Latest Tech News

The Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz institute recently announced the new H.266 video codec standard as a successor to H.265. The new codec promises equivalent image quality at half the bit rate. This could make 8K and 4K content accessible to wider audiences.

Samsung promised to deliver 128 TB SSDs by 2018, but it looks like the demand for such large drives is not there yet. Nevertheless, Nimbus Data thinks that we are ready for 100 TB SSDs, unleashing this model upon us for US$40,000. There is also a 50 TB model in case your budget is only limited to US$12,500.

Tipster @kopite7kimi leaked specs for two different GA104 cards. However, contrary to expectations, we think that these might represent the same functional SKU and not two different card tiers, considering the very slight spec difference.

A promo video for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 has been leaked at the same time as some live images of the upcoming smartwatch were revealed via NCC certification. The video clip for the Galaxy Watch 3 focuses more on the software functions of the wearable rather than its overall physical appearance.

Initial benchmarks of the Huawei Kunpeng 920 ARM processor in a desktop PC do not seem to paint a rosy picture. This particular PC was powered by an 8C/8T Kunpeng 920 soldered onto a Huawei motherboard and running custom Chinese Linux distro called UOS. The Kunpeng 920 was originally designed with server applications in mind, and it looks to be an indication of China's ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on major CPU players such as Intel and AMD.

Poco has launched the Poco M2 Pro in India. It comes with a 6.7-inch FHD+ screen, a quad-camera setup, a 5,000mAh battery that can be charged at 33W, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC. Prices start at INR 13,999 (US$187) for the base variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The device will be available for purchase on Flipkart starting July 14.

Be glad, PlayStation 4 owners; a new jailbreak is on the way. Developer @theflow0 has now announced the existence of a kernel exploit on PS4 running firmware 7.02 or older. The kernel exploit currently has to be chained with a firmware 6.72 WebKit exploit.

Several live images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra smartphone have been leaked online. The real-life shots show the camera housing on the rear, the S Pen lying on the device, and a glimpse at the front and right-hand side. A noted leaker has been comparing the differences between the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.

Despite its 20-year reliance on Huawei-made telecom hardware, the United Kingdom has now decided to remove Huawei from its 5G infrastructure by the end of 2020. The shift in policy is based on a new report from British cybersecurity experts that fear Huawei may be forced to use untrusted technology as a result of recent sanctions put on the company by the United States.

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4C has been launched in Malaysia. The global version of the budget activity tracker has gone on sale there for 99 MYR (US$23). The Mi Smart Band 4C is basically a rebranded Redmi Band and offers users a heart-rate monitor, 5 ATM water resistance, and a 1.08-inch touchscreen.

Huawei has filed a trademark application with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) for the name Mate V. This would be an adroit term for, say, a device that can fold like a book in the current Galaxy Fold style. Therefore, the term may hint at such an upcoming phablet from this OEM.

The Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite are two-years-old now and have both received two major OS updates. While owners of the phones may reserve some hope over their prospects of getting Android 11, new information clarifies that such hopes are pointless.

The iQOO Z1x is set to launch on July 9, 2020 and to rock the Snapdragon 765G processor on this date. However, the OEM has yet to confirm any more details on the new phone's internals. A new Master Lu listing for a device with an unfamiliar model number is now linked to the upcoming mid-ranger, however, and may show what it can do with 8GB of RAM.

A new study conducted in June 2020 by the company TeamBlind indicates that 33% of the workers who participated in it have been given a date on which they can resume office work. This figure varied when corrected for location or company, however. 57% of the respondents stated that they would keep working from home given the opportunity, however.

Despite the ongoing pandemic and slow death of malls, Razer will chug through the thick and thin with its retail locations in direct contrast to Microsoft.

Xiaomi launched the AMD Ryzen 4000-series-powered RedmiBook 13, RedmiBook 14, and RedmiBook 16 back in May. The company has now confirmed that it's set to release a new RedmiBook 16, but this time out, one powered with Intel's 10nm Icelake Core i7 processors.

With the Eve Spectrum monitor apparently set for release next quarter, Eve Distribution is continuing to prototype its next Surface alternative with fans. Now the company, formerly known as Eve-Tech, has offered glimpses of several design proposals for its next 2-in-1.

OnePlus continues to tease the OnePlus Nord ahead of its next pre-order event on July 8. The device, which will retail for under US$500, will feature OIS and some sleek-looking retail packaging. It seems that a July 21 release date has been confirmed too, as has the "world's first AR smartphone launch".

Advertised as "the only app to download MIUI 13 on your device" and apparently updated on June 23, the app created by Madhav Developers looks like a piece of code — possibly malignant — that should not have been allowed on Google Play. However, one thing is certain - MIUI 13 is not available for the public yet.

A leak has confirmed that Xiaomi has a new family of devices in development, codenamed Gauguin. Apparently sporting 64 MP and 108 MP rear-facing cameras, the Gauguin and Gauguin Pro also have Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs. The specifications of the Gauguin family seemingly line-up with the Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 Pro, which are due to arrive in Q4 2020 and Q1 2021 respectively.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a new Samsung device called the SM-A716V for sale. This phone is thought to be called the Galaxy A71s 5G on launch. According to its new official schematics, it may look much like the pre-existing A71. However, there are some signs its potential new derivative is destined for the Verizon network.

A 3C certification listing was recently spotted for the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 5G and indicates that the foldable will come with the same 25W charger as the Samsung Galaxy S20. This means the Galaxy Fold 2 will likely charge from 0 to 50 percent in just half an hour.

Huawei has confirmed that its next OS, EMUI 11, will be arriving in August. Based on open-source Android 11 without any Google apps or services, EMUI 11 will land on the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro this quarter before making its full debut on the Mate 40 and Mate 40 Pro later this year.

Recent China Beta versions of MIUI 12 suggest that Xiaomi is developing its answer to Top Shot, Google's machine-learning photography tool. Called AI shutter, the feature appears to have similar functionality to Top Shot and may eventually make its way to stable MIUI 12 builds.

Rumour has it that Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra at some hefty price tags next month. Apparently, the two flagships will retail for 25%-30% higher than the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+. The rumoured pricing would also see the Galaxy Z Fold 2 cost over US$2,000. A fake Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Geekbench listing has convinced some people, too.

Tipster @Execufix spotted a reference to AMD’s upcoming EPYC Milan server lineup. An unspecified EPYC Milan server chip was found to operate with a base frequency of 1.5 GHz and a boost clock of 2.2 GHz, in line with ES clocks for EPYC Rome parts. If EPYC Milan hits these clocks in its final avatar, it should provide a noticeable performance boost versus EPYC Rome parts.

Panasonic has announced pricing and availability data for its new RB-M500B and RB-M700B wireless headphones. Both feature 40 millimeter (mm) neodymium drivers housed in ergonomically-designed ear-pads, although only the latter features active noise cancellation (ANC). They are also designed to enhance bass using this OEM's XBS DEEP technology.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 may not receive MIUI 12 until September. The device, which Xiaomi released in October 2018, is on Round 2 of the company's MIUI 12 Release Schedule. However, it is not eligible for its fledging Mi Pilot progam.

Honor has launched a new set of earbuds, the Honor Choice True Wireless Earbuds. Priced at just US$34.99, the Honor Choice supports Bluetooth 5.0, up to 24 hours of battery life and USB Type-C charging. Touch controls are supported too and the earbuds are IP54 certified.

A Dutch retailer has posted astounding pre-order prices for PS5 games that will shock those planning on a next-gen console purchase. Titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Godfall, and Horizon Forbidden West have all been priced at €74.99 (US$85). The price of the PlayStation 5 hardware is expected to be around US$499/£449/€499 for the Blu-ray model.

ASUS has confirmed that it will be launching the ROG Phone 3 this month, the successor to last year's ROG Phone 2. The device, which is thought to include a 6,000 mAh battery, has already been seen in a leaked hands-on video and at the TENAA. The ROG Phone 3 should have a high-refresh-rate AMOLED panel and perhaps even a Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset.

The widget is lacking at the moment, but it's at least easy on the eyes with direct controls for brightness, colors, power plan, and live recording or streaming. A more fully-featured version of the widget is expected to come later in the year.

MIUI 12 firmware for owners of the Redmi Note 8 Pro in India has been restricted to official testers who were part of the Mi Pilot program so far. However, it appears that Xiaomi is expecting the testing period to be completed soon, as the MIUI 12 India ROM should start rolling out “shortly”.

A new feature update coming to Chrome 86 looks set to make serious reductions in its resource usage. The experimental feature could extend battery life considerably on laptops by shutting down certain background tasks in open tabs.

Apple’s MacBook keyboards have been the recipient of plenty of unwanted attention in recent years thanks to the infamous butterfly keyboard debacle. However, the company seems intent on continuing to try to innovate on that front with a patent lodged for glass keycaps that might feature on future MacBooks.

The Redmi 8 has received yet another price increase in India, bringing the total to four price hikes in that market since it was released in October 2019. While one of the hikes was due to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the other three increases for the Redmi 8 suggest that Xiaomi is milking the smartphone’s incredible popularity.

With the MateBook 13, Huawei has a low-priced subnotebook in its product portfolio, which confronts buyers with the choice between an Intel or an AMD chipset. This is not an easy decision as neither of the two achieves a real dominance.

Placeholder images for what could end up being the Huawei Band 5 activity tracker and the Huawei Mate Watch have been shared on the Chinese social site Weibo. No specifications have been revealed, but the supposed codenames for the upcoming Huawei smartband and smartwatch along with some potential design details are displayed.

Huawei's best SuperCharge wired power adapter can charge a compatible device at up to 40 watts (W). However, a leak points to a new generation of these accessories that is capable of 66W. The OEM has reportedly had it approved for use by the regulator 3C, which may make it available for the Mate 40 series.

LG has updated the portable variants of its XBOOM speaker line-up. These new PL7, PL5 and PL2 models feature an equally renewed design that incorporates Meridian technology for their audio clarity. They can also be controlled via an iOS or Android app and respond to voice commands.

Durabook has launched its latest tablet, the R11. Like others from this OEM, it has military-grade drop, shock, ingress and temperature resistance. However, this one is also only about 20 millimeters (mm) in height and weighs 1.2 kilograms. This may make it more amenable to work in the hazardous environments of today.

An alleged roadmap was posted on the Mi Community forums detailing Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4 rollout of the MIUI 12 stable ROM in China. While this does list all the Xiaomi and Redmi devices likely to be covered in each phase, it does not indicate any definite timeline. Interestingly, this roadmap also includes older devices such as the Redmi 4X and the Redmi Note 4X.

The Panasonic RZ-S300W are new TWS earbuds with a non-AirPod-clone form-factor and a unique finish. A further variant of the same (the RZ-S500W) have "Dual Hybrid Noise Cancelling Technology" with an ambient mode for "best-in-class" audio isolation. The OEM also has a 3rd pair of new buds launched under its high-end Technics brand.

Nine months after release, the Redmi Note 8 is yet to receive a major OS update, even though the Redmi Note 8 Pro got its Android 10 update months ago. That is set to change, however, with new information giving Redmi Note 8 owners around the world an idea of when the Android 10 update will finally arrive.

The smart-glasses company Vuzix has announced that it has 3C certification for its M400 model. Therefore, it may now target the market in question with this IP67-rated, drop-resistant smart viewer. As with many other products in this category, it is directed at professional and industrial applications.

The major update of the compact 2020 ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the more compact power adapter. You also get new processors, but they do not offer a performance advantage. The new X1 Carbon is once again a very good business laptop, but you can just get the previous model and save money.

Samsung India has reportedly posted a support page for a phone called the Galaxy M01s (or SM-M017F/DS), despite the fact that this phone is not on sale in the same country yet. This official leak shows that the upcoming device has 3GB of RAM. However, additional tips show that it may not be a brand-new product on its launch.

The OnePlus 8 Pro was launched back in April but has routinely been out of stock since then. The phones has received mostly positive reviews and that appears to have translated into sales, with the implication of OnePlus selling a lot more units than it projected.

A post on Weibo by Redmi boss Lu Weibing has sparked speculation that either Xiaomi or Redmi is planning on releasing a small phone. A small-screen flagship variant of the rumored Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 was suggested by many of his post’s commentators. Weibing shared an image showing a size comparison of the Apple iPhone 4 and Redmi Note 8.

It has been rumored that Huawei will be releasing its own Display ranges of monitors set at three different price points, and a 32-inch model is expected to be part of the lineup. It’s likely Huawei Display monitors will target the space that will be occupied by Redmi Display and Xiaomi Mi Display external monitors.