Apple’s latest patents reveal that the company has plans to introduce its own game controller
Apple has been slowly investing in gaming content with Apple Arcade, but there is still a whole market that the company could explore – and maybe it will. The company’s latest patents reveal that it has plans to introduce its own game controller.
Patents related to game controllers have been granted to Apple by the US Patent & Trademark Office and the European Patent Office in the past two weeks (via Patently Apple). The patents suggest that the project is still quite experimental, as the illustrations show different types of controllers. The first patent was published on March 31 while the second one was published on April 10.
In one of the concepts explored by Apple’s engineering team, the company shows an accessory similar to Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con, in which the controller is separated into two different parts that can be attached to the sides of the device. This would work with both iPhone and iPad, in either portrait or landscape orientation.
The second alternative is designed exclusively for the iPhone, and it would work as a foldable case with the buttons inside. In addition, the case would also have a small built-in display to show extra game content or even a touch keyboard.
From 9to5Mac
Infinix launches affordable Hot 12i, teases two more series members
Infinix introduced the Hot 12 series today, and its pioneer is called Hot 12i. It’s seemingly the lowest standing of the trio and is an entry-level affair through and through.
The Infinix Hot 12i has a Helio A22 chipset with a 2.0GHz quad-core CPU. On paper, RAM goes up to 4GB, but the company only offers 2GB and 3GB options currently. Storage is 64GB and there is a dedicated microSD slot for expanding that.
The brand did not reveal much about the cameras – we do know the main shooter is 13MP with AF, and we can only assume the other two are 2MP for portrait and macro shots. The selfie camera is behind a waterdrop notch and has an 8MP sensor.
On the front, there is a 6.82” LCD with 720p resolution. The software is XOS 7.6, based on Android 11.
The phone features a 3.5mm audio jack, but also a microUSB port, which alone should be a dealbreaker for anybody in 2022. The battery capacity is 5,000mAh.
The Infinix Hot 12i is currently available in Nigeria in four colors – Black, Green, Gold, and Blue. Price is NGN 61,800 ($150) for the 2/64 GB variant and NGN 67,000 ($170) for the 3/64 GB version.
The other two phones are not named yet, but we can see one of them will have two cameras on the back, while the other will come with a triple shooter and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
From Gsmarena
Xiaomi 12 Pro India launch date revealed
Xiaomi teased the India launch of the Xiaomi 12 Pro earlier this month, and today, the company announced that the smartphone will debut in India on April 27.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro was unveiled in December and began its global journey last month. It’s built around a 6.73″ 120Hz QHD+ LTPO AMOLED screen with a fingerprint reader underneath and a punch hole in the center for the 32MP selfie camera. Around the back, we get a rectangular island housing three cameras – 50MP primary, 50MP ultrawide, and 50MP telephoto.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, runs Android 12-based MIUI 13 out of the box, and comes with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage onboard. However, it’s unclear what memory combinations the smartphone will be available in India.
Fueling the entire package is a 4,600 mAh battery with 120W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging support. The smartphone is offered in Blue, Purple, and Gray colors, but we don’t know if all of these will be available in India.
The Xiaomi 12 lineup also includes the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12X, but these are unlikely to launch in India on April 27th alongside the Pro version since Xiaomi hasn’t used the word “series” in its promo campaigns.
From Gsmarena
The RedMagic 7 Pro is going global with its bezel-less edge-to-edge screen
Each year Nubia launches at least two lines of gaming smartphones within its RedMagic brand, a regular model towards the beginning of the year and a Pro model that follows sometime later. Seeing that the RedMagic 7 Pro was already announced for China back in February, the phone’s going global now that the standard RedMagic 7 has been available across the globe since March. Early birds can snag the RedMagic 7 Pro starting today, though the gaming phone will be officially available in the West on April 27th.
From Android Police
Surface Laptop Go 2: Everything we know so far
Microsoft is gearing up to ship to the next version of its popular Surface Laptop Go product line, likely dubbed the Surface Laptop Go 2, featuring an updated processor and new colorway! According to my sources, the device is codenamed “Zuma” and is expected to start shipping in the first half of this year.
The Surface Laptop Go line is Microsoft’s budget-friendly Surface Laptop, and we think it’s one of the best Surface PCs for students thanks to its premium design and small overall form factor.
This article will act as a hub for all the info we know about the Surface Laptop Go 2, and will be updated frequently as new information becomes available. So be sure to check back every so often if you’d like to stay up to date on everything Laptop Go 2!
From Windows Central
Oppo F21 Pro and F21 Pro 5G announced with 6.4-inch AMOLEDs and 64MP main cams
Oppo just capped off its latest launch event in India where we got two phones – the Oppo F21 Pro and the F21 Pro 5G. The former is a rebadged Oppo Reno7 while the latter is identical to the previously announced Oppo Reno7 Z 5G
Both phones come with 6.43-inch AMOLED displays with FHD+ resolution and a standard 60Hz refresh rate. The 4G model runs on the Snapdragon 680 while the 5G variant gets the Snapdragon 695. Both are paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage which is also
expandable via microSD. Oppo F21 comes in an exclusive Fiberglass-leather option while the rest of the series gets frosted glass backs.
The rear camera setups include a 64MP main shooter alongside a 2MP microscope lens and a 2MP depth helper for the F21 Pro while the 5G model replaces the microscope cam with a 2MP monochrome sensor.
F21 Pro gets a Sony IMX709 32MP selfie cam while the F21 Pro 5G makes do with a 16MP front-facing shooter. Both phones pack 4,500 mAh batteries with 33W charging and boot Android 12 with ColorOS 12 on top.
Oppo F21 Pro retails for INR 22,999 ($300) and goes on sale from April 15. Oppo F21 Pro 5G will go for INR 26,999 ($355) on April 21.
In addition to its new phones, Oppo also announced its Enco Air 2 Pro true wireless earbuds with active noise cancelation and 12.4mm drivers. These will be priced at INR 3,499 ($46) and are coming soon.
From Gsmarena
Google Pay could be getting a new icon yet again
Google’s G Suite-to-Google Workspace rebranding was followed by icon redesigns for nearly its entire stock of mobile apps. To match the company’s extra colorful logo, the new set of icons were homogeneously painted red, blue, green, and blue, resulting in greater consistency but also making distinguishing between them much harder. Among these, the one for GPay was swapped for two interlocked U-shaped objects, which Google says depict a physical wallet (yeah, right). But as discovered by 9to5Google, the icon in question could be undergoing a redesign once again – for the better this time.
Internally, the new icon is very aptly referred to as “Wallet” and looks like a blue card holder/wallet packing a trio of cards inside. Compared to the current GPay icon, the new logo is far easier to identify. One look, and you can tell it’s got something to do with payments. There’s still no Google branding like in the original logo, but the signature colors make the association with Google quite obvious.
From Android Police
Apple Watch blood pressure detection delayed until at least 2024 due to accuracy challenges
As Apple continues its work expanding the health features of its wearable, one of the anticipated upcoming capabilities is blood pressure monitoring. However, a new report from Bloomberg says not to expect it with Apple Watch Series 8 this fall or even the following year as Apple has run into trouble with accuracy during development.
Last year we saw a report from Nikkei that suggested Apple’s blood pressure feature could arrive with Apple Watch Series 7. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman correctly predicted that wouldn’t be the case.
But we did get some details from the WSJ about the blood pressure feature in the works. Overall Apple Watch wouldn’t show actual systolic/diastolic readings but would show how a user’s blood pressure is trending.
Today, Bloomberg’s Gurman is out with a new report that Apple has run into issues during the development of the feature, and blood pressure monitoring won’t arrive on Apple Watch until “2024 at the earliest.”
From 9to5Mac
Google followed Apple in getting FDA approval for AFib detection in Fitbit wearables
Engadget reports that some Fitbit devices have also been approved for Afib detection.
The Food and Drug Administration has given Fitbit the green light to monitor users’ heart rhythms in the background. A new photoplethysmography (PPG) algorithm can passively check a user’s heart rhythm while they’re still or asleep.
If the tech detects signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib) — a type of irregular heart rhythm — it will alert the wearer. Fitbit parent Google submitted the algorithm to the FDA for review last month [and] will soon roll out the background heart rate monitoring and Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications features in the US. They will be available on “a range of heart-rate enabled devices.”
Fitbit began by offering fitness tracking bands, and then moved into full-blown smartwatches too.
From 9to5mac
Samsung has an ambitious plan to cut your Galaxy repair costs
Samsung Electronics could be doubling down on its recycling efforts by launching a mobile device repair program that repurposes recycled components. In theory, this could cut the cost of replacing certain parts in half.
The goal is to reduce waste by repurposing used hardware through the mobile device repair program. The company would reportedly offer manufacturer-certified recycled parts as replacements and ensure their quality is on par with new components.
Samsung Electronics is reportedly considering launching this recycling mobile device repair program within the next few months, before H2 2022.
Once the program goes live, it could allow customers to get a recycled smartphone screen replacement at half the price of a new one.
Although it’s unclear if this repair program based on recycled components will go live, it would fit within the company’s current vision if it were to launch this year. Samsung is using recycled fishing nets for some non-critical Galaxy S22 components, and it also removed wall chargers from retail boxes to reduce waste.
This month, Samsung also announced a DIY repair program that should be coming this summer, so launching a repair program based on recycled parts could be the next step. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we find out more.
From Sammobile
