MOONDROP Announces MIAD 01 HiFi Handset
Audio brand MOONDROP unveiled its first cell phone MIAD 01 on April 24th, which focuses on audio performance with a separate audio board and separate LDO power supply system, 4.4mm fully balanced and 3.5mm single-ended headphone jacks, and supports 4-channel fully balanced output. In terms of performance, the MIAD 01 is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 octa-core processor with 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, expandable up to a 2TB microSD card. The MIAD 01 features a 6.7-inch 1080p 120Hz flexible OLED curved screen with 1920Hz high-frequency dimming, and a 5000mAh battery with 33W PD charging that allows for up to 27 hours of continuous music playback at full balanced output. It runs native Android, has a dual 64MP rear camera and a 32MP front-facing lens, and weighs 202g and is 9.15mm thick.
Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon X Plus Processor
On April 24, Qualcomm announced its new Snapdragon X Plus processor for desktop platforms. The processor is built on a 4nm process and features 10 high-performance custom Oryon CPU cores up to 3.4GHz with 42MB of total cache, memory bandwidth up to 136GB/s, and an Adreno GPU with up to 3.8TFLOPS of performance, support for external triple-screen Ultra HD 4K 60Hz displays, and support for HDR.10 On the NPU side, Snapdragon X Plus integrates an NPU with 45TOPS of computing power. For NPU, the Snapdragon X Plus integrates an NPU with 45 TFLOPS of computing power.In terms of connectivity, the processor supports Wi-Fi 7, high-frequency multi-connectivity concurrency, Sub-6GHz, and millimeter-wave, with 5G connectivity speeds of up to 10 GB/s.For imaging, the Snapdragon X Plus supports an 18-bit dual-ISP and MIPI camera. For audio, the processor supports Snapdragon Sound features, including Bluetooth 5.4 audio transfer.
Wacom Releases Movink, the Lightest and Thinnest Digital Screen Ever!
On April 25th Wacom announced the launch of the Wacom Movink digitizer, featuring the Wacom Pro Pen 3 professional pen and Samsung’s 13.3-inch Full HD OLED display. The digitizer weighs 420 grams, is 4mm thin at its thinnest point, and supports 10-bit color, Full HD resolution, 100,000:1 contrast ratio, 100% DCI-P3 and 95% Adobe RGB color gamut, and Delta E ≤2. The Wacom Movink is verified by ColorPass Pantone and Pantone SkinTone, stores up to two custom color profiles, and can be hardware calibrated using Wacom Color Manager.Wacom Pro Pen 3 stylus with tilt detection and 8192 levels of pressure sensing, with nib remover and three replacement nibs. The Wacom Movink digitizer supports Wacom Dual Pen technology and is compatible with the old Wacom Pro Pen, the new Wacom One range of Wacom UD pens, Samsung digital pens, and digital stationery brands such as Staedtler, Lamy and Dr. Grip. For system compatibility, the Wacom Movink supports a wide range of major operating systems and connects via a single USB-C cable. The product is priced at $749.90 and is available now.
HMD Releases Pulse Series of Phones
HMD Global has announced the launch of the Pulse series of phones, including the Pulse, Pulse+ and Pulse Pro models, all of which feature a self-serviceable design. The Pulse Pro, the highest-end model, features a 6.6-inch HD+ 90Hz refresh rate display with a vertical dual camera on the back, a 50MP primary camera and a 2MP depth of field lens. The model supports Super Night Scene, Tripod Mode, Flash Shot, and AI HDR. HMD says the AI Super Portrait Mode reduces blurring in nighttime photos, and it’s powered by a Purple Spreadtrum T606 processor with 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and support for microSD card expansion up to 256GB. Equipped with a 5000mAh battery, endurance up to 59 hours, and support 20W fast charging. Android 14 comes pre-installed, and HMD promises two years of system update support. It is available in green, purple and black colors and is priced at 180 euros. The Pulse Plus is positioned in the mid-range, also equipped with a 6.6-inch HD+ 90Hz refresh rate display, 8MP front camera, rear camera is vertical dual camera, the main camera is 50MP. 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, support for microSD card expansion up to 256GB, and a 5000mAh battery. The battery capacity is 5000mAh, but the charging power is 10 W. It is available in orange, blue and green colors and is priced at 160 euros. The HMD Pulse, the lowest-end model, has the same CPU and display as the other two models, with a 13MP dual rear camera and 8MP front camera. 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, with support for microSD card expansion up to 256GB. It is available in pink, black and blue colors and is priced at 140 euros.
TSMC Announces First “E-class” Process Technology
On April 25, 2024, TSMC announced the first “E-class” process technology at its annual technology symposium in Santa Clara: A16. TSMC’s A16 process technology will rely on wrap-around-gate full-envelope nanosheet transistors with a backside power rail. It is expected to deliver an 8 to 10 percent performance improvement over the N2P process at the same voltage and complexity, or a 15 to 20 percent reduction in power consumption at the same frequency and number of transistors.A16 is TSMC’s first introduction of back-side power delivery network technology, and volume production is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026. At the same time, TSMC is renaming the process nodes, marking the beginning of the ‘E-class’ era.
Other News
FujiRumors has broken the news that Fuji will unveil the new GFX100S II medium format camera at the Fuji X Summit SYDNEY on May 16th, along with the APS-C mirrorless camera X-T50 and a new kit, the XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8. The X-T50 will feature a 40-megapixel sensor and support for in-body stabilization. The GFX100S II is expected to feature a new 100-megapixel sensor and a 5th generation processor with next-generation focus tracking, capable of detecting and recognizing a wide range of targets including animals, vehicles, and birds.