News on Smartphones, October 2021

iPhone 

Next Apple iPhone SE to come in 2022 with 4.7-inch display and 5G

It appears the next iPhone SE will retain the iPhone 8 's base of a 4.7-inch LCD but add 5G when it arrives in early 2022. This report comes from industry insider Ross Young and seemingly disproves the recent report that the next iPhone SE will adopt the iPhone XR design and LCD size.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro battery test shows just how much ProMotion improves efficiency

Full content and details (external sources): 9to5Mac

More on  iPhone 

Canalys: Apple retakes second spot in Q3 global smartphone shipments

The complete set of data on global Q3 smartphone shipments from Canalys is in and it confirms Apple is back in second place behind Samsung. A total of 325.5 million units were shipped in the July-September period which represents a 6% decline compared to the same time last year. The big reason behind the fall in shipments is the ongoing global chipset shortage.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Samsung 

Latest Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra renders depict water drop camera design

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Launch Date Tipped for January 11

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, the purported handset from the South Korean smartphone maker has been in rumours for quite a while now. Now, multiple leaks suggest that the handset will be launched in January next year. The new Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will be a successor to the Galaxy S20 FE that was unveiled in September last year.

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ leak hints at wider displays with almost no bezels

A new leak, courtesy of reputable source Ice universe, claims to reveal the front design of the upcoming Galaxy S22 and S22+. These are not actually display glass modules, though, but rather tempered glass protectors, meant for the upcoming phones. 

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Samsung W22 5G officially announced in China

The newest Samsung W22 5G is a custom version of the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G intended for a Chinese audience. In partnership with China Telecom, Samsung made a high-end version of the Z Fold3 with 16GB+256GB for CNY 16,999 (~$2,645).

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Samsung Galaxy A03 Renders Leak Online, Triple Rear Cameras Tipped

Samsung Galaxy A03 renders have leaked online, hinting at the smartphone's possible design ahead of the rumoured launch. The renders suggest a triple rear camera setup and a waterdrop-style notch display. Recently, the support page of Samsung Galaxy A03 had gone live in India, hinting at an imminent launch. The smartphone has also been spotted on several certification sites, including Wi-Fi Alliance and US FCC. It had even surfaced on the Geekbench benchmarking site, hinting at a Unisoc SoC. This is likely to be an entry-level budget smartphone from Samsung.

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Huawei 

Huawei nova 9 price and release date in Europe leak via Amazon listing

As it turns out, the nova 9 will become available in Europe on October 21. The version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage will retail for €499, at least on Amazon itself.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Huawei Enjoy 20e launched with 5000mAh battery and 6.3-inch display

Despite its listing, the phone is not available to purchase and only the appearance of the device has been revealed.

Full content and details (external sources): HuaweiCentral

Huawei P50 will launch next year in the global markets

Huawei confirmed that the Huawei P50 series will launch in the global market. According to TechRadar, Huawei hasn’t announced any specific dates of the Huawei P50 launch date for the overseas market. However, the Chinese tech maker has taken this step in the process to overcome current smartphone market share downfall.

Full content and details (external sources): HuaweiCentral

More on Huawei 

Qualcomm Snapdragon 898 4G could be exclusive to Huawei

Huawei has been using the Kirin processor for a long time. Due to the insufficient inventory, the Chinese tech giant is now expanding over Qualcomm processors, while the upcoming Snapdragon 898 (tentatively) processor could be exclusive for Huawei. A well-known Weibo blogger – DigitalKing said the next Snapdragon processor will be built with Samsung’s 4nm process technology and has an 8 Core architecture design. It’s revealed that Huawei will be the exclusive users of the 4G Snapdragon 898 chipset.

Full content and details (external sources): HuaweiCentral

Oppo

Oppo A54s images, specs and European pricing leak

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

Oppo K9s goes official with Snapdragon 778G, 6.59" 120Hz LCD

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Oppo Reno7 gets an early, but extensive specs leak, including pricing

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

More on Oppo

Oppo looking to develop own in-house chipset for future flagships

With Google’s long-awaited Pixel 6 event finally in the books we can look forward to how the custom Tensor chipset sitting at the helm of the new devices performs in the real world. It seems another smartphone OEM is looking to follow in Google’s footsteps with a report from Nikkei Asia saying Oppo is already planning its own custom system on a chip (SoC) which should be implemented in its flagships as early as 2023.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Nokia

Nokia XR20 With Military-Grade Build, 20:9 Display Launched in India

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Nokia announces G300 with 6.52-inch screen, 4,470 mAh battery for $200

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Nokia C30 With Jio Exclusive Offer Launched in India: Price, Specifications

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Xiaomi 

Xiaomi 12 spotted in the wild

As per tradition, the Xiaomi 12 should arrive at the beginning of next year, but that's still not confirmed and judging by the leaks for the past couple of weeks, the handset might arrive earlier than usual. In fact, the latest live images of the Xiaomi 12 suggest an imminent launch. The original images have been shared on Weibo showing the smartphone handled on the subway. The phone is wrapped with a case to keep prying eyes away. Sadly, the case does its job well and doesn't give away too much. Perhaps the device looks a bit longer than usual, suggesting a taller aspect ratio, but that could be the angle.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Redmi Note 11 Pro, Redmi Note 11 Pro+ Tipped to Launch as Xiaomi 11i, Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge in India

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets

Black Shark 4S Pro arrives with Snapdragon 888 Plus, 4S get Gundam Edition

Right on schedule we saw the debut of the Black Shark 4S and Black Shark 4S Pro. The gaming smartphones bring mostly visual changes with redesigned back and the 4S is even getting a special Gundam Edition.

Full content and details (external sources): GSMArena

Redmi K50 Pro+ Specifications Tipped, Said to Come With Snapdragon 898 SoC

Redmi K50 Pro+ launch seems imminent as some of its key specifications have surfaced online. However, there has been no official confirmation from Xiaomi regarding the launch date, price, or specifications of its Redmi flagship smartphone. 

Full content and details (external sources): Gadgets