Intel Iris Xe MAX is the company’s first discrete GPU for laptops

In an attempt to enter the discrete graphics market, Intel today announced the new Iris Xe MAX graphics. Made for thin and light notebooks, the new Iris Xe MAX is based on the Xe-LP microarchitecture. If you remember, the chip-maker had announced the Iris Xe graphics alongside the latest 11th-Gen Core mobile processors during the Intel Architecture Day event. With the aim of addressing “an emerging need for content creation performance in thin-and-light laptops,” the company is banking upon two major capabilities. First is Intel’s Deep Link technology as part of Intel Adaptix and second is the support for PCIe Gen 4.

Intel says that the CPU is rarely optimized in thin-and-light laptops paired with third-party discrete graphics. Deep Link’s Dynamic Power Share will enable all the power and thermal resources to be dedicated to the CPU when the discrete GPU is idle, thereby resulting in up to 20% better CPU performance during a sustained task like executing a final render. The new Iris Xe MAX graphics will also deliver improved 1080p gaming on popular games. For gamers, Intel is also adding two new features- Game Sharpening and Instant Game Tuning. These features will be available through the Intel Graphics Command Center. You can check out the performance numbers below:

Paired with the new 11th-Gen Intel Core mobile processors, the new Intel Iris Xe MAX graphics is claimed to deliver Additive AI to provide up to 7-times faster AI-based creation compared to similar laptops configured with third-party graphics. For this Intel used its 11th-Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 with Intel Iris XeMAX against a 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 with Nvidia GeForce MX350. It will also offer Hyper Encode for up to1.78-times faster encoding than a high-end desktop graphics card. For this, the company used the same combo against the 10th-Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK with Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q.

The all-new Iris Xe MAX graphics along with the newest 11th-Gen Intel Core Mobile processors will be available starting today. The Acer Swift 3x, Asus VivoBook Flip TP470, and Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 will be the first three devices featuring the new hardware. Furthermore, Intel plans to launch entry-level discrete to high-end gaming and data center graphics for HPC and AI workloads. It is also working with partners to bring Xe-LP-based discrete graphics for affordable desktops in the first half of 2021. Additionally, the Xe-LP based Intel Server GPU will be shipping this year while the Xe-HP and Xe-HPG products are scheduled to arrive next year.

Intel shares architecture details on the 11th-gen Rocket Lake CPU range

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Five reasons XDA loves LineageOS

LineageOS is one of the most popular custom ROMs available for Android devices, if not the most popular custom ROM out there. Evolving from the halcyon days of the CyanogenMod project, LineageOS is now known for being a lightweight ROM with the bare minimum in additional features resulting in a high-performance, high versatility Android variant. But why do people love it so much? Here are five of our biggest reasons.

1. It extends your phone’s lifespan

First and foremost, we love LineageOS because it lets you extend the life of your phone. Not every Android smartphone is eligible to get 3 years of OS and security updates from their makers, but that doesn’t mean you have to abandon your perfectly good $1000 phone after the official support ends. By flashing LineageOS on one of the hundreds of officially supported devices, you can breathe new life into your old phone – saving the planet, and your pocket. Moreover, third-party developers frequently use its open-source codebase as the foundation for porting newer versions of Android to legacy devices, replacing their otherwise out-of-date (and insecure) firmware.

2. It’s stable and secure

Unlike typical homebrew software, official LineageOS builds are standardized against a Device Support Requirements charter. It ensures that all the basic hardware functionalities (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Camera, NFC, etc.) continue to operate after replacing the factory-installed software with LineageOS. Even if the OEMs stop updating the closed source vendor components, LineageOS maintainers continue to merge the latest patches to the Linux kernel corresponding to the device with each monthly Android Security Bulletin. To set the seal on security, SELinux is always set to enforcing on official variants. When you download and install a LineageOS build from lineageos.org, you know it’s been cryptographically signed by their build server, and not by anyone else, which further ensures that any one developer isn’t tampering with builds.

3. It’s a great way to de-Google your device

Some people love Android but don’t always feel comfortable with how closely tied it is to Google. LineageOS offers a great way to have the best of both worlds. By default, Google Apps aren’t included in LineageOS ROMs – but they can be installed in a streamlined and simplified way by flashing a suitable GApps package. You can even enjoy most of the Google services without the proprietary software components from the Mountain View giant by flashing a special forked version of LineageOS. It’s about freedom of choice.

4. It’s darn close to Stock AOSP Android

 

One of the most common complaints from Android users comes when a handset maker fiddles about too much with vanilla Android. We’ve come a long way from the likes of the Sony X10, which rewrote so much Android code that many standard modifications could brick it, but there’s still a glut of devices with alternative launchers, crippled options, and privacy hindering bloatware, replacing stock apps. There’s none of that with LineageOS. Sure, it has its own stock apps, but there’s nothing unnecessary, and more importantly – nothing is taken away. It’s pure Android loveliness, your way.

5. It’s got loads of exclusive features

Just because it’s a near-stock experience doesn’t mean that LineageOS hasn’t got a lot of exclusive features too. When building a ROM, it’s very tempting to throw the kitchen sink at it. The problem is, that can often affect the stability of the device. LineageOS strikes the right balance between great innovations like a dedicated Permissions Hub and a highly functional theming engine (based on the ThemePicker app from AOSP), without compromising the overall speed and stability of the phone – giving you advanced security, more customization options, and extra features, with the stability of a box-fresh phone. Oh yes, and did we mention? It’s incredibly easy to obtain superuser access, even though LineageOS doesn’t ship with a pre-installed root binary.

Find out more about LineageOS on the official website.

Or if you’re already sold, maybe you’d like to be amongst the first to own our XDA phone – the F(x)tec Pro1-X, which runs LineageOS out of the box. Find out more here.

With inputs from Skanda Hazarika

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The Moto G 5G could be Motorola’s next budget 5G phone with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 750G

The newly announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G could be the system-on-chip selected to power the upcoming Moto G 5G, XDA has learned, alongside other specifications. Furthermore, a live device photo has also surfaced on Slashleaks, showing off the display and the camera cutout on the front. The Moto G 5G Plus launched in July of this year.

Moto G 5G reported specifications

The Motorola Moto G 5G is said to feature a 60Hz. 6.66-inch 2400×1080 display. We don’t know if it’s an AMOLED or LCD panel yet, and a camera cut-out is present in the middle of the status bar. It will likely have 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, along with a 5,000 mAh battery too.

Small update on the #Kiev #MotoG5G…

Turns out, this is actually using the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G! This SoC has only just been announced, which is why we didn’t know what it was before. Full specs below https://t.co/9kPyTYkuXr pic.twitter.com/Yi7C39yxhu

— Adam Conway @ XDA (@AdamConwayIE) October 30, 2020

Missing some specs there

6.66-inch
2400×1080 resolution
5000mAh battery
Google Assistant button
Coming to Verizon (w/o GA button)
Also XT2113-1 and XT2113-5 models

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) October 30, 2020

As for the camera setup, the Moto G 5G reportedly features 3 cameras on the back and 1 singular selfie camera. The three cameras reported are the following.

• Samsung GM1 48MP primary sensor
• Samsung S5K4H7 8MP telephoto
• OmniVision OV02B10 2MP macro

The single selfie camera is the OmniVision OV16A1Q, which shoots at 16MP but uses pixel binning to create a 4MP image.

However, the more interesting news about the Motorola Moto G 5G is that it seemingly packs a dedicated Google Assistant button. This is a pretty self-explanatory button, as it will allow you to easily and quickly access the Google Assistant. It is also expected to come to Verizon in the US, though it will not have the Google Assistant button in tow. The Plus variant of this smartphone packs a Google Assistant button as well.

Finally, the Moto G 5G will have SD card support and an NFC reader. The model numbers for this particular smartphone are as follows:

• XT2113-1
• XT2113-2
• XT2113-3
• XT2113-5

The Moto G 5G was first reported by TechnikNews as having the codename “Kiev”. This is one of the first smartphones to pack a Snapdragon 750G, with both Xiaomi and Samsung being the only two OEMs to have confirmed launches.

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Image source: Slashleaks

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Honor 10X Lite is a new mid-range smartphone coming to Saudi Arabia, Europe, and Russia

Honor, the millennial sub-brand of Huawei has announced the Honor 10X Lite, launching in Saudi Arabia with a wider European rollout expected. The lower mid-range handset comes at a knockdown price, but of course, won’t come with Google Mobile Services (GMS) out-of-the-box. It’s a more affordable version of the Honor 10X and 10X Max phablet, launched during the summer, but unlike them, doesn’t offer 5G connectivity.

The Honor 10X Lite offers a reasonable, if slightly pedestrian, set of specs that are reasonably on par at this price point. The fly in the ointment is, as ever, the lack of Google apps, because of the current sanctions against parent company Huawei. But if that doesn’t put you off (they can be sideloaded), there’s a Kirin 710 octa-core SoC backed up by 4GB or RAM and 128GB of storage, expandable with microSD by up to 256GB.

The camera is a 48MP quad-lens, flanked by a 5MP ultrawide sensor, with a 2MP for depth and 2MP for macro. Round the front, there’s an 8MP punch-hole selfie camera. The display is a 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD, but at this price, we wouldn’t expect AMOLED. There’s a fingerprint sensor on the side of the device, an increasingly common location for security, and Android 10, wrapped in Honor’s Magic UI 3.1 skin.

Connectivity is pretty standard fayre at this level – LTE (no 5G), Wifi ac (no Wifi6), Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, and A-GPS. There is a headphone jack and USB-C 2.0. The generous 5000mAh battery allows for Honor Supercharge, which the manufacturer claims is capable of charging to 46% in 30 minutes.  All in all – a competent but uninspiring choice and with so many other phones competing in this space, the lack of Google apps will make this a difficult sell for many.

The Honor 10X Lite is available in three color variants – Icelandic Frost, Midnight Black, Emerald Green. It’s on sale now in Saudi Arabia priced at SAR799 ($213) and due to arrive in Russia on November 6th with a European release shortly afterward.

Specification	Honor 10X Lite
Build	Icelandic Frost, Midnight Black, Emerald Green
Dimensions & Weight	76.88 x 165.65 x 9.2mm 206g
Display	6.67″ hole-punch IPS LCD FHD+ 2400 x 1080
SoC	Kirin 710
RAM & Storage	4GB RAM 128GB internal storage Storage expandable via microSD up to 256GB
Battery & Charging	5000mAh with 22.5W fast charging
Security	Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Rear Camera(s)	48MP 5MP ultrawide 2MP depth 2MP macro
Front Camera(s)	8MP
Port(s)	USB-C
Audio	3.5mm audio jack
Connectivity	LTE/Wi-Fi 5/Bluetooth
Software	Honor Magic UI 3.1 on Android 10 with HMS (no GMS)
Other Features	Game Acceleration e-reader mode

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Telegram’s latest update allows multiple pinned messages, distance alerts on live locations, and more

Messaging app Telegram has announced a new raft of features for Android users, including some that you’re unlikely to find in other messenger apps. It’s the second tranch of updates to Telegram in the past few months, as the battle between competing platforms continues.

The Pinned Messages feature now lets you pin a number of threads — great for multitasking between different people where you want to keep conversations separate, or perhaps you’re talking with the same person about several different things at the same time. To use it, you can either tap the top bar to cycle through the threads or use the newly added button to move them all to their own page. This is the first time that pinning has applied to one-to-one conversations, as well as group chats.

 

Also new, where users are sharing their live location with you, you can set an alert to tell you when they’re nearby. Additionally, the map will now show what direction you’re going in, so you can guide them in to meet you more easily. If that wasn’t enough, when you send multiple songs over Telegram, the receiver now gets sent a playlist. When you start playing one, the entire playlist will be added to a queue in Telegram’s built-in media player. You can choose to separate each song from the playlist if you prefer, but there’s no doubt this is a much tidier way of doing it.

Finally, there are new analytics tools for your shared posts. You can view data for the whole channel, or for individual posts. You can even see where your post has been forwarded into public channels. There are some fancy new animations and emojis to choose from, plus you can now annotate a photograph from someone you’re chatting to in-line, without downloading it and reuploading it.

All these features are available now by updating your Telegram app in the Play Store. As Telegram notes, “If you’re on iOS, you’ll get the update as soon as either a) Apple finishes reviewing it OR b) you decide it’s time to switch to Android.”

Well, we didn’t like to say, but….

Telegram (Free, Google Play) →

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MIUI 12 code hints at a Xiaomi foldable smartphone code-named “cetus” with 108MP camera

Foldables have been steadily rising in popularity for the past two years. We’re past the first generation of foldables, with major OEMs like Samsung having released and learned from their first set of devices. The second generation of foldables, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, are even better. With 2021 fast approaching, we’re likely to see many more foldables take form, and it seems like Xiaomi is also preparing a foldable smartphone of its own.

Evidence within MIUI 12 code, spotted by our trusted XDA Senior Member kacskrz, indicates that Xiaomi is working on a new foldable device. This device is codenamed “cetus”. We’ve examined code within MIUI 12’s latest China Closed Beta for the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, and found some more clues for the device and some of its specifications. Cetus is clearly a foldable, as the device returns a true value for the method called isFlodAbleDevice (likely a typographical error, intending to mean isFoldAbleDevice). There is a bunch of other code, related to monitoring the display fold and identifying changes to the folding state, which gives us confidence towards the claim.

For other specifications, Cetus is very likely running MIUI on Android 11. Further, it will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and will also have a 108MP primary camera.

We do not have further information about the device, including the kind of foldable display technology it has, or the folding mechanism, or the exact processor used. If we are allowed to take a guess, there is a very good chance that the SoC used is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8xx series flagship SoC, as one can presume that the foldable will have other high-end specifications to better justify a presumably premium price tag.

Cetus is also not the first foldable from Xiaomi. The company has teased its foldable concept smartphone a few times, but the product never made it to the hands of consumers. There’s no evidence that suggests that cetus will reach customers, either. But considering how Samsung will be on the third iteration of its foldable premium smartphone, Xiaomi is bound to join the race sooner rather than later.

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Thanks to XDA Senior Member kacskrz for the tip!

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LG to reportedly launch a true flagship and a rollable smartphone next year

At CES 2016, LG showcased a prototype 18-inch OLED display that could be rolled up like a newspaper. A couple of years down the line, the company showed off a 65-inch 4K TV prototype with a similar display that could roll up to hide the TV from view. The rollable TV finally went on sale earlier this month, and while we’re yet to see one in the wild, the company is now working to bring the rollable OLED technology to a smartphone.

As per a recent report from South Korean publication TheElec, LG Electronics will launch a smartphone with a rollable display next year. The smartphone, codenamed Project B, will be the second device in the company’s new Explorer Project. For the unaware, the Explorer Project is “both an initiative and a category [which] will include devices that deliver distinctive and yet unexplored usability experiences.” The recently launched LG Wing, which features a swiveling main display, was the first smartphone launched as part of the Explorer Project.

Rumors about this rollable smartphone have been around for a while now. A separate report from TheElec from earlier this year in June reveals that LG has already started producing the prototype at its factory in Pyeongtaek. The smartphone has been named Project B after the company’s CEO Kwon Bong-seok. LG is expected to unveil the device in March next year. While details about the rollable smartphone are still scarce, it’s worth noting that LG itself teased the upcoming smartphone during the LG Wing launch. In case you missed it, you can catch a glimpse of Project B and its rolling mechanism at 32:33 in the video embedded below.

Along with Project B, LG is also working on a full-fledged flagship smartphone for 2021. According to industry sources, the flagship smartphone, codenamed Rainbow, will be launched in the first quarter of 2021. The device will reportedly be at par with LG’s last V series device, the LG V60 ThinQ, in terms of specifications. Since the V60 ThinQ packed in a Snapdragon 865 chip, the upcoming LG Rainbow will likely feature the yet unannounced Snapdragon 875 SoC. While this goes against the company’s current strategy of focusing on mass-premium and mass-tier 5G products, I have my hopes up after seeing the LG Wing.

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Source: TheElec

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Xiaomi overtook Apple to become the third largest smartphone vendor in Q3

After briefly losing its pole position to Huawei in Q2 2020, Samsung has reclaimed its spot as the #1 smartphone vendor globally in Q3 2020. As per the latest smartphone market research reports from Counterpoint Research, IDC, and Canalys, the South Korean giant shipped close to 80 million smartphones in the quarter and captured a market share of around 22%. While Samsung’s resurgence was expected, given the current state of affairs for Huawei, we weren’t expecting to see Xiaomi overtake Apple to take the third spot on the list. Even though all three reports offer slightly different figures, the top four positions are consistent across the board with Samsung at the first spot, Huawei at the second, followed by Xiaomi, and then Apple.

According to Counterpoint Research, Xiaomi shipped 46.2 million devices in the third quarter with a market share of 13%. IDC claims that the Chinese OEM shipped 46.5 million units in the time period and captured a 13.1% market share. And finally, according to Canalys, the company shipped 47.1 million handsets with a market share of 13.5%. On the other hand, Apple shipped 41.7 million devices and had a market share of 11% as per Counterpoint Research. IDC reports that the Cupertino giant shipped 41.6 million devices with a market share of 11.8%, and according to Canalys, the company shipped 43.2 million devices with a market share of 12.4 %.

Overall, smartphone shipments grew exponentially in Q3 2020 compared to the previous quarter, with the Indian market clocking the highest-ever shipments in a single quarter. As per a separate report from Counterpoint Research, Indian smartphone shipments grew 9% YoY to reach over 53 million units in the quarter, and Samsung took the top spot in the country with a 24% market share and 32% YoY growth. However, Canalys claims that the Indian market saw an 8% YoY growth with Xiaomi still in the pole position.

But while the exact figures published in these reports are slightly different, both reports suggest that Samsung recaptured a large portion of the country’s market share from Xiaomi. This could be because there was a strong anti-China sentiment in India in the early months of Q3 2020, and there was a citizen’s call to boycott Chinese brands. But while the anti-China sentiment may have helped Samsung to some extent, we haven’t seen any major impact on Chinese brands’ market share as a whole. Chinese OEMs still control a combined 74% of the Indian smartphone market.

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Source: Counterpoint Research (1,2), Canalys (1,2), IDC

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Intel shares architecture details on the 11th-gen Rocket Lake CPU range

Earlier this month, Intel announced that its 11th-Generation desktop processors would debut early next year. But, at the time, the chipmaker had only revealed limited details about the upcoming processor family. And while the launch is still a couple of months away, we have now received new information about the architecture of the next-gen chips. The new Rocket Lake series is set to arrive by the first quarter of 2021, and it will focus on bringing more performance to gamers and PC enthusiasts.

Intel is aiming for double-digit percentage IPC (Instructions Per Clock) performance improvements, which should be similar to the performance jump from Comet Lake to Ice Lake mobile processors. The new chips will use a new architecture called Cypress Cove for improved hardware and software efficiency and increased performance​. The new range will yet again be based on the 14nm architecture, but Intel will backport some of the features from the 10nm Sunny Cove.

The Rocket Lake series will also offer improved Intel UHD graphics thanks to the new Xe Graphics architecture. It is expected to support the same socket (LGA1200) and motherboard compatibility as the current 10th-Gen Comet Lake processors. However, the company will launch new 500-series motherboards as well. Notably, the top of the line processor will now max out at 8-cores, unlike the 10-core Core i9-10900k processor option, but will have the same 125W TDP with a top turbo boost of 250W.

The company had already confirmed the support for PCIe 4.0, and now we know that it will offer 20 PCIe 4.0 lanes. This would essentially mean faster SSD storage speeds and improvements in speeds for other PCIe based hardware, including GPUs. The memory controller will also see a boost in speeds going up to DDR4-3200. Intel will also offer Deep Learning Boost technologies for AI and ML acceleration, support for Vector Neural Network Instructions (VNNI), which will finally bring AVX-512 to desktop users. Other features include new media controllers, including HEVC (VP9) at up to 4K60 12-bit 4:4:4, and AV1 at 4K60 10-bit 4:2:0. There is also support for DisplayPort 1.4a, HDMI 2.0b, and HBR3, along with support for three 4K60p or two 5K60p displays.

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Source: Intel

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The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is proof that a great LCD is better than a good AMOLED

The Xiaomi Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro are Xiaomi’s latest flagship-killer grade smartphones. By nomenclature, they succeed in the Mi 9T and the Mi 9T Pro, respectively. The Mi 10T duo gets a range of updates over the Mi 9T — rebranded Redmi K20 series — including the newer, more advanced, and 5G-enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 mobile platform, a 20% larger battery, improved haptics, cameras with up to 108MP resolution, etc. But before you notice any of that adding vigor to the action, the first and the most glaring feature you’re bound to notice on the Mi 10T or the Mi 10T Pro is the new, larger, and smoother hole-punch display used on these devices.

Mi 10T Pro Hands-on Preview: 144Hz Screen is so Smooth

For Mi 10T and the Mi 10T, Xiaomi has chosen a 144Hz LCD that supports dynamic refresh rate switching. Their choice seemingly defies the common belief that AMOLED displays are better than LCDs, especially when we speak of flagships and flagship killers. Xiaomi challenges the notions about AMOLEDs’ qualitative superiority with claims about having tuned the color profiles of the display incisively. To justify these claims, they sling catchphrases such as DCI-P3, AdaptiveSync, and more, and we’ll be addressing the relevance of each of those in the sections below.

Before we begin, here is a quick comparison between the specifications of the Mi 9T and the Mi 10T Series:

Specification	Xiaomi Mi 9T/9T Pro	Xiaomi Mi 10T/10T Pro
Dimensions & Weight	156.7 x 74.3 x 8.8 mm 191g	165.1 x 76.4 x 9.33 mm Mi 10T: 216g Mi 10T Pro: 218g
Display	6.39-inch AMOLED 1080 x 2340 91.9% screen-to-body ratio Gorilla Glass 5 HDR support	6.67″ FHD+ LCD 20:9 aspect ratio 144Hz refresh rate AdaptiveSync: 30/48/50/60/90/120/144Hz MEMC HDR10 DCI-P3 Punch-hole display Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on front and back
SoC	Mi 9T: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 2 x 2.2GHz Kryo 470 Gold 6 x 1.8GHz Kryo 470 Silver Adreno 618 GPU Mi 9T Pro: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 1 x 2.84GHz Kryo 485 3 x 2.42GHz Kryo 485 4 x 1.8GHz Kryo 485 Adreno 640 GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865: 1 x Kryo 585 (ARM Cortex-A77-based) Prime core @ 2.84GHz 3 x Kryo 585 (ARM Cortex-A77-based) Performance core @ 2.4GHz 4 x Kryo 385 (ARM Cortex A55-based) Efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz Adreno 650 GPU
RAM & Storage	Mi 9T: 6GB LPDDR4X /64GB UFS 2.1 6GB / 128GB Mi 9T Pro 6GB LPDDR4X /64GB UFS 2.1 6GB/128GB 8GB/128GB 8GB/256GB	Mi 10T: 6GB LPDDR5 + 128GB UFS 3.1 8GB + 128GB Mi 10T Pro: 8GB LPDDR5 + 128GB UFS 3.1 8GB + 256GB
Battery & Charging	4000mAh 27W fast charging support 18W fast charger in the box	5000mAh 33W fast charging support 33W fast charger in the box
Security	In-display fingerprint scanner AI Face Unlock	Side-mounted fingerprint scanner AI Face Unlock
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 48MP Sony IMX586, f/1.75 Secondary: 13MP 124.8° wide-angle sensor, f/2.4 Tertiary: 8MP 2X telephoto sensor f/2.4 Video: Mi 9T: 4K video recording @ 30fps Mi 9T Pro: 4K video recording @ 60fps	Primary: 108MP, f/1.69, 1/1.33″ sensor, OIS Secondary: 13MP, ultra-wide angle, f/2.4, 1.12µm pixel size, 123° FoV Tertiary: 5MP, macro, f/2.4, 1.12µm pixel size Video: 8K @ 30fps Dual Video modes: Vertical, Horizontal, PiP
Front Camera(s)	20MP, f/2.2, 1/3.4″ sensor, 0.8µm pixel size	20MP, f/2.2, 1/3.4″ sensor, 0.8µm pixel size
Port(s)	USB Type-C	USB Type-C
Audio & Vibration	Single Speaker Hi-Fi DAC 3.5mm headphone jack	Dual Speakers Hi-Res Audio certification X-axis linear vibration motor
Connectivity	Bands: LTE FDD: B1/3/5/7/8/20/28 LTE TDD: B34/38/39/40/41 WCDMA: B1/2/5/8 GSM: B2/3/5/8 2 ×2 MIMO Wi-Fi 5 NFC Dual-band GNSS	Bands: 5G: n1/n3/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n41/n77/n78 LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28/32 LTE TDD: B38/40/41 WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8 GSM: B2/3/5/8 4×4 MIMO Wi-Fi 6 NFC Dual-band GNSS
Software	Updated to MIUI 12 based on Android 10	MIUI 12 based on Android 10
Other Features	Pop-up selfie camera	IR Blaster Splash-proof protection

Note: For this review, Xiaomi India loaned us a pre-retail unit of the 8GB/128GB variant of the Mi 10T Pro. I have used the device for almost five days before writing this article.

I must remark that the vision and the perception of quality, as well as the color of a display are subjective. Therefore, instead of critically assessing the Mi 10T Pro’s display in isolation, I will also be relying majorly on comparing with the Redmi K20 Pro (which is rebranded as the Mi 9T Pro for the European market). For tangible comparison and conclusions, I’m using the free version of the Display Tester app that features a horde of qualitative tests to analyze the display on any Android device.

Display Tester (Free, Google Play) →

Meanwhile, I must also point out while setting up the Mi 10T Pro initially, the display felt as good to me as an AMOLED display in terms of color accuracy and saturation despite being aware that it is an LCD. Irrespective of that, I have taken ample precautions to prevent my first impressions from influencing my analysis of the display.

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Brightness on Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro vs Mi 9T Pro

LCD and AMOLED displays operate quite differently. An LCD uses a backlight as its only source of light compared to an AMOLED display on which individual pixel lights up to show different colors. An LCD comprises many more layers than an AMOLED, and that typically leads to LCDs having lower brightness than OLED or AMOLED displays.

Layers in LCD vs AMOLED displays; Source: LG Chem

As per Xiaomi’s official listing, the Mi 10T series devices have a typical brightness of 450nits, which can peak to up to 600 nits with the sunlight mode. On the other hand, the Mi 9T’s AMOLED display is officially claimed to have a typical brightness of 430nits, peaking to 650nits under strong sunlight.

Although both displays are fairly bright and legible — even under a strong light source, the Mi 9T Pro’s AMOLED display feels much brighter than the Mi 10T Pro’s LCD. To quantify this, I used the Lux Light Meter Free app on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (which is one of the finest smartphones I’ve used lately, as mentioned in my review) and noted the brightness values (in lux) by holding the Note 20 Ultra’s ambient sensor against the display of both the smartphones. For more accuracy, I took three readings per device and then estimated the mean value. Besides, I also took the readings from a distance of ~5cm from the smartphones in a pitch dark room for an affirmative conclusion.

Lux Light Meter Free (Free⁺, Google Play) →

In the first test, the app measures the brightness of the Mi 10T Pro’s display to be 561lux (179nits). The Mi 9T Pro, on the other hand, yields a much higher brightness of 1142lux (364nits). Of course, since the values are measured using a smartphone’s ambient light sensor, they cannot be treated as absolute values. However, we can — very conveniently — use them for comparison. Based on these values, the Mi 10T Pro’s LCD comes out to be only half as bright as the Mi 9T Pro’s AMOLED.

For the second test, the ambient brightness value of the Mi 10T Pro’s display is 411lux (130nits), whereas the brightness of Mi 9T Pro’s display is measured to be 830lux (264nits). The Mi 10T Pro, once again, is left behind by a margin of over 100%. As we go farther away from the phones, a similar factor of approximated two times more brightness with the Mi 9T Pro is observed compared to the Mi 10T Pro while measuring their brightness values from distances of 1ft and 2ft. The methodology isn’t fool-proof, but it satisfies our requirement of quantifying the displays’ brightness — although with a reasonable margin of error.

For a more visual and relatable comparison, you can see the images below. The image below is taken with the brightness on both devices set to 100% on both phones.

Mi 10T Pro on the top while Mi 9T Pro on the bottom at 100% brightness

Quite evidently, the Mi 9T Pro’s AMOLED display appears brighter than the LCD on the Mi 10T Pro. But at the same time, we see that the LCD has a more uniform color throughout the display. The LCD’s white color also has a closer-to-neutral color temperature than the AMOLED display.

To examine further, we will be taking a few more tests from the Display Tester app into consideration — starting with the Contrast tests. For all of the following tests, the “Auto” Color Scheme has been selected on the smartphones’ Display Settings. This is the default option that both of these devices ship with. While you get the option to change the white balance on both devices and even tweak values of RGB, Hue, Saturation, Contrast, and Gamma on the Mi 10T, most of the users are unlikely to fiddle with those settings.

Contrast on Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro vs Mi 9T Pro

AMOLEDs typically offer more contrast as compared to LCDs. Contrast ratio, which is expressed as the ratio of the luminescence (or the brightness) of the brightest pixels of the display to those of the darkest, is often used for advertising the accuracy of details produced by TVs and displays. On AMOLED displays, the color black is presented by turning off pixels, and this is why we often hear about AMOLEDs presenting the “true black” color. This allows the contrast ratio of AMOLED displays to tend to a significantly high value as compared to LCDs.

Deeper blacks on the Mi 9T Pro (right) vs grayish-black on the Mi 10T Pro (left)

In practical usage, high contrast or a contrast ratio means a clearer distinction between parts of the screen. Besides the fact that AMOLED displays are usually brighter than LCDs, as we saw in the section above, the former can also get much dimmer, and therefore, allow better readability in low lighting.

On paper, the Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro have a contrast ratio of 1500:1, whereas the Mi 9T series has a much higher contrast ratio of 60000:1.

Mi 10T Pro (top) vs Mi 9T Pro (bottom) at 10% and 1% brightness on a black screen

Despite this variance in the quantitative values, both smartphones do not show any significant difference in terms of the quality of any content. In fact, the Contrast test from the Display Tester app reveals that the Mi 10T offers a much better distinction between different colors at low brightness.

Mi 10T Pro (top) with better contrast than the Mi 9T Pro (bottom) towards darker hues

However, HDR content appears much better on the Mi 9T series because the black portions on the LCD appear gray, leading up to a hazy appearance.

Overall, the higher contrast allows bright shades of colors to pop out, especially dark colors dominate the frame. For instance, the visuals of a well-illuminated city or fireworks at night will appear better on the Mi 9T Pro than on the Mi 10T Pro’s display.

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Color Saturation on Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro vs Mi 9T Pro

AMOLED displays are typically known to offer deeper and more saturated colors. However, saturation does not translate to accuracy, and Xiaomi has big claims regarding the latter. They claim that the Mi 10T Pro covers 98% colors of the DCI-P3 and 96% of the NTSC color gamuts. Besides, The Mi 10T Pro is claimed to have a Delta E value (∆E is the difference between real-life colors and the ones produced by the display; lower is better and 0 is the best) of 0.63.

In a real-life comparison with the Mi 9T Pro’s AMOLED display, the LCD on Mi 10T Pro offers more distinction between adjoining colors. The different boxes for each of the colors in the Display Tester app’s Saturation test are slightly more distinguishable on the Mi 10T Pro than the 9T Pro.

Overall, the colors on the Mi 9T Pro appear overblown. While this artificial oversaturation may appear fascinating to the eyes, they do not represent true colors. That becomes especially evident when you look at any pictures clicked with the phone or watching some content that portrays nature.

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Refresh Rate: 144Hz LCD vs 60Hz AMOLED

The Mi 10T series takes a significant lead against the Mi 9T in terms of refresh rate — or the frequency at which each pixel of a display is updated or refreshed. The Mi 10T/10T Pro gets a 144Hz display, which means it refreshes every ~7ms, which is more than twice as fast as the ~16.7ms taken by the standard 60Hz display on the Mi 9T duo. As a result of more frequent refreshing, animations and transitions on the Mi 10T Pro’s display appear much smoother and fluid than the Mi 9T, which leads to a more enjoyable experience while gaming on the smartphones. A 144hz refresh rate implies that the display can process and present videos or game-related content at 144 frames per second (fps) without lagging. And before you ask, here are all the Android games that support gameplay at 120fps or higher.

While the 144Hz refresh rate is in itself a major advantage, especially for gaming enthusiasts, the Mi 10T devices also support AdaptiveSync. The Mi 10T’s screen supports variable refresh rates and can adjust it based on the content that is being displayed. The refresh rate values supported by the display include 30Hz, 48Hz, 50Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz. By synchronizing refresh rate with the frame rate of the content (or in multiples), the Mi 10T Pro eliminates any instances of screen tearing or visual artifacts. To learn more, read our explainer on the relevance of refresh rate on smartphone displays.

The “Adaptive” bit comes in play when the display smartly adjusts to the frame rate based on the content instead of applying a blanket rule per-app as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra does. For instance, a movie shot at 24fps will invoke a frame rate of 48Hz, whereas a TV show shot at 25fps will cause the display to refresh at 50Hz, and the Mi 10T can work at different refresh rates within the same video content app — say Netflix.

Besides cost, AdaptiveSync is one of the primary reasons that Xiaomi has opted for an LCD instead of an AMOLED. A manufacturer must tune the display color profiles and gamma values for different refresh rates, and achieving this with an LCD is much easier than an AMOLED. This becomes more imperative to ensure the Mi 1oT Pro’s display switches refresh rate seamlessly between different apps or forms of content without any visible alteration in the color output. This also gives it an advantage over devices like the OnePlus 8T which, despite their 120Hz refresh rates, can only operate at fixed refresh rate values such as 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz.

It is worth noting that Xiaomi’s AdaptiveSync differs from active sync features used by GPU manufacturers like NVIDIA. The latter allows supported displays to adjust the display’s refresh rate precisely to match the content’s frame rate in real-time. For example, if the game switches from 80fps to 65fps (due to a change of scene or processing incapabilities), the refresh rate of a display with NVIDIA’s VSync support will automatically lower from 80Hz to 65Hz in real-time. However, this is not supported on any smartphone other than the flouted first-gen Razer Phone from a couple of years ago.

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Conclusion: Accuracy and Smoothness trumps Saturation and Contrast

The Mi 10T Pro is a competent smartphone, and the 144Hz AdaptiveSynch LCD makes it an excellent choice, especially for gaming — if you can wrap your head around Xiaomi’s confusing naming scheme. As opposed to OnePlus’ upgrades, Xiaomi’s T upgrades usually fare below the original numeric series i.e. Mi 9 was a better phone than Mi 9T/9T Pro, and the same applies when you compare the Mi 10 and the Mi 10 Pro with the Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro respectively. On top of that, while Redmi K20 and Mi 9T series are identical, Redmi K30 and Mi 10T are different devices — the non-Pro and the Pro variants in the former have been rebranded as POCO devices for markets outside China. Simultaneously, the Mi 10T has also come to be known as Redmi K30S in China as part of Xiaomi’s efforts to branch marketing and sales into the Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO brands.

Looking at the display, the Mi 10T Pro definitely feels like a legible upgrade over the Mi 9T Pro but with minor compromises in terms of screen brightness and contrast. To redress those shortcomings, Xiaomi relies on a color-accurate, fluid, and much smoother user experience.

Xiaomi Mi 10T & 10T Pro XDA Forums

We will follow this display review up with a smoothness and gaming review soon so make sure you come back for that.

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What do you think is better — 144HZ color accurate LCD or a 60Hz bright AMOLED? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The post The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is proof that a great LCD is better than a good AMOLED appeared first on xda-developers.

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SmartThings Find helps you find your lost Samsung Galaxy devices

Samsung introduced a new ‘Offline finding’ feature in its Find My Mobile app earlier this year in August, allowing users to locate their lost or stolen Galaxy devices without requiring network access on the missing device. At the time, the feature was only available in select regions. However, Samsung recently started rolling it out widely with version 7.2.07.19 of the Find My Mobile app. While Samsung is yet to release a statement about the Offline finding feature, the company has now rolled out a new feature in the SmartThings app that offers similar functionality. The new SmartThings Find feature is based on the same principles, and it makes use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies to help users find select Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds.

Talking about the new feature, Jaeyeon Jung, VP and Head of Samsung’s SmartThings team, said, “Utilizing the latest in BLE and UWB technology, SmartThings Find will make your life less stressful when it comes to searching for misplaced Galaxy devices. With the added advantage of using AR in conjunction with maps and sound to guide you back to your devices, SmartThings Find is a simple and visual solution that will help you easily locate your favorite devices. This is just one example of the new meaningful mobile experiences that UWB technology will bring to people across the world.”

To use the new SmartThings Find feature, you’ll first need to complete a quick registration process in the SmartThings app. Once the process is complete, you will be able to find select Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds using the new service. As with the Offline findings feature, SmartThings Find will also work even when your missing device is offline.

Samsung explains that once a device is offline for 30 minutes, it will produce a BLE signal that can be received by other devices. If you report your device as lost via SmartThings Find, any nearby user with a Galaxy device or tablet who has opted for helping find misplaced devices will be able to alert Samsung’s server about the missing device’s location. The server will then notify you about the same and help you locate your missing device. The missing device’s location will only be revealed to the device’s owner, and all SmartThings Find user data will be encrypted and securely protected.

The lost device’s location will be displayed on a map, and once you’re nearby, SmartThings find will also give you the option to ring your device to locate it quickly. Furthermore, the service includes an AR-based Search Nearby function, which will display color graphics that will increase in intensity when you get closer to your lost device. To make use of this new service, you’ll need to update to the latest version of the SmartThings app. You can check out the video embedded above to see the feature in action.

It’s worth noting that the SmartThings Find feature will only be available on Galaxy smartphones running Android 8.0 Oreo or later, Galaxy Watches running Tizen 5.5 or later, the Galaxy Buds+, and the Galaxy Buds Live. The BLE finding capabilities of the service will be available on all supported devices, but the UWB feature will only be available on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 2. In case you have a supported device, you can download the latest version of the SmartThings app from the Play Store link below.

SmartThings (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: Samsung Mobile Press

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OnePlus 8T update to OxygenOS 11.0.2.3 optimizes 5G, power consumption, and more

OnePlus has released a new OxygenOS stable update for the OnePlus 8T that’s focused on optimizing the system, Bluetooth, and network for a better experience. One of the big changes is the optimization of OxygenOS’s “intelligent 5G function”, which the changelog says should extend the battery life of the 8T.

In terms of overall system performance, the release of OxygenOS 11.0.2.3 for the OnePlus 8T promises to improve power consumption and reduce heat generation. The update also improves system stability and fixes an issue where icons don’t display on the home screen.

Credits: XDA Recognized Developer OldDroid

In addition, OxygenOS 11.0.2.3 also makes some changes to Bluetooth performance, including improved connection stability, and a fix to the gallery that saw some abnormal display issues when loading a preview photo. There doesn’t appear to be any major new features in the update, but it should provide OnePlus 8T owners with a better experience.

OnePlus 8T Forums

OnePlus has been incredibly busy this year, releasing several new devices and continuing to issue important updates for its devices. Recently, the company rolled out OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 3 for its OnePlus 8 series, which included Canvas AOD and bumped up the Android Security Patch level to October 2020.

OxygenOS 11.0.2.3 Changelog & Downloads

Changelog

• System
  • Optimized system power consumption and reduce heat generation
  • Fixed the issue that icons are not displayed on the desktop in a small probability
  • Improved system stability and fixed known issues
• Bluetooth
  • Optimized Bluetooth connection to reduce latency
  • Improved connection stability
• Gallery
  • Fixed the abnormal display issue with leading preview photo
• Network
  • Optimized the intelligent 5G function to extend battery and endurance capacity

Downloads

• Europe
  • Full OTA to 11.0.2.3
  • Incremental OTA from 11.0.1.2
• India
  • Full OTA to 11.0.2.3
  • Incremental OTA from 11.0.1.2

Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for providing the download links!

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POCO X3, Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, and 10 others now support augmented reality apps via ARCore

The list of devices that support Google Play Services for AR is growing so quickly it’s hard to keep up. Earlier this month, Google added support for over two dozen new devices, and even more support was added just the other week. Now, even more handsets are getting support for augmented reality apps via Google’s ARCore SDK.

In order for a device to support the ARCore SDK, which is used by augmented reality apps on Android, Google works with OEMs to calibrate the cameras and sensors in their devices to ensure they work properly for AR. Once everything is set, the devices are then whitelisted on Google Play so that Play Services for AR can be pushed to the device.

With Google Play Services for AR installed on your device, you can use advanced augmented reality capabilities, including Live View in Google Maps and AR+ Mode in Pokémon Go.

The following devices now support more advanced augmented reality features:

• Fujitsu F52A
• LG K92
• Motorola Moto G9 Plus
• OPPO A72 5G
• OPPO F17 Pro
• Sharp AQUOS Sense4
• Sharp AQUOS Sense4 basic
• Sharp AQUOS Sense4 lite
• Umx U3AR
• Xiaomi POCO X3/POCO X3 NFC
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max
• Realme X50 Pro Player

ARCore can unlock some really cool features, and once Google Play Services for AR is pushed to your device, you can start using augmented reality applications and features right away. If your device isn’t on the list of supported devices, you may be able to manually enable it with root. It’s possible, however, that you’ll run into issues due to the lack of a proper calibration configuration. If you have one of the above devices and the app hasn’t been pushed to your device yet, you can sideload the latest version of the APK yourself to skip the wait.

Google Play Services for AR (Free, Google Play) →

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OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7T series get OxygenOS Open Beta 19/9 with October 2020 patches and front camera flashback fix

OnePlus is back again with a new Open Beta version of OxygenOS for both the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7T series, specifically Open Beta 19 for the OnePlus 7/7 Pro and Open Beta 9 for the OnePlus 7T/7T Pro. The last stable channel update for these phones rolled out a few days ago, featuring September 2020 security patches and a few other changes. The newest beta builds, on the other hand, finally brings in the October 2020 security patch.

XDA Forums: OnePlus 7 ||| OnePlus 7 Pro ||| OnePlus 7T ||| OnePlus 7T Pro

There really isn’t much else to report with this update, other than a fix related to the front camera. You can read the full changelog below:

• System
  • Improved system stability and fixed general issues
  • Updated Android Security Patch to 2020.10
• Camera
  • Fixed the flashback issue when switched to the front camera in particular cases

While the new beta is still based on Android 10, those looking for the Android 11 update for the OnePlus 7 and 7T series won’t have to wait much longer. The Chinese variants of these smartphones have recently picked up a new set of HydrogenOS beta builds with a similar changelog, which are apparently the final Android 10-based updates on the beta channel. According to the release note, the first public beta version based on Android 11 for the 7/7T lineup will be launched by the end of the year. The declaration is indeed in line with the previous claim made by the company.

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Download Links – OxygenOS Open Beta 19 (OnePlus 7 series), Open Beta 9 (OnePlus 7T series)

OnePlus 7 – Open Beta 19

• Global:
  • Full OTA
  • Incremental OTA from Beta 18

OnePlus 7 Pro – Open Beta 19

• Global:
  • Full OTA
  • Incremental OTA from Beta 18

OnePlus 7T – Open Beta 9

•  Global:
  • Full OTA
  • Incremental OTA from Beta 8
• India:
  • Full OTA
  • Incremental OTA from Beta 8

OnePlus 7T Pro – Open Beta 9

•  Global:
  • Full OTA
  • Incremental OTA from Beta 8
• India:
  • Full OTA
  • Incremental OTA from Beta 8

Thanks to XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the download links!

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