Xiaomi 14 quick review

The Xiaomi 14 presents itself as a high-end smartphone with impressive specifications including a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, up to 12 GB LPDDR5X RAM, 1TB UFS 4.0 storage, and a 4,610 mAh battery. After a few days of usage, it delivers on its promise of premium performance, particularly in general usage, camera capabilities, and battery life. The device boasts a sleek design with a glass back and flat display, providing a compact yet spacious feel. While slightly heavy, it offers a comfortable grip. The display is vibrant and responsive, ideal for various tasks including social media browsing and video streaming. The camera, a highlight of the Xiaomi 14, offers Leica partnership features and versatile shooting modes. However, the HyperOS, though improved, still includes pre-installed apps. Overall, the Xiaomi 14 impresses with its performance and features, with further insights awaited in the detailed review, including its value proposition, expected to be priced between Rs 70,000 and Rs 75,000. Stay tuned for comprehensive coverage.

Global Launch Scheduled in Q2 2024 for HONOR MagicBook Pro 16

During MWC 2024, HONOR unveiled the inaugural AI-powered laptop, the HONOR MagicBook Pro 16, alongside the Magic6 Pro smartphone. Boasting an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, the laptop introduces platform-level AI integration, facilitating Cross-OS collaboration, Smart Interactions, and enhanced PC performance.

The MagicBook Pro 16 showcases a 3K eye comfort LCD screen with a resolution of 3072 x 1920, 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut, and a remarkable 165Hz refresh rate, complemented by a hardware-level low-blue light filter. HONOR emphasizes its spatial audio feature, heralding it as the first Windows-based PC worldwide to offer such capability. Additionally, users have the option to select the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series laptop GPU alongside the Core Ultra 7 processor.

Utilizing on-device AI, HONOR implements an AI-empowered OS Turbo, promising a 58% enhancement in battery life, delivering up to 12 hours compared to other RTX 40 series gaming laptops. The MagicBook Pro 16 streamlines connectivity across HONOR devices with MagicRing, ensuring seamless sharing of notifications and materials. Detailed specifications and pricing are anticipated upon the global release slated for Q2 2024, following its debut in China.

Glimpsing into a futuristic world through Lenovo's transparent laptop

Lenovo has unveiled its latest innovative device, the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This futuristic laptop features a 17.3-inch MicroLED display with up to 55% transparency, transitioning from opaque to translucent as its pixels illuminate. Although its practical applications remain uncertain, Lenovo suggests it could benefit digital artists by enabling them to sketch while viewing the environment behind the screen. Additionally, the laptop boasts a flat touch keyboard that transforms into a drawing tablet, catering to creative professionals. However, challenges such as resolution limitations and usability issues persist, indicating that the device is still in development. Lenovo aims to spark public discourse on potential uses for this concept, anticipating that its technology may evolve into a consumer-ready product within the next five years.

Confirmation of Samsung Galaxy Ring Exhibition at MWC 2024

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is officially set to make its debut at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona, where Samsung will emphasize its integration with the Samsung Health platform for health monitoring and insights. The company also plans to expand its AI suite across its product lineup. Reports suggest the Galaxy Ring may come in various colors and sizes. Samsung's announcement via its Newsroom indicated that the Galaxy Ring will be publicly unveiled at MWC 2024, without specifying the exact time. It's unlikely that attendees will have hands-on access during this initial unveiling. The Galaxy Ring will focus on health tracking, connecting to the revamped Samsung Health platform. Expected features include continuous heart rate monitoring, SpO2 sensing, sleep tracking, and potentially blood pressure monitoring. Samsung also disclosed plans to extend AI features beyond smartphones to products like the Galaxy Book 4 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series, each with tailored AI capabilities for productivity and health respectively. The post provided insights into upcoming health features like the My Vitality Score for personalized health assessments and Booster Card for goal tracking, with further details anticipated post-showcase.

Xiaomi Unveils Xiaomi Watch 2, Watch S3, and Smart Band 8 Pro at MWC 2024

Xiaomi introduced its global lineup of smart wearables, including the Xiaomi Watch 2, Xiaomi Watch S3, and Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona on February 25. These devices will soon hit markets across Europe, with prices announced by the company. While an India launch remains uncertain, all three devices offer interchangeable straps for personalized styling, available in black and silver. The Xiaomi Watch 2 starts at EUR 199, the Smart Band 8 Pro at EUR 69, and the Xiaomi Watch S3 at EUR 149. These models are gradually releasing in European markets and will expand to other regions shortly. Featuring a 1.43-inch AMOLED display, the Xiaomi Watch 2 runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 SoC with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage, offering up to 65 hours of battery life. The Xiaomi Watch S3, with a similar display, runs on Xiaomi's HyperOS, supporting Bluetooth calling and interchangeable bezels, while the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro boasts a 1.74-inch AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection and GNSS support.

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.