Week 6 in review: Xiaomi 13 series incoming, OnePlus 11, Poco X5 series official
This week saw a few interesting announcements. Our hottest story of the week was Xiaomi's confirmation that the Xiaomi 13 series is launching globally on February 26 at the Mobile World Congress. That means the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered Xiaomi 13 Pro and Xiaomi 13 are coming to a store, possibly, near you.
Xiaomi unveiled the Poco X5 Pro alongside the Poco X5. The Pro brings a Snapdragon 778G SoC, a 6.67-inch 1080p AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate, a 108MP main camera, and a 5,000mAh battery with 67W charging. The Poco X5 has a Snapdragon 695, a 6.67-inch 1080p 120Hz AMOLED, a 48MP main camera, and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W charging.
The base 6/128GB Poco X5 starts from $250/€250, while the base X5 Pro starts from $300/€300.
OnePlus unveiled a couple of phones, its first-ever tablet, earbuds, a new TV, and a keyboard. The OnePlus Pad seemed the most interesting - it has an 11.61-inch 7:5 aspect screen and a Dimensity 9000 chip. The tablet will arrive in Europe, India, and North America in April but the price is still anyone's guess.
The OnePlus 11 began its international rollout. We already knew the specs, so we won't rehash them here. The OnePlus 11 will be available in North America, Europe, as well as in the Middle East for the first time in the company's history.
Meanwhile, the OnePlus 11R launched in India with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, 100W charging, and a ₹40,000 starting price for the 8/128GB model.
Realme unveiled the GT Neo 5 with insane charging speeds. There are two models - one with 240W charging, and another with 'only' 150W. Charging aside, it's the same underlying blueprint - a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a 6.74-inch 144Hz AMOLED, and a 50MP main camera. The 240W model has a 4,600mAh battery that will recharge all the way to 100% in under 10 minutes, per Realme. The 150W model has a 5,000mAh unit.
Those are the key stories of the week but the entire list of hot topics is below. See you around!
Xiaomi 13 series global launch set for February 26
The Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro were unveiled last December in China.
Xiaomi unveils Poco X5 Pro with Snapdragon 778G, Poco X5 joins
The new Pro also upgrades the display (10-bit) and camera performance compared to last year's Poco X4 Pro. The vanilla X5 sticks to the Snapdragon 695 chip.
Sir Ridley Scott used a Galaxy S23 Ultra to shoot a short film
'Behold' is a 3:49-minute story about a horse - there's other stuff too.
The Nothing Phone (2) to be a premium offering, coming in Q3 this year
The device is rumored to rock an unannounced Snapdragon 8 series chip.
OnePlus enters the tablet game with the OnePlus Pad
It has a 2800x2000px, 500-nit, 11.61-inch 7:5 aspect display and Dimensity 9000 chipset.
Realme GT Neo 5 debuts with 150W and 240W charging versions
The new fastest-charging smartphone comes with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.
Samsung and SKT unveil Galaxy S23 Ultra BMW M Edition in South Korea
The exclusive edition is limited to 1,000 units and comes with a treasure trove of BWM paraphernalia.
Samsung Galaxy S23 series breaks pre-order records in India
Indians don't seem to be bothered by the pricier Galaxy S23 family.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra undergoes durability test and teardown
The S23 Ultra is more durable and easier to repair than its predecessor.
Apple considers iPhone Ultra for 2024 release
It will sit above the Pro models and be even more expensive.
OnePlus 11R launches in India with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, 100W fast charging
Yes, it's the local version of the Ace 2. Also, it's similar to the 10T, though it has a sharper display than it. The battery/charger combo is different too.
WhatsApp's Status feature gets a ton of new functionality, including voice and reactions
These updates are already rolling out globally.
Exynos 2400 chipset reportedly coming with 10-core CPU
It will have 1x Cortex-X4 + 2x Cortex-A720 + 3x Cortex-A720 + 4x Cortex-A520 architecture.
Counterpoint: Samsung makes half of Google Pixel 7 Pro's BoM
The screen, the chipset, the camera sensor, RAM, and comms are all made in Korea.
The OnePlus 11 and Buds Pro 2 are now globally available
The OnePlus 11 ships from February 16, starting at $699 for the 8/128GB model.
Android 14 developer preview 1 released
You can test it out on Pixel 4a 5G - Pixel 7 series devices.
Tecno Phantom V Fold hands-on video surfaces, February 28 announcement confrimed
The device leaks in a hands-on video with a zero-gap hinge, foldable inwards.
Watch the global OnePlus 11 and 11R launch
We also expect a keyboard, OnePlus Pad tablet, new TVs, and the Buds Pro 2.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra gets subjected to another durability test
Scratches, burns, and bend attempts everywhere!
OnePlus Buds Pro 2 review
A well-designed, comfortable pair of earbuds with decent battery life and good latency performance with OnePlus phones.
Latest OnePlus Pad teaser shows stylus and keyboard accessories
Take a look at the OnePlus Pad in action with its optional accessories.
OnePlus Featuring Keyboard 81 Pro and TV 65 Q2 Pro official
The keyboard is coming to India in April, while the TV is coming in March.
Microsoft announces enhanced Bing and Edge powered by OpenAI
Microsoft says it developed your "co-pilot for the web".