News
Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 is a true bang for the buck smartphone
It has a 48-megapixel camera
Xiaomi has been known to offer affordable smartphones with great specs and features through its Redmi series. Starting today though, Redmi is now a sub-brand just like Pocophone. The first phone under this new arrangement is the Redmi Note 7.
As the first phone to be part of the Redmi sub-brand, the Note 7 gives it all. It’s got a 48-megapixel camera, Snapdragon 660 processor, big screen, massive battery, and a really attractive price tag.

Image credit: Xiaomi
The Redmi Note 7’s main selling point is its main 48-megapixel Samsung-made sensor. But of course, all those pixels will be used to create a crisper image at 12 megapixels — just like with Huawei flagship phones. It’s paired with a 5-megapixel secondary shooter which is responsible for AI scene recognition and edge detection for creating the bokeh effect. For selfies, there’s a 13-megapixel sensor in front of the phone.
The phone’s display measures 6.3 inches with a small cutout for the selfie camera. It’s protected by Gorilla Glass and has a resolution of Full HD+. Xiaomi claims a screen-to-body ratio of 84 percent and the back panel is also made of premium glass.

Image credit: Xiaomi
The Snapdragon 660 processor may already be old, but it’s still fast and reliable. Also, for a budget phone, a well-known midrange processor is very welcome to join the party.
Keeping the Redmi Note 7 lighted up is a large 4000mAh battery that supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4. Xiaomi finally shifted to USB-C for its Redmi phones and using a fast charging brick, the Note 7 can be fully charged in under two hours.

Image credit: Xiaomi
Price-wise, the Redmi Note 7 is a steal. The base model with 3GB of memory and 32GB of storage starts from CNY 999 or around US$ 150. The 4GB/64GB variant is slightly more expensive at CNY 1,199 (US$ 180), while bumping up the memory to 6GB will jack it up to CNY 1,399 (US$ 210). The available color options are blue, red, and black.
Pre-orders have already started in China, with shipments scheduled for January 15. The phone is only available in China for now, but it’ll be available in other Xiaomi markets very soon.
SEE ALSO: Xiaomi’s AirDots Pro is the latest AirPods copycat
India
TECNO’s POVA 8 5G is both futuristic and future-ready
8000mAh battery, Sony LYTIA 600 camera, Alive Matrix display, and more
Four months after the POVA Curve 2 5G, TECNO adds the POVA 8 5G to their performance-focused arsenal.
Futuristic vibe
TECNO’s POVA 8 5G continues the series’ signature sci-fi-inspired design language. The latest smartphone features sharp geometric elements and a semi-transparent rear panel.
One of its standout features is none other than the new Alive Matrix Display. It’s a customizable light panel on the back that can display up to 49 animations for incoming calls, notifications, charging status, gaming sessions, and more. Prospective users can also personalize the lighting effects to match their style.
Beside that LED display lies the 50MP main rear camera based on Sony’s LYTIA 600 (or LYT-600) sensor. The said sensor offers improved light capture for brighter and more detailed photos. It also supports 2x lossless zoom. Up front, you’ll get a 13MP front-facing shooter.
Powering the device is MediaTek’s Dimensity 7100 SoC. That’s paired together with TECNO’s in-house G1 Signal Enhancement Chip and SE1 Wi-Fi Enhancement Chip — making it a triple chipset smartphone.
TECNO says these chips help improve connectivity in challenging environments such as elevators and basements while boosting Wi-Fi reception.
The phone also features a 144Hz display with TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification and military-grade durability.
Last but definitely not the least, its 8000mAh battery that can last as much as two days. For some measure, TECNO says the phone can last up to 85+ hours of music playback, 29+ hours of YouTube streaming, 26+ hours of WhatsApp, or 14+ hours of playing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB).
Future-ready
Aside from the beastly battery packed inside, TECNO is also bringing several practical AI tools to the POVA 8 5G.
Among them is AI YouTube Summary. This turns lengthy videos into concise notes with key points and timestamps. The device also features AI-powered noise cancellation that helps isolate the speaker’s voice during calls, recordings, and meetings.
For photography, AI LightMaster 2.0 can remove unwanted reflections, lens flare, and shadows. The phone also supports uploading Live Photos directly to Instagram as Boomerang.
In select markets, users can even access AI Health features that estimate metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and respiration through facial scanning technology.
Further solidifying its future readiness, TECNO promises two major Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates.
The company is also bundling three years of FREE 256GB cloud storage for POVA 8 5G users. Eligible markets can also receive a 3-month Google AI Plus trial which includes 2TB of cloud storage.
Pricing and Availability
The TECNO POVA 8 5G debuts first in India and is available in 16-Bit White, Terminal Green, and Plasma Orange colorways.
Specific pricing and availability in global markets are yet to follow along these four color choices: Arc White, Graphite Black, Echo Green, and Helios Orange.
There are a few titles that an overwheling majority of gamers consider as an absolute must-play for other gamers. One of those titles is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Originally launched for the Nintendo 64, it’s not easy to play the iconic game today. But, later this year, the game is about to get much more accessible. Nintendo has officially announced a remake of Ocarina of Time.
Modern gamers might not realize the effect of the original Ocarina of Time on the RPG genre. Besides adding a third dimension to the then-fledgling Legend of Zelda series, the 1998 game also revolutionized the gaming world by popularizing targeting systems. That, and the refining of the formula in Majora’s Mask, makes Ocarina an essential in gaming history.
During today’s Nintendo Direct, the company capped off the hour-long presentations by announcing a remake of the game. Though the short, short trailer didn’t reveal any gameplay, it did confirm that the remake will retain the original’s more whimsical art style, as opposed to the realism put forth by the Breath of the Wild duology.
It’s not the first re-release for the game, though. In the past, Nintendo released remastered versions of the game for the GameCube and the 3DS. This is, however, the first official remake of the title for a much more modern system.
We didn’t know when the remake will officially launch, but it’s coming out within this year.
News
Apple has essentially confirmed the launch of the iPhone Fold
Some hidden references were not hidden enough.
No, Apple did not officially launch the iPhone Fold yet.
However, WWDC 2026 had a few surprises for those attentive enough to go deeper into the event’s announcements. And it all revolves around iOS 27.
Of course, the main event of WWDC 2026 is the first peek into the upcoming mobile operating system. Though we already covered everything that Apple visibly announced, something hidden has essentially confirmed the band’s first foldable phone.
On X, Sam Henri Gold, an engineer, spotted a few crucial references to a foldable form factor. Hidden underneath the recently released iOS 27 beta are mentions of “foldState” and “angleDegrees.” The code also includes references to the number of displays a single device has.
Notably, iOS 26 did not include such mentions. It can’t be purely coincidental. Unless Apple is suddenly shipping iOS 27 out to foldables from other brands (highly unlikely), this is the prelude to an iPhone Fold coming later this year.
Now, rumors of an iPhone Fold have been making the rounds for a while now. But they haven’t been as strong as this year. There’s heavy speculation that the brand’s first foldable phone is coming later this fall.
There’s still a nonzero chance that it makes an appearance during WWDC 2026, but don’t put all your eggs in this basket. Apple traditionally reserves the conference for software developments. Fall is the usual playing ground for Apple’s hardware.
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