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Xiaomi 12 series unveiled in China

These are the world’s first Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 phones

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Right before 2022 even started, Xiaomi unveiled its latest flagship-grade smartphones in China. Lo and behold, the Xiaomi 12 series — successor to the Mi 11 series that was announced earlier this year as well.

Similar stellar performance

With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 official announcement last November, expect the latest chipset running the new smartphones. Not only does it promise better performance when it comes to multitasking and gaming, but it also supports a lot of improvements in hardware.

The smartphone’s cooled by Xiaomi’s large VC (vapor cooling) chamber of 2600mm² paired with a graphene film, to protect from overheating.

You can choose between 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128 or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage for both devices as well.

Same same, but different

While both are equipped with 120Hz AMOLED displays, the Xiaomi 12 has a 6.28-inch screen with a Full HD+ resolution while the 12 Pro features a bigger 6.76-inches with 2K/QHD+. This means future Xiaomi users who want to switch or upgrade have two options between a smaller and a bigger display.

The other difference is that the bigger one has an LTPO display that switches between 1 to 120Hz depending on usage. This helps reduce battery consumption. In contrast, both have under-display fingerprint scanners and Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

Another headlining feature is the 120W fast wired charging while the base variant has 67W. Albeit, both support 50W fast wireless charging and 10W reverse charging. Aside from the fast charging capabilities, the Xiaomi 12 Pro has a slightly bigger 4,600mAh compared to Xiaomi 12’s 4,500mAh battery capacity.

To alleviate overcharging and power management issues, Xiaomi has its in-house Surge P1 chip inside the phone. This is pretty much like comparing the Xiaomi 11T Pro versus the 11T all over again — but with a stark difference in screen sizes.

Different 50MP cameras, different setups

The Xiaomi 12 Pro has three 50-megapixel cameras. Meanwhile, the smaller sibling is equipped with one 50MP main (wide) camera, a 13MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP tele-macro lens. Both phones feature a 32MP front camera for selfies. Unlike previous Xiaomi phones, the punch-hole cutout moves from left to the center of the camera just like the 11T series.

While both possess a 50-megapixel main camera, there’s a massive difference between the two smartphones. The Xiaomi 12 is equipped with Sony IMX766 which is a 1/1.58″ sensor. On the other hand, the Xiaomi 12 Pro has a Sony IMX707 sensor with a bigger sensor sizing to 1/1.28″.

There’s also a new camera trick by Xiaomi called ‘CyberFocus’ that aims to challenge the iPhone 13 series’ Cinematic mode feature. This feature originally came from Xiaomi’s CyberDog AI robot. It has the ability to identify various subjects and control the camera’s focus.

 

Another improved camera capability is the new night mode algorithm that can still light up dim subjects while reducing the amount of noise.

But wait, there’s more!

There’s also a trimmed-down version of the Xiaomi 12 dubbed as the ‘Xiaomi 12X’. It mostly has the bells and whistles of its pricier sibling minus the wireless charging. Also, it doesn’t have the latest computational photography features of the new Xiaomi 12 series such as CyberFocus.

The performance is reduced too. From Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 down to Snapdragon 870 5G chipset. RAM and storage options are still the same.

Pricing and Availability

The Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro are available in four different colors. There are black, blue, and pink options in the lineup. Moreover, there’s the green one featuring a special vegan leather back.

Here are the pricing details in China along with their specific set of configurations:

Xiaomi 12 Pro

  • 8GB/128GB – CNY 4699 (US$ 738)
  • 8GB/256GB – CNY 4999 (US$ 785)
  • 12GB/256GB – CNY 5399 (US$ 848)

Xiaomi 12

  • 8GB/128GB – CNY 3699 (US$ 580)
  • 8GB/256GB – CNY 3999 (US$ 628)
  • 12GB/256GB – CNY 4399 (US$ 690)

Xiaomi 12X

  • 8GB/128GB – CNY 3199 (US$ 502)
  • 8GB/256GB – CNY 3499 (US$ 550)
  • 12GB/256GB – CNY 3799 (US$ 597)

Global availability has yet to be announced.

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Logitech introduces a dedicated shortcut for ChatGPT

Compatible with most keyboards and mice

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April 19, 2024

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Artificial intelligence is already meant to simplify a workflow. However, despite the ease, there are still a few ways to optimize the process. Today, Logitech has launched a new shortcut to launch ChatGPT straight from your mouse or keyboard.

Minus programmable hotkeys or buttons, there are hardly any built-in way to easily access an AI model. For a typical workflow, it still consists of manually opening the model on a separate window and keeping it within cursor’s reach throughout the day.

Logitech is simplifying the process by adding a dedicated shortcut for its devices. With a Logitech keyboard or mouse supported by the Logi Options+ app, users can program a keyboard or mouse button for the new Logi AI Prompt Builder.

Once activated, the AI Prompt Builder automatically accesses easy options for highlighted text. For example, users can easily rephrase or summarize the text. Likewise, they can input their own custom queries. By eliminating a few clicks and some typing throughout the day, the new tool hopes to save you time.

While most Logitech keyboards and mice are compatible with the new tool, it is also more easily accessible with the new Logitech Signature AI Edition Mouse. The new mouse has a dedicated button just for AI prompts. If you’re an AI power user, this one is perfect for you.

SEE ALSO: Logitech unveils G Pro X 60 gaming keyboard: Price, details

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X’s AI accused Klay Thompson of vandalizing houses with bricks

AI thought joke posts were real

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April 18, 2024

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Image source: Keith Allison, Wikimedia

Despite the ease that the technology promises, artificial intelligence still isn’t the most reliable thing you can depend on. Today’s models can still flub answers. Now, the pitfalls of AI are abundantly clear with a few mishaps on X. Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson was just “accused” of a vandalism spree involving bricks.

Late Tuesday night, X presented an AI-generated news snippet. The article, posted soon after the Warriors’ play-in loss to the Sacramento Kings, reads: “Klay Thompson Accused in Bizarre Brick-Vandalism Spree.”

The snippet hilariously described an incident where Thompson supposedly vandalized houses in Sacramento with bricks. Thankfully, according to the snippet, no one was hurt. It even had a few sources for its claims below the news summary.

The sources, however, are just joke posts stemming from the recently concluded game. In that do-or-die game, Thompson put up a staggering 0 points on ten shot attempts, the most misses without a make by a Warrior since the ’68 season. Naturally, everyone joked that the Warriors guard just threw bricks all over Sacramento.

Now, X is currently experimenting with a new AI feature called Grok. The model collates trending topics and creates snippets of what’s happening for X users. However, it’s not exactly the smartest in determining real news from satiric ones. The feature notes as much, carrying a fine-print caveat warning users to “verify its outputs” because it’s an early feature and can make mistakes.

SEE ALSO: New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

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New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

Rolling out globally now

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April 16, 2024

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New users on X might soon face a tough time on the platform. The social media website will likely start charging new accounts a small fee for the right to post on the platform.

Now, the fee isn’t a new one. Almost six months ago, the company tested the paid system in New Zealand and the Philippines. New users in those countries had to pay a dollar per year for the ability to post and reply to content.

As spotted by X Daily News on the same platform, the company might be ready to take the experiment to a larger market. New text strings have shown that the policy is rolling out worldwide.

The policy is designed to combat a wave of bots appearing on the platform. By preventing new accounts from creating posts, X hopes to stave off the standard behavior of bots these days. You might have noticed them as OnlyFans creators in unrelated posts, peddling NSFW content on their bio.

Though the global rollout was only just spotted, owner Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed the change. Replying to X Daily News, Musk says that it is “the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.” He says that the current breed of bots can easily bypass simple checks these days.

SEE ALSO: X will no longer let you hide your blue checkmark

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