Canalys: Apple retakes second spot in Q3 global smartphone shipments
The complete set of data on global Q3 smartphone shipments from Canalys is in and it confirms Apple is back in second place behind Samsung. A total of 325.5 million units were shipped in the July-September period which represents a 6% decline compared to the same time last year. The big reason behind the fall in shipments is the ongoing global chipset shortage.
Samsung shipped a total of 69.4 million phones outpacing all other makers though the figure is 13% less than its performance from a year ago. Apple managed to ship 49.2 million units which is a 14% increase on the yearly basis fueled by strong demand for its iPhone 13 series and sustained momentum from the iPhone 12 generation. Xiaomi rounds out the top-three with 44 million units. Oppo (36.7 million) and vivo (34.2 million) round out the top-five and both companies posted gains with Oppo shipping 18% more phones this quarter.
From Gsmarena
Poco smartwatches and earbuds? Global head teases future beyond smartphones
This isn’t quite a surprise, as the company was expected to get into the segment before. Furthermore, we may have already seen the first product appear on certification listings earlier this year in the form of Poco Pop Buds (rebranded Redmi TWS buds).
“We always think smartphone plus IoT is a key strategy for us,” Poco Global head Kevin Qiu told us. This does beg the question of what kind of products we could see from Poco at first. Angus Ng, Poco’s head of product marketing, says that while “nothing is actually off limits,” it’s starting small at first. He continues:“Coming out with ecosystem products, I think we still need to stay close to our brand philosophy and product philosophy. So we need to somehow play it more on the safer end, to begin with (sic).”
This suggests that devices like the aforementioned audio products, wearables (e.g. fitness trackers and/or smartwatches), and power banks could be the first Poco ecosystem products.
Could we see the company offer something like tablets though? The timing seems right at first glance, as the flagging Android tablet segment has enjoyed growth again due to the pandemic. But the Poco marketing head disagrees: “On the tablet side, yeah tablets have been huge in the industry in the last year and a half because of the pandemic. But it’s because it’s been huge and kinda crowded, (that) it’s even harder for us to enter from that perspective.”
From Android Authority
TCL’s 20 XE and 20A 5G are new budget phones that cost less than $200
The smartphone features a 6.52-inch HD+ 1600 x 720 display with a notch for the selfie camera. Weighing 6.88 ounces, it comes in Moonlight Gray in a matte gray finish. It features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and face unlock.
The triple rear-facing cameras are 13 megapixels. On the front, it uses a 5 MP camera. Video recording will be 1080p at 30 frames per second (fps) with dual microphones.
A MediaTek 2.0 GHz Octa-core processor is running under the hood, with only 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage that can expand up to 512GB with a microSD card. It’s rather limited in its power overall, but it’s not truly meant to be much more than just a simple phone for day-to-day use and browsing.
The 20 XE has a 5,000mAh battery that fast charges with an 18-watt adapter through its USB-C port.
Lastly, it comes preinstalled with Android 11 and supports Bluetooth 5.0. It will operate with 4G networks, so no 5G support here.
A 5G features a 6.52-inch HD+ 1600 x 720 display with a notch and a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It will also weigh 6.88 ounces like the 20 XE. And it will come with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and facial recognition. The sole color is cyan gray with a matte gray finish to help prevent fingerprints.
For cameras, its triple rear-facing cameras are 16MP, 5MP, and 2MP, while the front-facing camera is 13MP. Video recorded by the front or back will be 1080p/60fps. Dual microphones provide noise cancellation.
Inside of the phone, it has a 4,500mAh battery that charges with an 18-watt adapter through its USB-C port.
It will also come Android 11 and will support Bluetooth 5.1. Perhaps most importantly, it can use 5G networks, unlike the TCL 20 XE.
From Digital Trends
MacBook Pro 2021 teardown shows Apple gave repair at least some thought, iFixit says
Apple’s new MacBook Pro, featuring the next generation of the company’s in-house chips and the much-welcomed return of an HDMI port and SD card reader, makes “better use of interior space,” according to a teardown by iFixit. But when it comes to repairability, there’s room for improvement.
“Apple’s M1 silicon is rocketing the industry forward in a bunch of ways, and it’s unfortunate repairability isn’t advancing as quickly,” iFixit writes. “Still, this design represents a major move in the right direction.” For instance, the process of replacing a battery is slightly less difficult now.
Compared to 2019’s 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, the newer models pack speakers and batteries in “every cozy cranny, without sacrificing a robust-looking cooling assembly,” iFixit notes. And replacing the power button doesn’t appear to be too much of a headache.
But the rest of the keyboard is “problematic to replace,” iFixit says.
“Apple stores and AASPs (Apple Authorized Service Providers) will likely continue replacing your entire top case rather than deal with the hassle of repairing their own keyboard design,” the post reads. “(Thankfully it’s not a butterfly affair anymore, so repairs should be far less frequent—just be sure to keep a tight grip on your latte.)”
From Cnet
Google adds a private locked photos folder to iPhones for ‘personal’ photos
Google Photos will soon let iPhone and Android users save their photos behind a biometrically protected locked folder as Google pushes for greater privacy features on mobile. It’s a nice way to get some peace of mind and keep sensitive personal photos off the cloud.
Locked Folder is a feature Google introduced for Pixels earlier this year that lets them hide sensitive photos out of view. If a photo is hidden away behind a “locked folder,” it won’t show up. It’s a lot like the hidden album feature on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, but with the benefit of password or biometric protection. Images in the locked folder also aren’t synced to Google Photos, but restricted to the device used. Locked Folder will come to iPhones early next year, while non-Pixel Android users will have it sometime “soon.”
From Digital Trends
Gmail is bringing its big Compose button back to the desktop
When an app has as broad an audience as Gmail does, there’s bound to be some adjustments that just don’t gel with the community at large. Usually, the controversy surrounding UI changes quiets down over time, but occasionally, just enough voices speak up to sway a decision. With its latest tweak to the compose button, it’s returning to an older appearance for the first time in months.
Earlier this year, Google minimized the “Compose” option on the web version of Gmail, shrinking it down from a full-sized button into a single circular icon. It’s a move that must’ve frustrated a lot of people, as starting next week, it’s reverting back to the standard-sized button — and it’s staying that way for good.
From Android Police
Xiaomi won’t sell the Mi 11 Ultra in India again
Earlier this year Xiaomi decided to launch the Mi 11 Ultra in India, following its global release. It went on sale in the subcontinent in July, but only in very limited quantities, and thus went out of stock very quickly. After a while of not being in stock, the phone simply disappeared from Xiaomi India’s website, where it’s still nowhere to be found.
According to a new report from India Today Tech, this is no accident. It turns out that Xiaomi does not intend to sell the Mi 11 Ultra in India ever again. The company has allegedly sold the entire stock it had for the Indian market and doesn’t plan on importing more units.
From Gsmarena
Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU could be coming to supercharge gaming laptops
Nvidia could be readying an RTX 3080 Ti laptop graphics card if the rumor mill is to be believed.
Speculation about higher-end notebook GPUs from Nvidia has been flying around for quite some time now, although previous leaks from a few months or so back pointed to the possibility of an RTX 3080 Super model (plus 3070 Super for that matter).
This fresh spillage has pinned the Ti label, rather than Super branding, on the purportedly incoming RTX 3080 variant, with the theory being that this product will be based on Nvidia’s GA103 GPU (GN20-E8), as noted in a tweet from Matthew Smith which VideoCardz spotted (Smith is the keeper of TechPowerUp’s GPU database).
From Techradar
Xiaomi 12 spotted in the wild
As per tradition, the Xiaomi 12 should arrive at the beginning of next year, but that’s still not confirmed and judging by the leaks for the past couple of weeks, the handset might arrive earlier than usual. In fact, the latest live images of the Xiaomi 12 suggest an imminent launch.
The original images have been shared on Weibo showing the smartphone handled on the subway. The phone is wrapped with a case to keep prying eyes away. Sadly, the case does its job well and doesn’t give away too much. Perhaps the device looks a bit longer than usual, suggesting a taller aspect ratio, but that could be the angle.
Previous reports suggest an exceptionally high screen-to-body ratio, small punch-hole for the selfie camera. The Xiaomi 12 also passed picked up an Indian BIS certification, which is another indication that the handset is getting ready for an official release in the following weeks.
From Gsmarena
FDA Authorizes Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine for Kids Age 5 to 11
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now authorized the first covid-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11. The authorization will cover the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will have to give their blessing next week before the vaccine can be widely available.
The authorization comes after a nearly unanimous endorsement from an FDA advisory committee that met earlier this week to discuss the vaccine. During that meeting, data was presented from a trial of 3,100 children given the vaccine, who were compared to children given placebo. The trial showed that children’s immune responses were similar to the immune responses seen in young people between the ages of 16 and 25, and the vaccine was estimated to be 90.7% effective at preventing covid-19. Furthermore, no serious adverse events connected to the vaccine were reported, though one child was noted to have eaten a penny in an unrelated incident.
From Gizmodo
