Quick Shots-167

Xiaomi 12 Ultra to run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ chipset

The famous Chinese tipster on Weibo, Digital Chat Station has revealed that the upcoming Xiaomi 12 Ultra smartphone will run on a still-unannounced Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+. Given that the Plus variants of Qualcomm’s flagship SoCs are usually announced in H2, we probably shouldn’t expect the Xiaomi 12 Ultra before the end of Q3 2022.

The device with the corresponding model number has popped up on the radar with an unnamed Qualcomm SM8475 SoC. And since the current non-Plus SD 8 Gen 1 chip carries the model number SM8450, it’s safe to assume that this is indeed the Plus variant.

Rumor has it, Qualcomm’s future Plus model will be manufactured on TSMC’s 4nm process instead of Samsung’s, which the current Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is based on.

From Gsmarena

Apple will reportedly debut an M2 chip with four new Macs this year

Apple is reportedly gearing up to release several new Macs with an M2 chip later this year, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter. Gurman expects the company to debut a 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, 24-inch iMac, and a redesigned MacBook Air, all outfitted with the rumored M2 chip.

Apple hasn’t offered any hints about the potential M2 chip, but Gurman thinks its CPU will be slightly faster than the M1’s, and that it will share the same eight-core architecture. Its graphics cores, however, may jump from seven or eight to nine or 10. Come 2023, Gurman thinks Apple may release Pro and Max versions of the M2 chip — just like it did for the M1 chip — as well as announce an M3 chip.

It’s been well over a year since Apple first announced its very first in-house M1 chip in November 2020, and several months since its M1 Pro and M1 Max debut. As Apple continues to distance itself from Intel silicon, it has a few other Macs on tap that are likely meant to shove any remaining Intel-powered devices out of its lineup. Gurman expects a larger iMac Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max chip options to replace its current 27-inch iMac Pro, along with a smaller Mac Pro that comes “with the equivalent of either two or four M1 Max chips.” And while the Mac Mini already comes with an M1 chip, Gurman expects it to get an upgraded M1 Pro option (in addition to an M2 variation).

As far as a timeline goes, Gurman says Apple will release new Macs in March, and then again in May or June. Apple is already tipped to reveal a 5G iPhone SE, 5G iPad Air, and potentially one new Mac at a rumored March 8th event. It’s also set to roll out iOS 15.4, which comes with a face mask-friendly Face ID, in March as well. An iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 aren’t expected until later this year.

From The Verge

Realme Book Prime incoming in April

Realme joined the laptop smart with the Realme Book last year, and at the beginning of 2022, it launched a notebook called Realme Book Enhanced Edition. It is currently available only in China, but reports are it will hit global markets in April.

The Enhanced Edition, as the name suggests, is an upgrade over the Realme Book (sold as Book Slim in India). It has a higher TDP CPU Intel i5-11320H 11th gen processor, and because of the extra heat, it also has improved dual-fan cooling system. Multi-core performance is up by 20%, while single-thread is around 10%, Realme reported during the launch.

The Realme Book Enhanced Edition is sold in only one version with its i5 processor, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. The price in China is CNY4,700, which is around ($740/€655/INR55,000).

From Gsmarena

vivo V23e 5G launches in India for INR 25,990

After debuting in Malaysia back in November vivo’s V23e 5G is now making its way to India. The phone comes in a single 8GB RAM and 128GB storage configuration which retails for INR 25,990 ($350). You can choose between Midnight Blue and Sunshine Gold colors. Open sales are already underway on vivo’s website and partnering retailers.

V23e 5G comes with a 6.44-inch AMOLED with FHD+ resolution and a standard 60Hz refresh rate. There’s a 44MP selfie cam tucked in the watertdrop notch which can also record up to 4K video. The back brings a 50MP main shooter alongside an 8MP ultrawide snapper and a 2MP macro cam.

MediaTek’s Dimensity 810 5G sits at the helm while the software front is covered by Funtouch OS 12 based on Android 12. The phone also comes with a 4,500 mAh battery and 44W charging.

From Gsmarena

Samsung announces Galaxy Tab S8 pricing for India

Samsung announced the Galaxy S22 pricing for India last week and we thought we might see the prices for the new Tab S8 slates at the same event, but no – the company kept that information under wraps until now.

The three tablets will go on pre-order tomorrow, February 22, open sales will begin on March 10 (over two weeks from now). Those who pre-order during that time on Samsung.com and authorized Samsung partners will get a free Keyboard Cover worth ₹23,000.

Additionally, Samsung is offering cashback deals – ₹7,000 for the Galaxy Tab S8, ₹8,000 for the Tab S8+ and ₹10,000 for the Tab S8 Ultra. There are also no cost EMI options if you don’t have the cash upfront.

	Storage	Wi-Fi	5G
Galaxy Tab S8	8/128 GB	₹59,000	₹71,000
Galaxy Tab S8+	8/128 GB	₹75,000	₹88,000
Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra	12/256 GB	₹109,000	₹123,000

The Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ can be had in Graphite, Silver and Pink Gold while the Tab S8 Ultra will arrive only in Graphite (this is the same color palette that is available globally).

From Gsmarena

OnePlus 10 Pro Extreme Edition makes the company’s best phone even better

The OnePlus 10 Pro isn’t even out in most parts of the world yet, but a new version of it has now been unveiled in China, dubbed the OnePlus 10 Pro Extreme Edition.

Don’t get too excited though, because being extreme apparently just means coming in a new color and with more storage. This version of the phone comes in Panda White, and means that the OnePlus 10 Pro now retails in three different color options – black, green and white.

This white model has a ceramic finish and will sell in a single storage and memory combination, with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. That latter spec is notable, as until now the phone has only come with up to 256GB of storage.

But apart from the new color and extra storage, the OnePlus 10 Pro Extreme Edition doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The phone still comes with a 6.7-inch AMOLED QHD+ 120Hz display, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, and a 5,000mAh battery with 80W charging, just like the standard OnePlus 10 Pro.

The phone also still carries a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra-inspired camera module that houses a triple-lens camera setup.

The new variant will start retailing from March 1 onwards in China and is priced at CNY 5799 (around $915 / £670 / AU$1,270). For reference, the top model prior to this (which gives you half as much storage) costs CNY 5299 (roughly $835 / £615 / AU$1,160). So unsurprisingly the Extreme Edition is slightly more expensive.

From Techradar

Realme to introduce “World’s fastest smartphone charging” on February 28

Realme will attend the MWC in Barcelona, and we will see the GT2 series make their global debut. Today, we learned that there will be more to it, though – the brand will also bring the “world’s fastest smartphone charging”.

Realme’s previous fastest charging solution was the 125W UltraDart which was announced in 2021, but never made it to a commercially-available smartphone.

We do not know the actual speed of the new charger Realme will announce. Still, we expect it to be around 165W since nubia is preparing to reach those speeds with the upcoming Red Magic 7 Pro. We should also mention Infinix and its 160W charger we reviewed.

From Gsmarena

iPhone 14 Pro Design Reportedly Finalized As Suppliers Begin Trial Production

According to the report, Foxconn will manufacture the higher-end models of the iPhone 14, while Luxshare, another Apple supplier, will take on the two lower-end models. The report notes that Foxconn will begin OEM trial production of the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ to ensure it can produce the device to Apple’s standards in preparing for mass production later on in the year. From the report (machine translated):

Apple’s iPhone 14 has recently entered into trial production, and it is rumored Luxshare has not yet obtained the new product trial production into mass production service orders (NPI), and will not be able to OEM the best-selling, high-unit price, higher profit high-end iPhone 14, and may only get the basic iPhone 14 orders this year, becoming the second supplier.

After starting the trial production, the foundry has to collect data, correct abnormalities, evaluate the production process and the items that need to be improved, and assess whether the trial production is acceptable.

The ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ are expected to feature a significant redesign, invoking nostalgic design choices with the iPhone 4 and ‌iPhone‌ 5. ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max renders shared by Apple leaker Jon Prosser suggest a thicker overall chassis and no camera bump. Those same renders suggest circular volume buttons and a redesigned speaker grill.

From Macrumors

Oppo Pad design revealed, key specs leak

Ahead of Oppo’s big February 24 launch event where we’ll see the brand new Find X5 series we get an official look at the Oppo Pad which is also expected to launch at the event. Oppo’s first tablet is shown in grey and purple colors with both variants sporting a dual-tone back finish. There’s an interesting Oppo branding on the top half of the slate and we also get a look at the single rear camera.

The front of the Oppo Pad features symmetrical bezels as well as a look at the Oppo Pencil stylus. We can also spot a USB-C port on the bottom of the device as well as quad speakers with Dolby Atmos and a power button on the top side. Oppo’s teaser also hints at cross-device collaboration capabilities with other Oppo phones.

In the meantime leakster Digital Chat Station shared some more Oppo Pad leaked specs. These include a 10.95-inch LCD with 2560 x 1600px resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate as well as a Snapdragon 870 chipset and 8,360 mAh battery. The tablet is expected to feature an 8MP selfie cam and a 13MP shooter on the back. We’ll make sure to update you on any new Oppo Pad specs in the days leading up to the launch event.

From Gsmarena

Samsung tops global TV market for 16 years in a row

Samsung topped the global TV market once again in 2021. The company has achieved this feat for 16 years consecutively, which is extremely impressive. The achievement also shows that it has consistently innovated and satisfied consumers.

According to market research firm Omdia, Samsung’s global market share was 19.8% in 2021. More importantly, the South Korean firm’s value share was an impressive 29.5%. Over the past five years, Samsung has been trying to increase the sales of its premium TVs, and its QLED TV lineup has helped the company achieve its goals.

Since the launch of QLED TVs in 2017, Samsung has managed to ship 26 million units. According to Omdia’s report, the global TV leader shipped 9.43 million QLED TVs in 2021 alone. Here are Samsung’s yearly QLED TV sales numbers:

• 2017: 0.80 million
• 2018: 2.60 million
• 2019: 5.32 million
• 2020: 7.79 million
• 2021: 9.43 million

In the premium TV market space (above $2,500), Samsung’s value share was 44.5% in 2021. Thanks to the popularity of QLED TVs, the company has managed to maintain a market value share of more than 40% since 2019. In the ultra-large TV category (80-inch and above), the South Korean firm’s value share was 44.9%.

From Sammobile