Chinese Tech

Xiaomi is preparing to release new Bluetooth wireless earphones in the near future, which may either be called the Redmi True Buds 2 Pro or the more familiar and concise Redmi AirDots 3. The audio device has been spotted receiving its Bluetooth certification. The Redmi AirDots 2 were launched in July 2020 at just 79 yuan (US$12) in China.

ZTE has launched the Watch Live in its native China. This new wearable is of the Apple Watch-clone variety, although it sells for much less than its clear inspiration. Its maker claims that it packs 24-hour heart-rate tracking, blood-oxygen sensing, sleep-tracking and up to 21 hours of battery life in its square casing.

The Poco M3 was recently launched and it appears to be doing reasonably well in terms of sales, with Poco confirming that it made over US$9 million dollars in just thirty minutes of early Poco M3 sales. Those are impressive numbers, considering the phone's very low price.

Realme has started to push its version of Android 11 to the 7 Pro. However, Indian users in this OS' early access program appear to be the only ones eligible to receive it thus far. The update contains a number of new features, including system optimizations, extra security features and camera options.

Huawei often markets its flagship mobile devices as having cutting-edge camera technology. A new report suggests it has yet another supposedly ground-breaking spec in the works for their successors. This is a liquid lens, an adaptation directed at improved auto-focus in the sensor behind it.

Earlier, the appearance of a new OPPO phone with what seems to be the Dimensity 1000+ processor and 8GB of RAM gave rise to speculation that it is the Reno5 Pro, meaning it and its vanilla sibling will launch soon. Now, a device with the same model number has appeared on TENAA, 3C and the HDR10+ approval websites, more or less confirming that this is in fact the case.

Redmi has released an official durability test video featuring its brand-new Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G smartphone. Samples are run through a brutal battery of tests that go beyond simple drop testing, including freezing, heating, and wince-inducing bending. The Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G appears to handle everything thrown at it though.

According to market analysis firm Counterpoint Research, Samsung has managed to take the crown for the most popular 5G phone in September 2020 with the Note20 Ultra. However, Huawei has a larger share of the top 10 with the P40 Pro and Nova 7 in a close second and third place respectively.

Huawei recently revealed its schedule for the EMUI 11 release. Phones like the P30, P30 Pro, Mate 20, and Mate 20 Pro are all geared to get the EMUI 11 update in Q1 2021 but betas for those devices will arrive in Europe a lot sooner. Indeed, as soon as next month.

Pre-orders for the new Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G have already begun, with Xiaomi having unveiled the device in China yesterday. Astoundingly, the company claims to have already received over 100,000 pre-orders for its latest mid-range smartphone. The Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G starts at CNY 1,599 (~US243) and may make its way outside of China as the Redmi Note 9T Pro.

Some recent rumors have pointed to the imminent launch of the OPPO Reno 5 and 5 Pro, which are said to run on the Snapdragon 765G and Dimensity 1000+ SoCs respectively. A new leak from the Chinese regulator TENAA may give them more weight. It may show how the 5 looks, while possibly confirming its processor and specs makeup.

Xiaomi has certified the Redmi Watch and Mi Watch Lite with the Bluetooth SIG. Correspondingly, the two devices should receive global releases, albeit probably in different markets. Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi Watch in China yesterday.

Huami has begun teasing the Amazfit GTS 2 mini, its next smartwatch. The Amazfit GTS 2 mini will arrive on December 1 and will probably resemble the popular Amazfit GTS with a rectangular display.

Although Trump's reign is over, Apple has requested Foxconn to move at least some of its iPad and MacBook production facilities to Vietnam. This move comes as a part of Apple's efforts to diversify production, thus minimizing the potential impact of a new trade war between China and the US.

A good idea of the MIUI 13 release date has been offered up by a super moderator on the Mi Community forum. Along with that, a refreshed list of Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO, and Black Shark devices that are likely to land a MIUI 13 update has now included the POCO C3, Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha, and the new Mi 10T range.

The Nokia 9.3 PureView's release date has been pushed back once again. HMD Global is now expected to launch the smartphone sometime in H1 2021. However, the company could still unveil the Nokia 6.3 and Nokia 7.3 5G in Q4 2020.

OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro owners now have a new Android 11-based custom ROM to utilize if they are not fully content with the well-received OxygenOS skin or simply want more freedom to tinker with their phone. While Paranoid Android Ruby Alpha 1 can be utilized on the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, it is not compatible with the OnePlus 8T.

The ESM 9110 is currently on sale for $33 USD compared to $40 or $50 USD for an authentic Xbox One controller. The unlicensed PC and Switch gamepad comes real close to the real deal and it even integrates LED-lit buttons for extra visual flair.

Since word of the new Chinese-market Redmi Note 9 series arose, Lenovo has been dropping hints that it will launch phones capable of competing with this potential budget champion. Now, there are official renders that may back this claim up.

Xiaomi has seeded a new Beta Stable update for the Redmi 9, and it brings with it quite a few changes for the device. Not only does it upgrade the global version of the handset to the November 2020 security patch, but it upgrades it to MIUI 12. V12.0.1.0.QJCMIXM is available to download now as an OTA or as a recovery ROM.

The Redmi Note 9 4G is not another re-hash for Xiaomi. The Chinese company has equipped the handset with a Snapdragon 662 chipset, up to 8 GB of RAM, a 6,000 mAh battery and a large 6.53-inch display. The Redmi Note 9 4G starts at CNY 999 (~US$151) in China.

The Redmi Note 9 5G is here and with MediaTek's Dimensity 800U SoC. The budget handset also offers up to 8 GB of RAM, a 5,000 mAh battery and four cameras. The Redmi Note 9 5G starts at CNY 1,299 (~US$197), although it is unknown whether Xiaomi will release the device globally.

Xiaomi has unveiled the Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G, its latest and greatest Redmi Note 9 series handset. The Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G has a 6.67-inch LCD display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 750G, up to 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, plus a 4,820 mAh battery. It is also the first Redmi smartphone with a 108 MP camera, which comes from Samsung.

The first-ever Redmi smartwatch is finally here. Dubbed as the Redmi Watch, it comes with a 1.4-inch display, a heart rate sensor, various pre-installed fitness modes, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC. It costs CNY 299 (US$45) and is expected to be launched internationally as the Mi Watch Lite.

Parts of the front and rear of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro have supposedly been revealed in a leaked render and separate live photo. The purported render of the Mi 11 Pro shows a huge main camera lens for the flagship device while the alleged live image features the smartphone’s quad-curve screen.

The OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Special Edition may be a limited run smartphone, but a knock-off case modelled on its design is not. The case sells for CNY 30 (~US$5) too, making it more affordable than picking up the Special Edition model.

Xiaomi may have only recently-announced the Mi 10T Pro, but it has already slashed its price for Black Friday. Starting from tomorrow, the Mi 10T Pro will be available on Amazon for a two-thirds of its launch price. Only the 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage SKU will be eligible, but a saving of 33% should not be sniffed at for a new flagship smartphone.

Xiaomi will unveil at least the Redmi Note 9 5G and Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G tomorrow, but photos of the devices and their packaging has already leaked online. Apparently, both devices will have a 6,000 mAh battery, while the Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G will also have a 108 MP primary camera main. A 3.5 mm headphone jack will be in attendance, too.

The Urun is a new smartwatch from Umidigi, and one that is available for US$46.99. The budget smartwatch comes with a built-in GPS module, a 1.1-inch round display, a 24/7 heart rate monitor and blood oxygen monitoring, too. The Umidigi Urun can be purchased from Amazon in multiple countries too, and for £10/US$10 off until November 27.

Xiaomi only issued a new MIUI 12 update for the global version of the Redmi Note 8 yesterday, but the company has now released another build. This time, the new update is based on MIUI 11 and Android 9.0 Pie, just to confuse matters.

The Poco M3 is now here, and it marks the end of the company's involvement with Xiaomi. As expected, the Poco M3 has a 6.53-inch display, a Snapdragon 662 processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 6,000 mAh battery. The device starts at US$129 with 64 GB of storage.

A new device from OPPO has surfaced on Geekbench 5 running on MediaTek's flagship Dimensity 1000+ SoC. This has led to speculation that the phone in question is the Reno 5 Pro. Meanwhile, its vanilla variant is rumored to exhibit no change in its own silicon from the previous generation.

The Xiaomi Mi A2 has received a new update containing the November 2020 security patch. V11.0.17.0.QDIMIXM can be downloaded now as an OTA upgrade, or as recovery and fastboot ROMs.

Xiaomi has confirmed that the Redmi Note 9 5G series will launch on November 26, 2020. Prior to this, however, a new device from this OEM thought to be the new line's base model has appeared on Geekbench. It seems to have the phone's rumored Dimensity 800U chipset, and competes effectively with what will probably be a prime rival found on the same database.

Xiaomi has seeded a new global MIUI 12 update for the Redmi Note 8. V12.0.2.0.QCOMIXM should bring all global handsets onto MIUI 12 while upgrading them to the November 2020 security patch. The update will be a 2.1 GB download for handsets that are currently on MIUI 11.

The global version of the Mi 10 has started receiving Android 11, making it one of the first devices outside of China to do so. The Redmi K30 5G is also now eligible for Android 11 courtesy of V12.1.1.0.RGICNXM.

Recent reports claimed that Xiaomi has planned a QHD+ display for its next flagship device, the Mi 11 Pro. New information in the form of MIUI 12 code has further lent credence to those claims, and it appears that Xiaomi is, indeed, set to offer a QHD+ display on a smartphone for the first time.

It’s possible the Xiaomi Mi 11 might get officially announced at the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit 2020, as it has been reported that the Chinese company’s CEO, Lei Jun, will be in attendance. As the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Pro are expected to sport the upcoming Snapdragon 875, the Tech Summit could be an ideal place for a surprise reveal.

The first few OPPO Reno-series phones had some of the most innovative pop-up front-facing cameras out there, as they rose from the top of the phone in a wedge. Now, it seems the OEM has taken this idea even further with a new, semi-circular module. Like others of its kind, it leaves the device in its schematics with an edge-to-edge screen.

The successor to the Mate Xs has reared its head again, this time at the TENAA. Two models have been certified with the TENAA, both with dual-SIM connectivity and 66 W fast-charging. The Mate X2 has been listed as a 5G device too, suggesting that it will have Huawei's Kirin 9000 chipset.

Huawei plans to use the Kirin 9000 chipset for the upcoming P50 series, according to a new report. We first saw the 5 nm chipset on the likes of the Mate 40 and Mate 40 Pro, but Huawei will be forced to use it again because of ongoing sanctions imposed by the US government.

This week will be a busy one for Xiaomi, with the launch of the Poco M3 and new Redmi Note 9 series devices scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. However, the company has hinted that more 'smart things' will be arriving at Thursday's event, possibly including two versions of the Redmi Watch.

Despite the recent shake-up in ownership at Honor, tipsters still expect the launch of V40 smartphones from the company sometime soon. However, this line's most premium variant may now not run on the Huawei Mate 40's Kirin 9000 as first thought. The series might turn out full Dimensity instead.

Xiaomi is bringing a 108 MP camera to its Redmi series of smartphones. The Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G will be the first Redmi device to possess a camera with over 100 MP, which will also have a Snapdragon 750G SoC and a 120 Hz display, among other impressive components. The Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G will arrive on November 26 alongside at least the Redmi Note 9 5G.

While previous information heavily indicated that the Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 8, and Redmi Note 8T would not be eligible for Android 11, a new report leans towards the contrary. Apparently, the three phones are set to get Android 11 sometime in the future, with Xiaomi recently kickstarting internal testing.

Huawei has outlined its EMUI 11 upgrade plans in nine regions. Only nineteen devices will be eligible to receive EMUI 11, but most must wait until a vague Q1 2021 before Huawei's latest OS arrives. There is no word on Android 11 availability, either.

The release of the Poco M3 is almost upon us, but Xiaomi could not wait to divulge key specifications about its next smartphone. The company has left nothing to the imagination of its Cyberpunk 2077-inspired smartphone, raising the question of why it is even having a dedicated launch event.

A new Xiaomi smartphone patent has been shared depicting a foldable device that utilizes a pop-up solution for the front-facing camera. This allows for a full-screen tablet mode that is left unblemished by the presence of a selfie camera. It has often been rumored that Xiaomi could introduce a foldable smartphone into the innovative Mi Mix range.

BOE has announced that it has made active-matrix quantum dot light-emitting diode (or AMQLED) technology 4K and TV-sized for the first time. This emerging display standard is based on quantum dots, as is QLED, but does not require a backlight. This may mean it offers more consistent colors and brightness compared to those high-end panel types.

New renders of the OnePlus 9 Pro indicate that the smartphone will feature a mix of the OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8T designs with a punch-hole selfie camera at the top-left corner and a curved display. The rear camera mount is now towards the top-left and is likely to include four lenses. The OnePlus 9 Pro is likely to be unveiled as early as March next year.