Chinese Tech

TCL, a maker of display panels and products, has released its financial performance figures for the first half of 2021 (1H2021). It claims to have made approximately US$1.426 billion. About 71% of that figure was made by its screen technology specialist division CSOT. The OEM asserts that all aspects of its business has posted "significant" growth and has surpassed its estimates for the half-year.

Honor has unveiled the Watch GS 3, a stylish smartwatch that will be available in three colours. Reputedly, the Watch GS 3 has an industry-leading heart rate sensor too, although many details are up in the air currently.

Honor and Huawei have gone their separate ways, allowing the former to include Google Mobile Services (GMS) on its latest flagship smartphones. The company has confirmed that the Magic 3, Magic 3 Pro and Magic 3 Pro Plus will receive at least two Android OS updates, too.

TCL has announced updates to its 2020 5- and 6-series big screens. They, like their predecessors, remain QLED and mini-LED respectively; however, they drop the Roku OS of yesteryear for the new Google TV software. It confers an up-to-date UI on the new devices, as well as the option of voice control for the first time.

Xiaomi has reportedly launched a program by which it is offering the original price of its first ever smartphone, the Mi 1, back to customers who can prove they ordered it during its initial reservation event. The unique promotion, which has already apparently cost the OEM millions of dollars, is being done in celebration of its tenth anniversary, and also possibly of the company's success thus far.

A new leak has now thrown some more light on Xiaomi's upcoming budget phone, the Redmi 10. The Redmi 10 is set for launch soon, and will arrive with a Helio G88, a 90 Hz adaptive display, and a 50 MP main camera. Pricing appears to range between US$185 and US$250.

The MediaTek Kompanio 1300T is a new SoC that is exclusive to the new Honor Tab V7 Pro tablet on its launch. It drives a 2K display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The new slate also challenges the iPad line with its own optional stylus and keyboard dock.

Early reports in regard to potential sales figures for the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 have indicated that once again the Chinese company has a massive smash hit on its hands. The Mi Mix 4 comes in four configuration variants and has a starting price of 4,999 yuan (US$771). Two retail platforms alone have registered over 350,000 reservations.

Recent leaks have pointed to the possibility of a new S variant for the Moto G60 to be launched in 2021. Now, Motorola has made good on these rumors by unleashing this phone on its first market: Brazil. It has a 120Hz FHD LCD display, 6GB of RAM and unusually fast charging for a phone from this OEM.

Xiaomi is now gracing owners of the Redmi Note 9 and Redmi Note 9S with MIUI 12.5 updates. For the Redmi Note 9, the new update is being rolled out to Indonesian models along with Android 11, while owners of the European ROM Redmi Note 9S get their first taste of MIUI 12.5.

Honor has launched its new Magic3, 3 Pro and 3 Pro+ top-end smartphones today (August 12, 2021). Their large central ring-style camera humps contain up to 5 lenses each, which also contain new 50MP sensors in some cases. The OEM claims they are capable of delivering cinema-grade videography as well as Snapdragon 888+ performance.

Teardown videos of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 are already springing up online, giving a fascinating insight into just how the Chinese OEM’s latest and greatest flagship smartphone has been put together. Viewers can get a good look at the Mi Mix 4’s innards, including its camera equipment and dual-cell battery.

Xiaomi's MIUI skin gets some flak for poor performance, so the company is back with an incremental update aimed at improving overall system performance and fluidity. MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition will be released on August 13, and will hit twelve of the company's premium devices initially.

Huawei is slowly expanding HarmonyOS 2.0, having released the OS to over 65 devices so far. The company's latest update adds some interesting features, including a new multi-camera mode.

The smartphone brand iQOO's teasers for its premium 8 series have been painting it as a refresh of the existing 7 flagship with a newer SoC. However, it has now also revealed that the upcoming devices might have more to them besides that. This, according to the latest leaks, includes an upgrade to dual high-res rear shooters.

MediaTek has now announced the launch of two new SoCs, the Dimensity 920 and Dimensity 810. Both chipsets are fabricated on 6 nm nodes, and will serve as the company's mid-range offerings for phones billed for a Q3 release.

Huawei has hardly announced any smartphones in 2021, but that has not stopped it from delivering software updates. Now, the company states that it has delivered HarmonyOS 2.0 to over 65 Honor and Huawei devices in China, including the Mate 40 and Mate 30 series.

After releasing the Mi Pad 4 way back in 2018, Xiaomi has returned with new entries in its Mi Pad series. The new phones, the Mi Pad 5 and Mi Pad 5 Pro, were just launched in China and offer Snapdragon 800-series chipsets as well as 2.5K 120 Hz displays, with the lineup starting at the equivalent of just over US$300.

Xiaomi has officially launched the Mi Mix 4 smartphone in China. Typically for devices in the Mi Mix series, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 is packed to the gills with innovations, including its camera under panel (CUP) technology, UWB connectivity, graphene heat spreader, and 108 MP HMX main camera sensor. Arguably the biggest surprise about the phone is the price tags for its four configurations.

More information about Xiaomi’s memory extension feature has been shared, including additional eligible devices and how much extra RAM can be accessed by specific phones. It appears the Redmi Note 8, POCO X3 GT, and Redmi 9T have joined the eligible device list, which will likely also feature the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 very soon.

The Mi Pad 5 series is almost here, with Xiaomi having teased more details about its upcoming tablets ahead of their impending unveiling. A marketing render has also leaked, as has an official case for at least of the three tablets that Xiaomi is expected to launch.

The upcoming Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 has been thoroughly leaked right before its August 10 launch. Many of the key details about the Mi Mix 4, such as the Snapdragon 888+ chip, 108 MP main camera, and 120 W wired charging support were already known. Renders of the Mi Mix 4 have also been leaked along with the high-end specs configuration.

The Redmi 10 will slot in directly beneath the Redmi Note 10 as Xiaomi's budget device of choice. It finally appears to be ready for launch, as a retail listing has now revealed renders and specifications, with notable takeaways including a Redmi Note 10-esque design, as well as a Helio G88 under the hood.

Realme has now reportedly registered new batteries with the TUV safety authority. The unusually high rated and typical capacities of the two new power-packs have resulted in speculation that they are destined for this OEM's upcoming first-gen tablet. Should this be the case, it seems the device might have different versions, one with slightly more battery life than the other.

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6, also known as the Mi Band 6, has recently received a useful feature thanks to the latest firmware update for the activity tracker. Users of the Mi Band 6 wearable will be able to use the smart band as a basic flashlight as long as version 5.3.0 of the Mi Fit app is also installed.

Google's new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have been hailed for a design that deviates from the current industry norm. Well, it appears that design may not be as novel as thought, as a new leak shows a OnePlus 7 from 2018 that looks identical to the just-revealed Pixel 6.

Honor was formed as a high-value, budget sub-brand by Huawei, but was sold last year in an attempt to disassociate the brand from Huawei and its troubles with the US government. That move may prove to have been worthless soon, though, as a group of fourteen US politicians are reportedly lobbying for Honor to be added to the US's Entity List.

The tiny Mony Mint 4G smartphone has appeared on Indiegogo, managing to meet its fund goal of HKD $4,000 (US$514) within 15 minutes. The “smallest 4G smartphone” sports a 3-inch display and is powered by a quad-core MT6739 chip. Super early bird backers can snap up the Mony Mint for just US$99.

New information indicates that Xiaomi is set to begin the Android 12 rollout in the near future. The company will start by sending out the update in its home market to the Mi 11, Mi 11 Pro, Mi 11 Ultra, and Redmi K40 Pro Plus. Its Snapdragon 888-powered devices, essentially.

Realme has already launched the GT Master and GT Master Exploration Editions in China, as "designer" variants of its current 2021 flagship. Now, a new leak claims that the phones are also going to launch in Europe soon. They will apparently start in the ~US$400 category for SKUs with 6GB of RAM.

Xiaomi has confirmed that it will be unveiling a new TV on August 10, its second-generation OLED following last year's Mi TV Master series. Described as 'impeccable' by Xiaomi, the company has teased that the TV supports NVIDIA G-SYNC, hinting at something special being on the horizon.

Xiaomi has confirmed that it will be launching not only the Mi Mix 4 and a new OLED TV next week, but also the long-awaited Mi Pad 5 series. The tablets are expected to be sold globally too, with a hands-on image having already leaked of at least one model.

Xiaomi may be days away from revealing the Mi Mix 4, but the device has leaked on Geekbench in multiple listings. Also, a marketing poster is circulating online that appears to show the device's camera arrangement and its almost bezel-less display.

After sending out the MIUI 12.5 update to the Redmi Note 10, Xiaomi is now doing the same for owners of the Redmi Note 9 and Redmi 9. New MIUI 12.5 updates are rolling out to the Global ROM models of those two phones, with July security patches in tow.

Honor has launched 2 new products today (August 5, 2021): a new pair of TWS earbuds and a smartphone. The Play 5T Pro has a 6.6-inch display, driven by a MediaTek processor, and a larger battery compared to the existing Play 5. Similarly, the Earbuds 2 Lite are rated for up to 32 hours of use on a single charge, and for active noise cancellation (ANC).

iQOO has confirmed that it will launch new, 8-series premium Android smartphones in mid-August 2021. It has also teased these phones with the announcement that they will launch with new, "E5" display panels with high pixel densities and 10-bit color. The 8 and possible 8 Pro are also said to come with a variable refresh rate and DC dimming.

Realme has showcased its latest smartphone, the Realme GT Flash. For now, the phone looks to be a concept for showing off Realme's new MagDart charger, but could launch in the future. If it does, Realme fans have something interesting to look forward to, thanks to a Snapdragon 888+, an impressive display, and solid cameras.

Lenovo is now slated to augment its Tab P-series tablet series with a new variant soon. This "P12 Pro" is painted as a device with a former flagship processor - which is a surprise as its predecessor has a mid-range SoC. It is also depicted as having more RAM and running Android 11.

On August 12, Honor plans not only to unveil the Magic3, a flagship handset, but also the Honor X20 5G. The upcoming mid-range smartphone of the former Huawei subsidiary has already leaked and has been teased by Honor directly. A retailer listing has confirmed many specifications for the Honor X20 5G, too.

OPPO has just unveiled the latest generation of its under-display camera technology for smartphone screens. The OEM claims to have made great strides since the last time it showcased its developments in this trendy spec. They include a new pixel-matrix that help it blend effectively into the rest of a given panel.

Some previous leaks have hinted that the Honor V7 Pro is coming for the iPad Pro in terms of design; now, its latest teaser suggests that it also wants to rival this premium slate with respect to its compatible add-ons. They consist of a suspiciously Magic-looking keyboard dock and a sleek new stylus.

Xiaomi has launched 2 new laptops for the Indian market, which it calls the RedmiBook 15 Pro and the e-Learning Edition of the same. Both of these machines have the same 19.9mm deep chassis with 15.6-inch FHD displays, finished in polycarbonate for mobility and affordability. However, the two variants have their own choices of 11th-gen Intel chipsets and SSDs.

Finally, Xiaomi is sending out the MIUI 12.5 update to its current cash cow, the Redmi Note 10. At the moment, the update is exclusive to Global ROM models of the mid-range phone, but is already in the stable stage, so will not take long to get to all owners of that model.

A new device has gone up in flames, this time the recently launched OnePlus Nord 2. A user has now reported that their wife's Nord 2 "spontaneously" went up in flames while cycling, with OnePlus reaching out a while ago.

An incredible video clip of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 has been leaked just as the company finally announced a release date for the smartphone. The Mi Mix 4’s flexible screen panel is being tested in the video, which also reveals just how well hidden the front-facing under-display camera (UDC) is.

Realme MagDart is now officially this OEM's answer to similar ecosystems such as Apple's MagSafe. Accordingly, it has been revealed to include products such as an ultra-slim wireless charger for phones such as the flagship GT, as well as a magnetic wallet and power-bank. They are joined by 4 additional products, all in the series' new pale-silver livery.

Xiaomi's CEO, Lei Jun, is reportedly planning to address the OEM's fans during an upcoming August 2021 speech. This announcement has led to rumors that the executive will unveil 2 of the company's most hotly-awaited new devices during this event: the Mi Pad 5 and Mi Mix 4 smartphone. It is also possible that new members of the CC series could follow shortly.

Honor has dropped another official teaser concerning its upcoming Magic3 smartphone series. This one includes heavy hints that one of its variants will have no less than 5 rear cameras. It is said to include individual high-resolution lenses, 3 64MP shooters included.

OPPO is one of a handful of OEMs that has confirmed it is working on under-display camera (UDC) technology for the screens of its next-gen smartphone brands. Now, some teasers emanating from the company's native China suggest it is just about to reveal its inaugural UDC device. It may have to compete with devices such as the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 on its launch

While Samsung recorded a 7 percent drop over last year's second quarter, Xiaomi managed to achieve a solid climb of over 67 percent in the European market. This allowed the Chinese OEM to come first with 12.7 million units shipped in Q2 2021, while Samsung only shipped 12 million handsets in the region.