Quick Shots-58

Infinix Note 11 series unveiled: the Pro model has a 6.95″ 120Hz screen, 13MP tele camera

Infinix unveiled the new generation of its jumbo-sized Note series. Like its predecessor, the Infinix Note 10 Pro packs a 6.95” display – this is more of a small tablet than a large phone. For this generation, however, the refresh rate has been cranked up from 90 Hz to 120 Hz. The touch sampling rate remains at 180 Hz.

It is an IPS LCD panel with 1,080 x 2,460 px resolution, same as before. But this year it has a new chipset driving it – the Helio G96 by MediaTek. This chip has a pair of Cortex-A76 CPU cores like its predecessor (the G95) and our testing shows that it has an edge in performance.

The GPU was downgraded, however, from a Mali-G76 MC4 to a G57 MC2 and that shows in testing. Then again, the Helio G95 would have been a back pick for this phone since it can’t drive 1080p displays at 120 Hz (and the G96 clearly can). There is some hope that the Note 11 series will perform better than other G96-powered phones thanks to the 9 layers of graphene film that help keep the chipset cool.

The Note 11 Pro comes with a higher base memory capacity – 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage, up from 6/64 GB. The microSD slot is still on board and even RAM can be extended as the new XOS 10 software (based on Android 11) can add 3 GB of virtual RAM. For the UFS 2.2 storage there is Infinix’s Write Booster that accelerates writing speed.

The 64 MP rear camera is now joined by a 13 MP telephoto module. While it advertises 30x maximum zoom (digital, of course), the actual optical magnification is 2x. Also, the 8 MP ultra wide camera of the previous model has gone missing – there’s no ultra wide at all here, just a 2 MP depth sensor.

Read More at Gsmarena

iQoo Z5x set to launch on October 20; key specs leaked

The listing on Vivo’s online store reveals that the phone will come with a 5000 mAh battery pack with support for 44W fast charging. The phone will come in a couple of colour options – Black and Orange.

While not much is known about the phone as of now, the online listing reveals some of the mandatory features including – a speaker grille, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The fingerprint sensor is expected to be housed under the poser button located on the right side of the frame along with the volume rocker.

Read More at Techradar

Realme Q3s, Watch T1 to arrive on October 19

Realme is having a launch event on October 19, when we’ll see the GT Neo2T smartphone, designed in partnership with sportswear and sports equipment giant Li-Ning. Today we also learn the stage will welcome the Realme Q3s smartphone, as well as the Realme Watch T1 wearble.

According to sources from China, the Q3s will share its hardaware with the upcoming Oppo K9s – a 6.59” LCD with 120Hz refresh rate at the front, a 64MP + 8MP + 2MP triple cam setup on the back, and a Snapdragon 778G chipset inside. We also expect a 5,000mAh battery with 30W fast charging through the USB-C port and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

The Watch T1 will reportedly come with a circular dial. Leaked screengrabs from the interface reveal support for phone calls, and it is likely going to act as a Bluetooth device/external speaker rather than having standalone LTE connectivity. The one image of the wearable also reveals it will have a rubber strap.

Read More at Gsmarena

Apple extends repair program for crackling AirPods Pro buds for one more year

Last year, Apple launched a repair/replacement program for AirPods Pro units experiencing sound issues, such as crackling or static. It was only supposed to last for two years after the buds were first sold in October 30th, 2019, which means the program was going to come to a close in a couple of weeks. As first noticed by someone on Reddit, though, the tech giant has quietly updated its program’s information page to extend its availability. “The program covers affected AirPods Pro for 3 years after the first retail sale of the unit,” the updated page reads, giving people the chance to exchange their faulty buds within the next year.

Read More at Engadget

Microsoft is shutting down LinkedIn in China

Microsoft on Thursday said it will shut down the localized version of LinkedIn in China amid a “significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements.”

The company said its new strategy in China will focus on matching professionals with jobs. LinkedIn plans to launch a new standalone jobs app, called InJobs, later this year in China. The app won’t included social feeds or the ability to share posts or articles, according to LinkedIn. 

Read More at CNET

MacBook Pro M1X specs might have leaked with new screen size, MagSafe

According to @dylandkt, the M1X MacBook Pro models will offer the same set of features. The only differences concern the screen and battery sizes. That’s great news for buyers looking for a compact laptop who want the same set of specs and features that the bigger model gets.

The 14-inch and 16-inch M1X MacBook Pro versions will feature mini-LED screens with smaller bezels and no bottom logo. The logo has been present on the bottom of the screen on all previous models. A 1080p webcam will sit at the top of the screen.

The base models will feature 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, the leaker said. Although he doesn’t offer any price points, he claims the pricing structure should be similar between the 14-inch and 16-inch models.

In separate tweets, the leaker said that Apple tested 120Hz displays earlier this year. But he had no details on the matter.

The leaker also said that the M1X MacBook Pros will not feature a TouchBar, reiterating previous rumors from other sources. As for ports, the new laptops will get HDMI, SD card slot, and MagSafe connectors.

Finally, the M1X MacBook Pro models will feature a new charging brick. That’s to be expected if MagSafe charging is about to return.

Apple will introduce the new M1X MacBook Pro on Monday during a virtual press event. That’s when we’ll know everything there is to know about specs, top configurations, and prices.

Read More at BGR

Amazon Puts Its Own “Brands” First

It took Robert Gomez about five months to get his Kaffe coffee grinder to the big leagues in e-commerce: among the first three search results for “coffee grinder” on Amazon.com.

Gomez, founder of Atlanta-based consumer goods startup 4Q Brands, said he obsessively refined his photos and description, amassed reviews from happy customers, and paid Amazon $40,000 a month on advertising to boost sales, one of the elements Amazon tells sellers will increase search ranking.

Then Amazon introduced a competitor from house brand Amazon Basics and another from a brand that sells exclusively on Amazon, DR Mills.

“They ranked well right away,” Gomez said, each of them appearing among the top-three results for “coffee grinder” searches immediately. The reason, he said, was clear: “Their search ranking is high because they’re an Amazon brand.”

An investigation by The Markup found that Amazon places products from its house brands and products exclusive to the site ahead of those from competitors—even competitors with higher customer ratings and more sales, judging from the volume of reviews.

We found that knowing only whether a product was an Amazon brand or exclusive could predict in seven out of every 10 cases whether Amazon would place it first in search results. These listings are not visibly marked as “sponsored” and they are part of a grid that Amazon identifies as “search results” in the site’s source code. (We only analyzed products in that grid, ignoring modules that are strictly for advertising.)  

Read More at The Markup

Vivo X80 will bring 4nm Dimensity 2000, 50MP main camera with 5-axis IS

The vivo X70 series is fresh on the store shelves and yet we’re now hearing about their successor. According to popular leakster Digital Chat Station the vivo X80 wwill feature the 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 2000 chipset and be built around a 120Hz FHD+ display.

The vivo X80 will pack a 50MP main camera with a 1/1.3-inch sensor, the leak claims, and will outdo the X70 Pro+ with 5-axis ‘VIS’ stabilization.

The report continues to say that the X80 would retain the 12MP 2x portrait camera of the X70 series.

Read More at Gsmarena

Poco’s next mid-range smartphone just passed through the FCC

Xiaomi launched the Poco M3 Pro earlier this year, packing a mid-range MediaTek chipset and an affordable price. But its successor, the Poco M4 Pro, has now passed through the FCC.

While the listing only mentions model number 21091116AG, we can confirm that the phone is the M4 Pro, thanks to T-Mobile’s IMEI and IMEI24 databases.

Read More at Android Authority

Vladimir Putin Says He Accepts Crypto as a Legitimate Currency For Making Payments

Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled tolerance of cryptocurrencies, which are drawing increasing scrutiny from regulators around the world amid fears they can be used for money laundering and criminal activity. From a report:

Cryptocurrency “has the right to exist and can be used as a means of payment,” Putin said in an interview with CNBC that was posted on the Kremlin’s website Thursday. Still, he cautioned it was too soon to talk about using digital currencies for trading oil and other commodities that form the bulk of Russia’s exports.

Russia has sought alternatives to trading in dollars since being slapped with sanctions in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea, and Putin accuses the U.S. of using its currency as a weapon. Crypto backers argue decentralized money will eventually replace fiat currencies issued by central banks. The Bank of Russia has repeatedly warned investors that the crypto market is extremely volatile, and digital currencies are not allowed to be used as a method of payment domestically. However, there are no plans for a blanket ban similar to China’s, Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev said this week, according to Interfax.

Read more at Slashdot (By msmash)