GadgetFrame Weekly Tech Highlights | May 17 - May 23 , 2020

1. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Announced

Xiaomi has officially announced its latest device Redmi Note 10. Xiaomi is popular among the users as they are very budget-friendly and are known to provide gadgets at exclusive prices. Redmi Note 10 adapts the design language of Redmi Note 9. It is an upgrade over Redmi Note 9 and comes with better chipset and hardware. The major feature of Redmi Note 10  is that it got a 6.57-inch FHD+ punch hole panel at front, it is powered by Dimensity 800 5G chipset, Quad rear camera, and faster-charging technology. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 is expected to be released in May 2020. The price and availability have not yet been confirmed by the brand.

2. Facebook Launched Facebook Shops

Social media giant Facebook has introduced Facebook Shops that will enable businesses to turn their Facebook or Instagram pages into shopfronts. Their motto is to inspire people to shop and make buying and selling online easier. To create a Facebook shop it’s very simple and easy. Businesses can choose the products to feature in their catalog. They can also customize the look and feel of the shop with a cover picture and accent colors. It means that any seller, no matter their size or budget, will be able to bring their business online. And they’ll be connecting with their customers wherever and whenever it’s convenient for them. It is a great initiative taken by the social media giant.

3. LG Stylo 6 Announced Officially

LG is still making smartphones and launching them in the market. They have a huge uphill task to overcome the likes of Samsung and Xiaomi in the entry-level and mid-range segments. Recently, LG launched LG Velvet with a new design and now, they have launched LG Stylo 6 officially. LG Stylo 6 is the successor to the LG Stylo 5 that was launched last year.LG Stylo 6 is a mid-range device that is powered by Helio P35 chipset & fueled by a 4,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging. You will be getting pretty impressive features on the device. It is priced at $220 in the US market. The global availability of the device is not revealed yet but it may take some time for the global release of the gadget due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

4. TikTok’s Rating Goes Down

The ratings of the TikTok app have been plummeting downwards over the period of a few days. It has been caused due to both CarryMinati supporters and people miffed with Amir Siddiqui’s TikTok video accused of glorifying acid attacks on women who are leaving 1-star reviews for TikTok on Android as well as on the Apple App Store. The drop in TikTok’s rating can be attributed to followers of YouTuber CarryMinati after the creator released a video titled YouTube vs TikTok - The End, part of an ongoing feud between TikTok creators and YouTubers. The app will further be affected by the low ratings as people are still furious over the issue.

5. iOS 13.5 is OUT

Apple and Google have worked together and brought changes in their operating system to fight jointly against the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple has released iOS 13.5 and iPadOS 13.5, rolling out to iPhone and iPad with some changes. Two major changes that will appear in our devices are Change in Face ID and exposure notification system. Change in Face ID will make it easier to unlock iPhone even if you’re wearing a face mask. The exposure notification system will notify if you have been in contact with a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

As per Apple and Google, this feature will be directly built into the OS of the phone in the future. This feature will be available in all the states in the US and 22 countries around the Globe.

6. YouTube Introduces Bedtime Reminders 

We all know that due to the COVID-19 pandemic most of the countries are in lockdown situations. So, most of the peoples are inside their homes. The best way to pass your time is surfing on the internet, watching youtube, etc. so, the sleep schedule of most of the people has got affected. Keeping these factors in mind Youtube has introduced new bedtime reminders features for Android and iOS devices. To use the feature, open the YouTube app from your Android or iOS device and go to Settings. In Settings, toggle ‘Remind me when it’s time for bed’. It is a very helpful feature for peoples all over the world.

7. OnePlus Game Space Launched in Google Play St

Adding to the list of apps such as OnePlus Gallery, OnePlus Launcher, and OnePlus Weather available on play store. OnePlus has published the Game Space app on the Google Play Store with additional features on it. The game space app arrives pre-installed with OnePlus smartphones as a system app. All of the installed games on the smartphones are shown in the Game space app. It has two notable additional features Instant Games and Game Statistics. If you want to try these features, OnePlus users can install the Game Space app on google play store and you won’t have to wait for system OTA to bring new features.

8. Apple iPhone sales surged High in April In China

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sales of the smartphone had been affected in China, the world’s largest smartphone market.  The conditions have begun to improve starting in March. As per the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology Institute, the nation witnessed a total of 40.782 million units of smartphone shipments in April. In another report by CINNO Research, says that alone 3.9 million iPhones (160% MoM) were sold in April. For comparison, the company only sold 1.9 million units of iPhones in the month of March.