Gadgets
OPPO Intros the Reno6 Series and Two New True Wireless Earphones
OPPO has launched the all-new Reno6 Series in the GCC region, Embodying ‘Every Emotion In-Portrait’, the series has been designed to professionally capture moments in three sleek variations: the Reno6 Pro 5G, and Reno6 5G, and Reno6 Z 5G. Alongside the smartphone launch, OPPO is introducing two True Wireless Earphones, namely OPPO Enco Buds and OPPO Enco Air. OPPO Enco Air is the World’s First True Wireless Earphones with a High-Performance and Low Latency Certificate from TÜV Rheinland. OPPO is also bringing to the market a Portrait Lighting Protective Case for the Reno6 5G, which provides intelligent selfie lighting without the need for an additional power supply or charging.
As expected with the Reno Series, the Reno6 Pro 5G is pushing boundaries through industry-leading features such as the newly introduced Bokeh Flare Portrait Video, providing professional-quality cinematic portrait effect in real-time, the upgraded Flash Snapshot which enables clear quick-capture photos, and creative post-production tools like AI Palette, which can style your image with one click. The Reno6 Pro 5G comes with cutting-edge technologies, including an IMX766 sensor co-developed by OPPO and Sony, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 Mobile Platform, 65W SuperVOOC 2.0, an elevated OPPO Reno Glow design, and ColorOS11.3, giving users a trendsetting smartphone with an unbeatable experience.
OPPO has also unveiled Reno6 5G features such as an Ultra-Slim Retro Design with a smooth flat-edged middle frame, 65W SuperVOOC 2.0, and the latest Dimensity 900 built on a 6nm processor. The Reno6 Z 5G stands out with its 30W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 and AI-enhanced Sensor, which facilitates a series of hands-free functions such as Anti-Peeping, Adaptive Sleep, and Air Gestures.
Ethan Xue, President of OPPO MEA said: “I am honored to announce the launch of the Reno6 series, which experts have created to ensure that users can seamlessly capture every emotion. We are also excited to launch the perfect Reno6 Series accessories, the OPPO Enco Air and OPPO Enco Buds, and the Portrait Lighting Protective Case which complements any trendsetting lifestyle. As we celebrate this milestone together, we look forward to continuing enhancing and developing the OPPO experience, ensuring that we offer every user the best in technology, design, and features.”
For global smartphone users, recording video has become the modern-day equivalent of keeping a diary. The OPPO Reno Series currently serves more than 70 million users across the world each month who, on average, capture over two billion photos and over 200 million memories through video. Powered by OPPO’s AI capabilities, the Reno6 Pro 5G guarantees users the ability to effortlessly film stunning portrait videos of their daily lives.
The Reno6 Pro 5G features a mighty 50MP AI Quad Camera matrix on the back of the device and a 32MP Selfie Camera. What makes this setup so unique is the ultra-powerful imaging sensor behind the main camera – Sony IMX766. The large 1/1.56” sensor features DOL-HDR technology, All-Pixel Omni Focus, and much more, to consistently produce high-quality images and offer a significantly improved video recording experience. Additionally, it has a dedicated color temperature sensor that captures colors more accurately.
Due to its powerful hardware foundation, the Reno6 Pro 5G has a series of AI-enhanced portrait video functions:
- Bokeh Flare Portrait Video offers a pioneering, cinematic quality bokeh effect for smartphone video. Powered by OPPO’s over-10-million portrait datasets and AI algorithms, Bokeh Flare Portrait Video delivers real-time video processing to capture portrait videos with bokeh light spots on the background, all while ensuring that subjects appear natural and bright. Available on both the front and rear cameras, this dream-like bokeh lighting effect can be applied to portrait videos with just one click.
- AI Highlight Video can automatically detect ambient light and make video optimizations accordingly. Whether you are shooting at night, or with the strong backlight during the day, AI Highlight Video helps you capture clearer, brighter, and more vividly colored portrait videos. When shooting with a backlight, the AI Highlight Video enhanced by DOL-HDR improves the dynamic range of the video fourfold.
- Focus Trackinggives you enhanced video auto-focusing capabilities as the camera can identify the main subject and automatically track it, consistently and steadily.
For photography, the Flash Snapshot on the Reno6 Pro 5G enables users to capture clear shots of moving subjects or take quick-capture photos, improving the hit rate by over 17.7%. Having perfectly shot each photo, the Reno6 Pro 5G also provides creative post-production tools like AI Palette, which can turn your images into likes-worthy snaps with one click. Staying loyal to its Reno Series predecessors, the Reno6 Pro 5G retains a slim, lightweight design with a thickness of 7.99mm and weighing only 188g. The Reno6 Pro 5G inherits OPPO’s unique Reno Glow design, featuring two new striking colors – Arctic Blue and Lunar Grey.
Marking its debut with the Reno6 Pro 5G, the Arctic Blue comes with an all-new upgraded OPPO Reno Glow finish. Inspired by the natural phenomenon of the crystallization of snow at freezing point, OPPO has perfected this arduous manufacturing process of nearly 50 complex steps after hundreds of attempts and over a year of optimization, ultimately delivering an all-new visual effect that makes millions of tiny “snowflakes” grow on the phone’s glass cover. The device emits a faint snow-like shimmer underneath the sun and flickers gently when it’s held under light or in the shade. Moreover, the improved process also makes the back of the phone silky smooth, with a 30% finer texture.
On the front of the phone is a 6.5-inch 3D curved display with a 90Hz refresh rate and up to 180Hz touch sampling rate, which both ensure a smooth and comfortable viewing experience. The display is HDR10+-certified for more vivid and higher quality visuals. Meanwhile, the display is 360-degree Light Sensing-enabled with two sensors, which improves the accuracy of auto-brightness adjustments, making the screen more comfortable to look at – no matter where you are. Moreover, the device is Netflix HD/HDR and Amazon Prime Video HD/HDR-certified for delivering high-quality content; the vision-friendly material used to manufacture the screen is also SGS-certified and will not cause any strain or discomfort.
The foundation of Reno6 Pro 5G’s superior all-around performance is top-end hardware. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G Mobile Platform with a cutting-edge Kryo 585 CPU, which can operate at up to 3.2GHz—the highest clock speed achieved to date in the mobile world. The device also comes with 12GB of RAM and OPPO’s self-developed RAM Expansion technology. Some of the available ROM storage can be turned to RAM space when turning on the feature. Essentially, the original 12GB of RAM can be supplemented with an additional 3GB/5GB/7GB of memory when needed, meaning that even with multiple apps running at the same time, the Reno6 Pro 5G still runs smoothly.
For better heat dissipation, in addition to the existing Multi-Cooling System, the Reno6 Pro 5G has been upgraded with a 31.68 cm² Ultra-Large Vapor Chamber, which boasts a thickness of 0.4mml and provides users with the ultimate cooling solution while maintaining an ultra-thin design. To allow users to enjoy the experience the Reno6 Pro 5G for longer, the device also features a large 4500mAh battery and 65W SuperVOOC 2.0, which can achieve a 100% charge in only 31 minutes.
Adding another layer of immersion, the Reno6 Pro 5G is equipped with a top-of-the-line X-axis Linear Motor. Also, newly introduced customized gaming features like Quick Startup, Quick Return Bubble and Game Filter contribute to blurring boundaries between the virtual world and reality. In addition to superior portrait video features, a stunning design, and flagship-level performance in the Reno6 Pro 5G, ColorOS 11.3 provides the foundation for an efficient, convenient, and relaxing experience.
To significantly improve productivity on the Reno6 Pro 5G, System Booster are a set of system-level optimizations designed to ensure a smooth experience throughout the entire phone lifecycle. Freeform Screenshots facilitate translation between over 100 languages on any selected screenshot area. Private System allows users to create two independent spaces on the phone with partitioned apps and data. As for data protection, the phone is super secure and has been certified by third-party organizations including ePrivacy, ISO27001, and ISO27701.
Users are also given plenty of ways to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle with the O Relax, a built-in app containing a suite of soothing sounds and casual games to help users relieve anxiety and find inner peace. Moreover, the Artist Wallpaper Project – Envisioning Chemistry series of special wallpapers focuses on the beauty of science and offers a burst of inspiration whenever you look at your phone.
The Reno6 Pro 5G is an expert in AI Portrait Videos with its outstanding performance. Alongside its fantastic 50MP AI Quad Camera, Sony IMX766 Sensor, and collection of AI portrait video enhancements such as the industry’s first Bokeh Flare Portrait Video, it delivers movie-quality portrait shots. The phone comes in two new eye-catching colors, Arctic Blue, and Lunar Grey, each providing beautiful aesthetics and ergonomic designs. At the heart of everything is the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G SoC, with 12GB RAM and 256GB ROM.
The Reno6 series will be available to pre-order on September 7th and purchase September 15th, 2021 across OPPO’s regional websites and retail partner stores in the UAE and lower Gulf at a retail price of AED 2,999 for the Reno6 Pro 5G, AED 2,199 for Reno6 5G, and AED 1,499 for Reno6 Z 5G. UAE customers who pre-order a Reno6 Pro 5G will receive a pair of OPPO Enco Air worth AED 299 AED and a complimentary premium service pack worth AED 599 comprising of an extended 2-year warranty, 6-month screen protection plan, and many more dedicated service offerings. In OPPO’s commitment to go beyond customer expectations and provide the best service experience, UAE customers who pre-order a Reno6 Pro 5G can also enjoy maintenance and repair and a free software upgrade at official OPPO service centers, valid across the GCC, irrespective of country of purchase.
Customers pre-ordering the Reno6 5G will receive a pair of OPPO Enco Air worth AED 299 AED and a complimentary OPPO mobile cover with Light worth AED 99. Customers pre-ordering Reno6 Z 5G will receive OPPO Enco Buds worth AED 199.
Gadgets
PS5 Anniversary Update Intros Retro Themes Celebrating Every PlayStation Generation
Sony has delighted gamers with a nostalgic surprise to celebrate PlayStation’s 30th anniversary. In addition to retro hardware that quickly sold out, Sony has released a software update that adds classic boot screens and themes for each generation of PlayStation console. Upon launching the update, users will be prompted to select their favourite generation, with options ranging from the PS1 to the PS4.
This update changes the PS5 dashboard’s menu colours and sounds to match the chosen console’s user interface. Additionally, players can explore other themes through the new “PlayStation 30th Anniversary” item in the settings menu.
However, these themes are available only for a limited time. Sony has not specified when they will be removed, but the decision to make them temporary has raised some eyebrows. While creating a perception of scarcity or avoiding clutter in the settings menu might be strategic, it could be seen as a missed opportunity to let users permanently enjoy the nostalgic themes.
This isn’t the first time Sony has indulged in retro charm. A decade ago, during PlayStation’s 20th anniversary, a free theme transformed the PS4, PS3, and Vita to reflect the PS1’s look and startup sound. As Sony celebrates three decades of gaming excellence, fans are once again treated to a trip down memory lane.
Gadgets
Apple to Retain Titanium Frame for iPhone 17 Pro Series, Says Leaker
According to a recent leak from Weibo user “Instant Digital,” next year’s iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will retain their titanium chassis, contrary to earlier reports suggesting that Apple might shift to aluminium for its 2025 lineup. The Information’s Wayne Ma had previously indicated that Apple’s flagship iPhone 17 Pro models could be the first high-end iPhones to feature an aluminium frame since the lineup’s split into Pro and non-Pro models.
Historically, high-end iPhone models used stainless steel frames until the iPhone 15 Pro introduced a titanium chassis, which was touted as a significant upgrade. However, Ma’s report suggested a return to aluminium for the entire iPhone 17 lineup. Instant Digital, however, disagrees, stating on Weibo (via machine translation), “Of course, the iPhone 17 Pro will still use titanium. Why would anyone believe it would switch to aluminium? Think about it — it’s just not possible. Looking back at recent iPhone models, Apple has consistently emphasized the premium frame materials of the Pro series as one of its key selling points, from ‘surgical-grade stainless steel’ to ‘titanium.’ If they switched to aluminium, how could they even market it?”
The Weibo leaker’s claims, however, lack verification from supply chain information, and Ma’s report details a significant design change involving an aluminium upper back with a rectangular camera bump made of aluminium instead of traditional 3D glass, while the bottom half would remain glass to support wireless charging. Apple has a history of introducing and then discontinuing breakthrough features in its iPhones. For example, the 3D Touch feature introduced with the iPhone 6s in 2015 was phased out with the iPhone 11 in 2019.
Despite Instant Digital’s mixed accuracy record with Apple rumours, the leaker has made some accurate predictions, such as the Yellow iPhone 14 launch in 2023, the frosted back glass on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the minor refresh for the Apple Watch Series 9, and other notable features. The iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in the fall of 2025, featuring new display sizes, a rumoured ultra-thin model, and ProMotion displays across the lineup. As always, the anticipation for Apple’s latest innovations continues to build.
Gadgets
OnePlus 13 Set for Global Launch This January, Taking on Samsung Galaxy S25
As the new year approaches, tech enthusiasts have much to look forward to, particularly with the upcoming global launch of the OnePlus 13. Having already made its debut in China, OnePlus has officially confirmed that the OnePlus 13 will be available worldwide in January 2025.
The flagship smartphone will come in three colour options: Midnight Ocean, Black Eclipse, and Arctic Dawn. Notably, this marks the end of the green colourway, which has been a hallmark of OnePlus flagships in recent years. While it remains uncertain if blue will become the new signature colour, many fans are hopeful.
OnePlus highlights that the Midnight Ocean variant will be the first phone to feature micro-fibre vegan leather, designed to provide a luxurious feel while being resistant to scratches and scuffs. Additionally, the OnePlus 13 will boast IP68 and IP69 ratings for water and dust resistance on the international market, addressing past criticisms of lacking official IP certifications despite capable designs.
Rumours also hint at the launch of the OnePlus 13R and OnePlus Watch 3 in early 2025. Moreover, leaks suggest that the base model of the OnePlus 13, featuring 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, will only be available in the Black Eclipse colourway. Those interested in the Midnight Ocean or Arctic Dawn options might need to opt for the higher-end variant with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
Meanwhile, Samsung has yet to confirm the launch date for its highly anticipated Galaxy S25 series. However, based on previous trends, it is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2025.
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