With the weekend once again finally here, we’re rounding up some of the must-know headlines from this week’s lineup of tech news. We’ve gotten some pretty big updates from some of the most well-known names in the industry including Oppo, MediaTek, and a whole lot more. So if you missed out on all the action these past past few days, here’s a bit of a catch-up to get you back in the know.
Meet the MediaTek Dimensity 8350
Not too long after announcing the Dimensity 8300 chipset, MediaTek more recently unveiled the Dimensity 8350, a slightly-tweaked variant of the chip which comes with a lot of similarities. The 8350 launched alongside Oppo’s new phones and tablet, and is built on a 4nm process with an eight-core processor that runs on 3.35GHz Cortex-A715 prime cores. It also features the new “StarSpeed Engine” which according to MediaTek improves on power consumption and overall performance during gaming.
Oppo Launches the Reno 13 Series
Oppo recently unveiled its latest Reno series phones, the Reno13 and Reno13 Pro. As mentioned earlier, both phones feature the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chipset, although there are some differences with the rest of the hardware. The Reno 13 sports a 6.59-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, while the Pro model offers a slightly larger 6.83-inch panel. Both devices feature 50MP selfie cameras and optical under-display fingerprint scanners, and are currently exclusive for Chinese markets.
New Renders Show the Samsung Galaxy A56’s Design
It isn’t officially out yet, but we now have a good idea of what the Samsung Galaxy A56 will look like. A set of design renders from the folks at Android Headlines showcase the Galaxy A56 from different angles, and while it retains a mostly-familiar look to its predecessors, it does feature a revamped camera island. This new design integrates all lenses into one cohesive pill, instead of individual camera bumps as seen on the older Galaxy A55 and A54, for example.
Reports Claim that a New Sony Handheld is in the Works
While the PS Portal is technically Sony’s current handheld gaming device in its current hardware lineup, it isn’t exactly capable of running native games, and instead relies on internet connectivity to stream them. However, new online reports indicate that Sony is currently working on a dedicated handheld which will be made to compete with the likes of the Nintendo Switch, and will come with native PS5 software compatibility. There’s no predicted launch date at the moment, however.
Xiaomi’s Redmi K80 Phones are Pretty Impressive
Xiaomi recently unveiled its new Redmi K80 and K80 Pro smartphones, which are equipped with impressive hardware specifications. For one, both phones run on flagship grade chipsets – the Redmi K80 comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, while the K80 Pro comes with the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite. Both devices also come with large batteries at 6,550 mAh (90W) for the K80 and 6,000 mAh (120 W) for the K80 Pro, large 6.67-inch OLED displays with up to 3,200 nits of brightness and 120hz refresh rates. The Pro model does come in a special-edition Lamborghini variant however, which features a more vibrant design.
Smartkem Teams up with AUO for Rollable Display Tech
Manchester-based tech company Smartkem recently announced that it’s partnered with Taiwanese manufacturer AUO to develop what it calls “the world’s first advanced rollable, transparent microLED display” using Smartkem’s technology. Smartkem has had a history of working on thin and flexible microLED display technology, and it’s confident that the collaboration with AUO will allow for commercially-viable mass production of such hardware.
