Smartphone

The Xiaomi RedmiBook 14 Ryzen Edition laptop utilized Radeon Vega 8 Graphics or Radeon Vega 10 Graphics. (Image source: Giztop)

Refreshed Xiaomi RedmiBook 14 Ryzen Edition laptop to be launched alongside the Redmi K30 Pro and K30 Pro Zoom smartphones on March 24

It appears Xiaomi has a truly jam-packed event coming up on March 24. The Chinese manufacturer apparently won’t be content with just unveiling the Redmi K30 Pro and Redmi K30 Pro Zoom smartphones. According to a noted leaker, Xiao...

Daniel R Deakin, 22 Mar 2020 11:36

The Exynos 990 is looking like quite the disappointment. (Source: Samsung)

Operation Kill Exynos: The petition asking Samsung to ditch its Exynos chipsets is gaining serious traction

A few days ago, a discontent smartphone owner created a petition requesting the company to stop using its "inferior" Exynos SoCs. The petition has quickly gained traction, accruing over 11,000 signatures within 48 hours.

Ricci Rox, 22 Mar 2020 10:38

The Redmi Note series (Note 8 Pro pictured) has been a sales powerhouse for Xiaomi over the last few years. (Source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi surpasses Huawei global sales as COVID-19 and Google Services restrictions take their toll

While Xiaomi has enjoyed strong upward growth over the last few years, they have always sat behind Huawei, the largest Chinese smartphone manufacturer, in international sales rankings. That appears to have changed according to Str...

Craig Ward, 22 Mar 2020 09:26

Xiaomi Mi 9 SE receives EU, Global and Russian stable Android 10 updates. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Mi 9 SE finally receives EU, Global and Russian stable Android 10 updates

Xiaomi has been furnishing its smartphones with Android 10 updates of late. The Mi 9 SE is the latest of the bunch to receive Google's latest OS, with Xiaomi pushing out updates to EU, Global and Russian handsets simultaneously.

Alex Alderson, 22 Mar 2020 02:42

Fitbit users now have access to more features than usual. (Source: Fitbit)

Fitbit announces a new free trial of its Premium features to help combat the coronavirus pandemic

Fitbit has thrown many of the normally pay-walled aspects of its ecosystem open to all users as they continue to cope with the ongoing pandemic. This offer comprises 90 days of its Premium package, which includes advanced sleep-tr...

Deirdre O Donnell, 21 Mar 2020 19:23

HMD Connect is a new roaming alternative. (Source: Google Play Store)

HMD Global offers a new way to get mobile data wherever you are

HMD Global has launched a new product, which is for an Android phone rather than being one. Known as "Connect", it distributes data-only SIMs that operate based on a sort of pay-as-you-go model. The user buys data "packages" to us...

Deirdre O Donnell, 21 Mar 2020 18:49

The Mi 8 Lite is getting the Android 10 update globally. (Image Source: Mi.com)

Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite and Mi Max M3 finally getting stable global MIUI 11 update based on Android 10

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite and the Mi Max 3 global variants are finally receiving the stable Android 10-based MIUI 11 update after having had an initial rollout in China. Both updates weigh-in around 1.8 GB and come with the February se...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 21 Mar 2020 17:45

Camera Go offers a portrait mode. (Source; Android)

Google is bringing its image processing to extreme budget phones with the new Camera Go app

Camera quality has been a major pain point for owners of Android Go phones, due to the quality of hardware the phones sport. Computational photography is Google's bread and butter, though, and the newly launched Camera Go app is e...

Ricci Rox, 21 Mar 2020 15:55

Xiaomi's Mi Mix 3 offered a novel slider approach to the front-facing camera setup. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi offers up questionable solution for a foldable smartphone that takes great selfies in new design patent

Xiaomi seems to have come up with a novel idea for creating a foldable smartphone that could appeal to users who are particularly fond of taking selfies. According to this particular design patent, the Chinese manufacturer has dec...

Daniel R Deakin, 21 Mar 2020 11:01

The stillborn Essential PH-3 looks like a more gorgeous iPhone 11 Pro. (Source: Ken Hoffman)

Stillborn Essential Phone PH-2, PH-3 renders show gorgeous iPhone-like design

In a public post on his website since locked, former Essential designer Kevin Hoffman has posted renders of two Essential PH-1 sequels that until now have never seen the light of day. The Essential PH-2 and Essential PH-3 provides...

Sanjiv Sathiah, 21 Mar 2020 04:25

OnePlus Instant Translation is live. (Source: XDA)

OnePlus debuts its Instant Translation feature in the 7 and 7T series' latest betas

OnePlus introduced a new facet of its OxygenOS called Instant Translation during its last product launch. It allows a phone to generate automatic captions during live video chats. This function has finally been added to new Open B...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Mar 2020 21:10

The Nokia 8.3 5G is the first truly global 5G phone. (Image Source: HMD)

The Nokia 8.3 5G is the first truly global 5G phone, comes with Snapdragon 765G 5G, Zeiss quad cameras, and Android One for €599

HMD Global has announced its latest flagship-esque device, the Nokia 8.3 5G. The Nokia 8.3 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 5G and features a tall 20:9 6.81-inch HDR PureDisplay, a quad-camera setup with Zeiss optics, ...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 20 Mar 2020 18:49

The Axon 11 5G certainly looks like a mid-range smartphone. (Image source: ZTE)

Opinion | Axon 11 5G: ZTE's March 23-bound smartphone could well be a flagship in disguise as a mid-ranger

Teased on Weibo, ZTE is announcing a new smartphone before it releases the Axon 10s Pro. Called the Axon 11 5G, ZTE has scheduled a release for March 23. While all signs may point to it being a mid-range smartphone, ZTE insists on...

Alex Alderson, 20 Mar 2020 17:03

Xiaomi is really struggling with Android 10 for the Mi A3. (Image source: Xiaomi)

The Xiaomi Mi A3 suffers from another suspension of its Android 10 rollout because of a buggy update; no new release in sight either

Déjà vu, Mi A3 owners. Xiaomi has now pulled the latest update for the device, which would have brought Android 10 to many devices. Seemingly as bug-ridden as the first Android 10 update, Xiaomi needs to get its act together.

Alex Alderson, 20 Mar 2020 17:03

A render showing the Axon 11's rumored square camera. (Source: Weibo via IndiaShopps)

ZTE's Axon 11 is a mid-range 5G device to launch in March 2020: new leaks

ZTE is already linked to a device called the Axon 10s Pro based on the Snapdragon 865 SoC and the 5G X55 modem. Now, it appears the Axon 11 is also on the way. This one is no flagship, however: it is more likely to offer the mid-r...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Mar 2020 14:25

The Redmi K30 Pro and Redmi K30 Pro Zoom are both likely to arrive next week. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro & K30 Pro Zoom impress in 64 MP and 3x optical zoom camera samples

Not only have Xiaomi and Redmi now confirmed the impending arrival of the Redmi K30 Pro Zoom, but they have also shown off some camera samples from both it and the regular K30 Pro. Featuring dual-OIS, a 64 MP main sensor and a tel...

Alex Alderson, 20 Mar 2020 14:18

Google RCS is now available in Spain. (Source: Google)

Google extends the availability of its RCS service to users in Spain

Google has already rolled its own form of rich communication services- (RCS) based messaging to US users, as well as some other markets across the globe. Now, Spain is the latest to join this list. Interested Android owners can tr...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Mar 2020 13:58

Thailand's NBTC regulator approves the OPPO A12

The OPPO A11 is a budget phone with quad cameras from 2019. Now, it appears it has a successor destined for markets such as that of Thailand (and also possibly Indonesia). However, it seems this phone is, if anything, even more lo...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Mar 2020 13:25

A look at the front of the Huawei P40 and P40 Pro. (Image source: /LEAKS)

New Huawei P40 series renders show off the series' minimal bezels and curves that are to die for

Fancy a quad-curved display this year? Well, the P40 Pro may be your best bet, with new promotional renders show the device's minimal bezels too. The P40 may suit those who are looking for a more practical design though, albeit on...

Alex Alderson, 20 Mar 2020 13:09

The LG V60 ThinQ 5G goes on sale today, starting at US$799

LG's latest flagship phone, the V60 ThinQ 5G, goes on sale today. The phone's price tag starts at US$799 depending on the carrier you buy from and the options selected. That's US$200 less than the regular Galaxy S20. At most, pote...

Ricci Rox, 20 Mar 2020 10:45

The 2020 iPhone may also be delayed. (Source: Apple)

Apple's estimated 2020 iPhone revenue is now down 14% thanks to CoViD-19

The securities firm Wedbush has reportedly written to investors advising them that Apple will find its iPhone-derived takings reduced compared to earlier estimates. They may be down by as much as 14% in 2020, and by 10% in 2021. T...

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Mar 2020 22:53

The Exynos 990-powered Samsung Galaxy S20 series is not a good choice for smartphone gamers

When shelling out up to the equivalent of US$1600 for a new phone, one would expect it to be the class-leading in performance, or at least better than last year's releases. Not the Galaxy S20, though, as a new test has shown the E...

Ricci Rox, 19 Mar 2020 21:52

The Samsung Galaxy A41. (Source: Samsung)

The Samsung Galaxy A41 launches in Japan

Following protracted speculation, Samsung has debuted the Galaxy A41. It has a 6.1-inch SuperAMOLED display with a U-shaped notch and a 3500mAh battery. It also has an IP68 ingress-protection rating and 4GB of RAM.

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Mar 2020 21:42

The Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro in its fetching purple get-up. (Image source: Redmi)

Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition hits Geekbench powered by a Snapdragon 865 and 8 GB of RAM

Xiaomi may be focusing on the release of the Redmi K30 Pro right now, but do not forget that a Zoom Edition of the Redmi K30 Pro is on its way too. The device has now made its way to Geekbench, suggesting that the Zoom Edition wil...

Alex Alderson, 19 Mar 2020 20:03

Xiaomi reportedly abandons all hope of an in-house CPU

The last few years have seen a scatter of articles about Surge, Xiaomi's supposed competitor to the Kirin or Exynos SoC series of the world in development. Now, however, there are indications that the Chinese OEM is finally giving...

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Mar 2020 19:07

The Redmi Note 9 Pro has a 1080p display. (Image source: Xiaomi)

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro may have a DRM Widevine and HD Netflix issue

The Redmi Note 9 Pro has gotten off to a great start, with Amazon selling out of stock within minutes in India. However, there are conflicting reports about whether the device supports L1 or L3 DRM certification. The device may no...

Alex Alderson, 19 Mar 2020 19:03

The Mi A2 is just receiving the March security update for the time being. (Image source: Xiaomi)

The Xiaomi Mi A2 follows the Mi A3 with a new disappointing update

Hoping that Xiaomi would release an update for your Mi A2 that would the numerous bugs that Android 10 introduced? Think again, as Xiaomi has opted for a different tactic instead.

Alex Alderson, 19 Mar 2020 18:57

The Redmi K30 Pro will launch on March 24. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Redmi K30 Pro: Purple and Silver colour options, five-way breathing notification LED and huge vapour chamber cooling confirmed

Following on from previous teasers, Xiaomi has now announced a new raft of features of the Redmi K30 Pro ahead of its launch on March 24. With 180 Hz touch sampling, 1,200 nit peak brightness and a 3,435 mm² stainless steel vapour...

Alex Alderson, 19 Mar 2020 18:33

Android 10 is the Mi 9 Lite's first OS update. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Updated | Mi 9 Lite & Mi CC9 receive stable Android 10 update globally

The Mi 9 Lite and Mi CC9 have now started receiving a stable Android 10 update globally. Already rolled out to Chinese handsets, Xiaomi has now extended the Android 10 upgrade to Global and Russian devices. Those enrolled on the E...

Alex Alderson, 19 Mar 2020 17:59

The upcoming Kirin 820 should enable Huawei to secure the leading position in the mid-range smartphone market for one more year. (Image Source: Huawei)

Huawei's Kirin 820 mid-range 5G SoC gets leaked specs

Improvements for the upcoming Kirin 820 mid-range SoC include an integrated 5G modem, upgraded ISP and NPU units, plus a more powerful Mali-G77 GPU. Huawei decided to keep the same 7 nm manufacturing process and the ARM Cortex-A76...

Bogdan Solca, 19 Mar 2020 14:15

Samsung's Galaxy S20 series is finally getting a camera update for better auto focus

In the first tests it was noticed that the autofocus of the Galaxy S20 models does not work optimally. Samsung is now rolling out the second firmware update for the new series and this time the South Korean manufacturer is also ta...

Christian Hintze, 19 Mar 2020 12:40

Realme's new line of Narzo phones will be released in India soon

Realme teases new Narzo line of smartphones for the Indian market

Realme India Tweeted out a teaser for a new line of smartphones called Narzo. The company claims that the devices will be centered around 'uniqueness' and 'high-resolution cameras'. The phones are expected to compete with the like...

Anil Satyanarayana, 19 Mar 2020 08:47

The Realme 6i in its 2 color SKUs. (Source: Realme)

The Realme 6i with a MediaTek Helio G80 SoC gets launched

Realme has confirmed leaks pointing to a Helio G80-powered phone with the launch of the 6i in Myanmar. Unlike the rest of its new series, this phone has an HD+ display, although it outdoes the rest with a 5000mAh battery. It also ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Mar 2020 22:32

The Redmi K30 Pro will feature a notchless and 60 Hz AMOLED display. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Redmi K30 Pro: Xiaomi confirms notchless and HDR10+ AMOLED display; 3x optical zoom, 30x zoom and dazzling white colourway are on the way too

If previous teasers about the Redmi K30 Pro have not whet your appetite, then the latest might. Xiaomi has now shown off a vibrant white version of the device, along with its notchless display. The AMOLED panel may also be HDR10+ ...

Alex Alderson, 18 Mar 2020 20:03

Google's Advanced Protection has new features. (Source: Google)

Google's Advanced Protection starts to prevent the side-loading of non-Play Store apps

Advanced Protection is a program offered by Google to those potentially in need of enhanced mobile-device security. The Mountain View giant has announced some new changes to its policies. They include a built-in blocker for side-l...

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Mar 2020 20:03

The Redmi Note 9S is a re-branded Note 9 Pro for another market: new leak

Redmi has just announced a launch date for a phone called the Note 9S in Malaysia. Now, a new entry on the Geekbench 5 website for this device returns the same specs as the Note 9 Pro. This suggests the 2 products are one and the ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Mar 2020 19:28

The new Powerbeats earphones. (Source: Apple)

Apple releases new Powerbeats: less expensive than the Pros, but not TWS

Apple has debuted a refreshed pair of Powerbeats for 2020. These new products look much the same as their predecessors, although they have comparably extended battery life and Audio Sharing. They are available from now for ~US$150...

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Mar 2020 19:00

The Samsung Galaxy M21. Image via Samsung

Samsung announces Galaxy M21, an affordable phone with a monster battery aimed at the Indian market

Samsung announced the Galaxy M21 today. The budget-oriented handset shares many of the same specifications with the slightly more expensive Galaxy M31. However, the Galaxy M21 cuts back on cameras to hit a lower retail price. The ...

Sam Medley, 18 Mar 2020 17:42

Xiaomi released the Mi A1 in September 2017. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Mi A1 receives another update, but no Android 10 incoming

The chances of the Mi A1 receiving Android 10 look increasingly slim, with Xiaomi issuing a new underwhelming update for its first Android One smartphone. Expect to see Xiaomi and Google abandon the Mi A1 altogether by the end of ...

Alex Alderson, 18 Mar 2020 13:29

The Xiaomi Mi A3 receives a new underwhelming update

Owners of the Mi A3 have been waiting for the release of an Android 10 build that fixes the bugs Xiaomi's OTA last month calamitously introduced. A new update has now been released for the phone, but it appears to be rather disapp...

Ricci Rox, 18 Mar 2020 13:07

One of the Honor 30's alleged colorways. (Source: CNMO)

Rumor | The Honor 30 series will have quad rear cameras in a circular housing

Recently, the Honor 30S has allegedly appeared in promos sponsored by Sprite in China. Now, their flagship siblings have reportedly leaked in a new render that shows they will join the round-camera brigade on their launch. These p...

Deirdre O Donnell, 17 Mar 2020 22:12

A new Motorola Edge+ render. (Source: Twitter)

New renders appear to affirm Motorola's 2020 flagship design

Motorola is currently believed to have a Snapdragon 865-powered phone called the Edge+ in the works. Some renders worked up for this device may show how the OEM will combine its rumored triple cameras with a waterfall display. Now...

Deirdre O Donnell, 17 Mar 2020 21:35

Samsung is suspending its PlayGalaxy Link. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung discontinues its PlayGalaxy Link service

PlayGalaxy Link is a feature of some Samsung Galaxy flagships by which PC gaming can be done on these devices via a streaming connection. Or was, rather: the OEM has announced that it will wrap this resource up by March 27, 2020.

Deirdre O Donnell, 17 Mar 2020 21:10

The Reno3 has gone international. (Source: OPPO)

OPPO launches a 4G/LTE version of the Reno3 globally

The Reno3 smartphone was released earlier with the MediaTek Dimensity 1000L SoC, which made it a 5G device. Now, its maker OPPO has announced a 2nd version of this phone with a Helio P90 processor instead. Otherwise, the phone com...

Deirdre O Donnell, 17 Mar 2020 20:40

A great phone blighted by a frustrating issue. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Some Xiaomi Mi Note 10 handsets are facing Bluetooth audio dropouts

While the Mi Note 10 series is an unashamed P30 Pro clone it has one thing that Huawei's flagship lacks, a glaring Bluetooth issue. Poor design or a software issue? It could be both.

Alex Alderson, 17 Mar 2020 20:37

The Mi A2 Lite may receive another Android 10 update before the end of the month. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi promises new Android 10 update for the Mi A2 Lite before the end of March; offers to fix units bricked by botched update too

Mi A2 Lite owners have had a bad time of things lately. With the device's Android 10 update causing bootloops on some units, Xiaomi has now urged people to bring their affected handsets in for repair. The company is hoping to rele...

Alex Alderson, 17 Mar 2020 20:19

The Redmi Note 9 Pro is another success for Xiaomi. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi sells out of the Redmi Note 9 Pro almost instantly

Say what you want about its design and its Snapdragon 720G chipset, but the Redmi Note 9 Pro is already proving a best-seller. Selling out in a just a few minutes, the Redmi Note 9 Pro will be available to purchase again from Marc...

Alex Alderson, 17 Mar 2020 20:14

Chinese OEMs have demanded a 200 MP sensor, yet Samsung apparently can only deliver a 150 MP in the desired time-frame. (Image Source:Samsung)

Rumor | Samsung may launch 150 MP mobile sensors by Q4 2020

Chinese smartphone OEMs like Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo apparently demanded the development of a 200 MP sensor by the end of 2020, but Samsung could only offer 150 MP for that specific time-frame. The upcoming sensor is supposed to off...

Bogdan Solca, 17 Mar 2020 16:29