News on Smartphones, January 2022

iPhone 

Mark Gurman: Apple is bringing a punch hole display to the iPhone 14

Mark Gurman, Editor at Bloomberg who specializes in Apple products, revealed in his latest podcast Power On he expects Apple to ditch the notch on some 2022 devices. 

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena, Gadgets

iPhone SE (2022) will apparently still look like something from 2017

In early 2021, some rumors talked about the next iPhone SE having a more modern-looking design. Now, though, through an 'update' to one such rumor, we're told that actually the iPhone SE (2022) will have the same design as the iPhone SE (2020), which in fact reused the design of the iPhone 8 from 2017. That's definitely going to look out of place in the mobile world this year, with practically all phones, including budget blowers, settling for the 'all-screen' look. 

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

iPhone 15 Pro Could Come With 5x Periscope Camera: Report

Apple is testing prototypes and component samples of 5x telephoto lenses for the iPhone 15 Pro. A final decision on who will be the manufacturer is expected in May 2022. The information regarding the iPhone 15 Pro came from analyst Jeff Pu, according to a report by 9to5Mac. Apple is yet to announce information regarding its upcoming iPhone 14 series, which is expected later this year as a successor to the company's iPhone 13 series. When the components are approved, they will be included in the "high-end models of the 2023 iPhone lineup", which should mean the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

A new report corroborates the iPhone 14 Pro will have a 48MP camera

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena, Gadgets

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro might use BOE panels

Apple has been trying to reduce its dependence on Samsung and its OLED panels for years now but no other company was able to produce the kind of high quality panels Cupertino needs in sufficient quality. Still, BOE and LG got comparably tiny orders but a new report has it this might change next year. Right now, only some of the non-Pro iPhone 13 units get OLED panels from BOE. 

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Samsung 

Samsung Galaxy S22 series mega-leak: quality images, specs, prices

Samsung will unveil its Galaxy S22 series and the Galaxy Tab S8 series on February 9, and the stars of the show will be the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra. The trio has been the subject of so many leaks that we already have a pretty good idea of what to expect. But this latest leak is the biggest of them all, delivering detailed specs sheets and high-quality images. 

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Samsung Galaxy F23 5G pops up on Geekbench with SD 750G

A newly surfaced Geekbench listing confirms the phone packs a Snapdragon 750G SoC, which is a huge step up from the MediaTek Helio G80 powering up the previous generation. There's also at least 6GB of RAM and Android 12 out of the box.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Samsung Galaxy A33 5G, Galaxy A53 5G Bluetooth SIG Certification Hints at Imminent Launch

Samsung Galaxy A33 5G and Galaxy A53 5G have bagged Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) certification, bringing the handsets a step closer to launch. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE hot take

The new phone brings key improvements, but several delays mean it may not be arriving at the best possible time and may struggle to replicate the success of its predecessor. The idea behind the original "Fan Edition" was to offer a premium set of features and powerful hardware at a lower price point. And although the launch price of the Galaxy S20 FE wasn't exactly low, it did come down to very reasonable levels, especially the 4G variant.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

All three Galaxy S22 models will use a new Gorilla Glass Victus+

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Huawei 

Huawei P50 Pro and P50 Pocket global rollout officially starts

Huawei officially announced the start of the global availability of its recent flagship smartphones. The first phase of the P50 Pro and the P50 Pocket will hit markets across Asia Pacific, The Middle East & Africa, Europe, and South America. The P50 Pocket features a folding clamshell design with Huawei’s Multi-Dimensional Hinge with no visible gap when closed. 

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Huawei Enjoy 20e (2022) With Kirin 710A SoC, 6GB RAM Launched: Price, Specifications

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

New Huawei Nova phone with 108MP camera revealed in images

The upcoming Huawei 4G phone with a 108MP camera and powered by HarmonyOS with model number – JLN-AL00 was recently spotted on the TENAA in China. 

Full content and details (external sources): HuaweiCentral

Oppo

Oppo A36 announced with a 5,000 mAh battery, Snapdragon 680

The Oppo A36 made its official debut in China today. It is an affordable handset with a Snapdragon 680 chipset for people who don't mind missing out on the 5G fun for the time being. 

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Oppo Find X5 Pro Specifications Tipped to Include MariSilicon X Imaging NPU, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Oppo Reno7 5G certified by various agencies

We’re expecting Oppo’s Reno7 series to debut internationally on February 4 with India being the first stop. 

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Oppo Reno 8 Series May Sport Triple Rear Cameras, Leaked Renders Show

Oppo Reno 8 series renders have surfaced online. Ahead of any official announcement, the renders of a yet-to-be-announced Oppo Reno 8 series handset have been leaked. The images of the upcoming Oppo Reno 8 phone shows the design and a few specifications of the handset. However, it isn't clear if the renders belong to the vanilla Oppo Reno 8 or the premium Oppo Reno 8 Pro. The images are said to be based on Oppo's patent images and suggest a triple rear camera unit. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Oppo Reno6 Lite official with SD 662, 5,000 mAh battery

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Nokia

Nokia G21 Tipped to Launch in India in February, Said to Feature 50-Megapixel Triple Rear Camera Unit

Nokia G21 is reportedly making its way to the market soon. The date is yet to be officially confirmed by Nokia brand licensee HMD Global, but a fresh leak suggests the upcoming Nokia G-series phone will be launched in February in India. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

HMD launches four new Nokia C and G-series smartphones at CES 2022

All four are scheduled to arrive to US prepaid carriers Tracfone, Boost Mobile and Consumer Cellular later in Q1. The smartphones are joined by the Nokia 2760 4G feature phone. Nokia C100 and C200 are the maker’s newest budget options with MediaTek Helio A22 chips, 4,000 mAh batteries and single rear cameras. C100 is priced at $99 while C200 comes in at $119.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena, Gadgets

Xiaomi 

Xiaomi 12 Pro Appears on US FCC, Geekbench, HTML5Test; Global Launch Expected Soon

Xiaomi 12 Pro has been reportedly spotted on the US' Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification site. The Xiaomi 12 lineup was officially released last year in China in late December. The Chinese tech giant is yet to reveal any details regarding the phone's global launch.

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Xiaomi 12 Ultra Rear Design Tipped Ahead of Global Launch, Compared to Vivo Flagship

Xiaomi 12 series was launched in China in December last year. The flagship lineup comprises three smartphones — Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12 Pro, and Xiaomi 12X. However, Xiaomi 12 Ultra was absent from this series. Reports have suggested that Xiaomi 12 Ultra is close to a global rollout after some of its key specifications were allegedly leaked. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Xiaomi Redmi 10A passes by Geekbench and FCC

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G With 120Hz AMOLED Display, 120W Fast Charging Launched in India: Price, Specifications

Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G was launched in India on Wednesday (January 19). The new Xiaomi phone (aka Hyperphone) comes with features including a 120Hz AMOLED display and 120W fast charging. Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G will compete against the likes of Realme GT, OnePlus 9RT, iQoo 7 Legend, and Vivo V23 Pro.

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Xiaomi Mix 5 Pro to come with a new Surge C2 ISP

Last year Xiaomi introduced its proprietary Surge C1 ISP chip bundled with the Mi Mix Fold and according to a leaked source code, the upcoming Mix 5 Pro will likely make use of the second generation Surge chip. It's still unknown what kind of special features the Surge C2 will bring to the table and there's even a chance that the phone will arrive with the current Surge C1 ISP. What's for sure, the standard Mix 5 won't be getting the C2.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena