Alle Artikel über Smartphones

Following the release of the Samsung Galaxy S21 release, information about the phones' hardware has now been revealed, detailing camera models and other important bits, with one notable takeaway being the incremental nature of the S21 and S21+.

WhatsApp has taken to social media channels to try to allay deep concerns that users have been voicing about data sharing and privacy. The company has decided to extend the deadline for its terms update acceptance from February 8 to May 15. However, millions have already decided to move to rival messenger services such as Signal and Telegram.

Realme is a brand that has built its appeal on affordable mobile and personal audio devices. Initial leaks suggest it is going to keep this going in 2021 with the launch of the C21 smartphone and the Buds Wireless 2 Neo. They are slated to be the successor to the cost-effective C11 and to be neckbuds rather than TWS earbuds respectively.

A recent leak may have generated confusion, if also some potential enthusiasm, at the prospect of the first in a new line of Samsung Galaxy M-series tablets. However, the device in question has now undergone testing at the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), which apparently reveals it is actually just another smartphone. Nevertheless, it is still touted to launch with an internal storage upgrade.

OPPO may have set a rough date for the launch of its 2021 premium smartphone series, likely to be called the Find X3 and X3 Pro. At the opposite end of its mobile-device spectrum, the A93 5G has debuted with Qualcomm's latest 5G-for-the-masses SoC. It offers decent specs, including 8GB of RAM and a headphone jack, for about US$310 in China.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra launched with a new 108MP main shooter, even though the OEM did not introduce it by name exactly during the show. However, it is apparent that it is called the ISOCELL HM3, the first of its kind to debut with nine-pixel binning and a 0.8 micron pixel size. Samsung asserts that it can enhance dynamic range, clarity and detail compared to its predecessors.

Escobar Inc has gone dark, just two months after it claimed to be suing Klarna for withholding funds from its smartphone sales. The company may be planning to release another device, but it has removed practically all evidence that it ever sold skinned smartphones produced by legitimate companies.

The iQOO 7 is the world's second Snapdragon 888-based phone in the world, although it is only available to order in China at present. These sales kicked off today (January 15, 2021), an event its OEM now claims made it 200 million yuan (~US$30.86 million). Its new OS update also upgrades its touch-sampling rate to no less than 1000Hz.

A possible Snapdragon 870 processor has been spotted on Geekbench as part of a Vivo V2045 device. The recorded single-core and multi-core scores reveal decent gains of up to +18% over the Snapdragon 865. The “Snapdragon 870”, which might be basically an overclocked SD865, wasn’t too far behind the Snapdragon 888 on this benchmark.

Live images of a Xiaomi foldable smartphone have been shared online, indicating that the Chinese company seems to be almost ready to launch its first commercial foldable phone. The Xiaomi foldable device, which is clearly operating on MIUI 12, has a very noticeable crease running down the middle that will hopefully be less egregious in the final retail model.

Without warning, the US government has now slammed Chinese smartphone makers Xiaomi with an American investment ban supposedly due to ties with the Chinese military. Xiaomi, in return, refutes those claims but that's unlikely to count for much.

Samsung recently made a PR gaffe when the marketing team unintentionally tweeted about the Galaxy Unpacked event from an iPhone. The post was taken down in short order, however.

The Galaxy SmartTag is a new consumer-grade electronic tracker from Samsung. It has a versatile array of use-cases, from potentially protecting bags from theft to finding lost pets. It is rated for up to 6 months of use per charge, and for ultra-wide-band (UWB) technology, which helps with its AR Tracking feature.

The Edge S will reputedly be Motorola's next premium smartphone, but new information suggests that the Snapdragon 865 or Snapdragon 888 will not be powering it. Instead, Qualcomm will leverage the Motorola Edge S launch to announce a new Snapdragon 800 series chipset. Apparently, a new 5 nm chipset codenamed Shima may be at the heart of the Edge S.

Xiaomi is likely to break one or the other record with the Mi 11 Pro, as it is accustomed to doing with its flagship smartphones. According to one reliable leaker, the Chinese company plans to bring its 80 W wireless charging capabilities to the upcoming smartphone, which it showcased last year.

Samsung has added Pro variants to its Galaxy Buds series of TWS earbuds. They are rated for upgraded active noise cancellation (ANC), voice-call quality and 360° Audio. They can also switch automatically between different mobile devices from their OEM depending on what the user is doing with either one.

After launching the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra today, Samsung has also opened its trade-in program for the series. It's pretty good, actually, with Galaxy S10 series owners being able to trade in their phones for a massive US$550, for example.

Samsung has made the Galaxy S21 Ultra official, alongside its smaller S21 and S21+ siblings. Its heretofore well-leaked specs is housed in a fresh case design with a metallic rear camera housing and an otherwise matte finish. The OEM also confirms its newly-acquired S Pen compatibility, new 108MP main shooter and Knox Vault security features.

Lu Weibing has now confirmed that Xiaomi is ending production of the Redmi K30 Ultra. The Redmi K30 Ultra was launched alongside the Mi 10 Ultra and was also never sold outside China, despite fans asking for a global release. The Redmi K40 will succeed it and there are reports it could sport the Dimensity 1200.

The LG Rollable is real, and it will be coming to market this year, an LG spokesperson has confirmed. LG will source BOE displays for its first rollable smartphone, but the so-called LG Rollable may retail for US$500 more than a Galaxy Z Fold2.

With its Snapdragon 690 SoC and 90 hertz (Hz) FHD IPS display, the HTC Desire 21 Pro 5G has stepped into the ring with the OnePlus Nord N10. However, while that phone is destined for multiple markets, its new rival has only debuted in its native Taiwan to date. Its price there works out much higher compared to its competition, however.

Samsung has announced the Galaxy A32 5G, and it is a step back from the Galaxy A31 in a crucial area. While the Galaxy A32 5G features up to 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage and a 5,000 mAh battery, Samsung has equipped it with a paltry 720p IPS display. Pricing for Germany has only been confirmed so far, where it will retail for €279.

Asus has debuted its new Instant Guard facility in the new RT-AX68U Wi-Fi 6 home router. The device also sprouts 3x3 MIMO antennae for speeds of up to 2.7 gigabits per second (Gb/s). It also supports the OEM's AiMesh software, so as to integrate into and proliferate any such network it finds itself in.

Qualcomm has revealed that it has bought the CPU-design team NUVIA for approximately US$1.4 billion. The OEM asserts that the move will make it more competitive in the future, and will enhance the development of Snapdragon mobile chipsets, as well as platforms for AI-powered vehicles, XR and infrastructure. Its hardware partners, including Microsoft and Samsung, have welcomed the acquisition.

Nubia has confirmed that its RedMagic series of premium Android gaming smartphones will get a new generation in 2021. This new device's first teaser reveals that its 4500mAh will be capable of charging by up to 120 watts (W). It is also likely to launch with the top-end Snapdragon 888 processor.

Samsung sought to ridicule Apple for removing the charger and earbuds from the iPhone 12 series, with the American company citing environmental reasons for the omission of the accessories. Now, leaked marketing renders of the Galaxy S21 series confirm that the South Korean company will be doing the same this year.

Oppo has confirmed that it will be launching its next flagship smartphone in March, and Evan Blass has revealed press renders of it. The Oppo Find X3 Pro is expected to feature powerful camera hardware, a 120 Hz display and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 chipset. The device's back also resembles the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, incidentally.

iQOO has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, and it is one of the cheapest ways to get your hands on Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 888 SoC. The iQOO 7 also has a 120 Hz AMOLED screen that apes Apple's 3D Touch functionality and a 4,000 mAh battery that can recharge at 120 W. The iQOO 7 starts at CNY 3,798 (~US$588) and is available in three colours, including a BMW variant.

The Mi Mix 3 was launched back in 2018. Xiaomi has been coy about its plans for a Mi Mix 4 release since then, but it appears that the company is now gearing up for that phone this year. And it could be joined by the Mi Note 11.

MediaTek's Dimensity lineup has turned out to offer some of the most impressive chipsets on the market, and the Taiwanese company is set to release the line-leading offering on January 20. The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 is coming, and it will offer flagship performance at an affordable price point.

Motorola is said to have a new premium phone in the works with the code-name "Nio". It also has a rumored model number (XT2125), which has shown up on the Federal Communications Commission, (FCC) website. This new leak may thus confirm the device will launch soon with a 20 watt (W) power brick and a 5000mAh battery.

Samsung's high-end Exynos 2100 SoC is finally here. Some of its features include an ARM Cortex-X1 CPU core clocked at 2.9GHz, an ARM Mali-G78 GPU, integrated 5G modem that supports sub-6GHz and mmWave networks, and more. It will debut alongside the Samsung Galaxy S21 series on January 14.

Qualcomm has introduced its second-generation 3D Sonic Sensor under-display fingerprint reader. The new scanner offers a 77 percent larger fingerprint reader area and is 50 percent faster than its first-gen scanner which featured in Samsung’s Galaxy S20 and Note20 models.

The TCL 20 SE is a low-cost smartphone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, four rear cameras, and a 6.8-inch screen and a 5,000mAh battery. It will be available for purchase worldwide in late January 2021 for €149 (US$181).

LG has held its CES 2021 event, during which it teased its forthcoming Rollable smartphone. The South Korean company first hinted at the device last year after announcing the LG Wing, but it has now shown how its folding mechanism in action. The LG Rollable appears to have a motorised mechanism, but many other details remain unknown at this stage.

TCL has launched a new low-cost 5G smartphone called the TCL 20 5G. It comes with a 6.6-inch FHD IPS LCD panel, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 chipset, 6GB of RAM, three rear cameras and a 4,500mAh battery that can be charged at 18W. The smartphone is up for sale in Italy for €299 (US$363) and will be available in other regions soon.

After releasing the Motorola Edge and Motorola Edge+ last year, it appears Motorola is already gearing up for the next device in the series. The phone in question is tipped to be the Motorola Edge S and is supposedly set for imminent launch.

TCL's display-development subsidiary CSOT has prepared 2 of its flexible prototypes that can function when paired to rollers for display at CES 2021. One is the extendable AMOLED panel that may have been seen as part of a concept smartphone before. The other is a 17-inch piece of OLED that may show what the OEM can offer the makers of devices such as transparent TVs.

Honor may be free of Huawei, but it appears to be still using the designs of its former parent company. The Honor V40 will arrive in China on January 18, and it bears an uncanny resemblance to the Huawei Nova 8 Pro. Honor's first smartphone without Huawei may reprise Google Mobile Services, though.

Samsung appears to be on the verge of releasing the Galaxy A32 soon, based on the volume of press renders that have leaked. The 5G handset will be available with five cameras, a MediaTek Dimensity 720 chipset and a design that resembles the LG Velvet. There will also be 4 GB of RAM and a 6.5-inch LCD screen.

The Redmi K40 series is on the way, and it will come with all the features required to make it a certified flagship killer. Xiaomi has now confirmed a February launch, what will almost definitely be a 120 Hz AMOLED, and a Snapdragon 888 for the Redmi K40 Pro.

HP asserts that its new Elite-series earbuds are an enterprise-grade way of introducing wireless audio into your professional online conferencing set-up. They are rated for both passive and active noise cancellation (PNC and ANC), streamlined device-switching and fast case charging via USB type C.

108MP is the highest resolution available to mobile devices at the moment, featuring most recently in the freshly-launched Xiaomi Mi 11. However, the respected leaker Ice Universe asserts that Samsung has new 200MP ISOCELL-line sensors ready to go "soon". Therefore, OEMs may aim to include this tech in their flagships in the course of 2021.

Samsung has announced that it will launch the Galaxy S21 flagship series on January 14, 2021 in India. However, interested consumers in this market can now "pre-reserve" one of these phones ahead of this date with a special "VIP Pass". Doing so reportedly gets the buyer a free case worth the equivalent of ~US$52.

Lenovo has made an ambitious leap into the business end of AR glasses with the new ThinkReality A3s. Their lenses are 1080p displays for their potential mixed-reality (MR) or heads-up display content. They also have dual RGB cameras to orient this view, and come in smartphone- or laptop-tethered USB type C variants.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite appears to be getting closer to an official announcement as a smartphone believed to be this device has turned up on both the FCC and BIS. In addition, a new specs leak relating to the presumed Mi 11 Lite suggests it will sport an AMOLED screen and will be powered by an SM7150 platform chipset from Qualcomm.