South Korean electronics maker Samsung is now taking pre-orders for its upcoming flagship smartphone in India. It is likely that the pre-orders are open for the Galaxy S21 series, which will debut on January 14. According to Samsung, customers in India can pre-reserve the upcoming Galaxy flagship by paying a token amount of Rs 2,000 on Samsung India e-Store or Samsung Shop App. On pre-reservation, customers get the ‘Next Galaxy VIP Pass’, which can be redeemed at the time of pre-ordering the upcoming Galaxy smartphone at the time of India launch. When the customer pre-books the device, the token amount of Rs 2,000 will be deducted from the device price. Moreover, customers who pre-reserve the Galaxy flagship will get a cover worth Rs 3849 for free. The option to pre-reserve Samsung’s upcoming flagship is available until till January 14, 2021.

ALSO READ: Samsung announces its ‘Galaxy Unpacked’ event for 2021: Details here

On January 14, Samsung is likely to unveil the Galaxy S21 series in a global virtual event. The event will livestream on company’s web portal, newsroom, and social media handles starting 8 pm on Jan 14 in India. Besides, the event’s footage will also livestream on Samsung’s YouTube channel.

Though the event will mostly focus on the Galaxy S21 lineup, Samsung is usually known to keep surprises up their sleeves. Alongside the smartphones, the company might also launch the Galaxy Buds Pro true wireless earbuds.

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Chinese electronics maker Lenovo on Friday launched in India the 11th Gen Intel Core processor powered Yoga 7i, Yoga 9i, and IdeaPad Slim 5i laptops. Priced Rs 63,990 onwards, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is now available on Lenovo web portal, Amazon India, and Lenovo exclusive offline stores. The Yoga 7i and Yoga 9i at Rs 99,000 and Rs 1,69,990, respectively. The Yoga 7i and 9i are available for pre-order on Lenovo web portal. The Yoga 7i will go on sale from January 15, whereas, the Yoga 9i sales will begin from January 12.Lenovo Yoga 7i: Details

Powered by the 11th Generation Intel Core processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics, the Yoga 7i features rounded edges, four-side narrow bezel design, a 360-degree hinge, Rapid Charge Express, and intelligent Cooling for optimising the performance with up to 16 hours of battery life. The Yoga 7i also features Dolby Atmos speaker system, and Lenovo Smart Assist combined with a fingerprint reader for biometric authentication and TrueBlock privacy shutter. It is available in Slate Grey colour.Lenovo Yoga 9i: Details

It is a 2-in-1 laptop made from aerospace-grade aluminium. According to the company, the laptop has been tested to withstand everyday wear and tear under several conditions, including UV light exposure and tension. The Yoga 9i comes with an ultrasonic fingerprint reader, smart sensor touchpad with up to 50 per cent more surface area that vibrates when clicked, and a redesigned TrueStrike keyboard. The laptop also features a webcam privacy shutter, a garaged pen with elastometer nib, AI-powered attention-sensing software – Glance by Mirametrix, Lenovo’s Connected Home Security, Lenovo Intelligent Thermal System 4.0, and Lenovo Q-Control. The laptop has a 4K touchscreen IPS VESA DisplayHDR, an improved rotating sound bar, and super resolution 2.0 that automatically upscales videos to higher resolution.

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Amkette on Thursday launched EvoFox Game Box, a console that lets any TV be used for gaming, for Rs 9,999 in India.

Powered by a Quad Core A55 ARM processor (running on Android 9pie), the gamebox supports a 4K video output, and 5.1 channel surround sound. In addition, it supports all types of video formats including H.265.

It comes bundled with a high precision Gamepad that offers 8 hours of battery life and Dual Vibration Rumble effect.

Additionally, it comes with a voice-enabled Air Remote with Google Assistant.

Amkette’s EVOFOX comes with 4 GB RAM , 32GB eMMc storage, expandable to 128GB with Mircro SD card. Additionally, the GameBox has a dedicated Mali G31 Graphics Processor for graphics.

The Game Box comes with over 100’s of preloaded Games, in addition, one can download more games from Google Play Store.

The EvoFox Game Box has additional features, including support for webcam for video calls on Google Duo, Zoom or Meet etc,. It comes with 2 USB Ports, and supports 4K video output and 5.1 channel surround sound making it a perfect Hard Disk Media Player.

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South Korean electronics maker Samsung on Thursday launched in India the Galaxy M02s smartphone. It is the first Samsung smartphone in sub-Rs 10,000 price segment powered by a 5,000 mAh battery, supported by 15W fast charging. The Samsung Galaxy M02s comes in 3GB+32GB and 4GB+64GB RAM and storage variants, priced at Rs 8,999 and Rs 9,999, respectively. It will be available in Black, Blue and Red colours on Amazon India, Samsung online store and retail stores from January 7.

“As part of our commitment to Digital India, Samsung is creating pioneering and affordable technology to cater to new and evolving consumer behaviours. Whether it is online education, gaming, entertainment on demand or virtual connectivity, the Galaxy M02s is designed to Max Up every experience. The device offers a bigger 6.5-inch screen, a non-stop 5000mAh battery, and a powerful Qualcomm processor with 4GB RAM, all under INR 10000 for the first time,” said Aditya Babbar, Director, Mobiles Business, Samsung India.Samsung Galaxy M02s: Specifications

The Galaxy M02s is a budget smartphone.

It sports a 6.5-inch screen of HD+ resolution, stretched in tall 20:9 aspect ratio. Powering the smartphone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 system-on-chip, paired with up to 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. The phone supports microSD card of up to 1TB for storage expansion. Imaging is covered by a triple camera array on the back – a 13-megapixel primary sensor, a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro sensor. On the front, the phone has a 5MP camera sensor for face unlock mechanism, selfies and videos. The phone is ships with 5,000 mAh battery, supported by 15W fast charger.

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Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021 is set to kick start from January 11. Unlike its previous iterations, the annual consumer electronics trade show will be an ‘all digital experience’ this year owing to Covid-19 pandemic. The event sees participation from both technology makers and technology users, and is often touted as the mecca for technology enthusiasts. While the preparations are on, some of the major technology companies like Samsung, Sony, LG, TCL, etc. have already confirmed their presence. Here is what to expect from CES 2021:

CES 2021: Dates

The CES 2021 will start from Monday, January 11, and the four-day event will continue until Thursday, January 14, 2021.

CES 2021: What to expect

LG

LG is planning to showcase a bendable OLED display of 48-inch in size. The display will feature a paper-thin screen that can straighten or bend as per need. Because of its curved interface, the screen seems to be designed for gaming purpose. The company claims that its latest OLED technology allows the display to remain flat, but it allows users to bend and unfold the display. LG would also be showcasing transparent OLED TVs and a range of MiniLED TVs (or ‘QNED’ TVs) at CES.

Samsung

Samsung is holding a ‘First Look 2021’ event on January 6, where the South Korean electronics giant is expected to show its upcoming TVs, smart refrigerators, and home appliances. The company has already announced its new 110-inch screen MicroLED TV, and it is rumoured to launch new TVs with the quantum dot/OLED hybrid technology, known as QD-OLED. Besides, it may also refresh its QLED TV range and upgraded its 8K TV line-up. The company also announced that it will reveal a new Exynos chipset on January 12 that will probably power the upcoming Galaxy S21 series.

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Apple is reportedly working on a relatively cheaper version of AirPods Max headphones with a few changes.

The next AirPods Max would be lighter than its sibling that weighs roughly 384 grams, with a plastic build instead of machine-textured anodized aluminium ear cups and stainless steel headband, reports GizmoChina.

The upcoming cheaper model of the Apple AirPods Max headphones could be priced around $350, the report said on Thursday.

To recall, AirPods Max was launched the last month with high-fidelity sound, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio for Rs 59,900.

AirPods Max uses Adaptive EQ to adjust the sound to the fit and seal of the ear cushions by measuring the sound signal delivered to a user and adjusting the low and mid-frequencies in real-time – bringing rich audio that captures every detail.

Switching between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode can be done with a single press using the noise control button.

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Lava Mobiles is set to launch a range of Made in India smartphones on Thursday. The home-grown mobile phone maker is hosting a virtual event at 12 noon on January 7. The event will livestream on the company’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. Today’s launch will mark the return of Lava Mobiles to smartphone business, which is currently dominated by Chinese players such as Xiaomi, OPPO, Realme, Vivo, etc.

Recently, Lava Mobiles released a video on its Twitter handle where the company’s president and business head Sunil Raina had invited people to the virtual launch event, promising things that never happened in the smartphone industry before.

“Never before has smartphone engineering been so evolved and dynamic, thanks to our talented engineers. Tune in to Lava’s YouTube page for the live telecast of history in the making.

I promise what follows is sure to make you feel proudly Indian,” said Raina in the video posted on Lava Mobiles official Twitter handle.

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Huawei is reportedly working on a 135W charger and will make its debut in the next generation on top-of-the-line branded phones, possibly the P50 family.

A new certification on China’s 3C Agency reveals a 135W Huawei charger is in the works bearing the HW-200675CP0 model number, reports GSMArena.

The charger will support 5V/3A all the way up to 20V/6.75A, which equals a whopping 135W.

The 120W supporting Mi 10 Ultra is able to charge completely in 24 minutes, but the Vivo iQOO Pro 5 can do so in 15 minutes due to a smaller battery.

Huawei phone with support for 135W charging should charge from 0 to 100 per cent in between 15-30 minutes, depending on the battery size.

Currently, the 66W charger (HW-200200CP1) is the fastest inside the Huawei smartphone ecosystem. It supports QC2.0, FCP, SCP, and SSCP (10V/4A ), and other fast charging protocols.

It also supports fixed outputs such as 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/3.25A, and also compatible with various devices such as notebooks.

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Chip maker Qualcomm on Tuesday announced that Cristiano Amon will succeed Steve Mollenkopf as CEO, effective from June 30.

Mollenkopf informed the Board of his decision to retire as CEO following 26 years with the company.

Amon, who has worked at Qualcomm since 1995, is currently President of the Company.

Mollenkopf will continue his employment with the Company as a strategic advisor for a period of time, the company said in a statement.

Mollenkopf said that with “our business model clearly validated and our leadership in 5G, this is the right time for Cristiano to assume leadership of the Company and preside over what I see as the single largest opportunity in the Company’s history.

“Cristiano spearheaded the development of our 5G strategy, including its acceleration, industry-leading technology roadmap and global rollout,” he added.

Amon, 50, has served as President, Qualcomm since January 2018.

In this role, he is responsible for Qualcomm’s semiconductor business (QCT), which includes Mobile, RF Front End, Automotive and IoT revenue streams, and the company’s global operations.

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Samsung Electronics said on Wednesday that it will support 21 homegrown startups’ participation in the world’s largest tech expo CES 2021 next week as the company vows to bolster its startup incubator programmes.

Samsung said four projects from its in-house idea incubation program C-Lab Inside and 17 companies from its startup acceleration program C-Lab Outside will showcase their products and services at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021, which is set to take place online from Monday to Thursday next week.

The number of Samsung-supported startups at CES is the largest ever. The tech giant began to support the CES participation of local startups in 2016, reports Yonhap news agency.

Samsung said four teams from its in-house incubation programme will unveil products focusing on the wellness and healthy lifestyles of consumers and that the company can further develop their ideas after checking users’ responses and marketability.

They are EZCal, a TV picture quality adjustment solution using smartphones; Air Pocket, a portable device that can easily store oxygen; Scan&Dive, an Internet of Things device offering clothing care solutions using artificial intelligence (AI) features; and Food&Sommelier, a wine-recommending service.

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