Chinese Tech

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.

A new MIUI 12 update has started being pushed out to random users of the Redmi Note 8 Pro. The firmware build, which is in a beta stable status, is for the Global variant of the Redmi Note 8 Pro. If the testing phase is successful, MIUI V12.0.5.0.QGGMIXM will proceed to a wider public rollout.

OPPO teased a new kind of phone at its latest developer conference: one with an extending, rollable OLED display. This device was reportedly showcased by an engineer from this OEM after the show. This employee asserts that the X 2021 is rated to withstand 5 years of active use, during which thousands of its new special move can be executed.

Lenovo has been trolling Xiaomi on social media by taking a subtle stab at the current marketing of the upcoming Redmi Note 9 smartphones for the Chinese market. It appears Lenovo has something planned to take the shine off the Redmi Note 9 competitor, with speculation suggesting a Lenovo K6 Note or even a Lenovo Lemon resurrection.

The Redmi Note 9 4G, Redmi Note 9 5G and Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G are almost here. Xiaomi has now confirmed that it will unveil new Redmi Note 9 devices on November 26. The trio are expected to feature the Snapdragon 750G and Dimensity 800U chipsets.

Xiaomi has finalised a fixed MIUI 12 update for the global version of the Redmi Note 8, according to a new report. The new update will be called V12.0.2.0.QCOMIXM, and is now thought to be arriving before the end of the month.

The Nord N100 may be dead on arrival thanks to OnePlus' woeful software support, but the budget smartphone does have a trick up its sleeve. While OnePlus markets it with a 60 Hz IPS display, the Nord N100 actually supports a 90 Hz refresh rate, making it one of the few smartphones to do so at its price point.

The MateStation B515 is here, but not with Huawei's in-house processor, as was expected. Instead, the B515 comes with a choice of the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G or Ryzen 7 4700G. A 23.8-inch IPS monitor and a keyboard will come bundled with the MateStation B515, while Windows 10 Pro is pre-loaded, too.

Huawei has released a new update to the P20 and P20 Pro. The update, which is rolling out in Europe, contains system stability improvements. Neither device are ever likely to receive EMUI 10.1 or EMUI 11, though.

Xiaomi has now moved onto bringing its devices onto Android 11, having already upgraded most of them to MIUI 12. The Redmi K30 Pro, POCO F2 Pro and Mi 10 Pro are some of the first handsets to receive Android 11, although those outside of China must await the call to Google's new OS.

Xiaomi has begun upgrading the Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7S to MIUI 12 in India. V12.0.1.0.QFGINXM will arrive as an OTA, but the recovery ROM can be downloaded manually now.

Huawei is now said to be about to mimic Apple in launching a PC with its own in-house ARM CPU. However, this putative desktop can also apparently support DDR4-2400 RAM, M.2 SSDs and PCIe 3.0 expansion. These internals may be housed in a relatively slim tower-form case, and may be paired with the OEM's also-rumored first-gen monitor.

ZTE was first to the under-display selfie camera with the launch of its Axon 20 5G smartphone earlier in 2020. Now, it has teased an "Extreme" variant of the same device, although how it earns this moniker is not clear at present. What is more certain is that the new 4G-only version of the same phone runs on the UNISOC Tiger T618 SoC.

Xiaomi has released eight Redmi K30 series devices this year with a variety of display types. The Chinese company has used everything from 60 Hz AMOLED screens to 144 Hz LCDs, but all Redmi K40 handsets should have high-refresh-rate panels. Fast-charging will be headed to all Redmi K40 series models, too.

Xiaomi is running its Mi Friday deals until November 29, and it is offering plenty of tasty morsels for smartphone fans. From tomorrow, the Redmi 9 will be cut to £99, while the Redmi Note 8 Pro will be available for just £129. The POCO F2 Pro has been reduced to £299, too.

Poco has confirmed that the M3 will be its next smartphone to receive a global launch, and one which will occur on November 24. The design and specifications of the device have already leaked though, and may be another Xiaomi re-brand rather than a distinctive Poco smartphone.

The 5G version of the Realme 7 —the Realme 7 5G— has been launched in Europe. It features a MediaTek Dimensity 800U SoC, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, four rear cameras, a 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel clocked at 120Hz, and a 5,000mAh battery that can be charged at 30W. It will cost €229, but for a limited time only.

OnePlus has finalised some of the changes that it will be adding to OxygenOS. The new features have been whittled to seven from thousands of community suggestions, and include a proper dark mode, not a dark grey mode as is currently available on OxygenOS 11.

Redmi has been celebrating the news that the total amount of Redmi Note smartphones sold around the world has now topped 140 million units. The lasting popularity of devices such as the Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 8 has assisted the Xiaomi sub-brand with achieving this phenomenal sales record.

The Xiaomi Mibro Air offers a 1.28-inch display, a heart rate sensor, IP68 certification and up to 25 days of battery life - all for US$29.99. The smartwatch includes 12 sports modes and has a digital crown, too.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro flagship smartphone will apparently utilize MIUI 12 firmware to deliver users with a top-notch screen-viewing experience according to a noted leaker. On top of that, it appears the Pro model of the upcoming Mi 11 series will sport some serious camera sensors, with a main lens that could even approach 200 MP.

Huawei is set to upgrade only 14 devices to EMUI 11, according to a new report. Citing official confirmation from Huawei, it will apparently take the Chinese company until March 2021 before it finishes the rollout. Devices like the Mate 30, Mate 30 Lite and P40 Lite have missed the cut for EMUI 11, too.

Vivo held its Developer Conference today (November 18, 2020). This event was dominated by the introduction of OriginOS, a new UI the OEM has developed in order to replace Funtouch OS on its smartphones. With its adaptive, dynamic widgets, "behavioral" wallpapers and Multi-Turbo 5.0 engine, it may be a vast improvement over its predecessor.

While still distributing the Android 11 update to the Mi 10 series, it seems Xiaomi has already set its sights towards the popular, mid-range Snapdragon 720G-powered branch of the Redmi Note 9 family. Yes, it appears that the Redmi Note 9 Pro is now receiving Android 11. In India, at least.

Huawei has sold its low-cost subsidiary Honor to a Chinese consortium. The former parent company has emphasised that US sanctions forced it to sell Honor, and the sale was more about the survival of the Honor brand than providing Huawei with needed cash flow.

A week ago, Xiaomi rolled out the MIUI 12.2.2.0.RJBCNXM update for the Mi 10 flagship, but pulled it back shortly after, most likely due to bugs. Now, the Android 11-based firmware is finally back on track and this time everything seems all right. The update sports camera VLOG and AI watermark, as well as the usual Android 11 changes.

The Zepp Z smartwatch from Huami has now officially launched, and it is a striking vision packed to the brim with useful functions. The Zepp Z comes with a complete lineup of health-related utilities, including 24-hour heart-rate tracking and SpO2 blood oxygen level measurement. The price tag for the beautiful new wearable with an always-on AMOLED is US$349/€349.90.

Xiaomi has issued new MIUI 12 updates to several devices, including the Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 9S, Mi 8 and Mi 8 Pro. The updates bring the global and Russian branches of the devices onto MIUI 12, which remains Xiaomi's latest OS.

Xiaomi has its eyes trained on releasing yet more smartphones under the Redmi Note 9 - this time two editions of the Redmi Note 9 5G. Apparently, Xiaomi will unveil the Dimensity 800U and Snapdragon 750G-backed handsets on November 24 in China. However, the two models will receive a global launch as the Redmi Note 9T and Redmi Note 9T Pro, respectively.

OPPO's Inno Day is its annual developer's conference, at which it might also unveil some new hardware and concepts. In 2020, this event was dominated by the introduction of its 3+N+X strategy. This will determine how the OEM's software will be distributed and developed across its expanding range of products, its 2nd-gen AR glasses included.

Poco will launch the Poco M3 globally on November 24. Its Geekbench listing indicates that it will run a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC and come with 4GB of RAM. It appears to be identical to the Redmi 10, which surfaced a few days ago.

A new leak has offered more details on the Mi 11 Pro, Xiaomi's first flagship smartphone of 2021. The Mi 11 Pro will a few display upgrades from the Mi 10 Pro, including a 1440p (QHD) resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. The punch-hole and curved finish of this year's model will remain, though.

Huawei can now buy some chipsets from Qualcomm, albeit only those with 4G modems. Qualcomm has other licence applications pending with the US Department of Commerce though, leaving 5G chips like the upcoming Snapdragon 875 and Snapdragon 775G on the table.

A new report says that Nokia will reportedly launch the Nokia 9.3 PureView, Nokia 7.3 5G and Nokia 6.3 before 2020 ends. All three devices were due to be released earlier in the year, but the date got pushed back consistently.

The design of the OnePlus 9 has leaked, four months before its expected release in March 2021. The OnePlus 9 will have a 120 Hz and flat display, according to the same leak, along with a 5,000 mAh battery. A variant of the device has debuted on Geekbench too with a Snapdragon 875 and 8 GB of RAM.

OnePlus has finalised the model numbers of the OnePlus 9 series, but there will be no OnePlus 9 Ultra. Instead, OnePlus will be releasing just the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro.

Xiaomi has announced that Redmi Note 8 Pro devices operating on the China MIUI 12 ROM will start receiving a new beta stable update of the Android overlay via OTA. For the moment, only random users of the Redmi Note 8 Pro will get the new MIUI 12 update, which brings the October 2020 security patch with it.

A Xiaomi poll has revealed the disconcerting state of affairs in regard to Redmi Note 8 users waiting for the MIUI 12 Global stable ROM V12.0.1.0.QCOMIXM. While issues with receiving the update OTA have already been detailed, it appears over 84% of Redmi Note 8 owners who responded to the poll have been unsuccessful in installing the firmware.

OPPO is an electronics company that holds a developer's conference for its growing ecosystem of devices it calls Inno Day every year. It has announced that the latest in this series of events will take place on November 17, 2020. Apparently, its headline product debut on this date will be a pair of augmented-reality (AR) glasses.