Paul Jones / Android Authority
TL;DR
The standard Xiaomi 15 could gain a flat screen, ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, and more.
It also looks like the phone might not get a variable aperture as a previous leaker claimed.
The Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro could be the first Android phones with the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, and it looks like we’ve now got more details about the vanilla model.
Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station claimed in a now-edited post that a Xiaomi 15 series device will be equipped with a 1.5K flat screen with a “smaller size,” a large 50MP main camera with a wide aperture, and an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. The tipster added that the device would also feature wireless charging and a lighter design.
The mention of a 1.5K screen suggests that this is the standard Xiaomi 15, as Xiaomi’s Pro phones have long offered QHD+ screens instead. Meanwhile, the vanilla models have long offered either a 1.5K or FHD+ display.
Furthermore, the mention of a “large aperture main camera” suggests the Xiaomi 15 might not have a variable aperture, per an earlier leak. This wouldn’t be a surprise, as a variable aperture typically requires more space than a fixed aperture. And space will likely be at a premium for the device.
Xiaomi typically launches its new flagship phones in China first in October, with a global release following at MWC the next year. So you might have to wait a long time to get your hands on a global Xiaomi 15. Either way, this could be one of the better Galaxy S25 rivals when it eventually launches, so we’re keen to see what Xiaomi has up its sleeve.
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]]>Eindhoven-based startup Axelera has raised $68mn as it looks to take its AI chip business global. One of the lead investors is Samsung Catalyst, the venture arm of semiconductor giant Samsung Electronics.
Axelera is developing chips, known as AI processing units (AIPUs), that enable computer vision and generative AI in devices like robots and drones. The chips facilitate so-called edge AI — when AI models are deployed inside devices, instead of linking to them via the cloud.
Axelera builds the AIPUs as well as the software that runs them. Dubbed Metis, the startup claims that it is the world’s most powerful AI chip for edge devices.
The AI chips are, in effect, tiny data centres located within the device. By negating the need to upload or download data to a centralised cloud server, the chips speed up data processing. They also minimises energy use.
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What’s more, Axelera leverages what’s known as in-memory computing. That’s when data is stored in the main memory (RAM) instead of on traditional disk storage. This makes for even faster data processing and retrieval.
The startup’s chips thus deliver high computing performance at a fraction of the cost and energy consumption of centralised AI processing units, said the startup.
“To truly harness the value of AI, organisations need a solution that delivers high-performance and efficiency while balancing cost,” said Fabrizio Del Maffeo, co-founder and CEO at Axelera AI.
Axelera claims it has built the world’s most powerful AI processing unit for edge devices. Credit: Axelera
Democratising AI
Axelera’s chips make use of the instruction set architecture (ISA) RISC-V. An ISA acts like a bridge between the hardware and the software. It specifies both what the processor is capable of doing as well as how it gets done.
RISC-V is a low-cost, efficient, and flexible ISA that can be customised to specific use cases. Crucially, unlike most ISAs, it is open source, which means no single entity controls it.
“Our mission is to democratise access to artificial intelligence,” said Del Maffeo.
By specialising in edge AI, and developing both the software and hardware components, Axelera looks to give itself a competitive edge in a booming AI chip market dominated by the likes of Nvidia, Intel, and IBM.
Speaking of IBM, Del Maffeo, who previously worked at Belgium-based tech lab Imec, co-founded Axelera alongside Evangelos Eleftheriou, a former veteran at the American tech giant.
Axelera plans to put its AI processing units into full production in the latter half of this year. It looks to expand its presence in North America, where it already has an office, and into new industries such as automotive, digital healthcare, and surveillance. The startup is also exploring the development of high performance AI chips for data centres and supercomputers.
Hailing from Eindhoven, Axelera exists in one of the most mature semiconductor tech hubs in the world. The city is home to Philips-founded NXP Semiconductors and ASML, which produces chip-making machines for almost every major semiconductor manufacturer on Earth.
This latest funding round brings Axelera’s total raised to $120mn. New investors include the Samsung Catalyst Fund, European Innovation Council Fund, Innovation Industries Strategic Partnership Fund, and Invest-NL.
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Update: July 1, 2024 (5:25 AM ET): We’ve updated our Galaxy Ring hub with tracking information and associated screenshots we uncovered in an APK teardown.
Original article: Samsung’s watches are among the best smartwatches in today’s market. Despite the line’s success, Samsung doesn’t appear ready to rest on its laurels. Instead, the company is pivoting to a much smaller form factor (and a different body part). Possibly sliding soon onto fingers near you, here’s everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Ring.
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Many new Android apps are out there, but keeping track of them is tough. But we’re happy to do that hard work for you. We’ve scoured the internet to find the best new Android apps available, focusing on apps that offer something different to the status quo. Be sure to visit our list of the best Android apps of all time and our selection of the best new Android apps released in 2023 for more.
The best new Android apps for July 2024
Turn your Samsung or Google Pixel phone into a dedicated video camera.
Price: Free
Developer: Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Camera is now available on Android, a year after it first launched on iPhone. The app focuses on providing digital film camera-like manual controls, allowing users to make more fine adjustments when creating video.
There are many reasons to use this app over your phone’s native video recording software. For one, it directly plugs into DaVinci Resolve and Blackmagic’s cloud storage, allowing for quick export and project sharing. It also allows users to change video codecs, tweak the video color space, and provide a more detailed UI with essential parameters.
The app has limitations. For one, it currently only supports Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones. It also lacks a few features found on the iOS version. Nevertheless, it’s free to try.
An excellent app for ADHD sufferers looking for online support.
Price: Free trial / Subscription fee from $47.99 per month or $199.99 per year / Additional fees for other features
Developer: Get Inflow
My colleague Andrew Grush recently wrote a great feature about an app called Inflow. It’s designed for people with ADHD and effectively teaches its users coping mechanisms for the affliction.
The app includes personal coaching, a thriving community, and a focus on building routines. Coworking sessions help keep users accountable and supported, and there’s also an option for more intensive support through dedicated sessions if required.
I should mention that the app is not free. Users can try it out for 48 hours, after which a steep subscription fee is demanded. Notably, this might not be that burdensome if it indeed helps.
A simple, lightweight Material Design file manager for Android.
Price: Free
Developer: Hai Zhang
This month’s list includes many older apps I’ve used in the past few weeks, starting with Material Files.
File managers are an integral part of any OS experience. I’ve been using Mixplorer for as long as I can remember on Android, but I switched my gaze to Material Files just as an experiment. I’m now considering adopting it as my dedicated file manager.
Its strength is its simplicity, aided by a clean design and subtle but satisfying animations. It also boasts several nifty features, including the ability to open multiple windows, an option to open files in a terminal app, and large preview thumbnails for images. It also supports SMB servers if you want to access your NAS files.
The app is completely free and available on GitHub and F-Droid. I’ve linked the Google Play Store version below for convenience.
Identify LBJs and other winged wonders with ease.
Price: Free / Premium subscription from $2.99 per week, $5.99 per month, or $29.99 per year
Developer: Next Vision Limited
As its name might suggest, Picture Bird is a bird identification app that works wonders if you’re an amateur ornithologist. Snap a picture of a bird, and the app will provide recommendations of what it could be alongside its call and song for even easier identification. You can also record a bird’s song and use that instead, but I never found this feature reliable enough. I used this app extensively on a recent holiday trip, and it provided reliable results more often than not.
Picture Bird isn’t perfect, though. It has an annoying subscription nag screen whenever it loads (you can bypass this to use the app in free mode), and its UI feels particularly clunky and outdated. You’ll also need a pretty good camera phone to make the most of it, especially if the birds in your area wear similar plumage.
Get quick access to airport weather, landing conditions, and more.
Price: Free / Avia Weather Professional subscription from $1.49 per quarter / Modular one-time add-on unlocks from $1.49
Developer: Remy Webservices
I am an enthusiastic but sometimes nervous flyer, so I habitually check airport conditions before flights. It helps to know which runway we’re landing on and what conditions we might encounter once we get there. Avia Weather has been a mainstay on my phone for a few years and helps me do just that.
The app scrapes METAR data from airports around the world and displays this data in an easily digestible UI. Some metrics only pilots will care about, but there’s plenty for passengers, too. Tap on an airport to view in-depth details, including forecasts, cloud and visibility, and wind direction (also in relation to runways).
The app’s core functionality is free, but some metrics are locked behind one-time payments or subscriptions.
A slick word-a-day app to boost your vocabulary.
Price: Free / Optional donations from $0.99
Developer: Pramod SJ
Finally, Daily Word is perhaps the simplest app on this list. As its name suggests, it presents users with a unique daily word. It packs a slick, modern UI, full explanations and use cases for the suggested words, and a list of previously suggested words.
The app hasn’t been updated since mid-2022, but you’d never tell. It still works well. Granted, some of the words it suggests you would’ve likely heard or even used before, but it’s a nifty app that’s well worth including on your device.
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]]>The warm weather finally arrived! But before we begin to wind things down for the summer months, let’s catch up once more with the latest developments in Dutch tech.
Of course, in our mind, the best news from the week that passed was our own TNW Conference taking place in Zaandam, just outside of Amsterdam. (Next year we are back at one of our favourite locations at NDSM island, grab your 2-for-1 tickets now!)
This year featured some of the best keynote speakers and panellists in our 18-year history, along with rich networking opportunities and the signature festival feel that TNW is known for.
What we are writing about
What we are reading
Dutch Dealroom rival Bounce Watch secures pre-Seed funding (Silicon Canals)
Noord-Nederland helpt ASML voor Nederland te behouden (Computable.nl)
Europe is at risk of over-restricting AI and falling behind US and China, Dutch prince says (CNBC)
Dutch startup of the week: Source.ag
Rien Kamman and Ernst van Bruggen founded Source.ag in 2020. Credit: Source.ag
Source.ag is a Dutch agtech startup founded in 2020 by Rien Kamman and Ernst van Bruggen. The company specialises in AI-driven solutions for greenhouse farming to address global food shortages while conserving water usage.
TNW Conference 2025 – Back to NDSM on June 19-20, 2025 – Save the date!
As we wrapped up our incredible 2024 edition, we’re pleased to announce our return to Amsterdam NDSM in 2025. Registration now!
Source.ag recently launched a new product called Source Cultivate which supports growers in their decision-making process with accurate yield forecasting up to eight weeks before harvest. It claims a 90% accuracy in yield forecasts three to four weeks out, and has been developed in collaboration with top-tier growers.
Other products track and improve cultivation processes, streamline and enhance greenhouse operations, and also include an autonomous irrigation system which uses AI to adjust irrigation in real-time.
The startup recently expanded into North America, opening an office in Chicago. It has raised a total of approximately $37mn to date.
Our weekly coverage of Dutch tech news will be taking a break over the summer. If you have any ideas of what we should feature, a particularly interesting startup to keep an eye on, or what kind of news you would like to see covered, drop us a line and let us know. See you again in September!
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