Nintendo Denies Reaping More Profit From New Switch Model And Shoots Down Pro Variant Rumour

Nintendo has taken to Twitter to deny allegations of squeezing out more profit from the newly announced Switch model. As you may recall, Bloomberg published a report last Friday suggesting that the Japanese video game giant is marking up the prices of the newly announced variant – earning an estimated US$40 (~RM168) more on each unit sold, where production would only cost the company a mere additional US$10 (~RM42) over the existing model. For your reference, the standard Nintendo Switch retails at US$300 (~RM1,267) while the OLED model is priced at US$350 (~RM1,458).

“A news report on July 15, 2021(JST) claimed that the profit margin of the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) would increase compared to the Nintendo Switch,” the company stated via its official account on Twitter. “To ensure correct understanding among our investors and customers, we want to make clear that the claim is incorrect.”

It is pretty unusual for Nintendo to comment regarding any allegations or even rumours, let alone releasing an official statement intended to assure its investors via social media. Prior to this, the video game giant would often sidestep from commenting or would just provide vague details that neither confirm or deny certain information. Needless to say, this is indeed a rare occasion for the company.

Following the statement, the company also took the opportunity to shoot down rumours suggesting that it is developing or planning to release another variant of the console after releasing the OLED model in October. This is clearly referring to the numerous hearsays of the alleged Nintendo Switch Pro, which has been circulating around for months.

While that may sound disheartening for those looking forward to a beefier and 4K-capable version of the device, keep in mind that this isn’t the first time that the company has denied the development of a new model. In fact, Nintendo previously insisted that it had no plans to introduce a new Switch variant before finally removing the drape off from the recently launched 7-inch OLED model.

ASUS Confirms Existence Of ZenFone 8 Mini Variant; Launches On 13 May

Rumours of an ASUS ZenFone 8 Mini first surfaced last month, complete with supposed specs of the device. Now, the company has seemingly confirmed its existence with physical invitations being shared with western tech news outlets.

PhoneArena has shared a few images of the invite, which consists of two cards. One reads “BIG IN SIZE”, and a smaller, transparent one has “on Performance” and Compact” written on it. Putting them together then reads “big on performance, compact in size”. This also implies that it would be called a Compact rather than a Mini, much like the older Sony Xperia devices. Naturally no specs of the device were revealed.

The card also has the launch dates of ASUS ZenFone 8 series, which will likely include the Mini or Compact variant. There’s also a web page for the launch event, with the same “big on performance, compact in size” line. Below that is a countdown to the launch event which, for our timezone, is 1AM on 13 May. And it’s just between two to three weeks away.

It’s always nice to see another manufacturer make a smaller device, in a market of six-inch plus devices. Hopefully the ASUS ZenFone 8 Mini or Compact does not differ too much from the larger device.

Redmi Gaming Smartphone Teased; Confirmed To Be A Variant Of Its K40 Flagship

Redmi, via Weibo, has released a teaser featuring a glimpse of its upcoming gaming smartphone. Interestingly, the company also revealed that the new device is actually a variant of its flagship series that was launched back in February and would officially be known as the K40 Game Enhanced Edition.

From the provided image (which happens to be animated), it is revealed that the phone will feature a triple camera setup, hidden shoulder buttons, and a slider switch. The latter, when activated, would release the K40 Game Enhanced Edition’s shoulder buttons and activate the lighting effects on the upper and lower halves of its rear camera array – an interesting yet gimmicky kind of way of announcing to the world that you’re eager to play mobile games on the Redmi-branded handset.

Besides that, the gaming variant also sports a metallic gray rear case with line design elements and a large cylindrical camera island for its triple cameras – an interesting design shift that sets it apart from the original K40 models, which featured two layered bumps for their rear shooters. The brand did not reveal what sensors will be included in the setup, and the dual horizontal spots located in between the top and middle cameras are unspecified as well.

As mentioned earlier, the top and bottom of the camera island features a bracket-like lighting system and the words “Freezing” and “Speediest” are engraved on its sides. The engravings are most likely referencing the Game Enhanced Edition’s cooling system and onboard chipset. Speaking of which…

For now, the only officially confirmed hardware to be included on the new Redmi gaming smartphone is a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset. Meanwhile on the unofficial side of things, it is said that the device will come with a Samsung E4 AMOLED display with 144Hz refresh rate and a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging support. Leakster Digital Chat Station recently shared that the Xiaomi subsidiary may launch the gaming smartphone in two different configurations, but did not supply any information regarding the difference of specifications.

Along with the teaser image, Redmi has confirmed that it will launch the K40 Game Enhanced Edition next week on 27 April in China. According to insiders, the phone is expected to launch at a starting price of RMB 2,000 (~RM1,260).

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.

OnePlus Releases More Images Of OnePlus 9 Pro; Standard Variant Officially Revealed

OnePlus has recently shared new images showcasing its upcoming OnePlus 9 Pro smartphone that is slated to debut globally next week. Along with the set of photos is a new launch teaser, which also officially revealed the flagship’s standard model for the first time.

As seen from the latest images provided by the company, the actual design of the OnePlus 9 Pro is exactly how it was depicted in the earlier leaks. In front of the device is a curved screen with an in-display camera located on its upper left corner, while on its back is a quad camera setup housed in a vertical bump, which also features Hasselblad’s branding. The volume rocker is visible on the left side of the phone, and on the right is where the state slider and lock button are located. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau notes that the silver colour option showcased in the images is referred to as “Morning Mist”.

Unfortunately, the only glimpse of the standard variant reveals its rear camera bump, which almost looks identical to the Pro version, but with two noticeable differences. The first being the lack of a fourth camera sensor, and the second is the Hasselblad branding which is orientated vertically. The violet colour option shown on this model is referred to as “Winter Mist”.

In terms of specifications, Lau has confirmed that the Pro variant will sport a Sony IMX789 and a IMX766 for its main and ultra-wide sensors, respectively. It is not revealed if the standard model of the OnePlus 9 will also feature the same sensors as part of its camera setup. And as implied by the branding, the imaging system on both models of the upcoming flagship series will feature enhancements by renown Swedish camera brand Hasselblad. As revealed by the company last year, the OnePlus 9 series will be powered by Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 chipset.

OnePlus will launch the new flagship smartphone series via a virtual launch on 23 March at 10pm local time, which will be streamed live through its official website and social media channels. As previously reported, there is a possibility that the company may launch its first ever smartwatch during the event as well.

Qualcomm May Be Working On A Non-5G Variant Of The Snapdragon 888

Qualcomm may be working on a new variant of its flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset, according to renown leakster and WinFuture editor Roland Quandt via Twitter. Unlike the original, this version of the SoC will lack one major component: an integrated 5G modem.

Android smartphone makers such as Samsung and Xiaomi have been offering their recent and upcoming flagship handsets with 5G enabled capabilities – often marketed to consumers as a form of preparation for the inevitable change in infrastructure. The inclusion of 5G support is a guarantee for smartphones that are equipped with Qualcomm’s latest top-of-the-line chipset, the Snapdragon 888, due to the fact that it comes with an integrated 5G modem.

Quandt’s recent claim suggests that Qualcomm is looking to offer smartphone manufacturers with a more affordable non-5G alternative of its Snapdragon 888 chipset. As mentioned earlier, this version of the SoC – allegedly known by its model number SM8325 – will exclude the 5G modem and would instead support up to LTE connectivity. On top of enabling brands to introduce 4G-only versions, this significant change also entails a reduction in price for flagship-tier handsets – a plus point that will definitely delight Android smartphone consumers.

The idea to launch non-5G variants of flagships is not entirely new. An example of this would be the LTE-only model of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE smartphone that was released last year – just a month after the launch of the original. However, it is worth noting that the initial model features a 5G-enabled Snapdragon 865 chipset, while the LTE version comes with the brand’s own Exynos 990 instead – therefore, both versions of the phone differed in terms of performance. Regardless, the major point of comparison between the two is the difference in pricing – where the original Samsung Galaxy S20 FE launched at RM3,399, while the later model is offered at RM2,699.

If Quandt’s information is proven to be accurate, we can expect non-5G versions of Snapdragon 888-equipped flagship smartphones such as the OPPO Find X3 and Xiaomi Mi 11 to also be offered at a more affordable price range. Provided that the brands decide to introduce these variants in the near future, that is.