Metalenz could help flatten out huge smartphone camera bumps in the future

 It seems that a new company called Metalenz has recently been spotted, offering a new type of lens that could potentially reduce the size of the rear camera bump on future smartphones. While not much is known in regards to which smartphones will come equipped with the new lens, it does give us a better idea on how the smartphones could look like in the future.

As for how it functions, the Metalenz’s technology function by using a single lens that’s built on a glass wafer up to 3x3 millimetre in size with nanostructures that are designed to bend light onto the sensor. As of now, it seems that Metalenz is currently working with a smartphone partner which will most likely unveil a device equipped with the new lens technology in the near future.

realme V11 5G release: Dimensity 700 chipset, 5000mAh battery, and up to 13MP camera at ~RM754

 It seems that realme has officially unveiled a new smartphone in China called the realme V11 5G, which is only available in one variant at the priced of RMB1199 (~RM754). Unfortunately, there is no news on the Malaysia release date, so you might want to check back with us in the near future.

In terms of the tech specs, the smartphone in question comes equipped with a Dimensity 700 chipset, 4GB RAM, 128GB ROM, 6.52-inch display, as well as a 5000mAh internal battery. As for the camera, the devices has a 13MP + 2MP rear camera while the front comes with an 8MP selfie camera.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 & Z Fold 3 may launch in July 2021

 Around last week, there was a rumour about the possible launch window for Samsung's foldable device. It's said that Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 could be launched together. Now it seems a reliable source has a good idea of when they're launching.

According to Ice Universe, we will have to "wait 5 months" from now to see both models. This puts the launch window in July 2021, which is when the Galaxy Z Flip 5G launched last year. Interestingly, another leaker followed up by mentioning that he could get his hands on samples in 2-3 months.

With the gap between this rumoured launch and the Galaxy S21 series, we can probably expect other phones in the meantime. For example, the Galaxy A52 5G and Galaxy A72 5G were spotted recently. There's also a rumour that Samsung is working on a Galaxy A82 smartphone that could feature a pop-up or flippable camera module.

A woman got scammed RM18,000 through a fake SMS and KWSP is warning us about that

 After tricking the public by building a fake Maybank website, the scammer has another method to get your money now. It is reported that a woman has lost RM18,000 after interacting with a link in an SMS notifying her that her bank account is locked. KWSP is warning the public to beware of such suspicious SMS to not fall into the trap set up by vicious scammers.

During this time, some of you may have applied to withdraw money from your KWSP account under the i-Sinar program as well. Therefore, it is important to verify any SMS received before clicking on anything. Not just SMS, you should also be doing the same for phone calls or e-mails to avoid being scammed.

Microsoft Cuts Donations to Politicians Who Voted in Favour of Donald Trump Against US Election Results

 Microsoft on Friday said it is temporarily cutting off donations to politicians who voted against certifying the US election results or supported efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's victory.

Contributions from employees, shareholders and family members channeled through a Microsoft Corporation Stakeholders Voluntary PAC will be withheld from those lawmakers through the 2022 election cycle, according to corporate vice president Fred Humphries.

He added that the political action committee will create a Democracy Forward Initiative to support campaign finance reform and voting rights.

"We believe these steps are appropriate given the importance of these issues for the stability and future of American democracy," Humphries said in a blog post.

The PAC had suspended political contributions after the deadly attack last month on the US Capitol Building by supporters of former president Donald Trump.

In an unprecedented second impeachment trial, Trump is accused of fomenting the attack by his supporters on the US legislature, forcing a halt to proceedings to certify Biden's victory in the November presidential election.

The January 6 violence continues to reverberate in Washington. Prosecutors have charged some 180 people in the attacks, according to a tally by the George Washington University Program on Extremism, and hundreds more are under investigation.

The Justice Department has suggested it could build a case for seditious conspiracy by some Trump-supporting extreme-right groups in the attack.

In a White House rally just before the attack, Trump encouraged supporters to reject the election results and to "fight like hell."

The Microsoft PAC is suspending all donations to members of Congress who voted to object to the certification of the election results, according to Humphries.

More than 3,000 Microsoft employees donate to the PAC, and Humphries said the announced moves resulted from feedback gathered from many of them in video-meetings.

"We do realize that these steps, while significant, will be too much or too little for some employees," Humphries said.

"There were several other good ideas that arose from our recent meetings, and we will continue to consider other ways we can strengthen the MSVPAC."

iPhone SE 3, iPhone 12S Pro Concept Renders Suggest What’s Coming From Apple in 2021

 While Apple hasn't provided any details about the 2021 iPhone lineup, concept renders offering a glimpse into the possible design of iPhone SE 3 and iPhone 12S Pro have surfaced online. iPhone SE 3, aka iPhone SE (2021), seems to have a list of significant changes over the existing iPhone SE (2020) and the original iPhone SE. One of the key changes suggested by the renders is the absence of a home button. iPhone 12S Pro, on the other hand, appears to have the same design as iPhone 12 Pro, according to the concept renders. iPhone 12S Pro was earlier rumoured as iPhone 13 Pro, though the latter may come in 2022 — given the historical record of the iPhone lineup.

iPhone SE 3 concept renders

Slovakian blog Svetapple.sk published the concept renders of iPhone SE 3. The renders show a hole-punch display, along with thin bezels. The phone also appears to have a flat frame that resembles the design of the iPhone 12 series.

iphone se 3 2021 image render svetapple sk iPhone SE 3  iPhone SE 2021

On the back, the iPhone SE 3 renders show a single camera sensor, along with an LED flash. This is similar to iPhone SE and iPhone SE (2020). However, the renders show no home button. The blog instead mentioned that there could be Touch ID fingerprint recognition on the power key. This is similar to the latest iPad Air.

iPhone SE 3 specifications (expected)

In terms of specifications, the blog claims that iPhone SE 3 will come with a 5.4-inch LCD panel that will feature a high resolution — but not as good as the OLED displays on the high-end iPhone models. The rear camera sensor is also expected to have 12-megapixel resolution along with an f/1.6 lens. This is identical to iPhone 12 mini.

iPhone SE 3 is reported to have Apple A14 Bionic SoC with 4GB of RAM and 4G connectivity. The new model is also speculated to have 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB of storage options — just like the existing iPhone SE. On the pricing front, iPhone SE 3 could be available at $499 (roughly Rs. 36,400) for the base 64GB storage variant. The rumoured price is $100 (roughly Rs. 7,300) higher than the $399 (roughly Rs. 29,100) iPhone SE (2020).

That said, iPhone SE 3 is expected to debut in April 2021, along with the next-generation AirPods Pro. You can expect some further details to surface in the meantime.

Phone 12S Pro concept renders

In addition to the iPhone SE 3 renders, LetsGoDigital published the concept renders of iPhone 12S Pro in collaboration with Concept Creator. The new Pro model appears to have a thinner notch, with a chassis similar to that of the iPhone 12 Pro. You can, of course, expect multiple colour options as well. The renders also suggest the absence of a Lightning port. This means that Apple could offer wireless charging as the sole source to refill the inbuilt battery. However, this information should be taken with a pinch of salt as the Cupertino company hasn't made any official announcement.

iPhone 12S Pro specifications (expected)

LetsGoDigital and Concept Creator have also speculated on some key specifications of iPhone 12S Pro. The phone is believed to retain the 6.1-inch OLED display that's there on iPhone 12 Pro. It is, however, expected to have a 120Hz refresh rate. iPhone 12S Pro is also speculated to have in-display Touch ID fingerprint sensor — alongside Face ID.

Asus Wants Gamers in India to Join ROG Academy Programme, Company Executive Shares Insight

 sus ROG Academy is a new virtual initiative by the Taiwanese PC, component, and peripherals maker, aimed at enabling gamers in India to showcase their skills and get a chance to become professional e-sports players. Asus, with help from AFK Gaming, will organise this programme and pick six contestants to be part of the ROG Academy. Here, they will be put under the tutelage of professionals who will mentor, train, and guide them towards the goal of representing Asus ROG locally, as well as globally. With the significant growth of gaming in India especially in the last year owing to the pandemic, people can now have a virtual platform to not only compete with others, but assess e-sports as a legitimate profession for themselves.

ROG Academy is a year-long programme divided into four quarterly sessions that focuses on one of the most prominent games in the e-sports scene, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Registration will start from February 1 and last till February 10.

Players will go through a rigorous selection process to make it to the top six and get a chance to be part of the academy. As per the companies, the final six players will be given Rs. 1,00,000 after successfully completing their three month training. They will also get a stipend of Rs. 15,000 along with a bonus on monthly basis during the training.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: Does stylus spell end of the Note?

 Samsung's new flagship Galaxy S smartphone works with its stylus for the first time.

The S Pen is an optional add-on for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. But the move will fuel speculation the firm will phase out its separate Note handset range.

Samsung told the BBC it had yet to make a decision about this.

The company's handset sales have declined more quickly than the wider market. One expert said a streamlined line-up might help address this.

media captionWATCH: First look at Samsung's S21 Ultra phone

"There's increasing logic for Samsung to converge the Galaxy S and Note platforms, because there's so little differentiation between the two kinds of devices now," said Ben Wood, from the CCS Insight consultancy.

"That would align them with Apple, which also has one big phone launch event a year.

"My concern is that every time Samsung has announced its Note products in the past, it has planted a seed in consumers' minds that the Galaxy S products have become kind of the old ones."

The benefit of having a stylus is that it is easier to write, draw or annotate notes than using a finger. But to work it requires special hardware under the glass of the phone's display to pass power to the stylus and to track its tip.

'Expanded Note experience'

The Android-based Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 6.8in (17.3cm) display, which is only slightly smaller than the top-end 6.9in Note.

In years past, the Note phones were known as "phablets", and their size was the other key distinguishing factor with the S range.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTSAMSUNG

image captionUnlike the Note series, the S21 Ultra requires a special case to stow away the pen

Product manager Mark Notton said "we haven't decided", when asked whether Samsung planned to continue the Note family.

"It does not mean that Samsung is not committed to the Note category, but is expanding the Note experience across device categories," the firm said in a follow-up statement.

"We will actively listen to consumers' feedback and reflect it in our continued product innovation."

The S21 Ultra will start at £1,149 when it goes on sale on 29 January. The S Pen costs an extra £35 on its own, or £85 when bundled with a case that stores it.

That puts it in the ballpark of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra's £1,179 starting price, which comes with a stylus that slots into its body.

Ditched charger

There are also two other lower-cost models in the new range, neither of which works with the S-Pen stylus: the 6.2in S21 and 6.7in S21+.

All three models feature a redesigned camera module on their back.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTSAMSUNG

image captionAll the Galaxy S21 phones feature a redesigned camera module on their back

But while the two lower-end models have three lenses - ultra-wide, wide and 3x-zoom telephoto - the S21 Ultra adds a further 10x-zoom telephoto lens, letting owners shoot action from even further away.

The handsets also benefit from a new Director's View facility. It lets users film video while getting thumbnail previews superimposed on-screen of what it would look like if they switched to another lens.

All three phones can film in 8K - double the maximum resolution of the competing iPhone 12 range's native video app.

image captionThe Director's View mode lets users preview how the recorded shot will change in a video if they switch to a different lens while filming

Other benefits over Apple's latest phones include:

• screens that can display up to 120 frames per second, to provide smoother visual effects
• wi-fi 6E wireless connectivity, allowing use of extra radio bandwith with a compatible router
• brighter screens - the S21 Ultra goes up to 1,500 nits, which should improve playback of HDR (high dynamic range) video

However, the handsets may be more notable for following Apple in two regards.

They have abandoned a slot for a microSD memory card.

And they will be sold without either a charger - a decision over which Samsung had mocked its rival. - or earphones.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTSAMSUNG

image captionSamsung posted this ad in October on social media before deleting it

"We discovered that more and more Galaxy users are reusing accessories they already have," the firm said.

Early launch

Samsung typically unveils its Galaxy range in late February, but has brought forward this year's launch to coincide with the CES tech show.

"Samsung needs S21 to be a success given that S20 was launched in the middle of Covid first wave in Europe and didn't gain many fans," commented Marta Pinto, from research firm IDC.

She added the earlier launch date could help it compete in the "premium market" with Apple, whose iPhones were released later than normal last year.

The South Korean firm should also benefit from collapsing sales of Huawei's devices in the West, caused by US sanctions that prevent them offering the Google Play store and some of the search giant's other services.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTSAMSUNG

image captionSamsung dedicated a segment of its Unpacked launch presentation to its partnership with Google

But Mr Wood said Samsung was facing growing competition from other Chinese brands including Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.

"Samsung's differentiator is going to be its ability to market its strong brand, and the fact it has a very wide product portfolio," he commented.

Smarter earbuds

Samsung also aims to widen its appeal with two further accessories.

It has a new pair of £219 wireless earbuds that monitor what the user is doing.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTSAMSUNG

image captionSamsung's earbuds should automatically adapt their audio output according to what the user is doing

If they detect the wearer is talking, they automatically turn down the volume of music and amplify the sounds of the nearby environment picked up by their microphones, allowing the owner to have a brief conversation without needing to take them out or manually adjust their settings.

Samsung also is launching the £30 Galaxy SmartTag - a Bluetooth-enabled tracker that can be attached to belongings or pets.

It will allow an app to show their location, so long as the tag is in range of the owner or anyone else's compatible Samsung device.

The tracker will compete with similar products from the current market leader Tile.

Australia rebukes Google for blocking local content

 The Australian government has urged Google to focus on paying for Australian content instead of blocking it.

After media reports said Australian news websites were not showing up in searches, Google confirmed it was blocking the sites for a small number of users.

The search engine said it was conducting experiments to determine the value of its service to Australian news outlets.

Google, Facebook and other tech companies are fighting the Australian government over plans to make them pay for news content.

Google said the tests affect about 1% of Australian users, and will be finished by February.

“The digital giants should focus on paying for original content, not blocking it. That’s my message to those digital giants,” said Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

The big tech firms have been resisting legislation which will force them to negotiate with Australian news outlets over payment for the content which appears on their platforms.

If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, a government-appointed arbitrator will decide for them.

The law is currently being debated by Australia’s Senate, and is expected to be voted on early this year.

Google and Facebook have called the rules unfair and suggested they would force them to limit their offerings in the country.

media captionWATCH: Timnit Gebru accuses Google and the wider tech sector of institutional racism

The bill also covers Australia's two public broadcasters ABC and SBS, and requires Google and Facebook to share user data of news stories with their publishers.

“That is a world-leading scheme that we are putting in place. It has been acknowledged not just by regulatory agencies but by other governments around the world,” said Mr Frydenberg.

Google argues that its search services would be worse under the change.

It has rolled out an extensive advertising campaign in Australia, arguing the laws would be damaging.

Australia’s media proprietors see things differently. Australian print media has seen a 75% decline in advertising revenue since 2005, the government said.

Many Australian news outlets have shut down or cut jobs in recent years as a result.

Parler Suspended From Google Play

 

Alphabet's Google on Friday suspended the Parler social networking service from its app store, citing posts inciting violence and demanding “robust” content moderation from the app favored by many supporters of US President Donald Trump.

Apple on Friday also gave the service 24 hours to submit a detailed moderation plan, pointing to participants using the service to coordinate Wednesday's siege of the US Capitol building.

The actions by the two Silicon Valley companies mean that the network seen as a haven for people expelled from Twitter could become unavailable for new downloads on the world's main mobile phone app stores within a day. It would still be available in mobile browsers.

Right-leaning social media users in the United States have flocked to Parler, messaging app Telegram and hands-off social site Gab, citing the more aggressive policing of political comments on mainstream platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Twitter permanently suspended President Trump's account on Friday.

In suspending the service, Google, whose software powers Android phones, cited its policy against apps that promote violence and gave recent examples from Parler, including a Friday post that began "How do we take back our country? About 20 or so coordinated hits" and another promoting a "Million Militia March" on Washington.

Parler Chief Executive John Matze said in a post on Friday that Apple was applying standards to Parler that it did not apply to itself.

In a statement, Google said that "for us to distribute an app through Google Play, we do require that apps implement robust moderation for egregious content. In light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat, we are suspending the app's listings from the Play Store until it addresses these issues."

In a letter from Apple's App Store review team to Parler seen by Reuters, Apple cited participants of the mob storming the US Capitol building on Wednesday.

"Content that threatens the well-being of others or is intended to incite violence or other lawless acts has never been acceptable on the App Store," Apple said in the letter.

Apple gave Parler 24 hours to "remove all objectionable content from your app ... as well as any content referring to harm to people or attacks on government facilities now or at any future date." The company also demanded that Parler submit a written plan "to moderate and filter this content" from the app.

Apple declined to comment.

Matze, who describes himself as libertarian, founded Parler in 2018 as a "free-speech driven" alternative to mainstream platforms but began courting right-leaning users as prominent supporters of Trump moved there.

Those who have joined include commentator Candace Owens, Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who handcuffed herself to the door of Twitter's New York office in November 2018 to protest a ban on her by the site. In November, conservative activist Rebekah Mercer confirmed that the she and her family, which includes her father and hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer, have provided funding to Parler.

"Apparently they believe Parler is responsible for ALL user generated content on Parler," Matze said. "Therefor (sic) by the same logic, Apple must be responsible for ALL actions taken by their phones. Every car bomb, every illegal cell phone conversation, every illegal crime committed on an iPhone, Apple must also be responsible for," he wrote. "Standards not applied to Twitter, Facebook or even Apple themselves, apply to Parler."

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 Event Set for January 14, Galaxy S21 Series Expected: All You Need to Know

 Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event will be held on January 14, the company has confirmed. Reports in the past have claimed that Samsung will be announcing its next-gen Samsung Galaxy ‘S' series flagship lineup on January 14, and now the company has officially announced it is hosting an event on the same day. While it hasn't really announced the monikers of the upcoming Samsung flagship, it did confirm that ‘new experiences' in mobile technology will be unveiled. As per reports, the flagship series will be called the Samsung Galaxy S21 range this year.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event details

The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event will be live streamed for all on Samsung.com at 10am EST (8.30pm IST) on January 14 i.e. next Thursday. Samsung has released an official invitation for the event and has published a teaser video that shows a blurry camera module of the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. There seems to be a triple camera setup on the module with the sensors sitting in one vertical line. As mentioned, the names of the phones have not been announced in the release.

Past reports indicate that the upcoming Galaxy ‘S' series will include three phones – Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S21+, and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. The phones have leaked massively in the past and this time around the camera module is said to be fused with the frame to give it a sleeker look than before.

Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ price, availability details (expected)

The base model - Samsung Galaxy S21 – is reported to be priced starting at EUR 849 (roughly Rs. 76,000) for the base 128GB model, while its 256GB option was reported at EUR 899 (roughly Rs. 80,600). The Galaxy S21+, on the other hand, is expected to be available at EUR 1,049 (roughly Rs. 94,000) and EUR 1,099 (roughly Rs. 98,700) for the 128GB and 256GB storage options, respectively.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is expected to come in three storage options. The 128GB model will likely be priced at EUR 1,349 (roughly Rs. 1,21,400), whereas the 256GB storage model may be offered at EUR 1,399 (roughly Rs. 1,25,900). The most expensive will likely be the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 512GB model that will reportedly be priced at EUR 1,529 (roughly Rs. 1,37,600). Reports claim that the Galaxy S21 series would be available in South Korea on January 29.

Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra specifications (expected)

WinFuture.de, a popular German publication known for its accurate leaks, recently shared the specifications of all the three phones - Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra. According to the report, the three phones will come with dual-SIM (Nano) support and run on Android 11 with One UI 3.1 on top. All models are also expected to have an octa-core Exynos 2100 SoC in markets including Germany, though it could be the recently launched Snapdragon 888 in the US and select other markets. The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ are expected to have 8GB of RAM as standard, along with 128GB and 256GB of onboard storage. There could to be up to 12GB of RAM on board on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options. Storage is tipped to not be expandable in nature.

Coming to the display, Samsung Galaxy S21 is reported to have a 6.2-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,400 pixels) Infinity-O Display with Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen and 421ppi pixel density. The Galaxy S21+, on the other hand, could offer the same display in 6.7-inch size and 394ppi of pixel density. Both phones are also expected to have 60-120Hz refresh rate, 1,300 nits of peak brightness, and Gorilla Glass 7 protection on top.

The premium Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is expected to features a 6.8-inch (1,440x3,200 pixels) Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display with 20:9 aspect ratio and 515ppi pixel density. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is tipped to come with 120Hz refresh rate and offer Gorilla Glass 7 protection.

Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ are also expected to have a triple rear camera setup that houses a 64-megapixel primary sensor with a telephoto f/2.0 lens on top, 12-megapixel secondary sensor with an ultra-wide-angle f/2.2 lens, and a 12-megapixel tertiary sensor with a wide-angle f/1.8 lens. The primary and tertiary lenses of the setup could have optical image stabilisation (OIS) support. The camera setup is expected to offer 3x “hybrid” optical zoom.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is also expected to feature a multiple lens setup with a 108-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS), two additional zoom lenses on board with 10-megapixel resolution. One zoom lens has 35-degree field-of-view and f/2.4 aperture and the other has 10-degree field-of-view but comes with periscope optics to offer 240mm focal length. There is also a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with 120-degree field-of-view. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra also has a laser autofocus system at the back.

For selfies and video chats, the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ will come with a 10-megapixel camera sensor at the front along with an f/2.2 lens, according to the report. The lens may have 80-degree of field-of-view (FoV). The Ultra model at the front is likely to have a 40-megapixel 1/2.8-inch sensor has PDAF and laser autofocus features.

Samsung Galaxy S21 may have a 4,000mAh battery, while the battery pack of Galaxy S21+ may come with a capacity of 4,800mAh. Both phones are expected to have 25W fast charging support — alongside Qi wireless charging compatibility. There is expected to be a 5,000mAh battery on board with 45W fast charging support on Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. It may support wireless charging as well. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is also expected to support the S Pen as an optional accessory. Connectivity options on the three phones are tipped to include a USB Type-C port, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and 5G. The report says that users in Germany won't get an adapter or earphones bundled-in. The phones may not come bundled with a charger.

Samsung Tipped to Launch New Galaxy M-Series Smartphone in India Next Week, Could Be M12 or M62

 Samsung is tipped to launch a new Galaxy M-series smartphone in India next week. A tipster shared a poster of the upcoming phone on Twitter and claimed that it will launch next week. He also said that the phone could have a big screen. The smartphone will come with a waterdrop notch display, as per the leaked poster. While the name of the upcoming smartphone isn't given in the leak, it could be the Samsung Galaxy M12 or the Samsung Galaxy M62. Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S21 series at its Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event on January 14, but it seems like a Galaxy-M series smartphone could launch in India before that.

Tipster Mukul Sharma shared a poster of the upcoming Samsung smartphone on Twitter. It has the text #MAXUP, which hints at a large battery. The poster also suggests that the smartphone will have the volume and power buttons on the right side.

The Samsung Galaxy M12 is expected to feature a massive 7,000mAh battery. It is also tipped to sport a 6.7-inch display. The smartphone has been spotted on multiple certification sites in the last month and a support page for the smartphone also appears to have gone live in India. The Samsung Galaxy M12 has also reportedly gone into mass production at a Noida factory. All of this suggests that the smartphone is ready to be launched soon.

If not the Samsung Galaxy M12, the smartphone tipped to launch next week could also be the Galaxy M62, which was also reportedly in the works.

Meanwhile, Samsung is expected to launch the anticipated Galaxy S21 series on January 14. The lineup is rumoured to comprise of Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra.