Software

With a release date that still has to be disclosed, the Dell Optimizer software solution promises to deliver a wide range of improvements and optimizations. Dell describes this piece of code as a built-in AI solution that "learns and adapts to the way you work" and is the first of its kind.

OnePlus has just posted an update about the status of its Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 update. Registrations for the OxygenOS 11 open beta will open up next week for the OnePlus Nord. The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro will follow suit once OnePlus solves some problems with the OxygenOS 11 build for both devices.

A Microsoft job listing for the Windows Core User Experiences team seems to indicate the upcoming Windows 10 21H1 Sun Valley update will see a totally overhauled user interface including new icons, a revamped File Explorer, and more. Current Insider Builds are also showing some visual changes in the Settings app, which includes new battery usage graphs, camera settings, app archival, and more.

GTA VI (6) is currently in development at Rockstar, according to an insider leak. So far, the only clues to GTA 6 have been this particular leak and a previous teaser of GTA Online Cayo Perico surveil.exe. Also being speculated is that GTA V could arrive on the upcoming PlayStation VR 2, which could not only boost sales but also make VR a successful platform in upcoming PlayStation generations.

The Mi AX6000 router is a powerful new source of home Wi-Fi that Xiaomi will release for the first time on January 8, 2021. The OEM has hyped this cutting-edge product by seeing which device could use its up-to-800Mb/s signal first: an iPhone 12 Pro Max or a brand-new Mi 11.

Sony's original plan was to launch the PlayStation 5 on November 19, 2020; however, they fell through with no sign of the console in the country since. It has now at least released details on its re-scheduled launch, as well as the start of pre-orders with channels such as Flipkart.

According to a slew of recent certifications, Samsung has a new product called the Galaxy Smart Tag in the works. It, as the name suggests, is a Tile- or AirTag-like gadget that can connect to a phone via Bluetooth in order to locate it, or the other way around. It might be ready to debut alongside the OEM's new flagship phones.

Huawei had reportedly removed all Tencent games from its first-party mobile app market, AppGallery, following an objection from the software giant as to how much of the takings it retained from sales of the app in question. This remuneration structure has also led to disagreements between the OEM and other developers.

The Realme 7 series launched as 2020 phones with a combination of mid-range SoCs and premium specs. Now, there are hints that their maker has replacements for them in the works. They come in the form of new Geekbench listings based on a 5G Dimensity platform.

Xiaomi's Mi 10T Pro is very close to a high-end smartphone, but it lacks features like an AMOLED display to reach the highest honors. Nevertheless, the 6.67-incher scores point with otherwise strong features like 5G, a 144 Hz panel, and a 5,000 mAh battery at a comparatively low price.

Shortly after it began to hit Galaxy S20, Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Z Flip 5G devices, the One UI 3.0 firmware is finally reaching the Galaxy Note 10. This treat has begun rolling out to Note 10 users in Switzerland and Spain yesterday, so if it is not available in your area yet, be sure to wait patiently.

2021 is expected to be the year in which the reasonably-priced Galaxy A3x smartphone series goes 5G for the first time. This is now all but set in stone thanks to this device's new Bluetooth certification. Its new connectivity is expected to be accompanied by a 6.5-inch display and 4GB of RAM.

iQOO is slated to launch a Snapdragon 888-powered flagship called the 7 shortly. A new Geekbench 5 listing may confirm this. These preliminary scores may show it is capable of matching up to Xiaomi's new phone based on the same platform in terms of specs and performance.

Motorola has been busy teasing an upcoming premium phone with an SoC from the Snapdragon 800 series. It may have surfaced in a new set of benchmarking results that might confirm which processor this is to be for the first time. This leak also points to 8GB of RAM and Android 11 out of the box for this device.

The ZenFone 6 is Asus’ first-gen flip-up camera flagship phone. However, despite this, it is only just receiving the latest stable Android update. This version of ZenUI involves new features and the removal of some bloatware.

Motorola is said to be working on upcoming affordable phones with the code-name Capri. This moniker has just popped up again, on Geekbench this time. It hints that this line's Plus variant will be powered by the Snapdragon 662 processor and 4GB of RAM. However, it may have Android 11 out of the box, at least.

OnePlus is expected to launch its Snapdragon 888-powered smartphones in March 2021. A new leak indicates that the OEM will bring its 65 watt (W) charging and 30W wireless charging standards from previous flagships back. However, it will also apparently be included in the vanilla 9 this time.

The display-maker TCL is now the focus of allegations that it has included "backdoor" software in TVs intended for the American market. These suspicions allegedly come from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Then again, the OEM denies the claims, and that the administration in question has yet to bring these accusations to it directly.

Xiaomi has opened up registration for MIUI 12.5 beta testing in China and the list of qualifying smartphones has been shared online. While it seems owners of the China ROM variants of the Redmi Note 7, Xiaomi Mi 9, Xiaomi Mi 10, and Redmi K30 can sign up, it seems there will be a wait ahead for Redmi Note 8 and Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite users.

The Galaxy A71 is a Samsung phone with 4G/LTE and 5G variants. Recent rumors suggest that its successor will get the same. The tipster OnLeaks has also posted renders for at least one of them that hint at 4 rear cameras and a 6.7-inch display.

The Vivo X60 series of smartphones will launch on December 28, 2020 - also known as tomorrow. However, its specs may have been spilled ahead of this event. The leaker Digital Chat Station claims to have dug them up on the TENAA website.

Owners of the popular Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphone from Xiaomi have started reporting serious problems with the latest MIUI 12 update, which has caused a boot loop issue for some. The glitch is currently associated with Europe models of the Redmi Note 8 Pro and software update V12.0.3.0.QGGEUXM.

Some users with brand-new affordable Apple Watch and HomePod variants have encountered difficulty in their set-up or configuration while trying to connect them to their personal or home systems. This is thought (somewhat understandably) to a seasonal overload of the OEM's servers, although the timing is still a bit unfortunate.

The reliable leaks site Winfuture.de has published a new post which apparently contains every last detail on the Galaxy S21 offerings for the European market. This includes the pricing structure for these sub-Ultra variants, starting at about US$1040 for the base model.

The EMUI 11 and Magic UI 4.0 open public testing phase for 14 smartphones and tablets based on the HiSilicon Kirin 980 SoC has started for users in China. Owners of different-region models of devices such as the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Huawei Mate X, Honor 20 Pro, and Huawei MediaPad M6 can expect the software update by early 2021.

Xiaomi has announced a MIUI 12 Global beta stable ROM update for the Redmi Note 9 and Redmi 10X 4G smartphones. The software update V12.0.6.0.QJOMIXM for Global variants of the Redmi Note 9 and Redmi 10X 4G will be initially rolled out for limited testing before a wider public rollout commences.

Samsung is slated to launch the Galaxy Buds Pro alongside the S21 series in January 2021. According to their latest leak, they will have improved active noise cancellation (ANC) and ingress-protection compared to the Buds Live. However, they may also be the costliest of their series yet.

OPPO has launched the Reno5 series' flagship, confirming its premium attributes compared to the rest of these smartphones in the process. They include its Snapdragon 865 SoC and new 50MP main camera module in the process. It starts at 3999 yuan (~US$612).

After sending out updates to the Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 9, and Redmi Note 8, Xiaomi is now rolling out new builds to the Poco X3 in multiple regions. The Mi Mix 3 5G is, surprisingly, also getting the December security patch.

Cyberpunk 2077 has appeared in a fan-made video as “cancelled footage” from the PS1 version, bringing some light relief to those who have worked their way through the buggy PS4 and Xbox One versions. It’s not all gray clouds for CD Projekt as a silver lining has come in the form of 13 million sales, which factors in returns.

Xiaomi may begin distributing stable builds of MIUI 12.5 in late February 2021, according to a new report. The release of MIUI 12.5 could well run into March 2021 too, despite its rumoured announcement next week.

The drone-maker DJI is one of the latest companies to be placed on the US Administration's Entity List. The OEM has reacted with a bemused message posted to its official Twitter account, in which it denies doing anything to warrant this action, and to do all it can to limit its effect on its customers, suppliers and other business partners.

The Galaxy A32 is said to become Samsung's new lowest entry-point to a 5G phone in 2021. However, some of its leaks have failed to support this idea. This, according to the latest tip on the device, is because it also has a 4G/LTE version, destined for the Indian market at least.

The latest free update for this year's Microsoft Flight Simulator brings a whole new level of realism and authenticity to the game by adding full support for virtual reality headsets. The list of supported devices includes those made by Oculus, Valve, and HTC, as well as the HP Reverb G2 and most other Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

Motorola has now officially released a list of its devices that will get the Android 11 update. The list makes mention of 23 devices in total, but it's unknown when any of the phones will receive the update exactly, with Motorola choosing to leave things as vague as possible.

New OPPO devices have appeared on the NCC and Geekbench websites, leading to speculation that they are the global and Indian-market versions of the recently-launched Reno5. However, they are linked to a different, 4G-only SoC compared to the original phone of this name.

There are a lot of smart TVs on the Indian market these days. However, none of them have an OS based on Android 10 - until this one. The Motorola Revou also has an inbuilt soundbar rated for up to 50W of audio power, a MediaTek chipset and a UHD/4K resolution.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5G is Samsung's refreshed premium clamshell foldable. It is also one of the latest devices to start to see the One UI firmware upgrade. Then again, this new OTA is reportedly only pushed to global units sold in Switzerland as yet. However, more widespread availability for others with this cutting-edge phone should follow shortly.

OnePlus' Cyberpunk 2077 Special Edition may have to step aside: it has a new sibling with even more advanced and futuristic features. This 8T Concept has a rear panel with color-changing technology, designed to both indicate notifications and sync with the user's breathing using the device's also-next-level mmWave radar.

ZTE has launched the Axon 20 5G via its global site, albeit to a selection of countries. It is priced at US$449 for an 8GB/128GB SKU. However, buying it involves a certain hoop to jump through that may be aggravatingly familiar to OG OnePlus fans.

SMIC is a chipmaker that recently reported the development of its own 7 nanometer (nm) node. However, its plans for this silicon may have become somewhat limited, as the outgoing Trump administration has followed through on a threat to place the foundry on its trade blacklist. The drone OEM DJI is another big name in the latest rounds of these sanctions.

Microsoft has stated that it is in the process of reimbursing customers unhappy with the performance of their digital Cyberpunk 2077 copies on its consoles. Meanwhile, investors are reportedly mulling a class-action lawsuit against the game's maker, CD Projekt Red, for misrepresenting the success of the game on relevant platforms.

A Mexican telecommunications company called Telcel has been accused of unethical practices in regard to blocking the dual-SIM capability of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro. A user has claimed that the provider used glue and a plastic insert to physically prevent dual-SIM usage with the Mi 10T Pro and has also blocked the function via software too.

MIUI 12 only just landed for most of Xiaomi's lineup but the company is already set to unveil the next iteration of its skin. It's MIUI 12.5, though, not MIUI 13 as one would expect, and it could very well be launched on December 29 alongside the Mi 11 series.

The Vivo V20 (2020) series launched not long ago with a vanilla variant rocking a Snapdragon 720G processor. A new potential phone from this OEM has been spotted on Geekbench with an older and less powerful SoC. Nevertheless, it is thought to be the V20's immediate successor.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro just received its November security update and it's been closely followed by the Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 9, with the European variants of both phones now getting the update. Android 11, however, remains a distant concept for the Redmi Note 8 in particular.

A Twitter-based leaker claims to have found new Geekbench listings that show Mac devices based on the new M1 silicon running Windows on ARM (WoA) via the Parallels desktop. Not only that, but this new combination apparently results in scores about double those achieved by the SQ2-powered Surface Pro X, which runs this kind of OS by default.

New rumors indicate that the successor to the Moto G9 Play phone will have a slightly more straightforward product name to go with its 2021 launch. This moniker has appeared on the Geekbench database, and has subsequently been confirmed on Google's Play Console. Both of these new listings point to budget specs for the upcoming device.

War Thunder 2.3 "Hot Tracks" comes with multiple graphics enhancements, 3 Italian helicopters, 9 ground vehicles, 7 new ships, over a dozen new aircraft, as well as the usual minor tweaks, optimizations, and bug fixes. The new vehicle tracks and effects are not available yet and should become available after "some time," according to Gaijin.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max appears to have been largely forgotten about by Xiaomi. The device has now received a second MIUI 12 Stable Beta update, with the first having arrived in September. There is no word on the arrival of a Stable MIUI 12 update for the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max yet, though.