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Mi 12 series could launch with Snapdragon 895, 200MP camera

The Snapdragon 895 could come sooner than usual

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The Mi 12 series will continue the Chinese phone maker’s legacy in the premium segment. It’s expected to launch next year, ideally. However, there’s a tiny chance the phone debuts in 2021 before the year ends and shall sport Qualcomm’s brand new processor.

According to a leak by Ice Universe, the Mi 12 and Mi 12 Ultra shall come equipped with a Snapdragon 895 processor. The said chip hasn’t been officially announced yet, but as the name suggests, it’ll succeed last year’s Snapdragon 888. If true, the Mi 12 will be the first phone to sport Qualcomm’s latest chip.

Usually, Qualcomm shows off its latest chips at the beginning of December, and actual availability is after a few weeks. This time, the chipmaker is believed to be half a month ahead of schedule, resulting in an earlier release.

It will also indirectly speed up the availability of new phones as the primary component is releasing ahead of the conventional schedule. Of course, there is no certainty of this happening, and Xiaomi could well stick to its own timelines and launch the successor sometime in 2022.

More info on Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship

The Mi 12 could also get a  200-megapixel camera sensor, although it has been argued that it could be reserved for the Ultra option. On the front, the flagship series is expected to sport an LTPO panel, which enables refresh rate technology ranging from one to 120Hz. The screen is also said to have 2K resolution.

The Xiaomi Mi 12 Ultra may incorporate IP68 waterproof and dustproof, stereo dual speakers, multi-function NFC and infrared. For charging, the rumor mill currently revolves around 120W wired fast charging and 100W wireless.

Ice Universe further claims that the Snapdragon 895 will be seen in flagships launching in the first half of the second year. Qualcomm may then subsequently launch the Snapdragon 895+ SoC in June.

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Honor is reportedly working on a 14000mAh battery

How much is too much?

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Nothing goes together more than a Chinese smartphone brand and the relentless pursuit for a bigger battery. For years, Chinese brands have engaged in a war for this particular component. Now, the latest salvo has been fired. Honor is reportedly working on a phone with a gigantic 14000mAh battery.

Today, the biggest battery capacity you can find on an Honor phone is 11000mAh. The Honor X80 Pro Max already offers a battery that can last you more than a single day. At this point, it’s certainly more than enough for our daily needs.

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, a smartphone brand is currently working on a 14000mAh battery. Though the leak does not explicitly pinpoint Honor, the emoji used (a wolf) is historically used to imply the Chinese brand in Weibo parlance.

A 14000mAh is just absurdly huge. With a battery larger than some powerbanks, battery anxiety becomes moot. It’s bordering on “can we bring this on a plane” territory.

As with all rumored features, the next question is when this battery will arrive on a consumer-ready device. Given how serious the battery wars are for the Chinese market, it’s only a matter of time.

SEE ALSO: HONOR continues APAC expansion, to launch 600 series in Taiwan

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Nothing Phone (4b) shows up online, spoils some specs

It’s a step below the Phone (4a) series.

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Yesterday, Nothing officially teased the Phone (4b), an all-new line positioned below the Phone (4a) series. At the time, the teaser revealed nothing but the design of the upcoming phone. However, ahead of its July 7 launch, the Phone (4b) suddenly appeared on Geekbench, spoiling a few of its mysterious specs.

According to the listing, the Phone (4b) will run the SM6650, more popularly known as the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4. It’s a modestly powered processor built for the budget to midrange segments of the performance spectrum. Having this processor does confirm that the phone belongs to the step below the Phone (4a), bringing affordability to a name other than CMF.

Besides the processor, the new phone will come with an Adreno 810 GPU and 8GB of RAM. Inside, it will ship with Android 16 out of the box, but this will likely be upgradeable to Android 17 later this year.

It’s already confirmed that the Phone (4b) will be quite the looker. The phone will slightly depart from the design philosophy of the Phone (4a) series. Though it will still have a sizable rear island, the camera setup will just be a small vertical strip on the top-left corner. Additionally, the lighting element typical of all Nothing phones will be a small horizontal strip on the bottom-right corner.

Thankfully, the wait for more specs won’t be long. Nothing has confirmed that the phone’s launch is set for July 7.

SEE ALSO: Nothing will launch the Phone (4b) next month

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Polaroid says, enjoy the beach before AI ruins it

“We know what we stand to lose if we don’t protect it.”

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Tongue-in-cheek marketing is a soothing balm for a world where false promises are more often advertised. But, what happens when those tongue-in-cheek jokes strike a nerve and make you think, “maybe this isn’t a joke anymore”? Polaroid, a huge proponent of analog technology, has put up such a billboard to enjoy the beach “before the data centers drink it all up.”

Right in front of Coney Island (and right in time for summer), Polaroid has a simple message: “Go jump in the water before the data centers drink it all up.”

Though funny by itself, the message plays on an ongoing fear that today’s data centers, built for AI, have such a high water requirement that each query takes up gallons every time. This is, of course, slightly hyperbolic, but data centers are indeed exerting a lot of pressure on their area’s resources. They take a lot of water for cooling and electricity to keep open.

In a statement, Polaroid says that they’re not anti-digital. Rather, “we know we have to live alongside it, but we’re deeply pro-human and know what humanity gives us. And we know what we stand to lose if we don’t protect it. That’s a fight worth fighting,” says Polaroid’s creative director Patricia Varella, via LBB.

Now, this isn’t a completely altruistic ad. It’s still advertising the new Go Generation 3. Still, if you’re looking for a product to go alongside today’s shifting sentiments against AI, a Polaroid might be it.

SEE ALSO: The Loop PH rebrands as lifestyle-tech destination

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