Software

OnePlus introduced a range of new always-on display (AOD) options with OxygenOS 11 (this OEM's take on Android 11) on its late-2020 flagship, the 8T. Now, one of these, Canvas, is available to this phone's immediate forebears the 8 and 8 Pro in a new "stable" update. The company has also addressed a serious error with a previous software version.

LG recently added 4K or 4K/UHD LED and laser variants to its high-end CineBeam projector line-up. Now, the OEM has announced that they can now access the Disney+ app directly from their smart-TV-like interface. This means it will now be much easier for them to show The Mandalorian in the home-theater setting they can achieve.

The Xiaomi Mi 10 has received its call to Android 11. The Mi 10 is one of the first Xiaomi handsets to be upgraded to Android 11, albeit only in China for the time being. V12.2.2.0.RJBCNXM is rolling out as an OTA to devices now, but it is available to download manually.

A list of devices that will receive One UI 3.0 has appeared online, suggesting that Samsung may bring Android 11 to up to 90 smartphones and tablets over the next few months. The list includes representatives from Samsung Galaxy A, M, Note, S and Tab series, among others.

Square Enix has published its earnings report for the last 6 months (ending on September 30, 2020). It claims to have made 172.7 billion yen (~US$1.7 billion), or 46% more in sales year-on-year (YoY), for this period. This was attributed to strong performance in areas of its business such as its games (mobile titles including) and merchandising arms.

The One UI 2.5 update has been sent out to a host of Galaxy smartphones across the globe. If you haven't received it, it may be a good idea to not install it even when you do get the OTA—if Google Camera support means anything to you.

The Your Phone facility in Windows 10 is Microsoft's answer to syncing an iPhone with a macOS device. However, it has been rather restrictive in that it only allows 1 Android app open on a given phone to be mirrored on a PC's screen at any one time. A new version now gradually rolling out from the Insider Preview addresses this issue, although there are caveats to the new solution.

When booting up some games that were a pain to load on the existing consoles, the next-gen Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 make the painfully long load times only a memory. However, next-gen patches for the titles used in this comparison should make the whole process even faster for both gamers on both consoles.

Huami has announced that it will release a new version of the Amazfit Bip U smartwatch with its own GPS, mic and geomagnetic sensor. Now that this Pro variant has gone through Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) testing, this event is likely closer than ever. This leak reveals the wearable will have up-to-date wireless specs and confirms one of its extra features.

Another Xiaomi Android 11 update list has been uploaded by the Telegram group Xiaomi & MIUI News that shows a considerable change from the last list published in September. Apparently, the Xiaomi Mi A3, the popular Mi 9 series, and the devices created in cooperation with Black Shark have all moved to the internal testing phase.

A new title to join the Mass Effect universe is now in the making, and BioWare has also just confirmed that Mass Effect Legendary Edition is on its way for a Spring 2021 launch. The game promised to include all content from the first three games in the series, but everything is remastered and optimized for 4k Ultra HD.

The MIUI 12 rollout for the Global variant of the Redmi Note 8 has been stalled. Apparently, there has been an issue reported with the OTA (over the air) process that is preventing the Android 10-based MIUI 12 update from reaching owners of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8. It’s unknown how long a fix for this issue might take.

The 9.7-inch display variant of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 hails from all of five years ago. Nevertheless, its units served by the carrier Verizon have been issued with October 2020 security patches. Therefore, even though it remains on an older version of Android, it is up to date in one respect, at least.

Huawei has reached another milestone in its release of EMUI 10.1, this time finishing its OS rollout in North-Eastern Europe. EMUI 10.1 should now have been delivered to all devices in the region, from the likes of the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro to the new P40 Lite.

Down to one of the less important email service providers from the market leader position, Yahoo Mail continues on its downward spiral. Starting January 1, 2021, those who use free Yahoo Mail accounts will lose the automatic forwarding feature, which will only be available for Pro accounts (US$3.49 per month).

A prominent leaker has asserted that Xiaomi has a new variant of the pre-existing Redmi Note 9 in the works. This device is to have a 6.67-inch display with a refresh rate that can range from 30 to 120 hertz (Hz). It is also apparently certified for low blue light emissions and improved sunlight visibility.

The launch of Realme's first round-faced smartwatch has been predicted for some time through numerous leaks. Now, this wearable has made its debut, albeit in only 1 market (Pakistan). Nevertheless, this event may offer hints as to its pricing and availability in other markets.

After sending the MIUI 12 update to the global models of the Redmi Note 8T and Redmi Note 8, Xiaomi is now bringing the update to Europe. The new OTA finally brings MIUI 12 to the horde of European Redmi Note 8T owners, with new updates also landing on the Mi Note 10 Lite across the board.

WhatsApp is gradually rolling out two new features to iOS and Android users. Disappearing messages brings added privacy to WhatsApp chats by deleting messages automatically within seven days. There's also a new storage management feature that enables deletion of repetitive media in multiple forwarded chats. Future versions of the app may offer a Vacation Mode that does not de-archive chats when new messages arrive.

The OEM Vivo is slated to launch its new X60 flagship smartphone later in November 2020. The rumor mill also has something called OriginOS to launch alongside it. It will be a new UI, at the least, which will apparently allow reverting back to an Android interface on the phones equipped with it.

The global MIUI 12 update for the Redmi Note 8 is now rolling out to all handsets, following its stint as a Stable Beta build. V12.0.1.0.QCOMIXM is rolling out to the global variant as an OTA, while V12.0.1.0.QFGRUXM has reached the Stable Beta stage for the Russian variant of the Redmi Note 7.

While the next-generation release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt still needs to get a release date, the existing Xbox One version, when loaded on the Xbox Series X console, runs incredibly fast already. In addition to the excellent graphics performance, this title has nearly instant loading times.

Razer has already held its first virtual launch event in 2020. Now, it will hold a second to be livestreamed in November of the same year. It apparently consists of a series of "exclusive" product debuts, unboxings and giveaways via the OEM's official YouTube channel.

After successfully completing the internal testing stage, Diablo Immortal is now ready to being the external regional testing. To make it all even better for Blizzard fans, the company's president and COO, Daniel Alegre, has also confirmed that more mobile games are currently in the works.

The PlayStation 5 launch title Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales has been spotted at the Walmart website for a surprisingly low price of just US$21.88. Although it is likely to be a listing error, future owners of the PS5 might want to see if they can snag a bargain while the Miles Morales page is still up.

With a starting price of US$9.99 per month, eligible Google One plans in the US will include the VPN service for free. However, this handy feature will be available only in the Google One application for Android. In the coming months, Google's VPN might become available in other markets as well.

There is a possibility that Xiaomi will reveal details about MIUI 13 in the company’s upcoming Mi Developer Conference (MIDC). There is no official eligibility list for MIUI 13 yet, but it has been predicted it will include the Redmi Note 8 and Note 9 series smartphones, all the Mi 10 range, and the POCO X2 and X3 devices.

Recently, an upcoming OPPO device with a pleasant dark blue finish and quad rear cameras appeared on the Chinese regulator TENAA's website. Subsequent leaks indicate that it is the K7x 5G, a 90Hz display device slated to launch on November 4, 2020 in the same country. It is set to run on the Dimensity 720 SoC, up to 8GB of RAM and a 5000mAh battery.

The OEM Ulefone has launched its new Watch series, which support continuous heart-rate tracking, multiple sports modes and 5ATM water-resistance. There is also a blood-oxygen sensor in the Pro model, whereas the Watch GPS has additional activity-tracking features. They start at US$49.99, or even less with a limited-time introductory offer.

Apple's products have shown themselves as resistant to teardowns and re-assembly in the past. The Australian device-repair YouTuber Hugh Jeffreys has posted a new video that seems to demonstrate that this is also true of the recently-launched iPhone 12. The device's UI and cameras exhibited anomalies in response to a motherboard switch.

A leaked video clip of the PlayStation 5 in action has been amazing fans with its superfast load times. One of the highlights on display is the time it takes to get from the PS5 user interface to the Spider-Man: Miles Morales game save: two seconds. Only a few more seconds of waiting are required for the game to fully load.

Xiaomi has started pushing out the MIUI 12 beta stable ROM for users of the Global variant of the Redmi Note 7. At the present, the Android-based software should start arriving on some selected Redmi Note 7 smartphones as an over-the-air (OTA) update. Devices with the Indonesia or Russia ROM should follow soon.

Huami has released extensive software updates to three of its most popular smartwatches, the Amazfit GTS, GTR and GTR Lite. The update brings an important health feature to the three smartwatches and improves the precision of their GPS modules.

ROCCAT has announced new additions to its gaming peripheral line-up. The new Vulcan keyboard series consists of Pro, Pro TKL and vanilla TKL variants. They are equipped with this OEM's Titan switches and AIMO lighting system, as is the new Burst Pro mouse. Its properties include feet made of pure, heat-treated PTFE to enhance its speed and responsiveness.

The usual dark mode that has been available for a while on the desktop and iOS versions of Facebook is finally ready for a public test, although there is no release date to talk about at this stage. Since Instagram and WhatsApp got this visual theme a long time ago, Facebook for Android will probably go dark for everyone as soon as possible.

The Eve V 2020 is an upcoming Intel Tiger Lake-powered convertible PC that, as its OEM likes to say, was co-designed with its fans. The latest stage in its ongoing production involves finalizing the design of its detachable keyboard. It now apparently combines aspects of a few previous concepts, the custom button functions of which Eve now invites feedback on.

Introduced as a new part of the SmartThings app, SmartThings Find is now available for all Samsung users worldwide. This is a new way to locate a range of select Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds at once thanks to the Bluetooth Low Energy and ultra-wideband technologies.

Huawei has published the list of devices that will be eligible to receive EMUI 11 beta. All devices should be brought onto the EMUI 11 beta program by the end of November. The list contains 37 devices, including some Honor handsets. Stable EMUI 11 updates start rolling out by the end of next month, too.

Samsung has obtained Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval for a device called the SM-A205M. This, according to several leaks, may be launched as the Galaxy A02 or possibly A02s. Its new registration shows that it is a 4G/LTE-only phone with a rectangular rear camera.

Samsung has donated another feature to the Galaxy Watch Active 2, its former flagship smartwatch. This time, the South Korean company has borrowed from the feature set of the new Galaxy Watch 3, which it released in August.

GeForce Now gets a boost this week with new games including Watch Dogs: Legion and Ghostrunner, as well as free subscriptions for RTX 3070 and eligible Chromebook owners. The service now has over 650 games available and has new titles added every week.

It seems that Xiaomi forgot to include several features in the first Android 10 and MIUI 12 update for the global version of the Redmi Note 8. According to multiple reports, V12.0.1.0.QCOMIXM is missing multiple elements of MIUI 12, like floating windows, new animations and even the Android 10 gesture navigation pill.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have received a new update, over four-and-a-half years since their release in March 2016. The update brings the September 2020 security patch to the two devices, along with bug fixes, performance optimisations and stability improvements.

Xiaomi has started publishing volume two of its MIUI 12 Global ROM bug tracker report over at the Mi Community forum. The table contains a list of issues reported by Mi Pilot testers, with the POCO F1 featuring heavily. There are also entries for the Redmi Note 9 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, POCO F2 Pro, and Redmi 9A.

AMD introduced the RX 6800 as the most vanilla of its all-new RDNA 2-based line-up today (October 28, 2020). However, based on its specs, it may pack a punch of its own. It offers the same GDDR6 memory and Infinity Cache as its higher-end siblings, albeit with fewer compute units (CUs) and the series' lowest base clock thus far.

Unbridled MIUI 12 has finally arrived globally for the Pocophone F1. V12.0.2.0.QEJMIXM is available as an OTA download, but Xiaomi has also published the recovery and fastboot ROMs of the build, should you need to install one of those instead.

Recently, the tipster Max J. asserted that OnePlus would introduce its first-ever smartwatch in October 2020. Now, the same leaker claims that this launch has been postponed, possibly due to development issues with the new product. The OEM apparently does not have a new date for the event at this time.

Take to the streets in joy, Redmi Note 8 owners; MIUI 12 and Android 10 is finally here for you! After months of delays, Xiaomi is finally sending out the stable MIUI 12 and Android 10 update to the global version of the Redmi Note 8, with the update weighing a hefty 2.1 GB.

The OEM Huami has held its global launch for the second-gen Amazfit GTR and GTS wearables, although they will only be released in the US and UK markets to start off with. These smartwatches feature blood-oxygen, heart-rate, sleep and stress monitors, which are analyzed using their in-house PAI system. They will be available through channels such as Amazon on their release.

After sending out the highly awaited MIUI 12 update to the European version of the Redmi Note 9S, Xiaomi has now expanded the rollout by sending a similar update to the global variant of the device. The Mi A3 also happens to be receiving the October security patch.