Smart Home

The 5G era has just about begun; however, Samsung's research division is also looking into the next generation of this kind of connectivity already. The OEM is also projecting the technology that this level of bandwidth could bring to fruition. They include new levels of extended reality and "AI nativity".

A press release has revealed that Philips (TP Vision) and Bowers & Wilkins have decided to extend their partnership and continue to offer their respective expertise in future Philips OLED and LCD TVs. The duo previously collaborated on the well-received 65OLED+984 and OLED+934 models, and new televisions are expected to be released soon.

The Redmi X50 smart TV has finally gone on sale and has been priced at just 1,899 yuan (US$272). The TV, which is framed in metal and features a 4K display, offers users the chance to enjoy MEMC picture-smoothing technology on a device with a 97% screen-to-body ratio. The Redmi X50 is the smallest member of the new Redmi Smart TV X Series.
The Redmi X50 has been reduced to 1,799 yuan (US$257).

Mobvoi may be best known as a wearables brand; however, it is also breaking into the market for smart-home gadgets. The latest of these is the LifeSmart outdoor camera. It supports footage at HD or FHD resolutions, has an IR night-vision mode and a 110-degree field of view.

Ubisoft has all but confirmed the launch of the next game in the Far Cry series, as well as some particularly important aspects of the title: its new location and main villain. The studio has indicated there may be more details at its imminent Forward event, which takes place tomorrow (July 12, 2020).

The eufyCam 2 Pro improves on its previous generation in that its image sensor's resolution steps up to 2048x1080 (or 2K). It also incorporates night vision (color and IR), 2-way audio and a battery life of up to 12 months. This new indoor/outdoor home-surveillance kit is available through Best Buy in the US.

OnePlus has been celebrating incredible sales for its recently launched smart TV series. According to the Chinese OEM, all of its new units were sold as part of a flash sale in just one minute. The recently launched OnePlus TV Series starts from ₹12,999 (US$174) for the slimline 32-inch device.

Vizio has announced new additions to its collection of soundbars, which are available either now or later in 2020. They are headlined by the Elevate 5.1.4, which stood out in its category at CES 2020 due to its Adaptive Height Speakers. These rotating parts activate to deploy content with the high-end audio tech it supports.

The Xiaomi Mi TV Stick appears to be getting closer to an official launch, as details about the gadget have been appearing via Geekbench, Google Play Console, and on official Google certification. It is the 1080p (FHD) Mi TV Stick model that has been spotted recently, although there is evidence of a 4K (UHD) device too.

Xiaomi has officially launched its first OLED TV in the form of the 65-inch Mi TV Master Series set, which will be sold at a price of 12,999 yuan (US$1,840) in the company’s domestic market. The smart TV is bursting with gaming-friendly features and offers a 120 Hz panel with a 1 ms response time. MIUI for TV and a MediaTek processor are also onboard.

Vizio has unveiled its 2021 TV Collection that includes two OLED 4K TVs that should appeal to future owners of next-gen consoles. The 55-inch and 65-inch Vizio OLED 4K TVs feature the company’s ProGaming Engine and HDMI 2.1 support, which is ideal for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The pricing should help Vizio stay competitive in the crowded marketplace.

Xiaomi has released a new XiaoAI Portable Speaker via Youpin that can also be ordered from Banggood for international customers. The mini Bluetooth speaker has a power rating of 2 W and is being offered to domestic shoppers for 49 yuan (US$7). The Xiaomi XiaoAI Portable Speaker with virtual assistant is priced at US$19.99 at Banggood.

The Xiaomi TV Master Series has only just been announced, with a 65-inch 120 Hz OLED making up the range so far. Now some specs for the upcoming smart TV have been leaked by a Xiaomi manager on Weibo. The Xiaomi TV Master will apparently offer users HDMI 2.1, MEMC image-smoothing technology, variable refresh rate (VRR), and much more.

Xiaomi's recent 98-inch Redmi Smart TV Max seems to have been a commercial success, and the company is set to follow it up with yet another TV. This TV, branded as the "Xiaomi TV Master Series" will sit at the very top of Xiaomi's TV hierarchy, and will take on the rest of the world with a 65-inch OLED 120 Hz display.

Samsung has announced the launch of the QT67 QLED TV series, with six models making up the new lineup. Along with the incredible high-definition pictures, the new QT67 QLED televisions from the South Korean manufacturer have been rated with first-class energy efficiency. The cheapest model is the 43-inch set, which costs KRW 990,000 (US$824).

OnePlus has been teasing the prices in India for three models of its upcoming affordable smart TV series. The Chinese OEM has published three figures but has omitted a single crucial digit, leaving fans to guess at the prices. The 32-inch OnePlus TV could cost ₹19,999 (US$264) or even ₹14,999 (US$198) to challenge the popular Xiaomi Mi TV lineup.

New research of broadband internet provision and its adoption in the US found that consumers spend about US$60 on them per month at the end of 2019, compared to about $44 in 2012. This new study also concluded that these customers prioritize speed over any other aspect of the service in question. However, following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemics, this may change somewhat.

OnePlus is billed to release new mid-range TVs soon. The OEM has released more details on these devices ahead of their July 2020 launch. One of these teasers involves the apparent fact that they will be thinner at their narrowest point than the company's latest premium phones.

Neopon are TWS earbuds, albeit not ones of the typical 'popcorn' or 'stem' form-factor found everywhere these days. Instead, they have been designed with an ear-hook that connects to the actual, oval ear-bud part via a short flexible cable. Therefore, their maker asserts that they may enhance comfort and wearing time while still providing all the potential up-sides of wireless audio.

Some Xiaomi Redmi K20 and Mi 9T owners have awoken to a new update, but not quite the one for which many had hoped. Xiaomi has delayed the release of MIUI 12 for EU versions of the Redmi K20 Pro and Mi 9T Pro too, despite having recently upgraded other editions.

The 98-inch Redmi Smart TV Max from Xiaomi is still pulling in massive sales for the Chinese OEM. It has now been announced that over 1,500 units of the Redmi Max 98 have been snapped up in 10 hours and 32 minutes. Redmi manager Lu Weibing offered up an interesting statistic to help put that incredible sales total into perspective.

Xiaomi has been celebrating the fact that 1,000 units of the massive 98-inch Redmi Smart TV Max were sold in just 3 minutes and 28 seconds. It’s an incredible sales feat, especially when you consider the 19,999 yuan (US$2,825) price tag. Buyers of the Redmi Max 98 can enjoy 4K resolution picture quality and the advantages of MEMC technology.

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Mouse, which has also been called the Xiaomi XiaoAI Mouse, has been posted on the company’s crowdfunding platform. The computer peripheral can be controlled via voice commands and can also be connected to two devices at a time. The Mi Smart Mouse is priced at 149 yuan (US$21) but is currently on offer for 129 yuan (US$18).

Xiaomi may be about to launch a new mouse that is capable of responding to voice commands. This is apparent thanks to new Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) documentation. It approves the Mi Smart Mouse as a device with up-to-date wireless connectivity and a 4000 DPI.

Xiaomi has grossed over 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in sales during the 618 shopping festival in China, which ran from June 1 to June 18. Thousands of Redmi K30 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 10 smartphones were sold, while apparently over 10,000 sets from the Xiaomi Mi TV range were sold in only 37 seconds.

The Odroid-H2 Plus is a new alternative to the Raspberry Pi. The single-board computer is well suited for different applications thank to its powerful processor. The single-board computer is already available for pre-order.

TCL has unveiled its new range of QLED TVs for the Indian market. The C715, C815 series of smart TVs have 4K panels of varying sizes, while the X916 has only one 75-inch variant that is 8K-ready. Prices start at INR 45,990 ($602) for the 50-inch C715, and the X916 will set you back by INR 2,99,990 ($3930).

LG has announced the latest model in its line of CineBeam projectors. The PH30N is rated for images of up to 100 inches from 10.8 feet away. It has also been designed to be light and portable so as to generate a theater-like experience in various settings.

The S900 is MediaTek's newest SoC that is custom-designed for smart TVs. It is powered by ARM's Cortex A-73 cores, and is compatible with the HDMI 2.1A standard, allowing it to deliver 8K videos at 60 fps and 4K content at 120 fps. The chip also uses machine learning to improve picture quality in real-time.

The affordable smart TV sector is about to get much more competitive now it seems OPPO will be joining OnePlus by offering its own entry-level televisions. The two OEMs will be taking on strong rivals with products such as the Realme Smart TV, Redmi Smart TV X55, and the Xiaomi Mi TV lineup, in markets like China and India.

Xiaomi has announced a new affordable Wi-Fi 6 router in the form of the Redmi AX5. The device has been given a price tag of 229 yuan (US$32) and can be pre-ordered internationally for US$55.99. The Xiaomi Redmi AX5 Wi-Fi 6 router features a Qualcomm chipset and can deliver speeds of up to 1,775 Mb/s.

The new Xiaomi Redmi Smart TV X sets have gone on sale, with customers currently able to choose between the Redmi Smart TV X55 and the Redmi Smart TV X65. The 4K smart televisions, which have a screen ratio of up to 97% and utilize MEMC technology, are priced at 1,699 yuan (US$240) and 2,999 yuan (US$424), respectively.

The Xiaomi Mijia Laser Projector 1S 4K has been unveiled, bringing 4K resolution and high brightness to up to 150-inch screens. The Mijia Laser Projector 1S 4K has a normal listed price of 14,999 yuan (US$2,121) but is on offer during the 618 shopping festival at a price of 12,999 yuan (US$1,838).

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau took to Twitter to announce that the company would be releasing a new line of affordable smart TVs in India. Sources familiar with the matter state that prices could start at $200, making it an attractive buy for those on a budget.

Realme has been celebrating some impressive sales figures over the last few days. First the Chinese OEM announced it had sold 15,000 smart televisions in barely 10 minutes and then shortly after 15,000 units of the Realme Watch were sold in just two minutes. Realme could be picking up where Xiaomi has seemingly left off.

TCL is an increasingly well-known name in the area of cost-effective big-screens in the US. Now, it has released some of its smart TVs that run Android into this market. These 3-Series devices incorporate Chromecast functions, the Google Assistant and all the apps the user may expect from US$129.99.

Merely a week after it released a 5G-ready Exynos 880, Samsung has released a new Exynos 850 SoC. The 8nm chip consists of eight ARM Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0GHz, comes with a Mali G-52GPU, and supports a single 21MP or dual 16+5MP camera configurations. Samsung hasn't specified as to when the chip will make its debut, but we can expect it to feature in an upcoming Galaxy A or M series phone.

The Lenovo Smart Clock is currently on offer at Best Buy. The useful smart home device is usually priced at US$79.99, but it has been reduced by US$40 at the moment, bringing the price down to a very tempting US$39.99. The Lenovo Smart Clock with Google Assistant is an ideal entry product or addition to a smart home.

The Redmi Smart TV X55 from Xiaomi has had its price considerably slashed ahead of going on sale. The new price tag for the television is 1,699 yuan (US$237). This puts the Redmi Smart TV X55, which features a 4K screen and 32 GB storage, at the same price as the just launched 55-inch rival Honor Vision X1 Smart TV.

The new Mali-G78 mobile GPU is more efficient and provides performance improvements of up to 25 percent compared to its predecessor — Mali-G77, which launched last year as the first Valhall-based mobile GPU. Its companion, the Mali-G68, inherits features such as the new FMA unit, but only supports up to 6 cores (24 for the G78).

New market research has found that nearly 70% of all US households with broadband internet own and use at least 1 device along the lines of a smart TV, streaming box, connected DVR or console. This appears to underpin the strong role that online video has taken in home entertainment. It also suggests that OEMs in this space may be gravitating towards open-source software.

Redmi will soon be introducing its new Smart TV X series. Three sets are scheduled to be launched on May 26: the Redmi X50, Redmi X55, and Redmi X65. The smart televisions will feature MEMC technology, which utilizes motion interpolation to offer up a smoother viewing experience.

Bloomberg TV+ is provided by the media outlet of the same name. It launched in 2019 as the first such online channel to stream in 4K UHD. Its maker has announced a new partnership by Samsung by which it will appear on this OEM's free video service for its smart screens.

TCL is becoming increasingly well-known for its mostly affordable high-res TVs. However, it also does soundbars, the newest of which has won an award for its unique "RAYDANZ" design. The OEM claims that it allows the device to project sound effectively in the desirable directions.

Envision TV AR is a new Android and iOS app designed by Sony to help users reluctant to go outdoors shop for a new big-screen device in any case. It uses the augmented-reality (AR) features of a smartphone to virtually place Sony TVs in any given room. Therefore, the user can "measure" various models for optimal fit and placement according to their available space.

Xiaomi is renowned for being innovative and now the Chinese OEM is claiming a world’s first with the Midian Zero-blu-ray Bedside Sleep Aid Lamp. The device, which is currently going through a crowdfunding campaign, is apparently the world’s first zero blue light bedside lamp. The retail price for the eye-saving light is 329 yuan (US$47).

Gole Technology has introduced the Gole11 all-in-one PC, which is also known as the HiGole F11APL. According to the company, the Gole11 is “the world’s cheapest all-in-one”, and it features an Intel Celeron N3450 processor and an 11.6-inch touchscreen with a 1920x1080 resolution. The device has been offered for as little as US$99 to early-bird crowdfunding backers.

LG has announced that the soundbars designed to go with its 2020 OLED and NanoCell TVs will be available in the US soon. These products are rated to deliver between 380 and 770 watts (W) of audio power, and feature enhancements such as Dolby Atmos, DTS-X and Meridian tuning.

QNAP Systems has debuted its new 1.7GHz TS-x31K series for network-attached storage (NAS) of a residential or private magnitude. It comes in 1- to 4-bay SKUs, each of which supports Gigabit Ethernet and SATA 6Gb/s. They also all have AES-256 bit encryption and lockable bays.