Motorola Edge 30 and Moto G 5G (2022) leak in new official images
Two unreleased Motorola phones leaked in new official images thanks to Evan Blass and 91mobiles. The Moto Edge 30 and Moto G 5G (2022) are two upcoming midrangers set to debut soon with enticing specs.
Motorola Edge 30 official images
Motorola Edge 30’s design is clearly based on the Edge 30 Pro flagship that debuted earlier this year. It has the same centered punch-hole display upfront and a triple cam setup on the back. The display on the Edge 30 is said to come in at 6. 5-inches and will be of the pOLED variety and it will still offer a 144Hz refresh rate just like the flagship Edge 30 Pro.
Motorola Edge 30
The main change will come in the chipset department where the vanilla Edge 30 will rely on the Snapdragon 778G+ paired with 6/8GB RAM and 128/256GB storage. The phone will also bring a 4,200 mAh battery and 33W charging. The camera setup on the back is expected to retain the dual 50MP shooters and 2MP depth helper from the Edge 30 Pro .
The second yet to be released phone is the Moto G 5G (2022). As the name suggests this is the successor to the Moto G 5G and brings improvements across the board. The phone is expected to arrive with a 6. 53-inch LCD with HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate.
Moto G 5G (2022)
The device will be powered by the Dimensity 700 chipset alongside 4 or 6GB RAM and up to 256GB of built-in storage which can also be expanded.
Moto G 5G (2022)
There are three cams on the back with a 50MP main shooter, a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth helper. Moto G 5G (2022) is said to offer a 5,000 mAh battery with 15W charging.
Vivo X Fold tries to validate Samsung with a few tricks of its own
Foldable phones are on their way to becoming more prevalent and more mainstream, especially now that more brands are trying to jump on the bandwagon. Although Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi have long been playing that game, other companies need to join in to increase the visibility and accessibility of this new type of mobile device. A few more competitors also mean that there could be new ideas being tried, not to mention new pricing schemes that could make foldable phones more approachable. This is what the OPPO Find N did when it tried to change the design a little, and received some positive feedback. While the Vivo X Fold isn’t too far away from Samsung’s design but is improving in the areas that matter most.
After a short period of experimentation it appears that Samsung’s “innie” design won the war. Huawei eventually switched away from its outward folding or “outie” mechanism to something that resembles the Galaxy Z Fold. While there are some differences between Vivo and OPPO, the consensus is that these foldable smartphones open and close just like a book.
What some don’t agree on yet is how big these phones should be. With a shorter phone than many foldable phones, and a wider one when folded down, the OPPO Find N challenged this status quo. This created a tablet-like experience where the full screen is laid out in landscape orientation, while the external screen remained useful when the phone was folded, unlike most of the complaints with the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
In contrast, the Vivo X Fold nearly matches Samsung’s foldable in size and design and is actually taller than it. Although it seems like a Samsung knock-off on the surface, the devil is in the details inside. Specifically, the Flexion hinge it uses is similar to the one that the OPPO Find N and the Huawei Mate X2 use, which would allow the phone to fold shut completely without any gap. The Flexion hinge also minimizes the visibility of the edge of the screen. However, this can only be verified in real-world tests.
Specs Sometimes Matter
Vivo also does a few things that Samsung doesn’t seem to be interested in just yet, particularly when it comes to the cameras. The Vivo X Fold comes with a better set of four sensors, at least on paper, though some Samsung fans are hoping that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will correct the flaws of its predecessor in this regard. It’s easy to want the best smartphone for your money.
That said, those cameras do come with a bit of a cost, at least in terms of design. Vivo’s Vivo X fold camera bump has a big circle wrapped in a larger, reflective rectangle at the back. It is as “in your face” as it can get, though thankfully not in the same ridiculous proportions as the Honor Magic 4 Ultimate.
There’s also the presence of under-display fingerprint sensors, something that is common in most smartphones today except the foldable ones. While Vivo can be applauded for their initiative, this implementation is also wasteful as you have to install two fingerprint scanners on each side of the primary, foldable screen. There are concepts and patents on how that can be reduced to a single “back-to-back” sensor, but the technology just isn’t there yet.
The Price is Right
The exorbitantly expensive cost of these folding phones is one reason people avoid them. Although Samsung attempted to lower the price last year, it is still too high for most people. The OPPO Find N tried to offer a more reasonable price tag, and Vivo is doing the same, though with a bump that is justified by the features.
The Vivo X Fold is going for around $1,400, but its availability is limited to China, at least for now. Unfortunately, Samsung is still the only global competitor. With rumors about the Galaxy Z Fold 4 shaping up to be quite interesting, the company will undoubtedly still hold the top position in that niche. Still, it’s reassuring to see that there are other brands willing to challenge the giant in order to help diversify foldable phones.
Oppo A57 5G unveiled with 90Hz HD+ LCD, Dimensity 810 and a 5,000mAh battery
The Oppo A57 5G arrives as a polished version of the A56 5G. There’s a new chipset, more RAM, an improved screen and a few other upgrades, but this is still an entry-level phone. An entry-level phone with 5G.
The new model is powered by the Dimensity 810, a 6 nm version of the 700 chip with slightly higher clock speeds. The base configuration now comes with 6 GB (up from 4 GB) and there is a new 8 GB option. Storage remains at 128 GB (UFS 2. 2 for the 6 GB unit, UFS 2. 1 for the 8 GB one), a microSD slot is available if you need more.
Another thing to note is that this phone comes with Android 12/Color OS 12. 1 out of the box (up from Android 11). The system can add 5 GB of virtual RAM.
The display is improved as well – the 6. 56″ LCD now runs at 90Hz (up from 60Hz), however, the resolution is basically the same at 720 x 1,612 px. It may not be sharp, but at least the image will have a wide color gamut. The display offers 100% sRGB coverage in Natural mode and 100% DCI-P3 in Vivid mode. The brightness is unchanged, 480 nits typical.
Not much has changed in the camera department. The Oppo A57 5G offers a basic setup with a 13 MP camera on the back (f/2. 2) with a 2MP depth sensor and a notched 8MP selfie camera (f/2.0). Video recording for both is capped at 1080p at 30 fps.
The battery capacity is 5,000 mAh. It could have used an upgrade from the basic 10W charging, but it didn’t get it. Charging is done over USB-C, the other wired port is the 3. 5mm headphone jack. Stereo speakers are an upgrade to the model before it.
Additional connectivity includes Wi-Fi 5 (ac), Bluetooth 5. 2 with the high quality aptX HD and LDAC audio codecs and dual 5G. A secondary antenna on the side ensures a stable connection while you game (as your hands may cover the primary antenna). There’s no NFC, but mobile payment systems (WeChat, AliPay, etc.) are secured by the side-mounted fingerprint reader.
The retail package includes the phone, a cable and charger, a protective case and a few other basics.
The Oppo A57 5G is available in Deep Sea Blue, Quiet Night Black and Lilac
The Oppo A57 5G is available for pre-order in China starting today, sales will begin tomorrow. Only the 8/128GB version is listed for now with a price of CNY 1,500 ($235/EUR215/Rs18,000).
PS. If we have decoded the rumors right, this hardware is identical (or near enough) to the Realme Q5i, which is coming next week.
OnePlus 10 Pro now available in the US, here are the trade-in deals and freebies on offer
Global pre-orders for the OnePlus 10 Pro started at the end of March with sales scheduled for April 5 in India, April 8 in Europe and for today in the US. The 10 Pro can be bought from several venues, here are their arguments of why you should go with them.
Let’s start with the official OnePlus store. The price is set for $900 for the 8/128 GB unit (no other memory options), unlocked. You can drop the price down to almost nothing by trading in an old device, e.g. you can get up to $850 for an iPhone 13 Pro Max. You are probably better off sending an old OnePlus phone as the company will add $100 credit for its own stuff. By the way, you can also trade-in an old tablet or smartwatch. You should also be able to score a free pair of OnePlus Buds Z2.
OnePlus 10 Pro now available in the US, OnePlus.com offers a discount with a trade-in
T-Mobile is the official carrier partner. You can get the OnePlus 10 Pro for “free” – well, you still pay the $900, but split up into $37.50 monthly installments. Those installments can be reduced (or even eliminated) by trading in an old device. Note that this is available only if you have or get the Magenta MAX plan. For other plans, 50% of the phone’s price is deferred as monthly installments.
T-Mobile’s deal for the OnePlus 10 Pro
Amazon will sell you the phone at full price, but will throw in an Echo Show 8, which is currently discounted to $125.
OnePlus also available on: Amazon • Best Buy
Best Buy keeps it even simpler – buy the phone for $900, get a $100 gift card. That could cover half of a Totaltech yearly subscription or most of the $170 2-year accidental Geek Squad Protection subscription.
Don’t miss our OnePlus 10 Pro review for an in-depth look at the company’s latest flagship.
vivo T1 Pro 5G coming next month, Geekbench listing confirms SD778G
The vivo T1 5G is already selling in India, and rumors are it will get a Pro sibling very soon. Reports are the launch is scheduled for May and they appear credible as the vivo T1 Pro 5G just appeared on Geekbench. The vivo V2151 smartphone was benchmarked with a Snapdragon 778G chipset and will have an 8GB RAM option.
The chipset of the new vivo T phone is the same as the upcoming vivo iQOO Z6 Pro 5G, meaning there’s a good chance we’ll see another case of same phone sold under two brands. Not shocking, as it was the same deal with the non-Pro variants – the vivo T1 5G and the vivo iQOO Z6 are essentially the same, with the main difference being the user interface.
Satechi 2-in-1 Headphone Stand doubles as a Wireless Charger for your phone and earbuds
Not many people realize this, but a headphone stand is an essential desk accessory. It would be best if you had something to hold your headphones properly so your pair won’t get damaged when not in use.
Some might say leaving the headphones on the table or hanging them somewhere may be enough. But then, you will need to make sure your work or study desk is not that cluttered. If you’re part of the group that needs all the help when it comes to organizing, you may want to consider getting a few desk organizers or trays.
The Satechi 2-in-1 Headphone Stand with Wireless Charger is an ideal solution because it does more than just carry your headphones. It also works as a wireless charging station for your premium headphones, earbuds, or iPhone. This comes with a USB-C port to charge your headset and a stainless-steel arm with padded grips. It features a hook to keep cables organized and an LED light that will tell you if a wireless device is charging. With all these features, the 2-in-1 Headphone Stand does more than just serve as a headset cradle.
The 2-IN-1 HEADPHONE STAND WITH WIRELESS CHARGER lets you charge and store headphones in style. Its designer believes everything you use should have its place. This thing keeps your headset powered all the time and away from any threat of being damaged or falling off your desk. Its built-in wireless charging pad is enough to power an iPhone 13 or AirPods Pro with a max output of 7.5W.
It arrives with an elegant design with its sleek arm and space gray aluminum base. The stand can complement any home or office interior with its minimalist appeal. It features an easy magnetic connection for your iPhone with MagSafe support and helps minimize those messy cables. In addition, it keeps your devices and accessories organized and in one place. The 2-IN-1 HEADPHONE STAND WITH WIRELESS CHARGER is priced at $79.99. You can purchase straight from Satechi, but you also need to buy the 20W power adapter which is sold separately.
In recent months, we have seen other interesting headset stands. We remember those Marvel Superhero 3D-printed headphone stands. The Zero Headphone Stand had an appeal of a minimalist desk sculpture while the Hardgraft’s ingenious case/stand made a lasting impression. We believe there are more innovative and great-looking headphone stands out there but we want this from Satechi because of its wireless charging function.
The latest flagships in vivo’s X-series is expected to launch soon with the X80 series. We’re expecting three entries with a X80, an X80 Pro and an X80 Pro+ based on current rumors. The vanilla X80 has now appeared on the Google Play Console and is confirming its key specs and design.
vivo X80 on Google Play Console
X80 will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset and the listing shows 8GB RAM in tandem. The phone is also running Android 12 and has a 1080×2400 px resolution curved display. The panel is rumored to come in at 6.78-inches and will likely offer a 120Hz refresh rate.
vivo X80
The rest of the rumored spec sheet includes a 50MP main camera with a Sony IMX866 sensor alongside a 12MP 2x telephoto lens and a 12MP ultrawide snapper. The phone is also expected to boast a 4,500 mAh battery with 80W charging.
OnePlus Ace official launch scheduled for April 21
OnePlus is introducing a new smartphone in China, and it will be called Ace. The device appeared on the company’s Weibo profile with three cameras on the back, flat sides and no trigger button.
The new OnePlus Ace will officially arrive on April 21, and while some reports claim it will be a rebranded Realme GT Neo3, we think this is the OnePlus 10R, expected to launch in India on April 28.
The alignment of the triple camera setup is in line with previous renders we’ve seen, although the multiple stripes are a nice addition to the otherwise big camera island. The images also revealed an IR sensor on top, and a USB-C port on the bottom, but they don’t show the front – we are yet to learn if the display will have a waterdrop notch or a punch hole.
OnePlus Ace
If the phone is indeed Realme GT Neo3 with the OnePlus logo slapped on the back, we expect a Dimensity 8100 chipset, a 50 MP main camera with Sony IMX766 sensor and a 5,000 mAh battery with 80W fast charging. There could also be a version with 150W rates and a smaller cell, but we have to wait and see.
There are seven days until the launch, and we expect OnePlus to tease more details about its new Ace in the deck.
The Realme GT 2 Pro introduced globally in February will go on sale in India today starting at noon local time through Realme’s Indian website, Flipkart, and mainline channels. The smartphone comes in Steel Black, Paper White, and Paper Green colors and has two memory options – 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB priced at INR49,999 ($655/EUR600) and INR57,999 ($760/EUR700), respectively.
Those who buy the GT 2 Pro today will get a Realme Watch S free, and the company is also offering a discount of INR5,000 ($65/EUR60) on purchases made with SBI and HDFC Bank’s debit and credit cards.
Realme GT 2 Pro
The Realme GT 2 Pro comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 6. 7″ 120Hz QHD+ LTPO 2 AMOLED screen, Android 12-based Realme UI 3.0, and a 5,000 mAh battery with 65W charging.
The smartphone has a 32MP selfie shooter inside the punch hole, and around the back is a 50MP primary camera joined by 50MP ultrawide and 3MP microscope units.
You can read our Realme GT 2 Pro review here to learn more about it or watch the video review linked below.
The vanilla GT 2, announced alongside the Pro model in February, will debut in India during Realme’s 4th anniversary, which will be celebrated on May 4. Realme has also confirmed the India launch of GT Neo3, which supports 150W charging.
Experts Talk Collaborating on the Galaxy S22 Series’ Expert RAW App – Samsung Global Newsroom
When it comes to wanting professional precision and everyday ease, the Galaxy S22 is Samsung’s most powerful tool yet for snapping stunning shots every time. That’s thanks in part to the smartphone’s unique Expert RAW app. Compatible with the Galaxy S22 series and the Galaxy S21 Ultra,1 Expert RAW is a comprehensive suite of in-camera editing tools that turn the camera in your pocket into a DSLR-like experience. That means having more creative control over your content.
Expert RAW, like many other great inventions was created by a team effort. It was driven by the Galaxy users and Samsung experts. To learn more about the Expert RAW experience, Samsung Newsroom spoke with the experts at Samsung Research2 who collaborated on the app.
Read on to see what Hamid Sheikh, Head of the Intelligent Imaging Team at Samsung Research America’s (SRA) Mobile Processor Innovation (MPI) Lab, and Girish Kulkarni, Head of the Camera Solutions Group at the Samsung R&D Institute India-Bangalore (SRI-B), had to say about this innovative camera collaboration.
Meet Hamid Sheikh, Head of the MPI Lab’s Intelligent Imaging Team
Leads a team of world-class computational photography experts tasked with developing cutting-edge features for use in flagship mobile devices
Contributed to the development of Super Resolution Zoom, Low Light Shot, high dynamic range imaging technology, Night Mode, Expert RAW and more
Previously part of the team that developed the world-famous structural similarity index measure (SSIM) metric, which is used to train AI networks in image processing
Meet Girish Kulkarni, Head of SRI-B’s Camera Solutions Group
Leads a team that specializes in the end-to-end development of camera solutions for flagship devices that utilize AI (computational imaging, human aware and visual intelligence) to offer the best pro-grade features
Has extensive camera experience from working on Samsung’s Galaxy A and Galaxy M series smartphones
The Camera Solutions Group works closely with Samsung’s main R&D teams to offer consumers the best possible camera experience
Q: What does the Expert RAW app do? Q: What does Expert RAW app do?
Hamid: Expert RAW really gives users the ability to take full control of their mobile photography experience much like a professional photographer would. The app captures much more comprehensive data for each image, which can be used to both improve photos and artistically enhance them with editing software like Adobe Lightroom — the go-to app for professional photographers.
To improve your camera experience, Adobe worked with us to closely couple Expert Raw with Lightroom. This allows photographers to have complete control of their creativity. For novice photographers, you can use automatic camera control settings and Lightroom-specific default values. The tight integration between the apps creates an enjoyable experience in both instances.
Girish: Expert RAW is an epic leap forward for photography. This basically puts a professional studio within your reach. Whether you are a pro photographer or you’re just a user who wants to capture amazing content, anyone can take full advantage of the Galaxy S22’s pro-grade camera with Expert RAW. It captures high-quality, high dynamic range pictures in the multi-frame RAW format that enables precise post-capture editing and professional results.
Expert RAW allows users to capture more detail in one picture, from the darkest details to the brightest highlights. It also drastically reduces noise and increases sharpness and detail. You can also choose the settings you wish to apply for ISO, shutter speed and white balance. Finally, because both JPEG and DNG files are saved when shooting, you can hop right into the Adobe Lightroom app on your smartphone or PC and edit with ease.
Q: What was the original inspiration for Expert RAW?
Hamid: Samsung camera technologies have always relied on sophisticated computational photography algorithms to produce the best picture quality. However, the standard camera app makes many decisions about how the image will be rendered in terms of color, tone, detail and noise. The user has very limited say in these decisions.
Our inspiration came from the confluence of user experience limitations and the leaps in computational and AI capabilities of today’s mobile processors. Our question was “How can the user experience be more inspirational?” We were inspired by the enthusiast and expert photographers who longed for a simpler mobile experience that didn’t compromise the creativity of DSLRs and post-capture editing. Expert RAW was born out of a desire to transform that inspiration into reality.
Girish: As we heard the input of professional photographers who were mostly utilizing DSLR cameras, they wanted to achieve a pro-grade experience with smartphones. Our research showed that most users are passionate about learning more about Samsung’s professional-grade camera features.
The more we talked to professional and amateur photographers, the more we understood their needs in terms of RAW image capturing, camera controls, the post-editing experience, creative capabilities and more. We set out to design a professional-grade RAW image capturing experience that would allow every photographer to combine their camera controls with their creativity and create professionally-looking images.
Q: What makes Expert RAW such an important release for mobile photography in general?
Hamid: The camera experience is one of the most important experiences that a user has with his or her smartphone. Samsung has been at the cutting edge of camera quality, and the gap between consumers and professional/enthusiast photographers has always been a tempting one to bridge.
I think with the release of Expert RAW, users will find that their photography experience will take a quantum leap in terms of creative control and artistic expression. This new feature allows users to personalize the camera according to their preferences, and not what other engineers have chosen. I believe this will make photography more enjoyable for more people.
Girish: As an app, this platform has simplified the RAW capturing process with precise camera and lens controls and post-editing with Adobe Lightroom. It’s for every user who is willing to go beyond — to unleash the true power of an Expert RAW camera, and explore their creative side.
Q: What role did the MPI Lab play in Expert RAW’s development?
Hamid: Any time we are creating a brand-new user experience, we have to consider and overcome many tough engineering challenges. Expert RAW was developed by the MPI Lab. We knew that it would be a challenging challenge.
We developed a new computational photography pipeline which can create both DNG and JPEG files. Developing a complex computational photography pipeline from scratch was not easy. It was difficult to develop a complex computational photography pipeline from scratch without the support of a mature, older technology platform. But our team successfully developed this new, AI-based 3DISP technology to produce raw data that looks very natural when users load it in editing apps like Adobe Lightroom.
Q: What role did SRI-B play in Expert RAW’s development? What were the team’s main areas of focus?
Girish: Expert RAW was a complex R&D project, and SRI-B’s role was to think in terms of end-to-end for the best consumer experience. It required multi-domain knowledge and collaboration between multiple teams.
SRIB has strong expertise groups in multiple domains. We formed a taskforce of skilled experts. All of them worked as one team in SRI-B, but also collaborated with larger teams of experts located at the MPI Lab and Korea.
SRI-B’s multi-domain knowledge and close collaboration with key stakeholders allowed it to continuously improve Expert RAW’s product experience, pipeline, etc.
Q: Could you offer more details on your collaboration with one another?
Hamid: The MPI Lab has been working with SRI-B throughout our entire history at Samsung. SRI-B provided its incredible skillsets and resources to the development of software technologies as well as the key AI blocks required for Expert RAW. SRI-B also owned Expert RAW’s UI component and contributed many innovative points to the Expert RAW experience. It is always a pleasure to work with them.
Girish: The MPI Lab has world-class expertise in computational imaging domain, and has a proven record of developing successful IPs for Samsung flagship products. That expertise was one of the key requirements for Expert RAW’s development. The MPI Lab came up with the multi-frame pipeline building blocks implementation, which helped SRI-B integrate and enhance the same for the end-to-end architecture and pipeline.
Expert RAW had one of its major goals: to achieve the highest quality image in all lighting conditions. This requires tuning the multi-frame processing pipeline. MPI’s strong expertise in this area helped us continuously improve image quality before the commercial launch. In summary, MPI’s expertise in computational imaging and SRI-B’s breadth of knowledge in multiple subdomains helped SRI-B prepare Expert RAW’s end-to-end experience for commercial launch.
SRI-B and the MPI Lab used their 12-hour time zone difference effectively to plan and collaborate on Expert RAW. SRI-B was MPI’s evening, and vice versa. It helped to have 24/7 development to finish this complex feature in record time. Samsung has a culture of respectful collaboration that allows for international R&D centres to collaborate. We love working with MPI Lab.
Q: How do the MPI Lab and SRI-B plan to build on this collaboration to develop even more innovative camera technologies?
Hamid: Our journey with the new RAW camera experience is just beginning. It is exciting to see what improvements we could make. Expert RAW is a great experience because the photographer is always front and center. We’ll preserve that as we actively look into the experiences of different users and continuously implement improvements to make Expert RAW even better than before.
Girish: The MPI Lab and SRI-B have been working together for the last few years developing the world’s best night mode for Samsung flagship smartphones. This collaboration helped lead us to the success story that is Expert RAW on the Galaxy S22. This collaboration has led to the success story that is Expert RAW on the Galaxy S[*********************************************************************************************]. We are excited to keep this momentum going for our next product.
In the future, we would like to continuously enhance Expert RAW with a focus on creating a new ecosystem for pro photography that fully utilizes pro-grade camera capabilities.
Collaborating for Creativity
Features such as Expert RAW highlight Samsung’s dedication to creating tools that allow users to express their creativity.
Going forward, the company will continue to strengthen collaborations that leverage the knowledge and capabilities of its world-class network of R&D centers. This will enable the creation of new technologies to transform our lives, work, and life.
1 Expert RAW must be downloaded separately from the Galaxy Store, for free, before use. Expert RAW app availability is currently limited to the Galaxy S21 Ultra and S22 series. Samsung Members notified Expert RAW will become available on Galaxy Z Fold3 in April 2022 and Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy Note20 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold2 later this year.
2 Samsung Electronics’ advanced R&D hub, which leads the development of future technologies for its Device eXperience division
