Business Articles

Microsoft trademarks new logo for Xbox Series X

New trademark details for an Xbox Series X logo have been spotted, with the filing date being recorded as 16 April. The new logo is surprisingly simple, featuring the word “SERIES” running vertically by the side of a large “X”, wh...

Daniel R Deakin, 22 Apr 2020 11:38

The Redmi Pad 5G is touted to sport four speakers. (Source: Tech in Deep)

Redmi Pad 5G: New Xiaomi tablet billed to launch on April 27, Snapdragon 765G in tow

Xiaomi's last tablet was the Mi Pad 4 that was released back in 2018. That has left fans of the series in the lurch, making Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Huawei's MediaPad lines the only viable Android alternatives. Things may be about...

Ricci Rox, 21 Apr 2020 22:39

Lower-end OnePlus phones could be on the way soon. (Source: OnePlus)

Rumor | OnePlus will engage ODMs to offer a greater range of more affordable phones per year

OnePlus is a smartphone OEM with a tendency to focus on just 1 or 2 phones per launch. However, a new report from the Chinese media points to the possibility that it will expand its operation so as to release more new handsets per...

Deirdre O Donnell, 21 Apr 2020 19:44

The 108MP Samsung ISOCELL Bright HM1 sensor. (Source: Samsung)

600MP for the masses? Samsung outlines its plans for the image sensors of the future

A Samsung executive has written a piece on where this OEM's image sensor technology is headed. It includes claims that it is working on new components with qualities that beat those of the human eye. This includes estimated resolu...

Deirdre O Donnell, 21 Apr 2020 17:31

The PlayStation 4 is the gold standard of the current generation of consoles. (Image source: Sony)

Forget the upcoming PS5 vs Xbox Series X battle, the PlayStation 4 is still busy destroying the Xbox One in global hardware sales

Global hardware sales figures for major consoles have been shared online, and it appears that the PlayStation 4 is still far and away the most popular console in the world at the moment. Over 325,000 units of the PS4 were sold in ...

Daniel R Deakin, 21 Apr 2020 12:06

The Poco F2 will likely be the same, but with a different badge. (Source: Redmi)

Poco F2 tipped to be a rebadged Redmi K30 Pro sans 5G support

The Poco F2 is coming, and it's touted to be rebranded Redmi K30 Pro. Interestingly, it's also said to eschew 5G support entirely, which could help Xiaomi keep the phone's pricing even below the already impressive Redmi K30 Pro. P...

Ricci Rox, 21 Apr 2020 10:11

Global Android 10 rollout for the Mi A2 Lite continues

Xiaomi botched the first Android 10 update to the Mi A2 Lite. A new update "V11.0.4.0.QDLMIXM" was sent out last week in an extremely limited rollout, but now appears to have headed global, with users around the world confirming r...

Ricci Rox, 21 Apr 2020 09:18

Flipkart had been preparing to open shop in India again. (Source: Flipkart)

Flipkart and Amazon India are not back in business

The Indian government had released new guidelines that allow online shopping sites to get up and running in the country once again. These measures, which permit order fulfilment as usual nationwide with certain necessary caveats, ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Apr 2020 15:55

Fans are creating artistic PS5 concept designs while waiting for Sony to show off the real console. (Image source: Reddit- u/ruddi2020)

PlayStation 5 mass production to begin in June with simultaneous global launch planned; PS5 reveal event could land in late May or early June

PlayStation 5 consoles will apparently start being assembled as part of the mass-production process in June. With the huge E3 trade event now cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been claimed that there will be ne...

Daniel R Deakin, 20 Apr 2020 14:30

Both Microsoft and Sony will likely have to take a loss with the next-gen console sales. (Image source: GamersRD)

Opinion | If Sony doesn't accept a loss on initial PS5 console sales then Microsoft's Xbox Series X will wipe the floor with the PlayStation 5

Holiday 2020 is gearing up to be a true battle of the console giants: PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X. Gamers have been discussing specifications, components, power, exclusive titles, backwards compatibility and more to decide whi...

Daniel R Deakin, 19 Apr 2020 13:04

The MSI MEG Z390 Godlike motherboard supports the LGA 1151 socket, so not Comet Lake. (Image source: MSI)

Prices for MSI 400-series motherboards for Intel Comet Lake-S leaked: €960 (~US$1,044) for the top-end MEG Z490 Godlike

Prices for the 400-series of motherboards from MSI have been leaked online, with the cheapest board costing €200 (US$217) and the most expensive board costing €960 (~US$1,044). These new components will support the LGA 1200 socket...

Daniel R Deakin, 19 Apr 2020 10:59

Sony Xperia 1 II release date pushed further backwards

The Xperia 1 II was unveiled back in February, virtually alongside the LG V60 ThinQ and Samsung Galaxy S20 series. While those phones have since gone on sale, the Xperia 1 II is biding its time, and new information points towards ...

Ricci Rox, 18 Apr 2020 23:45

A shot of the alleged Google Card. (Source: TechCrunch)

A new leak suggests Google's version of the Apple Card is on the way

Late 2019 saw rumors that Google was developing a type of Apple Card-competitor in partnership with certain financial institutions. Now, there may be more evidence that this new instrument is indeed nearly a reality. It is to be a...

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Apr 2020 21:51

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus. (Source: Lenovo)

The dual-screen Lenovo ThinkBook Plus will be released soon

Lenovo's innovative ThinkBook Plus is now up for pre-order on JD.com, prior to general sales starting from April 24, 2020. To recap, this 13.3-inch notebook has a 10.8-inch e-ink display on its lid. The user can thus write or dood...

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Apr 2020 20:55

Most reviewers have offered positive reactions for AMD's Ryzen 4000 Renoir APUs. (Image source: CSITQuestions)

Updated | UserBenchmark gets banned from major subreddit due to drama generation

UserBenchmark has received a significant blow today with the news that it has been banned from a major subreddit. The moderators of r/hardware, which has over 1.1 million members, have made the decision that threads regarding the ...

Daniel R Deakin, 18 Apr 2020 10:00

The new 212 LTE modem for IoT. (Source: Qualcomm)

Qualcomm's latest NB-IoT chipset needs only 1 microamp of charge in sleep mode

Qualcomm has launched the 212 modem, a new chipset for NB2 bands that needs as little as 2.2 volts (V) to function. This may be advantageous for internet-of-things devices that need to keep going on ultra-low power in the long ter...

Deirdre O Donnell, 17 Apr 2020 22:43

TCL sold more QLED TVs in the first quarter of 2020. (Source: TCL)

TCL's TV shipment volumes hit 6.73 million in the first quarter of 2020

The display specialist TCL has reported its sales performance for the first quarter of 2020 (1Q2020). This company sold 6.73 million of its TVs during this period. This figure was down by approximately 20% year-on-year (YoY), howe...

Deirdre O Donnell, 17 Apr 2020 21:54

The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro have proved to be smash hits right from launch. (Image source: OnePlus)

OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro sales go over 100 million yuan (US$14.1 million) in just one hot minute

It has been reported that sales in China of the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro smartphones have exceeded over 100 million yuan in just one minute. At the current exchange rate, that is equivalent to over US$14.1 million. The new flag...

Daniel R Deakin, 17 Apr 2020 13:30

The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 has a 0.95-inch AMOLED screen. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Mi Band 5 definitely coming as Huami reaffirms close business relationship

Huami has confirmed that the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is still on course to launch later this year and that the working relationship between the two companies is as strong as ever. Recent rumors had suggested that Xiaomi was considering t...

Daniel R Deakin, 17 Apr 2020 12:15

The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro launch in China with significantly lower prices

OnePlus has now launched the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro in its home country of China. Unsurprisingly, the phones cost quite a bit less than they do in the US. Over US$130 less, to be exact. That differential can be explained, tho...

Ricci Rox, 17 Apr 2020 09:08

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite finally lands in the US starting at $650; but why does it even exist?

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite has now officially made its way over the US with a not-so-insignificant US$650. Seeing it steps on the toes of the regular Galaxy S10, some may be wondering why exactly the phone exists at all, but ther...

Ricci Rox, 17 Apr 2020 08:35

PSA: Check your Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga for light bleed and dead pixels

It never feels good to drop a couple thousand dollars on a fancy new business laptop only to find stuck pixels or noticeable backlight bleeding. Even high-end laptops can have panel imperfections that should be discovered sooner r...

Allen Ngo, 17 Apr 2020 05:35

Tech love across all age ranges. (Source: Parks Associates)

Up to 53% of US households with high-speed internet report appreciating tech more in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic

A new study of consumer attitudes in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in findings that 53% of its participants (US households with broadband internet services) were prepared to agree with a statement to the effect th...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Apr 2020 22:40

Disappointment for Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X fans: Cyberpunk 2077 will not be a next-generation launch title

CD Projekt Red has once again commented on the highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077. The company is likely to disappoint potential buyers of a next-generation console, though.

Alex Alderson, 16 Apr 2020 20:42

HP ZBook Create and Studio workstation coming August with insane specifications and Quadro RTX 5000 and GeForce RTX 2080 Super options (Source: HP)

HP ZBook Create and Studio workstations will be even lighter than the Razer Blade 15 Studio, come with Quadro RTX 5000 and GeForce RTX 2080 Super options

HP says the ultra-thin 15.6-inch workstation will be the fastest in its size class per unit volume when it launches this August. It will also be the first mobile workstation to incorporate recycled plastic retrieved from oceans to...

Allen Ngo, 16 Apr 2020 14:00

The PS5's final design has not yet been revealed. (Image source: Reddit via u/Matst1)

PlayStation 5 initial production run limited to 6 million as high-end specs could lead to a high retail price for the PS5 console

A new report has stated that Sony is considering a limited production run initially for the PlayStation 5. Apparently, 5-6 million units could be made available by March 2021, with the figure being affected by the cost of the cons...

Daniel R Deakin, 16 Apr 2020 11:32

Qualcomm's 3D Sonic fingerprint sensor technology. (Source: Qualcomm)

Qualcomm and BOE announce a collaboration to bring 3D Sonic fingerprint sensing to more displays

BOE has announced that it will make more displays that support Qualcomm's 3D Sonic fingerprint sensor technology in the future. These panels will also be of more types and for more use-cases than ever before. This includes flexibl...

Deirdre O Donnell, 15 Apr 2020 21:30

Surface Pro 7 users are reporting random shutdowns and that Microsoft has done nothing about it

The Surface Pro 7 is one of Microsoft's latest 2-in-1s. Some people who have bought it have subsequently gone back to the Redmond giant's product forum reporting a bug in which the tablet shuts off without warning. The issue may b...

Deirdre O Donnell, 15 Apr 2020 18:30

The Play At Home Initiative is more than just about giving away free games. (Image source: PlayStation)

Sony makes Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey free to download from April 15 through May 5

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey are now free to download, no PS Plus required. Part of the Play at Home Initiative, the two games will be free from April 15 20:00 PDT through May 5 20:00 PDT. Sony has earmarked ...

Alex Alderson, 15 Apr 2020 17:13

Whitechapel may extend beyond Pixel smartphones. (Image source: Axios)

Whitechapel: Google's custom 5 nm Exynos SoC may be coming to Pixels and Chromebooks, but not the Pixel 5

Rumour has it that Google has already received working versions of its custom Exynos SoC, developed in partnership with Samsung. Codenamed Whitechapel, the 8-core ARM chip is said to be based on a 5 nm process. While there has bee...

Alex Alderson, 15 Apr 2020 11:05

The Xperia 1 II will cost over €1,000 at launch. (Image source: Sony)

Xperia 1 II: Sony hints at upcoming release date for its most expensive flagship

The Xperia 1 II, Sony's most expensive flagship, is edging ever closer to being released. Due this quarter, Sony has hinted that we could be just days away from a proper unveiling. The device's €1,119 (~US$1,227.40) launch price m...

Alex Alderson, 14 Apr 2020 22:55

It has not been a great 2020 for PCs thus far. (Source: NBC)

PC shipments dropped by 12% in the first quarter of 2020: Gartner

The latest market research from the Gartner group indicates that the market for PCs has experienced its "sharpest decline" since 2013. However, it seems this year-on-year drop in shipments, which applies to the first 3 months of t...

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Apr 2020 16:38

Lenovo re-introduces the concept of a removable battery in the new A7 phone

Lenovo has launched the A7 in China. It is a considerable departure from your average smartphone, in that the processor here is from Unisoc. Not only that, but it has a swappable 4000mAh battery. It does not have a sale price as y...

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Apr 2020 14:49

The Microsoft Surface Book 2 can be configured with a discrete graphics card. (Image source: Microsoft)

Potential Microsoft Surface Book 3 prices revealed for both display sizes and multiple configurations

A tech blogger has managed to get hold of some price lists that could be for the upcoming Microsoft Surface Book 3 devices. The listings also included prices for various related accessories and possibly the Surface Go 2. It has be...

Daniel R Deakin, 14 Apr 2020 12:26

Huawei launched the Ascend 910 chipset last year. (Image source: Huawei)

Huawei rumoured to be developing server GPUs as it rebukes "groundless criticism" over its ties with the CCP

Rumour has it that Huawei is planning on entering the server GPU market. The news comes as Huawei has attacked critics about its involvement in the UK's 5G infrastructure.

Alex Alderson, 13 Apr 2020 19:53

The Redmi K30 Pro was launched in March 2020. (Image source: Redmi)

Lu Weibing says IP53 for the Redmi K30 Pro is sufficient - social media users disagree and persuade him to consider IP68 for future Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones

Lu Weibing, Xiaomi executive and general manager of Redmi, has been pondering the subject of Ingress Protection ratings on the Chinese social media site Weibo. The Redmi boss declared that IP53 was enough for the Redmi K30 Pro but...

Daniel R Deakin, 12 Apr 2020 12:30

Intel Comet Lake-S is expected to be launched on April 30. (Image source: Intel)

Intel Core i9-10900, i7-10700K, and i7-10700 Canadian retail prices seem competitive against Coffee Lake chips but are a missed opportunity against AMD Matisse CPUs

A Canadian retailer has published the prices for the upcoming Comet Lake-S processors Intel Core i9-10900, Intel Core i7-10700K, and Intel Core i7-10700. The parts are similarly priced, at least with this particular outlet, to the...

Daniel R Deakin, 12 Apr 2020 11:22

Quiet Mode is coming to Facebook's mobile apps. (Source: Twitter)

Facebook introduces a Quiet Mode for its iOS and Android app

Facebook has recently introduced a new group of settings to help the user manage the time they spend on its mobile app. Now, it has been augmented further with Quiet Mode, a set of toggles that allows notifications to be silenced ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 Apr 2020 19:44

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite features an Exynos 9611 SoC. (Image source: Naver)

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite prices for 64 GB Wi-Fi variant and LTE model leaked; official support pages suggest upcoming release

European prices for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite have been leaked online. The prices relate to the 64 GB Wi-Fi variant and the 64 GB LTE model, although more SKUs with 128 GB storage are expected. Samsung has started publishing ...

Daniel R Deakin, 11 Apr 2020 10:43

Sony Xperia 10 II billed to launch for US$400 - An iPhone SE 2 and Pixel 4a competitor?

The Sony Xperia 10 II was unveiled back in February but is unlikely to hit store shelves until June at the earliest. When it does, it's expected to carry a price tag in the region of US$400, which places it in competition with the...

Ricci Rox, 11 Apr 2020 08:33

The Snapdragon 845-powered LG Style3 makes a stealthy entrance into the Japanese market

With little fanfare, LG has released a new phone, the Style3, in Japan. It has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of fixed storage, but also rocks a 1440p display and Qualcomm's 2018 flagship SoC. This phone is only available through the carrier...

Deirdre O Donnell, 10 Apr 2020 17:55

Have we not been here before, Microsoft? (Image source: The Verge)

Coronavirus kills hopes of a 2020 release for the Surface Neo and any Windows 10X devices

Rumour has it that we will not be seeing the Surface Neo or Windows 10X this holiday season after all. Thought to be because of the pandemic, the delay means that there will be no Windows 10X devices this year, either. Are we surp...

Alex Alderson, 10 Apr 2020 16:41

Google announced the Pixel Buds 2 last year. (Source: Google)

Potential Pixel Buds 2 dark clouds appear as pre-orders are canceled

Google's upcoming Pixel Buds 2 are billed for a spring release. The true wireless earbuds were put on pre-order at a third-party retail store a while ago, but it would appear that all orders have now been canceled, the implication...

Ricci Rox, 09 Apr 2020 23:32

Gamers are playing more in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Source: KryptoSzene)

The Covid-19 pandemic has increased gaming time by up to 53% among German players

A blog has presented a new infographic showing the effect of the "coronavirus crisis" on gaming habits. It shows that 36% of causal gamers reported spending more time on this pursuit due to this situation, compared to 53% of non-c...

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Apr 2020 21:49

Chinese retailers cut prices on iPhone 11 devices to boost sales

Online Chinese retailers are selling the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max at significant discounts. Retailers hope the cuts will spur Chinese consumers to buy an iPhone. However, many Chinese people are delaying the...

Sam Medley, 09 Apr 2020 17:36

Lenovo ThinkPad T14, T14s & X13: AMD Ryzen 4000 versions do not feature Thunderbolt after all

When Lenovo announced the new 2020 ThinkPad lineup in late February, the addition of Thunderbolt 3 to the AMD versions of the new ThinkPad T14, ThinkPad T14s and ThinkPad X13 was big news. Two months later and close to the release...

Benjamin Herzig, 09 Apr 2020 16:12

Early concept render of the Nokia 9.2 or Nokia 9.3. (Source: Techno Mobile)

Nokia's next flagship phone appears to have been delayed...again

One year after, we're yet to get a successor to the incredibly promising but ultimately disappointing penta-camera Nokia 9 PureView. The phone in question has apparently been delayed yet again, with Covid-19 touted as the reason t...

Ricci Rox, 09 Apr 2020 09:26

Fancy spending several thousand US dollars on an RTX 2080 Ti? (Image source: NVIDIA)

NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti Cyberpunk 2077 Edition GPUs are fetching crazy amounts of money online

Having given 77 of 200 units away to fans, NVIDIA does not plan to sell the RTX 2080 Ti Cyberpunk 2077. However, several have appeared online and are fetching prices upwards of US$6,152. Act now if you want an over-priced piece of...

Alex Alderson, 08 Apr 2020 22:53