Month: November 2020

One of the most interesting things about mobile tech in 2020 is the rise of the Dimensity SoC series. MediaTek has managed to develop these 5G processors in order to target numerous tiers of the smartphone market that might otherwise be dominated by the same few Snapdragon equivalents, while also providing some arguably necessary competition in the same spaces. On the other hand, the intriguing (and increasingly well-priced) devices based on these processors have rarely made it out of what is often their home market of China.

Now, Realme has affirmed it is working on changing that with the launch of the X7 series in a new market. These phones may be a big hit there, particularly as the Pro variant rocks the highest-end Dimensity 1000+ chipset and a 120Hz AMOLED display.

The vanilla model also offers the lesser-spotted Dimensity 800U. Given these specs, it is a slight shame that they will only reach India by 2021. Realme India’s CEO, Madhav Sheth, has stated that this is indeed the case in a recent tweet.

Then again, the executive also mentioned that the X7s are just the tip of the incoming Realme 5G-berg in India. Therefore, more potentially Dimensity-powered phones making it to this market may improve the chances that they will also start gravitating towards others in the near future.

In our test, the Redmi 9A presents itself as a successful low-budget smartphone that can be purchased already for significantly less than 100 Euros (~$118). The workmanship is good, the battery life very long, and the equipment is convincing for a very affordable smartphone. In addition, the IPS panel offers solid viewing angles and a good color reproduction.

However, compared to the Redmi 9 and Redmi Note 9 sibling models, you have to accept some compromises. While customers in China have the choice between various models with up to 6 GB of RAM, in this country (Germany) users have to be content with the Redmi 9A with the small amount of working memory. In this regard, the Redmi 9 and Note 9 are able to score with twice as much RAM, which becomes positively noticeable in everyday usage. In addition, Xiaomi has equipped its low-budget smartphone with a fairly weak MediaTek processor, the new Helio G25.

The system of the 9A model does not always run smoothly and there are often some delays. Due to the slow eMMC storage, the load times are also significant. Particularly the Mali-G52 MP2 of the Helio G80 or G85, which is inside the Redmi 9 and Note 9 sibling models, offers significantly more GPU performance and ensures considerably more gaming fun and higher frame rates in combination with the 1080p panel. 

So you have to take a critical look at the question whether the slightly lower purchase costs of the Redmi 9A are worthwhile when possibly using it for several years. A Redmi 9 or Redmi Note 9 would offer a noticeably better overall package for the extra amount of currently 20 or 40 Euros (~$24 or $47) respectively.

If you would like to get a more detailed impression on the Redmi 9A, we recommend our review of the Xiaomi smartphone.

If a smartphone isn’t launched with the latest technology, it has little impact on the performance behind it. The reason for this is SoCs that may be significantly older than a year but belonged to the mid-range at the time and, therefore, still deliver enough performance for modern applications even today.

This is also the case with the ZTE Blade V2020, since it’s equipped with the MediaTek Helio P70 that was released in April 2019, which in turn is accompanied by an ARM Mali-G72 MP3 graphics unit. For under 300 Euros (~$355), the manufacturer also packs 128 GB of storage space and 4 GB of RAM into the smartphone. A hybrid slot allows the choice between using two nano SIMs or a microSD card.

In addition to solid WLAN and camera performance, the Blade V2020 also shows good results in our benchmark tests. Here, the strongest competitor is the Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC, which scores better in almost all aspects. Compared to the rest of the competition in this price range, however, the ZTE smartphone manages to assert itself.

Thanks to its large and bright display, it can be used comprehensively. Even users with sensitive eyes may be happy here, as PWM is limited to a very high frequency of 63,290 Hz and only kicks in at brightness levels below 23%. This makes the built-in IPS panel much easier on the eyes than most current OLED panels. More details and further information can be found in our review of the ZTE Blade V2020.

OnePlus is known for its excellent software support, but it has apparently chosen to treat its Nord sub-brand differently. OnePlus was long one of the only Android OEMs to release three OS upgrades to its smartphones, while newer handsets like the OnePlus 8T should receive Android 14 whenever that comes around. OnePlus will abandon the Nord N10 5G and Nord N100 long before then, though.

To recap, OnePlus announced the Nord N10 5G and Nord N100 as budget options in its portfolio, following the release of the OnePlus 8T and OnePlus Nord. OnePlus launched the OnePlus 8T on Android 11 but the Nord N10 5G and Nord N100 on Android 10, which seemed like an odd move. However, OnePlus is reported by Android Central as having confirmed the following about software support for the two devices:

The Nord N10 5G and N100 will receive one major Android update and a total of two years of security updates. The plan for these two devices aligns with industry standards for smartphones in more affordable price ranges. As always, we will continue listening to feedback from our users and looking for ways to improve the software experience for all OnePlus devices.

So, the Nord N10 5G and Nord N100 will receive fewer security updates than other OnePlus smartphones, too. To clarify, Android OEMs typically afford two OS updates to their smartphones, not one. In fact, companies like LG and Sony have been called out for failing to support some of their smartphones after one software update. OnePlus is not really offering one major Android update with the Nord N10 5G and Nord N100, either. Clearly, the company had OxygenOS 11 and Android 11 ready for the OnePlus 8T, so it seems that the company may have released its two new Nord smartphones on Android 10 to offer the bare minimum of software support.

Ultimately, OnePlus’ ‘Never Settle’ mantra wears a little thin when applied to the Nord N10 5G and Nord N100. We cannot understand why OnePlus has effectively announced that it has already abandoned the Nord N10 5G and Nord N100 before it has released them, though.

Xiaomi is now thought to have new 5G variants of the Redmi Note 9 and 9 Pro in the works. Should some new TENAA listings truly pertain to these phones, they may have quad rear cameras, 6-inch-plus displays and large batteries with possible 22.5-watt (W) charging speeds. However, a new leak claims that they will fall into a relatively low price-tier on their launch.

This new tip comes from a Weibo account that insists the Note 9 5G will start at just 1000 yuan (~US$151). Furthermore, its Pro counterpart – which may have a 108MP main sensor and the new Snapdragon 750G processor – might have a base model worth about 1500 yuan ($226).

This would make the new series extremely competitive in the 5G space, even possibly giving the Realme V3 a run for its money. One of these phones (probably the Pro version) is also projected to have a 6.67-inch LCD display with what may be a form of variable refresh rate that allows it to range between 30 and 120 hertz (Hz).