WhatsApp rolls back a small design tweak that caused user backlash

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WhatsApp rolls back a small design tweak that caused user backlash
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WhatsApp has a habit of tinkering with its design, often rolling out little test changes to small groups of users. One of these recent experiments involved capitalizing the “online” and “typing” status indicators that you would normally see at the top of the chat window. It was a subtle change, but it seems users weren’t thrilled with it, and eventually caused WhatsApp to roll the change back entirely.
As reported by The Independent, WhatsApp admitted this was just a design variation they were testing, but didn’t say how many people were part of the experiment. The company also admitted to now be backtracking on this design choice and ditching the uppercase letters, although also not explaining why they are doing that either. For now, it appears that the familiar lowercase indicators are here to stay.

Turns out, a lot of users disliked the change. Plenty of other chat apps use lowercase indicators, such as Telegram or even Meta’s own Facebook Messenger, which is probably what made WhatsApp’s sudden switch to capitals felt jarring to some. It disrupted the look and feel they were used to, and some even complained the capital ‘O’ in “Online” blended too closely with the profile picture preview.
Whether it was the negative feedback or something else entirely, WhatsApp pulling the plug on this particular experiment should hopefully please the users that found it bothersome. It was a minor change, but sometimes the little things matter, particularly when it’s a chat app as popular as WhatsApp is. Could the uppercase indicators make a comeback? It’s not entirely impossible. But for now, WhatsApp users can breathe a sigh of relief as those familiar lowercase letters are back.

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iPhone & Pixel visit Coachella in Google’s latest ad

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iPhone & Pixel visit Coachella in Google’s latest ad
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Many of you are quite familiar with Google’s #BestFriendsForever ads. We end up following iPhone’s and Pixel’s shenanigans in these ads. In a brand new ad, iPhone and Pixel pay a visit to Coachella.

iPhone & Pixel visit Coachella in Google’s latest #BestFriendsForever ad

The ad has been published on YouTube, and you can check it out below the article. It has a duration of 1:21, and once again it highlights Pixel’s features that iPhone doesn’t have. That’s usually what we end up seeing in these ads… portrayed in a fun way.

In the ad, an iPhone asks a Pixel to take a picture, so that everyone can see that iPhone is at Coachella. It has to be a picture at sunset, though. Now, iPhone keeps on rambling for far too long, trying to decide how to take a picture, and the sun goes does in the meantime.

While iPhone is rambling, talking about how it wants to jump up in the air in the picture, Pixel actually takes a picture. Then iPhone proceeds to ask why did Pixel do that, as iPhone didn’t jump up.

Pixel uses the Magic Editor to impress iPhone

That’s where the promo part starts. Pixel proceeds to remind iPhone that it has very useful AI features that can basically move him up in the air if necessary, and change the background too… so that it looks more like a sunset. It can do all that thanks to the Magic Editor.

It’s yet another entertaining ad in which Google does poke fun at Apple, and entertains everyone while doing it. This one is quite timely as well, with Coachella being a part of it.

We’re getting to see more and more such ads from Google, as people seem to enjoy them very much. YouTube comments are usually fun to read as well, in case you’re interested.


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Exynos 2500 to be more efficient than Snapdragon 8 Gen 4

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Exynos 2500 to be more efficient than Snapdragon 8 Gen 4
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After years of poor show, Samsung‘s flagship Exynos processors might make a remarkable comeback next year. Rumors say the Exynos 2500 will be more power efficient than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. Both are 3nm solutions but manufactured by two different foundries. Samsung will probably use both chips in its Galaxy S25 series.

Galaxy S25’s Exynos 2500 could offer better efficiency than Snapdragon 8 Gen 4

For years, Samsung’s Exynos chips have performed worse than competing Snapdragon solutions. They lagged in almost all areas, including raw performance, power efficiency, and thermal management. The company even dropped custom CPU cores and moved to stock ARM cores but to no avail. As the performance gap widened, it skipped the Exynos 2300 and exclusively used the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 on the Galaxy S23 series.

The Korean firm came back with a notably improved Exynos 2400 used on the Galaxy S24 series. The new chip closed the performance gap to its Snapdragon counterpart, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Samsung is expected to further improve its game with the Exynos 2500 next year. The upcoming solution is said to feature Google’s TPU for improved AI capabilities. It will also bring CPU and GPU improvements.

Samsung will fabricate the Exynos 2500 on its second-generation 3nm process node. According to X tipster @PandaFlashPro, this will help make it more power efficient than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. The latter is manufactured by TSMC on its second-gen 3nm process. The Taiwanese firm is using the existing FinFET transistor architecture for its 3nm chips, while Samsung has upgraded to the more advanced GAA architecture.

The Exynos 2400, which is a 4nm chip, is already quite efficient. Coupled with improvements from Samsung, the Exynos 2500 could be a real energy saver. It might offer a significant performance boost without adding much to power consumption. Samsung’s next flagship processor appears on track to give rivals like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 a run for their money. It will be a remarkable turnaround from the Korean firm.

The new Exynos chip may come in two variants

Samsung reportedly plans to develop two variants of the Exynos 2500. The standard version, identified as Exynos 2500-A, will be an octa-core chip for the Galaxy S25 series. The company might optimize it for the new flagships from the ground up. The other version, Exynos 2500-B, will reportedly feature ten CPU cores (deca-core) and power the next generation of flagship Android tablets and Windows laptops from Samsung. The CPU configuration and speed of either variant is not known.


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Galaxy Z Flip 6 US version shines on Geekbench before launch

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Galaxy Z Flip 6 US version shines on Geekbench before launch
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The development of Samsung’s next-gen foldables is in full swing. The company is preparing to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 sometime in July this year. Leaks have already revealed a thing or two about the devices. The US version of the Flip model has just surfaced on a benchmarking platform to confirm its processor. It appears to deliver impressive GPU performance.

Galaxy Z Flip 6 spotted on Geekbench with impressive GPU performance

Samsung has always used Qualcomm’s latest flagship chipsets in its foldables. It will be no different this year, a Geekbench listing for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 reveals. The device appeared on the benchmarking platform with the model number SM-F741U, which is its US version. The global version should be SM-F741B. As usual, the listing doesn’t explicitly mention the chipset, but there are enough clues.

It is an octa-core processor featuring one super core clocked at 3.40GHz, three mid-cores at 3.15GHz, two more mid-cores at 2.96GHz, and two efficiency cores at 2.27GHz. This is none other than the Samsung-exclusive variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The chipset powers the Galaxy S24 Ultra globally and the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ in some markets, including Europe and India.

While we expected the Galaxy Z Flip 6 to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 For Galaxy chipset, its GPU score caught us by surprise. The foldable’s Adreno 750 GPU helped it achieve a Vulkan score of 15,084 on Geekbench v6. As noted by SamMobile, this is similar to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Since the latter is a bigger phone with a larger cooling system, this is an impressive GPU performance from the new Flip.

That said, the lack of a large cooling system could affect the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s sustained performance. It may have to rely on CPU and GPU throttling to keep the temperature in check when used continuously for a long time. The device may not be ideal for long hours of graphic-intense gaming, but it shouldn’t stutter during heavy usage such as video editing and AI processing.

The new Flip could come in a 12GB RAM variant

This Geekbench listing for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 reveals 8GB of RAM. However, it may not be the only RAM variant of the phone. Since Samsung has started 12GB RAM on its mid-range devices, the new foldable should also come in a 12GB RAM variant. The new Flip will run Android 14 out of the box, likely with One UI 6.1.1 on top. Stay tuned for more leaks and rumors about the upcoming Samsung foldables.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 US Geekbench GPU


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Meta brings real-time AI image generation to WhatsApp

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Meta brings real-time AI image generation to WhatsApp
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Meta is adding a real-time AI image generation feature to WhatsApp. This feature allows users to create and share images directly within their chats based on simple text descriptions.

The Verge reports that the feature is currently in beta testing, with initial availability limited to users in the United States. To use the AI image generation tool, users will likely need to opt into the beta program and may access it through a dedicated button within the chat interface.

How the real-time AI image generation tool works

The process is straightforward. Users simply type a text prompt into their chat, and Llama 3 conjures an image that matches the description. Like texting a friend “Imagine a cat riding a skateboard on the moon!” and receiving an image that perfectly depicts that scene. The possibilities for creative expression and playful interaction are endless.

This functionality is powered by Meta’s AI model, Llama 3. Released this month, Llama 3 boasts a significant leap in capabilities compared to its predecessors. It can not only generate images and animations but can also answer your questions and complete tasks you ask it to do.

Meta extends availability to Meta AI for the web

Beyond WhatsApp, real-time image generation is also available to US users through Meta AI for the web. This comes as part of a broader rollout of AI features across all of Meta’s apps, including WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger.

Meta’s adoption of AI image generation marks a significant shift in messaging app interaction, but some concerns remain. Crucial to user adoption will be the accuracy and quality of the generated images. Additionally, the potential for misuse, such as creating deepfakes or offensive content, necessitates robust safeguards. Meta will need to ensure responsible use of this powerful technology.

As Meta refines the technology and addresses privacy issues, this feature has the potential to fundamentally change the way we interact within messaging platforms.


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Unlocking the Power of Portfolio Analysis

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Unlocking the Power of Portfolio Analysis
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In banking and business, you need to know how your investments are doing and what they are made of to get the best results and make smart decisions. Portfolio analysis is a powerful tool that helps people and companies figure out how much money their assets are making, what their pros and cons are, and how to change their plans in a smart way to reach their financial goals.

This piece will explain everything you need to know about portfolio analysis tools, including what they’re for, how they work, and how buyers can make more money by using them. 

What is Portfolio Analysis?

The orderly process of looking at how well, how risky, and how diverse a person or business’s investments are is called portfolio analysis. It involves looking at the portfolio’s overall risk, finding out how assets are related and correlated, and looking at the results that different asset types produce. The main goals of portfolio analysis are to make sure that the right assets are assigned, that the portfolio performs as well as possible, and that it fits the investor’s goals and risk tolerance.

Objectives of Portfolio Analysis

1. Performance Evaluation: By comparing investments to relevant benchmarks and monitoring the achievement of financial objectives, portfolio analysis assists investors in assessing the past performance of their holdings.

2. Risk Assessment: By looking at the portfolio’s risk profile, investors can get an idea of how much risk they are exposed to, find possible sources of risk, and judge how well their risk management strategies are working.

3. Diversification Analysis: Portfolio analysis can help investors find the best way to divide up their assets, while also taking into account their financial goals, investment timeline, and risk tolerance.

4. Asset Allocation: When looking at an investor’s financial goals, investment timeline, and risk tolerance, portfolio analysis can help them find the best asset allocation plan.

5. Rebalancing: Using portfolio analysis, investors may be able to find ways to adjust their portfolio by changing the way their assets are allocated to keep the risk-return profile they want.

Leveraging Investment Portfolio Analysis Tool for Better Profit

Using tools for portfolio analysis could help you make smart investment choices. Let’s talk about it:  

  • Performance Tracking: Users of financial portfolio analysis tools can keep an eye on how their stocks are doing in real-time by comparing them to relevant standards and previous data. This tool lets investors keep track of their progress toward their financial goals and make changes to their plans as needed.
  • Risk Assessment: These tools help buyers figure out how risky their investments are by looking at things like volatility, association, and possible bad results. As long as investors know how risky their assets are, they can use risk management methods to keep their cash safe.
  • Asset Allocation: Investors can find out how they have spread their money across different types of assets, businesses, and regions by using tools that analyze investment accounts. By seeing how the portfolio is put together, investors can find areas where they are over- or under-exposed and make changes to their assets.
  • Diversification Analysis: These tools check the financial diversity of the portfolio to make sure it’s not too focused on just a few stocks or businesses. Diversification is one of the most important things you can do to lower risk and boost results. Investment portfolio research tools can help you do it.
  • Scenario Analysis: Investors can model different market events with the help of advanced technologies and see how they will affect their investments. Modeling different possible outcomes can help investors figure out how resistant their assets are to changes in the market.

Methodologies of Portfolio Analysis

There are different techniques and methods used in portfolio analysis, and each one has its purpose and way of giving information about the portfolio. The following are examples of common techniques:

1. Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT): MPT is a popular method for portfolio analysis that places a strong emphasis on the value of diversity and the connection between risk and return. It assists investors in building effective portfolios that provide the best returns for a certain degree of risk.

2. Risk-Return Analysis: This approach evaluates the risk-return characteristics of the portfolio by looking at the past performance of individual assets and how they correlate with market benchmarks.

3. Sector and Asset Class Analysis: Investors may spot regions of overexposure or underrepresentation and decide on diversification by looking at the portfolio’s composition of various asset classes and industries.

4. Scenario Analysis: Using this method, one may examine the possible risks and possibilities under fluctuating market circumstances by simulating various scenarios and evaluating their influence on the portfolio.

Benefits of Portfolio Analysis

Find out right now why you should use portfolio analysis:  

  • Informed Decision-Making: By giving investors insightful information on the performance and makeup of their assets, portfolio analysis enables them to make data-driven choices that support their financial objectives.
  • Risk Management: Investors may safeguard their assets from market volatility and unanticipated occurrences by implementing proper risk management measures when they have a clear grasp of the risk exposure of their portfolio.
  • Improved Returns: Investors may find chances to optimize the performance of their portfolio, rebalance assets, and modify the asset allocation to maximize returns by using portfolio analysis.
  • Goal Alignment: By ensuring that their investment plan is in line with their time horizon, risk tolerance, and financial objectives, investors may remain on track to meet their objectives with the use of portfolio analysis.

Conclusion

A good way for buyers to get a good idea of their investment portfolio’s results, dangers, and variety is to do a portfolio analysis. By carefully looking over their stocks, investors can make smart decisions, get the best results, and learn important things about how well their investment plan is working.

No matter how much experience you have, taking the time to look over your account may help you reach your financial goals and feel confident in your ability to handle the constantly changing financial markets.


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Sony confirms ‘special Xperia event’ date, Xperia 1 VI coming

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Sony confirms ‘special Xperia event’ date, Xperia 1 VI coming
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Sony has just officially confirmed the rumored ‘special Xperia event’, and that is likely the Xperia 1 VI launch date. An image surfaced yesterday, showing May 17 as a launch date of some sort, saying it’s a special Xperia event.

The Xperia 1 VI will likely launch next month, as Sony confirms ‘special Xperia event’

Well, it turns out that the shared image was made by Sony after all. Sony just shared that same image via the Sony Japan website, its official website. May 17 is a Friday in case you’re interested, and teh image once again doesn’t mention the Xperia 1 VI.

Xperia 1 VI launch date poster leak

However, Sony doesn’t really have many Xperia devices that it would throw events for. Also, it’s the season for Sony’s new flagship smartphone, so the Xperia 1 VI launch seems like a logical solution here.

We’ve exclusively shared the Xperia 1 VI images quite recently. The phone will be shorter and wider than its predecessor, as Sony seems to be changing display aspect ratios. It’s moving from 21:9 to 19.5:9, it seems.

The phone will retain a similar design, but it will be shorter and wider than its predecessor

The phone will still retain the Xperia design that we’re used to buy now. Sony will stick to slightly thicker bezels in order to avoid using a display camera hole or a notch. That’s something many users appreciate.

It will also stick to flat sides with chamfered edges. Three cameras will be placed on the back, in the top-left corner. They will be vertically-aligned, and Sony’s logo will also sit on the phone’s backside.

We’re expecting to see a 6.5-inch display on the device. That display will be flat, though Sony could ditch the 4K resolution. The company is rumored to make a switch to a QHD+ panel this time around.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will fuel the Xperia 1 VI, almost certainly. The phone will be made out of metal and glass. It is expected to measure roughly 161.9 x 74.5 x 8.4mm, in case you were wondering.


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MediaTek Dimensity 6300 is official with 50% faster GPU performance

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MediaTek Dimensity 6300 is official with 50% faster GPU performance
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MediaTek has just announced a new processor, the Dimensity 6300. This processor is a member of the Dimensity 6000 series and one of the company’s more affordable processors.

The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 brings a notable improvement in the GPU department

This chip does come with a number of improvements, though. The most notable one is that its GPU is over 50% faster than the one in the Dimensity 6100+, which was announced last year. Its CPU is up to 10% faster than the one in the Dimensity 6100+.

This chip comes with an enhanced 5G modem which supports 3GPP Release 16 standard with up to 140MHz 2CC 5G Carrier Aggregation. It also has the MediaTek UltraSave 3.0+ tech for power saving.

It’s a 6nm octa-core chip

This is an octa-core processor, and it comes with two Arm Cortex-A76 big cores. They run at 2.4GHz. MediaTek also included six Arm Cortex-A55 efficiency cores, which run at 2GHz. It’s also worth noting that this is a 6nm chip.

It supports LPDDR4X RAM up to 2,133MHz, and UFS 2.2 flash storage (2-lane). Support for cameras up to 108 megapixels is included. This chip also supports displays of up to 2520 x 1080 resolutions at 120Hz.

The graphics chip that I referred to earlier is the Arm Mali-G57 MC2. The Dimensity 6300 also has integrated Dual-Band Wi-Fi 5 (a/b/g/n/ac). Bluetooth 5.2 support is also included here.

This chip is made for budget devices

All in all, it’s not exactly a fancy chip, but it seems to be ideal for budget phones. It’s also one of the more affordable chips that MediaTek has in its lineup at the moment. That alone could attract some customers.

The very first phone that will carry this chip is likely the Realme C65 5G handset. That phone is expected to arrive to India later this month. It remains to be seen what other companies will be interested in the Dimensity 6300. We could see a number of other budget Android phones fueled by this chip.


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Akira Ransomware Attacks Over 250 Organizations

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Akira Ransomware Attacks Over 250 Organizations
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The Akira ransomware variant has severely impacted more than 250 organizations worldwide, amassing approximately USD 42 million in ransom payments.

This information comes from a detailed joint Cybersecurity Advisory issued by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Evolution of Akira Ransomware

Initially detected in early versions written in C++, the Akira ransomware encrypted victims’ files, appending them with a .akira extension.

However, a significant shift occurred in August 2023 when the ransomware operators began deploying a new variant named Megazord.

This updated version, crafted in Rust, marks encrypted files with a .powerranges extension, indicating a strategic evolution in the malware’s development to evade detection and potentially enhance its encryption capabilities.

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The advisory highlights the extensive reach of the Akira ransomware, noting its profound impact on over 250 organizations.

The financial repercussions are staggering, with the cybercriminals behind these attacks having extracted roughly $42 million USD in ransoms.

The scale and sophistication of the operations suggest a highly organized criminal network with significant resources.

Akira threat actors use tools like FileZilla, WinSCP, WinRAR, and RClone to extract data from a system.

Threat actors use easily accessible tools such as AnyDesk, MobaXterm, RustDesk, Ngrok, and Cloudflare Tunnel to establish command and control channels.

This allows them to exfiltrate data through different protocols like FTP, SFTP, and cloud storage services like Mega. They then connect to exfiltration servers to transfer the data.

Tool NamePurposeDescription of Use
PowerShellScriptingUsed to automate tasks and manage configurations, often for initial access and movement.
MimikatzCredential HarvestingEmployed to steal credentials, which are crucial for lateral movement within a network.
Cobalt StrikeCommand and ControlA legitimate security tool repurposed to control compromised systems remotely.
PsExecRemote ExecutionUtilized to execute processes on other systems, aiding in the spread of ransomware.
RcloneData ExfiltrationCommand-line program to manage files on cloud storage, used to exfiltrate data.
Advanced IP ScannerNetwork ScanningScans network devices, providing information that can be used to further infiltrate networks.

These tools represent a combination of legitimate software repurposed for malicious intent and specific hacking tools designed for cyber espionage and system manipulation.

The use of such tools in the Akira ransomware attacks highlights the sophistication and the level of access achieved by the attackers.

FBI and CISA Response

In response to the rising threat, the FBI and CISA have intensified their efforts to combat the spread of Akira ransomware. They urge affected organizations to report incidents to local FBI field offices or directly to CISA’s 24/7 Operations Center.

The advisory also provides detailed indicators of compromise, including malicious file hashes, which network defenders are encouraged to use to identify and mitigate potential ransomware attacks.

Looking to Safeguard Your Company from Advanced Cyber Threats? Deploy TrustNet to Your Radar ASAP.


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Vivo X100 Ultra name & launch timeframe confirmed by trusted source

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Vivo X100 Ultra name & launch timeframe confirmed by trusted source
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The Vivo X100 Ultra name was mentioned a number of times thus far, but it was never confirmed. Well, the company still didn’t confirm it, but a trusted source did.

The Vivo X100 Ultra name has just been confirmed… kind of

This information comes from Digital Chat Station, one of China’s most prominent tipsters. He says that the “name is confirmed”, so he probably received information from someone at the company.

In addition to that, he said that the phone will be launched next month, in May. That’s what was rumored too, so everything fits. It was initially expected in April, but things changed on Vivo’s part.

A Vice President of Product at Vivo, recently said that the company’s upcoming phone will be a “professional camera that can make calls”. He did not mention the Vivo X100 Ultra name, but everyone assumed it.

The phone is expected to include a new 200MP camera from Samsung

Also, Digital Chat Station recently said that the Vivo X100 Ultra will utilize Samsung’s new 200MP camera. The sensor in question is the S5KHP9. That sensor will likely be used for the telephoto camera.

This phone will be fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, almost certainly, and it will include a ton of high-end specs. The Vivo X100 Pro is an outstanding flagship smartphone, but with the Vivo X100 Ultra, Vivo is looking to up the ante even more.

That phone will come with four cameras on the back, instead of three. It could also include a new main camera, the Sony LYT-900 sensor. The Vivo X100 Pro utilizes the Sony IMX989 sensor. Both of those are 1-inch sensors.

It will have four cameras on the back, but we still don’t know the exact setup

We still don’t know if the company will include a telephoto and a periscope telephoto camera on the back, or two periscope telephoto units like the OPPO Find X7 Ultra. It remains to be seen.

Blazing fast charging will also be included, both wired and wireless. Vivo could also offer some sort of satellite connectivity too, we’ll see.


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