Business Articles

The latest full-year analysis of the PC market show that devices that run ChromeOS gained more and more market share during 2020 compared to those running macOS. Windows remained the market leader, although its share did fall compared to 2019. These changes might be related to the overwhelming demand for home-learning and -working solutions that marked the year just gone.

Epic Games has stepped its dispute with Apple over developer remuneration by filing an official antitrust complaint with the European Commission (EC). It alleges that competition in the app-distribution and payment markets has been "completely eliminated" by Apple's practices of insisting that these activities are carried out through its App Store for all software intended for use on iOS.

The 48-core AMD EPYC 7643 Zen 3 server processor has made another appearance on Geekbench, turning up on version 5 of the synthetic benchmark. The Milan chip pulled out a gigantic multi-core score of 33,348 points that puts it +33% ahead of the average result managed by the 64-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X.

Samsung launched the Galaxy M21 as one of its battery- and camera-centric phones for the Indian market. The OEM has just dropped its 4 and 6GB RAM SKUs by INR 1,000 (~US$14) each in price. This may hint at a stock-clear to make way for a newer device: could it be the M12?

Apple is thought to have a foldable iPhone in the works. However, according to a new report, the market analyst group Omdia claims that its launch has been pushed back to 2023. Then again, it might share the feature of Apple Pencil compatibility with many iPads by that time.

The Pro1-X by F(x)tec and XDA Developers was supposed to arrive next month and with a Snapdragon 835 SoC. However, supply problems have pushed the device's estimated delivery date to August 2021 and forced F(x)tec to use the Snapdragon 662, instead.

Samsung has confirmed that its new Neo QLED mini LED TVs support AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, which should provide a tear-free experience when gaming. The TVs also support HDMI 2.1, meaning that they can output at up to 120 Hz.

Lenovo ThinkPads are among the laptops that defy the trend of all-metal cases. Usually, a mix of different high-performance plastics with magnesium and aluminum is used. Magnesium is also used in the Lenovo ThinkPad T15p, but surprisingly, Lenovo has made most of the case of this 2,000-Euro (~$2,424) laptop out of simple ABS plastic.

Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus and now most recently Nothing has made one of the more surprising acquisitions in recent times. It has been revealed that his new venture has picked up parts of what is left of former Android supremo Andy Rubin’s defunct Essential mobile devices company.

LG launched the W31 series in November 2020, but leaked renders confirm that the W41 series is already close to release. There will be at least three W41 series smartphones, although only the W41 has leaked in detail so far.

The WhatsApp privacy policy change, in which the company will oblige users to agree to hand the data they have given it to Facebook, has caused controversy and virtual boycotts worldwide. However, the EU market is effectively immune to these changes. The Indian Supreme Court has argued that this should apply to all markets in which the messaging service is used.

There have been reports of computer part retailers in Europe hiking prices of GeForce RTX 3060 AIB boards before the graphics card is even launched. Nvidia’s MSRPs for the GeForce RTX 3060 are US$329/€329/£299 but retailer prices have gone beyond double in some cases. Gamers have been blaming the hikes on cryptocurrency miners.

Lexar says its 1066x UHS-I cards can quickly capture and transfer high-quality photos and 4K UHD videos "with ease". However, maximum transfer rates are only achievable with the Lexar Multi-Card 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 USB 3.1 reader marked with Rev B.

Lenovo offers a balance between high-end materials and mid-range internals in the Tab P11 Pro. Nevertheless, the OEM asserts that the user can get their work or gaming done on this 11.5-inch Android tablet in the manner suggested by its suffix. It has now been released on platforms such as Amazon.in and Flipkart for INR 44,999.

Samsung and Microsoft's efforts to form a joint Android/Windows ecosystem to rival that of Apple's has reached a potentially critical stage. The OEMs are working to bring Quick Share (an AirDrop counterpart found on Galaxy-series smartphones) to PCs. Samsung's Free service is also to arrive on Windows 10 soon, as is a new app called "O".

NVIDIA secured an agreement to buy the often-essential chip-design company ARM for ~US$40 billion in late 2020. However, regulators are still scrutinizing it and its ramifications for the tech industry prior to approving it. Now, Qualcomm has sent an official notice of concern over the same with these bodies.

According to a photo posted to Reddit, Intel has released a heretofore-unheard of new version of a Comet Lake processor in Malaysia. This "i3-10105F" would on the face of it be a refresh of the i3-10100F, which is in turn a renewed i3-9100F. Then again, there are no official database entries to verify this new alleged leak at present.

HBO Max is an upcoming streaming service from the TV studio in question, but also offers content from partners that range from DC to New Line. It will replace the existing Go product in many Latin and South America in June 2021, migrating its existing users to the new platform as it does. A similar transition is planned for European customers, although this lacks a concrete roll-out schedule at present.

US consumers looking for an ultra-cheap, ultra-simple phone with some modern features such as 4G/LTE and Google Assistant now have a new option, courtesy of Nokia. It now sells its 6300 comeback at a price of US$69.99. This buys all that the world's most prominent "alternative" mobile system KaiOS has to offer, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The market research group Above Avalon has studied the fortunes of the Apple Watch series up to 2020, and has put the number of its adopters at 100 million. This would make it the OEM's fourth biggest product, with iPhones, iPads and Macs the only lines to sell better than these wearables. Should this trend continue, they may in fact be able to overtake the PCs by 2022.

The long-awaited dark theme for the Google Search webpage on Windows or macOS is reportedly now in A/B testing. This means some users may have already seen this update, which consists of an automatic color-scheme change in accordance with the system theme. This can help address preparing for the shock of that ever-present bright page that clashes with an otherwise eye-friendly UI.

The ever-popular Nintendo Switch now has a Super Mario-themed edition. It is essentially the same as a normal SKU of this device, although it has a new red-and-blue colorway and is bundled with an appropriately-themed new carrying case, as well as JoyCon grips and straps in matching colors. It starts at US$299 on Best Buy.

Microsoft has reportedly set a date of February 18, 2021 for the launch of the Surface Duo in some European countries, as well as in Canada. However, it seems the dual-screen Android device will very much revert to its original price on its new international debut. Meanwhile, its price is now down by as much as US$450 in stores where it is sold.

PlayStation 5 scalpers have made a misjudged effort in regard to changing the gaming public’s overwhelmingly negative opinion of their activities. Those involved with PS5 scalping have claimed that the bad press surrounding them is unjustified. A British politician has put forward a Private Members’ Bill to ban retail bot use and console scalping.

Ever looked at the ruggedized devices of today, but wished you could buy one with a brand that has been around since the beginning of mobile phones instead? If so, the new Motorola-branded options coming up might be for you. They are not to be made by Lenovo, however, but by the UK firm Bullitt, which is also responsible for the CAT and Land Rover phones.

Motorola has released the Moto E6i to the Brazilian market. This phone has just 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, something that one would have thought would be left behind at this stage. It also has a Unisoc SoC, an HD+ display and a microUSB port. On the plus side, it is an Android Go device, at least.

A proposed North Dakota law will force Apple and Google to allow developers alternative options for distributing iOS and Android apps, respectively. The bill will also allow developers to receive in-app payments through any method they choose, not just through the app's respective app platform.

The race to the perfectly edge-to-edge mobile device screen has most recently culminated in the under-display selfie camera. However, it now seems OnePlus has developed an alternative: a super-slim bezel that incorporates a front-facing shooter. It may be able to maximize display real estate without resorting to punch-holes or other similar tech.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei says that Huawei has no intention of selling its smartphone business. He hopes to renegotiate Huawei's position on the U.S. entity list with the Biden administration but thinks that the chances of that happening are low.

A new device from Realme has leaked via the regulator TENAA, suggesting that it will launch soon. Based on its model number (RMX3161), it is now thought that it will be the Narzo 30 (or, possibly the 30 Pro). The OEM is hyping the new phone already as a "fan-powered" product.

Samsung has only just launched the Galaxy S21 flagship phone series. Nevertheless, it has discounted these 3 devices by at least US$100 on Amazon and Best Buy. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is also now down by $200 or more, while the Galaxy Z Fold2 is up to $250 cheaper.

Xiaomi has already increased the price of the Mi 11 in Germany and Italy, just a day after it announced that the smartphone would start at €749. Now, the Mi 11 costs at least €799 for 128 GB of storage, while the 256 GB edition has seen a €100 jump to €899. Xiaomi has not explained the price increases.

JLab Audio is known for its personal audio devices; however, it claims to have translated its expertise in that market to the plug-and-play USB-connected mic. There are three of these new products: the Talk GO, Talk and Talk Pro. They all have a 24-bit rate, although the recording sampling rate rises from 96k to 192k in the Pro.

CDPR may well be busy fixing Cyberpunk 2077, but it now claims an unidentified hacker has compromised its servers. Apparently, the hacker lifted source codes to CDPR's games, including those of Cyberpunk 2077 and an unreleased edition of The Witcher 3.

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei recently unveiled his new company as being called Nothing, which, as he also had no new devices to launch at that time, was pretty apt. Now, however, Pei has confirmed that the new OEM will roll its products out soon, with true-wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds to start.

Realme has only been selling Narzo smartphones since May 2020 and in limited regions. Nonetheless, over 3 million Realme Narzo smartphones have been sold, underlining the series' popularity in India. Realme has teased the release of the Narzo 30 series too, and is allowing fans to choose from six packaging designs.

Apple will give developers US$500 for returning its Developer Transition Kit, a US$300 increase from the value of its original credit. The new coupon is no longer restricted to being redeemed against M1 hardware either and can be used until the end of 2021.

Xiaomi has plenty of reason to celebrate today, as it has now sold more than 200 million Redmi Note devices worldwide. According to new data, Xiaomi is now the third-largest smartphone manufacturer globally, and the leading manufacturer in 10 markets.

Acer has released its latest consolidated financial report, which covers January 2021. It includes revenues that are its highest "for the same period" since 2013. This performance is based on solid year-on-year (YoY) growth for the OEM's gaming, creator-PC and Chromebook sectors.

GoPro has announced its first full-year financial report since it switched to an online retail and subscription-based business model. The customers in question are now just over 760,000 in number, beating the company's most ambitious goal for the year. This may suggest that the action-cam's brand new strategy works, although that is not the full story of GoPro's 2020.

Nubia is the latest smartphone OEM to slap its name on a power brick with fancy specs: gallium nitride-based charging with a 65 watt (W) rate and multiple ports in this case. However, it seems Samsung is hot on its heels by certifying a 65W accessory of its own. Could it be meant for the Galaxy Z Fold3?

Xiaomi has now brought the Mi 11 to the global market, with a starting MSRP of €749. Unlike the Chinese model, the global Mi 11 ships with a 55 W charger in the box, which should assuage the fears of expectant fans.

The brand-new ThinkPad X1 Nano only tips the scale at little more than 900 grams. But it is not only the lightest ThinkPad, it is also the first model to return to 16:10 panels. However, Lenovo had to make some compromises to realize such a compact device, which is apparent by the limited number of ports and the reduced key travel.

The Shanghai Municipal and Development Reform Commission has announced US$12 billion in project funding for a new SMIC-owned semiconductor foundry to produce sub-14nm wafers. This is another step towards creating an independent semiconductor industry in China that avoids US sanctions.

A Counterpoint report has stated that Apple managed to sell over 9.5 million iPhones in the US market alone in December 2020. This gave the iPhone 12 maker a huge 64% of the market share, leaving Samsung in second on 20%. Google managed to claw back some share thanks to the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5, but Motorola and Alcatel are firmly in ZTE territory.

After launching a trio of updated Redmi Note 9 series devices towards the end of 2020, Xiaomi is finally set to release the Redmi Note 10 series. The phones are expected to be priced aggressively, especially in India. Specifics remain unknown, however.

Optoma claims that its new DuraCore ProScene laser projector is rated to throw images with a brightness of 7,000 lumens. It is also short-throw, which means it can has use-cases up to and including whole-room, 24/7 immersive effects. The ZU720TST also weighs only 28 pounds, which could allow one person to mount it, even to a ceiling.