One of Apple's camera lens suppliers for the upcoming non-Pro iPhone 12 models is having quality issues, according to a new research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo seen by MacRumors. The issues are, however, unlikely to have an impact on Apple's shipping schedule, presuming that Apple's other main supplier can make up the difference.
Kuo says that Genius Electronic Optical has discovered issues with cracking coatings on the wide-angle camera lens destined for the lower-end 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 models. The problem appeared during high-temperature/high-humidity (HTHH) testing, and will result in delays to Genius's ability to supply components for the upcoming iPhones.
Apple's other supplier for these lenses is Largan, and Kuo says that company is not experiencing any quality issues, indicating that Apple will be able to prioritize supplies from Largan to stick to its launch schedule.
We estimate that the low-end 7P wide-angle lens, CCM, and final assembly mass production of the 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch aluminum frame iPhone will be in mid-to-late August, mid-to-late September, and early October, respectively. We believe that in the uncertain timetable for [Genius] to solve the quality problem of film cracking, Apple will give priority to purchasing Largan’s low-end 1/2.6” 7P wide-angle lens at least in the initial supply stage to ensure that the two aluminum-framed iPhone 12 can be as scheduled.
Kuo says that even if Genius does solve its issues with the camera lenses, the company will likely need to cut its prices by about 30% as an incentive to try to claw back share it will lose to Largan early on, which will eat into Genius's overall profit margins.
On its earnings conference call last week, Apple confirmed that the iPhone 12 lineup will launch "a few weeks later" than usual, with the company seeking to set investor expectations for the current quarter as moving the launches of most or all of the models into October would push the sales into the following fiscal quarter.
Even with the delayed launch, all four of the expected models may not launch at the same time, as one recent report claims that the debuts will be broken up into two stages, with the two 6.1-inch models (non-Pro and Pro) launching first and the 5.4-inch non-Pro and 6.7-inch Pro models launching a bit later.
Just in time for the quarantine season where most Filipinos are just staying at home, Cherry Mobile has released an upgraded version of the Flare Tab Pro with bigger 32GB storage that could be great for homeschooling and more.
Upgraded Flare Tab Pro
Flare Tab Pro with 32GB storage
Coming from original Flare Tab Pro with 16GB storage, the new Flare Tab Pro now has double the storage at 32GB. This will allow its users to store photos, documents, and other files in case they don't have a microSD card.
The rest is the same. The tablet still features the 10-inch HD+ screen, 1.6GHz 28nm SC9836 octa-core processor, PowerVR GE8322, 2GB RAM, 5,000mAh battery, 5MP main cam, 2MP selfie-cam, 700MHz 4G LTE, and dual SIM slots.
It is powered by Android 9.0 Pie OS.
Cherry Mobile Flare Tab Pro 32GB Specs
Display: 10-inch IPS screen w/ HD+ 1280 x 800 resolution at 151 ppi
CPU: 1.6GHz 28nm SC9836 octa-core processor
GPU: PowerVR GE8322
RAM: 2GB
ROM: 32GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 128GB (dedicated)
Sony today revealed the upgrade to its well-received WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones—the WH-1000XM4.
WH-1000XM4
WH-1000XM3 upgrade!
The new headphones boast improved noise cancellation and the ability to pair two devices at the same time via Bluetooth connection.
WH-1000XM4 colors
Design-wise, it is identical to the older model. It also uses the same Q1N noise cancellation processor. But, Sony said that it added a new Bluetooth audio system on a chip designed to analyze music and surrounding ambient noise 700 times per second.
This along with a tweaked algorithm makes the new 1000XM4 better at suppressing voices and mid-frequency everyday ambient sound.
Inside, the headphones use similarly large 40mm drivers. It also has an AI improved upscaling feature, 30 hours of continuous playback, and the same controls found on the older headphone.
The device also uses a new "Precise Voice Pickup" technology which controls five microphones in the headphones optimally and performs advanced audio signal processing pickup to let its users enjoy clear voice calls. Sony also added the new "Speak to Chat" feature which temporarily pauses your music as soon as you start talking and resumes after the conversation is done.
The headphones also come with the multipoint support that allows the headphones to pair with two devices at once.
US price with direct to PHP conversion (no taxes and duties yet):
Sony WH-1000XM4 - USD 349.99 (around PHP 17.1K)
The device is now up for pre-orders. It is priced at USD 349.99.
There's no word yet when will it go official in the Philippines.
The mid-range smartphone market is flooded with options and standing out can be tough. The Oppo Reno 4 Pro takes an interesting approach. Sure, there are powerful phones, and others that toss more cameras into the mix, but what about fast charging? The Oppo Reno 4 Pro brings rapid 65W charging to the mid-range, and backs it up with a fetching design, decent performance, and yes, a headphone jack.
Is fast charging reason enough to buy the Oppo Reno 4 Pro over more feature-packed alternatives? Let’s find out in the Android Authority Oppo Reno 4 Pro review.
About this Oppo Reno 4 Pro review: I wrote this Oppo Reno 4 Pro review after spending a week with the phone as my primary device. Oppo India supplied the device, which was running Android 10 Pie with the July 2020 security patch and Color OS 7.2.
In a world of glass and metal sandwiches, Oppo made the bold decision of employing an all-plastic build. After using the phone for a week, I can’t say it was necessarily a bad decision. The plastic back and frame make possible a compact body that weighs a mere 161g. If you, like me, prefer to carry your smartphone in your hand, the significant weight reduction is obvious. Your wrist will really appreciate it.
The matte finish on the plastic back doesn’t have the best texture. Sure it improves the grip, but it doesn’t feel premium and attracts hard-to-remove smudges to boot.
This extends to the plastic surrounding the camera as well. The glossy plastic of the module is prone to smudges and I often had to clean the lens while taking a photograph. As for the symmetric camera layout, I appreciate the thought here, but it does look a bit ridiculous.
The green accent on the power button looks great, and the headphone jack is convenient to have.
Over on the right side is the power button that doubles up as a Google Assistant key. The green accent on the power button adds a nice visual flair. That said, I didn’t like the volume buttons much. They sit too close to the frame, and there wasn’t sufficient feedback. Along the bottom edge is the USB-C port as well as the headphone jack.
The screen is a 6.5-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD resolution. Out of the box, the display is tuned for a more vibrant and saturated look. However, that’s easily changed by switching to the gentle color profile. Color accuracy is very good, but for me, it’s the peak brightness that really stood out. I measured peak brightness levels at about 790 nits, making the display usable even under direct sunlight.
The phone has excellent peak brightness levels affording sunlight visibility, and good color accuracy once set to the gentle color profile.
The phone sports a 90Hz display, which adds fluidity. As expected, it’s possible to lock it to either 90Hz or 60Hz in lieu of the default adaptive mode. I found little reason to keep it at the lower setting, as battery life was plenty good even with the phone set to 90Hz. Yes, there is Gorilla Glass 5 for protection from drops and scratches, and the in-display fingerprint scanner is as fast as they come.
The display is a bit smaller than some of the competition, and the slim bezels and selfie-camera cutout help reduce the overall footprint of the phone. The Oppo Reno 4 Pro stands out as one of the most comfortable phones I’ve held in recent times. Shame there’s no IP rating.
Performance: Smooth enough
Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G
2 x 2.3GHz Kryo 465 Gold and 6 x 1.8GHz Kryo 465 Silver
I’m of the opinion that most smartphone users don’t need the absolute latest and greatest chipset. However, Oppo’s choice to use a Snapdragon 720G chipset at this price point is a bit perplexing. It’s not that the chipset is lacking, but if you’re spending just short of $500, or Rs. 35,000, you expect a little more grunt.
Daily performance is satisfactory, but this is not the phone to get for heavy gaming.
That said, the octa-core chipset isn’t exactly slow. In fact, I didn’t face any hiccups at all in my time with the phone. It certainly helps that Oppo’s software optimization is fantastic; Color OS absolutely flies here. If your smartphone use involves making phone calls, texting, and social media, performance won’t be an issue.
However, if mobile gaming is a priority, the Reno 4 Pro might not be the best option for you. The phone is certainly powerful enough to push through the occasional round of PUBG, but if you’re the type to spend hours on the game, you’ll find the phone a bit lacking. Frame rates hovered around 30fps, which was palatble for casual gaming.
Battery: As fast as it gets
4,000mAh battery
65W charging
No wireless charging
The battery on the Oppo Reno 4 Pro is run-of-the-mill when it comes to longevity, but the secret sauce is in the fast charging.
On an average day, I clocked between 6 and 6.5 hours of screen-on time. Gaming will take a toll. A half hour round of PUBG quickly drained a little over 10% battery life.
The phone charges to 60% in about the time it takes to make a cup of coffee.
Here’s where the ultra-fast 65W charging comes in handy. The phone goes from zero to 100 in just 32 minutes. That’s just incredible. In fact, it managed a 60% charge in just fifteen minutes, or about the time it takes me to make a solid cup of coffee.
Software: Android 10 with a dash of Color
Color 7.2
Android 10
Whether you like ColorOS or not is your personal preference, but it is a pretty robust take on Android. While I prefer a more stock-like implementation, Color OS 7.2, based on Android 10, on the Reno 4 Pro offers a whole host of features and customization capabilities.
From the icon packs to themes, adjustable gestures, corner rounding, and more, there’s plenty for setting up the phone exactly how you like. I quite liked the smart sidebar feature that lets you add a toolbar with shortcuts and actions for quick access. I also enjoyed the variety of options available to customize the always-on display. The game space option lets you set custom profiles for games.
On the flip side, the phone has a whole host of third-party apps on board, and not all of these can be removed. While I appreciate the full-featured video editor, office suite, and even theme store, I’d have much preferred the option to download them on my own.
The camera setup on the Oppo Reno 4 Pro is pretty straightforward. It offers standard and ultra-wide cameras, but there’s no telephoto lens, which isn’t ideal at this price point.
Oppo tuned the camera to deliver bright and vibrant images that are good to go on social media. However, the exposure compensation tended to be set a bit too high for that bright look. Blow up the images on a large screen and you will also notice heavy digital noise reduction and oversharpening.
Spotty HDR implementation is another pain point, as the camera doesn’t do a very good job retaining highlights. With a spotlight shining down on the bag of coffee beans, the right side of the image is a bit too bright, and the brighter exposure certainly doesn’t help.
PrimaryUltra-Wide
The wide-angle camera does a pretty good job on the Oppo Reno 4 Pro. While the resolution isn’t particularly high, I definitely appreciated the similar color profiles between the main and wide cameras. Unfortunately, poor HDR and the over-bright exposure are again highlighted here.
Due to the positioning of the main camera sensor, you will invariably end up placing a finger on the camera lens. This leads to smearing and smudging, and you’ll want to make sure that you clean up the camera before you take a photograph.
Regular ModeNight Mode
The Oppo Reno 4 Pro doesn’t fare well in low light scenes. The standard mode struggles to take a sharp image and there is just too much noise. The Night Mode does a bit better, but not by much. Images might look a bit sharper and brighter, but the over-the-top noise reduction removes all sense of detail and the image is unusable for anything other than throwaway social sharing.
The macro sensor doesn’t resolve much detail, but hey, it’s there if you care about capturing close-up images. I wasn’t particularly enthused by the selfie camera, either. The 32MP sensor is paired with aggressive processing, which takes away a lot of detail. Once again, the camera veers towards brighter, overexposed shots. You can check out high-resolution Oppo Reno 4 Pro photo samples by following the link.
First, the good: the Oppo Reno 4 Pro has a built-in headphone jack. Audio quality is great and you won’t be disappointed here if you use high-quality headphones. Of course, the phone supports all the latest audio codecs, too, including aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC.
The stereo speakers sound unbalanced, but it's nice to have a headphone jack.
Audio output from the speakers was decent, but far from great. The stereo speakers don’t get too loud. Since the Reno 4 Pro uses the earpiece as a second speaker, it just isn’t loud enough, which led to unbalanced output.
Oppo Reno 4 Pro review: Specs
Oppo Reno 4 Pro
Display
6.5-inch Dynamic Super AMOLED
2,400 x 1,080 resolution
90Hz
Gorilla Glass 5
The Oppo Reno 4 Pro is priced at Rs. 34,999 in India, which makes it rather pricey for a mid-range option. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the hardware here, but the Snapdragon 720G chipset just doesn’t pack the oomph you’d expect for the money.
Add to that the less-than-stellar cameras, and all you’re really left with is a one-trick pony. The real selling point here is fast 65W charging. Some may prefer better cameras or gaming performance.
Excellent devices compete against the Oppo Reno 4 Pro, such as the all-new OnePlus Nord. The Nord excels in almost every single way. The Snapdragon 765G is significantly more powerful, and the cameras are just as versatile. It certainly helps that the Nord is much cheaper, too, with a starting price of just Rs. 24,999 (~$334). Nord buyers will have to settle with 30W charging.
Then there’s the Vivo X50, which again packs a much faster Snapdragon 765G and adds unique features like a gimbal camera that drastically improves video capture. The Vivo X50 is also priced at Rs. 34,990 (~$467).
Oppo Reno 4 Pro review: Should you buy it?
Oppo Reno 4 ProGreat design, Ultra-fast charging
The Oppo Reno 4's underpowered chipset and iffy optics put a dampner on what is a good looking phone with one of the fastest charging solutions around.
The Oppo Reno 4 Pro is a good-looking piece of hardware that might cut it for someone who values design and needs a phone for general use. However, it really isn’t meant for photography enthusiasts or gamers. The 65W charging is handy to have, but since the Snapdragon 720G doesn’t really tax the 4,000mAh battery, it can be a bit of overkill.
After all is said and done, it’s hard to justify the chipset and average cameras at this price point. This makes the Oppo Reno 4 Pro a tough sell unless you really want the fastest charging speeds around.
The order could also affect Tencent's operations in the US
The past few months have seen a global crackdown on applications owned by companies based in China, almost entirely due to political backlash at the country, rather than concerns over data privacy. India has now banned over a hundred China-made applications, most notably including TikTok, and now the United States is following suit.
President Trump signed two executive orders today, focusing primarily on WeChat and TikTok. The order affecting TikTok claims the app records "browsing and search histories," even though there doesn't appear to be any public evidence of that.
