Software

Oukitel is probably best known for its smartphones with ingress-protection ratings such as IP68/69K, a reinforced-style casing and large batteries for prolonged screen-on time. These features also apply to its latest product, the RT1 - however, this one has the OEM's largest display to date, at 10 inches. Oukitel will launch it for outdoor-life fans later in November 2021.

OPPO has confirmed that it will debut the potentially innovative Reno7 series of Android smartphones tomorrow (November 25, 2021). Now, it is rumored to have new TWS earbuds to launch alongside them. Judging by their alleged product name, they may be cheaper versions of existing products, although they may still offer in-demand specs and features.

The Life360 has announced that it will acquire Tile, buying the company out for just over $205 million. The acquisition has the potential to expand and streamline the location-tracking features involved in the services offered by both companies. For example, it might expand the current Tile network by about 10x.

The overall share of Wear OS within the smartwatch market has never so much as cracked 5% in Counterpoint Research's reports on this space for the last 5 years. Now, thanks to the launch of the new Galaxy Watch4 series, things have changed considerably for the latest quarter of 2021. Google's platform is now nearly at 20%, although Apple remains the largest single OEM in the sector.

The latest stats on Android version adoption in 2021 are in, and the first of these OS updates to drop the dessert theme remains in the lead, still running on over a quarter of all devices studied thus far. Then again, Android 11's share has now grown to nearly match it. Pie is still hanging on in there to a potentially surprising degree, whereas other, older versions might now be on the way out.

More than a dozen apps have been highlighted by a malware analyst because they have been infected by the notorious Joker software. Installing Joker can lead the user to being subscribed to services they do not require, incurring a loss of income. One of the infected apps, EmojiOneKeyboard, has already registered over 50,000 installs.

Early adopters of Windows 11 have been reporting several performance issues with the new OS including laggy File Explorer and context menus. That is likely to change next year as Microsoft is working on improvements to the WinUI framework including new Mica and Acrylic controls. Microsoft also said that it is accelerating offering Windows 11 to compatible devices given an overall positive feedback.

Updated. More than 25 devices are expected to receive MIUI 13 by the end of this year. This includes many Mi, Redmi, and Poco devices with some minor changes to the list we had reported previously. Apparently, Xiaomi has already begun testing MIUI 13 on several Mi flagships indicating an imminent rollout.

The Galaxy S21 series of smartphones are the first few Android devices to update to One UI 4, which is based on Android 12. Despite the shiny nature of this software upgrade, an increasing number of users have reported that their high-end displays have become much less stable after the OTA. This is due to a specific bug that will, according to Samsung, be addressed soon.

Want to know if your WhatsApp message has attracted one of the platform's new Discord-esque reactions? Unfortunately, if you're on your Android device, you can't. However, the Facebook-owned service is now working on this, and is releasing it to its beta-channel users.

AMD has announced some new in-house Wi-Fi chips, developed in partnership with MediaTek. The RZ600 series of modules is based on the latter's latest technology for the connectivity standard, touted to support up-to-date wireless specs for PCs while saving power and optimizing speed.

MediaTek has unveiled a new flagship SoC for the next generation of premium big-screen devices. The Pentonic 2000 can support resolutions of up to 8K and refresh rates of 120Hz. It can also allow OEMs to pack specs such as AV1 support, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos into their upcoming top-end TVs.

AetherSX2 is a new PlayStation 2 emulator for Android. Currently in a closed alpha, the emulator is free and open-source, providing a free option for PS2 emulation on Android. Early testing shows exciting results in many PS2 titles, which is promising for the future of PS2 emulation on Android.

Samsung is projected to unveil a new cost-effective Android tablet, possibly before the end of 2021. Now, a new leak unambiguously confirms the product name allegedly linked to this device for the first time. It also serves to suggest the tablet might come in SKUs with and without standalone connectivity.

Google has announced that it will cover 10% of the price of Lenovo's latest high-end tablet - so long as the buyer uses Android 12L on their new device. This perk is mainly aimed at developers, although anyone could avail of it until its early 2022 expiry date. On the other hand, it may be something more worth thinking about after Black Friday 2021.

Qualcomm Snapdragon Developer Kits can now be purchased by all developers targeting the Windows on ARM platform. The Snapdragon Developer Kit is powered by an entry-level Snapdragon 7c Compute SoC and allows developers test, optimize, and deploy ARM64 apps on Windows.

Dizo is a new brand recently started by Realme with a focus on a cost-effective tech-enhanced lifestyle. Now, it has announced that its second-gen Watch has amassed 100,000 orders in the 40 days since its release. The company asserts that this makes it the "fastest-selling" product in its category.

Microsoft has announced that the Groove Media app will be replaced by a new Media Player developed for Windows 11. The new software will allow playback of both music and video files in a well-organised library. Windows Insiders can test the new program from the Dev Channel.

Huawei has made the new Runner variant of its Watch GT series. Its case, band and UI have been redesigned with athletic performance in mind. It incorporates a new antenna design for improved positioning, and is rated for up to 14 days' worth of battery life. It is up for pre-order in China from now.

Samsung has outlined which devices it plans to upgrade to One UI 4 and Android 12 in India. The upgrade plan runs from November 2021 to August 2022 and includes 45 devices. Only the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, Galaxy S21 Ultra, Z Flip3 and Galaxy Z Fold3 will see the OS upgrade before the start of 2022, though.

Apple may have answered a multitude of MacBook Pro-user prayers by restoring the SD card slot to the latest versions of these PCs. However, a growing number of owners claim that the "new" port is running unusually slow compared to adapters or dongles. This issue has reportedly led to replacements for some affected consumers.

Microsoft has confirmed that you must use Windows 11 for x64 emulation on ARM chipsets. For some reason, the company has decided to drop Windows 10 on ARM, which has supported x64 emulation for nearly a year.

Some Android TV users on Reddit have noticed that their big-screen devices are now appearing as connected devices when it comes to installing Google Play Store apps on their smartphones. This means the mobile devices can now be used to "tell" the TVs in question which apps to load as well as what content to display.

Last week, a bugged update removed the Magic Eraser feature from Google Photos. Now, Google Pixel 6 users get that back, alongside a fix for the ghost dialing errors affecting Google Assistant on these handsets. These two problems are now gone thanks to the latest Google app and Google Photos updates.

In a rather silent move, Google introduced Chrome 96 on all platforms. However, it looks like this new piece of code is all about under-the-hood changes. The update will roll out to all devices in the coming weeks and — at least for now — there is no information regarding security updates that come with it.

After adding in a kernel-level anti-cheat solution to Call of Duty: Vanguard, Activision revised its enforcement policy, highlighting that severe infractions could result in players getting banned in past, present, and future Call of Duty titles.

Samsung has not forgotten the Galaxy Watch Active 2 or Galaxy Watch 3, its last smartwatches to launch with Tizen OS. While it has replaced the pair with the Galaxy Watch 4 series, Samsung has issued significant updates to both that introduce new health features and watch faces. The updates have even made their way to the older Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Active, too.

It seems that only the Galaxy S21 series will move onto One UI 4 and Android 12 this month. For some reason, Samsung will wait until December before upgrading the Galaxy Z series, along with the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 series. Some Samsung devices must wait until July 2022 for their One UI 4 and Android 12 updates, though.

Samsung has started rolling out One UI 4 to the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra globally. The OS update, based on Android 12, will eventually be available on older Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series handsets, before making its way to the Galaxy A and Galaxy Tab S series.

Samsung has announced a device that is probably a contender for its cheapest smartphone of 2021. The Galaxy A03 Core, unlike others of similar names, has a large 5,000mAh battery. Then again, it also has a 4G/LTE-only SoC from Unisoc, along a RAM and internal storage prolife that is remarkably meager at this point.

A new device called the Moto Tab G70 has reportedly appeared on the Google Play Console. According to this leak, it has a tablet-sized display driven by a new MediaTek Kompanio processor. Therefore, this Android 11-powered slate might launch soon.

Sotheby's will hold The Now Evening Auction, to include some works by Banksy, on November 18, 2021 in New York. The house has announced that it will accept bids in ether (ETH) during this event. This is not the first time it has done so, but will be the first time it will take bids in the cryptocurrency in real-time.

TCL announced a new line of 8K TVs, equipped with its in-house OD Zero technology, in 2021. Now, the OEM has announced that the flagship of this X9 line has won an CES 2022 Innovation Award, well in advance of the actual conference. One of its robot vacuum cleaners has also been recognized by the CTA committee already.

Chrome OS devices can be the path of least resistance to productivity on a budget or within space constraints. However, those potential advantages are not a lot of good to those who still need Windows apps such as those of MS Office for work. CTL may have solved this problem with a new SKU of its Chromebox CBx2 with Parallels Desktop.

A report out of China sourcing a Xiaomi official has listed 25 devices that should soon start receiving the MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition software update. The third-batch list, which includes all variants of the Xiaomi Pad 5, the Redmi K30 models, some Mi 9 phones, and even the aging Redmi Note 8 Pro, is for devices with the China ROM. Users with different ROM versions will have a slightly longer wait.

Huawei has announced a launch for what it indicates is its first "professional" smartwatch via Chinese social media. This is apparently because the GT Runner will come with a UI, UX and specs geared toward running and the tracking of progress in this activity over time. It is now slated to line up for a start later in November 2021.

Netflix has launched better quality streaming through AV1 for selected TVs and the PlayStation 4 Pro. Benefits for Netflix subscribers include using less bandwidth at higher resolutions and fewer noticeable drops in streaming quality.

Huawei has launched the first device in its new Leqi e-mobility series as an electric scooter powered by HarmonyOS. Its motor is rated for over 600 watts (W) of power for a range of up to 40 kilometer (km) per charge. The new die-cast aluminum urban vehicle goes for about US$390 in China.

Although YouTube users can still dislike videos, the count of dislikes received is no longer visible to anyone but the creator of the content. However, this feature is rolling out gradually and it might take at least a few more days for it to be up and running on a global scale.

Huawei has opened its beta programme for EMUI 12 in Europe. Currently, EMUI 12 is available to test on the Mate 30 Pro, Mate 40 Pro, P40, P40 Pro and the P40 Pro Plus. EMUI 12 builds on EMUI 11 and HarmonyOS 2, which Huawei distributes in China.

In an attempt to combat "doomscrolling," Instagram is set to launch a new feature called "Take a Break," which encourages users to periodically take breaks from the app after a set amount of time.

The HiRes certified FC5 USB DAC/headphone amp by HiBy supports MQA and features a 4.4 mm balanced output with 125 mW output power. The hardware inside the sleek metal body of the FC5 includes the ES9281 Pro DAC, dual ES9603Q headphone amps, hardware volume controls, as well as RGB lights.

The Nokia X100 is a phone with quad rear shooters enhanced with Zeiss lenses, NFC and a headphone jack. It is powered by the Snapdragon 480 SoC and, thus, will support the 5G bands of its new exclusive carrier, T-Mobile. It will also be available through its Metro pay-as-you-go arm from November 19, 2021.

You can now install One UI 4 on the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. However, you must have bought your device in the UK to be eligible to receive beta builds. Likewise, One UI 4 is also available on the Galaxy S20 series in the US.

Xiaomi is seeking more people to test Android 12 on its recent flagship smartphones. Currently, Xiaomi is only looking for those who own the Mi 11, Mi 11i and the Mi 11 Ultra. All devices must be enrolled on MIUI's global branch, too.

Introduced in Canada and Australia this summer, Twitter Blue is now available in the US and New Zealand as well. The US$2.99 per month subscription plan comes with a clutter-free format for reading threads (obviously free of ads), bookmark management, quickly typo fix before tweeting, and more.

AMD's recent Accelerated Data Center Premiere Keynote has served to confirm the existence of next-gen products such as the server-grade processors known as EPYC Milan-X. These CPUs are much like those of the previously-unveiled third-gen series, except with 3D V-Cache technology. Their successors were also outlined in more detail.

Amazfit's US store is holding what it calls a "Black Friday-beating" sales event for Thanksgiving 2021. It involves up to 50% discounts on various smartwatches or fitness trackers from the increasingly popular Zepp Health brand. They include the new GTS 3, GTR 3 and GTR 3 Pro flagship wearables.

Fitbit has started distributing ECG functionality to the Charge 5, an advertised feature since the device's launch in August. The company has enabled its Daily Readiness Score for Fitbit Premium subscribers, too.