Software

The Pocophone F1 and the latest Poco M2 Pro are receiving performance and security updates staring today, but there's no sign of MIUI 12 for these devices yet. Poco F1 is already in Phase 2 of the MIUI 12 beta testing, so the stable bits should arrive sometime in August. Meanwhile, the Redmi K20 Indian variant is getting a wider rollout of stable MIUI 12 after having been in beta testing earlier this month.

Xiaomi confirmed a short while ago that it would finally remove the Clean Master app and service from its phones in India, following the ban of the app by the government. The promised update has arrived for the Mi Cleaner app but things may not always be as they seem.

MIUI 12 has arrived for the EU versions of the Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro and Poco F2 Pro. While the inaugural MIUI 12 update is rolling out to handsets now, there have been multiple reports of the Redmi K20 and Mi 9T handsets failing to upgrade to MIUI 12.

Mobvoi may be best known as a wearables brand; however, it is also breaking into the market for smart-home gadgets. The latest of these is the LifeSmart outdoor camera. It supports footage at HD or FHD resolutions, has an IR night-vision mode and a 110-degree field of view.

Rumour has it that EMUI 11 and its Honor equivalent, Magic UI 4.0, will be based on HarmonyOS. Also known as Hongmeng OS, HarmonyOS is Huawei's proprietary operating system that it has already brought to several devices. Huawei reportedly plans to bring EMUI 11 and Magic UI 4.0 to upwards of 50 devices, too.

Italian outlet Aggiornamenti Lumia claims that Apple will be releasing an as-yet-unspecified new app for the Windows 10 platform. This rumor seems to be in consonance with speculation last year that Apple was working on a “next-gen” media app for Windows. If the app is built from the ground up for UWP, it might actually make its way over to Xbox, as opposed to the current Microsoft Store version of iTunes.

Xiaomi is now sending out new updates to the Mi 10 and Redmi Note 9. The update for the Mi 10 is a MIUI 12 build, while the Redmi Note 9's OTA is based on MIUI 11. This comes after confirmation that Xiaomi is now opening up the pilot program for global beta MIUI 12 testing on the Mi 10 phones in India.

Xiaomi's poor form with Android One software is well-documented but the latest stunt may be a tough pill for owners of the Mi A3 to swallow. Mi A3 owners across the globe woke up to a new 1.40 GB OTA that appears to have been intended for Mexican models only, and has now disabled dual-SIM functionality on the phones of those unfortunate enough to have installed it.

Xiaomi has started issuing MIUI 12 to the EU versions of the Redmi K20 Pro and Mi 9T Pro. The devices, which have already received the OS upgrade in other regions, have been included in Round 1 of Xiaomi's MIUI 12 release schedule. Other devices that have been upgraded to MIUI 12 in multiple regions include the Mi 9, Mi 9T and the Redmi K20.

Xiaomi is looking for more pilot testers to receive MIUI 12 Global Stable Beta updates. The company has already selected the candidates to test MIUI 12 on the Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 8 Pro and Poco F1, and now it is recruiting people to test the OS update on the Mi 10. Xiaomi will accept applications until July 16.

The Huawei Watch GT 2 and Honor MagicWatch 2 have received new updates. A 20 MB download, the new update adds automatic workout detection and menstrual cycle tracking, along with general system stability improvements. The update is available to download now.

Huawei has confirmed its EMUI 10.1 upgrade plans for Africa, Asia, Canada, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East and Russia. The company's latest OS includes new features like MeeTime and Celia, along with improved multitasking.

The Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8T may get the official MIUI 12 update some time in August, according to a reply from the Xiaomi Device Team to a query posted on the Mi Community forums. With regards to the Redmi Note 8 Pro, several global units have started receiving stable MIUI 12. But there is currently no info about a timeline for Indian and European users save for the fact that we know it is coming soon.

Foxconn has reportedly begun to test out the fabrication of lenses for Apple's rumored first-gen smart glasses. Apparently, these components are to be semi-transparent, and to be capable of displaying projected images to the user. They would be superimposed on "real-world" objects in this wearer's field of view.

Last week, it was revealed that the Mi A2 Lite, Poco F2 Pro, and Mi A3 would receive native call recording as a feature on Android 11. Apparently, the Mi A3 will receive another feature too: native screen recording, which is already present on Android 11 beta builds.

Xiaomi has extended the rollout of MIUI 12 to the Indian versions of the Redmi K20 and Mi 9T. The update is arriving as an OTA and is available to download now.

Ubisoft has all but confirmed the launch of the next game in the Far Cry series, as well as some particularly important aspects of the title: its new location and main villain. The studio has indicated there may be more details at its imminent Forward event, which takes place tomorrow (July 12, 2020).

While the Redmi Y2/S2 is slated to receive the official MIUI 12 update later this year, those who are eager to try out the latest features can now do so thanks to a custom ROM released by the Xiaomi.eu team. This ROM features MIUI 12 based on Android 10 updated till the April 2020 security patch and while most users haven't reported any serious issues, the developer does note the presence of a couple of bugs.

New information has surfaced, indicating that Google is working on an entirely new phone that will be called the Pixel 4A 5G, with codename "Bramble". This, of course, opens up the possibility of the Pixel 4A 5G and Pixel 5G both using the same SoC.

Lenovo's first gaming phone has been implicated in a Geekbench leak before. Now, this has happened again - although this time, the purported device in question has double the RAM compared to before. Its specs point to the Snapdragon 865, although it is now thought to have the Plus variant of this SoC.

LG has designed its new GX soundbar as a matching accessory for the 65-inch 'Gallery' OLED TV. Beside this, it features eARC in its HDMI ports; Bluetooth for wireless functions such as streaming directly from a mobile device, and Dolby Atmos. It will become available to US customers later in July 2020.

Xiaomi's flagship phones are already on their way to Android 11 but things aren't quite as cosy on the lower-end of the hierarchy. The Mi Mix 2S, for example, has been said not to receive the update. The Redmi 8A is another phone with slim prospects, too.

GoPro has addressed an increasingly prevalent issue for many users who have shifted their work, learning or hobbies online in a new update under development at this action-cam OEM. It confers a new function on its HERO8 Black model that allows owners who also use Macs to use the device as an FHD, wide-angle upgrade on their default webcams.

New Android 11 builds have arrived for the Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro. The builds are available to download now, although they are both in beta.

Huawei has confirmed that it will be upgrading 13 devices to EMUI 10.1 in Western Europe. The company's latest in-house OS is an incremental update on EMUI 10, which will be replaced by EMUI 11 later this year.

Xiaomi has announced that random Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7S devices in India will start receiving the Android 10-based version of MIUI 11. The beta stable update has the version code V11.0.2.0 QFGINXM and if all goes well then a wider public rollout of the software for the Redmi Note 7 will follow shortly afterwards.

Canon has finally unveiled the long-awaited 2020 EOS R series of mirrorless cameras. The OEM has confirmed the former has a 45MP sensor, whereas the latter is 20MP. They also have DIGIC X image processor and 5-Axis image stabilization. 4 new RF lenses have also been launched alongside the new units.

The latest truly wireless (TWS) earbuds from UGREEN upgrade to a USB type C port for charging and to an IPX5 rating for ingress protection. They also have a Qualcomm chipset which confers some up-to-date audio specs on these new HiTune accessories. They include Bluetooth 5.0, cVc v8.0 for noise cancellation and aptX.

Xiaomi has pushed a new update to the Poco X2, but quite possibly not the one for which people had been hoping. The MIUI 12 upgrade has been extended for the Mi 9, though. However, full-screen gestures may not be arriving on the Redmi K20 Pro until a new update arrives.

LG has announced that it will be porting the UI from its recent Velvet smartphone to older handsets, including the V50 ThinQ and G8 ThinQ. Other eligible devices include the V50S ThinQ, V40 ThinQ, V35 ThinQ and G7 ThinQ. These will most likely be Android 10 updates, though.

Android 10 (Go edition) has been made available for the Nokia 1, a handset that HMD Global released well over two years ago. The update will roll out in waves and is the second OS upgrade for the Nokia 1.

iQOO has launched the Z1x as the world's latest Snapdragon 765G-powered device. It also has the 120Hz refresh rate in its FHD+ LCD screen, as promised in its hype-phase. The phone also offers a 5000mAh battery that charges at 33 watts (W) and "PC-grade" cooling for as little as 1598 yuan to its new Chinese audience.

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.

Google has revealed the planned launch date for Android 11, its next-generation OS. Currently undergoing public beta tests, Android 11 will arrive "everywhere" on September 8. This is probably only true for Pixel smartphones though, as have proven the case with past releases of Android.

The eufyCam 2 Pro improves on its previous generation in that its image sensor's resolution steps up to 2048x1080 (or 2K). It also incorporates night vision (color and IR), 2-way audio and a battery life of up to 12 months. This new indoor/outdoor home-surveillance kit is available through Best Buy in the US.

HarmoniQLabs is a company that has an in-house 3D-printing process to make its new TWS earbuds. The OEM claims that the resulting unique shape created is better for prolonged wear and for passive noise cancellation. These new accessories will launch via Indiegogo on July 13, 2020.

In what looks to be a pro-consumer move, purported Microsoft guidelines prevent publishers from selling “next-gen upgrades” as paid DLC. This means that Xbox Series X owners might not have to double-dip on cross-gen titles to get enhanced visuals and features.

MIUI 12 has arrived on the Xiaomi Redmi K30i 5G. The device, which most people would struggle to tell apart from the regular Redmi K30 5G, is the latest smartphone to receive Xiaomi's new OS. The company has already pushed MIUI 12 to other K30 series devices, along with other handsets like the Redmi K20 Pro and Mi 9.

Redmi 8A users will be pleased to know that they don't have to wait long for the MIUI 12 update. A Mi Community Forum moderator has stated that the device will get the software in August. It shouldn't be long before Xiaomi makes a beta version of the software available to the general public.

LG has brought a host of changes to the V50 ThinQ. The new update follows the introduction of a desktop mode to the dual-screen device earlier this year.

Samsung has announced that the latest firmware updates for the Galaxy A51 and A71 port some features that had heretofore been exclusive to the OEM's flagships to these mid-rangers. They mainly consist of camera-app upgrades such as the addition of Live Focus, Single Take and Smart Crop.

Vizio has announced new additions to its collection of soundbars, which are available either now or later in 2020. They are headlined by the Elevate 5.1.4, which stood out in its category at CES 2020 due to its Adaptive Height Speakers. These rotating parts activate to deploy content with the high-end audio tech it supports.

Huawei will reportedly start making the EMUI 11 update available to eligible devices in Q3 2020. Owners of the Huawei Mate 30, P30, P40, and Nova 5 series will receive it first. Alternatively, it is also expected to make its way to a host of Honor phones in the form of Magic UI 4.0.

Be glad, PlayStation 4 owners; a new jailbreak is on the way. Developer @theflow0 has now announced the existence of a kernel exploit on PS4 running firmware 7.02 or older. The kernel exploit currently has to be chained with a firmware 6.72 WebKit exploit.

The Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite are two-years-old now and have both received two major OS updates. While owners of the phones may reserve some hope over their prospects of getting Android 11, new information clarifies that such hopes are pointless.

The iQOO Z1x is set to launch on July 9, 2020 and to rock the Snapdragon 765G processor on this date. However, the OEM has yet to confirm any more details on the new phone's internals. A new Master Lu listing for a device with an unfamiliar model number is now linked to the upcoming mid-ranger, however, and may show what it can do with 8GB of RAM.

A new study conducted in June 2020 by the company TeamBlind indicates that 33% of the workers who participated in it have been given a date on which they can resume office work. This figure varied when corrected for location or company, however. 57% of the respondents stated that they would keep working from home given the opportunity, however.

Advertised as "the only app to download MIUI 13 on your device" and apparently updated on June 23, the app created by Madhav Developers looks like a piece of code — possibly malignant — that should not have been allowed on Google Play. However, one thing is certain - MIUI 13 is not available for the public yet.

Huawei has confirmed that its next OS, EMUI 11, will be arriving in August. Based on open-source Android 11 without any Google apps or services, EMUI 11 will land on the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro this quarter before making its full debut on the Mate 40 and Mate 40 Pro later this year.

Recent China Beta versions of MIUI 12 suggest that Xiaomi is developing its answer to Top Shot, Google's machine-learning photography tool. Called AI shutter, the feature appears to have similar functionality to Top Shot and may eventually make its way to stable MIUI 12 builds.