Chinese Tech

The White House has ardently denied Intel's plan to boost semiconductor manufacturing in China as it may be detrimental to national security. Intel wishes to help resolve the chip supply problems that are affecting the US. However, the Biden administration aims to revitalise local manufacturing.

MediaTek is currently thought to produce a genuinely competitive premium-grade SoC called the Dimensity 2000 as its 2022 flagship mobile processor. Now, a Redmi executive has checked this silicon by name for the first time, thus adding considerable weight to the probability of its existence. The new social media post also suggests their brand has taken the processor up for the purposes of an upcoming phone.

Xiaomi's upcoming flagship lineup, the Xiaomi 12 series, will be headlined by phones like the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Ultra. The company appears to be working on a smaller phone in the series, though, and early details of that device have now surfaced.

A well-known leaker has posted a list of phones projected to upgrade to 125 watt (W) charging in 2022, and OnePlus' potentially upcoming flagship is on it. It is joined by others from sister brands such as Realme and OPPO. This new tip also purports to confirm the resurrection of one of the most innovative smartphone series of the last 10 years.

MediaTek's Dimensity 2000 will be the company's most ambitious project yet. While previous offerings in the series have mostly been used on mid-range and sub-premium devices, it appears the Dimensity 2000 will be different, as a new leak indicates wide spread flagship usage.

A report out of China sourcing a Xiaomi official has listed 25 devices that should soon start receiving the MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition software update. The third-batch list, which includes all variants of the Xiaomi Pad 5, the Redmi K30 models, some Mi 9 phones, and even the aging Redmi Note 8 Pro, is for devices with the China ROM. Users with different ROM versions will have a slightly longer wait.

A patent that Huawei filed last year has shed light on how the Huawei Watch D measures blood pressure. Seemingly, Huawei's approach relies on three sensors, with two measuring your wrist thickness and fat levels, which a smartwatch uses to correct the blood pressure data it receives.

The rumor mill has taken a more than slightly cryptic post from a famous Weibo leaker and run with it in the form of claims that it points to a variant of the possibly upcoming Xiaomi 12 flagship series with a much smaller screen size than normal. It is thought to be pitched at an audience who might be inclined to look for more of a flagship killer than a flagship.

Hardware specs are still a mystery, but the teaser image reveals that the new MateBook E features an improved display with narrower bezels and rounded screen corners, plus a fingerprint sensor on the back. A detachable keyboard along with a stylus and a mouse also appear to be included.

An AnTuTu benchmark result showcasing what appears to be a MediaTek Dimensity 2000 SoC has surfaced online. It netted an overall score of 1,002,220, becoming the first-ever Android smartphone to do so. However, AnTuTu thinks the score could have been manipulated, so it's best to treat it with scepticism.

Motorola is now thought to have a Moto G71 getting ready to join the new G51 on the market soon. Now, a device that might conform to this novel product name has been spotted as fresh entries in the databases of Chinese regulators. Therefore, the alleged Android smartphone might indeed launch soon.

OPPO has persisted in pushing curved displays in its upper-mid-tier Reno series of smartphones over the last few years, especially in the higher-end models. Now, an alleged in-the-wild image leak suggests that the OEM is finally ready to make a change with the successor to the Reno6 Pro. The tipster in question asserts that this device feels more like an iPhone as a result.

According to a new report, the Xiaomi 12 will launch next month with a 50 MP primary camera that also has approximately a 1/1.3-inch optical format. If correct, then it would rule out the Xiaomi 12 from inheriting the ISOCELL GN2 that Xiaomi uses in the Mi 11 Pro and the Mi 11 Ultra.

The Redmi Watch 2 Lite can be purchased globally, having been unveiled last month. The smartwatch has a 1.55-inch IPS display, a GPS module and a SpO2 sensor, among other features.

Huawei has started selling the Watch GT 3 and Watch FIT mini on its website. Depending on which smartwatch you choose, the pair can be pre-ordered across Europe and in the UK with a complimentary pair of FreeBuds 4i or the Smart Scale 3.

Reputedly, Xiaomi remains on target to announce the Xiaomi 12 in December. According to Digital Chat Station, while the Xiaomi 12 is expected to outclass Xiaomi's current premier handset in multiple areas, the MIX 4 will have the edge in others, including an in-display camera.

Huawei has launched the first device in its new Leqi e-mobility series as an electric scooter powered by HarmonyOS. Its motor is rated for over 600 watts (W) of power for a range of up to 40 kilometer (km) per charge. The new die-cast aluminum urban vehicle goes for about US$390 in China.

It's 11.11, and Xiaomi has been having a bumper sales event via its JD.com store in its native China. It claims to have taken only a half-hour during this event to sell 2 million of its fitness trackers and wearables. The OEM has also now revealed that its smartphones, the latest Mi 11-series units and the top-end Mix Fold included, are also doing well.

The ZTE Watch Live started at US$40; however, it is priced at much less than that for today only. Besides that, the OEM offers the Axon 30 5G, one of the world's few under-display selfie camera bundled with various useful accessories at a promotional price for 2021's 11.11 event.

Huawei has opened its beta programme for EMUI 12 in Europe. Currently, EMUI 12 is available to test on the Mate 30 Pro, Mate 40 Pro, P40, P40 Pro and the P40 Pro Plus. EMUI 12 builds on EMUI 11 and HarmonyOS 2, which Huawei distributes in China.

A OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone has exploded in the pocket of a user in India. Photos posted by the victim clearly show a phone that has suffered an explosive episode and subsequent serious injury to the owner. OnePlus India is said to have stepped up with a refund on the phone along with offering to cover the costs of the medical treatment. [Warning - Graphic Images]

Vivo has added the Vivo Watch 2 to its Smart Health app, hinting at its impending release. The upcoming smartwatch has a circular display and smaller bezels than its predecessor, but it may only be available as a 46 mm smartwatch.

The first fully-electric SUV to be announced with a 1000km, or about 626 miles range on a charge, is another EV slated for the Chinese market, GAC's Aion LX Plus. Tested with a 144.4 kWh pack, it reportedly managed to cover 904km before the battery died during the hot-weather test with the A/C on.

Xiaomi is seeking more people to test Android 12 on its recent flagship smartphones. Currently, Xiaomi is only looking for those who own the Mi 11, Mi 11i and the Mi 11 Ultra. All devices must be enrolled on MIUI's global branch, too.

The OnePlus 10 Pro design has leaked out in renders ahead of an expected launch in April 2022. The new design builds upon the OnePlus 9 Pro, but also adds a distinctive Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra-inspired wraparound design element to its rear camera array.

Multiple sources have posted an image of what appears to be Oppo's yet-to-be-released tablet. Some of its key specs have been outed, too, which include a Snapdragon 870 SoC, 6GB RAM, 256GB internal storage, and a screen that refreshes at 120Hz. Oppo is expected to unveil the tablet sometime in 2022.

Huawei is looking to offload another smartphone through TD Tech, which it and Nokia founded over 15 years ago. The TD Tech Mate 40 Pro will arrive with barely any changes from Huawei's original model, suggesting that Huawei is clearing old inventory.

Motorola is now rumored to launch a smartphone with the impending next iteration of top-end Qualcomm processors. Now, more alleged details of this device have emerged. According to this new leak, it will be released to the global market as well as in China, and will have markedly high-end specs, particularly in the display department, in both instances.

POCO has just made its last new smartphone of 2021 official. The M4 Pro 5G offers several upgrades over its predecessor in a package with styling to match the increasingly popular brand's esthetics. It starts at just under US$270, although its impending early-bird deals allow for its first round of orders to go for even less than that.

The recently-launched Redmi Note 11 Pro and Pro Plus now seems destined for a launch in India, thanks to reports that the devices have acquired approval from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). They are joined there by a third model number said to belong to the upcoming Xiaomi 12 series of flagships.

Haylou has announced the RS4, another affordable smartwatch by the company. The RS4 features a 1.78-inch AMOLED display, a GPS module and is IP68 certified. The 45 mm smartwatch should last up to 25 days on a single charge of its battery, too.

OPPO is already thought to have a 2022 flagship Android smartphone, which may or may not be called the Find X4, in the works. Now, a famous Weibo-based leaker asserts that it will get an upgrade in terms of battery technology as well as SoC over its alleged predecessor. Accordingly, its charging speed may exceed the current 65W limit by a good margin.

According to a Weibo tipster that has been around for a while, Motorola's Moto Edge X will be the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 898-powered handset to hit the market. Sadly, there are no details regarding this possible launch available at this time and it is very likely that the handset will only be available in China for a while.

Xiaomi is expected to launch the Xiaomi 12 next month, likely one of the first smartphones available with the Snapdragon 898. According to reports, the Xiaomi 12 could also improve upon the Mi 11 in two other areas, including its charging capabilities.

Xiaomi has cut the prices of the Mi 11 and POCO across its website and Amazon. The pair are now available at between 24% and 27% off, with the POCO F3 costing just £249. The deals are only available in the UK.

The reduced price will be valid only during launch before bouncing back up to around $500 USD. The thin and attractive modern chassis design will be balanced by an older and slower passively-cooled Intel Core m7 CPU.

OEMs might ditch the punch-hole for smartphone selfie cameras in favor of under-display technology instead. Now, patent images allegedly created by Realme may indicate that this brand may join this rapidly-growing trend. Judging by the rest of its appearance, the resulting device may be destined for the middle or top tiers of its smartphone offerings.

Honor may be one of the next OEMs to launch a first-gen foldable Android phone. Now, these rumors have gained more weight with findings that the company has registered what might be a name for this device with the European Union's intellectual property office EUIPO. Then again, the contents of this leak contradicts the last on the subject.

OPPO is projected to launch 7th-gen Reno smartphones by the end of 2021. Now, a well-known Weibo tipster purports to outline how much each variant will cost on their allegedly imminent launch. Meanwhile, more potential details of what might be their flagship-grade counterpart have trickled out.

Xiaomi has presented Loop LiquidCool Technology, a next-generation cooling solution for flagship smartphones. Apparently, the technology builds on vapour chambers and should provide marked improvements in cooling performance.

Xiaomi has certified two new smartphones with the EEC, days after comparable models appeared at Chinese regulatory bodies. Only one is expected to be a flagship smartphone in the true sense of the word, with the other utilising the Snapdragon 870 SoC, instead.

With the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus, Xiaomi has finally brought 120 W wired charging to its mid-range smartphones series. The Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus also features a 108 MP camera and a 120 Hz OLED display, which can now be seen in detail thanks to two teardown videos.

120 watts (W) is the highest rate at which a smartphone can charge in 2021. The latest word is that there are 2 devices in development capable of breaking this barrier that will launch the following year. They could thus go from 0 to 100% in 10 minutes or less thanks to their alleged upgrade.

Xiaomi has started selling the Redmi Watch 2 in China, which has netted the company CNY 10 million (~US$1.56 million) in just two hours. It has also published hands-on photos with the Redmi Watch 2, confirming what the smartwatch actually looks like.

According to reports, Xiaomi is readying itself to mass-produce its next flagship smartphones. The Xiaomi 12 will arrive first and at least a month before the Xiaomi 12 Pro or Xiaomi 12 Ultra. Meanwhile, it seems that Xiaomi is also preparing to manufacture the MIX 5, the successor to the MIX 4.

The cat's out of the bag for the POCO M4 Pro 5G and its origins. Leaked marketing assets and a hands-on image have confirmed that the POCO M4 Pro 5G is nothing more than the Redmi Note 11 in a different outfit. Accordingly, the POCO M4 Pro 5G will have a Dimensity 810 SoC, a 90 Hz display and a 5,000 mAh battery, among other hardware.

Huawei is now said to get back on track with its flagship mobile device releases in 2022, starting with the Mate 50 series of phablets. However, the OEM is also now thought to get into a new and less expected market: that for e-ink display devices. The first of these now allegedly has a product name and a model number, and may thus also launch in very late 2021 or early on in the next year.

The Motorola Moto G51 is now official, and, furthermore, is the first device to launch with the Plus version of the Snapdragon 480 processor. The chipset is geared towards the budget end of the 5G market; nevertheless, its inaugural vehicle has a 120Hz display and 8GB of RAM. Unfortunately, it is also exclusive to a Chinese carrier thus far.

MINISFORUM is now accepting pre-orders for the CR50 mini PC, a piece of hardware that brings together the octa-core AMD 4700S processor and the AMD Radeon RX550 graphics accelerator. The discounted prices start at US$679 (16 GB RAM, no storage) and go up to US$759 (16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD).