Week 5 in review: Exynos 2100 vs Snapdragon 888 tests, Oppo Find X3 series leak
Another week is over, so let's look at the big stories it brought. This one was an eventful one. Our top story was a drop test, featuring the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Neither came out looking good so maybe don't watch it if are faint of heart.
We saw a couple of deep-dives into the Galaxy S21 Ultra. One looked in-depth at the new Exynos 2100 chipset and its power draw and performance compared to the Snapdragon 888 and the Exynos 990 from last year. The conclusion is that the Snapdragon 888 is a bit more efficient in the way it delivers its power, but can lead to more heat, while the Exynos 2100 is a big step up from its predecessor.
Another article compared the Galaxy S21 Ultra's OLED display to its predecessors in the Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Galaxy Note20 Ultra. The new panel is much more efficient when displaying content, sipping less power while delivering higher brightness.
Xiaomi is now making it harder to download and install Google Mobile Services on its Chinese phones. It used to be a straightforward procedure to get GMS on non-GMS Xiaomi phones meant for China, prompting many people to buy them cheaper and import them into their country. The company later clarified that the change will only affect some of its phones without giving detailed lists.
The Sony Xperia 1 III leaked once again this week. We saw the phone in a 360 video, but sadly we didn't gain any meaningful knowledge about its internals.
A Poco X3 Pro is incoming, as per multiple certifications. We don't know much about it just yet. It will boot MIUI 12 and offer dual-band Wi-Fi and NFC. LTE will be supported, but not 5G.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will come with a 5x zoom camera and a new Snapdragon chipset - SM7350. Rumor has it that's a future Snapdragon 755G. The Mi 11 Lite will have a 64MP main camera, instead of the 108MP on the Mi 11.
We saw the upcoming Oppo Find X3 series in an image. The lineup will feature the Find X3 Pro 5G, Find X3 Neo 5G and Find X3 Lite 5G, the latter being a rebranded Reno5 5G. Another leak revealed a few details about the Find X3 Pro. It will have a Snapdragon 888 and a 6.7-inch QHD+ OLED with variable refresh rate - 10Hz-120Hz. There's a debate about the cameras - some rumors point to two 50MP Sony IMX766 sensors, while this week's leak pointed to a 16MP camera, which could be the pixel-binned number, suggesting a 64MP camera.
The full list of top stories is below. See you next week!
Galaxy S21 Ultra faces iPhone 12 Pro Max in gut-wrenching drop test
The iPhone's rear shatters, the Galaxy's front ditto.
Exynos 2100 is a big step up from 990, still behind Snapdragon 888
But the difference between the two 2021 chipsets is negligible.
Xiaomi has suspended non-GMS phones from downloading Google Services
Users have to resort to third-party app distributors like CoolAPK or APKPure.
Gaze at the Sony Xperia 1 III in this short video that shows the phone spinning 360°
The exterior of the Xperia 1 II is quite different from other 2021 flagships - 3.5 mm jack, proper stereo speakers, microSD slot and shutter button.
Poco X3 Pro incoming, multiple certifications confirm
It looks like the X3 Pro will make its way to global markets soon.
Samsung Galaxy F62 to arrive in mid-February with 7,000 mAh battery for under $340
It will be powered by the Exynos 9825 SoC.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite to come with 5x camera, new Qualcomm chipset
The phone is said to come with the yet unannounced Snapdragon 755G, supposedly built on the 5nm process technology.
Oppo Find X3 series leaks in detailed images: X3 Pro, X3 Neo and X3 Lite
The camera bump looks interesting but weird.
Exynos 2100 edges out the Snapdragon 888 in a Galaxy S21 Ultra battery test
The power consumption of the big cores pointed to Qualcomm having the more efficient chip, but that may not be the case after all.
Apple takes another lens supplier on board for its iPhone 13 lineup
Sunny Optical was expected to enter Apple's iPhone production for some time now.
AMD rumored to outsource chip production to Samsung
The strategic partnership between the two brands might soon reach new heights.
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G detailed TENAA specs arrive
We know just about everything about the Galaxy A52 5G, outside of price.
Oppo Find X3 Pro spied on cloud testing platform, key specs exposed
This device - PEEM00 - is likely the Pro rather than the vanilla phone as it packs 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB storage.
Four Galaxy A phones from 2017 will no longer receive security updates
The new Galaxy A02 and M12 will get security updates once every three months.
iOS 14.5 lets you unlock your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask, if you have an Apple Watch
iOS 14.5 also enables worldwide dual-SIM 5G support and comes with app tracking transparency controls.
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G appears in rotating colorful renders
It will be powered by the Snapdragon 750G SoC, pack a punch hole display, and feature a quad rear camera.
February update fixes touch issues on Pixel 5 and 4a 5G, sensor issues on Pixels 3 and up
Also, FCC will allow the Pixel 5 (and LG Wing) to use the n77 band for 5G in the US.
Redmi K40 lineup to include a third handset, the Pro will sport a 108MP camera
The Redmi K40 Pro shapes up to be an amazing phone for its price.
Motorola sells first Edge S batch of 10,000 units in 2 minutes
The company announced the accomplishment on Weibo.
Google's Pixels will read your heart rate and respiratory rate with their cameras
The features are expected this month.
Galaxy S21 Ultra' OLED uses less power at higher brightness than S20 Ultra and Note20 Ultra
Samsung's new OLED emitter brings big gains in efficiency.
Nokia 1.4 announced with a large 6.51" display, bigger battery and €99 price tag
For comparison, the Nokia 1.3 had a 5.71" display, an inch down on the new model. Also, the battery capacity grew (from 3,000 mAh to 4,000 mAh).
Xiaomi Mi 11 European pricing leaks ahead of February 8 global debut
The Snapdragon 888-powered smartphone will start at €799.