Chinese Tech

Realme's upcoming top-end smartphone, officially code-named Race, has been leaked in terms of its design. Its rear panel as depicted is certainly above the run of the mill, although its rear cameras are a little more conventional. This phone is expected to launch with Qualcomm's most premium early-2021 silicon.

The Amazfit Bip U Pro fitness smartwatch is now available to customers in the US at a price of US$69.99 with free shipping. Buyers of the wearable from Huami will get to enjoy built-in GPS, Amazon Alexa assistance, and over 60 sports modes. The Amazfit Bip U Pro also offers blood-oxygen level measurement and heart-rate monitoring.

The arrival of the Xiaomi Mi 11 series nears, but the world awaits another entry in the Mi Mix series. A new patent suggests that Xiaomi is developing a second iteration of the Mi Mix Alpha though, and one with triple pop-up cameras.

New OPPO devices have appeared on the NCC and Geekbench websites, leading to speculation that they are the global and Indian-market versions of the recently-launched Reno5. However, they are linked to a different, 4G-only SoC compared to the original phone of this name.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 has made yet another appearance online. At least one variant is confirmed to feature a 108MP camera sensor, with three sensors in total. It shouldn't be long before we figure out these images' authenticity, as Xiaomi will launch the Mi 11 series on December 28.

Either a Xiaomi Mi 11 or Mi 11 Pro has been spotted on Geekbench churning out very high results for an Android device thanks to the presence of a cutting-edge Snapdragon 888 SoC. In addition, an alleged teaser trailer for the upcoming Mi 11 range has started doing the rounds on Chinese social media.
Update: The Mi 11 is expected to be revealed on Dec 28.

ZTE has launched the Axon 20 5G via its global site, albeit to a selection of countries. It is priced at US$449 for an 8GB/128GB SKU. However, buying it involves a certain hoop to jump through that may be aggravatingly familiar to OG OnePlus fans.

SMIC is a chipmaker that recently reported the development of its own 7 nanometer (nm) node. However, its plans for this silicon may have become somewhat limited, as the outgoing Trump administration has followed through on a threat to place the foundry on its trade blacklist. The drone OEM DJI is another big name in the latest rounds of these sanctions.

A Mexican telecommunications company called Telcel has been accused of unethical practices in regard to blocking the dual-SIM capability of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro. A user has claimed that the provider used glue and a plastic insert to physically prevent dual-SIM usage with the Mi 10T Pro and has also blocked the function via software too.

The launch of the Xiaomi Mi 11 flagship smartphone range is incoming and new leaked images seem to corroborate numerous rumors about the device. A supposed live photo of a demo unit has provided key specification details while an image of the Mi 11 screen protector has once again confirmed a punch-hole camera and curved display.

MIUI 12 only just landed for most of Xiaomi's lineup but the company is already set to unveil the next iteration of its skin. It's MIUI 12.5, though, not MIUI 13 as one would expect, and it could very well be launched on December 29 alongside the Mi 11 series.

The Vivo V20 (2020) series launched not long ago with a vanilla variant rocking a Snapdragon 720G processor. A new potential phone from this OEM has been spotted on Geekbench with an older and less powerful SoC. Nevertheless, it is thought to be the V20's immediate successor.

With its Dimensity 1000+ chipset, 120Hz display and 65W charging, Realme's X7 Pro is a potentially compelling choice of 2020 smartphones. Unfortunately, it has never emerged beyond the Chinese market. However, that has changed with its latest debut in Thailand.

Honor's first post-Huawei flagship phones are expected to be known as the V40 series. They are also predicted not to launch with a premium Kirin processor as its forebears did. However, it now looks like they might do so with one holdover from its past as a Huawei subsidiary: 66W charging out of the box.

Xiaomi is rumored to be working on both a new foldable smartphone and tablet, which could make appearances in 2021. A potential Mi Pad 5 tablet would be a welcome addition to the stagnating Xiaomi Mi Pad range, whereas the “Cetus” or “Mi Fold” smartphone will apparently feature a screen with a high refresh rate.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro just received its November security update and it's been closely followed by the Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 9, with the European variants of both phones now getting the update. Android 11, however, remains a distant concept for the Redmi Note 8 in particular.

The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini fitness smartwatch from Huami is now officially available to shoppers in the US. The wearable, which comes with a heart-rate monitor, PAI health assessment system, and SpO2 level measurement, is priced at US$99.99 with free shipping. The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini weighs just 19.5 g (0.69 oz).

The Chinese AIB designer Colorful has announced the new iGame GeForce RTX 3090 Neptune OC graphics card. The powerful board comes with a dual-fan radiator, 26-phase power design, and a one-click overclocked boost rate of 1,755 MHz. Gamers in China will need to be prepared to pay 13,999 yuan (US$2,141) or more to get hold of one though.

New rumors indicate that the successor to the Moto G9 Play phone will have a slightly more straightforward product name to go with its 2021 launch. This moniker has appeared on the Geekbench database, and has subsequently been confirmed on Google's Play Console. Both of these new listings point to budget specs for the upcoming device.

Laptop batteries associated with the POCO branding have been spotted on Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) documents that could indicate the former Xiaomi subsidiary is planning on releasing a POCO laptop, possibly even a POCOBook. The POCO M3 smartphone was the most recent device launched by the now independent company.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max appears to have been largely forgotten about by Xiaomi. The device has now received a second MIUI 12 Stable Beta update, with the first having arrived in September. There is no word on the arrival of a Stable MIUI 12 update for the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max yet, though.

A schematic of the Mi 11 Pro has leaked online. The schematic suggests that Xiaomi has equipped its next flagship smartphone with a 6.76-inch display, which is expected to run natively at a QHD+ resolution with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The Mi 11 Pro may arrive before the end of the year and will be one of the first devices with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 888 SoC.

Huami's latest smartwatches are 'e' versions of the Watch GTS 2 and Watch GTR 2, respectively. The new models are cheaper, but they have better battery life. Huami has not skrimped on other areas either, with the Watch GTS 2e and Watch GTR 2e both featuring AMOLED displays and SpO2 sensors.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro is now receiving a new update in multiple regions. The latest update for the device brings the November security patch to the European and Russian models of the device, with the Android 11 rollout set to follow soon.

The world's smallest mini PC with an active fan now has a second higher-end configuration with quadruple the storage capacity of the original launch option. Its retail price is down by $20 for a limited time to $259 USD.

Realme has started revealing some of the details about its upcoming Watch S Pro device, including the launch date for the high-end wearable. The Realme Watch S Pro comes with a blood oxygen and heart-rate monitor, built-in dual-satellite GPS, and it can offer up to 14 days of battery life. Realme’s first premium smartwatch will be launched on December 23.

The OPPO A53 emerged in 2020 as the first phone to have the Snapdragon 460 SoC. Now, the OEM has announced a new version of this device. It is much like the original, except it exchanges its platform for a 5G-capable MediaTek Dimensity 720. It also starts at the equivalent of US$199 in China.

A RedmiBook Pro 14S powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U has been put through its paces on Geekbench, and it managed a 28.16% higher result in the Geekbench 5 multi-core benchmark than the Ryzen 7 4700U. The Lucienne Zen 2-based Ryzen 5000 APU can boast of enhancements such as an improved iGPU and SMT support.

Xiaomi has announced the Redmi 9 Power for India. The Chinese company has priced the device at INR 13,999 (~US$190), for which you will receive a smartphone with a 6.53-inch FHD+ display, a 48 MP primary camera and a 6,000 mAh battery, among other features. The Redmi 9 Power will be available with up to 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage and in four colours.

Huawei has updated its EMUI 11 upgrade plans in two regions. To date, the OS upgrade has only reached handsets in Asia Pacific and Canada, where the Mate 30 and P40 series have begun the slow march to EMUI 11. Huawei claims that it has upgraded over 10 million devices to EMUI 11 already, though.

Huawei is set to launch its Nova 8 series in the near future and details of the Nova 8 have surfaced. Notable takeaways include a Kirin 985, a quad-camera setup at the back, and a disappointing battery relative to the competition.

The 98-inch Redmi Smart TV Max from Xiaomi has apparently taken China by storm. Xiaomi has revealed some statistics about the giant television, including that its monthly sales are 30 times higher than its rivals in the same-size segment. The Redmi Max 98 has been incredibly popular since launching at a bargain price of 19,999 yuan (US$3,061).

Samsung's highly-awaited Exynos 1080 SoC has made its first appearance on Geekbench. It manages to outperform the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 with a single and multi-core score of 888 and 3,244, respectively. The chipset is expected to make its debut alongside the Vivo X60 series on December 28.

Word on the grapevine from last week teased the possibility of Xiaomi launching a Mi 11 Mini as the third device in the Mi 11 series. That appears to be unlikely now, however, as a new report claims that the third device will be the Mi 11 Pro+. Or, perhaps, the Mi 11 Ultra? The Galaxy S21 Ultra will have its work cut out for it in any case.

Xiaomi has released a new firmware update for the Mi Band 5 activity tracker. The software has been pushed out to deal with problems with the accuracy of the sleep-tracking function, with a few other minor additions such as extra language support included. It’s likely the update will eventually make it to the international Mi Smart Band 5 variant.

Previously uncovered as the OneGX Pro, the Intel Core i7-1160G7-driven sibling of the Intel Core i5-10210Y-powered OneGX1 handheld gaming PC is now available for purchase as the OneGX1 Pro. Sadly, this 7-inch gaming machine does not come cheap as the starting price tag reads almost US$1,400.

Xiaomi has launched the Mi EBook Reader Pro as expected and has revealed the e-reader’s specifications. Naturally, the Mi EBook Reader Pro is a step up from the non-Pro variant, but at a regular price of 1,299 yuan (US$198) the new Xiaomi device also holds up quite well against the more-expensive Kindle Oasis from Amazon.

High-end processor? Check. 50MP main camera? Check. HDR10+ display? Check. Electrochromic back?...Maybe. A new OPPO phone that is almost certainly the impending Reno5 Pro+ has appeared on TENAA, Geekbench and the HDR certification website, seeming to confirm the device's best rumored attributes in the process.

Xiaomi has revealed its upcoming Mi EBook Reader Pro, which will be officially launched on Tuesday, December 15. A promo image of the device has been released that shows the electric paper book decked out in black with a touch button on the front. According to the marketing material, the Xiaomi Mi EBook Reader Pro will normally cost 1,299 yuan (US$198).

Vivo has announced that the X60 and X60 Pro smartphones will be unveiled later in December 2020. These devices will be powered by SoCs provided by Samsung, and have cameras augmented by Zeiss technology. The OEM will also hold a conference that outlines the latter prior to its new hardware launch.

Live images of the Redmi K40 have been leaked online, and if they are genuine they reveal a smartphone that has considerably evolved from the predecessor Redmi K30. The camera equipment for the Redmi K40 has changed a lot, enhancing the flagship-killer that is already expected to come with a Snapdragon 888 and AMOLED screen.

Oppo has used the 4th China International Industrial Design Expo (CIDDE) to showcase several new concept devices. Designed in collaboration with famed Japanese design studio Nendo, the concepts include what it calls a “slide-phone” that can be folded into different sizes and “music-link”, which is described as a collection of devices centered around a pair of TWS earphones.

The POCO X3 NFC smartphone is to receive a new MIUI 12 build before it gets Android 11. Xiaomi has announced a beta stable Global ROM for the POCO X3 NFC that is currently being pushed out to select users. It seems owners can expect to get an upgrade to Android 11 soon as well, thanks to an appearance on Geekbench.

The Mi 11 was initially rumored to be launched in January but it appears the next-gen Xiaomi flagship series could arrive even sooner. According to reports surfacing today on Chinese media, the Mi 11 series is scheduled to be unveiled on December 29.

The Redmi 9 Power is a device believed to be a re-brand of the new Chinese Note 9 4G for the Indian market. However, according to a new leak from Ishan Agarwal, the story may not be quite that simple. A render for this device shows 1 more rear camera than is present in the recently-launched budget phone.

Realme is gearing up to release a new smartwatch into its wearable lineup in the form of the Realme Watch S Pro. The device has already been leaked via the FCC and now Realme India and Europe CEO Madhav Sheth has been continuously teasing the Watch S Pro ahead of its imminent launch. Built-in GPS and a large AMOLED should feature.

Images of what might be OPPO's 2021 flaghip smartphone have emerged online. These initial renders of the "Find X3 Pro" are strongly reminiscent of an iPhone from the back, even though it might have 4 rear cameras rather than 3. The images also show the OEM might go with a single punch-hole camera again.

Live images and specs for a OnePlus 9 5G smartphone have been leaked. Apparently, the smartphone in question is a prototype model, so there could still be changes waiting ahead. This particular OnePlus 9 device comes with a Snapdragon 888 chipset and a clunky-looking main camera housing that sports the UltraShot branding.

More leaked photos of what looks like the Xiaomi Mi 11 have been posted online. The photos match the odd camera shape shown in previous leaks, which only features two lenses. Recent 3C certifications have confirmed that Xiaomi will be bringing 5,000 mAh batteries to the Mi 11 series, too.

Xiaomi has officially announced the latest stable MIUI 12 ROM for owners of the China variant of the Redmi Note 8. The software update is available either over-the-air (OTA) or as a download. Users of the Global version of the Redmi Note 8 can expect the Android 10-based update to land on their devices soon.