New Smartphones, OTA Updates & Tech Launched in May 2021 – Monthly Wrap-up

The month of May has been a busy one for Android fans, as there have been several new budget smartphones released and Google just announced the release of the beta build of the all-new Android 12. In case if you missed out on catching up with all things related to smartphones in recent weeks, here is your chance!

Battlegrounds Mobile India For Android Launching Soon

Battlegrounds Mobile India from the South Korean game developer Krafton is now open for pre-registration on the Google Play Store. While the battle royale game is all set to launch on Android in the coming weeks, there is no information about the availability of the game on iOS. For the pre-registered user, Krafton will be offering four rewards — the Recon Mask, the Recon Outfit, Celebration Expert Title, and 300 AG.

Android 12 Beta 1 Is Now Out For Select Devices

Google has officially launched the Android 12 Beta 1 update at their annual Google I/O conference. The new Android OS will be including an overhauled design language called “Material You” that improves performance up to 50%. Apart from Android’s new beta version, Google also talked about Project Starline, LaMDA, and more. The company also announced its biggest UI change ever by giving users 2 options: Adaptive mode or Immersive Mode; both designed with nuances like rounded corners so your device feels more comfortable in your hand.

POCO Launches M3 Pro 5G Powered By Dimensity 700 SoC

POCO has launched a new 5G smartphone called the POCO M3 Pro 5G in Europe. It comes in 4GB and 6GB RAM variants priced at €179 and €199 respectively. Coming to the specs, the POCO M3 Pro 5G comes with a 6.5-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Under the hood is the Dimensity 700 SoC coupled with 4GB/6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of internal storage. It runs on the latest Android 11 based MIUI 12 out of the box. (Image Source: @ishanagarwal24)

Google Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro Leaked

Google will be unveiling the Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro smartphones in the second half of this year. In the last few weeks, we have already seen the renders of these upcoming Pixel smartphones. Both the devices will be coming with a Super AMOLED display with a center punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. On the back, the device comes with an unusual camera bump for the rear camera setup. The horizontal camera strip which holds the sensors and the LED flash protrudes from the body. With the Pixel 6 lineup, Google might also introduce the in-house Whitechapel SoC. (Image Source: @jon_prosser)

OPPO F17, A53, A5 2020, & A9 2020 Gets ColorOS 11 Beta Update

OPPO has finally released the Android 11-based ColorOS 11 beta update for a bunch of budget smartphones in India. The list includes OPPO F17, A53, A5 2020, & A9 2020. However, the 3GB RAM variants of the A5 2020 and the A9 2020 won’t receive the Android 11 update due to storage constraints. However, the company is yet to mention the timeline for the final public update for all these devices. As of now, users need to enroll for the beta update to taste the newer version of Android.

Samsung Galaxy M22 Leaked With Helio G80

Samsung is long rumored to launch the Galaxy M22 as the successor to the popular Galaxy M21 smartphone. While there is no confirmation from the company, the specs of the device are now leaked online. The upcoming Galaxy M22 will come powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 octa-core processor. It will be running on the latest Android 11-based One UI out of the box. The device will sport 48MP rear camera setup and a 13MP front camera.

Realme X7 Max & Smart TV 4K Launched In India

Realme has officially unveiled the Realme X7 Max smartphone as an upgrade to the Realme X7 Pro. It sports a 120Hz Super AMOLED display and is powered by 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC. The device comes in 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB storage variants and is priced at Rs 26,999 and Rs 29,999 respectively. The company also launched the 43-inch and 50-inch 4K smart TVs with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. Both TVs are powered by Android 10 and come with hands-free Google Assistant. While the 43-inch Realme Smart TV 4K is priced at Rs 27,999, the 50-inch model costs slightly higher at Rs 39,999.

Xiaomi showcases 200W Fast Charging Technology

Charge up to 100% in just 8 minutes using wired charging and 15 minutes wirelessly! #XiaomiHyperCharge

Too good to be true? Check out the timer yourself! #InnovationForEveryone pic.twitter.com/muBTPkRchl

— Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) May 31, 2021

Last year, Xiaomi unveiled the 120W fast charging technology. Now, the company came up with the 200W HyperCharge fast charging technology. According to Xiaomi, a compatible smartphone with a 4,000mAh battery can be charged from 0 percent to 100 percent in just 8 minutes. It takes just 44 seconds for 10 percent of charging and does 50 percent charging in 3 minutes. With the company’s own 120W wireless charging technology, the same device can be fully charged in 15 minutes. However, it might take few years before this new fast charging technology can be offered with consumer-ready devices.

Realme To Launch DIZO Star 300 & DIZO Star 500

Realme recently unveiled its new sub-brand called DIZO. As per the leaks, the company will be launching two new feature phones soon in India. Both the DIZO Star 300 and DIZO Star 500 feature phones were recently certified by the FCC. We might also see the DIZO Watch and DIZO GoPods D TWS earbuds under this new brand. As of now, there is no news about the confirmed launch dates for these new DIZO products.

Redmi Note 10 Pro 5G To Launch In India As POCO X3 GT

Earlier this month, Xiaomi launched the Redmi 10 Pro 5G in China. As per the recent leaks, the same device might soon make its debut in the Indian market as POCO X3 GT. While the Redmi Note 10 Pro in India comes with a 120Hz AMOLED display, the 5G variant launched in China sports a 120Hz LCD display. While there is no confirmation, the POCO X3 GT might officially launch in Q3 2021. It comes powered by Dimensity 1100 chipset and runs on Android 11 out of the box. The device packs a large 5000mAh battery and supports 67W fast charging.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G Specs Leaked Ahead Of Launch

OnePlus has officially confirmed to launch the Nord CE 5G (Core Edition) smartphone on June 10th in India. While the company is yet to reveal the specifications, some of them have already leaked online. As per the leaks, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G will come equipped with a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G mobile platform. In the camera department, the device will offer 64MP triple rear cameras and a 16MP front camera. Alongside the Nord CE 5G, the company will also launch the OnePlus TV U Series U1S on the same day. (Image Source: @Onleaks)

iQOO Z3 5G Launching Soon In India

iQOO is all set to launch a new mid-range 5G smartphone in India. The upcoming iQOO Z3 5G will be priced at around Rs 25,000 and will be available exclusively via Amazon India. It will also be the first smartphone in India to come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G mobile platform. The company launched the iQOO Z3 5G in China in March this year. On the front, the device will feature a 120Hz LCD display with a waterdrop notch. It will be running on the latest Android 11-based iQOO UI 1.0 out of the box.

OnePlus Introduces Digital Wellbeing-based WellPaper App

OnePlus has released a new live wallpaper app for Android called WellPaper. Unlike the traditional live wallpaper, the WellPaper will come with 3 different wallpapers which will adapt themselves based on the users’ app usage. To limit the battery consumption of these live wallpapers, OnePlus made them update only when the device unlock. Even if you are frequently unlocking the device, there will be some delay in update the wallpaper. It is available for all Android smartphones for free via Google Play Store.

Samsung Launches Galaxy Tab A7 Lite

After being in the leaks for the last few weeks, Samsung has finally launched the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. As the name suggests, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is a lighter version of the last year’s Galaxy Tab A7. It sports an 8.7-inch TFT display with 1340 by 800 pixels resolution and comes powered by a MediaTek Helio P22T octa-core processor. The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite will be available in 3GB and 4GB RAM variants with 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively. It runs on the latest One UI based on Android 11. As of now, there is no information about the India launch.

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