Based on the latest information, the Xiaomi 15 Pro will deliver one negative and one positive change. This information comes from Digital Chat Station, by the way, one of the most reliable tipsters out there.
He shared some information about the device via Weibo, a Chinese social media network. He confirmed that the phone will be fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC. That much was a given.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro will deliver one negative & one positive change, amongst other things
In addition to that, the Xiaomi 15 Pro is said to include a 2K micro-curved display. An ultrasonic fingerprint scanner will also be included, which was not the case on the Xiaomi 14 Pro. That phone featured an optical in-display fingerprint scanner.
Now, in the title, we mentioned one negative and one positive change in specific. Well, here they are. The negative one has to do with the phone’s main camera. Xiaomi looks set to ditch the variable aperture, at least on this model. The phone will likely still be able to capture outstanding photos, but… having a variable aperture is useful.
Variable aperture has proven to be quite effective on smartphones, for shooting in various different lighting situations, amongst other things. Well, the Xiaomi 15 Pro is said to offer a large aperture, but a fixed one.
The company will utilize a silicon-carbon battery
In regards to the positive change, Xiaomi looks set to adopt new battery tech. The phone will allegedly use a silicon-carbon negative electrode battery. Thanks mainly to that battery, the Xiaomi 15 Pro is said to include a larger battery, and yet weigh less than 200 grams. It is said to feature a 5,500mAh unit.
The Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Pro launched back in October last year. They are expected to arrive around the same time this year, if not a bit sooner. The launch event will likely take place in China first yet again.
The Xiaomi 14 Pro didn’t even make it to global markets. The Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra did, but not the ‘Pro’ model. It remains to be seen if that will be the case this time around too.
Arkansas has sued the makers of the e-commerce platform Temu over alleged deceptive trade practices. The state claims the shopping app is “dangerous malware” abusing system permissions to steal user data. The lawsuit also raises security concerns over the platform’s Chinese origin.
Temu is malware disguised as shopping app, Arkansas lawsuit claims
Launched in the US in 2022, Temu is an online shopping platform owned by PDD Holdings. Originally a Chinese company, PDD Holdings shifted its headquarters to Ireland last year. The firm also runs a separate shopping app called Pinduoduo in China, which security researchers previously labeled as potential spyware. In March 2023, Google briefly removed the latter from the Play Store after some of its “off-Play versions” were found to contain malware.
In his official complaint, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin linked the two apps. Since Temu came several years after Pinduoduo and made its global debut in the US, Griffin believes it was modeled off its Chinese version and may have the same security lapses. “Temu purports to be an online shopping platform, but it is dangerous malware, surreptitiously granting itself access to virtually all data on a user’s cell phone,” the lawsuit begins.
It goes on to make sweeping claims accusing the app’s makers of purposefully designing it to override privacy settings and gain unrestricted access to unnecessary user data. Griffin says Temu sells user data to third parties to make money, violating the privacy rights of Arkansas citizens. The Arkansas AG also pointed to Apple’s now-resolved concerns about the shopping app’s compliance with data security transparency standards in the US and Europe.
Moreover, Griffin’s lawsuit cites findings by an independent research firm saying Temu can potentially hack users. The number of system permissions and the amount of data it can access is too high for a shopping app. It “sneaks” permissions to gain access to the user’s location, saved files, storage device, and more, which aren’t critical to its normal functioning. Temu also collects sensitive or personally identifiable information that it doesn’t need.
Temu’s Chinese ties are a security threat
Arkansas’ lawsuit against Temu goes beyond labeling it as “malware” and raises security concerns over the app’s Chinese ties. Griffin says Temu’s leadership team is “a cadre of former Chinese Communist Party officials.” As such, the platform is a significant security threat to US citizens. This lawsuit seeks an order enjoining the platform’s deceptive trade practices and privacy violations. It also seeks civil penalties and other monetary and equitable relief.
“Temu is not an online marketplace like Amazon or Walmart. It is a data-theft business that sells goods online as a means to an end,” Griffin said in an official statement. “Though it is known as an e-commerce platform, Temu is functionally malware and spyware. It is purposefully designed to gain unrestricted access to a user’s phone operating system. It can override data privacy settings on users’ devices, and it monetizes this unauthorized collection of data.”
KakaoTalk is an Android application that is predominantly installed and used by over 100 million people.
It is a widely popular application in South Korea that has payment, ride-hailing services, shopping, email etc., But the end-to-end encryption is not enabled by default on KakaoTalk as it is an opt-in feature under the name “Secure Chat”.
Further, this End-to-end encryption is not supported in group messaging or voice calling.
However, KakaoTalk has been discovered with a critical vulnerability that could allow an unauthorized remote threat actor to leak an access token of a victim via an HTTP request header.
In addition, this token can also be used to take over the victim’s user account and read their chat messages by registering an attacker-controlled device.
This vulnerability has been assigned with CVE-2023-51219 and the severity is yet to be categorized.
According to the reports shared with Cyber Security News, the main entry point of this vulnerability is the CommerceBuyActivity webview which has multiple attack points as follows:
It can be started with a Deep link (adb shell am start kakaotalk://buy)
Javascript enabled
supports Intent:// that can be used to send data to other non-exported app components via JS
No sanitization
Leaks an Authorization HTTP header that can be done through Netcat listener in a terminal window and running the $ adb shell am start kakaotalk://buy to start the CommerceBuyActivity WebView
However, though there is an option to leak the Authorization header using GET request, there is small validation there that prevents an attacker from loading any arbitrary attacker-controlled URLs.
To overcome this issue, the code was analyzed which provided information that the path, query and fragment of the URL are using the attacker’s input.
URL Redirect To DOM XSS
As KakaoTalk has a same origin policy that does not load any arbitrary URLs, researchers were checking to see if there are any kakao domains that are vulnerable to DOM XSS.
There was one endpoint identified that was vulnerable to redirection to any kakao domain.
To leverage this same site open-redirect for malicious purposes, there was an XSS flaw discovered.
This XSS flaw was found in the m.shoppinghow.kakao.com subdomain which used DOM Invader Canary string and already had an Stored XSS payload. The XSS payload was so simple which was “><img src=x onerror=alert(1);>.
So combining this XSS, attackers created a malicious deep link which was kakaotalk://auth/0/cleanFrontRedirect?returnUrl=https://m.shoppinghow.kakao.com/m/product/Y25001977964/q:”><img src=x onerror=alert(1);>.
This leaked the user’s access token via the Authorization header which was then sent to the attacker-controlled server by encoding the attacker URL to base64.
As a matter of fact, this token can be used to take over the victim’s Kakao mail account that was used for registration.
Additionally, if the user does not have a Kakao mail account, an attacker can still create a new Kakao Mail account and see the chat messages.
Furthermore, another interesting thing is that the Kakao Mail account overwrites the user’s previous registered mail address without any additional checks.
Further the researchers have also detailed about password reset, via Burp, malicious Deep link creation and a Proof-of-concept has also been published on GitHub.
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Google has announced that Translate now supports 110 additional languages. This is the biggest update the service has received so far. It was all possible thanks to the power of AI.
For reference, before this update, Google Translate supported 133 languages. Therefore, the service’s language support has grown by more than 82% at once. Google revealed that it used its PaLM 2 AI language model to achieve such a milestone. Using artificial intelligence helps to significantly accelerate learning processes in complex systems, and this is a great example.
110 new languages join the Google Translate-supported list
The blog post highlights some of the new supported languages: Afar, Cantonese, Manx, Nko, Punjabi (Shahmukhi), Tamazight (Amazigh) and Tok Pisin. There are also “languages close to Hindi, like Awadhi and Marwadi” and “French Creoles like Seychellois Creole and Mauritian Creole.” Google’s Isaac Caswell said that “about a quarter of new languages come from Africa.”
Not all new supported languages are widely used. In fact, with this update, the company wants to contribute to the preservation of languages. There are even some that do not have any officially active speakers. Google claims that the update focused on the most common varieties of each language. This allows Google Translate to deliver reliable and usable results in the real world.
8% of the population speaks these languages
In total, the 110 new languages supported by Google Translate represent 8% of the population. This translates into more than 614 million active speakers around the world. The company had advanced its ambitious plans for Translate in 2022. At that time, the company stated that the goal is to support up to 1,000 languages, thanks to the power of AI.
This latest step puts Google closer to its goal. It also further increases the gap with Apple’s language translation service. Currently, Apple Translate supports just over 20 languages, a number that pales in comparison.
Since its launch in 2006, Google Translate has been breaking down language barriers, helping people connect and understand the world better. With advancements in technology, Google has steadily expanded its language repertoire. Now, as AI takes the spotlight in tech, Google is using it to diversify the languages available on Google Translate even further.
110 new languages are coming to Google Translate
The tech giant is introducing 110 new languages to Google Translate, marking its largest expansion to date. This feat is made possible by its PaLM 2 large language model, which Google credits as crucial in enabling Translate to effectively learn closely related languages. This includes languages such as Awadhi and Marwadi, closely related to Hindi, as well as French creoles like Seychellois Creole and Mauritian Creole.
Video credit – Google
As technology advances, and as we continue to partner with expert linguists and native speakers, we’ll support even more language varieties and spelling conventions over time.
– Isaac Caswell, Senior Software Engineer, Google Translate, June 2024
From Cantonese to Qʼeqchiʼ, the latest languages added to Google Translate now serve over 614 million individuals globally, opening up translations for about 8% of the world’s population. These include major languages with millions of speakers, languages used by small Indigenous groups, and some with few native speakers but ongoing efforts to preserve and promote them.
Roughly 25% of the new languages originate from Africa, marking Google’s most extensive expansion of African languages to date. This includes Fon, Kikongo, Luo, Ga, Swati, Venda, and Wolof.
Here are a few of the languages recently added to Google Translate:
Cantonese: a highly requested language for Google Translate for quite some time. However, Google says due to its overlap with Mandarin in writing, finding accurate data and training models can be challenging.
Afar: a tonal language spoken across Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, which stands out in this release for garnering the most support from volunteer contributors.
Manx: the Celtic language of the Isle of Man, which nearly faced extinction after its last native speaker passed away in 1974. However, thanks to a revival movement across the island, the language has seen a resurgence, with thousands of speakers now keeping it alive.
NKo: a standardized form of the West African Manding languages that brings together different dialects into a single language. Its unique alphabet was invented in 1949, and today, there is a vibrant community actively developing resources and technology for it.
Punjabi (Shahmukhi): a version of Punjabi written in the Perso-Arabic script (Shahmukhi) is the most widely spoken language in Pakistan.
Tamazight (Amazigh): a Berber language spoken across North Africa. Despite having many dialects, its written form is generally understood across different regions. It is written in both Latin and Tifinagh scripts, both supported by Google Translate.
Tok Pisin: an English-based creole that serves as the lingua franca of Papua New Guinea.
I don’t know about you, but I only speak three languages, so I think tools like Google Translate are super handy. Thanks to them, we can connect with people from all over the world. I mean, no one can learn every language out there, right? But technology can, and that is one of the coolest things about it.
Google has unveiled new features for Chrome Enterprise Core, formerly known as Chrome Browser Cloud Management.
As organizations increasingly rely on cloud computing, hybrid work models, and Bring Your Device (BYOD) policies, the need for robust browser management has never been more critical.
This announcement aims to address these challenges by providing IT and security teams with enhanced visibility and control over their browser environments.
The Browser: A Key to Enterprise Productivity
The modern workplace is evolving, with more work being conducted within the browser than ever before.
Research suggests that by 2030, enterprise browsers will become the core platform for delivering workforce productivity and security software on both managed and unmanaged devices, ensuring a seamless hybrid work experience.
Recognizing this trend, Google has developed Chrome Enterprise Core to help organizations maintain a productive workforce while safeguarding sensitive information.
Chrome Enterprise Core: A Comprehensive Management Solution
Chrome Enterprise Core allows IT administrators to configure and manage browser policies, settings, apps, and extensions across multiple browsers from a single console.
This capability is crucial for organizations with diverse operating systems and devices, and it comes at no cost.
The latest update introduces several new features designed to support IT and security teams more effectively.
One of the key enhancements is the extension of policy management to mobile platforms.
Admins can now push policies to users who sign into Chrome on iOS, covering both unmanaged and managed browsers.
This feature is particularly beneficial for BYOD models, as it allows for a clear separation between a managed work profile and a user’s profile.
This capability is also available on Android, ensuring comprehensive coverage across all mobile platforms.
Additionally, Google is launching new JSON custom configurations from the cloud, enabling enterprises to leverage even more policies through cloud management.
This feature allows IT teams to configure any on-prem Group Policy Object (GPO) policy through the cloud, providing greater control over their deployment.
Understanding that every organization has unique needs, Google has introduced more flexible IT management controls.
Organizations can now manage browsers by groups, including multiple groups, and manage at the device and Organizational Unit (OU) level.
This flexibility allows IT teams to apply different policies for various business divisions, geographies, or job roles.
For instance, IT teams can group all Windows devices or all remote developers to apply specific policies.
To facilitate the adoption of Chrome Enterprise Core, Google has introduced new interactive setup guides within the Google Admin console.
These guides provide detailed instructions on setting up and using the most popular capabilities, offering hands-on training for administrators at any stage of their Chrome Enterprise Core journey.
Insights and Action
Security InsightsA standout feature of the new update is Chrome security insights, which allows Security and IT admins to enable a one-click security event logging analytics tool.
This tool automatically analyzes all sensitive data movement across the organization’s fleet, scanning data transfers against 50 default Data Loss Prevention (DLP) detectors.
It generates reports on activities such as users with high content transfer, domains with high content transfer, and the most common sensitive data types.
This feature provides increased visibility and insights into potential data exfiltration and insider risk threats.
Crash Reports
Currently available for Workspace Enterprise customers, Chrome security insights will be accessible to all Enterprise Core users in July.
Another valuable addition is the availability of crash reports, which give IT teams insight into crash event trends and allow them to analyze potential browser issues proactively.
This feature helps IT teams respond quickly and troubleshoot problems to minimize end-user disruption.
Crash reporting can be visualized by Chrome version, OS platform, and channel, and is available to all Chrome Enterprise Core users in the “Chrome browser > Reporting” section of the Google Admin console.
Google has introduced a new Inactive Browser Deletion Policy to support data hygiene efforts.
This policy automatically deletes inactive browser information from Google servers after a specified period, giving IT teams time back and ensuring data hygiene.
Google’s latest enhancements to Chrome Enterprise Core demonstrate its commitment to providing IT and security teams with the tools they need to manage and secure their browser environments effectively.
With extended policy management, more flexible IT controls, and insightful analytics, Chrome Enterprise Core is poised to become an indispensable tool for organizations navigating the complexities of modern work environments.
For those not yet using Chrome Enterprise’s cloud management tool, now is the perfect time to get started, as it is free. Happy browsing!
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Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India’s state-owned telecommunications provider, has suffered a major data breach orchestrated by a threat actor known as “kiberphant0m”.
The cyberattack has compromised over 278GB of sensitive data, putting millions of users at risk of SIM card cloning, identity theft, and financial fraud.
The breached data includes critical information such as International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) numbers, SIM card details, Home Location Register (HLR) data, DP Card Data, DP Security Key Data, and snapshots of BSNL’s SOLARIS servers.
According to a report by digital risk management firm Athentian Tech, the compromised data includes international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) numbers, SIM card details, home location register (HLR) data, and critical security keys.
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This extensive operational data could enable sophisticated attacks targeting not only BSNL but also interconnected systems and networks, posing significant national security risks.
Kanishk Gaur, CEO of Athentian Tech, toldThe Economic Times that the compromised data is being sold on the dark web for $5,000. Gaur emphasized the complexity and critical nature of the breached data, which goes beyond typical user information and targets the core of BSNL’s operational systems.
This high price tag underscores the data’s value due to its sensitive nature and broad scope, surpassing typical user information and targeting BSNL’s core operations.
This incident marks the second data breach BSNL has experienced in the past six months. In December 2023, a threat actor known as “Perell” released a dataset containing 32,000 lines of sensitive information about BSNL’s fibre and landline users.
Potential risks include:
SIM cloning and identity theft: Attackers can create duplicate SIM cards to intercept communications, access bank accounts, and commit fraud.
Financial losses: Bypassing security measures on financial accounts could lead to significant user losses.
Service disruptions: Unauthorized access to telecom operations may cause outages and degrade performance.
National security threats: The breach could undermine infrastructure stability and set a precedent for attacks on critical systems.
Experts urge BSNL to promptly investigate and contain the breach, secure network endpoints, audit access logs, and implement enhanced security measures.
Users are advised to monitor accounts for unusual activity, enable two-factor authentication, and remain vigilant against phishing and social engineering attacks.
This incident marks the second data breach for BSNL within six months, raising serious concerns about the company’s data security practices and the potential consequences for its users and national security.
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Today, Google announced five new Chrome features that aim to take the mobile search experience on Android and iOS to the next level. Notably, the latest update to Google Chrome brings new shortcut suggestions, better navigation across websites with the help of the redesigned address bar, and more.
Google boosts mobile search experience with Chrome’s new shortcut suggestions, redesigned address bar & more
Firstly, Google brings new Chrome Actions that save your time by allowing you to quickly engage with local businesses. Now, when you search for a business on Chrome, say a restaurant, you’ll see new shortcut button suggestions. You can use it to call the business, get its directions, or even read public reviews about it. This Chrome feature is now available on Android and will come to iOS later this fall.
Next up, a redesigned Chrome address bar is coming to iPads and Android tablets. Thanks to the new design, you can take advantage of large screen sizes. Plus, it is in line with the Material You design. Now, when you use the address bar, the website you’re currently browsing appears just below. So, if you want to return to it, you can do so without any hassle.
Google also brings new shortcut suggestions in the address bar of Chrome on both Android and iOS. The new feature gives your address bar a personalized touch. It allows you to revisit websites based on your usual typing habits. For example, let’s say you usually type “schedules” to check the time of your City Metro by visiting a particular website. With the new feature, Chrome will prioritize and show that suggestion when you start typing a similar search query in the address bar as seen below.
Trending searches are now available for iOS users, too
Aside from new shortcut suggestions, Google is also bringing trending searches in Chrome for iOS users. Not to forget, this feature is already available on Android. For those uninitiated, trending searches are usually displayed below the Chrome address bar when you tap it from the New Tab page.
Finally, a new feature called Live Sports Cards is now available in Chrome’s Discover Feed on the New Tab page. These cards will offer Android and iOS users automatic updates about their favorite sports team’s live scores and highlights. Therefore, you are always updated with the latest news about your favorite sports and teams you love. All in all, Google, as always, is trying to make the Chrome app better by adding new features to elevate the web browsing experience for users on smartphones and tablets.
Two ‘Ultra’ smartphones are going at it this time around. We’ll be comparing the Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Vivo X100 Ultra. Both of these smartphones launched in the first half of this year. They are both large and utilize Qualcomm’s most powerful processor. So, in that regard, they’re the same. There are, of course, a number of differences between them, as these are two entirely different companies we’re looking at.
We will first list their specifications, and will then move to compare them in some other aspects. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio. Before we begin, however, do note that the Vivo X100 Ultra did not launch in a global variant. It arrived only in China, so if you import it, you’ll have to install the Google Play Store manually. That’s not much of an issue, but it’s worth noting, as the software is made for China. With that being said, let’s get to it.
Both of these smartphones have a frame made out of aluminum. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra also comes in a titanium variant in China. On the back, you’ll find glass in the case of the Vivo X100 Ultra, while Xiaomi has vegan leather aka eco leather on the back, at least as far as its global variant is concerned. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a slightly curved display and a centered display camera hole. The display on the Vivo X100 Ultra is also curved, and a centered display camera hole is included here too. Both smartphones have very thin bezels around them.
You will notice that physical keys are located on the right-hand side of both smartphones. They even have a similar place on that side. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has flat sides, for the most part, while that’s not the case with the Vivo X100 Ultra. If we flip them around, you’ll notice that both phones have a large camera island on the back. They have a camera oreo centered in the upper portion of the back. Those two camera islands are even similar in terms of size, and they both protrude quite a bit.
The Vivo X100 Ultra is a bit taller than the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, while the two phones are almost the same in terms of width. They’re exactly the same when the thickness is concerned. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is lighter than the Vivo X100 Ultra, at least as far as its global variant is concerned. Both smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. The global variant of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra does offer a bit more grip thanks to the vegan leather that it has on the back. Both phones do feel quite substantial in the hand, and are well-built.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Vivo X100 Ultra: Display
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a 6.73-inch QHD+ (3200 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display. This panel is curved, and it has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Dolby Vision is supported here, and the same goes for HDR10+ content. This panel goes up to 3,000 nits of brightness, and it has a 20:9 display aspect ratio. The screen-to-body ratio is around 89%, while the Xiaomi Shield Glass protects this display.
The Vivo X100 Ultra, on the flip side, has a 6.78-inch QHD+ (3200 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display. This panel is also curved, and it can project up to 1 billion colors. We’re looking at an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, while Dolby Vision is supported here too. HDR content is supported too, while the peak brightness is set at 3,000 nits. The display aspect ratio is 20:9, while the screen-to-body ratio is at around 89%. The display protection here is unknown.
As you can see, both of these displays look really great on paper. What are they like in actual use? Well, great, basically. They’re both immensely sharp, and they are also quite vivid. The viewing angles on both panels are great, and the touch response is really good too. The blacks are deep, as you’d expect them to be on OLED panels. Both displays get bright enough in all situations, and there’s really nothing to complain about here. They’re not even too curved or anything like that. You’ll be happy with either one of these two panels.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Vivo X100 Ultra: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 fuels both of these smartphones. That is Qualcomm’s most powerful processor, so they’re well-covered in that regard. Both phones also offer up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, not to mention that UFS 4.0 flash storage is used for both of them. Neither company skimped out on performance-related hardware, which is always nice to see, of course. That is especially true considering these are rather pricey flagship phones.
Does all that powerful hardware mean that they both offer great performance? Well, in this case, yes, it does. Both of these phones do a wonderful job day-to-day. They open apps really fast, do a great job with multitasking, consuming multimedia is a joy, they can easily process images and videos, and so on. There’s really nothing of the sort that can bog them down, and you’d really be hard-pressed to make either phone stumble.
What about gaming? Well, they do a really great job in that aspect too. Both devices can run even the most demanding games provided on the Google Play Store without a problem. Genshin Impact is always a good example, and the performance is basically the same as some of the competition offers… great. Yes, both phones will get warm during intense gaming sessions, but never too hot, nor will that affect their performance. You’ll be well-covered in the performance department with either device.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Vivo X100 Ultra: Battery
There is a 5,000mAh battery included inside the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. That is true for the global model, the Chinese variant comes with a 5,300mAh battery pack. The Vivo X100 Ultra, on the other hand, has a 5,500mAh battery included. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra does provide a really good battery life, but it cannot compete with the Vivo X100 Ultra in that regard. Vivo’s handset does fly higher in that regard.
Getting 7 hours of screen-on-time is not a problem on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, as long as you’re not gaming a lot or something of the sort. The same goes for the Vivo X100 Ultra, but that phone does add to that too. Getting even to 8 hours of screen-on-time is a possibility. That large battery does make a difference, at least to a degree. The good news is, even if you do end up draining either of the two devices ahead of time, they do offer fast charging.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra supports 90W wired, 80W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The Vivo X100 Ultra, on the other hand, supports 80W wired, 30W wireless, and reverse wired charging too. So, both phones will charge immensely fast via a wire, while the Xiaomi 14 Ultra does have the advantage in terms of wireless charging speed. Both of them also come with chargers included in the retail box.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Vivo X100 Ultra: Cameras
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has four cameras on the back, while the Vivo X100 Ultra has three. You’ll find a 50-megapixel main camera (variable aperture, 1-inch type sensor), a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (122-degree FoV), a 50-megapixel telephoto camera (3.2x optical zoom), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom) on the back of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The Vivo X100 Ultra includes a 50-megapixel main camera (1-inch type sensor, gimbal OIS), a 50-megapixel ultrawide unit (116-degree FoV), and a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (3.7x optical zoom).
The images these two phones provide are different, but both devices do a fantastic job. The ones from the Vivo X100 Ultra pull a bit more toward warmer tones. Both phones provide very detailed images during the day, which handle HDR conditions without a problem. They also do a fantastic job in low light, as far as the main cameras are concerned. The Vivo X100 Ultra does light up the scene a bit more, while the Xiaomi 14 Ultra images in low light tend to look closer to real life.
Their secondary cameras do a great job too, both during the day and in nighttime. The difference is noticeable, however, that especially goes for low light scenes. Many of you will want to stick to main units for low light photography. High-zoom shots are a tossup between the two phones, but the Vivo X100 Ultra does a better job with portraits. Both phones do a fantastic job when it comes to macro photography, however. It’s worth noting that Xiaomi’s handset is backed by Leica, while Vivo is partnered up with ZEISS.
Audio
Both of these smartphones feature stereo speakers. Those speakers are good on both ends, but the ones on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra are a bit louder. The difference is not that big, however, and both sets deliver very good sound quality.
You will not find an audio jack on either phone. They do have Type-C ports, so you can always use those to hook up your wired headphones. If you’d like to go wireless, both phones are equipped with Bluetooth 5.4.
Why is that? Well, Huawei has no way of getting those tools due to the US ban. Huawei is prevented from making chips more modern than 5nm ones, which is a problem. This is Huawei’s way of trying to jump over that obstacle.
Huawei invested quite a bit of money into R&D for advanced chipmaking machinery
The company actually invested in an R&D facility whose purpose is to develop advanced machinery Huawei needs. That R&D center is being constructed near Shanghai.
SMIC and Hua Hong, Huawei’s chip-making partners, cannot get the tools needed to make processors on the 14nm FinFET and 16nm FinFET processes. They can only grab 28nm lithography systems, which are dated at this point.
ASML is allegedly holding 90% of the market
Huawei not only invested this money in order to help itself, but to break ASML’s monopoly, it seems. 90% of the market is reportedly controlled by ASML, and Huawei sees this as an opportunity to get a piece of the pie too and bring some balance to the table.
The area on which Huawei is building this factory is equivalent to 224 football fields and will employ over 35,000 employees. Needless to say, it’s quite massive. Huawei is also looking for top talent in the field of semiconductors and is ready to pay well.
Needless to say, however, this will take time. Huawei needs advanced chips as soon as possible, and building this factory plus conducting R&D and utilizing it in actual products will take quite a bit of time.
