The volume of sales completed in the US smartphone market fell by 25% year-on-year (YoY) in 2020's second quarter (2Q2020). This was attributed to the effect of Covid-19-related lockdowns, and on a tendency to buy phones through carriers in the country. All major OEMs in this space saw reductions in their sales, with Samsung seeing the least adversity in this respect.

A new report indicates that MediaTek is gearing up to release a new top-end processor in the second quarter of 2021 (2Q2021) that, based on its alleged name, would be a direct successor to the Dimensity 1000 chipset. It is also expected to boast ARM Cortex-A78 cores, and to be an upgrade in terms of its footprint and architecture.

The OctaneBench results posted by OTOY CEO Jules Urbach show that the A100 GPU is ~40% faster than the RTX 2080 Ti. However, the GA100 (and all of its versions featured in the RTX 3000 GPUs) is a cut-down version of the A100, so performance gains for the RTX 3080 Ti may only be around 30%. Urbach notes that results were recorded without RTX on, so there could be some minor gains when the ray tracing cores are activated.

The Poco F2 Pro is now receiving the official MIUI 12 update around the world. It's the global stable update and is rolling out to owners across Europe and Indonesia, with a specific build for Russian users. The Mi Note 10 is now also receiving the MIUI 12 update in China.

Following an Intel earnings call where the CPU maker admitted that its 7nm process still wasn’t ready, competitor AMD saw a massive boost to its share value, with AMD shares having gained 16 percent on NASDAQ.

Some new PS5 price target predictions have been posted online, with the source positing that the Blu-ray version of the console could cost as little as US$399, although this could still be much more than the Xbox Series S. However, gamers shouldn’t expect backwards compatibility with the PS3 too soon nor an appearance of a PlayStation 5 Pro in the near future.

More details have spilled about the next-gen Oculus Quest including some images of the headset in the wild, confirming the leak earlier this week was legit. VR fans will be interested to learn that it is tipped to launch on September 15 and will come with design improvements among other tweaks.

Xiaomi has launched MIUI for TV 3.0 software for its Mi TV range. The new overlay brings an enhanced user interface with it along with detailed animations for the menu and new operating modes, including a gamepad mode. MIUI for TV 3.0 is based on the Android TV operating system.

There has been speculation that the PS5 console could receive a specifications bump before its release in holiday 2020. The source of the rumor reveals several “bombshells” that include another mention of RDNA 3, the potential for a change in memory speed, and even a compute unite (CU) recount for the PlayStation 5.

It has been rumored that there will be a God of War sequel available for the PS5 by the second half of 2021. Considering the success of 2018’s PS4 exclusive God of War this is hardly a surprise, although fans can expect a graphical treat. Video game designer Mark Cerny is allegedly working on a franchise revival for the PlayStation 5.

The partnership between Slimbook, the Spanish laptop brand, and the opensource KDE project continues with the new KDE Slimbook III. Slimbook has chosen an OEM design that manages to fit H-series Ryzen 4000 processors into a thin and light 14-inch chassis.

Asus promotes the VivoBook S14 as a hip device for active and creative people in any situation. The manufacturer does a lot right with the laptop and only leaves little room for improvement.

It's back to its roots for OnePlus with the Nord: It should be a budget upper-class smartphone that makes high-end features affordable. We describe our first impression of the device here.

Mozilla, the maker of Firefox, has announced that it is also stepping into the virtual private network (VPN) arena. This new product apparently has over 280 servers in over 30 different countries, and has a no-logging or -tracking policy. However, it will be available in only 6 countries on its launch.

With the Black Shark 3, Xiaomi has released a gaming phone that offers a convincing level of performance. If only it were able to last a little longer...

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro has received another update in India, but the device remains on Android 9.0 Pie and MIUI 11. In comparison, some Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7S handsets have already been upgraded to Android 10 and MIUI 12. The degree of software support for the Redmi Note 7 Pro is in contrast to the Mi 9, which has now finished its upgrade to MIUI 12 across all regions.

The hissing or static issue with the latest Pixel Buds remains, despite the release of a firmware update that supposedly addressed the problem. In fact, the hissing issue is noticeable even on units released after Google claimed to have fixed it.

The LG V60 ThinQ has impressive hardware on paper, including a 6.8-inch OLED panel and a Snapdragon 865 SoC. However, its 64 MP primary camera sensor has been found wanting, with noisy images and a general lack of detail a theme of LG's US$800 smartphone.

Halo: Infinite's campaign gameplay demo was actually shown off not on the Xbox Series X but on a similarly specced PC. Microsoft has responded to some of the criticism regarding the gameplay preview and assured that the graphics was in a very early preview stage and fans can expect even better quality at launch. Microsoft will treat Halo: Infinite as a platform and no sequels are likely for the foreseeable future.

The reliable tipster Digital Chat Station claims that Nubia has a refresh of its Red Magic gaming phone flagship in the works. Called the 5S, it will apparently be capable of GPU overclocking. This means that, even though it is slated to run on the Snapdragon 865, the user can make its Adreno 650 exceed standard clock speeds by an appreciable margin.

Oppo has released an animated trailer for a Wear OS device that will reportedly launch worldwide on July 31, 2020. It is most likely for its first-gen smartwatch, which has been released in China but runs a variant of ColorOS in that region. This device is Apple-esque in its design and has a Qualcomm processor for wearables.

The GW16 is another budget smartwatch, and one that looks surprisingly like the Huawei Watch GT 2. The device can be purchased for under US$25 and features a large touch IPS display, a thermometer, a heart rate monitor and is IP67 certified.

Razer has refreshed its Cynosa series RGB gaming keyboard. Built for those on a budget, the Cynosa V2 has individually backlit keys, supports macros and has media controls.

MIUI 12 has made its debut on the Mi 9 SE, Xiaomi's diminutive mid-range smartphone. The update is rolling out to handsets now amid claims that the Pocophone F1 could be the next device to receive Xiaomi's new OS upgrade following the recent rollout to the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

The Galaxy M31 is affordable and offers a large battery as well as a bright display. We took a closer look at the device and summarize our test results for you here.

EMUI 10.1 may have introduced multiple features to Huawei's roster of devices, but there are reports of the OS update removing some functionality too. According to frustrated users, EMUI 10.1 has removed call recording and camera resolution options, although not all devices are affected.

UK based company Truly Exquisite has jumped on the PS5 bandwagon with claims that it plans to release 24K Gold, Platinum and 18K Rose Gold of Sony's next generation-console. Up to 100 versions of the console will be available, although the company is yet to reveal how much it will charge for the experience of owning a 24K or 18K PS5.

While Intel is yet again postponing the launch of its 7 nm processors, Chinese chip makers like Phytium are rising with big dreams of providing decent competition for AMD in the next few years. Phytium currently specializes in server-grade CPUs with 64 cores, but, by the end of 2021, the Chinese company intends to ready 128-core server chips built on TSMC's 5 nm nodes, along with 14 nm desktop and embedded CPUs.

The OnePlus Nord is yet to start retailing in stores but has already received a couple of updates that improve camera functionality and bring the phone up to date with the latest Google Android security patches. Also, the Nord along with the OnePlus 8 series will be getting dual 4G+5G SIM support in a future OTA update.

The Realme X50 5G is finally available for purchase outside of China, but only in Thailand. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC, 6.5-inch 120Hz screen, 4,200mAh battery, and a slightly different camera configuration compared to the Chinese version. The phone costs 12,990 THB (US$410) for the base variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

The Microsoft Surface Duo has passed through the Bluetooth SIG and FCC, signalling its imminent release. The dual-screen device would be Microsoft's first smartphone since the Lumia 650, which the company released over four years ago. However, the Surface Duo appears to be running on last-gen hardware.

Xiaomi has announced that the MIUI 12 beta global stable update has started being pushed out for owners of the flagship Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro smartphone. The software, which is version V12.0.1.0.QJAMIXM, will allow randomly chosen Mi 10 Pro users to access the full delights of MIUI 12, including Super Wallpapers.

Details about a new mid-range LG smartphone have leaked. The device, called the LG Q92, has 6 GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 765G processor and 5G connectivity. The LG Q92 is thought to clock in at around 6-inches, with LG opting for a punch-hole display instead of the notch that it used in the Velvet.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is launching next month, with the 60 Hz device to set to be launched alongside the Note 20 Ultra on August 5. While the Note 20 Ultra is the more feature-packed of the two devices, the Galaxy Note 20 will have an exclusive colour. It may not be to everyone's tastes, though.

The Huawei TalkBand B6 wearable fitness tracker and Bluetooth headset combination has leaked in some live images and short video clips. The dual-function accessory looks to be a step up from the previous generation, with the TalkBand B6 bearing a larger display and utilizing a Kirin A1 processor.

Realme has released yet another mid-range smartphone for the Indian market. The Realme 6i comes with a 6.5-inch FHD screen clocked at 90Hz, a MediaTek Helio G90T SoC, a quad-camera array at the back, and a 4,300mAh that supports fast charging for 30W. All of this can be had for as little as INR 12,999 (US$173) starting July 31 on Flipkart and Realme's website.

The launch of the new OnePlus Buds means Xiaomi has to up its game in the TWS segment and it's done so spectacularly with the Haylou T16 TWS earbuds that offer active noise cancellation, 6 hours of playback, and wireless charging just for US$40.

In the latest Galaxy Tab S7 leak, it appears the Korean company could be taking one step forward and two steps backwards with its latest slate. While the panel might now sport a 120 Hz refresh rate to match the iPad Pro ‘Pro Motion’ tech, it looks like it will step back to a cheaper LCD panel to deliver the new feature.

If you've been looking for an alternative to the HP Spectre or Dell XPS, then the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is now a little bit cheaper with essentially the same or even better processor performance than more popular Core i7 laptops costing a few hundred dollars more.

Intel’s chip fabrication woes continue according to statements from the company in a report to investors. While its 10nm process is finally starting to gain momentum, its transition to the 7nm node is facing issues and is now running around 12 months behind schedule pushing out production to 2022.

A device called the "Google Pixel 4a" has appeared on Geekbench 5 for the first time since January 2020. It contains a code-name repeatedly linked to the device, as well as plausible specs for the device. They include 6GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 7-series processor.

A well-known Twitter leaker claims to have found a new Korean safety approval for a battery that may go to an Apple device with the model number A2431. Therefore, it may pertain to an iPhone 12 variant. If so, it may be much smaller than those of the 11 series.

The 5th generation of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga laptop series offers new Comet Lake U processors, Wi-Fi 6 and brighter displays. With a price tag of 2300 Euros, the convertible is no bargain, but offers a well-rounded packages.

Movano wants to revolutionise the way people measure their glucose levels. Instead of the invasive or expensive methods that diabetics currently use, Movano is developing a solution that could be embedded within a conventional smartwatch.

The next iPad Air may not only have a larger display and a more powerful chipset than the current model, but it may be cheaper too. The iPad Air 2020 is believed to feature a 10.8-inch or 11-inch display and an A13 Bionic SoC, which would both be improvements over the 10.5-inch display an A12 Bionic in the current model.