Apple will reportedly revive the 15-inch MacBook in 2023
If you’ve been lamenting the loss of the 15-inch MacBook Pro in 2019, there is some good news on the horizon. According to a new rumor, Apple will be bringing back the classic screen size in 2023.
Except it won’t be in the MacBook Pro. According to Display Supply Chain Consultants’ Quarterly Advanced IT Display Shipment and Technology report, Apple is working on a larger MacBook Air, which is on track for release in 2023. The report follows a similar rumor by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman more than a year ago.
DSCC CEO Ross Young, who has an extremely accurate track record with display predictions, told 9to5Mac that the new 15-inch model will be a variant of the MacBook Air that won’t replace the current model. It’s not clear what processor the new model will have, but based on Apple’s silicon cadence, it will likely have an M2 chip.
Apple is expected to release a redesigned Mac Book Air with an M2 processor later this year. Ross doesn’t dispute that report, though he says Apple is planning to increase the display to something slightly larger though still smaller than the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
From Macworld
Realme GT 2 Pro is launching in India on April 7 after all
A couple of days ago, Realme’s Indian branch announced that the Realme GT 2 Pro would launch in India on April 7. However, that tweet was deleted shortly, suggesting a change in plans. But that’s not the case since Realme today announced that the GT 2 Pro will indeed debut in India on April 7.
The launch event will kick off at 12:30PM local time and will be live-streamed on Realme India’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. We expected Realme to host an in-person launch event for its 2022 flagship since smartphone brands have resumed offline events in India, but Realme is seemingly not ready for that just yet.
Realme hasn’t revealed if it will introduce the vanilla GT 2 alongside the Pro model on April 7 in India, but seeing how the previously deleted tweet included #realmeGT2Series and the new one doesn’t, GT 2’s Indian debut on April 7 looks unlikely.
The Realme GT 2 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, boots Android 12-based Realme UI 3.0, and comes with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage onboard. It’s built around a 6.7″ 120Hz QHD+ LTPO2 AMOLED screen protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. The display has a fingerprint reader underneath and a punch hole in the upper-left corner for the 32MP selfie camera.
Around the back, we have a camera system comprising 50MP primary, 50MP ultrawide, and 3MP microscope units.
The Realme GT 2 Pro features stereo speakers and packs a 5,000 mAh battery that draws power through a USB-C port at up to 65W.
From Gsmarena
Samsung’s teasing new Galaxy M series phones, but it’s unclear which one
Samsung has had quite a busy year till now, right from the start. It launched the Galaxy S22 series, then came up with multiple Galaxy A-series phones.
Now, the company is all set to extend its Galaxy M-series lineup. Notably, on Samsung’s Vietnamese Facebook profile, a ‘new beast’ is being teased that is all set to debut on March 27, 2022. But there is no clarity on which phone it would be. It could either be the Galaxy M33 5G or the Galaxy M53 5G.
Moreover, Amazon India has also started teasing that the ‘all-new Galaxy M is coming soon’. Again, this could be either the Galaxy M33 or the Galaxy M53 5G.
From Sammobile
Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4 could use a more power-efficient Snapdragon chip
Both chipsets used in the Galaxy S22—Exynos 2200 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1—are power-hungry and hot, resulting in less than satisfactory gaming performance and battery life. This issue plagues almost all other 2022 Android flagship smartphones. However, Samsung’s upcoming foldable might not have those issues.
According to tipster IceUniverse (@UniverseIce), the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ processor. Qualcomm hasn’t announced the processor yet, but industry insiders claim that it is fabricated on TSMC’s 4nm process, which makes it more power-efficient compared to the Exynos 2200 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which are made using Samsung Foundry’s 4nm process.
TSMC’s semiconductor chip manufacturing technology has always been better than Samsung Foundry. No wonder Apple has chosen TSMC exclusively to manufacture its A series and M series chipsets over the past few years. Now, fed up with Samsung’s low 4nm yields for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Qualcomm has reportedly switched to TSMC’s 4nm process for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+.
While this is a disappointment for Samsung Foundry, it’s great news for Samsung’s MX (Mobile Experience) arm that makes Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. We can expect the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 to offer faster performance and battery life than the Galaxy S22 series and current-generation foldable phones.
From Sammobile
Black Shark 5 will launch on March 30
The Black Shark 5 series appeared on TENAA and 3C last month, and the gaming brand finally set a date for the phones’ arrival. The launch will take place on March 30, at 19:00 local time in China.
The company is expected to introduce two phones – Black Shark 5 and Black Shark 5 Pro. The Pro is obviously going to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, but TENAA suggests the vanilla variant will use the far more modest Snapdragon 870.
The Black Shark 5 Pro is also expected to bring bigger battery and higher display refresh rate compared to the 4s Pro. We will know more next Wednesday when the event brings all the details.
The Black Shark company may be in advanced negotions to be acquired by Tencent, according to January reports.
From Gsmarena
Samsung will reportedly launch a new foldable device codenamed “Diamond” later this year
Samsung currently offers two types of foldable smartphones as part of its Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip lineups. But the company is reportedly planning to launch a third type of foldable device this year. Rumor has it that Samsung is working on a new foldable phone with a unique form factor, which should hit the shelves in the second half of 2022.
Reliable tipster Ice Universe, who has a decent track record of sharing information about upcoming Samsung products, claims that Samsung’s third foldable device is currently in development. The phone goes by the codename “Diamond” internally, and it should make its way to consumers in the second half of this year.
From XDA
Samsung unveils 2-in-1 Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 with optional LTE connectivity
Samsung’s latest education-focused Chromebook is here with the newly announced Galaxy Chromebook 2 360. The device was announced at the British Educational Training and Technology (BETT) forum and goes on sale from April 15.
The new Chromebook 360 comes with a 12.4-inch 2560 x 1600px resolution TFT touchscreen that can rotate all the way back into tablet mode. The device features a 720p webcam and can be configured with optional LTE connectivity.
Intel’s Celeron N4500 processor and Intel UHD graphics are tasked with the heavy lifting here and you get 4GB LPDDR4x and 64/128 GB eMMC storage. I/O includes two USB-C ports, two USB 3.2 connectors, a headphone/mic combo jack, a microSD card reader and a nano security slot. The laptop comes with a 45.5 Whr battery which Samsung claims will last up to ten hours of continuous usage.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 comes in a single Silver color and starts at £419 for the 4/64GB Wi-Fi only trim and goes up to £499 for the LTE-enabled 4/128GB model.
From Gsmarena
iPhone 14 might get a slower version of Apple’s new A16 Bionic chip
We saw a couple of reports that painted the same story in the past few days. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max will be identical to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro when it comes to size. We’re looking at 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen sizes for each of the non-Pro and Pro versions. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will also get a significant design makeover, featuring a pill-and-hole cutout instead the traditional notch going to the regular versions.
The same rumors said that Apple will differentiate the System-on-Chips (SoC) in the non-Pro and Pro models for the first time ever. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max will get the A15 Bionic version that powers the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be the only ones to get the next-gen A16 Bionic chip.
Moreover, the reports said that all iPhone 14 phones will feature 6GB of RAM. But the Pro models will get speedier LPDDR5 variation that some Android flagships already use.
This brings us to a brand new report that seemingly confirms the previous iPhone 14 specs leaks. But it adds a marketing twist. The A15 Bionic in the iPhone 14 models will be called A16 Bionic. The iPhone 14 Pros will use the A16 Pro version of the chip.
From BGR
OnePlus 10 Pro will launch in North America, Europe and India on March 31st
OnePlus’ latest flagship phone will launch in Europe, North America and India on March 31st. The company previously said the OnePlus Pro 10 would arrive in those markets by the end of March, so that’s right on schedule. It released the smartphone in China in January.
From Engadget
Google collects text and call data from Android users without consent
New research shows that Google has been collecting extremely detailed data about the calls you make via the Phone app and the text messages exchanged on your Android phone. Google used these Android apps to export massive amounts of data to its servers, and it did so without informing users or obtaining consent. This sort of behavior might go against privacy protections that should exist in Android by law in some markets (like the EU’s GDPR policies). It could be seen as spying on users.
Google might have valid reasons for wanting to collect call and message data from phones to improve those services. It might also want to offer features that might improve the user’s privacy. But this doesn’t change the fact that Google amasses all that call and text data without obtaining explicit permission from the user to do so.
From BGR
