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Technology

Huawei’s Mate X2 foldable adopts Samsung’s dual-screen design

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Huawei has announced the Mate X2, its first all-new foldable device since 2019’s Mate X. The new phone has received a radical redesign compared to the original device, with a large screen that unfolds from the inside of the device rather than around the outside. For using the phone while folded, the Huawei Mate X2 has a second screen on its outside, similar to Samsung’s approach with the Galaxy Fold series. Images of the phone were leaked minutes ahead of its official announcement by Evan Blass on Voice.

This being a Huawei device, the Mate X2 will launch without support for Google’s apps or services, which is likely to severely limit its appeal outside of China. According to Huawei’s site, the phone will run on EMUI 11.0 based on Android 10. However, during its live stream, the company said it plans for the Mate X2 to be among the first phones to be updated to its own operating system, HarmonyOS, starting in April.

The internal screen on the Mate X2 measures 8 inches with a resolution of 2480 x 2200, while the exterior screen is 6.45 inches with a 2700 x 1160 resolution. Both are OLED and have refresh rates of up to 90Hz. They’re also both slightly bigger than the 7.6-inch internal display and 6.2-inch external displays found on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2. Internally, the phone is powered by the company’s flagship Kirin 9000 chip, the processor that debuted in its Mate 40 Pro last year. This is paired with 8GB of RAM and a battery with a rated capacity of 4,400mAh that can be fast-charged at up to 55W.

The Mate X2 is available in four colors.
Image: Huawei

There are four cameras on the rear of the phone: a 50-megapixel wide-angle, a 16-megapixel ultrawide, a 12-megapixel telephoto with a 3x optical zoom, and an 8-megapixel “SuperZoom” camera with a 10x optical zoom. The selfie camera on the outside of the phone has a 16-megapixel resolution, and there doesn’t appear to be a selfie camera in or around the foldable inner screen.

The Mate X2 is technically the third phone in Huawei’s foldable lineup. Last year, it released the Mate XS, an updated version of the original Mate X, which featured a more durable display and faster Kirin 990 processor.

Huawei says the Mate X2 will be available in China with 256GB of internal storage for ¥17,999 (around $2,785) or for ¥18,999 (around $2,940) with 512GB of storage. Available colors include blue, pink, black, and white. It’ll be available to buy in China on February 25th, but it’s unclear when the phone could be released outside the country.

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Technology

Leaked images purportedly show new AirPods 3 with in-ear design and smaller case

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AirPods are widely expected to be updated this year with a new AirPods Pro-style design. Newly leaked images from 52audio this weekend claim to offer our first real-world look at the redesigned AirPods, highlighting the silicon eartips, redesigned charging case, and more.

Bloomebrg was first to report on Apple’s plans to launch new entry-level AirPods. These AirPods will feature a shorter stem and replaceable ear tips. Ming Chi-Kuo has also reported that Apple will launch new AirPods with a design similar to the AirPods Pro.

The biggest change here is that this means AirPods 3 would feature an in-ear design, rather than resting on your ear like the current AirPods do. This is corroborated by the new images leaked by 52audio, which had previously shared select images of AirPods 3 but is now sharing additional images (via MacRumors).

The images show AirPods 3 with a design clearly inspired by AirPods Pro. They feature a shorter stem with an in-ear design using silicon eartips. The charging case has also been redesigned to be slightly smaller and more narrow. The report adds that these AirPods 3 would feature the same Force Sensor controls as AirPods Pro.

In terms of features, the site also says that AirPods 3 will feature Apple’s specialized vent system for pressure equalization, which aims to minimize the discomfort when you wear AirPods for an extended period of time. Today’s report also suggests that AirPods 3 will support Spatial Audio. The AirPods 3 are expected to lack other AirPods Pro features such as as Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode.

Finally, the report says that AirPods 3 are likely to be priced around $150 and be released in March 2021. That being said, it’s to treat this rumor with some skepticism, especially in regards to claims about features and pricing. While the new design seems almost certain at this point, other details are still up in the air.

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Technology

Huawei Mate X2 teaser hints at new folding screen design

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Huawei has posted another teaser for its upcoming Mate X2 folding phone on Weibo, offering the strongest hint yet that it’ll move away from the original Mate X’s design. The first Mate X, announced in 2019 and refreshed in 2020, had a single large screen that folded in half so that the display was on the outside of the device. The follow-up phone, however, looks like it’ll fold the other way, more like Samsung’s Galaxy Folds.

Making reference to a new design for the Mate X2, the teaser image shows the phone from the side open at an angle, with a glow on the inside of the hinge. The picture is also a reference to the timing of the event, which will take place at 8PM China time (7AM ET) on February 22nd.

Here’s the full teaser image:

The announcement will coincide with Mobile World Congress Shanghai next week, which has swapped its traditional summer slot with the larger Barcelona event. As of now, the GSM Association still plans for MWC Barcelona to take place in person from June 28th, but those plans could of course change depending on the pandemic situation, and phone companies are likely to have planned new device launches for around February and March as usual.

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Technology

Sony’s next Xperia flagship leaks with beautiful design, periscope camera

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Take a look at the premium Sony Xperia 1 III

Building upon the success of the Xperia 1 II, the upcoming Xperia 1 III boasts an industrial design that’s once again characterized by the presence of a large 6.5-inch 21:9 display and uniform bezels. 
Sony has focused most of its efforts on reducing the thickness of the bezels, and that’s noticeable in the dimensions department. Whereas the Xperia 1 II measured in at 165.1 x 71.1 x 7.6mm, the Xperia 1 III lands in at just 161.6 x 67.3 x 8.4mm. 
This setup has been paired with an updated frame, presumably carved out of aluminum, that’s now completely flat. It houses a volume rocker, a power button that doubles as the fingerprint scanner, a dedicated shutter key, and a new shortcut button, like the one included on the pricey Xperia PRO. 

Like the last model, Sony’s Xperia 1 III is aimed at power users, so it continues to include a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot. To ensure the best audio experience, Sony has retained the dual front-facing speakers too, which leaves the bottom of the home for the USB-C port. 

Sony isn’t holding back in the camera department

Periscope cameras became quite popular in 2020, yet Sony skipped the feature on both of its flagships. To address the related complaints and keep up with the competition, though, the Japanese brand has now decided to add one to its first 2021 model.

The exact specifications aren’t available at the moment, but the new zoom camera should offer at least 5x optical zoom, although 10x can’t be ruled out, and it’ll sit alongside a 3D Time-of-Flight sensor, the main camera, and what’s probably an ultra-wide shooter. 

As was the case last year, the entire camera system has been developed in partnership with ZEISS and sports a ZEISS T coating. 

In regards to the selfie department, there is a single sensor in the upper bezel. Its specifications haven’t been revealed.

The Xperia 1 III should be powered by the Snapdragon 888

Sitting at the heart of the Sony Xperia 1 III should be Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888. The latter is also used inside US Galaxy S21 models and means the next Xperia flagship is going to be one of the fastest phones on the market.

As Hemmerstoffer corroborated himself, the Xperia 1 III offers 5G network support as standard, much like the previous-gen model. The more efficient modem means the related battery drain should be less noticeable. 

The RAM and storage are a bit of a mystery, but an educated guess can be made. Sony’s Xperia 1 II shipped with an 8/256GB configuration last year, so the same could be on the cards for the 2021 model. Whether pricier variants are in the works will remain to be seen. 

Sony Xperia 1 III announcement, release date, price

The Sony Xperia 1 III should be announced later this quarter, potentially in late February or March. A launch date soon after would be ideal, but Sony tends to ship its Xperia 1 flagships towards the end of the second quarter. If that’s the case in 2021, expect the Xperia 1 III to be released around June. 

Pricing is more of a guess at this stage, although the Xperia 1 II retailed at $1,199 last year and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sony position the Xperia 1 III similarly considering its focus on a niche segment rather than the mainstream market. 

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