Tech
Vivo X Fold 3 Pro Poised to Rival Galaxy Z Fold 6 in India Market
Samsung is the toughest competitor in the foldable industry. For years, Chinese smartphone manufacturers have given chase to the Korean giant. Although they have made things much better to close the gap, progress still remains limited due to difficulties entering the North American market, especially in the US.
Now the Chinese manufacturers are looking straight after struggling to compete with Samsung in North America. Now with the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, they are targeting other markets; for instance, India, where they are powerfully built and have a countable existence. The local assembly in India further hints at Vivo’s assurance to be competitive in this new market; this strategy will surely enhance its competitiveness.
The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro was initially introduced in China earlier this year, in March. It features a 6.53-inch OLED cover display and an 8.03-inch internal foldable panel. To add an extra layer of protection, the manufacturer powered it with an IPX8 water resistance rating, matching one of the key selling points of the Galaxy Z Fold series.
It is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. The memory package includes 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage. Interestingly, its cost is just $1,385, which is lower than the Galaxy Z Fold’s $1,799 starting price. Vivo has its sights set on the superior segment in India, using some regional materials in the supply chain as well, to better compete against Samsung in the instantly growing foldable smartphone segment.
The devices will be assembled at Vivo’s new 170-acre factory in Noida. Vivo is focusing on aiming to beat Samsung, as it is all set to launch the Vivo X Fold 3 in the coming weeks, right before Samsung debuts its sixth-generation foldable Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, which are not expected until late July. The exact price details of the forthcoming vivo foldable have not been announced yet.
Follow Sam Lover on Your Favorite Social Media Platforms
Apple is looking forward to raising production of its new merged reality device, the Vision Pro, by reaching out to Samsung and LG. Apple has requested information on OLED+CF technology, a key component for the device’s display.
The new report suggests that Apple is focusing on securing a trustworthy supply chain for OLED displays. Japan’s Sony has supplied Oledos for Vision Pro; however, it is not resulting in increased production capacity. There is unsureness in the outlook of China regarding technology and geopolitics.
It has yet to be clear if the two domestic panel firms will actively respond to Apple’s request or not. If the report is to be believed, Apple was found to have recently sent a request for information (RFI) related to the development of OLEDoS (OLED on Silicon) to Samsung Display and LG Display.
The term RFI here stands for a document exchanged at a stage before the Request for Quotation (RFQ) sent by the set manufacturer to the parts manufacturer once the product specifications have been decided. It is mentioned in the RFI as a product that applies a color filter (CF) to a white (W) organic light-emitting diode (OLED).
WOLED+CF OLEDOS indicates color as white light from WOLED passes through red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters. Vision Pro, initially released in the United States, also used WOLED+CF OLEDOS. The additional product specs include a display size of 2.0 to 2.1 inches with a 1700 PPI pixel density.
However, the reason why Apple is sending an RFI has yet to be analyzed. The two main possibilities behind this appear: for instance, maybe Apple is setting up to introduce a more affordable version of the Vision Pro, reducing the price even for the base model. Another possibility is that RFI could also be moved to secure a stable supply of Oledos panels, which are a main component in the Vision Pro’s display.
Sony, Apple’s current Oledos partner, has top-notch production capacity (900,000 units per year). Apple sends inquiries to Samsung and LG regarding this OLED+CF technology. On the other hand, LG is a leader in WOLED+CF development, despite the fact the fact that it currently lacks a production line. Apple needs to diversify Oledo suppliers due to limitations with Sony.
Follow Sam Lover on Your Favorite Social Media Platforms
Google is expanding its ways to offer a new convenience facility as its workspace is getting a new video creation tool called Google Vids.
Google Workspace is introducing a new video creation tool called Google Vids, or you can call it ‘PowerPoint on steroids.’ Google announced it a few months ago, and it is now announcing a free, public testing phase.
This new facility, named Google Vids, permits you to both work with existing video content and create video from scratch.
Create videos from scratch with the help of Gemini for particular options, such as the ability to outline a script, and create multiple slides until you find the usable video content. Once the first draft has been prepared, the user can then adapt the output to their satisfaction, customizing or even deleting slides, as well as working on texts, images, and more.
Once you are done with the work, you can save the format with an MP4 extension. As compared to other more classically designed tools included in Google Workspace, Google Vids appear to be more focused on AI.
While starting a new project in Google Workspace, you can use the Gemini prompt to give instructions to the AI assistant to enhance your experience. The giant has already made this prompt box available. Noticeably, the documents you have already uploaded to Google Drive Gemini can be analyzed.
All the functionality mentioned above regarding Google Vids is described by one of our colleagues, Android Authority, who also wanted to show a demonstration of Google Vids’ capabilities using the following prompt: “Inform our employees about the latest discoveries on the benefits of video games. Highlight how video games can improve cognitive function, problem-solving skills, and social interaction.”
However, at the moment Google Vids is running in a very early testing phase, so it might be possible you can face some roughness.
Follow Sam Lover on Your Favorite Social Media Platforms
Low-temperature polycrystalline oxide, or LTPO, is a display technology that delivers several advantages over traditional displays. Let’s take a closer look at how this technology works.
LTPO is a display technology that upgrades battery performance and image smoothness. This technology permits you to adjust the screen’s refresh rate depending on what’s being displayed; you can also reduce battery usage without affecting the original image quality. The LTPO offers a superior and convenient viewing experience while saving energy.
This technology introduced by Apple merges the best parts of slightly older and more reliable technologies in the same field; for instance, LTPS and TGZO. The first LTPO display debuted on the market with the Apple Watch 4 back in 2018, but the efficient benefits of its use only became more evident in the following year’s model, such as the Apple Watch Series 5, which was able to keep the screen always turned on without even destroying the autonomy.
How LTPO displays work:
The LTPO display permits the display to dynamically change its refresh rate without even requiring any extra components. This refers to how often the image on the screen is upgraded per second. Higher refresh rates—for instance, 120 Hz—mean smoother visuals, whereas lower rates, such as 1 Hz, use less power.
While interacting with the device, the refresh rate boosts to deliver a smooth and seamless experience. Conversely, for static images or text, the rate drops efficiently, saving battery life. The LTPO display technology merges two other technologies: LTPS and TFT IGZO. The switching circuits use LTPS, while the driving TFTs use IGZO materials. Simply put, a thin film transistor helps to control individual pixels on screens.
LPTS is an expansion of aSi, which stands for amorphous silicon, an older type of TFT, and its use has made it possible to create screens with high pixel density and higher refresh rates as it features greater electron mobility than the ASI. For LTPO, the original LTPS transistor material was replaced by metal oxides, since they have lower electron mobility as compared to LTPS but are more efficient. This ensures at least 15% lower power consumption.
Apple is the mastermind behind inventing LTPO display technology, but now this technology is no longer exclusive to Apple since several other brands such as Samsung (HOP), Razer, Oppo, OnePlus, and Sharp also use this technology in their products. For instance, the Korean Samsung has used the LTPO display in the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (2020).
LTPO combines LTPS and IGZO technologies, both of which are expensive to produce, making it costly to manufacture. Expensive production technique is the key reason LTPO is only available in premium devices.
Follow Sam Lover on Your Favorite Social Media Platforms