Ming-Chi Kuo has been quite active, giving us predictions of future Apple products. He has already mentioned that the company will add Taiwanese manufacturer Career Technology to its supply chain because of the company’s LCP soft boards, which will be included in several Apple devices. However, changes don’t end there, as Kuo also believes that next years’ iPhone 13 lineup will arrive with smaller batteries, which isn’t necessarily bad.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new iPhone 13 lineup will have smaller batteries thanks to a new technology known as soft board batteries. He also says that next year’s iPhones will be the first phones ever to use the new tech. His note explains that these new soft board batteries will be supplied by Jialianyi, which will make the company double its Apple business thanks to said batteries.
“Benefiting from the return to Apple’s full product line soft board supply chain, we predict that Jialianyi’s Apple business revenue will grow by about 100% YoY or above in 2021 […] “Jialianyi is expected to obtain about 40-50% of orders for battery soft boards for iPhone 13 and 13 mini. We predict that iPhone 13 will be the first iPhone model to adopt battery soft board technology, which will help save internal space and reduce costs. “The battery soft and hard version suppliers for the iPhone 12 series include Xinxing, Huatong, Yaohua and TTM, and the battery soft board suppliers for the iPhone 13 series are changed to Jialianyi, Xinxing and Huatong. “We believe that the number of battery panels for the iPhone 13 series is reduced due to the reduced number of suppliers, which will benefit the long-term profits of the suppliers. As a new entrant, Jialianyi is the biggest beneficiary of the iPhone 13 series’ switch to battery soft board design.”
These new batteries have fewer layers than other batteries, meaning that Apple could give its future devices more capacity while using less space. Another option is that we may get a slimmer design.
“The 2021 iPhone display may use 10-20% less power than the iPhone 12, thanks to a more power-efficient technology, according to a new report today. There’s even an outside possibility of some kind of always-on display on next year’s iPhones.”
We just hope they figure out how to give enough juice to the new iPhone 13. We know that it currently struggles with 5G connectivity, and we also expect the new iPhone lineup to include 120Hz refresh rate displays in the higher-end variants.
Apple announced its new macOS Big Sur back in June, and since then, it has been evolving until its final version, which has just been released today. The new OS comes with a new design and new apps, including the Messages updates that we saw in iOS 14, but that’s not everything we are getting.
The new macOS Big Sur includes depth shading and translucency, reducing visual complexity to focus on content and new symbols. Further, the buttons only appear when you need them and hide when you don’t. We also get a new unified space for notifications and widgets and new sounds and consistency between iOS and macOS icons.
Apple has also added a redesigned photo picker to make sharing pictures and videos easier. It allows users to create Memoji on a Mac and introduces message effects such as balloons and confetti. Users will also have the ability to pin conversations that are synced across all devices. The Map app has also received a new design and several new features, which let users create a custom guide for specific landmarks, see a 360-degree image of any place with Look Around, and check indoor maps for places like shopping malls and airports.
Apple is also introducing changes to Safari to make it faster and more battery efficient, and we also get a new start page that can be customized with wallpapers. Photos is getting a better Retouch tool, and the Apple Music For You section has now been replaced by the Listen Now section. However, there are things you have to consider before upgrading. Some important apps like Final Cut haven’t been updated to work with macOS Big Sur, so proceed with caution.
Now, Microsoft has released a new version of its Mac Office 2019 software, including support for macOS Big Sir and compatibility with Apple Silicon devices. “The first launch of each Office app will take longer as the operating system has to generate optimized code for the Apple Silicon processor. Users will notice that the apps’ bounce’ in the dock for approximately 20 seconds while this process completes. Subsequent app launches will be fast.”
Microsoft is also advising its users to install the November 2020 release (build 16.43), or later, which includes the latest optimizations for macOS 11 Big Sur, which wouldn’t be a problem considering that the new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini are expected to arrive on November 17. Still, there’s evidence from UPS showing that some of these MacBook Air orders are already ‘in transit’, meaning that they could arrive sooner.
Apple has today unleashed its latest MacBooks powered by its in-house M1 chip. Not much has changed when it comes to the design, as the key upgrades are all under the hood. Apple has made bold promises regarding the performance gain offered by its M1-powered MacBook Air and how it opens a new world of software experience by allowing it to run iPhone and iPad apps natively. The decision to switch from Intel to in-house silicon is a big one, and we are eagerly waiting to know how real-world performance turns out. If you’re excited to know about the new MacBook Air, here’s everything we know about it.
New MacBook Air, same old design
Goodbye, fans!
The new MacBook Air is based on the M1 chip looks identical to its Intel-powered predecessor, comes in the same three colors (silver, space gray and gold), and even has matching dimensions and weight. However, a big change is that the new MacBook Air has a fanless design, which definitely raises some questions regarding thermal management. The Intel-powered 2020 MacBook Air had some well-documented noisy fan and overheating issues, so it would be interesting to see how the new MacBook Air fares under stress.
A slightly better display
The new MacBook Air features a 13.3-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels that translates to a pixel density of 227 pixels-per-inch, while the brightness output stands at 400 nits. The aforementioned figures are the same as the Intel-powered MacBook Air that was launched earlier this year, but there is a difference.
The Retina display on the M1 chip-powered MacBook air supports the wider P3 color gamut, while its predecessor is limited to the sRGB color palette. Apple notes that the P3 color gamut paves the way for “wide color results in an even more vibrant, true-to-life Retina display.”
Older battery, but it lasts longer
Apple’s latest MacBook Air packs a 49.9Wh battery that is claimed to last up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing and a maximum 18 hours of video playback. The bundled USB C power adapter is rated at 30W. Apple has used the same battery and charger as the Intel-powered MacBook Air launched earlier this year, but the M1 chip has helped increase the battery life from 11 hours to 15 hours of web browsing and an additional 6 hours of movie watching, up from the rated 12-hour longevity of its predecessor.
Internal upgrades on the latest MacBook Air
There are two USB Type-C Thunderbolt ports that support USB 4 standard, an upgrade over its predecessor. There is a 3.5mm headphone/mic combo hack as well. Authentication is handled by the Touch ID fingerprint sensor that is now backed by a secure enclave. Plus, the new Apple offering now supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard too, promising a better wireless internet connectivity experience, while Bluetooth 5.0 handles accessory pairing.
A brand new chip
As mentioned above, Apple has armed the new MacBook Air with the in-house M1 chip. Based on the 5nm process, Apple’s silicon has 16 billion transistors – the highest number Apple has ever packed inside a single chip. Just like a mobile SoC, Apple has integrated all components such as GPU, memory, and Neural Engine on a single package. Doing so has also helped reduce the stress from the battery, ensuring a drastic improvement in battery longevity compared to the latest Intel-powered MacBook Air.
Coming to the M1 chip, it has an octa-core design that includes four performance cores and four efficiency cores. Apple touts a CPU performance gain of 3.5x compared to a MacBook Air powered by Intel’s Core-i7 processor. Plus, it is also significantly more power-efficient. Apple says the M1 chip offers 3x CPU performance per watt, while the graphics performance gain stands at 2X, courtesy of the new 8-core integrated GPU.
Talking about the GPU, Apple is calling it the “world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer,” one that matches the performance of a comparable system while consuming just 33% of the power. As for the new 16-core Neural Engine, Apple is claiming a 15X boost in Machine Learning performance.
Talking about real-world performance, Apple has shared the following details about the M1-based MacBook Air compared to its Intel-powered predecessor:
Export a project for the web with iMovie up to 3x faster.
Integrate 3D effects into video in Final Cut Pro up to 5x faster.
For the first time, play back and edit multiple streams of full-quality, 4K ProRes video in Final Cut Pro without dropping a frame.
Export photos from Lightroom up to twice as fast.
Use ML-based features like Smart Conform in Final Cut Pro to intelligently frame a clip up to 4.3x faster.
Watch more movies and TV shows with up to 18 hours of battery life, the longest ever on MacBook Air.
Extend FaceTime and other video calls for up to twice as long on a single charge.
How much you pay for the updated MacBook Air?
Coming to the heart of the device, Apple is offering the MacBook Air in two configurations with the same M1 processor, but with a different GPU and storage space. Here’s how the two configurations differ:
Entry-level MacBook Air
Higher-end MacBook AIr
8-core Apple M1 chip
8-core Apple M1 chip
7-core GPU
8-core GPU
8GB / 16GB RAM
8GB / 16GB RAM
256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD
512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD
Starts at $999
Starts at $1,249
Apple will charge you an additional $200 to double the amount of RAM (or unified memory in the company’s words) from 8GB to 16GB. Talking about the storage, going from 256GB to 512GB SSD on the entry-level MacBook Air will cost you $200, while the jump to 1TB SSD will cost you an extra $400. On the top-end MacBook Air model, you pay an extra $200 to go from 512GB to 1TB storage, while the 2TB model will ask you to pay a premium of $600.
Apple will also ship the MacBook Air with Final Cut Pro X pre-installed on it for an additional $299,99, while the bundle with Logic Pro X will cost you an extra $199.99. But if you are a student, Apple will offer the Pro Apps Bundle for Education for just $199.99 that offers Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, Compressor 4, Logic Pro X and MainStage pre-installed on the machine. Also, the RAM and storage upgrades will cost you less for purchases made under the education program.
For buyers in India, the latest Apple offering starts at Rs. 92,900, while the starting price for students under the education program has been set at Rs. 83,610. As for color options, you can choose between silver, space gray and gold trims. The new MacBook Air is now up for pre-orders and will start shipping next week.
The software side
The new MacBook Air will ship running macOS Big Sur, the latest version of Apple’s Mac operating system. But thanks to the new M1-chip, Apple is also offering a few additional software upgrades such as hardware‑verified secure boot, automatic high‑performance encryption for all your files, instant wake, snappier animations, and quicker load times.
The biggest change, however, is the ability to run iPhone and iPad apps directly on the MacBook Air, thanks to the shared architecture. Apple adds that all Mac software is now Universal, which means it runs natively on the M1-powered machie.
As for existing apps that are yet to be updated to the Universal standard, they will also run seamlessly by taking advantage of the Rosetta technology. Talking about support from third-party developers, Apple mentioned during the presentation that Lightroom will be updated next month, while Adobe Photoshop will receive the same treatment early in 2021.
Ever since HMD Global took control of the Nokia smartphone brand, we have seen and received some pleasant surprises. We first saw the Nokia 3310 reboot back in 2017, and the 8110, aka the banana phone or the Matrix phone, back in 2018. Still, it seems that HMD is also working on bringing back the 6300 and the 8000 series of Nokia phones.
The first rumors concerning the Nokia 6300 and the 8000 series showed up around a week ago. These rumors suggested that the new phones would arrive with 4G connectivity, and they would be powered by KaiOS, which means that they won’t necessarily be smartphones. The 8000 4G would be based on the Nokia 8800, which would give us a 2.8-inch display with color options that include a golden variant, in addition to a black, blue, and white version.
The new design of the Nokia 8000 4G looks more like a featurephone with some premium touches that include curved sides and a glossy finish, but now slide-out keyboard cover. It will support Apps like WhatsApp and Facebook, and it seems that we may also get a dual-SIM version as well. It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, and it will include 512GB RAM, 4GB storage, which can be expanded via microSD card.
Rumors also claim that we will get a 1,500 mAh battery that users can easily replace, but unfortunately, it will charge with a micro-USB port. It’s also going to include a 2MP camera, which isn’t as premium as we’d like.
HMD is also rumored to be working on a new Nokia 6300 4G. This device would come with the same specs as the 8000 4g, but the main difference between these phones could be the 6300’s smaller 2.4-inch display. We can believe that HMD is working to give us more devices inspired by some of the best Nokia phones we all grew to love. In a recent video Michael Fischer, aka Mr. Mobile, showed us a non-working prototype of the revised Nokia N95 that, unfortunately, will never hit the shelves.
We could say that LG has been absent from the flagship segment for some months now. The company decided to kill off its G-series to make room for a new high-end midranger that we now know as the LG Velvet. However, it seems that the company is now ready to give us a new flagship, along with a new device that will feature a rollable display.
According to recent reports from The Elec, LG is focusing on two phone projects for 2021, Rainbow and B Project. Rainbow is expected to be a classic flagship, the next device in the V-series, while the B Project is supposed to be a new smartphone with a rollable screen. The B project is also part of LG’s explorer project, which was the one responsible for giving is the recently launched Wing, which means that we will most likely receive new phones with interesting designs.
“Meanwhile, LG will produce strategically important models on its own next year. Its next flagship phone, codenamed Rainbow, and its rollable smartphones, codenamed B Project, will be produced by LG itself.
“Rainbow will be launched within the first quarter of 2021. B Project will launch in March of 2021.
“Rainbow will likely be level in specs to LG’s V series. The company last launched the V60 ThinQ 5G in the US in March. It used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 __ LG Velvet had used the Snapdragon 765.”
LG’s rollable phone is expected to have part of its screen rolled up to make it more compact when not in use. It would then roll out to give us a larger screen area. The company already teased this device at the end of the announcement of the Wing, and we are expecting to get it in March. However, Rainbow, the new phone of the V-series, could arrive with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 in the first quarter of 2021. The Elec also reports that LG is expecting to ship around 26 million smartphones this year, with more than 30 million shipments in sight for 2021.
It seems that the ongoing pandemic hasn’t affected Apple sales as much as expected earlier this year. The company has recently reported its earnings for the fourth quarter of the 2020 fiscal year, which includes a $9 billion Mac revenue that has established a new quarterly record. These numbers also helped the company reach a whopping $28.9 billion in Mac revenue this year.
Apple has recently presented its annual Form 10-K report in the US Securities and Exchange Commission. This report shows that Apple has managed to increase Mac sales in fiscal 2020, compared to the previous year, and all of this was thanks to the increase in MacBook Pro sales.
Let’s remember that Cupertino introduced a new 16-inch MacBook Pro in the first quarter of its 2020 fiscal year. Some months passed, and then we saw Apple introduce a 13-inch MacBook Pro refresh during the third quarter of its fiscal year. They both included faster, more powerful Intel processors and a Magic Keyboard that didn’t give as many problems as the butterfly keyboard in previous models.
The new MacBook Air also received amazing customer response during the back to school season, according to Apple’s financial chief Luca Maestri. It seems that working and studying from home helped both Macs and iPads to record strong sales since the ongoing pandemic has forced millions of people to stay home to avoid possible infections. Apple also mentioned that its products outside of the iPhone grew 30 percent during the last quarter. More details of Apple’s latest Form 10-K report can be found by following this link, or you can simply take a look at the ones mentioned below since they include important information.
As of September 26, 2020, Apple had approximately 147,000 full-time equivalent employees, an increase of 10,000 employees from one year prior.
Apple spent $18.75 billion on research and development in the 2020 fiscal year, up approximately 16 percent from $16.21 billion in the 2019 fiscal year. Apple said this increase was primarily due to “headcount-related expenses.”
Apple spent $2.95 billion on warranty claims in the 2020 fiscal year, down approximately 23 percent from $3.85 billion in the 2019 fiscal year.
Amid mounting scrutiny over its App Store practices, Apple acknowledged that if the commission it collects on certain purchases were to decline, the company’s financial results could be “materially adversely affected.”
The iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max are still a week away from start pre-orders. Still, Romanian tech journalist George Buhnici posted a hands-on video where he compares the smaller iPhone 12 mini to the already available iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.
We don’t know how, but a tech journalist in Romania managed to get his hands on a new iPhone 12 mini a couple of weeks before the device hits the shelves. He then made a video giving out important details of Apple’s new budget-minded iPhone 12 mini, where he also compared it to the 6.1 iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. Unfortunately, the video is now private, and other video sources have been taken down due to copyright claims conducted by @gbuhnici, but if you go to YouTube, you may still be able to get lucky and find the video.
Buhnici shows us the device that measures 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm and has a total weight of 135 grams, which makes it a device that’s very easy to use with one hand. Smaller doesn’t mean less powerful, as we find Apple’s latest A14 chipset under the hood, even though we would’ve wished for more RAM and maybe a battery that may be able to put up with the strain 5G is causing on Apple’s new lineup. The phone is significantly smaller than the devices with a 6.1-inch display, and also smaller than last year’s iPhone 11, but it is almost similar in size to the iPhone SE 2020, but the second one is 7mm shorter, 3mm narrower.
Earlier reports suggested that the iPhone 12 mini may not be Apple’s best selling iPhone, as people wouldn’t want to settle for a device with a 5.4-inch display, even though this device is the least expensive variant, priced at just $729. However, it seems that predictions have also been a bit off since the iPhone 12 Pro seems to be getting more attention, instead of the vanilla iPhone 12, which was expected to sell more than the other variants.
It seems that things aren’t going so great over at OnePlus. The company has recently launched a couple of new budget-friendly Nord devices and its OnePlus 8T, but at the same time, the company saw how one of its founders decided to leave. Now, a new report claims that the OnePlus Watch could also be delayed, with no possible launch date in sight.
OnePlus may have some serious issues in its hands. It was rumored that the company was going to launch its new OnePlus Watch sometime this month, but instead, we received the OnePlus 8T, without a Pro version and two new OnePlus Nord devices made their way to the United States and Europe just yesterday. However, according to Max Jambor’s information over at Voice, the OnePlus Watch announcement has been postponed with any new date. There are no official reasons behind this delay, but it may end up being caused by complications with production or software development.
Now, it is also said that OnePlus had already started sending out engineering samples to telecom agencies earlier this summer, but we haven’t seen any of these devices leaked. As far as design goes, it is believed that the OnePlus Watch was going to arrive with a circular display, instead of the square display found in the OPPO Watch, which also looks very similar to the Apple Watch design.
“In a tweet, Max J teases in his usual cryptic style that the OnePlus “Wotch” will be using a circular design. While round shapes are actually pretty typical of smartwatches paired with Android smartphones, this news actually comes as a bit of a surprise.”
Maybe OnePlus decided to take a different design direction to avoid more US customs issues, as the company’s OnePlus Buds already faced some issues because they look almost identical to Apple’s AirPods.
According to a new Apple support document, the new MagSafe Charger isn’t as great as Apple had expected. First, this wireless charger may cause the case of your iPhone 12 to show circular imprints from the contact when placed on the charger. Now, the guys over at MacRumors already have posted a photo of this circular imprint on an Apple Silicone case thanks to one of its readers, but it seems that leather cases could be affected even more by these markings.
Apple’s support document gives the following information:
Apple says users should not place credit cards, security badges, passports, or key fobs between the iPhone and MagSafe Charger, because this might damage magnetic strips or RFID chips in those items.
Apple says that if an iPhone’s battery gets too warm while charging with MagSafe, software might limit charging above 80 percent.
If an iPhone has both a MagSafe Charger attached and a Lightning cable plugged in, charging will occur via Lightning only.
To clean the MagSafe Charger, Apple says to first disconnect the charger from power and brush off any debris from the metal ring. Then, Apple says to use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth to wipe the silicone middle of the charging area. Apple says window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide should not be used.
To make matters worse, it seems that it will only charge iPhone 12 models properly with up to 15W. MagSafe wireless chargers don’t seem to work well with older iPhone models, as the guys over at MacRumors did a couple of tests to show that this charger would only deliver 13 percent charge to the iPhone XS Max in 30 minutes, which is less than the 25 percent charge delivered by a 7.5W Qi charger in the same time.
In other words, if you’re getting an iPhone 12, just get the 20W fast charger, and don’t spend $39 on a MagSafe charger if you don’t want circular markings on your case, and if you have an older iPhone model, you’re better off getting a regular Qi wireless charger.
OnePlus Nord marked the company’s re-entry to the mid-range segment. Now, the company is tipped to launch two more smartphones, which are tipped to make their way to the United States. The OnePlus Nord N10 5G and N100 could debut in the US market on October 26, that is, tomorrow. Ahead of the rumored launch, specifications of both smartphones have leaked online.
According to a report from 91Mobiles, the OnePlus Nord N100 will feature a 6.52-inch HD+ display, and come equipped with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 chipset. Further, it is expected to run on the Android 11-based OxygenOS out of the box.
The smartphone might pack a 5,000mAh battery and stereo speakers. It is said to sport triple rear cameras that consist of a 13MP primary sensor and a pair of 2MP sensors. On the front may lie an 8MP selfie shooter. The Nord N100 could be made available for around 199 Euros. It might be made available by November 10.
On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G is said to feature a 6.49-inch FHD+ display with support for a 90Hz refresh rate. It is tipped to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 SoC, which is a mid-range 5G chipset.
On the optics front, the device could sport a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and two 2MP shooters. As per the leak, it will pack a 4,300mAh battery and have room for a 3.5mm headphone jack. Earlier rumors have claimed that the company will be targeting a price tag under the $400 mark with the OnePlus Nord N10.
It seems that Huawei is getting ready to compete against the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and the Motorola RAZR. The Chinese tech giant filed a foldable phone patent with a clamshell design back in April, and it looks a bit familiar.
We are still waiting to see the successor of the Mate Xs. Still, it seems that Huawei is more interested in delivering a new device that can go against the other foldable phones in the market that features a clamshell design. New patents found at the China National Intellectual Property Office shows what could be one of Huawei’s future foldable phones.
The device may look like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip at first glance, but this phone would have a major advantage, as its design shows a large external display. This means that this phone could be able to give its users more than just a couple of notifications at the same time, and since it’s placed on the same back panel as the dual camera module, we can also expect it to help while taking selfies.
It’s also a safe guess that this dual camera will also serve as the phone’s main camera, as there are no other cameras found in these images. This could also mean that we could get some awesome selfies with this device, as Huawei phones are well-known for packing good cameras. We don’t know if this device will have a small gap between both halves when closed, as we don’t get an image to illustrate the phone’s appearance closed from the side.
However, we must also remember that this is just a patent, and nobody can confirm that Huawei is indeed working on a foldable phone with a clamshell design. The only thing that’s certain right now is that Huawei has recently launched its latest flagship, the Mate 40 series, and it looks rather interesting.
We keep getting more information concerning Apple’s AirTags. Now we get some information that could help understand possible applications for these devices and include some illustrations that explain how they would work.
We have received some rather interesting information that details the use of the upcoming AirTags. The guys over at Patently Apple found what is taken as a “master patent application from Apple, regarding their future Airtags product” at the US Patent & Trademark Office. This patent mentions more than just two size options, which were previously mentioned by leaker L0vetodream, and it also makes us believe that Apple has great plans for them in the future.
“Apple’s invention is about AirTags, a small, battery-powered tag, puck, or other object of convenient size and shape, that can be physically and/or geographically located using wireless communications systems and techniques. For example, a tag may include an antenna that emits a wireless signal or beacon that is detectable by another electronic device such as an iPhone.
“The tag may include a battery, sensors, a wireless communication system, and one or more output devices that can produce audible and/or haptic outputs. Localization functions may be provided by the wireless communication system, and in particular, by the tag sending wireless signals to other devices (e.g., smartphones, tablet computers, etc.) that analyze the wireless signals to determine the distance, position, location, and/or orientation of the tag with a high degree of accuracy.”
AirTags would also be used in different modes, including a “normal operation mode” that would conserve power and establish momentary or internment communications with other devices to confirm the tag’s location. A “lost mode” would be triggered if there’s an unexpected loss of communication between the tag and one or more devices, which may indicate that the device is not close to the user.
Images also show that the AirTags would also be used on a user body to monitor posture and track full-body motion, which would help control a game or record movement during a workout. Whatever the case, we will still have to wait for the new AirTags to launch, and rumors suggest that they may arrive in a rumored Apple event that may take place on November 17.
Another year, another Porsche Design smartphone from HUAWEI. This time, the Chinese smartphone maker gave the luxurious redesign treatment to a HUAWEI Mate 40 series member and is calling its latest creation the Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate 40 RS. As you can already see in the images, the high-end HUAWEI offering takes some aesthetic cues from sports cars and employs ceramic for its rear panel. HUAWEI has also packed five lenses inside the camera bump which has a unique octagonal outline with rounded corners.
Need one? Get ready to shell out €2,295!
As far as internal hardware goes, it is almost identical to the HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro+, save for the fact that it doubles the amount of onboard storage to 512GB. Over at the front, the Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate 40 RS offers a 90Hz 6.76-inch (2772×1344 pixels) flexible OLED panel that bends 88-degrees alongside the edges, a design element HUAWEI calls Horizon Display. There are physical power and volume buttons on the right edge, but users can control volume and brightness using capacitive controls alongside the left edge as well.
Coming to the imaging hardware, you get an optically stabilized 50MP (f/1.9) primary camera, sitting alongside a 20MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 3D depth sensor as well. There are two telephoto cameras as well – 12MP (3x Optical Zoom, f/2.4) and 8MP (10x Optical Zoom, f/4.4) – both of which are backed by OIS. Selfies are handled by a 13MP (f/2.4) camera accompanied by a 3D depth camera. The front camera can automatically adjust its field of view (FoV) depending upon the number of faces in a frame, and can also record 240fps slo-mo videos.
The Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate 40 RS draws power from the same 5nm Kirin 9000 processor that powers the rest of its siblings, ticking alongside 12GB of RAM. You can read more about the Kirin 9000 chip in our coverage of the HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro here. A 4,400mAh battery keeps the lights on, and it supports 66W fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging as well. Authentication is handled by an in-display fingerprint sensor as well as 3D face unlock. The phone runs EMUI 11 (based on Android 10) and lacks access to essential Google services such as Play Store, Gmail, and Maps to name a few. Instead, it relies on the in-house AppGallery based on HMS (HUAWEI Mobile Services) core.
Pre-orders for the latest iPhone 12 and 12 Pro started last Friday, and they are scheduled to be delivered this upcoming Friday. However, we have seen a couple of these devices in action. As a matter of fact, the latest video features a teardown of the new iPhone 12 to show us everything that’s coming included inside this new device.
A new teardown video of the iPhone 12 is now live. This video shows us that there are a few important differences between the latest iPhone lineup and its predecessor. The new device has an L-shaped logic board, which resembles a previous leak, even though it’s not identical, meaning that the previously leaked logic board may be from another iPhone 12 variant.
This new logic board is longer than the one found in the iPhone 11 series, and its new shape also differs from the previous straight design. We also find a 2,815mAh battery, which confirms that the iPhone 11 has a higher capacity, with a 3,110mAh battery. Now, that won’t seem to be a real issue here, as the latest Apple A14 Bionic chip is supposed to be more power-efficient.
The reason behind the smaller battery could be because of the extra space required for 5G components, and here’s where we find the issue, as 5G drains the iPhone’s battery 20 percent faster than when it’s working on 4G networks. This information was provided by the guys at Tom’s Guide, as they performed battery tests on their iPhone 12 devices, with results that weren’t great.
“Compared to the Android competition, Apple’s new phones are a step behind those devices on our best phone battery life list, especially over 5G networks. Overall, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro battery life is a bummer over 5G, at least when surfing the web. So you may want to manually switch to 4G in some cases to save extra juice”
So, in the end, this may be the real reason why Apple included the new “Smart Data Mode” in the new iPhone 12 and 12 Pro, as this new model will automatically turn off 5G to keep your battery from dying faster than it would on 4G networks. Remember that you can also choose to manually turn off 5G on your new iPhone to boost battery life.
It seems that the new Apple Watch SE is the hottest smartwatch on the market, literally. The latest, more affordable version of the Apple Watch is said to be presenting overheating issues after some hours of usage, and it seems that the problems don’t stop there.
Several Apple Watch SE owners have started to report issues with their devices. These complaints have reached Reddit posts from South Korea, where at least six users say that their smartwatches have overheated and then stopped to work correctly. The watches have also shown a yellow spot on the upper right corner of their displays. Some users claim that the issues started appearing while they were wearing the Apple Watch SE, while others say that it started to overheat while charging, and it later presented the display issue.
“The owner received the product on October 8. The owner slept with the watch on the wrist on October 9 night. Woke up on October 10 just to find the wrist is very hot. The owner quickly took off the watch to find the red wrist due to heat. No power signals from the watch, but the sound plays well when the watch is searched with the Find my Watch feature. The owner exchanged the device with a new product on October 16.”
There is no clue as to what may be causing this issue since there hasn’t been a teardown of the Apple Watch SE, but it is believed that the problem could be the display connectors near the Taptic Engine if this Apple Watch has a similar design to prior models. Also, it is not clear as to why this issue seems to be limited to South Korea, as there haven’t been any reports found elsewhere. In other words, this problem may be limited to a specific Apple Watch SE batch manufactured in a particular area, which was then shipped to Korea. However, we will be on the lookout for further reports on social media networks and Apple Support Communities.
With the launch of the Mi TV 4A series in 2018, Xiaomi saw immense success in the smart TV space in India. The affordable smart TV lineup helped Xiaomi acquire a good percentage of the smart TV market in the country. Now, it has refreshed the lineup with the launch of Horizon Edition TVs that bring slim bezels, Vivid Picture Engine, Mi Quick Wake, and more features to the range. I’ve been using the Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition 43-inch TV for two weeks and here’s our review of the same.
Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition review: Build and Design
The first thing that you’ll notice about the TV is its weight. It’s on the lighter side at 6.65 KG and is easy to pull out of the box and set up on your own. The TV as well as the legs are made out of plastic that helps minimize the weight. I found it fairly easy to screw the legs as the screws remain slightly tilted in their position. While you might find it wobbling a little while setting up, the legs are solid, and once set up, it won’t topple.
Notably, you don’t get a wall mount in the box. So if you want it to be mounted, you’ll have to contact Mi and purchase a wall mount separately. All the ports reside on the rear left side of the TV. For connectivity, you get three HDMI ports (one with ARC support), two USB-A ports, an Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm audio output. They are fairly easy to reach and I had no hiccups while setting up my PS4.
Coming to wireless options, the Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition supports Bluetooth 4.2/BLE and 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. You miss out on dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity. That said, I didn’t face any difficulties connecting to the network. It must be noted that I set it up 10 meters away from my router. Hence, I didn’t experience buffering or lags while streaming content.
Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition review: How’s the display?
On the front lies a display surrounded by slim bezels helping it achieve a 95 percent screen-to-body ratio that adds to the immersive experience. It is definitely a 2020-ish design. The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition features a 43-inch LED panel that supports a full HD+ (1920 x 1080) resolution with a 178-degree viewing angle. Moreover, it comes equipped with a Vivid Picture Engine (VPE), which helps deliver vibrant colors and deeper contrasts.
Xiaomi offers various preset modes to tweak the picture quality. The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition includes Standard, Movies, Vivid, Sports, and Custom modes. I was happy with the Standard mode, but Sports definitely helps while watching cricket matches. As for Custom, it lets you adjust the brightness, contrast saturation, sharpness, and hue to your taste. You don’t really need to fiddle with the settings much as the Standard mode is enough for regular content. However, while watching the IPL matches I noticed that the green field was more saturated than it should be, and the contrast was unpleasant at times.
Overall, it is a good display for the price, and you can tune it to your liking.
The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition also supports a dynamic backlit option that allows you to adjust the display intensity to make darks appear darker. It helps if you are watching movies like The Dark Knight or a TV show with dark visuals in general. Plus, it isn’t reflective as the display sports an anti-reflective coating. So you need not worry about seeing your reflection in the TV instead of the dark sequel.
That said, I enjoyed watching The Office – which has a light tone – on this display. I sat either in front of the TV or within a range of 120-degrees and didn’t notice any color shift. Hence, it has good viewing angles as well.
Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition review: Is the audio good?
The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition comes equipped with two speakers of 10W each. They support DTS-HD technology as well. You can choose between preset modes like Standard, News, Movie, Game and Custom. It also features a digital noise reduction (DNR) feature to remove noise from the signal, which helps if you’re using a set top box. The audio is definitely room-filling, but the clarity is average.
You are likely to be satisfied with the audio if you are watching regular web series. But if you are someone who is purchasing this TV to watch action movies, I’d suggest you invest in a soundbar as well. Plus, audio sounds muffled at times while playing games on the PS4.
Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition review: What about the UI?
Coming to the user interface, this TV runs Android TV OS 9 out of the box. Plus, it has Xiaomi’s proprietary PatchWall interface baked in. You can quickly switch between the Android TV interface and PatchWall UI. While Android TV OS lets you access and downloads a number of Android apps the PatchWall UI is more content-oriented.
While Android TV OS lets you access and downloads a number of Android apps the PatchWall UI is more content-oriented.
I like the out of the box UI as well as the PatchWall interface, but I prefer the latter, and it’s mostly because it displays the popular card on top. Hence, I was just a click away from watching the IPL match that was currently live. Further, this UI supports set-up boxes and seamlessly integrates content from both DTH service as well as OTT apps. Plus, if you have something connected to one of the ports, it is fairly easy to access from PatchWall UI.
The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition comes pre-loaded with popular OTT platforms including Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and more. Moreover, you get integrated Google Chromecast so you can stream content via your smartphone.
There is also a Universal Search feature that searches for content across all OTT apps. You can also press the Google Assistant button on the remote and open the app you want to access. However, it doesn’t recognize the exact content. For instance, I said, “Play IPL match” and it opened YouTube.
Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition review: Remote and Power
The remote follows a minimalistic approach like most other smart TVs. It comes with a power button, navigation wheel, home, back, Google Assistant, Mi button for PatchWall, home button, and volume buttons.
I missed the mute button on the remote.
Moreover, you get Netflix and Prime Video hotkeys as well, but a mute button is missing. Notably, the home button always takes you to the Android TV OS even if you were on PatchWall UI previously. Overall, the remote is slim and easy to use, but I’d like the presence of a mute key.
The processing prowess on the Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition is managed by a 64-bit quad-core Amlogic Cortex-A53 processor with a Mali-450MP3 GPU, which is also present in most of the other Xiaomi TVs. Further, it comes equipped with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It helps run the TV smoothly.
I didn’t come across any major lags or hiccups. It is fairly responsive with apps opening within seconds and installing new apps from the Google Play Store. Plus, there’s Mi Quick Wake that lets you turn on the TV within 5 seconds after switching it off. Notably, it switches on with the home screen and doesn’t resume playing content where you left off.
Verdict
Overall, the Xiaomi Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition is a good value for money. The display is vibrant, the colors are sharp. Plus, the slim bezels make it all more immersive. It is responsive, and PatchWall UI makes it easier to use.
The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition is an easy recommendation.
It is priced at INR 13,499 for the 32-inch variant and goes up to INR 22,999 for the 43-inch model. The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition is an easy recommendation at this price.
The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition features a 43-inch LED panel that supports a full HD+ (1920 x 1080) resolution with a 178-degree viewing angle. Moreover, it comes equipped with a Vivid Picture Engine (VPE), which helps deliver vibrant colors and deeper contrasts.
