HI-FI TECH NEWS

Wednesday, 24 January 2024

Google Pixel 9 Leaked Images Suggest iPhone 15-Like Flat Edges, Triple Rear Cameras

Google Pixel 8 is still new in the market, but early renders of the Pixel 9 have already started emerging on the Web, giving us a look at what the company's next flagship smartphone could look like. The renders show the handset in a blue shade and suggest three cameras on the rear. This would be a significant update for the vanilla model. It looks like Google may have redesigned the rear camera module. The images indicate flat edges on the Pixel 9, similar to what we saw on the Pixel 9 Pro. It also has a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera on the display.

After posting CAD-based renders of the Google Pixel 9 Pro, tipster Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks), has leaked renders and specifications of the Google Pixel 9 in association with 91Mobiles. The renders suggest a compact design for the handset with flattened sides, resembling the latest iPhone 15 series. The phone appears to get a redesigned rear camera module housing three sensors and an LED flash. This would be a huge upgrade for the vanilla Pixel as the previous Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 only got dual rear cameras.

Instead of extending the camera bar across the entire width of the back panel as seen on the current Pixel 8 and older models, the Pixel 9 appears to have an oval-shaped island similar to the Pixel Fold. The camera unit appears to include a new periscope telephoto lens. Specification-wise, this update would bring the regular Pixel handset much more in tune with the Pro model.

The Pixel 9 is seen in a blue colour in the leaked images. The handset could be offered in multiple colour options during the launch. Further, the screen has a centrally located single hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera.

Google's Pixel 9 is said to measure 152.8x71.9x8.5mm. It is expected to sport a 6.1-inch screen, down from the Pixel 8's 6.2-inch screen.

Google is expected to announce the Pixel 9 series in October. The handset could run on Android 15 and the company's in-house Tensor G4 SoC.

Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Gets Updated With Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, 3K Touchscreen Display in India

Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) was unveiled in India on Wednesday (January 24). The Asus laptop has been updated to run on Intel's Evo platform with Intel Arc graphics and features a 14-inch touch OLED display with 3K resolution. The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED includes dual speakers with Dolby Atmos technology and the company's ErgoSense keyboard. It sports the latest connectivity options including Wi-Fi 6E and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED runs on Windows 11 Home and is backed by a 75Whr battery. It also carries up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.

Asus Zenbook 14 OLED price in India, availability

Price of the updated Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) in India starts at Rs. 99,990 for the base variant. It has seven models and the top-end version with higher RAM and CPU option is priced at Rs. 1,09,990. All variants of he Asus Zenbook 14 OLED will be available for purchase through Amazon, Flipkart, and Asus e-shop as well as online stores starting January 31.

Asus Zenbook 14 OLED specifications

The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED comes preloaded with Windows 11 Home and features a 14-inch 3K (1,800x2,880 pixels) OLED touch display with 120Hz refresh rate, 16:10 aspect ratio, 87 percent screen-to-body ratio, and a peak brightness level of 550 nits. The screen has DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification and is rated to deliver 100 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. It is also available in a full-HD (1,200X1,920 pixel) OLED non-touch display with 60Hz refresh rate.

Asus is offering Zenbook 14 OLED with the AI-based Intel Evo platform integrated with Intel Arc graphics. The laptop can be configured with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155-H processor option or the Intel Core Ultra 5 125-H processor option. It packs up to 32GB of LPDDR5x onboard RAM and you will get up to 1TB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage. The laptop includes a dual neutral compute engine and a dedicated low-power AI engine.

Further, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED sports a full-HD IR Webcam with ambient light and colour sensor. It includes two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a headphone jack. The laptop has Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity options as well. The laptop features two Harman Kardon-certified speakers with Dolby Atmos sound system and includes an ErgoSense keyboard.

It boasts inbuilt microphones with Cortana and Alexa voice-recognition support. The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED houses a 75Whr lithium polymer battery with 65W fast charging support. The battery setup is claimed to provide up to 15 hours of unplugged operation on a single charge. It measures 312.42x220.05x14.9mm and weighs 1.2 kilograms.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Realme 12 Pro+ Key Specifications Leaked Ahead of Launch; To Get a 64-Megapixel Periscope Camera

Realme 12 5G series is just days away from being launched in India. The Chinese smartphone maker has confirmed that the series, which will likely include two phones — the Realme 12 Pro and the Realme 12 Pro+ — will be launched on January 29 at 12 pm IST. In the previous weeks, some of the specifications of the smartphones were leaked online, and now, a picture of a retail box packaging has surfaced, which reveals more details about the Realme 12 Pro+. Reportedly, the handset might get a 64-megapixel periscope zoom lens.

The leaked image (via GSMArena) shows what appears to be the back of the Realme 12 Pro+ retail box, with the name of the device mentioned on top. The specifications mentioned on the box highlight a periscope portrait camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), a Sony IMX890 OIS camera, a Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 chipset, and a curved display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Realme 12 Pro+ specifications

The new information corroborates earlier leaks and the specifications shared by the company. The handset is expected to feature a 6.7-inch curved AMOLED FHD+ display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. It is also rumoured to feature in-display fingerprint sensors. Under the hood, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset could be paired with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, as per the leaked image.

Official images of the Realme 12 Pro+ have revealed that the smartphone will get a triple rear camera setup in a circular module. The two cameras in the setup are expected to be a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 primary shooter with OIS and a 64-megapixel periscope lens with 120x zoom capabilities. The details of the third camera are not known. However, it is likely to be an ultrawide lens.

The company has also revealed that the Realme 12 Pro+ could be available in Navigator Beige and Submarine Blue colourways. The handset gets a golden metallic dial for the camera module, a centrally placed metallic band stretching from the phone's top to the bottom, and a leather-like finish.

The Realme 12 Pro+ is tipped to be backed by a 5,000mAh battery with 67W wired fast charging support. It is expected to come out of the box with Android 14-based Realme UI 5.

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Tuesday, 23 January 2024

Google Pixel 9 Pro Design Renders Leak; Suggests Flat Edges, Redesigned Camera Bar

Google Pixel 8 series with the vanilla Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro was launched in October at the ‘Made by Google' event. Now, the first Pixel 9 Pro renders have emerged online offering a glimpse into the possible design of Google's next flagship. The renders suggest a design deviation from the past few generations. The Pixel 9 Pro seems to have flat edges similar to what we've seen on iPhone models and a redesigned camera bar.

Prominent leaker Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks), in collaboration with MySmartPrice, has shared alleged renders and specifications of Google Pixel 9 Pro. The handset appears to have flat edges resembling iPhone models. The camera bar seems to have undergone a design change in the upcoming handset as it does not appear integrated into the frame. The pill-shaped camera island is not connected to the edges of the device, deviating from the previous design language of the Pixel Pro models. It looks more like the camera bar from the Pixel Fold. Three cameras are placed side-by-side and covered by glass. Google's temperature sensor appears to make a return with the upcoming phone.

The front of the Pixel 9 Pro draws similarities to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 series, with a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera and narrow bezels. The power button and volume rockers are seen on the right side of the phone. The left side seems to have antenna markings. The USB Type-C port, speaker grille, and SIM card tray are seen to be housed at the bottom of the handset. Google seems to have changed the arrangement of the SIM card tray. In the Pixel 8 Pro, the SIM tray is placed on the left spine. The mmWave antenna cover and a microphone appear to be present on the top of the phone.

Google's upcoming Pixel 9 Pro is said to feature a 6.5-inch display and could measure 162.7x76.6x8.5mm. By comparison, the Pixel 8 Pro measures 162.6x76.5x8.8mm and features a 6.7-inch display.

Google is expected to announce the Pixel 9 series in October. The handset could ship with Android 15 and the company's in-house Tensor G4 SoC. We can expect more leaks in the coming days.

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League of Legends, Valorant Developer Riot Games to Lay Off About 11 Percent of Staff

Tencent Holdings' Riot Games plans to lay off 530 employees, or about 11 percent of its staff globally, the online gaming company said on Monday in a blog that included a letter to employees from CEO Dylan Jadeja.

Los Angeles-based Riot, whose popular titles include League of Legends, said teams outside of core development will see the largest impact from layoffs.

Digital games publishers are struggling to grow, as audience hold off on buying expensive titles or stick to fewer games amid high inflation. Early last year, Electronic Arts cut 6 percent staff and gave up some office space.

"Today, we're a company without a sharp enough focus, and simply put, we have too many things underway. Some of the significant investments we've made aren't paying off the way we expected them to. Our costs have grown to the point where they're unsustainable," Jadeja said in the letter.

The changes will allow Riot to focus on its portfolio of live games League of Legends, Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift, according to a separate blog from Jadeja and co-founder Marc Merrill. The blog claimed that the studio had doubled in headcount over the past few years and long-term sustainability required focusing on high-impact projects. "This isn't to appease shareholders or to hit a quarterly earnings number—it's a necessity," the blog said.

Riot will stop new game development under "Riot Forge", and drop some staff and features in Legends of Runeterra.

Tencent, which acquired a majority stake in Riot Games in 2011, also holds stake in fellow US video game developer Epic Games.

Is PS Plus better than Xbox Game Pass now? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Monday, 22 January 2024

Honor X9b India Launch Date, Price, Specifications Leaked: Tipped to Run on Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC

Honor X9b India launch could be just around the corner. A date is yet to be officially confirmed by HTech, but a fresh leak suggests that the handset will go official in the country in the second week. Price details and specifications of the Indian variant of Honor X9b have also been tipped alongside. The Honor X9b is said to arrive in the competitive sub-Rs. 30,000 price segment. Honor unveiled the Honor X9b in select Arab countries last year. It runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC and features a 108-megapixel triple rear camera setup. It is backed by a 5,800mAh battery that supports 35W fast charging.

Known tipster Paras Guglani (@passionategeekz) has leaked the India launch date and pricing details of the Honor X9b on X. According to the tipster, the handset will be launched in the country on February 8 or February 9 and will be priced between Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000. The sale offers are said to bring the price as low as Rs. 23,999. He claims that the Honor X9b and Honor Choice X5 True Wireless Earbuds (TWS) bundle will be available for under Rs. 35,000.

The Indian variant of the Honor X9b is tipped to come with MagicOS 7.2 based on Android 13. It could run on Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC with 12GB of RAM.

Honor X9b is already available in the UAE with 8GB RAM + 256GB and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage options. It runs on Android 13-based MagicOS 7.2 and features a 6.78-inch 1.5K(1,200x2,652) AMOLED display. The handset is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC, coupled with up to 12GB of RAM.

For optics, the Honor X9b has a triple rear camera unit, comprising a 108-megapixel primary sensor, a 5-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. For selfies, there is a 16-megapixel front camera. It is equipped with a 5,800mAh battery with support for 35W fast charging.

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Moto G24 Price, Renders, Specifications Leaked; MediaTek Helio G85 SoC, 5,000mAh Battery Tipped

Moto G24 could launch soon as its renders, specifications, and pricing details have surfaced on the Web. The latest G series smartphone by the Lenovo-owned brand could run on the MediaTek Helio G85 SoC. It is shown with a hole-punch display with a 90Hz refresh rate and is said to feature a 50-megapixel dual camera setup at the rear. The handset could be backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 20W fast charging. The Moto G24 is expected to debut as a successor to last year's Moto G23.

Tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore (@Sudhanshu1414), in collaboration with Appuals, shared the renders, pricing, and specifications of the Moto G24. The renders show the handset in black, green, and pink shades. The display is seen with a centrally-located hole-punch cutout, housing the selfie camera. The Motorola smartphone appears to have a dual rear camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel primary sensor and LED flash. Further, power and volume buttons are seen arranged on the right spine of the handset. The fingerprint scanner might be integrated into the power button.

As per the report, the 4GB RAM + 128GB storage variant of the Moto G24 will be priced at around EUR 169 (roughly Rs. 15,000) in Europe.

The dual SIM (Nano) Moto G24 is said to run on Android 14 and feature a 6.56-inch IPS LCD HD+ (720x1,612 pixels) display with 90Hz refresh rate and 269ppi pixel density. It is said to run on a MediaTek Helio G85 SoC, paired with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

For optics, the camera setup of Moto G24 could include a 50-megapixel primary sensor with f/2.4 aperture and a 2-megapixel macro camera with an f/1.8 aperture. At the front, there could be an 8-megapixel lens with an f/2.0 aperture. It could include a 3.5mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5.0. There might be an ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, compass, accelerometer, and gyroscope sensor.

The Moto G24 is said to be powered by a 5.000mAh battery with support for 20W fast charging. It could measure 163x75x7.99mm and weigh 180 grams.

From the Nothing Phone 2 to the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, several new smartphones are expected to make their debut in July. We discuss all of the most exciting smartphones coming this month and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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