Vivo X80 series announced: Evolution, not revolution?
Unfortunately, the Vivo X80 series is a China-only release right now. Nevertheless, you can expect to pay 3699 yuan (~$565) for the 8GB/128GB Vivo X80, all the way up to 4,899 yuan (~$748) for the 12GB/512GB variant.
Want the Vivo X80 Pro? Then you’ll be paying 5,499 yuan (~$840) for the 8GB/256GB option. The 12GB/256GB model will set you back 5,999 yuan (~$916), while the 12GB/512GB model will retail for 6,699 yuan (~$1,023). The Dimensity 9000 version isn’t available in an 8GB/256GB flavor, but you’ll be paying the same price for the 12GB/256GB and 12GB/512GB options.
Both phones are available in black, turquoise, and orange colorways, with the orange option coming with a faux leather back. Meanwhile, the black and turquoise options feature a fluorite AG glass back.
From Android Authority
Only the iPhone 14 Pro will get the new 48-megapixel camera, report claims
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro will get a massive camera update, with the phone’s main (wide) sensor being bumped up to 48-megapixels. If accurate, this would be one of the biggest upgrades Apple has made to the iPhone, which has had a 12-megapixel main camera sensor since the release of iPhone 6s in 2015.
However, Gurman says only the Pro models will get the 48-megapixel camera, while the regular iPhone models will have a 12-megapixel main sensor. Also, for the first time, only the Pro models will get Apple’s new A16 chip, while the regular variants will either have the A15 (the same chip that powers the iPhone 13) or some variant of it.
Apple typically adds several big upgrades in terms of camera hardware on its Pro models; in the last couple of iterations, the difference was that the Pro models came with an additional telephoto camera on the back. But the standard and the Pro iPhone typically had the same (or very similar) main, wide camera; if Gurman’s report is accurate, this will no longer be the case.
From Mashable
TSMC’s Chip Revenue From Apple Predicted to Grow Nearly 25% in 2022 as Apple Silicon Transition Nears Completion
Chip supplier TSMC’s Apple business is predicted to grow almost 25 percent this year as the transition to Apple silicon nears completion and the two companies grow closer ties, DigiTimes reports.
Apple is said to be expecting shipments of chips for new iPhones and other devices from TSMC in the first half of June, according to sources speaking to DigiTimes. In addition to year-on-year growth of chips for iPhones in 2022, TSMC is also expected to “substantially” grow its shipments of M-series chips as Apple completes the transition to its own custom silicon chips and “will this year totally wean itself off Intel CPUs for its Mac series.”
The report added that TSMC is expected to remain Apple’s sole chip supplier for the foreseeable future, with Samsung experiencing problems with advanced process yield performance and Intel unlikely to receive orders from Apple.
In total, TSMC is estimated to make $17 billion in revenue singularly from fulfilling Apple orders in 2022, up from $13.8 billion in 2021. Although Apple’s semiconductor manufacturing supply chain “remains little affected” by ongoing lockdowns in China, other parts of Apple’s supply chain may be severely impacted depending on how long lockdowns persist, which the report speculates could lead to Apple being forced to delay the launch of new iPhone models this year.
Moreover, Apple is said to have already placed orders for 2nm chips to be fulfilled by TSMC in 2025. The report also claims that Apple and TSMC are jointly developing 1nm chips for use in augmented-reality head-mounted devices and Apple’s vehicle project.
From Macrumors
Apple Watch Series 6 screens may go permanently blank, Apple warns
Apple has acknowledged an extremely serious fault afflicting some units of the Apple Watch Series 6, which can cause their screens to go blank permanently. The company has agreed to service affected devices for free.
A similar fault, known colloquially as the Black Screen of Death, has been seen from time to time with a variety of Apple Watch models, including the Series 2, Series 3, and Series 5. But complaints became more frequent with the Series 6 in the second half of last year, and Apple has now admitted there is a problem, while doing its best to emphasise the “very small percentage” of devices that are affected.
Affected Apple Watches often appear functional in other respects, making the usual sounds when the user taps the screen or clicks the dial, and maybe even helping a paired iPhone to unlock, but refuse to show anything other than a black screen. Nothing seems to resolve the problem, including full resets.
The repair program applies only to Series 6 units in the 40mm size manufactured between April and September 2021. Apple advises owners to enter their watch’s serial number into a widget on the company’s support pages, which will tell them if they are entitled to a free service. Eligible users can contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider for the repair, or go directly to Apple, either in store or using a mail-in repair.
Apple hasn’t announced an end date for the program, but warns that affected watches are eligible for the free repair for a maximum of two years after purchase.
One final note: although Apple has recognised the fault and announced service eligibility for a relatively small subset of its watch models, that doesn’t affect your statutory legal rights if a similar problem affects a different Apple Watch model. If you see the Black Screen of Death on an earlier or later version of the device and the usual solutions don’t work, it’s still worth taking the watch to a Genius Bar to see what they can do.
From Macworld
Apple ups its iPhone 13 Pro series orders in light of increased demand
The Elec reports that Apple has increased its order for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max this quarter. And that’s mainly because the demand for the more expensive Pro series is getting higher than initially anticipated.
In the first quarter of this year, Apple ordered just a million of the smaller iPhone 13 Pro while the Max was produced in 3.5 million units. Starting Q2 2022, however, the standard Pro sees a whopping increase to 8 million orders, whereas the Pro Max sees a bump to 6.5 million. That makes a 10 million increase over the last quarter. This is good news for Apple as the average selling price of the iPhone 13 family will increase and investors will be happy with the extra revenue.
The information is in line with other reports suggesting a 10% total increase in iPhone 13 shipments and that suppliers for Apple are seeing growing revenues.
From Gsmarena
Huawei Mate Xs 2 foldable phone gets an official launch date, and it’s later this week
The US ban may have awfully crippled Huawei’s mobile business, but that hasn’t stopped it from being one of the top innovators in the industry. Much of that innovation currently resides at the foldable smartphone end. The Chinese company’s offerings are among the best you can spend money on – that is, if you’re indifferent to the lack of Google’s Mobile Services. Now, the Mate Xs from 2020 is all set to receive a successor, and it’ll be launching later this week.
A new teaser dropped by Huawei’s Weibo handle with the tagline “folding flagship and the latest product launch event” (translated from Chinese) announces an April 28 launch date for the Huawei Mate Xs 2. Not much has been officially confirmed about the upcoming foldable, but some improvements to the hinge mechanism are expected.
From Android Police
Here’s the leaked Pixel Watch next to an Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch
A strange story emerged over the weekend, as the upcoming Google Pixel Watch was purportedly left behind in a Chicago restaurant and obtained by a Redditor. The Redditor sent images of the watch to Android Central, and it looks like the user has now posted more images and info about the wearable.
Redditor tagtech414 posted more images of the apparent Pixel Watch, posing it next to a 40mm Apple Watch and a 46mm Galaxy Watch in one picture.
The picture shows a sleeker, smaller design than the Samsung watch, being more in line with the Apple Watch’s size. The user added that the watch is roughly half an inch thick and 1.5 inches in diameter.
The user also posted a shot of the Pixel Watch on his wrist alongside the Galaxy Watch, definitely driving home the fact that it’s smaller than Samsung’s older watch. In saying so, we do wonder whether the rounded design without a rim is less durable than Samsung’s design.
The user apparently tried charging the watch via two Qi chargers and reverse wireless charging on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Pixel 6, albeit without success. The chargers briefly detect the watch but don’t actually charge it.
We’re guessing that the watch either has a proprietary charger or that the software is somehow to blame for the lack of charging. Either way, we’re not getting a look at software here.
We likely don’t have long to wait to get an official look at the Pixel Watch, as Google is expected to unveil the wearable at its annual I/O developer conference next month.
From Android Authority
Android 14 is only coming next year, but we’ve already got a dessert name
Google has long had a tradition of naming Android versions after desserts and other sweet treats. It switched to version numbers only from Android 10 onwards, but dessert names are still used internally.
Now, XDA-Developers has uncovered the dessert name for Android 14 in the Android Gerrit, and it turns out that the new version is code-named Upside Down Cake. We’re guessing that there weren’t many other names to choose from, with utap, uštipci, and ube halaya being some of the only other options out there.
This wouldn’t be the first time an internal Android dessert name has surfaced, as Android 10 is known as Quince, Android 11 is called Red Velvet Cake, Android 12 is dubbed Snow Cone, and Android 13 has the Tiramisu moniker.
Nevertheless, it seems like a fair amount of people want Google to resurrect this practice.
From Android Authority
Elon Musk’s The Boring Company to take on hyperloop project
Musk’s Sunday tweet, in which he was responding to another tweet listing cities with the worst traffic in the world, comes less than a week after The Boring Company raised $675 million in a Series C funding round that pushed its valuation to $5.7 billion.
He also claimed hyperloop, like other underground tunnels, will be also immune to surface weather conditions such as hurricanes. However, there is well documented evidence of subways, which are located in underground tunnels, flooding. For instance, the New York subway flooded in 2012 when Hurricane Sandy hit the coast. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has since installed floodgates in 68 low-lying subway and Port Authority Trans-Hudson) stations in Lower Manhattan.
From Techcrunch
Twitter Reportedly Poised to Accept Elon Musk’s $43B Offer
Twitter is reportedly on track to accept Elon Musk’s offer to buy the social network for $54.20 per share, a deal that would value the company at about $43 billion. A deal could be announced as early as Monday, according to reports from Bloomberg and Reuters.
The two sides met Sunday to discuss Musk’s proposal, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Terms of the transaction were reportedly still being negotiated overnight into Monday morning. It’s also possible the deal could fall apart at the last minute, reported Reuters.
Shares of Twitter jumped over 5% in premarket trading in the US on Monday, topping $51.
From Cnet
