News on Smartphones, March 2021

iPhone 13

iPhone 13 May Have Up to 1TB Internal Storage and Improved LiDAR Sensors

iPhone 12 comes with a maximum of 512GB internal storage that is quite a lot to begin with, but now it is being predicted that Apple will take onboard storage a step further and offer a 1TB option as well with the iPhone 13 series. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Apple will adopt periscope lenses in 2023

The analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple will adopt periscope lenses in 2023. There will be an intermediate step: next year’s iPhones will feature upgraded optics on their telephoto lenses (they’ll still be the classic design, however). This could also be the last year of Face ID on iPhone, as previous reports from Kuo indicate that Apple will switch to an in-display fingerprint reader in 2022 and replace the notch with a punch hole.

Full content and details (external sources): GSM Arena

iPhone 13 rumored to use LPTO displays from Samsung with 120Hz support

Based on recent rumors, Apple will finally introduce new iPhone models later this year with 120Hz support. A new report from The Elec today corroborates that Apple is indeed moving to adopt new LTPO displays in the so-called iPhone 13, which will enable higher refresh rates and lower power consumption.

Full content and details (external sources): 9to5Mac

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy A82 5G 

Over a month ago, we had the first piece of information regarding Samsung Galaxy A80's successor. Other than the model number and the fact that it will feature a quirky camera module with a rotating mechanism, there was nothing else in the report. Now, we have the chipset, thanks to a couple of Geekbench listings. The Galaxy A82 5G will feature the Snapdragon 855+.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Samsung Galaxy A52 and A72

Samsung Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 have been launched in India. They come with an IP67-certified dust- and water-resistant builds. They are also claimed to deliver up to two days of battery life. Other key highlights of the Samsung Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 include a 90Hz display, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, and an in-display fingerprint sensor. The phones come in four distinct colour options and have a matte finish on top.

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Samsung Galaxy A22

Samsung Galaxy A22 4G variant could launch in the second half of this year, as per a report. The company is expected to be working on a more affordable 5G smartphone dubbed to be the Galaxy A22 5G, but it looks like there will be a 4G variant as well that could be launched in the H2 2021.

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Samsung Galaxy M12

Samsung introduced the Galaxy M12 in India. The smartphone comes in two memory configurations - 4GB/64GB and 6GB/128GB. The Galaxy M12 is powered by the Exynos 850 SoC and runs Android 11-based One UI 3.1 out of the box. It's built around a 6.5" HD+ 90Hz screen and packs a 6,000 mAh battery with 15W charging.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Huawei 

Huawei P50 first renders reveal two huge cameras

Just one day after the first renders of the Huawei P50 Pro, @OnLeaks has shared images of the upcoming vanilla Huawei P50 as well. The phone will have two huge camera lenses on the back, while the front will be a flat panel with a tiny punch hole in the center.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Huawei Mate 40E

Huawei Mate 40E has been launched in China. The new Huawei phone comes as a slightly tweaked version of the Huawei Mate 40 that was launched in October last year. Huawei Mate 40E features a curved display with a hole-punch design and triple rear cameras. The smartphone also includes HiSilicon Kirin 990E SoC. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Honor V40

Honor has officially separated from Huawei, but at that point a lot of products were inevitably too far along in the pipeline to change. A new device called “Honor V40 Lite Luxury Edition” has appeared online, and it looks just like the Huawei nova 8 series from the back - an oval island with one huge lens, three smaller cameras and a single LED flash.

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

Google 

Google Pixel 5a

According to a new report from an unnamed source, Google's next Pixel smartphone will be the Pixel 5a. This should be announced on June 11.  It is expected to have almost the same design and shape of the Pixel 4a, though with some hardware-level channels.

An updated Pixel-series camera app recently suggested that the Pixel 5a would come with a hole-punch display design with a smaller cutout for the selfie camera over what we have on the existing Pixel phones.

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

Asus 

Asus ROG Phone 5, Pro and Ultimate 

Asus unveils ROG Phone 5, Pro and Ultimate with 6.78" 144 Hz AMOLED displays, S888 chipsets. The gaming flagship has been redesigned to improve performance and ergonomics and now comes in multiple flavors with the Ultimate edition sporting 18GB of RAM.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Asus ZenFone 8 Mini

Asus ZenFone 8 Mini may be launched with a 5.92-inch 120Hz refresh rate display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, as per a report. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Realme 

Realme 8 and Realme 8 Pro

Realme 8 series specifications and features have been revealed by Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth through a string of tweets. Sheth has listed four new features of the upcoming Realme 8 series, which includes the vanilla Realme 8 and the Realme 8 Pro smartphones. The features include Realme UI 2.0 out-of-the-box for both the models, Super AMOLED display, 50W fast charging capability, and a smartphone-first Starry mode time-lapse video in the Pro variant.

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

Realme Narzo 30

Realme Narzo 30 launch in India is currently in the works and will take place “very soon”, Realme India and Europe CEO Madhav Sheth revealed in a video session. he new Realme phone in the Narzo series is teased to have both 4G and 5G variants.

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Realme C25

The Realme phone comes with triple rear cameras and a waterdrop-style display notch. It also includes a MediaTek Helio G70 SoC. The Realme C25 comes in two different colour options and has up to 128GB of onboard storage. It also comes with Realme UI 2.0 out-of-the-box. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Xiaomi 

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

Last month leakster @IceUniverse claimed that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra will be the first phone to feature Samsung’s massive ISOCELL GN2. The Mi 11 Ultra may have to share its first position with its sibling, the Mi 11 Pro, which is rumored to use the same sensor and to also have a mini display on the back.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Foldable Xiaomi Mi Mix

A foldable prototype with Xiaomi user interface leaked in spy shots earlier this year, and now we have more photos, revealing the backside of the device. Apparently, it will be part of the Mi Mix lineup and will adopt the internal fold, just like the Galaxy Fold series and the Huawei Mate X2.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Xiaomi Black Shark 4 and 4 Pro

Xiaomi’s gaming branch Black Shark introduced its latest series of gaming smartphones with the Black Shark 4 and Black Shark 4 Pro. The phones have a lot in common, with differences being in the chipset and camera department, but overall both look like impressive gaming devices. They are built around a 6.67” E4 AMOLED screen by Samsung. The panel allows for a 144Hz screen refresh rate and 720Hz touch sampling rate.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena