Tech
Infinix Note 40 Pro Review: A Mid-Range Phone with 108P sensor, MagSafe Charging
Infinix has consistently pushed its innovation in the budget and mid-range segment for quite some time now. Recently, the brand received the innovation award for its new battery tech at CES 2024. After considerable hype, Infinix officially launched the Infinix Note 40 Pro in the Bangladeshi market on 19th March 2024. Here’s our detailed take on the device.
Key Specifications of Infinix Note 40 Pro
Design and Build Quality: A Premium Look and Feel
Infinix has been consistent with the design language of the Note series. It is sleek, and innovative and has a premium look and feel. The premium feel is alleviated by the Magsafe-like case on the box.
The smartphone features a chamfered edge on the frame complemented by a vegan leather back. The curved front display also smoothly blends into the frame to create a unified slim footprint. The traditional flashlight has been replaced with AI-powered Active Halo. It’s like a small recreation of the glyph interface seen on the Nothing Phone.
Dimension-wise the Note 40 Pro comes in at 164.3 mm by 74.5 mm by 8.1 mm with either 190 g (leather back) or 196 g of weight. The front panel is symmetrical with a slight bezel at the bottom and top. The power button and volume rockers are placed on the right side.
The Note 40 Pro is also IP54 rated meaning it can easily withstand a light splash.
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The Display: Sheer Perfection from Infinix
Infinix Note 40 Pro’s display features a 6.78-inch 3D curved LTPS AMOLED panel with 1B colors and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Its display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.
The typical brightness of the panel is around 550 nits and the HBM clocks out at 1300 nits. In addition to the usual features, the display also incorporates PWM dimming for enhanced view in the low light.
The symmetrical outlay allows for a sizeable 93.8% screen-to-body ratio. The display sports an FHD+ resolution of 1080 by 2436 pixels with 393 ppi density. Additionally, users will be getting DCI-P3 wide color gamut support. The panel feels crisp and sharp with great contrast and viewing angles making it perfect for media consumption.
Read more: Top Smartphones Being Released in April 2024: A mix of flagship midrange and budget options
The Camera: Leaves More to be Desired
Note 40 Pro’s primary sensor is a 108 MP one (SK5HM2SP03-FGX9). The bizarre name suggests that it is sourced from Samsung with 1/1.67 inch sensor length and f/1.75 aperture. There’s also OIS to complement stability. The other two sensors are 2 MP ones.
The front features a 32 MP selfie shooter that can shoot 1080-pixel videos at 30 fps.
Fortunately, the main camera does a decent job. Pictures came out detailed with good dynamic range. Images were slightly on the warmer side while shooting in auto mode. Pictures taken in low light weren’t all that great. The night mode is the saving grace considering the noise and grains.
Users can shoot up to 1440P footage at 30 fps from the back camera. The videos came out fairly decent thanks to the OIS onboard.
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Processor and Performance: Benchmarks Fall Short of the Price
The processor on the Note 40 Pro is Helio G99 Ultimate. There’s another global version that comes with a Mediatek Dimensity 7020 processor. But Bangladeshi users will be getting the G99 Ultimate one. It’s an octa-core processor with Mali-G57 MC2 GPU.
Helio G99 Ultimate seems a letdown in a mid-range phone. Especially, when competitors like Redmi 14C and Tecno Spark 20 Pro are providing the slightly old G99 at a much lower price point. The miniscule upgrade brought forth by the Ultimate simply doesn’t justify the price.
But beyond the benchmarks and prices, the Note 40 Pro would suffice for most users. 3D titles like Asphalt 9 and PUBG ran smoothly on medium settings. The device did get heated a bit but that’s expected from a mid-range processor.
Overall the processor won’t blow you away with its numbers. But for casual use and moderate gaming, it will be enough.
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Software: A Refreshing Take From XOS
The Note 40 Pro comes with XOS 14 based on Android 14. It seems like Infinix has finally listened to its users as the number of bloatware has significantly decreased. The center punch-hole camera now acts as a dynamic island which is quite useful for glance notifications and charging indicators. Infinix has also announced that the Note 40 Pro will receive two years of software updates.
Battery and Charge Time
Now onto the exciting bit. Infinix has decided to introduce its own MagSafe charging with the Note 40 Pro which they call MagCharge. It is a power bank that comes with the retail box. It can be magnetically attached to the included cover (MagKit) and recharge the device to around 50% on a single charge. It also doubles as a wireless charger when hooked with the included power brick.
The 5000 mAh battery can be wire-charged by the 70W included charging brick. The Magcharge when connected to the brick can charge at 20W and up to 7.5W while working as a power bank. Infinix also included their new X1 chip for superior charging optimization to safeguard the battery.
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Samsung Galaxy A35 Review: Does It Offer Value for Money?
As 2024 gradually advances, Samsung keeps on delivering remarkable devices one after another. On March 11, Samsung released this year’s first addition to its mid-budget segment, the Galaxy A35. The Galaxy A series has always reflected Samsung’s integrity and endeavor to offer the highest quality phones within budget. The latest addition isn’t an exception. But will the Galaxy A35 be able to meet customer’s expectations? Let’s find out.
Key Specs and Features of Samsung Galaxy A35
The Galaxy A35 has almost everything a user can expect from a mid-range Samsung phone. Nothing feels like a heartbreak so far.
Design
Last year’s Samsung Galaxy A34 received massive success for its stand-out features and design. Being the direct successor of the phone, the Galaxy A35 has been carrying great expectations ever since the rumors about its release spread out. So, how is it doing against all these expectations?
The most significant change the latest A series addition brought to its design is a glass back cover. It is the first time Samsung has introduced a glass panel on the back of an A-series phone. However, the main body frame is still made of plastic. The phone's overall look highly resembles the Galaxy S24’s and the concurrent release, the Galaxy M55’s. Among the three resembling phones, the Galaxy A35 comes at the minimum price.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy M55 Review: Here’s What It Offers
The 161.7 mm by 78 mm by 8.2 mm plastic body frame touches are polished, maintaining a smooth brushed feel. The 209g weight can feel heavy sometimes. On the right side of the frame, the portion holding the volume rockers and the power button has been nudged up. So that users can comfortably reach the button with their fingers. Like the Galaxy S24, the A35 has three distinct circular camera modules horizontally placed on the top left area of the back.
On the front, the phone keeps it flat and introduces the second satisfactory change to the usual design of the A-series phone. Ditching the ancient water drop design, Samsung has seated a punch-hole camera module.
Apart from that, Users will get a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection on the screen. For the sensor, an in-display fingerprint with a fast response has been installed. Finally, the front of the phone reveals a noticeable bezel around the display, which is probably the only crack in the phone's design.
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Display
Like the Galaxy M55, the Galaxy A35 has installed a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display. Sustaining the well-established prestige of Samsung’s display, the Galaxy A35 surfaces crisp and vivid pictures. The touch response is adaptive and can reach up to 120Hz, the industry standard for a mid-budget phone. The only exception may be the Motorola Edge 40, which has used a 144Hz refresh rate without tripping beyond the mid-budget range.
The display supports HDR10, 1080 by 2340 pixels resolution, and 390 ppi pixel density. Assembled, these features demonstrate a high-quality display. It employs a 1000 nits brightness level, sufficient for a comfortable indoor and outdoor phone maneuver.
Among the market peers, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro offers a higher spec in a few cases, mentioning a peak 1800 nit brightness level, 1220 by 2712 pixels resolution, and 446 ppi density.
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Cameras
Camera specs are where The Galaxy A35 has deviated from the Galaxy M55. Both phones house a triple back camera setup and a single front lens. But the difference lies in the capacity of the lenses of the two phones. The Galaxy A35 has a 50MP primary wide-angle camera with OIS support. The other two lenses are an 8MP ultrawide and a 5MP Macro lens.
The front punch-hole houses a 13MP selfie camera, which is a far degradation compared to the M55’s 50MP front lens. At least a 16MP would do better if using a 32MP was impossible. Direct competitors like Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro and vivo iQOO Z7 Pro both have 16MP lenses for their selfie cameras.
Pictures snapped with the Galaxy A35 are of good quality and don’t fall short in terms of detail compared to its other market peers. Both primary and secondary cameras can record videos at 4K resolution. Indeed, it will end a sigh of sadness that Samsung budget phone users have been suppressing for a long time.
Read more: Infinix Hot 40 Review: Is It A Good Deal Under BDT 18000?
Performance and Hardware
For the chipset, the Galaxy A35 uses the Exynos 1380 octa-core processor, which is explicitly powerful and uses 5nm technology. A Mali-G68 MP5 GPU supports the phone's visual processing tasks. Heavy gaming and video-consuming are possible without experiencing any lagging or heating. The phone offers three variants combining a 6GB or 8GB ROM with a 128GB or 256 GB internal storage. An Antutu 603441 and a GeekBench 2931 score demonstrate the robust performance capacity of the phone.
Users will get Samsung’s dedicated One UI 6.1 OS, a customized Android 14 variant designed to provide smooth and stylish phone maneuvers.
Battery and Charger
Samsung’s signature 5000mAh battery with 25W charging capacity once again takes care of the power supply unit of their latest A-series phone A35. A minimal-consuming session can run around 10 to 12 hours with battery support.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy A55 5G Review: A Budget-friendly Version of Galaxy S24?
Pros and Cons of the Samsung Galaxy A35
Pros
- Sleek glass back design- Punch-hole display for a modern look- Reliable performance for gaming and multitasking- Samsung One UI 6.1 for smooth user experience- Long-lasting 5000mAh battery.
Cons
- Plastic body frame- Lower resolution front camera compared to competitors- Limited camera features compared to other models- Not the highest refresh rate in its price range- Display bezels could be thinner.
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Price of Samsung Galaxy A35 in Bangladesh
The Samsung Galaxy A35 has been revealed in the USA market, and its price starts from $367.86 or BDT 40,356. (USD 1 = BDT 109.70). However, the official price of Galaxy A35 in Bangladesh may vary due to tax and other issues.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy A35 impresses by introducing a glass back design and punch-hole display on a Galaxy A series phone. It delivers reliable performance for gaming and multitasking, thanks to the powerful Exynos 1380 octa-core processor. With Samsung's One UI 6.1 ensuring a smooth user experience and a long-lasting 5000mAh battery, it's a solid mid-budget option.
However, the plastic body frame, lower resolution front camera, and limited camera features are notable drawbacks. Despite these, the Galaxy A35 stands out for its overall performance and design. Even with rough competition from phones like Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro, vivo iQOO Z7 Pro, and Motorola Edge 40, the Samsung Galaxy A35 keeps the possibility of being able to shine in the market.
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Samsung Galaxy M55 Review: Here’s What It Offers
Smartphone lovers wait all year, hoping for Samsung releases. Samsung presented the latest Galaxy M55 in Brazil on 28 March. Fans are now curious about the features that the phone offers. Let’s take a look at what Samsung Galaxy M55 offers.
Key Specs and Features of Samsung Galaxy M55
Design
Up until now, the Samsung Galaxy M55 has been expected to match the Galaxy A55 in features and specifications. However, the reality falls further away from that expectation. With the Galaxy A55, people have experienced the epitome of design from a mid-budget phone. It employed a metal body with a flat look sandwiched with glass shields on both the rear and front. Whereas, the Galaxy M55 uses an average plastic body design with slight curves on the sides.
The Galaxy A55 gave way more premium feel compared to that given by the Galaxy M55. The phone is 7.8mm thick and weighs 180g.
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The latest addition to the M series has three protruded camera buckets on the back keeping the concurrent trend for the camera modules. The fingerprint sensor is located below the mid-bottom part of the display. Unlike the dual speaker in the Galaxy A55, the M55 uses a mono speaker.
Other specifications about the design of the phone appear to be as usual. A sim card holder is rooming two 5G sim nano sim cards or a single sim card and a memory card that can be expandable to 1TB. Minimal bezel, punch hole front lens, smooth volume rockers, headphone jack, and other features are just on par. For colours, Samsung has provided two variations- a Dark Blue and a Light Green.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy M55 boasts a 6.7-inch super AMOLED+ high-resolution vivid display. Users will have an experience of Full HD+ resolution. With a pixel density of 393ppi, the display will surface a lively and near-accurate projection of the objects. The display also has a 1000-nit brightness level, which means it will be sufficient to preserve a glowing brightness regardless of the indoor or outdoor ambiance.
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The Samsung Galaxy M55 has implemented an adaptive refresh rate feature. So, the touch response rate will adapt to a user's necessity and set itself at 60 to 120Hz. The display will give an experience similar to a premium phone.
Performance
The hardware and software used in the Galaxy M55 are noteworthy as they can provide a satisfactory experience. For the processor, users will get a 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC, undoubtedly a powerful engine, if combined with the right combination, capable of doing wonders.
Mentioning the combination, the Samsung Galaxy M55 has integrated an Adnino 644 graphics module, 8GB RAM, along with a 256 ROM. Together, the hardware unit can yield considerable performance. In the Antutu testing, the phone has made a remarkable 6.67K, which suffices the performance requirements for all high-quality games.
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There will be three variations of the phone- 8GB * 128GB, 8GB * 256GB, and 12GB * 256GB. In the software section, users will celebrate Samsung’s modified operating system One UI version 6.1. This version is based on the latest Android 14 OS. Samsung will provide 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of security updates, meeting the expectations of people from a brand. Compared to the overall features of the phone, the performance of the Galaxy M55 is its most powerful aspect.
Cameras
If the performance segment is the most powerful feature of the Samsung Galaxy M55, which will be the second most satisfactory aspect of the phone? Without any doubt, it’s its camera segment. With a robust triple camera setup containing a 50MP wide-angle principal lens, an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro auxiliary lens, the Galaxy M55 maintains its dignity among all mid-budget phones.
Pleasing the users to their best, the Galaxy M55 engraves a 50MP frontal lens in the punchhole on the top-mid of the display. Both rear and front lenses snap quality photos.
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Video recording capacity is capped at 720p 240FPS for slow motion and 4K 30FPS for the highest quality. Another departure from the Galaxy A55 specification lies in the absence of Ai features in the cameras.
Battery and Charger
Mid-budget phones usually power themselves with a 5000mAh battery, and the Galaxy M55 is not an anomaly. Its battery supports up to 45W fast charging.
Price of Samsung Galaxy M55
The phone is officially available in the Brazilian market for pre-order. The 8GB * 256GB version of the phone comes for BRL 3,199 or BDT 69,912. The conversion rate here is 1 BRL = BDT 21.85.
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Pros and Cons of the Samsung Galaxy M55
Pros
- Powerful Snapdragon processor- Stunning super AMOLED+ display- Versatile triple camera setup- 5000mAh battery with fast charging- Long-term software support.
Cons
- Plastic body design- Lack of AI camera features- No wireless or reverse charging support.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy M55 offers a blend of impressive features and specifications. Despite falling short of some design expectations with its plastic body, it makes up for it with a powerful Snapdragon processor, a stunning super AMOLED+ display, and a versatile triple camera setup that captures quality photos and videos. The phone's 5000mAh battery with fast charging support ensures long-lasting usage, while its long-term software support adds to its appeal. However, the absence of AI camera features and the lack of an included charger are notable drawbacks.
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Facebook News tab will soon be unavailable as Meta scales back news and political content
Meta will be sunsetting Facebook News in early April for users in the U.S. and Australia as the platform further deemphasizes news and politics. The feature was shut down in the U.K., France and Germany last year.
Launched in 2019, the News tab curated headlines from national and international news organizations, as well as smaller, local publications.
Activists, journalists decry Facebook's ineffective management of hate speech and disinformation in Bangladesh
Meta says users will still be able to view links to news articles, and news organizations will still be able to post and promote their stories and websites, as any other individual or organization can on Facebook.
The change comes as Meta tries to scale back news and political content on its platforms following years of criticism about how it handles misinformation and whether it contributes to political polarization.
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“This change does not impact posts from accounts people choose to follow; it impacts what the system recommends, and people can control if they want more,” said Dani Lever, a Meta spokesperson. “This announcement expands on years of work on how we approach and treat political content based on what people have told us they wanted.”
Meta said the change to the News tab does not affect its fact-checking network and review of misinformation.
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But misinformation remains a challenge for the company, especially as the U.S. presidential election and other races get underway.
“Facebook didn’t envision itself as a political platform. It was run by tech people. And then suddenly it started scaling and they found themselves immersed in politics, and they themselves became the headline,” said Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute in the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy who studies tech policy and how new technologies evolve over time. “I think with many big elections coming up this year, it’s not surprising that Facebook is taking yet another step away from politics so that they can just not, inadvertently, themselves become a political headline.”
Rick Edmonds, media analyst for Poynter, said the dissolution of the News tab is not surprising for news organizations that have been seeing diminishing Facebook traffic to their websites for several years, spurring organizations to focus on other ways to attract an audience, such as search and newsletters.
“I would say if you’ve been watching, you could see this coming, but it’s one more very hurtful thing to the business of news,” Edmonds said.
News makes up less than 3% of what users worldwide see in their Facebook feeds, Meta said, adding that the number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the U.S. dropped by over 80% last year.
However, according to a 2023 Pew Research study, half of U.S. adults get news at least sometimes from social media. And one platform outpaces the rest: Facebook.
Three in 10 U.S. adults say they regularly get news from Facebook, according to Pew, and 16% of U.S. adults say they regularly get news from Instagram, also owned by Meta.
Instagram users recently expressed dissatisfaction with the app's choice to stop “proactively” recommending political content posted on accounts that users don’t follow. While the option to turn off the filter was always available in user settings, many people were not aware Meta made the change.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart appliance maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.
The tech company will start taking orders for the SU7, a sporty four-door sedan, following a launch event with founder Lei Jun in Beijing on Thursday evening. Analysts think it will be priced in the 300,000 yuan ($40,000) range.
Government subsides have helped make China the world's largest market for electric vehicles, and a bevy of new makers are locked in fierce competition. Most of the industry's sales have been domestic, but Chinese makers are pushing into overseas markets with lower-priced models, posing a potential challenge to European, Japanese and American auto giants.
Lei is not bashful about that challenge, saying at an unveiling of the SU7 in December that Beijing-based Xiaomi aims to become one of the world's top five automakers in the next 15 to 20 years.
"I believe that one day, Xiaomi EVs will be a familiar sight on roads around the world,” he was quoted as saying in a company news release.
Xiaomi, founded in 2010, is entering an overcrowded market that analysts expect will undergo a shakeout in coming years, with weaker startups falling by the wayside.
The combined share of EVs and hybrids in China's auto sales is likely to reach 42% to 45% this year, up from 36% in 2023, according to Fitch Ratings. But the agency said in a December report that the competition could put pressure on automakers' short-term market share and profitability.
Known for its affordable smartphones, smart TVs and other devices, Xiaomi aims to capitalize on that technology by connecting its cars with its phones and home appliances in what it calls a “Human x Car x Home” ecosystem.
Tu Le, the founder of the Sino Auto Insights consultancy, said that Xiaomi is trying to close the loop by adding transportation to a product mix already integrated into its customers' personal and professional lives.
“The ability to seamlessly be a continuous part of someone’s life is the holy grail for tech companies,” he said in an emailed response. “You probably don’t know anyone in Beijing that doesn’t have at least one Xiaomi product, be it a mobile phone, computer, TV, (air) purifier, or tablet.”
As a newcomer to automaking, the company is making an educated guess that it can design and develop a car that will sell, he said. Given the sluggish Chinese economy and an ongoing EV price war, he predicted it would take a year or two to see if Xiaomi can adapt to correct any missteps and succeed.
“They are a technology company, so that’s their advantage but they need to reconcile that with drinking through a fire hose to learn how to be a tech company that builds cars,” Le said.
CreditSights, a financial research firm, said it expects Xiaomi's EV division to sell 60,000 vehicles in its first year and lose money for its first two years because of high marketing and promotion costs.
Chinese automakers trying to expand abroad face political headwinds.
The EU is investigating Chinese subsidies to determine if they give made-in-China EVs an unfair market advantage overseas. The U.S. announced an investigation last month into Chinese-made connected cars that it says could gather sensitive information about their drivers.
“China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices,” President Joe Biden said when the U.S. investigation was announced. “China’s policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security. I’m not going to let that happen on my watch.’′
China pushed back this week, filing a World Trade Organization complaint that alleges that U.S. subsides for electric vehicles discriminate against Chinese products.
The U.S. Defense Department put Xiaomi on a blacklist in 2021 over alleged links to China's military, but removed it a few months later after the company denied the links and sued the U.S. government.
Walton NEXG N9 Review: Budget-friendly Phone with Decent Features
Walton, a leading electronics product manufacturing brand in Bangladesh, released the NEXG N9 in March 2024. It is the latest smartphone in Walton’s NEXG lineup. Refined in many aspects, the NEXG N9 appears as a next-generation effort from Walton under a budget-friendly price range. Let’s take a look at the main features, pros, cons, and price of Walton NEXG N9 in Bangladesh.
Key Features and Specs of Walton NEXG N9
Design
The Walton NEXG N9, a stylish smartphone, measures 170.6 mm in height, 77.6 mm in width, and 9.1 mm in depth, weighing 219g (including the battery). Its sleek glass front adds an element of sophistication. It is available in Mirror Black, Chrome White, and Mystic Cyan colors.
Elegance will be felt when the phone is within a grip as it uses a smooth glass back. A giant circular stage has protruded on the top mid of the back to room triple Ai cameras and a flashlight. The circular stage encompasses itself with a golden rim along the protruded part, and on its mid has an oculus branding.
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The device features the usual design, with the power button and volume rocker conveniently positioned on the phone's side. The tactile power button and volume rocker enhance the user experience, providing quick and effortless control.
Display
The Walton NEXG N9 boasts a spacious 6.82-inch (17.27cm) punch-hole FHD+ IPS display, measured diagonally for an immersive viewing experience. This expansive screen enhances productivity and multitasking, accommodating various applications and activities comfortably.
With a crisp resolution of HD 720 by 1640 pixels and a modern 20:9 aspect ratio, it ensures vibrant colors, sharp text, and commendable image quality.
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Employing IPS INCELL Technology with 2.5D Glass, the display guarantees standard color reproduction and offers a capacitive touch screen for seamless interaction. Its 90Hz refresh rate also contributes to smoother scrolling and improved responsiveness, enhancing the overall user experience.
Cameras
The Walton NEXG N9 has an impressive camera setup to capture life's moments with clarity and detail. Its rear camera features a powerful 50MP AI Triple Camera system, ensuring sharp and colorful shots with its wide aperture of F/1.8. With features like autofocus, LED flash, and various shooting modes, including portrait, video, and panorama, it offers versatility for every photography enthusiast.
The camera also boasts advanced capabilities such as AI scene recognition and digital zoom, enhancing the quality of each image. For selfie lovers, the 8MP front camera with F/2.0 aperture delivers clear and vibrant self-portraits, supported by features like face detection and digital zoom. With the ability to record 1080P Full HD videos, both rear and front cameras ensure that every moment is captured beautifully.
Read more: Infinix Hot 40 Review: Is It A Good Deal Under BDT 18000?
Top Smartphones Being Released in April 2024: A Mix of Flagship, Midrange and Budget Options
After an exciting March release schedule, smartphone enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to in April as well. March saw most of the releases at MWC. The story would be more or less the same in April as well as Chinese releases in the previous months will have their global debut in April. With that said, here’s a list of the most anticipated smartphones to be released in April 2024.
Most Hyped Smartphones Releasing This April
OnePlus Nord CE4
The Nord CE from OnePlus has been the budget lineup of the brand for several years now. The Nord CE phones bring exceptional value for money like an ode to OnePlus’s early days.
We already have official renders of the new Nord CE4 on OnePlus India’s official website. The smartphone is expected to feature a 6.74-inch AMOLED panel with 1240 by 2772 resolution, 451 ppi density, 120 Hz refresh rate, and HDR 10+ support.
The processor will be an octa-core Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 based on the 4 Nm architecture coupled with Adreno 732 GPU. Users will be getting micro SDXC support along with 8/256 GB and 12/256 GB RAM configurations.
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The back will feature two cameras with the main one being a 50 MP f/1.8 shooter. The second camera is rumored to be an 8 MP ultrawide shooter. The front will feature a usual 16 MP sensor.
We don’t have an exact release date as of yet, but based on rumors, it is expected to be sometime in mid-April.
OnePlus Nord 4
Another smartphone from OnePlus that’s expected to hit the international market is the OnePlus Nord 4. The Nord 4 will be the global variant of the already announced OnePlus Ace 3V.
By all accounts, the Nord 4 will share a lot of similarities with the CE4. But the former will have certain features to justify its higher price.
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Unlike the CE4, the Nord 4 will come with a Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor. It will also have IP65 water and dust resistance. The Nord 4 will unfortunately miss out on the extendable storage option. The rest of the configuration is expected to be the same as of now.
Samsung Galaxy M15
Samsung is gearing up with their budget and mid-range lineup in April. The first of the M series smartphones to hit the market would be the budget Galaxy M15.
The M15 will feature a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 90 Hz refresh rate, 800 nits HBM, and 1080 by 2340 resolutions. The 19.5:9 aspect ratio will boast 396 ppi density.
On the processor end, users will be getting the entry-level MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ based on a 6 Nm architecture. The octa-core processor has a chip design of 2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55. The smartphone will come in 4/128 GB, 6/128 GB, 8/128 GB, and 8/256 GB storage configurations.
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There’s a triple camera setup on the M15 with the main sensor being a 50 MP f/1.8 shooter. The additional sensors are a 5 MP f/2.2 ultrawide and a 2 MP f/2.4 macro lens. The front will feature a 13 MP f/2.0 selfie shooter.
The expected release date of the Galaxy M15 is sometime in mid-April.
Samsung Galaxy M55
There’s a hard rumor going around about the new Galaxy M55. The initial idea that the M55 would mirror the A55 has been quelled thanks to a series of new leaks.
The M55 will feature a 6.7-inch screen with Super AMOLED tech onboard. That means a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 1000 nits HBM is on the cards.
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The Exynos 1480 found on the A55 would be replaced by a rather old Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 on the M55. The storage options will be either 128 GB or 256 GB with an extension of up to 1 TB.
The camera remains more or less the same with reduced ultrawide and macro capabilities and an enhanced selfie camera compared to the A55.
The Galaxy M55 will go live sometime in late April.
Motorola Edge 50 Pro
Motorola is gearing up with its flagship release of the year, the Edge 50 Pro.
The smartphone is expected to be powered by the new Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 processor. It’s an underclocked version of this year’s flagship 8 Gen 3. The smartphone is absolutely stacked in terms of storage as users will be getting options of up to 12 GB RAM and 512 GB of internal storage.
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The display on the Edge 50 Pro is rumored to be a 6.7-inch FHD AMOLED panel with a 165 Hz refresh rate. The smartphone will also feature a triple camera setup with the main camera tipped to be a 50 MP one.
The official India launch date of the Edge 50 Pro is set on 3rd April.
realme GT 5 Pro
Even though the realme GT5 Pro had its official launch last December, it didn’t make its global debut. Words coming from China indicate that things are about to change as the GT5 Pro may make its global debut sometime in April.
The smartphone is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 4nm processor with storage options going up to 16 GB RAM and 1 TB internal.
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As for the display, the GT5 Pro has a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with 1B colors, 144 Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ support with 1264 by 2780 resolutions.
The triple camera setup features a 50 MP f/1.7 main shooter, a 50 MP f/2.6 periscope lens, and an 8 MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens. The front camera is a 32 MP f/2.5 selfie shooter. For more on the GT5 Pro, check out the in-depth review.
Infinix Note 40 Pro+
Infinix Note 40 Pro+ will make its global debut sometime in late April. The news comes after the smartphone had its official Chinese release on 18th March 2024.
The Note 40 Pro+ will be powered by the mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 7020 based on a 6 Nm architecture. The storage configuration comes in a single 12/256 GB option.
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The display on the Note 40 Pro+ is a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 1080 by 2436 resolution.
The camera on the Note 40 Pro+ is its key selling point. The main sensor is a 108 MP f/1.8 sensor with both PDAF and OIS. The additional sensors are two 2 MP depth and a macro shooter. The front features a 32 MP f/2.2 sensor.
Tecno Pova 6 Pro
And the last one on the list is the Tecno Pova 6 Pro slated to launch in mid-April. The news comes after the device was officially announced in February this year.
Tecno Pova 6 Pro is expected to be powered by Mediatek Dimensity 6080 based on 6 nm architecture. The storage option on the device will go up to 256 GB internal and 12 GB of RAM.
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The display on the Pova 6 Pro will be a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate, FHD+ resolution featuring 1080 by 2436 pixels, and 1300 nits of peak brightness.
Pova 6 Pro will feature a triple camera setup. However, users will have the 108 MP f/1.9 main sensor only to work with, in principle. The additional rear sensors are a 2 MP depth sensor and a 0.08 MP auxiliary sensor. It also has a 32 f/2.2 MP selfie shooter.
Final Words
April 2024 is lined up with a lot of exciting smartphone releases ranging from flagships to mid-range to budget-friendly segments. Most of the releases have already been launched in the Chinese market as it always gets the exclusive first release from most local brands. Nonetheless, users will be getting a lot of choices in terms of price and performance match.
Read more: Most Anticipated Smartphones Coming in March 2024
China Media Group launches new Al productions
China Media Group (CMG) has embarked on an extraordinary journey towards merging Al technology with media, marking a significant milestone in innovative content creation.
CMG announced the launch of its latest Al productions on Wednesday.
The highlight of the launch event was the unveiling of "Chinese Mythology", the first multilingual microdrama entirely produced by AI.
This groundbreaking series represents a revolutionary shift in content creation, with artificial intelligence handling every aspect of production, including art design, storyboards, video production, dubbing, and soundtrack.
Furthermore, Al enables the overcoming of language barriers for audiences, a previously unparalleled achievement in the industry.
CMG also unveiled the first episode of the micro-drama series "AI Reads Classics", titled "Zhou Chu Eliminates Three Evils", further highlighting Al's storytelling capabilities.
The team completed the production of this episode in just 5 days, a remarkable accomplishment that underscores the efficiency Al brings to the process, which would typically require 3 to 4 months without Al.
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Moreover, CGTN presented "The Rebirth of the Young Hero Nezha", an Al production that reinterprets ancient mythology using modern technology. This innovative approach is demonstrated by the Al production process, with the story resulting from training a large language model to deeply understand the classic plot from "Investiture of the Gods" and utilizing the AIGC tool to create adapted scripts.
The significance of Al in interpreting ancient myths lies in its ability to offer fresh perspectives on timeless narratives, capturing the collective dreams and aspirations of humanity.
This fusion of Al advancements with cultural heritage enriches comprehension of the past and inspires new forms of expression that seamlessly blend thought, art, and technology.
Despite the inherent imperfections in Al-generated content, the pursuit of excellence continues, driven by the belief in continuous improvement. This underscores the enduring truth that quality works deeply resonate with human emotions and concepts, regardless of the technological means employed.
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To address the risks and challenges posed by Al in the media industry, CMG has already developed and released the first set of regulations governing the use of artificial intelligence in Chinese media.
These regulations encompass crucial principles such as compliance with laws and regulations, maintaining direction, ensuring safety and controllability, safeguarding privacy respecting intellectual property rights, and promoting collaboration.
Special emphasis is placed on ensuring the authenticity of news and accurately portraying historical events, characters, and cultural nuances through Al productions.
Activists, journalists decry Facebook's ineffective management of hate speech and disinformation in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, a chorus of concern arises among anti-war crimes campaigners, journalists, and activists regarding Facebook's apparent inability to stem the tide of hate speech, calls for violence, and communal attacks that have jeopardized public security.
Despite Facebook's community standards, designed to combat such abuses, numerous accounts indicate these guidelines are routinely ignored in the country.
The problem was highlighted in the lead-up to the national election, with a speech by Tarique Rahman advocating for street-level action to determine the nation's future. This speech, broadly shared via BNP's social media accounts, was flagged by civil society and rights activists as an “explicit call to violence.”
The post-election period saw no improvement, as a surge of unfiltered disinformation on Facebook blatantly breached the platform's community standards. According to Ranjan Karmakar, a human rights activist and prominent member of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, the rise of Facebook users since 2010 has directly correlated with the spread of hatred and rumors preceding major communal attacks, yet effective countermeasures remain absent.
The issue is compounded by the “questionable integrity” of local fact-checkers, with some minority community members, including those from the persecuted Ahmadiyya community, accusing Facebook of failing to protect minority groups. "The stated objective of Facebook to keep the platform safe failed miserably in the case of minorities, and this should not be allowed to continue," stated an Ahmadiyya community member, highlighting the broader implications of Facebook's policy failures.
Senior journalist and former news editor at BanglaVision, Chapal Bashar, criticized the double standards of some fact-checkers, suggesting a broader issue with the platform's enforcement of its policies. Additionally, family members of martyred intellectuals have reported facing restrictions on Facebook when trying to share content about the war-time atrocities committed by the Pakistan army and their local collaborators in 1971.
Tonmoy Ahmed, an anti-war crimes campaigner and Awami League's web team coordinator, who survived a brutal attack by Shibir activists in 2013, shared his long-term observations of the platform. "As an active Facebook user for over a decade, I've noticed a biased approach from the authorities. Those who instigate violence often go unflagged, which clearly violates policy guidelines. Furthermore, exposing hate campaigners and militants recruiting youths on Facebook, and upholding democratic ideals and societal values, are growing increasingly difficult."
This collective outcry underscores the urgent need for Facebook to reassess its policies and enforcement mechanisms in Bangladesh, ensuring that the platform does not become a conduit for hate speech and violence but rather a space for safe, constructive dialogue.
Humane’s Ai Pin: Incredible Features of the ‘Smartphone Killer’
AI has already become a promising technology, demonstrating the convenience it can add to daily life, letting people automate different tasks and get a more satisfactory experience. With mobiles, computers, smartphones, cameras, glasses, rings, and watches, the world has seen a vast implementation of AI technology over the last few years, and the latest addition to the list is an Ai pin. A San Francisco-based tech innovating company, Humane Inc., has announced the soon-to-be-placed launch event, either at the end of March or in early April.
What is Humane’s Ai Pin?
A tiny, superlight, and lightweight wearable device, the Ai pin integrates AI technology, a projector, and numerous sensors to bring up a few cutting-edge functionalities, which can be intuitive or natural. However, where this brilliant AI Pin shines the most is its capacity to act like a smartphone, at a level of efficacy that people have termed it “a smartphone killer pin,” without even using a screen or a digital interface. The world is about to observe how a small peck of a pin can replace screen scrolling.
The pin turns on when touched and takes directives from the user's voice or hand gesture. It will take directive over voice command and run applications or provide information with the power of a sublime Ai with oral interaction capacity.
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Invention
The whole idea of the Ai Pin has taken birth from two extraordinary minds- Imran Chaudhri, CEO of Humane Inc., and his wife, Bethany Bongiorno. The couple said their prime goal was to free humanity from smartphone addiction. Soon, the AI Pin will hit the market under the banner of Humane, founded by a couple of ex-app executives, giving them a proper chance to achieve their goal.
With people bolstering the positive and limited sides of the device, Humane and several more big-name companies like Microsoft, OpenAi, and so on have visioned potentiality in the idea of an Ai device that users can clip to their clothes.
Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno have combined a handful of modern technologies, such as app development, networking, cloud computing, databases, laser projections, etc., underneath their latest innovation. Each technology will work jointly with the rest and provide the ultimate result — communication with a user through projecting a laser diagram on the user’s palm and voice command.
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Specs and Features
Humane Ai has released a video exhibiting a few of the critical features of Ai Pin, only to shock users and show what’s coming.
The tiniest and the quickest source of info: The Pin wields a dynamic UI to generate a user interface optimized for the different types of information.
Communication: The tiny pin lets users take calls and send messages with voice commands. Users have to name the recipient and instruct the Ai pin to give phone calls or write and send texts.
Camera: The pin rooms dot cameras to take photos and record videos if necessary instruction is given. Users can record videos or take pictures by tapping a finger on the pin.
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Media playback: Like all modern devices, the pin allows users to play different media files precisely and smoothly.
Reminders and Notes: An essential feature that every device with a user interface has, the ability to take notes and set reminders is installed in the Ai Pin. Users will be able to use this feature easily by commanding through voice.
Web search: The Ai Pin can look up any keyword or information on the web and provide the data asked by a user. On request, it can provide the data in an easy format.
Translation: The Ai pin will let users search words and sentences and find answers in more than 50 languages, which can be convenient during emergencies or travel.
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Productivity: Multiple productivity tools and software like After Effects and PhotoShop can be connected to Ai Pin to instruct different courses of action.
Image Recognition: Humane’s Ai Pin can scan images and provide critical information like how old the images are, what is in the image, and other information about the origin. The pin can do the same with objects, too.
Notification: Dealing with notifications will be systematic with the Ai Pin. It will store and summarize all the notifications in a place and inform the user when instructed without needing to open all individual apps.
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