Phablet

A YouTube channel has allegedly posted a video of a heretofore-unreleased Huawei wearable called the Watch GT 2 Porsche Design. It seems much like the rest of its possible series, albeit with a new bezel and boot animation. This may be a sign that such a product will be unveiled alongside the upcoming Mate 40 series.

Although repairing the dual-display Microsoft Surface Duo can easily turn into a nightmare and it is not an easy task even for experienced people, the good news is that this piece of hardware is quite unlikely to break. According to the JerryRigEverything's torture test, the Surface Duo is surprisingly rugged.

The Thai regulator NBTC has approved an upcoming Huawei device called the NOH-NX9, revealing that it is in fact the Mate 40 Pro in the process. This model number has also popped up on the EEC and Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) databases, suggesting that the premium phablet will indeed make its debut soon.

iFixit has posted its dissembly video for Samsung's latest flagship foldable device. The Galaxy Z Fold2 fared better than other phones with hinges that have featured recently on the same YouTube channel. On the other hand, it could have scored higher on its reparability scale.

The Surface Duo is now available. Microsoft's dual-screen Android phone has been hotly anticipated, but early reviews suggest the device needs a bit more time to bake; while the design is good, the software is buggy. The phone starts at US$1399.

Counterpoint Research has published its latest report on the premium (~US$400 or more) sector of India's smartphone market. It declined by 32% in the second quarter of 2020 (2Q2020) - although this drop was less severe than that of the entire market for the same quarter. OnePlus took the #1 spot here again, just edging Samsung out with a 29% share.

Huawei's mobile platforms have been notable by their absence from IFA 2020. It transpires that the OEM has decided to delay the launch of its Kirin 1000 platform (which is to be the first of its series to be based on a 5 nanometer (nm) architecture), in order to focus on taking delivery of as much of the silicon it is based on before it is blocked from doing so by US restrictions.

TCL has unveiled its latest form of display technology as part of its IFA Special Edition 2020 presentation. NXTPAPER is an alternative to e-ink that, as its maker claims, "repurposes natural light" to prevent eye-strain while still producing a convincing range of colors. These panels are also touted to improve on contrast, power-efficiency and thickness compared to more conventional screen materials.

Today (September 1, 2020), Samsung has launched the Galaxy Z Fold2 5G for a number of markets worldwide, Germany included. This means we finally get to find out how the premium device is priced in various different regions. The new foldable has a recommended price of over €1900, in one European country at least.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy S9+ smartphones are likely to receive a cut-down version of the One UI 2.5 Android skin when it becomes available, due to hardware constraints. Samsung has been praised for offering the software update to older Galaxy models in its lineup though.

Owners of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (Snapdragon variant), Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ have been taking to online forums to report the well-known green tint display issues that many flagship devices have suffered from in the past. The same green tint problem recently affected Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphones too but was fixed with a software update.

Foldables are the latest and most expensive forms of trendy mobile devices in existence. The blog SamMobile claims to have heard of a new, "budget" iteration of this tech from Samsung. It may have relatively low internal storage options and more color SKUs compared to the Galaxy Z Fold2 or Z Flip 5G.

Recent renders have indicated that Huawei intends to stick with a round housing for the rear cameras in its upcoming additions to the Mate series of high-end phablets. A newer leak appears to corroborate this detail. It shows that both the 40 and 40 Pro will have at least 3 sensors apiece within a bordered circle of what looks like glass.

A report out of South Korea has stated that over 1.17 million devices from the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series have now been pre-ordered, with a few days of the pre-order period still remaining. Although the Mystic Bronze Galaxy Note 20 has already sold out, the total is still just short of the Galaxy Note 10’s record pre-order figures.

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro is a premium phablet that came with the often-polarizing detail of a waterfall display, or a screen with a pronounced curve to both sides. Now, a blogger claims this spec will live on in the device's successor. It may in fact apply to the vanilla Mate 40 as well this time, to a degree.

Two devices with model numbers known to pertain to the upcoming flagship Galaxy Note 20 Ultra have appeared on the Geekbench 5 website. One of them has the suffix N, which suggests it is destined for the South Korean market. Oddly, it is the one without the Exynos 990, an SoC made by Samsung itself.

According to unconfirmed third-party reports, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20 — scheduled to be unveiled on August 5 — will get solid improvements in the camera department. Their list includes the ability to choose which microphone to use in Pro Video mode, enhanced Single Take, 21:9 video recording in up to 8K, and more.

Chinese security researchers discovered that the firmware of fast chargers can be corrupted to deliver higher charging parameters, thus damaging the devices connected to them. A charger affected by a BadPower attack can melt or even set on fire the handset/external battery it is supposed to charge.

The FCC has approved a product with a model number that marks it out as a probable Galaxy Note 10+ successor. Interestingly, it is a 4G/LTE-only mobile device. Its connectivity, while not very cutting-edge, may be a source of some relief for some Samsung fans' wallets.

The well-known display supply-chain commenter Ross Young has released a projection in which foldable devices with ultra-thin glass (UTG) protection easily outdoes the first-gen Galaxy Fold (which has a polymer-coated display) in terms of sales in 2020 and onward. Accordingly, the leaker now believes that Apple will also go with UTG in its own eventual foldable devices.

A Twitter tipster has claimed that the upcoming Galaxy Note 20 series will not be capable of a 120 hertz (Hz) refresh rate when their displays are set to a QHD+ resolution, according to someone currently in possession of these devices. Therefore, they may be restricted to the higher rate at FHD+ only, as with the current S20 flagships. This contradicts an earlier rumor on the subject.

The 3 Pro is Black Shark's Snapdragon 865-powered 2020 flagship that boasts a 7.1-inch OLED 1440p display. The Xiaomi gaming brand has declared international pre-orders for this device open as of today (July 7, 2020). Its price is set at just under US$900 on its new platform.

Several live images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra smartphone have been leaked online. The real-life shots show the camera housing on the rear, the S Pen lying on the device, and a glimpse at the front and right-hand side. A noted leaker has been comparing the differences between the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.

Android has been a 64-bit OS for some time now. However, this transition has not resulted in a wholesale switch to the same in all apps. Nevertheless, Chrome has finally shown signs of migrating to this platform, starting with its newest Dev and Canary versions.

Some recent leaks have raised the possibility of a successor for the Samsung Galaxy M30s. Now, the OEM has certified a battery that could conceivably have been made for this phone. However, those hoping for even more screen-on time between charges may be slightly disappointed in its specs.

Honor has launched a pair of new Dimensity 800-powered phones today (July 2, 2020). Despite this, the 2 phones are quite different, particularly in terms of their displays. The 30 Youth Edition has a 6.5-inch 90 hertz (Hz) panel, whereas that of the X10 Max exceeds 7 inches. Both devices can be pre-ordered today.

With the S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite already in the wild and a watered-down Galaxy S20 expected to launch soon, it would be natural for Samsung to do the same with the high-end Galaxy Fold. However, the previous rumors are apparently off and the Fold Lite will not arrive before 2021, but at least it should have a sub-US$1,000 price tag.

Samsung is currently believed to have a 5G version of its Galaxy Z Flip in the works. Several new listings on the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) website confirm this, overtly naming multiple versions of the same device in these terms. One of them has also gained a certification to use NFC.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus' successor is currently thought to actually be called the Note 20 Ultra. This may be due to renders that have given it an extra-large camera hump like that of the pre-existing S20 variant of this name. A Twitter leaker's new "case photos" lends this idea more weight.

Images of alleged molds and renders of the Apple iPhone 12 series have been leaked online. There are several different-sized molds on show in the pictures, which seem to fit rumors of the iPhone 12 sporting a similar design language to that of the iPad Pro (2020). However, there are also some pretty big notches on display.

The leaker Jon Prosser has laid some claim to some new Pixel 4a availability information. Its launch is now thought to take place in July 2020, although it may not actually be released until October. However, another tipster now alleges that it may not arrive at all.

OxygenOS is OnePlus' well-received skin for Android. The OEM runs a beta program for this software, by which users can access new features in advance and offer feedback on the same. Now, however, the company has announced that it will reduce the number of these builds released per month.

Based on a new report released by the International Data Corporation (IDC), Vivo now claims it is the #5 smartphone OEM in terms of market share and shipment volumes. It attributes this success to recent launches such as the S1 Pro and to providing customers with contactless delivery options.

The smartphone OEM ZTE has reportedly filed a patent with the Chinese National Intellectual Property Office (CNIPA) for a tablet-like device with a screen that can bend at 2 points to collapse into more of a phone form factor. It is not the only manifestation of this concept out there, but does look a very convincing take on it.

The new Mali-G78 mobile GPU is more efficient and provides performance improvements of up to 25 percent compared to its predecessor — Mali-G77, which launched last year as the first Valhall-based mobile GPU. Its companion, the Mali-G68, inherits features such as the new FMA unit, but only supports up to 6 cores (24 for the G78).

New renders and a video clip of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20+ have been posted online. Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy Note 20+ is larger than the regular Galaxy Note 20, and it comes with a curved display. However, it’s hard to ignore just how huge the camera bump on the rear is, which could be a deal-breaker for many.

A leaks site has posted what is claimed to be a new trademarking application filed by Huawei for a "Mate Watch". Therefore, it seems the OEM is making a new wearable specifically intended to go with the phablets of the same name. It may be joined by another accessory, the "MatePod".

Some alleged renders of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 supposedly based on genuine CAD drawings have been shared online. The flagship smartphone looks similar to the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, and the S Pen slot has apparently been moved from the right side to now sit on the left side of the Galaxy Note 20.

The updated specs allow transfer speeds of up to 4 GB/s, which is essentially half of what computer PCIe NVMe SSDs can achieve, since the SD cards are only limited to X2 lanes instead of X4. Nevertheless, with the new version, upcoming SD Express and microSD Express cards can easily handle 4K and 8K video recording without compression.

Some more rumored information about a potential Xiaomi Mi Mix 2020 smartphone has been shared online. It seems the device could be fitted with Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon 865 SoC and boast of a 144 MP main camera. However, it has also been speculated that this high-end flagship from Xiaomi could end up being the Mi 10S Pro.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been linked to the depression of the mobile-device market worldwide over the first quarter of 2020 (1Q2020). However, new official figures from China show that this sector of the same had recovered to a degree by April.

It seems possible that Xiaomi could be working on flagship smartphones for a potential Mi Mix 4 series, or at least devices with the Mi Mix moniker. Scant details have been offered by a well-known leaker on Weibo, however, there is mention of a 120 Hz refresh rate for the display which has often been rumored for a Xiaomi Mi Mix 4.

Canalys has tweeted a graph showing the global top 10 smartphones in Q1 2020 and all of the positions are taken up by devices from just three OEMs: Apple, Xiaomi, and Samsung. The big winner for the quarter was the iPhone 11 with over 18 million units shipped. There were strong figures for the Redmi Note 8 & 8T and the Galaxy A51 too.

Xiaomi has been celebrating the sales of over 30 million smartphones from the Redmi Note 8 series, which was launched in August 2019. Redmi general manager Lu Weibing has been talking about the success of the Redmi Note 8 and also delivering news of temporary price cuts for certain models. Apparently, a focus on young users has contributed to the amazing sales record.