In case you missed events and exciting news from the world of Android this week, check out this roundup of top stories, so you’re all caught up with everything Android. In the final week of 2021, Xiaomi officially launched its Xiaomi 12 series of flagship smartphones in China alongside its MIUI 13 software skin based on Android 12. Also, the Realme GT 2 Pro models went up for pre-sale in the country this week ahead of their launch on January 4. Meanwhile, Samsung teased a flagship smartphone processor packing AMD’s RDNA 2 graphics—possibly the Exynos 2200.
Xiaomi 12 Series Launched Alongside MIUI 13 in China
This week, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 12, 12 Pro, and 12X smartphones in China for a starting price of CNY 3,699 ($581), CNY 4,699 ($738), and CNY 3,199 ($502), respectively for the models with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. All these phone models are powered by the recently-released Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. General sales are expected to commence in 2022. Some of these 12 series models are also likely to make their way to international markets in due course. Alongside the impressive lineup of phones, Xiaomi launched its MIUI 13 software skin based on Android 12. The successor to the MIUI 12.5 Enhanced is expected to be available right out of the box on the Xiaomi 12 series. For the older devices, the update brings better performance, system stability, and widgets reminiscent of iOS 15. Xiaomi has also planned to launch MIUI 13 Tab just for tablets, featuring better performance for productivity.
Realme GT 2 Pro Models Go on Pre-Sale Ahead of January 4 Launch
This week, the Realme GT 2 and GT 2 Pro models were listed on e-tailers like JD.com for a pre-launch sale where customers can reserve a unit for CNY 1. The device will be officially unveiled on January 4. The Pro variant is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, just like the Xiaomi 12 series, while the GT 2 is tipped to pack a Snapdragon 888 5G SoC under the hood. The Realme GT 2 can be configured with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage or 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Besides the pre-launch sale, the Realme GT 2 and GT2 Pro are also available for pre-booking. Details about a global launch and pricing are not known. However, rumor has it that the GT 2 and GT 2 Pro pack a massive 5,000mAh battery capable of 65W fast charging.
Samsung Teases Exynos 2200 Chip Packing AMD’s RDNA 2 Graphics Architecture
In a tweet and YouTube video this week, Samsung teased a smartphone processor that would be the company’s first-generation mobile processor to pack AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture. The technology has proven its mettle with best-in-class graphics performance on the Sony PlayStation 5, Xbox One X, and Radeon 6000 series graphics cards. This technology could enable PC and gaming console-level graphics performance features such as ray tracing on smartphones. However, mobile devices are constrained by batteries and thermal limits far lower than their PC and console counterparts. That said, the new chip that will probably be called the Exynos 2200 will debut on the Samsung Galaxy S22 series, although the phones sold in the US are rumored to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip instead. https://youtu.be/Ylw4A-GS04Q
Other Top Android Stories This Week:
New Patent Details Samsung’s Double-Folding Phone Design Again Samsung Rolls out Android 12 Update for Original Z Flip Series, Other Devices Xiaomi and Oppo Could Be Fined $13.42 Billion for Flouting Income Tax Norms
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