Black Shark 4 To Launch On 23 March; Standard Variant Spotted On TENAA

Joining companies such as OnePlus and Realme (and maybe Apple) in launching new products on 23 March will be Xiaomi’s subsidiary brand Black Shark. The company has revealed via its official Weibo page that it will debut its upcoming gaming smartphones, the Black Shark 4 series, in China next week.

It is believed that the brand will launch two variants of the product: a standard edition and a Pro model – much like its predecessor last year. Specs-wise, Black Shark has yet to provide any information on what to expect from its upcoming gaming phones. However, it did previously reveal that the new series will feature a 4,500mAh battery with 120W fast charging support, and an “AI triple camera” setup for imaging.

On the unofficial side of things, certain specifications of the Black Shark 4 series have been spotted on Google Play console, 3C certification, TENAA, AnTuTu and even Geekbench. The findings suggest that the upcoming phones will feature a 6.67-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate, and also two different Snapdragon chipsets for each model. Specifically, it is said that the standard variant will sport a Snapdragon 870, while the Pro version will instead come with Qualcomm’s 2021 flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset.

As for its design, the non-Pro version is shown to feature what appears to be a flat display panel with a top-centered camera cutout – a first for Black Shark, as previous models favoured in-bezel camera setup instead of the typical punch-hole or notch approach. Meanwhile, its rear design is revealed to sport a simple metallic finish with a horizontal camera island for its triple shooters. Provided that this TENAA submission is to be believed, the vanilla Black Shark 4 may disappoint fans due to the new minimalist-like design – a far cry from its predecessor’s more intricate-looking rear panel.

Whether these leaks are accurate or not remains to be seen, so it is advisable to take unofficial information or images with a nice pinch of salt. Regardless, we’ll be looking forward to what the Xiaomi subsidiary has to offer with its latest gaming smartphones. As mentioned earlier, the Black Shark 4 series are slated to launch in China next Tuesday on 23 March 2021.

Apple Rumoured To Hold A Virtual Event On 23 March For New Product Reveals

Apple may be holding a virtual event later this month on 23 March, according to reputable Chinese leakster “Kang” via MacRumours. Although specifics regarding the event was not disclosed by the insider, several sources believe that the company is expected to debut a new iPad, next generation AirPods, and the much rumoured AirTags.

An earlier leak suggests that Apple may unveil a new iPad mini in Spring 2021 that would spearhead the company’s new yet drastic design direction. As previously reported in January, the new model would feature a dual punch-hole design to separately house its in-display camera and Home button with Touch ID functionality – a first for any Apple product. While the initial rumour believes that this particular model is the iPad mini 6, a separate leak earlier this month suggests that this may be known as the iPad mini Pro instead. Regardless, this is one Apple product to look out for this year, provided that the leaks are proven accurate.

The other product expected to be revealed during this supposed upcoming event is the AirPods 3, which was leaked in late February. According to Chinese site 52audio, the next generation Apple TWS earbuds will sport a similar design to the AirPods Pro, and may inherit some of its features as well. In regards to the latter, these include the pressure-relieving system that reduces discomfort for extended periods of use, and a more intuitive touch-based controls for playback and other functions.

Lastly is the Apple AirTag, which is believed to be a Bluetooth-powered tracking device similar to the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag. While never officially unveiled or mentioned by the company itself, various sources have discovered the existence of this potential product through codes data mined from Apple’s mobile operating system as early as iOS 13. The AirTags were initially rumoured to be unveiled in late 2020, but have eluded both of Apple’s final quarter launch events in October and November.

Whether the company is actually planning to host an event later this month remains to be seen. MacRumors vouches for Kang’s reliability in terms of leaks, where the leakster had previously provided accurate details and expected launch dates of the iPhone 12 line-up last year. If Kang’s suggestion is to be believed, we’ll be expecting Apple to make an announcement regarding this alleged event sometime soon.

OnePlus 9 Series Launching On 23 March; Hasselblad Partnership Confirmed

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has announced via the brand’s official forums that the latest OnePlus 9 series will be launching on 23 March. Lau also confirmed that OnePlus has signed a three-year partnership with Swedish camera maker Hasselblad to co-develop the imaging system for the upcoming smartphones as well as its future flagship devices.

Hasselblad is known to manufacture medium format cameras for both photography and video production. As emphasised in the recent promotional material for the upcoming OnePlus 9 series, the camera maker’s biggest accomplishment is the use of its 500 EL Data Camera models in several NASA moon missions – producing iconic photographs such as “Earthrise” by US astronaut William Anders during the Apollo 8 moon orbiter mission, and “First Footprint on the Moon” by Buzz Aldrin during the historical Apollo 11 moon landing mission.

According to Lau, both OnePlus and Hasselblad have been working closely together to create a new colour solution known as Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad, which will serve as a new standard for all future OnePlus smartphone camera systems – starting with the OnePlus 9 series. The CEO promises that the new joint-developed imaging system on the new flagships will produce images with higher quality, sharper detail, and accurate colours.

While three years does seem pretty short for a major partnership such as this, the duration makes sense in a business and development perspective. OnePlus isn’t particularly known for the photography performance of its smartphones, and Hasselblad’s first foray into the mobile scene with Motorola in 2017 wasn’t as groundbreaking as most would’ve hoped. Therefore, playing it safe with a three-year deal is sufficient for both companies in order to determine whether the results of their collaboration are deemed significant, let alone profitable. Of course, we can expect the partnership to be extended longer should this end up being a success.

In the same forum post, Lau also confirmed that the upcoming OnePlus 9 series’ cameras will feature a custom Sony IMX789 for the main sensor, 12-bit RAW support for stills, a panoramic camera with 140-degree FOV (field of view), and a freeform lens for its ultra-wide camera that eliminates edge distortion. Video-wise, the series is capable of recording 4K footage at 120 fps and 8K at 30 fps, and also better HDR videos via the Hasselblad Camera for Mobile solution.

Aside from featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, other specifications of the OnePlus 9 series are still kept under wraps at this time. Unofficial sources suggest that the flagships may come with a 6.55-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate, dual stereo speakers, and a 4,500mAh battery with fast charging support at 65W for wired and 40W wireless.

The company will reveal more details regarding the upcoming OnePlus 9 series and its partnership with Hasselblad via a virtual launch on 23 March at 10pm. The event will be streamed live through the company’s official website, as well as its social media channels.