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vendredi 8 mai 2020

Xiaomi launches Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 and Android TV-powered Mi Box 4K in India

Xiaomi has shaken the smartphone and smart TV market in India and is now working towards grabbing a significant chunk of other segments. Along with the Xiaomi Mi 10 5G, Xiaomi has now announced two new products in India – the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 TWS and the Mi Box 4K, which is a rebranded version of the Mi Box S.

Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 TWS

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 truly wireless earphones feature a 14.2mm drivers. Xiaomi India has specially optimized the sound for the Indian audience, tuning it for Bollywood and other bass-heavy music. Each of these earphones feature two microphones, one of which is specifically working to minimize background noise during calls.

Like the Apple AirPods and the Realme Buds Air (review), the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 feature proximity sensors that allow automatic pausing when you take either of the earphones out of your ears. The earphones come in a rigid design without any sort of cushioning or earbuds. Xiaomi says that they have optimized the shape of the earphone by mapping millions of ears in simulation software. Each of the earbuds weighs just about 4g while both of them with the case weigh 50g in total.

In terms of battery life, the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 can last up to 4 hours while the case can add an additional 10 hours of battery life. There’s no wireless charging and the case can be charged using a USB-C port at the bottom.

Mi Box 4K

The Mi Box 4K is an Android streaming device running on Android TV Pie and can convert any dumb TV into a smart TV. The streamer box appears to be a rebranded Mi Box S, which has been available in the market for about a couple of years. Unlike Xiaomi’s own Mi TV lineup, the Mi Box 4K does not run on Patchwall and comes with the standard Android TV UI.

As is in the name of the device, it supports up to 4K video transmission over HDMI. It is certified for HDR10 and can play supported content if your TV also supports that. For improved audio, the TV box also supports Dolby Audio format.

In terms of I/O, the Mi Box 4K features an HDMI 2.0b port, a 3.5mm jack for audio output, and Bluetooth 4.1 for audio transmission. It supports dual-band Wi-Fi and features a USB 2.0 port so you also play your offline files.

It is powered by a quad-core Amlogic S905X processor and comes with 8GB of internal storage.

The Mi Box 4K comes with a remote controller that has Netflix and Prime Video hotkeys. Additionally, it comes with an in-line microphone for interaction with the Google Assistant.

Price & Availability

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 will be available in India starting May 12th for an introductory price of ₹3,999 via Amazon India, Mi Homes, and Mi.com. After May 17th, the price of the earphones will be ₹4,499.

The Mi Box 4K will be available in India from May 11th at a price of ₹3,499 on Flipkart, Mi.com, and Mi Home stores.

Do note that the delivery might be delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdown in India.

The post Xiaomi launches Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 and Android TV-powered Mi Box 4K in India appeared first on xda-developers.



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jeudi 7 mai 2020

Xiaomi teases the Redmi K30 5G “Speed Edition” with the unannounced Snapdragon 768G

Back in December last year, Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi launched the Redmi K30 5G in China. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, the Redmi K30 was the company’s first 5G-enabled smartphone and it packed in a couple of other noteworthy features, like a 64MP Sony IMX686 primary camera, a 120Hz high refresh rate display, 30W fast charging support, and more. The device was launched alongside the Redmi K30 4G, which packed in the Snapdragon 730G chipset instead, and was soon followed by the Redmi K30 Pro featuring Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 865 chip. Now, as per recent posts on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Xiaomi is prepping up to launch another smartphone as part of the Redmi K30 series.

Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G Speed Edition teaser

As reported by GizmoChina, Xiaomi’s official Redmi Weibo account has started teasing a new version of the Redmi K30 5G called the “Redmi K30 5G Speed Edition”. The device is expected to launch at 2 PM China Standard Time on May 11th in partnership with Chinese etailer JD.com and a listing of the device has already appeared on the etailer’s website. As spotted by XDA Senior Member TingyiChen, when you view this listing in JD’s official mobile app (and not the online listing on a web browser), you’ll see the processor listed as the “Snapdragon 768G.” This is listed in two places — in the title of the listing and in the detailed specifications.

Assuming that this isn’t a typo, then Xiaomi may have just leaked the name of an unannounced Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. If the Snapdragon 768G does exist, then it will most likely be a follow-up to the Snapdragon 765G with minor performance improvements. As mentioned earlier, the standard Redmi K30 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 765G and since Xiaomi is teasing performance upgrades with the Redmi K30 5G Speed Edition, it would make sense for this unreleased phone to be powered by a better processor. The only other already-released Snapdragon processor that’s better than the Snapdragon 765G is the Snapdragon 865. But since that’s already found on the Redmi K30 Pro, a new mid-range processor does seem quite plausible.

It’s also worth noting that the Redmi K30 5G Speed Edition isn’t the only upcoming smartphone in the Redmi K30 series. Earlier this month, we found evidence that suggests that Xiaomi is also working on a cheaper variant of the Redmi K30 called the Redmi K30i.


Source: Weibo

Via: GizmoChina

The post Xiaomi teases the Redmi K30 5G “Speed Edition” with the unannounced Snapdragon 768G appeared first on xda-developers.



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Xiaomi teases the Redmi K30 5G “Speed Edition” with the unannounced Snapdragon 768G

Back in December last year, Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi launched the Redmi K30 5G in China. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, the Redmi K30 was the company’s first 5G-enabled smartphone and it packed in a couple of other noteworthy features, like a 64MP Sony IMX686 primary camera, a 120Hz high refresh rate display, 30W fast charging support, and more. The device was launched alongside the Redmi K30 4G, which packed in the Snapdragon 730G chipset instead, and was soon followed by the Redmi K30 Pro featuring Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 865 chip. Now, as per recent posts on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Xiaomi is prepping up to launch another smartphone as part of the Redmi K30 series.

Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G Speed Edition teaser

As reported by GizmoChina, Xiaomi’s official Redmi Weibo account has started teasing a new version of the Redmi K30 5G called the “Redmi K30 5G Speed Edition”. The device is expected to launch at 2 PM China Standard Time on May 11th in partnership with Chinese etailer JD.com and a listing of the device has already appeared on the etailer’s website. As spotted by XDA Senior Member TingyiChen, when you view this listing in JD’s official mobile app (and not the online listing on a web browser), you’ll see the processor listed as the “Snapdragon 768G.” This is listed in two places — in the title of the listing and in the detailed specifications.

Assuming that this isn’t a typo, then Xiaomi may have just leaked the name of an unannounced Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. If the Snapdragon 768G does exist, then it will most likely be a follow-up to the Snapdragon 765G with minor performance improvements. As mentioned earlier, the standard Redmi K30 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 765G and since Xiaomi is teasing performance upgrades with the Redmi K30 5G Speed Edition, it would make sense for this unreleased phone to be powered by a better processor. The only other already-released Snapdragon processor that’s better than the Snapdragon 765G is the Snapdragon 865. But since that’s already found on the Redmi K30 Pro, a new mid-range processor does seem quite plausible.

It’s also worth noting that the Redmi K30 5G Speed Edition isn’t the only upcoming smartphone in the Redmi K30 series. Earlier this month, we found evidence that suggests that Xiaomi is also working on a cheaper variant of the Redmi K30 called the Redmi K30i.


Source: Weibo

Via: GizmoChina

The post Xiaomi teases the Redmi K30 5G “Speed Edition” with the unannounced Snapdragon 768G appeared first on xda-developers.



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Samsung is planning to offer a debit card this summer

Samsung is the latest tech company looking to get into the personal finance game. According to Samsung, the company is planning to introduce a debit card for Samsung Pay this summer. The card will be backed by SoFi, an online personal finance company that has gained traction in the last five years.

Tech companies getting into personal finance is becoming a trend. The Apple Card is a credit card that was launched in 2019, whereas Google’s rumored to be working on a debit card of its own. Samsung’s plan is more in line with what we’re hearing about Google’s plan. The Samsung debit card will be tied into Samsung Pay and offer users more ways to manage money.

Samsung Pay was launched in 2015 and it allows select Galaxy devices to pay at virtually any terminal thanks to Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). In contrast, platforms such as Google Pay and Apple Pay only use NFC for payments. To date, Samsung Pay has been about mobile payments and rewards, but the introduction of the debit card will bring new money management tools to the service as well.

This announcement comes as Samsung celebrates 5 years of Samsung Pay. The company says they will have more information to share in the coming weeks. What do you think of the idea of a Samsung debit card? Is this something you’re interested in?


Source: Samsung

The post Samsung is planning to offer a debit card this summer appeared first on xda-developers.



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Google’s messaging and communication apps are now led by a single team

If you are a person who follows technology news, you’re likely familiar with Google’s messaging problem. The company has launched many messaging services and several of these attempts have ended up abandoned, merged into different services, or rebranded. Google has repeatedly stated that they’re aware of this issue and they’re trying to clean things up. Its latest move is putting all of its communication apps under the same leadership.

Currently, Google has three main communication apps:

  • Google Phone – Pre-installed dialer on Pixel and Android One devices.
  • Google Duo – Video-calling for consumers, available to everyone in the Play Store.
  • Google Messages – Default SMS and RCS app on some devices, available to everyone in the Play Store.

In addition to these three apps, Google also has Meet and Chat for G Suite customers. Javier Soltero was made the VP and GM of G Suite last year, which put him in charge of Meet and Chat. Soltero is behind the recent rebranding of Hangouts Meet and Chat. Now, Google is also putting him in charge of Phone, Duo, and Messages.

Previously, each of these services had a team that was operated largely independently from the others within Google. That’s why it’s not uncommon to see key features come to one service before the others. The apps themselves won’t be merging together, but the teams behind them will be combined under Soltero’s leadership.

The new team hopes to “drive more innovation and more clarity around how these products can fulfill their specific missions.” It doesn’t sound like Soltero plans to make any major changes right away. He even says it would be “irresponsible” to make rapid changes. It is worth noting, however, that it’s common at times of big change to say nothing will change, so we’ll have to wait and see how it turns out.

Google’s statement:

We are bringing all of Google’s collective communication products together under one leader and unified team that will be led by Javier Soltero, VP and GM of G Suite. Javier will remain in Cloud, but will also join the leadership team under Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Platforms and Ecosystems. Outside of this update, there are no other changes to the personnel and Hiroshi will continue to play a significant role in our ongoing partnership efforts.


Source: The Verge

The post Google’s messaging and communication apps are now led by a single team appeared first on xda-developers.



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Google’s messaging and communication apps are now led by a single team

If you are a person who follows technology news, you’re likely familiar with Google’s messaging problem. The company has launched many messaging services and several of these attempts have ended up abandoned, merged into different services, or rebranded. Google has repeatedly stated that they’re aware of this issue and they’re trying to clean things up. Its latest move is putting all of its communication apps under the same leadership.

Currently, Google has three main communication apps:

  • Google Phone – Pre-installed dialer on Pixel and Android One devices.
  • Google Duo – Video-calling for consumers, available to everyone in the Play Store.
  • Google Messages – Default SMS and RCS app on some devices, available to everyone in the Play Store.

In addition to these three apps, Google also has Meet and Chat for G Suite customers. Javier Soltero was made the VP and GM of G Suite last year, which put him in charge of Meet and Chat. Soltero is behind the recent rebranding of Hangouts Meet and Chat. Now, Google is also putting him in charge of Phone, Duo, and Messages.

Previously, each of these services had a team that was operated largely independently from the others within Google. That’s why it’s not uncommon to see key features come to one service before the others. The apps themselves won’t be merging together, but the teams behind them will be combined under Soltero’s leadership.

The new team hopes to “drive more innovation and more clarity around how these products can fulfill their specific missions.” It doesn’t sound like Soltero plans to make any major changes right away. He even says it would be “irresponsible” to make rapid changes. It is worth noting, however, that it’s common at times of big change to say nothing will change, so we’ll have to wait and see how it turns out.

Google’s statement:

We are bringing all of Google’s collective communication products together under one leader and unified team that will be led by Javier Soltero, VP and GM of G Suite. Javier will remain in Cloud, but will also join the leadership team under Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Platforms and Ecosystems. Outside of this update, there are no other changes to the personnel and Hiroshi will continue to play a significant role in our ongoing partnership efforts.


Source: The Verge

The post Google’s messaging and communication apps are now led by a single team appeared first on xda-developers.



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Google Lens can now copy text from your phone to computer, pronounce words, and more

Google Lens is one of the company’s products that has improved impressively since launch. Lens seems to be constantly getting new features and abilities. Today, Google showed off several additions to Lens that should make it an even more powerful tool.

First up is a feature that will be very welcomed to anyone who works with physical and digital documents. Google Lens already had great text recognition and now, not only can it copy the scanned text to your phone’s clipboard, it can also send it to another device. After you scan a document and select text, tap the “Copy to computer” option and choose another device with Chrome. The text will now be in that device’s clipboard.

Next up is a feature to help you pronounce words. Google Lens can already translate words, but now you can also use it to hear these words recited out loud. Of course, this doesn’t have to be only for words in different languages. It can be used to hear any word that you may not know how to pronounce. Simply select text with Lens and tap the “Listen” button to heart it.

Lastly, in-line Google Search results can help you define words and phrases. Select text in Google Lens and then you’ll see a Google Search tab slide up from the bottom with more information. No more opening a separate app to look something up. All of these features are rolling out to Android today.

Google Lens (Free, Google Play) →


Source: Google

The post Google Lens can now copy text from your phone to computer, pronounce words, and more appeared first on xda-developers.



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