iQOO is a mobile range by Vivo. It is an electronic gaming smartphone. Vivo has not yet released any smartphones of iQOO range, but it has officially announced the release of its first iQOO smartphone. Vivo will be launching its first iQOO smartphone on 25th February 2020.
The debut smartphone of the iQOO series in China and India is iQOO 3. It will be a phone with the fastest network in India. iQOO is a Chinese handset and will have a 5G networking system. It is gathering a lot of attention and is spreading all over India.
People are excited to have a look at the new Chinese handset. The company, however, will be launching the smartphone on online platforms only. The physical launch will not take place due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Indian ace cricketer Virat Kohli will be the brand ambassador of the new smartphone from India.
The new iQOO 3 handsets by Vivo will have a 5G network technology and will be the fastest working smartphone ever in China and India. It has a dimension of 6.25 X 2.95 X 0.36 inches and has a weight of approximately 214.5 grams.
It has a glass front and back with a frame made up of aluminum. The phone has a Super AMOLED touchscreen with 1080 X 2400 pixels. It will be launching with dual- sim technology. This smartphone is launching on the Android 10 OS platform with a fingerprint feature in it.
Features of iQOO 3 Phone
The Vivo smartphone iQOO 3 will be having the fastest battery charging system with a non-removable Li-Po 4400 mAh battery.
It will be available in different colors, with a memory of 128 or 256 GB.
iQOO has already confirmed that the smartphone will have a Snapdragon 865 SoC, fast UFS 3.1 storage.
It will have a RAM up to 12 GB, which turns out to be one of the most important features of the smartphone.
Along with this, it has a quad-camera that has a sensor of 48 megapixels. And with this, it will also have a selfie camera of 16 megapixels.
It has a 4,370 mAh battery along with all its other features. It has a battery with a fast charging technology of 55 watts.
iQOO will be sold with a pair of earphones.
It will also have a few sports features associated with it like accelerometer, heart rate measurement, etc.
Also, it will have sensitive buttons for gaming.
Along with China, it will be releasing in India. It is making the gadget-lovers go wild with anticipation and waiting.
Conclusion
The new gaming smartphone will be available for a price of INR 40,000 in India. It will be available on the official website of iQOO. The smartphone has a lot of features in it and is completely worth buying. In case you wish to get the smartphone, you can order it online from the official website of iQOO.
Germany is working on a deal that would give Huawei restricted freedoms. In a way, this is pretty similar to the UK deal. A report in Reuters suggests that the leading political parties in Germany are working on a strategy paper that would allow Huawei only a limited role to take part in the implementation of 5G networks. Similar to the UK, this is quite a sensible approach to take for the Huawei Conundrum while deploying the next generation of connectivity. The agreement states, “State actors with sufficient resources can infiltrate the network of any equipment maker. Even with comprehensive technical checks, security risks cannot be eliminated completely – they can at best be minimized. At the same time, we are not defenceless against attempts to eavesdrop on 5G networks. The use of strong cryptography and end-to-end encryption can secure confidentiality in communication and the exchange of data.”
Huawei Conundrum
The stance of the government has not been confirmed yet. The new position is likely to be voted on February 11, 2020. There are still some in the country, such as the Social Democratic Party, a junior coalition partner to the Christian Democratic party, who are pushing for an all-out ban. However, it looks like Huawei will make it, even if only with restricted function. The paper talks about approaches to take in order to manage Huawei which is quite similar to the one the UK has taken. With regards to the statement released by the German authorities, it looks like they are taking the stance that it would be impossible to guarantee 100% safety, regardless of the equipment manufacturer. It is just not rational to target one specific company.
The Statement
The paper also mentions that the network would be split into three different components. This includes radio, transmission, and core. The authorities have also got different procedures in place for managing Huawei equipment based on its designation. Again, this risk-management approach is similar to the one in the UK. This is because the Germans are facing a similar issue where all the German telcos are already the customers of Huawei. They already have signed agreements in place to continue work with Huawei in the near future. If a full ban comes to force, this could create issues in terms of money and time.
Germany on Huawei
BT has said that £500 million to be compatible with the Huawei restrictions in the RAN in the UK. While it could look like a huge sum, the amount could be even higher. This could happen if a complete ban was put in place. Other aspects that could affect the telcos include potential demands to have a multi-vendor supply chain, detailed security checks on equipment, and so on. One thing to always keep in mind is that no one can ever guarantee complete security. It is not yet certain which approach the German government will take. However, it appears that they will try to mitigate the risk and compensate for the existing state of affairs.
Xiaomi has a solid presence in India thanks to its budget-friendly and feature-rich range of smartphones. Redmi is one of the most popular range of devices in the country. The company recently revealed that they are the leading brand in the feature phone category in the last quarter of 2019. The stunning thing here is that they have managed to hold on to the smartphone segment for 10 consecutive quarters. The company is launching Redmi 8A Dual in India.
Redmi 8A Dual Launch
Xiaomi’s entry-level Redmi A series is wildly popular across the globe, including Europe and the Indian markets. Xiaomi launched the Redmi 8A in India towards the end of 2019. Now, they are ready to bring the next model to the market named the Redmi 8A Dual. One of the most significant changes here includes the addition of the secondary camera on the back and an improved rear panel. The launch price in India is pretty much similar to its predecessor.
Redmi 8A Dual
Xiaomi’s Redmi 8A Dual comes with the dual rear camera setup. The primary camera sensor on the back now has a resolution of 13MP while the older model has 12MP. The 13MP sensor comes with a 2MP depth sensor. In addition to the new camera, we need that the smartphone boasts of an “XGrip” design. This polycarbonate back panel comes in a variety of attractive colours, such as blue, grey, and white. It is also nice to know that the back panel has a P2i splash-resistant coating.
Most of the other features and specification of the Redmi 8A Dual remains pretty much the same as that of the previous model. The phone has a 6.22-inch HD+ display with a huge 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support using the USB-C port. What it does not have is a fingerprint scanner, but you will be able to use the AI face unlock feature. Other features of the latest Xiaomi smartphone include a dedicated storage expansion slot supporting up to 512GB microSD cards and wireless FM. You will find that the device is marketed in two variants – 2GB and 3GB RAM options. Do note that 32GB is the only option for storage.
Redmi 8A Dual
Things You Need To Know
Redmi is Xiaomi’s sub-brand. The company launched the entry-level and budget-friendly Redmi 8A Dual in India recently. The phone has been priced quite competitively and looks to be following the same pattern as its predecessor. The phone will be available for sale from the 18th of February 2020. While it is similar in a lot of factors to the Redmi 8A, it does feature an upgraded dual-camera setup in addition to other improvements. Once released, users will be able to purchase it via Mi Home stores, Mi.com, and Amazon.in. After a couple of months, the company says that the phone will be available for purchase through offline stores.
The phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 octa-core processor. The HD+ LCD display panel comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It even has a nice 8MP selfie camera. Again, if the poor grip was your problem, you don’t have anything to worry about on that score here thanks to the new Aura XGrip design.
Some of you may know this and others may not – Vivo has a sub-brand called iQOO. The latter recently released a teaser starring its latest release – the iQOO 3 5G. After that, the company has again posted another teaser on the popular Chinese platform called Weibo. This gives a peek into the phone’s design. The poster tells us that the iQOO 3 5G will come with a red-coloured power button on the right side and a volume rocker. In addition to that, you will also notice a touch-sensitive shoulder button. If we understand it right, it is likely that the bottom will have another one.
Iqoo 3 5G
The iQOO 3 features a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top and a secondary microphone. iQOO 3 5G is seen on Geekbench with Snapdragon 865. Looking at the camera specification, the official poster confirms 48MP main camera. The rear of the phone has a quad camera and an LED flash.
iQOO 3 5G
A top Chinese tipster posted on Weibo an image highlighting the poster. This gives us a closer look at the upcoming smartphone’s camera setup and specs. The phone’s motherboard is listed as ‘Kona’ at Geekbench. It is the popular codename for Snapdragon 865 SoC. The benchmark database tells us that the iQOO 3 will run on Android 10 and will come with 12GB RAM. However, another report by TENAA suggests that the phone will come with different RAM options – 6GB and 8GB.
The Release
The company has not talked about any specific release rate. However, by the looks of the teaser and the beginning of the promotions, it feels that the phone could be announced any time now. iQOO initially teased its upcoming smartphone last weekend. However, most didn’t pay any attention to it. With the company now actually publishing a more detailed description of the phone on Weibo makes it very promising. The latest teaser gives us an insider peek into the phone, its design, and its style.
Iqoo 3 5G Release
The iQOO is all set to launch in India. It is expected to be the country’s second 5G enabled phone. Realme has the honour of being the first one with its X50 Pro. While iQOO, a sub-brand of Vivo, entered the gaming smartphone market with its help. However, the company is planning to enter India as an independent entity. We can expect to see promos and the actual announcement starting in January this year.
The iQOO 3 is the company’s first phone that offers the customers in India the option to choose the variant – 4G or 5G. While the 5G rollout still has some time to go, the company is busy promoting it nonetheless. However, one thing you should know is that the 5G-version of iQOO 3 is marketed as a premium version and could naturally, be priced higher. However, the underlying specs of the smartphone is likely to stay the same for both the variants.
Samsung finally has made it official and released the details about their new launch, Galaxy Tab S6 5G, world’s first 5G enabled tablet is finally going to touch down in the market by the month of February. Although the phone is only available in South Korea, Samsung’s latest edition of the tablet will soon be available for the customers to buy globally, more information on the same shall be released soon.
World’s first tablet with 5G connectivity
Galaxy tab S6 comes with a 10.5-inch AMOLED display, 6GB RAM with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC chipset, 7,040 mAh powerful battery backup, Dolby Atmos quad speakers and comes with 128 GB of total internal space. The rear and front cameras have 13-megapixels and 5-megapixels respectively. The tablet weighs approximately 420 grams and is available only in one colour, mountain grey. Tablet also includes the S pen stylus for greater productivity.
Galaxy Tab S6 5G Tablet
Samsung also revealed that their new tablet Galaxy S6 will come to a new and improved Snapdragon X50 5G modem, instead of the previous version of the integrated X24 LTE modem. The future awaits as technology has reached a new milestone in connectivity.
This new model of Galaxy tab S6 5G is no different than the original version of Galaxy S6. However, the price isn’t the same, this 5G enabled tablet will be available to the public of South Korea for KRW 999,900 ($850). Early buyers would receive several purchase benefits, that include a free Samsung Book Cover keyboard.
One look at how Vivo is doing and we know the smartphone industry is set for tremendous growth in the next few years. In the last three years, Vivo has worked with multiple new techs to turn new ideas into reality. This includes ideas and techs like retractable camera modules, high-res front cameras, and bezel-less designs. In 2020, Vivo is all set to release its flagship NEX series. While this range of devices may not be sold in its millions, but chances are that they will be a huge hit. The Vivo NEX 3 5G features the company’s latest waterfall display tech where the edges of the screen literally flow over the sides.
Vivo NEX 3 5G Review
Samsung already has worked with it in the past. Vivo is working with involves making it more pronounced than ever. Another nice touch that the NEX 3 has includes 5G connectivity along with other hardware that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere at this price. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 855+ with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. With regards to camera specification, the smartphone comes with a 64MP camera at the back. It has a 16MP camera at the front housed behind a retractable module. The device has a huge 4500mAh battery with 44W fast charging.
The Good and The Bad
The NEX 3 5G by Vivo is a truly smart and powerful phone. It can be considered to be an all-screen phone thanks to the waterfall display with extreme curves on either side. In addition to this, the phone has a huge battery, a wonderful camera, and support for 5G, making it one of the most powerful models out there.
Some advantages of the NEX 3 5G includes its awesome hardware, bezel-less design, 64MP camera, a 3.5mm jack, and an immersive display. On the other hand, it also could do with some improvements in certain areas. This includes the fact that the phone does not support wireless charging and is not resistant to water. It runs on Funtouch OS which is not without its quirks.
Vivo NEX 3 5G
Vivo NEX 3 5G
The latest flagship by Vivo, the NEX 3 5G, is sure be received quite well. In fact, many believe that this would be pretty similar to other smartphones slated for a 2020 release. The fact that Vivo is among the first to launch gives it a great head start in the market. Other manufacturers like Xiaomi, OPPO, and Huawei are planning a release of their phones as well which are quite similar to this model.
However, as of now, the NEX 3 is the only one out there that can give us the kind of truly immersive experience we long for. The bezel-less screen highlights the extreme curves, making it an amazing experience. What makes it even better is that Vivo has thought about the issue of accidental touch. It has already got some measures in place. The hardware is pretty powerful, and the phone can easily last for you for several years.
The camshell design was introduced in 2020 by Motorola with their Moto-Razr 2 smartphone. The specifications weren’t that great, and it just got on as a gadget. Then Samsung introduced their version of the camshell design with their Samsung Galaxy Fold Z. It bags in flagship specifications along with the fact that it folds glass. Now, a patent of Xiaomi foldable phone which had been approved earlier this week has surfaced. It has also made its way into the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database. The company had filed the patent back in July 2018 at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It although looks like the Moto-Razr 2 smartphone but has its own differences.
Xiaomi Foldable Phone
The patent’s hardware specifications and the button placements are still not available.
The design patent shows the Xiaomi foldable phone would have a rotating shaft that connects the top and bottom displays, with magnets placed around the edges to keep the top display folded and prevent accidental opening. It seems like there is no notch in place on the front to accommodate the selfie snapper.
The selfie camera supports a pop-up camera, a flashlight and an unknown sensor which might help with face detection. Xiaomi’s foldable phone is starkly different from the likes of Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold. The foldable smartphone will run on MIUI, skin on top of Google’s stock Android. It’s great to see Xiaomi trying to advance into the folding phone category, considering it a budget smartphone champion.
The Xiaomi foldable phone may be launched in the upcoming keynote for the next quarter.
The journey of pixel series has quiet often disappointed people but generation 4, has completely changed the game. One of the biggest releases of 2019, this Google Smartphone has tremendously given significant improvements compared to previous generation Google smartphones. Although Google has launched its phone with a hefty price tag, it surely makes up to its value. Built-in with the latest technology and features it balances out the positive and negative pointers of the phone. The Google Pixel 4 XL runs Android 10 smoothly and consistently, without the random bugs and errors of prior Pixels generation phones.
Google Pixel 4 XL Review
The new Google Pixel 4 XL is a camera-centric phone, one of the main features Google has bragged about for years and years. Pixel 4 XL comes with a higher quality in capturing images and videos with an alluring high resolution and pixel spread.
A Closer Look: Google Pixel 4 XL Camera
Design and Display
Running on Pure Android software Google Pixel 4 XL a waterproof phone that measures at 160.4×75.1×8.2 mm and weighing at approximately 193 grams. Pixel 4 XL has an impeccable design, while the materials are basically the same as in the last few phones i.e. metal (aluminium) and glass. It is equipped with gorilla glass 5 at both front and back. Although, the coatings and finishing on the phone make it feel a lot more rugged and much more gripping feel on to the phone. Google has launched the phone in three vibrant colours,
Clearly white
Just black
Oh so orange
Pixel 4 XL comes with a 6.3-inch Quad HD+ display with a resolution of 1440×3040 pixels. Working at a 90Hz refresh rate, allowing the user to use the smartphone smoothly and lag-free. Installed with P-OLED capacitive touchscreen, exuding 16M colours, a pure HDR feel at 537 pixels per inch (PPI) with an aspect ratio of 19:9.
Google Pixel 4 XL
Hardware
Google Pixel 4 XL has the latest version of the OS. Combined with QualcommSM8150 Snapdragon 855 chipset on an Octa-core CPU, along with Adreno 640 GPU and in a total of 6GB RAM. Pixel 4 XL match is unbeatable and has ultimate performance with minimum bugs. It comes in two storage variations i.e. 64GB and 128GB, having no additional memory card slot.
Camera
When it comes down to the camera, Google always makes sure it delivers the best in class camera quality. The cameras are equipped with 12-megapixel f/1.7 main camera and 16-megapixel f/2.4 2x telephoto camera and 8 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide) selfie camera featuring with auto HDR and a whooping 8X zoom. Pixel 4 XL also has an improved night sight camera, giving you a crystal clear night time images or videos. Beyond that Google also introduced astrophotography mode, an extension to the night sight mode this feature allows the user to take pretty decent pictures during night time.
Platform and Features
Running on Pure Android 10 OS, the latest release of android developers. Together combined Pixel 4 XL’s hardware it is one of the topmost performance-based phones in its category and amongst its rivals.
Pixel 4 XL comes with several features that include,
Face ID security.
Smarter Google assistant.
Gyro scope sensor.
Proximity sensor.
Compass/magnetometer.
Motion sensor (hand gesture).
Ambient light sensor.
Connectivity
Google Pixel 4 XL works on dual SIM and is compatible with all the latest connectivity technology, LTE, CDMA, GSM, HSPA and EVDO. This latest smartphone accepts Nano-SIM and eSIM cards.
Google Pixel 4 XL Camera
Wi-Fi 802.11, dual-band and hotspot. Making sure you stay connected to the world all the time. Uses Bluetooth version 5.0 and enabled GPS and NFC functions. Connects on USB 3.1 type C and 1.0 type reverse connector.
Battery and Performance
Google Pixel 4 XL has a significant improvement with the new battery installed on it, comes with a long-lasting and reliable battery holding capacity up to 3700mAh capacity compared to 2800mAh capacity battery of its previous version that is Google Pixel 4.
Pixel 4 XL comes with a non-removable battery and supports exclusive fast charging. This particular smartphone has gotten a significant upgrade in the terms of performance, tests conducted on the smartphone had shown significant performance outputs, delivering approximately 15 hours of activity in a single charge.
What Do You Get?
Google Pixel 4 XL has a generic and safe packing, includes the phone of course. The box comes with,
A SIM tool.
Quick switch adapter.
Power adapter (USB Type-C 18W).
USB-C cable V2.0.
A quick start guide.
Missing from the box is a pair of earphones and a 3.5mm-to-USB C converter. As a result, one has to fork out extra money in order to enjoy music or taking calls without using the smartphones’ in-built stereo speakers.
Verdict: Google Pixel 4 XL
Although, it is a bit pricey for its class of smartphones. Google’s latest addition to its smartphone family has once again proven to have the best in class features as compared to its rivals. Consisting of a camera sings and exudes a quality function that provides exceptional outcomes of images and videos. In addition, Pixel 4 XL has a lot of improvement compared to Pixel 4, with a lot better battery capacity, OS, software features and its design. Compatibility with all the latest connectivity sources and platforms and has up-to-date security inbuilt with the smartphone.
To sum up there are quite a few pros and cons to the phone, i.e.
Pros
Amazing camera performance, several features.
Exquisite colour display screen.
Quick and secure face unlock feature.
Exclusive textured design.
The screen works on a 90 Hz rate.
Cons
Not up-to mark motion sense features.
Battery performance is above average, but not too amazing.
Lacks in ultra-wide-angle camera feature.
It comes without a fingerprint reader.
No cables, adapters and earphones are included within the box.
Compared to its rivals, Pixel 4 XL is a bit pricey.
Oppo Reno 3 Pro is making its way to India quite soon. However, one difference we will see with the smartphone is that it will come with slightly different camera hardware. The company says that Reno 3 will be launched on March 2 in India. At the same time, they are also working on marketing the phone as one of the first to come with a 44-megapixel dual hole-punch camera setup. Oppo is doing it the right way and has released a teaser regarding the same. It gives us a good look into the smartphone’s quad rear camera setup and other aspects.
Oppo Reno 3 Pro
Oppo Reno 3 Pro was recently launched in China last December. Some differences between Reno 3 and the Pro version is that the latter had only a single front camera housed in a hole-punch and that it has a curved display. However, the variant that is going to be released in India will have a flat display according to the teaser released by the company. Again, the colour schemes exhibited in the promo videos do not match the ones that are sold in China, making us think that the Indian variant is going to be a lot different.
Oppo Reno 3 Camera
The Oppo Reno 3 Pro’s China version comes with out-of-the-box 5G support. This is mainly thanks to Snapdragon X52 5G modem on the Snapdragon 765G powering it. The Vice President and India R&D Head of Oppo, Tasleem Arif, mentioned that the Oppo Reno 3 Pro getting ready for an India launch will only have 4G support. This leads us to the next question of whether the Oppo Reno 3 Pro will also have a different SoC. As of now, there have been no leaks regarding the same that could give us a reliable peek into the company. However, Oppo will soon talk more about the details with the launch getting closer.
The Launch
While it is great news that the Reno 3 Pro is coming to India, the fact that there are some major changes that make it a bit confusing. The Chinese variant of the phone has 5G support, but the Indian version is expected to have only 4G support. This is one of the major changes in the smartphone set to be released in India soon. Coming to the specs, we are not sure if that is set to change as well. As of now, the word is that it will not.
Oppo Reno 3
Oppo announced that the Reno 3 Pro will soon be launched in India via Twitter. Tasleem Arif tweeted to mention that the Reno 3 Pro will arrive in India with its exception camera. While this model will be a 4G one, he added that Oppo has plans to release other 5G models this year. No specific date or month for the same was mentioned. According to different sources, the phone’s front-facing cameras will be a 44-megapixel snapper and a 2-megapixel snapper. At the back, it will have a 48-megapixel main sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor. In addition, it will also have a 13-megapixel telephoto sensor, and a 2-megapixel black and white sensor.
Xiaomi has captured the mobile phone market to a great extent, due to its amazing features and all coming at a reasonable price too. After the success of Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro, its successor Mi 10 pro is set to launch, the dates of which are rumoured to be 11 Feb 2020 according to a poster leaked in China. However, it may be delayed owing to the coronavirus that has struck the country. It is highly likely to be launched along with Mi 10.
In addition to the features that Mi phones have, Mi 10 Pro will come with 66w charging point, that’ll enable fast charging. This model will come in variants of 12GB RAM + 128 GB RAM, 12GB RAM and 256GB RAM and 12 GB RAM and 512GB RAM, all priced differently.
Xiaomi MI 10 Pro
Mi 10 pro will run of snapdragon 865 processor, having the quad-camera with specifications of 108MP+ 48MP+ 12MP+8MP and also 40W wireless charging support, along with the 66Wfast charging support. As per reports by XDA developers, MIUI 11 nightly build happened to release code for Mi 10 Pro, which was certainly certified by China’s CCC certification portal and Russia’s EC for 66W fast charging support.
Though Xiaomi’s powerful technology of 100W fast charging has been already tested, it’s not going to be in the market this soon. So, for the time being, Mi users are waiting eagerly for the release of Mi 10 Pro, which can happen anytime soon.
