Latest Tech News

According to a ZenTalk forum moderator, Android 10 will be the last major OS update for the popular Asus ZenFone 5/5Z. Further updates will only focus on security and bug fixes, although the possibility of a ZenUI 7 feature update for Android 10 is not being completely ruled out.

Xiaomi seems to have leaked a small portion of its MIUI 12 user interface by accident. It’s widely believed that the Chinese OEM is busy working on the latest version of its Android overlay and there has even been a recent leak listing which smartphones will be supposedly first to receive MIUI 12. The latest user interface seems to have a darker appearance overall.

Photos of a Xiaomi Comet engineering prototype smartphone have been shared online, and it bears a distinct resemblance to the design of the Black Shark 3 gaming phone. Apparently, the Xiaomi Comet sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC and is IP68 certified, which is surprising considering the OEM’s fondness for IP53-level protection.

The next Apple TV refresh looks set to bring with it Apple’s next-generation A14 SoC according to a fresh rumor. Also on the cards is an Apple HomePod with a display along the lines of a Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show after code examinations shows that Apple has switch to tvOS for the HomePod operating system.

New details about the Microsoft Surface Book 3 have been published that indicate the device will soon be released. The latest retailer listings describe the core configurations for the 13.5-inch and 15-inch Surface Book 3 convertibles along with a list of prices in Euros. It seems these new Surface devices will be coming with quad-core Intel Comet Lake-U processors.

Rumour has it that Google has already received working versions of its custom Exynos SoC, developed in partnership with Samsung. Codenamed Whitechapel, the 8-core ARM chip is said to be based on a 5 nm process. While there has been talk of the 5 nm chip making its way into the Pixel 5, Google may have even bigger plans for Whitechapel.

GPD has been slowly drip-feeding general information and technical details about the upcoming Win Max handheld console lately. Images of the device’s motherboard have just been posted online and somewhat scant updates in regard to the price and campaign release for the handheld computer have also been offered.

Our first benchmarks of the 10th gen Comet Lake-H Core i7-10875H powering the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB laptop indicate that Comet Lake-H is best suited for those aiming for maximum clocks possible for games or workflows that require short bursts of boost. For almost every other practical purpose, the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS looks to be a better bet.

As we reported exclusively, the iPad Pro (2020) is fitted with a rebinned A12X chip that it has simply renamed the A12Z. The confirmation comes after TechInsights carried out an x-ray of the A12Z highlighting it has exactly the same physical layout as the A12X.

As Huawei kicks off the rollout of EMUI 10.1 to its current and last-gen flagships, its Honor sub-brand isn't forgotten. The update comes in the form of Magic UI 3.1 and is now slowly becoming available on Honor flagships like the Honor 20 Pro and Honor V20.

The Xperia 1 II, Sony's most expensive flagship, is edging ever closer to being released. Due this quarter, Sony has hinted that we could be just days away from a proper unveiling. The device's €1,119 (~US$1,227.40) launch price may be a sticking point for most people, though.

OnePlus has unleashed new versions of its wireless earphones alongside its new 8-series of flagship phones. This new generation has an improved range of color options compared to its predecessors. It also features low-latency connections and a battery that can support up to 20 hours' worth of playback.

In accordance with some leaks and rumors, OnePlus has launched its first ever wireless charger today (April 14, 2020). This device is also compatible with devices besides the new 8 Pro phone, thanks to the Qi standard. It is rated to power its new companion flagship by about 50% in 30 minutes.

Apparently being released in 64 GB, 128 GB, LTE and Wi-Fi variants, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will also be available in two colours. Full specifications for the Exynos 9611-powered tablet have been revealed too, as has a so-called Book cover accessory that Samsung will sell separately.

OnePlus has officially taken wraps off the new OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. The new OnePlus 8 series is powered by the Snapdragon 865 5G and iteratively build upon last year's OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro. The new phones are priced higher than ever and seem to herald a new beginning for the company that was popular as the brand that makes flagship-killers.

Rumour has it that Nintendo is developing two new Switch models, with one having been spotted in new firmware. Previously rumoured to be using a custom NVIDIA Volta GPU, the model is said to be based on the Tegra X1+ instead. The device has a secondary display of sorts too, and may feature alongside a docked-only console codenamed Calcio.

The Surface Go 2 is almost here, and it will be arriving with Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. An LTE variant is on its way too, with both rumoured to debut by the end of the month in an online event. Intel Core m3-8100Y and Pentium Gold 4425Y processors will make the Surface Go 2 nothing more than an incremental upgrade, though.

The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is now shipping and for as little as US$999.99. The Ryzen 7 4800H-powered machine has a 15.6-inch 144 Hz panel, but there is also the 17.3-inch A17 if you would like something larger.

The latest market research from the Gartner group indicates that the market for PCs has experienced its "sharpest decline" since 2013. However, it seems this year-on-year drop in shipments, which applies to the first 3 months of this year (1Q2020), is related more to the Covid-19 pandemic rather than to demand for this category.

After incessant requests from owners, Xiaomi finally the released Android 10 update for the Mi A2 Lite over a month ago. The update was disastrous, however, and bricked a number of devices. The company has now released a new Android 10 build.

The latest firmware update for the Nintendo Switch (version 10.0.0) brings a bevy of new features, including the ability to completely remap the Joy-Con and Pro controllers and the ability to transfer data (including games) from the Switch's internal storage to an SD card.

Additionally, the upcoming Galaxy Fold 2 will get a larger inner screen measuring almost 8 inch in diagonal and the reduced price is said to be Samsung's market adjustment measure due to expected declining sales in 2H 2020, which may also lead to reduced prices for the Note 20 and Galaxy S21 models.

OnePlus is upping its prices by £50 to £200. Thanks to UK retailer listings that went live early, we know that the OnePlus 8 will start at £599, £50 more than the OnePlus 7T. Want 256 GB with your OnePlus 8 Pro? Well, that'll cost you £899, £200 more than it did for the OnePlus 7T Pro.

The first Ryzen 3000 Picasso APUs have just been added to mini PC offerings from ASRock and Zotac and it may take up to one year for the freshly released Ryzen 4000 Renoir processors to make it into small form-factor PCs. Prominent OEMs like Dell, Asus and MSI do not even offer any AMD-based mini PCs.

Lenovo has launched the A7 in China. It is a considerable departure from your average smartphone, in that the processor here is from Unisoc. Not only that, but it has a swappable 4000mAh battery. It does not have a sale price as yet, but is likely to exhibit an ultra-budget one on its announcement.

The covers and cases for games for the PlayStation 5 have become the latest design aspect of the next-generation console that talented fans have decided to focus on, with some settling for square-shaped concepts and others preferring a more rectangular approach to the all-important case design. Square-shaped cases for games were common with the original PlayStation.

The Exynos 990 is having a rough ride of it currently. Not only did Samsung snub the chipset for its home market, but there has also been a slew of reports about a flurry of issues affecting the Galaxy S20 Ultra. With complaints about the Exynos 990 version of the device piling up online, it now seems that the US$1,400 flagship can no longer run Pokémon Go, either.

A tech blogger has managed to get hold of some price lists that could be for the upcoming Microsoft Surface Book 3 devices. The listings also included prices for various related accessories and possibly the Surface Go 2. It has been opined that the “Surface Project T” could be the 13.5-inch Surface Book 3 while “Surface Project U” could be the 15-inch model.

Gigabyte has managed to squeeze extra performance out of its Aero 15 Studio XB laptop that features an Intel Core i7-10875H processor. Leaked industry information demonstrates benchmark result improvements in Geekbench and Cinebench R15 for the upcoming versatile laptop, pushed along with the help of Azure AI and Gigabyte’s Control Center.

OPPO has announced that the mid-range A91 smartphone will become available in Europe. It brings the combination of a MediaTek Helio P70 SoC, high-res quad rear cameras with a monochrome sensor and a 20:9 aspect ratio to the German market. It may be aimed at younger consumers, with a price to match.

International pre-orders for the earlier announced Nubia RedMagic 5G — successor to the RedMagic 3 and 3S — begin on the 4th of April, with the official release date set for the 21st of April. RedMagic is running a "blueprint" buying pre-order event, granting holders the right to purchase the device on launch and providing a discount.

The 14-inch ZenBook Duo UX481 will essentially be a miniaturized version of the larger 15.6-inch ZenBook Pro Duo released last year. It will run on a Core i7-10510U CPU with the promise of up to 22 hours of battery life despite having two individual screens.

Google is making certain apps available as progressive web applications available as the preferred option via the Play Store for Chrome OS. The development is seen as a win for open platforms and from a user experience perspective where some Android apps don't stack up on a larger display.

Razer has lined up a treat for Pokémon fans with the launch of its new themed Hammerhead variant. Targeted specifically at the Pokémon crazy Chinese market, the new headphones will undoubtedly also attract interest from die-hard fans everywhere.

The LG G7 ThinQ is billed to start receiving the Android 10 update in South Korea sometime this quarter. There appears to be some good news for owners of the flagship in the US, however.

Lenovo is now linked to the release of a new smartphone that will be part of its iconic Legion gaming brand. A new, allegedly official, poster that indicates an unfeasible-looking charging rate for this device has found its way onto Weibo. However, it is at odds with the speed the OEM had mentioned earlier.

Capcom is reportedly working on a remake of Resident Evil 4. While few details are known, the success of the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes have likely spurred Capcom to continue releasing remakes of its storied survival horror series.

The OPPO Ace2 has been introduced via live-stream in China today (April 13, 2020), as promised. The new Snapdragon 865-powered phone launched alongside the AirVOOC charger, a new accessory that supports 40-watt (W) wireless power. Its OEM also debuted new TWS earbuds at this event.

We have now reached a part of April 2020 increasingly regarded as "iPhone SE 2 Week"; however, this has not stopped the new Apple Watch rumors coming thick and fast. They now point to a new form of authentication for this device, as well as the ability to detect anxiety as well as blood-oxygen levels in the user. There may also be new case-variants in the offing.

Launching tomorrow alongside the OnePlus 8 series, the limited edition cases have been created in collaboration with André Saraiva. Part of the OnePlus x Andre series, the cases will inevitably come in OnePlus and OnePlus 8 Pro versions.

Rumour has it that Huawei is planning on entering the server GPU market. The news comes as Huawei has attacked critics about its involvement in the UK's 5G infrastructure.

Motorola will finally unveil its flagship offering on April 22nd. It will very likely be the Motorola Edge+. The phone is expected to come with a waterfall display that has a refresh rate of 90Hz. Other features include a 108MP camera, Snapdragon 865 SoC, 5G connectivity, and more.

Vivo's iQOO sub-brand makes the Neo series of smartphones: gaming-focused devices based on flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Now, the company has announced its 3rd generation. This phone will stand alongside the Red Magic 5G at the top of the current mobile display refresh-rate charts.

The Watch GT 2 has been well received, but the lack of blood oxygen saturation monitoring was an oversight. Now, the smartwatch can finally use its Sp02 sensor courtesy of a software update, six months after launching.

Apple is now rumored to have had a second go at getting the AirPower product ready for launch, following an uncharacteristic failure to do so in 2019. A new leak asserts that this has been done by incorporating the iPhone X's SoC into the device. This apparently disproportional processing power may address what held the fabled power accessory back in the first place.

Samsung is reportedly working on two selfie camera modules, one of which supports OIS. It is expected to make its debut alongside the Galaxy S21 next year. This will be the first time an OEM incorporates OIS in a phone's front-facing camera after Sony did it four years ago with the Xperia XA Ultra.

Details about Godfall, an exclusive title for the PlayStation 5, have surfaced on the ResetEra forums. Godfall will not be compatible with the PlayStation 4 but will look to harness the complete power of the PS5's CPU and GPU for an immersive gaming experience. Whether alienating an entire generation of console players will pay off or not is something that remains to be seen.

Huawei is one of the few Android OEMs still releasing tablets. Taking the fight to Apple alongside Samsung, multiple sources are claiming that Huawei has another two tablets in development. Apparently, the MediaPad M7 and MatePad T are in line for releases, with the former seemingly featuring the punch-hole display of the MatePad Pro.

Samsung recently updated is One UI Home launcher app to address a screen rotation issue affecting Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 users. The update also patches bugs affecting shortcuts and Task Changer.

Not only is Microsoft said to be releasing a Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2 this Spring, but it also has new accessories planned. While likely backwards compatible, they point towards Microsoft embracing greater connectivity options. It would appear that the Surface Book 3 will offer considerably more performance than its predecessor, too.