HMD, plans to release smartphones under its own brand by mid-2024

HMD Global, the company behind Nokia phones, announced plans to launch its own line of smartphones by mid-2024 as part of its new brand strategy. Jean-Francois Baril, HMD's Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO, expressed ambitions for broader innovation, embracing a multi-brand approach by introducing HMD original devices alongside Nokia phones and global partnerships.

The new strategy will see HMD focusing solely on smartphones under its own brand, prioritizing sustainability and repairability. With India as a key market, where HMD holds a modest one percent market share, the company aims to unveil its branded smartphones there first, emphasizing a strong 5G portfolio. The Nokia brand, retained by HMD until 2026, will be reserved for feature phones, with a new model slated for release by May. Additionally, HMD has partnered with Mattel to launch a Barbie flip phone globally by July.

Moreover, HMD announced the HMD Fusion, a smartphone-like device with an Android OS and an unlocked bootloader, enabling users to customize hardware accessories. This innovative device will feature a built-in screen, battery, and pogo pins for attaching accessories. Presently, HMD manufactures most of its smartphones and feature phones in India through partnerships with Foxconn, Dixon Technologies, and Lava International. Since August last year, it has been exporting the Nokia 105 feature phone, priced below Rs 1,000, to select African markets.

Vivo V30 and Vivo 30 Pro India launch date confirmed

Vivo is gearing up to unveil its latest mid-range series in India, teasing the upcoming phone on Flipkart and confirming its launch date on social media. The microsite is already live, offering a glimpse of the smartphone's design and some specifications. Scheduled for March 7, the Vivo V30 and V30 Pro will debut in India, available on Flipkart and Vivo.com. Notably, this marks Vivo's first integration of German camera technology into its midrange V-series. The V30 Pro highlights a triple rear camera setup and Aura Light OIS Portrait feature. Vivo promises enhanced portrait photography with ZEISS Distagon Style Bokeh, offering an anamorphic lens effect for better low-light portraits. Despite its large 5000mAh battery, the V30 Pro claims to be the slimmest phone of 2024. Available in Andaman Blue, Peacock Green, and Classic Black, it features a 120Hz 3D curved panel and a USB-C port at the bottom. Both Vivo V29 and V29 Pro feature sleek designs with curved screens, weighing around 186 grams and 188 grams, respectively. The V29 Pro Himalayan Blue variant boasts a unique 3D particle design, while the V29 offers a color-changing back panel. Both phones feature a 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate, HDR 10+ certification, and peak brightness of 1300 nits. Under the hood, the V29 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chipset, while the V29 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8200. Camera-wise, both phones sport a triple camera setup, with the V29 Pro featuring a 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS, a 12-megapixel portrait lens, and an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens. The phones also offer a 50-megapixel front camera. Both models pack a 4600mAh battery with 80W flash charge support, promising rapid charging times of just 18 minutes from 0 to 50 percent.

Honor Magic 6 Series and Honor Magic V2 Series Unveiled Globally at MWC 2024

The international debut of the Honor Magic 6 series and Honor Magic V2 lineup occurred during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 event in Barcelona in February. The latest Magic 6 series smartphones operate on MagicOS 8.0, based on Android 14, and are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. Meanwhile, the Honor Magic V2 foldable smartphones come with the MagicOS 7.2 interface, based on Android 13, and are fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. The Honor Magic 6 series showcases an LTPO OLED display, triple rear cameras, and IP68 dust and water resistance ratings. Both series are currently available in China, with the Honor Magic 6 Pro priced at EUR 1,299 for the 12GB RAM + 512GB storage variant and the Honor Magic V2 RSR priced at EUR 2,699 for the 16GB RAM + 1TB storage version. Pre-orders for the Honor Magic 6 Pro start on February 25, with sales beginning on March 1, while reservations for the Honor Magic V2 RSR begin on February 25, with availability in Europe starting March 18.

Xiaomi Unveils Global Release of Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro Tablet

Xiaomi has introduced the Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4 tablet for global markets, following its recent debut in China. Featuring an ultra-slim aluminum alloy unibody design measuring just 6.26mm thick, the tablet boasts a 12.4-inch 6k LCD screen with a remarkable 144Hz refresh rate. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, it offers up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Equipped with advanced features such as 50MP + 2MP dual cameras, quad speakers with Dolby Atmos, and a massive 10000mAh battery supporting 120W fast charging, the Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro promises high performance and endurance. Notably, it introduces the Xiaomi Focus Pen with 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and the Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro Touchpad Keyboard, enhancing user productivity. Available in Graphite Gray, it is priced at 699 Euros for the 8GB + 256GB variant and 799 Euros for the 12GB + 512GB model, with optional accessories including the touchpad keyboard and Xiaomi Focus pen. The tablet is now rolling out in Europe.

Samsung Galaxy Fit3 launched

Introducing Samsung's latest fitness tracker, designed to make advanced health monitoring accessible to all. With its aluminum body and expanded 1.6-inch display, the Galaxy Fit3 offers comfortable wear and convenient health tracking around the clock. Users can choose from over 100 preset watch faces or customize with personal photos. Its lightweight build and impressive 13-day battery life enhance usability. The tracker prioritizes holistic health monitoring, including advanced sleep tracking with features like snore detection and blood oxygen level monitoring. Users also benefit from personalized sleep coaching and insights for better sleep quality. During the day, over 100 workout types can be tracked, alongside monitoring heart rate and stress levels. New safety features like Fall Detection and Emergency SOS provide added peace of mind. Seamlessly integrating with the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem, the Galaxy Fit3 offers additional functionalities such as smartphone camera control and Find My Phone. Available from February 23 in Gray, Silver, and Pink Gold at INR 4999, with an instant multi-bank cashback offer of INR 500.

iQOO Neo9 Pro launched in India

iQOO has unveiled the Neo9 Pro, its latest flagship smartphone in the Neo series, featuring a 6.78-inch 1.5K LTPO AMOLED display with 1-144Hz refresh rate and 2160Hz PWM dimming. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, it integrates a Q1 self-developed chip for optimized gaming performance. The device offers up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB UFS 4.0 storage, coupled with a 5160mAh dual-cell battery supporting 120W fast charging. Sporting a 50MP Sony IMX920 VCS main sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide camera, it ensures top-notch photography. Running on Android 14 with Funtouch OS 14, it guarantees three years of OS updates and four years of security updates, a first for the iQOO Neo series. Available in Fiery Red and Conqueror Black, prices start at Rs. 35,999, with launch offers including discounts, exchange bonuses, extended warranty, and no-cost EMI options.

Sony PlayStation 5 'Pro' expected launch date

Reports suggest that Sony is developing a 'Pro' version of the PlayStation 5 set for release later this year, aiming to reignite sales momentum. Despite exceeding 50 million unit sales since its 2020 debut, recent figures show a slight decline, prompting Sony to revise its fiscal year forecasts. The PlayStation 5's December quarter sales fell below expectations by approximately one million units, leading to a downward adjustment from 25 million to 21 million units overall. This news resulted in a $10 billion market capitalization loss for Sony. Industry analyst Serkan Toto noted a widespread belief within the gaming community regarding the PS5 Pro's imminent launch in the latter half of 2024. Anticipated to coincide with the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 in 2025, the PS5 Pro mirrors the rollout strategy of its predecessor, the PlayStation 4 Pro, which arrived three years after the original console with upgraded internals and 4K gaming capabilities.

Google new sign-in page

Google is unveiling a refreshed sign-in page with a "more modern look and feel," aligning with Material Design principles. While reminiscent of the previous design, it now offers a horizontal layout for better compatibility across various screen sizes, including larger ones like the Pixel Fold or Pixel Tablet. Functionally, it remains the same, prompting users for authentication methods like passwords or passkeys. Unlike some controversial Google changes, this update appears less contentious. However, users won't have a choice in its rollout, as both Workspace admins and personal Google account users are subject to a gradual deployment starting February 21st, with completion slated for March 4th, 2024. Afterward, encountering the old login page may only occur with outdated browsers.