According to a new report online, Xiaomi is developing its own mobile processor, suggesting that the brand is following in the footsteps of Apple and Google. The company plans to compete with MediaTek and Qualcomm in this space, which already have a stronghold over the design of mobile chips.

The Bloomberg report reveals that Xiaomi is developing its own mobile processor that may help the Chinese brand be more “self-sufficient and stand out in an Android market LED by Qualcomm customers.” According to people familiar with the matter, who wished to remain anonymous, mass production of the chip designed in-house at Xiaomi is expected to begin in 2025.

The 2025 timeline highlights Xiaomi’s ambition to join the growing ranks of tech giants investing in semiconductors, a critical area of focus for Beijing in its broader tech rivalry with the US. Chinese authorities have consistently urged domestic companies to minimize reliance on foreign technology, and Xiaomi’s initiative aligns closely with that objective.

Read More: Xiaomi Phones In India: GetApps Store Out, Indus PhonePe In

Xiaomi’s processor would go beyond just helping the brand in the smartphone segment. The report says that developing in-house chipmaking expertise can help the company’s efforts toward making smarter and better connected EVs, a segment it entered earlier this year with its first electric four-wheeler called Xiaomi SU7.

Xiaomi chairman and CEO Lei Jun announced during a live-streamed company event last month that it plans to invest approximately 30 billion yuan ($4.1 billion) in research and development in 2025, an increase from 24 billion yuan this year. According to Lei, the investment will target key technologies, including artificial intelligence, operating system advancements, and semiconductor development.

The company recently expanded its smartphone lineup with the flagship Xiaomi 15 series, which is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor.

Samsung Galaxy A56 5G renders have leaked online, giving us our first look at the A-series handset that should debut early next year. The renders suggest that the device will sport a refreshed camera module design along with the so-called ‘Key Island’ as well. Here’s every detail that has been leaked.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 5G renders were leaked by Android Headlines, with OnLeaks as source. According to the leak, the device’s back panel appears to have a vertical pill-shaped camera module housing three Sensors which is unlike the Galaxy A55 5G that had a separate cutouts for each sensor. The SIM card tray as well as a USB-C port and a speaker will be located at the bottom of the phone.

The frame appears to be made of metal with a brushed look, similar to the Galaxy A55 5G. The device has the ‘Key Island’ on the right, featuring the power key and the volume rocker. The rest of the frame is completely flat, as are the rear and front panels. The punch-hole design on the front seems to have been carried over from the predecessor. The chin also appears similar in size, which is a disappointment.

Read More: Samsung and OpenAI Partnership: Samsung to Ditch Google for AI in Galaxy Smartphones?

As for the specs, the device is expected to support 45W fast wired charging and pack the Exynos 1580 processor. While the launch timeframe remains unconfirmed, the device could debut in March 2025 if Samsung follows its usual launch timeline for A5x series smartphones.

Another Galaxy A-series smartphone, the Galaxy A26 5G, recently had its design leaked as well. Its appearance closely resembles that of the Galaxy A56 5G, with the key difference being the waterdrop notch on the front.

Realme GT 7 Pro India launch brings the country’s first Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered smartphone, along with features like a Samsung Eco2 AMOLED display, a 5800mAh battery, and more. Here’s everything to know about the latest flagship offering from the Chinese smartphone maker.

Realme GT 7 Pro India Launch: Price, Availability, Launch Offers

The Realme GT 7 Pro comes in Mars Orange and Galaxy Grey colours and is priced at Rs 59,999 for the 12GB + 256GB model and Rs 65,999 for the 16GB + 512GB model. The smartphone will be available from Amazon.in, realme.com and offline stores starting from November 29th. One can pre-order the device by paying a booking amount of Rs 999.

As for the launch offers, these include:

• Flat Rs 3,000 discount with select bank cards
• Up to 12 Months No-Cost EMI starting at Rs 5000/month
• Additional 12-month extended warranty for those who pre-book the device till November 28
• 12 months of screen damage insurance worth up to Rs 3,149 for pre-bookings till November 28

Realme GT 7 Pro: Specifications

The  Realme GT 7 Pro sports a 6.78-inch 1.5K Resolution (2780 x 1264 pixels) Samsung Eco2 8T LTPO quad-curved AMOLED Display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling rate, DC dimming, Gorilla Glass 7i protection, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 450 ppi, 10-bit colours, and 6500 nits peak brightness. The handset is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset paired up to 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. The phone runs on Android 15 with Realme UI 6.0 skin on top.

As for the optics, the GT 7 Pro has triple cameras on the back, including a 50-megapixel Sony IMX906 f/1.88 primary sensor with OIS, an 8-megapixel Sony IMX355 f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 f/2.65 2x telephoto sensor, while the front houses a 16-megapixel f/2.45 selfie camera.

Connectivity options include 5G, dual 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C port for charging. Further, GT 7 Pro packs a 5,800mAh battery with 120W Fast charging support. Additionally, it includes an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor for security, X-axis linear vibration motor, IR blaster, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, and VC liquid cooling. The device is also IP68 + IP69 rated.

HMD Fusion has been launched in India as the latest budget smartphone from the brand. It competes with the CMF Phone 1 at a similar price point. Both devices have one thing in common: They support first-party accessories designed specifically for them for added functionality. However, aside from this, which budget device should you buy, the CMF Phone 1 or the HMD Fusion? Let’s help you find out.

Display

The CMF Phone 1 sports a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED LTPS display with a Refresh Rate of 120Hz. Its peak brightness is 2000 nits, 395 ppi, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and 960Hz PWM Dimming rate.

The HMD Fusion sports a 6.56-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a 90Hz Refresh Rate and 600 nits peak brightness.

As one can clearly see, the CMF Phone 1 is miles ahead of the HMD Fusion when it comes to the display in use. CMF Phone 1’s display is not only brighter but also has a higher refresh rate and resolution. Last but not least, it is an AMOLED panel that exhibits more vibrant colours than an LCD panel.

Software & Performance

The CMF Phone 1 packs the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Processor with up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage. The HMD Fusion on the other hand, gets the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

The Dimensity 7300 chip is better than the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC in nearly all aspects, making the CMF Phone 1 a better performer even in daily use. However, the HMD Fusion gets a higher amount of storage, which may be a vital factor for many. Both of them support microSD card storage expansion, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

Software-wise, they come with Android 14 out of the box and will receive two years of OS upgrades. In terms of user interface, it’s up to you whether you prefer the slightly more customisable Nothing OS or HMD’s software, which is closer to stock Android.

Read More: HMD Fusion India Launch: Check Specs, Price, Availability

Battery and Cameras

The CMF Phone 1 and the HMD Fusion both pack a 5000mAh battery with 33W Fast charging support, which means there is a tie between the two in this area. As for optics, CMF’s phone features a dual camera setup at the back with a 50MP f/1.8 primary camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 16MP selfie shooter on the front. HMD Fusion on the other hand also sports dual rear cameras but with a 108MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor along with a 50MP sensor on the front.

If we compare the on-paper specs, the HMD Fusion sports superior sensors, but we won’t be declaring which one performs better than the other as we haven’t used HMD’s handset. The CMF Phone 1, though, performed decently in its review when it came to photography.

Verdict

The HMD Fusion costs Rs 17,999 for the sole 8GB + 256GB model, while the CMF Phone 1 is currently selling for Rs 14,999 for the 6GB + 128GB model and Rs 16,999 for the 8GB + 128GB model. Considering the overall value, we feel the CMF Phone 1 is far better than the HMD Fusion if you can compromise on the storage part and no in-box charger. However, if you want more customisation regarding the mods available and more storage, the HMD Fusion might suit you better.

A potential Nothing Phone (3) Geekbench listing has surfaced online, revealing the Chipset the device might use and suggesting that a Nothing Phone (3) Pro or Phone (3) Plus could also be in the works. The devices are expected to launch early next year, and here’s everything to know about the latest development.

A Nothing smartphone with the model number A059 has surfaced on Geekbench, sparking speculation that it could be the upcoming Nothing Phone 3. The device achieved scores of 1,149 in single-core and 2,813 in multi-core tests. It features an unnamed octa-core chipset, believed to be the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC, with a main core clocked at 2.5GHz, three performance cores at 2.4GHz, and four efficiency cores at 1.8GHz.

The potential Nothing Phone (3) Geekbench listing also reveals an Adreno 810 GPU and 8GB of RAM, possibly adding additional RAM variants. The Nothing Phone 3 is expected to launch with Android 15, layered with the Nothing OS 3.0 skin.

Read More: Nothing OS 3.0 for Nothing Phone (2), Nothing Phone (2a) Will be Released Simultaneously

Aside from this, the Nothing Phone (3) is expected to be a series rather than a single device and is rumoured to come in two variants, including a vanilla variant and a Pro model. They were spotted on the IMEI database earlier this year.

The Pro model could have the A059P model number (where the P could also stand for Plus), a Hisuian codename, and a 6.7-inch AMOLED display. The device could either employ a Dimensity 9400 chip inside or maybe the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or 8s Gen 3. According to a 91mobiles report, the Phone (3) could be priced at USD 599 (approx Rs 50,530), and the Phone (3) Pro could carry the price tag of USD 699 (approx Rs 58,966).

HMD Fusion has been launched in India with specifications including 108MP rear camera and a 50MP selfie camera, along with support for attachable Smart Outfits. These include Casual Outfit, Flashy outfit, and Gaming Outfit aligning with the utility and aesthetic factor for the users.

HMD Fusion India Launch: Price, Availability

Priced at Rs 17,999 for the sole 8GB + 256GB model, the HMD Fusion is available in Tech block concept and offers HMD Casual outfit, HMD Flashy Outfit, and HMD Gaming Outfit worth Rs 5,999 as complimentary. While the regular price is Rs 17,999, the special limited period launch price is Rs 15,999 on Amazon paired with bank offers. The sale starts on November 29 at 12.01 PM IST on Amazon as well as HMD’s own website.

HMD Fusion: Specifications

The HMD Fusion sports a 6.56-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a 90Hz Refresh Rate and 600 nits peak brightness. The HMD Fusion draws power from a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 4nm processor.

Read More: HMD Skyline Launched in India; To Compete with OnePlus Nord 4 5G, iQOO Neo 9 Pro 5G

The device gets 8GB RAM with 256GB storage. It will receive 2 major OS updates till Android 16. It sports dual rear cameras with a 108MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor along with a 50MP sensor on the front.

It is backed by a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging. Connectivity options available on the device will include 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.1, GPS, and NFC along with a USB-C port and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The handset is also IP54 rated and has microSD card storage expansion support as well.