Huawei Mate 70 series is confirmed to launch in China on November 26 at 2.30 pm local time (12:00 pm IST), and pre-reservations have already commenced. Ahead of its anticipated debut, one of the models in the lineup has been officially teased by a company executive on social media, showcasing its design elements. Notably, this development follows the listing of the Huawei Mate 70 series on the Huawei-owned online store Vmall, which provided the first glimpse at not only the design of the Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ but also confirmed its storage variants and colourways.

Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ Design Teased

In a post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group, shared a short teaser showcasing the upcoming Huawei Mate 70 Pro+. The handset appears to sport a circular camera module at the back, comprising quad lenses and an LED flash. It also sports X-IMAGE branding at the back, referencing the company’s proprietary mobile photography technology system. The camera module is complimented by a gold ornamental ring which surrounds it.

The smartphone shown in the teaser has the Gold and Silver Brocade colourway which is confirmed to be one of its shades, along with Feather White, Flying Blue, and Ink Black. The power and volume buttons appear to be placed on the right spine of the smartphone, and it features a curved frame.

Huawei Mate 70 Series Specifications (Expected)

As per reports, the Huawei Mate 70 series could be powered by a 6nm Kirin 9100 chipset, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of onboard storage. It will run on HarmonyOS — the company’s latest operating system (OS) launched in China last month thar has been developed independently of Android.

The base Huawei Mate 70 is tipped to sport a quad camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto sensor, a 40-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 16-megapixel infrared sensor. It may come with 66W fast charging support.

Meanwhile, the Pro and Pro+ models may be equipped with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, a 40-megapixel wide-angle sensor, and a 16-megapixel infrared lens. Both smartphones are also reported to feature 100W fast charging support.

Black Myth: Wukong released August 20 and has quickly become a smash hit, selling 10 million copies within three days of launch. The action-RPG from Chinese developer Game Science is available on PC and PS5, with an Xbox Series S/X launch planned for later. Previous reports had mentioned tech issues as the reason behind the game’s delay on Xbox. Now, new information suggests Black Myth: Wukong hasn’t launched on Xbox yet because of an exclusivity deal with Sony.

Sony Deal Said to Be Delaying Black Myth: Wukong Xbox Launch 

According to a report from Forbes Thursday, an exclusivity deal is keeping Black Myth: Wukong from launching on Xbox Series S/X, not previously reported technical issues. The information was corroborated by IGN in a separate report Friday, which claimed, citing a source familiar with the matter, Game Science had signed an exclusivity deal with Sony.

Describing the reports of tech issues on Xbox delaying Black Myth: Wukong launch as “inaccurate,” the report claimed that neither Sony nor Game Science had publicised the exclusivity deal, and no tech issues that would delay the game on Xbox were reported to Microsoft.

The new information runs contrary not only to previous reports, but also to Game Science’s statement explaining Black Myth: Wukong’s delay on Xbox Series S/X. Earlier this year, Game Science had claimed in the FAQ section of the game’s website that it needed more time to optimise the title for the platform.

“PC and PS5 users can enjoy the full game starting August 20, 2024. We are currently optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards, so it won’t release simultaneously with the other platforms,” the developer had said. “We apologize for the delay and aim to minimize the wait for Xbox users. We will announce the release date as soon as it meets our quality standards.”

Sony and Game Science have not confirmed an existing exclusivity deal between the two parties. The developer is yet to announce the Xbox Series S/X launch date for Black Myth: Wukong.

In June, Microsoft, however, did hint at a possible deal between its partners and other platform holders in a statement. “We’re excited for the launch of Black Myth Wukong on Xbox Series X|S and are working with Game Science to bring the game to our platforms,” The Xbox parent had said at the time. “We can’t comment on the deals made by our partners with other platform holders, but we remain focused on making Xbox the best platform for gamers, and great games are at the center of that.”

Last week, a report claimed that Black Myth: Wukong’s launch on Xbox was delayed due to a “tech issue.” More recently, a games industry leaker, citing Xbox insiders and developers, claimed this week that the game was yet to arrive on Xbox as it was suffering from a “Memory Leak” bug that could cause crashes and performance issues on the console. “Due to this issue, the game has not passed Xbox’s bug detection tests and has therefore been indefinitely delayed until they manage to optimize the game for Series X|S,” the leaker said in an X post on Monday.

Black Myth: Wukong is available on PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store) and PS5. Game Science confirmed that the title had crossed three million concurrent players across all platforms.

Realme GT 7 Pro is confirmed to launch in India on November 26, weeks after its debut in China. Ahead of the official launch, the company has teased the upcoming handset’s battery capacity and charging speed. As per the details shared on social media, the Realme GT 7 Pro will launch with a smaller battery compared to the model launched in China. Notably, the smartphone maker recently confirmed other details about the handset, such as its chipset, build and camera specifications.

Realme GT 7 Pro Battery Capacity

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Realme India detailed the battery specifications of the upcoming Realme GT 7 Pro. It is confirmed to launch in India with a 5,800mAh battery. Meanwhile, the handset’s China variant is equipped with a 6,500mAh battery, translating into a difference of approximately 700mAh.

This revelation suggests that there might be slight differentiation in terms of specifications between both models.

On the other hand, the Indian variant of the Realme GT 7 Pro will still feature 120W SuperVOOC fast charging support, similar to its Chinese counterpart.

Realme GT 7 Pro Specifications (Confirmed)

Realme GT 7 Pro is confirmed to be India’s first smartphone to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. It is said to have an AnTuTu benchmark score of over 30,00,000. For optics, the upcoming handset will sport a triple rear camera setup, comprising a 50-megapixel Sony IMX906 primary sensor, a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and 120x digital zoom, and an 8-megapixel wide-angle shooter.

The company claims Realme GT 7 Pro will support underwater photography with a dedicated mode, courtesy of its IP69-rated build which helps it withstand depths of up to 2 metres for 30 minutes. It also gets a sonic water-draining speaker that ensures no water is retained.

Other confirmed features of the smartphone include Live Photo Capture, AI Snap Mode, and an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.

Intel and AMD on Tuesday announced a new partnership to create an x86 ecosystem advisory group to shape the future of the x86 architecture that it invented in the late 1970s, which has recently begun to face increasing competition from Cambridge-based Arm. While Intel and AMD are rivals, both chipmakers will work together with several partners including Lenovo, Dell, Google, HP, Microsoft, and Meta in order to ensure compatibility for x86 software across their processors, a benefit offered by Arm chips.

The formation of the x86 ecosystem advisory group was announced by Intel and AMD at the OCP Global Summit in California, as part of the chipmakers’ efforts aimed at “enabling compatibility across platforms” while easing the process of developing software for x86 platforms. The move comes as both firms are ceding market share to Arm over the past couple of years.

While x86 processors have dominated the PC and server sector for years after Intel released the first x86 processor four decades ago, more computers powered by Arm chips — such as Apple’s M-series and Snapdragon X-series — are easily accessible in 2024. The recent launch of the octa-core Snapdragon X Plus brought the cost of Arm-powered below the $800 (roughly Rs. 67,200) mark.

The formation of the advisory group comes as Arm continues to grow in popularity. Grand View Research estimates that the market size of Arm-based servers was around $5.84 billion (roughly Rs. 49,070 crore) in 2023, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3 percent from 2024 to 2030.

Linus Torvalds and Tim Sweeney are members of the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group
Photo Credit: Intel

Arm-based chips have a unique advantage — the UK firm makes it mandatory for all chipmakers include support for running Arm software — a key advantage when it comes to compatibility across hardware made by different manufacturers.

The new x86 ecosystem advisory group aims to deliver similar software compatibility across AMD and Intel processors through the use of a “more unified set of instructions and architectural interfaces”, based on input from the x86 hardware and software communities.  

Founding members include Dell, Broadcom, Lenovo, Google, Microsoft, HP, HP Enterprise, Oracle, and Red Hat. Linux kernel creator Linux Torvalds and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney are also members of the advisory group.

If the initiative is successful, it could result in better software compatibility across x86 platforms used on PCs, data centres, cloud, client, edge, and embedded devices along with faster adoption of new features.

“We are on the cusp of one of the most significant shifts in the x86 architecture and ecosystem in decades – with new levels of customization, compatibility and scalability needed to meet current and future customer needs,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said in a prepared statement. 

“Establishing the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group will ensure that the x86 architecture continues evolving as the compute platform of choice for both developers and customers,” said AMD Chair and CEO Lisa Su said.

PlayStation Portal, or the PS Portal, is getting a new update to offer users more flexibility in using the remote player device. On Tuesday, Sony released a new update for the PS Portal that includes support for cloud streaming certain PS5 games. This feature is currently being rolled out in beta. The cloud streaming feature has certain restrictions, and it is only available to users on the highest tier of PlayStation Plus subscription. However, the cloud streaming capability will now let gamers use the PS Portal as an independent cloud device.

PS Portal Gets Support for Cloud Streaming

The PS Portal was launched by Sony last year as a remote play dedicated device. With the handheld, users can play games sitting away from their console as long as they are connected to Wi-Fi. However, it is not an independent device, and users have to connect it to a PS5 console (in rest mode) to use it. This means unless one owns a PS5 and keeps it turned on in rest mode, the PS Portal cannot function.

However, the new system update, detailed by Sony in a blog post, will offer an improvement in this aspect. Cloud streaming on PS Portal is a beta feature available to the PS Plus Premium subscribers. Once the update is live, eligible users can select from more than 120 PS5 games, including Dave the Diver, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Monster Hunter Rise, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and stream them directly from the cloud.

Sony says users will need a minimum of 7Mbps Internet connection to stream games at 720p resolution and a minimum of 13Mbps to stream games at 1080p resolution. Games can be streamed in up to 60fps. The beta update will initially be available to select regions including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States. Indian users will not get the feature at this time.

Notably, these select titles are all from the PS Plus Game Catalogue, accessible to PS Plus Extra and Deluxe/Premium subscribers, and not all of the titles are available to play. Users will also not be able to play any PS4 or PS3 games at present. And they won’t be able to access certain PS Plus features such as Game Trials, party voice chat, game invites for some games, 3D audio, as well as in-game commerce (purchasing or selling of items within a game). Additionally, child accounts will also not be able to access the cloud streaming feature.

Despite the restrictions, the beta update reduces the reliance on PS Portal on the PS5 console and might encourage more gamers to get the device. Sony says to access cloud streaming, users only need the remote player device, a PS account and an active PS Plus Premium subscription, and access to Wi-Fi.