Xiaomi launches its premium flagship, the Xiaomi 12 Pro in India
Xiaomi has become synonymous with a brand that makes value products. No matter what product you pick up that has a Xiaomi branding on it, you are bound to get one of the best value-for-money propositions. People confuse this proposition and brand Xiaomi products as “budget” devices, which is far from the truth on devices like top-tier flagships. To shed this tag, Xiaomi is launching its premium flagship, the Xiaomi 12 Pro, in India, followed by the Xiaomi Pad 5 and the Mi TV 5A.
From XDA
Sony announces Xperia event: Xperia 1 IV likely coming next month
Sony’s high-end phones have a small but vocal group of fans, and it’s easy to see why. The company’s flagships offer features like a 3.5mm port, enthusiast-grade camera tech, and 4K screens on some models. The company hasn’t launched a new high-end phone in 2022 just yet, but that looks set to change.
Sony just announced an Xperia event for May 11 (4 PM Japan Time, 3 AM ET). The accompanying invite image simply calls it a “new product announcement,” but a teaser video posted to YouTube gives us more info.
From Android Authority
ZTE Axon 40 arriving on May 9 with new under-display camera
The Axon 40 smartphone will follow its predecessors on the path of introducing a new version of the under-display camera technology. It will make its official debut on May 9, ZTE now reveals. A previous leak already mentioned we should expect the screen density over the camera to be indistiguishable from the rest of the panel and we now get confirmation it will reach 400 ppi.
The under-display camera is likely to be the key feature of the ZTE Axon 40 yet again. Reports are the panel will have 1440p resolution.
A phone called A2023H was certified on TENAA last month, and it might be the Axon 40 Pro, given its top-tier CPU with 3GHz frequency, most likely part of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. There are almost two weeks until the official launch, and we expect to learn more from official teasers in the days leading to the event.
From Gsmarena
Pixel Watch price and availability details may have leaked
Citing a “relatively new source,” frequent tipster Yogesh Brar has revealed that the Pixel Watch might be priced in the range of $300 – $400. That’ll put it in direct competition with the Apple Watch Series 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. This pricing information also lines up with a previous report which claimed that the Pixel Watch could cost more than a Fitbit.
Brar also noted in his tweet that the smartwatch could see a limited release, suggesting that it may only launch in a few markets, just like the Pixel phones.
Elsewhere, Brar’s source confirmed another old rumor and said that Google and Samsung have partnered up for the Pixel Watch. It’s believed that the device might forego the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4100 series chip in favor of a Samsung Exynos chipset.
There’s also new information about some features of the device. According to the leak, the Pixel Watch will carry all the same sensors as the Galaxy Watch, including an ECG sensor. It might come in two sizes, with at least four band colors.
From Android Authority
Android 13 public beta released for Pixel 6 and non-Pixel phones
In previous years, Google announced lists of supported devices that could run the newest Android public beta release. That’s not what’s happening now, as Google made the Android 13 public beta available to download ahead of I/O 2022. While the company might announce a list of Android devices that can run Android 13 beta with ease, you don’t necessarily have to wait.
Google provided documentation on its Android Developers that explains you don’t need a Pixel 6 or any other Pixel to experience the first Android 13 public beta.
Instead, Google has made available Generic System Images (GSI) of its Android 13 public beta 1 release. We’re looking at four builds that support x86_64 and ARM64 architectures.
You can download them right away, but you need a phone with at least Android 9 (API level 28) installed. Furthermore, the device has to be Treble-compliant for you to test the Android 13 public beta right now. Finally, you’ll need an unlocked bootloader to install the new OS. Tick off these boxes, and you can experience a first preview of the latest Android features that Google is working on.
From BGR
Intel’s Arc Alchemist laptops will cost a small fortune
As reported by Tom’s Hardware, the first notebooks and ultrabooks that feature the A370M graphics card have been listed on Best Buy. An Asus model will cost you $1,400, while an HP laptop will require a small fortune at $2,000.
The former, Asus’ Zenbook Flip 2-in-1 device ultrabook, is powered by an Intel Core i7-12700H 12-core CPU, as well as 16GB of LPDDR5 memory. The 15.6-inch OLED touch-screen laptop also provides a 1TB SSD, while its default operating system is Windows 11 Home.
Meanwhile, HP’s Spectre is an Intel Evo-based device that sports a 12th-gen Intel Core i7-1260P processor, joined by 16GB of DDR4 RAM. Alongside the Arc Alchemist A370M graphics card (4GB GDDR6), the $2,000 machine offers a 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD as well.
Other specifications include a 16-inch diagonal, UHD+ OLED screen with multi-touch capabilities, in addition to a 360-degree hinge that allows you to use Spectre in four positions, one of which is a tablet mode (a stylus comes with the laptop). Asus also implemented a 360-degree hinge for its Zenbook.
Tom’s Hardware points out an important distinction: The aforementioned costs aren’t necessarily uncommon for thin and light Evo laptops, with 2-in-1 devices naturally commanding higher price tags due to their versatility.
From Digital Trends
Apple’s Self Service Repair program is now available in the U.S.
On Wednesday, Apple announced that the program is now live in the U.S.
Anyone looking to fix their iPhone on their own can now head over to Apple’s dedicated Self Service Repair website, where they can order genuine Apple parts, rent or buy the tools needed for repair, or access Apple’s repair manual.
Apple says that this new online hub offers more than 200 individual parts and tools. Right now, only a limited number of Apple devices are supported: the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and the 3rd generation iPhone SE. The company says that this will be expanded to Mac computers with Apple silicon later this year.
From Mashable
Motorola Edge 30 release date, price, specs, and features
Following on from the Motorola Edge 30 Pro the company has now unveiled the standard Motorola Edge 30 – a phone which logic dictates should have come first but is finally here now.
The new phone is a mid-range device, and a particular focus seems to have been placed on the design, the cameras, and the 144Hz screen.
The Motorola Edge 30 is set to go on sale in the UK from early May, at a price of £379.99 (roughly $480 / AU$670). It will be sold in Currys and directly from Motorola’s online store.
From Techradar
You can now check which apps on your phone have shady privacy
The Google Play Store is getting a new user privacy feature that asks app developers to disclose more information about how they collect and share user data. Play Store users will see a new Data Safety section added for apps, which includes information on how the app stores user data and whether it shares it with third parties.
Google initially planned to add this new Data Safety section to the Play Store in February, but the update got delayed. The feature is now rolling out gradually to the Play Store, and the process should complete in a couple of weeks (via AndroidPolice). Meanwhile, app developers have about 12 weeks to comply with Google’s new rules and provide Data Safety information pertaining to their apps.
Google won’t be able to enforce app developers to be truthful whenever they share information about the way their apps collect and use personal data. However, this new Play Store feature should at least help users (and Google) hold app developers accountable if they aren’t truthful.
The Data Safety section in the Play Store is not foolproof, but putting more pressure on app developers to share these details is a step in the right direction. It’s certainly better than the Galaxy Store’s way of not sharing much (or any) information regarding apps and how they use personal data.
Again, Google is rolling out this Data Safety feature to the Play Store gradually starting today, and developers will have until July 20 to update their apps and include the required information. You may not see the Data Safety section live yet, as it’s poised to reach more Play customers in the coming weeks.
From Sammobile
iPhone production in India grows by 50% as iPhone 13 joins lineup
iPhone production in India grew by 50% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022, according to new market intelligence data. Sales within the country are also growing, despite the fact that average selling prices are increasing through the sale of more premium models.
While Apple initially limited Made in India iPhones to older models, the company confirmed earlier this month that the iPhone 13 has joined the lineup of locally produced devices …
Business Standard reports.
Foxconn is Apple’s lead supplier in the country, responsible for all of the iPhone 13 production, while Wistron makes the iPhone SE and iPhone 12.
iPhone 13 production in India was delayed by horrendous revelations about working conditions at one Foxconn plant, resulting in Apple ordering the facility to be closed until the issues were addressed.
On the sales side, Apple used to rely on steep discounting to sell iPhones in the price-sensitive market, but CMR says that this has now changed, with the company increasingly relying on premium product appeal.
From 9to5Mac
