Xiaomi’s Android 13-based MIUI 14 OS update is now rolling out on Redmi Note 10S and Poco F2 Pro for users across the globe and EEA regions, respectively. The update comes with new features and also brings the latest firmware version along with new security patches. The MIUI 14 update gets the with February 2023 security patch and the latest firmware version. While the Redmi Note 10S smartphone was launched in May 2021 with Android 11 OS onboard, Poco F2 Pro was released in 2020 with Android 10 OS installed in it.

According to details shared by Xiaomiui, the MIUI 14 update on Redmi Note 10S brings improved battery life and faster app launch timing. Additionally, the smartphone will also get revamped system apps, super icon support, and new widgets with the latest update. The MIUI 14 update on Redmi Note 10S comes with firmware version MIUI V14.0.2.0.TKLMIXM along with February 2023 security patch.

As per the report, the latest update on Redmi Note 10S is rolling out globally. It has a size of 16.3GB and can be downloaded via MIUI Downloader. The phone was launched in May 2021, running Android 11-based MIUI 12.5 out-of-the-box. The MIUI 14 update is its second major OS update.

Meanwhile, the MIUI 14 update is also rolling out on Poco F2 Pro in European Economic Area (EEA) region only. The handset was launched in 2020 with Android 10-based MIUI 11 on board. The latest OS update brings the same modifications as on Redmi Note 10S, including enhanced performance and battery life.

The POCO F2 Pro MIUI 14 update bears firmware version MIUI 14.0.2.0.TKLMIXM and includes February 2023 security patch.

For both smartphones, the update is first rolling out the MI pilots, followed by a stable version launch for all MI users using Redmi Note 10S and Poco F2 Pro by the end of March, and can be downloaded using MIUI Downloader.

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Redmi Note 12 series is all set to make its global debut later this month. The phones have already been launched in China and India. Xiaomi has confirmed the launch date of the upcoming smartphone series via Twitter. While in China and India, the Redmi Note 12 series comprises three models — Redmi Note 12 5G, Note 12 Pro 5G, and Note 12 Pro+ 5G, the company is expected to launch two more smartphone models in global markets — the Redmi Note 12 4G and Redmi Note 12S.

Xiaomi announced the upcoming arrival of the Redmi Note 12 in global markets on Monday. The company will launch the Redmi Note 12 lineup on March 23 at 11 pm (GMT+8) / 8:30 pm IST. The global variants are expected to include two new models in addition to the Indian and Chinese variants.

A recent report hints at the expected design and colour options of the upcoming Redmi Note 12 4G. As per the leaked details, the phone could launch in three different colour options — Blue, Grey, and Green. Additionally, the Redmi Note 12 4G is speculated to feature a flat frame with curved corners. It will be equipped with a triple rear camera setup and sports power and volume buttons on the right edge.

The Redmi Note 12 series was launched in India earlier this year. The phones sport AMOLED displays with up to 120Hz refresh rates.

Redmi Note 12 5G is powered by a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC, while the top-end Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G and Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G are equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC. For optics, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G ships with a triple rear camera unit led by a 200-megapixel Samsung HPX sensor accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 lens and 120-degree field of view, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. There is also a 16-megapixel selfie camera on the front. All three models of the Redmi Note 12 series runs on Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 custom skin out of the box. 

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India plans to force smartphone makers to allow removal of pre-installed apps and mandate screening of major operating system updates under proposed new security rules, according to two people and a government document seen by Reuters.

The new rules, details of which have not been previously reported, could extend launch timelines in the world’s No.2 smartphone market and lead to losses in business from pre-installed apps for players including Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Apple.

India’s IT ministry is considering these new rules amid concerns about spying and abuse of user data, said a senior government official, one of the two people, declining to be named as the information is not yet public.

“Pre-installed apps can be a weak security point and we want to ensure no foreign nations, including China, are exploiting it. It’s a matter of national security,” the official added.

India has ramped up scrutiny of Chinese businesses since a 2020 border clash between the neighbours, banning more than 300 Chinese apps, including TikTok. It has also intensified scrutiny of investments by Chinese firms.

Globally too, many nations have imposed restrictions on the use of technology from Chinese firms like Huawei and Hikvision on fears Beijing could use them to spy on foreign citizens. China denies these allegations.

Currently, most smartphones come with pre-installed apps that cannot be deleted, such as Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi’s app store GetApps, Samsung’s payment app Samsung Pay mini and iPhone maker Apple’s browser Safari.

Under the new rules, smartphone makers will have to provide an uninstall option and new models will be checked for compliance by a lab authorised by the Bureau of Indian Standards agency, two people with knowledge of the plan said.

The government is also considering mandating screening of every major operating system update before it is rolled out to consumers, one of the people said.

“Majority of smartphones used in India are having pre-installed Apps/Bloatware which poses serious privacy/information security issue(s),” stated a Feb. 8 confidential government record of an IT ministry meeting, seen by Reuters.

The closed-door meeting was attended by representatives from Xiaomi, Samsung, Apple and Vivo, the meeting record shows.

The government has decided to give smartphone makers a year to comply once the rule comes into effect, the date for which has not been fixed yet, the document added.

The companies and India’s IT ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Massive Hindrance

India’s fast-growing smartphone market is dominated by Chinese players, with Xiaomi and BBK Electronics’ Vivo and Oppo accounting for almost half of all sales, Counterpoint data shows. South Korea’s Samsung has a 20 percent share and Apple has 3 percent.

While European Union regulations require allowing removal of pre-installed apps, it does not have a screening mechanism to check for compliance like India is considering.

An industry executive said some pre-installed apps like the camera are critical to user experience and the government must make a distinction between these and non-essential ones when imposing screening rules.

Smartphone players often sell their devices with proprietary apps, but also sometimes pre-install others with which they have monetisation agreements.

The other worry is more testing could prolong approval timelines for smartphones, a second industry executive said. Currently it takes about 21 weeks for a smartphone and its parts to be tested by the government agency for safety compliance.

“It’s a massive hindrance to a company’s go-to market strategy,” the executive said.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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HMD Global, Finland-based Nokia-brand licensee, is hosting its Mobile World Congress (MWC) event on February 24 in Barcelona, revealed a company executive earlier today. The company has not said what it plans to showcase at the event but rumours indicate that much-anticipated Nokia 9 PureView smartphone may make its debut at the event. Some reports also indicate the launch of Nokia 6 (2019), but it is quite likely we might see the Nokia 6 (2019) announced before the MWC event.

Juho Sarvikas, HMD Global Chief Product Officer, on Friday tweeted that the company’s MWC event is set for February 24, and he called on fans to tune into the event. Considering his tweet, the company will most likely be streaming the event live on the Web. His tweet didn’t specify any products that we might see at the event, but as we mentioned earlier, the Nokia 9 PureView is the most likely candidate. According to the rumours and leaks until now, the phone’s big highlight is going to be the five-camera setup on the rear, which is reportedly going to be powered by a Zeiss solution and a low-light technology from Light.

Other specifications of the smartphone will reportedly include a 5.99-inch QHD PureDisplay panel with HDR10 support and an in-display fingerprint sensor. The Nokia 9 PureView will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, coupled with 6GB RAM and 128GB inbuilt storage. However, HMD Global may manage to use the Snapdragon 855 SoC, the current flagship mobile SoC from Qualcomm. On the software front, the phone will be based on the Android One platform and most likely run on Android 9 Pie operating system.

Nokia 9 PureView is expected to be the first PureView-branded Nokia phone from HMD Global. The company had acquired the PureView brand from Microsoft in 2018 but has not launched a device with the PureView branding till now. The PureView branding was originally introduced by the Nokia of the yesteryears back in 2013 with the Nokia 808 PureView.

There is a slight possibility that HMD Global may also unveil the Nokia 6 (2019) at the event. The phone is said to feature a 6.2-inch display, Snapdragon 632 SoC and 4GB/ 6GB of RAM. It will also reportedly include two 16-megapixel rear cameras from Zeiss, and support OZO Audio technology.

With Galaxy Fold, has Samsung kicked off a revolution in smartphone tech? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

HMD Global, the brand licensee for Nokia, has started rolling out the stable Android 9.0 Pie update for Nokia 5 smartphone, a company executive announced. The update is being released in a phased manner and will reach all Nokia 5 users over the next few days. This is the second major Android update for the phone that was originally introduced back in 2017 with Android 7 Nougat and got the Android 8 Oreo update in 2018. In addition to the Android Pie goodness, the latest update also brings the January security patch.

As per a tweet by Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global, earlier on Thursday, the Nokia 5 smartphone that was introduced back in 2017 at the Mobile World Congress is finally receiving its the Android 9 Pie update. The update will reach the smartphone’s owners as an over-the-air (OTA) update over the next few days. To manually look for the update on your Nokia 5, head to the Settings app and then scroll down, select System and then tap on System update. Following which the phone will either directly show you the update, or you can tap on Check for updates to trigger an update lookup.

Multiple user reports on Twitter confirm that the Android Pie update is already reaching the Indian owners of the Nokia 5, along with users in countries like Netherlands and Indonesia.

According to the official changelog, the Android 9 Pie update carries the build number V6.12E and brings new system navigation, settings menu, and notifications. Additionally, the update also includes Adaptive Battery as well as Adaptive Brightness. After the update, the Nokia 5 owners will also get suggestions from App Actions. Lastly, the update brings Google’s January security patch.

The Nokia 5 Android 9 Pie update is a little over 1663MB in size and the company recommends that Nokia 5 owners download it over a Wi-Fi network, else they might incur significant data charges, depending on their plan.

To recall, Nokia 5 was introduced with Android Nougat onboard and received the Android 8.0 Oreo update around the same time last year. It was followed by the Android 8.1 Oreo update in March 2018.

HMD Global, the maker of Nokia-branded Android smartphones, had promised last year that all Nokia smartphones will be updated to Android 9 Pie. The company is now inching closer to accomplishing that goal before 2019’s first half comes to an end. A senior HMD Global officer has revealed that smartphones which are yet to be upgraded to the latest major build of Android such as Nokia 5 and Nokia 3.1 Plus will receive the Android Pie update later this week, while the rest will get it before June comes to an end.

HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas, has told Android Authority that the current breed of Nokia smartphones will get the Android Pie update by Q2 2019. The update roadmap shared by the HMD Global executive revealed that the Nokia 5 and the Nokia 3.1 Plus will begin receiving the Android Pie update ‘in the next few days’. Sarvikas later tweeted that the company aims to seed the Android Pie update for both the smartphones later this week. It is worth noting that the Nokia 3.1 Plus was spotted on Geekbench running Android Pie a few days ago, indicating that an update was imminent for the smartphone.

In another tweet, the HMD Global executive shared an image of the Android Pie roadmap for the company’s entire smartphone portfolio, except the Nokia 2. Coming back to the update schedule, the company’s official roadmap states that the Nokia 6, Nokia 5.1, Nokia 3.1, and the Nokia 2.1 will get the Android Pie update at some point in the first quarter of 2019. 

Once the first wave of Android Pie update in Q1 2019 concludes, the company will begin the rollout of the update in the subsequent quarter. The Nokia 3 and the entry-level Nokia 1 will be upgraded to Android Pie in the second quarter of 2019.  Nokia has already rolled out the Android Pie update for the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 8, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6.1, Nokia 6.1 Plus, Nokia 7.1, and the Nokia 5.1 Plus, which means virtually the entire portfolio of Nokia smartphones has been covered with the exception of the Nokia 2. And it becomes a little more perplexing when processing the fact that even the entry-level Nokia 1 will be updated to Android Pie before the end of June. We’ve reached out for comment on the release schedule for the Nokia 2 Android Pie update.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim is tipped to debut next year as the thinnest flagship-grade smartphone from the company in years, and details of the purported handset’s specifications have been leaked by a tipster. The handset could be launched in the second quarter of 2025, which is when the company usually launches its Galaxy A series and Fan Edition (FE) smartphones. Meanwhile, a Chinese leaker has also revealed that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim might be thicker than the iPhone 17 Air, which is also tipped to debut next year.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim Tipped to Debut in Q2 2025

According to details posted to X (formerly Twitter) by Debayan Roy (@Gadgetsdata) on Friday, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim will sport a 6.6-inch screen. If this claim is accurate, it means the company could equip the handset with the same display as the Galaxy S25+ model, which is expected to debut alongside the standard Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Ultra model in January 2025.

The tipster also states that the Galaxy S25 Slim will be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which was unveiled by Qualcomm in October. It is also said to pack a large battery, considering its slim form factor — the Galaxy S25 Slim might include a battery with a capacity that ranges between 4,700mAh and 5,000mAh.

Unlike the iPhone 17 Air, which is tipped to arrive with only one rear camera, the Galaxy S25 Slim model could feature a triple rear camera setup, according to Roy’s post on X. The handset will be equipped with a 200-megapixel primary camera with an ISOCELL HP5 sensor, and two 50-megapixel cameras with ISOCELL JN5 sensors for ultrawide and telephoto (3.5x optical zoom) photography.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S25 could measure less than 7mm in thickness, tipster Ice Universe claims in a post on Weibo, the Chinese microblogging website (via GSMArena). This is thicker than the purported iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to launch in the second half of 2025.

Samsung could launch the Galaxy S25 Slim in Q2 2025, according to Roy — this is around the same time that it usually introduces its Galaxy A series or Galaxy FE smartphones. The company is reportedly gearing up to launch the successors to the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra at a Galaxy Unpacked launch event next month.

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Redmi Note 12 series is set to launch globally in the coming days. The phones, which are already available in China and India, will debut in international markets on March 23. While the Redmi Note 12 series in the Chinese and Indian markets includes three models — the Redmi Note 12 5G, Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G, and Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G — the company is anticipated to introduce two more smartphone models in international markets — the Redmi Note 12 4G and Redmi Note 12S. A tipster has now claimed that production of the Redmi Note 12S has started in several European and Eurasian regions.

Tipster Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) has leaked details of the purported Redmi Note 12S, stating that the handset manufacturer has started mass production of the upcoming smartphone in several European and Eurasian regions. Sharma adds that the model can be expected to launch within the next few months, which corroborates the timelines suggested in previous leaks.

Last week, a new Redmi model with the model number 2303CRA44A was spotted on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website. This handset is speculated to be the Redmi 12S device, and tipster Kacper Skrzypek (@kacskrz) had previously suggested that the model was in works and Xiaomi would likely release it soon with sales beginning mid-May. The FCC listing suggested that the model will feature 67W fast charging support.

According to a 91 Mobiles report the Redmi Note 12S is expected to sport a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90Hz. The report added that the device is likely to be powered by a MediaTek Helio G96 chipset, alongside up to 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and up to 128GB storage. The smartphone is expected to run on Android 12-based MIUI 14.

For optics, the Redmi Note 12S is also said to feature a 108-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel secondary lens and a 2-megapixel lens in its triple rear camera setup along with a 16-megapixel front camera. In terms of battery capacity, the purported Redmi device is expected to pack a 5,000mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging and a USB Type-C charging port.

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Qualcomm recently launched the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset – its most powerful Snapdragon 7-series chip to date. The Qualcomm AI Engine boosts its performance making the processor speedier and more efficient than its predecessors. Redmi and Realme have now confirmed the use of this new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset in their upcoming smartphones. The Redmi Note 12 Turbo is expected to launch globally on March 23, and will feature the new chipset. A tipster also suggested another new chipset by Qualcomm.

In official Weibo posts, the brands confirmed the use of this new chipset in their upcoming handsets. Realme wrote that the Realme GT Neo 5 SE will be the “first to be equipped with the second-generation Snapdragon 7+ flagship” chip.

In another post, Redmi confirmed the global debut of the “King Kong Note 12 Turbo”, which will be powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset. The post adds that the new chipset features the same process architecture as the Snapdragon 8+ series.

Another tweet by reliable tipster Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) suggests that Qualcomm will also launch another new chipset, namely Snapdragon 685, which will reportedly feature in the Redmi Note 12 4G smartphone.

Xiaomi had previously confirmed the global launch of the Redmi Note 12 series on March 23 at 11 pm (GMT+8) / 8:30 pm IST. Both Redmi Note 12 Turbo and Redmi Note 12 4G could be unveiled at this event.

Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 12 Turbo device has already been spotted on China’s 3C certification website. The phone is expected to feature 2GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The smartphone is also expected to come with a 6.67-inch full-HD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

According to previous reports, the smartphone could have a triple rear camera setup. A 50-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel secondary sensor, and a 2-megapixel tertiary sensor could be included in the camera unit. The Redmi Note 12 Turbo edition will likely pack a 5,500mAh battery. The latest 3C sighting appeared to confirm earlier reports that the smartphone would support 67W wired fast charging.

The Realme GT Neo 5 SE, on the other hand, has been recently spotted on Geekbench. Previous reports suggested that the phone could sport a 6.74-inch flat OLED display with a resolution of 2772×1240, a refresh rate of 144Hz, PWM dimming of 2160Hz, and a peak brightness of 1,100 nits.

The purported Realme device is expected to feature a 16-megapixel front camera along with a 64-megapixel OmniVision primary rear sensor with an f/1.79 aperture. According to reports, the possible triple rear camera system will also feature an 8-megapixel Sony IMX355 ultra-wide sensor and a 2-megapixel sensor. The smartphone is also expected to pack a 5,500mAh battery with 100W fast charging support.

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