iPhone

The OEM Ulefone has launched its new Watch series, which support continuous heart-rate tracking, multiple sports modes and 5ATM water-resistance. There is also a blood-oxygen sensor in the Pro model, whereas the Watch GPS has additional activity-tracking features. They start at US$49.99, or even less with a limited-time introductory offer.

Apple's products have shown themselves as resistant to teardowns and re-assembly in the past. The Australian device-repair YouTuber Hugh Jeffreys has posted a new video that seems to demonstrate that this is also true of the recently-launched iPhone 12. The device's UI and cameras exhibited anomalies in response to a motherboard switch.

Three major market research firms have declared Xiaomi is now the world’s third-largest smartphone company in terms of units shipped for the third quarter of 2020. The good news for Xiaomi comes at the expense of Apple, which slips into fourth. Strong sales for the Redmi 9 series, Redmi K30 Ultra, and Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra have helped the Chinese OEM achieve impressive growth.

Apple's smallest iPhone will not be available until next week, but a prominent Romanian YouTuber has already got his hands on one. The iPhone 12 mini has been compared to last year's 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and the iPhone 11 Pro Max, ahead of the device's review embargo.

Apple and Foxconn may have been partners for years but the relationship has soured in the last few years, according to a report published by The Information. Reputedly, Foxconn has employed a range of tactics to maximise profits, including overcharging for production costs and even potentially revealing Apple designs to third-parties before they have been announced.

Apple is now estimated to have an installed user base of 1 billion iPhones. The figure comes from a respected Apple analyst who has been tracking iPhone sales data for the past 13 years.

Mophie has released its latest Qi-enabled wireless battery charger, but this one has a twist. The new Mophie Juice Pack Connect has a modular design that clips on the back of any Qi-enabled smartphone to give it a wireless battery top-up.

The OEM Huami has held its global launch for the second-gen Amazfit GTR and GTS wearables, although they will only be released in the US and UK markets to start off with. These smartwatches feature blood-oxygen, heart-rate, sleep and stress monitors, which are analyzed using their in-house PAI system. They will be available through channels such as Amazon on their release.

5G networks are set to transform the mobile data experience. However, very robust 4G infrastructure means that people in some countries already have access to ultra-fast connectivity. Etisalat in the UAE tops the list, offering speeds of nearly 100 Mbps on average, 3 times higher than the US average of 33 Mbps.

Even as the iPhone 12 is still pretty new, rumors about the iPhone 13 have already started making the rounds. The iPhone 13 (or whatever it will be called) may go completely portless in favor of the new MagSafe technology and is also likely to sport a 120 Hz displays. An in-display fingerprint sensor is a possibility a Qualcomm Snapdragon X60 5G modem is more or less confirmed.

A battery life test by Arun Maini of the YouTube channel Mrwhosetheboss found that the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max had significant leads in battery runtimes compared to the newer iPhone 12 and 12 Pro. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have a 2,815 mAh battery, which is not only lower in terms of actual capacity than the previous generation but also powers larger and higher resolution displays leading to lower runtimes.

The iPhone 12 series comes with dedicated components to support the new MagSafe system, which consists of a range of magnetic accessories, a compact wireless charger included. Now, it has emerged that this product may permanently disfigure the leather cases the OEM has designed for the same mobile devices.

Apple may be expected to sell tens of millions of iPhone 12 units between now and next September or October, but the company has made a rather strange design decision for European models. Sadly, it has made the iPhone 12 a bit uglier in Europe than it is in the US, although it is unclear why Apple has done so.

We now have one potential explanation for why the new iPhone 12 models drain battery more quickly than they otherwise might. Although Apple is using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G modem, it is the older X55 component from last year, rather than the newer X60 modem released earlier this year.

It may now be possible to connect to 5G networks on an iPhone, but it will cost you in battery life. Enabling 5G can cut battery life by up to 20% based on initial findings, meaning that you may need to recharge the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro before the end of the day.

Apple may have pleased may fans with the release of the iPhone 12 Mini, a rare return to mobile screens of well under 6 inches in size. Therefore, other non-iOS smartphone manufacturers may want to start on their own equally compact flagships, right? Wrong, says eminent leaker Digital Chat Station.

DxOMark is practically a household name for independent groups that release scores for smartphone prowess in areas such as their screens and cameras. It has announced that its system to test the former has been re-designed to reflect user experience in real-world and laboratory settings. Its procedures for cameras are also now more rigorous than ever.

The C3X is an external home-security camera of the type that integrates AI so as to distinguish potentially dangerous moving objects such as people and cars in the vicinity from others such as animals. Its maker EZVIZ also claims it has extreme low-light capabilities and color night vision. It is now on sale in the UK for a price of about US$194.

A social media post by Lu Weibing has led to some speculation that Xiaomi or Redmi could be planning a diminutive variant of a future flagship along the lines of the iPhone 12 Mini. A Xiaomi Mi 11 SE or Redmi K40 Mini would certainly go down well with users looking for a more compact smartphone.

Xiaomi has debuted the Mi Air 2 Pro, which may also become known as the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Pro in markets besides its initial Chinese region. These TWS earbuds boast a high-end matte finish and house specs such as active noise cancellation (ANC), 12mm drivers and wireless charging. They are available for pre-order for a price of close to $104.

Unlike most Android OEMs, Apple does not include battery capacities in its spec lists for iPhones. However, it may be a particularly pressing issue this year, as the new 12 series has gone 5G, something that may eat screen-on time. A Dutch carrier has listed actual milliamp-hour figures for all 4 variants, and they make for worrying reading.

The Kokoon NightBuds are, like the Amazfit ZenBuds or Bose Sleepbuds II, designed to be worn in bed so as to help the user fall asleep. To this end, they measure just 5.4 millimeters in depth, although they are not TWS. They have launched via Kickstarter, where they have amassed nearly 15 times their goal.

More benchmarks of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro have appeared online, this time on AnTuTu. CPU scores of the A14 Bionic look good, but initial GPU scores are rather underwhelming, especially compared to the likes of the Snapdragon 865.

Apple is expected to sell at least 70 million iPhone 12 units by the end of 2020, DigiTimes claims. Apple may even top 80 million units before the new year, barring an escalation in the trade war between China and the United States. Apparently, hardware improvements and a fresh design will drive iPhone sales this year.

Xiaomi has taken to social media to poke some light fun at Apple’s decision to remove the charger (and EarPods) from the iPhone 12 packaging. There is some irony about the Chinese OEM trolling the same company it has frequently been accused of closely imitating, though.

The differences between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro models were thought to be only camera-based, but it turns out that Apple has also equipped them with different volumes of RAM. The increase in RAM for the Pro models should give them an advantage over the regular iPhone 12 and their predecessors, but an initial Geekbench listing offers up some rather disappointing multi-core performance.

Apple's new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini are now official and feature a largely common feature set including the powerful A14 Bionic SoC, 5G connectivity, dual 12 MP cameras, and more. The iPhone 12 Mini with a 5.4-inch display is being touted as the world's smallest and lightest 5G phone

The Beats by Dre brand has launched its latest pair of wireless earphones. Like the Powerbeats Pro before them, they are of the neckbud variety, but are also much cheaper this time. Nevertheless, they are rated for potentially superior audio quality and connectivity thanks to their Apple audio tech.

The next Apple Special Event is scheduled for today (October 13, 2020) - the same day on which Evan Blass has decided to leak high-quality renders of the products thought to be involved in all their new colors. They comprise all 4 variants of the iPhone 12 series as well as the alleged new HomePod Mini.

Tipster @jon_prosser claimed that Apple's alleged decision to skip on a 120 Hz iPhone 12 display was "100 percent" because of battery life concerns, with the 5G radio taking priority. This might mean that 120 Hz displays will only make their way to iPhone in 2022.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max may have more premium ultra-wide and telephoto cameras than the 12 Pro, according to reports. The 12 Pro Max will reputedly feature an 'expansive' ultra-wide camera, along with superior telephoto optics. It seems that neither device will feature periscope cameras, but Apple's new 7P lenses will be on board.

Apple’s upcoming release event, dubbed “Hi, Speed”, will feature its highly anticipated iPhone 12 series. Within the series are four rumoured devices, the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 Mini, 6.1-inch iPhone 12, 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. Kuo’s selection for the most popular model bucks the trend of previous releases.

Rumour has it Apple will not announce AirTags next week, nor its rumoured AirPods Studio over-ear headphones. The AirTags may be delayed until March 2021 too, while the AirPods Studio could cost up to US$599. It is bad news for those hoping for 120 Hz displays on the iPhone 12 series, also.

A tech blog claims to have heard from an exclusive source that Xiaomi will launch its latest power bank in Europe. This apparently 10,000mAh Mi Power Bank 3 Ultra Compact is also slated to have a new, texturized casing that might prevent drops or damage to the new product. It may have 2 USB type A ports with 1 type C ports, and charge devices at up to 22.5 watts (W).

ICARE Technologies has debuted its Aeklys by Starck Payment Ring. The NFC-based device does not need charging and can be used to make contactless payments and pay for public transport.

Apple has just announced a new product event to take place on October 13, 2020. This launch is more than likely to finally reveal the iPhone 12 series. Other long-held projections concerning rumored accessories such as the AirPods Studio, AirTags and AirPower may also be confirmed during the show.

Rumored details about the Apple iPhone 13 range and the third-generation Apple iPhone SE have been shared by display industry analyst Ross Young. It seems there will be four SKUs in the iPhone 13 series, with two of them capable of mmWave 5G connectivity. The iPhone SE 3 will apparently not be part of Apple’s 2021 lineup though.

A new report from Counterpoint Research on smartphone-buying trends in Europe has concluded that the majority of poll respondents from Spain or Germany would prefer to buy their next mobile device online. By contrast, only 10% of UK participants prefer online platforms, preferring some hands-on time with their choices before buying.

Some information about the iPhone 12 series' price has appeared online. US$649 will get you a 5.4-inch iPhone 12 Mini with 64GB of storage. Similarly, an iPhone 12 with the same capacity will retail at US$749. Both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max come with at least 128GB of memory and will cost you US$999 and US$1,099, respectively.

Apple is rumored to offer the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max with a minimum of 128 GB storage, a bump from the current minimum of 64 GB. However, the standard iPhone 12 and rumored iPhone 12 mini will start with 64 GB of storage.

Despite the fact that they have not yet been launched, Caviar has put its apparently extremely custom units of the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max up for pre-order. The company has taken an unexpected route with these modified devices: they have wooden backings, on which what is described as a piece of the first-ever Apple computer is mounted. The phones are also decorated with theme-appropriate titanium accents.

Mobile phone accessories are big business: they made for a US$118 billion market for the combined Middle East/Asia-Pacific regions in 2019. New market research indicates this worth could grow to nearly $155 billion by 2027. Australia and New Zealand may have the greatest share of it by sub-region in that year.

RollingSquare has launched the HYPHEN 2 truly wireless (TWS) earbuds on Indiegogo. They are touted as having internals and advantages that set them apart from other products in their category. These include a slight departure from the AirPod-clone form factor, a different type of battery and a new type of noise isolation that is apparently as good as active noise cancelling (ANC) with fewer downsides.

Epic Games has been in open litigious conflict with Apple over the latter's 30% levy on developer revenue in exchange for the use of its App Store. Now, the studio has escalated this situation with the implementation of the Coalition for App Fairness (CAF), a new non-profit for "developer rights". Spotify, another company openly disgruntled with Apple's "unfair" practices, has also helped form the group.

WinFuture's Roland Quandt recently claimed on Twitter that the Snapdragon 875 (codenamed Lahaina) would be joined by a high-performance variant, presumably the 875 Plus. This could lead to another generation of performance segmentation at the high end, as we've seen with the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 865 Plus.

The soon-to-be-released iPhone 12 Mini will allegedly run a scaled-down version of the A14 Bionic. Dubbed as the Apple B14, the chip will also appear alongside subsequent variants of the iPhone SE. The B14 is, in all likelihood, an underclocked A14 Bionic fine-tuned for efficiency instead of performance.

Apple is all set to release the world's first-ever 'mini' iPhone. A new leak suggests that Apple's 2020 smartphone lineup will consist of the iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. All four phones are expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

A report by analyst Ming Chi-Kuo indicates that increased competition among Apple's mini-LED suppliers could lead to a larger than expected volume of iPads and Macs shipping with mini-LED displays, both next year and in 2022.

Cloud gaming allows PC gamers to stream their titles via any device rather than load them on a high-powered rig. AirConsole is a company that claims to do much the same for console games. However, in its case, the user's smartphone is used as the controller and a big screen is required. This service is now expanding to Android TVs for this purpose.