Chinese Tech

The new Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 fitness tracker is now available on Amazon US and at a reasonable price, too. US shoppers can pick up the Mi Smart Band 5 from US$49.98, which is similar to the price of the wearable in Europe. However, buyers should be aware that this is the non-NFC variant of the smart band.

Xiaomi launched the Redmi 9C globally a few days ago, and it appears the phone is set to make its way over to India. Surprisingly, however, it may not be released under the Redmi brand, with new information indicating a Poco rebadge.

IFA 2020 will be a heavily pandemic-adapted, mostly virtual event with few actual real-world attendees. A Realme executive has confirmed that the brand will have a presence at this show in any case. It will take that opportunity to make a "big announcement" during the conference.

The premium appearance of the 13-inch Chuwi CoreBook Pro is hiding some dated specs, but at least the price seems fair. Surprisingly enough, this model integrates a quality 3:2 IPS screen with 2160 x 1440 resolution and 100% sRGB color gamut, but apart from this, the hardware specs are so 2016, with an Intel Core i3-6157U CPU, 8 GB of DDR4 RAM and 256 GB SSD.

The Android 10-based MIUI 12 update for the Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone is now in its beta testing phase for the India ROM. Devs have asked owners to be patient during the testing period, but it seems the Redmi Note 7 Pro will be brandishing a stable version of MIUI 12 in the not too distant future.

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) supplies the silicon on which many OEMs' SoCs or devices are based, Huawei's included. However, the current US administration has issued an executive order that prevents the latter from conducting this kind of business. TSMC has stated that it is complying with the directive.

EMUI 10.1 has reached the Huawei P30, Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro in more countries. Similarly, Magic UI 3.1 has landed in Europe for the Honor View 20. All updates are rolling out as over-the-air (OTA) upgrades.

Xiaomi has lifted the restrictions that it placed on its latest Mi Notebook laptops in India. Unveiled last month, the Mi Notebook 14 and Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition can now be purchased freely directly from Xiaomi or Amazon India.

Xiaomi has released a new raft of updates to the Mi 9, Mi 9 Pro 5G, Mi 10 Youth Edition and the Redmi K20 Pro. The updates should all be arriving now to eligible handsets as Xiaomi continues with its MIUI 12 rollout.

Xiaomi could be working on a possible new flagship as was indicated by a recent Chinese 3C certification. The Xiaomi device, which has a model number M2007J1SC, was later discovered to be codenamed Cas and will be a 5G device with 120 W fast charging support. Xiaomi Cas is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 865/865 Plus and will also sport a 48 MP triple-camera setup that can take "supermoon" shots similar to the Huawei P30 Pro.

Two separate posts by OnePlus employees have confirmed that the OnePlus Nord will come with six cameras in total, and a 90Hz AMOLED screen. The rear camera will consist of a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5MP depth sensor, and a macro lens. The phone will be unveiled on July 21 via an online-only event.

OPPO is now slated to release a phone called the A72 5G in China soon. This phone is also thought to be called something like the Reno 10X Mark 2 in other markets. Its model number and yet-to-be-launched MediaTek SoC have appeared in another new leak that may show what they offer the consumer.

A new certificate issued by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (or Bluetooth SIG) confirms in no uncertain terms that Samsung has a device called the Galaxy M51 in the works. Other recent leaks strongly suggest this phone will come with a battery rated for 7000mAh in capacity. It is also possible it will act as an M40 successor in 2020.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 has received a July update. The update is being pushed to devices now and contains a few changes from last month's update.

Alleged images of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2020 smartphone have appeared online, and they offer an interesting solution to getting rid of the punch-hole cut-out for the selfie camera. The likely fan-made renders show the Mi Mix 2020 clad in marble white and sporting a quad-camera system on the rear.

MIUI 12 China Beta ROM is all set to gain new video calling features on select devices such as the Mi 10 Lite and the Redmi K30 Pro, according to a post by a Xiaomi forum moderator. The post also indicates that Xiaomi will be temporarily stopping MIUI 12 rollout for several devices including the Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 8 owing to feature and stability issues. Development for Mi 8 series and others will be suspended from September 5.

The brand equity researcher BrandZ has issued a report in regard to the top 50 Chinese global brand builders for 2020. While Huawei tops the list and Xiaomi manages a powerful fifth position, it’s the owner of TikTok, ByteDance, which has done especially well to power ahead of the well-established Mi brand.

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).

Huawei is thought to have a new series of slates that consists of the MatePad T10 and T10s in the works. They are linked to the Kirin 710A processor and are, thus, thought to be budget devices on their launch. A new leak on Geekbench 4 suggests that at least one of them has 4GB of RAM and runs Android 10.

Recent EMUI 10 and EMUI 10.1 updates have been causing battery problems on some devices. According to several reports, devices have been unable to charge beyond 60% and have suffered from excessive battery drain.

An Amazfit Band 6 device has been spotted getting its FCC certification, which is something of a surprise considering the Amazfit Band 5 from Huami only recently went by the same agency too. It could be possible that "Amazfit Band 6" might be the US market name for the widely rumored Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 Pro wearable.

The Lenovo L10041 will apparently be called the Lenovo A8, according to a listing on the Thai National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Corporation database. A separate TUV Rheinland listing for the Lenovo A8 indicates that the device will feature a 5000 mAh battery.

Weibo tipster @techmeow shared photos of the Motorola E7, along with a settings screenshot that indicates that the phone will feature a Snapdragon 632 and run Android 10 out of the box. If Motorola prices the E7 right, it could compete successfully with the crowd-pleasing Redmi 9A.

Xiaomi smartphone owners with older devices can still get a taste of the Android 10 operating system thanks to custom ROM providers. In this case, the PixelExperience team has added 10 new Xiaomi devices to its list of supported smartphones, including the Xiaomi Mi 5, Mi 8, Mi 9, Mi Mix, and the Xiaomi Mi A2.

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic is Xiaomi's latest pair of budget TWS earbuds. Featuring 14.2 mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and up to 20 hours of battery life, the Earphones 2 Basic retails for €39.99 in the EU and £39.99 in the UK. The earbuds also include touch controls, dual microphones and IR sensors for in-ear detection.

Xiaomi has announced two new electric scooters, along with a Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 special edition of its flagship model. Called the Mi Electric Scooter 1S and Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2, the scooters will go on sale for €399 and €499, respectively.

Xiaomi has fixed the dual-SIM issue that had been affecting some Mi A3 handsets almost as quickly as it caused it. The fix, which arrives courtesy of a new build of MIUI 11, is rolling out now. Understandably, fans and owners of the Mi A3 are unhappy at Xiaomi's repeated missteps with issuing software updates to the device.

Mobvoi has debuted the TicKasa headphones. Although this is only the first product in this category from the band, they have progressed directly to active noise cancelling (ANC) and wireless features. They are Bluetooth 5, have 40 millimeter drivers and have button controls.

Xiaomi has launched the global edition of the Mi Band 5, called the Mi Smart Band 5. Featuring a 1.1-inch AMOLED panel, 11 sports modes and 5 ATM water resistance, the Mi Smart Band 5 retails for €39.99 or £39.99 in the UK. The fitness tracker also has a PPG heart rate sensor and supports up to 14 days of battery life, but NFC, a SpO2 sensor and Alexa integration are absent.

EMUI 10.1 has reached 39 devices, Huawei has confirmed. The number, which includes Honor devices, features recent flagships like the Mate 30 and P30 series. EMUI 10.1 is a modest upgrade over EMUI 10 and is somewhat of a stopgap before the Android 11-based EMUI 11 arrives later this year.

Xiaomi has made its affordable range of Redmi 9 smartphones available across markets worldwide. The Redmi 9 can be had for as little as €149 (US$170), while the Redmi 9C will set you back by €119 (US$135). With its €99 (US$113) price tag, the Redmi 9A is the most affordable smartphone of the lot.

China Telecom has reportedly listed an as-yet unreleased new OPPO phone on its website. It is apparently to be called the A72 5G, and has an SoC represented by an unfamiliar MediaTek model number. According to some other leaks, however, it may also be a Reno 10X Zoom successor.

The Pocophone F1 and the latest Poco M2 Pro are receiving performance and security updates staring today, but there's no sign of MIUI 12 for these devices yet. Poco F1 is already in Phase 2 of the MIUI 12 beta testing, so the stable bits should arrive sometime in August. Meanwhile, the Redmi K20 Indian variant is getting a wider rollout of stable MIUI 12 after having been in beta testing earlier this month.

Xiaomi confirmed a short while ago that it would finally remove the Clean Master app and service from its phones in India, following the ban of the app by the government. The promised update has arrived for the Mi Cleaner app but things may not always be as they seem.

MIUI 12 has arrived for the EU versions of the Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro and Poco F2 Pro. While the inaugural MIUI 12 update is rolling out to handsets now, there have been multiple reports of the Redmi K20 and Mi 9T handsets failing to upgrade to MIUI 12.

Oppo has launched the world’s fastest smartphone wired and wireless charging systems. Its new wired technology will deliver a 125 W charge while its new wireless charging tech will deliver a 65 W charge. Joining the announcement are a pair of ultra-compact fast charging Super VOOC adapters.

Some alleged Xiaomi Mi 11 renders have started popping up online but fans of the Chinese OEM shouldn’t get too excited about them just yet. Rumored specs for the successor to the Mi 10 include the presence of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 875, a 192 MP main camera sensor, and an unblemished display thanks to an under-screen camera.

The full design of the OnePlus Nord has been revealed ahead of tomorrow's 24-hour pre-order event for the device. Unveiled in two colours, OnePlus has confirmed that the Nord will have an ultra-wide-angle front-facing camera.

Rumour has it that EMUI 11 and its Honor equivalent, Magic UI 4.0, will be based on HarmonyOS. Also known as Hongmeng OS, HarmonyOS is Huawei's proprietary operating system that it has already brought to several devices. Huawei reportedly plans to bring EMUI 11 and Magic UI 4.0 to upwards of 50 devices, too.

The first review of sorts for the Mi Smart Band 5 is up and it confirms a heap of information about Xiaomi's upcoming fitness tracker. As feared, the device will not support Amazon Alexa integration, NFC or a SpO2 sensor. Xiaomi has teased that it will be launching a pair of TWS earbuds, the Mi TV Stick and a new Mi Scooter at tomorrow' Ecosystem Product Launch event on July 15 too.

A potentially game-changing smartphone in the form of the Redmi K30 Ultra is allegedly in the works, and a possible image of the mystery device has been shared by Redmi boss and notorious teaser Lu Weibing. The rumored Redmi K30 Ultra is expected to boast of a powerful MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset.

Mobvoi has announced that today (July 14, 2020) is the anniversary of its birth as a wearables and smart-things brand. Accordingly, it is holding a sales event for the next 11 or so hours. It includes 10% off a new TicWatch C2+, or a third off the 4G/LTE version of this series' Pro variant.

Xiaomi is now sending out new updates to the Mi 10 and Redmi Note 9. The update for the Mi 10 is a MIUI 12 build, while the Redmi Note 9's OTA is based on MIUI 11. This comes after confirmation that Xiaomi is now opening up the pilot program for global beta MIUI 12 testing on the Mi 10 phones in India.

The Xiaomi Vertical Wireless Charging Socket will soon be appearing on the Chinese OEM’s crowdfunding site at an introductory price of just 109 yuan (US$16). The charging accessory can offer 10 W wireless charging and comes with three USB ports. The Vertical Wireless Charging Socket is only available in white though.

Realme has launched the Realme C11 and Realme 30W 10,000mAh Dart Charge Power Bank in India. The phone features a MediaTek Helio G35 SoC, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery. Prices start at INR INR 7,499 (US$100) for the Realme C11 and INR 1,999 (US$28) for the Realme 30W Dart Charge Power Bank.

OnePlus is building the hype machine for the launch of its affordable 5G-capable OnePlus Nord handset with a new Twitter competition. Ten lucky fans will be able to get their hands on one each of the first ten OnePlus Nord 5G handsets to come off the production lines.

A Realme Indonesia employee has posted a new teaser that strongly suggests a new phone with a 6000mAh battery will debut in this market soon. Therefore, it may make a worthy successor to a 5- or C-series device in these terms. However, the new potential threat to the Samsung Galaxy M series' might lacks an exact launch date at present.

Xiaomi's poor form with Android One software is well-documented but the latest stunt may be a tough pill for owners of the Mi A3 to swallow. Mi A3 owners across the globe woke up to a new 1.40 GB OTA that appears to have been intended for Mexican models only, and has now disabled dual-SIM functionality on the phones of those unfortunate enough to have installed it.

Xiaomi has started issuing MIUI 12 to the EU versions of the Redmi K20 Pro and Mi 9T Pro. The devices, which have already received the OS upgrade in other regions, have been included in Round 1 of Xiaomi's MIUI 12 release schedule. Other devices that have been upgraded to MIUI 12 in multiple regions include the Mi 9, Mi 9T and the Redmi K20.

Vivo-owned iQOO just unveiled its FlashCharge technology that allows smartphone batteries to be charged at 120W. It takes only five minutes to charge a 4,000mAh battery from zero to fifty percent and fifteen minutes to top it up entirely. It is unclear how long we have to wait before the tech makes its way to an iQOO smartphone.