be designing these devices.

Companies just need to make sure their main devices don't end up redundant as a result - especially Pro phones, which already present a questionable proposition, as most simply provide you a bigger screen for more money.

• The rise of the ultra-smartphone in 2021 came at the worst possible time

If you’re after an affordable new OnePlus Nord phone then you’re probably in luck, as it seems like the successor to the OnePlus Nord CE - the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G - might be just weeks away.

That’s according to leaker Max Jambor, who on Twitter posted an image showing the phone’s name and the date February 11. We’d previously heard rumors that the OnePlus Nord CE 2 would land in the first few months of this year, so that adds up.

Additionally, the image shows the layout of the phone’s camera block, including two large lenses, a smaller one, and an LED flash. This too is in line with previous leaks, as unofficial renders showed the same design.

One thing that doesn’t quite line up is the name, as while it’s written here as the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, we’d previously heard the phone referred to as the OnePlus Nord 2 CE. We’re not sure which if either of these will prove accurate, but that’s a minor point.

As for the release date and camera design, we’d take those details with a pinch of salt, but Jambor is a respected leaker, and since we’ve heard and seen similar elsewhere, we’d think there’s a good chance these details are accurate. One way or another we’ll know soon, as February 11 is fast approaching.

Analysis: an affordable alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S22

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G isn’t the only phone expected in early February, as the Samsung Galaxy S22 range is thought to be landing just two days earlier on February 9.

That might steal a lot of the Nord CE 2 5G’s thunder, but then with a likely much lower price tag, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G is aimed at a different audience.

That relatively affordable price doesn’t mean this will be a weak phone though, as previous leaks have pointed to a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset, 6GB - 12GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, a 4,500mAh battery with 65W charging, and a 64MP main camera, joined by an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro.

So while not exactly a high-end selection of specs, most of that is very solid on paper, and OnePlus is known for delivering good value handsets.

• These are the best OnePlus phones

Via GSMArena

By the time you read this Nvidia's nearly two-year-long quest to consume mobile chip giant Arm may be over.

Bloomberg is reporting that Nvidia may be winding down efforts to close the $40 billion deal for the British semiconductor company after facing opposition in the U.S., in Europe from the European Union, and from China. Essentially, no one outside of Nvidia, Arm, and Softbank, Arm's current owner, liked the deal.

Softbank, according to the report, might soon prep Arm Holdings for an IPO. TechRadar has reached out to Nvidia for comment and will update this post with its reply.

While Nvidia is primarily known as a graphics company, and Arm produces the underpinning for most of the leading mobile CPUs, the acquisition was tied primarily to Nvidia's Artificial Intelligence aspirations.

“AI is the most powerful technology force of our time and has launched a new wave of computing,” said Nvidia CEO and Founder Jensen Huang in a release when the company's announced the deal in 2020.  He added, “In the years ahead, trillions of computers running AI will create a new internet-of-things that is thousands of times larger than today’s internet-of-people. Our combination will create a company fabulously positioned for the age of AI."

Now Nvidia might have to realize that AI dream on its own.

Nvidia might've considered fighting on, but it potentially faces even more pushback if the US Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission successfully alter the ground rules for mergers and acquisitions.

Nvidia abandoning its pursuit of Arm was really the only way this could have ended

Those who've been following the Nvidia / Arm news for some time aren't surprised by the latest developments.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Nvidia pulled the plug given all the regulatory hurdles it needs to overcome," CEO & Chief Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy Patrick Moorhead told TechRadar.

The deal's potential collapse also changes the mobile chip playing field where Arm is confronting fresh competition from companies it could once rely on as customers. Samsung, Microsoft, and Apple have all been developing their own silicon.

"I believe as a standalone company, Apple will have less competition from Arm as I don't think it will be able to invest as much being a public company," said Moorhead.

While Softbank might be preparing an IPO, there is the potential of another suitor, one that might realize similar synergies. However, Moorehead doesn't see things playing out that way. Samsung, for instance, would receive similar pushback from regulatory bodies, Moorhead told us.

Ultimately, the deal's potential demise might be a lost opportunity for fresh competition in the desktop space, where right now Intel's x86 platform still rules the roost. Moorehead told us that he sees Arm surviving but, "I think [Arm] could have done more integrated with Nvidia, especially in the desktop and server market. Where's the competition in those markets? NVIDIA would have brought that competition."

• Best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards 2021: finding the best GPU for you

By the time you read this Nvidia's nearly two-year-long quest to consume mobile chip giant Arm may be over.

Bloomberg is reporting that Nvidia may be winding down efforts to close the $40 billion deal for the British semiconductor company after facing opposition in the U.S., in Europe from the European Union, and from China. Essentially, no one outside of Nvidia, Arm, and Softbank, Arm's current owner, liked the deal.

Softbank, according to the report, might soon prep Arm Holdings for an IPO. TechRadar has reached out to Nvidia for comment and will update this post with its reply.

While Nvidia is primarily known as a graphics company, and Arm produces the underpinning for most of the leading mobile CPUs, the acquisition was tied primarily to Nvidia's Artificial Intelligence aspirations.

“AI is the most powerful technology force of our time and has launched a new wave of computing,” said Nvidia CEO and Founder Jensen Huang in a release when the company's announced the deal in 2020.  He added, “In the years ahead, trillions of computers running AI will create a new internet-of-things that is thousands of times larger than today’s internet-of-people. Our combination will create a company fabulously positioned for the age of AI."

Now Nvidia might have to realize that AI dream on its own.

Nvidia might've considered fighting on, but it potentially faces even more pushback if the US Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission successfully alter the ground rules for mergers and acquisitions.

Nvidia abandoning its pursuit of Arm was really the only way this could have ended

Those who've been following the Nvidia / Arm news for some time aren't surprised by the latest developments.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Nvidia pulled the plug given all the regulatory hurdles it needs to overcome," CEO & Chief Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy Patrick Moorhead told TechRadar.

The deal's potential collapse also changes the mobile chip playing field where Arm is confronting fresh competition from companies it could once rely on as customers. Samsung, Microsoft, and Apple have all been developing their own silicon.

"I believe as a standalone company, Apple will have less competition from Arm as I don't think it will be able to invest as much being a public company," said Moorhead.

While Softbank might be preparing an IPO, there is the potential of another suitor, one that might realize similar synergies. However, Moorehead doesn't see things playing out that way. Samsung, for instance, would receive similar pushback from regulatory bodies, Moorhead told us.

Ultimately, the deal's potential demise might be a lost opportunity for fresh competition in the desktop space, where right now Intel's x86 platform still rules the roost. Moorehead told us that he sees Arm surviving but, "I think [Arm] could have done more integrated with Nvidia, especially in the desktop and server market. Where's the competition in those markets? NVIDIA would have brought that competition."

• Best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards 2021: finding the best GPU for you

Mobile World Congress is the largest mobile technology show in the world, and its next iteration is set to take place in Barcelona at the end of February. That's despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the concerns around the Omicron variant.

MWC 2022 is set to run from February 28 until March 3, and we expect to see a variety of new smartphones unveiled at the show. With the Omicron threat and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, some brands are now pulling out of the physical show itself.

In early January, CES 2022 went ahead despite over 75 companies cancelling their presence at the show in Las Vegas. Big names like Amazon, Lenovo, Microsoft, AMD, Nvidia and OnePlus were among them.

MWC 2020 was cancelled a few weeks ahead of the event in February 2020 when it was clear the event couldn't go ahead due to the pandemic. MWC 2021 went ahead, but it was a far smaller show and it took place in June of that year to ensure it could be run safely.

TechRadar has asked a variety of the major brands that we'd normally expect to exhibit at Mobile World Congress whether they will be attending MWC 2022. We'll be keeping this page up to date with all the latest over the coming weeks.

Will MWC 2022 still go ahead?

The GSMA, the company that organizes Mobile World Congress, has confirmed to TechRadar on January 25, 2022, that it intends for the event to go ahead.

A spokesperson for the event said, "Our focus at the GSMA remains producing an unmissable event for all of those attending. We have proven our ability to deliver a safe environment with an industry-leading health and safety plan, Committed Community, and three successful events in 2021.”

Confirmed MWC 2022 cancellations

Confirmed brands for MWC 2022

Other brands that have yet to comment

TechRadar has asked a variety of the major brands that usually appear at Mobile World Congress to confirm plans ahead of the show, and we'll keep this article updated with information as we have it.

Those include Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Qualcomm, Asus, HMD Global, Honor, Huawei, Realme, Vivo and other phone makers from around the world.

• Everything we expect at Mobile World Congress 2022

We’ve heard whispers of a Google Pixel Fold for a while now, but finally we’re starting to get some real information about the phone, with the latest being the possible price.

This comes from 9to5Google, which also recently revealed that the phone might be called the Pixel Notepad. According to two independent sources “familiar with Google’s ongoing planning”, the Pixel Notepad will apparently cost around $1,400 (roughly £1,040 / AU$1,960).

As ever, conversions won’t be accurate, but that US price would make it substantially cheaper than the $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,499 starting price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Though it would still be significantly more expensive than the Google Pixel 6 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.

The site also claims that the Pixel Fold will be available internationally by the end of 2022. However, there will apparently be a gap between the US and international launches. We’d assume that the US launch would come first in that case, so you might not have to wait until the end of the year to get Google’s foldable there, or to see it announced.

Finally, the site reiterates previous claims about the specs, including that the Pixel Notepad will have the same 12.2MP camera as the Pixel 5 (rather than the 50MP one from the Pixel 6), as the latter snapper is a thicker component, so less well suited to a foldable.

This will apparently be joined by a 12MP ultra-wide camera, along with two 8MP selfie cameras (likely one for each screen). The phone is said to be powered by a Google Tensor chipset (like the Pixel 6 range), and to sport a design closer to the Oppo Find N than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 – meaning it’s short and wide rather than tall and narrow.

We’d take all of this with an appropriate amount of salt though, especially as it sounds like the Pixel foldable might not land for many months yet – so there’s lots of time for details to change.

Analysis: The Pixel Notepad will be competing with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, not the Fold 3

While a lower price than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is promising, that probably won’t be the Google Pixel Notepad’s main competition. Rather, it will probably be competing with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.

This device hasn’t been announced yet either, but is likely to land around August or September, and is rumored to have either one or two under-display cameras, a durable design, and a camera setup similar to the Samsung Galaxy S22.

We haven’t heard much else yet, but this is sure to be a flagship phone, and it too might cost less than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 did at launch, so it could prove a tough rival.

• These are the best foldable phones