Quick Shots-29

Vivo’s new Galaxy S21 challenger is here with a Snapdragon 888+, Zeiss camera tech

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo has unveiled a new flagship phone that succeeds the X60 Pro+ that it launched earlier this year. Like its predecessor, the Vivo X70 Pro+ touts an impressive camera setup with Zeiss optics and Gimbal Stabilization technology.

Vivo’s latest flagship phone has a 6.78-inch WQHD OLED display and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 Plus chipset. The quad-lens camera setup on the back of the phone includes a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor and a 48MP gimbal camera with 360-degree horizon levelling stabilization technology, which gives it the edge over the best Android phones.

Read More at Android Central

Galaxy S22 Ultra won’t get a 200MP camera but there’s always the S Pen

Earlier reports had suggested that the Galaxy S22 Ultra might feature a 200-megapixel camera, possibly with Olympus branding. That may not be the case. Korean media is reporting that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will feature a 108-megapixel camera like its predecessor.

There’s also going to be a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with OIS. No 3D ToF sensor will be on board. The 40-megapixel front camera will also be the same as the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Samsung’s Under-Display Camera tech isn’t expected to feature on next year’s flagship series.

It seems that S Pen support for the Galaxy S21 Ultra wasn’t a one-off thing. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is likely going to retain S Pen support as well. What that means for the future of the Galaxy Note series, especially since Samsung seems to be giving up on it, is anybody’s guess right now.

Read More at Sammobile

Realme GT Neo2 lands at Geekbench with Snapdragon 870

Realme has already confirmed that the GT Neo2 is on its way and will launch soon, even though the original GT Neo is less than six months old. We’ve seen the GT Neo2 in two sets of leaked renders already, but what about specs?

Well, perhaps the most important one – the SoC used – has been confirmed today through the fact that the GT Neo2 has been spotted in the Geekbench database. The phone has the model number RMX3370, and it ran the benchmark with the Snapdragon 870 chipset in tow.

Read More at Gsmarena

Amazon launches Fire TV Stick 4K Max with faster processor and Wi-Fi 6

Amazon has launched an updated version of its popular Fire TV Stick 4K. Called the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, the new model features a faster processor and improved networking.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max comes with a faster MediaTek MT8696 processor. While the previous model had a quad-core 1.7GHz CPU and 650MHz GPU, the new model has a quad-core 1.8GHz CPU and 750MHz. It also has 2GB RAM instead of 1.5GB on the previous model. While the changes may seem small, it should make the UI and playback snappier. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max also features 802.11ax networking, also known as Wi-Fi 6.

Read more at Gsmarena

Samsung could bring 120Hz display to its next budget 5G smartphone

Firstly, the Galaxy M52 5G reportedly packs a 6.7-inch AMOLED with 2,400 x 1,080 resolution. More importantly, it will apparently sport a 120Hz refresh rate, making it unique in Galaxy M range. The faster display would also bring the phone up to speed with rivals from Xiaomi, Realme, and newer Galaxy A devices.MySmartPrice

Based on leaked renders, the Galaxy M52 5G will feature a similar pin-stripe aesthetic to its Galaxy M32 sibling which launched in June. One key difference, though, is the Galaxy M52 5G’s vertically aligned triple rear camera array. The tip suggests these lenses will include 64MP primary, 12MP ultra-wide, and 5MP depth sensors.

Read More at Android Authority

This could be our first look at the OnePlus Buds Z2

OnePlus‘ affordable Buds Z true wireless earbuds made their debut at the back end of 2020 packing accomplished performance for a pretty low price. Now, renders of the purported second-generation buds have leaked with the OnePlus Buds Z2 title.

The leaked renders, arriving via 91Mobiles and tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer, are reportedly based on real-world pictures. Just as the original Buds Z, the Buds Z2 could feature a fuss-free design with a pill-shaped case.

Read More at Android Authority

Google and Jio’s low-cost ‘made for India’ phone delayed due to chip shortage

Google and Jio, India’s largest mobile network, were supposed to launch their first joint product today. It’s a low-cost 4G smartphone called JioPhone Next that’s designed to give more people in the mobile-first country access to the carrier’s high-speed network. The companies have just announced, however, that they’re pushing back the smartphone’s launch by a couple of months. 

According to the announcement, they’ve made “considerable progress” with the phone and are currently testing it with a limited number of users. They’ll make “further refinement[s]” as needed based on testers’ feedback and are working towards launching it in time for the Diwali festival scheduled for early November this year. 

Read More at Engadget

Google’s Material You design is coming to Gmail, Calendar, and Docs on Android

Google is starting to roll out its new Material You design system to Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and more on Android. The new look will include changes to navigation bars, improved action buttons, and Google’s Sans text for better readability. It’s part of the bigger Android 12 redesign that includes big, bubbly buttons, shifting colors, smoother animations, and some overhauls to built-in apps.

The design changes mean Pixel devices with Android 12 or newer will be able to match the colors inside apps like Gmail, Google Meet, and Google Drive with their wallpapers for what Google calls a “more dynamic, personalized look.” Existing color schemes and color-coded file types and folders will remain unchanged within the apps, though.

Read More at The Verge

Samsung releases eco-friendly watchbands made from apple peel

Samsung has announced six limited edition watch bands for the Galaxy Watch 4 made of recyclable and eco-friendly materials including apple peel. The range was made in collaboration with Sami Miró, a fashion designer whose previous collections have made use of upcycled materials. The bands are available today, with prices starting at $39.99.

There are six designs included in the collection. The “Midnight Black” and “Stratus Sky” bands are made out of 100 percent apple peel skin “recovered from the fruit industry.” Samsung claims the material has the “premium look of leather” while obviously not being sourced from animals. The other four designs (“Aurora Night,” “Cloud Navy,” “Earth Sunrise,” and “Dawn Atlas”) are made of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material which Samsung says is recyclable.

Read More at The Verge

Elon Musk: Next Full Self-Driving Beta “Will Blow Your Mind”

According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the next beta version of the company’s Full Self-Driving beta (FSD) will “blow your mind.”

The driver assistance feature — which doesn’t actually allow Tesla vehicles to fully drive themselves, as the name suggests, but does provide a growing degree of self-driving capability for drivers who remain attentive on the road — first went out to a small number of daring volunteers last year, who took the software for a spin on public roads.

Read More at Futurism