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Nokia XR20: Rugged smartphone with 4 years of updates

Launched alongside the budget C30 and a 6310 remake

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Fancy a smartphone that could withstand extreme conditions? Well, Nokia now has one — and with guaranteed four years of updates too. The Nokia XR20 is the company’s first rugged smartphone, complete with a host of features.

The design, for a start, is something that you would expect from a rugged smartphone. It’s a bit chunky and for a good reason: the phone is MIL-STD certified, surviving drops from 1.8 meters. The ruggedized casing also helps in shock-proofing the phone. For a peace of mind, the phone also has an IP68 water and dust resistance along with Gorilla Glass Victus on the front.

Now, some people would equate rugged smartphones with outdated specs. This is not the case for the Nokia XR20, as it rocks features on par for the mid-range market.

First up, it has a sizable 6.67-inch IPS FHD+ display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. One unique thing about this display is that it has a maximum brightness of 550 nits, and it can even operate with gloves. It’s also worth mentioning that the front bezels here don’t have any “Nokia” branding at all — a first for the company’s recent smartphone lineup.

The camera on this phone is also par for the course. Up front, there is an 8MP selfie camera located on a centered punch hole. Meanwhile, the rear cameras are made of a main 48MP wide-angle lens and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens.

On the performance front, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 chipset powering the device. It is a mid-range chipset at its best, and fortunately, it has 5G built-in for future-proofing. By default, it comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It also has plenty of support — four years of security updates, plus three years of major OS updates.

For connectivity, it has a lone USB 3.0 Type-C port with Bluetooth 5.1 built in. There’s even a 3.5 mm headphone jack included into the mix. However, Nokia also integrated dual speakers on this device if listening out loud is your jam. Finally, the device can keep up for two days thanks to its 4,630mAh battery.

The device will retail on August 24 for a price of US$ 549. Buyers can get it in two color configurations: Ultra Blue or Granite Grey.

Nokia C30 and 6310: budget and nostalgic pairs

Aside from the rugged XR20, the company also announced two new devices — the Nokia C30 and 6310. The former is a budget device that adds to the fledgling Nokia C-series line-up. It has a big 6.82 HD+ display, complete with a V-notch housing the 5MP selfie camera. The back houses the two rear cameras with a 13 MP wide-angle lens and a 2 MP depth sensor. Nokia is using an Unisoc processor here, along with the trimmed-down Android 11 Go. Furthermore, it comes with a 6,000mAh battery which is humongous for its class.

Image from Nokia

Meanwhile, the Nokia 6310 is revived and modernized 6310 that many people know from the past. Just like you would expect, it features the classic design of the long-gone feature phone but with a twist. It has a curved 2.8-inch display, a rear-facing 0.3MP camera, and Series 30+ OS. Strangely enough, there is Bluetooth 5.0 here yet 4G is nowhere to be found.

Image from Nokia

The Nokia C30 will retail for EUR 99 while the 6310 will go for EUR 40.

Via: GSMArena.com (1) (2)

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vivo X300 series coming to the Philippines

Price, details, more to be unveiled on November 26

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vivo X300 Series

The highly-anticipated vivo X300 series is officially coming to the Philippines next week. The smartphones will launch on November 26 via a vivo Philippines Facebook live event starting at 6 in the evening.

There will be three available colorways for the Philippine market: Phantom Black, Dune Brown, and Halo Pink. Memory and storage configurations are yet to be announced.

vivo’s latest flagships were announced globally less than a month ago. They are composed of the vivo X300 and vivo X300 Pro models, which both boast of 200MP ZEISS camera systems.

The Pro debuts a 200MP ZEISS APO Telephoto Camera with an upgraded Ultra-Sensing Sensor HPB.

Meanwhile, the 50MP ZEISS Gimbal-Grade Main Camera boasts of a large 1/1.28″ sensor and industry-leading CIPA 5.5-rated stabilization.

These enable the main camera to deliver more stable, faster, and clearer shots while greatly improving the overall imaging performance.

On the other hand, the X300 features a 200MP ZEISS Main Camera, along with a ZEISS APO Telephoto Camera with a LYT-602 sensor.

Leading performance, efficiency, and endurance

Aside from impressive camera systems, the vivo X300 handsets also feature improvements across OS, performance, and design.

They run on the new OriginOS, which is supported by ultra-core computing, memory fusion, and dual-rendering engines.

Inside, the X300 phones are powered by a Dimensity 9500 chipset jointly defined by vivo and MediaTek.

Built on the 3nm process, the platform delivers exceptional power and remarkable energy efficiency. It features a fully-upgraded 12-core G1-Ultra GPU and ultra-efficient NPU.

In front are 8T LTPO displays (6.31-inch for the X300 and 6.78-inch for the X300 Pro) with up to 2000 nits global peak brightness.

Lastly, the phones have long-lasting batteries (X300 Pro: 6510mAh; X300: 6040mAh) both supporting 90W FlashCharge and wireless charging.

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Android now supports AirDrop!

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For years, there was an insurmountable wall between Apple and Android. One ecosystem’s features were constantly unavailable on another’s. However, times are changing. Previously, Apple started supporting RCS messaging, bridging the messaging between the two platforms. Now, Android is getting support for an even major iOS-only feature: AirDrop.

In a world where file sizes keep getting bigger, efficient file sharing services, such as AirDrop, are invaluable. AirDrop allows iOS users within proximity to share files seamlessly with one another. Technically, Android has its own version called Quick Share. However, the feature did not work with AirDrop, creating another rift between the two platforms.

Today, Android has dropped a surprise feature. Quick Share is now compatible with AirDrop. For now, the feature will start with the Pixel 10 series. But Google hopes to roll it out for other devices in the future.

To enable interoperability between the two platforms, the receiver, regardless of Android or iOS, must set their visibility to “everyone for 10 minutes,” meaning including those outside of their contact list. For those who are conscious about security, Android says that the feature will use the Rust programming language to ensure that security remains a priority.

Unlike the vocal spate for RCS messaging, there hasn’t been a comparatively huge clamor for AirDrop on Android. Everyone just seems to take it as granted. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not a welcome feature. Despite being a complete surprise, it’s a huge boon for Android users with a lot of friends on iOS.

SEE ALSO: Android 16 is here!

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realme C85 with 7000mAh battery, 5G connectivity officially launches

Starts at PhP 10,989 in the Philippines

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The realme C85 5G is now available in the Philippines, marking the biggest leap yet in realme’s C series lineup.

Building on the features of previous releases, the realme C85 is the first to feature a 7000mAh battery plus 5G connectivity, pushing the brand’s budget smartphone line to new heights.

Customers can get the device for as low as PhP 10,989 via realme’s official TikTok Shop, from its SRP of PhP 14,999.

As a launch offer, a free TechLife Power Bank (10000mAh) is also included while supplies last when customers buy via official stores nationwide.

Built for heavy use, realme C85 features triple IP66, IP68, and IP69K water and dust resistance rating, as well as military-grade durability.

It can resist damage from several types of liquids — including household cleaning solutions — and handle accidental drops.

At its heart is a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor for ample performance. The large battery capacity enables all-day use, while 45W SUPERVOOC charging lets users replenish the device’s power up to 50% in just 42 minutes.

In front is a 6.8-inch display with 144Hz refresh rate. The panel also supports 1,200 nits of peak brightness for visibility even outdoors. AI Outdoor Mode also automatically boosts screen brightness and optimizes network performance.

Not to be outdone in the camera department, the C85 has a 50MP AI camera plus handy features like AI Ultra Clarity and AI Edit Genie.

Alongside the 5G model, a 4G variant is also available.

realme Buds Clip also launched

Aside from the C85, realme also launched the new realme Buds Clip, a new open-ear, ear-clip style Bluetooth wearable.

It has 11mm dual-magnet large-amplitude speakers and supports AI Dual-Mic ENC. There are likewise audio enhancements, including NextBass Algorithm, Sound-Leap Directional Tech, and 3D Spatial Audio.

Users can enjoy up to 36 hours of battery life with the charging case. The earphones also provide 45ms low latency, dual-device connection, and even AI real-time translation, among other helpful features.

The realme Buds Clip is priced at PhP 4,999.

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