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Huawei Kirin 985 SoC To Debut In The Second Half Of 2019

Huawei, the second largest smartphone OEM in the world, announced the Kirin 980 mobile processor for use in its flagship smartphones last year. It was the successor to the Kirin 970 and was manufactured on a new, 7nm fabrication process which boasts of increased performance and efficiency. The SoC has since made its way in a number of devices including the Mate 20 Pro and the latest P30 Pro launched last month. According to a fresh report by a Chinese news source, Huawei is working on a successor to the Kirin 980 which will be called the Kirin 985 and will be announced in the third quarter of this year.

Kirin 985 SoC

Kirin 980

According to reports, the upcoming Kirin 985 SoC will not be a significant upgrade over the last generation like its predecessor. It will, however, focus on refining the overall experience and improving the performance and battery life of smartphones featuring it. Like the Kirin 980, it will be featured in Huawei’s and Honor’s flagship smartphones and will be manufactured on a 7nm fabrication process. It will be manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Noteworthy, TSMC also produces mobile chipsets for use in Apple’s iPhones and iPads.

P30 Pro

The upcoming Kirin 985 SoC will reportedly be manufactured using the FlipChip Package on Package (FC- PoP) method. This method of mobile chipset production allows the vertical stacking of transistors, which will increase its density. Because of the change in the manufacturing process, the performance is touted to increase by up to 20 percent.

Also read: Pixel 3a, 3a XL Get Bluetooth Certification Ahead Of Official Launch

It is also reported the new mobile processor from Huawei will have a 5G modem inbuilt, which insinuates all future smartphones featuring the chipset will have support for 5G networks. The company will start the mass production of the Kirin 980 in the third quarter of this year. The chipset is expected to first feature in the next device in the Huawei Mate series, presumably called the Mate 30.

April 30, 2019
AMD Marks 50th Anniversary With Limited Gold Edition CPUs And GPUs

On the 1st of May 2019, American chipmaker AMD will mark its 50th anniversary. To commemorate this significant feat, the company is offering limited Gold Edition versions of its high-end Ryzen 7 2700x CPU and the Radeon VII GPU. The PC parts will be offered across the globe between the 29th of April and 8th of June via select online and offline retailers. Additionally, some of AMD’s partner companies will also offer Gold Edition components like the motherboard during the sale.

Noteworthy, the Gold Edition components are no different than the standard variants in terms of specifications rather they have a distinctive look. The Gold Edition Ryzen 7 2700x CPU has an AMD50 logo etched on top while the heat spreader that ships with it has an etched signature of company CEO Dr Lisa Su. On the other hand, the Radeon VII CPU has a Red Cooler shroud and redesigned packaging with AMD50 logo and gold accents.

Talking about the specifications, the Ryzen 7 2700x is an Octa-Core CPU that has 16 threads. It has a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz and a maximum boost speed of 4.3 GHz. The chip has 768 kb of L1 cache, 4 MB of L2 cache, 16 MB of L3 cache and is manufactured using 12 nm FinFET technology. The Radeon VII is the world’s first GPU to be manufactured using a 7 nm fabrication process and is comprised of 13.2 billion transistors. It has 60 compute units and 3840 stream processors with 16 GB HMB2 RAM with 1 TB/S memory bandwidth.

The Ryzen 7 2700x Gold Edition CPU carries a price tag of US $ 329 while the Radeon VII Gold Edition costs US $ 699. AMD is yet to disclose the price and availability of the components for the Indian market which might happen soon as the date of the anniversary is approaching fast.

Also Read: Pixel 3a, 3a XL Get Bluetooth Certification Ahead Of Official Launch

Besides the commercial availability of the limited edition parts, AMD will also be hosting an open house party at its office in Markham, Ontario, where fans and members of the public are invited to see a demonstration of products and interact with the staff.

April 30, 2019
Pixel 3a, 3a XL Get Bluetooth Certification Ahead Of Official Launch

American technology giant Google is anticipated to launch two new smartphones in the month of May. These devices, alleged to be called the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL will be the watered down variants of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL handsets launched last year. In the fresh development of the upcoming smartphones, they have been granted Bluetooth certification and have been listed on the official Bluetooth launch Studio website.

Pixel 3a/3a XL

The upcoming Pixel 3a lineup will be Googles first mid-range offering. The smartphones have been previously leaked to sport a design that is reminiscent of their elder siblings. However, the material of choice is expected to be polycarbonate instead of metal and glass on the Pixel 3 & 3 XL. The front is expected to be dominated by a 5.6-inch OLED display on the Pixel 3a while the Pixel 3a XL will have a 6 inch OLED display. For biometrics and security, both the devices will have a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Google Pixel 3XL

Under the hood, the Pixel 3a and 3a XL are reported to run on the 10nm Snapdragon 670 SoC. The chipset is comprised of an Octa-core processor and the Adreno 612 GPU. For optics, a 12 MP rear camera is expected in both the smartphones, while the front camera will have a resolution of 8 MP. In terms of memory and storage, the devices are expected to have 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of onboard storage.

Past leaks suggest that both the smartphones in the Pixel 3a lineup will be powered by a 3000 mAh battery with support for fast charging. Like its elder siblings, they are expected to run on the current Android 9 Pie with a stock interface and will receive fast software updates. The leaked images also confirm the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack on at least one of the two devices. The listing on the Bluetooth certification website reveals the smartphones will support Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.

Pricing & Availability

Google Pixel 3XL

Also read: Apple To Include 18W Charger, USB-C To Lightning Cable With 2019 iPhones

It is expected the company will launch the Pixel 3a smartphone duo at Google I/O next month. The previous leak of the pricing of both the devices revealed the Pixel 3a will start at CAD 649 (Rs. 33,900). While the Pixel 3a XL will start at CAD 799 (Rs. 41,600).

April 30, 2019
Sony PlayStation 5 May Feature 8K Gaming And Ray Tracing

When gamers talk about gaming consoles, very few machines come to mind. One of them is the Sony PlayStation series, which has been one of the most popular gaming console lineup so far. The first PlayStation was unveiled in the year 1994, and since then, the company has released 3 more iterations of the same. The last console by Sony was the PlayStation 4, which dates back to the year 2013. As reported previously, the company seems to be working on the fifth and upcoming gaming console, the PlayStation 5. As per latest reports, the Sony PlayStation 5 may feature 8K gaming and a host of other features.

Sony PS5: Expected Features

The Japanese manufacturer previously revealed information regarding some features of the upcoming console. For instance, the PlayStation 5 is expected to sport 3D audio technology, which will enable gamers to have an immersive gaming experience. Another speculated feature of the PS5 is the incorporation of a Solid State Drive or an SSD. This will lead to visibly faster game load times and seamless switching between various applications within the console’s interface.

The Sony PlayStation 5 is expected to be the first console to sport 8K resolution gaming. Of course, to take full advantage of the same, gamers will need to plug in their console to an 8K supported panel, but Sony making a move for future-proof gaming will surely be appreciated. Last but not the least, some new PS5 games may support Ray Tracing. Ray Tracing simulates the interaction of real world light with real time objects in the game, which leads to lifelike graphic rendering. Battlefield 5 was the first game to support Ray Tracing on NIVIDA RTX powered PCs, and we can expect developers to release more titles in accordance with Ray Tracing technology if consoles start supporting it too.

Expected Price And Availability

Also Read: Apple To Include 18W Charger, USB-C To Lightning Cable With 2019 iPhones

The PlayStation 5 is not expected to release anytime soon though, in fact, reports state that the PS5 may not see the light of day before the year 2021. However, other sources state that the PS5 might make its way into the market by the end of the year 2020. Either way, Sony is known for releasing their consoles according to a 7-year-product-cycle, so something along the aforementioned lines can be expected for sure. It is expected to be priced somewhere around US$ 550 (~INR 39,000) considering that the price of the PlayStation 4 Pro was US$ 400 (~INR 31,000). Furthermore, companies like Nintendo and Microsoft may release their gaming consoles around the same time, which may provide some solid competition to Sony’s console.

April 30, 2019
Apple To Include 18W Charger, USB-C To Lightning Cable With 2019 iPhones

Apple is expected to launch three new iPhones in the month of September this year. These smartphones will be the successor to the iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max respectively that were launched last year. In the latest report by a Japanese blog, it is claimed the company will include new accessories with the upcoming iPhones. According to the source, all three smartphone variants will ship with an 18W charger and a USB Type-C to Lightning Cable in the box.

New iPhone Accessories

iPhone XR

Apple has been providing the fast charging feature in its smartphones since the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X launched in the year 2017. However, the devices are not shipped with a fast charger and users must purchase it separately if they want to make use of the functionality. It was rumoured last year that Apple will bundle an 18W fast charger with the 2018 iPhones but the reports turned out to be false. But with the launch of the iPad Pro tablet late last year, Apple for the first time bundled an 18W fast charger along with it. Therefore, the company is expected to provide the aforementioned accessories with future iPhone models; which includes an 18W power adapter and a USB Type-C to lightning cable.

Also read: OnePlus 7 Pro Screen Protector Leaks, Reveals Front Design

It has been anticipated that Apple, as it did with the 2018 iPad Pro, will switch to USB Type-C in its future iPhone models. Since the iPhone 5 launched in 2012, the company has used a proprietary connector called the Lightning port. While the above reports put an end to them; it is still expected the company is towards making a gradual transition to the users, so that they find it easier to switch. Shipping a USB Type-C to Lightning cable will also make connecting future iPhones to a MacBook easier as purchasing a separate cable won’t be required.

April 30, 2019
OnePlus 7 Pro Screen Protector Leaks, Reveals Front Design

OnePlus is set to launch its latest smartphones, allegedly called the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro on the 14th of May. Details about the upcoming smartphones have been revealed time and again by both the official and unofficial sources (1,2). A reliable leakster who goes by the username Ice Universe on Twitter has shared two images of screen protectors which purportedly belong to the OnePlus 7 Pro. The aforementioned accessory gives a fair idea of what the device will look like.

OnePlus 7 Pro Screen Guard and Design Details

OnePlus 7 Pro pic.twitter.com/7wEv6Uz5j4
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) April 30, 2019

The OnePlus 7 Pro was previously reported to have a significantly different design in comparison to its predecessor, the OnePlus 6T and the latest leak suggests likewise. The alleged screen protector reveals that the smartphone will have negligible bezels around the display which will provide it with a high screen to body ratio. Notably, like the Galaxy S10 and the S10+, the upcoming smartphone also has a display that tapers towards the sides. Furthermore, it reveals the OnePlus 7 Pro does not have a notch on top of the display which further strengthens the claims of pop up selfie camera like the Vivo V15 Pro.

Even though the current leak does not report any specifications of the device, past leaks have exposed the same. To recall, the OnePlus 7 Pro will be kitted with the Snapdragon 855 SoC which consists of an Octa-Core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. Like the current flagship, the upcoming device will have an indisplay fingerprint sensor, a 4,000 mAh battery which supports 30 w dash charging.

Also Read: Moto E6 Specifications Leak Online Before Official Launch

To conclude, all details including price and precise specifications of the OnePlus 7 Pro will be made official on the 14th of May when the company formally announces it.

April 30, 2019
Moto E6 Specifications Leak Online Before Official Launch
Motorola launched the Moto G7 series of smartphones at an event in Brazil in the month of February. The devices boast of a new design by the company, with competitive features at a lucrative price tag. In a fresh tweet, a known tipster has claimed a new handset by Motorola, codenamed “surfna” is in the works. This smartphone is expected to be the budget-centric, Moto E6 which has been anticipated for a while now.

Moto E6

Moto E5 Plus

The Moto E6 will be the next entrant in the company’s budget smartphone lineup. It is expected to feature a similar design to its predecessor, the Moto E5, complete with a polycarbonate body. According to the source, the device will have a 5.45-inch display with a resolution of 1440 x 720 px. Like the new Moto G7 Play and G7 Power, a display notch is expected on the handset to maximise the screen real estate. For biometrics and security, the Moto E6 may sport a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner with support for face unlock technology.

The leak further insinuates Moto E6 will be kitted with the 28nm Snapdragon 430 SoC. The chipset is comprised of an Octa-core Cortex A53 CPU and the Adreno 505 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone will have a single f/2.0 aperture equipped 13 MP rear camera. For selfies, an f/2.0 aperture equipped 5 MP sensor is also expected to be housed on top of the display. For memory and storage, the device will be available in the following variants.
- 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM
- 2GB RAM and 32GB ROM
Also read: Xiaomi Redmi Y3 First Sale In India Today

The leak further reveals the Moto E6 will run on the latest Android 9 Pie and will feature a stock interface with some customisations by Motorola. Unfortunately, details about the battery capacity of the smartphone are not known yet. The tipster claims the device will launch soon on a few mobile carriers in the US. The Moto E6 is expected to retail at around Rs. 8,999 when it is launched in India.
April 30, 2019
Xiaomi Redmi Y3 First Sale In India Today
On the 24th of April Redmi launched two new smartphones for the Indian market which include the Redmi Y3 and the Redmi 7. The budget-oriented Redmi 7’s first sale was held on the 29th of April while the photography focuses Redmi Y3 will go on sale for the first time in India today.

Xiaomi Redmi Y3 Price and Availability

The newly launched Xiaomi Redmi Y3 will be available for purchase today at 12 noon on the Amazon India website, Mi.Com/in and offline Mi stores. It is offered in three colour options which include Prime Black, Bold Red and Elegant Blue. The smartphone is available in two storage options for which the price is as follows:
- 3 GB + 32 GB- Rs 9,999
- 4 GB + 64 GB- Rs 11,999
Click here to buy the Xiaomi Redmi Y3

Xiaomi Redmi 7 Features and Specifications

The Redmi Y3 has an elegant design with a large screen display on the front and an attractive Aura Prism panel on the rear. The smartphone measures 158.5 x 76.43 x 8.47 mm and weighs in at 180 grams. The front of the device accommodates a 2.5d 6.26 inch display that has a resolution of 1520 x 720 px. The display panel has a 19:9 aspect ratio and is covered with Corning Gorilla 5 which protects it against scratches and accidental drops.

Like the Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7 Pro, the Redmi Y3 also has a dot notch on the top of the display which houses its key highlighting feature, the 32 MP selfie camera. In a segment first, it also supports EIS (Electronic Image Stabilisation) which helps in capturing better handheld shots. The selfie camera also supports Auto HDR and AI portrait mode which can artificially beautify photographs. Another new feature that the Y3 brings to the table a ‘Palm shutter’ which as the name suggests can be used as a trigger to command the camera shutter.

Click here to buy the Xiaomi Redmi Y3

The back of the Redmi Y3 has an artistic multicoloured panel which houses the company branding, dual rear-facing cameras and thefingerprint sensor. The rear camera setup of the handset is comprised of a 12 MP sensor, 2 MP sensor and a dual LED flash. The handset can also capture 1080p videos at 60 fps from the rear camera.

Under the hood, the Redmi Y3 is kitted with the Snapdragon 632 SoC which comprises of the Adreno 506 GPU and Kryo 250 Octa Core CPU. The device runs on MIUI 10 which is based on Android 9 Pie and is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery. It also has the hydrophobic P2i nano-coating which safeguards it against accidental liquid spillage or unexpected drizzles.

Click here to buy the Xiaomi Redmi Y3

Connectivity options on the Redmi Y3 include Dual 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3.5 mm audio jack and bottom mounted Micro USB port. Notably, the Micro USB port on the device is anti-rust treated which prevents it against corrosion mostly faced by consumers residing in coastal areas. It also has an IR blaster on top which can be used to wirelessly control appliances.

Also Read: HTC To Launch New Cryptomining Smartphone Before 2019 Ends

In addition to the inbuilt storage, it also supports memory expansion upto 256 GB via the dedicated microSD card slot.
April 30, 2019
HTC To Launch New Cryptomining Smartphone Before 2019 Ends

HTC short for High Tech Computer Corporation is known for developing smartphones with unique and quirky features. Noteworthy, it was the worlds first company to launch a dual camera smartphone in the form of the HTC EVO 3D. Late last year, it launched the HTC EXODUS 1 which is the worlds first crypto mining smartphone. A fresh report claims that the company is planning to launch its second-generation blockchain focused smartphone which will allegedly be called the HTC EXODUS 2.

HTC EXODUS 2 Features and Launch Date

HTC Exodus 1

According to a former HTC executive, the company plans to launch the aforementioned smartphone before 2019 ends which will help it boost slumping smartphone sales while continuing to expand its blockchain ecosystem. In addition to mining cryptocurrency, the smartphone will also have a wallet for storing this form of digital currency. Even though the source does not reveal any details or specifications of the upcoming smartphone, it is likely to feature beefed up specifications in comparison to its predecessor.

HTC Exodus 1

Assumedly, HTC EXODUS 2 will be kitted with the Snapdragon 855 SoC which is one of the best flagship chipsets for Android smartphones. The chipset is manufactured using 7 nm fabrication process and it comprises of an Octa-Core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. Like its predecessor, the upcoming device is expected to support Edge Sense 2 technology, IP68 rating, Zion Wallet a large screen display with QHD+ resolution. Conclusively, precise details of the device will only be revealed once HTC makes it official later this year. For refrence, the specifications of the HTC EXODUS 1 are as follows:

HTC EXODUS 1 Specifications

HTC Exodus 1

Also Read: Apple Hired Intel’s 5G Modem Lead Developer Ahead Of Qualcomm Settlement

The HTC EXODUS 1 has a 6 inch Quad HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. For photography, it features 12 MP + 16 MP dual rear cameras and 8 MP + 8 MP dual front cameras that support natural Bokeh effect. The rear cameras can record 2160p videos @ 60 fps with HTC’s 3D audio recording. Under the hood, the HTC EXODUS 1 runs on the Snapdragon 845 chipset. In terms of memory and storage, it has 128 GB of UFS 2.1 ROM and 6 GB of DDR4x RAM. The device is IP 68 dust & water resistant and supports Single Sim 4G LTE. It has an inbuilt Zion wallet that securely stores the cryptocurrency. The HTC EXODUS 1 runs on Android Oreo and has a 3,500 mAh battery with fast charging support.

April 29, 2019
Apple Hired Intel’s 5G Modem Lead Developer Ahead Of Qualcomm Settlement

Apple, Qualcomm and Intel have been a subject of a multitude of legal issues lately. The companies have been involved in conflicts over a variety of reasons, the major one regarding the supply of 5G chips to Apple. Previously, Qualcomm and Apple were involved in a 6-Year License agreement regarding 5G modems, following which Intel exited the 5G modem business. As per latest reports, Apple hired the lead modem developer of Intel before settling with Qualcomm and letting Intel go.

Qualcomm X50 5G Modem

A leaked email cited the aforementioned facts, in addition to the news that Umashankar Thyagarajan, the developer involved was hired just two months before the settlement. As per sources, Umashankar played an important role at Intel in the development of 4G modems, and was also working on the 5G XMM 8160 modems. After his exit from the scene, Intel was forced to rethink its chip development strategy. Consequently, Intel announced its departure from the 5G business on the same day as the Apple-Qualcomm deal went down.

As previously reported, the company had raised concerns regarding Intel’s pace of the development process of 5G chips, following which Apple’s 5G iPhones were eventually delayed up to 2020. Seeing the 5G competition in the market from brands like Samsung and Huawei, Apple was forced to rethink its partnership with Intel. While Apple was unsatisfied with Intel’s results, the latter reverted by saying that Apple is a demanding client and that it is very conflicted with Apple regarding the partnership.

Also Read: Samsung Patents PlayGalaxy Game Link Service For Galaxy Devices

In other reports, Apple was planning to step-up it’s in house modem manufacture after Intel delayed the production of the 5G chips. This step was taken in order to reduce the dependence on third-party suppliers, but unfortunately, adopting a manufacturing strategy like this will still cost time, delaying future 5G iPhones up to 2021. Since Apple is taking matters into its own hands now, 5G support can be expected fairly soon from the American multinational company.

April 29, 2019
Samsung Galaxy Home Mini Smart Speaker Passes Bluetooth Certification, Launch Imminent

Samsung launched its first smart speaker, the Galaxy Home alongside the Galaxy Note 9 smartphone last year. While the speaker isn’t available to buy yet, it boasts of Bixby integration and powerful sound output. Fresh leaks suggest a smaller sibling of the Galaxy Home might be on its way. Another smart speaker, named Galaxy Home Mini has just received its Bluetooth certification suggesting an imminent launch.

Galaxy Home Mini

Galaxy Home

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) speaker by Samsung with model number SM-V310 was spotted on the Bluetooth Studio website. The name mentioned in the listing is Galaxy Home Mini, which the name suggests will be the more affordable model of the regular Galaxy Home. While the website doesn’t mention more information about the device, it is revealed the speaker will support Bluetooth 4.2 standards. The Home Mini will also run the Bixby voice assistant which was introduced back in the year 2017 alongside the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

Google Home Mini

The Galaxy Home Mini smart speaker will compete against the likes of the Google Home Mini and Amazon Echo Dot. Both the latter have been available in the market for a while now and are very popular among those looking for a portable smart speaker. Additionally, while Google’s offering runs the Google Assistant, the Echo Dot features Alexa voice assistant. Both the digital assistants have been present in smartphones and speakers for a while now and offer a more refined experience than Bixby in its current state.

Also read: Intel’s Leaked Roadmap Reveals No Signs Of A 10nm CPU Till 2022

As far as the pricing and availability are concerned, the recent Bluetooth certification hints the Galaxy Home Mini may be announced soon. It may be available alongside the much delayed Galaxy Home smart speaker in the following weeks. In terms of pricing, the device is expected to be priced similar to its competitors. So the Galaxy Home Mini may retail at around US$ 50 (Rs. 3,500).

April 29, 2019
Intel’s Leaked Roadmap Reveals No Signs Of A 10nm CPU Till 2022

More and more companies are adopting the 10nm fabrication process for their processors, but Intel does not seem to be affected in the least, as a leaked roadmap for the company’s future CPUs reveals that Intel will not be releasing any 10nm based processors anytime soon. 10nm processors offer considerable improvements over current generation 14nm fabricated processors. For starters, 10nm CPUs have closely placed transistors, implying that signals travel at a higher speed between various components of the chipset. Moreover, since the transistors are closely placed, power consumption is noticeably reduced. It seems, however, that Intel has some plans of its own.

Intel Coffee Lake CPUs

First leaked on April 24 by a Dutch website, the roadmap highlights Intel’s key plans over the next two years. As per the roadmap, the company will launch a whole new refreshed lineup of Coffee Lake CPUs in the latter half of 2019. Intel will then follow up the Coffee Lake processors with the Comet Lake series of processors in the early half of the year 2020. Since Intel often labels its desktop processors as the “S-series”, it’s clearly visible in the roadmap that Intel will keep working on 14-nm S-series processors until 2022.

Intel Tiger Lake CPUs

Another highlighting fact is that the company has marked its upcoming 10nm “Tiger Lake” processors as TBD, or To Be Decided. Tiger Lake architecture-based CPUs will be released as the “U-series”, and they will be specifically targeted towards mobile devices such as laptops. Planned for release somewhere in the second quarter of the year 2021, the TBD label on the aforementioned CPUs may mean that the company might have different plans for them.

Also Read: Samsung Patents A Distinctive Smartphone With Display On Front And Back

Furthermore, as mentioned previously, Intel will release the Comet Lake desktop CPU range based on the 14nm process in the second quarter of the year 2020. The processors will feature a 10-core architecture. Also, in the year 2021, Intel will provide an overhaul to the Comet Lake lineup, which will then be called the “Rocket Lake” series. It may be possible that Intel is actually developing a 10nm desktop CPU that may be announced in the near future. Even if the roadmap shows otherwise, fans should take this news with a grain of salt, as the company hasn’t provided a statement regarding the same yet.

April 29, 2019
Samsung Patents PlayGalaxy Game Link Service For Galaxy Devices

The year 2019 has seen a lot of developments in terms of gaming so far, with Google releasing their cloud-based game streaming service (named Stadia) and Apple following up with their own “Apple Arcade” gaming platform. Companies like Samsung don’t plan to stay behind for a long period of time. A recent patent granted to the company showed that the South Korean Technology company is working on a platform which will enable users to play online games via Galaxy devices.

About The Patent

The patent was first filed by Samsung in America with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO. The trademark included details about a service called the PlayGalaxy Link, and was finally published on April 26 in the database of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). As per reports, the patent is categorized under Class 9 and 41. While class 9 is comprised of a broad range of trademarks for scientific, cinematographic and photographic devices, Class 41 mainly covers products which cater to entertainment purposes.

Samsung Galaxy S10e

Previously in April 2019, Samsung was reported to have partnered with Finnish organization “Hatch” to launch a new 5G cloud gaming service in Korea. Furthermore, people who buy the recently launched Galaxy S10 5G get a free three-month premium Hatch subscription. This may be the new gaming service that Samsung has been working on, but nothing can be said for sure, since the trademark for the “PlayGalaxy Link” is applied for in US, not in Korea.

Also Read: The OnePlus 7 Pro Gets An A+ Display Rating From DisplayMate

Whatever the case may be, it is clear that Samsung plans to go up against American technology mega-giant Apple and it’s latest gaming service, Apple Arcade. While it is reported that Apple Arcade may be available starting this fall, Samsung may unveil its “PlayGalaxy Link” service sooner than expected. Moreover, the company is also planning to release a smartphone which will be dedicated to gaming. Reports say that such a device may be released under the Galaxy A series branding, but nothing can be confirmed as of now.

April 29, 2019
Samsung Patents A Distinctive Smartphone With Display On Front And Back

Ever since the race to a bezel-less smartphone started in the year 2016, major OEMs have tried to innovate unique solutions in a bid to maximise the screen real estate in their devices. Along the way, unconventional technologies like a display notch as seen in the iPhone X series, hole punch displays as seen in the Galaxy S10 lineup and dual displays present in Vivo Nex Dual Display and the Nubia X, have surfaced in current smartphones. A fresh patent filed by Korean electronics giant Samsung reveals it is working on a new way to increase the screen to body ratio in future handsets.

Samsung Dual Display Smartphone

Samsung filed for a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for the aforementioned smartphone back in October of 2016. It was approved and published in the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database on the 25th of April 2019. The images in the patent reveal a mobile device with an alleged ‘Multi-Plane Display’. This essentially means a device with a display on the front and back which can be controlled simultaneously.

The aforementioned patent by Samsung shows a smartphone with three different parts of the display. The front of the device is entirely covered by a screen. This screen or display extends to the top of the handset and goes on to cover around 75 percent of the back of the device. While the main display seems folded, it might not need to open and close like the Galaxy Fold foldable smartphone. The patents also reveal a home button inside the display, which might provide haptic feedback when pressed. Samsung’s Dual Display smartphone, when launched may also feature a single camera sensor on the back side of the device. As there are displays on either side, images and videos can be clicked or recorded from the front as well as the back of the handset.

Also read: Redmi Popup Camera Phone Spotted In Video

As far as the usability of Samsung’s Dual Display Smartphone is concerned, the patents reveal the device will use hand gestures to control the User Interface of the handset. A similar operation method was implemented in the LG G8 ThinQ launched back in the month of February. The display on the top may be limited to notifications while the rear panel may be used for taking selfies and using the smartphone with one hand. Unfortunately, no details about the release date and pricing of the device are available yet, but they are expected to be unveiled in the following weeks.

April 29, 2019
Nubia Red Magic 3 Gaming Smartphone With Internal Cooling Fan Launched
ZTE’s subsidiary Nubia is known for launching feature laden gaming smartphones at a competitive price tag. As it was previously reported, the company was planning to unveil its latest addition to the gaming smartphone family, the Red Magic 3. In an event held in China on April 28, Nubia finally announced the aforementioned gaming smartphone with a load of exciting features, such as a 90Hz display, an internal cooling fan and a 48MP rear camera.

Nubia Red Magic 3: Features And Specifications

The specifications of the Red Magic 3 will provide some strong competition in a fast-growing space of gaming smartphones. The smartphone features a 6.65 inch FHD+ AMOLED display which also supports HDR playback. Owing to the presence of a 90Hz refresh rate in the device panel, gamers are expected to experience less screen tearing and almost negligible lag issues. The front of the device also houses DTS:X surround sound speakers. The rear panel of the Red Magic 3 houses the camera, an elongated fingerprint scanner and an LED strip which can be customized with a combination of 16.8 million colours.

Under the hood, the smartphone packs the powerful 7nm Snapdragon 855 chipset, which comprises of an octa-core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. The Red Magic 3 is available in four storage variants which are as fllows:
- 6 GB RAM + 64 GB ROM
- 8 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM
- 8 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM
- 12 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM
To provide for extensive gaming sessions, the Nubia Red Magic 3 packs a massive 5,000 mAh battery with 30W fast charging support. Noteworthy, it is the first time that a company has incorporated an active internal cooling system in a smartphone. The company claims that the fan present inside the device can operate at a speed of 14,000 rpm, which can also be manually tweaked.

In terms of optics, the Red Magic 3 features a single rear 48MP (f/1.7) Sony IMX586 camera sensor. While Nubia might not have gone “big” on the multi-camera setup here, the specifications of the camera are worthy in fact. Moreover, it has 8K video recording support and can record super slow videos at 1920 fps. The smartphone also has an f/2.0 aperture equipped 16MP front-facing selfie camera. It is IP55 dust and water resistant, which can even survive water jets. Furthermore, gamers can program two touch-based shoulder buttons in the smartphone in addition to the reprogrammable fingerprint scanner. The Red Magic 3 runs on Androdi 9 Pie out-of-the-box, with Nubia’s Redmagic OS 2.0 on top.

Availability And Price

Also Read: Realme 3 Pro To Go On Sale For The First Time In India Today

The Nubia Red Magic 3 will be available in China from the 3rd of May onwards, which will soon be followed by the US, UK, Canada and European launch. The price for different variants of the smartphone are as follows:
- 6GB+64GB: CNY 2,899 (~INR 30,100)
- 6GB+128GB: CNY 3,199 (~INR 33,200)
- 8GB+128GB: CNY 3,499 (~INR 35,300)
- 12GB+256GB: CNY 4,299 (~INR 44,650)
It is available in four colour options: Black, Red, Camouflage and Blue Gradient.
April 29, 2019