Chinese Tech

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).

The Mi Watch app has seemingly confirmed Xiaomi's plans to release the Mi Watch Color and Redmi Smart Band 4C for global audiences. Rebranded as the Mi Watch Revolve and Mi Smart Band 4C, the two devices would join Xiaomi's burgeoning wearables line.

Xiaomi has introduced REM sleep tracking on its Mi Fit app, enabling the feature for the newly released Mi Band 5. The global model, called the Mi Smart Band 5, is expected to launch next month with NFC and non-NFC variants.

The yet-to-be-announced Poco M2 Pro has just made an appearance on the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) website, indicating that it is ready for launch in the country. Not much is known about the phone other than the fact that it will reportedly feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC.

The Xiaomi Redmi 7 is yet to receive Android 10, eight months on from being upgraded to MIUI 11. The device has, in fact, never received an Android OS upgrade, and many handsets are stuck on outdated security patches. The latest update is little more than perfunctory support for the Redmi 7, too.

Huawei has now sent out an official document detailing which of its phones will receive the latest version of its skin, EMUI 10.1, globally. The list is rather scanty, though, and owners of the Mate 10 Pro, P20 Pro, and Y9 series are unlikely to take too kindly to it.

UNISOC has announced that it will start full-scale production of its 6 nanometer (nm) chipset by the end of 2020. This will enable it to supply OEMs with this advanced platform by 2021. The SoC will also come with an integrated 5G modem and a Mali-G75 GPU.

It seems Xiaomi is planning far in advance in regard to two of its most important products: the Mi Mix line and MIUI software. Both the Xiaomi Mi Mix 10 and MIUI 15 have been “teased” in images showing people taking part in a Xiaomi security and privacy awareness event. The mention of the Mi Mix 10 and MIUI 15 at least answer one burning question.

Android 11 is around the corner but while a host of Redmi Note 8 Pro owners wait for the Android 10 update, new information points towards the phone's chances of receiving the Android 11 being incredibly slim.

The Motorola Razr was announced in 2019 as the first foldable clamshell phone on the market. Therefore, the OEM set its price at US$1499.99 on its launch. Those who find this outlay for a phone powered by the Snapdragon 710 SoC off-putting may be interested to know that it has a special reduced price on its US website until June 21, 2020.

A Xiaomi Redmi K40 smartphone could be in the works that may feature 33 W fast charging, possibly a 144 Hz refresh rate, and even a MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset. A Redmi device with the model name M2006J10C was spotted on 3C certification that has led to speculation that a Redmi K40 smartphone is currently in development.

The MIUI 12 update has landed on the Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G, Redmi K20 Pro and Mi 9T Pro. The OS upgrade includes numerous changes from MIUI 11 and follows the release of MIUI 12 to the Mi 9, Mi 9T and the Redmi K20.

Honor is hosting a VIP Day Launch Event on June 23 where it will unveil the Honor 9A and Router 3 among other products. Both are budget devices, with the Honor 9A resembling the recently-announced Huawei Y6p. Update 06/19/2020: Honor has informed us that it will no longer launch the Honor Router 3 at its VIP Day Launch Event.

The Find X2 phones are OPPO's premium, Snapdragon 865-powered flagships for 2020. The OEM has launched it in India. However, it appears the country only gets the vanilla variant, which has 12GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage and is priced at INR 64,990 (~US$853).

Vivo's sub-brand iQOO is reportedly working on a gaming smartphone that will feature Qualcomm's yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 865 Plus SoC. The phone will come with a 6.5-inch 90Hz AMOLED panel, a 4,500mAh battery that can be charged in 30 minutes, and more. Prices are expected to start at CNY 3998 ($565) for the entry-level version.

Huawei may continue to be plagued by US trade sanctions, but that has not held the company back from extending its global smartphone market share. Huawei managed to outsell all its competitors in April too, despite its new devices lacking Google Services.

A seemingly credible rumour suggests that OnePlus' upcoming mid-range smartphone, formerly thought to be called the OnePlus Z, may feature four rear-facing cameras. The device, which may be marketed under the Nord by OnePlus brand, is thought to be arriving on July 10 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC and up to 12 GB of RAM, too.

Huawei has extended the release of EMUI 10 and Android 10 for the P20 and P20 Pro. Likely the two device's last OS upgrades, the expansion of the update to Western European handsets coincides with EMUI 10 updates hitting the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro and PORSCHE Design Mate RS. There is no such luck for PORSCHE DESIGN Huawei Mate 10, though.

Nubia’s RedMagic 5G is coming to the US priced from just US$579. Not only does the device support 5G networks, it also packs a Snapdragon 865 and an ultrafast 144 Hz AMOLED display.

Nokia recently launched the Nokia 5310, a spiritual successor to its 2007-era XpressMusic 5310. The new, 2020 variant features a lightly updated design while retaining a 2.4-in QVGA display, candy bar form factor, and a 0.3MP camera.

A handy list consisting of 30 Huawei smartphones has been published that feature all of the devices from the Chinese OEM that currently have Android 10 released for them. This could be as either EMUI 10 or the latest stable release EMUI 10.1. The latter release includes MeeTime, Sound Booster, and improved system response times (over EMUI 10).

Want a phone you can use anywhere without fear of damage? Doogee has one to sell to you. The new Doogee S88 Pro offers a completely rugged chassis with protection against impact, ingress, and extreme temperatures. All for US$250.

It has been reported that Xiaomi could be planning on unleashing cheap Redmi laptops on the Indian market. The Intel-powered devices would sit in a price range from ₹20,000 (US$262) to ₹33,000 (US$432) and possibly be manufactured in India. The Xiaomi Redmi laptops would be aimed at students and those looking for a cheap notebook.

The Lenovo Flex 5G is the first "Always On, Always Connected" ultrabook to launch with the connectivity that gives it its name. It is capable of the ultra-wideband (UWB) variety of the same, which covers a lot of the mmWave band. Accordingly, it will be sold through the carrier Verizon in the US.

Xiaomi has now launched its 27-inch 165 Hz gaming monitor, offering a 2560x1440 resolution, a 400-nit peak brightness, and a 95% DCI-P3 color gamut. As is typical with Xiaomi products, it's also affordable, and can be had right now for just about US$268 in Chinese currency.

Code found in the Mi Wear application has seeming revealed future potential Xiaomi Mi Band 5 variants. The words “Kongming L”, “Kongming Pro”, and “Kongming Lite” were discovered, prompting speculation that more Mi Band 5 models could be in development. The latest activity tracker from the Chinese OEM has only just been revealed and will soon officially go on sale.

Huawei has announced that it will launch a phone called the Enjoy 20 Pro 5G later in June 2020. This device is rumored to have a 6.5-inch display and to run on the MediaTek Dimensity 800 SoC. However, there is a pre-existing device called the Enjoy Z that covers these specs.

The Chinese company Fobase has currently discounted its Fobase Air Smartwatch and Fobase Air Pro Smartwatch to US$29.99 and US$39.99, respectively. The obvious Apple Watch clones are packed with features such as heart-rate monitoring, pedometer, sleep tracker, camera remote control, sport modes, and Apple iPhone compatibility.

Xiaomi has sent out MIUI 12 beta builds to a number of its premium phones over the past few weeks, but is now suspending the MIUI 12 rollout for the Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, and Redmi K30 Pro. The company seeks to better optimize the software, and has confirmed that the rollout will continue soon.

Some alleged marketing material for a Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro+ smartphone has been leaked onto a popular Chinese social network. The text reveals a few key specifications about the supposed Mi 10 Pro+ device, including the presence of a Snapdragon 865 SoC, 120 Hz display, and 65 W fast-charge technology.

MIUI 12 will soon be rolling out globally to a plethora of Xiaomi/Redmi devices. While the newer Mi, Redmi, and Poco devices will be getting all the goodies, some of the older devices will not be getting the new camera features while others stand to lose out on some of the new multitasking additions. The Super Wallpaper feature is also limited only to select devices.

Xiaomi has finally launched its latest product, a 30,000 mAh power bank. The Mi Power Bank 3 offers three output ports with 18 W fast charging, and two input ports with a max input wattage of 24 W that will see the behemoth charged fully in just 10 hours. MSRP? Under US$25.

The Xiaomi DOCO ultrasonic handheld misting fan is now on Xiaomi’s Youpin crowdfunding website with a price tag of 69 yuan (US$10). The portable fan has three power levels that can reach a maximum of 5100 rpm for those really hot days. The Xiaomi DOCO misting fan can apparently reduce the temperature around the user by 3 °C (5.4 °F) more than a traditional fan.

The Honor ViewPad 6 is the world’s first tablet to offer Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, and it also features a powerful octa-core Kirin 985 5G chipset, a 10.4-inch 2K screen, and apparently it offers faster download speeds than an iPad Pro (2020). Starting at 2,199 yuan (US$310), the ViewPad 6 tablet will not come with Google Services.

DxOMark has now published its review of the Huawei P40 Pro's audio. The Huawei flagship put up an incredibly polarizing performance, delivering class-leading recording, but falling way behind the competition with its single underwhelming speaker.

After sending out stable MIUI 12 updates to the Redmi K20, MI 9T, and Mi 9, Xiaomi may now be looking towards continuing the MIUI 12 rollout with its other phones. It has now opened its beta-testing program, and owners of the Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 8 Pro, and Poco F1 can enlist.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 has finally arrived and has brought a wealth of new features and upgrades over its predecessor, the Mi Band 4. There will be plenty of shoppers considering the Mi Band 5 vs Mi Band 4 conundrum, but fortunately, Xiaomi executive Lu Weibing has shared a handy graphic to help users make a purchase decision.

Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro users in Europe will be pleased to know that they'll soon be at the receiving end of Huawei's highly-anticipated EMUI 10.1 update. The software is making its way to some users in France and will be available widely in the coming weeks.

The Lamborghini Edition of the OPPO Find X2 Pro is a version of this phone with an appropriately car marque-themed finish and accessories. It has been released onto the German market via this country's Amazon site. It is in apparently extremely limited supply, but is available to order now.

The Redmi Note 7 continues to languish on Android 9.0 Pie, despite Xiaomi having recently upgraded the Redmi Note 7 Pro to Android 10. However, rumour has it that some "good news" is on its way, with there being a possibility that the Redmi Note 7 may receive Android 10 before Xiaomi upgrades it to MIUI 12.

It shouldn't be long before Motorola unveils the Motorola One Fusion+ in India. The company has been teasing the device's release on its Twitter handle, and we can expect an official announcement soon. If the phone's European pricing is anything to go by, we can expect it to retail in India for around INR 20,000 ($263).

The Stratos 3 is a round-faced smartwatch packed with sports modes and also with a dual chipset/OS system that may help it conserve battery life. It also has a display optimized for visibility in sunlight. This wearable is also now to be sold in India, having just appeared on the retail platform Flipkart ahead of its (as-yet unknown) release date.

Google has started the Android 11 beta program. This initial preview ROM should contain changes such as notification bubbles, enhanced permission controls and wireless ADB debugging. It is compatible with newer Pixel-series devices, although other OEMs have announced some of their phones will also get this beta soon.

Alleged promotional posters of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 have found their way online and if accurate it appears the Mi Mix 4 could end up being the champion smartphone of 2020. The Huawei P40 killer will apparently feature a Snapdragon 875 SoC, 150 MP main camera, 2K screen resolution, and a gorgeous design that is reminiscent of the Mi Mix Alpha concept.

Following the launch of the Mi Band 5 earlier today, Xiaomi is expected to unveil two other products soon. The first will be a 165 Hz gaming monitor, while the second will be the Mi Power Bank 3, a 30,000 mAh behemoth that succeeds the Mi Power Bank 2i.

Xiaomi has revealed the official name for the global variant of the just-launched Mi Band 5: Mi Smart Band 5. According to the Chinese OEM, the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 will start arriving in foreign markets next month. Unboxing and hands-on videos of the Chinese Mi Band 5 variant have started appearing on YouTube.

Xiaomi has launched its fourth security camera, the Mi Smart Camera PTZ SE. The smart camera has a 110° field of view and can record in 1080p. The camera supports up to 32 GB microSD cards, H.265 encoding and can rotate 360° horizontally. The Xiaomi Mi Smart Camera PTZ SE retails for CNY 149 (~US$21).

Xiaomi has launched a wide range of affordable laptops for the Indian market. The Mi Notebook 14 is restricted to the 10th-generation Intel Core i5-10210U CPU, while the Mi Notebook 14 Horizon Edition allows users to upgrade that to an Intel Core i7-10510U. Prices start at INR 41,999 ($555) for the base variant and max out at INR 57,999 ($765). Both notebooks will be available for purchase on June 17th on Xiaomi's website.

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.